Read the following passage and choose the best answers.

New York – The “ Big Apple”

Our arrival in New York was spectacular. It’s skyscrapers and the Statue of Liberty make a (1)_______sight. New York has a (2) _______of over seven million and it is probably the world’s most famous city. The inhabitants of the “Big Apple” come from many (3) ______ countries. There are more nationalities in New York (4) _________in any other places on the earth. It is also has (5) _______ tourists than any other city except London, especially in the summer. (6) _______come from all (7) _________the world and have a wonderful time. There are so many (8) ________for them to get enthusiastic about – whether it’s some of the (9) _______museums in the world or the (10) _______little streets of Greenwich Village.

 

Question: Our arrival in New York was spectacular. It’s skyscrapers and the Statue of Liberty make a (1)_______sight. 

Read and answer the question

Thailand, located in the Southeast of Asia, has a total area of 513,115 sq km. It is bordered by the countries Laos in the Northeast, Cambodia in the Southeast and Malaysia in the South. The total population is about 65.5 million in 2010. Bangkok, the most populous city, is the capital of Thailand. The country’s unit of currency is the Baht, which consists of 100 Satang. The country enjoys a tropical monsoon climate, and there are differences between the weather in the North and the South. The Northern Thai have three seasons in a year, hot from March to May, rainy from June to October, and cool from November to February. The Southern Thai have only two seasons, rainy from April to November and hot from December to March.The national language is Thai. English is also spoken and understood by many citizens, especially in Bangkok and other tourism areas. Although Thailand has no official religion, up to 96.4% people (2002) believe in Buddhism. Additionally, there are followers of some other religions such as Muslims, Hinduism and Christianity.

Is Buddihsm the official religion in Thailand?

Read the following passage and decide which options A, B, C, D best fits each space.  
A Healthy Life?
(1) _____ health experts believe that children and young people today are more (2) _____ than they used to be. So why has this happened? One reason is bad eating habits. (3)_____ of young people don’t have a healthy diet. They eat too much fast food (4) ____ hamburgers and pizza and not enough fruit and vegetables. In the US. many children (5)_____ fast food regularly since they were very young. In fact, almost one-third of American children aged four to nineteen have been eating fast food (6) _____all the time. They also don’t (7)_______ exercise and spend too (8)______ of their time watching TV, surfing the Internet or playing computer games. So how can you change your habits if you have been following an unhealthy lifestyle for a long time? First, change your (9)________ and eat more fruit and vegetables. Next, find an activity you enjoy. Why not try something different like rock climbing, surfing or hiking? Many young people have found that (10) ______ fit and healthy can be a lot of fun

Read the following passage and decide which options A, B, C, D best fits each space. 
          Everyone wants to reduce pollution. But the pollution problem is as complicated _________ (41) it is serious. It is complicated because much _________ (42) is caused by things that benefit people. For example, exhaust _________ (43) automobiles causes a large percentage of all air pollution. _________ (44) the automobiles provide transportation for millions of people. Factories _________ (45) much of the material which pollutes air and water, but factories give employment to a large number of people.

        Thus, to _________ (46) or greatly reduce pollution immediately, people would have to stop using many things that benefit them. Most of the people do not want to do that, of course. But pollution can be _________ (47) reduced in several ways. _________ (48) and engineers can work to find ways to lessen the _________ (49) of pollution that such things as automobiles and factories cause. Governments can pass and enforce laws that require businesses and individuals to stop or cut _________ (50) on certain polluting activities.

50._________

Read the following passage and choose the correct answer A, B, C, or D. 
It is often said that books are always a good friend and reading is an active mental process. Unlike TV, books make you use your brain. By reading, you think more and become smarter. Reading improves concentration and focus. Reading books takes brainpower. It requires you to focus on what you are reading for long periods. Unlike magazines, Internet posts or e-emails might contain small pieces of information. Books tell the whole story. Since you must concentrate in order to read, you will get better at concentration. Many studies show if you do not use your memory, you lose it. Reading helps you stretch your memory muscles. Reading requires remembering details, facts, and figures and in literature, plot lines, themes, and characters.

Reading is a good way to improve your vocabulary. Do you remember that when you were in elementary school you learned how to infer the meaning of one word by reading the context of the other words in the sentence? While reading books, especially challenging ones, you will find yourself exposed to many new words.

Reading is a fundamental skill builder. Every good course has a matching book to go with it. Why? Because books help clarify difficult subjects. Books provide information that goes deeper than just classroom discussions. By reading more books, you become better informed and more of an expert on the topics you read about. This expertise translates into a higher self-esteem. Since you are so well-read, people look to you for answers. Your feelings about yourself can only get better.

Books give you knowledge of other cultures and places. The more information you have got, the richer your knowledge is. Books can expand your horizons by letting you see what other cities and countries have to offer before you visit them.

When you are reading a book, ________.

Read the text below and decide which answer (A, B, C, or D) best fits each space. 

Many parents believe that they should begin to teach their (1) ______ to read when they are more than toddlers. This is fine if the child shows a real interest but (2) _____  a child could be counter-productive if she isn’t ready. Wise parents will have a relaxed attitude and take the (3) _____ from their child. What they should provide is a selection of (4) _____ toys, books, and other activities. Nowadays, there is plenty of good (5) _____ available for young children, and of course, seeing plenty of books in use about the house will also (6) _____ them to read.

Of course, books are no longer the only (7) ______ of stories and information. (8) _____  is also a huge range of videos, which can reinforce and extend the pleasure a child finds in a book and are (9) _______ valuable in helping to increase vocabulary and concentration. Television gets a bad (10) _______ as far as children are concerned, mainly because too many spend too much time watching programs not intended for their age group.

8._________

Read the following passage and choose the best answers.

New York – The “ Big Apple”

Our arrival in New York was spectacular. It’s skyscrapers and the Statue of Liberty make a (1)_______sight. New York has a (2) _______of over seven million and it is probably the world’s most famous city. The inhabitants of the “Big Apple” come from many (3) ______ countries. There are more nationalities in New York (4) _________in any other places on the earth. It is also has (5) _______ tourists than any other city except London, especially in the summer. (6) _______come from all (7) _________the world and have a wonderful time. There are so many (8) ________for them to get enthusiastic about – whether it’s some of the (9) _______museums in the world or the (10) _______little streets of Greenwich Village.

Question: whether it’s some of the (9) _______museums in the world 

You are going to read an extract from a writer’s journal. For Questions 1-8, choose the correct answer A, B, C, or D.

Six months ago I made a rash promise. The leader of the youth club in our village rang me in March saying, “We’re thinking of running a children’s playscheme for a day in October half-term. Would you be prepared to help?” My response was “Sure, why not?” In truth, I was a little flattered to be asked, even though working as a care assistant with old people hardly qualified me for the role. Still, I duly put the date in my diary and of course, I forgot all about it. I don’t know if you’ve noticed this but time has a habit of speeding along faster than a police car chasing a robber and, before I knew it, the day was dawning.

I arrived at the youth center that morning feeling full of trepidation. There was a gang of 12 helpers including me and each pair had been allocated a particular age group. Mine was the 10 to 11-year-olds. Even with the planning meeting I had attended the week before, I worried about whether I was up to the task. Why hadn’t I read through the copious lesson plans we were given beforehand? And wasn’t the average 10-year-old more interested in the latest Play Station game than making things with paper and glue?

All too quickly the children began arriving. The look of relief on parents’ faces as they handed their offspring over to us was quite comical. A handful of the children were already members of the club but the other forty-five or so were from the local primary schools. Again I asked myself why I had elected to spend a day with all these ‘little monsters’, especially when I have two all of my own to contend with!

I needn’t have worried of course as it turned out to be a marvelous day. We watched entertaining DVD clips, learned ‘action’ songs, made clay pyramids, decorated biscuits, played memory games, and spent some time in quiet reflection. I say ‘we’ because I rediscovered my inner child and joined in all the activities.

The particular highlight for me was the final rendition of “He’s got the whole world in his hands” in the closing part of the day. The children knew the words and actions off by heart and sang so loudly it was almost enough to bring the roof down. It’s difficult to explain those moments; only that the body tingles with the pleasure of having witnessed something so magical.

Of course, there were also moments of great poignancy. I found it difficult to stop thinking of one little girl, who mentioned oh-so-casually that her mum was in the hospital and would be there for a long time. It’s easy for us adults to idealize childhood and forget that some children have their own burden of anxieties and concerns. When I got home utterly exhausted, still with modeling clay under my fingernails, I reflected on what a privilege it had been.

There was one disappointment for the children and that was that the playscheme was only running for a day, and not the whole week. As I said farewell to my group, one of the children turned and said “Can we do it again in the next holiday, Miss?” My response was, “Sure, why not?”

The writer needn’t have worried because ____________.

Read the following passage and decide which options A, B, C, D best fits each space.  
Jack London (1876 – 1916) is an American writer whose work combined powerful realism and humanitarian sentiment. He was (0) ........ in San Francisco. After finishing grammar (1) ..........., Jack London worked at various jobs and in 1897 and 1898 he participated (2)........... the Alaska Gold Rush. Upon his return to the San Francisco area, he began to (19) ............ about his experiences. A collection of his short stories, The Son of the Golf, was (3) ............ in 1900. Jack’s colourful life, during which he wrote more than 50 books and which included enormous popular successes as an (4) .........., ended in his suicide at the (5) ........... of 40. Many of his stories including his masterpiece The Call of the Wild deal with the reversion of a civilized creature to the primitive state. Jack London’s style – brutal, vivid and exciting – (5) ........... him enormously popular outside the United States; His (7) ........ were translated into many languages. Jack’s important works include People of the Abyss about the poor in London; the Sea Wolf, a novel based on the author’s experiences on a seal hunting ship; John Barleycorn , an autobiographical novel about Jack’s struggle (8)............. alcoholism

Read and answer the question

Thailand, located in the Southeast of Asia, has a total area of 513,115 sq km. It is bordered by the countries Laos in the Northeast, Cambodia in the Southeast and Malaysia in the South. The total population is about 65.5 million in 2010. Bangkok, the most populous city, is the capital of Thailand. The country’s unit of currency is the Baht, which consists of 100 Satang. The country enjoys a tropical monsoon climate, and there are differences between the weather in the North and the South. The Northern Thai have three seasons in a year, hot from March to May, rainy from June to October, and cool from November to February. The Southern Thai have only two seasons, rainy from April to November and hot from December to March.The national language is Thai. English is also spoken and understood by many citizens, especially in Bangkok and other tourism areas. Although Thailand has no official religion, up to 96.4% people (2002) believe in Buddhism. Additionally, there are followers of some other religions such as Muslims, Hinduism and Christianity.

Is the weather in Northern and Southern Thailand  the same?

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.

    It is often considered that the schoolyard is where bullies go to make other kids a miserable school life, but a new study suggests that classrooms are another popular place.

    The study, presented recently at the American Public Health Association’s yearly meeting in Philadelphia, is based on the results of the research from more than 10,000 middle school students who answered questions online.

    Of those researched, 43% said they’d been physically bullied within the last month. A bit more than half said they had been laughed at in an unfriendly way, and half reported being called hurtful names. About one third said groups had excluded them to hurt their feelings. 28% said their belongings had been taken or broken; 21% said someone had threatened to hurt them. According to the results, two-thirds of the students said they had been bullied in more than one way over the previous month.

 The study authors mentioned that 8% of the students who answered said they had missed school at least once during the school year because of fear of being bullied, 25% said they had taken other actions, such as missing recess, not going to the bathroom or lunch, missing classes, or staying away from some area of the school to escape from experiencing a bully. Bullies did too much to the school life.

The  underlined phrase “laughed at” in the passage is closest in meaning to_________.

 Read the text and answer the stament is True (T) or False(F)

"Last year I visited the Somerset Levels, a coastal plain and wetland area in Somerset, South West England. This area is home to one of Somerset’s oldest traditional crafts - willow basket making. Basket making began in the area a long time ago. At the beginning of the 19th century, more than three thousand acres of willow trees were planted commercially there because the area provided an excellent natural habitat for their cultivation. I’d seen willow baskets before I visited the Levels, but I was still amazed at the numerous products created by the basket makers there. They make lobster pots, bread trays, and even passenger baskets for hot air balloons. Although the arrival of plastics in the 1950s caused the basket making industry to decline, willow growing and basket making have continued to play a significant role in Somerset’s rural economy. Willow growers and basket makers have dealt with this challenge by finding new markets and innovative ways of using willow. They make willow charcoal for artists and bower seats for gardens. Some even weave willow coffins. Therefore, people here can still live on the craft that their great-grandparents passed down to them."

6.  Basket makers can live on their craft nowadays.

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.

MY HOME TOWN

I was born in Newcastle, a city in the North East of England. Newcastle is on the bank of the River Tyne. It is a quite big city of about 200,000 inhabit­ants. There is a cathedral and a university. There are five bridges over the River Tyne, which link Newcastle to the next town, Gateshead, where there is one of the biggest shopping centres in the world, the Metro Centre.

A few years ago, the main industries were shipbuilding and coal mining, but now the chemical and soap industries are important.

I moved from Newcastle ten years ago but I often return. I miss the people, who are so warm and friendly, and I miss the wild, beautiful countryside near the city, where there are so many hills and streams.

Newcastle has……………………………………………     

You are going to read an extract from a writer’s journal. For Questions 1-8, choose the correct answer A, B, C, or D.

Six months ago I made a rash promise. The leader of the youth club in our village rang me in March saying, “We’re thinking of running a children’s playscheme for a day in October half-term. Would you be prepared to help?” My response was “Sure, why not?” In truth, I was a little flattered to be asked, even though working as a care assistant with old people hardly qualified me for the role. Still, I duly put the date in my diary and of course, I forgot all about it. I don’t know if you’ve noticed this but time has a habit of speeding along faster than a police car chasing a robber and, before I knew it, the day was dawning.

I arrived at the youth center that morning feeling full of trepidation. There was a gang of 12 helpers including me and each pair had been allocated a particular age group. Mine was the 10 to 11-year-olds. Even with the planning meeting I had attended the week before, I worried about whether I was up to the task. Why hadn’t I read through the copious lesson plans we were given beforehand? And wasn’t the average 10-year-old more interested in the latest Play Station game than making things with paper and glue?

All too quickly the children began arriving. The look of relief on parents’ faces as they handed their offspring over to us was quite comical. A handful of the children were already members of the club but the other forty-five or so were from the local primary schools. Again I asked myself why I had elected to spend a day with all these ‘little monsters’, especially when I have two all of my own to contend with!

I needn’t have worried of course as it turned out to be a marvelous day. We watched entertaining DVD clips, learned ‘action’ songs, made clay pyramids, decorated biscuits, played memory games, and spent some time in quiet reflection. I say ‘we’ because I rediscovered my inner child and joined in all the activities.

The particular highlight for me was the final rendition of “He’s got the whole world in his hands” in the closing part of the day. The children knew the words and actions off by heart and sang so loudly it was almost enough to bring the roof down. It’s difficult to explain those moments; only that the body tingles with the pleasure of having witnessed something so magical.

Of course, there were also moments of great poignancy. I found it difficult to stop thinking of one little girl, who mentioned oh-so-casually that her mum was in the hospital and would be there for a long time. It’s easy for us adults to idealize childhood and forget that some children have their own burden of anxieties and concerns. When I got home utterly exhausted, still with modeling clay under my fingernails, I reflected on what a privilege it had been.

There was one disappointment for the children and that was that the playscheme was only running for a day, and not the whole week. As I said farewell to my group, one of the children turned and said “Can we do it again in the next holiday, Miss?” My response was, “Sure, why not?”

The writer’s best moment ______________.\

Read the passage, and choose the correct answer A, B, C or D for each question.
Although you may think you are too young to worry about your future career, it is important that you start thinking about your life after high school right now so that you can take the steps necessary to any career you may choose. Some of these steps include choosing the right high school, enrolling in the necessary courses, earning good grades, getting work experience and building a resume. It can seem overwhelming trying to choose a career before you complete high school, but always keep in mind that it is never too late to change your career path and no one says you have to decide now. There are lots of different factors that go into choosing a career path. To determine the occupation you want to enter, you need to consider your interests, how long you want to be in school, how much money you want to make, the type of work you want to do, the potential for job growth and job trends in the industry - sounds like a lot, but that is just the tip of the iceberg. Each day you make many decisions - what to wear, who to hang out with, how to spend your time after school. Some of the decisions you make today can affect you for the rest of your life. Once you have figured out the things you like to do and the things you do well, you can begin exploring careers that include your interests and skills. Make a plan from the beginning, and once you have a plan, work the plan. Do the steps along the way each year to keep on track toward graduation and higher education.
5. Making a plan from the beginning helps you _______________

Read and complete the  passage below

 New York – The “ Big Apple”. Our arrival in New York was spectacular. It’s skyscrapers and the Statue of Liberty make a (1)_______sight. New York has a (2) _______of over seven million and it is probably the world’s most famous city. The inhabitants of the “Big Apple” come from many (3) ______ countries. There are more nationalities in New York (4) _________in any other places on the earth. It is also has (5) _______ tourists than any other city except London, especially in the summer. (6) _______come from all (7) _________the world and have a wonderful time. There are so many (8) ________for them to get enthusiastic about – whether it’s some of the (9) _______museums in the world or the (10) _______little streets of Greenwich Village.

New York has a (2) _______of over seven million and it is probably the world’s most famous city

Read the following passage and decide which options A, B, C, D best fits each space.  
Jack London (1876 – 1916) is an American writer whose work combined powerful realism and humanitarian sentiment. He was (0) ........ in San Francisco. After finishing grammar (1) ..........., Jack London worked at various jobs and in 1897 and 1898 he participated (2)........... the Alaska Gold Rush. Upon his return to the San Francisco area, he began to (19) ............ about his experiences. A collection of his short stories, The Son of the Golf, was (3) ............ in 1900. Jack’s colourful life, during which he wrote more than 50 books and which included enormous popular successes as an (4) .........., ended in his suicide at the (5) ........... of 40. Many of his stories including his masterpiece The Call of the Wild deal with the reversion of a civilized creature to the primitive state. Jack London’s style – brutal, vivid and exciting – (5) ........... him enormously popular outside the United States; His (7) ........ were translated into many languages. Jack’s important works include People of the Abyss about the poor in London; the Sea Wolf, a novel based on the author’s experiences on a seal hunting ship; John Barleycorn , an autobiographical novel about Jack’s struggle (8)............. alcoholism

Choose the best answer:
All ______ must complete a visa form upon arrival at Singapore airport

Read the passage and choose the best answer ( A, B, C, or D ) to each question from 76 to 80:

Father’s Day

 The United States is one of the few countries in the world that have Father’s Day. It is the third Sunday in June. On this day, fathers across the country are given presents, taken to dinner, or made something special.

People are not clear about the origin of Father’s Day. Some say that it began in West Virginia in 1908. Others say the first Father’s Day was held in Vancouver, Washington.
 On this day children make special meals or visit their fathers if they live apart. When children can’t visit their fathers or take them out for dinner, they send them greeting cards.

 On the greeting card, they write something funny to make their fathers laugh or they give thanks to their fathers for always being by their side.

 In Vietnam, Father’s Day is not popular. Few people know about it.

All of the following sentences are right,  EXCEPT:

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

In Britain some families feel that learning at home is better than going to school. Home schooled children can choose when they want to learn. Does this sound more enjoyable than school?

Andrian is a science prodigy and he wants to start university by the age of fourteen. He finds school lessons easier than the ones he expects but making friends is more difficult. At home he can spend more time on his favourite subjects and is preparing to take many of his exams early. Does he ever take a break? “Yes”, he says “I don’t study subjects I’m not interested in.”

Holly’s parents weren’t happy with the local school. So they made a decision to teach her at home. Her favourite is history and she often goes to the museum to study. “I couldn’t do that before”, she says. “This is more interesting than school was.” Her parents are always happy to help her.

Andrian and Holly love learning at home, but some people think that studying at school is more useful because it trains you for adult life. It teaches you to be with people you don’t like, but it can also help you to make friends. Are these things more important than lessons? What do you think?

History is Holly’s ____________________.