Choose the best answer:
Almost everyone says that computers are wonderful and that they are (35)...... our lives for the better by making everything faster and more reliable, but I am not so sure that this is the (36)....... .The other day I was standing in a large department store waiting to pay for a couple of films for my camera (37)..... t he assistant announced that the computer which controlled the till (38)........ working. I did not think this was a big problem and I (39)....... to find another counter, but of course, all the machines are part of the same system. So there we were: a shop full of customers, money at the ready, waiting to (40)....... our purchases, but it was quite clear that none of the assistants knew what to do. They were not allowed to take our money and give to customers a written(41)........ ,because the sales wouldn‟t then have been recorded on the computer system. In the end,(42).......... many other people, I left my shopping on the counter and walked out .Don't you think so that's ridiculous? It (43).......... never have happened before computers, and that, for me, is the problem: we are beginning to depend on these machines so completely that we (44).......... cannot manage without them anymore

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Once upon a time, people left school or university, joined a company and stayed within until they retired. The concept of a job for life is now long (1)_______, and nowadays many employees find it hard to stay loyal to their companies for even a relatively short period of time. According to a recent survey, this is particularly (2)_______ in London, where more than half of those asked said that they constantly (3)_______ one eye on other job opportunities, (4)_______ they are fairly happy in their existing job. A high number of London workers say that they are always on the (5)_______ , although they are content and motivated in their current position. Job seekers find that the internet (6)_______ them with a quick and easy way to find out what's available, and 53 percent said that they had applied for a job or registered with an employment agency in the past 12 months. This proactive (7)_______ means that people can look for a perfect job match with the (8)_______ of effort. But while this is good for job hunters, the growing lack of company loyalty could (9)_______ up being a big problem for employers .Perhaps surprisingly, the (10)_______ factors attracting job seekers was not more money, but challenging and interesting work

Choose the best answer:
The first question we might ask is: What can you learn in college that will help you in being an employee? The schools teach (55) _______ many things of value to the future accountant, doctor or electrician. Do they also teach anything of value to the future employee? Yes, they teach the one thing that it is perhaps most valuable for the future employee (56)_______. But very few students bother to learn it. This basic skill is the ability to organize and express ideas in writing and in speaking. This means that your success as an employee will depend on your ability to communicate with people and to (57) _______ your own thoughts and ideas to them so they will (58) _______ understand what you are driving and be persuaded. Of course, skill in expression is not enough (59) _______ itself. You must have something to say in the first place. The effectiveness of your job depends (60) _______ your ability to make other people understand your work as they do on the quality of the work itself. Expressing one‘s thoughts is one skill that the school can (61) _______ teach. The foundations for skill in expression have to be (62) _______ early: an interest in and an ear (63) _______ language; experience in organizing ideas and data, in brushing aside the irrelevant, and above all the habit of verbal expression. If you do not these foundations (64) _______ your school years, you may never have an opportunity again

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Last summer, air pollution in Paris reached dangerous levels on six separate occasions. As a result, the government have recently decided that public transport in French cities will be (1) ……… on days when pollution becomes a (2) ……… to people‘s health, in a(n) (3) ……… to encourage people to leave their cars at home. The Mayor of Paris said that he had several other ideas to reduce the pollution problem, such as free parking on the (4) ……… of the city on hot, still days when exhaust fumes tend to accumulate. He has also announced a $6 million plan for 56 km of bicycle tracks, new pedestrianised zone and a new tram line for southern Paris. His most popular measure (5) ……… becoming mayor last May has been to (6) ……… traffic from several streets on Sundays. Every summer, air quality is at its (7) ……… in Paris during holiday weekends, especially one weekend in July when the (8) ……… of the population leave by car for their summer holidays. Condition then improve for the summer, but deteriorate again when most residents return at the end of August. The free transport (9) ……… is part of the response to a new environmental regulation which says that local authorities must guarantee safe air. If it is (10) ……… seriously, locals can look forward to a cleaner Paris in the future

The popular view of towns and cities in developing countries and of urbanization process is that despite the benefits and comforts it brings, the emergence of such cities connotes environmental degradation, generation of slums and squatters, urban poverty, unemployment, crimes, lawlessness, traffic chaos etc. But what is the reality? Given the unprecedented increase in urban population over the last 50 years from 300 million in 1950 to 2 billion in 2000 in developing countries, the wonder really is how well the world has coped, and not how badly.

In general, the urban quality of life has improved in terms of availability of water and sanitation, power, health and education, communication and transport. By way of illustration, a large number of urban residents have been provided with improved water in urban areas in Asia’s largest countries such as China, India, Indonesia and the Philippines. Despite that, the access to improved water in terms of percentage of the total urban population seems to have declined during the last decade of 20th century, though in absolute numbers, millions of additional urbanites, have been provided improved services. These countries have made significant progress in the provision of sanitation services too, together, providing for an additional population of more than 293 million citizens within a decade (1990-2000). These improvements must be viewed against the backdrop of the rapidly increasing urban population, fiscal crunch and strained human resources and efficient and quality-oriented public management.

The reality of urbanization is reflected in ______.

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The latest addiction to trap thousands of people is Internet, which has been (1) ............... for broken relationships, job losses, finacial ruin and even one suicide. Psychologists now recognize Internet Addiction Syndrome (IAS) as a new illness that could (2) ................... serious problems and ruin many lives. Special help groups have been set up to (3) .................. sufferers help and support. IAS is similar to (4) ................... problems like gambling, smoking and drinking : addicts have dreams about Internet; they need to use it first thing in the morning; they (5) ............... to their partners about how much time they spend online; they (6) .................. they could cut down, but are unable to do so . A recent study found that many users spend up to 6 hours a week on the Internet; (7) .................... they felt guilty, they became depressed if they were (8) ................... to stop using it. Almost anyone can be at risk. Some of the addicts are teenagers who are already hooked on computer games and who (9) .................... it very difficult to resist the games on the Internet. Surprisingly, however, psychologists (10) .................. that most victims are middle-aged housewives who have never used a computer before

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Sugar tastes sweet because of thousands of receptors on the tongue which connect the substance with the brain. The taste of sweetness is (1) ____ accepted as the most pleasurable known although it is a fructose Abundant is the most common occurring sugar, (2) ____of which include fruit and honey. Sucrose which supplies glucose to the body, is (3) ____ from the sugar cane plant, and white sugar (pure sucrose) is used by food technologists to (4) ____ sweetness in other substances. Approximately a dozen artificial (5) ____ have been discovered; one of the earliest was Sorbitol from France. Manufacturers (6) ____ large amounts of sugar to foodstuffs but never more than the (7) ____ required to produce the optimum pleasurable taste. Surprisingly, this (8) ____ is similar for different people and in different cultures. No one has (9) ____ discovered a way to predict whether a substance will taste sweet, and it was by (10) ____ alone that all the man-made chemical sweeteners were found to be sweet

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

The increase in urbanization causes different problems. Air and water pollution are amongst the major issue we have to tackle.

In the first place, cars, factories and burning waste emit dangerous gases that change the air quality in our cities and pose threats to our health. Dangerous gases such as carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides cause respiratory diseases, for instant, bronchitis and asthma. Those are also proved to have long-term effects on the environment.

Furthermore, with the increased population, it becomes difficult to manage the waste generated in cities. Most of the waste is discharged or dumped into rivers or onto streets. The waste pollutes water and makes it unfit for human consumption. Subsequently, it becomes more and more difficult for city dwellers to get clean water. Some cities in Africa are unable to provide adequate water supply because most of the water is lost in pipe leakages. In fact, most city dwellers in developing countries are forced to boil their water or to buy bottled water, which is very expensive.

There are several actions that could be taken to eradicate the problems described above. Firstly, a simple solution would be joining community efforts to address problems affecting your city. Ask your parents, friends and relatives to join in as well. These efforts might include clean-up campaigns, recycling projects and a signature campaign to ask the government to do something about the situation. A second measure would be encouraging your teacher to talk about these problems and to discuss how young people can help to solve them. Finally, writing to local organizations working on these issues for ideas on how you can contribute to solve them.

Which of the following would serve as the best title for the passage?

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Artist Kit Williams was always interested in trying new things, so when it was suggested that he should (1) _______ a book, he preferred to write his own story rather than work with someone else's. He hit (2) _______ a new idea . What better way to attract people's (3) _______ to his work than to give his readers the chance to take part in a treasure hunt? So Kit made a golden pendant in the (4) _______ of a hare and buried it underground at a secret location. The words and pictures in his book, Masquerade, (5) _______ clues as to where the hare was buried. Almost two million readers from all over the world joined in the rush to solve the puzzle. The race was open to all, and no one had any advantage - the treasure was as likely to be found by a clever child of ten as it was by a university professor. After more than two years, the golden hare was found by a businessman who called himself Ken Thomas, although this was actually a (6) _______ name. It appears that "Thomas" subsequently sold the hare for a large (7) _______ of money. Afterwards some people (8) _______ that the discovery of the hare was not based purely on the information in the book, but was the result of a complex (9) _______ in which "Thomas" was helped by a former girlfriend of Kit Williams. However, "Thomas" has always firmly (10) _______ these claims

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How many times in the last hundred years or so have people talked of the imminent death of the book? Films were an early threat because they were so effective at telling stories in a visual way. Next there was radio, (26)...... stepped into the mid-twentieth century and provided such an alternative to books as drama, documentaries and discussions. When television arrived, many people believed that it would finish the book off. Nowadays, (27)............ the threat by TV, the book is thought to be endangered by computers and the Internet, and by other technological attractions (28).........  theCD and the video game, too Surely there are now reasons why (29).............  book ought to be dead, or at least very badly injured. If so, why does it not show proper respect for these reportedly less literate times (30)......... die out? There is clearly more than a single answer to this question. Firstly, we have more leisure time than we(31)..........  to, and people are generally living longer, which means there is more time to do more (including reading books). As (32)............ as this, there is the strength of the book as a tradition. We are all too dismissive of traditions in our modern world, but they can have very strong pull (33)....... us. Added to this, the book is such a practical tool: it doesn't cost too (34).......... , it is usually small enough to carry around, and it can easily be (35)......... . We will never go without books, because they have served us so well for so long

Choose the best answer:
Minor illnesses have a nasty habit of striking (1)______ the wrong time, don‘t they ? (2) ______ you have a pile of things to do at work and even more on your plate at home, the last thing you want is a (3) _______ throat or a tension headache to drag you down. (4) _______ this summer, when you‘re feeling (5)_______ the weather, remember that a visit to your (6) ______ pharmacy (7)_______ be a real bonus in helping you get the right remedy to ease your symptoms. But it‘s not (8) ______ the medication that assists the cure – only at a pharmacy will you find expert (9)________ from a highly trained health professional. Just try asking a supermarket shelf what it (10) _______ for family heath problems !

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Hypatia was born in Alexandria, in Egypt, in 370 A.D. For many centuries, she was (16) only woman scientist to have a place in the history books. Hypatia's father was director of Alexandria University, and he (17) sure his daughter had the best education available. This was unusual, as most women then had few (18) to study. After studying in Athens and Rome, Hypatia returned to Alexandria (19) she began teaching mathematics. She soon became famous (20) her knowledge of new ideas. We have no copies of her book, (21) we know that she wrote several important mathematical works. Hypatia was also interested in technology and (22) several scientific tools to help with her work. At the (23) , many rulers were afraid of science, and (24) connected with it was in danger. One day in March 415, Hypatia (25) attacked in the street and killed

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According to a magazine article I read recently, we (1) _____live in an age of increasing leisure. Not only are more and more people reaching (2) _____ age with their taste for enjoyment and even adventure relatively (3) _____ but the working week is becoming shorter and the opportunities for (4) _____ are becoming greater and greater all the time. Not to mention the fact that people tend to spend less time traveling to work or may even be working from home. What I can‘t understand, however, is who these people are. As far as I can (5) _____ the whole thing is another one of those journalistic fictions. I admit that there are a lot of retired people (6) _____but I am not sure that all of them are dashing about learning hang-gliding or sailing single-handed (7) _____ the world. My own parents seem to spend most of their time gazing at the television. And as for the shorter working week, I wish someone would remind my company about it. I seem to be working longer hours (8) _____the time. The little leisure time I have is eaten into by sitting in traffic jams or waiting for trains to (9) _____up at rain-swept platforms. I haven‘t noticed any dramatic improvements in my (10) _____either, but perhaps I just have to wait until I get my pension

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From the seeds themselves to the machinery, fertilizers and pesticides –The Green Revolution regimen depends heavily on technology. One (1)_____, however , depends much (2)_________on technology – organic farming . Many organic farmers use machinery, but (3)_____chemical fertilizers or pesticides .(4)______chemical soil enriches , they use animal manure and plant part not used as food – natural , organic fertilizers that are clearly a renewable (5)_____.Organic farmers also use alternatives (6)_____pesticides ; for example they many rely on natural predators of certain insect pets.(7)___ the need arises ; they can buy the eggs and larvae of these natural predators and introduce them into their crop fields . They use(8)_____techniques to control pests as well , like planting certain crops together because one crop repels the other‘s pests . Organic farmers do not need a lot of land ; (9)_____, organic farming is perfectly (10)_____to small farm and is relatively inexpensive .Finally , many organic farmers‘ average yields compare favorably with other farmers‘ yields

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the undelined part that needs correction in each of the following questions:
Think for a moment about the last music album you bought. Most likely, you’ll think of the singer or band that made you want to buy the album. You might even know the name of the guitar player or the drummer. Those talented performers, however, are only some of the people in the music industry work behind the scenes, but the roles they play in the musical progress are very important. Songwriters: Songs begin with the songwriter. Some songwriters work alone, but many work in teams that combine the talents of a lyricist, who writes the words to songs, and an instrumentalist, often a piano player or guitarist, who writes the music. Many of today’s pop stars work with songwriters. For example, some of Lady Gaga’s biggest hits were written by Nadir Khayat, also known “RedOne”. Some songwriting teams have become very famous, such as Mike Stock, Matt Aitken, and Pete Waterman, who were responsible for many big 1980s pop hits.
Arrangers: After a song has been written, music arrangers make it more appealing by deciding which instruments will be used, what tempo, or speed, the song will have, and whether the song should have a lower or higher pitch. A good arrangement can bring a song to life and make it a classic.
Studio Musicians: Not every singer or instrumentalist can be a star, and many work in the background as studio musicians. These artists are not a part of any one musical group. Instead, they are hired for recording sessions that eventually become the albums you buy, as well as soundtracks for television shows, movies, and radio ads.
Recording Engineers: Recording engineers also play a major role in creating the final sound that you hear. First, these engineers set up the recording studio, the room where the performers play, placing musicians and microphones in exactly the right places to get the best sound. Next, they use electronic equipment, such multi-track recorders, to capture the music. Finally, long after the musicians have gone home, recording engineers use a mixing board to balance the melodies and rhythms of each musician, and sometimes to incorporate special sound effects or additional tracks. Many people make a living with music. You may not recognize all of their names, but all of them work together to create the songs you love to listen to.

Which sentence is NOT true about studio musicians?

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Most people feel that when they dream, they are (35)________ off to another world. On the (36)________, dreams are often connected to our daily lives. When our whole (37)_________ is filled with something, when we are either very upset (38)________ when we are in good spirit, a dream will represent this reality in symbols. It is often (39)_______ that we benefit from dreams because they help the spirit to heal itself when things (40)__________ wrong Dreams are therefore a kind of escape, almost a holiday from (41)__________ life, with its fears and responsibilities. It is, however, a strange kind of holiday because whether we have a wonderful time or whether it turns (42)_________ to be a nightmare, we quickly forget it. Most dreams disappear forever, (43)_________ you are one of those people disciplined enough to write them down as soon as you (44)_________

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the undelined part that needs correction in each of the following questions:
Vietnam officially became a full member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on July 28, 1995. Since then, Vietnam has worked together with other ASEAN member countries to reinforce regional cooperation and made great contributions to maintaining peace, stability and reconciliation in the region.
In the past years in the ASEAN, Vietnam has reaped (obtained) many successes in all social and economic fields. The country has gradually restructured its administrative apparatus to suit a market economy and to integrate into the international community. Vietnam has made a good impression on ASEAN countries with its achievements in economic development especially in hunger eradication and poverty alleviation. ASEAN countries' investment into Vietnam has also increased sharply. With a high economic growth rate averaging seven percent each year, Vietnam has been able to decrease economic gap slightly with Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Brunei.
In addition, Vietnam actively works to integrate culturally and socially with the Southeast Asian region while preserving its own cultural features. Thirteen is not a long period for such an important political event but what has been achieved in relations between Vietnam and the association is creating splendid prospect for the future.

Which is the best title of the passage?

Read the following passage and choose the best option for each numbered blank.

"Heritage is traditional (1) ____, customs, and culture. We sue the world "heritage" in many different ways. People talk about their family's heritage, their city's heritage, and their country's heritage.

Here are some examples of heritage. During Chinese New Year, people in Taiwan give red envelopes. That is part of Taiwanese (2) ____. Every year in the American city New Orleans, there is a huge party called Mardi Gras. That is a part of New Orleans' heritage. Heritages can also be more (3) ____ and personal. If your family has a big dinner every Sunday night, that's part of your family's heritage.

Today, heritage is changing. The Internet connects people around the world. In many ways, this is a good thing, (4) ____ we can learn about the heritage of other countries, and we can show our own heritage to the world. However, some people worry that traditional heritage is (5) ____. Think about it. In many ways, countries are becoming more and more (6) ____. In just about every country around the world, you can find MacDonald's, Nike shoes, Starbucks coffee, and American films. Some people think it is a good thing. However, almost everyone wants to protect (7) ____ traditional heritage, and sometimes this is hard. for example, when a new MacDonald's opens in your town, a traditional restaurant might have to close.

This is why heritage (8) ____ is so important. Heritage protection is a simple idea. It means (9) ____

your country's or your city's heritage alive. People do this in many ways. The biggest part of heritage protection is probably preserving old buildings. (10) ____ other examples of heritage protection are making sure your children speak your traditional language, and teaching your heritage to children

The world is changing very fast. This change brings a lot of good things. But as the world is changing, it is important to remember the heritage of our parents and our grandparents."

This is why heritage (8) ____ is so important.

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Our family has got many books. All the …(33)……… of our family buy books and read them. My mother says that books help us in self-education. In ancient times, books ……(34)…… written by hand. It was difficult to write a book …(35)……… a pen. Then printing came into our life. Printing played an important ……(36)…. in the development of literature and culture. Now there are a lot of books in the shops, there are many books in our flats. But it is difficult to buy all books …(37)……… we want to read. That‘s why we get books in public libraries. There are some problems in our life and sometimes it is difficult to ……(38)… them. I think that books can help us. Last year I read a very interesting book ― An American Tragedy‖ by Theodore Dreiser. This novel was …(39)…… at the beginning of the 20th century. The novel ……(40)……. The tragic fate of a boy and a girl, Clyde and Roberta ……(41)…… name. It is a sad story. This novel was written many years ago, but it is …(42)……… nowadays. Books must be our friends during our life

Choose the best answer:
I was raised on a farm in a remote village in the 1950s. The winter months were endless and everything was covered in snow. I was always (53) ________ for the warmer weather to come. When spring arrived, everything came alive- flowers would bloom and the animals would come out of hibernation. I would follow the bear tracks and search for them. Once, however, I (54) ________ an angry mother bear who saw me (55) ________ a threat. (56) ________ the sight of the bear, I did what my father had told me. I stood still until she stopped growling and walked away. The trick was effective, but looking back now, I realized that the situation was (57) ________ more serious than I thought at the time. By the age of twelve, I had lots of camping (58) ________, as I used to go camping with my dog on my school holidays. We would spend days (59) ________ the forest, catching fish for dinner, (60) ________ at the frogs and the (61) ________ of birds and the insects hopping up and down on the surface of the water. Of course, this was possible only during the warm months. When the autumn came, everything went quiet, which was quite usual in those parts. It wasn‘t long before the animals disappeared, the birds (62) ________ south and the snow took over. The place became deserted once again

Choose the best answer:
Do you ever wish you were more optimistic, someone who always (45)____ to be successful? Having someone around who always fears the worst isn't really a lot of (46)____ - we all know someone who sees a single cloud on a sunny day and says, 'It looks like rain.' But if you catch yourself thinking such things, it's important to do something about it. You can change your view of life, according to psychologist. It only takes a little (47)___, and you'll find life more rewarding as a (48)____. Optimism, they say, is partly about self-respect and confidence but it's also a more positive way of looking at life and all it has to (49)____. Optimists are more (50)_____ to start new projects and are generally more prepared to take risks. Upbringing is obviously very important in forming your (51)___ to the world. Some people are brought up to depend too much on others and grow up forever blaming other people when anything (52)____ wrong. Most optimists, on the (53)____ hand, have been brought up not to (54)____ failure as the end of the world - they just get on with their lives