Question

[Dương Minh]

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

Times are tough. The nightly news is filled with stories of people who have lost their jobs due to the economic crisis, or lost their homes in a fire or natural disaster. Have you ever seen people who have just endured an awful situation? Some focus on what they have lost, and this is easy to understand. But other people focus on what they did not lose, and they start thinking about a better future.

One good piece of advice to remember is that you cannot always control situations or other people. The only thing you can control is your own personal reaction to bad situations. Sometimes a situation may really be overwhelming. However, in many cases, you really can influence our own moods by the way you think about negative situations.

Imagine two families: Both have lost their homes and all their belongings in a devastating storm. One family cannot mask their grief. They feel that everything they hold dear has been destroyed. They cannot imagine how they will ever be able to replace things and start over again. Their normal life seems to have been completely lost. In contrast, a second family is crying with joy. All of the people in their family are unharmed and safe. This family is just happy that everyone has survived. This family is already trying to figure out how they can recover. You can’t really blame the first family for experiencing a very normal reaction to a terrible situation. However, the second family certainly seems to be better off. They are thinking about making progress rather than focusing on the tragic events.

Though this scenario is extreme, everyone experiences setbacks that seem just awful at the time. This could be a job loss, illness, or problems with family members. Nobody gets through life without having some bad things happen. In these situations, try to focus on the steps you can take to remedy the situation, instead of how awful the setback is. By doing this, you will be laying the foundation for a better tomorrow. And you will not suffer as much pain today.

Actually, controlling how you feel and trying to maintain a positive attitude can help you through many tough situations. The bottom line is, no matter what the problem is, you are more likely to fix it if you can stay positive and work out a plan. Also, never be afraid to seek help when you need it. The advice of a friend, family member, or even a professional may be all it takes to get back on track.

It may sound like a cliché. While a positive attitude may not be the answer to every problem, it can certainly give you an advantage in surviving most of life’s minor setbacks.

(Adapted from “Select Readings – Upper Intermediate” by Linda Lee and Erik Gundersen)

Which of the following could be the main idea of the passage?

A.Being optimistic is an effective way to get over bad situations.

B.Keeping positive or negative thoughts is the own choice of each person.

C.Positive thoughts are necessary conditions to be successful.

D.There seems to have more pessimists than optimists.

Answer 1

[Nguyen Hoang Hai]

Đáp án A

Câu nào trong các câu sau đây có thể là ý chính của đoạn văn?

Lạc quan là một cách rất hiệu quả để vượt qua các hoàn cảnh khó khăn.

Giữ suy nghĩ tích cực hay tiêu cực là lựa chọn riêng của mỗi người.

Suy nghĩ tích cực là điều kiện cần thiết để thành công.

Dường như là có nhiều người bi quan hơn lạc quan.

Căn cứ vào thông tin đoạn đầu và đoạn cuối:

Have you ever seen people who have just endured an awful situation? Some focus on what they have lost, and this is easy to understand. But other people focus on what they did not lose, and they start thinking about a better future. (Bạn đã từng thấy những người phải trải qua một tình huống tồi tệ? Vài người chỉ chăm chú vào những gì họ đã mất, và điều này cũng dễ hiểu. Nhưng những người khác chỉ tập trung vào những điều họ chưa mất, và họ bắt đầu nghĩ về 1 tương lai tốt hơn).

It may sound like a cliché. While a positive attitude may not be the answer to every problem, it can certainly give you an advantage in surviving most of life’s minor setbacks. (Nó nghe như 1 câu sáo rỗng. Mặc dù thái độ tích cực không phải là chìa khóa cho mọi vấn đề, nhưng nó chắc chắn sẽ cho bạn cơ hội vượt qua mọi khó khăn nhỏ trong cuộc sống).