Nâng cấp từ vựng – IELTS Vocab Booster 2 – Test 2- READING PASSAGE 1

Nâng cấp từ vựng – IELTS Vocab Booster 2 – Test 2- READING PASSAGE 1

WHY  PAGODAS DON’T FALL DOWN

In a land swept by typhoons and shaken by earthquakes, how have Japan’s tallest and seemingly flimsiest old buildings – 500 or so wooden pagodas – remained standing for centuries? Records show that only two have collapsed during the past 1400 years. Those that have disappeared were destroyed by fire as a result of lightning or civil war. The disastrous Hanshin earthquake in 1995 killed 6,400 people, toppled elevated highways, flattened office blocks and devastated the port area of Kobe. Yet it left the magnificent five-storey pagoda at the Toji temple in nearby Kyoto unscathed, though it levelled a number of buildings in the neighbourhood.

Japanese scholars have been mystified for ages about why these tall, slender buildings are so stable. It was only thirty years ago that the building industry felt confident enough to erect office blocks of steel and reinforced concrete that had more than a dozen floors. With its special shock absorbers to dampen the effect of sudden sideways movements from an earthquake, the thirty-six-storey Kasumigaseki building in central Tokyo – Japan’s first skyscraper – was considered a masterpiece of modern engineering when it was built in 1968.

Yet in 826, with only pegs and wedges to keep his wooden structure upright, the master builder Kobodaishi had no hesitation in sending his majestic Toji pagoda soaring fifty-five metres into the sky – nearly half as high as the Kasumigaseki skyscraper built some eleven centuries later. Clearly, Japanese carpenters of the day knew a few tricks about allowing a building to sway and settle itself rather than fight nature’s forces. But what sort of tricks?

The multi-storey pagoda came to Japan from China in the sixth century. As in China, they were first introduced with Buddhism and were attached to important temples. The Chinese built their pagodas in brick or stone, with inner staircases, and used them in later centuries mainly as watchtowers. When the pagoda reached Japan, however, its architecture was freely adapted to local conditions – they were built less high, typically five rather than nine storeys, made mainly of wood and the staircase was dispensed with because the Japanese pagoda did not have any practical use but became more of an art object. Because of the typhoons that batter Japan in the summer, Japanese builders learned to extend the eaves of buildings further beyond the walls. This prevents rainwater gushing down the walls. Pagodas in China and Korea have nothing like the overhang that is found on pagodas in Japan.

The roof of a Japanese temple building can be made to overhang the sides of the structure by fifty per cent or more of the building’s overall width. For the same reason, the builders of Japanese pagodas seem to have further increased their weight by choosing to cover these extended eaves not with the porcelain tiles of many Chinese pagodas but with much heavier earthenware tiles.

But this does not totally explain the great resilience of Japanese pagodas. Is the answer that, like a tall pine tree, the Japanese pagoda – with its massive trunk-like central pillar known as shinbashira – simply flexes and sways during a typhoon or earthquake? For centuries, many thought so. But the answer is not so simple because the startling thing is that the shinbashira actually carries no load at all. In fact, in some pagoda designs, it does not even rest on the ground, but is suspended from the top of the pagoda – hanging loosely down through the middle of the building. The weight of the building is supported entirely by twelve outer and four inner columns.

And what is the role of the shinbashira, the central pillar? The best way to understand the shinbashira’s role is to watch a video made by Shuzo Ishida, a structural engineer at Kyoto Institute of Technology. Mr Ishida, known to his students as ‘Professor Pagoda’ because of his passion to understand the pagoda, has built a series of models and tested them on a ‘shake- table’ in his laboratory. In short, the shinbashira was acting like an enormous stationary pendulum. The ancient craftsmen, apparently without the assistance of very advanced mathematics, seemed to grasp the principles that were, more than a thousand years later, applied in the construction of Japan’s first skyscraper. What those early craftsmen had found by trial and error was that under pressure a pagoda’s loose stack of floors could be made to slither to and fro independent of one another. Viewed from the side, the pagoda seemed to be doing a snake dance – with each consecutive floor moving in the opposite direction to its neighbours above and below. The shinbashira, running up through a hole in the centre of the building, constrained individual storeys from moving too far because, after moving a certain distance, they banged into it, transmitting energy away along the column.

Another strange feature of the Japanese pagoda is that, because the building tapers, with each successive floor plan being smaller than the one below, none of the vertical pillars that carry the weight of the building is connected to its corresponding pillar above. In other words, a five- storey pagoda contains not even one pillar that travels right up through the building to carry the structural loads from the top to the bottom. More surprising is the fact that the individual storeys of a Japanese pagoda, unlike their counterparts elsewhere, are not actually connected to each other. They are simply stacked one on top of another like a pile of hats. Interestingly, such a design would not be permitted under current Japanese building regulations.

And the extra-wide eaves? Think of them as a tightrope walker’s balancing pole. The bigger the mass at each end of the pole, the easier it is for the tightrope walker to maintain his or her balance. The same holds true for a pagoda. ‘With the eaves extending out on all sides like balancing poles,’ says Mr Ishida, ‘the building responds to even the most powerful jolt of an earthquake with a graceful swaying, never an abrupt shaking.’ Here again, Japanese master builders of a thousand years ago anticipated concepts of modern structural engineering.

1. Giải thích từ vựng

• Fall down (phrasal verb) sụp đổ, xuống cấp

Eg: Many buildings in the old part of the city are falling down.

I’m looking for a doings to hold up a curtain rail that’s fallen down.

• Flimsy (a) /ˈflɪm.zi/ mỏng manh, mỏng mảnh

Eg: You won’t be warm enough in that flimsy dress.

Một số từ đồng nghĩa:

• weak If trees do not get enough water they become weak.
• strong Steel is a very strong material.
• rickety We climbed up the rickety wooden stairs.
• fragile Some objects are too fragile to be moved between the museums.
• delicate She carefully wrapped up the delicate glass ornaments.

• As a result of  sth: do, bởi

Eg: Profits have declined as a result of the recent drop in sales.

She died as a result of her injuries.

• Topple(v) /ˈtɒp.əl/  ngã, đổ, đổ nhào// làm đổ

Eg: The statue of the dictator was toppled by the crowds.

• Flatten (v)  /ˈflæt.ən/ san phẳng/ đánh ngã 

Eg: Several trees were flattened by the storm.

The whole area was flattened in the bombing raid – not a building was left standing.

• Devastate (v)   /ˈdev.ə.steɪt/ tàn phá, phá huỷ, phá phách

Eg: Waves of corporate downsizing have devastated employee morale.

devastation (n) 

• Magnificent (a)  /mæɡˈnɪf.ɪ.sənt/  tráng lệ, nguy nga, lộng lẫy

Eg: The carnival was a magnificent spectacle.

The view from the top of the mountain is magnificent.

magnificence (n)

•  Unscathed (a) /ʌnˈskeɪðd/ không bị tổn thương 

Eg: Her husband died in the accident but she, amazingly, escaped unscathed.

I came away from the accident unscathed, but the car got badly damaged.

The company came through the crisis apparently unscathed.

• Mystify (v) /ˈmɪs.tɪ.faɪ/ làm hoang mang/ làm ra vẻ bí ẩn, làm ra vẻ khó hiểu

Eg: I was mystified by her decision.

•  Stable (a) /ˈsteɪ.bəl/ vững vàng; ổn định

Eg: If the foundations of the house aren’t stable, collapse is possible.

•  Erect (v) /ɪˈrekt/ dựng nên, xây dựng

Eg: The war memorial was erected in 1950.

Một số từ đồng nghĩa:

• build The house was built in the 1950s.
• construct The company wants to construct a 175-mile pipeline.
• put something up Putting up a wall will not solve the problem.
• assemble He has a job assembling furniture in a warehouse.
• put together Without the instruction sheet, I’ve got no idea how to put all these parts together.

•  Masterpiece (n) /ˈmɑː.stə.piːs/ kiệt tác

Eg: Leonardo’s “Last Supper” is widely regarded as a masterpiece.

•  Majestic (a) /məˈdʒes.tɪk/ uy nghi, oai nghiêm, oai vệ, đường bệ

Eg: The majestic Montana scenery will leave you breathless.

•  Attach to (phrasal verb) gắn, dán, trói buộc vào

Eg: I don’t attach any importance to these rumours.

She attaches great value to being financially independent.

I attached a photo to my application form.

•  Adapted (a) /əˈdæp.tɪd/ thích nghi, thích ứng với

Eg: Both trees are well adapted to London’s dry climate and dirty air.

The rat is uniquely adapted to living around humans.

Collocation 

• be adapted to sth

•  Storey (n) /ˈstɔː.ri/ tầng, tầng gác

Eg: The proposed new office tower is a steel and glass structure 43 storeys high.

My bedroom is on the third storey.

•  Gush (v) /ɡʌʃ/ phun ra, vọt ra

Eg: Oil gushed from the hole in the tanker.

•  Overhang (n) /ˌəʊ.vəˈhæŋ/ phần nhô ra 

Eg: The roof has an overhang to protect the walls from the rain.

•  Resilience (n)  /rɪˈzɪl.jəns/  tính bật nảy; tính co giãn, tính tính đàn hồi

Eg: Resilience is likely to be tested during the coming weeks and months in the millions of people who witnessed the terror of last week.

What we are starting to see is the resilience of the U. S. economy.

•  Load (n) /ləʊd/  vật nặng, gánh nặng, tải, trọng tải

Eg: The maximum load for this elevator is eight persons.

One truck involved in the accident was carrying a heavy load of coal.

•  Rest on (phrasal verb) kê, tựa vào

Eg: The dome rests on four marble columns.

•  Suspend (v) /səˈspend/ treo lơ lửng

Eg: The builders worked on wooden platforms, suspended by ropes from the roof of the building.

•  Ancient (a) /ˈeɪn.ʃənt/ xưa, cổ

Eg: People have lived in this valley since ancient times.

Archaeologists are excavating the ruined temples of this ancient civilization.

Một số từ đồng nghĩa: 

• Old Be careful – that clock is very old.
• Former He’s a former coworker of mine.
• Archaic “Thee” is an archaic word for “you”.

•  Grasp (n) /ɡrɑːsp/ sự nắm được, sự hiểu thấu

Eg: The presidency at last looked within her grasp.

Why is success always beyond my grasp?

Một số từ đồng nghĩa:

• understand I understand why he did that.
• comprehend He doesn’t seem to comprehend the scale of the problem.
• get the picture OK. Don’t say any more. I get the picture.
• follow It was so complicated I couldn’t follow what he was saying.
• digest This chapter is so difficult to digest. I’ll have to read it again later.

•  Trial and error (n) /ˌtraɪəl ənd ˈer.ər/ (phương pháp) thử-sai/ thử lại (hoàn thành một việc bằng cách thử dùng những biện pháp khác nhau cho đến khi tìm được biện pháp đúng)

Eg: There’s no instant way of finding a cure – it’s just a process of trial and error.

In a language lab, students learn by trial and error.

•  To and fro (adv, a) /ˌtuː ən ˈfrəʊ/ (chuyển động) lắc lư, giao động, đưa qua đưa lại

Eg: She was gazing out the window, rocking rhythmically to and fro.

•  Constrain (v)  /kənˈstreɪn/ dằn xuống, nén, chế ngự, ghìm lại

Eg: The country’s progress was constrained by a leader who refused to look forward.

There are a number of factors that constrain agricultural development.

•  Successive (a) /səkˈses.ɪv/ kế tiếp; liên tiếp, liên tục; lần lượt

Eg: It was the team’s fourth successive defeat.

Successively (adv)

•  Counterpart (n) /ˈkaʊn.tə.pɑːt/ bộ phận tương ứng, tổ chức tương ứng, bên trong tương ứng; vật bổ sung, người bổ sung

Eg: The prime minister is to meet his European counterparts to discuss the war against drugs.

The president will meet with his Brazilian counterpart tomorrow.

•  Anticipate (v)  /ænˈtɪs.ɪ.peɪt/  thấy trước, biết trước, đoán trước, làm trước; nói trước

Eg: We had one or two difficulties along the way that we didn’t anticipate.

Are you anticipating a lot of people at the party tonight?

2.  Luyện tập

Bài 1: Chọn từ trong khung để hoàn thành các câu bên dưới

flatten	result of	devastated	stable	magnificent
fell down	flimsy	unscathed	toppled	mystified

1. There was only a ……………………………….. inflatable raft between him and the raging river.
2. These actions were taken as a direct ……………………………… the strike.
3. A new steeple was built after the old one ………………………………………
4. That tent is not secure, you know. The first gust of wind will …………………… it.
5. He …………………………………….. backwards into the river.
6. The hospital said she was in a ……………………………………. condition following the operation.
7. Doctors were ………………………………….. by her high fever and headaches.
8. They gave a ………………………………………… performance.
9. Not many European cities survived the war ………………………………….
10. The bomb ………………………………………. much of the old part of the city.

Bài 2: Chọn đáp án đúng để điền vào chỗ trống

1. Make sure the rope is firmly ………………………………… before attempting to climb down it.                                                        A. attached             B. unscathed
2. Penguins are highly …………………………………………… for life in the water.                                                                              A. magnificent         B. adapted
3. It’s unlawful to …………………………………….. a building until you get approval.                                                                           A. erect                   B. devastate
4. The museum houses several of his Cubist …………………………………..                                                                                       A. storeys               B. masterpieces
5. The house has a deep ……………………………………. facing the southern sun.                                                                            A. overhang            B. erected
6. Bone mineral density is the measure physicians use to determine bone strength and ………………………………………..             A. load                     B. resilience
7. A boat was ………………………………… on wires from the rafters.                                                                                                  A. gushed               B. suspended
8. History, …………………………………….. and modern, has taught these people an intense distrust of their neighbours.                A. adapted               B. ancient
9. The government has acknowledged that homelessness is a problem but it has failed to ……………………………………. the scale of the problem.           A.grasp        B. adapt
10. Children learn to use computer programs by ……………………and error.                                                                                       A. resilience                B. trial 
11. She rocked the baby …………………………………….                                                                                                                      A. to and fro               B. trial and error
12. Research has been ………………………………………. by a lack of funds.                                                                                      A. suspended            B. constrained
13. He won the World Championship for the third ………………………….. year.                                                                                    A. successive           B. majestic
14. For the first time, the company’s mobile video advertising has outperformed its online ………………………………………..            A. grasp                      B. counterpart
15. Her arm …………………………….. blood where the knife had gone in.                                                                                             A. gushed                  B. erected
16. She jumped from the third …………………………… of the house to escape the fire.                                                                         A.overhang               B. storey
17. The safe ………………………… for a truck of this size works out at nearly 20 tons.                                                                          A.load                       B. resilience
18. The elephants were standing in a line with their front legs ………………………… each other’s backs.                                             A. attaching to            B. resting on
19. The college is close to Edinburgh’s ………….…………………. castle.                                                                                                 A. majestic                B. ancient
20. The holiday cost a lot more than we had …………………………………                                                                                               A. mystified               B. Antivirus

 

1. LUYỆN TẬP

Bài 1: 

1.   flimsy 2. result of 3. fell down 4. flatten 5. toppled
2. stable 7. mystified 8. magnificent 9. unscathed 10. devastated

Bài 2: 

1.A 2. B 3. A 4. B 5. A

6. B 7. B 8. B 9. A 10.B 
7. A 12. B 13. A 14. B 15.A
8. B 17. A 18. B 19. A 20. B

XEM LẠI CÁC BÀI

Test 1- READING PASSAGE 1 https://zorba.edu.vn/nang-cap-tu-vung-dc-chat-loc-tu-bo-cambridge-cam7-test1-reading-passage1/

Test 1- READING PASSAGE 2  https://zorba.edu.vn/nang-cap-tu-vung-ielts-vocab-booster-2/ 

Test 1- READING PASSAGE 3 https://zorba.edu.vn/nang-cap-tu-vung-ielts-vocab-booster-2-test-1-reading-passage-3/

ZORBA – Luyện thi IELTS cùng chuyên gia.