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Earth is the only place we know of in the universe that can support human life. (1) _____ human activities are making the planet less fit to live on. As the western world (2) _____ on consuming two-thirds of the world's resources while half of the world's population do so just to stay alive we are rapidly destroying the (3) _____ resource we have by which all people can survive and prosper. Everywhere fertile soil is (4) _____ built on or washed into the sea. Renewable resources are exploited so much that they will never be able to recover (5) _____. We discharge pollutants into the atmosphere without any thought of the consequences. As a (6) _____ the planet's ability to support people is being reduced at the very time when rising human numbers and consumption are (7) _____ increasingly heavy demands on it. The Earth's (8) _____ resources are there for us to use. We need food, water, air, energy, medicines, warmth, shelter and minerals to (9) _____ us fed, comfortable, healthy and active. If we are sensible in how we use the resources, they will (10) _____ indefinitely. But if we use them wastefully and excessively, they will soon run out and everyone will suffer

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One of the most urgent environmental problems in the world today is the shortage of clean water. Having clean drinking water is a basic human right. But acid rain, (1) ____ pollution and garbage have made many sources of water undrinkable. Lakes, reservoirs and even entire seas have become vast pools (2) ____ poison. Lake Baikal in Russia is one of the largest lakes in the world. It (3) _____ a rich variety of animals and plants, including 1,300 rare species that do not exist (4)____ else in the world. But they are being destroyed by the massive volumes of toxic effluent which (5) ____ into the lake every day. Even where law existed, the government did not have the power to enforce them. Most industries simply ignore the regulations. The Mediterranean Sea (6)____ 1% of the world's water surface. But it is the dumping (7)____ for 50% of all marine pollution. Almost 16 countries regularly throw industrial wastes a few miles (8) ____ shore. Water is free to everyone. A few years ago, people thought that the supply of clean water in the world was limitless. Today, many water supplies have been (9) ____ by pollution and sewage. Clean water is now scarce, and we are at last beginning to respect this precious (10) _____.We should do something now.

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A coincidence is a surprising thing that happens to us. For example, you and a friend both go shopping on the same day. You don‘t go together and don‘t discuss your shopping plans in (21) ______, but when you meet up afterwards, you are amazed to discover that you‘ve bought an identical T-shirt. By (22) , you each decided to buy the same one. Many people (23) coincidences as significant. Did you and your friend communicate with each other in some subconscious way? What does it tell you about your friendship? Well, the simple (24) ________ could be that, being (25) friends, you have similar taste in clothes. In reality, life is (26) ________of coincidences, but normally we don‘t notice them. For example, in almost fifty percent of all football matches, two players share the same birthday. This seems surprising, (27) ________ that there are 365 possible birthdays in the year. But most of these matches will be played without anybody being (28) _______ that coincidence exists. (29)________your birthday is today, you don‘t generally tell people about it. In addition, without realising it, you probably (30) ______ into contact with lots of people who were born on the same day as you. But when a coincidence brought to your attention, it still seems amazing

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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

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks.
The warming of the Earth  is  caused  by  exhaust  gas  from  automobile  engines,  fatories  and  power (1)........... . Carbon dioxide goes up into the atmosphere, and it form a kind of screen that keeps or allows the sunshine in but stop the Earth heart (2)...............getting out. It works like a greenhouse, that’s  why  we call (3).............. the Green House effect. Because of this effect, the Earth is getting warmer all the time. This (4)................in temperature will cause big changes to the world’s climate. The sea level will increase as the ice (5)....................... the poles will melt.

(3)...............................
 

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 statement would the author probably agree with?

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The UK Government ensures that all schools in the UK (55)_______ certain standards, and this includes independent schools as well as those that are (56)_______ by the Government. All qualifications are awarded by national agencies accredited by the Qualification and Curriculum Authority (QCA), (57)_______ the quality of the qualifications you will gain is guaranteed. At many independent schools inEngland, you will be encouraged to take part (58)_______ extracurricular activities to develop your hobbies and learn new skills, and you may be encouraged to take graded music exams (59)_______ by the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. The exam grades gained from these are widely accepted toward university entry (60)_______ . Independent schools do not usually offer vocationally focused qualifications but if you are (61)_______ in these qualifications, you can find out more in the 'career-based and pre-university qualifications' section. The (62)_______ you pay to attend independent school, include your course fees, accommodation and may include some or all extracurricular activities. Fees (63)_______ from school to school and are at the discretion of the institution; there are no national standards. You should expect to pay a minimum of £8,000 per year and fees can be (64)_______ high as £25,000

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:
Lead poisoning in children is a major health concern. Both low and high doses of paint can have serious effects. Children exposed to high doses of lead often suffer permanent nerve damage, mental retardation, blindness, and even death. Low doses of lead can lead to mild mental retardation, short attention spans, distractibility, poor academic performance, and behavioral problems.
This is not a new concern. As early as 1904, lead poisoning in children was linked to lead-based paint. Microscopic lead particles from paint are absorbed into the bloodstream when children ingest flakes of chipped paint,plaster,or paint dust from sanding. Lead can also enter the body through household dust, nailbiting, thumb sucking, or chewing on toys and other objects painted with lead-based paint. Although American paint companies today must comply with strict regulations regarding the amount of lead used in their paint, this source of lead poisoning is still the most common and most dangerous. Children living in older, dilapidated houses are particularly at risk.

The word "ingest" could best be replaced by which of the following?

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The County Council has decided to give a higher (1)______ to cycling and agreed a new strategy to guide the way ahead in East Sussex. Cycling is a (2) ______, healthy and environmentally friendly form of transport. It is (3) ______ to make it safer, more convenient, and to increase the (4) ______ of journeys made by bicycle. Cycling is being encouraged both for utility purposes (such as journeys to work, school and the shops) and for (5) ______ trips for exercise and enjoyment, including longer trips by tour. Recent cycle schemes carried out in conjunction with District Councils and other bodies (6) ______ the Brighton and Hove seafront route and the Cross Levels Way cycle route, in Eastbourne. (7) ______ people will be consulted as the strategy is implemented. The County council will work with local cycling and other groups, and a countrywide Cycling Forum will be formed to (8) ______ that all bodies concerned with cycling are in regular (9) ______ . The (10) ______ of the Cycling strategy are given in a leaflet, and a copy of the full strategy document can be seen in County Council Public Libraries

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word for each of the blanks.
Alligators have always been the most dangerous predators of the Florida Everglades, (1) ..................their long-held position is now being challenged by a growing population of Burmese pythons.
The Burmese python, a giant snake measuring up to 20 feet long and weighing up to 200 pounds, is very popular among exotic pet owners. However, as the (2)..............snakes grow, they become more difficult to cafe and handle. To avoid dealing with the snakes, the owners irresponsibly release them into the wild. (3).............the Everglades is quite similar to the python’s native environment of Southeast Asia, they survive and prosper without difficulty.
The issue with the Burmese pythons is their choice of meals. They eat alligators and endangered birds, which creates a strain on an  already (4)...........ecosystem. Recently a 13-foot long Burmese  python was found with a 5-foot alligator bursting from its stomach. They python died trying to eat the alligator but a larger one would have easily won the struggle. With over 30,000 Burmese pythons now living in the Everglades,  a  solution  to  stop  this  invasive  species  is  necessary.  If  the  pythons  are  (5)..................unchecked, there is a strong possibility they will wipe out a variety of species necessary for the functioning of the Everglades ecosystem.

(1)......................................

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks
It is true that keeping fit will benefit a person’s health in many ways. It has become clear in recent years, that a large number of people are doing less and less exercise and this is now causing many serious illnesses, putting a strain on doctors and hospitals. However, some experts believe that too much exercise can do just as much (1).........
Although it is true that moderate exercise such as walking can be very beneficial to a person’s health, it is not the only one factor (2)............ keeps us healthy. Diet is also extremely important and I would argue that it is probably even more important than exercise, although the ideal is for both of these factors to work together. It seems to me that many people are unwilling to put in the effort required to become fitter. (3)......... , too much exercise can also cause problems. So people are urged to take moderate exercise and eat moderately healthily rather than embarking on extreme diets and training. In too many instances, ultra-fit people have had heart attacks or dropped down dead.
In all, governments need to find ways  of (4) ....... people to take responsibility for their own  health.People need to realize that eating healthy food does not have to cost a (5).........., nor is it difficult to prepare healthy meals themselves. People need to be better educated about their health.

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

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Higher Education in the UK Students who have successfully completed an A-level course may go to university to do (1)_____ three- or four-year course leading to a first degree such as Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science (BSc), etc. They apply to several universities which then (2)_____ an offer of a place specifying the minimum grades the student needs to obtain in the A level subjects studied. Higher education is not (3)_____. In principle, students have to pay a contribution to the cost of teaching (tuition fees) and have also to pay their living costs (maintenance). The government provides (4)_____ to help them pay for university education which have to be paid back from earnings once their income reaches a certain (5)_____. In recent years government policy has been to (6)_____ the percentage of 18-year olds (7)_____ go to university, which is now, at 40%, double the 1990 figure, but this growth has been at the (8)______ of the amount of financial support given to individual students. Universities receive money (9)_____ the state for each student and are responsible for employing staff and deciding which courses to offer. The head of a university, who is (10)_____ for its management, is called a vice-chancellor.

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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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The most dominant and reliable features of facial expressions provide a constant channel of communication. They can be shifty and evasive; convey hate, fear, and guilt; or (35) _____ confidence, love, and support. Referred to as "mirrors of the soul" our eyes serve as the major decisive factor in (36) _____ the spoken words. The eyes of the man converse as (37) _____ as their tongues, with the advantage that the ocular dialect needs (38) _____ dictionary, but it is understood all over the world. When the eyes say one thing, and the tongue another, a practiced man relies on eyes. Except (39) _____ extremely shy individuals, most people look for social acceptance by studying the eyes of others Eyes also can (40) _____ indicate a positive or a negative relationship. People tend to look longer and more often at the people whom they trust, respect and care about than at those whom they doubt or (41) _____. Normal eye dilation is not under control of the individual. Personally characteristics such as introversion and extroversion also influence eye behavior. Eye behavior seems (42) ____ particular importance and is generally used to indicate whether one is open to communication. This can be observed when a teacher asks the class a question: students who think they know the answer will generally (43) ____ at the teacher, (44) ____ students who do not know the answer will usually try to avoid eye contact.

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One of the most urgent environmental problems in the world today is the shortage of clean water. Having clean drinking water is a basic human right. But acid rain, (1) ________ pollution and garbage have made many sources of water undrinkable. Lakes, reservoirs and even entire seas have become vast pools (2) ________ poison. Lake Baikal in Russia is one of the largest lakes in the world. It (3) ________ a rich variety of animals and plants, including 1,300 rare species that do not exist (4) ________ else in the world. But they are being destroyed by the massive volumes of toxic effluent which (5) _______ into the lake every day. Even where law existed, the government did not have the power to enforce them. Most industries simply ignore the regulations. The Mediterranean Sea (6) ________ 1% of the world's water surface. But it is the dumping (7) ________ for 50% of all marine pollution. Almost 16 countries regularly throw industrial wastes a few miles (8) ________ shore. Water is free to everyone. A few years ago, people thought that the supply of clean water in the world was limitless. Today, many water supplies have been (9) ________ by pollution and sewage. Clean water is now scarce, and we are at last beginning to respect this precious (10) ________. We should do something now

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Why did you decide to read, and will you keep reading to the end? Do you expect to understand every single part of it and will you remember anything about it in a fortnight‘s ..35….? Common sense ..36… that the answers to these questions depend on ―readability‖- whether the ..37… matter is interesting, and the argument clear and the layout attractive. But psychologists are trying to …39… why people read – and often don‘t read certain things, for example technical information. They also have examined so much the writing as the readers Even the most technically confident people often 40… instructions for the video or home computer in favor of hands- on experience. And people frequently take little notice of consumer information, whether on nutritional labels or in the small print of contracts. Psychologists researching reading …41…. to assume that both beginners and competent readers read everything put in front of them from start to finish. There are ….42….among them about the role of eyes, memory and brain during the process. Some people believe that fluent readers take in very letter or word they see; others …43…. that reader rely on memory or context to carry them from one phrase to another. But they have always assumed that the reading process is the same: reading starts, comprehension ….44……, then reading stops

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.

      Contrary to popular belief, one does not have to be a trained programmer to work online. Of course, there are plenty of jobs available for people with high-tech computer skills, but the growth of new media has opened up a wide range of Internet career opportunities requiring only a minimal level of technical expertise. Probably one of the most well-known online job opportunities is the job of Webmaster. However, it is hard to define one basic job description for this position. The qualifications and responsibilities depend on what tasks a particular organization needs a Webmaster to perform.

      To specify the job description of a Webmaster, one needs to identify the hardware and software the website the Webmaster will manage is running on. Different types of hardware and software require different skill sets to manage them. Another key factor is whether the website will be running internally or externally (renting shared space on the company servers). Finally, the responsibilities of a webmaster also depend on whether he or she will be working independently, or whether the firm will provide people to help. All of these factors need to be considered before one can create an accurate webmaster job description.

      Webmaster is one type of Internet career requiring in-depth knowledge of the latest computer applications. However, there are also online jobs available for which traditional skills remain in high demand. Content jobs require excellent writing skills and a good sense of the web as a “new media”.

      The term “new media” is difficult to define because it compasses a constantly growing set of new technologies and skills. Specifically, it includes websites, email, internet technology, CD-ROM, DVD, streaming audio and video, interactive multimedia presentations, e-books, digital music, computer illustration, video games, virtual reality, and computer artistry.

      Additionally, many of today’s Internet careers are becoming paid-by-the-job professions. With many companies having to downsize in tough economic items, the outsourcing and contracting of freelance workers online has become common business practice. The Internet provides an infinite pool of buyers from around the world with whom freelancers can contract their services. An added benefit to such online jobs is that freelancers are able to work on projects with companies outside their own country.

      How much can a person make in these kinds of careers? As with many questions related to today’s evolving technology, there is no simple answer. There are many companies willing to pay people with Internet skills salaries well over $70,000 a year. Generally, webmasters start at about $30,000 per year, but salaries can vary greatly. Freelance writers working online have been known to make between $40,000 to $70,000 a year.

What is the purpose of the passage?

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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

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:
As kids, our grandparents frequently scared us by talking about how difficult life was when they were growing up. They mentioned walking miles to school in the snow, or doing hours of manual labour for little pay. Life has changed greatly since then, and it seems to get easier year by year. In fact, with the help of robots we soon might have to do much at all. But is this a good thing?
By 2030, it’s estimated that robotics will be a $10 billion business worldwide. Companies are already starting to integrate them into the workforce. The electronics manufacturer Foxconn is drawing up plans to launch a factory within the next 10 years that’s completely staffed by robot workers. Meanwhile, an American company Briggo has invented a robot that serves gourmet- quality coffee to customers. With the push of a button it will crush coffee beans, measure exact quantities of water, and even wave a steam wand to ensure customers get the perfect cream on top. Unlike human baristas, it can serve multiple drinks at once and work all day and night without a break.
Robots are also invading our homes. The Rooma is a mini-robot that vacuums rooms automatically according to a schedule. The Robomow is a device that will cut the grass for you while you sit in the shade. Then there’s the Nanda clocky, an alarm clock that makes sure that even the deepest sleepers get up on time. The clock is attached to a pair of wheels, and it will randomly move around the room. Once you finally catch it, you’re probably too awake to hit the snooze button. Although these early home robots are somewhat basic, they will likely become more capable as times goes on.
Although robots certainly help us to eliminate tedious tasks, many people are concerned about a future filled with robots. Some fear that humanity will start to decline if machines do everything for us. Others have even warned about the robot rebellion, in which robots become so smart that they may decide to turn on their masters. These ideas may seem a bit far-fetched, but there are certainly lots of questions that need to be answered before everyone opens up to the idea of a robotic future.

We can infer from the passage that     .

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks.
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, (1)......... has led to the creation of a new activity where stays in the sauna are (2)......... with quick 'pauses' in ice water. In Russia, ice swimmers are called what can be literally translated as 'walruses '. The north of Europe, (3)............, 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 (4)....... on New Year's Day. In Canada, 'Polar Bear Swims; 'Plunges' or 'Dips' are a New Year's Day tradition in (5)........ communities as well, the biggest one taking place in Vancouver since 1920.

(4)...........................

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No educational medium better serves as a means of spatial communication than the atlas. Atlases deal with such invaluable information as population distribution and density. One of the best, Pennycooke’s World Atlas, has been widely accepted as a standard owing to the quality of its maps and photographs, which not only show various settlements but also portray them in a variety of scales. In fact , the very first map in the atlas is a cleverly designed population cartogram that projects the size of each country if geographical size were proportional to population. Following the proportional layout , a sequence of smaller maps shows the world’s population density, each country’s birth and death rates, population increase and decrease , industrialization, urbanization , gross national product in terms of per capita income, the quality of medical care, literacy, and language. To give readers a perspective on how their own country fits in with the global view, additional projections despite the world’s patterns in nutrition, calorie and protein consumption, health care, number of physicians per unit of population, and life expectancy by region. Population density maps on a subcontinental scale, as well as political maps, convey the diverse demographic phenomena of the world in a broad array of scales.

According to the passage, the first map in Pennycooke’s World Atlas shows