Choose the best answer:
Schools in the United States have not always had a large number of libraries. As (42)______ as 1958 about half of the public schools in the United States had no libraries at all. The (43)______ of public school libraries increased dramatically when the federal government passed the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, (44)______ provided funds for school districts to improve their education programs and facilities, including their libraries. (45)______, many educators claim that since the legislation was passed federal spending has not increased sufficiently to meet the rising (46)______ of new library technologies such as computer databases and Internet access Because the federal government provides only limited funds to schools, individual school districts (47)______ on funds from local property taxes to meet the vast majority of public school expenses. Therefore, the libraries of public schools tend to reflect the (48)______ capabilities of the communities in which they are located. Districts in wealthy suburbs often have fully staffed libraries (49)______ abundant resources, spacious facilities, and curricular and instructional support. In (50)______, school districts in many poor areas house their libraries in ordinary classrooms or in small rooms. The libraries in such areas are generally staffed by volunteers, who organize and (51)______ books that are often out-of-date, irrelevant, or damaged. 

Choose the best answer:
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

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

The increase in urbanization causes different problems. Air and water pollution are amongst the major issue we have to tackle.

In the first place, cars, factories and burning waste emit dangerous gases that change the air quality in our cities and pose threats to our health. Dangerous gases such as carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides cause respiratory diseases, for instant, bronchitis and asthma. Those are also proved to have long-term effects on the environment.

Furthermore, with the increased population, it becomes difficult to manage the waste generated in cities. Most of the waste is discharged or dumped into rivers or onto streets. The waste pollutes water and makes it unfit for human consumption. Subsequently, it becomes more and more difficult for city dwellers to get clean water. Some cities in Africa are unable to provide adequate water supply because most of the water is lost in pipe leakages. In fact, most city dwellers in developing countries are forced to boil their water or to buy bottled water, which is very expensive.

There are several actions that could be taken to eradicate the problems described above. Firstly, a simple solution would be joining community efforts to address problems affecting your city. Ask your parents, friends and relatives to join in as well. These efforts might include clean-up campaigns, recycling projects and a signature campaign to ask the government to do something about the situation. A second measure would be encouraging your teacher to talk about these problems and to discuss how young people can help to solve them. Finally, writing to local organizations working on these issues for ideas on how you can contribute to solve them.

The word those in paragraph 2 refers to ____.

Choose the best answer:
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

Choose the best answer:
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.

Choose the best answer:
Nearly 200 of the 1500 native plant species in Hawaii are at risk of going extinct in the near future because they have been (1) ____ to such low numbers. Approximately 90 percent of Hawaii's plants are found nowhere else in the world but they are (2) ____ by alien invasive species such as feral goats, pigs, rodents and (3) ____ plants. The Hawaii Rare Plant Restoration Group is striving to (4) ____ the extinction of the 182 rare Hawaiian plants with fewer than 50 individuals remaining in the (5) ____ . Since 1990, (6) ____ a result of their "Plant Extinction Prevention Program", sixteen species have been brought into (7) ____ and three species have been reintroduced. Invasive weeds have been removed in key areas and fencing put up in order to (8) ____ plants in the wild. In the future the Hawaii Rare Plant Restoration Program aims (9) ____ collecting genetic material from the remaining plants in the wild for storage as a safety net for the future. They also aim to manage wild populations and where possible reintroduce species into (10) _____

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:
Animation traditionally is done by hand-drawing or painting successive frames of an object, each slightly different than the preceding frame. In computer animation, although the computer may be the one to draw the different frames, in most cases the artist will draw the beginning and ending frames and the computer will produce the drawings between the first and the last drawing. This is generally referred to as computer-assisted animation, because the computer is more of a helper than an originator.
In full computer animation, complex mathematical formulas are used to produce the final sequence of pictures. These formulas operate on extensive databases of numbers that define the objects in the pictures as they exist in mathematical space. The database consists of endpoints, and color and intensity information. Highly trained professionals are needed to produce such effects because animation that obtains high degrees of realism involves computer techniques for three-dimensional transformation, shading, and curvatures.
High-tech computer animation for film involves very expensive computer systems along with special color terminals or frame buffers. The frame buffer is nothing more than a giant image memory for viewing a single frame. It temporarily holds the image for display on the screen.
A camera can be used to film directly from the computer's display screen, but for the highest quality images possible, expensive film recorders are used. The computer computes the positions and colors for the figures in the picture, and sends this information to the recorder, which captures it on film. Sometimes, however, the images are stored on a large magnetic disk before being sent to the recorder. Once this process is completed, it is repeated for the next frame. When the entire sequence has been recorded on the film, the film must be developed before the animation can be viewed. If the entire sequence does not seem right, the motions must be corrected, recomputed, redisplayed, and rerecorded. This approach can be very expensive and time consuming. Often, computer-animation companies first do motion tests with simple computer-generated line drawings before selling their computers to the task of calculating the high-resolution, realistic-looking images.

The word "they" in the second paragraph refers to      

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:
It’s a sound you will probably never hear, a sickened tree sending out a distress signal. But a group of scientists has heard the cries, and they think some insects also hear the trees and are drawn to them like vulture to a dying animal. Researchers with the US Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service fastened sensors to the bark of drought-stricken trees clearly heard distress calls. According to one of the scientists, most parched trees transmit their plight in the 50-hertz to 50-kilohertz range. (The unaided human ear can detect no more than 20 kilohertz). Red oak, maple, white pine, and birch all make slightly different sounds in the form of vibrations at the surface of the wood.
The scientists think that the vibrations are created when the water columns inside tubes that run along the length of the tree break, a result of too little water following through them. These fractured columns send out distinctive vibration pattems. Because some insects communicate at ultrasonic frequencies, they may pick up the trees' vibration and attack the weakened trees. Researchers are now running tests with potted trees that have been deprived of water to see if the sound is what attracts the insects. “Water-stressed trees also smell differently from other trees, and they experience thermal changes, so insects could be responding to something other than sound”, one scientist said.

Which of the following could be considered a cause of the distress signals of trees?

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:
It’s a sound you will probably never hear, a sickened tree sending out a distress signal. But a group of scientists has heard the cries, and they think some insects also hear the trees and are drawn to them like vulture to a dying animal. Researchers with the US Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service fastened sensors to the bark of drought-stricken trees clearly heard distress calls. According to one of the scientists, most parched trees transmit their plight in the 50-hertz to 50-kilohertz range. (The unaided human ear can detect no more than 20 kilohertz). Red oak, maple, white pine, and birch all make slightly different sounds in the form of vibrations at the surface of the wood.
The scientists think that the vibrations are created when the water columns inside tubes that run along the length of the tree break, a result of too little water following through them. These fractured columns send out distinctive vibration pattems. Because some insects communicate at ultrasonic frequencies, they may pick up the trees' vibration and attack the weakened trees. Researchers are now running tests with potted trees that have been deprived of water to see if the sound is what attracts the insects. “Water-stressed trees also smell differently from other trees, and they experience thermal changes, so insects could be responding to something other than sound”, one scientist said.

All the following are mentioned as possible factors in drawing insects to weakened trees EXCEPT     .

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:
Successful students often do the followings while studying. First they have an overview before reading. Next, they look for important information and pay greater attention to it (which often needs jumping forward or backward to process information). They also relate important points to one another. Also, they activate and use their prior knowledge. When they realize that their understanding is not good, they do not wait to change strategies. Last, they can monitor understanding and take action to correct or “ fix-up” mistakes in comprehension.
Conversely, students with low academic achievement often demonstrate ineffective study skills. They tend to assume a passive role in learning and rely on others(e.g, teachers, parents) to monitor their studying. For example, low-achieving students often do not monitor their understanding of content, they may not be aware of the purpose of studying, and their show little evidence of looking back, or employing “fix-up” strategies to fix understanding problems. Students who struggle with learning new information seem to be unaware that they must extent beyond simply reading the content to understand and remember it. Children with learning disabilities do not plan and judge the quality off their studying. Their studying may be disorganized. Students with learning problems face challenges with personal organization as well. They often have difficulty keeping track of materials and assignments, following directions, and completing work on time. Unlike good student who employ a variety of study skills in a flexible yet purposeful manner, low-achieving students use a restricted range of skills. They can not explain why good study strategies are important for learning, and they tend to use the same, often ineffective, study approach for all learning tasks, ignoring task content, structure of difficulty.

The word “Conversely” is OPPOSITE meaning to     _.

Choose the best answer:
The popular image of student life is of young people with few responsibilities enjoying themselves and (1)_____ very little work. This is often not true. Many older people now study at college or university, sometimes (2)_____ a part-time basis while having a job and looking after a family. These students are often (3)_____ motivated and work very hard . Younger students are often thought to be lazy and careless about money but this (4)_____ is changing. In Britain reduced government support for higher education means that students can no longer rely on having their expenses (5)_____ for them. Formerly, students received a grant towards their living expenses. Now most can only get a loan (6)_____ has to be paid back. Since 1999 they have paid over $1 000 towards tuition (7)_____ and this amount will increase up to a maximum of $ 3 000. In the US students already (8)_____ pay for tuition and room and board . Many get a financial aid package which may (9)_____ grants, scholarships and loans. The fear of having large debts places (10)_____ pressure on students and many take part-time jobs during the term and work full-time in the vacations

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

"“Customs, then, is the great guide of human life,” wrote Scottish (1)…..  David Hume. Knowing the customs of a place is a guide to understanding the soul of that place and its (2)….. . The customs of a nation: how people marry, how families celebrate holidays and other (3)…… , what people eat, how they socialize and have fun (4) ….. many things about their country and their inner thoughts and feelings.
 In Wales, a (5)…… handshake is usual when first being introduced, but is often dispensed with thereafter. When meeting for the first time, a common (6)….. is “How do you do?” or “Pleased to meet you.” On other occasions, “How are you?” may be used. Good friends, (7) ……  young people, use “Hello” and “Hi” to greet each other. Women who are close friends may kiss each(8) ….. once slightly on the cheek; sometimes men also kiss women this way.
 Many women remain seated when being introduced and shaking hands. First (9) …… are widely used. The Welsh enjoy visiting friends and neighbors, and often call without an invitation. If invited for a meal, however, it is (10) ……. impolite to arrive late."

8. Women who are close friends may kiss each(8) ….. once slightly on the cheek;

Choose the best answer:
Years ago there were many social rules and etiquette procedures (1)_______ introductions. Some formal introductions between two people were (2)_______ by letter by third party. A person had to be very careful to weigh the importance of social class or status, age, and gender when deciding (3)_______ person should be presented or introduced to the other person first. (4) ________, times have changed, and most of the social rules about introducing older people to younger ones, women to men, and those in higher positions to those in lower positions have changed, too. Many people now feel much more (5) _______ about making introductions. In most situations, handshaking is (6) ________, but these days it is more often done than not-especially in formal social or business settings. It's very common for one person (or both) to (7) ________a hand when meeting someone. If you are in this situation, and you are offered a hand to shake, you should grasp it firmly and shake it briefly. People often tend to make some (8)_____________about someone (9)_________ to their handshakes, so make sure yours is not too weak or limp, not too hard, and not too longlasting. It  should be firm and brief

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:
Mr. Faugel was convinced that students’ nervousness had affected their scores; to reduce the anxiety of these students who had already been tested, he gave 22 of them a beta blocker before readministration of the test. Their scores improved significantly. The other 8 students (who did not receive the beta blockers) improved only slightly. Second-time test-takers nationwide had average improvements which were similar to those in Faugel's non-beta blocker group.
Beta blockers are prescription drugs which have been around for 25 years. These medications, which interfere with the effects of adrenalin, have been used for heart conditions and for minor stress such as stage fright. Now they are used for test anxiety. These drugs seem to help test-takers who have low scores because of test fright, but not those who do not know the material. Since there can be side effects from these beta blockers, physicians are not ready to prescribe them routinely for all test-takers.

Beta blockers work on some physical and emotional symptoms because they

Choose the best answer:
In their attempt to ensure higher (1)……., TV producers have developed a whole new breed of programmes (2)……. real people. In Europe the most famous of these (3)……… reality TV shows was probably Big Brothers, where 12 ordinary people volunteered to live under the watchful eye of TV cameras 24 hours a day. In America, the top show was Survivor, based on a similar concept, in which 16 constants are abandoned on a desert island. But the ultimate example of the (4)………… must surely be The Osbournes, first (5)……. on MTV in 2002, in which the homelife of rock star Ozzy Osbourne and his family was laid bare to public scrutiny. Obsourne himself was already a …(6)… name as the former lead singer of the highly successful heavy-metal group, Black Sabbath, The show was described as a real-life sitcom because it (7)………light on Ozzy‘s softe, more humorous side. It revealed his (8)…………….. to his teenage kids, even though he was often heard yelling and (9) ……….at them. The programme (10) ……………millions for the Osbourne family and certainly blurred the boundaries between reality and television

Choose the best answer:
Nearly 200 of the 1500 native plant species in Hawaii are at risk of going extinct in the near future because they have been (33)_______ to such low numbers. Approximately 90 percent of Hawaii's plants are found nowhere else in the world but they are (34)_______ by alien invasive species such as feral goats, pigs, rodents and (35)_______ plants. The Hawaii Rare Plant Restoration Group is striving to (36)_______ the extinction of the 182 rare Hawaiian plants with fewer than 50 individuals remaining in the (37)_______ . Since 1990, (38)_______ a result of their "Plant Extinction Prevention Program", sixteen species have been brought into (39)_______ and three species have been reintroduced. Invasive weeds have been removed in key areas and fencing put up in order to (40)_______ plants in the wild. In the future the Hawaii Rare Plant Restoration Program aims (41)_______ collecting genetic material from the remaining plants in the wild for storage as a  safety net for the future. They also aim to manage wild populations and where possible reintroduce species into (42)_______

Choose the best answer:
Lifelong learning is now becoming a must for everyone in the modern world. Many people, however, find it overwhelming, as being lifelong learners means they will have to keep studying for their entire life. The following are several strategies to promote lifelong learning. First, start with a clear purpose. Study something that you will likely have many uses in the future. Design learning goals that should serve you in your career path, as well as in your personal interests. You will need to think of the learning experience as continuous investment rather than a one-off endeavor. Second, choose something that is really enjoyable for you. You will need to have fun all through the pursuit of knowledge and skills, which will be an endless journey. The ‘fun' part will always keep you motivated, even during the hard times. Third, lifelong learning is not just about keeping on studying; you will need to think through what you have learned, and find out how to apply it in your work and personal life. Don't read too much and use your brain too little. Think more often; meditate on the ideas that you feel might make your work and/or life better. Those are the key strategies to make sure your lifelong learning is studying smart rather than studying hard. Remember, the lifelong learning movement is unstoppable.
5. Which of the following is NOT true about strategies for lifelong learning?

Choose the best answer:
The reality of an interview is never as bad as your fears. For some (1) ______ people imagine the interviewer is going to jump on every tiny mistake they (2) ______. In fact, the interviewer is as keen for the meeting to go well as you are. It is what (3) ______ his or her job enjoyable. The secret of a good interview is preparing for it. What you wear is always important as it creates the first impression. So (4) ______ neatly, but comfortably. Make (5) ______ that you can deal with anything you are (6) ______. Prepare for questions that are certain to come up, for example: Why do you want to become a nurse? What is the most important quality a good nurse should have? Apart from nursing, what other careers have you considered? What are your interests and hobbies? Answer the questions fully and precisely. For example, if one of your interests is reading, be prepared to (7) ______ about the sort of books you like. (8) ______, do not learn all your answers off (9) ______ heart. The interviewer wants to meet a human being, not a robot. Remember, the interviewer is genuinely interested in you, so the more you relax and are yourself, the more (10) ______ you are to succeed

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.
Years ago, in their private family role, women quite often dominate the male members of the  household. Women were quite (1) .................. to their families. However, the public role of women has changed (2)..........since the beginning of World War II. During the war, men were away from home to the battle. As a (3)......... , women were in complete control of the home. They found themselves doing double and sometimes triple duty. They began to take over the work of their absent husbands and to work outside. They accounted for 73% of the industrial labor force. Women were forced by economic realities to work in the factories. The women who worked there were (4).................. low wages, lived in crowded and small dormitories. (5).................. they found themselves a place as active members of society.

(5)........................

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     .

Choose the best answer:
How lucky can you be? Twelve-year-old Eloise Noakes has got the best job in the world – trying out (34) ______ new games. A leading company held a competition to find young testers and Eloise was selected to test games which are about to be (35) ______ onto the market. Each week she is given a different game to play before recording her thoughts on a form (36) ______ was designed by the company. As the company director said, “What better way to find out about games than to put them in the hands of the customers who will make most use of them?” Eloise is delighted with her new job, but she also takes it very seriously. She is allowed to keep the games after testing them. (37) ______, she has decided instead to give them away to children less (38) ______ than herself. “I’ve got plenty of games and some children don’t have any,” she explained