Read the following advertisement and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the option...

Read the following leaflet and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the option that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 7 to 12.

DISCOVER VIETNAM’S FOLK GAMES!

A lively way to celebrate cultural identity

Looking for a fun cultural event for students and families? Join our Traditional Games Day and explore how local games still connect people today.

Featured activities

∙        Tug of war: a popular team game that helps players build trust and teamwork.

∙        Boat racing: an exciting water sport with deep roots in river communities.

∙        Bamboo dancing: a musical activity that attracts both local visitors and (7) __________ guests.

The festival offers a wide (8) __________ of games for different age groups. You can watch performances, learn about the origin of each activity, and (9) __________ the games yourself.

(10) __________ their close connection with local life, these folk games still reflect cultural diversity and a strong sense of community. Each event has its own special (11) __________, from drums and costumes to team spirit.

For many young people, taking part in such activities is a meaningful and (12) __________ experience. Come and enjoy a festive day with us!

Question 7: A. another        B. other        C. the other        D. others

Question 8: A. level        B. amount        C. range        D. number

Question 9: A. find out        B. crowd around        C. take place        D. join in

Question 10: A. Thanks to        B. In general        C. in addition        D. in conclusion

Question 11: A. aspect        B. feature        C. element        D. original

Question 12: A. exchangeable        B. determining        C. persuasive        D. rewarding

Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the best arrangement of utterances or sentences to make a cohesive and coherent exchange or text in each of the following questions from 13 to 17.

Question 13:

a. Ben: In your family, finishing everything shows respect, but at our host house, leaving a little is polite.

b. Ben: You looked uncomfortable at lunch. Why didn’t you tell Mrs. Sato you were full?

c. Mia: Oh, I really thought leaving food meant I disliked it, so I kept eating even when I was full.

A. a – c – b        B. b – c – a        C. c – b – a        D. b – a – c

Question 14:

a. Anna: That would help. I was worried they might think I was ignoring them.

b. Leo: Once they know about the language barrier, they’ll probably slow down and use simpler words.

c. Leo: You were quiet in today’s culture project meeting. Did the discussion confuse you?

d. Anna: I understood the slides, but I missed a lot in the exchange students’ group chat.

e. Leo: That explains it. We can ask them for voice notes and key points in a shared folder.

A. c – d – b – a – e        B. b – a – c – d – e        C. c – d – e – a – b        D. b – d – e – a – c

Question 15:

Dear Emma,

How are you? I hope classes are not too stressful this month.

a. We could visit a temple in the morning, help pour water over the elders’ hands, and join the street fun later.

b. She said the streets will be full of water games, music, and bright flower shirts for Songkran.

c. Let me know soon, because my aunt needs time to prepare a small room and book our train tickets.

d. My aunt in Chiang Mai asked our family to stay with her during the school break.

e. I remembered how much you enjoy cultural festivals, so I immediately thought of inviting you.

Best,
Lucy

A. d – a – b – c – e        B. d – b – e – a – c        C. b – d – a – c – e        D. d – b – a – c – e

Question 16:

a. Because of that experience, I now see different traditions not as strange habits but as useful lessons that help people live together more respectfully.

b. On the first day, I nearly offended my Korean roommate by writing his name in red on a locker label, which I had thought was only a bright design choice.

c. Joining an international summer camp last July taught me that everyday manners can change a lot from one culture to another.

d. Simple actions such as greeting, sharing food, or speaking to older people often carry meanings that visitors may not notice at first.

e. After he explained the custom politely, I became more careful and started checking small details online or asking friends before doing similar things.

A. c – b – d – e – a        B. d – c – b – a – e        C. c – d – e – b – a        D. c – d – b – e – a

Question 17:

a. Still, problems appear when borrowed trends become more familiar than local stories, traditional art, or even the home language used with grandparents.

b. I noticed this during a school media project, when several classmates could explain foreign pop culture clearly but hesitated over songs performed at our spring festival.

c. This mixture can be exciting, since young people can try new styles and connect with others beyond their own community online.

d. Cultural identity therefore stays strongest not by rejecting outside influences, but by making room for both curiosity and memory so new experiences add to our roots instead of replacing them.

e. For many teenagers in cities, cultural identity is no longer shaped only by family traditions because daily life is filled with global music, videos, and fashion trends.

A. e – a – c – b – d        B. e – c – a – b – d        C. c – e – a – d – b        D. e – c – b – a – d

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the option that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 18 to 22.

FESTIVAL SPACES AND CULTURAL CONNECTION

Across many Vietnamese cities, cultural festivals are gaining in popularity among young people seeking experiences that feel both traditional and engaging. At the Lantern Fair, visitors move through booths of local cuisine, bamboo dancing, and craft displays, (18) __________. Rather than treating tradition as something distant, the organizers present it in forms that connect with current trends without weakening cultural identity. (19) __________. Many students who first arrive for the music or trendy photos stay longer to learn about the origin of customs.

The programme also invites guests to join short workshops with musicians, cooks, and designers. Some activities are highly interactive, while quieter corners allow visitors to listen to family stories and compare how customs differ across places. The event team believes that this variety matters because (20) __________. As a result, participants are encouraged to keep an open mind instead of judging unfamiliar behaviour quickly. Many later say that the festival not only encourages cultural exchange but also (21) __________.

In many respects, the success of such events reflects changes in how young people wish to connect with culture. A festival is no longer seen as a crowded occasion that people simply attend and leave. Instead, it becomes an experience through which tradition, creativity, and social interaction are blended in memorable ways. (22) __________. For that reason, schools and local youth groups are beginning to treat cultural festivals as meaningful extracurricular activities rather than short-lived entertainment.

Question 18:

A. the majority of which is intended to invite direct interaction with local traditions

B. each of which is designed to encourage direct interaction with local traditions

C. all of them is meant to encourage direct interaction with local traditions

D. being designed in order that direct interaction with local traditions is encouraged

Question 19:

A. By linking customs to familiar formats, the event reduces the confusion some teenagers feel when traditions first seem unfamiliar

B. The confusion some teenagers feel when traditions seem unfamiliar is reduced by placing decorative trends above the customs themselves

C. What the event seems to show is that current trends shape cultural identity more strongly than tradition does

D. Some teenagers feel less confusion, unfamiliar customs being presented as decorative trends rather than cultural practices

Question 20:

A. visitors are more willing to explore unfamiliar customs when they enter the experience in different ways

B. what makes unfamiliar customs easier to explore is the same route through which every visitor moves

C. visitors’ willingness to explore unfamiliar customs grows when people are required to follow the route

D. the experience enters visitors in different ways, making unfamiliar customs more willing to be explored

Question 21:

A. makes them less likely to question unfamiliar behaviour critically

B. encourages them to treat unfamiliar behaviour as a form of entertainment

C. helps them approach unfamiliar behaviour with greater respect

D. leads them to copy unfamiliar behaviour without understanding it

Question 22:

A. Although festivals are valuable for blending celebration with understanding, this is the strongest feature

B. Their ability to blend celebration with understanding is what makes these festivals especially valuably

C. What makes these festivals especially valuable is their ability to blend celebration with understanding

D. To make these festivals especially valuable is their ability to blend celebration with understanding

Read the passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the best answer to each of the following questions from 23 to 30.

Cross-cultural communication

At first, cross-cultural communication may look like a simple matter of language. A student says little in class and is seen as passive. Another speaks directly and is judged rude. Yet behaviour that seems strange in one setting may be perfectly respectful in another. In many respects, confusion begins not with major conflict but with small moments, small enough to ignore, yet strong enough to shape first impressions.

The deeper issue is that people often treat their own habits as natural and everyone else’s as unusual. Tone, silence, humour, and even eye contact differ across places, and those differences can easily become a barrier when people react too quickly. Read carelessly, a brief reply may feel insulting; read with patience, it may reflect modesty, caution, or cultural training. Rarely is misunderstanding caused by bad intention alone. More often, it grows out of unfamiliar rules that neither side fully notices.

That pressure becomes even stronger online. Social media encourages people to respond fast, simplify emotion, and keep up with current trends. As a result, identity is often reduced to a label rather than understood as a lived experience. On the other hand, digital spaces can also bring people together. A wide range of voices can now interact with one another across borders, and that contact, when guided by openness, may encourage real understanding instead of easy judgment.

Cross-cultural communication, then, is not only a practical skill but also a moral test. It asks whether people can keep an open mind when faced with difference, adapt to unfamiliar behaviour, and resist the urge to treat one style as superior. By contrast, those who listen carefully often find out something unexpected: another culture does not simply challenge their habits. It also reflects them, revealing how limited one viewpoint can be and how valuable respectful exchange still is.

[Adapted from https://www.unesco.org/en]

Question 23. The phrase “that contact” in paragraph 3 refers to __________.

A. the speed with which users react on social media

B. the interaction of voices across national borders

C. the pressure to keep up with online trends

D. the reduction of identity to a simple label

Question 24. According to paragraph 2, what is a primary reason for misunderstandings in communication?

A. A lack of goodwill from at least one person involved in the exchange.

B. The tendency to use one’s own cultural norms as a standard for others.

C. The inability to control one's emotions when facing strange behaviors.

D. Intentional disregard for the rules of eye contact and tone of voice.

Question 25. The word “modesty” in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to __________.

A. reserve        B. confidence        C. impatience        D. openness

Question 26. According to the passage, all of the following are presented as reasons cross-cultural misunderstanding can grow EXCEPT __________.

A. people judge behaviour too quickly before considering different norms

B. individuals assume their own habits are the normal standard

C. cultural rules may influence both sides without being fully noticed

D. translation technology often fails to express emotional meaning fully

Question 27. Which of the following best paraphrases the underlined sentence in paragraph 3?

A. In online spaces, identity is often treated as a fixed tag instead of being seen as something shaped by personal and social experience.

B. Online interaction tends to make identity easier to categorize, which can sometimes help people understand the complexity of real experience more clearly.

C. Digital platforms often simplify identity into recognizable labels, even though they may still preserve much of the depth behind individual experience.

D. Because social media encourages quick responses, identity is more likely to be expressed through direct personal experience than through simplified categories.

Question 28. In which paragraph does the writer discuss the double effect of online spaces, which can both weaken and improve cross-cultural understanding?

A. Paragraph 1        B. Paragraph 2        C. Paragraph 3        D. Paragraph 4

Question 29. In which paragraph does the writer stress that confusion in cross-cultural communication often grows from ordinary interactions rather than from open conflict?

A. Paragraph 1        B. Paragraph 2        C. Paragraph 3        D. Paragraph 4

Question 30. The word “superior” in paragraph 4 is OPPOSITE in meaning to __________.

A. equal        B. dominant        C. advanced        D. stronger

Read the passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the best answer to each of the following questions from 31 to 40.

ASSIMILATION: THE QUIET PRESSURE TO BECOME SOMEONE ELSE

A child answers in one language at home and another at school. Within months, the accent changes, the food in the lunchbox changes, and sometimes even the way the child behaves begins to shift. To many people, this looks like healthy adaptation. In many respects, it is. Learning how to interact with others, adapt to local customs, and deal with unfamiliar expectations can help newcomers feel less isolated. It may reduce barriers, build connection, and make daily life more manageable. What appears to be simple adjustment, though, often carries a deeper question about identity.

Assimilation becomes more complicated when fitting in starts to mean giving things up. A person may gain in confidence and social acceptance, yet lose a sense of cultural identity at the same time. [I] That trade-off is not always obvious at first. Some changes are practical and even necessary, especially when people need language skills or cultural familiarity to study, work, and participate fully in society. [II] In that sense, assimilation can have positive impacts on both individuals and the wider community. It may bring people together and create shared understanding across differences.

The difficulty lies in the fact that assimilation is rarely a neutral process. It is shaped by power, expectation, and social judgment. Some groups are encouraged to keep parts of their tradition, while others are pressed to leave theirs behind. [III] Not only does this affect behaviour, but it also influences how welcome people feel. A society may praise diversity in public, then quietly reward only those who resemble the mainstream. As a result, what is presented as openness may actually reflect a narrow idea of belonging.

For that reason, assimilation should not be discussed only as personal success or failure. Cultures differ across places, and real inclusion requires more than asking newcomers to copy what is already there. It asks both sides to keep an open mind. [IV] Rather, it creates conditions in which people can adapt to a new environment without being pushed to erase the origin, values, and sense of identity that shaped them in the first place.

[Adapted from https://www.migrationpolicy.org/]

Question 31: Where in the passage does the following sentence best fit?

A fair society does not force people to choose between dignity and acceptance.

A. [I]         B. [III]         C. [IV]         D. [II]

Question 32. The phrase “carries a deeper question” in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to __________.

A. hides a minor cultural gap        B. repeats a familiar public concern

C. resolves a private identity problem        D. raises a more serious issue

Question 33. What can be inferred from paragraph 1 about adaptation?

A. It mainly works for children who change languages quickly.

B. It can ease daily life while still leaving identity questions unsettled.

C. It becomes harmful whenever people alter their habits to fit in.

D. It matters less than keeping every cultural practice unchanged.

Question 34. The word "it" in paragraph 1 refers to __________.

A. the changes described earlier        B. the child’s pattern of behaviour        

C. the simple adjustment later        D. the use of a different language

Question 35. According to paragraph 2, which of the following is NOT TRUE about assimilation?

A. It may help people take part more fully in society.

B. It can increase confidence and social acceptance.

C. It always requires people to abandon their culture completely.

D. It may support shared understanding in a community.

Question 36. Which of the following best summarises paragraph 3?

A. Public praise of diversity is usually enough to help newcomers feel fully accepted in most communities.

B. The main problem with assimilation is that newcomers often misunderstand what belonging means in diverse societies.

C. Assimilation becomes fair when everyone is judged by the same mainstream standard in public life.

D. Assimilation is not neutral; social power can reward conformity even while a society publicly praises diversity.

Question 37. The word “neutral” in paragraph 3 is OPPOSITE in meaning to __________.

A. equal        B. biased        C. calm        D. open

Question 38. Which of the following best paraphrases the underlined sentence in paragraph 3:

A. Public support for diversity often proves that minority groups already receive equal treatment in daily life.

B. People who resemble the mainstream are usually the strongest supporters of public diversity campaigns.

C. A society may celebrate diversity in words while still favoring those who fit the dominant pattern.

D. Diversity is most respected when newcomers openly keep visible cultural differences in public settings.

Question 39. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?

A. Inclusion remains limited when apparent openness still depends on how closely people match the mainstream.

B. Inclusion becomes stable once newcomers learn local habits quickly enough to avoid social judgment.

C. Inclusion is strongest when cultural differences become private matters rather than public identities.

D. Inclusion requires newcomers to choose shared acceptance over inherited values sooner or later.

Question 40. Which of the following best summarises the passage?

A. Practical advantages of cultural adaptation for newcomers, emphasizing how language acquisition and social adjustment lead to a more manageable and connected daily life.

B. Assimilation as a multi-layered process that offers social benefits but often imposes a hidden cost on identity due to complex societal pressures and power dynamics.

C. A strong argument for societies to cease encouraging assimilation in order to focus on allowing every cultural group to live entirely according to their own traditions.

D. The significant role of modern social media and digital education in forcing immigrant children to change their accents and behaviors to fit into the mainstream.