Bài Tập Trắc Nghiệm Chuyên Đề: Đọc hiểu: ý chính (Tiếng Anh Lớp 10, 11, 12)

We often have stereotypical images of rockers as rebellious, classical music fans as quiet and modest, and lovers of rap as loquacious and outgoing. But is it really true that our musical tastes reveal our personality? According to a recent research from a university in Edinburgh, it is. Professor North, one of the researchers, says that people often express their identity through the kind of music they listen to, the kind of clothes they wear and their hobbies and interests. So, it is not surprising that people’s taste in music says something about their personality. The researchers interviewed more than 36,000 participants from around the world, asked them about their musical tastes, and gave them personality tests. But did the research prove that our stereotypical images are right? Here are some of the results: (1) lovers of indie music are not very confident, gentle or hard-working, but they are very creative; (2) country and western fans are hard-working and not shy; (3) rap fans are outgoing and confident; (4) fans of pop songs are not creative, but are hard-working, gentle and outgoing; and (5) the best fans to be are soul fans, because they are creative, confident, outgoing and gentle. Perhaps the most surprising result was that classical music fans and heavy metal fans have very similar personalities. People think of heavy metal fans as being very sad and unhappy. But like classical fans, they are in fact easy-going and creative, and not very outgoing. Professor North also says that the results explain why so many people are good friends with people who like the same music. Heavy metal fans in Sweden have more in common with heavy metal fans in Brazil than with, say, Swedish fans of pop. The results also explain that, since music is likely to be closely connected to our personalities, some of us are very passionate about what we listen to. However, the research does not say what people who listen to lots of different types of music are like. Perhaps they are perfectly balanced. So, what does your music say about you?

If you walk into the streets and see someone throwing a plastic bottle on the ground, you’ll probably get annoyed. But do we react in the same way when we see people throwing rubbish into the sea? We all know how rubbish ruins the environment on land, but we often forget the influence that it can have on environments like the sea, lakes and rivers, too. First of all, water pollution looks terrible. Many beautiful beaches can become covered in rubbish when whatever we have thrown into the water comes ashore. Even rivers and lakes have some plastic bags and bottles floating in them. Secondly, rubbish can hurt animals and birds that live in or by the water. If they see a plastic bottle, they may think it is food. However, when they try and eat the bottle, it can get caught in their mouth or stomach and stop them from eating anything else. Plastic bottles can also stop dolphins from breathing. Sometimes, fishing boats leave bits of fishing net behind in the water. Fish can get caught in these and die. Finally, people forget that plastics contain chemicals that stay in the water. This is very bad for both fish and plants. If you eat fish containing these chemicals, then you can also get ill. In conclusion, we need to worry about water pollution as much as we care about land or air. We should all protect the seas, lakes and rivers, and remember to take our rubbish away with us.

The Japanese love inventing and they are very good at it. But there is one inventor who has invented more things than anyone else in Japan - Dr. Nakamats. He has designed over 4,000 new inventions over the last fifty years. He is most well-known for his unusual inventions. He designed many strange things such as glasses which look like eyes so you can’t notice them, shoes which have steel springs so that you can jump in them, and a pillow which stops you from falling asleep when you are driving. How does he come up with these ideas? He finds listening to Beethoven helpful. But the thing that makes him most creative is holding his breath underwater. He dives into his swimming pool every day and stays underwater as long as he can. He believes that less oxygen in the brain is good for new ideas. He also dives with a pencil and a notebook which he invented. He needs to write down his ideas immediately in the water because they disappear quickly. Dr. Nakamats believes that eating the right food is important for creativity, and he has invented some snacks that he says are good for your brain. He has also invented an armchair which helps to enhance your brainpower. He sits in the chair every day to give him more good ideas. Dr. Nakamats is now in his eighties, but he plans to live until he is 144 years old, so he still has plenty of time to develop even more new ideas.

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.

The Japanese love inventing and they are very good at it. But there is one inventor who has invented more things than anyone else in Japan - Dr. Nakamats. He has designed over 4,000 new inventions over the last fifty years. He is most well-known for his unusual inventions. He designed many strange things such as glasses which look like eyes so you can’t notice them, shoes which have steel springs so that you can jump in them, and a pillow which stops you from falling asleep when you are driving. How does he come up with these ideas? He finds listening to Beethoven helpful. But the thing that makes him most creative is holding his breath underwater. He dives into his swimming pool every day and stays underwater as long as he can. He believes that less oxygen in the brain is good for new ideas. He also dives with a pencil and a notebook which he invented. He needs to write down his ideas immediately in the water because they disappear quickly. Dr. Nakamats believes that eating the right food is important for creativity, and he has invented some snacks that he says are good for your brain. He has also invented an armchair which helps to enhance your brainpower. He sits in the chair every day to give him more good ideas. Dr. Nakamats is now in his eighties, but he plans to live until he is 144 years old, so he still has plenty of time to develop even more new ideas.

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.

Many children have music classes when they attend school. And it is thought that music can help them learn other subjects better. Research has shown that it can improve children’s performances in certain subjects. Some studies have shown that music training can help you understand your own language better. It could also help you with learning a second one. Moreover, young people who have studied music also seem to get higher scores in other subjects like maths. So it could be that these school subjects are connected in some way. Music also helps you think of new ideas, and believe more in yourself. If you are learning the guitar, for example, it can be really exciting when you are able to start composing your own pieces of music. One of the biggest benefits, of course, is that listening to music can reduce your stress. And composing music can make you feel the same way. Maybe your musical knowledge will even open up a great career path for you in the future!

Many children have music classes when they attend school. And it is thought that music can help them learn other subjects better. Research has shown that it can improve children's performances in certain subjects. Some studies have shown that music training can help you understand your own language better. It could also help you with learning a second one. Moreover, young people who have studied music also seem to get higher scores in other subjects like maths. So it could be that these school subjects are connected in some way. Music also helps you think of new ideas and believe more in yourself. If you are learning the guitar, for example, it can be really exciting when you are able to start composing your own pieces of music. One of the biggest benefits, of course, is that listening to music can reduce your stress. And composing music can make you feel the same way. Maybe your musical knowledge will even open up a great career path for you in the future!

Since the 19th century, companies have looked for better and cleaner ways of creating electricity. One UK company has created a special type of floor made of square tiles. Under each square, there is a system that can create electricity very cheaply when someone steps on it! The design of the floor works very well when it is used in very busy areas. And the reason is that a lot of energy is created simply because of the large numbers of people walking across the floor. The floor can have other uses too; one of them is to record how many people visit a shopping centre. This kind of information is very useful for shop owners because very often they want to know at which times of days they have the highest numbers of customers. So the next time you visit a big shopping centre, have a careful look at the floor that you are walking across!

Since the 19th century, companies have looked for better and cleaner ways of creating electricity. One UK company has created a special type of floor made of square tiles. Under each square, there is a system that can create electricity very cheaply when someone steps on it!

The design of the floor works very well when it is used in very busy areas. And the reason is that a lot of energy is created simply because of the large numbers of people walking across the floor.

The floor can have other uses too; one of them is to record how many people visit a shopping centre. This kind of information is very useful for shop owners because very often they want to know at which times of days they have the highest numbers of customers. So the next time you visit shopping centre, have a careful look at the floor that you are walking across!

Staying in hotels and resorts has been a traditional part of travel since the beginning of mass tourism. But nowadays, many tourists want a more intimate experience. For this reason, they are choosing to 'go native'. This often means staying in the kinds of places that local people inhabit. In big cities, you can try staying with the friend of a friend. You may end up sleeping on the couch or the floor, but the advantages outweigh the discomfort. The biggest plus is that you'll be staying with a local and seeing the city from a local perspective. Another option is house-swapping. Several websites allow you to connect with people who want to trade living situations. It's usual to exchange emails about favourite places in the city before the swap, meaning you can have a truly local experience. But of course, you can only do this if you don't mind having strangers staying in your house. For the more adventurous, staying in a native structure in an African village or a hut on the water in Vietnam or Thailand can be real thrill. These might not even include plumbing or electricity, and that is part of the charm. The experience of dealing with oil lamps and carrying water really gives you a sense of how the people live. No matter how unadventurous you feel, you might want to consider crossing hotels off your list. Getting to know the local way of life is the most valuable part of travel. And what better way is there to do this than staying where the local people actually live?