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.
New surveys suggest that the technological tools we use to make our lives easier are killing
our leisure time. We are working longer hours, taking fewer and shorter vacations (and when
we do go away, we take our cell phones, PDAs, and laptops along). And, we are more
stressed than ever as increased use of e-mail, voice mail, cell phones, and the Internet is
destroying any idea of privacy and leisure.
Since the Industrial Revolution, people have assumed that new labor-saving devices
would free them from the burdens of the workplace and give them more time to grow
intellectually, creatively, and socially exploring the arts, keeping up with current events,
spending more time with friends and family, and even just 'goofing off'.
But here we are at the start of the 21st century, enjoying one of the greatest technological
boom times in human history, and nothing could be further from the truth. The very tools that
were supposed to liberate us have bound us to our work and study in ways that
were inconceivable just a few years ago. It would seem that technology almost never does
what we expect.
In 'the old days', the lines between work and leisure time were markedly clearer. People
left their offices at a predictable time, were often completely disconnected from and out of
touch with their jobs as they traveled to and from work, and were off-duty once they were
home. That is no longer true. In today's highly competitive job market, employers demand
increased productivity, expecting workers to put in longer hours and to keep in touch almost
constantly via fax, cell phones, e-mail, or other communications devices. As a result,
employees feel the need to check in on what is going on at the office, even on days
off. They feel pressured to work after hours just to catch up on everything they have to do.
Workers work harder and longer, change their work tasks more frequently, and have more
and more reasons to worry about job security.
Bosses, colleagues, family members, lovers, and friends expect instant responses to voice
mail and e-mail messages. Even college students have become bound to their desks by an
environment in which faculty, friends, and other members of the college community
increasingly do their work online. Studies of time spent on instant messaging services would
probably show staggering use.
This is not what technology was supposed to be doing for us. New technologies, from
genetic research to the Internet, offer all sorts of benefits and opportunities. But, when new
tools make life more difficult and stressful rather than easier and more meaningful - and we
are, as a society, barely conscious of it - then something has gone seriously awry, both with
our expectations for technology and our understanding of how it should benefit us.
.
From “Summit 1” by Joan Saslow & Allen Ascher
Câu 1:According to the first three paragraphs, technological tools that were
designed to make our lives easier _______.
A. have turned out to do us more harm than good
B. have brought us complete happiness.
C. have not interfered with our privacy
D. have fully met our expectations
Câu 2:This passage has probably been taken from_______.
A. a political journal
B. an advertisement
C. a science review
D. a fashion magazine
The word “They” in the fourth paragraph refers to _______.
A. tasks
B. employees
C. employers
D. Workers
Câu 4:It can be inferred from the fourth paragraph that_______.
A. life is more relaxing with cell phones and other technological devices
B. employers are more demanding and have efficient means to monitor
employees
C. it is compulsory that employees go to the office, even on days off
D. employees have more freedom thanks to the technological advances
Câu 5:The word “inconceivable” in the passage is closest in meaning to
“_______”.
A. unforgettable
B. foreseeable
C. unimaginable
D. predictable
Câu 6:Which of following is true, according to the passage?
A. Employees were supposed to make technology do what they expected.
B. People now enjoy greater freedom thanks to the technological boom.
C. Students used to have to study more about technological advances.
D. People have more opportunities to get access to technological
applications.
Câu 7:Which of the following could best serve as the title of the passage?
A. Expectations and Plain Reality
B. Research on the Roles of Computers
C. Benefits of Technology
D. Changes at the Workplace
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 36 to 42.
Do you feel like your teenager is spending most of the day glued to a
phone screen? You're not too far off. A new survey from the Pew Research
Center reveals the surprising ways that technology intersects with teen
friendships - and the results show that 57 percent of teens have made at
least one new friend online. Even more surprisingly, only 20 percent of
those digital friends ever meet in person. While teens do connect with their
friends face-to-face outside of school, they spend 55 percent of their day
texting with friends, and only 25 percent of teens are spending actual time
with their friends on a daily basis. These new forms of communication are
key in maintaining friendships day-to-day - 27 percent of teens instant
message their friends every day, 23 percent connect through social media
every day, and 7 percent even video chat daily. Text messaging remains
the main form of communication - almost half of the survey respondents
say it's their chosen method of communication with their closest friend.
While girls are more likely to text with their close friends, boys are meeting
new friends and maintaining friendships) in the gaming world - 89 percent
play with friends they know, and 54 percent play with online-only friends.
Whether they're close with their teammates or not, online gamers say that
playing makes them feel "more connected" to friends they know or gamers
they've never met.
When making new friends, social media has also become a major part of
the teenage identity - 62 percent of teens are quick to share their social
media usernames when connecting with a new friend. Despite the negative
consequences, 21 percent of teenage users feel worse about their lives
because of posts they see on social media - teens also have found support
and connection through various platforms. In fact, 68 percent of teens
received support during a challenging time in their lives via social media
platforms
Just as technology has become a gateway for new friendships, or a
channel to stay connected with current friends, it can also make a
friendship breakup more public. The study reveals that girls are more likely
to block or unfriend former allies, and 68 percent of all teenage users report
experiencing "drama among their friends on social media."
Câu 1:What is the main idea of the passage?
A. The difference of making new friends between girls and boys.
B. Social media affects friendship positively and negatively.
C. Teenagers are making and keeping friends in a surprising way.
D. Social friendship is longer and more open than a real-life one.
Câu 2:The word "intersect" in the first paragraph is closest in meaning to
_________.
A. interrupt
B. generate
C. maintain
D. involve
Câu 3:According to the passage, what is the proportion of teenagers
experiencing daily online communication?
A. 27 percent
B. 57 percent
C. 7 percent
D. 23 percent
Câu 4:Which of the following is NOT true, according to paragraph 1?
A. Most teenagers use video chat and text messages to maintain a
relationship with friends.
B. New forms of communication make a huge contribution in keeping
friendships.
C. Teens only encounter in real life a part of their online friends they have
made.
D. According to the survey, more than half of teens have ever made new
friends online.
Câu 5:The word "they" in paragraph 3 refers to _________.
A. friends
B. teenage users
C. their teammates
D. online-only friends
Câu 5:The word "they" in paragraph 3 refers to _________.
A. friends
B. teenage users
C. their teammates
D. online-only friends
Câu 7:What can be inferred from the passage?
A. A larger number of teens are reluctant to give others their online
usernames.
B. Most teenage users agree that social media has negative consequences
in their lives.
C. More than two-thirds of teens is helped online when facing challenges in
their lives.
D. It is less likely that boys are going to make new relationships faster than
girls.
