Read the passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the best answer to each of the following questions from 3...

Hanoi’s winter smog is not a single villain but a mix of emission sources that becomes visible when temperature inversions turn the city into a lid – and – bowl system: pollutants that might otherwise disperse are trapped close to the ground, and everyday activities—commuting, building, burning—converge into a grey blanket that feels less like “weather” and more like a man – made fog machine. On peak days, the haze is not merely aesthetic; it signals a harmful cocktail of fine particulates and combustion gases whose persistence from morning to night suggests a problem of heavy emissions, not just seasonal bad luck.

[I] A major driver is the transport load, especially the sheer volume of motorcycles and older vehicles whose incomplete combustion produces high particulate emissions alongside CO and nitrogen oxides; in a dense traffic corridor, each accelerating engine becomes a small chimney, and the cumulative effect resembles a moving industrial plant. [II] Construction activity adds to this baseline through loose dust, particularly where demolition, ground clearance, and sidewalk renovation proceed with inadequate covering, weak watering, and inconsistent on – site containment. [III] This is where exposure becomes personal: residents do not “read” the air through data alone, but through irritated eyes, the metallic taste of dust, and the feeling of breathing through fabric. [IV] 

A third layer is informal combustion, especially open waste burning in vacant lots, park corners, or near residential blocks, where “small fires” can cause outsized harm because they occur at breathing height and close to homes. The practice persists despite prohibition signs and periodic cleanups, creating a cycle of dumping → burning → localised pollution spikes → renewed complaints. Add smoke plumes from industrial facilities and the smoky micro – economy of charcoal grilling or lingering coal briquettes, and Hanoi’s air becomes a patchwork of hotspots held together by stagnant weather.

What makes the situation difficult is not the absence of suspects but the complexity of governance: pinpointing the main sources, cross – district coordination, enforcement capacity, and behavioural change must align, otherwise interventions become one – off showpieces. Without stricter dust management, targeted vehicle – emissions control, and credible deterrence against open burning, the city risks normalising crisis as routine—an annual smog season written into daily life rather than prevented by design.

[Adapted from https://vnexpress.net/topic/o – nhiem – khong – khi – ha – noi – 28378]

Question 31: Where in the passage does the following sentence best fit?

This allows wind and heavy trucks to lift soil into a citywide haze.

A. [I]        B. [II]        C. [III]        D. [IV]

Question 32: The phrase “lid – and – bowl system” in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to __________.

A. a city layout that reduces traffic emissions

B. a weather pattern that traps pollutants near the ground

C. an urban plan that moves industries outside the city

D. a transport network shaped mainly by motorcycles

Question 33: The word "whose" in paragraph 1 refers to __________.

A. peak days         B. heavy emissions         C. harmful cocktail         D. fine particulates

Question 34: According to paragraph 2, which of the following is NOT mentioned as a factor contributing to construction – related dust?

A. The demolition and renovation of sidewalks without proper covers.

B. The lifting of soil by wind and heavy vehicles at work sites.

C. The use of older motorcycles to transport loose construction soil.

D. The failure to maintain consistent watering during ground clearance.

Question 35: Which of the following best summarises the content of paragraph 2?

A. The transport load in dense traffic corridors is the only reason why residents experience physical irritation when breathing.

B. Heavy traffic emissions combined with poorly managed construction projects create a baseline of severe particulate pollution.

C. Ground clearance and sidewalk renovation are more harmful to human health than the incomplete combustion of older vehicles.

D. Residents are encouraged to use fabric masks and digital data to identify the metallic taste of dust in moving industrial plants.

Question 36: The verb “disperse” in paragraph 1 is OPPOSITE in meaning to __________.

A. gather        B. spread        C. drift        D. scatter

Question 37: Based on paragraph 3, why is open waste burning considered particularly dangerous to local residents?

A. It causes localised pollution spikes only in vacant lots and park corners that are far from homes.

B. The practice continues because prohibition signs are often ignored by the smoky micro – economy.

C. The toxic smoke is released at the same height as human breathing and very close to housing.

D. It creates a cycle of dumping that leads to renewed complaints from industrial facilities in the city.

Question 38: Which of the following best paraphrases the underlined sentence in paragraph 4: "Without stricter dust management, targeted vehicle – emissions control, and credible deterrence against open burning, the city risks normalising crisis as routine..."?

A. Unless rigorous measures are enforced against various pollution sources, the smog crisis will eventually be seen as an ordinary part of life.

B. Stricter dust management and targeted vehicle control are the reasons why the city has successfully prevented the smog from becoming routine.

C. No sooner had the smog season been written into daily life than the city started implementing credible deterrence against informal combustion.

D. The city would not risk normalising the smog crisis if it prioritised the micro – economy of coal briquettes over stricter dust management rules.

Question 39: Which of the following can most likely be inferred from the passage?

A. Seasonal bad luck and weather patterns are the primary causes of air pollution in Hanoi regardless of human activities.

B. Technical fixes will be ineffective unless they are supported by a unified administrative approach and stricter legal enforcement.

C. Residents in Hanoi prefer reading air quality through digital sensors rather than relying on their own physical sensations.

D. The "lid – and – bowl" effect only occurs in vacant lots where people still practice the traditional micro – economy of charcoal grilling.

Question 40: Which of the following best summarises the passage?

A. Hanoi's air quality is improving thanks to the transition from charcoal grilling to a more modern and coordinated urban micro – economy.

B. The "lid – and – bowl" system is a natural phenomenon that helps pollutants disperse more effectively during the peak days of the winter.

C. Urban air pollution in Hanoi is a multifaceted issue arising from human activities and weather, requiring comprehensive policy reforms.

D. Localised pollution spikes are primarily caused by the absence of suspects and the lack of fabric masks among the city's older residents.