Choose the best answer:
I have been ………… many beautiful places in Viet Nam.

 

 She _____ be ill. I have just seen her playing basket ball in the school yard.

(364)_____

Read the passage below carefully, and then choose the best answer:
Ocean Currents and the Turning of the Tide
If you take a seat at the beach and look out across the water, you’ll soon notice that oceans have a rhythm of their own. Throughout the course of the day, sea levels will rise and fall, and water will flow through routes and end up in different places. But how does it all work? One force at play is tides, which are the alternating water levels of the ocean. There are two major gravitational forces which cause tides: the sun and the moon. The moon’s force has a tugging effect on oceans which causes them to bulge outwards on opposite sides of the planet. Solar tides operate according to the same principles. However, they are only about 50 percent as strong due to the distance between the sun and the earth. As tides rise and fall, they create tidal currents. The strongest tidal currents occur at the height of both high and low tides. Unlike other currents, they do not flow in a continuous stream. Far from shore, tidal currents don’t have much of an effect. Yet when they pass through narrow area, like harbours and bays, tidal currents can displace plants, animals, and sediment. Although they may certainly shake things up, not all of the damage is negative. Tidal currents can spread fish eggs across long distances to assist fertilization, in addition to transporting key nutrients. Another category of currents is ocean currents. These currents occur near the top of the water, and are mainly powered by the wind. One example of these is coastal currents, which are those beachgoers encounter when going for a swim. One of the strongest and most well-known currents is the Gulf Stream, which brings warm water from the Gulf of Mexico all the way to Western Europe. Meanwhile, Deep Ocean currents are a powerful force in the depths of oceans. The strongest of these has been nicknamed the global conveyor belt, and it moves much slower than surface currents. Although we can’t see it in operation, it’s about 16 times as powerful as all the earth’s rivers put together. As the global conveyor belt pushes water around the planet, it carries nutrition and carbon dioxide to places that truly need them. In the end, although there are several currents working on oceans simultaneously, they each seem to perform a necessary function that creates balance for life in the sea.
8. What might be another good title for the passage?

 Choose the word or phrase among A, B, C or D that best fits the blank space in the following passage:

"Men are lazy in the home, according to an official survey (1)……… today. They have about six hours a week more free time than wives, but play very little(2)…… in cooking, cleaning, washing, and ironing, according to the Social Trends Survey by the Central (3)…… Office.
 Nearly three quarters of married women (4)…… to do all or most of the housework, and among married men the proportion who admitted that their wives did all or most of the housework was only slightly lower.
 The survey (5)…… that washing and ironing was the least popular task among men, with only one percent (6)…… this duty, compared with 89 percent of women, and 10 percent sharing equally.
 Only 5 percent of men (7)….. the evening meal, 3 percent carry out household cleaning duties, 5 percent household shopping, and 17 percent wash the evening dishes. But when household gadgets break down, (8)……  are carried out by 82 percent of husbands.
 The survey says that, despite our economic problems, the majority of Britons are substantially better (9)….. than a decade ago. We’re healthier, too - eating healthier foods and smoking less.
 The (10)…..  Briton, not surprisingly, is more widely travelled than a decade ago. More people are going abroad for holidays, with Spain the favorite destination."

9. The survey says that, despite our economic problems, the majority of Britons are substantially better (9)….. than a decade ago. 

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:
Most of the time, we avoid strangers. It is one of the first lessons we learn (1)__________  children. But according to Dr. Richard Wiseman, it is a habit we should change. Talking to strangers opens up new possibilities in life. It increases the chances of finding luck and friendship. Choosing which strangers to talk to obviously requires a bit of common (2)___________ and judgement, but Liz Barry and Bill Wetzel from New York were so inspired by the idea that they started the “Talk to Me” project. For three years, they sat at bus stops, on street corners and any other place they could find in New York holding a sign saying ‘Talk to me’. They encountered hostility and (3)__________ sometimes, but in general they were surprised by the kindness they encountered. Many philosophical and religious traditions tell us that happiness can be found by living in the present. Now there is some scientific support (4)___________ this belief. Recent research by Harvard University psychologists found that we spend 46.9 percent of our (5)____________ time daydreaming. And when we daydream, we are less happy, the research found.

Read the reading below carefully, and then complete it with the best option A, B, C or D given below:
Following up its successful Sushi Workshop in July, the Japan-America Society of Greater Long Island presents sushi chef Maksui from Kenichi for an advanced sushi workshop on Sunday, October 25th at the Tri-fold Clubhouse (410 Guadalupe St.) from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. This workshop will allow attendees of the previous workshop to build on their sushi-making skills. This is not a free event. The cost for current JGA members is $35. If you’re a nonmember, the cost is $40 (Please bring exact change in cash). Although the cost includes all the ingredients necessary to make sushi, you will need to bring your own knife and a towel or cloth of some sort. Please note that registration is required in order to attend this class. Space is limited. Send a registration request to jga-events@jga.org by Thursday, October 22. 48 hour’s notice is required in order to cancel.
2. What information is NOT given in the notice?

Read the passage below carefully, and then choose the best answer:
Durable Ceramic Beauty
Inside an art and craft workshop, a young woman sits in front of a pottery wheel. The machine contains a large lump of clay which she molds into the shape of an elaborate bowl. Later, when she is satisfied with its appearance, it will be baked in an oven until it solidifies. Then she adds decorative paints to add some style. In the end, this ceramic pot will be both a handy utility for eating as well as a work of art. Humans have been working with ceramics for about 30,000 years, making it one of the oldest industries on the planet. In ancient times, ceramics enabled humans to make containers to store food and drinks, as well as bricks for buildings, but as time went on, people found other uses for this prehistoric technology. Techniques were added to give these products more eye-catching designs. Objects were often coated with glaze, so they would be smoother and more pleasant to touch. This helped to transform these practical items into works of art. People would pay large amounts of money for pieces of ceramic art and use them to decorate their homes. In modern times, architects and inventors discovered that ceramic offered the perfect balance between beauty and durability, and started using it in their products as well. Ceramics have found a home in the world of automobiles as they are used to produce several products. They are often used to make brake discs, engines, and other parts because ceramics are able to withstand extremely hot temperatures. Ceramics also play a part in the world of medicine, as their flexibility and strength are perfect for creating sturdy dental implants. Other doctors are using them to replace damaged bones because they are able to bond with tissues in the body without causing adverse reactions. In many kitchens today, you will also find ceramic knives. Once they are produced, the hard edges of these blades rarely need to be sharpened. Unlike metal knives, they won’t rust when exposed to difficult conditions. Ceramics also help to make it possible for humans to travel into space. Space shuttles are designed with ceramic tiles because they are one of the few materials that can stand the extreme heat when reentering the Earth’s atmosphere, plus they don’t wear out easily. With so many useful applications, it is hard to deny that ceramic technology is out of this world.
2. What were ceramics used for at first?

Choose the best answer:
five/ family/ are/ my/ in/ There/ members/./

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks.
The philosopher Aristotle said, “In poverty and other misfortunes of life, true friends are a sure refuge. They keep the young out of mischief; they comfort and aid the old in their weakness, and they incite those in the prime of life to noble deeds. “Growing up”, my mother always used to tell me “your friends are a reflection of you”. I did not quite understand this (1).................. I started meeting individuals who kept, not so healthy friends in their lives and suddenly, as a young teenager, I learned to understand that the friends I keep in my life (2)............... who I am and desire to be as a person and therefore I have learned to choose my friends wisely over the years. I do not care about the superficial (3)................such as looks, money, success or status but rather I emulate those (4)................ bring laughter, joy, honesty and  who can be there for me and also give me a firm kick in the butt when I need it. I always find it intriguing to meet friends of people I know because I can really get a sense of that person by the company they choose to (5)................... in their life.

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

Background, in relation to computers, on the screen, the color on which characters are displayed. (1) _______, a white background may be used for black characters. In a windowing environment in which more than one program or document can be available to the user, open but currently inactive (2) _______ are said to be in the background. In the context of operating systems and program execution, background refers to a process, or task, assigned a lower priority in the microprocessor's share of time to tasks other than the task running in the (3) _______. A background process thus often performs its work, such as printing or checking for arriving messages on an electronic mail network, invisibly unless the user requests an update or brings the task to the foreground. (4) _______, only multitasking operating systems are able to support background processing. However, some operating systems that do not support multitasking may be able to perform one or more types of background tasks. For example, in the Apple Macintosh operating system running in Single-Launch Mode (with multitasking (5) _______), the Background Printing option can be used to print documents while the user is doing other work.

(15)________

Choose the best answer:
Non-smokers usually live …………. than smokers.

Choose the best answer:
Do you remember how we used to go to the cinema ______?

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
                   A YEAR WITH OVERSEAS VOLUNTEERS
I was with Overseas Volunteers (OV) for a year after leaving university, and I was sent to an isolated village in Chad, about 500 kilometers from the capital N'Djamena. Coming from a rich country, I got quite a shock, as conditions were much harder than I had expected. But after a few days I got used to (1).................there. The people were always very friendly and helpful, and I soon began to appreciate how beautiful the countryside was.
 One of my jobs was to supply the village (2).............. water. The well was a long walk away, and the women  used  to  spend  a  long  time  every day (3)....................heavy  pots  backwards  and forwards. So I contacted the organization and arranged to have some pipes delivered. (4)......... these pipes were not really perfect, they still made a great difference to the villagers.
All in all, I think my time with OV was a good experience. Although it was not paid, it was well worth doing and I would recommend it to anyone (5).............. was considering working for a charity.

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

choose the best answer:
At the end of the story, the prince and princess fall _________ love with each other.

Choose the best answer:
My teacher asked me if I knew _______ had got that job.

Read the passage below carefully, and then choose the best answer:
Future Cures for a Better Future
We all wish we could stay forever young, maintaining perfect health throughout our lives. Unfortunately, this is just a pipe dream. In reality, our bodies start to fall apart as we age. Due to genetic weaknesses, neglecting our bodies, and reckless actions, people often find themselves facing a host of issues. Currently, many of these problems can’t be cured by modern medicine. Yet there is hope in the future that remedies will be developed to eliminate these conditions once and for all. One disease which prevents people from enjoying their golden years is Alzheimer’s. It is a brain condition which causes sufferers to slowly lose their memory and intellectual capabilities, and nearly 25 million people are affected by it. Although most of its victims get sick when they are senior citizens, about 5 percent start to show some effects when they are in their 40s or 50s. Within the next five to seven years, medicines should hit the market which greatly reduce the effects of Alzheimer’s, and may even cure it completely. In addition, researchers are working on a vaccine that could prevent people from getting it in the first place. Cancer is one of the deadliest diseases on the Earth. It can strike any organ or quickly spread throughout the body. Despite pumping millions of dollars into cancer research, it has proved to be a difficult disease to defeat. However, scientists are optimistic that they can turn it into a manageable condition within the next decade using a new approach. Doctors envision working with individuals’ DNA to develop more personalized treatments. Although this may not provide a complete cure, it should allow them to extend patients’ lives for many years. Although it is not a disease, baldness is something that many men dread. Although whether we lose hair is based primarily on genetics, many men feel that they did something wrong to cause it. As a result, men have been tricked with pills and routines that promise to cure baldness but actually do nothing at all. As it looks, there may be some effective treatments on the horizon. One involves cloning healthy hair follicles to ensure that men maintain a healthy head of hair. Another involves reawakening old hair follicles that have stop functioning. In the meantime, shaved heads are in style, so men should realize that they have other options.
4. How does baldness compared to the other conditions and diseases mentioned?

Choose the best answer:
Which activities do you think would be difficult ________ blind and deaf people?

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 :
If you are like most students, you probably started this new academic year with a resolution to study harder. Now, science can you help you keep your resolution. Recent discoveries in brain research (1) _______ to better ways to learn. How does the brain (2) _______ new information? Think of the last time someone told you their phone number. Could you remember that number five minutes later? Probably not! That’s because it was in your short-term memory. Our memory actually has three components. Sensory memory takes (3) _______  information from our five senses and is stored for just a few seconds while our brain processes it. Short-term memory works like a “holding area” for new information – that’s where you keep the phone number while you dial it. but if you can put the phone number into long-term memory, you’ll remember that same phone number next week. This part of your memory (4) _______ everything from irregular verbs to the names of all your cousins. When you study, you transfer new information into long-term memory. Every time we learn something new, the structure of the brain actually changes as we build new connections to information that we (5) _______ know. When there are more connections to the new information, it’s easier to find it again

The concept of urban agriculture may conjure up images of rooftop, backyard or community gardens scattered among downtown city streets and surrounding neighborhoods. But in the Seattle area, and within and beyond the Puget Sound region, it means a great deal more. "Urban agriculture doesn't necessarily equate to production that occurs only in a metropolitan urban area, "says Jason Niebler, who directs the Sustainable Agriculture Education (SAgE) initiative at Seattle Central Community College. "It means we are providing for growing population food needs from surrounding rural landscapes, as well as from the core urban landscape."

Picture a series of concentric circles, with an urban core that produces some food at varying capacities, surrounded by a series of outlying rings of small farms that become increasingly more rural with distance. The hope is that such land use planning, from the inner core to the outer rings, will encourage local ecologically sound sustainable food production. This, in turn, will create local jobs and decrease reliance on distant food products that originate from petroleum-intensive large scale farms.

That's the idea behind SAgE, believed to be the nation's first metropolitan-based community college sustainable agriculture program that emphasizes farming practices across diverse landscape types from urban centers to surrounding rural environs. "It's small scale agriculture with an urban focus" Niebler says. "Any urban population, large or small, can practice sustainable agriculture, improve food security and protect the environment, which ultimately results in resilient food systems and communities."

SAgE is a part of National Science Foundation's Advanced Technological Education (ATE) Program, which is providing the project with $157,375 over two years. ATE's goal is to support projects that strengthen the skills of technicians who work in industries regarded as vital to the national's prosperity and security. The support largely goes to community colleges that work in partnership with universities, secondary schools, businesses and industries, as well as government agencies, which design and implement model workforce initiatives.

The SAgE project focuses on the environmental, socioeconomic, political and cultural issues related to sustainable food systems, within Puget Sound watersheds through student and community education and research, and technological innovation. The curriculum offers courses that cover such issues as agricultural ecology, urban food systems, food politics and ethics, soil science, sustainable food production and technology, the integration of food and forests, and career opportunities.

"We've created a curriculum that is fundamental in nature, addressing the principles of sustainable agriculture and what a food system is - how it functions both locally and globally," Niebler says. "These courses are challenging, robust and inspirational. One of the really wonderful things about them is that we offer service learning opportunities, where students volunteer a portion of their time to working with local partner organizations. They can do a research project, or a service learning option. The ideal would be to prompt students into careers that involve sustainable practices in an urban agriculture setting."

Adapted from "Promoting Sustainable Agriculture" by Mariene Cimons

In Niebler's opinion, the courses offered by the SAgE project are________.

Read the following passage and choose the best answer (A, B, C, D):
For many American university students, the weeklong spring break holiday means an endless party on a sunny beach in Florida or Mexico. In Panama City Beach, Florida, a city with a permanent population of around 36,000, more than half a million university students arrive during the month of March to play and party, making it the number one spring break destination in the United States. A weeklong drinking binge is not for anyone, however, and a growing number of American university students have found a way to make spring break matter. For them, joining or leading a group of volunteers to travel locally or internationally and work to show problems such as poverty, homelessness, or environmental damage makes spring break a unique learning experience that university students can feel good about. Students who participate in alternative spring break projects find them very rewarding. While most university students have to get their degrees before they can start helping people, student volunteers are able to help people now. On the other hand, the accommodations are far from glamorous. Students often sleep on the floor of a school or spend the week camping in tents. But students only pay around $250 for meals and transportation, which is much less than some of their peers spend to travel to more traditional spring break hotspots. Alternative spring break trips appear to be growing in popularity at universities across the United States. Students cite a number of reason for participating. Some appreciate the opportunity to socialize and meet new friends. Others want to exercise their beliefs about people’s obligation to serve humanity and make the world a better place. Whatever their reason, these students have discovered something that gives them rich rewards along with a break from school work.
5. Which of the following gives the main idea of the third paragraph?