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 from 26 to 33.

Esperanto is what is called a planned, or artificial language. It was created more than a century ago by Polish eye doctor Ludwik Lazar Zamenhof. Zamenhof believed that a common language would help to alleviate some of the misunderstandings among cultures.

In Zamenhof’s first attempt at a universal language, he tried to create a language that was as uncomplicated as possible. This first language included words such as ab, ac, eb, be and ce. This did not result in a workable language in that these monosyllabic, though short, were not easy to understand or to retain.

Next, Zamenhof tried a different way of constructing a simplified language. He made the words in his language sound like words that people already knew, but he simplified the grammar tremendously. One example of how he simplified the language can be seen in the suffixes: all nouns in this language end in o, as in the noun amiko, which means “friend”, and all adjectives end in -a, as in the adjective bela, which means “pretty". Another example of the simplified language can be seen in the prefix mal-, which makes a word opposite in meaning, the word malamiko therefore means “enemy”, and the word malbela therefore means “ugly” in Zamenhof’s language.

In 1887, Zamenhof wrote a description of this language and published it. He used a pen name, Dr. Esperanto, when signing the book. He selected the name Esperanto because this word means “a person who hopes” in his language. Esperanto clubs began popping up throughout Europe, and by 1950, Esperanto had spread from Europe to America and Asia.

In 1905, the First World Congress of Esperanto took place in France, with approximately 700 attendees from 20 different countries. Congresses were held annually for nine years, and 4,000 attendees were registered for the Tenth World Esperanto Congress scheduled for 1914, when World War I erupted and forced its cancellation.

Esperanto has had its ups and downs in the period since World War I. Today, years after it was introduced, it is estimated that perhaps a quarter of a million people are fluent in it. This may seem like a large number, but it is really quite small when compared with the billion English speakers and billion Mandarin Chinese speakers in today’s world. Current advocates would like to see its use grow considerably and are taking steps to try to make this happen.

The topic of this passage is ________.

• A. one man’s efforts to create a universal language
• B. using language to communicate internationally
• C. a language developed in the last few years
• D. how language can be improved

• Câu 2: Mã câu hỏi: 44603

  According to the passage, Zamenhof wanted to create a universal language_________.

  • A. to build a name for himself 
  • B. to provide a more complex language
  • C. to create one world culture
  • D. to resolve cultural differences

• Câu 3: Mã câu hỏi: 44604

  The expression “popping up” could best be replaced by ________.

  • A. opening
  • B. shouting
  • C. hiding
  • D. leaping

• Câu 4: Mã câu hỏi: 44605

  According to passage, what happened to the Tenth World Esperanto Congress?

  • A. It had attendees from 20 countries.
  • B. It had 4,000 attendees.
  • C. It never took place.
  • D. It was scheduled for 1915.

• Câu 5: Mã câu hỏi: 44606

  The expression “ups and downs” is closest in meaning to ________.

  • A. highs and lows
  • B. floors and ceilings
  • C. take offs and landings
  • D. tops and bottoms

• Câu 6: Mã câu hỏi: 44607

  Which paragraph describes the predecessor to Esperanto?

  • A. The first paragraph
  • B. The second paragraph
  • C. The third paragraph
  • D. The fourth paragraph

• Câu 7: Mã câu hỏi: 44608

  The passage would most likely be assigned reading in a course on ________.

  • A. European history
  • B. English grammar
  • C. world government
  • D. applied linguistics

• Câu 8: Mã câu hỏi: 44609

  The paragraph following the passage most likely discusses ________.

  • A. attempts to reconvene the World Congress of Esperanto in the 1920s
  • B. how current supporters of Esperanto are encouraging its growth
  • C. the disadvantages of using an artificial language
  • D. another of Zamenhof’s accomplishments