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It was ....... day of the year.

 

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………… doing morning exercises is good for your health, don't do it too hard.

Please be advised it is time for the IT department to ---131---mandatory server maintenance and updates.---132---. There will be no Internet service in the building from 7:00 P.M. Wednesday, March 12, until 9:00 A.M. Thursday, March 13. In addition, please note there will be no remote access available. Therefore, you will not be able to log in to the server from outside the office. ---133--- this regularly scheduled maintenance, you will not have access to your e-mail, calendar, or contacts. Employees should plan accordingly. We ---134--- any inconvenience this may cause.

134....................

Read the passage below carefully, and then choose the best answer:
Microwave Magic
The 20th century was a time in which many great inventions were created. Things like the automobile, computers, and the Internet truly changed the way we live forever. Yet, one handy invention that has made eating at home far more convenient is often overlooked. The invention of microwave allowed even the worst cooks in the world to prepare a meal in essentially no time at all. What is really fascinating about microwave ovens is that they were invented by accident. During World War II, British scientists discovered a device called a magnetron that can produce microwaves. They hoped it would help them quickly identify German planes that were intent on bombing their nation. However, it would be an American scientist named Percy Spencer who linked microwaves with cooking food. One day, Spencer brought a candy bar with him to work, and he stored it in his shirt pocket. While walking through a radar set, he noticed that the radar had somehow melted his treat. Afterwards, Spencer and his coworkers started to experiment with heating other things. They tried heating some popcorn kernels and it worked like a charm. Next, they tried to cook an egg with microwaves, but it literally blew up in their face. In 1945, the company that Spencer worked for, Raytheon, filed a patent for the technology and started working on ways to make microwave ovens more efficient. The first commercial microwave ovens hit the market, and an industry was born. In the first few years, things didn’t appear too promising. Early microwaves were quite expensive and they were big and chunky, so it was difficult to fit them in most kitchens. Yet, people did see the benefit an ease of being able to cook foods so quickly. Therefore, once manufacturers were able to shrink the device and bring down the price a bit, sales started to skyrocket. By 1986, approximately 25 percent of Americans had a microwave oven in their kitchen. Through the years, many people have questioned the safety and potential negative health effects of microwaves, fearing that the technology was a little too good to be true. Yet, some studies have shown that microwaving food actually helps it to retain more nutrients because of the short cooking times and minimal water required. However, it is essential to use microwave containers to avoid harmful chemicals from possibly leaking into your food. Microwave dishes may never be seen as gourmet cooking, but when you are in a hurry, nothing beats this method of cooking.
8. It can be inferred from the passage that when we use microwave ovens _________

We found the exam extremely easy. We_____ so hard.

(400)_________

Read the following passage and choose the best answer (A, B, C, D):
Thanks to our modern lifestyle, with more and more time spent sitting down in front of computers than ever before, the number of overweight people is at a new high. As people frantically search for a solution to this problem, they often try some of the popular fad diets being offered. Many people see fad diets as innocuous ways of losing weight, and they are grateful to have them. Unfortunately, not only don't fad diets usually do the trick, they can actually be dangerous for your health. Although permanent weight loss is the goal, fewareabletoachieveit. Expertsestimate that 95 percent of dieters return to their starting weight, or even add weight. While the reckless use of fad diets can bring some initial results, long-term results are very rare. Nonetheless, people who are fed up with the difficulties of changing their eating habits often turn to fad diets. Rather than being moderate, fad diets involve extreme dietary changes. They advise eating only one type of food, or they prohibit other types of foods entirely. This results in a situation where a person's body doesn't get all the vitamins and other things that it needs to stay healthy. One popular fad diet recommends eating lots of meat and animal products, while nearly eliminating carbohydrates. A scientific study from Britain found that this diet is very high in fat. According to the study, the increase of damaging fats in the blood can lead to heart disease and, in extreme cases, kidney failure. Furthermore, diets that are too low in carbohydrates can cause the body to use its own muscle for energy. The less muscle you have, the less food you use up, and the result is slower weight loss. Veteran dieters may well ask at this point, "What is the ideal diet?" Well, to some extent, it depends on the individual. A United States government agency has determined that to change your eating habits requires changing your psychology of eating, and everyone has a different psychology. That being said, the British study quoted above recommends a diet that is high in carbohydrates and high in fiber, with portions of fatty foods kept low. According to the study, such a diet is the best for people who want to stay healthy, lose weight, and keep that weight off. And, any dieting program is best undertaken with a doctor's supervision.
4. Which of the following best expresses the essential information in paragraph 3?

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You need to be ………. to follow eggshell carving because it may take two weeks to complete one shell.

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Among the problems facing the national park's manager, the most serious ones are those of ...... and expansion.

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…….. anyone know where he’s now?

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Creative students ………. drawings and paintings in the ……….. club.

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VTV is a ………….. television channel in Viet Nam, and it attracts millions of TV viewers in Viet Nam.

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'Let's break for lunch,' said Mathew.

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.
                                          Culture Clash
In Africa a famous food company tried to sell its baby food by advertising it with the picture of a baby on the label. They did not know that this particular country used labels only to (1)............. a picture of the food inside. When Pepsico used the slogan "Come alive with Pepsi' in Taiwan, they had no idea that it would be translated into Chinese as 'Pepsi (2)............. your ancestors back from the dead’.
Misunderstandings such as these about language or about culture are sometimes comical but can also cause genuine hurt or anger. Business styles (3).............. widely in different countries and what is normal in one culture can be completely unacceptable in another.
Socialising in different countries can be tricky. In Arabic countries, for example, people do not discuss business (4)...............meals. Giving gifts is another potential problem: in the UK most people take presents to a dinner party, but in many countries this is not polite because it (5)............ you think the host is poor.

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

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We are going to have a picnic _____________ the bad weather.

John rarely sees Paul _____ they live in the same town.

(305)______

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The plane landed at Heathrow ____.

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

Read the following passage and choose the best answer (A, B, C, D):
Thanks to our modern lifestyle, with more and more time spent sitting down in front of computers than ever before, the number of overweight people is at a new high. As people frantically search for a solution to this problem, they often try some of the popular fad diets being offered. Many people see fad diets as innocuous ways of losing weight, and they are grateful to have them. Unfortunately, not only don't fad diets usually do the trick, they can actually be dangerous for your health. Although permanent weight loss is the goal, fewareabletoachieveit. Expertsestimate that 95 percent of dieters return to their starting weight, or even add weight. While the reckless use of fad diets can bring some initial results, long-term results are very rare. Nonetheless, people who are fed up with the difficulties of changing their eating habits often turn to fad diets. Rather than being moderate, fad diets involve extreme dietary changes. They advise eating only one type of food, or they prohibit other types of foods entirely. This results in a situation where a person's body doesn't get all the vitamins and other things that it needs to stay healthy. One popular fad diet recommends eating lots of meat and animal products, while nearly eliminating carbohydrates. A scientific study from Britain found that this diet is very high in fat. According to the study, the increase of damaging fats in the blood can lead to heart disease and, in extreme cases, kidney failure. Furthermore, diets that are too low in carbohydrates can cause the body to use its own muscle for energy. The less muscle you have, the less food you use up, and the result is slower weight loss. Veteran dieters may well ask at this point, "What is the ideal diet?" Well, to some extent, it depends on the individual. A United States government agency has determined that to change your eating habits requires changing your psychology of eating, and everyone has a different psychology. That being said, the British study quoted above recommends a diet that is high in carbohydrates and high in fiber, with portions of fatty foods kept low. According to the study, such a diet is the best for people who want to stay healthy, lose weight, and keep that weight off. And, any dieting program is best undertaken with a doctor's supervision.
1. What is the author's main point?

Read the passage below carefully, and then choose the best answer:
Explosions in the Sky
If you attend a major outdoor event in the evening, whether it is in Paris, Beijing, or New York City, there is a good chance that it will end in a sensational way. After all of the other activities have concluded, the sky will be lit up by a colourful firework display. Although the show may only last for a few minutes, during that time every eye will look on with amazement as they work their magic in the air. Fireworks were invented in the seventh century by the Chinese. They were quickly absorbed into the culture and became a part of many celebratory events and festivals. Eventually, emperors would organize large firework displays to entertain and impress their subjects. Fireworks didn’t become big in Europe until the mid-17th century. People became interested in fireworks after reading accounts from monks and travellers who saw them while in China. Once they did arrive, it was obvious they were there to stay. Fireworks were frequently paired with triumphant classical symphonies to celebrate the end of wars and other great victories. As time went on, the fireworks continued to evolve and get better in many ways. Fireworks now come in every colour imaginable. The colour comes from different chemicals that are placed inside of each firework. Thanks to modern technology, it is also possible to create firework arrangements in the shape of hearts, smiley faces, and even the planet Saturn. This is because of the way that the aerial shells, or casings, of fireworks are constructed. The cases are packed with exploding pellets and a piece of cardboard. The cardboard enables the designers to arrange the pellets in pattern or shape of the object of their choice. The first time this technology was used was in Washington DC, during a celebration to welcome home American troops who fought in the Gulf War. The visual aspect is only part of the reason fireworks are appealing. The sounds that fireworks make also add a healthy dose of excitement to the display. There are several noises that fireworks can make. The most common is the “bang” which sounds a lot like a gunshot. Fireworks can also crackle, hum, and whistle as they streak across the night sky. The world’s largest firework show was held in Kuwait in 2012. 77,282 fireworks exploded during the incredible 64-minute show. But with people’s love for fireworks at an all-time high, who knows how long that record will last?
3. What is the main idea of the second paragraph?

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.

William Sydney Porter (1862-1910), who wrote under the pseudonym of O. Henry, was born in North Carolina. His only formal education was to attend his Aunt Lina’s school until the age of fifteen, where he developed his lifelong love of books. By 1881 he was a licensed pharmacist. However, within a year, on the recommendation of a medical colleague of his Father’s, Porter moved to La Salle County in Texas for two years herding sheep. During this time, Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary was his constant companion, and Porter gained a knowledge of ranch life that he later incorporated into many of his short stories. He then moved to Austin for three years, and during this time the first recorded use of his pseudonym appeared, allegedly derived from his habit of calling “Oh, Henry” to a family cat. In 1887, Porter married Athol Estes. He worked as a draftsman, then as a bank teller for the First National Bank.

In 1894 Porter founded his own humor weekly, the “Rolling Stone”, a venture that failed within a year, and later wrote a column for the Houston Daily Post. In the meantime, the First National Bank was examined, and the subsequent indictment of 1886 stated that Porter had embezzled funds. Porter then fled to New Orleans, and later to Honduras, leaving his wife and child in Austin. He returned in 1897 because of his wife’s continued ill-health, however she died six months later. Then, in 1898 Porter was found guilty and sentenced to five years imprisonment in Ohio. At the age of thirty five, he entered prison as a defeated man; he had lost his job, his home, his wife, and finally his freedom. He emerged from prison three years later, reborn as O. Henry, the pseudonym he now used to hide his true identity. He wrote at least twelve stories in jail, and after re-gaining his freedom, went to New York City, where he published more than 300 stories and gained fame as America’s favorite short Story writer. Porter married again in 1907, but after months of poor health, he died in New York City at the age of forty-eight in 1910. O. Henry’s stories have been translated all over the world.

The word “imprisonment” in paragraph 2 is closet in meaning to _________.

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My great grandma used to read ________ to me before bed.