We live in a world of tired, sleep deprived people.

In his book Counting Sheep, Paul Martin - a

behavioural biologist - describes a society which is just too busy to sleep and which does not
give sleeping the importance it deserves. Modern society has invented reasons not to sleep. We
are now a 24/7 society where shops and services must be available all hours. We spend longer
hours at work than we used to, and more time getting to work. Mobile phones and email allow us
to stay in touch round the clock and late-night TV and the Internet tempt us away from our
beds. When we need more time for work or pleasure, the easy solution is to sleep less. The
average adult sleeps only 6.2 hours a night during the week, whereas research shows that most
people need eight or even eight and a half hours' sleep to feel at their best. Nowadays, many
people have got used to sleeping less than they need and they live in an almost permanent state of
'sleep debt'.
Until the invention of the electric light in 1879 our daily cycle of sleep used to depend on the
hours of
daylight. People would get up with the sun and go to bed at nightfall. But nowadays our hours of
sleep are mainly determined by our working hours (or our social life) and most people are
woken up artificially by an alarm clock. During the day caffeine, the world's most popular drug,
helps to keep us awake. 75% of the world's population habitually consume caffeine, which up to
a point masks the symptoms of sleep deprivation.
What does a chronic lack of sleep do to us? As well as making us irritable and unhappy as
humans, it also
reduces our motivation and ability to work. This has serious implications for society in general.
Doctors, for example, are often chronically sleep deprived, especially when they are on 'night
call', and may get less than three hours' sleep. Lack of sleep can seriously impair their mood,
judgment, and ability to take decisions. Tired engineers, in the early hours of the morning, made
a series of mistakes with catastrophic results. On our roads and motorways lack of sleep kills
thousands of people every year. Tests show that a tired driver can be just as dangerous as a
drunken driver. However, driving when drunk is against the law but driving when exhausted isn't.
As Paul Martin says, it is very ironic that we admire people who function on very little sleep
instead of criticizing them for being irresponsible. Our world would be a much safer, happier
place if everyone, whatever their job, slept eight hours a night.
Question 29: According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE about Paul
Martin?
A. He describes the modern world as a place without insomnia.
B. He gives an interesting account of a sleepless society.
C. He is a scientist who is chronically deprived of sleep.
D. He shows his concern for sleep deprivation in modern society.
Question 30: The phrase round the clock in the second paragraph is similar in meaning to
______.
A. surrounded with clocks B. having a round clock
C. all day and night D. during the daytime
Question 31: The writer mentions the Internet in the passage as ______.
A. an easy solution to sleep deprivation B. a temptation that prevents us from sleeping
C. a factor that is not related to sleep deprivation D. an ineffective means of communication
Question 32: According to the third paragraph, which of the following statements is NOT
TRUE?
A. Our social life has no influence on our hours of sleep.
B. The electric light was invented in the 19th century.
C. The sun obviously determined our daily routines.
D. The electric light has changed our daily cycle of sleep.
Question 33: The word which in the third paragraph refers to ______.
A. masking the symptoms B. reaching a point
C. caffeine consumption D. the world's population
Question 34: Which of the following is TRUE, according to the last paragraph?
A. Doctors on night call do not need more than three hours of sleep a day.
B. Sleep deprivation has negative effects on both individuals and society.
C. Thousands of people are killed every day by drunken drivers.
D. Our motivation decreases with the bigger number of hours we sleep.
Question 35: The word catastrophic in the last paragraph probably means ______.
A. likely to become worthless B. causing serious damage or loss
C. bound to bring satisfaction D. becoming more noticeable
Question 36: Which of the following would the writer of the passage approve of?
A. Both drunken drivers and sleep-deprived people should be criticized.
B. We certainly can function well even when we hardly sleep.
C. There is no point in criticizing irresponsible people in our society.
D. Our world would be a much safer place without drinkers.
Question 37: All of the following are mentioned as those whose performance is affected by
sleep debt EXCEPT ______.
A. biologists B. drivers C. doctors D. engineers
Question 38: Which of the following could best serve as the title of the passage?
A. Sleep Deprivation: Causes and Effects B. A Society of Sleepless People
C. A Well-known Biologist D. Accident Prevention: Urgent!














Question 6: The carefully nurtured gardens with a wide ______ of flowers and fruit trees have added
elegance to this place and made it a major tourist attraction.
A. variety B. amount C. species D. number
Question 7: Visitors to the local museum are mostly attracted by ______ rocking chair.
A. an old wooden European beautiful B. a beautiful old European wooden
C. an old beautiful wooden European D. a wooden old beautiful European
Question 8: ______ my mothers encouragement, I wouldnt have made such a daring decision.
A. Until B. In spite C. But for D. Providing
Question 9: The cinema is no longer as popular as it was in the 1930's and 1940's, but it is still an
important ______ of entertainment.
A. status B. source C. origin D. prospect
Question 10: They got lost in the forest, and ______ made matters worse was that night began to fall.
A. that B. what C. which D. it
Question 11: Students are encouraged to develop critical thinking ______ accepting opinions without
questioning them.
A. in addition B. for instance C. instead of D. because of
Question 12: The bank has more than 100 branches, ______ in a major urban area.
A. the location of which B. each locating C. each located D. and are located
Question 13: In my opinion, ______ new technology who will finally decide which ideas take off.
A. it is the development of B. that the development of
C. it is the user of D. that the user of
Question 14: My secretary will book you an afternoon flight and have you ______ at the airport.
A. picked up B. picking up C. pick up D. to pick up
Question 15: In the last match, Sabella changed his formation at half-time, introducing Fernando Gago in
midfield and Higuain in attack, but in the end it was Messis magic that ______ the difference.
A. made B. gave C. did D. took
Question 16: Weve already bought the house but wont ______ it until May, when the present occupants
have moved out.
A. take possession of B. catch sight of C. keep track of D. gain recognition of
Question 17: Jessica looks very tired. She ______ have stayed up late to finish her assignment last night.
A. would B. should C. will D. must
Question 18: ______, she continued to carry out her duties.
A. Although in poor health B. Although she is in good health
C. Despite her good health D. No matter how poor her health
Question 19: Phuong Thao is a student in Ms Lans writing class. She is asking for Ms Lans comments
on her last essay. Select the most suitable response to fill in the blank.
Phuong Thao: You must have found reading my essay very tiring.
Ms Lan: ______. I enjoyed it.
A. Not in the least B. Just in case C. At all costs D. You are welcome
Question 20: Carbon dioxide ______ as one of the main contributors to the greenhouse effect.
A. had identified B. has been identified C. has identified D. had been identified
Question 21: The young lady sat still in the afternoon breeze, with her hair ______ her back.
A. running over B. streaming down C. flowed down D. fallen against
Question 22: Chinas placement of its oil rig in Vietnams East Sea EEZ has been denounced by ASEAN
and Western politicians and professionals as the violation of Vietnams ______ waters.
A. farmed B. fresh C. inland D. territorial
Question 23: Jane had difficulty carrying her suitcase upstairs, and Mike, her friend, offered to help.
Select the most suitable response to fill in the blank.
Mike: Need a hand with your suitcase, Jane?
Jane: ______
A. Thats very kind of you. B. Not a chance.
C. I dont believe it. D. Well done!
Question 24: We need to talk more about ______ for the summer vacation before July.
A. why to choose B. how to make C. where to go D. when to use
Question 25: In no circumstances ______ on campus.
A. should smoking be allowed B. should allow smoking
C. smoking should be allowed D. we should allow smoking
Question 26: While I was looking through my old albums the other day, I ______ this photograph of my
parents' wedding.
A. took after B. made up C. turned down D. came across
Question 27: Take a spare tyre ______ you have a puncture on the way to the beach.
A. in case B. if C. so that D. unless
Question 28: Minh, a student from Hai Phong, is going to take the college entrance exam in Hanoi next
week. His father is seeing him off at the railway station. Select the most suitable response to fill in the
blank.
Dad: Good luck with the exam, Minh!
Minh: ______, Dad.
A. By no means B. I wish so C. Thank you D. Never mind
Question 29: He applied for a teaching ______ at Bales University with great confidence.
A. employment B. post C. work D. career
Question 30: Could you turn off the stove? The potatoes ______ for at least thirty minutes.
A. boiled B. were boiling C. are boiling D. have been boiling