BÀI TẬP THỰC HÀNH
PART 1: READING COMPREHENSION
TEST 1
1. Choose ONE of the words or phrases given in the box to fill in the blank of each of the
following sentences
Anywhere
as soon as
because
did
do
find
frightened
how
how many
how much
like
look up
models
nowhere
produce
scientists
shake
since
so
which
1. are emergency calls? Call us free on 150.
2.
city do you think is Europe’s “fashion capital” today – Milan,
Paris or another?
3. in many fields are studying way to increase food production.
4. we finish eating she takes the plates and glasses to wash them
3. Read the passage and answer the questions below it
A key word in the modern American vocabulary is “stress”. Stress is the feeling of anxiety
and exhaustion that comes from the pressures of modern living. Stress is such a common
problem today that many people are turning to one of its most common cures: physical
exercise. People of all ages and types are exercising: jogging, weight lifting, swimming, and
even just plain walking! Is this just a fad, or will it last?
21. How do people feel when they are stressed?
22. What is the cause of stress?
23. How can people avoid stress?
24. What words in the passage mean something that removes a problem?
25. What words in the passage mean fashion that is not likely to last?
4. Read the passage and answer the questions below it
As in other countries, there are a number of different regional accents in the United Kingdom.
Apart from Scottish, Welsh and Irish accents, the north, east, west and southwest of England,
as well as the Midlands and London, all have their distinctive accents. At the same time there
is an accent which belongs to no particular region. This accent is called the Standard English
accent, and is the accent usually taught to foreigners. Northerners call it the “southern accent”
– with some scorn.
26. According to the passage, what do other countries and the United Kingdom have in
commmon?
27. Name some popular accents that belong to different regions in the United Kingdom?
28. Which region in the United Kingdom does the Scottish accent belong to?
29. What does “it” in “Northerners call it the “southern accent” refer to?
30. Which phrases used in the passage has the same meaning as “many”?
5. Read the passage and answer the questions below it
There are 7,000 periodicals published in the United Kingdom. Of these, women’s magazines
have the largest circulations: Woman (1,300,000) and Woman’s Own (1,200,000). There are
magazines and periodicals for almost every trade, profession, sport, hobby or interest. The
most important periodicals for the more serious readers are: The Economist, which comments
on events of international, political or economic interest; The Spectator, a journal with
following sentences
appearing Fined Japan peculiar the way
at least For Japan’s right used
come from How like senses way
did she I did ask major impact sounds what
domesticated isn’t not sustained with
1. All birds have wings, but wings are not to birds.
2. Are you better off than you to be?
3. Birds have two basic types of : songs and calls.
4. Computer technology has had a on how people carry out their
jobs.
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5. Even after six years of
economic growth, Americans worry about that
question.
6. I believe that women should have the to serve in the military.
7. I have no idea what the weather is in that city.
8. Motorists can be for driving recklessly.
9. No one know when the dog was first
10. Only once ask for help.
11. People attend college or universities many different reasons.
12. Religion is very important in Saudi Arabia, but it in Japan.
13. Saudi Arabian society is very different from
14. Sociologists study society and it is organized.
15. The sea has been rising relative to the land for 100 years.
2. Read the passage and answer the questions below it
The Nation’s security Bank in downtown San Antonio was robbed last night. A safe was
blown open and around US$ 800,000 was stolen. The robbery took place between midnight
and 1:00 a.m. The police are looking for two men who were seen getting into a black car near
the bank at about 1 o’clock last night. They also want to hear from Mr. Joe Newman, 52, who
28. How can machinery save time for us?
29. What does the author say about people?
30. What types of work are mentioned?
5. Read the passage and answer the questions below it
Scientists in many fields are studying ways to increase food production. Even with new
technology and use of all fertile land, food production from both land and sea can only be
doubled. There are several reasons. There is a limited amount of fertile land. The population
is increasing, and the distribution of food supply is poor.
Besides the limited amount of fertile land, there will be a great increase in the need for food
and agricultural products. In 1980, the population of the world was about four billion. In 2000
the figure was over six billion and in the next twenty years, the world’s population will be
about eight billion.
31. What are scientists in many fields studying?
32. How many reasons of limited food production are mentioned?
33. If we make maximum use of both land and sea can we triple food production?
34. What is discussed in the second paragraph?
35. Was the passage written before 2000?
6. Read the passage and fill each numbered space with ONE suitable word
In some countries as many as nice (36) of ten adults read at least one
newspaper a day. Why do so many people (37) newspapers?
There are five basic functions of a newspaper: to inform, to comment, to persuade, to instruct
(38) to entertain. Of the two major categories of newspapers, the popular
newspaper and the quality newspaper, the (39) has millions of readers
while the latter, only hundreds of thousands. Yet the popular papers seem largely designed
(40) entertainment. Their new coverage contains a lot of comment. The
quality newspapers put a much higher value on factual information (41) on
entertainment. It is not only in content that the two types of papers differ, (42)
also in the style in which the articles are written. The popular papers generally use
more dramatic language with bigger headlines and more photographs. Their journalists tend to
use shorter sentences and avoid less well-known vocabulary. Since the popular newspapers
13. The main road through Salisbury was blocked for two hours today after an accident
several vehicles.
14. What a you didn’t win the game.
15. When will you see John? – I’m looking forwards to him next
summer.
2. Read the passage and answer the questions below it
Uri Geller was born in 1946. When he was only three, he was aware that he had an amazing
ability. In 1969 he gave his first public performance in a school. He gently rubbed a spoon
with his fingers and it began to bend. Three years later he drove a car blindfolded through the
crowded streets of Munich. Later Uri Geller appeared on television in Britain in front of a
small studio audience of scientists. He bent spoons and broke metal objects simply by
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touching them gently with his fingers. He also drew pictures of hidden objects. After the
program, however, there were hundreds of telephones calls. People reported that spoons in
their homes bent during the program. Metal objects broke, and watches which had stopped
many years before suddenly started to go again.
16. In what year did Geller discover his special ability?
17. Where did he give his first performance?
18. What did he do in Britain’s TV?
19. Did he drive a car without looking?
20. What happened to watches which had stopped many years before?
3. Read the passage and answer the questions below it
Buddhism comes from the word Buddha. Buddha is a person. He lived more than 2500 years
ago in India. His father was King. He lived in a beautiful palace with many servants. One day
as he went out of his house, he saw many unhappy people. He looked at them and asked
himself these questions: “Why are people so unhappy? How can people be happy?” When he
was 29 years old, he left his family, his beautiful wife and son and went out into the world to
find the answers. He tried many ways. He studied with teachers but they could not answer his
questions. He went to live in the forest. He hurt his body. He did not eat anything for many
days. He tried to get away from his body. But this did not give him the answers to his
For many years people believe that the cleverest animals after man were chimpanzees. Now,
however, there is proof that dolphins may be even cleverer than these big apes. Although a
dolphin lives in the sea it is not a fish. It is a mammal. It is, in many ways, like human being.
Dolphins have simple language. They are able to talk to one another. It may be possible for
man to learn how to talk to dolphins. But this will not be easy because dolphin cannot hear the
kind of sounds man can make. If man wants to talk to dolphins, therefore, he will have to
make a third language which both he and the dolphin can understand. Dolphins are also very
friendly towards man. They often follow ships. There are many stories of dolphin guiding
ships through difficult and dangerous waters.
31. Which animal do people think may be the cleverest?
32. What other beings are dolphins like in many ways?
33. What have scientists discovered about dolphins?
34. Why is a third language necessary if man wants to talk to dolphins?
35. Are dolphins friends to man?
6. Read the passage and fill each numbered space with ONE suitable word
People are not so honest (36) they once were. The temptation to steal is
greater (37) ever before especially in large shops. A detective recently
watched a well-dressed woman (38) always went into a large store on
Monday mornings. One Monday, there were fewer people in the shop (39)
usual when the woman came in, so it (40) easier for the detective to
watch her. The woman first bought a few small articles. After a little time, she chose one of
the most expensive dresses in the shop and handed it (41) an assistant (42)
wrapped it up for her as quickly as (43) . Then the
woman simply took the parcel and walked out of the shop (44) paying.
When she was arrested, the detective found out that the shop assistant was her daughter. The
girl “gave” her mother a (45) dress once a week!
TEST 4
1. Choose ONE of the words or phrases given in the box to fill in the blank of each of the
following sentences
blow destructive knock rude thought
was already interested in reading, writing and in music. He wrote his first book of poems
when he was only 17. He also liked to watch things around him: the trees, the birds, the
flowers, the grass and so on. All these things were beautiful for him. When he was old enough
to go to school, his father sent him to a school in his own town. But he did not like his school.
He did not like his lessons. He did not like his teacher’s way of teaching. So after some time
he left his school. His father found him a teacher. He then learned at home. A few years later,
his father sent him to England. He wanted Tagore to study law. But Tagore did not want to.
So he came back to India before he finished his study.
16. What was Tagore’s home town?
17. In which languages did he write?
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18. What did he like when he was young?
19. Why did his father sent him abroad?
20. Why did he come home before finishing his study?
3. Read the passage and answer the questions below it
Three people jumped out of a car on a busy Oxford road after a fire started under the bonnet
this morning. They were just trying to rescue their possessions before the car burst into
flames. Mr. Collins, 25 of West Road, Berinsfields was driving his Avenger estate car home
from work with two friends when he noticed smoke coming into the car. He stopped, but was
unable to open the bonnet. He poured a bottle of water over the radiator where the smoke was
coming from, but could not put out the flames. He then ran to get fire extinguishers from a
nearby garage, but those also failed to have any effect. Finally, he telephoned for a fire engine
but by the time it arrived the car was totally burned out.
21. Where did the fire occur?
22. How many people were there in the car?
23. What did Mr. Collins do to stop the fire?
24. What did he ran to the garage for?
25. Did the fire extinguishers work?
4. Read the passage and answer the questions below it
Throughout history gold has been important in human society. Men have killed for it. People
35. What can the hard-working people help do?
6. Read the passage and fill each numbered space with ONE suitable word
In 1945 leaders from 51 countries met (36) San Francisco and organized the
United Nations (UN). World War II had just ended. Millions (37) people
had died and there (38) destruction everywhere. People hoped they
could build a future of world peace through this new organization. Obviously, the United
Nations has (39) been completely successful (40) its
goals. There have been several wars (41) 1945. However, the organization
has helped bring peace to those countries (42) were at war. It has helped
people who left their countries (43) of war. It has helped bring independence
to colonies.
The United Nations has grown (44) an organization of 51 countries in 1945
to 191 nations in 2004. Today, almost every country in the world is a (45) of
the UN.
TEST 5
1. Choose ONE of the words or phrases given in the box to fill in the blank of each of the
following sentences
cast fundamental is policy voyages
chair grounded leaves related was
chanted had been told make up relatives wild
discovered had told of cycling slaves will miss
fair in on to cycle woke
flour industrial pitched tropical youth
1. “I wish you about our plan earlier,” said Mary.
2. Accuracy is to the skill of typewriting.
3. German and Canada are countries. They have a lot of
factories.
4. I spent my vacation with my parents and other .
5. Income tax rates are usually to one’s annual income.
6. It has always been the of this company to promote
Each prize includes a gold medal, a diploma and a cash award of about one million dollars.
16. What does this passage mainly discuss?
17. How often are the Nobel prizes awarded?
18. How much is a Nobel cash award?
19. In what country are the Nobel awards given?
20. When were the first Nobel prizes awarded?
3. Read the passage and answer the questions below it
In 1911 a penniless young music-hall artist left England for America. His future was
uncertain, but he did not believe it could be unhappier than his past. He had grown up in the
slums of London’s East End and had experienced great poverty. His mother’s life had been so
hard that she had finally gone mad, and his father had died of drinking. Both parents had been
on the stage and lived in the hope that they would one day be stars. Their son was determined
to succeed where they had failed. By 1914 his optimism and determination had been justified.
Charles Chaplin was the most talked-about man in America, the King of silent movies. He
was not only admired as a first-class actor and comedian, he was also making his name as a
director. How did he reach the top of the film world in such a short time? He was not an
instant success. His attempts to copy other slapstick comedians who were popular at that time
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were a failure. However he gradually began to develop the character of the tramp that will
always be connected with his name. He borrowed ideas from many sources and though he
“stole” most of his clothes from other slapstick comedians of the time, he developed his own
special mannerisms to go with them. He used his bowler hat to signal secret messages and his
walking stick allowed him to cause confusion and punish his enemy from a distance. He got
the idea for his famous flat-footed walk from a London taxi driver who had sore feet.
21. When did Chaplin come to the States?
22. What was the cause of his father death?
23. What was his mother’s job?
24. Did Chaplin make an overnight stardom?
25. What were the two things that Chaplin used successfully when he played the role of a
tramp?
and she (39) me. At around 4:30 Julie and I paid the (40)
and left the café. As we were leaving, I offered to give her a (41)
home in my car. She said she would like a lift so we walked to the car park together. I always
put my (42) in the same car park near the town centre, but when we got to
the park. I had a big (43) . My car was not there! Of course, I immediately
thought that someone had (44) it. I was going to phone the police, but
luckily I didn’t. I suddenly realised the truth. I had (45) driven into town
that day! I had come on the bus instead. Imagine how stupid I felt.
TEST 6
1. Choose ONE of the words or phrases given in the box to fill in the blank of each of the
following sentences
always duty his life not to play serious
appoint ever impossible off spreading
book expanding incapable other hand strict
cut off gap interruption other side too much
cut out hand matter out until
don’t play handed necessary question while
1. Add interest to your toasted sandwiches by _______ the outside of the bread with
flavored butter.
2. Apparently, about one in five is left _______
3. Can you explain this _______ of ten years in your job history which you have not
accounted for?
4. How many times have I told you _______ football on the main road?
5. I would like to _______ a double room with a private bathroom for Saturday
September.
6. In some parks visitors are required to keep _______ the grass.
7. In winter this town is often _______ from the outside world by heavy snowfalls.
8. It is said that a true hero is one who is prepared to risk ______ for others.
9. It was not _______ midnight that they discovered the children were not in their beds.
10. Television has a _______ not only to entertain people but also to inform them.
parents decided, wisely, I think, that school was not for me and I never went back. My mother
then took over my education and brought up my two sisters and me rather in the way of an
educated English lady. The emphasis was on languages and reading rather than sciences and
maths. Sometimes she taught us herself, but we also had other teachers and we were kept to a
strict routine. About once a week we walked to the Golden Gate Park, and on our walks my
mother taught me to read music. One day I noticed a little windmill in the window of a shop
we passed on our way to the park and I remember now how my heart yearned for it. I couldn’t
roll my ‘r’s when I was small and my mother, who was a perfectionist regarding
pronunciation, said if I could pronounce an ‘r’ well, I’d have the windmill. I practiced and
practiced and one morning I woke everybody up with my’r’s. I got the windmill. I usually get
things I want in life - but I work hard for them and dream of them.
21. How long was the author at school?
22. Why did he quit school?
23. How often did he learn about music?
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24. Why did he keep practising pronunciation of ’r’?
25. Is the author an industrious person?
4. Read the passage and answer the questions below it.
Six years ago when I was a student, I was short of money. So once a week I used to go home
to see my parents and get a decent meal. Although I had a good relationship with my mother,
I never got on well with my father. One day I did a really terrible thing. I stole some money
from him. I had started of by asking him if he would lend me ten pounds. He refused saying
he had already given me enough and it was time I became more responsible with money. You
know what it is like as a student. I’d run out of money and wanted to take a girl out. When he
refused, I accused him of being mean and we had a terrible row. He left the house and I was
so angry that I stole ten pounds from his wallet.
When he found out that the money had gone, he knew who had stolen it and banned me from
the house. Since then I had returned but he had never really forgiven me and still looked down
on me for what I had done. My mother was very upset and I really wanted to work towards
creating a happy relation with my father. Half of me wanted to say “Sorry, Dad” while the
At the time they were born, (41) of the old people lived on very simple diet,
which contain very little animal fats. They ate most vegetables and even oil they use was
vegetable (42) .
Unfortunately, the answer is not as easy as it seems. In another region that has an
equally high percentage of old people, the (43) includes mild and other diary
foods and most of the people (44) to be fat and even they drink large quantities of
alcohol regularly. One thing that all the people have (45) common is that they have
always worked hard, doing very physical work like farming.
TEST 7
1. Choose ONE of the words or phrases given in the box to fill in the blank of each of the
following sentences
about aware going there liked so that
accessed collect he mind suits
agrees despite if more unless
applied did he in spite predicted warning
around going on like so as when
1. _______ of the fact that it rained heavily, we enjoyed our vacation.
2. Because the information was easily ________, we found it immediately.
3. I don’t think that dress ________ her
4. I was just _______ to go out when you telephoned.
5. It is _______ that the price of real estate will continue to rise before it goes down.
6. Just imagine what life was _______ for the early settlers in Australia.
7. Mr. Green has asked his secretary to _______ his car from the garage.
8. Only once _______ ask for help.
9. People are becoming more _______ of the need for alternative sources of energy.
10. The more I live with him, the _______ I love him.
11. The three friends all _______ for the same job.
12. We are going to lower our prices _______ to compete in today’s markets.
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13. What comes to _______ when you think of your family?
books and crosses that showed the Irish had already been there. It is likely that the Irish and
Scotch had come to Iceland about 70 years before the Vikings arrived. These explorers,
however, had made no lasting settlements. The first real colonists were Scandinavians who
came directly from Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.
The people of Iceland have very high educational standards. It is said that more books
are sold in Iceland in relation to its population than in any other country in the world. Since
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Iceland is adjacent to one of the most important shipping routes between the United States and
England, it became very important during the Second World War.
21. Why is Iceland so called?
22. Did the Irish come to Iceland before 874 AD?
23. What makes Iceland’s climate agreeable?
24. Is Iceland situated in the Scandinavia?
25. Why did Iceland become important during the World War II?
4. Read the passage and answer the questions below it.
The Wright brothers had made use of the knowledge of many people before them. As
early as the fifteenth century an Italian named Leonardo Da Vinci had designed machines that
the thought would fly. Later, men had experimented with balloons that rose high above the
ground. One of them, a Brazilian named Santos Dumont, had flown a dirigible with gasoline
motor and a propeller near Paris in 1899. That was four years before the Wright brothers’
success. Other who had experimented with gliders in the nineteenth century had learned much
about designing airplane bodies. Several plane without passengers had been successfully
tested in Europe and America. But the Wright brothers made the first successful flight of a
heavier-than-air machine that carried a man and flew under its own power.
26. Whose knowledge had the brothers made use of?
27. Who had designed flying machines in the 15
th
‘century?
28. Who had flown a dirigible in 1899?
29. What did the dirigible have besides a motor?
TEST 8
1. Choose one of the words or phrases given in the box to fill in the blank of each of the
following sentences
carvings essentially films literate question
chance exact guess manufactured represent
change exactly handle museums rolled
climate fail illiterate present weather
essential failure improve prove whales
1. John kicked the soccer ball and it ________ across the grass.
2. A data base lets you look at and _______ around a lot of information quickly.
3. British and American English are not _______ the same. For example, Americans say
elevator and the British say lift.
4. Canada is very cold in the winter. If you live there, it is _______ to have a warm coat
and good boots.
5. Icons _______ programs, folders or files.
6. If there is a power _________ you may lose all your data.
7. If you don’t know the answer to a question in a test, you can always _________
8. If you go to class every day, do your homework every night, and practice with your
friends, then your English will really __________
9. My grandfather used to make toys for us out of wood. He made many beautiful wood
_______ of animals and people.
10. Nowadays micro-computers are _______ in hundreds of thousands and are constantly
being equipped with more and more ingenious device.
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11. People who are computer-_______ find these
machines easy to use.
12. Saudi Arabia is very hot and dry. It has a desert
_______
13. Seals and _______ are two animals that live in
northern Canada and Alaska.
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tears. In permitting ourselves to weep instead of repressing the impulse, we help ourselves to
health.
21. How many physical changes that can be brought by anger, fear, or the shock of sudden
sorrow are mentioned?
22. Does the emergency status affect human personality?
23. What are two health problems that can result from suppressed tears?
24. Can weeping cause a breakdown?
25. Regarding health, do people benefit from weeping?
4. Read the passage and answer the questions below it.
Why are there so many grandmothers and so few grandfathers? In other words, why
do men die younger than women? Is this because men are afraid of getting old and helpless
and so they prefer to die before that happens? Perhaps they fear to be left alone by their
women and so decide to do the leaving first. Many explanations are given for the fact that
men die earlier than women. Men are stronger physically, yet women can hang on longer to
life. Both men and women are emotional creatures but women are not afraid or ashamed to
cry while men refuse to do so.
26. What does the author want to find out?
27. How many assumptions are made by the author?
28. What does the word that in the passage refer to?
29. What are not women afraid of?
30. What do men refuse to do?
5. Read the passage and answer the questions below it.
This documentary, which was first shown on BBC2 last year, will be repeated on
BBC1 next week. The golden eagle is now found in only a few remote places in Scotland. In
recent years, nests have been robbed and eggs have been stolen. Eagles are protected by law,
but they are threatened with extinction. Barbara Anfield spent a year making this program.
The everyday habits of the eagles have been recorded for future generations.
31. What is being shown on BBC1 next week?
32. Where can the golden eagle be found now?
commercialized in oversimplification to with
1. Another problem in Third World countries is that most of the people are _______
because they quit school at an early age to get jobs. As a result, they cannot get
good, well-paid jobs.
2. Carl is a computer _______ for a large company. He writes programs for businesses
and industries
3. He _______ some chicken in the oven for dinner.
4. In the beginning, the Internet was used by mainly by universities to provide a free
flow of information and ideas around the planet. Now, however, it has become very
_______ - everybody is trying to make money from it.
5. One student said that his native country had _______ the oil companies because
people were stealing the oil.
6. Philip dressed in strange clothes and wore a mask on his face for a party. He was
completely _______ . No-one knew who he was!
7. That is only part of a very complicated situation. The explanation is an _______ of the
situation.
8. There are a lot of problems in Third World countries, such as poor living few jobs,
very little medical care, low salaries, and many other problems.
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9. Two or three vehicles were involved _________ the accident.
10. Unless my room is warmer tonight, I’m going to _________ to the hotel manager.
11. We admire him _________ his profound and vast knowledge.
12. We are _________ him to arrive at any moment
13. We are accustomed _________ bad weather.
14. We are tired __________ English lessons and the teacher.
15. We do not want any more summers _________ the last one.
2. Read the passage and answer the questions below it
Two main techniques have been used for training elephants, which we may call
respectively the tough and the gentle. The former method simply consists of setting an
elephant to work and beating him until he does what is expected of him. Apart from any
over came to get fitted up with Levi’s pants. Today, more than a hundred years later, Levi’s
pants walk the world as Levi’s blue jeans.
21. How old was Levi Strauss when he came to the USA?
22. What kind of material did Levi Strauss have?
23. Did Levi Strauss use denim to make a pair of pants himself?
24. Why did Levi Strauss have to open a shop?
25. Why did Levi put metal corners in the pockets?
4. Read the passage and answer the questions below it.
The Olympic Games originated in 776 B.C. in Olympia, a small town in Greece.
Participants in the first Olympiad are said to have run a 200-yard race, but as the Games were
held every four years, they expanded in scope. Only Greek amateurs were allowed to
participate in this festival in honor of the God Zeus. The event became a religious, patriotic,
and athletic occasion where winners were honored with wreaths and special privileges. There
was a profound change in the nature of the Games under the Roman emperors. They were
banned in 394 A.D. by Emperor Theodosius, after they became professional circuses and
carnivals. The modern Olympic Games began in Athens in 1896 as a result of the initiative of
Baron Pierre de Coubertin, a French educator whose desire was to promote international
understanding through athletics. Nine nations participated in the first Games; over 100 nations
currently compete.
26. Where did the Olympic Games originate?
27. Why were the Olympic Games held?
28. Was the event also for religious purpose?
29. What happened to the Games under the Roman emperors?
30. Who initiated the modern Olympiad Games?
5. Read the passage and answer the questions below it.
In 1920, after some thirty-nine years of problem with diseases, high costs, and politics,
the Panama Canal was officially opened, finally linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans by
allowing ship to pass through the fifty-mile canal zone instead of traveling some seven
thousand miles around Cape Horn. It takes a ship approximately eight hours to complete the
trip through the canal and costs an average of fifteen thousand dollars, one-tenth of what it