Đề thi học kỳ II môn Tiếng Anh lớp 12 trường THPT Quảng La, Quảng Ninh năm học 2015 - 2016 (Ban cơ bản)

Aquatic sports — sports involving playing in or upon the water — take various forms. The main activities include swimming, synchronized swimming, diving and water polo. Swimming is the act of moving through the water by using the arms, legs, and body in motion. It is an integral part of almost all water-based activities. In synchronized swimming, the players perform beautiful maneuvers to music and diving. Water polo, on the other hand, is a game where two opposing teams play against each other, attempting to throw a buoyant ball into the opponent’s goal.

Underwater activities are less varied, the most popular of which are snorkeling and scuba diving. Snorkeling involves swimming face down just below the water surface while breathing through a slender plastic tube called a snorkel, meanwhile scuba divers carry a big tank of air that allows them to breathe while deep underwater.

Aquatic sports have long been acknowledged as excellent ways to take physical exercise. Furthermore, practicing them is known to produce both psychological and physical benefits which help to improve mood states and reduce the risk of many serious diseases. This explains why aquatic sports have become very popular forms of exercise among people of all ages.

Nearly all the discoveries that have been made through the ages can be found in books. The invention of the book is one of humankind’s greatest achievements, the (19) ............... of which cannot be overestimated. Books are very adaptable providing us with both entertainment and (20)................ The production of books began in Ancient Egypt, though not in a form that is recognizable to us today.

The books read by the Romans, however, have some similarities to the ones we read now. Until the (21) ............... of the 15th century, in Europe, all books were written by hand. They were often beautifully illustrated and always rare and expensive. With printing came the possibility of cheap, large-scale publication and distribution of books, making (22)................ more widespread and accessible.