READING ACTIVITY

PASSAGE 01: 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 1
to 10.

Plants and animals will find it difficult to escape from or adjust to the
effect of global warming. Scientists have already observed shifts in the life-
cycles of many plants and animals, such as flowers blooming earlier and birds
hatching earlier in the spring. Many species have begun shifting where they live
or their annual migration patterns due to warmer temperatures.
With further warming, animals will tend to migrate toward the poles and
up mountainsides toward higher elevations. Plants will also attempt to shift their
ranges, seeking new areas as old habitats grow too warm. In many places,
however, human development will prevent these shifts. Species that find cities
or farmland blocking their way north or south may become extinct. Species
living in unique ecosystems, such as those found in polar and mountaintop
regions, are especially at risk because migration to new habitats is not possible.
For example, polar bears and marine mammals in the Arctic are already
threatened by dwindling sea ice but have nowhere farther to go.
Projecting species extinction due to global warming is extremely difficult.
Some scientists have estimated that 20 to 50 percent of species could be
committed to extinction with 2 to 3 Celsius degrees of further warming. The
rate of warming, not just the magnitude, is extremely important for plants and
animals. Some species and even entire ecosystems, such as certain types of
forest, many not be able to adjust quickly enough and may disappear.
Ocean ecosystems, especially fragile ones like coral reefs, will also be
affected by global warming. Warmer ocean temperatures can cause coral to
"bleach", a state which if prolonged will lead to the death of the coral. Scientists
estimate that even 1 Celsius degree of additional warming could lead to
widespread bleaching and death of coral reefs around the world. Also increasing
carbon dioxide in the atmosphere enters the ocean and increases the acidity of
ocean waters. This acidification further stresses ocean ecosystems.

Vocabulary
- to escape from sth (v): thoát khỏi đâu
- lifecycle (n): vòng đời
- to bloorn (v): nở hoa
- to hatch (v): sinh, đẻ
- elevation (n): độ cao so với mực nước biến
- habitat (n): môi trường sống
- ecosystem (n): hệ sinh thái
- dwindle (v): thoái hóa, suy đi/ nhỏ lại, thu lại, teo đi
- magnitude (n): lượng, tầm lớn, độ lớn
- fragile (adj): mỏng manh, dễ bị tổn thương, dễ bị phá hủy
- coral reefs (n): rặng san hô
- to bleach (v): làm biến mất đi
- acidity (n): tính axit
- acidification (n): sự axit hóa

Question 1: Scionists have observed that warmer temperatures in the spring

cause flowers to
A. die instantly
B. bloom earlier
C, become lighter
D. lose color

Question 2: According to paragraph 2, when their habitats grow warmer,

animali tend to move ______________
A. south - eastwards and down mountainsides toward lower elevations.
B. north - westwards and up mountainsides toward higher elevations.
C. toward the North Pole and down mountainsides toward lower elevations.
D. toward the poles and up mountainsides toward higher elevations.

Question 3: The pronoun "those" in paragraph 2 refers to

A. species
B. ecosystems:
C. habitats
D. areas

Question 4: The phrase "dwindling sea ice" in paragraph 2 refers to

A. the frozen water in the Artie.
B. the violent Arctic Ocean.
C. the melting ice in the Arctic.
D. the cold ice in the Arctic.

Question 5: It is mentioned in the passage that if the global temperature rose by

2 or 3 Celsius degrees, _________________
A. half of the earth's surface would be flooded.
B. the sea level would rise by 20 centimeters.
C. water supply would decrease by 50 percent.
D. 20 to 50 percent of species could become extinct.

Question 6: According to the passage, if some species are not able to adjust
quickly to warmer temperatures, ____________________
A. they may be endangered
B. they can begin to develop
C. they will certainly need water.
[Link] move to tropical forests.

Question 7: The word "fragile" in paragraph 4 most probably

means___________
A. very large
B. easily damaged
C. rather strong
D. pretty hard

Question 8: The bleaching of coral reefs as mentioned in paragraph 4

indicates___________
A. the water absorption of coral reefs.
B. the quick growth of marine mammals.
C. the blooming phase of sea weeds.
[Link] slow death of coral reefs.

Question 9: The level of acidity in the ocean is increased by _____________

A. the rising amount of carbon dioxide entering the ocean.
B. the decrease of acidity of the pole waters.
C. the extinction of species in coastal areas.
D. the lose of acidity in the atmosphere around the earth.
Question 10: What does the passage mainly discuss?
A. Influence of climate changes on human lifestyles.
B. Effects of global warming on animals and plants.
C. Global warming and possible solutions.
D. Global warming and species migration.

_______________________________________________________________

PASSAGE 02: 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 1
to 10.

Overpopulation, the situation of having large numbers of people with too

few resources and too little space, is closely associated with poverty. It can
result from high population density, or from low amounts of resources, or from
both. Excessively high population densities put stress on available resources.
Only a certain number of people can be supported on a given area of land, and
that number depends on how much food and other resources the land can
provide. In countries where people live primarily by means of simple farming,
gardening, herding, hunting, and gathering, even large areas of land can support
only small numbers of people because these labor - intensive subsistence
activities produce only small amounts of food.
In developed countries such as the United States, Japan and the countries
of Western Europe, overpopulation generally is not considered a major cause of
poverty. These countries produce large quantities of food through mechanized
farming, which depends on commercial fertilizers, large - scale irrigation, and
agricultural machinery. This form of production provides enough food to
support the high densities of people in metropolitan areas.
A country's level of poverty can depend greatly on its mix of population
density and agricultural productivity. Bangladesh, for example, has one of the
world's highest population densities, with 1,147 persons per sq km. A large
majority of the people of Bangladesh engage in low - productivity manual
farming, which contributes to the country's extremely high level of poverty.
Some of the smaller countries in Western Europe, such as the Netherlands and
Belgium, have high population densities as well. These countries practice
mechanized farming and are involved in high - tech industries, however, are
therefore have high standards of living.
 At the other end of the spectrum, many countries in sub - Saharan Africa
have population densities of less than 30 persons per sq km. Many people in
these countries practice manual subsistence farming, these countries also have
infertile land, and lack the economic resources and technology to boost
productivity. As a consequence, these nations are very poor. The United States
has both relatively low population density and high agricultural productivity; it
is one of the world's wealthiest nations.
High birth rates contribute to overpopulation in many developing
countries. Children are assets to many poor families because they provide labor,
usually for farming. Cultural norms in traditionally rural societies commonly
sanction the value of large families. Also, the governments of developing
countries often provide little or no support, financial or political, for farming
planning; even people who wish to keep their families small have difficulty
doing so.
For all those reasons, developing countries tend to have high rates of
population growth.

Vocabulary:
- overpopulation (n): sự quá tải dân số, tình trạng dân số quá đông
- be associated with (adj): liên hệ với, có quan hệ với
- population density (n): mật độ dân số
- excessively (adv): quá chừng, quá đáng
- to put stress on sth: đặt áp lực lên cái gì
- herding (n): sự nuôi theo bầy đàn
- intensive (adj): tập trung, cường độ cao
- subsistence (n): sự tồn tại, sự đủ sống
- mechanized (adj): được cơ khí hóa
- irrigation (n): sự tưới tiêu
- metropolitan (n): đô thị/ người dân thủ đô
(adj): có tính chất thủ đô, thuộc thủ đô
- high - tech (adj): công nghệ cao
- spectrum (n): phổ quang
- manual (adj). bằng tay, làm bằng tay
- infertile (adj): không màu mỡ
- to boost (v): tăng giá, tăng lên
- asset (n): của cải, tài sản
- norm (n): chỉ tiêu/ chuẩn mực to sanction (v): phê chuẩn, thừa nhận, đồng ý
- to tend to do smt (v): có xu hướng làm gì
Question 1: Which of the following is given as a definition of paragraph 1?
A. Overpopulation
B. Population density
C. Simple farming
D. Poverty

Question 2: What will suffer when there are excessively high population
densities?
A. Available resources
B. Skilled labor
C. Farming methods
D. Land area

Question 3: The phrase "that number" in paragraph 1 refers to the number

of_________
A. people
B. densities
c. resources
D. countries

Question 4: In certain countries, large areas of land cap only yield small
amounts of food because ______________
A. there is lack of mechanization
B. there are small numbers of laborers
C. there is an abundance of resources
D. there is no shortage of skilled labor.

Question 5: Bangladesh is a country where the level of poverty depends greatly

on _________________
A. its population density only
B. both population density and agricultural productivity
C. population density in metropolitan areas.
D. its high agricultural productivity.
Question 6: The phrase "engage in" in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to
A. escape from
B. look into
c. give up
D. participate in

Question 7: The word "infertile" in paragraph 4 probably means ____________

A. disused
B. impossible
c. unproductive
D. inaccessible

Question 8: Which of the following is TRUE, according to the passage?

A. In certain developed countries, mechanized farming is applied.
B. In sub - Saharan African countries, productivity is boosted by technology,
C. There is no connection between a country's culture and overpopulation.
D. All small countries in Western Europe have high population densities.

Question 9: Which of the following is a contributor to overpopulation in many

developing countries?
A. High - tech facilities
B. Economic resources
C. Sufficient financial support
D. High birth rates

Question 10: Which of the following could be the best title for the passage?
A. High Birth Rate and its Consequences.
B. Overpopulation: A cause of poverty.
C. Overpopulation: A worldwide problem.
D. Poverty in Developing Countries.