READING

SBT: How to live independently is, probably, one of the questions that
are most frequently asked by people, young and old. According to
experts, there are a number of steps that people who want to become
independent should follow. Below are some of them.

First, you should believe in yourself. (1) D. That is the first and most
important condition to make others believe in you. If you don't have faith
in yourself, you will always turn to others for help every time you have to
make a decision. Believing in yourself will make you trust your own
decisions, even if they completely go against someone else's.
Second, get your own information. You should watch and read the news
from different sources. It's important to read as much as possible,
whether it is literature or daily newspapers. (2) A. The information you
get from reading will allow you to get both sides of every story before you
form an opinion. . Being well-informed will keep you from being a
follower and will lead to more independent thought.

Third, maintain solid friendships. (3) B. You don't have to reject people
as friends to be independent. .In fact, your independence is reinforced
with good friends. When your friend needs someone to talk to, be there
for them, and listen to their problems with sympathetic and
understanding attitude. This way, you will not only help your friends, but
their stories will help you to learn how to deal with similar situations that
may come up to you later in your life.
- Choose the sentence that has the closest meaning to the original
sentence.
1. You will always turn to others for help.

A. You will always go to others for help.

B. You will always take your turn to help others.

C. You will always wait for your turn to help others.

(turn to someone: nhận sự giúp đỡ từ ai
take one's turn: lấy lượt
wait for your turn: đợi đến lượt của bạn)
2. Your decisions may go against someone else's.

A: Your decisions may make someone unhappy.

B. Your decisions may be the same as someone else's.

C. Your decisions may be the opposite of someone else's.
(go against somebody/ something: chống lại, trái lại với ai/ cái gì
be the same as...: giống...
be the opposite of: trái ngược với)
3. You should always try to get both sides of every story.

A. You should always try to get the right and the left sides of every story.

B. You should always try to understand the different points of views

expressed in every story.

C. You should always try to read every story from the beginning to the
end.
(get both sides: hiểu được cả hai mặt
get the right and the left sides: hiểu được mặt trái phải
point of view: quan điểm)
4. Being well-informed will keep you from being a follower.

A. Being well-informed, you won't follow other people in doing things.

B. Being well-informed, you will keep people from following you.

C. Being well-informed, you will always follow people.

(follow (v) somebody in doing something: làm theo ai làm gì
keep somebody from doing something: giữ ai khỏi làm gì)
5. Your independence is reinforced with good friends.

A. Having good friends maintains your independence.

B. Having good friends makes your independence weaker.

C. Having good friends makes your independence stronger.

(reinforce (v): làm mạnh lên, củng cố
maintain (v): duy trì)
- Read the text again and decide whether the following statements are
true (T), false (F), or given (NG).
1. You should believe in yourself so that other people will help you when
you have to make a decision.=> F
2. 2. If you believe in yourself, you won't be afraid that your decisions are
different from those of other people.=> T
3. You should watch and read news on both TV and the Internet.=> NG
4. When you have a lot of information, you can think more
independently.=> T
5. People who reject their friends are not very independent.=> NG
6. 6. You can learn from your friends' experiences.=> T
7. 7. There are three steps to become independent.=> T

GOOGLE:
Read the text and do the tasks below.
Many young people strive to be independent. That means you are able to take
care of yourself, and you don't have to rely on anyone else. However, to live
independently, you need a number of life skills in order not to depend on your parents
and older brothers or sisters. One of the most important skills is time management
which can help you build your confidence and self-esteem. With good time
management skills, you can perform your daily tasks, including your responsibilities
at school and at home with pleasing results. Moreover, you will not feel stressed when
exam dates are approaching. These skills can also help you act more independently
and responsibly, get better grades at school and have more time for your family and
friends.
Developing time-management skills is not as challenging as you may think.
Firstly, make a plan for things you need to do, including appointments and deadlines.
Using a diary or apps on mobile devices will remind you of what you need to
accomplish and when you need to accomplish it. Secondly, prioritize your activities.
You need to decide which tasks are the most urgent and important and then,
concentrate on these first. This way, you may not be at a loss to deal with too much
work at the same time. Thirdly, develop routines because routines, when established,
take less time for you to do your tasks.
Time management skills are not hard to develop; once you master them, you
will find out that they are great keys to success and you can become independent.
Task 1. Decide whether the following statements are True, False or Not Given.
1. Not only young people try to be independent. Not Given
2. People will be independent when they are mature. Not Given
3. Time-management is the only thing you need to be independent. False
4. Teenagers can have more confidence and self-esteem when they are good at
managing their time. True
5. Good time-management can help teenagers get better grades at school. True
Task 2. Choose the best answers for the following questions.
1. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. Young people need a lot of life skills to be independent.
B. Teenagers can have more confidence and self-esteem if they have good
time-management skills.
C. Mastering time-management skills can bring many benefits and there are
three steps to develop them.
2. Which of the following is not mentioned as benefits of good time-management?
A. Be more confident and self-esteemed.
B. Complete the daily tasks with the best result.
C. Get better grades at school and have more time for other activities.
3. How can you prioritize your activities?
 A. Make schedule for things you need to do.
B. Concentrate on the most urgent and important tasks first.
C. Try to establish routines.
4. What does the word accomplish mean?
A. Complete B. Involve C. Duty
5. What is the author's viewpoint on developing time-management skills?
A. It's hard but you can master it well.
B. It's very challenging to build.
C. It's easier to master than people think.

Decide whether the following statements are True, False or Not given.
Graduating from high school is one of the most important milestones in your
life. It's when you have to decide whether you should go to university or you should
stop going to school and get a job or attend a vocational training course. Each system
has its own focus, style of learning and unique strengths to offer, which can make
choosing the right option for you a challenge. The most important factors to consider
are your strengths and your interests. If you have a specific career in mind like one in
medicine or science, going to university is the best choice, because these jobs really
need the academic knowledge only a university education can give you. However, if
you simply want to enter higher education because you believe that a degree will open
doors for you once you enter the job market, you should think it over. You can go
straight into a job and take evening classes to gain qualifications. If you start work
and take a break to study when you are older, you can save your money for your
studies and get practical experience. Now it's time for you to make an important
decision.
1. High school graduation marks a turning point in a person's life.
A. True B. False C. Not given
2. Most people choose to go to university after finishing high school instead of
starting to work.
A. True B. False C. Not given
3. If a person wants to become a physician, going to university is the best choice.
A. True B. False C. Not given
4. If someone only thinks of obtaining a degree as a privilege in the job market, they
can land a job and take evening classes to gain qualifications.
A. True B. False C. Not given
5. The writer knows some people get a job after graduating from high school and then
come back to their studies later in their lives.
A. True B. False C. Not given

NÂNG CAO: Read the passage and choose the correct answer
(A, B, C or D) to each of the following
questions.
Raising Independent Children
Independence is not something that children can gain on their own. They have neither
the
perspective, experience, nor skills to develop independence separately from their
parents. Rather, it is a
gift that parents give their children that they will adore and benefit from their entire
lives.
Teach Responsibility
One of the parents' important tasks is to teach their children about responsibility. The
best way to
ensure that parents and children know what responsibilities are appropriate for the
children. Make a list
with your children of what the responsibilities should be. Next, identify other
individuals who will also
have responsibilities (and what they are) in the children's achievement activities, such
as teachers,
instructors, or coaches. There should also be consequences for not fulfilling
responsibilities.
Demand Accountability
The ability of children to hold themselves accountable for their actions is a critical
part of becoming
independent. However, many parts of Asian culture send a message to children that
nothing is their fault.
Whether rationalizing bad behaviour, blaming for misfortune, or faulting others for
their failures, children
are constantly told that they do not need to be responsible for their actions. The
reluctance of children to
take responsibility for their actions is based on their desire to protect themselves from
failure. Children
can't take responsibility for their achievements and successes unless they are willing
to take responsibility
for their mistakes and failures.
Encourage Exploration
Early in children's lives, parents need to teach their children that they have a safe
place to return to
if they venture too far and that their parents are there to protect them when needed.
There is, however, a
fine line between security and dependence. When children have established their
sense of security,
parents must then encourage them to explore the world beyond the safety net that
parents provide. This
"push out of the nest" allows their children to test their own capabilities in
the "real world" and to find a
sense of competence, security, and independence within themselves.
(Text adapted from
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-power-prime/201011/parenting
raise-independent-children)

1. According to the passage, children can achieve their independence______

A. on their own.
B. with their own perspective.
C. separately from their parents.
D. with their parents' support.
2. What is TRUE about teaching children about responsibility?
A. It's the best way to teach children to become independent.
B. Suitable responsibilities should be set up for the children.
C. Parents are the only people who teach children about responsibility.
D. Whether fulfilling responsibilities or not doesn't lead to any consequence.
3. The word “accountable” in paragraph 3 most closely means
A. responsible B. related C. counted D. acceptable
4. According to the passage, why do children in some countries refuse to accept their
fault? Because they
get used to ______
A. finding an excuse for their bad manners.
B. believing in bad luck.
C. accusing other people of their mistakes.
D. all are correct.
5. Which of the following can the word ‘reluctance” in paragraph 3be best
replaced by?
A. willingness B. desire C. unwillingness D. need
6. What is a possible consequence of children's desire to protect themselves from
failures?
A. Children are able to take responsibility for their actions.
B. Children can't achieve success when growing up.
C. Children are not responsible for their failures or successes.
D. Children are reluctant to accept the others.
7. What does the word “they” in the paragraph 4 refer to?
A. children's lives B. parents C. safe places D. children
8. The phrase “push out of the nest” in paragraph 5 most closely means
_______.
A. a fine line between security and dependence
B. children's sense of security
C. parents' safety net
D. parents' encouragement for children's exploration
9. According to the passage, in what way is exploring the real world helpful to
children's development?
A. It helps children to explore themselves and become independent.
B. It helps children to become more capable.
C. It makes children love their parents more.
D. It encourages children to establish a sense of security.
10. Who could be the target readers of the passage?
A. Young children B. Parents in Asian countries
C. Parents of teenage children D. School teachers

Read the text again and choose the best answer to each of
the following questions.
“Tiger moms” vs.Western-style mothers?
In four separate studies involving 342 students from a Northern California high
school, two
Stanford researchers examined "underlying models of self and sources of parental
motivation and
pressure. The students were asked for open-ended descriptions of their mothers- but
the pressure does not strain their relationships with their mothers
. They also answered questions about how connected they felt with their moms as
well as how much pressure they
received.
For example, they asked students to directly rate how much pressure they experience
from their
mothers. Then, the researchers asked participants to rate how much they feel
supported by their mothers
(2)to assess whether students perceive this pressure by mothers as negative
. And they examined the correlation between students' perception of maternal
pressure and
feelings of maternal support.
The research findings suggest that Asian Americans and European Americans truly
see moms
differently. For example, Asian American high schoolers were more likely to talk
about their
relationships with their mothers than were European Americans. (3) Asian Americans
more often noted that
their moms helped them
with homework or pushed them to succeed. On the other hand, European American
students were more
apt to talk about their mothers as separate individuals - describing their appearance or
their hobbies, for
example.
Asian American students experienced more interdependence their mothers and
pressure from them.
(4) “describe your mother in a couple of sentences”
as much as does with European Americans, according to the study. Asian American
children are motivated by their high-pressure mothers because those mothers often
work alongside them -
and the "selves overlap."
It was concluded that even if Asian and Western parenting styles differ radically, they
represent two
paths to the same destination. Both Asian American and European American students
evaluated their
mothers positively (5) and felt supported by them
.In the Asian American family model, children learn the value of being
interdependent with one's close others, especially one's mother. In contrast,
European American families
tend to emphasize that the person is and should be independent, even from one's
mother. The focus is on
developing self-esteem and self-efficacy in the child.
(Text adapted from https://news.stanford.edu/news/2014/may/asian-european
moms-052014.html)
2.2. Read the text again and choose the best answer to each
of the following questions.
6. Who were the participants of the research?
A. High school students in Asia
B. Students from different California high schools
C. Parents of high school students in Northern California
D. Students from a high school in California
7. The study aims to examine the link between the students' motivation or pressure
and ________
A. their mother's support. B. their feelings.
C. their academic results. D. their parents' relationship.
8. According to the study, what do Asian American students tend to talk about their
mothers?
A. their mother's success B. their mother's hobbies
C. the relationship with their mother D. their mother's differences
9. According to the study, which group of students tend to be more dependent on their
mother?
A. Asian students B. Asian American students
C. European American students D. American students
10. According to the study, what is emphasized in a European American family?
A. children's interdependence
B. children's independence and confidence
C. positive relationship between a child and his mom
D. a child's physical development