Choose the best answer:
Few people now question the reality of global warming and its effects on the worlds climate. Mary scientists (1) ________ the blame for recent natural disasters on the increase in the worlds temperatures and are convinced that, more than (2) ________ before, the Earth is at risk from the forces of the wind, rain and sun. (3) ________ to them, global warming is making extreme weather events, such as hurricanes and droughts, even more (4) ________ and causing sea levels all around the world to (5) ________ . Environmental groups are putting (6) ________ on govemments to take action to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide which is given (7) ________ by factories and power plants, thus attracking the problem at its source. They are in (8) ________ of more money being spent on research into solar, wind and wave energy devices, which could then replace existing power (9) ________ . Some scientists, (10) ________ , believe that even if we stopped releasing carbon dioxide and other gases into the atmosphere tomorrow, we would have to wait several hundred years to notice the result. Global I warming, it seems, is to stay

Population in big cities

A United Nations report on world population trends has provided some interesting information for thought on the future demographics of our planet. The world’s population is currently 6.5 billion and is set (1) ________ and level off to about 9 billion people. The report says population explosions will occur in Africa and Asia, but not in the (2) _________ of the world, “Considerable diversity exists in the expected population growth of countries. The population of many countries, (3) __________ in Africa and Asia, will increase greatly in the coming decades.”  (4)___________, population levels in developed countries are expected to fall, because of decreased fertility rates caused by increased contraceptive use. The report also indicates half of the world’s population will be city (5) _________ by 2007. That is a huge jump from the figure of 30% urbanization in 1993. The five most populated cities today are Tokyo (35 million people), Mexico City (19 million), New York (18.5 million), Bombay (18.3 million) and Sao Paulo (18.3 million). In 1950 only Tokyo and New York had populations of more (6) _________ 10 million people. By 2050 there will be 22 cities of that size. The report concludes, “the current population picture is one of dynamic population changes, reflected in new and diverse patterns of childbearing, mortality, migration, urbanization and ageing. The (7) ___________ and consequences of these population trends present opportunities as well as (8) __________for all societies in the twenty-first century.”

(8) ________

Choose the best answer:
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

Read the passage below and choose one correct answer for each question.

In the past, both men and women were expected to be married at quite young ages. Marriages were generally arranged by parents and family, with their children having little chance to say no in the matter. In the past it was not surprising to find that a bride and groom had only just met on the day of their engagement or marriage. In modern Vietnam, this has changed completely as people choose their own marriage-partners based on love, and in consideration primarily to their own needs and wants. Moreover early marriage is quite illegal. The traditional Vietnamese wedding is one of the most important of traditional Vietnamese occasions. Regardless of westernization, many of the age-old customs practiced in a traditional Vietnamese wedding continue to be celebrated by both Vietnamese in Vietnam and overseas, often combining both western and eastern elements. Besides the wedding ceremony, there is also an engagement ceremony which takes place usually half a year or so before the wedding. Due to the spiritual nature of the occasion, the date and time of the marriage ceremony are decided in advance by a fortune teller. The traditional Vietnamese wedding consists of an extensive array of ceremonies: the first is the ceremony to ask permission to receive the bride, the second is the procession to receive the bride (along with the ancestor ceremony at her house), the third is to bring the bride to the groom's house for another ancestor ceremony and to welcome her into the family, then the last is a wedding banquet. The number of guests in attendance at these banquets is huge, usually in the hundreds. Several special dishes are served. Guests are expected to bring gifts, often money, which the groom and bride at one point in the banquet will go from table to table collecting.

Which does not exist in a Vietnamese wedding party?

Read the following passage and choose the best answer (A, B, C, D):
The Forbidden City is the former imperial palace in the center of Beijing, China. Construction began in 1406, and the emperor’s court officially moved in by 1420. The Forbidden City got its name because most people were barred from entering the 72-hectare site, surrounded by walls. Even government officials and the imperial family were permitted only limited access. Only the emperor could enter any section at will. The architecture of the Forbidden City conforms rigidly to traditional Chinese principles. All buildings within the walls follow a north-south line and the most important ones face south to honor the sun. The designers arranged the other buildings, and the ceremonial spaces between them, to impress all visitors with the great power of the Emperor, while reinforcing the insignificance of the individual. This architectural concept was carried out to the smallest detail. For example, the importance of a building was determined not only by its height or width but also by the style of its roof and the quantity of statuettes placed on the roof’s ridges. In recognition of the importance of its unparalleled architecture, UNESCO added the palace to its World Heritage List in 1987. Today, visitors from all over the world do not wait for an imperial invitation to walk about this palace, now a museum of imperial art. One of the most impressive landmarks of the Forbidden City is the Meridian Gate, the formal entrance to the southern side of the Forbidden City. The gate, with its auxiliary wings on either side of the entryway, is 38 meters high at its roof ridge. When you stand in front of this majestic structure, you understand how awed people felt when they stood there listening to imperial proclamations. As you walk through the gate, you come into a large courtyard, 140 meters long and 210 meters wide. Running through the courtyard is the Golden River, which is crossed by five parallel white marble bridges. These bridges lead to the Gate of Supreme Harmony, which, in turn, leads to the heart of the Forbidden City. At the northernmost end of the Forbidden City is the Imperial Garden, which is totally different from the rest of the compound. Instead of rigid formality, you see a seemingly spontaneous arrangement of trees, fishponds, flowerbeds, and sculpture. Here is the place of relaxation for the emperor.
3. From the passage, it is implied that the main entrance area to the Forbidden City is: 

Choose the best answer:
Earth is the only place we know of in the universe that can support human life. (33) ______ human activities are making the planet less fit to live on. As the western world carries on consuming (34)_______ of the world's resources while half of the world's population do so just to stay (35)_______ we are rapidly destroying the only resource we have (36)________ which all people can survive and prosper. Everywhere fertile soil is (37)______ built on or washed into the sea. Renewable resources are exploited so much that they will never be able to recover (38)______. We discharge pollutants into the atmosphere without any thought of the consequences. As a (39)______, the planet's ability to support people is being reduced at the very time when rising human numbers and consumption are making increasingly heavy demands on it. The Earth's (40)______ resources are there for us to use. We need food, water, air, energy, medicines, warmth, shelter and minerals to (41)______ us fed, comfortable, healthy and active. If we are sensible in how we use the resources they will last indefinitely. But if we use them wastefully and excessively they will soon (42)_______ and everyone will suffer

Choose the best answer:
All over the world, people are changing the face of the earth. Wild areas are cleared for farming and to build roads and expand cities. Our factories, cars, and power stations poison the ….(1) with polluting gases and chemical waste. As well as transforming the environment, we are destroying habitats, the home of ……(2) plants and animals. Living things have evolved over millions of years. Many animals and plants can only …….(3) in certain environments. When such areas destroyed, wildlife cannot always……..(4) to the new conditions and some species may…….(5) out. Thousands of species of plants and animals face extinction because of human activities. People can also…….(6) from habitat destruction. When forests are cut down, earth is washed away, this causes crop failures and starvation. There is the future to consider, too; plants provide essential foods and can also be used in medicines. If species……..(7) extinct, their potential value will never be known. The scale of destruction is enormous. Swamps, forests, grasslands and jungles are being cleared at an increasing extend. Half of the world‘s tropical rainforests have……..(8) been destroyed. Coral reefs, called the forests of the ocean because they are so rich in life, are……..(9) around the world. We must limit the damage to habitats now………(10) they remain a valuable resource for the future

Choose the best answer:
The Thames Barrier is a major part of the flood defence scheme for protecting London (1) ____________ rising water levels. The defenses (2)___________ include raised river embankments and additional flood gates at strategic points, including the Barking Baưier. The unique structure that is the Barrier spans the 520-metre wide Woolwich reach and consists of 10 separate movable gates, each pivoting and supported between concrete structures which house the operating machinery. When raised, the four main gates (3) _____________ stand as high as a five-storey building and as (4) __________as the opening of Tower Bridge. Each (5) _____________ 3700 tonnes. During the first twelve years of (6) ______________________________________ , the Barrier has been closed twenty nine times to protect London. (7) __________ the Barrier from the comfortable Cafeteria. Picnic on the riverside embankment. Enjoy beautiful views from the riverside walk. Visit the shop which stocks a large selection of souvenirs, books and Barrier information. There is a children‘s play (8) _______ suitable for 4 – to 12-year olds, (9) __________ adjacent to the riverside walk. A visit to the spectacular Thames Barrier is a (10) ___________ experience.

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.

Which of the followings is true about the job of the freelance writers?

Choose the best answer:
We are using up the world‘s petroleum. We use (1) _________in our cars and to heat our building in winter.Farmers use petrochemicals to (2) _________ the soil rich. They use them to kill insects (3) _________eat plants. These chemicals go (4) __________rivers and lakes and kill the fish there. Thousands of pollutants also go into the air and pollute it. Winds carry this (5) _________ air to other countries and other continents. Poor farmers use the same land over and (6) __________ The land needs a rest so it will be better next year. However, the farmers must have food this year. Poor people cut down forests (7) _________ firewood. In some areas when the trees are gone, the land (8) _________ desert. Poor people can‘t save the environment for the (9) ___________ This is not a problem for one country or one area of the world. It is a problem for allhumans. The people and the nations of the world must work together to (10) ___________ the world‘s resources

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:
Centuries ago, man discovered that removing moisture from food helped to preserve it, and that the easiest way to do this was to expose the food to sun and wind. In this way the North American Indians produced pemmican (dried meat ground into powder and made into cakes), the Scandinavians made stock fish and the Arabs dried dates and apricots.
All foods contain water - cabbage and other leaf vegetables contain as much as 93% water, potatoes and other root vegetables 80%, lean meat 75% and fish anything from 80% to 60% depending on how fatty it is. If this water is removed, the activity of the bacteria which cause food to go bad is checked.

Fruit is sun-dried in Asia Minor, Greece, Spain and other Mediterranean countries, and also in California, South Africa and Australia. The methods used vary, but in general the fruit is spread out on trays in drying yards in the hot sun. In order to prevent darkening, pears, peaches and apricots are exposed to the fumes of burning sulphur before drying. Plums for making prunes, and certain varieties of grapes for making raisins and currants, are dipped in an alkaline solution in order to crack the skins of the fruit slightly and remove their wax coating, so increasing the rate of drying.
Nowadays most foods are dried mechanically; the conventional method of such dehydration is to put food in chambers through which hot air is blown at temperatures of about 110°C at entry to about 45°C at exit. This is the usual method for drying such things as vegetables, minced meat, and fish.
Liquids such as milk, coffee, tea, soups and eggs may be dried by pouring them over a heated horizontal steel cylinder or by spraying them into a chamber through which a current of hot air passes. In the first case, the dried material is scraped off the roller as a thin film which is then broken up into small, though still relatively coarse flakes. In the second process it falls to the bottom of the chamber as a fine powder.
Where recognizable pieces of meat and vegetables are required, as in soup, the ingredients are dried separately and then mixed.
Dried foods take up less room and weigh less than the same food packed in cans or frozen, and they do not need to be stored in special conditions. For these reasons they are invaluable to climbers, explorers and soldiers in battle, who have little storage space. They are also popular with housewives because it takes so little time to cook them.

In the process of drying certain kinds of fruits, sulphur fumes helps

Fill in each numbered blank with one suitable word or phrase.

In Korea, in former days the marriage between a man and woman represented the joining of two families, rather (1) ______ the joining of two individuals. The event (2) ______ Taerye (Great Ritual), and people from all over the village or neighborhood participated. The ceremonies and events surrounding the actual marriage were long and (3) ______. Professional matchmakers paired up likely candidates for marriage, with the new couple often meeting for the first time at their wedding! The families considered many factors in the decision, consulting with fortune tellers for (4) ______ about the couple's future life together. During the Chosun period, people married (5) ______ their early teens, with the girl often being several years older than the boy. The groom usually traveled to the house of the bride for the ceremony, then stayed there for three days (6) ______ taking his new bride to his family's home. The actual ceremony involved many small rituals, with many bows and symbolic gestures. The (7) ______ were expected to control their emotions and remain somber. (8) ______ Koreans have kept several aspects of the traditional ceremony, most modern ceremonies resemble Western marriage ceremonies more than (9) ______ Korean ones. However, many folk villages and museums across the country regularly perform ceremonies to (10) ______ the traditions alive.

(2) ______

Choose the best answer:
In recent years there have (1) _______ many articles on air pollution in newspapers and magazines. Scientists all over the word have warned that our atmosphere is (2) ______ more and more contaminated, and that Man, through his carelessness, may run (3) _____ of pure air to breathe. Automobiles and industries mainly account (4)____air pollution in most cities. They pour into the air such gases as carbon monoxide, sulphur and nitrogen oxides, (5) _______ are very harmful (6) ____ humans. (7) _____ still, these gases, a series of chemical changes, turn into toxic acids. They fall down in ―acid rains‖, (8) _______ the acidity in the air, soil and water to dangerous levels and affecting not only tress but also fish and other wildlife. Many industrial countries in Europe and North America have suffered bad effects (9) ______ those ―rains‖. Surely, Man faces no more urgent problem than that of saving his own survival. Scientists, social organizations and governments should sit down together to solve the air (10) __________ problem

Choose the best answer:
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 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

Choose the best answer:
Polar bears are in danger of dying out. (45) _________ some other endangered animals, it‘s not hunters that are the problem, it‘s climate change. Since 1979, the ice cap at the Arctic Circle where the polar bears live has (46) _________ in size by about 30 percent. The temperature in the Arctic has slowly been (47) _________ and this is (48) _________ the sea ice to melt, endangering the polar bears‘ home. The polar bears‘ main (49) _________ of food are the different types of seal found in the Arctic. They catch them by waiting next to the air holes the seals have (50) _________in the ice. (51) _________ the bears are very strong swimmers, they could never catch seals in the water. This means that the bears (52) _________ do rely on the ice to hunt. Polar bears also need sea ice to travel. They can (53) _________ a huge territory and often swim from one part of the ice to another. They have been known to swim up to 100km, but when there is less ice, they may have to swim further and this can (54) _________ fatal to the bears. A number of bears have drowned in the last few years and scientists believe that it is because they were not able to reach more sea ice before they became too tired and couldn‘t swim any further

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.
 Many parents believe that they should begin to teach their children to read when they are slightly more than toddlers. This is fine if the child chows a real interest but forcing a child could be counter- productive if she isn't ready. Wise parents will have a hopeful attitude and take the lead from their child.(1).........they should provide is a selection of stimulating toys, books and other activities. Nowadays there is plenty of good material available for young children, and of course, seeing plenty of books in use them to read.
Of course, books are no longer the only source of stories and information. There is also a huge range of videos, which can reinforce and extend the pleasure a child finds in a book and are (2)........helping to increase vocabulary and concentration. Television gets a bad review as far as children are concerned, mainly because too many spend too much time watching programmes not intended for their age (3).......... Too many television programmes induce an incurious, uncritical attitude that is going to make learning much more difficult. (4)............... , discriminating viewing of programmes designed for young children can be useful. Just as adults enjoy reading a book after seeing it serialised  on television,  so children  will pounce on books which (5)............. their favourite television characters and videos can add a new dimension to a story known from a book.

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

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:
Anthropologists have pieced together the little they know about the history of left - handedness and right - handedness from indirect evidence. Though early men and women did not leave written records, they did leave tools, bones, and pictures. Stone Age hand axes and hatchets were made from stones that were carefully chipped away to form sharp cutting edges. In some, the pattern of chipping shows that these tools and weapons were made by right handed people, designed to fit comfortably into a right hand. Other Stone Age implements were made by or for left-handers Prehistoric pictures, painted on the walls of caves, provide further clues to the handedness of ancient people. A right - hander finds it easier to draw faces of people and animals facing toward the left, whereas a left - hander finds it easier to draw faces facing toward the right. Both kinds of faces have been found in ancient painting. On the whole, the evidence seems to indicate that prehistoric people were either ambidextrous or about equally likely to be left - or right - handed.
But, in the Bronze Age, the picture changed. The tools and weapons found from that period are mostly made for right - handed use. The predominance of right - handedness among humans today had apparently already been established.

In line 6, the word “further” is closest in meaning to which of the following?

Choose the best answer:
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.

Choose the best answer:
Looking for an unforgettable way to celebrate that special occasion? Well, the (1)__ of options open today‘s youngster – or even ― oldster‖ for that matter, is a far cry from the traditional party or restaurant visit. No longer is it (2)__sufficient to invite your friends round, buy some food and get a barker to produce a cake. No, today‘s birthday boy or girl is looking for something out of the ordinary, ranging from the (3)__ expensive to the downright dangerous. Anything goes, as long as it is unusual and impressive. Top of this year ‗s popular (4)__are as follows: taking some friends rally driving, helicopter lessons, plane trip and parachuting, and hot air ballooning . Then there is always group bungee jumping or taking your buddies on a stomach – churning, while water rafting (5)__down rapids. The desire of adventurous celebration is not restricted to the (6)__. I recently met an octogenarian who celebrated (7)__the milestone of eighty by having a fly lesson. Of course, if you have money the world is your oyster. A very rich relation of mine flew fifty of his friends to a Caribbean islandto mark the passing of his half century. Unfortunately I was only a (8)__relation. Undoubtedly, the more traditional forms of celebration do continue to (9)__the less extravagant or less adventurous among us. However, with my own half century looming on the horizon I would not say no to a weekend in Paris and a meal at the Eiffel Tower. I can (10)__dream. Perhaps by the time I‘m eighty I‘ll be able to afford it.

Read the following passage and choose A, B, C or D to indicate the correct word for each of the blanks
Just as more English is being taught in primary schools worldwide, so there are a growing number of language schools in English-speaking countries that are (1) .................. courses for younger learners. In Britain most young learners' courses are (2) .................. to 11-year-olds and upwards, with a few that  cater for children as young as seven. But what is a sensible age to start sending children abroad to study?(3).................. , even adult learners find the experience of travelling to a strange country and encountering people who speak an incomprehensible language challenging?A great deal depends on how a child has been (4) .................. up. For example, if they have been exposed to new things and have already started to learn independence, then they are likely to prosper. Further on, children who have previously travelled abroad with their parents are usually more prepared for a study (5).......... in an English-speaking country on their own than those who have not.

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