Read the email, choose the best answer A, B, c or D and write.

From: an@fastmail.com
To: nick@fastmail.com
Subject: My best friend
Hi Nick,

It’s great to hear from you. I want to tell you about my best friend.

My grandma is my best friend. She’s 68 years old. She lives with our family. She was a Maths teacher at a secondary school. She likes getting up early and watering the flowers in our garden, she usually helps me with my homework. In the evening, she tells me interesting stories. She also listens to me when I’m sad, which makes me love her the most.

I love my grandma very much. What about you? Who’s your best friend?

Please write to me soon.

Bye bye,

The e-mail is about ..........................................

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When engineer Tsutomu Takada lost his job, he decided to make a complete change in his life. He took off his business suit and put on an apron – and started a course to become a chef. “I had always dreamed of doing this, even when I was an engineer” says Takada. “And now, here I am” he says with a laugh. He is a student at Tokyo’s Sushi University. This is the only university in Japan which is devoted entirely to teaching the art of sushi. What is “sushi”? It is Japan’s famous dish of raw fish, dried seaweed and rice soaked in vinegar. Traditionally, it takes decades of training to become a sushi chef, but Sushi University trains chefs in one year. As well as providing quick retraining, the university’s approach reflects a growing change in Japanese society – a move away from the tradition a way of doing things. “Society has changed” sighs university principal Katsuji Konkani. Sushi started as a sushi apprentice more than sixty years ago. “People today wouldn’t put up with the tough training I had. When I made mistakes, my teacher hit me on the head with his knife handle!” Sushi hasn’t always been a matter of studying hard and being hit on the head. It started in ancient China, where people preserved fish by packing it in rice and salt. They did not eat the rice. It is said that this process probably came to Japan between 300 BC and AD 300. Adventurous Japanese cooks began to serve the pickled fish together with vinegared rice. This combination of rice and fish was called “sushi”. The most important thing about sushi is that it has to look attractive. In fact, the most carefully prepared sushi meals can cost hundreds of dollars! There are 45,000 sushi businesses in Japan today, including take- away, as some people like to eat it for lunch in their offices. There are also cheap self-service restaurants, where customers sit at a counter which has different colored plates with different types of sushi on them. These plates move around the counter on a conveyor belt, and customers choose the sushi they want to eat. When they have finished eating, the waitress counts the colored plates and works out the bill. Mr. Konkani has made sushi for Japan’s emperor. He says sushi preparation is an art, but he also believes that Sushi University’s intensive course is necessary. “Of course people complain this is not the way to do it” he says, “but we tried to make it easier for those who wanted to learn about sushi, and for those who want to take it overseas”. Many of the students already have jobs lined up in places like Australia, Italy and Singapore.
But the course is really just the beginning of the new chefs. According to Mr. Konkani, it takes five, ten or even twenty years to become a top- notch sushi chef. “To make good sushi, you have to have skill but you also need a warm heart” he says.
4. The word “it” in paragraph 3 refers to _______

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It is hard to argue that the actual contribution to development amounts to a great deal directly. Whilst volunteer tourists can get involved in building homes or schools, they have usually paid a(n) (26) _______ fee for the opportunity to be involved in this work: money that, if donated to a local community directly, could potentially pay for a greater (27) _______ of labour than the individual volunteer could ever hope to provide. This is especially so in the case of gap years, (28) _______ the level of technical skill or professional experience required of volunteers is negligible. Hence, it is unsurprising that many academic studies (29) _______ to the moral issue of whether gap year volunteering is principally motivated by altruism – a desire to benefit the society visited – or whether young people aim to generate ‘cultural capital’ which benefits them in their careers. (30) _______, the projects may play a role in developing people who will, in the course of their careers and lives, act ethically in favour of those less well-off

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If you see someone who's looking blue, just reach out and offer a kind word, a smile, a hug. Sometimes people just feel (23) ____ they need someone to care. Maybe they're confused and not sure what's going on just in the moment, or in a bigger picture such as where their lives are (24) ____. The purpose of our lives is to love, laugh, be happy and to grow together, sharing with one another. If we are all too busy (25) ____ someone who is in emotional need, it can leave the person wondering what's the real point of everything. By reaching out and smiling, showing compassion, listening, offering a (26) ____ of gentle advice, you remind both yourself and the (27) ____ what the bigger picture is, and bring a little burst of more light and happiness into the world. Enough of those bursts and lights contribute to the tipping point towards a more compassionate and joyful world

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A team of social psychologists from California has spent six years studying the reactions of people in cities around the world to different situations. The results show that cities where people have less money generally have friendlier populations. Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, which is often known for its crime, comes out top, and the capital of Malawi, Lilongwe, comes third. But what makes one city friendlier than another? The psychologists from California State University say it has got more to do with the environment than culture or nationality. They carried out a study into the way locals treated strangers in 23 cities around the world. The team conducted their research through a series of tests, where they dropped pens or pretended, they were blind and needed help crossing the street. The study concludes that people are more helpful in cities with a more relaxed way of life such as Rio. While they were there, researchers received help in 93 percent of cases, and the percentage in Lilongwe was only a little lower. However, richer cities such as Amsterdam and New York are considered the least friendly. Inhabitants of Amsterdam helped the researchers in 53 percent of cases and in New York just 44 percent. The psychologists found that, in these cities, people tend to be short of time, so they hurry and often ignore strangers.
3. The word “they” in paragraph 3 refers to ________

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Despite the wealth of information campaigns telling people about global warming and its causes, most people have yet to realize how severe the problem is. Coming climate changes could alter as (1) ____ as one third of plant and animal habitats (2) ____ the end of the 22nd century. These changes could in (3) ____ cause widespread extinctions among plant and animal (4) ____ around the globe.  Coastal and island habitats are perhaps in the greatest danger (5) ____ they face the combined threats of warming oceans and rising sea (6) ____. As habitats change, many animals will come (7) ____ intense pressure to find more suitable homes for themselves. Mass (8) ____ of at least some animals are certainly to be expected, but the fact remains that many animals will simply not be able to move fast enough.  Such dire predictions may sound alarmist, but they are based on the rather moderate estimate that the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will double by 2100. Many scientists believe, however, that this figure is actually very conservative, and they claim that a tripling is (9) ____ more realistic. If they are (10) ____, the effects on nature will be even more dramatic

Read the reading below carefully, and then complete it with the best option A, B, C or D given below:
I live in a house near the sea. It is ................. (1) old house, about 100 years old and ................. (2) very small. There are two bedrooms upstairs ................. (3) no bathroom. The bathroom is down stairs ................. (4) the kitchen. There is a living room where there is a lovely old fire place. There is a garden ................. (5) the house. The garden ................. (6) down to the beach and in Spring and Summer ................. (7) flowers everywhere. I like sitting alone ................. (8) my dog, Rack, but we have a lot of visitors. My city friends often stay with ................. (9) I love my house for ................. (10)reasons: the garden, the flowers in Summer, the fire in winter, but the best thing is the view from my bedroom window

Read the reading below carefully, and then complete it with the best option A, B, C or D given below:
Easter is an important Christian festival and holiday. It is (1)______to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Easter is not a fixed holiday. Its (2)____varies between 22nd March and 25th April. People celebrate Easter (3)____ the world. In the UK, Easter is a public holiday. People (4)_ Easter chocolate eggs to their friends and family. There are also egg hunts for kids. In the US, Easter is a (5)______ holiday. People can go to church and have a special family meal. They also (6)____ egg-hunts and give gifts of coloured eggs. In Russia, Easter is one of the (7)___important holidays. People celebrate it (8)___ an Easter breakfast or meal. They also create very beautiful Easter eggs

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Planet earth is part of a system of planets and their moons, as well as numerous asteroids and comets which (26)_________around a huge star we call the Sun. The Sun itself (27)_________of gas. Nuclear reactions inside its core (28)_______the heat and light that make life on the Earth (29)________. The Earth is the third of four small terrestrial (Earth like) planets that orbit close to the (30)_________. Further out in our Solar System are four huge gas planets, while distant Pluto, (31)_________planet, is made (32)_________rock and ice. Our Earth is one of the ten planets that orbit the Sun- a huge, burning-hot star in the center of our Solar System. The Solar System and all the stars in the (33)_________are part of our galaxy-the Milky Way, which (34)________as many as 200 billions stars. Beyond our galaxy (35)_________millions more galaxies. They all add together to make up the Universe

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Why do people like to chew gum? Some people say they like the taste.(31)________say they can think better if they chew gum. Some people chew it when they have some boring work to do. Others chew gum when they are nervous. Gum is a mixture of things. For many years gum companies made gum from chicle. Chicle is a natural gum from a tree in Mexico and Central America. Now companies use plastic and rubber made from petroleum (32)________of chicle. Gum must be soft so that you can chew it. A softener keeps it soft. The gum company makes the softener from vegetable oil. A sweetener makes the gum sweet. The sweetener is usually sugar. Then the company (33)________the flavor. Thomas Adams made the first gum from chicle in 1836. However , chewing gum was not new. The Greeks chewed gum from a tree (34)________2,000 years ago. Mayan Indians in Mexico chewed chicle. Indians in the Northeastern United States taught Europeans to chew gum from a tree there. People first made bubble gum in 1928. Children like to (35)________bubble with bubble gum. Some university students do too

Read the reading below carefully, and then complete it with the best option A, B, C or D given below:
There are many Chinese festivals in Hong Kong. The Western New Year starts on the first day of January but the Chinese begin New Year on the first day of the first moon of the Chinese calendar. Before New Year's Day comes, people clean and decorate their houses, (1)_____ a lot of traditional food and go shopping for presents and new clothes. New Year’s Eve is the time (2) _____every family gathers its members together for dinner. People (3)____ the New Year with a music performance and a firework display to light up the sky. On New Year's Day, they visit their friends and relatives. The children get lucky money in red envelopes. Many people go to the (4)____ to wish for good health and good luck. Chinese people in Hong Kong celebrate the New Year with (5) _____ and happiness

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ASEAN was established on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok by the five original member countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. Brunei Darussalam joined on 8 January 1984, Vietnam on 28 July 1995, Laos and Myanmar on 23 July 1997, and Cambodia on 30 April 1999.  The ASEAN Declaration states that the aims and purposes of the Association are: (1) to accelerate the economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region through joint endeavors in the spirit of equality and partnership in order to strengthen the foundation for a prosperous and peaceful community of Southeast Asian nations, and (2) to promote regional peace and stability through abiding respect for justice and the rule of law in the relationship among countries in the region and adherence to the principles of the United Nations Charter. In 1995, the ASEAN Heads of State and Government re-affirmed that "Cooperative peace and shared prosperity shall be the fundamental goals of ASEAN.”  The Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) in Southeast Asia, signed at the First ASEAN Summit on 24 February 1976, declared that in their relations with one another, the High Contracting Parties should be guided by the following fundamental principles:  • Mutual respect for the independence, sovereignty, equality, territorial integrity, and national identity of all nations;  • The right of every State to lead its national existence free from external interference, subversion, or coercion;  • Non-interference in the internal affairs of one another;  • Settlement of differences or disputes by peaceful manner;  • Renunciation of the threat or use of force; and  • Effective cooperation among themselves.  The TAC stated that ASEAN political and security dialogue and cooperation should airn to promote regional peace and stability by enhancing regional resilience. Regional resilience shall be achieved by cooperating in all fields based on the principles of self confidence, self-reliance, mutual respect, cooperation, and solidarity, which shall constitute the foundation for a strong and viable community of nations in Southeast Asia. 
3. The word "accelerate" in the passage almost means ____

Read the passage carefully and choose the correct answer.

Mr Green: Hey, Tom. How's your first week at the new school?

Tom: Well, it's great. But I was a bit nervous at first.

Mr Green: Why were you nervous?

Tom: The teachers are all new to me, most of my classmates are new too.

Mr Green: Are they friendly to you?

Tom: Ah, yeah. They are all nice to me.

Mr Green: What subjects did you have today?

Tom: Well, we had maths, geography and computer studies, my favourite subject.

Mr Green: Oh, good. So everything is going well at school?

Tom: Right. I had a good first day. And ... Dad, can I join the judo club at school? I like to do judo. 

Mr Green: Yeah, OK, if you like. But don't forget to do your homework.

Tom: I won't. Thanks, Dad.

How is the first day at his new school?

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It’s only natural that people want to use the latest innovations to better themselves. Smart devices can truly do incredible things and help to simplify our day. They can also enhance our perceptions, arm us with knowledge, and open up a world of new possibilities. A few people have even decided to make the leap and transform themselves to become cyborgs. Cyborg is a term used to describe a being that is half human and half machine. This may sound like something out of science-fiction novels, but some people have already adapted this lifestyle. One is artist Neil Harbisson. He was bom completely colour-blind, and could only see black and white images. It seemed that he would never experience colour. After attending a cybernetics talk in college, he met an inventor who agreed to make a special device for him. They designed an eyeborg, a mechanical eye that converted colours into sound frequencies. This enabled Harbisson to hear colour and perceive the world in a different way. He started going to museums to ‘"hear” classic paintings. In fact, a simple walk down a grocery store filled with colourful products produces some catchy tunes. Harbisson loves his eyeborg so much that he rarely takes it off. He now gives talks urging others to consider adding their own mechanical improvements. In 1998, British scientist Kevin Warwick conducted his own experiment. He implanted a chip inside of his arm, which he used to control lights and other appliances at home. He later expanded the project by placing electrodes inside his nervous system and linking it to the Internet. This allowed him to control external objects including robotic arms, amplifiers, and. loudspeakers. His work remains influential as this example of extended sensory input was the first of its kind. If you’re interested in becoming a cyborg and you’re willing, a good place to start might be with a pair of Google Glass. Users wear it like ordinary eyeglasses, yet Google Glass is equipped with state-of-the-art electronics. Using voice commands you can have it take a picture of what you see, see directions right in front of you, or translate your voice into other languages. Hopefully, this experience will help you decide whether becoming a cyborg is right for you, or if you’re content to remain a human like the rest of us.
4. Why was Kevin Warwick’s work important?

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Not everybody recognizes the benefits of new developments in communications technology. Indeed, some people fear that text messaging may actually be having a negative ______(31) on young people's communication and language skills, especially when we hear that primary school children may be at ______(32) of becoming addicted to the habit. So widespread has texting become, however, that even pigeons have started doing it. What‟s more, in this case, it's difficult to view the results as anything but positive. Twenty of the birds are about to ______(33) to the skies with the task of measuring air pollution, each ______(34) with sensor equipment and a mobile phone. The ______(35) made by the sensors will be automatically ______(36) into text messages and beamed to the Internet - where they will appear on a dedicated 'pigeon blog'

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Many of the major supermarket chains have come under fire with accusations of various unethical acts over the past decade. They've wasted tons of food, they've underpaid their suppliers and they've contributed to excessive plastic waste in their packaging, which has had its impact on our environment. But supermarkets and grocers are starting to sit up and take notice. In response to growing consumer backlash against the huge amounts of plastic waste generated by plastic packaging, some of the largest UK supermarkets have signed up to a pact promising to transform packaging and cut plastic wastage. In a pledge to reuse, recycle or compost all plastic wastage by 2025, supermarkets are now beginning to take some responsibility for the part they play in contributing to the damage to our environment with one major supermarket announcing their plan to eliminate all plastic packaging in their own-brand products by 2023. In response to criticisms over food waste, some supermarkets are donating some of their food surplus. However, charities estimate that they are only accessing two per cent of supermarkets' total food surplus, so this hardly seems to be solving the problem. Some say that supermarkets are simply not doing enough. Most supermarkets operate under a veil of secrecy when asked for exact figures of food wastage, and without more transparency it is hard to come up with a systematic approach to avoiding waste and to redistributing surplus food. Some smaller companies are now taking matters into their own hands and offering consumers a greener, more environmentally friendly option. Shops like Berlin's Original Unverpakt and London's Bulk Market are plastic- tree shops that have opened in recent years, encouraging customers to use their own containers or compostable bags. Online grocer Farmdrop eliminates the need for large warehouses and the risk of huge food surplus by delivering fresh produce from local farmers to its customers on a daily basis via electric cars, offering farmers the lion's share of the retail price. There is no doubt that we still have a long way to go in reducing food waste and plastic waste. But perhaps the major supermarkets might take inspiration from these smaller grocers and gradually move towards a more sustainable future for us all.
2. According to paragraph 2, more and more people want supermarkets to _______

HOUSES

There are many houses all over the world. Some houses are large. Some are small. Some are made of wood. Some are made of rock. People usually build their houses with something that is easy to find. For example, there are many trees in forest. So people who live there might build a house made of logs. Some houses have one room. Some houses have many rooms. There is usually a bedroom for sleeping, a kitchen for cooking, a living room for sitting and talking. There is usually a bathroom. Some houses have attics. The attic is above the main part of the house. Most houses have a door so people can enter and exit the house. Most houses have windows so people can look outside. Houses look very different in different parts of the world. But, people who live in a house probably all agree that there is no place like home!

Why are many forest houses made of logs?

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Library is a collection of books and other informational materials made available to people for reading, study, or reference. The word library comes (1)_________ liber, the Latin word for ― book‖ . (2) _____ , library collections have almost always contained a variety of materials. Contemporary libraries maintain collections that include not only printed materials such as manuscripts, books , newspapers, and magazines, (3)_______ audio-visual and online databases. In addition (4) _____ maintaining collections within library buildings, modern libraries often feature telecommunications links that provide users with access to information at remote sites. The central mission of a library (5) _______ to collect , organize, preserve, and provide access to knowledge and information. In fulfilling this mission, libraries preserve a valuable record of culture that can be passed down to (6)_______ generations. Libraries are an essential link in this communication between the past , present, and future. Whether the cultural record is contained in books or in electronic formats, libraries ensure (7) ____ the record is preserved and made available for later use. People use library resources to gain information about personal (8)__ or to obtain recreational materials such as films and novels. Students use libraries to supplement and enhance their classroom experiences, to learn (9)_____ in locating sources of information, and to develop good reading and study habits. Public officials use libraries to research legislation and public policy issues. One of the most valued of all cultural institutions, the library (10) ___ information and services that are essential to learning and progress. From ― Library ( institution)‖ by Richard S.Halsey et al

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Today, supermarkets are found in almost every large city in the world. But the first supermarket (26)_________opened only fifty years ago. It was opened in New York by a man named Michael Cullen. A supermarket is different (27)___________other types of stores in several ways. In supermarkets, goods are placed on open shelves. The (28)__________ choose what they want and take them to the checkout counter. This means that fewer shop assistants are needed than in other stores. The way products are displayed is another difference between supermarkets and many other types of stores; (29)__________ example, in supermarkets, there is usually a display of small inexpensive items just in front of the checkout counter: candies, chocolates, magazines, cheap foods and so on. Most customers (30)__________go to a supermarket buy goods from a shopping list. They know exactly what they need to buy. They do the shopping according to a plan

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Geothermal energy offers enormous potential for direct, low-temperature applications. Unlike indirect applications, this new technology relies on the Earth's natural thermal energy to heat or cool a house or multifamily dwelling directly without the need to convert steam or other high-temperature fluids into electricity, using expensive equipment. A geothermal system consists of a heat pump and exchanger plus a series of pipes, called a loop, installed below the surface of the ground or submerged in a pond or lake. Fluid circulating in the loop is warmed and carries heat to the home. The heat pump and exchanger use an electrically powered vapor-compression cycle - the same principle employed in a refrigerator - to concentrate the energy and to transfer it. The concentrated geothermal energy is released inside the home at a higher temperature, and fans then distribute the heat to various rooms through a system of air ducts. In summer, the process is reversed: excess heat is drawn from the home, expelled to the loop, and absorbed by the Earth. Geothermal systems are more effective than conventional heat pumps that use the outdoor air as their heat source (on cold days) or heat sink (on warm days) because geothermal systems draw heat from a source whose temperature is more constant than that of air. The temperature of the ground or groundwater a few feet beneath the Earth's surface remains relatively stable – between 45°F and 70°F. In winter, it is much easier to capture heat from the soil at a moderate 50°F than from the atmosphere when the air temperature is below zero. Conversely. in summer, the relatively cool ground absorbs a home's waste heat more readily than the warm outdoor air. The use of geothermal energy through heat-pump technology has almost no adverse environmental consequences and offers several advantages over conventional energy sources. Direct geothermal applications are usually no more disruptive of the surrounding environment than a normal water well. Additionally, while such systems require electricity to concentrate and distribute the energy collected, they actually reduce total energy consumption by one-fourth to two-thirds, depending on the technology used. For each 1,000 hones with geothermal heat pumps, an electric utility can avoid the installation of 2 to 5 megawatts of generating capacity. Unfortunately, only a modest part of the potential of this use for geothermal energy has been developed because the service industry is small and the price of competing energy sources is low.
5. According to paragraph 3, the new technology is more effective than a conventional heat pump because _______

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It is estimated that about three billion people use the internet computer network around the world. Most people use the Internet to (25) _______information or for entertainment. A new study, however, shows US that almost 10% of Internet users are using it SO often that it is seriously harming their lives. The study says that these people may find it difficult to stop using the Internet because they have become addicted. Someone who is addicted finds it extremely difficult to stop (26) _______activity. According to a psychologist in the field. 30% of Internet users claim that they use the Internet to escape from (27) _______or emotions. The study also shows that having a chat or discussion with strangers on the Internet is one of the most (28) _______activities.