NHÓM TỪ VỰNG – ĐỌC HIỂU 6
BÀI TẬP KHÓA CHUYÊN
TUẦN 1
Compiled by Mrs Trang Anh
Facebook: Mrstranganh87
BÀI TẬP NGÀY 17/7/2023
You are going to read an article about children learning to cook. For questions 1-7, choose the
answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text.
Cooking shouldn't be child's play
Take the fun out of cooking with your kids and there's a chance you'll have bred a chef with a great future.
Television cook Nigella Lawson has revealed that her own mother put her and her sister 'to work' in the
kitchen from the age of five. For the young Nigella, preparing food was certainly not recreational. Sounds
intriguing. Will her new series feature her putting young ones through a blisteringly tough regime,
sweating as they bone out chickens and being blasted when their souffle collapses? Apparently not, but she
makes a good point. 'Parents sometimes feel that they have to get into children's TV presenter mode and
make cooking all fun and recreational.' For the young Lawsons, it was about getting a meal on the table.
She and her sister took it in turns to cook their father's breakfast.
My mother took a similar view. She tutored us in cooking. We never made grey pastry in amusing shapes
or had hilarious squirting sessions with icing bags. If we were going to cook, it was for a purpose. At first,
the only aim was that it be edible. But my mother noticed the interest my sisters and I had in cooking (in
her defence, she never forced us to do it) and set us some challenging tasks. My speciality was sweet pastry.
She would look over my shoulder and suggest rolling it thinner 'so the light shines through it'.
Nowadays, this instructive style of upbringing is frowned upon. Learning to make things has to be all about
play and each creation is greeted with exaggerated applause. Parents plaster their kitchen walls with their
five-year-olds' paintings and poems; they tell their kids how clever and talented they are in the belief that
if they you do this often enough, clever and talented they will be. But experts say that overpraised children
can, in fact, underachieve and that compliments should be limited and sincere. Analysis by researchers at
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Stanford University in California found that praising too much demotivates children - interestingly, more
so with girls than boys.
Playschool cookery exists alongside another culinary crime - making funny faces on the plate. The idea goes
that it's nothing but fun, fun and more fun to eat the cherry-tomato eyes, mangetout mouth and broccoli
hair. Hmmm, is it? At some point, the cartoon stuff has to go. I have had dinner with grown men who, I
suspect, have yet to get over the face that their fish is not cut out in the shape of a whale. I'd love to meet
the comic genius who decided it was somehow good to urge our children to eat food shaped like an
endangered species. Nigella Lawson remembers making giraffe-shaped pizzas for her children, only to be
asked why they couldn't have ordinary ones like their dad. Smart kids, those.
Sooner or later we have to chuck out all those books that tell you and the little ones what a laugh cooking
is and tell the truth. Cooking is a chore - and not an easy one for busy people to keep up. Better to be honest
than discover this disagreeable fact later. If my mother had not made cooking something to take seriously,
I suspect I would have eaten far more convenience food.
But you can go too far with budding chefs. Nigella might say her early training 'just felt normal', but I am
not sure that my childhood culinary regime was an ordinary part of growing up. Perhaps our families were
too obsessed with food. We shouldn't be too didactic with our little ones, for children lose out if they never
fool around with their parents.
The chef Mary Contini got it right, producing a great children's cookery book, Easy Peasy. The recipes were
for real meals - Italian-inspired, common-sense food. Dishes have fun names - Knock-out Garlic Bread and
Chocolate Mouse, but all the basics are there. The secret of getting children cooking is perhaps a step away
from the intense tutorial given to Nigella and myself. My recipe would be two parts seriousness and one
part creative fun. The result should be a youngster with a real passion for food.
(Adapted from CAE Practice Test Plus 2)
1. In the first paragraph, the writer suggests that there is a connection between_________.
A. parents' enthusiasm for cooking and children's ability to cook.
B. teaching children to cook and making a popular TV cookery series.
C. childhood experiences of cooking and success as a professional cook.
D. the effort children put into cooking and how much they enjoy doing it.
2. What does the writer say about her mother teaching her how to cook?
A. She sometimes resented her mother's demands on her.
B. Her mother's comments were intended to encourage her.
C. Her mother misunderstood her level of interest in cooking.
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D. She wished that her mother would allow her to have more fun doing it.
3. In the third paragraph, the writer points out a contrast between __________.
A. a belief about parental behaviour and the response of children to this behaviour.
B. public praise for children and private opinions of what they do.
C. the kind of praise given to boys and the kind given to girls.
D. what children are good at and what their parents would like them to be good at.
4. The writer mentions certain 'grown men' as an example of people who_____.
A. grew up having a lot of fun while learning to cook.
B. have the wrong idea about how children view food.
C. pass bad ideas about cooking on to their children.
D. think that everything associated with food has to be fun.
5. What does the writer suggest about regarding cooking as 'a chore'?
A. It is something that children are not able to understand.
B. It is not necessary.
C. It can affect the kind of food that people cook and eat.
D. It is a lazy view.
6. The writer says that she differs from Nigella Lawson concerning________.
A. her aspirations as a cook.
B. her attitude to her family life as a child.
C. the way that children should be taught how to cook.
D. the amount of fun she thinks children should have at home.
7. The writer's main point in the article is that
A. children who are taught that cooking is fun lose interest in it later in life.
B children should not be given the impression that cooking is an entirely fun activity.
C. for children, cooking needs to be fun first and taken seriously later.
D. it is very hard for children to see cooking from an adult perspective.
BÀI TẬP NGÀY 18/7/2023
For questions 1-10, read the passage below and then choose the correct answer A, B, C or D
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF FAMILIES
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The International Day of Families is observed (1)_______ the 15th of May every year. The Day was
proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1993 and reflects the (2)_______ the international community
attaches to families. The International Day provides an opportunity to promote awareness of issues
relating to families and to increase knowledge of the social, (3)_______ and demographic processes affecting
families. The International Day of Families has inspired a series of awareness-raising events, (4)_______
national family days. In many countries, that day provides an opportunity to highlight different areas of
interest and importance to families. (5)_______ include workshops and conferences, radio and television
programmes, newspaper articles and cultural programmes highlighting relevant (6)_______ The central
goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (7)_______ ending poverty, promoting shared
economic prosperity, social development and people’s well-being while protecting the environment.
Families remain at the centre of social life ensuring the well-being of their members, educating and
socializing children and youth and caring for young and old. (8)_______, family-oriented policies can
contribute (9)_______ the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals 1 to 5 relating to (10)_______ with
poverty and hunger; ensuring healthy lives and promoting of well-being for all ages; ensuring educational
opportunities throughout the lifespan and achieving gender equality.
(Source: https://www.un.org/development/desa/family/international-day-offamilies/2016idf.html)
1.
A. in
B. on
C. at
D. by
2.
A. important
B. importantly
C. importance
D. import
3.
A. economy
B. economic
C. economics
D. economical
4.
B. including
B. includes
C. include
D. include of
5.
A. actualities
B. actions
C. activities
D. activeness
6.
A. melodies
B. themes
C. rhythms
D. chapters
7.
A. depend on
B. rely on
C. focus on
D. go on
8.
A. In total
B. In all
C. In advance
D. In particular
9.
A. to
B. for
C. of
D. with
B. go down
C. doing away
D. do away
10. A. going down
BÀI TẬP NGÀY 19/7/2023
III. Read the passage below
Nurturing talent within the family
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What do we mean by being ‘talented’ or ‘gifted’? The most obvious way is to look at the work someone does
and if they are capable of significant success, label them as talented. The purely quantitative route –
‘percentage definition’ – looks not at individuals, but at simple percentages, such as the top five percent of
the population, and labels them – by definition – as gifted. This definition has fallen from favor, eclipsed by
the advent of IQ tests, favored by luminaries such as Professor Hans Eysenck, where a series of written or
verbal tests of general intelligence leads to a score of intelligence.
The IQ test has been eclipsed in turn. Most people studying intelligence and creativity in the new
millennium now prefer a broader definition, using a multifaceted approach where talents in many areas
are recognized rather than purely concentrating on academic achievement. If we are therefore assuming
that talented, creative or gifted individuals may need to be assessed across a range of abilities, does this
mean intelligence can run in families as a genetic or inherited tendency? Mental dysfunction – such as
schizophrenia – can, so is an efficient mental capacity passed on from parent to child?
Animal experiments throw some light on this question and on the whole area of whether it is genetics, the
environment or a combination of the two that allows for intelligence and creative ability. Different strains
of rats show great differences in intelligence or ‘rat reasoning’. If these are brought up in normal conditions
and then mn through a maze to reach a food goal, the ‘bright’ strain makes far fewer wrong turns that the
‘dull’ ones. But if the environment is made dull and boring the number of errors becomes equal. Return the
rats to an exciting maze and the discrepancy returns as before - but is much smaller. In other words, a dull
rat in a stimulating environment will almost do as well as a bright rat who is bored in a normal one. This
principle applies to humans too – someone may be born with innate intelligence, but their environment
probably has the final say over whether they become creative or even a genius.
Evidence now exists that most young children, if given enough opportunities and encouragement, are able
to achieve significant and sustainable levels of academic or sporting prowess. Bright or creative children
are often physically very active at the same time, and so may receive more parental attention as a result –
almost by default – in order to ensure their safety. They may also talk earlier, and this, in turn, breeds
parental interest. This can sometimes cause problems with other siblings who may feel jealous even though
they themselves may be bright. Their creative talents may be undervalued and so never come to fruition.
Two themes seem to run through famously creative families as a result. The first is that the parents were
able to identify the talents of each child, and nurture and encourage these accordingly but in an evenhanded manner. Individual differences were encouraged, and friendly sibling rivalry was not seen as a
particular problem. If the father is, say, a famous actor, there is no undue pressure for his children to follow
him onto the boards, but instead, their chosen interests are encouraged. There need not even be any
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obvious talent in such a family since there always needs to be someone who sets the family career in
motion, as in the case of the Sheen acting dynasty.
Martin Sheen was the seventh of ten children born to a Spanish-immigrant father and an Irish mother.
Despite intense parental disapproval he turned his back on entrance exams to university and borrowed
cash from a local priest to start a fledgling acting career. His acting successes in films such as Badlands and
Apocalypse Now made him one of the most highly-regarded actors of the 1970s. Three sons – Emilio
Estevez, Ramon Estevez and Charlie Sheen – have followed him into the profession as a consequence of
being inspired by his motivation and enthusiasm.
A stream seems to run through creative families. Such children are not necessarily smothered with love by
their parents. They feel loved and wanted, and are secure in their home, but are often more surrounded by
an atmosphere of work and where following a calling appears to be important. They may see from their
parents that it takes time and dedication to be a master of a craft, and so are in less of a hurry to achieve
for themselves once they start to work.
The generation of creativity is complex: it is a mixture of genetics, the environment, parental teaching and
luck that determines how successful or talented family members are. This last point – luck – is often not
mentioned where talent is concerned but plays an undoubted part. Mozart, considered by many to be the
finest composer of all time, was lucky to be living in an age that encouraged the writing of music. He was
brought up surrounded by it, his father was a musician who encouraged him to the point of giving up his
job to promote his child’s genius, and he learnt musical composition with frightening speed – the speed of
a genius. Mozart himself simply wanted to create the finest music ever written but did not necessarily view
himself as a genius – he could write sublime music at will, and so often preferred to lead a hedonistic
lifestyle that he found more exciting than writing music to order.
Albert Einstein and Bill Gates are two more examples of people whose talents have blossomed by virtue of
the times they were living in. Einstein was a solitary, somewhat slow child who had affection at home but
whose phenomenal intelligence emerged without any obvious parental input. This may have been partly
due to the fact that at the start of the 20th Century, a lot of the Newtonian laws of physics were being
questioned, leaving a fertile ground for ideas such as his to be developed. Bill Gates may have had the
creative vision to develop Microsoft, but without the new computer age dawning at the same time, h e may
never have achieved the position on the world stage he now occupies.
1-2: Complete the notes, which show how the approaches to defining “talent” have changed. Choose
ONE or TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer
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'Percentage
Definition'
1.
___________
2.
___________
3-4-5: Which THREE of the following does the writer regard as a feature of creative families?
A. a higher than average level of parental affection
B. competition between brothers and sisters
C. parents who demonstrate vocational commitment
D. strong motivation to take exams and attend university
E. a patient approach to achieving success
F. the identification of the most talented child in the family
6-7: Choose the appropriate letters A, B, C or D:
6. The rat experiment was conducted to show that
A. certain species of rat are more intelligent than others.
B. intelligent rats are more motivated than ‘dull’ rats.
C. a rat’s surroundings can influence its behavior.
D. a boring environment has little impact on a ‘bright’ rat.
7. The writer cites the story of Martin Sheen to show that
A. he was the first in a creative line.
B. his parents did not have his creative flair.
C. became an actor without proper training.
D. his sons were able to benefit from his talents
8. Which of the following can be the best title for the whole passage?
A. Geniuses in their time
B. Education for the gifted
C. Revising the definition of intelligence
D. Nurturing talent within the family
9-13: Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in the passage? Write
YES
if the statement agrees with the views of the writer
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NO
if the statement contradicts the views of the writer
NOT GIVEN
if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this
9. Intelligence tests have now been proven to be unreliable.
10. The brother or sister of a gifted older child may fail to fulfill their own potential
11. The importance of luck in the genius equation tends to be ignored.
12. Mozart was acutely aware of his own remarkable talent.
13. Einstein and Gates would have achieved success in any era.
BÀI TẬP NGÀY 20/7/2023
For questions 1-10 below you need to choose the relevant section (A-D) where the information
can be found. The sections may be chosen more than once.
In which section does the writer mention
1. finding people who support you is difficult?
2. his realization that he was always likely to have been homesick?
3. something that would always cheer him up?
4. how uncomfortable he felt the moment he arrived?
5. homesickness isn’t taken seriously enough?
6. a feeling that reminded him where he was?
7. his empathy for others in a situation like his?
8. his plan to leave Vienna?
9. his desire to contact people at home?
10. that he thought he would never stop feeling homesick?
HOMESICK
John Osborne revisits his past experience of living in Austria in his early twenties
A
I’m standing outside a cottage in the Vienna woods. It’s where I used to live and this is the first time I’ve
been back since I left ten years ago. The roads are steep here, and as I walked up the hill from the tram stop
the slope felt reassuringly familiar. I recognized the ache in the back of my legs that told me I was nearly
there. Looking back, I’m not too surprised I was homesick when I first arrived here. The younger version
of me must have been completely out of his depth. I didn’t keep a diary back then, but if I did, for day one
I’m sure I’d have just written something about a terrible mistake that I had made.
B
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The first time I ever remember feeling homesick was going away camping with the cub scouts when I was
a kid. Being away from home for the first time is a terrifying experience, even if there are grown-ups there
to look after you. In that Austrian cottage, inside the front room, I felt the most overwhelming homesickness
I have ever experienced: it was a physical pain, and it lasted for a couple of weeks. That seems like no time
at all now, but at the time it felt like the pain I was feeling would never go away. Sometimes homesickness
can linger, which is only made worse by society’s refusal to address it directly as an issue. For centuries,
the way to deal with homesickness has been to pretend it does not exist.
C
What use, if any, is homesickness? “Its purpose is the same today as it has been for millions of years – to
deter us from leaving supportive groups and environments,” writes Mark Leary, Professor of Psychology
and Neuroscience at Duke University in the USA. His is the best definition of homesickness I have found: a
feeling of wanting to be back with our tribe. It was my parents that I was desperate to contact when I first
arrived in Vienna. It wasn’t that I missed them; I just wanted them to know that I had arrived and started
to settle in. I still think about that first night and the early days living completely alone in a country where
I knew no one; I feel bad for all the people across the world who have gone through something similar. I
just wanted to hear a familiar voice.
D
It took me a long time to recover from my depressing start to living in Vienna: I felt sadder than I had ever
felt before, but I eventually unpacked my suitcase and even found a favourite place to go for a few drinks,
a bar called 1516. There were three of us who used to go there together: me, Wolfie, who taught physics at
the same school that I worked at and Liam, who was English. They were the first friends I made in Vienna
and they were the people who made me feel like maybe I would be able to stay in town for a little longer.
My exit strategy, detailing how to get out of the country with as little embarrassment or fuss as possible,
could be postponed for a while. The staff at the bar all knew our names and we got along really well with
them. It may seem shallow, but it’s hard to feel down when there’s someone who is smiling and friendly
and calling you by your name. Whatever homesickness is, deep down, all we want is to be with our tribe.
But, if we can’t, we need to try and create a new one by finding people who know our name in the place we
are living, while still having a place we call home.
(Adapted from: Brainology: The Curious Science of Our Minds)
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BÀI TẬP NGÀY 21/7/2023
Read the text and decide whether the following statements are TRUE or FALSE.
SIBLING CONFLICT
"Why can't our kids just get along? Why must they always fight?" Parents get tired of the bickering, teasing,
and competing. They can't understand why their children can't leave each other alone, and just be friends.
"Who needs it?" parents ask. The answer is "the children do." Fighting is not a sign of children not getting
along. It is how they get along - using conflict to test their power, establish differences, and ventilate
emotion. Children compete for dominance, parental attention, parental support, and household resources.
Who gets what? Who does what? Who goes first? Who gets the most? Who's right? Who's best? When we
are children, our brothers and sisters - are our first friends and first enemies. The effect of sibling
relationships in childhood can last a lifetime. Many experts say that the relationship between brothers and
sisters explains a great deal about family life, especially today when brothers and sisters often spend more
time with one another than with their parents. Studies have shown that sibling relationships between
sister-sister pairs and brother-brother pairs are different. Sister pairs are the closest. Brothers are the most
competitive. Sisters are usually more supportive of each other. They are more talkative, frank, and better
at expressing themselves and sharing their feelings. On the other hand, brothers are usually more
competitive with each other. The major exception to this is identical twins for whom similarity creates an
unusual intimacy. The more alike they are, the closer they feel. The closer they feel, the more alike they
want to become. They can feel incomplete in the absence of each other, they can have unspoken means of
knowing what is going on in each other, and they may even construct a secret language between them that
no one else understands. Experts agree that the relationship among siblings is influenced by many factors.
For example, studies have shown, that both brothers and sisters become more competitive and aggressive
when their parents treat them even a little bit differently from one another. But parental treatment is not
the only factor. Genetics, gender, life events, people, and experiences outside the family all shape the lives
of siblings.
(Carl Pickhardt Ph.D.)
1. Parents get tired of sibling’s arguments.
2. Parents quite understand their children.
3. Parents want their children to leave them alone.
4. Children fight for dominance and parents’ attention.
5. Fighting means that children cannot get along.
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6. Siblings are our oldest friends in life.
7. Some siblings have good relationships, but other siblings have bad relationships.
8. Sisters are usually competitive with each other.
9. Sisters get along better with their sisters than with their brothers.
10. Females and males generally have different sibling relationships.
11. Siblings spend a lot of time together because they have to.
12. There are many causes of good and bad sibling relationships.
13. Research has shown that siblings hate to fight.
14. When parents treat each child a little differently, the children get along better.
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