Đề Thi Thử THPT Quốc Gia Lần I Tiếng Anh 2019-2020 - Đề Số 208

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase for each of the blanks.

A long time ago, when ancient Rome was still an empire, people of that time used similar weights and measures. The standards for these weights and measures were established by the Romans, who kept these standards in a temple in Rome. All standards for measuring weight or distance were the same, whether in Spain or in Syria. But then the Roman Empire fell, and these standards disappeared. Today, standards vary from place to place throughout the world. Tourists who drive from the United States in Canada, for example, are surprised when they buy gasoline for their cars. A gallon of gas costs more than they are accustomed to paying. Then they complain that prices are much higher in Canada than in the United States. Then they discover that they can drive farther on a Canadian gallon than on a United States gallon. Is it a different kind of gas? No, it is a different kind of gallon. Canada uses the British, or imperial, gallon that is about one-fifth larger than the United States gallon. Four quarts equal a gallon and two pints equal a quart in both countries. But Canada's quarts and pints are larger than quarts and pints in the United States. The imperial gallon equals 277.42 cubic inches while the gallon in the United States is equal to 231 cubic inches. Measured in ounces, Canada's large gallon holds 160 fluid ounces, while the smaller United States gallon holds no more than 128 fluid ounces. From these figures, it is easy to see why Americans can drive farther on the Canadian gallon than on the American gallon. Someday, countries may follow the example of the ancient Romans and make weights and measures the same for every nation.

Ask most people for their list of top ten of fears, and you'll be sure to find (33)_______ burgled is fairly high on the list. An informal survey I carried among friends at a party last week revealed that eight of them had had their homes (34)_______ into more than twice, and two had been burgled five times. To put the record straight, (35)______ of my friend owns valuable paintings or a sideboard full of family silverware. Three of them are students, in fact. The most typical burglar, it seems, involved the theft of easily transportable items - the television, the video, even food from freezer. This may have something to do with the (36)______ that the average burglar is in his (or her) late teens, and probably wouldn't know what to do with a Picasso, whereas selling a Walkman or a vacuum cleaner is a much easier matter. They are perhaps not so (37)______ professional criminals, as hard-up young people who need a few pounds and some excitement. (38)______ that this makes your house turned upside down and your favorite things stolen any easier to (39)______. In most case, the police have no luck recovering any of the stolen goods. Unless there is any definite (40)______, they are probably unable to do anything at all. And alarms or special locks don't seem to help either. The only advice my friends could (41)______ was "Never live on the ground floor" and "Keep two or three fierce dogs", which reminded me of a case, I read about, where the burglars' loot included the family's pet poodle.

The sea has always interested people. From it they can get food, minerals, and treasures. For thousands of years, they sailed on the sea. But they could not go far beneath its surface. People want to explore deep into the sea. However, they are not fishes. Because people must breathe air, they cannot stay under the water's surface for any length of time. To explore deep water, men and women face even more dangers and problems. A diver who wants to stay under water for more than a few minutes must breathe air or a special mixture of gases. Divers can wear diving suits and have air pumped to them from above. They can carry tanks of air on their back and breathe through a hose and a mouthpiece. Water weighs 800 times as much as air. Tons of water push against a diver deep in the sea. The diver's body is under great pressure. When divers are under great pressure, their blood takes in some of the gases they breathe. As they rise too quickly, the gases in their blood form bubbles. Divers then suffer from the bends. The bends can cause divers to double up in pain. Bends can even kill divers.