Before we had kids, I used to do more housework than my husband did, but he was working thirteen hour days at the office compared _____ my eight-hour ones.

(484)_____

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Creative students ………. drawings and paintings in the ……….. club.

Choose the best answer:
My friend/ never/ ride/ horse/ before.

Read the following passage and choose the best answer (A, B, C, D):
Although only a small percentage of the electromagnetic radiation that is emitted by the Sun is ultraviolet (UV) radiation, the amount that is emitted would be enough to cause severe damage to most forms of life on Earth were it all to reach the surface of the Earth. Fortunately, all of the Sun’s ultraviolet radiation does not reach the Earth because of a layer of oxygen, called the ozone layer encircling the Earth in the stratosphere at an altitude of about 15 miles above the Earth. The ozone layer absorbs much of the Sun’s ultraviolet radiation and prevents it from reaching the Earth. Ozone is a form of oxygen in which each molecule consists of three atoms (O3) instead of the two atoms (O2) usually found in an oxygen molecule. Ozone forms in the stratosphere in a process that is initiated by ultraviolet radiation from the Sun. UV radiation from the Sun splits oxygen molecules with two atoms into free oxygen atoms, and each of these unattached oxygen atoms then joins up with an oxygen molecule to form ozone. UV radiation is also capable of splitting up ozone molecules; thus, ozone is constantly forming, splitting, and reforming in the stratosphere. When UV radiation is absorbed during the process of ozone formation and reformation, it is unable to reach Earth and cause damage there. Recently, however, the ozone layer over parts of the Earth has been diminishing. Chief among the culprits in the case of the disappearing ozone, those that are really responsible, are the chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). CFCs meander up from Earth into the stratosphere, where they break down and release chlorine. The released chlorine reacts with ozone in the stratosphere to form chlorine monoxide (ClO) and oxygen (O2). The chlorine then becomes free to go through the cycle over and over again. One chlorine atom can, in fact, destroy hundreds of thousands of ozone molecules in this repetitious cycle, and the effects of this destructive process are now becoming evident.
7. The pronoun "it" in paragraph 2 refers to: 

Choose the best answer:
My father was disappointed __________ my school result.

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:
Ranked as the number one beverage consumed worldwide, tea takes the lead over coffee in both popularity and production with 5 million metric tons of tea produced annually. Although much of this tea is consumed in Asian, European and African countries, the United States drinks its fair share. According to estimates by the Tea Council of the United States, tea is enjoyed by no less than half of the U.S population on any given day. Black tea or green tea – iced, spiced or instant – tea drinking has spurred a billion-dollar with major tea producer in Africa and South America and throughout Asia.
Tea is made from the leaves from an evergreen plant, Camellia saneness, which grows tall and lush in tropical region. On tea plantation, the plant is kept trimmed to approximately four feet high and as new buds called flush appear; they are plucked off by hand. Even in today’s world of modern agricultural machinery, hand harvesting continues to be the preferred method. Ideally, only the top two leaves and a bud should be picked. This new growth produces the highest quality tea.
After being harvested, tea leaves are laid out on long drying racks, called withering racks, for 18 to 20 hours. During this process, the tea softens and become limp. Next, dependent on the type of tea being product, the leaves may be crushed or chopped to release flavor, and then fermented under controlled condition of heat and humidity. For green tea, the whole leaves are often steamed to retain their green color, and the fermentation process is skipped. Producing black teas requires fermentation during which the tea leaves begin darken. After fermentation, black tea is dried in vats to produce its rich brown or black color.
No one knows when or how tea became popular, but legend has it that tea as a beverage was discovered in 2737 B.C. by Emperor Shen Nung of China when leaves from camellia dropped into his drinking water as it was boiling over a fire. As the story goes, Emperor Shen Nung drank the resulting liquid and proclaimed that the drink to be most nourishing and refreshing. Though this account cannot be documented, it is thought that tea drinking probably originated in China and spread to other parts of Asia, then Europe, and ultimately to America colonies around 1650.
With about half the caffeine content of coffee, tea is often chosen by those who want to reduce, but not necessarily eliminate their caffeine intake. Some people find that tea is less acidic than coffee and therefore easier on the stomach. Others have become interested in tea drinking since the National Cancer Institute publishes its finding on the antioxidant properties of tea. But whether tea is enjoyed for it perceived health benefit, its flavor, or as a social drink, teacups continue to be filled daily with the world’ most popular beverage.a

 What best describes the topic of the passage?

DAKAR (August 4) – Nentique Laboratories, Inc., announced today the development of a new variety of organic wheat that ---143--- heat. Dozens of plants were cross-pollinated over many years to produce this variety, known as GR-712. It joins a growing list of ---144--- that can withstand high temperatures during extended dry periods. "Some farmers in regions close to the equator focus---145--- on rice production because rice grows well in hot climates. But in the Sahara, it is too dry for much of the year," explains company spokesman Ahmad Niang. "But for a small investment in GR-712 seeds, farmers will now be able  to  grow  wheat  in  our  region."  146---.  This added income can, in turn, be reinvested in better machinery, which will encourage more environmentally friendly farming practices.

145..................

John could not continue the match ________his badly injured leg.

(424)_______

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My plans to travel around the world have ______ through because I couldn‟t save enough money.

Rewrite the sentence
This is the most wonderful performance I have ever seen.

A penalty shot is _____ when a major foul is committed inside the 5-meter line.

(416)_____

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 :
As printed media begin to lose their dominance as a way to (1)__________ information to the world, electronic media have stepped up and taken their place. Many people no longer read newspapers or magazines in their traditional paper forms, but they still do read. The (2)____________ delivery system is what has happened; many people are reading newspapers or magazines off of their smartphones, tablets, or on their computer screens. Probably the greatest criticism of online newspapers andmmagazines is that there often isn’t very much invested in the stories as they (3)___________. Rather than serious investigative journalism, the main point of many online publications is merely to attract page views (4)____________ the advertisers on those pages must pay a small fee. In the age of information, finding the information (5)__________ learning becomes the hardest task of all.

Rewrite sentences without changing the meaning
The film is not exciting enough for me to see.

Read the passage below carefully, and then choose the best answer:
Ocean Currents and the Turning of the Tide
If you take a seat at the beach and look out across the water, you’ll soon notice that oceans have a rhythm of their own. Throughout the course of the day, sea levels will rise and fall, and water will flow through routes and end up in different places. But how does it all work? One force at play is tides, which are the alternating water levels of the ocean. There are two major gravitational forces which cause tides: the sun and the moon. The moon’s force has a tugging effect on oceans which causes them to bulge outwards on opposite sides of the planet. Solar tides operate according to the same principles. However, they are only about 50 percent as strong due to the distance between the sun and the earth. As tides rise and fall, they create tidal currents. The strongest tidal currents occur at the height of both high and low tides. Unlike other currents, they do not flow in a continuous stream. Far from shore, tidal currents don’t have much of an effect. Yet when they pass through narrow area, like harbours and bays, tidal currents can displace plants, animals, and sediment. Although they may certainly shake things up, not all of the damage is negative. Tidal currents can spread fish eggs across long distances to assist fertilization, in addition to transporting key nutrients. Another category of currents is ocean currents. These currents occur near the top of the water, and are mainly powered by the wind. One example of these is coastal currents, which are those beachgoers encounter when going for a swim. One of the strongest and most well-known currents is the Gulf Stream, which brings warm water from the Gulf of Mexico all the way to Western Europe. Meanwhile, Deep Ocean currents are a powerful force in the depths of oceans. The strongest of these has been nicknamed the global conveyor belt, and it moves much slower than surface currents. Although we can’t see it in operation, it’s about 16 times as powerful as all the earth’s rivers put together. As the global conveyor belt pushes water around the planet, it carries nutrition and carbon dioxide to places that truly need them. In the end, although there are several currents working on oceans simultaneously, they each seem to perform a necessary function that creates balance for life in the sea.
3. What happens when tidal currents pass through harbours and bays?

As many of you are aware, Jacob Wu, our long-standing Chief Executive Officer, ---139--- on 1 October. Twenty years ago, Mr. Wu set out to create a Hong Kong-based services firm with an international scope. ---140---. Wu Investment Services currently serves clients in seventeen countries, 95 percent of whom have chosen to invest with us for the long term. Mr. Wu will be ---141--- by Thomas Wu, his son, who has served as Vice President of Wu Investment Services for the past four years. A gathering will be held on 28 September to celebrate Mr. Wu's ---142--- career. I will send further information about the event closer to the date. Thank you.

139.......................

 Choose the best answer:
Who is going to __________ your children when you’re at work?

Read the reading below carefully, and then complete it with the best option A, B, C or D given below:
(1) ........ .........most scientists dismiss tales of out-of-body experiences on the operating table as dreams and delusions, there are some cases which seem to defy rational explanation. Take Margaret Frobisher. In 2003, she was undergoing a routine operation under general anaesthetic at Sansdown Hospital in Kent. There were serious complications, (2) ......................... , and her heart stopped beating. Try (3) ......................... they might, the surgeon and anaesthetist were unable to resuscitate her. Finally, after eight minutes, they succeeded. (4) ......................... having been clinically dead, Margaret suffered no brain damage and no adverse side effects. The story doesn't stop there, (5) ......................... . When the anaesthetist went to visit her in her hospital bed, Margaret Frobisher recounted an amazing story. She said she vividly remembered floating above the operating table. And (6) ......................... her never having been conscious in that room at any time, she described the room and the resuscitation attempt in great detail. She said that (7) ......................... three of the walls were bright white, one was dark grey. This was true. She also said that, on the top of a cabinet in a corner of the operating theatre, there was an old book. (8) ......................... the anaesthetist didn't - and couldn't - believe her, she checked. There, just as Margaret Frobisher had described it, was the book. (9) ......................... as they tried, no one at the hospital could explain how Margaret could have known about the book. Even (10) ......................... one does not believe in a 'soul' or in life after death, it is difficult to explain what happened in that operating theatre when Margaret Frobisher's heart stopped beating

Rewrite the sentence without changing the meaning
 ‘Can you play the piano?”, he asked the girl.

Choose the best answer:
……… are films by pictures, not real people and often for children.

Read the passage below carefully, and then choose the best answer:
The Particle that Started the Big Bang
In 2013, the Nobel Prize for Physics was awarded to Francois Englert and Peter W. Higgs for their discovery of a particle that is vital to our understanding of the universe. Although its official name is the Higgs boson, many refer to it as the God particle, because it’s considered to be the building block of the universe. Many believe that the Higgs boson may be the cause for the Big Bang explosion which led to the creation of the universe. In the 1960s, Higgs came up with the concept that particles had no mass when the universe started. In a split-second, however, it came into contact with something that gave it mass. This, Higgs theorized, was the Higgs boson. Many scientists initially laughed at the idea, but in the upcoming years, Higgs along with Englert and several of their peers continued to work on these concepts. Their ideas would eventually help lead the way to the discovery of the Higgs boson decades later. The search for the Higgs boson certainly didn’t come up cheap, as it cost nearly $10 billion to build the machinery necessary to perform the tests to find it. Yet nearly every physicist would agree that it was worth it, as the Higgs boson has already been labeled as one of the most important discoveries in particle physics. The finding is also a huge boost for physics in general because it proves that the Standard Model of Physics which researchers have been using for years is correct. The Higgs was the last remaining question mark as all of the other particles and elements had been found. Still, many ordinary people may question how such a discovery affects their lives at all. Although quantum mechanics may seem weird, it has actually led to several important technological breakthroughs over the past century. These findings have led to laser and X-ray technologies that work in the real world. There is still much to be learned with further observation of the Higgs boson in action. Scientists hope to learn more about dark matter, a strange substance that constitutes 25 percent of the mass of the universe. The research could also lead to some other technologies as well.
3. What did people think when Higgs first introduced his particle theory in the 1960s?
 

Choose the best answer:
The street is full of traffic from morning___________ night.