Reading - Lớp 7

Dear Jane,

I'm so happy to read your email. I like (1) ______ a pen pal in Australia because I love your country!

Thank you for sending me a (2) ______ of your family. Can you tell me more about your family members? What do you (3) ______ doing together? I like watching films with my family. We (4) ______ watch many different kinds of films. Once, we watched a film about Australia, and I found it very interesting.

I'm (5) ______ you a photo of my family.

I can't wait to read (6) ______ next email!

Best wishes,

Mi

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Mark has a lot of hobbies and interests. He usually (1) ______ up early, so he can jog before school. After school, Mark often (2) ______ a horse at the riding club near his home. Sometimes he goes riding on Sunday afternoons. He also (3) ______ music. He goes to choir practice on Wednesday and Saturday evenings. (4) ______ Saturday mornings, he usually waters the plants and trees in the garden with his mum. He seldom watches TV because he likes doing things (5) ______. He has a lot of friends and he (6) ______ football with them twice a week. He's a happy boy!

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Do you have any hobbies? If you don't, please start one because having a hobby is very beneficial. Firstly, a hobby gives you something fun to do during your leisure time, especially during pandemics. During the Covid-19 lockdown, my family reads books and watches films together. This makes us feel better when we have to stay at home. Secondly, a hobby makes you a more interesting person. If you have a lot of experience and skills, you can share them with others. I love travelling, and I usually share my experiences with my classmates. This way, I have more friends. Now we have a travel group in our class. Last but not least, a hobby can help you develop new skills. If you spend a lot of time on your hobby, your skills will improve. My sister loves sewing. After sewing for two years, she can now sew beautiful doll clothes. Those are the reasons why you should have hobbies.

HEALTH TIPS

a. Eat less salt and sugar. They put us at the risk of heart disease.

b. Drink enough water, about one and a half litres a day. Make sure that the water you are drinking is safe. Unsafe water can lead to many kinds of diseases.

c. Do more physical activities like sport and housework. It helps keep you fit and active.

d. Reduce sitting and screen time. Stand up every hour and do some simple exercise or walk around. Exercise your eyes too.

e. Get seven to eight hours of good sleep each night. This helps both your mind and body work well.

f. Handwash regularly with soap and water. Clean hands help prevent the spread of some diseases.

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Being physically active is very good for our health. For children and teenagers, it helps build strong bones and muscles. It also helps them stay at a healthy weight. For adults, it can lower the risk of many diseases like heart disease and some types of cancer.

Being active is also a great way to relieve stress. After a long day at school or work, we may feel tired and stressed. Doing some physical activity can help us relax and sleep better.

There are many ways to be active. We can do sports like swimming, cycling, or playing badminton. We can also do our housework like cleaning the floor or washing the car. Walking to school or the supermarket instead of taking the bus is also a good way to be active. The most important thing is to choose the activities you like and do them regularly.

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In 2019, Spain was the healthiest country in the world. The secret is their Mediterranean diet. This diet focuses on healthy fats and proteins. This includes cold tomato soup, plenty of seafood (especially fish), and veggies. Spanish people say that they have some of the most delicious salads in the world. Due to the Mediterranean diet, the Spanish suffer from fewer diseases than the rest of the world.

Physical health is important, but mental health is important too. Eight out of ten Spanish people are happy. Why? A major reason is the weather. Spain has beautiful weather all year round. Another reason is that Spain is home to a lively and relaxing culture. The Spanish enjoy the simple pleasures of life.

My school has a number of volunteer activities every summer. The activities include donating books to village children, tutoring kids in the neighbourhood, teaching English to primary students, reading books or cooking food for the needy. Our school started this programme five years ago. Every student can join one or two activities. In the beginning, we thought about why we should join in these activities. We then thought about what activities we wanted to do. Those who like reading could choose to collect and donate books. Those who are good at English could tutor primary students. Finally, we signed up for the activities we chose. Our teachers often encourage us to stay committed. They also help us when we need it. We have a lot of fun and learn many things from doing the activities.

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People first used the word volunteer in 1795, but in England there were at least 500 volunteer hospitals long before that. The YMCA in London became the first volunteering organisation in 1844. It provided help to needy people and held classes to help people develop skills. The Red Cross became the first international charity organisation in 1863. Volunteer work is becoming more and more popular in the world. For example, in the USA, about one-fifth of the population does volunteer work. In Europe, thousands of volunteer programmes are run in different countries.

Everyone can do volunteer work to help their community. Volunteer activities include donating food and clothes, joining clean-up projects, tutoring children, protecting wild animals, etc. Volunteers work not for money but to help people in need and to connect with others.

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Choosing to volunteer takes up some of your time. Some people say that they do not have time to help others, so they don’t volunteer. But scientists say giving time to help others benefits us.

The first benefit of volunteering is that it helps us learn to be flexible. Volunteers have to be ready for changes and stay flexible when solving problems. Second, volunteering can improve our health because it requires us to be active. A report found that Americans who volunteer 100 hours or more a year are the healthiest people in the country. Third, volunteers have opportunities to develop more relationships. They often work in teams, and team members get to know each other and sometimes even become friends. Moreover, volunteers often help needy people, so they may feel thankful for what they have. For these reasons, volunteers are generally positive and are less likely to become depressed.

So if you have not joined a volunteer activity yet, think about it. You are likely to benefit from doing so.

I'm sure that you have heard the name Trinh Cong Son many times. He was one of the most famous (1) __________ and songwriters of Viet Nam in the 20th century. He was born in 1939 in Dak Lak Province. As a child he grew up in Hue. Later he went to Sai Gon to study. He began to (2) __________ songs and became well-known in 1958. He continued to (3) __________ music all his life. He wrote about 600 songs in all. Among his best songs are Noi vong tay lon (Circle of Unity), Ha trang (White Summer) and Cat bui (Dust). His (4) __________ are mostly about love, human condition, and nature. He died in Ho Chi Minh City in 2001. His songs remain (5) __________ among the Vietnamese all over the world today. Many have been translated into English, French, Japanese, and other (6) __________.

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Do you know that artists can turn a pavement into a masterpiece? This is why people love this kind of (1)__________. Appearing each February with the support of (2) __________ and volunteers, the Lake Worth Street Painting Festival is probably the largest free festival of its kind in the world. Now in its third decade, the festival attracts 100,000 (3) __________ each year. Artists come together, using chalk as their (4) __________. They turn the streets of Lake Worth into a huge (5) __________ with large-scale traditional and contemporary art.

Charlie Chaplin was a multi-talented English artist, working as an actor, director, producer, and composer. He is widely regarded as the greatest comedian of the silent film era and one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema.

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Born in London in 1889, Chaplin started performing on stage at the age of eight, beginning his professional career as a clog dancer. He joined the Fred Karno Pantomime Troupe in 1908, where he quickly gained recognition. In 1910, he moved to the United States to perform pantomime. His first film appearance was in 1914. During his career, he created his world-renowned character, "the Tramp," which he portrayed in more than 70 films. He also composed the background music for many of his own movies. In 1972, Chaplin was honored with an Academy Award for his profound impact on "making motion pictures the art form of this century." He passed away at his home in Switzerland in 1977.

SOME INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT VIETNAMESE FOOD

• Viet Nam is the second largest rice exporter in the world (only smaller than India).

• People in Viet Nam eat the largest quantity of instant noodles in Asia. They even eat more instant noodles than people in Japan, where instant noodles came from.

• Viet Nam has many kinds of noodles, such as pho, bun (vermicelli), mien (glass noodles), and banh da (rice noodles).

• Nem ran (spring roll) is the most popular dish in Viet Nam. It isn’t usually served as an everyday dish but mostly at a family gathering or an anniversary party.

• Viet Nam has a large variety of che (sweet soup) with more than 100 kinds.

• Viet Nam has nearly 200 kinds of cakes with various shapes and tastes. Some of them are not made from butter and flour, like banh chung or banh gai.

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Bun bo Hue is one of the most popular dishes in Viet Nam. It comes from Hue - the old capital city of Viet Nam. Its main ingredients are rice vermicelli (a thin form of rice noodles called bun) and slices of beef. Nowadays, we can find bun bo Hue nearly everywhere in Viet Nam. People enjoy it for all kinds of meals during the day and even for a late-night snack.

Bun bo Hue has a special taste - a balance of spicy, salty, and sweet flavours. To make its broth, people stew beef bones and beef shank with lemongrass, shrimp sauce, sugar, and spicy chili oil. People often eat bun bo Hue with ox tail, pork knuckle, and a variety of herbs... It's really delicious!

Tell me about a particular dish where you live!

Posted by Minh at 10:30 p.m.

Last year, we had a visit to Thao Dien Lower Secondary School for blind students. Before the (1) ________, we spent time learning about what outdoor (2) ________ the students do there.

During our visit, we were surprised to see that the (3) ________ could interact with us easily. They enjoyed (4) ________ with us while painting, drawing, making fruits using clay, and making paper art. They even (5) ________ some of the English words for fruit.

Although it was a short visit, we had a good (6) ________ working with the blind students in our community.

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Mai and Phong: Good morning, Mr Lam.

Mr Lam: Good morning. Welcome to Hung Vuong Lower Secondary School.

Mai: Mr Lam, can you tell us something about the school?

Mr Lam: Well, it was founded in 1957. So it's one of the oldest lower secondary schools in the city.

Phong: How many students are there? And what are they like?

Mr Lam: More than two thousand students. Most of them are intelligent and hard-working. They're very active too. They do lots of outdoor activities.

Phong: Sounds really interesting. I wish I could study here.

Mr Lam: Well, to attend the school, you have to pass an entrance exam.

Phong: Yes, I understand ... And ...

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Westminster High School is a famous school in England. It is in the heart of London, next to the Houses of Parliament. The school has some modern facilities such as a new sports hall, a golf course, a science centre, a large theatre, and a music centre.

There are 740 students in the school. They are intelligent and hard-working. To attend the school, they have to pass an entrance exam and an interview. All students have to take final exams in science, maths, English, literature, and French or German. They also take part in some outdoor activities such as playing golf, growing flowers or rowing on the Thames.

HEALTH AND FITNESS
Do you feel good? Are you fit and (1) ______? Maybe you think you are (2) ______ and need to go on a diet. Or maybe you are a bit (3) ______ and need to put on weight. Here is some (4) ______ for you. First, it is important not to do things that are bad for you – so, do not eat (5) ______ or go to bed too late. If you have an unhealthy lifestyle, try to (6) ______ some of the things you do – only do the things that are good for you. Second, make sure you eat a balanced diet, including (7) ______ fresh fruit and vegetables. Do plenty of exercise to (8) ______: go running in the morning or join your local gym. If you are not in (9) ______, though, you should start with just (10) ______ swimming.
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In Britain children start school when they are five. Their first year – the reception – is usually a very happy one for the child. They learn to follow instructions from the teachers. Lots of new skills are introduced. Communal activities, socialising with the other children, learning to take turns are all part of the first-year experience.
As they paint, draw, and do other creative activities, they interact with other children and their language skills develop. When they have music and movement lessons or gym activities, they learn to control their body movements. Children learn to cooperate with others. During music lessons, they have to listen to a rhythm and try to copy it, and sing simple tunes.
In the morning students have number work and reading skills. The afternoons are more creative. They learn to have parties, make little cakes and pour cups of tea for others. They love dressing up in costumes and acting like adults.
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Who are the best drivers? According to a recent survey, young and inexperienced drivers are the most likely to have an accident. Older drivers are more careful. Young men have the worst accident record of all. They often drive faster cars with bigger engines. One of the most interesting findings in the survey is that passengers can affect the driver. When young male drivers drive their friends, their driving becomes worse. When their wives or girlfriends are in the car, however, their driving improves. But this is not true for women. Their driving is more dangerous when their husbands or boyfriends are in the car. However, if their children are riding in the car, they drive more slowly and safely.
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When you are in Hong Kong, you can go about by taxi, by tram, by bus, or (1) ______ underground. I prefer the underground (2) ______ it is fast, easy and cheap. There are (3) ______ trams and buses in Hong Kong, and one cannot drive on the road (4) ______ and without stopping many times. The underground is therefore usually quicker (5) ______ taxis or buses. If you do not know Hong Kong very well, it is very difficult (6) ______ the bus you want. You can take a taxi, but it is (7) ______ expensive than the underground or a bus.
At the underground you can find good maps that tell you the station names and show you (8) ______ to get to them, so that it is easy to find your way.
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Public transport is very important in big cities. It allows a lot of people to (1) ______ easily. The term “public transport” covers many different types of (2) ______, but most commonly refers to buses and trains.
Good transport has lots of benefits for people, businesses, and the environment. For example, good transport can help people go (3) ______ every day. It can also reduce the time people go to work and the cost of living. Public transport is especially (4) ______ for people with low income. Public transport also helps us keep our community greener and (5) ______. It can improve our health and reduce healthcare costs. By providing an alternative (6) ______, public transport also has an important role in reducing carbon emission.

The Theory of Everything is a biographical film, directed by James Marsh in 2014. It stars Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones.

The film is about the life of the scientist Stephen Hawking. It was adapted by Anthony McCarten from the book Travelling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen by the scientist’s wife, Jane Hawking. The film is set in England in the early 1960s. It tells the story of Hawking’s relationship with his wife, the diagnosis of his motor neuron disease and his success in the field of physics.

The film received positive reviews. People say it is a must-see. I agree, because the story is moving and the acting is excellent. The music is also incredible. Although The Theory of Everything is a little sad at times, its story is very interesting and there is a lot of action. Go and see it if you can.

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(1) ______ Mai had lots of homework to do, she agreed to go shopping with her friend Mark. Mark loves to buy jeans and T-shirts. (2) ______, Mai prefers to buy sportswear. (3) ______ it rained, they set off on Sunday morning for the town centre. Mark, as always, had more cash than Mai. (4) ______, Mai was better at buying things at a lower price. They were hungry and had lunch at the local burger bar. (5) ______ they had spent nearly all their money, there were still a few shops that Mark wanted to visit. (6) ______ they had aching feet, Mai and Mark ended up spending a few more hours shopping.

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This is Nick's letter to his friend telling him about his favourite film. Put the following paragraphs in the correct order.

A Titanic is a romantic film, which was directed by James Cameron. It stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. The film is about the sinking of the ship Titanic on its first voyage. The main characters are Jack Dawson and Rose DeWitt Bukater. Although they are from different social classes, and Rose is already engaged, they fall in love. I won't tell you what happens in case you want to watch it!

B What about you? What type of films do you like? Have you been to the cinema lately? What did you see? Write back and tell me.

Yours, Nick

C Dear Mark,

How are you? I'm writing to tell you about the great film I saw last Saturday at the cinema. I went to see Titanic with some friends.

D Titanic received a lot of positive reviews because the plot is moving and the acting is excellent. The special effects, visuals, and music are also incredible. I think it is worth watching.

answer: ['C', 'A', 'D', 'B']

explanation: "The correct order is C (Greeting and introduction), A (Plot summary), D (Review and opinion), and B (Closing questions and sign-off)."

The Edinburg Festival is the biggest arts festival in the world. (1) ______ August, thousands of people come to the city to join the festival. It (2) ______ for three weeks and has a lot of activities. People enjoy music and dance performances in the streets (3) ______ early morning until late at night. They also see artists painting pictures in the streets. One of (4) ______ most interesting parts of the festival is “Fringe”. Here people enjoy comedy shows by students in small halls and cafés. At this festival, tourists also have a chance to (5) ______ new films, plays and listen to famous musicians playing great music. Although it is the world’s largest arts festival, its tickets (6) ______ quite cheap. This is one of the reasons why it attracts so many people every year.

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Fill in each blank with a suitable word.

Hanukkah is the Jewish Festival of Lights. It lasts (1) ______ eight days. People usually celebrate it (2) ______ November or December. People light candles at this festival. They light one (3) ______ every evening. To celebrate the festival, people make special pancakes. They make the (4) ______ with potatoes, onions, eggs, flour and oil. Jam doughnuts (5) ______ also very popular. People (6) ______ their family and friends presents and money at Hanukkah. Adults give (7) ______ chocolate coins. People also give cards (8) ______ others.

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Read the passage about two carnivals and do the exercises.

Carnival is an annual festival in many countries in the world. People celebrate it in different ways. Two of the world’s most famous carnivals are held in New Orleans, USA and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

New Orleans

The carnival in New Orleans lasts for about two weeks. There is a parade every day. People wear special costumes and ride on beautiful floats. They throw small gifts to the crowd. More than one million people join the festival each year.

Rio de Janeiro

The carnival in Rio is the biggest in the world. It lasts for about five days. The Rio Carnival is famous for its samba music. People dress up in special costumes and dance on floats. At the Rio Carnival, tourists enjoy the parades and competitions between samba ‘schools’ or groups. These schools can spend millions of dollars preparing every year.

The French call Shrove Tuesday Mardi Gras, which means Fat Tuesday, (1) ______ it was the last night for them to eat meat and fatty food before the festival of Lent started. To do this, they made crepes – thin pancakes. Today they still celebrate Mardi Gras by eating crepes.

In Italy, (2) ______ day is called Carnevale, which means goodbye to meat and gives us the word Carnival. People (3) ______ fritters (special fried pastries), and in Naples they have a pasta dish called Grande Lasagne di Carnevale. In New Orleans, USA, the whole carnival season is called Mardi Gras, because it ends (4) ______ Shrove Tuesday – but it starts on 6 January! There are fancy-dress parties, street parades and food. (5) ______, everyone eats King Cakes, which are round cakes covered in purple, green and gold sugar.

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How to Avoid a Traffic Jam

It is common to get stuck in traffic jams in big cities, so here are some tips to help you avoid them.

Firstly, avoid travelling during rush hour. You should know when rush hour takes place in your city then avoid it.

Secondly, learn other routes to get to your destination. You should use other routes that will take you to your destination. Sometimes you simply cannot avoid travelling during rush hour, but find new routes online to avoid the overcrowded roads.

Thirdly, listen to the radio for traffic alerts and updates. You never know when an accident or roadworks may delay you. If you hear about a possible interruption, choose a different route.

Finally, use public transportation when possible. If more people use public transportation, there will be less traffic on the roads. Public transport can not only save you money and time, but it can also help reduce air pollution.

We can use renewable and non-renewable energy sources to make electricity. Most of our electricity comes from power stations that use fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas. We call them non-renewable sources because they will eventually run out. Unfortunately, burning fossil fuels produces lots of greenhouse gases which cause global warming.

We also use renewable energy sources like the sun, wind and water to make electricity. We can use them again and again because they cannot run out. They do not produce greenhouse gases so they are much less harmful to the environment.

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Our environment is in trouble. People and industries are polluting the air, rivers, lakes and seas. There are many things you can do to help the environment. Here are a few.

Cars: The burning of petroleum is one of the biggest sources of carbon monoxide (CO) that causes global warming. CO thins the ozone layer, which protects us from the sunrays. So try walking, bicycling or using public transportation.

Energy: The biggest use of home energy is for heating and cooling homes. It costs a lot of money. So don’t use air-conditioners too often, especially at night. Replace regular light bulbs with low energy light bulbs, which use less energy.

Water: Showers use a lot of water. Buying a special “low-flow” shower head or taking shorter showers can cut this use in half.

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We use energy for almost everything we do: for heating our homes, cooking our meals and (1) ______. The use of energy is (2) ______ worldwide. It is responsible for many recent floods, droughts and storms.

What should we do to avoid these problems? Firstly, we should (3) ______ before going to bed or when going out. Secondly, we should use (4) ______ at home. Thirdly, we should (5) ______ to school. In conclusion, we should use energy more wisely for our future.