Can you make a ______ estimate of how much our expedition in the desert may be?

(340)_______

Read the passage below carefully, and then choose the best answer:
The Invention of the Periodic Table
If you are looking to gain a better understanding of the world around you, chemistry is the perfect subject to study. It is an examination of matter, its properties, and its interactions with everything around it. Where physics often deals with concepts and theories that are difficult to test and observe, chemistry principles can easily be applied to medicine, cooking, and several other areas. At the heart of all these discoveries is one vital chart that organizes elements based on their atomic number and chemical properties: the periodic table. Although the first periodic table was published in 1869, it was a work in progress for hundreds, if not thousands of years. Since ancient times, people have been fascinated with elements such as gold, tin, and copper in their natural forms. They were mined and used to make jewellery, weapons, coins, and many other things. Over time, people became more curious about these metals and how they were composed. In ancient Greece, Aristotle and other philosophers claimed things were made from the elements of earth, water, fire, and air. For years, this theory was accepted. Then people began to reevaluate this concept during the Age of Enlightenment. In 1661, Irish scientist Robert Boyle defined an element as something that “cannot be broken down into a simpler substance by a chemical reaction”. Over a century later, French chemist Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier would publish the first modern textbook on chemistry. In it, he listed several substances which he believed should be classified as elements into two categories: metals, and non-metals. Although his work wasn’t completely accurate, it represented a major step forward at the time. Over the next century, scientists started to classify the elements into different groups depending on their properties and atomic weights. However, it is Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev who is usually credited as the first person to make a periodic table. Although other scientists had submitted tables, they were eventually rejected by the scientific community for a lack of detail. Mendeleev arranged all of the elements according to their atomic mass. He was even smart enough to leave empty spaces for elements which hadn’t been discovered at the time. Although Mendeleev’s periodic table wasn’t perfect, it set the format which is similar to the one used today.
2. How is chemistry different from physics?

Choose the best answer:
The little girl asked what............to her friend.

Choose the best answer:
I haven't seen him since I left school. → I last

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:
We are being bombarded with advertisements all the time and a lot of them are targeted at young people. Smaller children, (1) _______ spending their own pocket money, can also influence what their parents buy, so many TV ads are created with kids (2) _______ . For example, adverts for drinks feature cartoon animals. Then, as two-year-olds are being pushed around the shop by their parents in a trolley, they (3) _______ the drink from the advert and ask the adults to buy it. As children grow older, some products are marketed to them as ‘must-have’ items, (4) _______ that children won’t be liked by their friends if they don’t get them. Teenagers are incredibly (5) _______ of adverts, so products aimed at them have to be advertised much more cleverly. For example, advertisers give away stickers which direct teens to a website with more information about the product

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 :
Books are normally thought of in terms of the pages that are looked at. They are simple, two-dimensional objects that we read. There are words on the page and occasionally (1)_________ that help us see more clearly what the words are being used to describe. They are sources of knowledge, but more often than not they aren’t considered very special. Some books take it another steps further, though, and their pages jump (2)_________ and form three-dimensional objects. These books can make adults smile and cause children to be wide-eyed with (3)__________. Called pop-up books in our times, they have been around longer than most people think they have. Pop-up books were originally called mechanical books, and these paper (4)________ took a lot of work to make. They were not for children at all, although centuries ago there were practically no books made for children. The mechanical books helped illustrate (5)__________ things as the phases of the moon or were used to teach complex theories

Read the passage below carefully, and then choose the best answer:
Microwave Magic
The 20th century was a time in which many great inventions were created. Things like the automobile, computers, and the Internet truly changed the way we live forever. Yet, one handy invention that has made eating at home far more convenient is often overlooked. The invention of microwave allowed even the worst cooks in the world to prepare a meal in essentially no time at all. What is really fascinating about microwave ovens is that they were invented by accident. During World War II, British scientists discovered a device called a magnetron that can produce microwaves. They hoped it would help them quickly identify German planes that were intent on bombing their nation. However, it would be an American scientist named Percy Spencer who linked microwaves with cooking food. One day, Spencer brought a candy bar with him to work, and he stored it in his shirt pocket. While walking through a radar set, he noticed that the radar had somehow melted his treat. Afterwards, Spencer and his coworkers started to experiment with heating other things. They tried heating some popcorn kernels and it worked like a charm. Next, they tried to cook an egg with microwaves, but it literally blew up in their face. In 1945, the company that Spencer worked for, Raytheon, filed a patent for the technology and started working on ways to make microwave ovens more efficient. The first commercial microwave ovens hit the market, and an industry was born. In the first few years, things didn’t appear too promising. Early microwaves were quite expensive and they were big and chunky, so it was difficult to fit them in most kitchens. Yet, people did see the benefit an ease of being able to cook foods so quickly. Therefore, once manufacturers were able to shrink the device and bring down the price a bit, sales started to skyrocket. By 1986, approximately 25 percent of Americans had a microwave oven in their kitchen. Through the years, many people have questioned the safety and potential negative health effects of microwaves, fearing that the technology was a little too good to be true. Yet, some studies have shown that microwaving food actually helps it to retain more nutrients because of the short cooking times and minimal water required. However, it is essential to use microwave containers to avoid harmful chemicals from possibly leaking into your food. Microwave dishes may never be seen as gourmet cooking, but when you are in a hurry, nothing beats this method of cooking.
2. What was the first use of microwaves?

Choose the best answer:
She started driving 1 month ago. → She has

Read the following passage and choose the best answer (A, B, C, D):
During the nineteenth century, women in the United States organized and participated in a large number of reform movements, including movements to reorganize the prison system, improve education, ban the sale of alcohol, and, most importantly, free the slaves. Some women saw similarities in the social status of women and slaves. Women like Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucy Stone were feminists and abolitionists who supported the rights of both women and blacks. A number of male abolitionists, including William Lloyd Garrison and Wendell Philips, also supported the rights of women to speak and participate equally with men in antislavery activities. Probably more than any other movement, abolitionism offered women a previously denied entry into politics. They became involved primarily in 20 order to better their living conditions and the conditions of others. When the Civil War ended in 1865, the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments to the Constitution adopted in 1868 and 25 1870 granted citizenship and suffrage to blacks but not to women. Discouraged but resolved, feminists influenced more and more women to demand the right to vote. In 1869, the Wyoming Territory had yielded 30to demands by feminists, but eastern states resisted more stubbornly than before. A women's suffrage bill had been presented to every Congress since 1878 but it continually failed to pass until 1920, 35 when the Nineteenth Amendment granted women the right to vote.
4. According to the passage, why did women become active in politics?

In the world of ---143--- apps, those developed by Arvedlon, Inc., stand out for their innovation and ease of use. The newly released Forward Path app ---144--- tablets and smartphones are no exception. Forward Path connects with home exercise equipment such as stationary bicycles and rowing machines. Users can select video footage of dozens of real-world routes. Then they can choose from several speed options ---145--- the video to the pace of their workouts. ---146---. While nothing can replace an outdoor workout, Forward Path comes closer than any other app currently on the market. Our testers highly recommend it.

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

Read the passage below carefully, and then choose the best answer:
The Magical Mind of Leonardo Da Vinci
When someone shows great skills in a certain field, we call them a genius. In particular, the term is most associated with two people. One is the famed scientist Albert Einstein, and the other is Leonardo Da Vinci. However, unlike Einstein, whose achievements were essentially all related to science, Leonardo Da Vinci was a master at art, architecture, invention, and several other areas. Da Vinci was bom in Italy in 1452. He took to art at an early age and at age 14, he went to study as an apprentice in Florence under the artist Verrocchio. For the next six years. Da Vinci picked up drawing, carpentry, sculpting, and many other techniques from his master and his talent was evident. In fact, Da Vinci was such a good painter that his talent frustrated his master. Eventually, Verrocchio was so frustrated by his student’s genius that he stopped painting altogether. By the age of 20, Da Vinci was considered a master artist and set up his own workshop. It was there that Da Vinci was approached to create a painting for the Duke of Milan. The Duke was so impressed by his work that he would bring him under his service. In addition to creating paintings and sculptures, the Duke also had him design innovative buildings, machines, and weapons. Da Vinci would draw up plans for several futuristic inventions including tanks, submarines, and flying machines. He also mastered the art of drawing every muscle and detail of the human body. The only criticism one could make of Da Vinci is that his brilliant mind jumped so quickly from subject to subject that he rarely completed the works he started. The ones he did finish were often spectacular masterpieces, such as his paintings The Last Supper and the timeless Mona Lisa. The latter, which is on display at the Louvre in Paris, is arguably the most famous painting of all times because of its incredible detail and realism. Although Da Vinci died in 1519, his effect on the art world has never waned. He helped coin the term “Renaissance man” which refers to someone who excels in many different areas. Perhaps the greatest present Da Vinci left behind was his journals. Admirers and students of his work can examine 13,000 pages of his notes, drawings, and ideas to better understand what made this genius tick.
7. What does the passage say about Da Vinci’s journals in paragraph 3?

FAMILY HISTORY

In an age when technology is developing faster than ever before, many people are being (21).........  to the idea of looking back into the past. One way they can do this is by investigating their own family history. They can try to (22) ............ out more about where their family came from and what they did. This is now a fast-growing hobby, especial in countries with a (23).............  short history, like Australia and the United States.

It is (24).................  thing to spend some time (25) ................... through a book on family history and to take the (26) .............. to investigate your own family’s past. It is (27) ............. another to carry out the research work successfully. It is easy to set about it in a disorganised way and (28) ................ yourself many problems which could have been (29)............ with a little forward planning.

If your own family stories tell you that you are (30) ........... with a famous character, whether hero or criminal, do not let this idea take over your research. Just treat it as an interesting possibility. A simple system for collecting and storing your path. The most important thing, though, is to get started. Who knows what you might find?

(22).........

Choose the best answer:
The ao dai used for men were different ________those for women.

Choose the best answer:
They ________ close friends at university.

Rewrite sentences without changing the meaning
No mount in the world is higher than Mount Everest.

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:
The American type of football was developed in the 19th century from soccer and rugby football. Played by professionals, amateurs, college and high school students, or young children, football in American is one of the most popular sports besides basketball and baseball. It attracts millions of fans each fall and people are very supportive of their favourite teams. The football playing field of today is rectangular in shape and measures 100 yards long and 53.5 yards wide. White lines are painted on the playing field to mark off the distances to the end zone. The games is divided into four quarters, each fifteen minutes long. The first two quarters are known as the first half. There is a rest period between two halves which usually last about fifteen minutes. Each team has eleven players. Each team has offensive players who play when the team has possession of the ball and defensive players who play when the other team has the possession of the ball. Because of the body contact players have during the game, helmets are worn to protect their head and face area, whereas pads are worn to protect the shoulders, arms, and legs. Also, there are officials carrying whistles and flags to make certain that the rules of the game are followed during the game. The football is made of leather and is brown in colour. It is shaped much like an oval and has white rings near each end of the football. These rings help the players see the ball when it is thrown or someone is running with it. The eight stitches on the top of the football help the players to grip the ball when throwing or passing. The most famous game of the year is Super Bowl that is played in January or February. It is televised around the world and is watched by millions of people each year.

The word "grip" in the passage means to

Read the following passage and choose the best answer (A, B, C, D):
Harvard University, today recognized as part of the top echelon of the world's universities, came from very inauspicious and humble beginning. This oldest of American universities was founded in 1636, just sixteen years after the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth. Included in the Puritan emigrants to the Massachusetts colony during this period were more than 100 graduates of England's prestigious Oxford and Cambridge universities, and these universities graduates in the New Word were determined that their sons would have the same educational opportunities that they themselves had had. Because of this support in the colony for an institution of higher learning, the General Court of Massachusetts appropriated 400 pounds for a college in October of 1636 and early the following year decided on a parcel of land for the school; this land was in an area called Newetowne, which was later renamed Cambridge after its English cousin and is the site of the present-day university. When a young minister named John Harvard, who came from the neighboring town of Charlestown, died from tuberculosis in 1638, he willed half of his estate of 1,700 pounds to the fledgling college. In spite of the fact that only half of the bequest was actually paid, the General Court named the college after the minister in appreciation for what he had done. The amount of the bequest may not have been large, particularly by today's standard, but it was more than the General Court had found it necessary to appropriate in order to open the college. Henry Dunster was appointed the first president of Harvard in 1640, and it should be noted that in addition to serving as president, he was also the entire faculty, with an entering freshmen class of four students. Although the staff did expand somewhat, for the first century of its existence the entire teaching staff consisted of the president and three or four tutors.
8. The word "fledgling" in paragraph 3 could best be replaced by which of the following?

Read the passage below carefully, and then choose the best answer:
Fighting Back against Bullying
It is often said that childhood is the most joyful period in a person’s life. This is supposed to be a time when children can focus on their studies and enjoy their free time with friends. However, these days more and more children are experiencing a stressful and miserable adolescence due to bullying. Bullying occurs when one student, or a group of students, uses aggression to harm another child and try to make them feel bad. This abuse can either be physical, such as pushing or beating another student, or it could take the form of mental abuse, such as taunting and teasing the student. Although it may seem harmless to some, studies show that bullying can greatly impact a child’s life and have long-lasting negative effects. People who have been bullied may experience self-esteem issues and start to lack confidence in almost everything they do. These traits can make it difficult to manage relationships and even cause them to have trouble holding down a steady job. One of the most harmful types of bullying that is on the rise is cyberbullying. The bullied student is targeted in cruel or threatening e-mails, instant messages, or hateful public posts about them. In many cases, bullies will post embarrassing pictures of the victim or spread nasty rumors about them through social media. In some tragic cases, children have even turned to suicide, feeling that they can’t deal with the humiliation. If you are being bullied by another student, you don’t have to accept it or suffer. There are some steps you can take to deal with the problem. At first, you may try to ignore the bully, as they will often lose interest in bothering you if you don’t react. If the bullying persists, however, you should tell a trusted adult as soon as possible. This could be a parent, a family friend, a teacher, a school guidance counselor, or even the school principal. Until recently, many teachers and school officials turned a blind eye to bullying, believing that the students would eventually sort it out by themselves. But this mindset has changed in recent years in light of some of the tragedies that have occurred. If for any reason you feel that your complaints are not being taken seriously, there are other groups available online who will help you deal with bullying. By dealing with bullying at an early stage, you can stop it before it gets much worse.
3. What does the author suggest that students should do if someone starts to bully them?

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:
At 7pm on a dark, cold November evening, thousands of people are making their way across a vast car park. They’re not here to see a film, or the ballet, or even the circus. They are all here for what is, bizarrely, a global phenomenon: they are here to see Holiday on Ice. Given that most people don’t seem to be acquainted with anyone who’s ever been, the show’s statistics are extraordinary: nearly 300 million people have seen Holiday on Ice since it began in 1943; it is the most popular live entertainment in the world.
But what does the production involve? And why are so many people prepared to spend their lives travelling round Europe in caravans in order to appear in it? It can't be glamorous, and it's undoubtedly hard work. The backstage atmosphere is an odd mix of gym class and workplace. A curtained-off section at the back of the arena is laughably referred to as the girls' dressing room, but is more accurately described as a corridor, with beige, cracked walls and cheap temporary tables set up along the length of it. Each girl has a small area littered with pots of orange make-up, tubes of mascara and long false eyelashes.
As a place to work, it must rank pretty low down the scale: the area round the ice-rink is grey and mucky with rows of dirty blue and brown plastic seating and red carpet tiles. It's an unimpressive picture, but the show itself is an unquestionably vast, polished global enterprise: the lights come from a firm in Texas, the people who make the audio system are in California, but Montreal supplies the smoke effects; former British Olympic skater Robin Cousins is now creative director for the company and conducts a vast master class to make sure they're ready for the show's next performance.
The next day, as the music blares out from the sound system, the cast start to go through their routines under Cousins’ direction. Cousins says, The aim is to make sure they're all still getting to exactly the right place on the ice at the right time - largely because the banks of lights in the ceiling are set to those places, and if the skaters are all half a metre out they'll be illuminating empty ice. Our challenge, ‘he continues, ‘is to produce something they can sell in a number of countries at the same time. My theory is that you take those things that people want to see and you give it to them, but not in the way they expect to see it. You try to twist it. And you have to find music that is challenging to the skaters, because they have to do it every night.’
It may be a job which he took to pay the rent, but you can't doubt his enthusiasm. “The only place you'll see certain skating moves is an ice show,” he says, “because you're not allowed to do them in competition. It's not in the rules. So the ice show world has things to offer which the competitive world just doesn't.” Cousin knows what he's talking about because he skated for the show himself when he stopped competing - he was financially unable to retire. He learnt the hard way that you can't put on an Olympic performance every night. “I'd be thinking, these people have paid their money, now do your stuff, and I suddenly thought”, “I really can't cope. I'm not enjoying it”. The solution, he realised, was to give 75 per cent every night, rather than striving for the sort of twice-a-year excellence which won him medals.
To be honest, for those of us whose only experience of ice-skating is watching top-class Olympic skaters, some of the movements can look a bit amateurish, but then, who are we to judge? Equally, it's impossible not to be swept up in the whole thing; well, you'd have to try pretty hard not to enjoy it.

It is mentioned in paragraph 3 that     .

Choose the best answer:
She noticed a marked _______ in the children on her second visit.

Read the following passage and choose the best answer (A, B, C, D):
Hot springs are natural springs which produce warm water. Usually, these springs produce water that is at a temperature above the human body. The water is (1) __________ heated. The water comes from close to the center of the earth. There are hot springs in many places all over the world. Some of these are not so hot and people can bathe in them. However, other hot springs are dangerously hot. If a person tried to (2)___________ a bath, they would be seriously hurt, or they might die. Yangpachen Hot Springs in Tibet are famous example of hot springs. In particular, they are famous (3) _________ they are the highest hot springs in the world. These hot springs are 4,500 meters above sea (4)_______. From these hot springs people can see beautiful views of the Nyainqen Tanggula mountain range. There is a resort there that people can visit. At this resort, there are three hot spring pools that people can use. The natural water in these pools is cooled down so that people can bathe (5)_______ comfort. The original temperature of the water is 70 degrees Celsius or 158 degrees Fahrenheit.