Title VSTEP-Reading test 11.docx ✅

Code 11 - Page 1 of READING PAPER 11 Time permitted: 60 minutes Number of questions: 40 _______________________________________________________________________ Directions:In this section you will read FOUR different passages. Each one is 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 all 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 – Questions 1-10 Christmas in New Zealand - By soniamillet Each country has its own religious festivals and Christmas is the most important one in New Zealand where many people are Christians. Christmas is the birth day of Jesus Christ and on this day, Christians attend church services, spend time with their families and think about their faith. For others, Christmas is a chance to take a holiday in the middle of summer. Christmas falls on December 25 and is a public holiday. December 26 and the first and second of January are also public holidays so many businesses and Government departments close for around two weeks. During this time, when schools and universities are also on holiday most people take a long summer break. The Christmas holidays are the time when New Zealand families go on holiday to the sea. Places near the sea are crowded with holiday makers staying in camping grounds or small holiday houses. Modern ideas about Christmas developed in countries in the northern part of the world. In England, Europe and North America, Christmas comes in the middle of winter so people have Christmas trees covered with snow and Father Christmas is dressed in warm winter clothes. A large Christmas dinner is eaten in the middle of the day. It is a time to stay inside and keep warm with family members and friends. These customs can seem strange in New Zealand where Christmas is in the middle of summer. While many people follow the old ways, increasingly people are giving Christmas a New Zealand flavour. For example, instead of having a big hot Christmas dinner in the middle of the day, people have a picnic lunch outside. You will also see pictures of Father Christmas wearing summer clothes and going swimming.
Code 11 - Page 2 of Children love Christmas because they get presents. Children ask Father Christmas for special presents and they are told that if they are good, he will deliver their presents by coming down the chimney.Another Christmas custom is sending Christmas cards. People keep in touch with their relatives and friends who live in far away places by sending cards. If you go into a New Zealand home in December, you will see many Christmas cards around the living room.You will also see a Christmas tree with coloured lights and lots of presents underneath it. Christmas is a time for singing Christmas songs and wishing for peace and happiness for everyone in the world. 1. What does the word “others” in paragraph 1 refer to? A. Christians B. church services C. non-Christians D. businesses 2. How long do people in New Zealand often enjoy their Christmas holiday? A. for 3 days B. From December 25 to December 26 C. throughout the summer months D. for around 2 weeks 3. In which part of the passage does the author mentioned the popular Christmas customs around the world? A. Paragraph 1 B. Paragraph 2 C. Paragraph 3 D. Paragraph 4 4. During Christmas in New Zealand, many people A. enjoy outdoor activities. B. give presents to each other. C. decorate the Christmas tree covered in snow. D. do not go out for two weeks. 5. How can Father Christmas’s image in New Zealand be different from that around the world? A. He comes down from the chimney to give children presents. F B. He might dress in a completely different way. C. He wears warm winter clothes. D. He sends Christmas cards to people. F 6. Which of the following is NOT true about Christmas in New Zealand? A. It’s a religious festival B. It’s a public holiday C. It’s unwelcome by people who do not follow Christian.
Code 11 - Page 3 of D. It’s dissimilar to Christmas in many other parts of the world. 7. What does the author mainly discuss in paragraph 2? A. Christmas traditions vary among people in England, Europe and North America. B. The time of the year in which Christmas comes. C. The legends of Father Christmas. D. Christmas traditions in northern part of the world. 8. The word “flavour” in paragraph 3 is closet in meaning to A. sauce B. a particular manner C. a common spice D. eating 9. What makes Christmas in New Zealand special compared to other parts of the world? A. It comes in a different season. B. It is celebrated in different days. C. People sing different songs. D. People have two weeks off. 10. The purpose of the passage is to A. illustrate Christmas celebrations worldwide. F B. discuss Christmas customs in a country. C. encourage people to come to New Zealand. F D. make the readers aware of the importance of Christmas. PASSAGE 2 – Questions 11-20 Climate is the long-term average of daily weather conditions. Both climate and weather include factors such as temperature, wind, and precipitation. Vietnam lies within the tropical latitudes, a factor that directly affects the country’s atmospheric conditions. Other factors include elevation, proximity to the sea, and the seasons, which allow more or less direct sunlight. Perhaps the most memorable trait of Vietnam’s climate is its sweltering humidity, which averages 84 percent throughout the year. Vietnam has a tropical climate, it borders the sea, and it has large rivers—all of which combine to generate a lot of atmospheric moisture (humidity) and rainfall. A monsoon is a seasonal wind that arrives laden with moisture. Vietnam has two of them. The winter monsoon blows from November to April and comes from the northeast. This wind comes across the Gulf of Tonkin, where it gathers moisture that is then deposited over land. The summer monsoon blows from the southwest, across the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Thailand, from May to October. It brings
Code 11 - Page 4 of much heavier rains than the winter monsoon does. Average rainfall in the country ranges from 50 to 120 inches (120 to 300 centimeters) per year. Temperatures in the country vary with the latitude, elevation, and seasons. Hanoi’s temperature averages 61° F (16° C) in the winter and 86° F (30° C) in the summer. In contrast, Ho Chi Minh City averages 80° to 88° F (27° to 31° C) year- round. Elevation, season, and proximity to the sea cause most of the difference in temperature between these two tropical cities. Ho Chi Minh City is at an elevation of only 62 feet (19 meters), whereas Hanoi is situated at 1,312 feet (400 meters) above sea level. Hanoi is also more affected by the seasons, as its latitude is 21 degrees north, whereas Ho Chi Minh City is only at 11 degrees north. The sea, with its moderating effect on temperatures, also is closer to Ho Chi Minh City. Much of Vietnamese life is dominated by two major rivers and the sea. In the south, the incredible Mekong River is the world’s twelfth longest at 2,610 miles (4,200 kilometers). It is the longest river in the region and the largest in terms of volume. The source of this amazing artery is in China’s Qinghai Province, near the border with Tibet. Here, in the Rupsa Pass in the highlands of Tibet, the river starts its long trip to the South China Sea. As the river leaves the Tibetan Plateau, it has a steep descent and many rapids. Farther along, the Mekong flattens out as it enters the delta region. Finally, it spreads into nine distributaries (mouths), called cuu long (nine dragons) by the locals, where it empties into the South China Sea. The Mekong is vitally important to a number of countries in Southeast Asia because its course runs through not only Vietnam, but also though Cambodia, Laos, and China. It also touches Thailand and Burma (Myanmar) and serves as the boundary between several countries. The Mekong is navigable in parts of Laos and in all of Vietnam. Its delta region is one of the richest rice-growing regions in Southeast Asia. 11. Which of the following is closest in meaning to “trait” in paragraph 2? A. a personality B. a qualification C. a preservative D. a distinguish feature 12. What does the word “them” in paragraph 2 refer to? A. humidity B. rainfall C. climate D. monsoon 13. The southwest monsoon A. brings less rain than the northeast monsoon. B. results in warmer climate than the northeast monsoon.