8. Which of the following best summarizes the extract in italics? " Why do homing pigeons fly home? They are not unique in this inherent skill"

Homing pigeons are not the only species that always finds their way home

Homing pigeons have the skill of flying home

Homing pigeons fly home because they are unique

Homing pigeons are unique because they are the only species that flies home

9. Why are bees, toads, turtles mentioned in the final paragraph?

To illustrate animals which can find their way home by nature

As examples of animals which cannot fly.

As animals which live far away from their homes

Because they are, by nature different from homing pigeons

10. Which of the following is TRUE about homing pigeons?

Their brain is relatively small in comparison with the size of their head

A. Their body structure does not allow them to fly for more than one hour

They cannot be trained to fly far away from home

A. Their ears are hidden under their head feather

PASSAGE 2 – Questions 11-20 Crows are probably the most frequently met and easily identifiable members of the native fauna of the United States. The great number of tales, legends, and myths about these birds indicates that people have been exceptionally interested in them for a long time. On the other hand, when it comes to substantive – particularly behavioral – information, crows are less well known than many comparably common species and, for that matter, not a few quite uncommon ones: the endangered California condor , to cite one obvious example. There are practical reasons for this. Crows are notoriously poor and aggravating subjects for field research. Keen observes, and quick learners, they are astute about the intentions of other creatures, including researchers, and adapt at avoiding them . Because they are so numerous, active, and monochromatic, it is difficult to distinguish one crow to another. Bands, radio transmitters, and other identifying devices can be attached to them, but this course requires catching live crows, who are among the wariest and most untrappable of birds. Technical difficulties aside, crow research is daunting because the ways of these birds are so complex and various. As prominent generalists, members of this species ingeniously exploit a great range of habitats and resources, and they can quickly adjust to change in their circumstances. Being so educable, individual birds have markedly different interest and inclinations , strategies and scrams. For example, one pet crow learned how to let a dog our of its kennel by pulling the pin on the door. When the dog escaped, the bird went into the kennel and ate its food. 11. What is the main idea of the passage?

The characteristics that make crows difficult to study

The ways in which crows differ from other common birds

The myths and legends about crows

The existing methods for investigating crow behavior

12. According to the first paragraph, what evidence is there that crows have interested people for a long time?

The large number of stories about crows

The frequency with which crows are sighted

The amount of research that has been conducted on crows

The ease with which crows are identified

16. According to the second paragraph, crows are poor subjects for field research for all of the following reasons EXCEPT

They can successfully avoid observers

They are hard to distinguish from one another

17. According to the third paragraph, which of the following is true about crows?

They thrive in a wide variety of environments.

They seldom live in any one place for very long.

They have marked preferences for certain kinds of foods

They use up the resources in one area before moving to another

19. In paragraph 3, the author mentions a pet crow to illustrate which of the following?

The clever ways that crows solve the problem

The differences between pet crows and wild crows

The case with crows can be tamed

The affection that crows show to other creatures

20. Which of the following statements is supported by the passage?

Crows have relatively long lives

PASSAGE 3 – Questions 21-30 The human brain, with an average weight of 1.4 kilograms, is the control center of the body. It receives information from the senses, processes the information, and rapidly sends out responses; it also stores the information that is the source of human thoughts and feelings. Each of the three main parts of the brain-the cerebrum, the cerebellum, and the brain stem-has its own role in carrying out these functions. The cerebrum is by far the largest of the three parts, taking up 85 percent of the brain by weight. The outside layer of cerebrum, the cerebrum cortex, is a grooved and bumpy surface covering the nerve cells beneath. The various sections of the cerebrum are the sensory cortex, which is responsible for receiving and decoding sensory messages from throughout the body; the motor cortex, which sends action instructions to the skeletal muscles; and the association cortex, which receives, monitors, and processes information. It is in the association cortex that the processes that allow humans to think take place. The cerebellum, located below the cerebrum in the back of the skull, is made of masses of bunched up nerve cells. It is the cerebellum that controls human balance, coordination, and posture. The brain stem, which connects the cerebrum and the spinal cord, controls various body processed such as breathing and heartbeat. It is the major motor and sensory pathway connecting the body and the cerebrum. 21. What is the author‟s main purpose?

To describe the functions of the parts of the brain

To explain how the brain processes information

To demonstrate the physical composition of the brain

To give examples of human body functions

24. The “cerebral cortex” in paragraph 2 is

a ridged layer covering the cerebrum in the brain

a layer of the brain beneath the cerebrum

a layer of nerve cells in the brain

a part of the brain that makes up 85 percent of the brain

25. The sensory cortex

receives and processes information from the senses

senses that messages should be sent out to the muscles

provides a surface covering for nerve cells

is where the human process of thinking occurs

28. Which of the following is true about the cerebellum?

It is located above the cerebrum.

It is the outside layer of the cerebrum.

PASSAGE 4 - Questions 31 – 40 Industrialization came to the United State after 1790 as North American entrepreneurs increased productivity by reorganizing work and building factories. These innovations in manufacturing boosted output and living standards to an unprecedented extent; the average per capita wealth increased by nearly 1 percent per year – 30 percent over the course of generation. Goods that had once been luxury items became part of everyday life. The impressive gain in output stemmed primarily from the way in which workers made goods, since the 1970‟s, North American entrepreneurs – even without technological improvements – had broadened the scope of the outwork system that made manufacturing more efficient by distributing materials to a succession of workers who each performed a single step of the production process. For example, during the 1820‟s and 1830‟s the shoe industry greatly expanded the scale and extend of the outwork system. Tens of thousands of rural women, according to the amount they produced, fabricated the “uppers” of shoes, which were bound to the soles by wage-earning journeymen shoemakers in dozens of Massachusetts towns, whereas previously journeymen would have made the enduring shoe. This system of production made the employer a powerful “shoe boss” and eroded workers‟ control over the pace and conditions of labor. However, it also dramatically increased the output of shoes while cutting their price. For talks that were not suited to the outwork system, entrepreneurs created an even more important new organization, the modern factory, which used power-driven machines and assembly-line techniques to turn out large quantities of well-made goods. As early as 1782 the prolific Delaware inventor Oliver Evans had built a highly automated, labor saving flour mill driven by water power. His machinery lifted the grain to the top of the mill, cleaned it as it fell into containers known as hoppers, ground the grain into flour, and then conveyed the flour back to the top of the mill to allow it to cool as it descended into barrels. Subsequently, manufacturers made use of new improved stationary steam engines to power their mills. This new technology enabled them to build factories in the nation‟s largest cities, taking advantage of urban concentrations of inexpensive labor, good transportation networks, and eager customers. 31. What is the passage mainly about?

Improved ways of organizing the manufacturing of goods

The difficulties of industrialization in North America

The influence of changes in manufacturing on the growth of urban centers

The rapid speed of industrialization in North America

34. The author mentions the shoe industry in the second paragraph to provide an example of how

entrepreneurs increased output by using an extended outwork system

entrepreneurs used technological improvements to increase output

rural workers responded to “shoe bosses”

changes in the outwork system improves the quality of shoes

35. All of the following are mentioned as effects of changes in the shoe industry during the 1820‟s and 1830‟s EXCEPT

an increase in the wages paid to journeymen shoemakers

an increase in the worker‟s dependence on entrepreneurs

e decline in the workers‟ ability to control the speed of production

a decrease in the price of shoes

36. All of the following are true of the outwork system EXCEPT

It made many employers less powerful than they had been before

It involved stages of production

It was more efficient than the systems used before 1790

It did not necessarily involve any technological improvements.

38. According to the passage, how did later mills differ from the mill built by Oliver Evans?

They used new technology to produce power

They were located away from large cities.

They did not allow flour to cool before it was placed in Barrels

They combined technology with the outwork system.

40. The passage mentions which of the following as a result of improvement factory machinery?

It became easier for factory‟ owners to find workers and customers.

Manufactures had to employ more highly skilled workers.

The amount of power required for factories operate was reduced.

Factories could operate more than one engine at a time.

SAMPLE TEST 1-VSTEP

Authored by Thy Nguyễn

English

Vocational training

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MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

1 min • 1 pt

PASSAGE 1 – Questions 1 - 10 Homing pigeons are placed in a training program from about the time they are twenty- eight days of age. They are taught to enter the loft through a trap and to exercise above and around the loft, and gradually they are taken away for short distances in wicker baskets and released. They are then expected to find their way home in the shortest possible time. In their training flights or in actual races, the birds are taken to prearranged distant points and released to find their way back to their own lofts. Once the birds are liberated, their owners, who are standing by at the home lofts, anxiously watch the sky for the return of their entries. Since time is of the essence, the speed with which the birds can be induced to enter the loft trap may make the difference between gaining a win or a second place. The head of a homing pigeon is comparatively small, but its brain is one quarter larger than that of the ordinary pigeon. The homing pigeon is very intelligent and will persevere to the point of stubbornness. Some have been known to fly a hundred miles off course to avoid a storm. Some homing pigeon experts claim that this bird is gifted with a form of built-in radar that helps it find its own loft after hours of flight, for hidden under the head feathers are two very sensitive ears, while the sharp, prominent eyes can see great distances in daytime. Why do homing pigeons fly home? They are not unique in this inherent skill. This skill is found in most migratory birds, in bees, ants, toad, and even turtles, which have been known to travel hundreds of miles to return to their homes. But in the animal world the homing pigeon alone can be trusted with its freedom and trained to carry out the missions that people demand.
1. What is the purpose of the passage?

To convince the reader to buy a homing pigeon

To inform the reader about homing pigeons and their training

To protect homing pigeons against the threat of extinction

To encourage the owners of homing pigeons to set the birds free

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

1 min • 1 pt

2. According to the passage, what happens to homing pigeons when they are about a month old?

They are kept in a trap

They enter their first race

They begin a training program

They get their wings clipped and marked

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

1 min • 1 pt

3.What can be inferred when the author states that the owners “anxiously watch the sky”?

The owners want their pigeon to win the race

The owners are sending radar signals to their pigeons

The owners do not know whether the race began on time

The owners do not trust the rules set down by the judges

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

1 min • 1 pt

4. According to the passage, what is the difference between a homing pigeon and an ordinary one?

The span of the wings

The shape of the eyes

The texture of the feathers

The size of the brain

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

1 min • 1 pt

5. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as attributes that enable a homing pigeon to return home?

instinct

air sacs

sensitive ears

good eyes

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

1 min • 1 pt

6. The pronoun “it” in paragraph 4 refers to which of the following?

The built-in radar

The bird

The loft

The form

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

1 min • 1 pt

7. Why does the author mention bees, ants, toads, and turtles?

To describe some unusual kinds of pets

To measure distances traveled by various animals

To compare their home-finding abilities with those of homing pigeons

To interest the reader in learning about other animals

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SAMPLE TEST 1-VSTEP

2. According to the passage, what happens to homing pigeons when they are about a month old?

3.What can be inferred when the author states that the owners “anxiously watch the sky”?

4. According to the passage, what is the difference between a homing pigeon and an ordinary one?

5. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as attributes that enable a homing pigeon to return home?

6. The pronoun “it” in paragraph 4 refers to which of the following?

7. Why does the author mention bees, ants, toads, and turtles?

8. Which of the following best summarizes the extract in italics? "Why do homing pigeons fly home? They are not unique in this inherent skill"

9. Why are bees, toads, turtles mentioned in the final paragraph?

10. Which of the following is TRUE about homing pigeons?

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8. Which of the following best summarizes the extract in italics?
"Why do homing pigeons fly home? They are not unique in this inherent skill"