Choose the word or phrase among A, B, C or D that best fits the blank space in the following passage.

A POWERFUL INFLUENCE

There can be no doubt at all that the Internet has made a huge difference to our lives. Parents are worried that children spend too much time playing on the Internet, hardly (21) ________ doing anything else in their spare time. Naturally, parents are curious to find out why the Internet is so attractive, and they want to know if it can be (22) __________ for their children. Should parents be worried if their children are spending that much time watching their computers?

Obviously, if the children are bent over their computers for hours, (23) ____ in some game, instead of doing their homework, then something is wrong. Parents and children could decide how much use the child should make of the Internet, and the child should give his or her promise that it won't interfere with homework. If the child is not (24) ____ to this arrangement, parents can take more drastic steps. Dealing with a child's use of the Internet is not much different from negotiating any other sort of bargain about behavior.

Any parent who is seriously alarmed about a child's behavior should make an appointment to discuss the matter with a teacher. Spending time in front of the screen does not (25) ____ affect a child's performance at school. Even if the child is absolutely crazy about using the Internet, he or she is probably just going through a phase, and in a few months there will be something else to worry about!

always: luôn luôn

rarely: hiếm

never: không bao giờ

ever: bao giờ

Cụm từ: “hardly ever”: hầu như không bao giờ.

Parents are worried that children spend too much time playing on the Internet, hardly ever doing anything else in their spare time.

(Cha mẹ lo lắng rằng trẻ em dành quá nhiều thời gian để chơi trên Internet, hầu như không bao giờ làm bất cứ điều gì khác trong thời gian rảnh rỗi.)

Chọn D

harming (v): làm hại

harmful (a): có hại

hurting (v): làm tổn thương

hurtful (a): tổn thương

Sau động từ tobe “be” cần một tính từ.

Naturally, parents are curious to find out why the Internet is so attractive, and they want to know if it can be harmful for their children.

(Đương nhiên, các bậc cha mẹ tò mò muốn tìm hiểu tại sao Internet lại hấp dẫn đến vậy và họ muốn biết liệu nó có thể gây hại cho con cái họ hay không.)

Chọn B

supposed (v): giả sử

occupied (v): sử dụng

involved (v): liên quan

absorbed (v): hấp thụ

Cụm từ “absorb in”: mải mê

Obviously, if the children are bent over their computers for hours, absorbed in some game, instead of doing their homework,

(Rõ ràng, nếu bọn trẻ cắm mặt vào máy tính hàng giờ, mải mê với một trò chơi nào đó, thay vì làm bài tập về nhà,)

Chọn D

holding (v): giữ vững

sticking (v): dính

following (v): theo

accepting (v): chấp nhận

Cụm từ: “hold to something”: tuân theo cái gì đó

If the child is not holding to this arrangement, parents can take more drastic steps.

(Nếu đứa trẻ không tuân theo sự sắp xếp này, cha mẹ có thể thực hiện các bước quyết liệt hơn.)

Chọn A

possibly (adv): có thể

necessarily (adv): nhất thiết

probably (adv): có lẽ

consequently (adv): hậu quả là

Spending time in front of the screen does not necessarily affect a child's performance at school.

(Dành thời gian trước màn hình không nhất thiết ảnh hưởng đến thành tích của trẻ ở trường.)

Chọn B