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

Câu 10. There was _______ fog on the motorway, so driving was really hard.

READING
PASSAGE 1
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the best answer to each of the questions.

Eating together regularly as a family has long been promoted as a simple solution for improving health and well-being. To obtain these benefits we must follow an old formula: all family members at the table, happily sharing a home-cooked meal and chatting without distractions. However, modern life can make it hard to have family meals due to time constraints, stress about cooking, and cost.

In Australia, family meals often happen in the evening because it is one of the few times of day families are at home at the same time. Around three quarters of young children engage in family dinners with their caregivers more than five nights per week. Many parents consider family mealtimes important, but they can also be stressful to achieve. Family meals are more than what happens at the table. They require intent, effort and planning.

Having pleasant mealtimes and meaningful conversations may not happen naturally. Again, it is often mothers who manage the relationships and emotions around the table. Moreover, mealtimes can become more complicated when there are multiple kids in the mix. Some parents let their kids use TV or other screens to encourage them to eat and to avoid arguments. This strategy has been linked with less-than-optimal dietary intakes, but can make mealtimes possible, and more manageable.

So, how can we rethink what a successful and meaningful family meal looks like? Here are five ideas for starters. First, opportunities to eat together come at different times of the day, and not all family members have to be present. A meaningful eating occasion can be as simple as sharing a snack with the kids after school. Second, it doesn't need to be perfect. There is no shame in reheating a frozen meal, serving your veggies raw, eating on a picnic rug in the living room, or occasionally watching a family TV show. Third, meals are a great time to communicate, but this does not always come easily after busy days at work and school. Simple word games, listening to music and quiet time can be just as enjoyable. Fourth, try to be creative in the way you share family meal tasks with kids and partners. You could design the family menu together, have a shopping list everyone can contribute to, or divide the washing up. Fifth, there is no number of meals that is right for every family. It’s all about opting in how and when you can. When it comes to family meals, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. We need better promotion of realistic and achievable family meals to reduce the pressure placed on already overburdened families.

(Adapted from www.theconversation.com)

Câu 20. What does the word ‘They’ in paragraph 2 refer to?

PASSAGE 2
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the best answer to each of the questions.

Between black and white rhinos, black rhinos are the smaller of the two African rhino species. Black and white rhinos can be distinguished by the shape of their lips. Black rhinos have hooked upper lips, whereas white rhinos are characterized by a square lip. Black rhinos have two horns, which make them lucrative targets for the illegal trade in rhino horns.

The population of black rhinos declined dramatically in the 20th century at the hands of European hunters and settlers. Of all the threats facing black rhinos, poaching is the deadliest. Due to intense poaching, 96% of the population was wiped out between 1970 and 1990. Political instability and wars have also greatly hindered rhino conservation work over the last decades.

However, thanks to constant conservation efforts across Africa, black rhino numbers have doubled from their historic low 20 years ago to more than 6,000 today. Nonetheless, the black rhino is still considered critically endangered because of demand for rhino horns, used for traditional medicine and increasingly as a status symbol to display success and wealth, on the illegal international market. A lot of work remains to bring their population up to even a fraction of what it once was and to ensure that it stays there.

To protect black rhinos from poaching and habitat loss, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is taking action in three black rhino range countries: Namibia, Kenya, and South Africa, which hold about 87% of the total black rhino population. In Namibia, WWF leads anti-trafficking efforts, aids in black rhino relocation, and implements security measures like DNA sampling and sniffer dogs to safeguard rhino populations and combat wildlife crime. In Kenya, WWF works with rangers to stop poaching in high-risk areas, providing training and technology to catch and deter poachers. In South Africa, WWF trains and develops new technologies that enable law enforcement agencies to address wildlife trafficking.

Community involvement is also a crucial component of black rhino conservation. WWF prioritizes community involvement, particularly in Namibia, aiding in the establishment of conservancies, resulting in Africa’s largest free-roaming black rhino population. Similarly, in South Africa, community-driven initiatives focus on rhino conservation through governance and livelihood diversification. Namibia’s groundbreaking environmental protection policies empower communities to manage conservancies, supported by WWF to ensure sustainable wildlife management and benefits. Through collaborative efforts including community guards, monitoring, and partnerships with tourism, these conservancies have successfully revived black rhino populations, highlighting the effectiveness of community-led conservation in restoring biodiversity in the region’s arid landscapes.

(Adapted from www.worldwildlife.org)

Câu 24. Which is the passage mainly about?

WORD FORMATION
Complete the text below with the correct form of the words in capitals.

28. WEIGH
29. STRONG
30. FLAT
31. MOVE
32. TENSE

Play dough, made from clay, is the toy that children love during their childhood. It is perfect for all ages because it is non-toxic and reusable. While the clay often ends up dried-out on the kitchen table, the benefits of this simple toy far (28) the costs. When children are forming play dough into different shapes, they are directly building up (29) in their tiny hands. The acts of squeezing, rolling, (30) and more help the children develop muscles used in their hands for useful fine motor (31) in the future, such as holding a pencil or using scissors. In addition, squeezing play dough is great for helping calm down children. Playing with the clay can help ease (32) , release excess energy, improve focus, and express emotions. If a child is feeling stressed, a container of play dough can wash their worries away.

(Adapted from www.sunshinehouse.com)

II. PHẦN TỰ LUẬN

WRITING

33. Write a paragraph (of approximately 150 words) to answer the following question:

Teenagers’ behaviours are often influenced by others in the same age group, which is called peer pressure. What are the advantages of peer pressure?

Give examples and details to support your answer.