cucainho_dangyeu 10/25/2023 5:05:41 PM

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.

When engineer Tsutomu Takada lost his job, he decided to make a complete change in his life. He took off his business suit and put on an apron – and started a course to become a chef. “I had always dreamed of doing this, even when I was an engineer” says Takada. “And now, here I am” he says with a laugh. He is a student at Tokyo’s Sushi University. This is the only university in Japan which is devoted entirely to teaching the art of sushi. What is “sushi”? It is Japan’s famous dish of raw fish, dried seaweed and rice soaked in vinegar. Traditionally, it takes decades of training to become a sushi chef, but Sushi University trains chefs in one year.

As well as providing quick retraining, the university’s approach reflects a growing change in Japanese society – a move away from the tradition a way of doing things. “Society has changed” sighs university principal Katsuji Konkani.

Sushi started as a sushi apprentice more than sixty years ago. “People today wouldn’t put up with the tough training I had. When I made mistakes, my teacher hit me on the head with his knife handle!” Sushi hasn’t always been a matter of studying hard and being hit on the head. It started in ancient China, where people preserved fish by packing it in rice and salt. They did not eat the rice. It is said that this process probably came to Japan between 300 BC and AD 300. Adventurous Japanese cooks began to serve the pickled fish together with vinegared rice. This combination of rice and fish was called “sushi”.

The most important thing about sushi is that it has to look attractive. In fact, the most carefully prepared sushi meals can cost hundreds of dollars! There are 45,000 sushi businesses in Japan today, including take- away, as some people like to eat it for lunch in their offices. There are also cheap self-service restaurants, where customers sit at a counter which has different colored plates with different types of sushi on them. These plates move around the counter on a conveyor belt, and customers choose the sushi they want to eat. When they have finished eating, the waitress counts the colored plates and works out the bill. Mr. Konkani has made sushi for Japan’s emperor. He says sushi preparation is an art, but he also believes that Sushi University’s intensive course is necessary. “Of course people complain this is not the way to do it” he says, “but we tried to make it easier for those who wanted to learn about sushi, and for those who want to take it overseas”. Many of the students already have jobs lined up in places like Australia, Italy and Singapore.

But the course is really just the beginning of the new chefs. According to Mr. Konkani, it takes five, ten or even twenty years to become a top- notch sushi chef. “To make good sushi, you have to have skill but you also need a warm heart” he says.

Question 42: Which best served as the title for the passage?

A. Studying at Sushi University: useful tips

B. Speeding things up at Sushi University

C. Taking up sushi making as a new hobby

D. Training to be a sushi chef: a short story

Question 43: According to the first paragraph, Tsutomu takada _______.

A. earns his living by selling suits and aprons.

B. is in charge of a sushi course at Sushi University.

C. has been training as a sushi chef for a decade.

D. no longer works as an engineer.

Question 44: The word “reflect” in paragraph 2 mostly means _______.

A. indicate                              B. restrict                           C. avoid                             D. encourage

Question 45: The word “it” in paragraph 3 refers to _______.

A. fish                                    B. salt                                C. sushi                              D. china

Question 46: The phrase “lined up” in paragraph 4 could be best replaced by _______.

A. refused                              B. arranged                        C. objected                        D. discussed

Question 47: Which of the following is TRUE, according to the passage?

A. Ancient Chinese are supposed to have been the first to serve salted fish with vinegared rice.

B. Graduates from Sushi University can become leading sushi chefs right upon graduation.

C. Courses on numerous traditional Japanese dishes are available at Sushi University.

D. The appealing appearance of sushi is the prime requirement during preparation.

Question 48: Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?

A. Mr. Konkani regards skill as merely part of the recipe for a superb sushi.

B. Most of Japanese restaurants offer sushi at extremely high prices.

C. Japanese society is becoming increasingly ignorant of traditional cuisine.

D. Takada intends to apply for a job at a restaurant overseas after completing his course.