VIII. Reading                                                           

            The conical hat, a simple style of hat, dated back to about thousands of years ago. It is very popular in Asian countries like Vietnam, China, Laos, Cambodia and the Philippines. This style of hat is used primarily as protection from the sun and rain. In Vietnam, and China, the conical hat has long been associated with farmers. However, the hat, together with Vietnamese traditional dress is one of the world-wide famous symbols of Vietnamese women. Vietnamese hat is made of leaves or bark held together by thread. The outside part of the hat is covered with varnish or a protective layer to keep it shining and durable. Nowadays, due to the industrialization and the appearance of many other kinds of hats and material, the conical hat is not so as popular as it used to. Only some old women in the countryside still wear this kind of hat since it is not very convenient when you have to travel by motorbike and long distances. Though it has not been so popular today, the hat has certain cultural and decorating values. In some special occasions and traditional festivals, women resort to the conical hat in their performance and taking photos in order to make the pictures and the shows more charming and conventional.

1. The conical hat appeared _____.

A. a thousand years ago      B. a long time ago    C. not very long time ago    D. recently

2. Which country is NOT mentioned in the text as a home of the hat?

A. Cambodia                         B. India                      C. The Philippines               D. Laos

3. People keep the hat durable by _____.

A. wearing it in hot weather                       B. wearing it only when necessary

C. varnishing it                                             D. keep it in shadow

4. The author mentions all of the following as a reason for the unpopularity of the hat today EXCEPT ___

A. industrialization                                      B. the existence of other kinds of hats     

C. its price                                                     D. its inconvenience when travelling by vehicles.

5. The word “it” in the reading text refers to ______.

A. the hat                   B. the style                B. the appearance                 D. material

IX. Close test

English is (1) ____ first language of many people in countries outside the United Kingdom. When you meet speakers of English from around the world, you immediately notice that they do not all speak in the same way. There are also some differences in the words they use, including the names of (2)____ objects that are part of everyone’s daily life. (3) ____ pronunciation and vocabulary are not the same everywhere, it is interesting that English speakers (4) ____ opposite sides of the world can understand each other quite easily. It does not seem to care where they learnt the language. And of course this is one reason why speakers of other languages are keen on learning English too. If you know English, you are more likely to be able (5) ____ or work in all sorts of exciting places, such as the United States or Australia.

1. A. an                                  B. a                             C. x                             D. the

2. A. common                       B. popular                 C. favourite               D. general

3. A. Despite                         B. Although               C. Because of            D. Because

4. A. of                                   B. in                            C. from                       D. a

5. A. to study                        B. studying                C. study                      D. studied