I was brought ______ in the countryside by my aunt after my parents had pass______ .

(316)_____

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:
Most people can remember a phone number for up to trirty seconds. When this short amount of time elapses, however, the numbers are eerased from the memory. How did the information get there in the first place? Information that makes its way to the short term memory (STM) does so via the sensory storage area. The brain has a filter which only allows atimuli that is of immediate interest to pass on to the STM, also known as the working memory.
There is much debate about the capacity an duration of the short term memory. The most accepted theory comes from George A.Miller, a cognitive psychologist who suggested that humans can remember approximately seven chunks of information. A chunk is defined as a meaningful unit of information, such as a word or nam rather than just a letter or number. Modern theorists suggest that one can increase the capacity of the short term memory by chunking or classifying similar information together. By organizing information, one can optimize the STM, and improve the chances of a memory being passed on to long term storage.
When making a conscious effort to memorize something, such as information for an exam, many people engage in “rote rehearsal”. By repeating something over and over again, one is able to keep a memory alive. Unfortunately, this type of memory maintenance only succeeds if there are no interruptions. As soon as a person stops rehearsing the information, it has the tendency to disappear. When a pen and paper are not handy, people often attempt to remember a phone number by repeating it aloud. If the doorbell rings or the dog barks to come in before a person has the opportunity to make a phone call, he will likely forget the number instantly. Therefore, rote rehearsal is not an efficient way to pass information from the short term to long term memory. A better way is to practice “elaborate rehearsal”. This involves assigning semantic meaning to a piece of information so that it can be filed along with other pre-existing long term memories.
Encoding information semantically also makes it more retrievable. Retrieving information can be done by rocognition or recall. Humans can easily recall memories that are stored in the long term memory and used often; however, if a memory seems to be forgotten, it may eventually be retrieved by prompting. The more cues a person is given (such as pictures), the more likely a memory can be retrieved. This is why multiple choise tests are often used for subjects that require a lot of memorization.

The word “elaborate” in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to     .

Read the passage below carefully, and then choose the best answer:
The Brain: Myths and Facts
There are a lot of myths about the human brain. We are going to tell you a little about these myths, and we are also going to give you the truth. One of the biggest myth is that we only use 10 percent of our brains. The next part of that myth is that if we can learn to use the rest of our brains, then we will be much smarter. People say this all the time, but it is absolutely not true. The truth is that although we don’t know everything about the human brain, we know that each part of it has an important function. Modern scientists call the “10 percent myth” ridiculous. The other most popular myth is about being “right brained” or “left brained”. According to this myth, people who use the right side of their brains tend to be more artistic and creative. People who use the left side of their brains tend to be better at maths and science. This myth is as popular as the 10 percent myth, and it is also wrong. In 2013, a study at an American university examined the right brain and left brain myth. According to the study, we use both sides of our brains equally. It is true that we use different parts of our brains for different things: We use our left side for language more, and our right side when we need to pay attention. But there is no evidence that creative people use the right side more, or that scientific people use the left side more. We have talked about myths, so let’s look at a few interesting facts about the brain. First of all, the brain feels no pain. Second, about 75 percent of the brain is made of water. It is also the fattest organ in your body. Another interesting fact about the brain is that around the time you turn 18 years old, it stops growing.
1. According to the myth, what is true about the left side of our brains?

Read the passage below carefully, and then choose the best answer:
Space Debris
Once something is considered rubbish, we want to throw it away and forget about it. Yet if we are not careful about where we store it, our garbage could come back to haunt us. On the Earth, poorly discarded garbage can cause land, water, and air pollution. And now, people are starting to learn that space debris can also cause a host of different problems. Space debris is defined as a collection of objects that orbit the Earth. Space debris can be classified into two categories. One is man-made rubbish, such as old satellites, rockets, and other machinery left in space after past missions. The other is natural objects, such as meteors that are traveling through space. If you think the man-made garbage doesn’t amount to much, guess again. Researchers estimate that there are over 20,000 pieces of large debris floating around in space and approximately 300,000 smaller pieces in orbit as well. Traveling at speeds of up to 17,500 miles per hour, these objects create a great degree of danger for any spaceships when they leave or return to the Earth. We are lucky to some degree that there haven’t been too many accidents caused by space debris as of yet. Still some incidents have occurred. In 1996, a French satellite was damaged after it crashed into debris from an old French rocket. Then in 2009, an old Russian satellite collided with a working US satellite. The end result was an additional 2,000 pieces of space junk that was added to the junk pile. As the current situation can only worsen, it is now up to the international community to cooperate and create a plan to deal with space debris. For starters, several nations have pledged to take more care with the items they discard in space to cut down on future debris. Researchers are working on devising a way to label space junk, so it can be avoided. Others have proposed more creative techniques to recapture the garbage and discard it on the Earth, or destroy it with lasers. The nightmare scenario that everyone fears is if the Kessler Syndrome starts to occur. This is when the density of garbage becomes so high that it sets off a chain reaction of collisions which would raise the probability of accidents even further. Although there is not a long-term solution in place for space debris, nations are starting to understand the seriousness of this problem.
1. Space debris is _________ the Earth.

Choose the best answer:
He'll be remembered both as a brilliant Physician and as a true _______.

Read the following passage and choose the best answer (A, B, C, D):
Aspirin's origins go back at least as early as 1758. In that year, Englishman Edward Stone noticed a distinctive bitter flvor in the bark of the willow tree. To Stone, this particular bark seem to have much in common with "Peruvian Bark", which had been used medicinally since the 1640s to bring down fevers and to treat malaria, stone decided to test the effectiveness of the willow bark. He obtained some, pulverized it into tiny pieces, and conducted experiments on its properties. His tests demonstrated that this pulverized willow bark was effective both in reducing high temperatures and in relieving aches and pains. In 1763, stone presented his tiding to the British Royal Society. Several decades later, further studies on the medicinal value of the willow bark were being conducted by two Italian scientists. These chemists, Brugnatelli and Fontana, determined that the active chemical that was responsible for the medicinal characteristics in the willow bark was the chemical salicin, which is the active ingredient of today's aspirin. The name "aspirin" is the trade name of the drug based on the chemical salicin, properly known as acetylsalicylic acid.The trade name "aspirin" was invented for the drug in the 1890s by the Bayer Drug Company in Germany. The fist bottles of aspirin actually went on sale to the publicjust prior to the turn of the century, in 1899.
3. The pronoun "it" in refers to: 

Choose the best answer:
I think New York is ……………. than Pari.

Rewrite the sentence:
No mount in the world is higher than Mount Everest.

Read the reading below carefully, and then complete it with the best option A, B, C or D given below:
Freelancing is all a part of the future of remote work. If you're (1) ________ in being a freelancer, here's what you need to know. Essentially, a freelance job is one (2) ________ a person works for themselves, (3) ________ than for a company. While freelancers do take on contract and work for companies and organizations, they are ultimately self-employed. Freelancers are responsible for all sorts (4) ________ things that traditional employees are not, such as setting their work hours, keeping track of time spent on different projects, billing clients, and paying their own employment and (5) ________ taxes. Freelancers are not considered "employees" by the companies they work for, but rather "contractors."

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:
The rules of etiquette in American restaurants depend upon a number of factors the physical location of the restaurant, eg., rural or urban; the type of restaurant, eg., informal or formal; and certain standards that are more universal. In other words, some standards of etiquette vary significantly while other standards apply almost anywhere. Learning the proper etiquette in a particular type of restaurant in a particular area may sometimes require instruction, but more commonly it simply requires sensitivity and experience. For example, while it is acceptable to read a magazine in a coffee shop, it is inappropriate to do the same in a more luxurious setting. And, if you are eating in a very rustic setting it may be fine to tuck your napkin into your shirt, but if you are in a sophisticated urban restaurant this behavior would demonstrate a lack of manners. It is safe to say, however, that in virtually every restaurant it is unacceptable to indiscriminately throw your food on the floor. The conclusion we can most likely draw from the above is that while the types and locations of restaurant determine etiquette appropriate to them, some rules apply to all restaurant.

The author uses the word “draw” in line 10 to mean     .

Read the passage below carefully, and then choose the best answer:
The Life of a Food Critic
You’ve seen restaurant reviews in newspapers, or perhaps in magazines or on the Internet. People read these reviews when they want to know about the quality and price of the food at a restaurant. Or maybe they’re looking for a restaurant with a distinctive atmosphere – dark and romantic, bright and cheerful, or modern and sophisticated. But who writes the articles? Who gets paid to eat? Those lucky people are food critics. Food critics are journalists who eat at restaurants and write reviews that give readers the feeling that they have visited the restaurant themselves. The articles almost always include a description of the restaurant, for example, whether it is nicely decorated or has a beautiful view of the ocean. The menu, prices, and service are generally described as well, but a food critic’s main task is to write about their opinion of the food. For “foodies” – people who love and study food and cooking – dining is a feast for the senses, not just for the stomach. Food critics may tell readers about the colours of fresh vegetables, the silky texture of a soup, or the rich aroma of a perfectly cooked chicken. They will mention whether they were listening to soft music while they ate, or the noises of pots and pans being washed in the restaurant’s kitchen and ending with the dessert. Every detail of the meal is important. All of this may sound easy enough, but food critics do face some challenges. First, food critics must be excellent writers. Their job is to give accurate information in an entertaining way because newspapers and other publications want the restaurant review to be an enjoyable feature. It is also important for food critics to be very observant by nature, and to have an excellent memory, since taking notes at the table is not something typical customers do. Looking like a typical customer is essential for remaining anonymous, but is perhaps the most difficult challenge. Food critic Ruth Reichl, former editor-in-chief of Gourmet magazine, used to go to restaurants wearing disguises so that she received the same food and service as any other diner. Despite the challenges, a career as a food critic appeals to many people. Anyone who is thinking about becoming a food critic should start by developing strong writing skills and learning as much about food and cooking as possible. 
1. Food critics are _________

Choose the best answer:
Why is it that many teenagers have the energy to play computer games until late at night but can't find the energy to get out of bed (1) _____ time for school? According to a new report, today’s generation of children are in danger of getting so (2) _____  sleep that they are putting their mental and physical health at (3) ________. Adults can easily survive on seven to eight hours' sleep a night, (4)_____ teenagers require nine or ten hours. According to medical experts, one in five youngsters (5) ______ by on between two and five hours/ sleep a night, less than their parents did at their age

Read the following passage and choose the best answer (A, B, C, D):
Even before the turn of the century, movies began to develop in two major directions: the realistic and the formalistic. Realism and formalism are merely general, rather than absolute terms. When used to suggest a tendency toward either polarity, such labels can be helpful, but in the end they are still just labels. Few films are exclusively formalist in style, and fewer yet are completely realist. There is also an important difference between realism and reality, although this distinction is often forgotten. Realism is a particular style, whereas physical reality is the source of all the raw materials of the film, both realistic and formalistic. Virtually all movie directors go to the photographable world for their subject matter, but what they do with this material, how they shape and manipulate it determines their stylistic emphasis. Generally speaking, realistic films attempt to reproduce the surface of concrete reality with a minimum of distortion. In photographing objects and events, the filmmaker tries to suggest the copiousness of life itself. Both realist and formalist film directors must select and hence emphasize certain details from chaotic sprawl of reality. But the element of selectivity in realistic films is less obvious. Realists, in short, try to preserve the illusion that their film world is not manipulated, an objective mirror of the actual world. Formalists, on the other hand, make no such pretense. They deliberately stylize and distort their raw materials so that only the very naive would mistake a manipulated image of an object or event for the real thing. We rarely notice the style in a realistic movie; the artist tends to be self-effacing. Some filmmakers are more concerned with what is being shown than how it is manipulated. The camera is used conservatively. It is essentially a recording mechanism that reproduces the surface of tangible objects with as little commentary as possible. A high premium is placed on simplicity, spontaneity, and directness. This is not to suggest that these movies lack artistry, however, at its best the realistic cinema specializes in art that conceals art.
2. With which of the following statements would the author be most likely to agree?

Read the following passage and choose the best answer (A, B, C, D):
The position of sport in today’s society has changed out of all recognition. People no longer seem to think of sports as ‘just a game’ – to be watched or played for the (1) _________ of enjoyment. Instead, it has become big business worldwide. It has become accepted practice for leading companies to provide sponsorship. TV companies pay large sums of money to screen important matches or competitions. The result has been huge rewards for athletes, some of (2) _________ are now very wealthy, particularly top footballers, golfers and tennis players. (3) ________ , it is not unusual for some athletes to receive large fees on top of their salary, for advertising products or making personal appearances. A trend towards shorter working hours means that people generally tend to have more free time, both to watch and to take in sporting activity; sport has become a significant part of the recreation industry that we now rely (4) _________ to fill our leisure hours. Professional sport is a vital part of that industry, providing for millions of (5) _________ people all over the world.

Choose the best answer:
I_______ in the lounge for ten minutes.

My father is the __________ of my family and my mother is the homemaker.

Why is it that flying to New York from London will leave you feeling less tired than flying to London from New York? The answer may be a clear case of biology not being able to keep up with technology. Deep inside the brain there is a "clock" that governs every aspect of the body's functioning: sleep and wake cycles, levels of alertness, performance, mood, hormone levels, digestion, body temperature and so on. It regulates all of these functions on a 24-hour basis and is called the circadian clock (from the Latin, circa "about" + dies "day").

This body clock programmes us to be sleepy twice a day, between 3-5 a.m and again between 3-5 p.m. Afternoon tea and siesta times are all cultural responses to our natural biological sleepiness in the afternoon. One of the major causes of the travelers' malady known as jet lag is the non-alignment of a person's internal body clock with clocks in the external world. Crossing different time zones confuses the circadian clock, which then has to adjust to the new time and patterns of light and activity. To make matters more complex, not all internal body functions adjust at the same rate. So your sleep/wake may adjust to a new time zone at one rate, while your temperature adjusts at a different pace. Your digestion may be on a different schedule altogether.

Though we live in a 24-hour day, the natural tendency of the body clock is to extend our day beyond 24 hours. It is contrary to our biological programming to shrink our day. That is why travelling in a westward direction is more body-clock friendly than flying east. NASA studies of long haul pilots showed that westward travel was associated with significantly better sleep quantity and quality than eastward flights. When flying west, you are "extending" your day, thus travelling in the natural direction of your internal clock. Flying eastward will involve "shrinking" or reducing your day and is in direct opposition to your internal clock's natural tendency.

One of the more common complaints of travelers is that their sleep becomes disrupted. There are many reasons for this: Changing time zones and schedules, changing light and activity levels, trying to sleep when your body clock is programmed to be awake, disruption of the internal circadian clock and working longer hours. Sleep loss, jet lag and fatigue can seriously affect our ability to function well. Judgment and decision-making can be reduced by 50%, attention by 75 percent, memory by 20 percent and communication by 30 percent. It is often suggested that you adjust your watch as soon as you board a plane, supposedly to try to help you adjust to your destination's schedule as soon as you arrive. But it can take the body clock several days to several weeks to fully adjust to a new time zone.

The main function of the body clock is to________.

Read the reading below carefully, and then complete it with the best option A, B, C or D given below:
The Prime Minister's comments yesterday on education spending miss the point, as the secondary education system also needs a major overhaul. Firstly, the system only views the weakest learners as having special (1)...... .The brightest and most (2)....... students are not encouraged to develop to their full potential. Secondly, there's too much testing and not enough learning. My fifteen-year-old daughter, for example, has just spent the last month or so (3)_____ for exams. These aren't even real, important exams, as her GCSEs will be next year. They're just (4)....  exams. Is the work she's been doing really going to make her more (5)..... about her subjects, or will she forget it all tomorrow? I suspect the latter. Thirdly, the standard (6)_____ doesn't give students any (7)....... in developing practical work-related, living and social skills, or in skills necessary for higher education. How many students entering university have the first idea what the difference is between (8)....... someone else's work and making good use of someone else's ideas? Shouldn't they have been taught this at school? How many of them are really able to go about (9).......a  skill that's essential at university because there are no teachers to tell you what to do - in an efficient way? Indeed, hoe many students (10)....... from university totally unable to spell even simple English words correctly? The system is letting our children down

Choose the best answer:
She will work for a travel ___________ after graduation.

Choose the best answer:
We always celebrate our wedding ______ with dinner in an expensive restaurant every year.

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks.

Rapid urbanization can hold long-term economic, social and environmental promise for developing countries (23) ____ investments made now in infrastructure, housing and public services are efficient and sustainable, the World Bank says in a new report.

In the next two decades, cities are (24) ____ to expand by another two billion residents, as people move in unprecedented numbers from rural areas to pursue hopes and aspirations in cities. More than 90% of this urban population growth is expected to occur in the developing world, (25) ____ many cities are already struggling to provide basic needs such as water, electricity, transport, health services and education.

Report authors note that most new urban growth will not take (26) ____ in the “megacities” of the world e.g. Rio de Janeiro, Jakarta or New Delhi but rather in less commonly recognized “secondary” cities - places like Fushun in China, and Surat in India.

To help policymakers prepare for and manage growth, the report distills lessons learned from 12 countries across all geographic regions and stages of urbanization. It then translates these global lessons (27) ____ practical policy advice.

26.................