Đề kiểm tra chất lượng ôn thi THPT Quốc gia môn Tiếng Anh Lớp 12 - Năm học 2018-2019 - Đề số 060

 SỞ GD&ĐT VĨNH PHÚC
TRƯỜNG THPT LIỄN SƠN
(Đề thi gồm: 05 trang)
ĐỀ KTCL ÔN THI THPT QUỐC GIA NĂM 2017-2018
Môn: TIẾNG ANH – ĐỀ SỐ 360
Thời gian làm bài: 60 phút, không kể thời gian phát đề
Họ và tên thí sinh:. SBD:
Ø Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word whose underlined part differs from the other three in pronunciation in each of the following questions.
Question 01: A. took	B. book	C. food	D. foot
Question 02: A. breath	B. booth	C. thank	D. threat
Ø Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word that differs from the other three in the position of primary stress in each of the following questions.
Question 03: A. suggestion	B. cigarette	C. environment	D. protection
Question 04: A. electronic	B. insurance	C. understand	D. expedition
Ø Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the underlined part that needs correction in each of the following questions.
Question 05: The professor together with his three students have been called to court.
A. The 	B. together 	C. have 	D. to 
Question 06: Do you ever feel that life is not being fair to you because you cannot seem to get the job where you want or that really suits you?
A. ever 	B. that 	C. because 	D. where 
Question 07: Mining over 2,000 years ago, copper is one of the earliest known metals.
A. Mining 	B. ago	C. the 	D. known 
Ø Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions.
Question 08: Can you make yourself________ in French?
	A. understood	B. understand	C. to understand	D. understanding
Question 09. Today many species of plant and animal are in________ of extinction.
	A. danger	B. endangered	C. endanger	D. dangerous
Question 10. If the current rate of deforestation continues, the world's rainforests________ within 100 years.
	A. would vanish	B. vanish	C. will vanish	D. would have vanished
Question 11. At first she was trained to be________ scriptwriter, but later she worked as________ secretary.
	A. the / a	B. a/a	C. the / the	D. a / the
Question 12. "Don't look so worried!. You should take the leader's comment with________."
	A. a teaspoon of salt	B. a cup of salt	C. a dose of salt	D. a pinch of salt
Question 13. Three pounds of butter________ in this recipe.
	A. needs	B. need	C. are needed	D. is needed
Question 14. Our project was successful________ its practicality.
	A. in terms of	B. with a view to	C. regardless	D. on behalf of
Question 15. Of the two new students, one is friendly and________.
	A. the others are not	B. the other is not
	C. another is unfriendly	D. other lacks friendliness
Question 16. There is one person to________ I owe more than I can say.
	A. whom	B. who	C. that	D. whose
Question 17. After a good night's sleep I woke up feeling as fresh as________ and eager to start a new day.
	A. a fruit	B. a daisy	C. a flower	D. a maiden
Question 18. Mary is sixteen years old. She is________ young to get married.
	A. too	B. so	C. such	D. enough
Question 19. ________ is the existence of a large number of different kinds of animals and plants which make a balanced environment.
	A. extinction	B. biodiversity	C. habitat	D. conservation
Ø Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the most suitable response to complete each of the following exchanges.
Question 20. John, Fred and some other old friends are in a pub talking about their family and jobs.
John: "Do you work in an office, Fred?" 	Fred: "___________"
	A. Yes, I am. But I don't like it	B. Not anymore. I'm an English teacher now.
	C. Yeah, but I'm out of work now.	D. No, I work as a bank clerk.
Question 21. Shop assistant: "___________"	
Customer:" Yes, I want to send some flowers to my wife in Italy."
	A. Do you like flowers?	B. What do you like?
	C. Can you help me?	D. How can I help you?
Ø Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word(s) CLOSEST in meaning to the underlined word(s) in each of the following questions.
Question 22. The use of lasers in surgery has become relatively commonplace in recent years.
	A. absolutely	B. relevantly	C. comparatively	D. almost
Question 23. The trouble with Frank is that he never turns up on time for the meeting.
	A. arrives	B. tests	C. delays	D. takes after
Ø Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word(s) OPPOSITE in meaning to the underlined word(s) in each of the following questions.
Question 24. Names of people in the book were changed to preserve anonymity.
	A. reveal	B. conserve	C. cover	D. presume
Question 25. In remote communities, it's important to replenish stocks before the winter sets in.
	A. empty	B. refill	C. repeat	D. remake
Ø Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the sentence that is CLOSEST in meaning to each of the following questions.
Question 26. You should have persuaded him to change his mind.
	A. It was essential to persuade him to change his mind but you didn't.
	B. You didn't persuade him to change because of his mind,
	C. You should persuade him to change his mind.
	D. You persuaded him to change his mind but he didn't listen.
Question 27. When the unemployment rate is high, the crime rate is usually also high.
	A. The unemployment rate and the crime rate are both higher.
	B. The higher the unemployment rate is, the higher the crime rate is.
	C. The unemployment rate is as high as the crime rate.
	D. The high rate of unemployment depends on the high rate of crime.
Question 28. I wish you hadn't said that.
	A. I wish you not to say that	B. If only you didn't say that
	C. I hope you will not say that	D. It would be nice if you hadn't said that.
Ø Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the sentence that best combines each pair of sentences in the following questions.
Question 29. It was an interesting novel. I stayed up all night to finish it.
	A. The novel was so interesting that I stayed up all night to finish it.
	B. Though it was an interesting novel, I stayed up all night to finish it.
	C. I stayed up all night to finish the novel so it was interesting.
	D. Unless it were an interesting novel, I would not stay up all night to finish it.
Question 30. Mr. Smith is a professor. His car was stolen yesterday.
	A. Mr. Smith, who his car was stolen yesterday, is a professor.
	B. Mr. Smith, whose car was stolen yesterday, is a professor.
	C. His car was stolen yesterday, he is a professor.
	D. Mr. Smith, who is a professor, his car was stolen yesterday.
Ø Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 31 to 35.
If you are (31)_________ in having a trip of a life time, but also doing something useful at the same time, then why not try joining a Greenforce expedition as a volunteer. Greenforce, which was set up in 1997, is an international research agency that gathers information about the wildlife and natural habitats in various parts of the world. There is a qualified biologists in (32)_________ of each team of volunteers and these carry surveys all year (33)_________ in some of the world's remotest and most beautiful places.
Volunteers come from all walks of life. The minimum age is 18 years old, but there is no upper age (34)_________. No previous experience is necessary as Greenforce provides full training in animal identification and survey methods. You will need to be somebody who enjoys the outdoors life, however, as working in remote locations can be challenging. You will also need to be (35)_________ on wildlife ands prepared to learn á lot about the place which you visit.
Question 31. A. interested	B. determined	C. fascinated	D. decided
Question 32. A. guide	B. lead	C. charge	D. head
Question 33. A. away	B. round	C. forward	D. over
Question 34. A. deadline	B. limit	C. frontier	D. point
Question 35. A. passionate	B. keen	C. attracted	D. fond
Ø 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 from 36 to 42.
Until recently, most American entrepreneurs were men. Discrimination against women in business, the demands of caring for families, and lack of business training had kept the number of women entrepreneurs small. Now, however, businesses owned by women account for more than $40 billion in annual revenues, and this figure is likely to continue rising throughout the 1990s. As Carolyn Doppelt Gray, an official of the Small Business Administration, has noted, “The 1970s was the decade of women entering management, and the 1980s turned out to be the decade of the woman entrepreneur". What are some of the factors behind this trend? For one thing, as more women earn advanced degrees in business and enter the corporate world, they are finding obstacles. Women are still excluded from most executive suites. Charlotte Taylor, a management consultant, had noted, "In the 1970s women believed if they got an MBA and worked hard they could become chairman of the board. Now they've found out that isn't going to happen, so they go out on their own".
In the past, most women entrepreneurs worked in "women's" fields: cosmetics and clothing, for example. But this is changing. Consider ASK Computer Systems, a $22-million-a-year computer software business, it was founded in 1973 by Sandra Kurtzig, who was then a housewife with degrees in math and engineering. When Kurtzig founded the business, her first product was software that let weekly newspapers keep tabs on their newspaper carriers-and her office was a bedroom at home, with a shoebox under the bed to hold the company's cash, After she succeeded with the newspaper software system, she hired several bright computer-science graduates to develop additional programs. When these were marketed and sold, ASK began to grow. It now has 200 employees, and Sandra Kurtzig owns $66.9 million of stock.
Of course, many women who start their own businesses fail, just as men often do. They still face hurdles in the business world, especially problems in raising money; the banking and finance world is still dominated by men, and old attitudes die hard. Most businesses owned by women are still quite small. But the situation is changing; there are likely to be many more Sandra Kurtzigs in the years ahead.
Question 36. What is the main idea of this passage?
A. Women today are better educated than in the past, making them more attractive to the business world.
	B. The computer is especially lucrative for women today.
	C. Women are better at small business than men are.
	D. Women today are opening more business of their own.
Question 37. All of the following were mentioned in the passage as detriments to women in the business world EXCEPT________.
	A. Women were required to stay at home with their families.
	B. Women lacked ability to work in business.
	C. Women faced discrimination in business.
	D. Women were not trained in business.
Question 38. In line 11, "that" refers to________.
	A. a woman becomes chairman of the board. C. Women achieving advanced degrees
	B. Women working hard	D. Women believing that business is a place for them.
Question 39. According to the passage, Charlotte Taylor believes that women in 1970s________.
	A. Were unrealistic about their opportunities in business management.
	B. Were still more interested in education than business opportunities
	C. Had fewer obstacles in business than they do today.
	D. Were unable to work hard enough to succeed in business.
Question 40. The expression "keep tabs on" in line 17 is closest meaning to________.
	A. recognize the appearance of	B. keep records of
	C. provide transportation for	D. pay the salaries of
Question 41. The word "hurdles" in line 23 can be best replaced by________.
	A. fences	B. obstacles	C. questions	D. small groups
Question 42. It can be inferred from the passage that the author believes that business operated by women are small because________.
	A. Women prefer a small intimate setting.
	B. Women can't deal with money.
	C. Women are not able to borrow money easily.
	D. Many women fail at large businesses.
Ø 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 from 43 to 50.
The growth of cities, the construction of hundreds of new factories, and the spread of railroads in the United Stases before 1850 had increased the need for better illumination. But the lighting in American homes had improved very little over that of ancient times. Through the colonial period, homes were lit with tallow candles or with a lamp of the kind used in ancient Rome- a dish of fish oil or other animal or vegetable oil in which a twisted rag served as a wick. Some people used lard, but they had to heat charcoal underneath to keep it soft and burnable. The sperm whale provided superior burning oil, but this was expensive. In 1830 a new substance called "camphene" was patented, and it proved to be an remained expensive, had an unpleasant odor, and also was dangerously explosive.
Between 1830 and 1850 it seemed that the only hope for cheaper illumination in the United States was the wider use of gas. In the 1840s American gas manufacturers adopted improved British techniques for producing illuminating gas from coal. But the expense of piping gas to the consumer remained so high that until mid- century gas lighting was feasible only in urban areas, and only for public buildings for the wealthy. In 1854 a Canadian doctor, Abraham Gesner, patented a process for distilling a pitch like mineral found in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia that produced illuminating gas and an oil that he called "kerosene" (from "keros", the Greek word for wax, and "ene" because it resembled camphene). Kerosene, though cheaper than camphene, had an unpleasant odor, and Gesner never made his fortune from it. But Gesner had aroused a new hope for making illuminating oil from a product coming out of North American mines.
Question 43. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a reason why better lighting had become necessary by the mid“ nineteenth century?
	A. development of railroads	B. demand for better medical facilities
	C. increases in the number of new factories	D. growth of cities
Question 44. The word "this" in line 6 refers to________.
	A. lard	B. charcoal	C. wick	D. oil
Question 45. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a disadvantage of camphene?
	A. high cost	B. bad smell	C. potential to explode D. greasy texture
Question 46. What can be inferred about the illuminating gas described in the paragraph?
	A. It was first developed in the United States.
	B. It was not allowed to be used in public buildings.
	C. It was not widely available until mid- century.
	D. It had an unpleasant smell.
Question 47. The word "resembled" in line 17 is closest in meaning to________.
	A. was similar to	B. cost the same as	C. was made from	D. sounded like
Question 48. According to the passage, what advantage did the kerosene patented by Gesner have over camphene?
	A. Kerosene had a more pleasant smell.	B. Kerosene was less expensive.
	C. Kerosene burned more brightly.	D. Kerosene was safer to use.
Question 49. The word "it" in line 18 refers to________.
	A. fortune	B. odor	C. camphene	D. kerosene
Question 50. Which of the following best describes the organization of the passage?
	A. a description of events in chronological order
	B. a comparison of two events
	C. an analysis of scientific findings
	D. the statement of a theory and possible explanations
_________THE END_________
 SỞ GD&ĐT VĨNH PHÚC
TRƯỜNG THPT LIỄN SƠN
(Đề thi gồm: 05 trang)
ĐỀ KTCL ÔN THI THPT QUỐC GIA NĂM 2017-2018
Môn: TIẾNG ANH – ĐỀ SỐ 360
Thời gian làm bài: 60 phút, không kể thời gian phát đề
Họ và tên thí sinh:. SBD:
Ø Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word whose underlined part differs from the other three in pronunciation in each of the following questions.
Question 01: A. took	B. book	C. food	D. foot
Question 02: A. breath	B. booth	C. thank	D. threat
Ø Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word that differs from the other three in the position of primary stress in each of the following questions.
Question 03: A. suggestion	B. cigarette	C. environment	D. protection
Question 04: A. electronic	B. insurance	C. understand	D. expedition
Ø Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the underlined part that needs correction in each of the following questions.
Question 05: The professor together with his three students have been called to court.
A. The 	B. together 	C. have 	D. to 
Question 06: Do you ever feel that life is not being fair to you because you cannot seem to get the job where you want or that really suits you?
A. ever 	B. that 	C. because 	D. where 
Question 07: Mining over 2,000 years ago, copper is one of the earliest known metals.
A. Mining 	B. ago	C. the 	D. known 
Ø Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions.
Question 08: Can you make yourself________ in French?
	A. understood	B. understand	C. to understand	D. understanding
Question 09. Today many species of plant and animal are in________ of extinction.
	A. danger	B. endangered	C. endanger	D. dangerous
Question 10. If the current rate of deforestation continues, the world's rainforests________ within 100 years.
	A. would vanish	B. vanish	C. will vanish	D. would have vanished
Question 11. At first she was trained to be________ scriptwriter, but later she worked as________ secretary.
	A. the / a	B. a/a	C. the / the	D. a / the
Question 12. "Don't look so worried!. You should take the leader's comment with________."
	A. a teaspoon of salt	B. a cup of salt	C. a dose of salt	D. a pinch of salt
Question 13. Three pounds of butter________ in this recipe.
	A. needs	B. need	C. are needed	D. is needed
Question 14. Our project was successful________ its practicality.
	A. in terms of	B. with a view to	C. regardless	D. on behalf of
Question 15. Of the two new students, one is friendly and________.
	A. the others are not	B. the other is not
	C. another is unfriendly	D. other lacks friendliness
Question 16. There is one person to________ I owe more than I can say.
	A. whom	B. who	C. that	D. whose
Question 17. After a good night's sleep I woke up feeling as fresh as________ and eager to start a new day.
	A. a fruit	B. a daisy	C. a flower	D. a maiden
Question 18. Mary is sixteen years old. She is________ young to get married.
	A. too	B. so	C. such	D. enough
Question 19. ________ is the existence of a large number of different kinds of animals and plants which make a balanced environment.
	A. extinction	B. biodiversity	C. habitat	D. conservation
Ø Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the most suitable response to complete each of the following exchanges.
Question 20. John, Fred and some other old friends are in a pub talking about their family and jobs.
John: "Do you work in an office, Fred?" 	Fred: "___________"
	A. Yes, I am. But I don't like it	B. Not anymore. I'm an English teacher now.
	C. Yeah, but I'm out of work now.	D. No, I work as a bank clerk.
Question 21. Shop assistant: "___________"	
Customer:" Yes, I want to send some flowers to my wife in Italy."
	A. Do you like flowers?	B. What do you like?
	C. Can you help me?	D. How can I help you?
Ø Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word(s) CLOSEST in meaning to the underlined word(s) in each of the following questions.
Question 22. The use of lasers in surgery has become relatively commonplace in recent years.
	A. absolutely	B. relevantly	C. comparatively	D. almost
Question 23. The trouble with Frank is that he never turns up on time for the meeting.
	A. arrives	B. tests	C. delays	D. takes after
Ø Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word(s) OPPOSITE in meaning to the underlined word(s) in each of the following questions.
Question 24. Names of people in the book were changed to preserve anonymity.
	A. reveal	B. conserve	C. cover	D. presume
Question 25. In remote communities, it's important to replenish stocks before the winter sets in.
	A. empty	B. refill	C. repeat	D. remake
Ø Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the sentence that is CLOSEST in meaning to each of the following questions.
Question 26. You should have persuaded him to change his mind.
	A. It was essential to persuade him to change his mind but you didn't.
	B. You didn't persuade him to change because of his mind,
	C. You should persuade him to change his mind.
	D. You persuaded him to change his mind but he didn't listen.
Question 27. When the unemployment rate is high, the crime rate is usually also high.
	A. The unemployment rate and the crime rate are both higher.
	B. The higher the unemployment rate is, the higher the crime rate is.
	C. The unemployment rate is as high as the crime rate.
	D. The high rate of unemployment depends on the high rate of crime.
Question 28. I wish you hadn't said that.
	A. I wish you not to say that	B. If only you didn't say that
	C. I hope you will not say that	D. It would be nice if you hadn't said that.
Ø Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the sentence that best combines each pair of sentences in the following questions.
Question 29. It was an interesting novel. I stayed up all night to finish it.
	A. The novel was so interesting that I stayed up all night to finish it.
	B. Though it was an interesting novel, I stayed up all night to finish it.
	C. I stayed up all night to finish the novel so it was interesting.
	D. Unless it were an interesting novel, I would not stay up all night to finish it.
Question 30. Mr. Smith is a professor. His car was stolen yesterday.
	A. Mr. Smith, who his car was stolen yesterday, is a professor.
	B. Mr. Smith, whose car was stolen yesterday, is a professor.
	C. His car was stolen yesterday, he is a professor.
	D. Mr. Smith, who is a professor, his car was stolen yesterday.
Ø Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 31 to 35.
If you are (31)_________ in having a trip of a life time, but also doing something useful at the same time, then why not try joining a Greenforce expedition as a volunteer. Greenforce, which was set up in 1997, is an international research agency that gathers information about the wildlife and natural habitats in various parts of the world. There is a qualified biologists in (32)_________ of each team of volunteers and these carry surveys all year (33)_________ in some of the world's remotest and most beautiful places.
Volunteers come from all walks of life. The minimum age is 18 years old, but there is no upper age (34)_________. No previous experience is necessary as Greenforce provides full training in animal identification and survey methods. You will need to be somebody who enjoys the outdoors life, however, as working in remote locations can be challenging. You will also need to be (35)_________ on wildlife ands prepared to learn á lot about the place which you visit.
Question 31. A. interested	B. determined	C. fascinated	D. decided
Question 32. A. guide	B. lead	C. charge	D. head
Question 33. A. away	B. round	C. forward	D. over
Question 34. A. deadline	B. limit	C. frontier	D. point
Question 35. A. passionate	B. keen	C. attracted	D. fond
Ø 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 from 36 to 42.
Until recently, most American entrepreneurs were men. Discrimination against women in business, the demands of caring for families, and lack of business training had kept the number of women entrepreneurs small. Now, however, businesses owned by women account for more than $40 billion in annual revenues, and this figure is likely to continue rising throughout the 1990s. As Carolyn Doppelt Gray, an official of the Small Business Administration, has noted, “The 1970s was the decade of women entering management, and the 1980s turned out to be the decade of the woman entrepreneur". What are some of the factors behind this trend? For one thing, as more women earn advanced degrees in business and enter the corporate world, they are finding obstacles. Women are still excluded from most executive suites. Charlotte Taylor, a management consultant, had noted, "In the 1970s women believed if they got an MBA and worked hard they could become chairman of the board. Now they've found out that isn't going to happen, so they go out on their own".
In the past, most women entrepreneurs worked in "women's" fields: cosmetics and clothing, for example. But this is changing. Consider ASK Computer Systems, a $22-million-a-year computer software business, it was founded in 1973 by Sandra Kurtzig, who was then a housewife with degrees in math and engineering. When Kurtzig founded the business, her first product was software that let weekly newspapers keep tabs on their newspaper carriers-and her office was a bedroom at home, with a shoebox under the bed to hold the company's cash, After she succeeded with the newspaper software system, she hired several bright computer-science graduates to develop additional programs. When these were marketed and sold, ASK began to grow. It now has 200 employees, and Sandra Kurtzig owns $66.9 million of stock.
Of course, many women who start their own businesses fail, just as men often do. They still face hurdles in the business world, especially problems in raising money; the banking and finance world is still dominated by men, and old attitudes die hard. Most businesses owned by women are still quite small. But the situation is changing; there are likely to be many more Sandra Kurtzigs in the years ahead.
Question 36. What is the main idea of this passage?
A. Women today are better educated than in the past, making them more attractive to the business world.
	B. The computer is especially lucrative for women today.
	C. Women are better at small business than men are.
	D. Women today are opening more business of their own.
Question 37. All of the following were mentioned in the passage as detriments to women in the business world EXCEPT________.
	A. Women were required to stay at home with their families.
	B. Women lacked ability to work in business.
	C. Women faced discrimination in business.
	D. Women were not trained in business.
Question 38. In line 11, "that" refers to________.
	A. a woman becomes chairman of the board. C. Women achieving advanced degrees
	B. Women working hard	D. Women believing that business is a place for them.
Question 39. According to the passage, Charlotte Taylor believes that women in 1970s________.
	A. Were unrealistic about their opportunities in business management.
	B. Were still more interested in education than business opportunities
	C. Had fewer obstacles in business than they do today.
	D. Were unable to work hard enough to succeed in business.
Question 40. The expression "keep tabs on" in line 17 is closest meaning to________.
	A. recognize the appearance of	B. keep records of
	C. provide transportation for	D. pay the salaries of
Question 41. The word "hurdles" in line 23 can be best replaced by________.
	A. fences	B. obstacles	C. questions	D. small groups
Question 42. It can be inferred from the passage that the author believes that business operated by women are small because________.
	A. Women prefer a small intimate setting.
	B. Women can't deal with money.
	C. Women are not able to borrow money easily.
	D. Many women fail at large businesses.
Ø 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 from 43 to 50.
The growth of cities, the construction of hundreds of new factories, and the spread of railroads in the United Stases before 1850 had increased the need for better illumination. But the lighting in American homes had improved very little over that of ancient times. Through the colonial period, homes were lit with tallow candles or with a lamp of the kind used in ancient Rome- a dish of fish oil or other animal or vegetable oil in which a twisted rag served as a wick. Some people used lard, but they had to heat charcoal underneath to keep it soft and burnable. The sperm whale provided superior burning oil, but this was expensive. In 1830 a new substance called "camphene" was patented, and it proved to be an remained expensive, had an unpleasant odor, and also was dangerously explosive.
Between 1830 and 1850 it seemed that the only hope for cheaper illumination in the United States was the wider use of gas. In the 1840s American gas manufacturers adopted improved British techniques for producing illuminating gas from coal. But the expense of piping gas to the consumer remained so high that until mid- century gas lighting was feasible only in urban areas, and only for public buildings for the wealthy. In 1854 a Canadian doctor, Abraham Gesner, patented a process for distilling a pitch like mineral found in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia that produced illuminating gas and an oil that he called "kerosene" (from "keros", the Greek word for wax, and "ene" because it resembled camphene). Kerosene, though cheaper than camphene, had an unpleasant odor, and Gesner never made his fortune from it. But Gesner had aroused a new hope for making illuminating oil from a product coming out of Nort