Read the following passage and choose the best answer for each question.

What Is It Like Being a Teenager in Britain?

School

British teenagers spend most of their time at school. Students in Britain can leave school at sixteen (grade 11). This is also the age when most students take their first important exams, the GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education). Most teens take between 5-10 subjects, which means a lot of studying. They are spending more time on homework than teenagers ever before. Forget watching TV, teenagers in Britain now spend 2-3 hours on homework after school.

School uniform

Visit almost any school in Britain and the first thing you’ll notice is the school uniform. Although school uniform has its advantages, when they are 15 or 16 most teenagers are tired of wearing it. When there is more than one school in a town, school uniforms can highlight differences between schools. In London, there are many cases of bullying and fighting between pupils from different schools.

Clothes and looks

In Britain, some teens judge you by the shirt or trainers you are wearing. 40% of British teenagers believe it’s important to wear designer labels. If you want to follow the crowd, you need to wear trendy labels. Teenage feet in Britain wear fashionable trainers and the more expensive, the better.

What is the first thing you’ll notice when you visit almost any school in Britain?

Choose the word or phrase that best fits each blank in the following passage. (1.5 pts)

On a yearly (1)______, the USA is afflicted by hurricanes on the east coast, flooding in the Midwest, forest fires, earthquakes, and any number of tornadoes, blizzards, and storms. Historically, the weather has (2)_________ as harsh a chord in people’s lives as any we feel today. Historians list the four major events to wreak devastation (3)________ the country as the Chicago fire in 1871, the Johnstown flood and the Galveston hurricane of 1900, and the San Francisco earthquake in 1906. These (4)_______ provide a flavor of the havoc that natures storms have wrecked on humanity and our reactions to them. Galveston, Texas, (5) _______ on the island of Galveston in the Gulf of New Mexico, (6)_________ on industry and exports. It's over 30,000 citizens in the early 1900s were generally economically successful and comfortable with existing conditions. (7)___________ the ill-fated morning of Sept. 7, 1900, the people of Galveston enjoyed their life on the remote island. (8)______ weather watchers had been following a (9)_______ storm* in the Atlantic for several days and were warning of the (10)_____________ danger of a hurricane. Unfortunately, people (11)_________ the warnings. A day after the hurricane had hit the island, all that (12)____________ of the beautiful city was, a mass of crumbled buildings, debris, and hopeless survivors (13)___________ aimlessly with the stench of rotting flesh all around. However, a few days later, that the city was beginning to heal became (14) ______________  everywhere – soon new buildings were (15) _______ the burned, and the lifeblood of the ravaged city was returning.

6.____________

Choose the best answer: 
In the world of messengers and chat rooms, the use of Internet (1) ___________ is as naturalas seeing another selfie maker at the street. Some people call it Internet slang since manyabbreviations are (2) ___________ used in informal conversations of specific groups in socialmedia networks. However, the typical slang of British English, American English, Australian English, and others are typically localized (3) ___________ Internet abbreviations are universal and used by any person who catches the gist of a chat.

The likelihood you can come up (5) __________ ten common internet abbreviations isalmost as high as the fact that you text or (5) ___________ your friends each day. Test yourself,what does NSFW mean in texting? And can you decode at (6) __________ half of the followingabbreviations? LOL, ASAP, OMG, XOXO, B4N, FYI, G2G, FB, MSG, TTYL. Easily?

By the way, FYI, ASAP, as well as other acronyms and abbreviations (7) __________ BTW(By the way), IMO (In my opinion), LMK (Let me know), PRB (Please reply by) havebeen included to the business email conversation (8) __________ almost never happens withcommon slang.

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.

At 16, Paul decided he was (23)____ for full-time work, and left school. At first, his parents did not agree with him and wanted him to stay (24)____ his studies. In fact, they were very angry with him. “We’re worried (25)____ your future!” his father told him. “How can you ever get a good job (26)____ you leave school and sit in the café, drinking coffee with your friends? His parents strongly (27)____ of Paul’s friends.

26___________

Read the passage carefully and choose the correct answer

Hanoi, estimated population 3,083,800 (2004), is the capital of Vietnam. The city is located on the right bank of the Red River, 1,760 km north of Ho Chi Minh City. Through history, Hanoi was known by many names, such as Thang Long, Dong Do, Dong Quan, Bac Ha. In 1831 the Nguyen Dynasty renamed it Hanoi. Hanoi experiences the typical climate of northern Vietnam, where summers are hot and humid, and winters are cold and dry. The summer months from May to September receive the majority of rainfall in the year. The winter months from November to March are relatively dry, although spring then often brings light rains. The minimum winter temperature in Hanoi rarely goes lower than 6-7°C and summer can get as hot as 38-40°C. Hanoi experiences four full seasons in a year. Hanoi is often said to be the cultural center of Vietnam, where every dynasty has left behind their imprint. Even though some relics have not survived through wars and time, the city still has many interesting cultural and historic monuments for visitors and residents alike. Some of the prominent places are Ho Chi Minh mausoleum; Van Mieu, site of the oldest university in Vietnam; One Pillar Pagoda, and Flag Tower of Hanoi.

Hanoi is also the home of a number of museums, including Vietnamese National History Museum, the Revolution Museum and National Museum of Fine Arts. West Lake (Ho Tay) is a popular place for recreation, with small boats for hire.

Hanoi has many universities, colleges and institutes. Because many of the national universities are located in Hanoi, students from other provinces wishing to enter university often travel to Hanoi for the annual entrant examination. Such events often take place in June and July, when a large number of students and their families converge on the city a few weeks before and after the exam dates.

Trade is another strong sector of the city. The economic structure algo undergo important shifts, with tourism, finance and banking now playing an increasingly important role.

Which sentence is true?

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

Discipline is an important virtue in one’s life. Discipline means complete obedience to certain rules and regulations. Life without discipline is just like a house without a roof. It is absolutely essential for a successful life.

Discipline is the structural and fundamental unit of a successful person. It is essential for us at home, for soldiers on the battlefield, for students in school, for players on the playground. A team of experienced players often loses the match because of indiscipline in the team. A horrible battle can be won by a disciplined army.

Discipline is very important in a student’s life. We must obey our teachers, must follow the rules of the school. We should be sincere, dedicated, firm, and focus on our goals. If we violate, we will suffer a great deal in the future.

As a student is the future of the country, we need to be very punctual to our routine, hard-working, healthy and fit. Discipline demands self-control and dedication. It leads to the formation of a good society and nation as well. 

What does the word “fundamental” mean?

Choose the word or phrase (a, b, c or d) that best fits the blank space in the following passage.

One of the greatest advances in modern technology has been the (61)__________ of computers. They are already (62)______ used in industry and in universities and the time may come when it will be common for (63)________ people to use them as well. Computers are capable of doing extremely complicated work in all (64)_________ of learning. They can (65)______ the most complex mathematical problem and put thousands of unrelated facts (66)______ order. Because they work accurately and at high speeds they (67)______ research workers years of hard work. (68)____ is a mistake to believe that these machines could “think”. There is no (69)_____ that human beings will be controlled by machines. Though computers are capable of (70)______ from their mistakes and improving on their performance, they need detailed (71)_______ from human beings in order to be able to operate. They can never, as it were, (72)________ independent lives or rule the world by making decisions of their (73)___________. Computers are the most efficient (74)____ man has ever had and there is no limit to the ways they can be used to (75)_____ our lives.

64________

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

"There is a lot of controversy surrounding the invention __________ (1) the telephone. There have been court cases, books, and articles generated about the subject. Of course, Alexander Graham Bell is the father of the telephone. After all it was his design that was first __________ (2), however, he was not the first inventor to come up __________ (3) the idea of a telephone."

2.  After all it was his design that was first __________ (2), 

 Read the following passage carefully, and then select the best option A, B, C or D to complete it:

"London is the capital of the United Kingdom and the home of its queen, Elizabeth II. It’s also the largest city in Europe. About 7 million people call London home.
LONDON LANDMARKS
Millions of people visit London every year from all (1) _______ the world. If you travel there, you’ll find many (2) _______ things to see and do.
During August and September, you can visit Buckingham (3) _______. That’s where the queen lives most of the year. It has about 600 (4) _______, but you’ll see only state rooms where the queen entertains guests. In the morning, a colorful ceremony (5) _______ “changing of the guard” takes place in the palace courtyard. One group of palace guards (6) _______ off duty, and another troop arrives to replace them.
You can (7) _______ the Tower of London, a historic fortress that was once a royal palace. It was also used as a (8) _______ for hundreds of years. Two of the wives of King Henry VIII—Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard—were put (9) _______ death here. The Crown Jewels are a popular attraction at the Tower. This (10) _______ of jeweled crowns, swords, scepters, and other royal objects is only used on (11) _______ occasions, such as the crowning of a new ruler.
Be (12) _______ to visit Westminster Abbey, one of Britain’s famous (13) _______. The nation’s kings and queens are crowned here. Many rulers and famous citizens are (14) _______ here.
There are also monuments to political figures and poets.
The (15) _______ of Parliament are along the Thames River, near Westminster Abbey. This is where the government meets. Look (16) _______ to see the clock tower with Big Ben, London’s famous (17) _______ that rings every hour. You can get on a boat (18) _______ for a ride on the Thames.
Other places you might want to see are Scotland Yard, Madame Tussaud’s, (19) _______ the British Museum. You can find out about London’s famous criminals in the (20) _______ Museum at Scotland Yard, the home of London’s Metropolitan Police. At Madame Tussaud’s, you’ll see eerily(21) _______, life-size wax figures of pop idols and historic figures. A great thing to see at the British Museum is the collection of mummies, tomb (22) _______, and gold jewelry from ancient Egypt. The museum’s Egyptian collection is (23) _______ of the largest in the world.
For a good (24) _______ of London, take a ride in the London Eye. This enormous wheel takes you 443 feet (135 meters) above the London skyline. Unlike a traditional Ferris wheel, the (25) _______ carries its passengers in enclosed compartments."

11. and other royal objects is only used on (11) _______ occasions, such as the crowning of a new ruler.

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

The system of USA education starts with twelve years of primary and secondary school education which the Americans have to follow. A secondary school (“high school“) diploma or certificate is a compulsory requirement for the student to be able to enter college, university, vocational, secretarial, or other professional and technical schools. American children who are around six years of age normally begin their learning at a primary school. It takes from five to six years to complete primary schooling. After finishing primary schooling, students will have to enter a secondary school where they may spend 6 or 7-year durations consisting of either two three-year programs, or a three-year and a four-year program. Schools at this level are known as Middle School or Junior High School and High or Senior High School Completion of this stage is called Twelfth Grade. International students are advised to find out which level of education in their country corresponding to the twelfth grade in the US.A.

After completing the twelfth grade, students are admitted to college or university for higher education. Study at a college or university leading to a Bachelor’s Degree is known as “undergraduate” education. Study beyond the Bachelor’s Degree is known as “graduate” school or “postgraduate” education. Advanced or graduate degrees include law, medicine, M.B.A. (Master), and Ph.D.(doctorate), etc.

The USA has the highest number of educational institutions providing higher education than any other country. There are more than 3800 colleges and universities imparting degree programs. The size of the US. higher educational institutions vary greatly, too, from colleges that enroll fewer than 1,000 students to large universities that enroll more than 50,000 students.

Schools at secondary level consist of ___________.

Choose the letter A, B, C or D to answer these following questions

Tokyo is the capital of Japan. It is a big city with many incredible attractions and destinations. Each of them has their own character and appeal that attract people from all over the world. Tokyo attracts millions of tourists each year, and the number keeps on increasing. Tokyo has a distinct character that makes it so attractive to tourists from all over the world.

For itinerary ideas for your 3-day Tokyo trip, my recommendation is TripleLights. From the website, not only you can find ideas for places to visit for an itinerary, you can even choose the private tours with set itineraries made by professional tour guides. You can customize and personalize the itinerary according to your preferences and needs. If you don’t want to do the planning on your own, private guides are also available to guide you and help you experience Tokyo and learn the destinations and the culture deeper. You can talk to the guides to make sure that your itineraries are perfectly made according to your preferences.

After a few days in Tokyo, you might find yourself asking, "What's that thing they always say when I walk in?" Whether it's sweaty, aproned guys shouting in unison as you walk into an izakaya (lively restaurants that serve alcohol with lots of small dishes) or one perfectly coiffed woman murmuring as you enter the hush of a small boutique, they're saying the same thing: "Irasshaimase." It's a polite way of saying "welcome." Although your instinct may be to reply -- "Thank you?" "Hello?" -- locals insist no response is required. A friendly little bow in response doesn't hurt, though.

What is the function of TripleLights?

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.

The Southeast Asian Games owes its origins to the Southeast Asian Peninsular Games or SEAP which was first (23) _____________ in Thailand in 1959. At the first time only six countries (24) _____________ in the games. Laung Sukhumnaioradit, the then Vice-President of the Thailand Olympic Committee. Proposed that a regional sports (25) _____________ would help promote cooperation, understanding, and relations among countries in the Southeast Asian region. At the 8th SEAP Games in 1975, the SEAP Federation considered the inclusion of Indonesia and the Philippines. The two countries were formally (26) _____________in 1977, the same year when SEAP Federation changed its (27) _____________ to Southeast Asian Games Federation (SEAGF), and the games were known as the Southeast Asian Games. Brunei was admitted at the 10th SEA Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, and East Timor at the 22nd SEA Games in Hanoi Vietnam.

27._____________

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

Discipline is an important virtue in one’s life. Discipline means complete obedience to certain rules and regulations. Life without discipline is just like a house without a roof. It is absolutely essential for a successful life.

Discipline is the structural and fundamental unit of a successful person. It is essential for us at home, for soldiers on the battlefield, for students in school, for players on the playground. A team of experienced players often loses the match because of indiscipline in the team. A horrible battle can be won by a disciplined army.

Discipline is very important in a student’s life. We must obey our teachers, must follow the rules of the school. We should be sincere, dedicated, firm, and focus on our goals. If we violate, we will suffer a great deal in the future.

As a student is the future of the country, we need to be very punctual to our routine, hard-working, healthy and fit. Discipline demands self-control and dedication. It leads to the formation of a good society and nation as well. 

Discipline requires ________.

Choose the word or phrase that best fits each blank in the following passage. (1.5 pts)

On a yearly (1)______, the USA is afflicted by hurricanes on the east coast, flooding in the Midwest, forest fires, earthquakes, and any number of tornadoes, blizzards, and storms. Historically, the weather has (2)_________ as harsh a chord in people’s lives as any we feel today. Historians list the four major events to wreak devastation (3)________ the country as the Chicago fire in 1871, the Johnstown flood and the Galveston hurricane of 1900, and the San Francisco earthquake in 1906. These (4)_______ provide a flavor of the havoc that natures storms have wrecked on humanity and our reactions to them. Galveston, Texas, (5) _______ on the island of Galveston in the Gulf of New Mexico, (6)_________ on industry and exports. It's over 30,000 citizens in the early 1900s were generally economically successful and comfortable with existing conditions. (7)___________ the ill-fated morning of Sept. 7, 1900, the people of Galveston enjoyed their life on the remote island. (8)______ weather watchers had been following a (9)_______ storm* in the Atlantic for several days and were warning of the (10)_____________ danger of a hurricane. Unfortunately, people (11)_________ the warnings. A day after the hurricane had hit the island, all that (12)____________ of the beautiful city was, a mass of crumbled buildings, debris, and hopeless survivors (13)___________ aimlessly with the stench of rotting flesh all around. However, a few days later, that the city was beginning to heal became (14) ______________  everywhere – soon new buildings were (15) _______ the burned, and the lifeblood of the ravaged city was returning.

13_________

Choose the best answer: 
In the world of messengers and chat rooms, the use of Internet (1) ___________ is as naturalas seeing another selfie maker at the street. Some people call it Internet slang since manyabbreviations are (2) ___________ used in informal conversations of specific groups in socialmedia networks. However, the typical slang of British English, American English, Australian English, and others are typically localized (3) ___________ Internet abbreviations are universal and used by any person who catches the gist of a chat.

The likelihood you can come up (4) ___________ ten common internet abbreviations isalmost as high as the fact that you text or (5) ___________ your friends each day. Test yourself,what does NSFW mean in texting? And can you decode at (6) __________ half of the followingabbreviations? LOL, ASAP, OMG, XOXO, B4N, FYI, G2G, FB, MSG, TTYL. Easily?

By the way, FYI, ASAP, as well as other acronyms and abbreviations (7) __________ BTW(By the way), IMO (In my opinion), LMK (Let me know), PRB (Please reply by) havebeen included to the business email conversation (8) __________ almost never happens withcommon slang.

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.

At 16, Paul decided he was (23)____ for full-time work, and left school. At first, his parents did not agree with him and wanted him to stay (24)____ his studies. In fact, they were very angry with him. “We’re worried (25)____ your future!” his father told him. “How can you ever get a good job (26)____ you leave school and sit in the café, drinking coffee with your friends? His parents strongly (27)____ of Paul’s friends.

24____________

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.

Nonverbal communication, or “body language”, is communication by facial expressions, head or eyes movements, hand signals, and body postures. It can be just as important to understand (23) __________ words are. Misunderstandings- often amusing (24) __________ sometimes serious- can arise between people from different cultures if they misinterpret nonverbal signals. For example, take the differences in the meaning of a gesture (25) __________ is very common in the United States: a circle made with the thumb and index finger. To an American, it means that everything (26) __________OK. To Japanese, it means that you are talking (27) __________money. In France, it means that something is worthless. Meanwhile, in Greece, it is an obscene gesture. Therefore, an American could unknowingly offend a Greek by using that particular hand signal.

26_____________

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

In the Mekong Delta, Long Dinh village of Tien Giang province is famous for its traditional craft of weaving flowered mats. The mat’s high quality makes them popular domestically, and they are also exported to markets worldwide including Korea, Japan, and America.

Despite its well-established reputation for this traditional craft, mat weaving only started here some 50 years ago. It was first introduced by immigrants from Kim Son, a famous mat weaving village in the northern province of Ninh Binh. However, the technique of weaving village sedge mats in Long Dinh, as compared with other places in the South, is somewhat different. Long Dinh branded mats are thicker and have more attractive colors and patterns.

Weaving sedge mats are similar to growing rice. Long Dinh mat production mainly occurs during the dry season, from January to April. Weavers have to work their hardest in May and June, otherwise, when the rainy season starts in July, they will have to put off finishing their Products till the next dry season. No matter how much work it requires, Long Dinh mat producers stick with this occupation, as it brings a higher income than growing rice.

This trade employs thousands of local laborers. At present, nearly 1,000 households in Long Dinh village live on weaving mats. To better meet market demands, Long Dinh mat weavers have created more Products in addition to the traditional sedge mats. Particularly, they are producing a new type of mat made from the dried stalks of water hyacinth, a common material in the Mekong Delta.

Thanks to the planning and further investment, the mat weaving occupation has indeed brought in more income for residents. Their living standards have improved considerably, resulting in better conditions for the whole village.

All of the following are true about the craft in Long Dinh EXCEPT that ______________.

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

Today, in many parts of the world, it is customary for people to shake hands upon meeting as gesture of goodwill. Originally, however, the practice of shaking hands had a more practical purpose.

Shaking hands originated in medieval times. In those days, when a man came on a stranger, he would often automatically reach for his sword with his right hand, in case he had to use the weapon to defend himself. Sometimes, both parties found themselves circling around each other, weapons in hand, until it was mutually agreed that the weapons could be laid aside. Then, the two parties extended their right hands to show they had no weapons and clasped them. This was the beginning of the handshake.

The custom of shaking hands is not a universal one. In the Orient, people have, for centuries, clasped their own hands in front of them upon meeting to show that they held no weapons. In France, a custom developed in which people who met would kiss each other on both cheeks. The natives of some South-sea islands greet by rubbing noses.

At first ,the purpose of shaking hands was ________________.

New York City is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, and with good reason. NYC is the mecca of business in the United States, and as a melting pot of American culture, there is something for every style, taste and budget in New York City. With so much to see and do in NYC, it's important for NYC tourists to do their research ahead of time before their vacation in New York City.

New York is America’s safest large city, but visitors should still use common sense to protect themselves and their property. Be aware of your surroundings, and make sure to always use licensed, reputable businesses for any services you need. For example, don’t hail livery cabs (as opposed to taxis) at the airport, and don’t rent bikes from companies that seem suspicious. If you’re not sure where to find legitimate businesses, the listings at nycgo.com are a good place to start, as are those published by the Better Business Bureau. Your hotel concierge should be able to answer questions on this topic and will be helpful if you need more information about neighborhoods in the five boroughs. Another useful resource is 311, the City’s official government services and information hotline.

You can refer to nycgo.com for the list of legitimate businesses.

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

You can do a few things to make homework less stressful. First, be sure you understand the assignment. Write it down in your notebook or day planner if you need to, and don’t be afraid to ask questions about what is expected. It is much easier to take a minute to ask the teacher during or after class than to struggle to remember later that night! If you want, you can also ask how long the particular homework assignment should take to complete so you can plan your time.

Second, use any extra time you have in school to work on your homework. Many schools have libraries that are specifically designed to allow students to study or get homework done. The more work you can get done in school, the less you will have to do that night.

Third, pace yourself. If you don’t finish your homework during school, think about how much you have left and what else is going on that day, and then plan your time. Most middle students should have between 1 and 3 hours of homework a night. If it is a heavy homework day, you will need to devote more time to homework.

No one is expected to understand everything, and maybe you need some help. The first place to turn for help is your teacher. But what if you don’t feel comfortable with your teacher? If you are in a big enough school, there may be other teachers who teach the same subject. Speak to other teachers directly and you may be in luck. Sometimes it just helps to have someone explain something in a different way. Moreover, you might also be able to get some help from another student. If there is someone you like who is a good student, think about asking that person if you can study together.

If you have any free time left at school, you should__________.