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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 These are gone and have been replaced by standard models which are universally adopted

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

In the past, both men and women were expected to be married at quite young ages. Marriages were generally arranged by parents and family, with their children having little chance to say no in the matter. In the past it was not surprising to find that a bride and groom had only just met on the day of their engagement or marriage. In modern Vietnam, this has changed completely as people choose their own marriage-partners based on love, and in consideration primarily to their own needs and wants. Moreover early marriage is quite illegal. The traditional Vietnamese wedding is one of the most important of traditional Vietnamese occasions. Regardless of westernization, many of the age-old customs practiced in a traditional Vietnamese wedding continue to be celebrated by both Vietnamese in Vietnam and overseas, often combining both western and eastern elements. Besides the wedding ceremony, there is also an engagement ceremony which takes place usually half a year or so before the wedding. Due to the spiritual nature of the occasion, the date and time of the marriage ceremony are decided in advance by a fortune teller. The traditional Vietnamese wedding consists of an extensive array of ceremonies: the first is the ceremony to ask permission to receive the bride, the second is the procession to receive the bride (along with the ancestor ceremony at her house), the third is to bring the bride to the groom's house for another ancestor ceremony and to welcome her into the family, then the last is a wedding banquet. The number of guests in attendance at these banquets is huge, usually in the hundreds. Several special dishes are served. Guests are expected to bring gifts, often money, which the groom and bride at one point in the banquet will go from table to table collecting.

In the past, _________.

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Do you ever wish you were more optimistic, someone who always (45)____ to be successful? Having someone around who always fears the worst isn't really a lot of (46)____ - we all know someone who sees a single cloud on a sunny day and says, 'It looks like rain.' But if you catch yourself thinking such things, it's important to do something about it. You can change your view of life, according to psychologist. It only takes a little (47)___, and you'll find life more rewarding as a (48)____. Optimism, they say, is partly about self-respect and confidence but it's also a more positive way of looking at life and all it has to (49)____. Optimists are more (50)_____ to start new projects and are generally more prepared to take risks. Upbringing is obviously very important in forming your (51)___ to the world. Some people are brought up to depend too much on others and grow up forever blaming other people when anything (52)____ wrong. Most optimists, on the (53)____ hand, have been brought up not to (54)____ failure as the end of the world - they just get on with their lives

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In recent years there have (1) _______ many articles on air pollution in newspapers and magazines. Scientists all over the word have warned that our atmosphere is (2) ______ more and more contaminated, and that Man, through his carelessness, may run (3) _____ of pure air to breathe. Automobiles and industries mainly account (4)____air pollution in most cities. They pour into the air such gases as carbon monoxide, sulphur and nitrogen oxides, (5) _______ are very harmful (6) ____ humans. (7) _____ still, these gases, a series of chemical changes, turn into toxic acids. They fall down in ―acid rains‖, (8) _______ the acidity in the air, soil and water to dangerous levels and affecting not only tress but also fish and other wildlife. Many industrial countries in Europe and North America have suffered bad effects (9) ______ those ―rains‖. Surely, Man faces no more urgent problem than that of saving his own survival. Scientists, social organizations and governments should sit down together to solve the air (10) __________ problem

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Interpreting the feelings of other people is not always easy, as we all know, and we (1) __ _ as much on what they seem to be telling us, as on the actual words they say. Facial (2) _ _ and tone of voice are obvious ways of showing our (3) _ _ to something, and it may well be that we unconsciously express views that we are trying to hide. The art of being (4) __ _ lies in picking up these signals, realizing what the other person is trying to say, and acting so that they are not embarrassed in any way. For example, we may understand that they are in fact (5) __ __ to answer our question, and so we stop pressing them. Body movements in general may also indicate feelings, and interviewers often pay particular attention to the way a candidate for a job walks into the room and sits down. However it is not difficult to present the right kind of appearance while what many employers want to know relates to the candidate‘s character traits, and (6) __ __ stability. This raises the awkward question of whether job candidates should be asked to complete psychological tests, and the further problem of whether such tests actually produce (7) __ __ results. For many people, being asked to take part in such a test would be an objectionable (8) __ _ into their private lives. After all, a prospective employer would hardly ask a candidate to run a hundred meters, or expect his or her family doctor to provide (9) _ _ medical information. Quite apart from this problem, can such tests predict whether a person is likely to be a (10) __ __ employee or a valued colleague?

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:
In the 1960s, The Beatles were probably the most famous pop group in the whole world. Since then, there havebeen a great many groups that have achieved enormous fame, so it is perhaps difficult now to imagine how sensational The Beatles were at that time. They were four boys from the north of England and none of them had any training in music. They started by performing and recording songs by black Americans and they had some success with these songs. Then they started writing their own songs and that was when they became really popular. The Beatles changed pop music. They were the first pop group to achieve great success from songs they had written themselves. After that it became common for groups and singers to write their own songs. The Beatles did not have a long career. Their first hit record was in 1963 and they split up in 1970. They stopped doing live performances in 1966 because it had become too dangerous for them - their fans were so excited that they surrounded them and tried to take their clothes as souvenirs! However, today some of their songs remain as famous as they were when they first came out. Throughout the world, many people can sing part of a Beatles song if you ask them.

What is NOT TRUE about the Beatles?

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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

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The latest addiction to trap thousands of people is Internet, which has been (1) ............... for broken relationships, job losses, finacial ruin and even one suicide. Psychologists now recognize Internet Addiction Syndrome (IAS) as a new illness that could (2) ................... serious problems and ruin many lives. Special help groups have been set up to (3) .................. sufferers help and support. IAS is similar to (4) ................... problems like gambling, smoking and drinking : addicts have dreams about Internet; they need to use it first thing in the morning; they (5) ............... to their partners about how much time they spend online; they (6) .................. they could cut down, but are unable to do so . A recent study found that many users spend up to 6 hours a week on the Internet; (7) .................... they felt guilty, they became depressed if they were (8) ................... to stop using it. Almost anyone can be at risk. Some of the addicts are teenagers who are already hooked on computer games and who (9) .................... it very difficult to resist the games on the Internet. Surprisingly, however, psychologists (10) .................. that most victims are middle-aged housewives who have never used a computer before

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Women are expert at gossiping, and they always talk about trivial things, or at least that‘s what men have always thought. However, some new research (1) _____ that when women talk to women, their (2) ______ are far from frivolous, and cover many more (3) _____ (up to 6 subjects) than men talk to other men. Women‘s conversations (4)_____ from health to their houses, from politics to fashion, from movies to family, from education to relationship problems. Sports are notably (5)_____. Men tend to have a more limited range of subjects, the most popular being work, sports, jokes, cars, and women. According to Professor Petra Boynton, a psychologist who interviewed over 1000 women, women also tend to move quickly from one subject to another in (6)_____, while men usually stick to one subject for longer periods of time. At work, this (7) _____ can be an advantage for men, as they can put other matters aside and concentrate matter aside and concentrate (8) ______ on the topic being discussed. On the other hand, it also means that they sometimes find it hard to concentrate when several things have to be discussed at the same (9) _____ in a meeting. Professor Boynton also says that men and women talk for different reasons. In social (10) _____ women use conversation to solve problems and reduce stress while men talk with each other to laugh or to compare opinions

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

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.

Which of the following is true, according to the passage?

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.

According to the passage,      

Read and complete the following passage.

"For most people, (1) _________ one's cultural identity is often a way to show who they are and how they relate to others. It can be (2) _________ through their language, food, clothing, beliefs, music and festivals. Among these (3) _________, language is what makes me Vietnamese. There are several reasons for this. Vietnamese is the language that can (4) _________ the people of my country in the face of any danger. Although there are over fifty ethnic groups, we all use Vietnamese as the offical language. It is the means of communication at school and in my community. It allows me to experience and (5) ________ my culture. I am also proud to speak a language that has a long history. Although my country used to be (6) ________ by other countries, the language has always been kept alive. Modern Vietnamese developed from an ancient form similar to other Asian languages. It is written with the Latin alphabet combining letters with tone markings. In conclusion, Vietnamese as the community and national language is the most powerful (7) ________ force. That is why it is also the most meaningful part of my cultural identity. This beautiful and (8) ________ language defines me as a person and I am very proud of it."

Vietnamese is the language that can (4) _________ the people of my country in the face of any danger.

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I was raised on a farm in a remote village in the 1950s. The winter months were endless and everything was covered in snow. I was always (53) ________ for the warmer weather to come. When spring arrived, everything came alive- flowers would bloom and the animals would come out of hibernation. I would follow the bear tracks and search for them. Once, however, I (54) ________ an angry mother bear who saw me (55) ________ a threat. (56) ________ the sight of the bear, I did what my father had told me. I stood still until she stopped growling and walked away. The trick was effective, but looking back now, I realized that the situation was (57) ________ more serious than I thought at the time. By the age of twelve, I had lots of camping (58) ________, as I used to go camping with my dog on my school holidays. We would spend days (59) ________ the forest, catching fish for dinner, (60) ________ at the frogs and the (61) ________ of birds and the insects hopping up and down on the surface of the water. Of course, this was possible only during the warm months. When the autumn came, everything went quiet, which was quite usual in those parts. It wasn‘t long before the animals disappeared, the birds (62) ________ south and the snow took over. The place became deserted once again

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:
Rachel Carson was born in 1907 in Springsdale, Pennsylvania. She studied biology at college and zoology at Johns Hopkins University, where she received her master’s degree in 1933. In 1936, she was hired by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, where she worked most of her life.
Carson’s first book, Under the Sea Wind, was published in 1941. It received excellent reviews, but sales were poor until it was reissued in 1952. In that year she published The Sea Around Us, which provided a fascinating look beneath the ocean’s surface, emphasizing human history as well as geology and marine biology. Her imagery and language had a poetic quality. Carson consulted no less than 1,000 printed sources. She had voluminous correspondence and frequent discussions with experts in the field. However, she always realized the limitations of her nontechnical readers.
In 1962, Carson published Silent Spring, a book that sparked considerable controversy.
It proved how much harm was done by the uncontrolled, reckless use of insecticides. She detailed how they poison the food supply of animals, kill birds and fish, and contaminate human food. At the time, spokesmen for the chemical industry mounted personal attacks against Carson and issued propaganda to indicate that her findings were flawed. However, her work was proved by a 1963 report of the President’s Science Advisory Committee.

Why does the author of the passage mention the report of the President’s Science Advisory Committee (lines 14-15) ?

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Last summer, air pollution in Paris reached dangerous levels on six separate occasions. As a result, the government have recently decided that public transport in French cities will be (1) ……… on days when pollution becomes a (2) ……… to people‘s health, in a(n) (3) ……… to encourage people to leave their cars at home. The Mayor of Paris said that he had several other ideas to reduce the pollution problem, such as free parking on the (4) ……… of the city on hot, still days when exhaust fumes tend to accumulate. He has also announced a $6 million plan for 56 km of bicycle tracks, new pedestrianised zone and a new tram line for southern Paris. His most popular measure (5) ……… becoming mayor last May has been to (6) ……… traffic from several streets on Sundays. Every summer, air quality is at its (7) ……… in Paris during holiday weekends, especially one weekend in July when the (8) ……… of the population leave by car for their summer holidays. Condition then improve for the summer, but deteriorate again when most residents return at the end of August. The free transport (9) ……… is part of the response to a new environmental regulation which says that local authorities must guarantee safe air. If it is (10) ……… seriously, locals can look forward to a cleaner Paris in the future

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In this age of (30)........ telephone networks and electronic mail, it seems that fewer and even fewer people are taking time to sit down and write letters (31).......  friends and relatives. For hundreds of years, letters were the only way to keep (32)...........  people who were any distance away and letter-writing was seen as an important skill for all learned people (33)............. . Gradually, (34)............. , the importance of writing letters is decreasing to a point that majority of us have to (35)............ a special effort to turn out something worthwhile when we apply for a job or make a complaint. In business circles the tendency is for routine communications to become shorter. (36)............. clients may appreciate a detailed letter, an employee who sends out long letters is often regarded as (37)............ . Many people prefer the telephone in all circumstances and its speed is essential in many situations but (38)............  have you put the telephone down, dissatisfied with what you have managed to say? I don‘t think I‘ll throw my (39)................ away yet

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In the past, British children were frequently encouraged to try out their performing skills for the benefit of adults. They did this by reading aloud, acting or ___(1)___ a musical instrument. As they ____ (2)_____ up they were taken to public places of entertainment – the theatre, opera, circus or ballet. They looked forward to these _____(3)_____ with great ____(4)_____ and would remember and discuss what they had seen for many weeks afterwards. But nowadays television and computers ____(5)_____ an endless stream of easily _____( 6)_____ entertainment, and children quickly accept these marvelous _____(7)_____ as a very ordinary part of their everyday lives. For many children, the sense of witnessing a very special live performance is gone forever. But all is not lost. The ____(8)_____ of a TV set may have encouraged a very lazy response from ____( 9)_____ in their own homes, but the ____(10)____ of those with ambitions to become performing artists themselves does not seem to have been at all diminished. And live performances in public are still relatively popular, albeit with an older, more specialist audience

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All relationships go through difficult times. In the past, when married couples had problems they usually didn‘t (11) . They had to either (12) with each other or continue to live together in an unhappy relationship. Getting divorced wasn‘t an option for most people due to economic and social reasons. Some people believe that this wasn‘t such a bad thing. They say that relationships require hard work and (13) . ―If a relationship is going to last a lifetime, you have to keep working at it,‖ says Doreen, who is celebrating her fiftieth wedding anniversary this year. ―It isn‘t all roses and romance. (14) perfect all of the time. These days young people give up when there‘s the (15) argument.‖ Experts agree that communication is key. The most important thing is to (16) talking. How many times have you heard yourself say to (17) , ―If only you‘d listen!‖ or ― I wish you (18) do that!‖ The truth is, the (19) couples talk, the better their relationship (20) be

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The Ruropean Union (EU) is an organization that brings European countries together to cooperate on economic and political matters. To help member countries make (1) _______ and settle disputes, the EU has its own governing bodies. These (2) _______ a legislature and courts. A major goal of the EU is topromote (3) ______ trade between member countries. In the past, trade barriers prevented European countries from trading freely. These barriers included tariffs, a tax paid (4) _______ goods are moved from one country to another. Removing tariffs, made trading easier and less costly. The EU also (5) ______ it easier for people to move from one country to another to find work or go to school. Today, all EU member countries grant their citizens European citizenship. That means a citizen of France or Germany has the (6) ______ to live and work in every other country that belongs (7) ______ the EU. In addition to economic cooperation, the EU works to promote (8) ______ cooperation among its members. The EU believes member countries (9) ______ decide together how to respond to international problems or threats. But many Europeans don‘t want to (10) ______ the right to defend their countries as they see fit. Often, this makes political cooperation difficult.

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The well-being of America's rural people and places depends upon many things - the availability of goodpaying jobs; (1)______ to critical services such as education, health care, and communication; strong communities; and a healthy natural environment. And, (2)______ urban America is equally dependent upon these things, the challenges to well-being look very different in rural areas than in urban areas. Small-scale, low-density settlement (3)______ make it more costly for communities and businesses to provide critical services. Declining jobs and income in the natural resource-based industries that many rural areas depend on (4)______ workers in those industries to find new ways to make a living. Low-skill, low-wage rural manufacturing industries must find new ways to challenge the increasing number of (5)______ competitors. Distance and remoteness impede many rural areas from being connected to the urban centers of economic activity. Finally, changes in the availability and use of natural resources located in rural areas (6)______ the people who earn a living from those resources and those who (7)______ recreational and other benefits from them. Some rural areas have met these challenges successfully, achieved some level of prosperity, and are ready (8)______ the challenges of the future. Others have neither met the current challenges nor positioned themselves for the future. Thus, concern for rural America is real. And, while rural America is a producer of critical goods and services, the (9)______ goes beyond economics. Rural America is also home to a fifth of the Nation's people, keeper of natural amenities and national treasures, and safeguard of a/an (10)______ part of American culture, tradition, and history