Đề luyện Reading VSTEP số 4 — Thời gian: 60 phút
Đề gồm 4 bài đọc, mỗi bài 10 câu hỏi trắc nghiệm (A, B, C, D). Tổng cộng 40 câu. Hãy hoàn thành trong 60 phút.
Passage 1: The Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean diet, inspired by the traditional eating habits of countries like Greece, Italy, and Spain, has been widely recognized as one of the healthiest dietary patterns in the world. It emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and olive oil, while limiting red meat, processed foods, and added sugars. Fish and poultry are consumed in moderate amounts, and red wine is often enjoyed in small quantities with meals.
Research consistently supports the health benefits of this diet. A landmark study published in the New England Journal of Medicine followed 7,447 participants over five years and found that those on a Mediterranean diet had a 30 percent lower risk of heart attack and stroke compared to a low-fat diet group. Other studies have linked the diet to reduced risks of type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, and cognitive decline. The diet's high content of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds is believed to be responsible for these protective effects.
Despite its benefits, adopting the Mediterranean diet can be challenging for people outside the Mediterranean region. Fresh produce, olive oil, and fish can be expensive in some countries. Cultural food preferences and busy lifestyles may make it difficult to prepare meals from scratch. Nutritionists suggest that people do not need to follow the diet perfectly — even incorporating some of its principles, such as eating more vegetables and using olive oil instead of butter, can provide significant health benefits.
Câu 1. Which food is emphasized in the Mediterranean diet?
A. Red meat
B. Processed foods
C. Olive oil
D. Added sugars
Câu 2. The landmark study followed ___ participants.
A. 3,447
B. 5,447
C. 7,447
D. 9,447
Câu 3. The Mediterranean diet reduced heart attack and stroke risk by ___.
A. 10 percent
B. 20 percent
C. 30 percent
D. 40 percent
Câu 4. The word "landmark" in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to ___.
A. ordinary
B. groundbreaking and significant
C. controversial
D. outdated
Câu 5. Which disease is NOT linked to a reduced risk from the Mediterranean diet?
A. Heart disease
B. Type 2 diabetes
C. Malaria
D. Certain cancers
Câu 6. What makes the diet challenging for people outside the region?
A. The food tastes bad
B. Ingredients can be expensive
C. Doctors discourage it
D. It requires special equipment
Câu 7. The diet's protective effects are attributed to ___.
A. high protein content
B. antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds
C. low calorie count
D. vitamin supplements
Câu 8. Nutritionists suggest that people ___.
A. must follow the diet perfectly
B. can benefit from incorporating some principles
C. should avoid olive oil
D. should eat more red meat
Câu 9. The word "scratch" in "prepare meals from scratch" means ___.
A. quickly
B. from basic ingredients
C. using a microwave
D. at a restaurant
Câu 10. It can be inferred that the Mediterranean diet ___.
A. is only effective for Mediterranean people
B. has strong scientific evidence supporting it
C. will cure all diseases
D. is the only healthy diet option
Passage 2: Public Transportation
Efficient public transportation systems are essential for modern cities. They reduce traffic congestion, lower carbon emissions, and provide affordable mobility for people who cannot drive or afford a car. Cities with well-developed public transit systems, such as Tokyo, Singapore, and Vienna, consistently rank among the world's most livable cities. In contrast, cities that depend heavily on private cars often suffer from severe congestion, poor air quality, and social inequality in transportation access.
The most successful public transportation systems share several common features. They offer frequent service — trains or buses arrive every few minutes during peak hours, so passengers do not need to consult timetables. Routes are designed to connect major residential areas, workplaces, schools, and commercial centers. Intermodal integration allows passengers to transfer seamlessly between different forms of transport, such as bus, subway, and bicycle-sharing systems. Affordable pricing, often with discounted passes for students and elderly residents, encourages ridership.
However, building and maintaining public transportation infrastructure is extremely expensive. A single kilometer of subway construction can cost anywhere from $100 million to over $1 billion, depending on geology and urban density. Many cities struggle to fund expansions and upgrades while keeping fares affordable. Political resistance from car-centric communities and competition from ride-hailing services like Uber add further challenges. Experts argue that governments must view public transportation as a public good, like education and healthcare, worthy of sustained investment rather than expected to generate profit.
Câu 11. Which city is mentioned as having good public transportation?
A. Los Angeles
B. Tokyo
C. Houston
D. Dubai
Câu 12. Cities dependent on private cars often suffer from ___.
A. too many bus routes
B. excessive subway construction
C. severe congestion and poor air quality
D. too many bicycles
Câu 13. The word "intermodal" in paragraph 2 refers to ___.
A. one type of transport only
B. combining different forms of transport
C. international travel
D. self-driving vehicles
Câu 14. Subway construction can cost up to ___ per kilometer.
A. $10 million
B. $50 million
C. $500 million
D. Over $1 billion
Câu 15. Which is NOT a feature of successful public transit systems?
A. Frequent service
B. Affordable pricing
C. Luxury seating for all passengers
D. Good route coverage
Câu 16. Experts compare public transportation to ___.
A. private business
B. entertainment
C. education and healthcare
D. military defense
Câu 17. The word "ridership" in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to ___.
A. the cost of building transit
B. the number of people using transit
C. the speed of trains
D. the quality of seats
Câu 18. Which is a challenge for public transportation?
A. Too many passengers
B. Competition from ride-hailing services
C. Lack of roads
D. Excessive government funding
Câu 19. It can be inferred that the author believes ___.
A. public transit should make a profit
B. private cars are better than public transit
C. governments should invest more in public transit
D. ride-hailing services should be banned
Câu 20. The main purpose of the passage is to ___.
A. advertise specific transit companies
B. discuss the importance, features, and challenges of public transit
C. argue that all cities should ban cars
D. compare Tokyo and Singapore
Passage 3: Endangered Languages
Of the approximately 7,000 languages spoken worldwide today, linguists estimate that nearly half are endangered — meaning they have fewer speakers each generation and may disappear entirely within the next century. A language is considered critically endangered when only the oldest generation speaks it, and children are no longer learning it as their first language. When the last fluent speaker of a language dies, centuries of accumulated knowledge, oral literature, and cultural identity are lost irreversibly.
Language death is driven primarily by social and economic pressures. Speakers of minority languages often shift to dominant languages to access better education, employment, and social mobility. Governments may discourage or even prohibit the use of minority languages in schools and official settings. Urbanization separates young people from their linguistic communities, and mass media in dominant languages further accelerates the shift. In Australia, for example, only 13 of the original 250 Aboriginal languages are still being passed to children.
Efforts to preserve endangered languages take many forms. Language documentation projects use audio and video recordings to create permanent records of grammar, vocabulary, and oral traditions. Immersion programs, where children attend schools conducted entirely in the endangered language, have shown remarkable success — the revival of Hebrew in Israel and the resurgence of Maori in New Zealand demonstrate that language revitalization is possible with sufficient community commitment and government support.
Digital technology offers new tools for language preservation. Mobile apps, online dictionaries, and social media platforms allow speakers to use their languages in daily digital communication, increasing their visibility and prestige. Some communities have created YouTube channels and podcasts in their languages, reaching young people who might otherwise have no exposure to their heritage language.
Câu 21. How many languages are spoken worldwide?
A. About 3,000
B. About 5,000
C. About 7,000
D. About 10,000
Câu 22. A language is critically endangered when ___.
A. only the oldest generation speaks it
B. it has fewer than 1,000 speakers
C. it is not used on the internet
D. it has no written form
Câu 23. In Australia, how many Aboriginal languages are still passed to children?
A. 5
B. 13
C. 50
D. 100
Câu 24. The word "irreversibly" in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to ___.
A. temporarily
B. partially
C. permanently, cannot be undone
D. slowly
Câu 25. Which is NOT a cause of language death mentioned in the passage?
A. Economic pressures
B. Government discouragement
C. Climate change
D. Urbanization
Câu 26. Immersion programs involve ___.
A. teaching only in the dominant language
B. conducting school entirely in the endangered language
C. using translation apps in class
D. studying languages online only
Câu 27. Which languages are given as examples of successful revitalization?
A. Latin and Sanskrit
B. French and German
C. Hebrew and Maori
D. Chinese and Arabic
Câu 28. The word "resurgence" in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to ___.
A. disappearance
B. revival and comeback
C. simplification
D. translation
Câu 29. How does digital technology help preserve languages?
A. By replacing endangered languages
B. By banning dominant languages online
C. Through apps, online dictionaries, and social media
D. By creating new artificial languages
Câu 30. It can be inferred that language preservation ___.
A. is impossible in the modern world
B. only works for European languages
C. requires both community effort and government support
D. is unnecessary because English is sufficient
Passage 4: The Ethics of Genetic Engineering
Genetic engineering — the direct manipulation of an organism's DNA — has advanced rapidly since the discovery of CRISPR-Cas9 in 2012. This revolutionary gene-editing tool allows scientists to modify DNA sequences with unprecedented precision, speed, and affordability. CRISPR has been used to develop disease-resistant crops, create gene therapies for previously incurable genetic disorders, and even engineer mosquitoes that cannot transmit malaria. In 2023, the first CRISPR-based therapy for sickle cell disease received regulatory approval, marking a milestone in genetic medicine.
The potential applications of genetic engineering in human health are enormous. Gene therapy could theoretically eliminate hereditary diseases such as cystic fibrosis, Huntington's disease, and certain forms of cancer by correcting the faulty genes responsible. Somatic gene therapy, which modifies genes in non-reproductive cells, affects only the individual patient and is widely accepted by the medical community. However, germline editing — modifying genes in reproductive cells or embryos — raises profound ethical concerns because changes would be inherited by future generations who cannot consent to the modification.
The prospect of "designer babies" — selecting or enhancing traits such as intelligence, height, or athletic ability — has generated intense debate. Proponents argue that parents should have the right to give their children the best possible genetic advantages. Critics counter that this could create a genetic underclass, where only wealthy families can afford enhancements, exacerbating social inequality. There are also concerns about unintended consequences: the human genome is extraordinarily complex, and modifying one gene may have unpredictable effects on others.
Regulation of genetic engineering varies widely across countries. Some nations, including the UK and Japan, allow research on human embryos under strict oversight but prohibit clinical application of germline editing. China's regulatory environment has been more permissive, leading to controversial experiments. International scientific bodies have called for a global moratorium on clinical germline editing until the technology's safety and ethical implications are better understood.
Câu 31. When was CRISPR-Cas9 discovered?
A. 2005
B. 2008
C. 2012
D. 2018
Câu 32. The first CRISPR-based therapy approved was for ___.
A. cancer
B. malaria
C. sickle cell disease
D. diabetes
Câu 33. Somatic gene therapy modifies genes in ___.
A. reproductive cells
B. non-reproductive cells
C. embryos
D. sperm and egg cells
Câu 34. The word "germline" refers to ___.
A. skin cells
B. brain cells
C. reproductive cells or embryos
D. blood cells
Câu 35. Critics of "designer babies" worry about ___.
A. children being too healthy
B. increased social inequality
C. reduced birth rates
D. children becoming too tall
Câu 36. The word "moratorium" in the last paragraph is closest in meaning to ___.
A. celebration
B. temporary ban or pause
C. acceleration
D. competition
Câu 37. Germline editing is controversial because ___.
A. it is too expensive
B. changes are inherited by future generations
C. it only works on plants
D. it requires surgery
Câu 38. Which country is described as having a more permissive regulatory environment?
A. The UK
B. Japan
C. China
D. Germany
Câu 39. It can be inferred that the author believes genetic engineering ___.
A. should be completely banned
B. is entirely safe and harmless
C. needs careful regulation
D. is only useful for agriculture
Câu 40. The main purpose of the passage is to ___.
A. promote genetic engineering products
B. explain genetic engineering technology and its ethical challenges
C. argue against all scientific research
D. compare CRISPR with older technologies
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