Choose the best answer:
_________it was so cold, he went out without an overcoat.

 

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.
                          CYBERFASHION
Most of us own modern gadgets such as mobile phones, or digital cameras. We may carry them round in our pockets, or attach them to our bodies. But not for much longer! So far designers have succeeded  in  (1)........................ tiny  bits  of  technology  di–rectly  into  our  clothing.  In  actual  fact “cyberfashion” is the latest trend! One example, the Musical Jacket, is already in the shops and stores. This jacket is silk. It is (2)................. by a keyboard, also manufactured from fabric, which is connected to a tiny device (3)......... plays music.
At present, you have to touch a shoulder pad to hear the music. But in the future, you will be able to operate the device just by turning your wrist or walking! For many athletes, scientists have invented a smart shirt which measures your heart rate, body temperature and respiration rate! (4).............. , the most romantic piece of cyberfashion must be the Heartthrob Brooch. This item of jewellery, made from diamonds and rubies, has two miniature transmitters. They make the brooch glow in time to the beating of its wearer’s heart. If you meet someone (5)..................... , your heart will beat faster – and your brooch will let everyone know how you feel!

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

Choose the best answer:
She noticed a marked _______ in the children on her second visit.

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

My family consists of four people.There’s my father whose name is Jan, my mother whose name is Marie, my brother Peter and of course me. I have quite a large extended family as well but only the four of us live together in our apartment in a block of flats. My father is fifty-two years old, he works as an accountant in an insurance company. He is tall and slim, has got short brown and grey hair and blue eyes. My father likes gardening very much as well as listening to music and reading books about political science. His special hobbies are bird watching and travelling.

       Now I’ll describe my mother and my brother. My mother is forty-seven and she works as a nurse in a hospital. She is small and slim, has got short brown hair and green eyes. She likes bird watching and travelling too, so whenever my parents are able to they go some places interesting for nature watching. Since we we have a cottage with a garden they both spend a lot of time there. My brother is sixteen. He is slim and has short brown hair and blue eyes. He also attends high school. He is interested in computers and sports like football and hockey. He also spends a lot of time with his friends.

I have only one grandmother left still living. She is in pretty good health even at the age of seventy- eight so she still lives in her own flat. I enjoy spending time with her when I can. Both my grandfathers died from cancer because they are smokers, which was really a great tragedy because I didn’t get a chance to know them. My other grandmother died just a few years ago. I also have a lot of aunts, uncles, and cousines. The cousine I’m closest to is my uncle’s daughter Pauline. We have a lot in common because we are both eighteen and so we are good friends.

My parents have assigned  me certain duties around the house. I don’t mind helping out because everyone in a family should contribute in some way. I help with the washing up, the vacuuming and the shopping. Of course I also have to help keep my room tidy as well. My brother is responsible for the dusting and the mopping. He also has to clean his own room. Even though my brother and I sometimes fight about who has to do what job, we are still very close. I am also very close to my parents and I can rely on them to help me. My parents work together to keep our home well maintained and it seems they always have some projects or another that they are working on. They respect each other’s opinions and even if they disagree they can always come to a compromise. I hope in the future that I have a family like ours.

What is the writer’s father?

Choose the best answer:
time/ is/ TV/ a/ waste/ Watching/ of

Choose the best answer:
It’s too noisy here. Can we go somewhere …………………?

Choose the best answer:
It is possible for local wildlife to coexist ...... industry.

Choose the best answer:
A ………. is an enormous system of stars in outer space.

Read a text about some young people who write for a TV show and decide if the following statements are True, False or Not Given.

Teen writers on TV hit Catch

Dan Finelli is a normal teenager from North London; he goes to school, enjoys hanging out with his mates and only occasionally misses his classes. But Dan also happens to be a writer for the popular teen drama, Catch. The second series starts this week and the one-hour episode that Dan wrote, his very first for the show, will be on screen later in the year. This will make him one of the youngest writers of a peak-time drama ever.

'What's great about Catch is that the characters are exactly like the people around you,' says Dan, who also plays the part of Computer Chris in the show. 'When I'm at school and one of my friend says something funny, I write it down in my notebook and use it later in the script. I never tell them I'm doing it. I just want it to sound as real as possible,' Dan adds.

Catch is about the lives of a group of 16-18-year-olds in a sixth-form college. The school doesn't really exist, but the whole show does feel very true to life. There's an episode every week and each one concentrates on an individual member of the group and tells his or her story.

The idea for the programme came from an unusual source, a father-and-son pair of writers, Ken Thomas and his son, Callum. They took their idea to a TV company and were very surprised when the company said they were keen to make it. Now, Ken and Callum are central members of the writing team but in order to build that team, Ken had to go to theatre companies and writing groups all over London to find both writers and teens to advise on the stories.

Catch is about a group of teenagers at a real college.

Read the following passage and choose the best answer (A, B, C, D):
Alemur is a unique animal. When you look at a lemur, it might be hard to tell what you are really looking at. With their huge dark eyes and lush fur, lemurs are very cute, but what animal family are they from? Some lemurs look like a cross between a cat and a dog. Some look a little like squirrels, while others resemble monkeys. Why do they look so strange? To answer to this question we need to understand the lemur's history and genetics. In modern biology, lemurs are called prosimians. This means before monkeys. Remarkably, lemurs, monkeys, apes, and humans all share a common ancestor from about 50 million years ago. Monkeys, apes, and humans developed together in one direction. However, lemurs developed differently and slowly because of their geographical location. All lemurs come from the island of Madagascar, located off the east coast of Africa. Madagascar split off from mainland Africa 50 million years ago. It is believed that the first prosimians traveled to Madagascar on floating trees and plants. The prosimians that traveled to Madagascar were isolated from the rest of Africa. Predators, like dogs or cats, did not make it to Madagascar. Since there were no dangerous threats, prosimians did not have to evolve as quickly as other primates did. (primates: any nimal that belongs to the group of mammals that includes humans, apes, and monkeys.) Over time, the original prosimians evolved into lemurs. Lemurs have changed in some ways over those 50 million years, but they are much more similar to our shared ancestor than either humans, monkeys, or apes. Because of this, their bodies and behaviors hold clues about what out common ancestor looked like. Lemurs have four fingers and a thumb on their hands, and five toes on their feet, just like humans do. They have eyes and jaw bones that are similar to humans as well, but they have a wet nose, like a dog. Lemur behavior is also comparable to human behavior, as they live in social groups. Like apes and humans, lemurs travel together, groom one another, fight each other, and play together. Lemurs, however, have simpler friend and family relationships. Recently, lemurs have been studied in captivity. Like their distant chimpanzee and monkey cousins, they can be taught to use tools and to solve complicated problems. The word lemur means ghost. While the name probably comes from their huge reflective eyes and their strange, haunting cries, lemurs are ghosts in a way. They are living ghosts that remind US where we came from, and also give US clues about how humans evolved.
3. Which sentence about lemurs is true?

Sugar tastes sweet because of thousands of receptors on the tongue which connect the substance with the brain. The taste of sweetness is universally accepted as the most pleasurable known, although it is a fructose. Abundant is the most common occurring sugar, (1)______ of which include fruit and honey. Sucrose, which supplies glucose to the body, is (2)______ from the sugar cane plant, and white sugar (pure sucrose) is used by food technologists to (3)______ sweetness in other substances. Approximately a dozen artificial sweeteners have been discovered; one of the earliest was Sorbitol from France. Manufacturers add large amounts of sugar to foodstuffs but never more than the (4)______ required to produce the optimum pleasurable taste. Surprisingly, this amount is similar for different people and in different cultures. No one has (5)______ discovered a way to predict whether a substance will taste sweet, and it was by chance alone that all the man-made chemical sweeteners were found to be sweet.

(82)___________

Choose the best answer:
They are going to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary in Nha Trang.

→ Their 25th wedding anniversary ……………

Read the following passage and choose the best answer (A, B, C, D):
Chess, often (1)______ to as the Royal Game, is the oldest of all board games which do not contain an element of chance. The origins of chess are uncertain, (2)______ there are a number of legends regarding its invention. One story says that it was King Solomon who invented chess, another that it was the Greek god Hermes, and yet another that the Chinese mandarin Han-Sing was responsible for its creation. In fact, chess almost certainly originated in India in the sixth or seventh century AD. The game’s popularity then spread quickly through Persia (now known as Iran) and from there came to Europe. The first documented reference to chess in literature is in a Persian romance which was written about 600 AD. It is (3)_______ the word ‘chess’ comes from ‘shah’, the Persian word for ‘king’ and that ‘checkmate’, the game’s winning (4)_______, comes from the phrase ‘shah mat’, (5)______ ‘the king is dead’. The rules and pieces used in the game have undergone changes over the centuries. Modem chess owes much to the Spaniard Lopez de Segura, who in 1561 wrote the first book on how to play the game. In it, he introduced the concept of ‘castling’, which had not been part of the game until then.

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:
All men should study, we have to study to (1)_____ our knowledge and develop our intelligence.An educated man can only utilize his bodily strength to work and live. An educated man, (2)_____this strength, still has the faculty of his intelligent brain and good reflection. This intelligence and thought (3)_____ him to help his physical strength to act more quickly and cleverly.In a same profession or work, the educated man differs (4)______ the uneducated considerably. Therefore, intellectual workers have to study, this is a matter of course but manual workers must also again an education. In civilized countries compulsory education has been applied. Everyone must spend seven or eight years to study. From ploughmen to laborers in these (5)_____, no one is unable to read a book or a paper fluently.

Read the passage below carefully, and then choose the best answer:
Helpful Home Remedies
When something is bothering us, it is natural to try and make it go away. We might head to the doctor or make a trip to the local pharmacy for medicine. Unfortunately, these methods can be time-consuming and expensive. But have no fear, because you might be able to whip up an effective home remedy with nothing more than a few simple ingredients from your cupboard. At one time or another, it seems everyone comes down with flu. Our temperature will rise, we may feel nauseous, and we will likely have a stuffy nose and a cough. Aside from taking it easy and getting plenty of rest, you can turn to chicken soup to make you feel better. Mothers from around the world have been making it for thousands of years for sick relatives. The hot soup warms you up and its flavorful smell helps to clear up your nose. It is often prepared with garlic, onions, and carrots which all provide vitamins that increase circulation and reduce inflammation. In addition, the liquid will keep you hydrated. Last but not least, it is usually delicious. Nothing drives people mad quite like getting the hiccups. If you are fortunate, they will only last for a few minutes. Yet in some cases, nothing seems to drive them away. Next time you have a bad case of the hiccups, try this sweet solution. Take a full teaspoon with sugar and swallow it down. The sugar is thought to change instructions to your nerves and get your throat muscles to relax. Just don’t overdo it, or else you might have to go to the dentist to get some cavities fixed. Headaches are another annoyance that we can do all without. If you get one, try this home remedy which doesn’t require taking any food or liquids at all. Instead, try putting a pencil in between your teeth. A major cause of headache is stress, and when we are anxious, we often tighten our jaws, which strains a muscle that connects to the temples of our head, and this action causes the pain. By placing a pencil in our mouths, we are giving our minds a signal to relax our jaw. This can reduce the intensity of headaches almost immediately. Just remember not to bite down, unless you are in the mood for a lead sandwich.
5. The word “temples” in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to ____________

My family consists of four people. There’s my father whose name is Jan, my mother whose name is Marie, my brother Peter and of course me. I have quite a large extended family as well but only the four of us live together in our apartment in a block of flats. My father is fifty-two years old, he works as an accountant in an insurance company. He is tall and slim, has got short brown and grey hair and blue eyes. My father likes gardening very much as well as listening to music and reading books about political science. His special hobbies are bird watching and travelling.

Now I’ll describe my mother and my brother. My mother is forty-seven and she works as a nurse in a hospital. She is small and slim, has got short brown hair and green eyes. She likes bird watching and travelling too, so whenever my parents are able to them go to some places interesting for nature watching. Since we have a cottage with a garden they both spend a lot of time there. My brother is sixteen. He is slim and has short brown hair and blue eyes. He also attends high school. He is interested in computers and sports like football and hockey. He also spends a lot of time with his friends.

I have only one grandmother left still living. She is in pretty good health even at the age of seventy- eight so she still lives in her own flat. I enjoy spending time with her when I can. Both my grandfathers died from cancer because they are smokers, which was really a great tragedy because I didn’t get a chance to know them. My other grandmother died just a few years ago. I also have a lot of aunts, uncles, and cousines. The cousine I’m closest to is my uncle’s daughter Pauline. We have a lot in common because we are both eighteen and so we are good friends.

My parents have assigned me certain duties around the house. I don’t mind helping out because everyone in a family should contribute in some way. I help with the washing up, the vacuuming and the shopping. Of course, I also have to help keep my room tidy as well. My brother is responsible for the dusting and the mopping. He also has to clean his own room. Even though my brother and I sometimes fight about who has to do what job, we are still very close. I am also very close to my parents and I can rely on them to help me. My parents work together to keep our home well maintained and it seems they always have some projects or another that they are working on. They respect each other’s opinions and even if they disagree they can always come to a compromise. I hope in the future that I have a family like ours.

Where does the writer’s mother work? 

Read the passage below carefully, and then choose the best answer:
Journalists: Protection of Sources
Being a reporter for a major news publication can be a difficult job. The best journalists often work long hours and have to do a bit of dirty work to uncover scandals that others want to remain secret. In many cases, it is a bit of information provided by an undisclosed source that finally helps to break the story. But do reporters have a legal right to keep their sources a secret? The protection of sources is the idea that journalists have the right to keep their sources of their news stories a secret. Those who support this idea insist that if reported are forced to reveal their sources, it will be much harder for them to do their job. It certainly seems logical that fewer people would come forward with sensitive information if they know that eventually their identity will be revealed to the public. Furthermore, in cases where the source’s information uncovers a ring of corruption or somehow damages the reputation of a rich and powerful person or company, releasing the source’s identity could put their life in danger. For the most part, reporters are rarely required by law to reveal undisclosed sources if it is a minor case of little importance. Yet in some instances, when vital or leaked information is involved, a journalist may be asked to testify in court and reveal how they got their information. In the US, such a situation arose after a mass shooting in Colorado in 2012. One journalist, with information provided by an anonymous source, wrote an article claiming that the suspected killer had sent a diary detailing plans to kill people to his psychiatrist a few days before the murder occurred. The suspect’s lawyer then demanded the reporter should reveal her source because they felt it damaged their defense case. In the end, the judge declined to force the reporter to testify. So are there any cases when reporters should reveal their sources? Many would argue that when the issue is a matter of national security, journalists should be willing to reveal their sources if it can help to save lives. For instance, let’s say a reporter receives a tip from an anonymous source about a terrorist attack. In this scenario, saving innocent lives should be more important than protecting one’s source. In the end, it seems that forcing reporters to reveal their sources should be considered on a case-by-case basis.
1. What is the main reason that reporters should NOT reveal their sources?

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:
The mineral particles found in soil range in size from microscopic clay particles to large boulders. The most abundant particles - sand, silt, and clay - are the focus of examination in studies of soil texture. Texture is the term used to describe the line composite sizes of particles in a soil sample, typically several representative handfuls. To measure soil texture, the sand, silt, and clay particles are sorted out by size and weight. The weights of each size are then expressed as a percentage of the sample weight.
In the field, soil texture can be estimated by extracting a handful of sod and squeezing the damp soil into three basic shapes; cast, a lump formed by squeezing a sample in a clenched fist; thread, a pencil shape formed by rolling soil between the palms; and ribbon, a flatfish shape formed by squeezing a small sample between the thumb and index finger. The behavioral characteristics of the soil when molded into each of these shapes, if they can be formed at all, provides the basis for a general textural classification. The behavior of the soil in the hand test is determined by the amount of clay in the sample. Clay particles are highly cohesive, and when dampened, behave as a plastic. Therefore the higher the clay content in a sample, the more refined and durable the shapes into which it can be molded.
Another method of determining soil texture involves the use of devices called sediment sieves, screens built with a specified mesh size. When the soil is filtered through a group of sieves, each with a different mesh size, the particles become grouped in corresponding size categories. Each category can be weighed to make a textural determination. Although sieves work well for silt, sand, and larger particles, they are not appropriate for clay particles. Clay is far too small to sieve accurately; therefore, in soils with a high proportion of clay, the fine particles are measured on the basis of their settling velocity when suspended in water. Since clays settle so slowly, they
are easily segregated from sand and silt. The water can be drawn off and evaporated, leaving a residue of clay, which can be weighed.

The word “they” in the passage refers to     .

Read the following passage and choose the best answer (A, B, C, D):
Although he created the game of basketball at the YMCA in Springfield, Massachusetts, Dr. James A. Naismith was a Canadian. Working as a physical education instructor at the International YMCA, now Springfield College, Dr. Naismith noticed a lack of interest in exercise among students during the wintertime. The New England winters were fierce, and the students balked at participating in outdoor activities. Naismith determined that a fast-moving game that could be played indoors would fill a void after the baseball and football seasons had ended. First he attempted to adapt outdoor games such as soccer and rugby to indoor play, but he soon found them unsuitable for confined areas. Finally, he determined that he would have to invent a game. In December of 1891, Dr. Naismith hung two old peach baskets as either end of the gymnasium at the school, and, using a soccer ball and nine players on each side, organized the first basketball game. The early rules allowed three points for each basket and made running with the ball a violation. Every time a goal was made, someone had to climb a ladder to retrieve the ball. Nevertheless, the game became popular. In less than a year, basketball was being played in both the United States and Canada. Five years later, a championship tournament was staged in New York City, which was won by the Brooklyn Central YMCA. The teams had already been reduced to seven players, and five became standard in the 1897 season. When basketball was introduced as a demonstration sport in the 1904 Olympic Games in St. Louis, it quickly spread throughout the world. In 1906, a metal hoop was used for the first time to replace the basket, but the name basketball has remained.
4. The word "fierce" in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to: 

Not until all their demands had been ______ did the workers decide to go on strike for more welfare.
(157)______

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:
The rules of etiquette in American restaurants depend upon a number of factors the physical location of the restaurant, eg., rural or urban; the type of restaurant, eg., informal or formal; and certain standards that are more universal. In other words, some standards of etiquette vary significantly while other standards apply almost anywhere. Learning the proper etiquette in a particular type of restaurant in a particular area may sometimes require instruction, but more commonly it simply requires sensitivity and experience. For example, while it is acceptable to read a magazine in a coffee shop, it is inappropriate to do the same in a more luxurious setting. And, if you are eating in a very rustic setting it may be fine to tuck your napkin into your shirt, but if you are in a sophisticated urban restaurant this behavior would demonstrate a lack of manners. It is safe to say, however, that in virtually every restaurant it is unacceptable to indiscriminately throw your food on the floor. The conclusion we can most likely draw from the above is that while the types and locations of restaurant determine etiquette appropriate to them, some rules apply to all restaurant.

The author uses the word “draw” in line 10 to mean     .