IELTS PREDICTION TEST

The origin of paper
The word paper derives from the Greek term for the ancient Egyptian writing material called papyrus. In about 2400 BC, the Egyptians discovered how to make a writing surface out of papyrus, a type of reed that grows along waterways in southern Europe and North Africa. The Egyptians cut the plant into strips which they softened in water. Papyrus was cross-woven into a mat and then pounded into a hard thin sheet.
As the papyrus plant requires subtropical conditions to grow, papyrus was not much used in Europe at that time; instead, the main material used for writing was parchment. This was made from animal skin and was extremely expensive. In fact, it has been estimated that a single book written on parchment required the skins of 300 sheep. The skins had to be specifically prepared by drying them and they were then stretched on a special frame. It is not known when parchment was first introduced, but it was the main writing material in Europe for hundreds of years.
Paper, which is made from pulp, rags, and fibers of plants, seems to have been invented in China and is considered to be one of the Four Great Inventions of Ancient China. In 105 AD, under the Han Dynasty emperor Ho-Ti, a government official in China named Ts’ai Lun was the first to start a papermaking industry. Ts’ai Lun seems to have made his paper by mixing finely chopped mulberry bark and hemp rags with water, mashing the mixture flat with a stone mortar, and then pressing out the water and letting it dry in the sun. He may have based his idea on bark cloth, which was very common in China and also made from mulberry.
Previously, during the Shang (1600-1050 BC) and Zhou (1050-256 BC dynasties of Ancient China, documents were ordinarily written on bone or bamboo (on tablets or on bamboo strips sewn and rolled together into scrolls), making them very heavy and awkward to transport. The light material of silk was sometimes used, but was normally too expensive to consider. When it was first invented, paper was used for purposes of wrapping or padding protection for delicate bronze mirrors. Although paper used for writing became popular by the 3rd century AD, it continued to be used for wrapping and other purposes.
During the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) paper was folded and sewn into square bags to preserve the flavor of tea. During the same period, according to a written account, tea was served from baskets with multi-colored paper cups and paper napkins of different sizes and shapes. During the Chinese Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD) not only did the government produce the world’s first known printed paper money, or banknote, but paper money bestowed as gifts was wrapped in special paper envelopes.
Paper spread slowly outside of China; other Asian cultures, even after seeing paper, could not make it themselves. Instruction in the manufacturing process was required, and the Chinese were reluctant to share their secrets. It made its true push westward in 751 AD when the Tang Dynasty was at war with the Islamic world. During a battle on the banks of the Tarus river, a Chinese caravan was captured which happened to include several papermakers. They were taken away to Samarkand, which was a good place to make paper because it had an abundant supply of hemp and flax. Samarkanders changed the technology of manufacturing paper. They began to prepare it in stone mills and Samarkand became an important papermaking center.
The rudimentary and laborious process of papermaking was refined and bulk manufacturing of paper began in Iran, where they invented a method to make a thicker sheet of paper, which helped transform papermaking from an art into an important business. Gradually papermakers made their way further west through the Arab world – to Baghdad, Damascus and Cairo. Finally, when the Moors from North Africa invaded Spain and Portugal they brought the technology with them and so it was that papermaking entered Europe in the 12th century.
In Europe, the preferred medium for the artists and literati of the time was still the smooth and lustrous parchment. The notion of paper being used as a practical everyday item did not occur until the 15th century when Johannes Gutenberg perfected movable type printing, which included the use of metal molds and alloys, a special press, and oil-based inks, allowing the mass production of printed books. The birth of the modern paper and printing industry is commonly marked from this date.
Printing technology rapidly developed and created an ever-increasing demand for paper. The early European papers were made from recycled cotton and linen – and a huge trade quickly developed around the trading of old rags. It is said that the disease known as ‘the Black Death’ entered England from Europe on these old rags. Yet soon this source became insufficient and some curious attempts were made to find new materials. Experiments with fibers such as straw, cabbage, wasp nests and finally wood, resulted in inexpensive – and replaceable – materials for papermaking. Today, the long soft fibers of softwoods such as spruce have become the most suitable source of pulp for the mass production of paper.

1. In Ancient China, writing was occasionally done on silk.
<ul data-path-to-node="3">
<li>Đáp án: TRUE</li>
<li>Dẫn chứng: (Đoạn 4) “The light material of silk was sometimes used, but was normally too expensive to consider.”</li>
<li>Giải thích: Văn bản khẳng định lụa (silk) đôi khi được sử dụng (sometimes used) để viết, điều này làm cho nhận định là đúng.</li>
</ul>
2. Coloured paper was invented during the Tang Dynasty.
<ul data-path-to-node="5">
<li>Đáp án: NOT GIVEN</li>
<li>Dẫn chứng: (Đoạn 5) “During the Tang Dynasty… tea was served from baskets with multi-colored paper cups and paper napkins…”</li>
<li>Giải thích: Văn bản chỉ nói rằng giấy nhiều màu (multi-colored paper) đã được sử dụng trong thời nhà Đường, nhưng không nói rõ rằng giấy màu đã được phát minh (invented) trong thời kỳ này.</li>
</ul>
3. Papermakers from Samarkand were captured by the Chinese.
<ul data-path-to-node="7">
<li>Đáp án: FALSE</li>
<li>Dẫn chứng: (Đoạn 6) “During a battle on the banks of the Tarus river, a Chinese caravan was captured which happened to include several papermakers. They were taken away to Samarkand…”</li>
<li>Giải thích: Chính người Trung Quốc (Chinese papermakers) đã bị quân đội Hồi giáo bắt và đưa đến Samarkand, chứ không phải thợ Samarkand bị người Trung Quốc bắt.</li>
</ul>
4. Papermaking as a large-scale industry originated in Iran.
<ul data-path-to-node="9">
<li>Đáp án: TRUE</li>
<li>Dẫn chứng: (Đoạn 7) “The rudimentary and laborious process of papermaking was refined and bulk manufacturing of paper began in Iran, where they invented a method to make a thicker sheet of paper, which helped transform papermaking from an art into an important business.”</li>
<li>Giải thích: Việc sản xuất hàng loạt (bulk manufacturing / large-scale industry) và chuyển đổi thành ngành kinh doanh quan trọng bắt đầu ở Iran.</li>
</ul>
5. Papermaking skills were brought to Europe via North Africa.
<ul data-path-to-node="11">
<li>Đáp án: TRUE</li>
<li>Dẫn chứng: (Đoạn 7) “Finally, when the Moors from North Africa invaded Spain and Portugal they brought the technology with them and so it was that papermaking entered Europe in the 12th century.”</li>
<li>Giải thích: Công nghệ làm giấy đã đến châu Âu thông qua người Moor từ Bắc Phi.</li>
</ul>
6. When Gutenberg invented movable type, paper materials were very expensive.
<ul data-path-to-node="13">
<li>Đáp án: NOT GIVEN</li>
<li>Dẫn chứng: (Đoạn 8) Văn bản nói rằng da cừu (parchment) là vật liệu được ưa chuộng trước đó và rất đắt, nhưng không đề cập đến việc nguyên liệu làm giấy (như giẻ rách) có đắt vào thời Gutenberg hay không.</li>
</ul>
7. The end of the trade in rags was brought about by the difficulty of transporting them.
<ul data-path-to-node="15">
<li>Đáp án: FALSE</li>
<li>Dẫn chứng: (Đoạn 9) “The early European papers were made from recycled cotton and linen – and a huge trade quickly developed around the trading of old rags… Yet soon this source became insufficient and some curious attempts were made to find new materials.”</li>
<li>Giải thích: Nguồn cung cấp giẻ rách không còn đủ (insufficient), chứ không phải do khó khăn trong vận chuyển (difficulty of transporting), nên nhận định là sai.</li>
</ul>

Questions 1-7

8. Egypt: Method of production (Papyrus)
<ul data-path-to-node="3">
<li>
Đáp án: strips
</li>
<li>
Dẫn chứng: (Đoạn 1) “The Egyptians cut the plant into strips which they softened in water. Papyrus was cross-woven into a mat and then pounded…”
</li>
<li>
Giải thích: Cây papyrus được cắt thành các strips (dải) trước khi được xử lý tiếp.
</li>
</ul>
9. Europe: Materials used (Parchment)
<ul data-path-to-node="5">
<li>
Đáp án: sheep
</li>
<li>
Dẫn chứng: (Đoạn 2) “…it has been estimated that a single book written on parchment required the skins of 300 sheep.”
</li>
<li>
Giải thích: Da cừu (sheep) là ví dụ cụ thể về nguyên liệu làm parchment.
</li>
</ul>
10. Europe: Method of production (Parchment)
<ul data-path-to-node="7">
<li>
Đáp án: stretched
</li>
<li>
Dẫn chứng: (Đoạn 2) “The skins had to be specifically prepared by drying them and they were then stretched on a special frame.”
</li>
<li>
Giải thích: Da làm parchment được làm khô và sau đó được stretched (kéo căng).
</li>
</ul>
11. China: Materials used (Paper)
<ul data-path-to-node="9">
<li>
Đáp án: Bark
</li>
<li>
Dẫn chứng: (Đoạn 3) “Ts’ai Lun seems to have made his paper by mixing finely chopped mulberry bark and hemp rags with water…”
</li>
<li>
Giải thích: Vỏ cây (Bark) dâu tằm là một trong những nguyên liệu chính.
</li>
</ul>
12. Place: (Papermaking Center in 751 AD)
<ul data-path-to-node="11">
<li>
Đáp án: Samarkand
</li>
<li>
Dẫn chứng: (Đoạn 6) “They were taken away to Samarkand, which was a good place to make paper…”
</li>
<li>
Giải thích: Thợ làm giấy Trung Quốc bị bắt và đưa đến Samarkand, nơi này trở thành trung tâm làm giấy.
</li>
</ul>
13. Samarkand: Method of production
<ul data-path-to-node="13">
<li>
Đáp án: Stone
</li>
<li>
Dẫn chứng: (Đoạn 6) “Samarkanders changed the technology of manufacturing paper. They began to prepare it in stone mills…”
</li>
<li>
Giải thích: Công nghệ mới ở Samarkand sử dụng cối xay làm bằng Stone (đá).
</li>
</ul>

Questions 8-13

PASSAGE 1

A New Look for Talbot Park
Talbot Park, a housing project in Auckland, New Zealand, was once described as a ghetto, troubled by high rates of crime and vandalism. However, it has just been rebuilt at a cost of $48m and the project reflects some new thinking about urban design.
{iv. The unexpectedly high standard of the housing}
The new Talbot Park is immediately eye-catching because the buildings look quite different to other state housing* projects in Auckland. ‘There is no reason why state housing should look cheap in my view,’ says architect Neil Cotton, one of the design team. ‘In fact, I was anticipating a backlash by those who objected to the quality of what is provided with government money.’ The tidy brick and wood apartments and townhouses would not look out of place in some of the city’s most affluent suburbs and this is a central theme of the Talbot Park philosophy.
{viii. A close community in the original Talbot Park development}
Talbot Park is a triangle of government-owned land, which in the early 1960s was developed for state housing built around a linear garden that ran through the middle. Initially, there was a strong sense of neighborliness. Former residents recall how the garden played a big part in their childhoods – a place where kids came together to play softball, cricket and bullrush. ‘We had respect for our neighbours and addressed them by title – Mr and Mrs so-and-so,’ recalls Georgie Thompson, who grew up there in the 1960s.
{i. Some of the problems that developed at Talbot Park}
 Exactly what went wrong with Talbot Park is unclear. The community began to change in the late 1970s as more immigrants moved in. The new arrivals didn’t always integrate with the community and a ‘them and us’ mentality developed. In the process, standards dropped and the neighbourhood began to look shabbier. The buildings themselves were also deteriorating and becoming run down, petty crime was on the rise and the garden was considered unsafe. In 2002, Housing New Zealand decided the properties needed upgrading. The question was how to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past?
{x. Details of the style of buildings used in the makeover}
 One controversial aspect of the upgrade is that the new development has actually made the density of housing in Talbot Park greater, putting 52 more homes on the same site. Doing this required a fresh approach that can be summed up as ‘mix and match’. The first priority was to mix up the housing by employing a variety of plans by different architects: some of the accommodation is free-standing houses, some semi-detached, some low level, multi-apartment blocks. By doing this, the development avoids the uniform appearance of so many state housing projects, which residents complain denies them any sense of individual identity. The next goal was to prevent overspending by using efficient designs to maximise the sense of space from minimum room sizes. There was also a no-frills, industrial approach to kitchens, bathrooms and flooring, to durability and ensure the project did not go over budget. Architecturally, the buildings are relatively conservative: fairly plain houses standing in a small garden. There’s a slight reflection of the traditional Pacific beach house (a fale) but it’s not overplayed. ‘It seems to us that low-cost housing is about getting as much amenity as you can for the money,’ says architect Michael Thompson. Another key aspect of the ‘mix and match’ approach is openness: one that not only lets residents see what is going on but also lets them know they are seen. The plan ensures there are no cul-de-sacs or properties hidden from view, that the gardens are not enclosed by trees and that most boundary fences are see-through – a community contained but without walls.
{iii. The ethnic makeup of the new Talbot Park}
 The population today is cosmopolitan: 50% Pacific Islanders, 20% Maori, 15% Asian, 10% New Zealand European and the rest composed of immigrants from Russia, Ukraine and Iran. ‘It was important that the buildings were sufficiently flexible to cater for the needs of people from a wide variety of cultural backgrounds,’ explains designer James Lundy.
{v. Financial hardship in Talbot Park and a neighbouring community}
Despite the quality of the buildings, however, there should be no doubt that Talbot Park and its surrounding suburb of Tamaki are low socio-economic areas. Of the 5,000 houses there, 55% are state houses, 28% privately owned (compared to about 65% nationally) and 17% private rental. The area has a high density of households with incomes in the $5,000 to $15,000 range and very few with an income over $70,000. That’s in sharp contrast to the more affluent suburbs in Auckland.
{vii. How to co-ordinate and assist the people who live at Talbot Park}
Another important part of the new development is what Housing New Zealand calls ‘intensive tenancy management’. Opponents of the project call it social control. ‘The focus is on frequent inspections and setting clear guidelines and boundaries regarding the sort of behaviour we expect from tenants,’ says Graham Bodman, Housing New Zealand’s regional manager. The result is a code of sometimes strict rules: no loud parties after 10pm; no washing hung over balcony rails and a requirement to mow lawns and keep the property tidy. The Tenancy Manager walks the site every day, knows everyone by name and deals with problems quickly. ‘It’s all based on the intensification,’ says project manager Stuart Bracey. ‘We acknowledge that if you are going to ask people to live in these quite tightly-packed communities, you have to actually help them to get to know each other by organising morning teas and street barbecues.’ So far it seems to be working and many involved in the project believe Talbot Park represents the way forward for state housing.

<ul>
<li>
14. Paragraph A: iv (The unexpectedly high standard of the housing)
<ul data-path-to-node="3,0,1">
<li>
Dẫn chứng: “‘There is no reason why state housing should look cheap in my view,’ says architect Neil Cotton… I was anticipating a backlash by those who objected to the quality of what is provided…”
</li>
<li>
Giải thích: Kiến trúc sư Neil Cotton nhấn mạnh rằng tiêu chuẩn xây dựng tại đây cao đến mức ông lo ngại người dân sẽ phản đối vì nó trông quá sang trọng so với một dự án nhà ở xã hội (vốn thường bị coi là rẻ tiền).
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>
15. Paragraph B: viii (A close community in the original Talbot Park development)
<ul data-path-to-node="3,1,1">
<li>
Dẫn chứng: “Initially, there was a strong sense of neighborliness. Former residents recall how the garden played a big part in their childhoods… ‘We had respect for our neighbours…’”
</li>
<li>
Giải thích: Đoạn văn hồi tưởng về những năm 1960 khi Talbot Park còn là một cộng đồng gắn kết, nơi trẻ em chơi đùa cùng nhau và mọi người cư xử với nhau rất lễ độ.
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>
16. Paragraph C: i (Some of the problems that developed at Talbot Park)
<ul data-path-to-node="3,2,1">
<li>
Dẫn chứng: “…standards dropped and the neighbourhood began to look shabbier… buildings themselves were also deteriorating… petty crime was on the rise and the garden was considered unsafe.”
</li>
<li>
Giải thích: Liệt kê các vấn đề xuất hiện từ cuối thập niên 70 như nhà cửa xuống cấp, sự thiếu hòa nhập của người nhập cư và tình hình an ninh mất kiểm soát.
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>
17. Paragraph D: x (Details of the style of buildings used in the makeover)
<ul data-path-to-node="3,3,1">
<li>
Dẫn chứng: “The first priority was to mix up the housing by employing a variety of plans… free-standing houses, some semi-detached, some low level, multi-apartment blocks.”
</li>
<li>
Giải thích: Tập trung vào chi tiết thiết kế “mix and match” với sự đa dạng về kiểu dáng nhà ở để tránh sự đơn điệu và tạo bản sắc riêng cho cư dân.
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>
18. Paragraph E: iii (The ethnic makeup of the new Talbot Park)
<ul data-path-to-node="3,4,1">
<li>
Dẫn chứng: “The population today is cosmopolitan: 50% Pacific Islanders, 20% Maori, 15% Asian, 10% New Zealand European…”
</li>
<li>
Giải thích: Cung cấp số liệu thống kê cụ thể về cơ cấu sắc tộc đa dạng của cư dân đang sống tại dự án mới.
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>
19. Paragraph F: v (Financial hardship in Talbot Park and a neighbouring community)
<ul data-path-to-node="3,5,1">
<li>
Dẫn chứng: “The area has a high density of households with incomes in the $5,000 to $15,000 range and very few with an income over $70,000.”
</li>
<li>
Giải thích: Đưa ra số liệu cụ thể về thu nhập để làm nổi bật thực trạng khó khăn về kinh tế (financial hardship) của người dân tại khu vực này so với phần còn lại của thành phố.
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>
20. Paragraph G: vii (How to co-ordinate and assist the people who live at Talbot Park)
<ul data-path-to-node="3,6,1">
<li>
Dẫn chứng: “…you have to actually help them to get to know each other by organising morning teas and street barbecues.”
</li>
<li>
Giải thích: Mô tả cách quản lý không chỉ bằng kỷ luật (strict rules) mà còn bằng các hoạt động hỗ trợ cộng đồng để giúp cư dân sinh sống hòa thuận trong một môi trường đông đúc.
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>

Questions 14-20

<ul>
<li>
21. James Lundy: J (Mixed-race communities require adaptable and responsive designs.)
<ul data-path-to-node="6,0,1">
<li>
Dẫn chứng: “…important that the buildings were sufficiently flexible to cater for the needs of people from a wide variety of cultural backgrounds.”
</li>
<li>
Giải thích: Lundy tin rằng thiết kế linh hoạt (flexible) là cần thiết để đáp ứng nhu cầu của các nhóm sắc tộc khác nhau (mixed-race/cultural backgrounds).
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>
22. Graham Bodman: G (Good tenant management involves supervision and regulation.)
<ul data-path-to-node="6,1,1">
<li>
Dẫn chứng: “The focus is on frequent inspections and setting clear guidelines and boundaries regarding the sort of behaviour we expect from tenants.”
</li>
<li>
Giải thích: Ông nhấn mạnh việc kiểm soát thông qua giám sát (inspections) và các quy định (guidelines/rules).
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>
23. Stuart Bracey: I (Organising social events helps tenants to live close together.)
<ul data-path-to-node="6,2,1">
<li>
Dẫn chứng: “…help them to get to know each other by organising morning teas and street barbecues.”
</li>
<li>
Giải thích: Ông cho rằng các sự kiện xã hội (social events) là chìa khóa để cư dân sống gần nhau một cách hòa thuận.
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>

Questions 21–23

<ul>
<li>
24. density
<ul data-path-to-node="9,0,1">
<li>
Dẫn chứng: “…new development has actually made the density of housing in Talbot Park greater…” (Đoạn D).
</li>
<li>
Giải thích: Một số ý kiến lo ngại rằng mật độ cư dân cao (higher density) có thể gây ra các vấn đề xã hội cũ.
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>
25. architects
<ul data-path-to-node="9,1,1">
<li>
Dẫn chứng: “…employing a variety of plans by different architects…” (Đoạn D).
</li>
<li>
Giải thích: Để tránh sự đơn điệu, dự án đã thuê nhiều kiến trúc sư khác nhau cùng tham gia thiết kế.
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>
26. budget
<ul data-path-to-node="9,2,1">
<li>
Dẫn chứng: “…ensure the project did not go over budget.” (Đoạn D).
</li>
<li>
Giải thích: Các kiến trúc sư sử dụng thiết kế tối giản công nghiệp để đảm bảo chi phí nằm trong ngân sách cho phép.
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>

Questions 24-26 

PASSAGE 2

LIFE ON MARS?
A
When scientists began observing Mars with their first primitive telescopes, they assumed from the start that the planet was peopled. The 18th-century astronomer William Herschel, noting the seasons and atmosphere of Mars, declared that ‘its inhabitants enjoy a situation similar to our own’. A century later, astronomers asserted that they could detect canals running across the Martian landscape. These canals, argued US scientist Percival Lowell, had been built by technologically advanced Martians to transport water from the poles to the equator of their drying world. ‘Martian folk are possessed of inventions of which we have not dreamed,’ he argued.
B
The vision of an advanced culture trapped on a drying world was taken up by the British writer H. G. Wells in 1898 in his masterpiece The War of the Worlds, in which Earth is subjected to a pitiless invasion from a race of hideous Martians armed with poison gas and heat rays. Martians became synonymous with grotesque threatening clients, at least as far as the public was concerned. Scientists were more restrained, but still supported the idea that the planet might support relatively complex life forms.
C
Then, in the late 1960s, rocket science changed our image of Mars forever. The US Mariner probes swept past Mars and sent back pictures not of a world covered in vegetation, as many scientists still expected, but of vistas of cratered, arid deserts. Finally, in 1976, two huge US probes settled on the Martian surface and began a series of experiments aimed at pinpointing, once and for all, the existence of air-breathing organisms. None were found, for the Viking probes landed in areas as dead as the Sahara Desert. All that was sent back were images of a bleak, boulder-strewn terrain. Mars was declared officially dead – for a while.
D
Since that time, two critical pieces of evidence have been found on Earth which support the idea that Mars has life. The first is known as ALH84001, a meteorite that was blasted into space when a large body struck Mars 15 million years ago and which spiralled across the solar system to crash into the Antarctic. Analysis carried out by NASA scientist Imre Friedmann showed that the meteorite contained elements identical to those found on Mars by the Viking probes, and revealed chains of crystals similar to those created by earthbound bacteria. Friedmann believes that these could only have been created by living organisms. Others, however, argue that the crystals could have been laid down by simple chemical processes. A second area of support for the idea that living organisms could survive Mars’s harshness has been provided by the study of extremophiles, bacteria that have been found in increasingly hostile landscapes on Earth – acid lakes, for example, and volcanoes.
E
In the past few years, astronomers have become convinced that the Martian surface, although hostile and arid today, was once lush and welcoming. Images sent back by recent probes such as the Mars Global Surveyor have revealed dried-up riverbeds and old estuaries. Rivers poured into ancient seas, it appears, and rain swept the sodden terrain. Then catastrophe struck. ‘Mars lost its magnetic field several billion years ago,’ explains British astronomer Paul Murdin. ‘Earth retained one, and it protects our atmosphere. Without that protection, Mars’s gases and water boiled off.’ That is why they are so different today.
F
The discovery of signs of water on Mars has changed everything. Some researchers believe that water from underground reservoirs still gushes through Martian valleys as occasional flash floods bubble to the surface. In the 1990s, the Mars Odyssey probe began to map the chemical make-up of the Mars soil, and discovered that much of the ground in the southern hemisphere of Mars is mixed with large quantities of ice; and where there is ice, there is likely to be liquid water, probably underneath. ‘There are huge underground reservoirs on Mars,’ says Marcello Coradini, head of planetary exploration for the European Space Agency. ‘I am now convinced of that.’
G
Current projects are hoping to clarify the question of the presence of water once and for all. These are aimed at conducting experiments to detect the presence of a substance called carbon 13 in soil and rock samples on Mars; this would be, according to some researchers, an unequivocal indication of the presence of living organisms, past or present.
H
But would the presence of a few Martian organisms alter our world view in any significant way? Professor Juan Pérez Mercader of Madrid’s Centre for Astrobiology in Spain believes that it would. ‘For a start, we will be able to find out if Martian organisms have DNA, the golden molecule that controls the replication of earthly creatures.’ If there is no DNA, that would show that Martian biology is quite unlike Earth’s, and that on two planets, side by side in the same solar system, life evolved independently. If DNA is located, it would mean that life on Mars and on Earth may spring from the same source. ‘If organisms can pop up that easily, our chances of finding intelligent versions elsewhere in the universe will look extremely good,’ Pérez Mercader states. The discovery of any evidence of living organisms on Mars would also mean renewed purpose for manned space flight projects.

27. D
Vị trí: Đoạn D, câu đầu và câu thứ hai.
Dẫn chứng: “The first is known as ALH84001, a meteorite that was blasted into space when a large body struck Mars 15 million years ago and which spiralled across the solar system to crash into the Antarctic.”
Giải thích: Đoạn D nói về thiên thạch ALH84001 có nguồn gốc từ sao Hỏa và rơi xuống Nam Cực. Đây chính là bằng chứng cho thấy một tảng đá được tìm thấy trên Trái Đất có xuất xứ từ sao Hỏa.
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28. G
Vị trí: Đoạn G, câu đầu.
Dẫn chứng: “Current projects are hoping to clarify the question… aimed at conducting experiments to detect the presence of a substance called carbon 13 in soil and rock samples on Mars.”
Giải thích: Đoạn G nói rõ các dự án hiện tại sẽ tiến hành thí nghiệm phân tích mẫu đất và đá trên sao Hỏa → đúng với “a plan to analyse material on Mars”.
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29. E
Vị trí: Đoạn E, phần giữa.
Dẫn chứng: “Mars lost its magnetic field several billion years ago… Without that protection, Mars’s gases and water boiled off.”
Giải thích: Sao Hỏa mất từ trường → không giữ được khí quyển → nước và khí bay hơi. Đây là lý do vì sao sao Hỏa ngày nay không còn giống Trái Đất.
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30. F
Vị trí: Đoạn F, phần đầu.
Dẫn chứng: “water from underground reservoirs still gushes through Martian valleys…”
Giải thích: Câu này cho thấy có khả năng hiện tại vẫn còn nước dưới lòng đất trên sao Hỏa → phù hợp với “currently water”.
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31. A
Vị trí: Đoạn A, phần giữa.
Dẫn chứng: “These canals… had been built by technologically advanced Martians…”
Giải thích: Có tuyên bố rằng người sao Hỏa đã xây dựng kênh đào → đây là “claim that construction had taken place on Mars”.
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32. H
Vị trí: Đoạn H, phần giữa.
Dẫn chứng: “If DNA is located, it would mean that life on Mars and on Earth may spring from the same source.”
Giải thích: Nếu tìm thấy DNA, sự sống trên sao Hỏa và Trái Đất có thể cùng chung nguồn gốc → đúng với “share the same origins”.

Questions 27–32

33. Đáp án: the Martian environment resembled that of Earth
Vị trí: Đoạn A.
Dẫn chứng: “its inhabitants enjoy a situation similar to our own.”
Giải thích: Herschel tin rằng điều kiện trên sao Hỏa tương tự Trái Đất → không nói về ngoại hình người sao Hỏa, mà là môi trường.
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34. Đáp án: Earlier beliefs about Mars were disproven
Vị trí: Đoạn C.
Dẫn chứng: “pictures not of a world covered in vegetation… but of cratered, arid deserts.”
Giải thích: Những hình ảnh từ tàu thăm dò đã bác bỏ niềm tin trước đó rằng sao Hỏa có thảm thực vật và sự sống.
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35. Đáp án: organisms can survive on Mars
Vị trí: Đoạn D.
Dẫn chứng: “living organisms could survive Mars’s harshness… provided by the study of extremophiles…”
Giải thích: Vi khuẩn cực đoan (extremophiles) sống được trong môi trường khắc nghiệt trên Trái Đất → gợi ý sự sống có thể tồn tại trên sao Hỏa.
36. Đáp án: a work of literature. (một tác phẩm văn học)
Vị trí: Đoạn B. Dẫn chứng: &#8220;The vision of an advanced culture&#8230; was taken up by the British writer H.G. Wells in 1898 in his masterpiece The War of the Worlds&#8230; Martians became synonymous with grotesque, threatening aliens, at least as far as the public was concerned.&#8221; Giải thích: * Đoạn A nói về các thảo luận khoa học (scientific discussion) của William Herschel và Percival Lowell, nhưng đây là giai đoạn khởi đầu khi họ tin rằng người Sao Hỏa là những người hàng xóm tiến bộ.

Questions 33–36

11. Lowell believed that Martian technology was more developed than human technology.
<ul data-path-to-node="7">
<li>Đáp án: YES</li>
<li>Dẫn chứng (Đoạn A): “Martian folk are possessed of inventions of which we have not dreamed,” he (Lowell) argued.</li>
<li>Giải thích: Cụm từ “inventions of which we have not dreamed” (những phát minh mà chúng ta chưa từng mơ tới) ám chỉ công nghệ của người Hỏa tinh tiên tiến hơn công nghệ của con người hiện tại.</li>
</ul>
12. Information gained from Viking probes remains unchallenged.
<ul data-path-to-node="9">
<li>Đáp án: NO</li>
<li>Dẫn chứng (Đoạn C &amp; D):
<ul data-path-to-node="9,1,1">
<li>Đoạn C nói Viking tuyên bố Mars chính thức chết: “Mars was declared officially dead”.</li>
<li>Đoạn D bắt đầu bằng: “Since that time, two critical pieces of evidence have been found on Earth which support the idea that Mars has life.” (Kể từ đó, hai bằng chứng quan trọng đã được tìm thấy… ủng hộ ý tưởng Mars có sự sống).</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Giải thích: Kết luận “Mars đã chết” của tàu Viking đã bị thách thức (challenged) bởi các bằng chứng mới về thiên thạch ALH84001 và vi khuẩn cực hạn. Do đó, thông tin từ Viking không còn là “duy nhất” và “không bị thách thức”.</li>
</ul>
13. There is evidence that there has been significant climate change on Mars.
<ul data-path-to-node="11">
<li>Đáp án: YES</li>
<li>Dẫn chứng (Đoạn E): “…the Martian surface, although hostile and arid today, was once lush and welcoming… dried-up riverbeds and old estuaries.”</li>
<li>Giải thích: Sự thay đổi từ trạng thái “lush and welcoming” (tươi tốt và hiếu khách) sang “hostile and arid” (khắc nghiệt và khô cằn) cùng với sự biến mất của sông ngòi là minh chứng cho một sự biến đổi khí hậu đáng kể (significant climate change).</li>
</ul>
14. Spanish scientists plan to launch space probes if DNA is found on Mars.
<ul data-path-to-node="13">
<li>Đáp án: NOT GIVEN</li>
<li>Dẫn chứng (Đoạn H): Tác giả nhắc đến Professor Juan Pérez Mercader (người Tây Ban Nha) bàn luận về tầm quan trọng của DNA và nói rằng: “The discovery… would also mean renewed purpose for manned space flight projects.”</li>
<li>Giải thích: Bài đọc chỉ nói việc tìm thấy DNA sẽ tạo ra mục đích mới cho các dự án “manned space flight” (chuyến bay có người lái), nhưng không hề nhắc đến việc các nhà khoa học Tây Ban Nha có kế hoạch cụ thể nào để “phóng tàu thăm dò” (launch space probes) hay không. Thông tin này thiếu tính xác thực trong bài.</li>
</ul>

Reading Test 38

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