Read the following passage and choose the best answer (A, B, C, D):
Left-handers are the odd ones out. Sure, lefties (1) ______up about 10 percent of the population - but, frankly, it seems like society has forgotten about them. Just consider all of the right- handed gadgets, awkwardly designed desks, and cooking tools that fit comfortably only in your right hand. What (2) ______someone to become a lefthand? Scientists aren’t exactly sure, but research points to a complex (3) ______between genes and environment While no exact set of “leftie genes” have been discovered, people who dominantly use their left hands do have more left-handed family members. And researchers have found different brain wirings in righties vs. lefties. But no matter (4) ______it is that drives someone to use their antipodal paw, science has also uncovered a particular set of personality traits that left-handed people tend to have. So for all of you lefties, leftie-loving righties, and ambidextrous folks out there - it’s time to brush up on your left-handed knowledge and help (5) ______an end to leftie discrimination once and for all.

Choose the word or phrase among A, B, C or D that best fits the blank space in the following passage:

"In the home a dad is very important. He is the (1)……who provides us with money to feed and (2)….. ourselves. He can decorate your bedroom, mend your radio, make (3)….. for your pets, repair a puncture your bicycle tyre and help you with maths homework. A dad can be very useful for (4)…. you in the car to and from parties, music and dancing lessons.
 A dad is the person whom you ask for (5)…. money. He is the one who (6)…. about the time you spend talking on the phone, as he has to pay for the bills. Dad is someone who will support you in an (7)…. , if he believes you to be right. He is someone who reads your school (8) …. And treats if it is good. A dad likes to come into a nice happy home evening, and settle (9)…. in his chair with a newspaper. He likes to (10) ….  his National Service days."

3. He can decorate your bedroom, mend your radio, make (3)….. for your pets, repair a puncture your bicycle tyre and help you with maths homework.

 A ______ is a report in a newspaper or magazine in which a writer gives his opinion of a book, a film, or a play.

(391)________

Choose the best answer:
adolescent/ UNICEF/ girls’ health/ helps/ and/ adolescent/ wellbeing/ countries/ advance.

Read the passage below carefully, and then choose the best answer:
Drawing a Line in the Sand
Artists are known to be a picky bunch. Over years of practice, they often develop a preference for certain materials. For instance, some sculptors will only work with marble, whereas some painters may insist on only using watercolour paints. Yet, only a select few have become masters working with a common material that you can find on any beach: sand. As children, we all made sand castles, but some skilled artists have taken this activity to the next level. They have created impressive, massive sand constructions in the shape of dragons, castles, and everything else you can imagine. A major benefit for many artists who build with sand is its simplicity. To get started, all you need is sand and water. However, mastering this medium takes years of practice and great attention to detail. For example, different tasks require different ratio of water to sand to get the job done. Deciding on the proper tools can also be complicated. Some artists prefer using buckets and shovels, while others are purists who refuse to use anything but their hands. Sand painting is another form of sand art. The practice dates back dozens of thousands of years and has been used by several different cultures. It involves spreading different coloured particles, which often come from crystals and rocks, onto a surface and then arranging them to make a picture. Interestingly enough, many sand paintings are designed to be temporary. Tibetan monks will spend days creating beautiful sand paintings which are blown away by winds shortly after they are finished. They view the natural destruction of their work as a symbol of impermanence in life. Meanwhile, Native Americans consider their temporary sand paintings as living creatures and they treat them with great respect while they exist. Recently, filmmakers have also discovered a way to work with sand by creating sand animation. Like other forms of animation, an artist will create one image and then capture it on camera. Then, they will make some subtle changes and then move on to the next frame and so on. After they have created and captured hundreds of images, the frames will be strung together. In the final product, it will appear as if the sand images are moving or changing shape. The next time you are at the beach, let your mind run free as you look at the shore. Who knows, you might get the urge to create some remarkable sand art of your own.
6. According to the passage, most sand paintings ___________.

In the 22nd SEA Games in 2008, the country _______ the competition with 340 medals, including 156 golds, 91 silvers and 93 bronzes.

(442)_____

Read the passage below carefully, and then choose the best answer:
The Invention of the Periodic Table
If you are looking to gain a better understanding of the world around you, chemistry is the perfect subject to study. It is an examination of matter, its properties, and its interactions with everything around it. Where physics often deals with concepts and theories that are difficult to test and observe, chemistry principles can easily be applied to medicine, cooking, and several other areas. At the heart of all these discoveries is one vital chart that organizes elements based on their atomic number and chemical properties: the periodic table. Although the first periodic table was published in 1869, it was a work in progress for hundreds, if not thousands of years. Since ancient times, people have been fascinated with elements such as gold, tin, and copper in their natural forms. They were mined and used to make jewellery, weapons, coins, and many other things. Over time, people became more curious about these metals and how they were composed. In ancient Greece, Aristotle and other philosophers claimed things were made from the elements of earth, water, fire, and air. For years, this theory was accepted. Then people began to reevaluate this concept during the Age of Enlightenment. In 1661, Irish scientist Robert Boyle defined an element as something that “cannot be broken down into a simpler substance by a chemical reaction”. Over a century later, French chemist Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier would publish the first modern textbook on chemistry. In it, he listed several substances which he believed should be classified as elements into two categories: metals, and non-metals. Although his work wasn’t completely accurate, it represented a major step forward at the time. Over the next century, scientists started to classify the elements into different groups depending on their properties and atomic weights. However, it is Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev who is usually credited as the first person to make a periodic table. Although other scientists had submitted tables, they were eventually rejected by the scientific community for a lack of detail. Mendeleev arranged all of the elements according to their atomic mass. He was even smart enough to leave empty spaces for elements which hadn’t been discovered at the time. Although Mendeleev’s periodic table wasn’t perfect, it set the format which is similar to the one used today.
3. Why did people first become interested in elements?

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:
We are being bombarded with advertisements all the time and a lot of them are targeted at young people. Smaller children, (1) _______ spending their own pocket money, can also influence what their parents buy, so many TV ads are created with kids (2) _______ . For example, adverts for drinks feature cartoon animals. Then, as two-year-olds are being pushed around the shop by their parents in a trolley, they (3) _______ the drink from the advert and ask the adults to buy it. As children grow older, some products are marketed to them as ‘must-have’ items, (4) _______ that children won’t be liked by their friends if they don’t get them. Teenagers are incredibly (5) _______ of adverts, so products aimed at them have to be advertised much more cleverly. For example, advertisers give away stickers which direct teens to a website with more information about the product

Choose the best answer:
Astronauts ............... in their spaceship, but they frequently work outside now.

Rewirte the sentence
I am 14 and my new friend in the guitar club is 14 too.

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate to each of the questions from 31 to 35
Social media marketing has increased due to the growing active user rates on social media sites. For example, Facebook currently has 2.2 billion users, Twitter has 330 million active users and Instagram has 800 million users. 
One of the main uses is to interact with audiences to create awareness of the brand or service, with the main idea of creating a two-way communication system where the audience and/or customers can interact back; providing feedback as just one example. Social media can be used to advertise; placing an advert on Facebook's Newsfeed, for example, can allow a vast number of people to see it or targeting specific audiences from their usage to encourage awareness of the product or brand. Users of social media are then able to like, share and comment on the advert, becoming message senders as they can keep passing the advert's message on to their friends and onwards. The use of new media put consumers on the position of spreading opinions, sharing experience, and has shift power from organization to consumers for it allows transparency and different opinions to be heard. 
Media marketing has to keep up with all the different platforms. They also have to keep up with the ongoing trends that are set by big influencers and draw many peoples attention. The type of audience a business is going for will determine the social media site they use. 

Which best serves as the title for the passage? 

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 :
For athletes who like to (1) _________ a variety of endurance sports in a single race, triathlons are a great fit. These competitions (2) _________ running, cycling, and swimming into one race, and they take place one after the other in a single continuous timed race. Athletes who participate must be in top physical form and have the skills needed to complete each portion of the race. Training for triathlons means the athletes have to become proficient not only in the sport required in each stage, but they also have to become familiar with what (3) _________ from one to the other does to their bodies. Many inexperienced triathletes are surprised to (4) _________ hard it can be to switch from swimming to cycling to running, and how tired their muscles can suddenly feel. One thing all triathletes can agree (5) _________ is that no one ever told them that running a triathlon would be easy

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks.
(1)...................... in technology have made a lot of changes to our everyday lifestyles, but one of the biggest has got to be how we read books. Since the invention of the e–book, there has been a significant change to our reading habits. Given the choice between taking a couple of heavy paperbacks on holiday or an e–book device like a Kindle, most of us, including our parents and grandparents, would unsurprisingly opt (2)................... the Kindle.
But  what  would  our  lives  be  like  with  no  books  at  all?  It’s  a  (3).......... question. Some educational specialists are making predictions that in the future we won’t even see books in classrooms – everything will be done online! (4).................. of the idea of getting rid of books say that there will always be a need for paper–based versions of materials. However, to be realistic, we have to accept that there is a (5)..............chance that in a decade’s time schools and classrooms will be book–free! What do you think of that?

(2).....................................

---139--- the past week you may have experienced increased wait times for our C-level elevators, which service floors 25 through 36. We have contacted Higwam, our elevator maintenance contractor, who ---140--- repairs in the elevator shafts. This is to alert all residents that beginning tomorrow and through the end of the week, you are likely to see Higwam technicians working in the lobby. They are planning to work on one unit at a time in order to keep the others operational while repairs are in progress, so for the next few ---141---, there may continue to be prolonged wait times. ---142---.

141................

Read the passage below carefully, and then choose the best answer:
Say Sayonara to Sushi?
There are few meals as nutritious as a plate of fresh fish. Whether eaten steamed or raw, fish provides our bodies with healthy fats and it tastes great, too. Yet for years, the fishing industry has practised overfishing, depleting the world’s oceans. It has been estimated that 85 percent of stocks worldwide have been diminished to a dangerous level. Statistics show that the average person consumes more than four times as much fish as someone from the 1950s. As the world’s population grows and more people are able to afford pricier foods, the problem will likely get worse. In truth, knowledge of the shortage of fish is not something new. Since the late 1980s, despite increased technology and a greater demand for fish, the total global catch has not increased. Eager to make a buck, some fishermen have resorted to illegal tactics to catch more fish and increase their income. They will violate regulations by fishing in waters that are supposed to be off-limits. To make matters worse, they often use mile-long drift nets which trap and kill large numbers of unwanted marine life for no reason at all. These practices only serve to destroy fishes’ habitats and speed up the rate of population decline. As a result of dwindling fish supplies, many nations are turning to farmed fish. About half of the fish sold today is derived from this practice. Supporters point out its efficiency and that it is more feasible to support populations in this manner than with land animals. However, there are still many hurdles to overcome. Many of the current farm fisheries are poorly run by their owners. Poor practices can lead to marine pollution, as waters can be filled with fish manure and extra feed that is not consumed. Some farmed fish have limited space, which causes disease. This in turn can lead to health issues for the people who consume the fish. Still, some regard fish farming as the way of the future. They suggest that with a few modifications, it would be possible to meet the growing demand for fish. Others have suggested more drastic measures, such as placing a ten-year ban on capturing some species, to deal with the shortage. These people argue that a decade would provide sufficient time for the fish population to replenish itself hack to healthy levels. Hopefully, nations can come together and agree upon an effective course of action before it is too late.
4. Which of the following best matches the meaning of the word “hurdles” in paragraph 3?

Read the following passage and choose the best answer (A, B, C, D):
How do you feel when you (1) ______an exam? Do you always succeed in getting all your ideas down on paper, or do you sometimes feel that you’re (2) ______a mess of it? Apart from those lucky few who sail through exams, most secondary school (3) ______find them very stressful. Many teachers are aware of the problems their students face and use a different method for measuring their progress: continuous assessment. With continuous assessment, students are given various (4) ______to do through the year. All their marks are added together to produce a total mark at the end of the year. Students have to take more responsibility for their education because they can’t rely on doing well on just one day. Also, they have more time to (5) ______ over their work, meaning that they are able to do their best.

Read the passage below carefully, and then choose the best answer:
Inside the Mind of a Sushi Legend
During our lives, it is likely we will have not one, but several careers. People change jobs due to boredom, to earn more money, or because they want to experience more from life. Although this certainly brings variety to life, it also prevents workers from achieving mastery in their craft. This is what makes Sukiyabashi Jiro so incredible. For the past 75 years, he was dedicated his life to one goal: perfecting his technique so that he can make the world’s best sushi. In the documentary Jiro: Dreams of Sushi, viewers get a peek inside the life of this genius. For Jiro, who owns a three-star Michelin restaurant, sushi is not simply taking raw fish, vinegar, and rice, and arranging them together. He insists that every detail must be perfect. Watching him at work is similar to seeing an artist in action. Yet, the true key to his success is not creative imagination: it’s his dedication and repetition. Jiro has kept the same daily schedule for decades. As he goes about his tasks, he always searches for small ways to improve his craft. Jiro won’t accept anything less than the best. He has committed to using only the freshest ingredients, and he’ll do whatever it takes to get them. This means heading down to the local fish market daily to purchase fish which has just been caught that day. Jiro only deals with the top fish dealer, who is also a master of his trade. This seller reserves only the best of the best for Jiro, which Jiro inspects closely before making his choices. Back at the shop, the sushi rice is also prepared with delicate care. If he senses something is not up to standards, he will have his employees trash it and start all over again. At the age of 85, Jiro is aware that he won’t be able to continue making sushi forever. Therefore, he has been training his two middle-aged sons for many years to learn his techniques and philosophies. His eldest son, Yamamoto, works side-by-side with Jiro to this day. His younger son, Takashi, has opened his own sushi restaurant elsewhere in Tokyo. In the film, both sons discuss how difficult it is to live up to their famous father’s expectations and match his rigorous work ethic. To learn more about Jiro and his methods, be sure to catch this fascinating film.
1. According to the passage, which of the following is true?

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 mineral particles found in soil range in size from microscopic clay particles to large boulders. The most abundant particles - sand, silt, and clay - are the focus of examination in studies of soil texture. Texture is the term used to describe the line composite sizes of particles in a soil sample, typically several representative handfuls. To measure soil texture, the sand, silt, and clay particles are sorted out by size and weight. The weights of each size are then expressed as a percentage of the sample weight.
In the field, soil texture can be estimated by extracting a handful of sod and squeezing the damp soil into three basic shapes; cast, a lump formed by squeezing a sample in a clenched fist; thread, a pencil shape formed by rolling soil between the palms; and ribbon, a flatfish shape formed by squeezing a small sample between the thumb and index finger. The behavioral characteristics of the soil when molded into each of these shapes, if they can be formed at all, provides the basis for a general textural classification. The behavior of the soil in the hand test is determined by the amount of clay in the sample. Clay particles are highly cohesive, and when dampened, behave as a plastic. Therefore the higher the clay content in a sample, the more refined and durable the shapes into which it can be molded.
Another method of determining soil texture involves the use of devices called sediment sieves, screens built with a specified mesh size. When the soil is filtered through a group of sieves, each with a different mesh size, the particles become grouped in corresponding size categories. Each category can be weighed to make a textural determination. Although sieves work well for silt, sand, and larger particles, they are not appropriate for clay particles. Clay is far too small to sieve accurately; therefore, in soils with a high proportion of clay, the fine particles are measured on the basis of their settling velocity when suspended in water. Since clays settle so slowly, they
are easily segregated from sand and silt. The water can be drawn off and evaporated, leaving a residue of clay, which can be weighed.

The word “fine” in the passage is closest in meaning to     .

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 cause of tooth decay is acid, which is produced by bacteria in the mouth. The acid removes minerals from tooth enamel, allowing tooth decay to begin; the saliva in your mouth encourages remineralization and neutralizes the acid. The rate at which bacteria in the mouth produce acid depends on the amount of plaque on the teeth, the composition of the microbial flora, and whether the bacteria of the plaque have been "primed" by frequent exposure to sugar. To keep your teeth healthy, a regular dental hygiene program should be followed.
Removing plaque with a toothbrush and dental floss temporarily reduces the numbers of bacteria in the mouth and thus reduces tooth decay. It also makes the surfaces of the teeth more accessible, enabling saliva to neutralize acid and remineralize lesions. If fluoride is present in drinking water when teeth are forming, some fluoride is incorporated into the enamel of the teeth, making them more resistant to attack by acid. Fluoride toothpaste seems to act in another way, by promoting the remineralization of early carious lesions.
In addition to a regular dental hygiene program, a good way to keep your teeth healthy is to reduce your intake of sweet food. The least cavity-causing way to eat sweets is to have them with meals and not between. The number of times you eat sweets rather than the total amount determines how much harmful acid the bacteria in your saliva produce. But the amount of sweets influences the quality of your saliva. Avoid, if you can, sticky sweets that stay in your mouth a long time. Also try to brush and floss your teeth after eating sugary foods. Even rinsing your mouth with water is effective. Whenever possible, eat foods with fiber, such as raw carrot sticks, apples, celery sticks, etc., that scrape off plaque, acting as a toothbrush. Cavities can be greatly reduced if these rules are followed when eating sweets.

The word "scrape off" is closest in meaning to

Choose the best answer:
Bill works ..................... his brother.

Choose the best answer:
We are going to have a party ..................... Christmas.