Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word(s) OPPOSITE in meaning to the underlined word(s) in each of the following questions.

Question 1. Stay at home, Nick! You will only stir up a hornet’s nest if you show up at the party.

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word(s) OPPOSITE in meaning to the underlined word(s) in each of the following questions.

Question 2. Trinh Cong Son’s music is revered by many people because of its beautiful melodies and meaningful lyrics.

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word(s) CLOSEST in meaning to the underlined word(s) in each of the following questions.

Question 3. You will be mainly occupied with checking sales records next week because it’s time you had to make the financial report to the boss.

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word(s) CLOSEST in meaning to the underlined word(s) in each of the following questions.

Question 4. He voluntarily offered to help his neighbor move out of her apartment even though it was his day off and he had other plans.

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 5 to 9.

Medellin, Colombia’s second city, used to have one of the highest crime rates in the world, but thanks to a variety of initiatives, crime has dropped by 80 percent. Surprisingly, one part of the solution is cable cars. Since 2004, the city has invested over $60 million in a system of cable cars to connect the so-called “barrios” to the city centre. The barrios—poorer residential areas—are located in the hills around Medellin, while the cable cars, which are efficient and affordable, have reduced the journey times significantly.

The radical thinking behind the cable cars is to integrate the poor into the city, rather than forcing them to the edge of it and thereby excluding them. Libraries and crèches have been built around the cable car stations, allowing mothers to leave their children close to home while they go to work in the city. The side effects of this project have been to reduce pollution and crime, and to turn what was previously a no-go area into a tourist destination.

The cable cars are, of course, not the only reason for Medellin’s renaissance. New and impressive public buildings, designed by local architects, have restored a sense of pride in the city and even the poorest slum housing is now being adequately supplied with water and electricity. Medellin still has challenges to overcome, but already it is being seen as an example to other cities around the world of how to cope with the problems of urbanisation.

(Adapted from Cutting Edge Advanced)

Question 5. Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 5 to 9.

Medellin, Colombia’s second city, used to have one of the highest crime rates in the world, but thanks to a variety of initiatives, crime has dropped by 80 percent. Surprisingly, one part of the solution is cable cars. Since 2004, the city has invested over $60 million in a system of cable cars to connect the so-called “barrios” to the city centre. The barrios—poorer residential areas—are located in the hills around Medellin, while the cable cars, which are efficient and affordable, have reduced the journey times significantly.

The radical thinking behind the cable cars is to integrate the poor into the city, rather than forcing them to the edge of it and thereby excluding them. Libraries and crèches have been built around the cable car stations, allowing mothers to leave their children close to home while they go to work in the city. The side effects of this project have been to reduce pollution and crime, and to turn what was previously a no-go area into a tourist destination.

The cable cars are, of course, not the only reason for Medellin’s renaissance. New and impressive public buildings, designed by local architects, have restored a sense of pride in the city and even the poorest slum housing is now being adequately supplied with water and electricity. Medellin still has challenges to overcome, but already it is being seen as an example to other cities around the world of how to cope with the problems of urbanisation.

(Adapted from Cutting Edge Advanced)

Question 6. The word “integrate” in paragraph 2 mostly means _______.

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 5 to 9.

Medellin, Colombia’s second city, used to have one of the highest crime rates in the world, but thanks to a variety of initiatives, crime has dropped by 80 percent. Surprisingly, one part of the solution is cable cars. Since 2004, the city has invested over $60 million in a system of cable cars to connect the so-called “barrios” to the city centre. The barrios—poorer residential areas—are located in the hills around Medellin, while the cable cars, which are efficient and affordable, have reduced the journey times significantly.

The radical thinking behind the cable cars is to integrate the poor into the city, rather than forcing them to the edge of it and thereby excluding them. Libraries and crèches have been built around the cable car stations, allowing mothers to leave their children close to home while they go to work in the city. The side effects of this project have been to reduce pollution and crime, and to turn what was previously a no-go area into a tourist destination.

The cable cars are, of course, not the only reason for Medellin’s renaissance. New and impressive public buildings, designed by local architects, have restored a sense of pride in the city and even the poorest slum housing is now being adequately supplied with water and electricity. Medellin still has challenges to overcome, but already it is being seen as an example to other cities around the world of how to cope with the problems of urbanisation.

(Adapted from Cutting Edge Advanced)

Question 7. The word “they” in paragraph 2 refers to _______.

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 5 to 9.

Medellin, Colombia’s second city, used to have one of the highest crime rates in the world, but thanks to a variety of initiatives, crime has dropped by 80 percent. Surprisingly, one part of the solution is cable cars. Since 2004, the city has invested over $60 million in a system of cable cars to connect the so-called “barrios” to the city centre. The barrios—poorer residential areas—are located in the hills around Medellin, while the cable cars, which are efficient and affordable, have reduced the journey times significantly.

The radical thinking behind the cable cars is to integrate the poor into the city, rather than forcing them to the edge of it and thereby excluding them. Libraries and crèches have been built around the cable car stations, allowing mothers to leave their children close to home while they go to work in the city. The side effects of this project have been to reduce pollution and crime, and to turn what was previously a no-go area into a tourist destination.

The cable cars are, of course, not the only reason for Medellin’s renaissance. New and impressive public buildings, designed by local architects, have restored a sense of pride in the city and even the poorest slum housing is now being adequately supplied with water and electricity. Medellin still has challenges to overcome, but already it is being seen as an example to other cities around the world of how to cope with the problems of urbanisation.

(Adapted from Cutting Edge Advanced)

Question 8. According to the passage, cable cars _______.

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 5 to 9.

Medellin, Colombia’s second city, used to have one of the highest crime rates in the world, but thanks to a variety of initiatives, crime has dropped by 80 percent. Surprisingly, one part of the solution is cable cars. Since 2004, the city has invested over $60 million in a system of cable cars to connect the so-called “barrios” to the city centre. The barrios—poorer residential areas—are located in the hills around Medellin, while the cable cars, which are efficient and affordable, have reduced the journey times significantly.

The radical thinking behind the cable cars is to integrate the poor into the city, rather than forcing them to the edge of it and thereby excluding them. Libraries and crèches have been built around the cable car stations, allowing mothers to leave their children close to home while they go to work in the city. The side effects of this project have been to reduce pollution and crime, and to turn what was previously a no-go area into a tourist destination.

The cable cars are, of course, not the only reason for Medellin’s renaissance. New and impressive public buildings, designed by local architects, have restored a sense of pride in the city and even the poorest slum housing is now being adequately supplied with water and electricity. Medellin still has challenges to overcome, but already it is being seen as an example to other cities around the world of how to cope with the problems of urbanisation.

(Adapted from Cutting Edge Advanced)

Question 9. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A. Crime and poverty in Medellin have been eradicated due to cable cars.
B. The city has attracted tourists since the introduction of cable cars.
C. Impressive new buildings have restored a sense of pride in the city.
D. The poorest slums in Medellin no longer lack water and electricity.

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 10 to 14.

Berrak: A Pianist

A typical day now involves a couple of hours practice in the morning before going into college and attending classes. I spend a lot of time in the library, listening to music, trying to learn and become familiar with new pieces of music. One downside to choosing to study and (10) ______ a career in music is that you end up spending hours and hours by yourself. However, I also try to spend time at college meeting other people and networking. The more musicians I know, the more likely I am to be asked to play for others. The more I play, the better known I become and in the music business it’s all about recognition and getting your name out there. (11) ______ it’s important to make as many friends as possible and take part in competitions so that as many people as possible see you perform and know who you are. It’s a very (12) ______ industry. Ultimately, if I am asked to play it could be that someone else loses work and sometimes it feels like a constant battle. You can’t help being drawn into an artificial world (13) ______ you are constantly comparing yourself to others and are always concerned about what (14) ______ think of your performance. In the real world outside of college your audience is much wider.

(Adapted from “FCE Practice Test” by Karen Dyer and Dave Harwood)

Question 10.
A. retreat
B. pursue
C. catch
D. look

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 10 to 14.

Berrak: A Pianist

A typical day now involves a couple of hours practice in the morning before going into college and attending classes. I spend a lot of time in the library, listening to music, trying to learn and become familiar with new pieces of music. One downside to choosing to study and (10) ______ a career in music is that you end up spending hours and hours by yourself. However, I also try to spend time at college meeting other people and networking. The more musicians I know, the more likely I am to be asked to play for others. The more I play, the better known I become and in the music business it’s all about recognition and getting your name out there. (11) ______ it’s important to make as many friends as possible and take part in competitions so that as many people as possible see you perform and know who you are. It’s a very (12) ______ industry. Ultimately, if I am asked to play it could be that someone else loses work and sometimes it feels like a constant battle. You can’t help being drawn into an artificial world (13) ______ you are constantly comparing yourself to others and are always concerned about what (14) ______ think of your performance. In the real world outside of college your audience is much wider.

(Adapted from “FCE Practice Test” by Karen Dyer and Dave Harwood)

Question 11.
A. Moreover
B. Otherwise
C. But
D. Therefore

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 10 to 14.

Berrak: A Pianist

A typical day now involves a couple of hours practice in the morning before going into college and attending classes. I spend a lot of time in the library, listening to music, trying to learn and become familiar with new pieces of music. One downside to choosing to study and (10) ______ a career in music is that you end up spending hours and hours by yourself. However, I also try to spend time at college meeting other people and networking. The more musicians I know, the more likely I am to be asked to play for others. The more I play, the better known I become and in the music business it’s all about recognition and getting your name out there. (11) ______ it’s important to make as many friends as possible and take part in competitions so that as many people as possible see you perform and know who you are. It’s a very (12) ______ industry. Ultimately, if I am asked to play it could be that someone else loses work and sometimes it feels like a constant battle. You can’t help being drawn into an artificial world (13) ______ you are constantly comparing yourself to others and are always concerned about what (14) ______ think of your performance. In the real world outside of college your audience is much wider.

(Adapted from “FCE Practice Test” by Karen Dyer and Dave Harwood)

Question 12.
A. competitive
B. aggressive
C. selfish
D. entertaining

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 10 to 14.

Berrak: A Pianist

A typical day now involves a couple of hours practice in the morning before going into college and attending classes. I spend a lot of time in the library, listening to music, trying to learn and become familiar with new pieces of music. One downside to choosing to study and (10) ______ a career in music is that you end up spending hours and hours by yourself. However, I also try to spend time at college meeting other people and networking. The more musicians I know, the more likely I am to be asked to play for others. The more I play, the better known I become and in the music business it’s all about recognition and getting your name out there. (11) ______ it’s important to make as many friends as possible and take part in competitions so that as many people as possible see you perform and know who you are. It’s a very (12) ______ industry. Ultimately, if I am asked to play it could be that someone else loses work and sometimes it feels like a constant battle. You can’t help being drawn into an artificial world (13) ______ you are constantly comparing yourself to others and are always concerned about what (14) ______ think of your performance. In the real world outside of college your audience is much wider.

(Adapted from “FCE Practice Test” by Karen Dyer and Dave Harwood)

Question 13.
A. whom
B. that
C. where
D. others

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 10 to 14.

Berrak: A Pianist

A typical day now involves a couple of hours practice in the morning before going into college and attending classes. I spend a lot of time in the library, listening to music, trying to learn and become familiar with new pieces of music. One downside to choosing to study and (10) ______ a career in music is that you end up spending hours and hours by yourself. However, I also try to spend time at college meeting other people and networking. The more musicians I know, the more likely I am to be asked to play for others. The more I play, the better known I become and in the music business it’s all about recognition and getting your name out there. (11) ______ it’s important to make as many friends as possible and take part in competitions so that as many people as possible see you perform and know who you are. It’s a very (12) ______ industry. Ultimately, if I am asked to play it could be that someone else loses work and sometimes it feels like a constant battle. You can’t help being drawn into an artificial world (13) ______ you are constantly comparing yourself to others and are always concerned about what (14) ______ think of your performance. In the real world outside of college your audience is much wider.

(Adapted from “FCE Practice Test” by Karen Dyer and Dave Harwood)

Question 14.
A. many
B. another
C. much
D. others

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word that differs from the other three in the position of primary stress in each of the following questions.

Question 15.
A. domestic
B. supportive
C. vertical
D. outstanding

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word that differs from the other three in the position of primary stress in each of the following questions.

Question 16.
A. pollute
B. beneath
C. consume
D. collect

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the option that best completes each of the following exchanges.

Question 17. Pat and Linda are discussing city life in the future.
Pat: “There will be a housing shortage in big cities.”
Linda: “______ More and more people from rural areas will come to cities.”
A. Go along with you
B. Never mind
C. Not really
D. I don’t think so

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the option that best completes each of the following exchanges.

Question 18. David is talking to Helen about the dress she has just bought.
David: “Your new dress is really nice”. Helen: “______”
A. It’s nice of you to say so
B. You, too
C. Don’t mention it
D. You’re welcome

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 19 to 22.

Think back to the last time you failed or made an important mistake. Do you still feel embarrassed and blame yourself for having been so stupid? Research has shown that this response can often have negative consequences. Besides increasing our unhappiness and stress levels, it can increase delaying, and make us give up. Instead of chastising ourselves, we should try to practice self-compassion or, in other words, forgive ourselves. If possible and ask good care of ourselves throughout times of disappointment and embarrassment. This is not the same as self-pity. Self-compassion is a kind of unconditionally supportive, kind way of treating ourselves. “Self-compassion is really conducive to learning,” says Kristin Neff, an associate professor of educational psychology at the University of Texas. “Self-

---
compassion is learning to be that same warm, supportive friend to yourself.” In her studies, Neff examined how it related to people’s overall mental health and wellbeing and found that this trait can be linked to increased life satisfaction and decreased risks of depression and anxiety.

Self-compassion has now become a blossoming field of research, attracting interest from more and more researchers. Some of the most intriguing results concern people’s physical health, with a recent study showing that people with high self-compassion are less likely to report different ailments like back pain, headache, and nausea. A research from 2012 also found that people with high self-compassion show greater motivation to correct their errors. For instance, they tended to work harder after failing an important test. So it seems that self-compassion can also create a sense of safety that allows us to confront our weaknesses and make positive changes in our lives. This is solid evidence against the idea that self-compassion would lead to lazy behaviour and low willpower.

And if you would like to gain some of these benefits, there is now abundant evidence – from Neff’s research group and many others – that self-compassion can be trained. Popular interventions include “loving-kindness meditation”, which guides you to focus on feelings of forgiveness and warmth to yourself and others. In one recent experiment, Tobias Krieger and colleagues at the University of Bern in Switzerland designed an online course to teach this exercise alongside lessons about the causes of self-criticism and its consequences. After seven sessions, they found significant increases in the participants’ self-compassion scores, along with reduced stress, anxiety and depressive feelings.

More than ever, we need to stop seeing self-compassion and self-care as a sign of weakness, says Neff. “The research is really overwhelming at this point, showing that when life gets tough, you want to be self-compassionate. It’s going to make you stronger.”

(Adapted from bbc.com)

Question 19. Which best serves as the title for the passage?

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 19 to 22.

Think back to the last time you failed or made an important mistake. Do you still feel embarrassed and blame yourself for having been so stupid? Research has shown that this response can often have negative consequences. Besides increasing our unhappiness and stress levels, it can increase delaying, and make us give up. Instead of chastising ourselves, we should try to practice self-compassion or, in other words, forgive ourselves. If possible and ask good care of ourselves throughout times of disappointment and embarrassment. This is not the same as self-pity. Self-compassion is a kind of unconditionally supportive, kind way of treating ourselves. “Self-compassion is really conducive to learning,” says Kristin Neff, an associate professor of educational psychology at the University of Texas. “Self-

---
compassion is learning to be that same warm, supportive friend to yourself.” In her studies, Neff examined how it related to people’s overall mental health and wellbeing and found that this trait can be linked to increased life satisfaction and decreased risks of depression and anxiety.

Self-compassion has now become a blossoming field of research, attracting interest from more and more researchers. Some of the most intriguing results concern people’s physical health, with a recent study showing that people with high self-compassion are less likely to report different ailments like back pain, headache, and nausea. A research from 2012 also found that people with high self-compassion show greater motivation to correct their errors. For instance, they tended to work harder after failing an important test. So it seems that self-compassion can also create a sense of safety that allows us to confront our weaknesses and make positive changes in our lives. This is solid evidence against the idea that self-compassion would lead to lazy behaviour and low willpower.

And if you would like to gain some of these benefits, there is now abundant evidence – from Neff’s research group and many others – that self-compassion can be trained. Popular interventions include “loving-kindness meditation”, which guides you to focus on feelings of forgiveness and warmth to yourself and others. In one recent experiment, Tobias Krieger and colleagues at the University of Bern in Switzerland designed an online course to teach this exercise alongside lessons about the causes of self-criticism and its consequences. After seven sessions, they found significant increases in the participants’ self-compassion scores, along with reduced stress, anxiety and depressive feelings.

More than ever, we need to stop seeing self-compassion and self-care as a sign of weakness, says Neff. “The research is really overwhelming at this point, showing that when life gets tough, you want to be self-compassionate. It’s going to make you stronger.”

(Adapted from bbc.com)

Question 20. The word “chastising” in paragraph 2 can be best replaced by ______.
A. criticizing B. threatening C. obstructing D. disappointing

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 19 to 22.

Think back to the last time you failed or made an important mistake. Do you still feel embarrassed and blame yourself for having been so stupid? Research has shown that this response can often have negative consequences. Besides increasing our unhappiness and stress levels, it can increase delaying, and make us give up. Instead of chastising ourselves, we should try to practice self-compassion or, in other words, forgive ourselves. If possible and ask good care of ourselves throughout times of disappointment and embarrassment. This is not the same as self-pity. Self-compassion is a kind of unconditionally supportive, kind way of treating ourselves. “Self-compassion is really conducive to learning,” says Kristin Neff, an associate professor of educational psychology at the University of Texas. “Self-

---
compassion is learning to be that same warm, supportive friend to yourself.” In her studies, Neff examined how it related to people’s overall mental health and wellbeing and found that this trait can be linked to increased life satisfaction and decreased risks of depression and anxiety.

Self-compassion has now become a blossoming field of research, attracting interest from more and more researchers. Some of the most intriguing results concern people’s physical health, with a recent study showing that people with high self-compassion are less likely to report different ailments like back pain, headache, and nausea. A research from 2012 also found that people with high self-compassion show greater motivation to correct their errors. For instance, they tended to work harder after failing an important test. So it seems that self-compassion can also create a sense of safety that allows us to confront our weaknesses and make positive changes in our lives. This is solid evidence against the idea that self-compassion would lead to lazy behaviour and low willpower.

And if you would like to gain some of these benefits, there is now abundant evidence – from Neff’s research group and many others – that self-compassion can be trained. Popular interventions include “loving-kindness meditation”, which guides you to focus on feelings of forgiveness and warmth to yourself and others. In one recent experiment, Tobias Krieger and colleagues at the University of Bern in Switzerland designed an online course to teach this exercise alongside lessons about the causes of self-criticism and its consequences. After seven sessions, they found significant increases in the participants’ self-compassion scores, along with reduced stress, anxiety and depressive feelings.

More than ever, we need to stop seeing self-compassion and self-care as a sign of weakness, says Neff. “The research is really overwhelming at this point, showing that when life gets tough, you want to be self-compassionate. It’s going to make you stronger.”

(Adapted from bbc.com)

Question 21. The word “it” in paragraph 2 refers to ______.
A. psychology B. professor C. self-compassion D. friend

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 19 to 22.

Think back to the last time you failed or made an important mistake. Do you still feel embarrassed and blame yourself for having been so stupid? Research has shown that this response can often have negative consequences. Besides increasing our unhappiness and stress levels, it can increase delaying, and make us give up. Instead of chastising ourselves, we should try to practice self-compassion or, in other words, forgive ourselves. If possible and ask good care of ourselves throughout times of disappointment and embarrassment. This is not the same as self-pity. Self-compassion is a kind of unconditionally supportive, kind way of treating ourselves. “Self-compassion is really conducive to learning,” says Kristin Neff, an associate professor of educational psychology at the University of Texas. “Self-

---
compassion is learning to be that same warm, supportive friend to yourself.” In her studies, Neff examined how it related to people’s overall mental health and wellbeing and found that this trait can be linked to increased life satisfaction and decreased risks of depression and anxiety.

Self-compassion has now become a blossoming field of research, attracting interest from more and more researchers. Some of the most intriguing results concern people’s physical health, with a recent study showing that people with high self-compassion are less likely to report different ailments like back pain, headache, and nausea. A research from 2012 also found that people with high self-compassion show greater motivation to correct their errors. For instance, they tended to work harder after failing an important test. So it seems that self-compassion can also create a sense of safety that allows us to confront our weaknesses and make positive changes in our lives. This is solid evidence against the idea that self-compassion would lead to lazy behaviour and low willpower.

And if you would like to gain some of these benefits, there is now abundant evidence – from Neff’s research group and many others – that self-compassion can be trained. Popular interventions include “loving-kindness meditation”, which guides you to focus on feelings of forgiveness and warmth to yourself and others. In one recent experiment, Tobias Krieger and colleagues at the University of Bern in Switzerland designed an online course to teach this exercise alongside lessons about the causes of self-criticism and its consequences. After seven sessions, they found significant increases in the participants’ self-compassion scores, along with reduced stress, anxiety and depressive feelings.

More than ever, we need to stop seeing self-compassion and self-care as a sign of weakness, says Neff. “The research is really overwhelming at this point, showing that when life gets tough, you want to be self-compassionate. It’s going to make you stronger.”

(Adapted from bbc.com)

Question 22. In paragraph 2, what do we learn about self-compassion?

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 19 to 22.

Think back to the last time you failed or made an important mistake. Do you still feel embarrassed and blame yourself for having been so stupid? Research has shown that this response can often have negative consequences. Besides increasing our unhappiness and stress levels, it can increase delaying, and make us give up. Instead of chastising ourselves, we should try to practice self-compassion or, in other words, forgive ourselves. If possible and ask good care of ourselves throughout times of disappointment and embarrassment. This is not the same as self-pity. Self-compassion is a kind of unconditionally supportive, kind way of treating ourselves. “Self-compassion is really conducive to learning,” says Kristin Neff, an associate professor of educational psychology at the University of Texas. “Self-

---
compassion is learning to be that same warm, supportive friend to yourself.” In her studies, Neff examined how it related to people’s overall mental health and wellbeing and found that this trait can be linked to increased life satisfaction and decreased risks of depression and anxiety.

Self-compassion has now become a blossoming field of research, attracting interest from more and more researchers. Some of the most intriguing results concern people’s physical health, with a recent study showing that people with high self-compassion are less likely to report different ailments like back pain, headache, and nausea. A research from 2012 also found that people with high self-compassion show greater motivation to correct their errors. For instance, they tended to work harder after failing an important test. So it seems that self-compassion can also create a sense of safety that allows us to confront our weaknesses and make positive changes in our lives. This is solid evidence against the idea that self-compassion would lead to lazy behaviour and low willpower.

And if you would like to gain some of these benefits, there is now abundant evidence – from Neff’s research group and many others – that self-compassion can be trained. Popular interventions include “loving-kindness meditation”, which guides you to focus on feelings of forgiveness and warmth to yourself and others. In one recent experiment, Tobias Krieger and colleagues at the University of Bern in Switzerland designed an online course to teach this exercise alongside lessons about the causes of self-criticism and its consequences. After seven sessions, they found significant increases in the participants’ self-compassion scores, along with reduced stress, anxiety and depressive feelings.

More than ever, we need to stop seeing self-compassion and self-care as a sign of weakness, says Neff. “The research is really overwhelming at this point, showing that when life gets tough, you want to be self-compassionate. It’s going to make you stronger.”

(Adapted from bbc.com)

Question 23. The phrase “blossoming” in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to ______.
A. developing B. transforming C. escalating D. intensifying

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 19 to 22.

Think back to the last time you failed or made an important mistake. Do you still feel embarrassed and blame yourself for having been so stupid? Research has shown that this response can often have negative consequences. Besides increasing our unhappiness and stress levels, it can increase delaying, and make us give up. Instead of chastising ourselves, we should try to practice self-compassion or, in other words, forgive ourselves. If possible and ask good care of ourselves throughout times of disappointment and embarrassment. This is not the same as self-pity. Self-compassion is a kind of unconditionally supportive, kind way of treating ourselves. “Self-compassion is really conducive to learning,” says Kristin Neff, an associate professor of educational psychology at the University of Texas. “Self-

---
compassion is learning to be that same warm, supportive friend to yourself.” In her studies, Neff examined how it related to people’s overall mental health and wellbeing and found that this trait can be linked to increased life satisfaction and decreased risks of depression and anxiety.

Self-compassion has now become a blossoming field of research, attracting interest from more and more researchers. Some of the most intriguing results concern people’s physical health, with a recent study showing that people with high self-compassion are less likely to report different ailments like back pain, headache, and nausea. A research from 2012 also found that people with high self-compassion show greater motivation to correct their errors. For instance, they tended to work harder after failing an important test. So it seems that self-compassion can also create a sense of safety that allows us to confront our weaknesses and make positive changes in our lives. This is solid evidence against the idea that self-compassion would lead to lazy behaviour and low willpower.

And if you would like to gain some of these benefits, there is now abundant evidence – from Neff’s research group and many others – that self-compassion can be trained. Popular interventions include “loving-kindness meditation”, which guides you to focus on feelings of forgiveness and warmth to yourself and others. In one recent experiment, Tobias Krieger and colleagues at the University of Bern in Switzerland designed an online course to teach this exercise alongside lessons about the causes of self-criticism and its consequences. After seven sessions, they found significant increases in the participants’ self-compassion scores, along with reduced stress, anxiety and depressive feelings.

More than ever, we need to stop seeing self-compassion and self-care as a sign of weakness, says Neff. “The research is really overwhelming at this point, showing that when life gets tough, you want to be self-compassionate. It’s going to make you stronger.”

(Adapted from bbc.com)

Question 24. Which of the following is NOT TRUE, according to the passage?

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 19 to 22.

Think back to the last time you failed or made an important mistake. Do you still feel embarrassed and blame yourself for having been so stupid? Research has shown that this response can often have negative consequences. Besides increasing our unhappiness and stress levels, it can increase delaying, and make us give up. Instead of chastising ourselves, we should try to practice self-compassion or, in other words, forgive ourselves. If possible and ask good care of ourselves throughout times of disappointment and embarrassment. This is not the same as self-pity. Self-compassion is a kind of unconditionally supportive, kind way of treating ourselves. “Self-compassion is really conducive to learning,” says Kristin Neff, an associate professor of educational psychology at the University of Texas. “Self-

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compassion is learning to be that same warm, supportive friend to yourself.” In her studies, Neff examined how it related to people’s overall mental health and wellbeing and found that this trait can be linked to increased life satisfaction and decreased risks of depression and anxiety.

Self-compassion has now become a blossoming field of research, attracting interest from more and more researchers. Some of the most intriguing results concern people’s physical health, with a recent study showing that people with high self-compassion are less likely to report different ailments like back pain, headache, and nausea. A research from 2012 also found that people with high self-compassion show greater motivation to correct their errors. For instance, they tended to work harder after failing an important test. So it seems that self-compassion can also create a sense of safety that allows us to confront our weaknesses and make positive changes in our lives. This is solid evidence against the idea that self-compassion would lead to lazy behaviour and low willpower.

And if you would like to gain some of these benefits, there is now abundant evidence – from Neff’s research group and many others – that self-compassion can be trained. Popular interventions include “loving-kindness meditation”, which guides you to focus on feelings of forgiveness and warmth to yourself and others. In one recent experiment, Tobias Krieger and colleagues at the University of Bern in Switzerland designed an online course to teach this exercise alongside lessons about the causes of self-criticism and its consequences. After seven sessions, they found significant increases in the participants’ self-compassion scores, along with reduced stress, anxiety and depressive feelings.

More than ever, we need to stop seeing self-compassion and self-care as a sign of weakness, says Neff. “The research is really overwhelming at this point, showing that when life gets tough, you want to be self-compassionate. It’s going to make you stronger.”

(Adapted from bbc.com)

Question 25. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the underlined part that needs correction in each of the following questions.

Question 26. It is essential that a comprehensible development program be made available to help teachers of English foster their continuing professional development.
A. continuing B. comprehensible C. be made D. available

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the underlined part that needs correction in each of the following questions.

Question 27. In some parts of the world, women are still discriminated against because of her social status.

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the underlined part that needs correction in each of the following questions.

Question 28. Food prices rose so rapidly in the past few months that some families have been forced to alter their eating habits.

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the sentence that best combines each pair of sentences in the following questions.

Question 29. We started out for California. It started to rain right after that.

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the sentence that best combines each pair of sentences in the following questions.

Question 30. Lan can apply for admission to Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology. Her school report is bad.

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word whose underlined part differs from the other three in pronunciation in each of the following questions.

Question 31. A. holiday
B. bag
C. decorate
D. graduate

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word whose underlined part differs from the other three in pronunciation in each of the following questions.

Question 32. A. late
B. bag
C. made
D. pay

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the sentence that is closest in meaning to each of the following questions.

Question 33. It’s possible that the boy didn’t break the window on purpose.

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the sentence that is closest in meaning to each of the following questions.

Question 34. “What time do you usually wake up?”, asked my friend.

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the sentence that is closest in meaning to each of the following questions.

Question 35. It is over three years since I last got in touch with my form teacher.

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions.

Question 36. Our school is beautiful and famous, ______?

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions.

Question 37. Despite his immense popularity and success, Mozart, ______ by some to be the greatest musical genius of all time, died in great debt.

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions.

Question 38. The creators of Chat GPT promise ______ improving its performance and accuracy.

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions.

Question 39. The new employee is ______ than the previous one.

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions.

Question 40. In order to ______ their goals in college, students need to invest the maximum amount of time, money, and energy in their studies.

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions.

Question 41. He keeps trying so hard because he is the only man that his children can ______.

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions.

Question 42. After feeling off ______ for days, Tom finally went to see his doctor.

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions.

Question 43. While the secretary ______ her email, the light went out.

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions.

Question 44. That sort of extreme diet is not ______ over a long period.

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions.

Question 45. Car ______ is my obsession, so I often go back to my hometown by motorbike.

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions.

Question 46. People are now aware of the severe effects of global warming, ______ in.

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions.

Question 47. It's not a good idea to spend more than three hours driving without ______ break.

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions.

Question 48. When I was at school, I had a ______ on one of my classmates.

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions.

Question 49. He ______ a job by the manager when he got a certificate in English.

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions.

Question 50. Hurry up or the film will have ended ______.