                                    ĐỀ ÔN HỌC SINH GIỎI 12
                                              ĐỌC HIỂU SỐ 2
SECTION III: READING (6.0 POINTS)
Part 1. Read the passage below and choose the best answer A, B, C, or D for each question

The Beatles become the most popular group in rock music history. The quartet of extraordinarily talented musicians
generated a phenomenal number of pieces that won gold records. They inspired a frenzy that transcended countries
and economic strata. While all of them sang, John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote the majority of their songs.
Originally, Lennon and five others formed a group called the Quarrymen in 1956, with McCartney joining them later
that year. George Harrison, John Lennon , and Paul McCartney, together with Stuart Sutcliffe, who played the bass
guitar, and Pete Best on the drums, performed together in several bands for a few years, until they finally settled on
the Silver Beatles in 1960. American rock musicians, such as Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley, influenced Lennon's and
McCartney's music, whose first hits consisted of simple tunes and lyrics about young love, "Love Me Do" and
"Please, Please Me". The Beatles' U.S. tour propelled them to stardom and led to two movies A Hard Day's Night and
Help! , filmed in 1964 and 1965. The so-called British invasion of the United States was in full swing when they took
the top five sports on the singles charts, followed by the release of their first film.
During the 1960s, their music matured and acquired a sense of melody. The lyrics of their songs became deeper and
gained in both imagination and meaning. Their popularity continued to grow as the Beatles turned their attention to
social problems and political issues in "Nowhere Man" and "Eleanor Rigby". Loneliness and nostalgia come through
in their ballads "Michelle" and "Yesterday", which fully displayed the group' professional developing and
sophistication. Lennon's sardonic music with lyrics written in the first person, and McCartney's songs that create
scenarios with off beat individuals, contributed to the character of the music produced by the group. In addition to
their music, the Beatles set a social trend that popularized long hair, Indian music, and mod dress.
For a variety of reasons, the musicians began to drift apart, and their last concert took place in San Francisco in 1966.
The newspaper and tabloids publicized their quarrels and lawsuits, and the much idolized group finally disbanded in
1970. However, their albums had outsold those of any other band in history. Although all of the Beatles continued to
perform solo or form of rock groups, alone, none could achieve the recognition and success that they had been
associated together.
1. What does the passage mainly discuss?
A. The history and music of the Beatles
B. The history and milestones of rock music
C. The fashion and music popular in the 1960s
D. The creation and history of a music group
2. According to the passage, how many members were in the band, formed in 1956?
A. Four                B. Five                 C. Six                       D. Seven
3. According to the passage, which of the Beatles had the greatest musical talent?
A. John Lennon and Paul McCartney
B. George Harrison and John Lennon
C. Stuart Sutcliffe and Pete Best
D. John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison


4. The author of the passage implies that the Beatles
A. competed with American musicians
B. wrote their music as a group
C. became popular relatively quickly
D. were active in social movements
5. According to the passage, the Beatles' fame grew as a result of
A. Chuck Berry's involvement                            B. their American tour
C. two movies made in the U.S                           D. their first two hits
6. The author of the passage implies that over time, the music and lyrics by the Beatles
A. became more complex than at the beginning of their career
B. declined in quality and political significance
C. were dedicated to women named Eleanor and Michelle
D. made them the richest musicians in the world
7. The word "acquired" is closet in meaning to
A. imparted                     B. attached             C. imprinted              D. attained
8. According to the passage, when did the Beatles experience their greatest success?
A. In the late 1950s
B. After their break-up in 1970
C. During the early and mid-1960s
D. Throughout their lifetimes
9. The word "scenarios" is closet in meaning to
A. sceneries                    B. situations           C. life stories           D. love themes
10. According to the passage, how did Lennon and McCartney enhance the music of the group?
A. They struggled to reach stardom in the United States
B. They composed lyrics to scornful songs and ballads
C. Their music added distinctiveness to the Beatles' repertoire
D. Their loneliness and sadness made their music popular


Part 2. Read the text and do the following tasks. (3pts)
Choose the most suitable headings ( i –vi ) for paragraph A, B, C and D
                                               List of Headings
i    The reaction of the Inuit community to climate change
ii   Understanding of climate change remains limited
iii Alternative sources of essential supplies
iv Respect for Inuit opinion grows
v    A healthier choice of food
vi A difficult landscape
vii Negative effects on well-being
viii Alarm caused by unprecedented events in the Arctic
ix The benefits of an easier existence
Example          Paragraph A                Answer        viii

    1. Paragraph B            ___________

    2. Paragraph C            ___________

    3. Paragraph D            ___________

    4. Paragraph E            ___________

    5. Paragraph F            ___________

                                         Climate change and the Inuit
A
Unusual incidents are being reported across the Arctic. Inuit families going off on snowmobiles to prepare their
summer hunting camps have found themselves cut off from home by a sea of mud, following early thaws. There
are reports of igloos losing their insulating properties as the snow drips and refreezes, of lakes draining into the
sea as permafrost melts, and sea ice breaking up earlier than usual, carrying seals beyond the reach of hunters.
Climate change may still be a rather abstract idea to most of us, but in the Arctic it is already having dramatic
effects - if summertime ice continues to shrink at its present rate, the Arctic Ocean could soon become virtually
ice-free in summer. The knock-on effects are likely to include more warming, cloudier skies, increased
precipitation and higher sea levels. Scientists are increasingly keen to find out what's going on because they
consider the Arctic the ‘canary in the mine’ for global warming - a warning of what's in store for the rest of the
world.
B
For the Inuit the problem is urgent. They live in precarious balance with one of the toughest environments on
earth. Climate change, whatever its causes, is a direct threat to their way of life. Nobody knows the Arctic as well
as the locals, which is why they are not content simply to stand back and let outside experts tell them what's
happening. In Canada, where the Inuit people are jealously guarding their hard-won autonomy in the country's
newest territory, Nunavut, they believe their best hope of survival in this changing environment lies in combining
their ancestral knowledge with the best of modern science. This is a challenge in itself.


C
The Canadian Arctic is a vast, treeless polar desert that's covered with snow for most of the year. Venture into
this terrain and you get some idea of the hardships facing anyone who calls this home. Farming is out of the
question and nature offers meagre pickings. Humans first settled in the Arctic a mere 4,500 years ago, surviving
by exploiting sea mammals and fish. The environment tested them to the limits: sometimes the colonists were
successful, sometimes they failed and vanished. But around a thousand years ago, one group emerged that was
uniquely well adapted to cope with the Arctic environment. These Thule people moved in from Alaska, bringing
kayaks, sleds, dogs, pottery and iron tools. They are the ancestors of today's Inuit people.
D
Life for the descendants of the Thule people is still harsh. Nunavut is 1.9 million square kilometers of rock and
ice, and a handful of islands around the North Pole. It's currently home to 2,500 people, all but a handful of them
indigenous Inuit. Over the past 40 years, most have abandoned their nomadic ways and settled in the territory's
28 isolated communities, but they still rely heavily on nature to provide food and clothing. Provisions available
in local shops have to be flown into Nunavut on one of the most costly air networks in the world, or brought by
supply ship during the few ice-free weeks of summer. It would cost a family around £7,000 a year to replace meat
they obtained themselves through hunting with imported meat. Economic opportunities are scarce, and for many
people state benefits are their only income.
E
While the Inuit may not actually starve if hunting and trapping are curtailed by climate change, there has certainly
been an impact on people's health. Obesity, heart disease and diabetes are beginning to appear in a people for
whom these have never before been problems. There has been a crisis of identity as the traditional skills of
hunting, trapping and preparing skins have begun to disappear. In Nunavut's ‘igloo and email’ society, where
adults who were born in igloos have children who may never have been out on the land, there's a high incidence
of depression.
F
With so much at stake, the Inuit are determined to play a key role in teasing out the mysteries of climate change
in the Arctic. Having survived there for centuries, they believe their wealth of traditional knowledge is vital to
the task. And Western scientists are starting to draw on this wisdom, increasingly referred to as ‘Inuit
Qaujimajatugangit’, or IQ. ‘In the early days scientists ignored us when they came up here to study anything.
They just figured these people don't know very much so we won't ask them,’ says John Amagoalik, an Inuit leader
and politician. ‘But in recent years IQ has had much more credibility and weight.’ In fact it is now a requirement
for anyone hoping to get permission to do research that they consult the communities, who are helping to set the
research agenda to reflect their most important concerns. They can turn down applications from scientists they
believe will work against their interests, or research projects that will impinge too much on their daily lives and
traditional activities.


G
Some scientists doubt the value of traditional knowledge because the occupation of the Arctic doesn't go back far
enough. Others, however, point out that the first weather stations in the far north date back just 50 years. There
are still huge gaps in our environmental knowledge, and despite the scientific onslaught, many predictions are no
more than best guesses. IQ could help to bridge the gap and resolve the tremendous uncertainty about how much
of what we're seeing is natural capriciousness and how much is the consequence of human activity.


Complete the summary of paragraphs C, D, E below.
       Choose NO MORE THAN ONE WORD from paragraphs C, D and F for each

       answer.

       If you visit the Canadian Arctic, you immediately appreciate the problems faced by

       people for whom this is home. It would clearly be impossible for the people to engage

       in 6. ________________ as a means of supporting themselves. For thousands of

       years they have had to rely on catching sea mammals and fish as a means of

       sustenance. The harsh surroundings saw many who tried to settle there pushed to their

       7. ________________, although some were successful. The Thule people were an

       example of the latter and for them the environment did not prove unmanageable. For

       the present inhabitants, life continues to be a struggle. The territory of Nunavut

       consists of little more than ice, rock and a few 8. ________________ . In recent

       years,     many      of    them      have      been     obliged      to    give     up     their 9.

       ________________ lifestyle, but they continue to depend mainly on nature for their

       food and clothes. Imported produce is particularly expensive. Besides, with the

       spread of common diseases and the loss of conventional techniques, the 10.

       ________________ problem and a crisis of identity are becoming a matter of

       concern of almost everyone.


                                    ĐỀ ÔN HỌC SINH GIỎI 12
                                              ĐỌC HIỂU SỐ 2
SECTION III: READING (6.0 POINTS)
Part 1. Read the passage below and choose the best answer A, B, C, or D for each question

The Beatles become the most popular group in rock music history. The quartet of extraordinarily talented musicians
generated a phenomenal