Choose the letter A, B, C or D to complete the passage below.

"Crying Ritual of the Tujia People: Sichaun Province, China

Starting 30 days before the wedding, the bride spends an hour a day ____________ (1). Ten days later, she is joined by her mother, and then ten days after that, her grandmother. I know what you’re thinking, ____________ (2) this is actually meant as an expression of joy and deep love."

1. Starting 30 days before the wedding, the bride spends an hour a day ____________ (1).

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In this week‘s issue, our resident film critic discusses the etiquette of cinema going, and the (1) ____ who prefer chewing hot-dogs, slurping drinks, gossiping and rustling crisp papers to actually watching the film. Fair complaint, or just cinema snobbery ? It‘s the munchers and talkers, not those who complain about them, who are (2) _____ other people‘s(3) ______ pleasures and the (4)_______ seem to me to be self-evident. Junk(5) _______ and even popcorns and choc ices, when eaten in a(6) _______ and possibly crowded space, are inclined to demand living space. They spread themselves about – usually onto other people‘s(7) _______ Crisps, peanuts, and boiled sweets make a lot of noise, first when being (8) ______ then when being crushed or sucked. These are definite(9) _______ , especially if you yourself – having merely come to see and hear the film – are not eating and therefore generously(10) ________ your friend onions, mustard and ketchup with the trousers of the stranger in the next seat

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The well-being of America's rural people and places depends upon many things - the availability of good-paying 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

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:
Most Americans look forward to their vacation. Most American employees receive an annual vacation with pay, and it is traditional to use this time off for travel.
Travelling within the United States is very popular because foreign travel generally takes more time and money. Every year about thirteen million people travel abroad. The most popular periods are during the summer and the two-week school break on Christmas and New Year holidays. These periods are also the most crowded and the most expensive time to travel, so people who can adjust their schedules sometimes choose to travel in the autumn.
American tourists often travel by car. Most families own a car, and those who do not have a car can rent one. Cars are usually the most economical way to travel, especially for families. It is also fairly fast and convenient. Exellent highway with motels and restaurants nearby connect the nation’s major cities. They enable tourists to travel at a speed of 55 to 66 miles an hour. Tourists that want to travel faster often fly to their destination and then rent a car when they get there.

In the USA,     .

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:
Carbon dating can be used to estimate the age of any organic natural material; it has been used successfully in archeology to determine the age of ancient artifacts or fossils as well as in a variety of other fields. The principle underlying the use of carbon dating is that carbon is a part of all living things on Earth. Since a radioactive substance such as carbon-14 has a known half-life, the amount of carbon-14 remaining in an object can be used to date that object.
Carbon-14 has a half-life of 5,570 years, which means that after that number of years, half of the carbon- 14 atoms have decayed into nitrogen-14. It is the ratio of carbon-14 in that substance that indicates the age of the substance. If, for example, in a particular sample the amount of carbon- 14 is roughly equivalent to the amount of nitrogen-14, this indicates that around half of the carbon- 14 has decayed into nitrogen-14, and the sample is approximately 5,570 years old.
Carbon dating cannot be used effectively in dating objects that are older than 80,000 years. When objects are that old, much of the carbon-14 has already decayed into nitrogen-14, and the molecule amount that is left doesn’t provide a reliable measurement of age. In the case of older objects, other age-dating methods are available, methods which use radioactive atoms with longer half-lives than carbon has.

The word “underlying” could best be replaced by     .

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How many times in the last hundred years or so have people talked of the imminent death of the book? Films were an early threat because they were so effective at telling stories in a visual way. Next there was radio, (26)...... stepped into the mid-twentieth century and provided such an alternative to books as drama, documentaries and discussions. When television arrived, many people believed that it would finish the book off. Nowadays, (27)............ the threat by TV, the book is thought to be endangered by computers and the Internet, and by other technological attractions (28).........  theCD and the video game, too Surely there are now reasons why (29).............  book ought to be dead, or at least very badly injured. If so, why does it not show proper respect for these reportedly less literate times (30)......... die out? There is clearly more than a single answer to this question. Firstly, we have more leisure time than we(31)..........  to, and people are generally living longer, which means there is more time to do more (including reading books). As (32)............ as this, there is the strength of the book as a tradition. We are all too dismissive of traditions in our modern world, but they can have very strong pull (33)....... us. Added to this, the book is such a practical tool: it doesn't cost too (34).......... , it is usually small enough to carry around, and it can easily be (35)......... . We will never go without books, because they have served us so well for so long

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:
Facebook is a for-profit online social media and social networking service. The Facebook website was launched on February 4th, 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg, along with fellow Harvard College students and roommates. Since 2006, anyone age 13 and older has been allowed to become a registered user of Facebook though variations exist in minimum age requirement, depending on applicable local laws.
Over 25 million people in the Uk use Facebook. That’s 45% of population! And on average, each user spends over six hours a month on Facebook. Though not the highest this is a considerable number. Is Facebook is a dangerous obsession or just harmless fun? Seventeen-year-old Bethan has written on her blog about what it was like to stop using Facebook. I think I am a Facebook addict. I log on to Facebook everyday to chat to my friends real friends and loads of online friends. Sometimes I have ten conversations going at the same time. I upload photos and update my Facebook profile all the time. But recently I’ve started to feel worried if I am offline for more than a few hours. And then last week I forgot to meet a real friend because I was online! I’ve realised I could have a problem. So I’ve decided to give it up for a while. I found it really hard. Facebook and my friends demanded to know why I had left. I spent the first few evenings wondering what everyone was chatting on Facebook. I even phoned a couple of friends to find out. The fourth night I wasn’t quite so bad. I actually concentrated on my homework better and I had more time to watch my TV programmes. And I spoke to my friends during the day at school. At the end of the first week, I reactivated my account, I think Facebook is fun and it’s useful for posting messages to friends and sharing photos. But I’ll try not to spend so much time on it in the future.

Facebook     .

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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

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Market research has become more and more important in recent years. In some organizations, in fact, managers will not initiate any activity without market research to back them up. The first thing to be said about market research is that it is not an (1)___ to management decision making. No form of market research, no matter how deep, complicated and detailed, can ever be seen as a substitute (2)_____ creative decisionmaking by professional managers. At its very best, all it can do is (3) _____ some doubt and clarify the nature of the problem. It may even be seen as a tool which can improve the (4)_____ of decisions but it is not in itself a decision-making mechanism. Market research, in (5)_____ with a number of other approaches in marketing, suffers from the frequent (6)_____ that it is not really accurate. Market research results can never be completely accurate because they (7)____with a dynamic, ever-changing marketplace. It is vital that this is understood by everyone with an imagination when considering market research results and when making any (8)____ to apply them in the marketplace. Lastly, it should always be remembered that market research is not an end in itself but simply a (9) _____ by which some degrees of risk can be removed from marketplace activity. If no activity results from the research, then the entire exercise has been completely (10)_____

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The role of translation enabling literature to pass beyond its natural frontiers is receiving growing recognition. In view of the general increase in this (30)_____, it is not surprising that many people with literary interests and a knowledge of languages should think of adopting translating as a full-or part-time (31)_____. Some advice may usefully be given to such would-be translators. The first difficulty the beginner will (32)_____is the unwillingness of publishers to entrust a translator to anyone who has not already (33)____a reputation for sound work. The least publishers will (34)____ before commissioning a translator is a fairly lengthy specimen of the applicant‘s work, even if unpublished. Perhaps the best way the wouldbe translator can begin is to select some books of the type (35)_____ he or she feels competent and eager to translate, translate a (36)_____ section of the book and then submit the book and the translation to a suitable publisher. If he or she is extremely lucky, this may result in a commission to translate the book. More probably, however, publishers will(37) the book as such but if they are favorably (38) by the translation, they may very possibly commission some other books of a (39) nature which they already have in mind

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 is hard to think of a world without gas or electricity. Both are commonly used for lighting and heating today. We now can instantly flick a lighter or strike a match to make a flame. But it was not long ago that there were no such things as matches or lighters. To make
fire, it was necessary to strike a piece of iron on flint for sparks to ignite some tinder. If the tinder was damp, or the flint old, you had to borrow some fire from a neighbor.
We do not know exactly when or how people first used fire. Perhaps, many ages ago, they found that sticks would burn if they were dropped into some hole where melted lava from a volcano lay boiling. They brought the lighted sticks back to make their fire in a cave. Or, they may have seen trees catch fire through being struck by lightning, and used the trees to start their own fires.
Gradually people learned they could start a fire without traveling far to find flames. They rubbed two pieces of wood together. This method was used for thousands of years.
When people became used to making fires with which to cook food and stay warm at night, they found that certain resins or gums from trees burnt longer and brighter. They melted resins and dipped branches in the liquid to make torches that lit their homes at night. Iron stands in which torches used to be fixed can still be seen in old buildings of Europe.
There was no lighting in city streets until gas lamps, and then electric lamps were installed.
Boys ran about London at night carrying torches of burning material. They were called torch boys, or link boys, and earned a living by guiding visitors to friends’ houses at night.
For centuries homes were lit by candles until oil was found. Even then, oil lamps were no more effective than a cluster of candles. We read about the splendors and marvels of ancient palaces and castles, but we forget that they must have been gloomy and murky places at night.

The word “splendors” in the passage could be best replaced by which of the following?

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 three phases of human memory are the sensory memory, the short-term memory, and the long- term memory. This devision of the memory into phases is based on the length of time of the memory.
Sensory memory is instantaneous memory. It is an image or memory that enters your mind only for a short period of time; it comes and goes in under a second. The memory will not last longer than that unless the information enters the short-term memory.
Information can be held in the short-term memory for about twenty seconds or as long as you are actively using it. If you repeat a fact to yourself, that fact will stay in your short-term memory as long as you keeprepeating it. Once you stop repeating it, either it is forgotten or it moves into long term memory.
Long-term memory is the huge memory tank that can hold ideas and images for years and years. Information can be added to your long-term memory when you actively try to put it there through memorization or when an idea or image enters your mind on its own.

The expression “is based on” in the first paragraph could be best replaced by     

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When naming a child, some parents seem to choose a name based simply on their personal preference. In other families, grandparents or professional name-makers come up with a child's name. In some cases, the time of a child's birth influences how the child's name is determined. In many European cultures, names are typically chosen by parents. Parents' choice for their child's name may be based on names of their relatives or ancestors. For example, in Italy, children are traditionally named after their grandparents. The parents generally use the father's parents' names first. If they have more children, then they will use the mother's parents' names. Similarly, some people in Eastern Europe name their children after relatives who have died. This tradition is seen as a means to protect the child from the Angel of Death. Traditionally in some Asian countries, a child's grandfather or a fortune-teller chooses the child's name. In contrast to the tradition of naming children after relatives, the child's name is chosen to influence the child's character. For example, names may be based on a connection to certain elements such as fire, water, earth, wood, or metal. Or the name might include a written character meaning beauty, strength, or kindness. In certain African cultures, when a child is born plays a large part in determining the child's name. In Ghana's Akan culture, the day a child is born determines the child's name. But each day has different names for boys and girls. For instance, a boy born on Friday is named Kofi, whereas a girl born on the same day is named Afua. Both Kofi and Afua mean "wanderer" or "explorer." Children with these names are seen as travelers. No matter where the name comes from, a child's name is the first gift in life. Whether the name is chosen according to preference or dictated by tradition, it reflects something about a child's culture. For that reason, all names should be treasured and respected.
3. The word "means" in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to ______.

Fill in each numbered blank with one suitable word or phrase.

In Korea, in former days the marriage between a man and woman represented the joining of two families, rather (1) ______ the joining of two individuals. The event (2) ______ Taerye (Great Ritual), and people from all over the village or neighborhood participated. The ceremonies and events surrounding the actual marriage were long and (3) ______. Professional matchmakers paired up likely candidates for marriage, with the new couple often meeting for the first time at their wedding! The families considered many factors in the decision, consulting with fortune tellers for (4) ______ about the couple's future life together. During the Chosun period, people married (5) ______ their early teens, with the girl often being several years older than the boy. The groom usually traveled to the house of the bride for the ceremony, then stayed there for three days (6) ______ taking his new bride to his family's home. The actual ceremony involved many small rituals, with many bows and symbolic gestures. The (7) ______ were expected to control their emotions and remain somber. (8) ______ Koreans have kept several aspects of the traditional ceremony, most modern ceremonies resemble Western marriage ceremonies more than (9) ______ Korean ones. However, many folk villages and museums across the country regularly perform ceremonies to (10) ______ the traditions alive.

(2) ______

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How many times in the last hundred years or so have people talked of the imminent death of the book? Films were an early threat because they were so effective at telling stories in a visual way. Next there was radio, (26)...... stepped into the mid-twentieth century and provided such an alternative to books as drama, documentaries and discussions. When television arrived, many people believed that it would finish the book off. Nowadays, (27)............ the threat by TV, the book is thought to be endangered by computers and the Internet, and by other technological attractions (28).........  theCD and the video game, too Surely there are now reasons why (29).............  book ought to be dead, or at least very badly injured. If so, why does it not show proper respect for these reportedly less literate times (30)......... die out? There is clearly more than a single answer to this question. Firstly, we have more leisure time than we(31)..........  to, and people are generally living longer, which means there is more time to do more (including reading books). As (32)............ as this, there is the strength of the book as a tradition. We are all too dismissive of traditions in our modern world, but they can have very strong pull (33)....... us. Added to this, the book is such a practical tool: it doesn't cost too (34).......... , it is usually small enough to carry around, and it can easily be (35)......... . We will never go without books, because they have served us so well for so long

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 ____.

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Beatrix Potter was a story writer chose books about animals have been translated into many languages and read by both children and adult. (1) ________ being an author, she was also regarded as a very successful farmer. Born in London in 1866, Beatrix was (2) ________ for at home by various servants. Every year she (3) ________ the days to her annual holiday in the countryside. She would (4) ________ to her London home small animals which she (5) _____ and drew. As she grew up, she entertained other children with drawings and stories about these animals. In 1901, she printed a book at her own (6) ________ called ‗The Tale of Peter Rabbit‘. So many (7) ________ were sold that she bought a farm, where over the next eight years she wrote many other stories. They all sold very well and readers liked their detailed color drawings. With her growing (8) _______ , Beatrix started buying more farmland, animals and property. After her marriage, at the age of 47, Beatrix stopped writting, (9) _______ that she had run out of (10) ________. She became a farmer and spent the rest of her life working with her sheep and awarding prizes at sheep fairs

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You will make the interview process easier for the employer if you prepare relevant information about yourself. Think about how you want to present your (35)...... , experiences, education, work style, skills, and goals. Be prepared to supplement all your answers with examples that support the statements you make. It is also a good idea to review your resume with a critical eye and (36)........ areas that an employer might see as limitations or want further information. Think about how you can answer difficult' questions (37)....... and positively, while keeping each answer brief. An interview gives the employer a (38)....... to get to know you. While you do want to market yourself to the employer, answer each question with an honest (39).......... . Never say anything negative about past experiences, employers, or courses and professors. Always think of something positive about an experience and talk about that. You should also be (40).......... . If you are genuinely interested (41).......... the job, let the interviewer know that. One of the best ways to show you are keen on a job is to demonstrate that you have researched the organization prior to the interview. You can also (42)...........  interest by asking questions about the job, the organization, and its services and products. The best way to impress an employer is to ask questions that build upon your interview discussion. This shows you are interested and (43).........  close attention to the interviewer. It is a good idea to prepare a few questions in advance, but an insightful comment based on your conversation can make an even stronger statement. At the (44).............  of an interview, it is appropriate for you to ask when you may expect to hear; from the employer

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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

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:
One of the highest honors for formalists, writers, and musical composers is the Pulitzer Prize. First awarded in 1927, the Pulitzer Prize has been won by Ernest Hemingway, Harper Lee, John F. Kennedy, and Rodgers and Hammerstein, among others. As with many famous awards, this prize was named after its founder, Joseph Pulitzer.
Joseph Pulitzer’s story, like that of many immigrants to the United States, is one of hardship, hard work and triumph. Born in Hungary, Joseph Pulitzer moved to United States in 1864. He wanted to be a reporter, but he started his American life by fighting in the American Civil War. After the war, Pulitzer worked for the German - language newspaper, the Westliche Post. His skills as a reporter were wonderful, and he soon became a partial owner of the paper.
In 1978, Pulitzer was able to start a newspaper of his own. Right from the first edition, the newspaper took a controversial approach to new. Pulitzer wanted to appeal to the average reader, so he produced exciting stories of scandal and intrigue. Such an approach is commonplace today, but in Pulitzer’s time it was new and different. The approach led to the discovery of many instances of corruption by influential people. Pulitzer ‘paper became very famous and is still produced today.
The success of Joseph Pulitzer’s newspaper made him a very wealthy man, so he wanted to give something back to his profession. Throughout his later years, he worked to establish university programs for the teaching of journalism, and he funded numerous scholarships to assist journalism students. Finally, he wanted to leave a legacy that would encourage writers to remember the importance of quality. On his death, he gave two million dollars to Columbia University so they could award prizes to great writers.
The Pulitzer Prize recipients are a very select group. For most, winning a Pulitzer Prize is the highlight of their career. If an author, journalist, or composer you know has won a Pulitzer Prize, you can be sure they are at the top of their profession.

Why does the writer mention "John F. Kennedy" in line 3?

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Tattooing is an old art. In ancient Greece, people who had tattoos were regarded as members of the (16) __________ classes. On the other hand, tattooing was (17) __________ in Europe by the early Christians, who thought that it was a sinful thing to (18) __________. It was not until the late 18th century, when Captain Cook saw South Sea Islander decorating their bodies with tattoos that attitudes began to change. Sailors came back from these islands with pictures of Christ on their backs and from then on, tattooing (19)__________ in popularity. A survey by the French army in 1881 (20) __________ that among the 387 men (21) __________there were 1,333 designs. Nowadays, not everybody finds tattoos acceptable. Some people thing that getting one is silly because tattoos are more or less permanent. There is also some (22) __________ about (23) __________ a blood disease from unsterilized needles. Even for those who do want a tattoo, the (24) __________ of getting one is not painless, but the final result, in their eyes, is (25) __________ the pain