Choose the best answer:
The company must reduce costs to compete ……………

 

Read the passage below carefully, and then choose the best answer:
Traveling in the Future
These days, if you want to travel from New York to Beijing, the flight takes about 16 hours. You also have to wait at the airport, and sometimes you have to transfer onto a different airplane. If you add all of that extra time, the trip takes at least 20 hours. But in the future, the trip from New York to Beijing might only take two hours. Right now, a private company is developing something called ET3. ET3 stands for “evacuated tube transport technology”. Here is how it works. A tube goes all the way from New York to Beijing. The tube is only a few meters wide. Capsules move through the tube. Six people can sit in one capsule. The capsules use electricity instead of gasoline. For international travel, the capsules can travel at about 6,500 kilometers per hour. That is much faster than airplane – most modern airplanes usually only fly at about 800 kilometers per hour. So how is this possible? How can these capsules travel so fast? The answer is that there is no air inside the tube. When airplanes fly, they have to move through the air. The air slows the airplanes down. Because there is no air in the ET3 tubes, the capsules are able to move at a very high speed. Besides, the capsules are quite light. They only weigh 183 kilograms. There are other advantages to ET3. Because it uses electricity, it is quite clean. In addition, it is much quieter than airplanes and cars. Finally, ET3 tubes and capsules don’t require very much building material. Of course, ET3 doesn’t exist yet. The technology is still being developed. Developers still have to solve a lot of problems. The biggest problem is that right now, ET3 would be far too expensive. In order to make ET3 cheaper, we will need much better technology. It is exciting to think of how ET3 will change travel in the future. Maybe someday, you will be able to have lunch in New York and dinner in Beijing.
3. The word “_works_” in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to _________

In the past, people ____ to the beach more often. 

(180)_____

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I...............at 8 o'clock every morning.

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She specializes in _______ novels set in eighteenth-century England.

Read the reading below carefully, and then complete it with the best option A, B, C or D given below:
Only a small percentage of information on the (1) _______ is restricted to subscribers or other authorized users. The majority of Web pages are available to (2) _______ who can access a computer that connects to the Internet. The Web has become a (3) _______ for many companies selling products or services, (4)_________ a forum for people to exchange opinions and information. Museums, libraries, government agencies, and schools post information on the Web to make it (5) _______ to others.

Read the passage below carefully, and then choose the best answer:
Will Shortz: Puzzle Maker.

When you ask a child what they would like to be when they grow up, common responses might include firefighter, pilot, doctor, or athlete. But those jobs don’t capture the attention of all kids. Take Will Shortz, for example. In eighth grade, at the age of 14, Shortz had to write an essay about what he wanted to do with his life. He wrote about his desire to become a puzzle maker – someone who creates games and puzzles, such as sudoku or crossword puzzles. That same year, he sold his first puzzle to the magazine Venture. By the age of 16, Shortz was regularly contributing puzzles to magazines. In college, Shortz found that there was no traditional way to study puzzles or become a puzzle maker. There were no classes offered on puzzles. Fortunately, after becoming bored with his economics studies, Shortz learned that his university offered a special programme that allowed students to suggest and create unique fields of study. After creating and completing two courses on word and math puzzles, Shortz switched his major to enigmatology – the study of puzzles. Shortz and his professors then created new classes that explored all aspects of puzzle-making. He studied the history, construction, and psychology of puzzles, mostly on his own. Because there were no professors of enigmatology, Shortz realized that he probably was the only student at his university to know more about his field than any of his professors. He did well in school, but upon graduating, Shortz did not know how to get a job creating puzzles. For summer work, he joined the magazine Penny Press, where he realized that he could find work as a puzzle editor. Shortz then found a job creating and editing puzzles for Games magazine. This seemed like a dream job because he could create new kinds of puzzles and be surrounded by great puzzle makers. After 15 years at Games, Shortz accepted a position as the editor of The New York Times’ crossword puzzle. When he first joined, the newspaper’s crossword puzzle was seen as very difficult, and few readers could complete it. Shortz made fundamental changes, such as including everyday language in the clues and answers so that many more people could enjoy it. Today, he credited with making the crossword appealing to a wider audience. Some of Shortz’s most famous puzzles have related to the news for that day, such as the name of the winning president on Election Day, and a love-themed puzzle on Valentine’s Day.
5. Why is Penny Press mentioned in the fourth paragraph?

Choose the best answer:
You ________ any friends if you ________ talking like that.

Read the reading below carefully, and then complete it with the best option A, B, C or D given below:
A computer keyboard is an input device (1) _______ allows a person to enter letters, numbers, and other (2) _______ into a computer. It is one of the most used input devices for computers. Using a keyboard to enter lots of data is called typing. Keyboard keys typically have a set of characters engraved on them. While the main use is for typing, keyboards are capable of executing commands by using a combination of keys to create (3) _______, such as copying and pasting, deleting, etc. When you enter the (4) _______ hole, you find that the world of keyboards is diverse. It can be a traditional keyboard for basic uses or a mechanical keyboard that provides very satisfying sounds and feelings whenever you type. A lot of keyboard (5) _______ customize their own keyboards that could cost an arm and a leg. Having said that, the reason behind the price comes down to the material, the switches and the keycaps. Next time when you see a keyboard, don’t judge the way it looks but judge the way it feels and the experience it provides to the users.

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:
Telecommunicating is a form of computer communication between employees’ homes and offices. For employees whose jobs involve sitting at a terminal or word processor entering data or typing reports, the location of the computer is of no consequence. If the machine can communicate over

telephone lines, when the work is completed, employees can dial the office computer from a distant site and transmit the material to their employers. A recent survey in USA Today estimates that there are approximately 8.7 million telecommuters. But although the numbers are rising annually, the trend does not appear to be as significant as predicted when Business Week published "The Portable Executive" as its cover story a few years ago. Why hasn't telecommuting become more popular?
Clearly, change simply takes time. But in addition, there has been active resistance on the part of many managers. These executives claim that supervising the telecommuters in a large work force scattered across the country would be too difficult, or, at least, systems for managing them are not yet developed, thereby complicating the manager's responsibilities.
It is also true that employees who are given the option of telecommuting are often reluctant to accept the opportunity. Most people feel that they need regular interaction with a group, and many are concerned that they will not have the same consideration for advancement if they are not more visible in the office setting. Some people feel that even when a space in their homes is set aside as a work area, they never really get away from the office.

It can be inferred from the passage that the author is     .

Food critics from two ---131--- newspapers, the Toronto Day and Toronto Rising are expected to dine here this week. Let's make a special effort to do our work flawlessly. Photographs of the critics will be placed at our welcome station. Using these ---132---, hosts will be responsible for identifying the critics and telling the wait staff, who should alert the kitchen. Servers must strive to be prompt. They should also recommend our daily specials. ---133---. I am confident that everyone ---134--- these critics with our great food and service.

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

Choose the best answer:
I'll pay you double _______ you get the work finished by Friday.

These features were discovered and explored (1) _______ in the late 1940s. The Lomonosov Ridge, the major ridge, cuts the Arctic Basin (2) _______ in half, extending as a submarine bridge 1,800 km (1,100 mi) (3) _______ Siberia to the northwestern tip of Greenland. Parallel (4) _______ it are two shorter ridges: the Alpha Ridge on the North American (5) _______, defining the Canada and Makarov basins, (6) _______ the Arctic Mid-Ocean Ridge on the Eurasian side, (7) _______ the Nansen and Amundsen basins. The average (8) _______ of the Arctic Ocean is only 1,300 m (4,300 ft) (9) _______ the vast shallow expanses on the continental shelves. The deepest (10) _______ in the Arctic Ocean is 5,450 m (17,880 ft).

(31)________

Choose the best answer:
No mount in the world is higher than Mount Everest.

Rewrite the sentence
The last time I saw him was five years 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:
There are three valid arguments to support the preservation of endangered species. Aesthetic justification contends that biodiversity contributes to the quality of life because many of the endangered plants and animals are particularly appreciated for their unique physical beauty. The aesthetic role of nature in all its diverse forms is reflected in the art and literature of every culture attaining symbolic status in the spiritual life of many groups. According to the proponents of the aesthetic argument, people need nature in all its diverse and beautiful forms as part of the experience of the world.
Another argument that has been put forward, especially by groups in the medical and pharmacological fields, is that of ecological self-interest. By preserving all species, we retain a balance of nature that is ultimately beneficial to humankind. Recent research on global ecosystems has been cited as evidence that every species contributes important or even essential functions that may be necessary to the survival of our own species. Some advocates of the ecological argument contend that important chemical compounds derived from rare plants may contain the key to a cure for one of the diseases currently threatening human beings. If we do not protect other species, then they cannot protect us.
Apart from human advantage in both the aesthetic and ecological arguments, the proponents of a moral justification contend that all species have the right to exist, a viewpoint stated in the United Nations World Charter for Nature, created in 1982. Furthermore, if humankind views itself as the stewards of all the creatures on Earth, then it is incumbent upon human beings to protect them, and to ensure the continued existence of all species. Moral justification has been extended by a movement called “deep ecology,” the members of which rank the biosphere higher than people because the continuation of life depends on this larger perspective. To carry their argument to its logical conclusion, all choices must be made for the biosphere, not for people.

It can be inferred from the passage that the author     .

Choose the best answer:
world/ the/ longest/ is/ The/ Thai name/ in/ the/ of/ Bangkok.

Approximately one-third of the Arctic (1) _______ is underlain by continental shelf, (2) _______ includes a broad shelf north of Eurasia and the narrower shelves of North America and Greenland. Seaward of the continental shelves (3) _______ the Arctic Basin proper, which is subdivided (4) _______ a set of three parallel ridges and four basins (also (5) _______ as deeps).

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
Schools in the United States have not always had a large number of libraries. As recently as 1958 about half of the public schools in the United States had no libraries at all. The (1)........ of public school libraries increased dramatically when the federal government passed the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, which provided funds for school districts to improve their education programs  and facilities, including their  libraries. (2).......... , many educators claim that since the legislation was passed federal spending has not increased sufficiently to meet the rising cost of new library technologies such as computer databases and Internet access.
Because the federal government provides  only  limited  funds  to  schools,  individual  school  districts (3)............. on funds from local property taxes to meet the vast majority of public schools tend to reflect the financial capabilities of the communities in which they are located. Districts in wealthy suburbs often have  fully  staffed  libraries  (4)........... abundant resources, spacious facilities, and curricular and instructional  support. In (5)....................... 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 maintain books that are often out-of-date, irrelevant, or damaged.

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

Choose the best answer:
I find cooking in my free time relaxing.