CHUYÊN ĐỀ

reading tasks
Exercise 1: Fill in each gap with a suitable word:
( The word Olympic comes from the name of the town Olympia in Greece, where the ancient Olympic Games were always ___(1)___ . The first recorded Olympic Games were held in 776 B.C ; the Games took place __(2) forth year after that date until they were abolished by a Roman Emperor in A.D 394.
It was not __(3)___ 1875, when archeologists discovered the ruins of the Olympic Stadium in Greece, that interest in the Games was __(4)___ . Barron Pierre de Coubertin, a French scholar and educator, __(5)___ that the Games should be revived ___(6)___ an international competition to encourage both sport and world peace.
The first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens in 1896. __(7)___their classical predecessors, the athletes were men only; women were ___(8)___ to the Games in 1900. since that time, the Games have been held at four-year ___(9)__ as in ancient Greece. However, since de Coubertin’s dream of world peace has not been ___(10)___, the two World Wars prevented those of 1916, 1940 and 1944 ___(11)___ being held.
The Olympic Games have been confined to amateur athletes despite a few ___(12)___ exceptions. There are pressures ___(13)___ the Olympic authorities to admit other professionals to the Games. Such a step would damage the entire concept of the Olympics. The following words appear on the scoreboard at very Olympic opening: “The most important thing is not to win ___(14)___ to take part”. In ___(15)___ , the aim of every professional is to win.

( The table tennis match was very enjoyable before __(1)___ lit a cigarette and ruined the evening. After __(2)___ smoking, they let the cigarette fall on the wooden floor. Unfortunately, they drop it without putting it out but __(3)___ paid any attention to it. Even the woman __(4)___ sitting next to the man with the cigarette did not notice. Soon, however, there was __(5)___ smoke. Suddenly flames __(6)___ up into the air. Someone immediately ran out of the room __(7)___ the fire brigade. Two or three men got some buckets of water__(8)___ the fire, but it was useless. Everyone in the large hall __(9)___ very frightened. The next moment people rushed towards the main door. Before the fire brigade arrived the whole building was on fire. On __(10)___ the burning building, one of the firemen succeeded in rescuing an old woman.

( When I first arrived to take up my new job, I stay in a hotel, but I soon started looking for some permanent __(1)___. The first flat I __(2)___ over was in a basement and was obviously extremely damp in winter. Quite apart from the fact that the only __(3)___ was a brick wall. Then, I had a look at a small flat in a modern __(4)___. It had a __(5)___ space and a garden, but the __(6)___ was far too high for me. I didn’t want to end up in a tiny place, so I answered an ad for house-sharing. The house was in a quiet __(7)___ , as soon as I saw it I fell in love with it. There was a high overgrown hedge around the front garden, and place to park car in the drive. The room to __(8)___ looked out __(9)___ the back garden, and had a big bay window. Although it meant __(10)___ the kitchen and living room, I did have my own bathroom, really just a shower and washbasin crammed into what must have once been a cupboard.

( In 1967, a research team from an American university __(1)__ out to explore the well of Sacrifice at Chitchen Itza. Unfortunately, however, the water in this well was so dark that it was impossible for divers to see, so the team had to use filters to clean it. Just as this work was about to begin, some __(2)__ Indians told the team that the well was __(3)__ by spirit of a rain god. The god was __(4)__ as Chac, and they warned the team that Chac would __(5)__ revenge if his home was disturbed. The team listened politely but __(6)__ these warnings and went on with their research. __(7)__ the summer, pumps and filters were used, but it wasn’t until __(8)__ months later that the water was clear enough for divers to go down into the well.
When they got __(9)__ to work they began to discover various objects at the __(10)__of the well. __(11)__ the things they brought back to the surface were human bones, and by the time they had __(12)__ they had recovered more than 50 skeletons. This was __(13)__ that the well had indeed been used for human sacrifice.
Perhaps it would have been better if the team had __(14)__ to the warnings of the Indians, because within