Read the following profile-style introduction and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indica...

Read the following introduction 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.

NGUYỄN PHÚ TRỌNG: A LIFE SHAPED BY DUTY

Public service, not public display

Nguyễn Phú Trọng was widely known for a calm and disciplined style of leadership. Rather than seeking to appear “on top of the world”, he was often associated with a strong sense of duty and political (7) __________. His public image was shaped less by dramatic language than by consistency, restraint, and long-term commitment.

A lasting impression

Throughout his career, he (8) __________ many major duties in Party leadership and national affairs. His careful language and steady manner helped create an image of a serious, (9) __________ leader. (10) __________ his reserved style, he still left a clear impression on many people. Like many (11) __________ public figures, he was judged not only by his position but also by his conduct. The (12) __________ of public respect he received reflected not simply official status but also long years of discipline and service.

Question 7: A. judgment        B. diary        C. shelter
D.  surgery

Question 8: A. turned down        B. looked up        C. carried out
D.  gave up

Question 9: A. wealthy        B. magical        C. crowded
D.  principled

Question 10: A. According to        B. Because of
C.  Regardless of         D. Instead of

Question 11: A. another        B. the other        C. other
D.  others

Question 12: A. plenty
B.  number        C. extent        D. majority

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: He stayed calm and guided everyone outside with phone flashlights.

b. Ben: The new coach is really inspiring after what happened during yesterday’s power cut.

c. Mia: Really? I missed practice. What did he do?

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

Question 14:

a. Eric: I saw the poster, but I wondered whether anyone would join after school.

b. Eric: Smart move. Did it actually help?

c. Zoe: I admire Nina from grade 12. She started a sign-language club after her brother was diagnosed with hearing loss.

d. Zoe: Yes, now even busy students come because the videos make the club feel less intimidating.

e. Zoe: That worried her too, so she shared short lesson clips in the class group chat first.

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

Question 15:

Dear Minh,

How are you? I hope your classes are going well.

a. To preserve them, he created QR codes that link to short audio files and simple translations for younger listeners.

b. Last month, our literature teacher invited an old student back to school, and his visit surprised me.

c. Since that talk, I have started interviewing my grandmother and keeping the recordings in a shared folder.

d. He is not famous, yet he has spent years recording village stories from elderly people before they disappear.

e. Hearing his personal account made me realize that contribution does not always look grand or dramatic.

Best,

Thu

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

Question 16:

a. That quiet determination impressed many parents, which led them to volunteer with her weekend reading room at the library.

b. Her story matters to me because she never described recovery as heroic; she treated it like a duty to herself and to her students.

c. For me, her example shows that real strength often appears in consistent effort rather than in dramatic speeches.

d. The most inspiring person in my neighborhood is not a celebrity but Mrs Green, who returned to teaching after a serious surgery.

e. While she was slowly learning to walk again, she was also recording short grammar lessons so her online class would not fall behind.

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

Question 17:

a. I think of a young app designer who, after spending part of his childhood moving between foster homes, became determined to make digital learning more accessible to rural students.

b. Because he listened closely to users, his innovation was not just cutting-edge technology but a respectful response to real frustration, which is why students trusted it and kept recommending it.
c. An inspiring person does not always change the world through one spectacular achievement; sometimes the influence grows from solving one overlooked problem well.

d. His story has changed my idea of success: now I admire people less for being famous and more for building useful things with patience, empathy, and long-term devotion.

e. Instead of chasing quick popularity, he collaborated with volunteer teachers, tested each update in weak-internet areas, and translated lessons into shorter versions that could be downloaded cheaply.

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

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.

In many personal accounts of war and sacrifice, Đặng Thùy Trâm remains one of the most inspiring figures in modern Vietnamese history. Admired for her devotion, courage, and quiet determination, she became a lasting symbol of selfless service, and (18) __________. Her life continues to move readers because it reveals not only the hardship of war but also the humanity of a young doctor who refused to give up on those in need.

Among the most unforgettable records she left behind is her diary, (19) __________. Written while she was working in a field hospital during the resistance war, it presents an honest and deeply emotional picture of the wounded, the dead, and the moral strength required to keep doing one’s duty. Years later, the diary was translated into several languages and helped international readers better understand both the suffering and the spirit of the Vietnamese people.

Although she did not live long enough to witness peace, her sacrifice and service have earned her lasting admiration. (20) __________. For many young people, her story is impressive not because it describes a famous public figure in search of popularity, but because it shows how an ordinary person can become extraordinary through devotion and action. Even today, students continue to read about her life and reflect on the values she represented. (21) __________. Inspired by her example, (22) __________.

Question 18:

A. people across the nation continue to inspire her sacrifice today

B. generations of Vietnamese readers still inspired by her sacrifice

C. her sacrifice still inspires people across the nation today

D. a source of inspiration for generations of Vietnamese readers

Question 19:

A. which preserves a deeply personal account of war, loss, and steadfast care for the wounded

B. preserved her a deeply personal account of war, loss, and steadfast care for the wounded

C. where war, loss, and steadfast care for the wounded are preserved as a personal account

D. preserving a deeply personal record of wartime loss and steadfast care to the wounded

Question 20:

A. Her contribution has led many people to regard her as a heroic national figure, but mainly because her diary later reached a wider public

B. As a result, many people have come to regard her as a national hero whose contribution reaches far beyond her own lifetime

C. Beyond her lifetime, her story reached many people, who came to regard her as a national hero largely through the later success of her diary

D. Many people now regard her contribution as part of a national legacy, but her image has been shaped more by admiration than by service

Question 21:

A. This admiration comes mainly from the popularity her diary gained after its translation into foreign languages

B. Her life remains respected because many students hope to become successful and widely admired public figures

C. They admire not only what she did, but also the compassion, responsibility, and moral courage that shaped her life

D. Such respect is based on the view that a difficult childhood often produces a determined and inspiring adult

Question 22:

A. many young readers are determined to become admired surgeons and devote themselves to success

B. greater respect for her life has encouraged young readers to value public recognition and national pride

C. her life gave young readers greater purpose, drawing many toward admiration rather than quiet service

D. many young readers have chosen to study medicine, serve others, and live with a greater sense of purpose

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.

Many people admire Nguyen Ngoc Ky for one striking reason: he learned to write with his feet after paralysis left both of his arms useless when he was still a child. Yet the most impressive part of his story is not the image that first catches public attention. It is the quiet, repeated effort behind it. Unable to write like his classmates, he refused to give up on school. After noticing a chicken scratching the ground with its feet, he began to train his own feet to do what his hands could not. For months, the work was painful, slow, and deeply discouraging. Even so, he kept going until writing became possible, then beautiful.

That early struggle matters because it changes how we understand achievement. Success is often presented as a gift, something almost magical. Ky’s life suggests the opposite. His progress grew out of discipline, determination, and a stubborn devotion to learning. Later, he studied literature at Hanoi General University and returned to his hometown to work as a teacher. In that sense, his life was not shaped by pity, but by purpose. He did not simply overcome hardship. He turned it into a form of education.

Even more inspiring was the way he taught. Because he could not use chalk in the usual way, he created his own method, preparing large sheets with key ideas and using a pulley system so lesson points appeared step by step in class. Rarely was his limitation treated as an excuse for lowered standards. Instead, it pushed him to innovate. Not only did he teach, but he also won recognition as an excellent teacher and later spent years speaking to students across Vietnam.

Still, stories like his deserve a careful reading. Public admiration can sometimes flatten a person into a symbol and make suffering look neat, even useful. Ky’s life resists that simplification. It reminds us that inspiration is real, but never effortless. What students may learn from him is not that pain automatically creates greatness, but that dignity can survive where comfort fails, and that education, at its best, teaches people how not to surrender.

[Adapted from Báo Nhân Dân, “Người thầy đặc biệt vượt lên mọi nghiệt ngã”]

Question 23: Which of the following is NOT mentioned as part of Nguyen Ngoc Ky’s journey to learning and teaching?

A. He drew inspiration for his method from observing a small animal’s movement.

B. His progress in writing required long practice despite pain and frustration.

C. He later developed a classroom method to present ideas in carefully controlled stages.

D. He was encouraged by his classmates, who regularly stayed after school to help him practice.

Question 24: The word “striking” in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to __________.

A. noticeable        B. familiar        C. modest                D. ordinary

Question 25: The word “innovate” in paragraph 3 is OPPOSITE in meaning to __________.

A. improve        B. transform        C. inspire        D. imitate

Question 26: The word “it” in paragraph 2 refers to __________.

A. his life        B. hardship        C. school        D. purpose

Question 27: Which of the following best paraphrases the sentence: "Rarely was his limitation treated as an excuse for lowered standards."?

A. His physical condition was so severe that people naturally expected less from him.

B. He consistently refused to use his disability as a justification for mediocrity.

C. The challenges he faced often forced him to seek special exemptions in his career.

D. His innovative teaching methods were designed to compensate for his lack of skills.

Question 28: Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A. Ky’s later achievements are presented as the result of sympathy from others rather than inner resolve.

B. His teaching gained respect because he created practical solutions instead of using his limits as an excuse.

C. Nguyen Ngoc Ky became widely admired mainly because his story was dramatic and unusual.

D. His role as a public speaker is described as more important than his work in the classroom.

Question 29: In which paragraph does the writer mainly challenge the idea that success is something natural, magical, or simply given?

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

Question 30: In which paragraph does the writer caution readers against turning Ky into an overly neat symbol of inspiration?

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

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.

Cristiano Ronaldo is often admired for the moments everyone sees: the goals, the celebrations, the record-breaking nights when a stadium seems ready to put him on top of the world. But that public image rests on something less glamorous and far more demanding. Born on Madeira, he had a difficult childhood before attending Sporting Lisbon’s youth academy, where early promise had to be matched by fierce determination. [I] At fifteen, he was diagnosed with a heart problem and underwent surgery, an episode that could have interrupted everything. [II]

[III] That is why his story is not only about natural ability. Ronaldo did not simply succeed in scoring goals; he succeeded in turning discipline into a daily operational force. [IV] First known as a dazzling winger, he developed into a more complete forward through constant training, physical care, and an almost severe devotion to improvement. Rarely are such habits visible in highlight clips. They are built in repetition, in private effort, in the refusal to waste talent. Not only was he determined to improve, but he was also willing to devote his life to the routines that improvement demanded. In that sense, his success was achieved, not gifted.

Public admiration, however, has its own mechanism. Once Ronaldo became successful at Manchester United and then moved to Real Madrid for a world-record fee, his career began to function as more than a personal account of achievement. It became a cultural presentation of what relentless ambition looks like. That image can inspire young people to attend seriously to their goals, to respect hard work, and to believe they, too, can achieve more than they first imagined. Some may even be on cloud nine simply watching a player who never seems satisfied with yesterday’s success. But the same image can also popularize a harsher message: that rest is failure, that worth must always be proved, and that insecurity can be turned into fuel without cost.

So Ronaldo’s career deserves both admiration and careful reading. He is famous for records, including becoming the first men’s player to reach 900 official career goals in 2024, yet the deeper contribution of his story may lie elsewhere. It shows that discipline can inspire people to do better, while also reminding us that aspiration is easily exploited when it becomes a public spectacle. Ronaldo remains admired not simply because he won, but because he made effort look decisive. The harder question is whether modern culture respects that effort, or merely uses it to sell an exhausting ideal of success.

[Adapted from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Cristiano-Ronaldo]

Question 31: Where should the following sentence be inserted to make the passage logical and complete?

Instead of giving up on his ambitious goal, he returned quickly and continued the work that would later make him one of football’s most famous figures.

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

Question 32: The expression “on cloud nine” in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to __________.

A. deeply impressed        B. extremely delighted        C. fully confident        D. publicly admired

Question 33: In paragraph 2, the word “They” refers to __________.

A. highlight clips        B. such habits        C. constant routines        D. private efforts

Question 34: Which of the following is NOT stated in the passage about Ronaldo’s early development?

A. He grew up in difficult circumstances before entering a youth academy.

B. A health problem in his teens could have seriously affected his progress.

C. His rise depended only on his natural gift from the very beginning.

D. He resumed his training after surgery instead of abandoning his goal.

Question 35: Which of the following best summarises paragraph 2?

A. Ronaldo’s transition from a winger to a forward was primarily motivated by his desire to score more goals than his teammates.

B. Ronaldo’s success is the result of transforming rigorous discipline and private, repetitive routines into a consistent professional strength.

C. Natural ability is the most important factor in football, although it must be supported by physical care and occasional training sessions.

D. Highlighting clips of matches is the best way to understand the complex habits and the intense devotion that Ronaldo has for the sport.

Question 36: The word “severe” in paragraph 2 is OPPOSITE in meaning to __________.

A. personal        B. gentle        C. magical        D. resistant

Question 37: Which of the following is suggested by the passage about the public image of relentless ambition?

A. It may encourage effort while also pushing people toward unhealthy ideas about worth.

B. It mainly helps athletes avoid pressure by treating achievement as something natural.

C. It usually teaches young people that yesterday’s success should be enough for the future.

D. It proves that insecurity is a reliable source of motivation with few negative effects.

Question 38: Which of the following best paraphrases the underlined sentence in paragraph 4?

A. People respect Ronaldo mainly for the number of trophies he has won throughout his long and successful career.

B. Ronaldo is popular because he proved that winning is the only way to demonstrate that one’s effort is valuable.

C. Ronaldo’s appeal stems from his ability to demonstrate that hard work is the key factor in determining success.

D. The admiration for Ronaldo comes from the fact that his victories always seemed easy due to his natural talent.

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

A. The culture around success may publicly praise effort while making it a tiring standard for others.

B. Public admiration is reliable because it usually rewards athletes for balanced and healthy ambition.

C. Stories like Ronaldo’s are most valuable when they focus only on records and ignore social effects.

D. Modern audiences are no longer interested in discipline unless it brings immediate public results.

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

A. Ronaldo’s story shows how a gifted footballer became famous through competition, media attention, and record-breaking transfers.

B. Ronaldo’s career is used to argue that elite sport should value ambition more openly and treat rest as a weakness.

C. Ronaldo’s journey highlights the power of discipline behind public success while questioning how modern culture turns effort into pressure.

D. Ronaldo’s achievements are described mainly to explain why young athletes should follow the same routines without hesitation.