Unit 7.

Education options for school-leavers

VOCABULARY
II. Complete the sentences with the correct forms of the words in brackets.
1. More and more school-leavers are interested in specific trades, so they plan to go to (vocation) ________
schools.
2. Certain jobs require (high) ________ education at colleges or universities.
3. After his (graduate) ________ , my father started working for an NGO.
4. If you want to become a (profession) ________ cook, please apply for our cooking course.
5. My sister has spent months studying for her (enter) ________ exam into a famous university.
6. At present, our restaurant needs ten (apprentice) ________ now, so if you are interested, let us know
immediately.
7. During her college years, my mother (manage) ________ to study and do two part-time jobs at the same time.
III. Complete the sentences with the correct forms of the words/phrases in the box.
brochure education fair academic education
vocational education qualification institution school-leaver
1. You don't really need ________ or qualifications in order to work as a shop assistant. You will just need
on-the-job training.
2. ________ is getting more and more popular these days because it is cheaper than higher education.
3. Many universities often organise ________ to help school students with their career orientation.
4. A lot of ________ still don't know what they want for their future careers.
5. Certain jobs require applicants a lot of ________ in order to be selected.
6. Here are ________ that provide information about our courses. Please take one.
7. These educational ________ provide more options for school-leavers.
IV. Mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the word(s) CLOSEST in meaning to the underlined word(s) in
each of the following questions.
Our university has a fair selection procedure to all school-leavers to ensure that education opportunities are for
all.
A. equal B. flexible C. checked D. limited
2. Many universities are under pressure to trade off short-term benefits against long-term goals.
A. exchange B. buy C. sell D. balance
V. Mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the word(s) OPPOSITE in meaning to the underlined word(s) in
each of the following questions.
1. In our country, formal education is compulsory until students finish their lower-secondary school.
A. received in a school B. institutional C. receive through practical training D. local
2. An order came down from on high that school uniforms were to be compulsory on every weekday.
A. tall people B. unimportant people C. short people D. people in senior positions
GRAMMAR
VI. Choose the correct options to complete the following sentences.
1. My mother admitted ________ .
A. not having paid much attention to our schooling B. not to pay enough attention to our schooling
2. ________ helped me choose my education plan.
A. In order to talk with my parents and teachers B. Having talked with my parents and teachers
3. My grandfather forgot ________ .
A. having told us his childhood stories many times B. have told us his childhood stories many times
4. My mother regretted ________ .
A. not having chosen to become a maths teacher B. not have chosen to become a maths teacher
5. ________ , he has limited choice of careers.
A. Not have finished primary school B. Not having finished primary school
VII. Choose the best answer to complete each of the sentences.
1. My father was proud of ________ many beautiful places in Viet Nam.
A. having visited B. visited C. have visited D. has visited
2. She denied ________ her sister not to go to university.
A. to have told B. having told C. has told D. have told
3. My mother succeeded in ________ her parents to let her go to university.
A. has persuaded B. have persuaded C. persuading D.having persuading
4. My mother didn't remember ________ me about her childhood dream.
A. tell B. told C. tells D. having told
5. _______ my parents for advice, my sister decided to go to a teacher training college after leaving school.
A. Asking B. Asks C. Having asked D. Asked
VIII. Mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the underlined part that needs correction in each questions.
1. Not have revised carefully for the exams, my brother didn't get good results.
A B C D
2. Not having check his essay for grammar and spelling mistakes, he didn't get a high mark.
A B C D
3. My grandfather is always proud of having study at a famous upper-secondary school.
A B C D
4. My father didn't remember having asking my friends so many personal questions.
A B C D
5. My aunt regretted not having choose to study at a vocational school as suggested by her teacher.
A B C D
READING
I. Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D to choose the word or phrase that best fits
each of the numbered blanks.
Vocational Education and Training (VET) (1) ________ people with the workplace skills and technical
knowledge they need to meet current and future (2) ________ demands. Put simply, VET is skill-based
education and training.
VET is the education option that offers a(n) (3) ________ alternative to university through standalone
qualifications. It also gives you apprenticeships and traineeships that let you learn in the workplace while in paid
employment.
There are VET courses for all occupations reporting a shortage of labour. In today's competitive job (4)
________, it's important for you to have the right technical skills and qualifications. A practical approach to (5)
________ prepares you for the real world.
(Adapted from education.nsw.gov.au)
1. A. provides B. asks C. increases D. realises
2. A. opportunity B. employment C. advantage D. knowledge
3. A. educational B. challenging C. practical D. difficult
4. A. supermarket B. shop C. store D. market
5. A. education B. participation C. school D. qualification
III. Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, or C to indicate the correct answer to each of the
questions.
The job market is extremely competitive and skilled employees are high in demand. In fact, degrees are
required for a wide range of careers such as Medicine and Education. A university education will help young
people succeed in today's workforce and establish an enjoyable career of their choice.
University education helps you improve prospects for life. University graduates gain professional
qualifications that are recognised and respected worldwide. Besides, they are offered higher pay and greater
financial stability. In addition, they are also given the option to fast-track their career with graduate study.
University education also helps students learn and discover. It exposes students to new research and
technology. Studying at university encourages creative and independent thought as well. And university life
exposes students to other cultures and backgrounds through training activities, such as student exchange
programmes.
Studying at university, students conquer intellectual challenges and develop a sense of achievement.
University builds initiative and leadership skills that can be used for life. That is why university education has
always been in many school-leavers' plan after school.
(Source: adapted from https://www.monash.edu/study/)
1. This passage is mainly about ________ .
A. The benefits of university education B. The challenges facing the job market
C. The expensive cost of university education
2. Why are Medicine and Education used in Paragraph 1?
A. To show that the job market is very competitive
B. To give examples of the careers that require a university degree
C. To give examples of successful careers in our competitive job market
3. Why is Besides used in paragraph 2?
A. To compare with the previous point B. To give an additional example
C. To provide another point
4. The word It in paragraph 3 refers to ________ .
A. university education B. research and technology C. independent thought
5. The word conquer in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to ________ .
A. want to achieve B. succeed in dealing with C. avoid talking about
 TEST 1
II. Choose the correct word to complete the sentences.
1. A ________ is a person who has just left school.
A. trainer B. student C. school-leaver D. businessman
2. Mai wants to go to ________ after leaving school.
A. education B. vocation C. university D. practice
3. You need to have a university ________ if you want to work at that company.
A. degree B. report C. scholarship D. experience
4. It is not easy at all to get a good job without any ________ qualifications.
A. great B. social C. vocational D. academic
5. At the ________ level, you can join three-year or four-year colleges.
A. primary B. secondary C. postgraduate D. undergraduate
6. St Andrews and Cambridge universities are internationally respected ________.
A. qualifications B. institutions C. courses D. links
7. John was in the third year of his ________ as a car mechanic.
A. apprenticeship B. requirement C. pre-universify D. academic year
8. Higher education ________ students academic degrees, and professional qualifications.
A. helps B. awards C. educates D. prepares
9. College or university students have more career ________ than students from vocational schools.
A. topics B. degrees C. options D. principles
10. A university is an institution of ________ education and research, which grants academic degrees at all levels
in a variety of subjects.
A. early B. higher C. technical D. vocational

III. Supply the correct form of the words in brackets to complete the sentences.
1. You can go to a _____________ school to learn skills for a particular job. (vocation)
2. ‘The university is renowned throughout the world for its ____________ excellence. (academy)
3. Will you intend to study abroad after ___________________ from high school? (graduate)
4. Many young people find it hard to get a job ______________ after graduation. (immediate)
5. Australia is the destination of choice because Australian ___________are recognized across the world.
(qualify)
6. Nancy is interested in pursuing ________________ studies for bachelor’s degrees. (graduate)
7. Further education is basically ______________ below degree level for people above school age. (educate)
8. A doctoral degree, also called a _____________ or PhD, is the highest university degree. (doctor)
9. Vocational courses provide us with practical skills, training and qualifications to ___________ in a particular
job. (success)
10. Many teachers encourage students to _____________ with others to learn and enhance each other’s
knowledge. (collaboration)
IV. Complete the sentences using perfect gerund form of the verbs in brackets.
1. I remember (read) _______________ this book.
2. He denied (peek) _______________ at my profile.
3. She forgot (discuss) ____________________ that problem at the last meeting.
4. They regretted (not participate) __________________ in the Job Fair last week.
5. (Prepare) ___________________ well for the competition made them very confident.
6. Nam was proud of (win) __________________ the first place at the Olympia competition.
7. They apologized for (cause) ________________ us many troubles.
8. Mary insisted on (give) __________________ the keys to John.
9. (Be) __________________ a volunteer at the charity has helped me a lot with my career.
10. (Attend) __________________ the training course has helped us to have the necessary skills of a leader.

V. Read the passage and choose the correct answer A, B, C, or D to complete each sentence.
One of the main aims of the Singapore’s education system is to help students to discover their talents and
develop a passion for learning.
During secondary education, which lasts four to five years, students have opportunities to take various
courses, build their strengths and develop their talents in both academic and non-academic areas. For example,
after passing standardized examinations, students can enroll on courses in specialized independent schools such
as NUS High School of Mathematics and Science, Singapore Sports School, School of the Arts, or School of
Science and Technology. They can further their study and interests at junior colleges and polytechnics through
direct admission. These are flexible ways that allow students to continue their education journey at a post-
secondary institution.
After leaving secondary school, students can pursue either pre-university education or technical
education. A pre-university course provides students with essential skills and knowledge for higher education.
They can realize their potential through a wide range of subjects from academic areas such as Humanities, Arts,
Languages, Mathematics, and Science. Alternatively, technical education, through collaboration with companies
and other organizations, can equip students with professional, technical skills and working experience. They can
select engineering, technical, business or service skills areas to prepare themselves for their work environment.
If students want to pursue higher education, they can do that at one of the four publicly-funded local
universities with degree programmes. All of them have global partnerships with leading universities and
educational institutions overseas to ensure the best quality and future for the graduates.
1. One of the important targets of Singapore’s education is to help students _________.
A. to improve their English B. to discover their talents C. to develop a passion for learning. D. Both B &
C.
2. Secondary education in Singapore lasts from _________.
A. 4 to 5 months B. 4 to 5 years C. 3 to 5 years D. 4 to 6 years
3. The word “opportunities” in the second paragraph is closest in meaning to _________.
A. talents B. chances C. courses D. qualifications
4. Secondary education helps students to build up their strengths and develop their talents _________.
A. in a lot of different courses B. in only academic areas
C. in only non-academic areas D. in both academic and non-academic areas
5. Students who passed _________ examinations can enroll on special courses in secondary education.
A. higher B. specialized C. standardized D. independent
6. Secondary school leavers can choose _________ education or technical education.
A. universal B. pre-university C. postgraduate D. professional
7. The phrase “a wide range of” in the third paragraph is opposite in meaning to _________.
 A. a series of B. a large number of C. too many D. very few
8. There are _________ local universities with degree programmes for higher education.
A. four B. five C. one D. many
VII. Rewrite the following sentences using perfect participles.
1. After she asked her mother’s permission, she went out for dinner with John.
________________________________________________________________
2. He had drunk too much alcohol, so he couldn’t drive home himself.
________________________________________________________________
3. Because Mary had practiced a lot, she won the first prize in the fashion competition.
________________________________________________________________
4. She had lost the key, so she couldn’t enter the house.
________________________________________________________________
5. Linda had not slept for two days, so she wasn’t able to concentrate.
________________________________________________________________
6. After my mother had done all the housework, she watched films on YouTube.
________________________________________________________________
7. Because he has not been selected as club president, he was so sad.
________________________________________________________________
8. After they finished their training, they are now fully qualified doctors.
________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________
TEST 2
II. Choose the word which is closest in meaning to the underlined word of the following sentences.
1. He hopes to get a career in the entertainment industry.
A. job B. degree C. campus D. unemployment
2. A Bachelor’s degree is usually compulsory for higher-level positions.
A. required B. optional C. academic D. avoidable
3. There’s accommodation for about five hundred students on campus.
A. university B. institution C. information D. residence
4. Dr. Miles was a distinguished scholar of Russian history.
A. weak B. outstanding C. handsome D. indistinct
5. Educational experts think that young people should either continue their studies at a college or university or
go to a vocational school.
A. give up B. go on C. stop D. improve
6. The college now has a counsellor to help students with both personal and work problems.
A. doctor B. adviser C. engineer D. school-leaver
7. They will participate in workshops and get hands-on experience leading classes.
A. integral B. technical C. practical D. theoretical
8. Some students look quite nervous probably because they haven’t studied for the final exam.
A. lesson B. subject C. test D. experiment
9. Academic courses should teach practical skills in addition to critical thinking.
 A. further B. besides C. what’s more D. furthermore
10. The majority of Vietnamese students consider the American education the best in the world.
A. A few B. The least of C. A smaller number of D. A great number of
III. Choose the word which is opposite in meaning to the underlined word of the following sentences.
1. Art and music are optional subjects at our school.
A. elective B. permissive C. compulsory D. inessential
2. His lawyers have decided not to proceed with the case.
A. begin B. cease C. go on D. continue
3. Some economists think that full employment in Europe is an unattainable goal.
A. achievable B. honorable C. unreachable D. impossible
4. Although she didn’t have any academic qualifications, she had a lot of practical experience.
A. real B. applied C. impressive D. impractical
5. Students with bachelor’s degrees can pursue postgraduate education to get master’s or doctoral degrees.
A. run after B. give up C. accompany D. preserve
6. Higher education is for people who want formal learning in order to get an academic degree.
A. legal B. official C. informal D. authentic
7. More and more young people are leaving rural areas to find employment in the cities.
A. work B. profession C. advertisement D. unemployment
8. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country’s highest civilian honor.
A. low B. high C. best D. lowest
9. He worked part-time at a bookshop when he was in university.
A. full-time B. half a day C. break time D. pre-university
10. Only a minority of students got the maximum score in this exam.
A. majority B. very few C. less D. some
IV. Choose the best option A, B, C, or D to complete the sentences.
1. He was accused of _________ confidential company documents.
A. steal B. stole C. have stolen D. having stolen
2. I will never forget _________ a short vacation in Hoi An Ancient Town last year.
A. have spent B. being spent C. having spent D. spent
3. ________ the evening meal, we decided to go for a walk.
A. Having eaten B. Having been eaten C. To eat D. Have eaten
4. Having been told about the dangers of chemical fertilizers, the farmers _________ to bio-fertilizers.
A. turned B. have turned C. having turned D. being turned
5. They object to him _________ private calls on the office phone.
A. having been made B. having made C. have made D. made
6. ________ to the workshop by the director, he could hardly refuse.
A. Being invited B. To invite C. Having invited D. Having been invited
7. The students in Grade 11A were praised for _________ the most trees in the schoolyard.
A. having planted B. have planted C. planted D. plant
8. ________ in the event yesterday was an amazing experience for me.
A. To participate B. Being participated C. Having participated D. Have participated
9. ________ the documents, she couldn’t answer the chairman’s questions.
A. Having not read B. Not having read C. Haven’t read D. Haven’t been read
10. Not having finished the final test, my brother couldn’t _________ the university that he wished.
A. entered B. enter C. having entered D. to enter
V. Read the passage and choose A, B, C, or D to indicate the word or phrase that best fits each of the
numbered blanks.
One way of training for your future occupation in Germany is by pursuing a dual (1) _______ training
programme. Such programmes offer plenty of opportunity for on-the-job training and work experience.
Programmes usually last between two and three and a half years and comprise (2) _______ as well as practical
elements. You will spend one or two days a week, or several weeks at once, at a vocational school (3) _______
you will acquire the theoretical knowledge that you will need in your future occupation. The rest of the time will
(4) _______ at a company. There you get to apply your newly acquired knowledge (5) _______ practice, for
example by learning to operate machinery. You will get to know what your company does, learn how (6)
_______ operates and find out if you can see yourself working there after completing your training.
This (7) _______ of theory and practice gives you a real head start into your job: by the time you have
completed your training, you will not only have the required technical knowledge, but you will also have (8)
_______ experience in your job. There are around 350 officially recognized training programmes in Germany, so
chances are good that one of them will (9) _______ your interests and talents. You can find out which one that
might be by visiting one of the jobs and vocational training fairs which are organized in many German cities at
different times in the year.
Employment prospects for students who have completed a dual vocational training programme are very
good. This is one of the (10) _______ why this kind of training is very popular with young Germans: around two
thirds of all students leaving school go on to start a vocational training programme.
1. A. optional B. educational C. vocational D. compulsory
2. A. theory B. theoretical C. theoretically D. theoretician
3. A. what B. where C. why D. when
4. A. spend B. be spent C. have spent D. being spent
5. A. in B. on C. within D. belong
6. A. it B. he C. company D. they
7. A. occupation B. qualification C. combination D. communication
8. A. cultural B. restricted C. academic D. hands-on
9. A. suit B. reply C. solve D. require
10. A. effects B. means C. results D. reasons
VII. Combine each pair of following sentences using perfect gerunds.
1. I reminded you to enroll the course. I remember that.
_____________________________________________________________
2. She missed the important meeting yesterday. That made her so sad.
_____________________________________________________________
3. You shared a lot of helpful information. We thank you so much for that.
_____________________________________________________________
4. He was proud because he had been chosen as a class monitor.
_____________________________________________________________
5. Tom had spent too much time on the parties. He regretted that.
_____________________________________________________________
6. They had spent a lot of time together. That has made them more and more bonded.
_____________________________________________________________
7. Our group had finished the project on time. We got 3 days off.
_____________________________________________________________
8. He hadn’t performed excellently in the competition. That made him blamed.
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________
TEST 3
II. Choose the best option A, B, C, or D to complete the sentences.
1. These books are compulsory reading for students _________ architecture.
A. of B. in C. on D. with
2. Universities must better prepare students for their _________ careers.
A. professional B. profession C. professor D. professors
3. My parents want me to pursue _________ at a college or university after I leave school.
A. vocation B. education C. graduation D. qualification
4. The leading universities in Viet Nam enroll undergraduate and _____ international students every year.
A. degree B. graduate C. diploma D. part-time job
5. She _________ sacrifices so that her younger sister could have a good education.
A. did B. lent C. made D. provided
6. Linda wants to get _________ advertising or public relations.
A. up B. on C. into D. down
7. Any pupil caught _________ was made to stand at the front of the class.
A. misbehave B. misbehaved C. misbehaviour D. misbehaving
8. She was awarded the People’s Artist, the highest _________ of the country’s film industry.
A. honor B. honors C. honorable D. honorable
9. The difference _________ higher and further education can be a common cause of confusion.
A. among B. within C. between D. of
10. Some universities in the United States offer different _________ to international students to help to cover
tuition fees and living costs.
A. courses B. accommodations C. equipments D. scholarships

III. Complete the passage with the words from the box.
to courses fund considered independently
after bachelor during Australians opportunities
Gap year
In the professional or career world, a gap year is a year before going to college or university and (1)
___________ finishing high school or taking a year off before going into graduate school after completing a (2)
___________ as an undergraduate. (3) _________ this time, students may engage in advanced academic courses,
extra-academic courses and non-academic (4) ___________, such as yearlong pre-college math courses,
language studies, learning a trade, art studies, volunteer work, travel, internships, sports and more. Gap years are
sometimes (5) ___________ a way for students to become independent and learn a great deal of responsibility
prior (6) ___________ engaging in university life.
(7) ____________ and New Zealanders have a tradition of travelling overseas (8) ___________ at a
young age. In New Zealand, this is known as “doing an OE’’ (Overseas Experience). Sometimes, an OE is
limited to one year, but often Australians and New Zealanders will remain overseas for three to five years, with
many working short-term in service industry jobs to (9) ___________ their continuing travels. Europe and Asia
are popular destinations for doing an OE. In Australia, through exchange programmes and benefits for youth,
there are so many (10) _____________ for a young person to broaden their mind through travel in a gap year.
IV. Circle the correct options in brackets.
1. (Have done / Having done) a lot of homework, I went to bed.
2. (Writing / Having written) the report, Mai felt relieved.
3. (Having photocopied / Photocopying) all the papers already, Sarah put them back in the file.
4. (Not having had / Having not had) money to pay her tuition, she dropped out.
5. (Having failed / To having failed) the university entrance exams made him decide to go to a vocational school.
6. (Received / Having received) the university degree, Janet started looking for job.
7. (Having learned / Having been learned) lots of practical skills, Thomas applied for the position of regional
manager.
8. (Not having trained / Not having been trained) officially made her not confident in herself.
9. (Having finished / Having finish) the course excellently, she received the school’s honorary degree.
10. (Graduated / Having graduated) with a journalism degree, she applied for a job at a local newspaper office.
VIII. Circle the underlined part A, B, C, or D that needs correction.
1. She will be their first choice on secretary position.
A B C D
2. He regretted not having study hard when he was in university.
A B C D
3. Have misunderstood the question caused him to give the wrong answer.
A B C D
4. Having heard that the caves were danger, I didn’t want to go there.
A B C D
5. She was a philosopher major at an Ivy League college.
A B C D
6. Farming is not an attract career option for many young people.
A B C D
7. Will you intend to study abroad after graduation from high school?
A B C D
8. University students usually have an advantage than students from vocational schools.
A B C D
9. Have passed the preliminary round, the candidates were interviewed directly by the director.
A B C D
10. Academic courses help us develop analytical skills, critical thinking and knowledge for higher
A B C D
educational at a university or college.