ĐỌC HIỂU - VSTEP

Thời gian: 60 phút

Số câu hỏi: 40

Directions: In this section of the test, you will read FOUR different passages, each followed by
10 questions about it. For questions 1-40, you are to choose the best answer A, B, C, or D for
each question. Then, on your answer sheet, find the number of the question and fill in the space
that corresponds to the letter of the answer you have chosen. Answer all questions following a
passage on the basis of what is stated or implied in that passage.

You have 60 minutes to answer all the questions, including the time to transfer your answers to
the answer sheet.

PASSAGE 1 – Questions 1-10

MICKEY MOUSE

Mickey Mouse was not Walt Disney’s first successful cartoon creation, but he is certainly
his most famous one. It was on a cross- country train trip from New York to California in 1927
that Disney first drew the mouse with the big ears. Supposedly, he took his inspiration from the
tame field mice that used to scamper into his old studio in Kansas City. No one is quite sure why
he dressed the mouse in the now-familiar shorts with two buttons and gave him the yellow shoes.
But we do know that Disney had intended to call him Mortimer until his wife Lillian intervened
and christened him Mickey Mouse.
Capitalizing on the interest in Charles Lindbergh, Disney planned Mickey’s debut in the
short cartoon Plane Crazy, with Minnie as a co-star. In the third short cartoon, Steamboat Willie,
Mickey was whistling and singing through the miracle of the modern soundtrack. By the 1930s
Mickey’s image had circled the globe. He was a superstar at the height of his career.
Although he has received a few minor changes throughout his lifetime, most notably
the addition of white gloves and the alterations to achieve the rounder forms of a more
childish body, he has remained true to his nature since those first cartoons. Mickey is
appealing because he is nice. He may get into trouble, but he takes it on the chin with a grin. He
is both good-natured and resourceful. Perhaps that was Disney’s own image of himself. Why else
would he have insisted on doing Mickey’s voice in all the cartoons for twenty years? When
interviewed, he would say. “There is a lot of the mouse in me.” And that mouse has remained
one of the most pervasive images in American popular culture.

1. Which of the following is the main topic of the passage?

A. The image of Mickey Mouse
B. The life of Walt Disney
 C. The history of cartoons
D. The definition of American culture
2. What distinguished Steamboat Willie from earlier cartoons?
A. Better color
B. A soundtrack
C. Minnie Mouse as co-star
D. The longer format
3. The word “miracle” in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to _________.
A. effect
B. wonder
C. demonstration
D. alteration
4. The word “pervasive” in the last paragraph could best be replaced by _________.
A. well loved
B. widespread
C. often copied
D. expensive to buy
5. The word “appealing” in the last paragraph is closest in meaning to _________.
A. attractive
B. famous
C. exceptional
D. distinguishable
6. The word “those” in the last paragraph refers to _________.
A. cartoons
B. forms
C. gloves
D. changes
7. What does the author mean by the statement in the last paragraph?
“Although he has received a few minor changes throughout his lifetime, most notably the
addition of white gloves and the alterations to achieve the rounder forms of a more childish
body, he has remained true to his nature since those first cartoons”?
A. The current version of Mickey Mouse is different in every way from the early
cartoons.
B. The original Mickey Mouse was one of the first cartoon characters.
C. In the first cartoons, Mickey Mouse looked more like a child.
D. The personality of Mickey Mouse has not changed over the years.
8. What did Disney mean when he said, “There is a lot of the mouse in me”?
A. He was proud of the mouse that he created.
B. He knew that the mouse would be a famous creation.
C. He created the mouse with many of his own qualities.
 D. He had worked very hard to create the mouse.
9. The first image of Mickey Mouse is described as all of the following EXCEPT _________.
A. he was dressed in shorts with two buttons
B. he had big ears
C. he wore yellow shoes
D. he was wearing white gloves
10. The paragraph following this passage most probably discusses _________.
A. the history of cartoons
B. other images in popular culture
C. Walt Disney’s childhood
D. the voices of cartoon characters

PASSAGE 2 – Questions 11-20

Basic to any understanding of Canada in 20 years after the Second World War is the country's
impressive population growth. For every three Canadians in 1945, there were over five in 1996.
In September 1966 Canada's population passed the 20 million mark. Most of this surging growth
came from natural increase. The depression of the 1930's and the war had held back marriages
and the catching – up process began after 1945. The baby boom continued through the decade of
the 1950's, producing a population increase of nearly fifteen percent in the five years from 1951
to 1956. This rate of increase had been exceeded only once before in Canada's history, in the
decade before 1911, when the prairies were being settled. Undoubtedly, the good economic
conditions of the 1950's supported a growth in the population, but the expansion also derived
from a trend toward earlier marriages and an increase in the average size of families. In 1957 the
Canadian birth rate stood at 28 per thousand, one of the highest in the world.

After the peak year of 1957, the birth rate in Canada began to decline. It continued falling until
in 1966 it stood at the lowest level in 25 years. Partly this decline reflected the low level of births
during the depression and the war, but it was also caused by changes in Canadian society. Young
people were staying at school longer, more women were working, young married couples were
buying automobiles or houses before starting families, rising living standards were cutting down
the size of families. It appeared that Canada was once more falling in step with the trend toward
smaller families that had occurred all through the Western world since the time of the Industrial
Revolution.

Although the growth in Canada's population has slowed down by 1966(the increase in the first
half of the 1960's was only nine percent). Another large population wave was coming over the
horizon. It would be composed of the children of the children who were born during the period
of the high birth rate prior to 1957.

11. What does the passage mainly discuss?

 A. Educational changes in Canadian society.
B. Canada during the Second World War
C. Population trends in postwar Canada
D. Standards of living in Canada
12. According to the passage, when did Canada's baby boom begin?
A. In the decade after 1911
B. After 1945
C. During the depression of the 1930's
D. In 1966
13. The word "five" in paragraph 1 refers to _________.
A. Canadians
B. Years
C. Decades
D. Marriages
14. The word "surging" in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to _________.
A. new
B. extra
C. accelerating
D. surprising
15. The word "trend" in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to _________.
A. tendency
B. aim
C. growth
D. directive
16. The word "peak" in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to _________.
A. pointed
B. dismal
C. mountain
D. maximum
17. When was the birth rate in Canada at its lowest postwar level?
A. 1966
B. 1957
C. 1956
D. 1951
18. The author mentions all of the following as causes of declines in population
growth after 1957 EXCEPT _________.
A. people being better educated
B. people getting married earlier
C. better standards of living
D. couples buying houses
 19. It can be inferred from the passage that before the industrial Revolution
_________.
A. families were larger
B. population statistics were unreliable
C. the population grew steadily
D. economic conditions were bad
20. The word "It" in the last paragraph refers to _________.
A. horizon
B. population wave
C. nine percent
D. first half

PASSAGE 3 – Questions 21-30

Eclipses

The world eclipse refers to astronomical occasion when the light of one celestial object is
partly or completely blocked by the shadow of another object. Eclipses are usually classified as
solar or lunar. They occur as often as seven times in a year.

A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun. It partly or
totally blocks the Earth’s view of the Sun. This happens when the Moon is exactly between the
Sun and the Earth. A solar eclipse can only occur when the Moon is a new moon. Thousands of
years ago, solar eclipse were terrifying events because everything went dark and no one could
understand why. Today, solar eclipses are no longer frightening, and hundreds of people do
travel to areas where a solar eclipse is occurring. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Sun is
completely blocked by the Moon and only a faint corona can be seen. It is rare and usually lasts
for a few minutes. A partial eclipse occurs when the Moon covers parts of the Sun. The longest
solar eclipses occur when the Earth is farthest from the Sun, making the solar disc smaller and
the Moon is at closest to the Earth, making the Moon’s diameter larger.

A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes through a part of the Earth’s shadow. The
earliest recorded lunar eclipse happened on March 19, 721 B.C. A lunar eclipse can only occur
with a full moon and when the Sun, Earth and Moon are in a single line. The shadow of the Earth
is divided into two parts. The outer part of the shadow is called the penumbra. In the penumbra,
the Earth can block only part of the Sun’s rays which reach the Moon. A penumbral eclipse
occurs when the Moon passes through the Earth’s penumbra. The inner part is the umbra, a
region where the Earth blocks all the direct sunlight. When the Moon travels completely under
the Earth’s umbra, the Moon partly disappears or has a red glow.
21. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. Eclipses are heavenly events involving the Sun, Moon, and Earth.
B. Solar eclipses do not occur as often as lunar eclipses.
C. Solar and lunar eclipses cannot occur unless the Moon is full.
D. Celestial objects are visible in the sky when an eclipse occurs.
22. The word ‘blocked’ in paragraph 1 could be best be replaced by _________.
A. tied
B. found
C. hidden
D. colored
23. The word ‘it’ in paragraph 2 refers to _________.
A. the Moon
B. the Earth
C. the Sun
D. solar eclipse
24. According to the passage, which of the following is a reason why solar eclipses terrified
ancient people?
A. The Moon appeared bigger than the Sun.
B. Both the Moon and the Sun were visible in the sky.
C. People did not know the reason why everything grew dark,
D. The Sun was not as bright as it used to be.
25. Which of the sentences is TRUE about solar eclipses nowadays?
A. People travel to see solar eclipses for a religious reason.
B. People are not afraid of solar eclipses, and they want to see them.
C. Solar eclipses are now the most important events of the year.
D. People travel to see solar eclipses because they are terrified.
26. All of the following are mentioned in paragraph 2 as a possible result of a solar eclipse
EXCEPT that _________.
A. the Sun appears as a shining band.
B. the Sun’s rays are completely blocked out.
C. the Sun partly disappears for a short time.
D. the Sun corona can be seen
27. The word ‘rare’ in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to _________.
A. complex
B. cold
C. uncommon
D. dangerous
28. What can be inferred about solar eclipse?
A. They are not as attractive as they were in the past.
B. They are harder to study than lunar eclipse.
 C. They are interesting events for a lot of people.
D. They occur only in the daytime.
29. The phrase ‘outer part’ in paragraph 3 refers to _________.
A. the Earth’s shadow
B. a single line
C. umbra
D. penumbra
30. Which of the sentences is NOT true about lunar eclipse?
A. It has a reddish color when it passes under umbra.
B. It occurs when the Moon is in the middle of the Earth and Sun.
C. It occurred on March 19, 721 B.C.
D. It is partial when it passes through penumbra.

PASSAGE 4 – Questions 31-40

Are organically grown foods the best food choices? The advantages claimed for such foods
over conventionally grown and marketed food products are now being debated. Advocates of
organic foods – a term whose meaning varies greatly – frequently proclaim that such products
are safer and more nutritious than others.

The growing interest of consumers in the safety and more nutritional quality of the typical
North American diet is a welcome development. However, much of this interest has been
sparked by sweeping claims that the food supply is unsafe or inadequate in meeting nutritional
needs. Although most of these claims are not supported by scientific evidence, the
preponderance of written material advancing such claims makes it difficult for the general public
to separate fact from fiction. As a result, claims that eating a diet consisting entirely of
organically grown foods prevents or cures disease or provides other benefits to health have
become widely publicized and form the basis for folklore.

Almost daily the public is besieged by claims for "no-aging" diets, new vitamins, and other
wonder foods. There are numerous unsubstantiated reports that natural vitamins are superior to
synthetic ones, that fertilized eggs are nutritionally superior to unfertilized eggs, that untreated
grains are better than fumigated grains and the like.

One thing that most organically grown food products seem to have in common is that they
cost more than conventionally grown foods. But in many cases consumers are misled if they
believe organic foods can maintain health and provide better nutritional quality than
conventionally grown foods. So there is real cause for concern if consumers, particularly those
with limited incomes, distrust the regular food and buy and buy only expensive organic foods
instead.

31. The word "organically" in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to

 A. steadily
B. slowly
C. conventionally
D. naturally
32. The word "Advocates" in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to which of the
following?
A. Proponents
B. Merchants
C. Inspectors
D. Consumers
33. In paragraph 1, the word "others" refers to
A. advantages
B. advocates
C. organic foods
D. products
34. The "welcome development" mentioned in paragraph 2 is an increase in
A. interest in food safety and nutritional quality of the typical North American diet
B. the nutritional quality of the typical North American diet
C. the amount of healthy food grown in North America
D. the number of consumers in North America
35. According to the first paragraph, which of the following is true about the term
"organic foods"?
A. It is accepted by most nutritionists.
B. It has been used only in recent years.
C. It has no fixed meaning.
D. It is seldom used by consumers.
36. The word "unsubstantiated" in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to
A. unbelievable
B. uncontested
C. unpopular
D. unverified
37. The word "maintain" in the last paragraph is closest in meaning to
A. improve
B. monitor
C. preserve
D. restore
38. The author implies that there is cause for concern if consumers with limited
incomes buy organic foods instead of conventionally grown foods because
A. organic foods can be more expensive but are often no better than conventionally
grown foods
 B. many organic foods are actually less nutritious than similar conventionally grown
foods
C. conventionally grown foods are more readily available than organic foods
D. too many farmers will stop using conventional methods to grow food crops.
39. According to the last paragraph, consumers who believe that organic foods are
better than conventionally grown foods are often
A. careless
B. mistaken
C. thrifty
D. wealthy
40. What is the author's attitude toward the claims made by advocates of health
foods?
A. Very enthusiastic
B. Somewhat favorable
C. Neutral
D. Skeptical