Bài Tập Trắc Nghiệm Chuyên Đề: Thông tin được nêu trực tiếp (Tiếng Anh Lớp 10, 11, 12)

Urbanization, the movement of people from rural areas to cities, is one of the most significant global phenomena of the 21st century. This demographic shift is primarily driven by the promise of better job opportunities, improved living standards, and access to modern infrastructure. Cities, once small settlements, have now turned into bustling metropolises, home to millions of people. However, while urbanization offers numerous benefits, it also brings a whole new ball game in terms of challenges that must be addressed for long-term sustainability.

As more people migrate to cities, the strain on urban infrastructure becomes evident[I]. Overcrowding, traffic congestion, and pollution are common problems faced by many cities today[II]. In addition, the expansion of cities often leads to the destruction of natural habitats, [III]threatening biodiversity and contributing to environmental degradation. Furthermore, [IV]. As a result, many urban residents find themselves living in informal settlements or slums, where basic needs are not met.

On the other hand, urbanization also creates opportunities for innovation and growth. Cities are centers of economic activity, technological advancement, and cultural exchange. The concentration of resources and human capital can lead to the development of groundbreaking solutions for societal challenges. Smart cities, which use technology to improve urban living, are becoming more common. Additionally, urbanization encourages the development of sustainable practices, such as green architecture and energy-efficient transportation systems.

In conclusion, urbanization is a complex and multifaceted process that requires a balance between growth and sustainability. While it offers substantial opportunities for economic development and social progress, it also brings about significant challenges that need innovative solutions. As we move toward the future, it is crucial to create cities that are not only economically viable but also environmentally sustainable and inclusive.

(Adapted from https://loigiaihay.com/bai-tap-320189.html)

Device-centred communication has become almost universal over the past twenty years. More than three quarters of people in the world now own a mobile device, and more than half communicate via social networking.
It is now hard to imagine a world without mobile devices consisting of such things as mobile phones, laptops and tablets. They allow us to stay in touch with a large network of friends, no matter where they are. But many experts say that communicating with a device is nothing like talking with someone in person. “Body language, eye contact and tone of voice can tell us so much,” psychologist Mary Peters says. “And none of those exist on a device. Even video chat removes many subtle clues.”
We don’t know to what extent these technologies will permanently change the way people interact. People will always want to meet up with others in small and large groups. Indeed, it is fair to say that social media makes it easier than ever before for people to organise social events. However, there is still a danger that device-centred communication may have a negative long-term impact on the way people interact with each other on a day-to-day basis.
We must not, therefore, lose sight of the need to focus on the actual people around us, and remember that they deserve our real – not virtual – attention. The idea of a culture where people always have a screen between them sounds a bit funny, because deep understanding comes when we see the reactions on other people’s faces.
(Adapted from Solutions)

The authors noted that while other forms of pollution are decreasing, noise pollution has been increasing. This conclusion is reinforced by the fact that there has been an increase in the number of people who have been complaining about excessive noise in the WHO region. Populations that are exposed to high noise levels can be afflicted by other symptoms such as: stress reactions, sleep-stage changes, and clinical symptoms like hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. All these impacts can contribute to premature mortality. It is important to note that these adverse health problems impact all age groups including children and adolescents. In fact, it has been reported that children who live and or study in an area afflicted with noise pollution tend to suffer from stress, impairments in memory and attention as well as difficulty reading.
"In Western Europe, the guidelines say, traffic noise results in an annual loss of at least one million healthy years". Traffic noise is currently ranked second among environmental threats to public health.
The danger of noise pollution is more present to us when we are asleep. Because the human ear is so sensitive, it never rests, it is always working, picking up and transmitting sounds for our brains to interpret.
This always on working process is where the danger lies, though you may be sleeping, sounds are still being picked up and processed. The most common side effects of this phenomenon are sleep disturbance and tiredness, impaired memory, judgment, and psychomotor skills. The other more serious outcomes of this can be the triggering of the body's acute stress response, which raises blood pressure and heart rate as the body and brain go into a state of hyperarousal. According to the European Environment Agency, at least 10,000 cases of premature deaths from noise exposure occur each year, although incomplete data mean this number is significantly underestimated.

Have you ever entered a tropical rainforest? It's a special, dark place completely different from anywhere else. A rainforest is a place where the trees grow very tall. Millions of kinds of animals, insects, and plants live in the rainforest. It is hot and humid in a rainforest. It rains a lot in the rainforest, but sometimes you don't know it's raining. The trees grow so closely together that rain doesn't always reach the ground.
Rainforests make up only a small part of the Earth's surface, about six percent. They are found in tropical parts of the world. The largest rainforest in the world is the Amazon in South America. The Amazon covers 1.2 billion acres, or almost five million square kilometers. The second largest rainforest is in Western Africa.
There are also rainforests in Central America, Southeast Asia, Northeastern Australia, and the Pacific Islands.
Rainforests provide us with many things. In fact, the Amazon Rainforest is called the “lungs of our planet” because it produces twenty percent of the world’s oxygen. One fifth of the world’s fresh water is also found in the Amazon Rainforest. Furthermore, one half of the world’s species of animals, plants, and insects live in the Earth’s rainforests. Eighty percent of the food we eat first grew in the rainforest. For example, pineapples, bananas, tomatoes, corn, potatoes, chocolate, coffee, and sugar all came from rainforests. Twenty-five percent of the drugs we take when we are sick are made of plants that grow only in rainforests. Some of these drugs are even used to fight and cure cancer. With all the good things we get from rainforests, it’s surprising to find that we are destroying our rainforests. In fact, 1.5 acres, or 6,000 square meters, of rainforest disappear every second. The forests are being cut down to make fields for cows, to harvest the plants, and to clear land for farms. Along with losing countless valuable species, the destruction of rainforests creates many problems worldwide. Destruction of rainforests results in more pollution, less rain, and less oxygen for the world.
(Adapted from Reading Challenge 2 by Casey Malarcher and Andrea Janzen)

For many American university students, the weeklong spring break holiday means an endless party on a sunny beach in Florida or Mexico. In Panama City Beach, Florida, a city with a permanent population of around 36,000, more than half a million university students arrive during the month of March to play and party, making it the number one spring break destination in the United States. A weeklong drinking binge is not for anyone, however, and a growing number of American university students have found a way to make spring break matter. For them, joining or leading a group of volunteers to travel locally or internationally and work to show problems such as poverty, homelessness, or environmental damage makes spring break a unique learning experience that university students can feel good about. Students who participate in alternative spring break projects find them very rewarding. While most university students have to get their degrees before they can start helping people, student volunteers are able to help people now. On the other hand, the accommodations are far from glamorous. Students often sleep on the floor of a school or spend the week camping in tents. But students only pay around $250 for meals and transportation, which is much less than some of their peers spend to travel to more traditional spring break hotspots.
Alternative spring break trips appear to be growing in popularity at universities across the United States. Students cite a number of reason for participating. Some appreciate the opportunity to socialize and meet new friends. Others want to exercise their beliefs about people's obligation to serve humanity and make the world a better place. Whatever their reason, these students have discovered something that gives them rich rewards along with a break from school work.

Those who have studied bees have long wondered how they always manage to find their way home. No matter how strong the cross-winds are, they never seem to get blown off course. Now, however, biologists believe they have discovered their secret - by using radar to observe their flight patterns.
To do so, they fitted bees with tiny electronic instruments, which enabled the scientists to track all their movements over several kilometres. What this showed them was that bees seem to know exactly how far the wind is blowing them off course, and they react to this by adjusting their flight direction accordingly.
Aircraft pilots do something similar, using computers to calculate wind speed and direction. Bees, on the other hand, do the same thing by checking the position of the sun and watching how the ground appears to be moving below them. If the wind is affecting the way they are going, they change direction.
During this experiment, the researchers also discovered that the wind speed affects the height at which bees fly. On windy days, it appears, bees flying in opposite direction to the wind tend to fly lower than usual. This, they found, is because it normally blows more strongly higher up. Bees flying in the same direction as the wind, however, can use this to save energy by flying at greater heights.
(Adapted from FCE Trainers by Peter May)

It is estimated that by 2050 more than two-thirds of the world's population will live in cities, up from about 54 percent today. While the many benefits of organized and efficient cities are well understood, we need to recognize that this rapid, often unplanned urbanization brings risks of profound social instability, risks to critical infrastructure, potential water crises and the potential for devastating spread of disease. These risks can only be further exacerbated as this unprecedented transition from rural to urban areas continues.
How effectively these risks can be addressed will increasingly be determined by how well cities are governed. The increased concentration of people, physical assets, infrastructure and economic activities mean that the risks materializing at the city level will have far greater potential to disrupt society than ever before.
Urbanization is by no means bad by itself. It brings important benefits for economic, cultural and societal development. Well managed cities are both efficient and effective, enabling economies of scale and network effects while reducing the impact on the climate of transportation. As such, an urban model can make economic activity more environmentally-friendly. Further, the proximity and diversity of people can spark innovation and employment as exchanging ideas breeds new ideas.
But these utopian concepts are threatened by some of the factors driving rapid urbanization. For example, one of the main factors is rural-urban migration, driven by the prospect of greater employment opportunities and the hope of a better life in cities. But rapidly increasing population density can create severe problems, especially if planning efforts are not sufficient to cope with the influx of new inhabitants. The result may, in extreme cases, be widespread poverty. Estimates suggest that 40% of the world's urban expansion is taking place in slums, exacerbating socio-economic disparities and creating unsanitary conditions which facilitate the spread of disease.
The Global Risks 2015 Report looks at four areas that face particularly daunting challenges in the face of rapid and unplanned urbanization: infrastructure, health, climate change, and social instability. In each of these areas we find new risks that can best be managed or, in some cases, transferred through the mechanism of insurance.
(Adapted from www.zurich.com)

It is estimated that by 2050 more than two-thirds of the world's population will live in cities, up from about 54 percent today. While the many benefits of organized and efficient cities are well understood, we need to recognize that this rapid, often unplanned urbanization brings risks of profound social instability, risks to critical infrastructure, potential water crises and the potential for devastating spread of disease. These risks can only be further exacerbated as this unprecedented transition from rural to urban areas continues.
How effectively these risks can be addressed will increasingly be determined by how well cities are governed. The increased concentration of people, physical assets, infrastructure and economic activities mean that the risks materializing at the city level will have far greater potential to disrupt society than ever before.
Urbanization is by no means bad by itself. It brings important benefits for economic, cultural and societal development. Well managed cities are both efficient and effective, enabling economies of scale and network effects while reducing the impact on the climate of transportation. As such, an urban model can make economic activity more environmentally-friendly. Further, the proximity and diversity of people can spark innovation and employment as exchanging ideas breeds new ideas.
But these utopian concepts are threatened by some of the factors driving rapid urbanization. For example, one of the main factors is rural-urban migration, driven by the prospect of greater employment opportunities and the hope of a better life in cities. But rapidly increasing population density can create severe problems, especially if planning efforts are not sufficient to cope with the influx of new inhabitants. The result may, in extreme cases, be widespread poverty. Estimates suggest that 40% of the world's urban expansion is taking place in slums, exacerbating socio-economic disparities and creating unsanitary conditions which facilitate the spread of disease.
The Global Risks 2015 Report looks at four areas that face particularly daunting challenges in the face of rapid and unplanned urbanization: infrastructure, health, climate change, and social instability. In each of these areas we find new risks that can best be managed or, in some cases, transferred through the mechanism of insurance.
(Adapted from www.zurich.com)

Để hiểu rõ hiện tượng này, trước hết cần xác định phạm vi của nó. Với một số người, cai nghiện kỹ thuật số đồng nghĩa với việc hoàn toàn không sử dụng bất kỳ công cụ số nào trong suốt một tuần. Với những người khác, đó là cách tiếp cận có chọn lọc hơn, chẳng hạn như tắt thông báo hoặc xóa một ứng dụng mạng xã hội cụ thể đang tiêu tốn quá nhiều thời gian. Động lực chính đằng sau những nỗ lực này thường là nhằm phá vỡ các thói quen mang tính cưỡng ép, lấy lại sự tập trung và chuyển hướng năng lượng sang những hoạt động thực tế, hiệu quả hơn. Những người ủng hộ cho rằng phương pháp này giúp giảm căng thẳng và cải thiện sự minh mẫn về tinh thần.

Tuy nhiên, nhu cầu ngày càng tăng đối với các biện pháp can thiệp như vậy không đồng nghĩa với việc chúng thực sự hiệu quả. Phần lớn sự ủng hộ dành cho việc cai nghiện kỹ thuật số xuất phát từ các câu chuyện truyền miệng và những lời chứng thực trên mạng. Mặc dù các đánh giá tích cực này có sức thuyết phục, chúng thường mang tính thiên lệch. Chẳng hạn, một người đã bỏ ra số tiền đáng kể để tham gia một kỳ nghỉ không công nghệ đắt đỏ có thể chịu áp lực tâm lý phải báo cáo kết quả tích cực nhằm biện minh cho khoản chi phí đó. Đây là một dạng thiên lệch phổ biến trong dữ liệu tự báo cáo liên quan đến sức khỏe.

Để xác định liệu cai nghiện kỹ thuật số có thực sự hiệu quả hay không, việc xem xét dưới góc độ khoa học là điều không thể thiếu. [I] Cần có các nghiên cứu thực nghiệm được kiểm soát nhằm phân biệt giữa “hiệu ứng giả dược” của việc đi nghỉ dưỡng và những lợi ích thực sự đến từ việc loại bỏ công nghệ. [II] Các nghiên cứu ban đầu cho thấy rằng, mặc dù việc tạm thời ngắt kết nối có thể làm giảm lo âu tức thời, nhưng những tác động này thường nhanh chóng biến mất khi cá nhân quay trở lại nhịp sinh hoạt thường ngày.

[III] Vì vậy, giải pháp lâu dài có lẽ không nằm ở việc “cai” hoàn toàn, mà ở việc hình thành những thói quen sử dụng công nghệ bền vững. [IV] Khi cuộc tranh luận vẫn tiếp diễn, trọng tâm đang dần chuyển từ việc “từ bỏ” công nghệ sang việc tìm kiếm một sự cân bằng lành mạnh hơn trong một thế giới ngày càng số hóa.

Peer Pressure Among Youth

Peer pressure can be particularly prevalent among teenagers, who are at a vulnerable stage of development and seeking their identity. It is a powerful force that can significantly impact the thoughts, actions, and behaviors of teenagers. During adolescence, individuals strive for acceptance and belonging, making them particularly susceptible to the influence of their peers. Understanding the nature of peer pressure and its effects is essential for supporting teenagers in navigating this challenging aspect of their social lives.
One aspect of peer pressure is the pressure to [u]conform[/u] to the norms and expectations of a social group. Teenagers may feel compelled to adopt certain behaviors, preferences, or attitudes to fit in and avoid [u]social rejection[/u]. This conformity can range from relatively harmless choices, such as fashion trends, to more concerning behaviors, such as substance abuse or risky activities.
Peer pressure can manifest in both explicit and implicit ways. Direct peer pressure involves explicit requests, invitations, or demands from peers to engage in specific actions or behaviors. [u]Indirect or implicit peer pressure, on the other hand, is more subtle and involves observing others' behaviors and feeling pressured to conform without any explicit requests[/u]. This type of pressure can be equally influential and difficult for teenagers to navigate.
It is important to note that peer pressure can have positive or negative implications. Positive peer pressure can motivate teenagers to engage in healthy behaviors, such as participating in sports, pursuing academic goals, or engaging in community service. However, [u]it[/u] can lead to risky or harmful behaviors, such as substance abuse, delinquency, or academic underachievement.
Parents, educators, and mentors play a crucial role in helping teenagers navigate peer pressure. By fostering open and supportive relationships, adults can provide a safe space for teenagers to discuss their experiences and concerns. Promoting critical thinking, assertiveness skills, and self-confidence can empower teenagers to resist negative peer pressure and make independent, healthy choices.
(Adapted from "Peer Pressure: Its Influence on Teens and Decision Making”)

The preservation of natural resources is a critical challenge that requires innovative solutions and technological advancements. As the global population grows and the demand for resources accelerates, the need for smarter, more efficient methods of conservation becomes paramount. Innovation in this field is not just about creating new technologies but also about rethinking our approach to resource management.
Technological advancements have the potential to revolutionize the way we use and conserve natural resources. For instance, advancements in renewable energy technologies, such as solar and wind power, are reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and helping to decrease greenhouse gas emissions. Similarly, precision agriculture uses data and technology to optimize crop yields and reduce waste, thereby conserving water and soil quality.
Innovation also plays a role in monitoring and protecting ecosystems. Cutting-edge tools like satellite imagery and drones provide valuable data on deforestation, wildlife populations, and environmental changes. This information is crucial for making informed decisions about conservation efforts and for tracking the effectiveness of those efforts over time.
Water resources, essential for all life, are under increasing stress due to pollution and overuse. Innovative water purification and desalination technologies are expanding access to clean water, while smart irrigation systems ensure that crops receive the right amount of water at the right time, minimizing waste.
The role of technology in resource conservation is not limited to large-scale projects. On a smaller scale, apps and devices that monitor energy and water usage can empower individuals to make more sustainable choices in their daily lives. These user-friendly tools make it easier for people to understand their impact on the environment and that they should take steps to reduce it.
(Adapted from https://alewk.com/blog/sustainable-technology-innovations)

The preservation of natural resources is a critical challenge that requires innovative solutions and technological advancements. As the global population grows and the demand for resources accelerates, the need for smarter, more efficient methods of conservation becomes paramount. Innovation in this field is not just about creating new technologies but also about rethinking our approach to resource management.
Technological advancements have the potential to revolutionize the way we use and conserve natural resources. For instance, advancements in renewable energy technologies, such as solar and wind power, are reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and helping to decrease greenhouse gas emissions. Similarly, precision agriculture uses data and technology to optimize crop yields and reduce waste, thereby conserving water and soil quality.
Innovation also plays a role in monitoring and protecting ecosystems. Cutting-edge tools like satellite imagery and drones provide valuable data on deforestation, wildlife populations, and environmental changes. This information is crucial for making informed decisions about conservation efforts and for tracking the effectiveness of those efforts over time.
Water resources, essential for all life, are under increasing stress due to pollution and overuse. Innovative water purification and desalination technologies are expanding access to clean water, while smart irrigation systems ensure that crops receive the right amount of water at the right time, minimizing waste.
The role of technology in resource conservation is not limited to large-scale projects. On a smaller scale, apps and devices that monitor energy and water usage can empower individuals to make more sustainable choices in their daily lives. These user-friendly tools make it easier for people to understand their impact on the environment and that they should take steps to reduce it.
(Adapted from https://alewk.com/blog/sustainable-technology-innovations)

Marriage is an ancient religious and legal practice celebrated around the world. However, wedding customs vary from country to country.

The Wedding Rings: In most cultures, during the marriage ceremony, couples exchange their wedding rings with their life partner - usually made of gold or silver. The wedding rings are normally worn on the third finger of the left or right hand as a sign of being married. The circular shape of the ring is symbolic of the couple’s eternal relationship. In Brazil and some other communities, it is a tradition to have the rings engraved with the bride’s name on the groom’s ring, and vice versa.

The Wedding Flowers: Obviously, flowers play an important role in most weddings. In many areas, roses, especially the red roses are said to be the flowers of love, and because they usually bloom in June, this has become the most popular month for weddings in many countries. After the wedding ceremony, in many countries the bride throws her bouquet into a crowd of well-wishers – usually her single female friends. The lucky person who catches this bouquet is expected to be the next one to get married.

Do you feel like your teenager is spending most of the day glued to a phone screen? You're not too far off. A new survey from the Pew Research Center reveals the surprising ways that technology intersects with teen friendships – and the results show that 57 percent of teens have made at least one new friend online. Even more surprisingly, only 20 percent of those digital friends ever meet in person.

While teens do connect with their friends face-to-face outside of school, they spend 55 percent of their day texting with friends, and only 25 percent of teens are spending actual time with their friends on a daily basis (outside of school hallways). These new forms of communication are key in maintaining friendships dayto-day – 27 percent of teens instant message their friends every day, 23 percent connect through social media every day, and 7 percent even video chat daily. Text messaging remains the main form of communication – almost half of survey respondents say it's their chosen method of communication with their closest friend.

While girls are more likely to text with their close friends, boys are meeting new friends (and maintaining friendships) in the gaming world – 89 percent play with friends they know, and 54 percent play with online-only friends. Whether they're close with their teammates or not, online gamers say that playing makes them feel "more connected" to friends they know, or garners they've never met.

When making new friends, social media has also become a major part of the teenage identity – 62 percent of teens are quick to share their social media usernames when connecting with a new friend (although 80 percent still consider their phone number the best method of contact). Despite the negative consequences - 21 percent of teenage users feel worse about their lives because of posts they see on social media – teens also have found support and connection through various platforms. In fact, 68 percent of teens received support during a challenging time in their lives via social media platforms.

Just as technology has become a gateway for new friendships, or a channel to stay connected with current friends, it can also make a friendship breakup more public. The study reveals that girls are more likely to block or unfriend former allies, and 68 percent of all teenage users report experiencing "drama among their friends on social media."

(I) Many critics of the 2015 film Star Wars: The Force Awakens described it as predictable and too similar to the first Star Wars movie from 1977. (II) However, the similarity between these stories is not a coincidence. (III) In fact, both films follow an ancient structure known as the "hero myth." (IV) This structure is based on the ideas of Joseph Campbell, an American professor who studied myths worldwide. In his famous 1949 book, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Campbell described a pattern called the "monomyth" - a common path that many heroes take in stories across cultures. According to this pattern, a hero leaves his normal life, faces challenges, and eventually returns home, changed by the journey. Stories like Homer's Odyssey and the Harry Potter series also follow this format.
Director George Lucas used Campbell's theory to shape Luke Skywalker's story around the 17 stages of the hero's journey. At first, Luke lives an ordinary life with his aunt and uncle. When he discovers a message in the robot R2D2 from Princess Leia, he receives his "call to adventure."
Campbell explained that heroes often resist this call at first. Soon, a mentor appears to guide them - for Luke, it's Obi-Wan Kenobi. With new allies like Han Solo and the droids, Luke enters the "special world" - the Death Star - where the main adventure unfolds.
Along the way, the hero must face many obstacles. A major turning point happens when the hero experiences a deep loss. For Luke, this is the death of Obi-Wan at the hands of Darth Vader. This moment gives him the strength to carry on and eventually destroy the Death Star. Luke returns home transformed, having taken his first steps toward becoming a Jedi. Later films, like The Return of the Jedi, continue his journey, with new mentors such as Yoda.
This classic structure helps explain why Star Wars resonates with so many - it's a modern retelling of an ancient tale, not just science fiction.
(Adapted from Star Wars and the hero myth_BBC)

In Africa, people celebrate with joy the birth of a new baby. The Pygmies would sing a birth-song to the child. In Kenya, the mother takes the baby strapped to her back into the thorn enclosure where the cattle are kept. There, her husband and the village elders wait to give the child his or her name.

In West Africa, after the baby is eight days old, the mother takes the baby for its first walk in the big, wide world, and friends and family are invited to meet the new baby. In various African nations, they hold initiation ceremonies for groups of children instead of birthdays. When children reach a certain designated age, they learn the laws, beliefs, customs, songs and dances of their tribes. Some African tribes consider that children from nine to twelve are ready to be initiated into the grown up world. They may have to carry out several tests.

Maasai boys around thirteen years old to seventeen undergo a two-stage initiation. The first stage lasts about three months. The boys leave their parents' homes, paint their bodies white, and are taught how to become young warriors. At the end of this stage, they have their heads shaved and they are also circumcised. At the second stage, the young warriors grow their hair long and live in a camp called a “manyatta” where they practice hunting the wild animals that might attack the Maasai herds. This stage may last a few years. When they are ready, they will marry and become owners of large cattle herds like their fathers. The girls are initiated when they are fourteen or fifteen. They are taught by the older women about the duties of marriage and how to care for babies. Soon after that they are married and lead a life similar to that of their mothers.

In the past, cell phones were big and heavy. In the future, telephones will still be big. The good news is that people will be able to fold them in half to make them smaller. The "foldable phone" is now in development.
One company has come up with a smartphone and tablet in one. This device can fold down to the size of a regular cellphone to make it "pocket-size." The foldable phone has a larger screen, keyboard, and high-quality speakers. This makes easy to use. The flexible display can go from smartphone to tablet just by unfolding it. The interior screen is so big that it can run three different apps at the same time. People can watch a video, talk about it, and browse websites online. There are also two batteries inside the phone - one on each side. Many companies have been looking for ways to improve smartphones. The foldable phone is unlike anything else that has come before it. This powerful machine is a smartphone, computer, and camera all in one. There is a current race to get foldable phones on the market. But we'll have to wait and see how well these new smartphones work. If people like them, maybe one day we will be able to fold and even stretch our phone.
(Adapted from 2000 core English words by Jenna Myers and Thomas Hong)

In the past, cell phones were big and heavy. In the future, telephones will still be big. The good news is that people will be able to fold them in half to make them smaller. The "foldable phone" is now in development.
One company has come up with a smartphone and tablet in one. This device can fold down to the size of a regular cellphone to make it "pocket-size." The foldable phone has a larger screen, keyboard, and high-quality speakers. This makes easy to use. The flexible display can go from smartphone to tablet just by unfolding it. The interior screen is so big that it can run three different apps at the same time. People can watch a video, talk about it, and browse websites online. There are also two batteries inside the phone - one on each side. Many companies have been looking for ways to improve smartphones. The foldable phone is unlike anything else that has come before it. This powerful machine is a smartphone, computer, and camera all in one. There is a current race to get foldable phones on the market. But we'll have to wait and see how well these new smartphones work. If people like them, maybe one day we will be able to fold and even stretch our phone.
(Adapted from 2000 core English words by Jenna Myers and Thomas Hong)

[Đoạn mở đầu của bài đọc không có trong các trang được cung cấp.]
...write Holmes stories until 1927. Among the most famous of all the works featuring Holmes are The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Blue Carbuncle, and A Scandal in Bohemia.
One of the reasons that Sherlock Holmes was so popular concerns the method he employs to solve his cases: logic. Together with his partner, Dr. Watson, Holmes uses his powers of observation to detect clues that can help him solve the cases he accepts. Holmes has an incredibly sharp mind that enables him to determine who the guilty party is or what the problem is. Holmes also is a master of disguise, which he proves many times, and he is skilled at boxing as well as sword fighting.
While Holmes often solves cases that are unrelated to one another, he has a nemesis with whom he comes into both direct and indirect conflict in several stories. That person is Professor Moriarty, the leader of a crime ring in London. In one of the stories, The Final Problem, Holmes and Moriarty fight one another and fall to their deaths by plunging down a steep cliff near a waterfall. When he wrote that story, Doyle had tired of Holmes and wanted to kill off the character. He then refrained from writing about Holmes for many years but public demand for more detective stories induced him to bring Holmes back from the dead and to continue writing.
(Adapted from Reading Intermediate)