READING- VSTEP

Time allowance: 60 minutes

Number of questions: 40
Directions: In this section of the test, you will read FOUR different passages, each
followed by 10 questions about it. For questions 1-40, you are to choose the best
answer A, B, C or D, to each question. Then, on your answer sheet, find the number of
the question and fill in the space that corresponds to the letter of the answer you have
chosen. Answer the questions following a passage on the basis of what is stated or
implied in that passage.

You have 60 minutes to answer all the questions, including the time to transfer your
answers to the answer sheet.

PASSAGE 1: Question 1-10

Line You are going to read an article about the Carnegie Hall in New York.

One of the most famous concert halls in America is the Carnegie Hall in
New York. Initially, it was called simply the ‘Music Hall’, but three years
after its opening it was renamed in honour of Andrew Carnegie, the man
who had provided much of the finance for its building.
5 The Hall officially opened on May 5, 1891. Since then the Hall has
played host to the giants of classical music, as well as those of jazz, pop,
folk and rock music, and has also been used for political rallies, religious
services and lectures. A
One of the most dramatic lectures given in the Hall took place during
1 its first year. This began simply as a talk accompanied by slides of
0 paintings of sunsets and landscapes, which was what the audience had been
expecting. However, as the lecture progressed, the effects became more
dramatic, with thunder, rolling clouds and steam billowing over the
audience’s head while mechanical volcanoes exploded on stage -. B
In 1927 the violinist Yehudi Menuhin made his appearance at the
1 Carnegie Hall for the first time - he was aged ten. In the afternoon before
5 the performance, he was wandering around the Hall instead of practising
and was fascinated by an axe which he saw on the wall. The axe was for
 use in a fire but the boy, not knowing this, asked a security guard what it
was for. The guard made an impression with his reply: “That’s for
chopping the heads off soloists who don’t play well enough. Quite a few
2 have already been chopped off.” Yehudi went rushing back to practise.
0 On one occasion another famous violinist and a pianist were giving a
performance together when the violinist got lost in the music. He anxiously
looked to the pianist for help and whispered “Where are we?”. He received
the less than helpful reply “In the Carnegie Hall”. C
Rock and roll made its first appearance at the Carnegie Hall in 1955 with
2 Bill Haley and his Comets. In 1964 the British invasion arrived when the
5 Beatles played their first concert here. On the day of the concert, cars came
to a halt all over the city and the crowds surrounding the building were
enormous. Fortunately, in all the chaos nobody was seriously injured and
the Hall escaped with only minor damage.
In the 1950s the building was threatened with demolition but a vigorous
3 campaign to save it was led by the conductor, Isaac Stern. In 1960 the Hall
0 was purchased by the City of New York and a few years later it was named
a national landmark. Over the years the most famous musicians, singers
and entertainers in the world have appeared there - no doubt they will
continue to do so for many years to come. D

3
5

1. What can we know about Andrew Carnegie?

A. Most of his money was given to the Hall.
B. He changed the name of the Hall.
C. His money was given to help build the Hall.
D. He felt honored when the Hall was renamed.
2. Why the lecture surprised the audience in the first year?
A. The special effects were frightening.
B. The slides of paintings had been expected by the audience.
C. The lecture had been expected to be rather more dramatic.
D. The lecture was going to be honest.
3. The word ‘dramatic’ in line 9 is closest in meaning to
A. noticeable
B. bored
C. unimpressive
D. unspectacular
4. In which space (marked A, B, C and D in the passage) will the following sentence
fit?
all to the amazement and delight of the audience
A. A
B. B
C. C
D. D
5. Why do you imagine he went to practise after speaking to the security guard?
A. He realised that he needed to practise.
B. He believed what the guard had told him.
C. He thought the guard would attack him.
D. He wanted to find out what the axe was for.
6. The word ’that’ in line 21 refers to
A. the boy
B. the axe
C. a security guard
D. a fire
7. Why was the pianist’s answer less than helpful in paragraph C?
A. The violinist knew he was in the Carnegie Hall.
B. The pianist was not telling the truth.
C. The violinist had lost his music.
D. The pianist did not know where they were.
8. What happened as a result of the Beatles going to Carnegie Hall?
A. A few people were seriously injured.
B. There were crowds in all parts of New York.
C. Some people escaped from the Hall uninjured.
D. There were traffic jams in New York.
9. What happened in 1960?
A. The demolition of the Hall was stopped by Isaac Stern.
B. The City of New York bought the Hall.
 C. The Hall was become a national landmark.
D. There was a campaign to demolish the Hall.
10. What does the writer seem to think about the future of the Carnegie Hall.
A. The greatest entertainers in the world have appeared there.
B. No one can tell what the future will bring.
C. It will become a national landmark.
D. It will continue to attract great stars.
(from: Brian Orpet, How to pass FCE-First Certificate in English, Exam Practice in
Reading, Paper one, the Cambridge Centre for Language. P22)

PASSAGE 2: Question 11-20

Line
After 1785, the production of children's books in the United States increased
but remained largely reprints of British books, often those published by
John Newbery. A Ultimately, however, it was not the cheerful, commercial-
minded Newbery, but Anglo-Irish author Maria Edgeworth who had the
5 strongest influence on this period of American children's literature. The
eighteenth century had seen a gradual shift away from the spiritual intensity
of earlier American religious writings for children, toward a more
generalized moralism. Newbery notwithstanding, Americans still looked
on children's books as vehicles for instruction, not amusement, though they
10 would accept a moderate amount of fictional entertainment for the sake of
more successful instruction. B As the children's book market expanded,
then, what both public and publishers wanted was the kind of fiction Maria
Edgeworth wrote: stories interesting enough to attract children and morally
instructive enough to allay adult distrust of fiction.
15 American reaction against imported books for children set in after the
War of 1812 with the British. A wave of nationalism permeated everything,
and the self-conscious new nation found foreign writings (particularly those
from the British monarchy) unsuitable for the children of a democratic
republic, a slate of self-governing, equal citizens. Publishers of children's
20 books began to encourage American writers to write for American children.
When they responded, the pattern established by Maria Edgeworth was at
hand, attractive to most of them for both its rationalism and its high moral
tone. C Early in the 1820's, stories of willful children learning to obey, of
 careless children learning to take care, of selfish children learning to "tire
25 for others," started to flow from American presses, successfully achieving
Edgeworth's tone, though rarely her lively style. Imitative as they were,
these early American stories were quite distinguishable from their British
counterparts. Few servants appeared in them, and if class distinctions had by
no means disappeared, there was much democratic insistence on the
30 worthiness of every level of birth and work. The characters of children in
this fiction were serious, conscientious, self-reflective, and independent-
testimony to the continuing influence of the earlier American moralistic
tradition in children's books. D

11. What is the purpose of this passage?

A. To discuss about Maria Edgeworth’s career as an author of children's
books
B. To discuss about the development of children's literature in the United
States
C. To discuss about the successful publishers of children's books in Britain
and North America
D. To discuss about the basic differences between British and American
12. Which reasons made the publisher John Newbery principally known?
A. Books written by Maria Edgeworth were produced and sold by him
B. He had strongest influence on American children's literature.
C. He published books for the amusement, not instruction.
D. He was commercially minded and cheerful
13. The word "notwithstanding" in line 8 refers to:
A. despite
B. However
C. fortunately
D. as well as
14. The word "they" in line 9 is closest in meaning to:
A. children
B. American
C. children's books
D. vehicles for instruction
15. The word "allay" in line 14 refers to:
A. stimulate
 B. attract
C. decrease
D. encourage
16. It can be inferred from the passage that American children's books sold before
1785 were almost always
A. written by Maria Edgeworth
B. attractive and interesting to children
C. written by American authors
D. intended only for religious and moral instruction
17. In which space (marked A, B, C and D in the passage) will the following sentence
fit?
The first publisher to produce books aimed primarily at diverting a child
audience
A. A
B. B
C. C
D. D
18. The phrase "distinguishable from" in line 27 is closest in meaning to
A. comparable
B. parallel with
C. similar to
D. different from
19. According to the second paragraph, the stories of American children distinguished
from their British counterparts is that
A. the characters in American stories were children showing a change of
behavior
B. the characters in American stories were well-behaved children
C. the characters in American stories were few servants
D. the characters in American stories were commonly not from different social
classes.
20. The word" influence" in line 32 is closest in meaning to
A. inspiration
B. evidence
C. disincentive
D. discouragement
(from: Đề thi 1999-2005: Đề 2004-01)
 This is the end of the Reading paper.
Now please submit your paper and your answer sheets!