Bài nâng cao 1

Comprehension
The Calendar
Have you ever thought about the name of the months? Why are “January” and “February” not called “Primo” or “Secondo”? Is it because the original names were created in ancient times? Or is it because the originators preferred odd words?
Take February, for example. Say it aloud a few times and you start to wonder. Most people don’t know who developed these names. However, a little research reveals that the names of the months came mostly from a combination of the names of Roman gods and goddesses, important festivals, and the original numbers of the months.
Julius Caesar and Pope Gregory XIII changed the calendar to make it more exact. Caesar developed a new calendar of 364 ¼ days, the time it takes the earth to orbit the sun from one spring season to the next. The Pope’s astronomers refined the calendar regarding leap years; they determined that there should be no leap year in years ending in 00-unless they were divisible by 400; the years 1700, 1800, 1900, and 2100would not be considered leap years, while the years 1600 and 2000 would be. This new Gregorian calendar was so accurate that today, scientists need only add leap seconds every few years to the clock in order to keep the calendar matching the Earth’s cycles.

What is the topic of the passage? .
Why is Caesar important calendar making?.
Why is the number 364 ¼ important?
It is the length of the planetary year.
It was a number randomly chosen by Caesar for his calendar.
It is the length of time from the beginning of spring to the end of winter.
It is the most accurate number for calendars
Which of the following will be a leap year?
2200 / 2300 / 2400 / 2500
It can be inferred from paragraph 1 that the author thinks the names of the months are:
Difficult to pronounce
Odd
Inappropriate
None of the above
The word refined in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to:
Improved / invented / observed / studied.
In what order is the information in the passage presented?
Names of months, Caesar’s calendar, the Gregorian calendar.
Roman gods, important festivals, original numbers of months.
Caesar’s calendar, the Gregorian calendar, the modern calendar.
None of the above.
Which of the following is true of the Gregorian calendar?
It needs major improvements.
It copied the Roman calendar’s formula of leap years.
It was so well designed, it needs little adjusting today.
None of the above
The word they in paragraph 3 refers to:
Days / Astronomers / calendars / years
The word accurate in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to:
Interesting / simple / informative / correct
Choose the best answers
1) Quebec City is the ___ of Quebec`s provincial government.
locates located location local
2) Canada ___ 7 percent of the world`s land mass.
Occupied occupies occupy x  
3) Vancouver is Canada`s third ___.
to do doing do x
4) The provincial legislatures of Saskatchewan and Manitoba are in the ___ of Regina and Winnepeg, respectively.
cities city x
5) The four maritime provinces, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island ___ their provincial governments in Halifax, Fredericton, St.John`s and Charlottetown.
have located has located locating locates
6) There ___ ten provinces and three territories in Canada.
are is x
7) Canada has three northern territories which ___ have a capital: Northwest Territories (Yellowknife), Yukon Territory (Whitehorse), and Nunavut (Iqualuit).
Every none each any
8) Canada is the world`s second ___ country.
Large largest larger x
10) The ___ of Alberta is Edmonton.
Capital Capitol Capil
Prep
Top of Form
1) I used to go to school ___ bicycle.
2) Thank you ___ your kindness.
3) That play was written ___ Shakespeare.
4) ___ all the days of the week, I enjoy Tuesday the most.
6) The doctor said that I couldn`t play baseball ____ a week or two.
7) He fell ___ his face.
8) A sudden illness prevented her ___ attending the meeting.
9) Yesterday I got a letter from my sister ___ California.
10) My sister was born ___ April 10th.
Top of Form
1) He was born ___ 1991.
2) The horse was tied ___ a tree.
3) I bought this guitar ___ three hundred dollars.
4) My aunt died ___ lung cancer.
5) He grabbed me ___ the arm.
6) The house ___ the red roof is mine.
7) Sally goes ___ school five days a week.
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