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While many behaviors and practices associated with going green are designed to save  money, there are certain ways in which green living can actually be moderately to very expensive. Much of the technology associated with green living (1) ____________ provide benefits to the environment but often at a much higher cost than their traditional counterparts. For instance, the use of solar panels can potentially save you money on your energy bills, but they can (2) ______________ thousands of dollars to install. Energy-efficient appliances are designed to use less electricity and water but they often come with a high price tag.  Going green can also potentially have a negative effect on the environment. For (3) __________, the development of alternative fuels is an innovation in the green movement in an effort to reduce reliance on (4) ___________ natural resources. While these fuels are intended to reduce the toxic emissions caused by the burning of traditional gasoline, they may have unintentionally caused the opposite effect. One of these alternative fuels, E85, actually (5) ___________ more ozone into the atmosphere than traditional fuel. While ozone is a natural part of the Earth’s upper atmosphere, if it becomes concentrated in the lower atmosphere, it can potentially increase air pollution in areas where smog is a concern, which can in turn impact the health of those living in these areas

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The local government suggested ……. a road through the Nam Cat Tien National Park.

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Without regular supplies of some hormones our capacity to behave would be seriously impaired; without others we would soon die. Tiny amounts of some hormones can modify our moods and our action, our inclination to eat or drink, our aggressiveness or submissiveness, and our reproductive and parental behavior. And hormones do more than influence adult behavior; early in life they help to determine the development of bodily form and may even determine an individual’s behavioral capacities. Later in life the changing outputs of some endocrine glands and the body’s changing sensitivity to some hormones are essential aspects of the phenomena of aging. Communication within the body and the consequent integration of behavior were considered the exclusive province of the nervous system up to the beginning of the present century. The emergence of endocrinology as a separate discipline can probably be traced to the experiments of Bayliss and Starling on the hormone secretion. This substance is secreted from cells in the intestinal walls when food enters the stomach; it travels through the bloodstream and stimulates the pancreas to liberate pancreatic juice, which aids in digestion. By showing that special cells secrete chemical agents that are conveyed by the bloodstream and regulate distant target organs or tissues, Bayliss and Starling demonstrated that chemical integration can occur without participation of the nervous system. William Bayliss and Ernest Henry Starling, two British physiologists, discovered and introduced the word hormone. In 1979, The Bayliss and Starling Society was founded as a forum for research scientists with specific interest in the chemistry, physiology and function of central and autonomic peptides. The Society also offered the travelling fellowship award for members who wanted to attend national and international academic conferences. Sometimes, the Society help schools to organize science fairs for secondary students and give them incentives to fall for related subjects. The term “hormone” was first used with reference to secretion. Starling derived the term from the Greek hormone, meaning “to excited or set in motion.” The term “endocrine” was introduced shortly thereafter, “Endocrine” is used to refer to glands that secrete products into the bloodstream. The term “endocrine” contrasts with “exocrine” which is applied to glands that secrete their products through ducts to the site of action. Examples of exocrine glands are the tear glands, the sweat glands, and the pancreas, which secretes pancreatic juice through a duct into intestine. Exocrine glands are also called duct glands, while endocrine glands are called ductless.
8. The highlighted word “them” in the passage refers to ________ 

Choose the answer A, B, c or D to fill the blank space in the following passage.

"Speech is one of the most important ways of communicating. It consists of far more than just (1)….. noises. To talk or to (2)…. by other people, we have to master a language, that is, we have to use combinations of sound that (3)….. for a particular object or idea. Communication (4)…. impossible if everyone (5)….. up their own language.
Learning a language is very important. The basic vocabulary of English is not very large, and only about 2,000 words are needed to speak (6)…. quite well. But the more words you know, the more ideas you can express, and the more precise you can be (7)…. their meaning. Words are the main things we use (8)…. what we want to say. The way we say the words (9)…. also very important. One tone of voice can express (10)…. emotions and show whether we are pleased or angry for instance."

2. To talk or to (2)…. by other people, 

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We’re all born with a passion for learning that for many of us sadly fades over time. A mindset of continuous learning best positions us for an ever-evolving future. Dr. Carol Dweck, a psychologist and Stanford professor, distinguishes between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset. In a fixed mindset, people believe that their basic qualities, like intelligence or talent, are fixed traits. They believe that talent alone, without effort, creates success. They believe that they are “smart” or “dumb” and that there is no way to change. No matter how hard they work at something, a ceiling prevents them from getting better. In a growth mindset, people believe that their basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work. Brains and talent are a starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishments. The sky is the limit. It’s not about proving yourself, it’s about improving yourself. “Future Shock” author Alvin Toffler once said, “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.” Learning and relearning can be fun. Unlearning is hard. It’s hard discarding old thinking, protocols, treatment plans, business practices and communication styles. But that hard work is necessary to progress and grow as people and professionals. Unlearning is particularly difficult for adults; kids are good at it. Our thinking becomes more rigid as we age. How difficult was it for medical professionals of the past to unlearn bloodletting, lobotomies, arsenic and mercury treatments, urine for teeth whitening, shock therapy, and heroin for children’s coughs? All were considered contemporary medicine in our great-grandparents’ day. The importance of learning, unlearning and relearning has never been more important than in today’s rapidly changing workplace
1. The passage mainly discusses ______

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 following questions:
Tourism and Heritage Protection Travelling is a great thing to do. It helps us learn about different people and different places. Some people travel because they want to see nature. Others travel because they want to make friends and try great food. Of course, a lot of tourists are interested in traditional culture.
Tourism can be very good for traditional cultures. This is because when people travel to another country, they often want to learn more about that country’s traditions, such as music, food, and history. Therefore, the local people in that country will keep their traditional culture alive. They will wear traditional clothing, and sell traditional food. They will also have shows for tourists. These shows can be dances, concerts, plays, or something else.
Tourism also helps people respect each other. If you understand another culture well, you will probably respect that culture much more. You will probably want to protect that culture as well. However, tourism is not always good for traditional culture. Many people say that tourism creates “fake traditional culture”. This means that the local people wear traditional costumes, and do traditional dances only for tourists, but that is not their real lifestyle. Their real lifestyles are similar to the tourists’ lifestyle. They are just pretending because they want to make money.

Why do local people want tourism?

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Certain birds are, more often than not, considered bad luck, or even a sign of impending death. For example, all over the world, both crows and ravens have some connection to war, and death. In early times, crows and ravens were thought to accompany the gods of war, or be signs of the gods’ approaching arrival. This idea later changed. Crows in particular were thought to be harbingers of ill fortune or, in some cases, guides to the afterlife. Woe be it to the person who saw a single crow or raven flying overhead, for this was most certainly a portent of death in the near future. Interestingly, though potentially bad luck for people individually, the raven is considered to be good luck for the crown of England. So much so, in fact, that a “raven master” is, even today, an actual government position in London. He takes care of the ravens there and also clips their wings, ensuring that these birds can never fly far from the seat of the British government. This way, the kingdom will never fall to ill fortune. Another bird that is thought to play a part in forecasting the fortunes of people is the swallow. Depending on how and when it is seen, the swallow can be a harbinger of either good or ill fortune. Perhaps inspired by the swallow’s red-brown breast, Christian people initially related the swallow to the death of Jesus Christ. Thus, people who saw a swallow fly through their house considered it a portent of death. Later, however, farmers began to consider swallows signs of good fortune. Any barn that has swallows living in it is sure to be blessed in the following year. Farmers also have to beware of killing a swallow; that would be certain to end any good luck they might have had. Though many people think these superstitions are old wives’ tales, there is actually some evidence to support them. For example, crows and ravens, being scavengers, appear at the aftermath of battles. Thus, large numbers of crows and ravens could be good indications of war in an area. As well, swallows feed on insects that can cause infections in cattle. Thus, a farmer who has many swallows in his barn may actually have healthier animals on his farm. Therefore, the next time you feel inclined to laugh at an old wives’ tale, maybe you had better find out if there is any truth to it first!
3. The word “portent” in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to _________

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While fats have lately acquired a bad image, one should not forget how essential they are. Fats provide the body's best means of storing energy, far more effiient energy sources than either carbohydrates or protein. They act as insulation against cold as cushioning for the internal organs, and as lubricants. Without fats, energy would be no way to utilize fat soluble vitamins. Furthermore, some fats contain fatty acids that contain necessary growth factors and help with the digestion of other foods. An important consideration of fat intake is the ratio of saturated fats to unsaturated fats. Saturated fats, which are derived from dairy products, animal fats, and tropical oils, increase the amount of cholesterol in the blood. Cholesterol may lead to coronary heart disease by building up in the arteries of the heart. However, unsaturated fats, derived from vegetable oils, tend to lower serum cholesterol if taken in proportion twice that of saturated fats. The consumption of a variety of fats is necessary, but the intake of too much fat may lead to a variety of health problems. Excessive intake of fats, like all nutritional excesses, is to be avoided.
3. The main idea of the third paragraph is that?

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People have been donating blood since the early twentieth century to help accident victims and patients undergoing surgical (1)_____. Usually a pint of whole blood is donated, and it is then divided into platelets, white blood cells, and red blood cells. People can donate blood (for red blood cells) about once every two months. (2) ____ the blood from the donor to the recipient is straightforward. It involves (3) _____ the blood from a donor’s arm vein by means of a hypodermic syringe. The blood flows through a plastic tube to a collection bag or bottle (4)_______ contains sodium citrate, which prevents the blood from clotting. When the blood is given to a patient, a plastic tube and hypodermic needle are connected to the recipient’s arm. The blood flows down from the container by gravity. This is a slow process and may last as long as 2 hours to complete the infusion of blood into the recipient. The patient is protected (5)______ being infected during the transfusion. Only sterile containers, tubing, and needles are used, and this helps ensure that transfused or stored blood is not exposed to disease causing bacteria

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Sound symbolism means that we often _________ the meaning of a word from its sound.

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Saving the planet is very much in vogue. It’s also in Harper’s Bazaar, Elle and Mademoiselle. It’s the message on fashion runways, in marketing strategies, in jewelry and accessory designs, on shopping bags and totes, in advertisements and on price tags. A naked fashion model wearing a hat of birch branches and lichen, as shown in Vogue this month, may not be everyone’s idea of environmental awareness. But the pervasiveness of ecological themes in the images and marketing of fashion is undeniable. It is also somewhat paradoxical. The fashion industry, whose driving philosophy involves encouraging consumers to discard the old and embrace the new, is now trying to push itself to the forefront of efforts to conserve and preserve. The environmental theme in fashion began as wispy touches and graphic exhortations in designer collections, not as some well-thought-out strategy of “green” marketing in which the environmental advantages of a product become part of the sales approach. Tendrils of ivy dangled from the ceiling at a Paris fashion show; a carpet of grass covered a runway in New York; models marched along in T-shirts or carrying signs all bearing slogans like “Clean Up or Die,” “Save the Sphere,” and “Environmental Protection Agents”.  The environmental spin on fashion has now moved into the mass market, where ‘’clothes with conscience’‘ make an extra tug at the buyer’s self-image. Bonjour, a jeans and sportswear company based in New York, has embarked on a program to ’‘change the individual’s outlook toward saving the environment’’ through educational tags. This summer, the first wave of what Bonjour executives said would be 50 million fashion items a year are to arrive in stores carrying tags with environmental tips from how to save water to how to reduce pollutants. Whether these tributes to nature will benefit the environment or even raise environmental awareness, with concomitant changes in individual behavior, is not clear. There is some skepticism. Professor Ewen says the new environmental symbolism should be viewed as part of an overall change in America’s economy, from one built on industrial production of hard goods to one based on “pure representation”. “Going back to fashion, the environment has become a commercial cliche separated from real concerns. What can be attached to this year’s fashion is merely the symbolism of environmental sanity.” 
4. The word “wispy” in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to _______

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If you want to spend your time effectively, you can try the following tips. First, make a to-do list every day. Put the most important tasks at the top, even if  they’re things you’re dreading, and tackle them first. Include things you want to do on your list too, so you have items you’re looking forward to. Try motivating yourself with a reward if you get to everything on your list.  Once you know what you need to do, keep your work with you. That way, if you find yourself with extra time – while in the train or bus or waiting for an appointment – you can get something done.  Additionally, don’t be afraid to say no. It’s OK to say no if your friend asks you to go to a movie one night but you have a test the next morning. Instead, find a time that works for both of you and go to see the movie then.  Managing your time also includes finding you productive time. Are you a morning person or a night person? You’ll be more efficient of you work when you’re at your best.  Last but not least, create a dedicated study time. Set up a time devoted only to studying or homework. Shut off you phone and respond to calls or texts when your work is finished. Don’t check email or surf the web (except when you need to for the work you’re doing) during this time either. 
4. You should set your time for studying when you are ________________

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The British are particular about timings and being late is frowned upon, but being on  time is a complicated matter because in some situations, being a few minutes early on others means being exactly on time and in some instances, it is completely acceptable to arrive 10 minutes to a few hours later than the stated time. This can be a minefield for someone who is new to the UK, so here are some basics rules that will help you get your timings right whatever the situation.  In formal meetings, such as job interviews, you should arrive at least five minutes before your meeting. This will give you time to compose yourself before your big meeting. In the UK, arriving late for a formal meeting is seen as unprofessional and will reflect badly on you. If you are running late, ring your host to let them know you will be late. On arrival, apologize sincerely and offer a reason for your lateness, such as you got lost or the train was delayed. It will help you redeem yourself. However, if you are late because you set off later than you should have, it’s wise to keep that to yourself! With appointments such as visits to the doctor or dentist, the time you are given for your appointment isn’t necessarily the time you will be seen. It is not uncommon you may have to wait between 15-30 minutes before you are seen by a doctor and that can be much longer if it is a hospital appointment. Nevertheless, you should arrive at least five minutes before your appointment and it is recommended you take a drink and something to read.  When you start a new job, you are given your typical working hours. For example, if you are expected to start at 9am, it is not acceptable to arrive after this time. Most employers make an exception if you are late once in a while. If you have an appointment, you need to seek permission from your employer to arrive later on that day. Being late consistently will land you in trouble and you can be sacked from your job if after three warnings you are still late.  There is an unsaid rule that you can be a few minutes late for a lecture or seminar once in a while. When you are late, you should enter quietly and find a seat at the back of the room. At the end of lecture or seminar, you should offer your apology to the lecturer. If you have been invited to a dinner party, you should arrive exactly on time as the host will have planned when they will serve the food. You will find that your host will serve their guests a pre-dinner drink, so that gives you a bit of wiggle room, but if you are running later than 10 minutes, you should ring your host and let them know how late you might be. That way they can decide whether to go ahead and serve the other guests. When you arrive you should offer the host and the other guests your apology for being late. 
1. What is the author’s main purpose in the passage?

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It gets ............... to understand what the professor has explained.

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There are about 3,000 plants __________ values as medicines against cancer, AIDS, heart disease and many other sicknesses.

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:
Body postures and movements are frequently indicators of self-confidence, energy, fatigue, or status. Cognitively, gestures operate to clarify, contradict, or replace verbal messages. Gestures also serve an important function with regard to regulating the flow of conversation. For example, if a student is talking about something in front of the class, single nods of the head from the teacher will likely cause that student to continue and perhaps more elaborate. Postures as well as gestures are used to indicate attitudes, status, affective moods, approval, deception, warmth, arid other variables related to conversation interaction.
The saying “A picture is worth a thousand words” well describes the meaning of facial expressions. Facial appearance – including wrinkles, muscle tone, skin coloration, and eye color- offers enduring cues that reveal information about age, sex, race, ethnic origin, and status.
A less permanent second set of facial cues-including length of hair, hairstyle, cleanliness, and facial hair-relate to an individual’s idea of beauty. A third group of facial markers are momentary expressions that signal that cause changes in the forehead, eyebrows, eyelids, cheeks, nose, lips, and chin, such as raising the eyebrows, wrinkling the brow, curling the lip.
Some facial expressions are readily visible, while others are fleeting. Both types can positively or negatively reinforce the spoken words and convey cues concerning emotions and attitudes.

A nod of the head from the teacher will likely ask his student  to _     what he is saying.

A.    B.     C. put off    D. 

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Nylon ______________ in the 1930s

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My mom is a pretty talented pianist. She reads music very well and loves to play  Chopin and various other classical artists. One of my earliest memories involves sitting under her piano bench while she played. It gave her a lot of joy and a lot of personal pride, I think. I trust that she naturally wanted those things for me when she enrolled me in piano lessons when I was about seven years old.  I hated them. I was scared of my teacher. I hated practicing. I hated the songs I was being forced to learn. I hated reading music. I was a young kid, and there were other things I wanted to do instead. It just didn’t interest me, and no amount of begging and pleading on my mother’s part could get me to enjoy practicing. One thing in particular that she used to say as she was begging me to practice was, “One day, when you’re older, you will cherish the ability to sit down and play.” Nevertheless, after a couple years of once-a-week torture, she finally allowed me to quit.  Years went by. I switched schools when I was 11 years old, got a new best friend, and got interested in music. This was a critical turning point. My best friend loved the band Bush and lots of other alternative bands of the ‘90s, and listening to them unlocked a whole new sonic world for me. I fell in love, fell completely and totally in love, with rock music.  My friend taught me the form for a power chord on her acoustic guitar. If you know how to play a power chord, you can play or at least convincingly fake pretty much every single rock song in the world. It was like someone had given me my first hit of a powerful opiate.  I spent hours practicing in my room. Hours sounding out my favourite songs. More hours playing along with those songs in front of my mirror, pretending I was Scott Weiland, Dolores O’Riordan, Chris Cornell, or my personal favourite Louise Post (of Veruca Salt). I unlocked a talent within myself that had gone obscenely undiscovered and undeveloped when I was a young child banging my head against a piano keyboard, trying and failing to read a piece of music - I could play the guitar by ear. I just hadn’t had the time to figure that out because my mom was trying so hard to get me to do something that did not come naturally to me and that I had no desire to do.
3. How many piano lessons per week did the writer have?

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Advances in technology have generated revolutionary applications that could change the face of education as we know it today. Online learning, also known as electronic learning, may (33)......the future of education thanks to recent developments in the Internet and multimedia technologies.It is anticipated that cyberspace institutions or online universities will replace traditional educational (34) .......Virtual classrooms will be multi-functional, acting simultaneously as learning platforms, forums and (35).......networks. They will be geared towards promoting the acquisition of knowledge as a life- long endeavour, (36)........occurs through global collaboration. Cyberspace institutions can go a long way towards achieving this as they are able to liberate us from the limitations of time and space. Flexibility of time and location makes e-learning a highly accessible, international resource. (37) .........., prospective students will, regardless of age, background or origin, have unlimited access to both formal and informal learning opportunities. The pursuit of knowledge will consequently become an end in itself and not a means to an end

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Commentary from researchers in the College of Pharmacy at The University of Texas at Austin in the journal Science provide new findings in alcohol use disorder (AUD) research The article, “Compelled to drink: Why some cannot stop,” considers recent findings by researchers Siciliano et al. that discovered individual differences in the activity of neurons in a frontal cortex to brain stem circuit that predicts the later escalation of alcohol drinking to compulsive intake in a mouse model. “These researchers not only defined a new brain circuit involved in compulsive drinking, but showed individual differences at the level of electrical activity in the neurons that comprise this circuit,” Nixon said. “The individual differences in electrical activity predicted which mice would go on to drink compulsively after a binge-like drinking episode despite drinking the same amount of alcohol during that episode.” The research group previously found that this circuit is important for responses to aversive events, and they have now asked why aversive outcomes don’t deter everyone from drinking alcohol. These new findings point to a neurological explanation for why only some mice continue to drink alcohol even when it comes with negative consequences. “They found these differences in circuit activity before mice developed compulsive drinking behavior,” Mangieri said. “In other words, some mice had a biological predisposition that made them susceptible to developing alcohol drinking behaviors that are similar to humans with AUD.” The researchers said the work has important implications. It has potential as a biomarker of propensity to develop severe AUD based on electrical activity. Also, the discovery of this circuit’s role in compulsive drinking suggests that there may be novel pharmacological targets that could be identified and developed for the treatment of AUDs
3. According to paragraph 2, what is the nature of the compulsive behaviours of people with AUD?

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In Africa, people celebrate with joy the birth of a new baby. The Pygmies would sing a birth-song to the child. In Kenya, the mother takes the baby strapped to her back into the thorn enclosure where the cattle is kept. There, her husband and the village elders wait to give the child his or her name. In West Africa, after the baby is eight days old, the mother takes the baby for it’s first walk in the big, wide world, and friends and family are invited to meet the new baby. In various African nations, they hold initiation ceremonies for groups of children instead of birthdays. When children reach a certain designated age, they learn the laws, beliefs, customs, songs and dances of their tribes. Some African tribes consider that children from nine to twelve are ready to be initiated into the grown up world. They may have to carry out several tests. Masai boys around thirteen years old to seventeen undergo a two stage initiation. The first stage lasts about three months. The boys leave their parents’ homes, paint their bodies white, and are taught how to become young warriors. At the end of this stage, they have their heads shaved and they are also circumcised. The second stage, the young warriors grow their hair long and live in a camp called a manyatta where they practice hunting the wild animals that might attack the Masai herds. This stage may last a few years. When they are ready, they will marry and become owners of large cattle herds like their fathers. The girls are initiated when they are fourteen or fifteen. They are taught by the older women about the duties of marriage and how to care for babies. Soon after that they are married and lead a life similar to that of their mothers  
7. What do the girls have to learn in their initiation?