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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.

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 bestfits each of the numbered blanks.
The relationship between students and teachers is less formal in the USA than in many other countries. American students do not stand up (1)......... their teachers enter the room. Students are encouraged to ask questions during class, to stop in the teacher’s office for extra help, and to phone if they are absent. Most teachers (2) .................. students to enter class late or leave early if necessary. (3)........ the lack of formality, students are still expected to be polite to their teachers and fellow classmates.
When students want to ask questions, they usually (4) .................. a hand and wait to be called on. When a test is being given, talking to a classmate is not only rude but also risky. Most American teachers consider that students who are talking to each other (5)........a test are cheating.

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

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

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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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The first traffic signal was invented by a railway signaling engineer. It was installed outside the Houses of Parliament in 1868. It (1) ______ like any railway signal of the time, and was operated by gas. (2) ______, it exploded and killed a policeman, and the accident (3) ______further development until cars became common.(4) ______traffic lights are an American invention. Red-green systems was installed in Cleveland in 1914. Three-colour signals, operated (5) ______ hand from tower in the (6) ______ of the street, were installed in New York in 1918. The first lights of this type to (7) ______ in Britain were in London, on the junction between St. James‘s Street and Piccadilly, in 1925. Automatic signals were installed (8) ______year later. In the past, traffic lights were special. In New York, some lights had a statue on top. In Los Angeles the lights did not just (9) ______ silently, but would ring bells to (10) ______the sleeping motorists of the 1930s. These are gone and have been replaced by standard models which are universally adopted

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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

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All plants rely on nutrients taken from the soil in order to survive. However, in areas where the soil does not contain enough (35)_____ nutrients, some plants have adapted to (36) _____ their diets from another source: living organisms. Though they are few in number, carnivorous plants are (37)_____ fascinating beings that ―eat‖ anything from one-celled organisms to insects in order to survive. They are commonly found in marshlands. Carnivorous plants feature one of several types of ―traps‖ to ensnare prey, which they consume to make up for nutrients that may be missing from the soil. While there are over 400 species of carnivorous plants in the world today, some are more (38)_____ than others. The most well-known of these plants are the snap traps, which include the Venus flytrap. Snap traps are easily identified by their leaves, which are separated into two lobes that have the ability to fold together. Inside the lobes, the surface is covered with tiny hairs that are (39) _____ to movement. When the plant‘s prey brushes against the hairs, it triggers a closing mechanism that rapidly brings the two lobes together, trapping the prey (40)_____ inside. The response of the traps is phenomenal (41)_____ speed: the time between triggering the hairs and snapping shut is less than a second. As the prey struggles inside the trap, it only triggers more hairs, causing the leaves to tighten their (42) _____. The plant then secrets liquid chemicals from special glands into the trap to dissolve the prey and absorb all of its nutrients. Besides the Venus flytrap, only one other type of snap trap exists today, (43)_____ to as the waterwheel plant. The two share a common ancestor and differ only in a few ways. For instance, the waterwheel is an aquatic plant, while the flytrap is exclusively terrestrial. In addition, the flytrap feeds primarily on arthropods like spiders, while the waterwheel lives (44)_____ simple invertebrates, like certain types of plankton

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Leading scientists have (52)_________ that tomatoes can be of great benefit to our health. A lot of research has been (53)________ out in recent years. It‘s the whole tomato (54)_________ may lower cancer risks, not individual compounds, (55)___________ to  new research. Experts have discovered that taking the antioxidant lycopene – (56)________ is found in tomatoes, but is increasingly popular (57)_________ a health food suppplement because of its link to a reduced risk of cancer – did not work as (58)_________ as eating whole tomatoes. Scientists believe people (59)________ eat them in pastas, salads, tomato juice and pizza. Recent finding suggests that the risks (60)_________ poor eating habits cannot be reserved with a pill. We shouldn‘t (61)________ easy solutions to a complex problem

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.

Which of the following does the passage infer?

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

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The Ruropean Union (EU) is an organization that brings European countries together to cooperate on economic and political matters. To help member countries make (1) _______ and settle disputes, the EU has its own governing bodies. These (2) _______ a legislature and courts. A major goal of the EU is topromote (3) ______ trade between member countries. In the past, trade barriers prevented European countries from trading freely. These barriers included tariffs, a tax paid (4) _______ goods are moved from one country to another. Removing tariffs, made trading easier and less costly. The EU also (5) ______ it easier for people to move from one country to another to find work or go to school. Today, all EU member countries grant their citizens European citizenship. That means a citizen of France or Germany has the (6) ______ to live and work in every other country that belongs (7) ______ the EU. In addition to economic cooperation, the EU works to promote (8) ______ cooperation among its members. The EU believes member countries (9) ______ decide together how to respond to international problems or threats. But many Europeans don‘t want to (10) ______ the right to defend their countries as they see fit. Often, this makes political cooperation difficult.

Choose the best answer:
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

Choose the best answer:
The ability to weep is a uniquely human form of emotional response. Some scientists have suggested that human tears are (1) _____ of an aquatic past, but this does not seem very likely. We cry from the moment we enter this world, for a number of reasons. Helpless babies cry to persuade their parents that they are ill, hungry or uncomfortable. As they (2) _____, they will also cry just to attract parental attention and will often stop when they get it. The idea that having a good cry do you (3) _____ is a very old one and now it has scientific validity since recent research into tears has shown that they (4) _____ a natural painkiller called enkaphalin. By fighting sorrow and pain, this chemical helps you feel better. Weeping can increase the quantities of enkaphalin you (5) _____.  Unfortunately, in our society, we impose restrictions upon this naturally (6) _____ activity. Because some people still regard it as a (7) _____ of weakness in men, boys in particular are admonished when they cry. This kind of repression can only increase stress, both emotionally and physically. Tears of emotion also help the body (8) _____ itself of toxic chemical waste, for there is more protein in them than in tears resulting from cold winds or other irritants. Crying comforts and calms can be very enjoyable - (9) _____ the popularity of highly emotional films which are commonly (10) _____ ―weepies‖. It seems that people enjoy crying together almost as much as laughing together

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.

(2)...........................

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Library is a collection of books and other informational materials made available to people for reading, study, or reference. The word library comes (1)_________ liber, the Latin word for ― book‖ . (2) _____ , library collections have almost always contained a variety of materials. Contemporary libraries maintain collections that include not only printed materials such as manuscripts, books , newspapers, and magazines, (3)_______ audio-visual and online databases. In addition (4) _____ maintaining collections within library buildings, modern libraries often feature telecommunications links that provide users with access to information at remote sites. The central mission of a library (5) _______ to collect , organize, preserve, and provide access to knowledge and information. In fulfilling this mission, libraries preserve a valuable record of culture that can be passed down to (6)_______ generations. Libraries are an essential link in this communication between the past , present, and future. Whether the cultural record is contained in books or in electronic formats, libraries ensure (7) ____ the record is preserved and made available for later use. People use library resources to gain information about personal (8)__ or to obtain recreational materials such as films and novels. Students use libraries to supplement and enhance their classroom experiences, to learn (9)_____ in locating sources of information, and to develop good reading and study habits. Public officials use libraries to research legislation and public policy issues. One of the most valued of all cultural institutions, the library (10) ___ information and services that are essential to learning and progress. From ― Library ( institution)‖ by Richard S.Halsey et al

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:
Today I’d like to begin a discussion on the problem of the heating up the earth. First, we’ll touch on the relationship between fluorocarbons and the ozone layer. You probably remember that the ozone layer is the protective shield around the earth. It is important to all life, because it filters out harmful ultraviolet light from the sun. Ozone itself, a form of oxygen, is regularly made by the action of the sun in the upper atmosphere. It is also regularly destroyed by natural chemical processes.
The problem now is that too much of the ozone layer is being destroyed. Scientists suspect that certain chemicals, such as fluorocarbons, are contributing to the depletion of the ozone layer. And how do we use fluorocarbons? The most common uses are in spray cans and cooling systems. The chemical pollution from these fluorocarbons can account for some of the ozone losses that have been reported. There are, however, new studies linking the sun itself to the depletion of the ozone layer. We’ll go into that new study more next time.

What does the word “depletion” in paragraph 2 probably mean?

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Tattooing is an old art. In ancient Greece, people who had tattoos were regarded as members of the (16) __________ classes. On the other hand, tattooing was (17) __________ in Europe by the early Christians, who thought that it was a sinful thing to (18) __________. It was not until the late 18th century, when Captain Cook saw South Sea Islander decorating their bodies with tattoos that attitudes began to change. Sailors came back from these islands with pictures of Christ on their backs and from then on, tattooing (19)__________ in popularity. A survey by the French army in 1881 (20) __________ that among the 387 men (21) __________there were 1,333 designs. Nowadays, not everybody finds tattoos acceptable. Some people thing that getting one is silly because tattoos are more or less permanent. There is also some (22) __________ about (23) __________ a blood disease from unsterilized needles. Even for those who do want a tattoo, the (24) __________ of getting one is not painless, but the final result, in their eyes, is (25) __________ the pain

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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

Choose the letter A, B, C or D to complete the passage below.

"Bathroom Moratorium: Tidong community, Indonesia/ Malaysia

After the wedding, the bride and groom are not allowed to use the bathroom _________ (1) three whole days. They cannot leave the house, clear their bowels or urinate. The couple is watched over and are allowed minimal amounts of food and drink. ______________ (2) the custom is not practiced, they believe it will bring bad luck to the couple, with consequences such as a broken marriage, infidelity or death of their children."

1. After the wedding, the bride and groom are not allowed to use the bathroom _________ (1) three whole days.

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.

What is the main topic of the passage?

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:
A folk culture is small, isolated, cohesive, conservative, nearly self-sufficient group that is homogeneous in custom and race, with a strong family or clan structure and highly developed rituals.
Order is maintained through sanctions based in the religion or family, and interpersonal relationships are strong. Tradition is paramount, and change comes infrequently and slowly. There is relatively little division of labor into specialized duties. Rather, each person is expected to perform a great variety of tasks, though duties may differ between the sexes. Most goods are handmade, and a subsistence economy prevails. Individualism is weakly developed in folk cultures, as are social classes. Unaltered folk cultures no longer exist in industrialized countries such as the United States and Canada. Perhaps the nearest modern equivalent in Anglo-America is the Amish, a German American farming sect that largely renounces the products and labor saving devices of the industrial age. In Amish areas, horse-drawn buggies till serve as a local transportation device, and the faithful are not permitted to own automobiles.
The Amish’s central religious concept of Demut, “humility”, clearly reflects the weakness of individualism and social class so typical of folk cultures, and there is a corresponding strength of Amish group identity. Rarely do the Amish marry outside their sect. The religion, a variety of the Mennonite faith, provides the principal mechanism for maintaining order.
By contrast, a popular culture is a large heterogeneous group, often highly individualistic and constantly changing. Relationships tend to be impersonal, and a pronounced division of labor exists, leading to the establishment of many specialized professions. Secular institutions, of control such as the police and army take the place of religion and family in maintaining order, and a money-based economy prevails. Because of these contrasts, “popular” may be viewed as clearly different from “folk”.
The popular is replacing the folk in industrialized countries and in many developing nations, Folk- made objects give way to their popular equivalent, usually because the popular item is more quickly or cheaply produced, is easier or time saving to use, or lends more prestige to the owner.

The phrase “largely renounces” is closest in meaning to     .