Choose the letter A, B, C or D to complete the sentences

 My sister threatened to tell mommy that I _________ a toothache.

Choose the best answer:

He has been teaching at school ...... last year.

Choose the best answer:

Of the two sisters, Maria is  .......

Read the reading below carefully, and then complete it with the best option A, B, C or D:

"ADULT EDUCATION: HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Early formal adult education activities focused (1) _______ single needs such as reading and writing. Many early programs were (2) _______ by churches to teach people to read the Bible. When the original purpose was (3) _______, programs were often adjusted to meet more general educational needs of the (4) _______. Libraries, lecture series, and discussion societies began in various countries during the (5) _______. As more people experienced the benefits of (6) _______, they began to participate increasingly in social, political, and occupational (7) _______. By the 19th century, adult education was developing as a formal, organized movement in the (8) _______ world.
The largest early program in the U.S., the Lyceum, (9) _______ (1826) in Massachusetts by Josiah Holbrook, was a local (10) _______ of men and women with some schooling who wanted to expand their own education (11) _______ working to establish a public school system. The Lyceum (12) _______ encouraged the development of other adult education institutions (13) _______ libraries, evening schools, and gifted lecture series. By mid-century, employers and philanthropists began to endow (14) _______ such as the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art (1859) in New York City (15) _______ the Peabody Institute (1857) in Baltimore, Maryland, for adult education. Large audiences were (16) _______ to the Chautauqua movement, which began (1874) in New York State (17) _______ a summer training program for Sunday school teachers and evolved into a traveling lecture series and (18) _______ school. Chautauqua was the prototype of institutions established to further (19) _______ education in the U.S. By 1876, universities started offering extension programs that (20) _______ education directly to the public..."

18. and evolved into a traveling lecture series and (18) _______ school. 

Read the following passage and choose A, B, C,  or D to fill in the gaps:
Bangkok, the (41) of Thailand, is a city of contrasts. It is an exciting, crowded, modern (42), and at the same time, a city that is full of history. The (43) of Bangkok are usually noisy and crowded (44) people. Some are (45) food, others are selling clothing, cassette tapes, flowers, or souvenirs. Visitors (46) the rice markets, the (47) temples, and architecture, and the nightlife. They (48) enjoy the food, the shopping, and the (49) Thai people. Everyone seems to smile (50).

42_________

Read the following passage and choose A, B, C,  or D to fill in the gaps:
Bangkok, the (41) of Thailand, is a city of contrasts. It is an exciting, crowded, modern (42), and at the same time, a city that is full of history. The (43) of Bangkok are usually noisy and crowded (44) people. Some are (45) food, others are selling clothing, cassette tapes, flowers, or souvenirs. Visitors (46) the rice markets, the (47) temples, and architecture, and the nightlife. They (48) enjoy the food, the shopping, and the (49) Thai people. Everyone seems to smile (50).

48_________

Choose the best answer:

I learn English badly but he learns it ....... than me.

Reading the following passage and do the tasks below.

Inventors and Inventions

Technology is the reason humans have risen to a dominant role on our planet, above all other species. We are not the strongest or the fastest, in fact we're quite weak in relation to many other animals. But our brains, and our technology have allowed us to dominate our world. The most important discovery in human history is the harnessing of fire, which allowed us to operate in darkness, keep warm in the winter, and cook food. There is no set date to think about the invention of fire, however.

The first great invention, then, was agriculture. Ancient peoples collected wild grains to eat as long ago as 20,000 BC, but didn't start growing these crops until 13,000 BC and 6,000 BC, depending on the region. One of the earliest crops to be domesticated was rice, in China in around 11,000 BC.

Agriculture includes animals, of course, and the earliest animals to be domesticated are believed to be pigs, in 13,000 BC in Macedonia. The switch to agriculture is crucial, as it provides a food surplus. This surplus means that not everyone has to be involved in food production, freeing people up to conduct trade and advance science and the arts.

Other crucial inventions are the wheel, invented by the Greeks, which allowed people to carry heavy goods; as well as nails, invented by the Romans, without which construction was difficult.

Another great, world-shaking invention was the compass. The compass was invented between 200 BC and 100 AD in China. Prior to the compass, mariners had to use the sun and stars to navigate, which meant it was impossible to steer when the sky was overcast. The invention allowed accurate navigation in any weather... though the compass was first used for feng shui, or the construction of houses to be harmonious with the environment.

Probably the most significant medieval achievement was the printing press, without which modern civilization wouldn't be possible. It was invented in Johannes Gutenberg in 1436. Though imprinting symbols or images via stencils and ink had been known in Europe and China for hundreds of years, Gutenberg mechanized the process, improving its speed and efficiency. Up until then, books had to be painstakingly copied by hand, but now they could be mass-produced easily.

About fifty years after the invention of the printing press, twenty million volumes had been mass-produced. This led to a rise of literacy never seen before and directly contributed to the Protestant Reformation as it allowed average people to access the Bible.

One of the greatest inventions, which today we take for granted, is the lightbulb. There were several contributors to the field before Thomas Edison came along, but today he is credited with the invention of the first practical incandescent light bulb. He tried thousands of times to create the light bulb before managing to do so in 1879. This invention revolutionized the world.

When asked about the thousands of times he'd failed to create the lightbulb, Edison replied 'I didn't fail. I just found 2,000 ways now not to make a light bulb; I only needed to find one way to make it work.' Who the next great inventor will be is up in the air.

Which of the following people invented the wheel?

Read the following passage and choose A, B, C, or D to fill in the gaps:
Five thousand (41) ………….. gathered in a demonstration in front of Parliament House to (42) ………….. the increase in the price of wheat export.
Most of them were (43) ………….. the North-Eastern part of the country (44) ………….. has just been hit heavily by the snowfall.
Mr. Naruan, Head of the Wheat Growers' Union of the area (45) ………….. our reporter that if the government had agreed to increase the price of wheat export and lowered the price of machine import, the farmers' life (46) ………….. not have been so hard. (47) ………….. also said due to the government's policy, hundreds of farmers were prepared to (48) ………….. the country - farming area in the country (49) …………..  abandoned. Dairy farming would (50) ………….. the same problem.

45___________

Read the following passage and do the tasks below.

The traditional American family

The nuclear family, consisting of a mother, father, and their children, may be more an American ideal than an American reality. Of course, the so called traditional American family was always more varied than we had been led to believe, reflecting the very different racial, ethnic, class, and religious customs among different American groups, but today diversity is even more obvious.

The most recent government census statistics reveal that only about one third of all current American families fits the traditional mold of two parents and their children, and another third consists of married couples who either have children or have none still living at home. An analysis of the remaining one third of the population reveals that about 20 percent of the total number of American households are single people, the most common descriptor being women over sixty-five years of age. A small percentage, about 3 percent of the total, consists of unmarried people who choose to live together; the rest, about 7 percent, are single parents, with at least one child.

There are several easily identifiable reasons for the growing number of single-parent households. First, the sociological phenomenon of single-parent households reflects changes in cultural attitudes toward divorce and also toward unmarried mothers. A substantial number of adults become single parents as a result of divorce. In addition, the number of children born to unmarried women who choose to keep their children and rear them by themselves has increased dramatically. Finally, there is a small percentage of single-parent families that have resulted from untimely death. Today, these varied family types are typical and, therefore, normal.

In addition, because many families live far from relatives, close friends have become a more important part of family life than ever before. The vast majority of Americans claim that they have people in their lives whom they regard as family although they are not related. A view of family that only accepts the traditional nuclear arrangement not only ignores the reality of modern American family life, but also undervalues the familial bonds created in alternatives family arrangements. Apparently, many Americans are achieving supportive relationships in family forms other than the traditional one.

The word undervalues in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to....................

Choose the best answer:

Nobody has seen him since then.

Read the passage and choose the best answer.

Living in a city has a (23)…………..of drawbacks. Firstly, there are many problems of traffic jams and traffic accidents. The increase (24)…………..population and the increasing number of vehicles have caused many accidents to happen every day. Secondly, air pollution negatively affects people’s health, and it also has a bad influence on the environment. More and more city dwellers (25)…………..from coughing or breathing problems. Thirdly, the city is noisy, even at night. Noise (26)…………..comes from the traffic and from construction sites. Buildings are always being knocked (27)………….. and rebuilt. These factors contribute to making city life more difficult for its residents.

25____________

Read the following passage and choose A, B, C,  or D to fill in the gaps:
Ernest Hemingway was born in Oak Park, a small town (41) the state of Illinois. As a boy, he was often taken on frequently hunting and fishing trips (42) his father to Michigan, the locale of many his stories, and (43) he soon got acquainted with the life of the Indians and such virtues as courage and endurance, (44) were later revealed in his fiction. After school Hemingway (45) as a newspaper reporter and then joined a volunteer ambulance unit (46) in World War I. After the war, he came home (47) a hero. He lived for several years in Paris after that. He joined a group of expatriated American writers who considered (48) a lost generation. In Paris, he published "Three Stories and Ten Poems" (1923) and "In Our Time" (1924) (49) his own experiences of life are revealed, and which brought him (50) immediately.

44________

Read the passage and choose the best answer.

An artist went to a beautiful part of the country for a holiday and stayed with a farmer. Every day he went out with his paints and his brushes and painted from morning to evening, and then when it got dark, he went back to the farm and had a good dinner before going to bed.

At the end of his holiday, he wanted to pay the farmer, but the farmer said: “No, I do not want money, but give me one of your pictures. What is money? In a week it will all be finished, but your painting will be still here.”

The artist was very pleased and thanked the farmer for saying such kind of things. The farmer still smiled and answer “It is not that. I have a son in London. He wants to become an artist. When he comes here next month, I will show him your picture, and then he will not want to become an artist anymore. I think.”

What did the farmer ask the artist at the end?

Choose the best answer:

Are you afraid ....... going out at night?

But domestic abuse includes any attempt by one person in __________ (7) intimate relationship or marriage to dominate and control the other.

Read the passage and answer the questions that follow by circling the corresponding letter A, B, C or D of the correct answers.
It has been said that to turn a corner in Toledo is to enter another century. The city is a rich blend of the cultures that occupied it after a series of invations. Strategically nearly impregnable. Toledo is located in the centre of Spain and is encircled by the Tagus River. Roman rule lasted 300 years and saw the development of the Spanish language. 
Having defeated the Romans, the Visigoths established their capital at Toledo and brought Christianity to the city's citizens.
It was the conquest of Toledo in the eighth century by the Moors that created the most dramatic and lasting effects upon the city. Moorish arts and architecture embellished the once predominantly military fortress. Mosques, mansions, and towers were built to last, so they remain to impress the visitors to Toledo with their opulence to this day.
Medieval Toledo sheltered a compatible mixture of Christians, Moslems, and Jews. Scholars from all three religious groups collaborated to make the school of Translators famous throughout Europe for its Aristotelian philosophy.

What invader of Toledo left the most lasting impression upon the city's style of building?

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

Education plays a vital role ____________ (1) shaping successful people. It gives us the opportunity to become a productive member of a civilized society by acquiring all the necessary skills. We learn ____________ (2) to meet challenges and overcome obstacles. We learn how to become an integrated personality and maintain the perpetuation of our culture. People learn basic norms, rules, regulations, ____________ (3) values of society through education. Moreover, high quality education enables us to ____________ (4) a successful life, enhances our intelligence, skills, knowledge, and brings positive changes in our life.

Education lays the foundation stone for our future. An illiterate person can find ____________ (5) very difficult to cope ____________ (6) some aspects of life. Education expands our vision and creates awareness. It helps us develop a disciplined life and provides us with better earning opportunities. It enables us ____________ (7) the world beyond our own surroundings. Education ____________ (8) also a prerequisite of the prosperity and modernization of any country.

Modern education is liberal, open, and exoteric. It is the premise of progress, in every family and in every society. It teaches people to reason. It is based ____________ (9) the humanism, freedom, equality, democracy, and human rights. The content of education keeps pace with the needs of modern society and is a mirror of its goals, values, and priorities. So, education is a necessary means of eradicating the unemployment problem. It is able to reduce poverty in a number of ____________ (10). But we have to remember that there is a great need for the growth of the vocational education so that every person could pursue a fulfilling career that ensures a satisfied life.

(1).......................

Read the text carefully, then choose the most suitable answers (A, B, C, or D).

Son Doong Cave has become more famous after the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) aired a live program featuring its magnificence on ‘Good Morning America’ in May 2015.

Located in Quang Binh Province, Son Doong Cave was discovered by a local man named Ho Khanh in 1991 and became known internationally in 2009 thanks to British cavers, led by Howard Limbert. The cave was formed about 2 to 5 million years ago by river water eroding the limestone underneath the mountain. It contains some of the tallest known stalagmites in the world – up to 70 meters tall. The cave is more than 200 meters wide, 150 meters high, and nearly 9 kilometers long, with caverns big enough to fit an entire street inside them. Son Doong Cave is recognized as the largest cave in the world by BCRA (British Cave Research Association) and selected as one of the most beautiful on earth by the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation).

In August 2013, the first tourist group explored the cave on a guided tour. Permits are now required to access the cave and are made available on a limited basis. Only 500 permits were issued for the 2015 season, which runs from February to August. After August, heavy rains cause river levels to rise and make the cave largely inaccessible.

The word ‘inaccessible’ in the passage probably means ______.

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

In 1814, Francis Scott Key pens a poem ___________ (6) is later set to music and in 1931 becomes America’s national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The poem, originally titled “The Defence of Fort McHenry,” was written after Key witnessed the Maryland fort being bombarded ___________ (7) the British during the War of 1812. Key was inspired by the sight of a lone U.S. flag still flying over Fort McHenry at daybreak, as reflected in the now-famous words of the “Star-Spangled Banner”: “And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.”

After one of Key’s friends, Dr. William Beanes, ___________ (8) by the British, Key went to Baltimore, located the ship where Beanes was being held and negotiated his release. However, Key and Beanes weren’t allowed to leave until after the British bombardment of Fort McHenry. Key watched the bombing campaign unfold from aboard a ship located about eight miles away. After a day, the British were unable ___________ (9) the fort and gave up. Key was relieved to see the American flag still flying over Fort McHenry and quickly penned a few lines in tribute to what he had witnessed.

Francis Scott Key died of pleurisy ___________ (10) January 11, 1843. Today, the flag that flew over Fort McHenry in 1814 is housed at the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.

After one of Key’s friends, Dr. William Beanes, ___________ (8) by the British, Key went to Baltimore, located the ship where Beanes was being held and negotiated his release. 

Read the following passage and choose A, B, C, or D to fill in the gaps:
Wild animals (and wild plants) and the wild places where they live are seriously threatened almost everywhere. One species has become extinct in each year of this century. But many kinds are now in danger. Lack of attention would lead to the rapid advance of the process of extinction.
Already many kinds of wild animals have been so reduced in number that their role in the ecosystem is forgotten. Animals like the great apes, whales, seals, etc are thought to be in danger of extinction.
But even more important, perhaps, than individuals kinds of animals and plants, whole habitats are in danger of vanishing: marshes are being drained; and the world forests, especially the tropical forests are being cut down to satisfy man's need for timber and paper.

What would happen to human beings if the wildlife vanished?