Choose the best answer:
Although digital cameras and camera phones have made it easier to capture newsworthy events, it is social media that have revolutionized citizen photography. With news regularly breaking on social networks, some journalists are now turning to them as (26) _______ of images as fast-moving events occur. Unfortunately, (27) _______ reporters have published user-generated content (UGC) without permission. Despite official guide (28) _______ images posted on social media can be used without permission if there are exceptional circumstances or strong public interest, debate continues about whether this is (29) _______. With research indicating that around one in ten people would film or photograph a news event, it is clear that UGC has a major role to play in the future of the media. (30) _______, if the media is to prevent its relationship with the public from souring, steps must be taken to ensure that people are properly rewarded for their work and that permission is always sought

Read the reading below carefully, and then complete it with the best option A, B, C or D given below:
To: Engineering Department
From: Peter Manning
Re: Pedestrian Hike and Bike Trail System
Date: Aug. 27, 2008
We are pleased to announce that Callahan Construction Company has won the bid for the pedestrian
hike and bike trail system to be constructed in Towson, Maryland. However, due to a problem with the
timetable, the local government cannot agree to our proposed deadline. As such, we were unable to receive the (1) ------- we asked for. We now have to finish the hike and trail system one month earlier than the project completion date we planned for. In light of this development, we are asking all engineers to give attention only to toppriority projects (2)------- this one. We will be holding our initial meeting on Thursday at 10:00 A.M. It is important for us to finalize our strategies to meet the new deadline. Let us use this time for (3)---- a new plan for the project.

Choose the best answer:
Coincident with concerns about the accelerating loss of species and habitats has been a growing appreciation of the importance of biological diversity, the (18) _______ of species in a particular ecosystem, to the health of the Earth and human well-being. Much has been written about the diversity of terrestrial organisms, particularly the exceptionally rich life associated tropical rainforest habitats. Relatively little has been said, (19) _______ , about the diversity of life in the sea even though coral reef systems are comparable to rain forest in terms of richness of life.
An alien exploring Earth would probably (20) _______ priority to the planet's dominants – most distinctive feature - the ocean. Humans have a bias toward land (21) _______ sometimes gets in the way of truly examining global issues. Seen from far away, it is easy to realize that landmasses occupy only one-third of the Earth's surface. Given that two thirds of the Earth's surface is water and that marine life lives at all levels of the ocean, the total three-dimensional living space of the ocean is perhaps 100 times (22) _______ than that of land and contains more than 90 percent of all life on Earth even though the ocean has fewer distinct species

Choose the best answer:
It is natural for young people to be critical of their parents at times and to blame them for most of the misunderstandings between them. They have always complained, more or less justly, that their parents are old-fashioned, possessive and dominant; that they do not trust their children to deal with obstacles; that they talk too much about certain problems and that they have no sense of humor, at least in parent-child relationships. I think it is true that parents often underestimate their teenage children and also forget how they themselves felt when young.  Young people often irritate their parents with their choices in clothes and hairstyles, in entertainers and music. This is not their motive. They feel cut off from the adult world into which they have not yet been accepted. So they create a culture and society of their own. Then, if it turns out that their music or entertainers or vocabulary or clothes or hairstyles irritate their parents, this gives them additional enjoyment. They feel they are superior, at least in a small way, and that they are leaders in style and taste.  Sometimes you are resistant and proud because you do not want your parents to approve of what you do. If they did approve, it looks as if you are betraying your own age group. But in that case, you are assuming that you are the underdog: you can you can keep your honor. This is a passive way of looking at things. It is natural enough after long years of childhood, when you were completely under your parents' control. But it ignores the fact that you are now beginning to be responsible for yourself.  If you plan to control your life, co-operation can be part of that plan. You can charm others, especially parents, into doing things the ways you want. You can impress others with your sense of responsibility and initiative, so that they will give you the authority to do what you want to do. 
1. What is paragraph 1 mainly about?

Fill in the gap with the most suitable provided words

There are (1)................. seasons in North of Vietnam. I like the spring and (2) ............ most. In the spring, it is warm and there are many kinds of (3) .............. blowing. I live in the countryside so the air is very fresh in the spring. The view looks like a beautiful picture. In the summer, it is very (4)............. I and my friends usually go (5)............... and (6) ................. our kites. Sometimes we (7) ............... fishing. I don't like the (8) .................. because the (9).................... is very cold and there is a lot of cold wind. I like living in the (10)......................

(9).....................

Choose the best answer:
In 1960, Americans spent 10% of their healthcare dollar on medicines. Most of the money came from their own pockets, and was spent on drugs that largely treated infections heart disease, arthritis and depression. Beyond that, there was little that science could offer. Today, the range of diseases for which medical research has some partial treatment is vast. Despite this, and the double digit increase in drug spending - 75%-90% of which is paid for by insurance companies - prescription drugs now account for 9% of total health expenditures.  Similarly, claims by insurers and corporations - that drug costs are driving insurance costs up in general - are overstated. According to health analyst J.D. Kleinke, since pharmacy costs represent only 9% of all spending, even increases of 20% could not be responsible for insurance premium increases of 10%-15% over the last two years: Premiums have been increasing far out of proportion to increasing total medical costs over the past three years.  The fact is we should spend more on newer, more expensive medicines because they are worth the investment. Medical innovation creates what Harvard economist David Cutler calls health capital — the ability of people to stay well early and consistently throughout their lives, and remain that way at an increasingly older age. In fact, under the most conservative assumption, the U.S would have needed only about 30% of the improvement in medical progress over the period in time. In the case of congestive heart failure, Mr. Cutler found that increased consumption of new and more expensive drugs and other innovative technologies generated longer life, more productivity and lower health costs that offset the cost of their development and consumption.  
3. The way to invest in health capital is to ____

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Welcome to Trang An, Vietnam's newest UNESCO World Heritage Site, a place where the water is crystal clear and pink flowers bloom along the shallows. Temples rest on a precipice of rock and water. Here, for 30,000 years, people have lived amongst these limestone giants. To the unfamiliar, this area is a maze of confusing waterways and impassable hills, a place where one could easily disappear from the world. However, to the emperors of the 10th and 11th centuries, this was the ideal setting for a capital city where the inhabitants could be controlled and enemies rebuffed.  This combination of stunning natural beauty and ancient history has led Trang An to be recognised as Vietnam's eighth World Heritage Site. Unlike the previous seven, Trang An is notable for being the only UNESCO site in Vietnam to be classified for both its cultural beauty and natural integrity.  At the ticket office, we are met by the sight of thousands of wooden boats bobbing along the shoreline. Stepping gingerly into the closest dinghy, we are greeted by a young woman whose ability to paddle three adults - all in the midst of Christmas feasting - for three straight hours left me in awe of her strength. What followed was a string of beautiful caves of varying heights and lengths, interspersed with scenes of a peaceful beauty that can be hard to come by in Vietnam.  Dubbed ‘Halong Bay on land’, Trang An’s landscape is reminiscent of its coastal World Heritage neighbour. Dominated by similar karst geography, Halong Bay and Trang An both provide a stunning backdrop lo a tranquil boat cruise. Unlike Halong, however, the boats at Trang An are small, seating no more than five adults, and weekday crowds are minimal. We emerged from a particularly low cave opening and into a small cove ringed by flowering reeds and waterlilies. The steep limestone cliffs block all outside sounds. Underwater reeds stand tall in the clear water beneath our boat, their green spongy limbs waving gently in the current as we paddle past. Brown-and-gold fish dart between grass, their scales glinting in the sunlight, before plunging into the shadows of the towering hills above. Water movement is imperceptible, with the steep hillsides, plunging valleys and clear sky mirrored in its glassy surface. It is as though a parallel world of deep crevices and underwater mountains exists just below our feet.  A parallel world does, in fact, describe how it seemed as we floated through the caves of Trang An. The journey through the first hollow felt like stepping through the back of the wardrobe and entering Narnia. We were suddenly transported into a beautiful, magical world. So at odds with the industrial limestone factories that dominate the Ninh Binh landscape, this small pocket of serenity is surprising.  With more and more visitors flocking to Vietnam's World Heritage Sites, I worry that Trang An will suffer the consequences of unchecked mass tourism. We can only hope that tourism officials will learn from the experiences of other popular tourist destinations and ensure that this place remains as close to paradise as it was on our visit. 
5. The word "that" in the passage refers to ____

Choose the best answer:
In many countries of Northern Europe, including Scandinavia, Finland, Northern Russia, and the Baltic states, ice swimming is closely connected with the tradition of sauna, (25) _____ has led to the creation of a new activity where stays in the sauna are (26) _____ with quick 'pauses' in ice water. In Russia, ice swimmers are called what can be literally translated as 'walruses '. The north of Europe, (27) _____, is not the only place where winter swimming is practised regularly. A large ice swimming movement exists in the UK, based in a famous location: the Serpentine Lake in Hyde Park in London. In Harbin, Northern China, about 200,000 people ice-swim in the Songhua River every winter. The oldest ice swimming club in the United States, the Coney Island Polar Bear Club of New York, organises an annual (28) _____ on New Year's Day. In Canada, 'Polar Bear Swims; 'Plunges' or 'Dips' are a New Year's Day tradition in (29) _____ communities as well, the biggest one taking place in Vancouver since 1920

Read and circle the best option A, B, C or D to complete the passage:

I live in a house near the sea. It is ...(1)... old house, about 100 years old and...(2)... very small. There are two bed rooms upstairs...(3)... no bathroom. The bathroom is downstairs ...(4)... the kitchen and there is a living room where there is a lovely old fire place. There is a garden...(5)... the house. The garden...(6)... down to the beach and in spring and summer...(7)... flowers every where. I like alone...(8)... my dog, Rack, but we have a lot of visitors. My city friends often stay with ...(9)...

I love my house for... (10)... reasons: the garden, the flowers in summer, the old fire place, but the best thing is the view from my bedroom window.

(5)......................

Choose the best answer:
Today, supermarkets are found in almost every large city in the world. But the first supermarket (26)_________opened only fifty years ago. It was opened in New York by a man named Michael Cullen. A supermarket is different (27)___________other types of stores in several ways. In supermarkets, goods are placed on open shelves. The (28)__________ choose what they want and take them to the checkout counter. This means that fewer shop assistants are needed than in other stores. The way products are displayed is another difference between supermarkets and many other types of stores; (29)__________ example, in supermarkets, there is usually a display of small inexpensive items just in front of the checkout counter: candies, chocolates, magazines, cheap foods and so on. Most customers (30)__________go to a supermarket buy goods from a shopping list. They know exactly what they need to buy. They do the shopping according to a plan

Choose the best answer:
Let’s do a little experiment: Take five minutes, and find some information about Angola. How did you get your information? How much information were you able to get? Chances are, you probably just went online and typed the word “Angola”. You were probably able to find out all sorts of things. This experiment shows us how useful the Internet is. Over the last 20 years, the Internet has changed the way that we live, work, and study. The biggest change has been the way that we access information. Twenty years ago, you would have needed an encyclopedia to learn about Angola. If you had wanted information, you would have had to get out of your chair, open your encyclopedia, and look up the word “Angola”. Today all you need is about five seconds and you’ll have the exact same information. This technology makes work a lot faster and more efficient. It has also made information storage a lot easier and neater. Twenty years ago, offices had papers and files all over the place. If you wanted to find a file, you had to open a desk drawer and find the right piece of paper. Today, many of us keep our files in cloud storage. Cloud storage is a technology that lets people store files on the Internet. All you have to do is to sign into the site, and you can find all of your files in seconds. Another big change is communication. These days more and more people are working from home. People have “home offices”. They just do their work at their house and e-mail it to their company. It makes life a lot easier. Some people don’t like these changes. They say that life is too convenient these days, and it is making people lazy. However, most people think that even if this technology makes us a little easier, it still has more benefits than disadvantages. In the end, it doesn’t matter what we think. The Internet has changed all of our lives forever
7. All of the following can be inferred from the passage EXCEPT that________

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In Germany, it's important to be serious in a work situation. They don't mix work and play so you shouldn't make jokes (1)_______you do in the UK and USA when you first meet people. They work in a very organized way and prefer to do one thing at a time. They don't like· interruptions or (2)_______changes of schedule. Punctuality is very important so you should arrive on time for appointments. At meeting, it's important to follow the agenda and not interrupt (3)_______speaker. If you give a presentation, you should focus (4)_______facts and technical information and the quality of your company's products. You should also prepare well, as they may ask a lot of questions. Colleagues normally use the family names, and title - for example 'Doctor' or 'Professor', so you shouldn't use first names (5)_______a person asks you to

Choose the best answer:
ASEAN was established on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok by the five original member countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. Brunei Darussalam joined on 8 January 1984, Vietnam on 28 July 1995, Laos and Myanmar on 23 July 1997, and Cambodia on 30 April 1999.  The ASEAN Declaration states that the aims and purposes of the Association are: (1) to accelerate the economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region through joint endeavors in the spirit of equality and partnership in order to strengthen the foundation for a prosperous and peaceful community of Southeast Asian nations, and (2) to promote regional peace and stability through abiding respect for justice and the rule of law in the relationship among countries in the region and adherence to the principles of the United Nations Charter. In 1995, the ASEAN Heads of State and Government re-affirmed that "Cooperative peace and shared prosperity shall be the fundamental goals of ASEAN.”  The Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) in Southeast Asia, signed at the First ASEAN Summit on 24 February 1976, declared that in their relations with one another, the High Contracting Parties should be guided by the following fundamental principles:  • Mutual respect for the independence, sovereignty, equality, territorial integrity, and national identity of all nations;  • The right of every State to lead its national existence free from external interference, subversion, or coercion;  • Non-interference in the internal affairs of one another;  • Settlement of differences or disputes by peaceful manner;  • Renunciation of the threat or use of force; and  • Effective cooperation among themselves.  The TAC stated that ASEAN political and security dialogue and cooperation should airn to promote regional peace and stability by enhancing regional resilience. Regional resilience shall be achieved by cooperating in all fields based on the principles of self confidence, self-reliance, mutual respect, cooperation, and solidarity, which shall constitute the foundation for a strong and viable community of nations in Southeast Asia. 
1. Which of the following is not discussed in the passage? 

Choose the best answer:
Social media can be a way of keeping in touch with people you already know, and can sometimes be used to expand your network. Some people limit who they will connect with using these sites. There are a growing number of professional networking sites that will help you to expand your network. Following are some sites that can help expand your network: Facebook - is a social networking site that connects people with friends and others who work, study and live around them. One third of employers check the Facebook page of potential candidates. Many people use Facebook for private use only, but employers also look at Facebook to get a broader understanding of the people they are considering hiring. LinkedIn - strengthens and extends your existing network of trusted contacts. LinkedIn is a professional networking tool that helps you develop inside connections to a company or sector and is primarily used for professional jobs. On LinkedIn you create a professional profile, similar to a resume that includes employment history, education, and keywords and skills. You can invite people to join your network on LinkedIn or ask a mutual contact to introduce you to someone in your field. You can sign up for sector specific groups and add to the discussion to build your professional profile and develop a broader network. A Working Centre Employment Counsellor can help you to build your profile if you are having difficulty completing this task. Additionally, you can tie your work on the internet into your professional profile. Create a website or blog where you discuss issues related to your profession. Tweet links to articles and events that others in your sector may find useful. You can integrate your blogging and tweeting with your LinkedIn profile to create a more prominent, professional online profile.
3. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

Choose the best answer:
Tornadoes are known to have higher winds than tropical cyclones, (1)_________ tornadoes are much smaller. As a (2)_________, a tropical cyclone can be hundreds of kilometres wide, with destruction occurring in different degrees depending on which part of the cyclone hits the land. In contrast, tornadoes are usually less than a few hundred metres wide. These storms are (3)_________ destructive in the smaller areas in which they hit, but they are also short-lived. Tropical cyclones develop in areas where the seawater is warm and there is instability in the atmosphere. (4)_________ as tropical depressions, they begin to gather strength. As they are developing, they begin to rotate, with the differences in humidity and air temperature (5)_________ them until sufficient wind speeds are reached to be classified as a tropical cyclone.

Choose the best answer:
Many children have an imaginary friend - that is a friend they have invented. It was once thought that only children (26) _______ had difficulty in creating relationships with others had imaginary friends. In fact, having an imaginary friend is probably a common aspect of a normal childhood (27) _______ many children with lots of real friends also have an imaginary friend. The imaginary friend may help some children cope with emotional difficulties, but for (28) _______, having an imaginary friend is just fun. There is no firm evidence to say that having an imaginary friend (29) _______ us anything about what a child will be like in the future. One (30) _______ of research, though, has suggested that adults who once had imaginary friends may be more creative than those who did not.

Choose the best answer:
I live in a small village called Northville. There are about 2000 people here. I love the village (34)__________ it is very quiet and life is slowly and easy. The village is always clean; people look (35)_____________ it with great care. The air is always clean, too. People are much more friendly here than in city because everyone (36)_________ the others, and if someone has a problem, there are always people who can help.
There are only a few things that I don’t like about Northville. One thing is that we have  not  got  many  things  to  do  in  the  evening;  we  haven’t  got  (37)___________ cinemas or theaters. The other thing is that people always talk about (38)___________, and everyone knows what everyone is doing. But I still prefer village life to life in a big city

Choose the best answer:
I spend my days fighting poverty in New York City, so this time of year I get asked a lot at holiday parties what people can do to help the poor. I like the question. At the Robin Hood Foundation, we've spent 27 years trying to answer it.  As with any complex social issue, there are myriad reasons that people are poor. So we break down the problem to create short and long-term change. We aim to make life better for people who are poor while at the same time attacking the root causes of poverty. Once we've identified the various needs, we use empirical data to identify and support programs that create real results.  It's a process that works for our organization, and it can work for charity-minded individuals too. Getting smart about the underlying causes of poverty will allow you to connect on a deeper level, which matters: Donors are more likely to commit to a cause when it resonates emotionally. From there, you can then do a little digging to determine which organization is worthy of your support.  So, in case we don't see each other at a party this season, there are six key barriers poor people regularly face: homelessness, hunger, health, unemployment, immigration, and education. And while they are often interconnected, eliminating just one leads to an improved living standard. Whichever tugs at your heart, there's a group in your area ready to use your time or money effectively.   
1. The topic of the passage is ____

Choose the best answer:
Let’s do a little experiment: Take five minutes, and find some information about Angola. How did you get your information? How much information were you able to get? Chances are, you probably just went online and typed the word “Angola”. You were probably able to find out all sorts of things. This experiment shows us how useful the Internet is. Over the last 20 years, the Internet has changed the way that we live, work, and study. The biggest change has been the way that we access information. Twenty years ago, you would have needed an encyclopedia to learn about Angola. If you had wanted information, you would have had to get out of your chair, open your encyclopedia, and look up the word “Angola”. Today all you need is about five seconds and you’ll have the exact same information. This technology makes work a lot faster and more efficient. It has also made information storage a lot easier and neater. Twenty years ago, offices had papers and files all over the place. If you wanted to find a file, you had to open a desk drawer and find the right piece of paper. Today, many of us keep our files in cloud storage. Cloud storage is a technology that lets people store files on the Internet. All you have to do is to sign into the site, and you can find all of your files in seconds. Another big change is communication. These days more and more people are working from home. People have “home offices”. They just do their work at their house and e-mail it to their company. It makes life a lot easier. Some people don’t like these changes. They say that life is too convenient these days, and it is making people lazy. However, most people think that even if this technology makes us a little easier, it still has more benefits than disadvantages. In the end, it doesn’t matter what we think. The Internet has changed all of our lives forever
6. What is another way of saying the last two sentences of the passage?

Choose the best answer:
British people have a reputation for being rather quiet and reserved. However, a new study has (1) ____ that Britons are actually quite sociable and the (2) ____ person claims to have 14 close friends. Although a minority of those questioned (3) ____ that they had no best friend, a quarter said that they had more than 18 close friends. Experts said that this is (4) ____ to changes in the way people (5) ____ their free time. They are now more (6) ____ to invite friends to their homes or go out socialising than previous generations. The increasing use of mobile phones and emails has also made it easier to (7) ____ a greater number of friendships.  Men's relationships are not (8) ____ though they tend to have more friends. Women, (9) ____ prefer to have a small number of friends they can trust (10) ____, and with whom they can feel completely at (11) ____. The idea that people in the north of England are more neighbourly than those in the south seems to be backed (12) ____ by the survey. However, despite having friends, it seems that family still (13) ____ an important part in most people's lives. When asked who they would (14) ____ to for help if they were ill or had a problem, the majority said that they would (15) ____ upon a relative first rather than a friend

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The knock-on effect of volunteering on the lives of individuals can be profound. Voluntary work helps foster independence and imparts the ability to deal with different situations, often simultaneously, thus teaching people how to work their way through different systems. It therefore brings people into touch with the real world; and, hence, equips them for the future.  Initially, young adults in their late teens might not seem to have the expertise or knowledge to impart to others that say a teacher or agriculturalist or nurse would have, but they do have many skills that can help  any skills that can help others. And in the absence of any particular talent, their energy and enthusiasm can be harnessed for the benefit of their fellow human beings, and ultimately themselves. From all this, the gain to any community no matter how many volunteers are involved is immeasurable.  Employers will generally look favourably on people who have shown an ability to work as part of a team. It demonstrates a willingness to learn and an independent spirit, which would be desirable qualities in any employee. So to satisfy employers' demands for experience when applying for work, volunteering can act as a means of gaining experience that might otherwise elude would-be workers and can ultimately lead to paid employment and the desired field.  The knock-on effect of volunteering on the lives of individuals can be profound. Voluntary work helps foster independence and imparts the ability to deal with different situations, often simultaneously, thus teaching people how to work their way through different systems. It therefore brings people into touch with the real world; and, hence, equips them for the future.  Initially, young adults in their late teens might not seem to have the expertise or knowledge to impart to others that say a teacher or agriculturalist or nurse would have, but they do have many skills that can help  any skills that can help others. And in the absence of any particular talent, their energy and enthusiasm can be harnessed for the benefit of their fellow human beings, and ultimately themselves. From all this, the gain to any community no matter how many volunteers are involved is immeasurable.  Employers will generally look favourably on people who have shown an ability to work as part of a team. It demonstrates a willingness to learn and an independent spirit, which would be desirable qualities in any employee. So to satisfy employers' demands for experience when applying for work, volunteering can act as a means of gaining experience that might otherwise elude would-be workers and can ultimately lead to paid employment and the desired field.  
10. Which of the following is stated about making petty criminals do some community work?