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.

   Dodder is an unusual and unwanted plant that attacks other plants. Except for its flowers, the plant looks like spaghetti noodles. Its almost leafless, thread–like stems hang down atop other plants that dodder needs to stay alive. Dodder does not produce its own food. Instead, it steals it from other plants. It feeds by sucking juices from the plant it is wrapped around, often making its host very weak or even killing it. Dodder can find other plants by their smell. When a dodder seedling starts growing, it follows the scent of plants it prefers, like tomato plants, potato plants, or other farm crops.

   Unlike most plants that usually grow in the direction of light or warmth, a dodder plant will grow in the direction of, for example, tomato odor––if a tomato happens to be growing nearby.

   However, a young dodder plant must find a host plant quickly. If it cannot catch a whiff of a potential host within a few days, it will dry up and disappear—even if there is plenty of water around. Once it finds a host, the young dodder plant will attach itself to it and start growing faster. At that point, the dodder plant will drop its root.

   Dodder is thus a difficult weed to manage and a real headache for farmers. When it does get out of hand, dodder can greatly reduce a farmer’s harvest or even destroy crops completely. Before sowing their produce, farmers in warm parts of the world often check to make sure no unwanted dodder seeds have intermingled with their crop seeds. This is a good way to stop dodder plants from sneaking their way into a crop field.

The word it refers to___________.

Choose the best answer: 
Family types vary in different countries and among different cultures. In Western, industrialized societies, the nuclear family ranks as the most common family type. It consists of a father, a mother and their children. But nuclear families exist alongside many other types of family units. In the single-parent family, for example, a mother or a father heads the family alone. A blended family is formed when a divorced or widowed parent remarries. As divorce rates have risen, the number of single-parent and blended families has increased.
In many parts of the world, parents and children live together with other family members under the same roof. These complex families usually contain several generations of family members, including grandparents, parents and children. They may also include brothers or sisters and their families, uncles, aunts and cousins. Even when relatives do not live together, they still consider themselves members of the same extended family includes grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins.

29. Grandparents, parents and children are mentioned as _____.

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.

INTERNSHIPS

In many countries going through difficult economic times, job openings for new graduates can be few and far between. In this competitive environment, relevant work experience can help job seekers stand out from the crowd, and (1) ______ organisations now offer temporary placements, called internships. The problem with numerous internships, (2) ______, is that they are unpaid, and this often puts young people off applying for them.

Employers and interns sometimes come to mutually beneficial arrangements, however. Dinesh Pathan, applying for an internship with an IT company, negotiated a deal in which he would be given travel (3) ______ only for two weeks, and then, as long as he could show his marketing work was adding value, he would be paid a wage. The arrangement worked well: Dinesh had a(n) (4) ______ to work hard, and he ended up feeling "not so much an intern as a temporary staffer". HR consultant Denise Baker says similar arrangements are common. What is more, "if interns do well, employers would often rather make them full employees than recruit people (5) ______ they don't know".

(Adapted from Exam Essential Practice Tests - Cambridge English by Tom Bradbury and Eunice Yeates)

(3) ______

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

No matter who we are or where we are from, we only have 24 hours each day to get things done. Some people seem to make the most (1) ____ their time, using it to achieve their goals and dreams. Others feel that life is passing them by and they aren't (2) ____ anything. If you are in the latter group, it is not too late to turn things around. By implementing a few simple hacks, you can start getting better results very quickly.

If you want to become more productive, it pays to learn about the Pareto (3) ____ (which is also known as the 80-20 rule). It states that for most tasks, 80 percent of the results we get come from 20 percent of the work we do. For example, 80 percent of the company sales usually come from 20 percent of customers. Therefore, the trick is to focus your (4) ____ on the key 20 percent of actions that truly matter to greatly improve your results.

In some cases, people may be busy from morning to night but still seem to get nothing done. In this (5) ____, the problem might be that clear goals haven't been set. To fix this, set some time aside to list the things you want to achieve in life. Then, select the top three or four that you want to focus on for the next year. Look at your goals every night before bedtime and ask yourself what are the next (6) ____ to accomplish each day. Then, promise yourself that you will finish these tasks no matter how busy you get. If possible try completing the tasks first thing in the morning so you are (7) ____ of success.

Another common mistake regarding productivity is not considering our (8) ____ levels. If we try to work around the clock, we will eventually get tired and quit. Everyone needs time to sleep, eat, (9) ____ with friends, and unwind from the stress of the day. To make sure you don't burn out, be sure to schedule some time for breaks and fun activities into your (10) ____ every day. Finally, no matter how difficult your goals may seem, remember the old saying that "a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step".

(7) ______

Read the following passage and choose among A, B, C or D the correct answer to each of the questions.

INTERNET JOBS

Contrary to popular belief, one does not have to be a trained programmer to work online.

Of course, there are plenty of jobs available for people with high-tech computer skills, but the growth of new media has opened up a wide range of Internet career opportunities requiring only a minimal level of technical expertise. Probably one of the most well-known online job opportunities is the job of Webmaster. However, it is hard to define one basic job description for this position. The qualifications and responsibilities depend on what tasks a particular organization needs a Webmaster to perform.

To specify the job description of a Webmaster, one needs to identify the hardware and software the website the Webmaster will manage is running on. Different types of hardware and software require different skill sets to manage them. Another key factor is whether the website will be running internally or externally (renting shared space on the company servers). Finally, the responsibilities of a webmaster also depend on whether he or she will be working independently, or whether the firm will provide people to help. All of these factors need to be considered before one can create an accurate webmaster job description.

Webmaster is one type of Internet career requiring in-depth knowledge of the latest computer applications. However, there are also online jobs available for which traditional skills remain in high demand. Content jobs require excellent writing skills and a good sense of the web as a "new media'.

The term "new media" is difficult to define because it compasses a constantly growing set of new technologies and skills. Specifically, it includes websites, email internet technology, CD- ROM, DVD, streaming audio and video, interactive multimedia presentations, e-books, digital music, computer illustration, video games, virtual reality, and computer artistry.

Additionally, many of today's Internet careers are becoming paid-by-the-job professions. With many companies having to downsize in tough economic items, the outsourcing and contracting of freelance workers online has become common business practice. The Internet provides an infinite pool of buyers from around the world with whom freelancers can contract their services. An added benefit to such their own country. online jobs is that freelancers are able to work on projects with companies outside

How much can a person make in these kinds of careers? As with many questions related to today's evolving technology, there is no simple answer. There are many companies willing to pay people with Internet skills salaries well over 70,000 a year. Generally, web masters start at about 70,000 30,000 per year, but salaries can vary greatly. Freelance writers working online have been known to make between 40,000 to 70,000 a year. 

The word "identify" in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to ____.

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.
One of the most interesting authors of the twentieth century, J.R.R Tolkien, achieved fame through his highly inventive trilogy. The Lord of the Rings. Born in 1892, Tolkien received his education from Oxford and then served in World War I. After the war, he became a professor of Anglo -Saxon and English language and literature at Oxford University.
Although published in 1965, the three books that comprise the Lord of the Rings were written in intervals from 1936 to 1949. This was mainly due to Tolkien's responsibilities as a professor and the outbreak of World War II. By the late 1960s, this fascinating trilogy had become a sociological phenomenon as young people intently studied the mythology and legends created by Tolkien.
The trilogy is remarkable not only for its highly developed account of historical fiction but also its success as a modern heroic epic. The main plot describes the struggle between good and evil kingdom as they try to acquire a magic ring that has the power to rule the world. The novels, which are set in a time called Middle Earth, describe a detailed fantasy world. Established before humans populated the Earth, Middle Earth was inhabited by good and evil creatures such as hobbits, elves, monsters, wizards, and some humans. The characters and the setting of Middle Earth were modeled after mythological stories from Greece and Northern Europe.
Although readers have scrutinized the texts for inner meaning and have tried to connect the trilogy with Tolkien's real life experiences in England during World War II, he denied the connection. He claims that the story began in his years as an undergraduate student and grew out of his desire to create mythology and legends about elves and their language.
Tolkien was a masterful fantasy novelist who used his extensive knowledge of folklore to create a body of work that is still read and enjoyed throughout the world today.

According to the passage, when did "the Lord of the Rings" trilogy become popular with young people?

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.
In 1830, there were under 100 miles of public railway in Britain. Yet within 20 years, this figure had grown to more than 5000 miles. By the end of the century, almost enough rail track to encircle the world covered this small island, (81)..... the nature of travel forever and contributing to the industrial revolution that changed the course of history in many parts of the world.
Wherever railways were introduced, economic and social progress quickly (82)........In a single day, rail passengers could travel hundreds of miles, cutting previous journey times by huge margins and bringing rapid travel within the (83)....... of ordinary people. Previously, many people had never ventured beyond the outskirts of their town and villages. The railway brought them greater freedom and enlightenment.
In the 19th century, the railway in Britain represented something more than just the business of carrying goods and passengers. Trains were associated with romance, adventure and, frequently,(84).......luxury. But the railways did more than revolutionize travel; they also left a distinctive and permanent mark on the British landscape. Whole towns and industrial centers (85)........up around major rail junctions, monumental bridges and viaducts crossed rivers and valleys and the railway stations themselves became desirable places to spend time between journeys.
(82).....................

Choose the item (A, B, C or D) that best completes the following sentences

One of the greatest advantages of robots is that they can work in situations that are dangerous or harmful for human workers. For example, the continuous smell of paint has a harmful effect on painters, but it doesn't "bother" a robot. Robots can work in nuclear power plants and in undersea research stations that might be dangerous for humans. Already, robots are working in the plastics industry and in chemical and industrial equipment industries. One  of the most common uses of robots is still in automobile factories. They can do the heavy, unpleasant, or dangerous work. These kinds of industrial robots are not usually "mobile". The work they need to do is brought to them, like cars on an assembly line, for example.

The robot industry is a big business. By the middle of the 1990s, Japan' led the world in robot production with more than 71,000 industrial robots at work. Both the United States and Japan, as well as other countries, continue to develop more advanced robots. Robots can now be made to perform more complex jobs. Robots can make decisions while they are working  and learn from their mistakes. Robots can now see with TV camera "eyes." They can easily hear and can even speak using a voice made by a computer. But it is difficult to make a robot "understand." Thinking and understanding are very human qualities. The robots of the future will probably be very complex. They will be able to perform many humanlike tasks. Robots and other technology will make the future a very interesting place!

According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true about the robots of the future?

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.
Without transportation, our modern society could not (23).......... We would have no metal, no coal and no oil nor would we have any (24)....... made from these materials.
(25)....... , we would have to spend most of our time raising food and food would be limited to the kinds that could grow in the climate and soil of our neighborhood.
Transportation also affects our lives in other ways. Transportation can speed a doctor to the side of a sick person, even if the patients’ lives on an isolated farm. It can take police to the scene of a crime within a moment of being noticed. Transportation (26)......._ teams of athletes to compete in national and international sports contests. In time of (27).............. transportation can rush aid to persons in areas stricken by floods, families and earthquakes.
(23).......................

Read the passage below and choose the best answer (A, B, C or D ) to each question.

Sometimes you know things about people the first time you see them, for example, that you want to be friends with them or that you don't trust them. But perhaps this kind of intuition isn't as hard to explain as may seem. For instance, people give out body language signals all the time. The way you hold your body, head and arms tells people about your mood. If you hold your arms tightly at your sides, or fold them across your chest, people will generally feel that you are being defensive. Holding your head to one side shows interest in the other, while an easy, open posture indicates that you are self-confident. All this affects the way you feel about someone.

Also, a stranger may remind you of a meeting with someone. This may be because of something as simple as the fact that he or she is physically similar to someone who treated you well or badly. Your feelings about a stranger could be influenced by a smell in the air that brings to mind a place where you were happy as a child. Since even a single word can bring back a memory such as that, you may never realize it is happening.

What does the word "open" in the passage most closely mean?

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.
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, lakes or on the ocean,(1) ......... on the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water. The sport can be both recreational, focusing (2)............ learning the techniques required, and competitive where overall fitness plays a large role. It is also one of the oldest Olympic sports. In the United States, Australia and Canada, high school and collegial rowing is sometimes referred to as crew.
(3) .......... rowing, the athlete sits in the boat facing backwards, towards the stern, and uses the oars which are held in place by the oarlocks to propel the boat forward, towards the bow. It is a demanding sport requiring strong core balance as well as physical (4).......... and cardiovascular endurance.
Since the action of rowing has become fairly popular throughout the world, there are many different types of (5)......... _ . These include endurance races, time trials,  stake racing, bumps  racing, and the side-by-side format used in the Olympic Games. The many different formats are a result of the long history of the sport, its development in. different regions of the world, and specific local requirements and restrictions.
(1)......................

Curious about which digital camera is best for you? Where you can hear reggae music in  Toronto? Or what the distance is to Mars? Question-and-answer sites offer an alternative to the  ubiquitous search engine: a place to post a question – and then wait for another Internet user to  respond. 
The idea isn’t new: Usenet newsgroups have let us do this for years. But Q&A sites offer features that enhance and simplify the process. All offer eBay-like feedback, where users rate the  helpfulness of experts: over time, these scores become a benchmark score for determining how  trustworthy someone’s answers are. Question-and-answer sites also e-mail you when an expert has responded, and they offer personalized page where you can see the questions you’ve asked, the  people who have responded, and what they’ve had to say.

The tone of this passage can best be described as ..................

Curious about which digital camera is best for you? Where you can hear reggae music in  Toronto? Or what the distance is to Mars? Question-and-answer sites offer an alternative to the  ubiquitous search engine: a place to post a question – and then wait for another Internet user to  respond. 
The idea isn’t new: Usenet newsgroups have let us do this for years. But Q&A sites offer features that enhance and simplify the process. All offer eBay-like feedback, where users rate the  helpfulness of experts: over time, these scores become a benchmark score for determining how  trustworthy someone’s answers are. Question-and-answer sites also e-mail you when an expert has responded, and they offer personalized page where you can see the questions you’ve asked, the  people who have responded, and what they’ve had to say.

 The author’s purpose is writing this passage is to .....................

Choose the correct answer to complete the following passage by writing the corresponding letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet.
Of the myriad of Japanese ceremonies introduced to the West, the Japanese tea ceremony would have to be the least accessible. (1)__________ many other aspects of Japanese culture, the practice of drinking tea was (2) __________ from China well over a thousand years ago. In Japan, green tea developed its own character, and the Japanese tea ceremony has evolved (3) __________ a peculiarly Japanese phenomenon.
The modern tea ceremony can be (4) ____traced______back to the 17th century when it developed alongside another singular Japanese adaption of Chinese culture: the philosophy of Zen. The tea ceremony eventually became established as a recognized form of high art, where it was practiced in (5) __________ locations, from a Zen temple to an ordinary home. Even today, the simplest and most secular tea ceremony still embraces the Zen aesthetics of (6) __________, austerity and devotion. During the ceremony strictly prescribed words of invitation and gratitude are murmured quietly; tea maker and guests (7) __________ their roles with humility and respect. A brief moment of (8) __________ tranquility has been communally created and shared. It is simultaneously an aesthetic, social and spiritual moment. Significantly it is a Japanese moment, fleeting and poignant with its own peacefulness (9) __________ the noise and confusion of the everyday world is temporarily suspended as a vague, indefinable (10) __________ of the eternal pervades.

10

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

"The big issue for plane-makers for the future is size, not speed. With the skies already full of air traffic, and with worse to come, the important questions for the designers are how many passengers they can (1)….. into the new super- planes and who will be able to build them first. (2) ……yourself ten years from now in a packed airport departure lounge. Eight hundred passengers are waiting with you for their first flight on one of a remarkable range of super-planes, and the check-in time (3)…… have been as much as four hours before take-off to (4)…… for the extra people. Impossible? Far from it. Designs for these planes are already stored on Computer at the world’s top aircraft manufacturers, waiting to be turned (5)…. reality. The airlines badly need the new jets to (6)…. with future increases in passenger numbers. A billion passengers a year are currently carried by plane, but that figure is (7)….. to double by the year 2010. The only practical way of avoiding making the skies even busier is to build much bigger planes. The (8)…. to build the new jets is the hottest contest in the airliner business. Manufacturers are working (9) ........ with the major airlines to produce designs I that will please airlines and passengers (10) …..."

2.  (2) ……yourself ten years from now in a packed airport departure lounge. 

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.
It is a well-known fact that Japanese people have a longer life expectancy than the population of most other countries. A (1)..................report shows that the Japanese also expect to remain healthier for longer. Scientists are trying to work out what keeps elderly Japanese people so healthy, and whether there is a lesson to be learnt from their lifestyles. Should we (2).........any changes to our eating habits, for instance, or go jogging each day before breakfast? Is there some secret (3)........ in the Japanese diet that is particularly beneficial for the human body? Although the prospect of a longer , healthier life is a good thing for the individual, it can actually create a social problem. The number of people over the age of 65 in the population has doubled in the last 50 years and that has increased pension and medical costs. Japan could soon be (4)........... an economic problem: there are more elderly people who need to be looked after. And relatively fewer younger people working and paying taxes to support them. One solution could be to (5)............ retirement age from 65 to 70 . After all, the elderly have a great deal to contribute. If they continue to be active in society, younger generations will have the chance to learns more from their wisdom and experience.
(5).............................

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.
Tourism is the fastest-growing industry in the world. As well as bringing prosperity to an area, however, it can also destroy the qualities which (1)........... visitors in the first place. If it is not carefully controlled, tourism can also create problems for local people, as is shown by various examples from around the world. When Phuket in Thailand first became a popular tourist (2)............. , people there were unable to cope with the increase in rubbish that 2 million visitors a year produce and a huge incinerator had to be built in the countryside to deal with it. New hotels at Goa in India caused a huge increase in water consumption, (3).......... many local people to walk considerable distances to get clean water. And Egypt’s desert landscapes are being destroyed by the litter (4)........ by tourists. Moving sands are difficult to clean, and the white desert to the west of the Nile Valley may be permanently affected. It’s encouraging, therefore, to read about the efforts of certain tour companies who are organising environmental holidays in some of the worst hit areas. Regular tours now go to places (5).......... the Himalayas and Atlas mountains in North Africa with the aim of combining a bit of sightseeing with the chance to help clear up some of the mess left by previous visitors.
(2).............................

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.
If you’re interested in having the trip of a lifetime, but also doing something useful at the same time, then why not try joining a Greenforce expedition as a volunteer. Greenforce, which was (1)...... _in 1997, is an international research agency that gathers information about the wildlife and natural habitats in various parts of the world. There is a qualified biologist in (2)....... of each team of volunteers and these carry out surveys all year round in some of the world’s remotest and most beautiful places. Volunteers come from all walks of life. The minimum age is 18 years, but there is no upper age limit. No previous experience is necessary as Greenforce provides location training in animal identification and survey methods. You’ll need to be somebody who enjoys the outdoor life, however, as working in remote (3)..........can be challenging. You’ll also need to be passionate about wildlife and prepared to learn a lot about the place you visit. Each expedition lasts for ten weeks, and training begins in the UK with a residential weekend where you can get a (4) .......... of expedition life and meet up with some of your team mates, as well as learning about first-aid and basic survival skills. Each volunteer (5 )..............£2,550 towards the cost of the expedition, but past volunteers say it is worth every penny.
(5).............................

Basic to any understanding of Canada in the 20 years after the Second World War is the country’s impressive population growth. For every three Canadians in 1945, there were over five in 1966. In September 1966 Canada’s population passed the 20 million mark. Most of this surging growth came from natural increase.  The depression of the 1930s and the war had held back marriages, and the catching-up process  began after 1945. The baby boom continued through the decade of the 1950s, producing a population increase of nearly fifteen percent in the five years from 1951 to 1956. This rate of increase had been exceeded only once before in Canada’s history, in the decade before 1911, when  the prairies were being settled. Undoubtedly, the good economic conditions of the 1950s  supported a growth in the population, but the expansion also derived from a trend toward earlier marriages and an increase in the average size of families. In 1957 the Canadian birth rate stood at  28 per thousand, one of the highest in theworld. 
After the peak year of 1957, the birth rate in Canada began to decline. It continued falling  until in 1966 it stood at the lowest level in 25 years. Partly this decline reflected the low level of births during the depression and the war, but it was also caused by changes in Canadian society. Young people were staying at school longer, more women were working; young married couples  
were buying automobiles or houses before starting families; rising living standards were cutting down the size of families. It appeared that Canada was once more falling in step with the trend  toward smaller families that had occurred all through the Western world since the time of the  IndustrialRevolution. 
Although the growth in Canada’s population had slowed down by 1966 (the increase in the  first half of the 1960s was only nine percent), another large population wave was coming over the horizon. It would be composed of the children who were born during the period of the high birth  rate prior to 1957.

The word “peak” in bold is closest in meaning to .....................

Read the passage carefully and choose the correct answer:
In the future, genetic engineering will allow us to create the perfect human. It will be hard to get used to. Parents will order a baby who 'will grow up to become his new job because he is not quite prepared a genius or to have a Miss World appearance. Also, genetic engineering will allow us to mix plants and animals.
As computers have advanced, they have helped us remember, calculate, organize, and clarify. So it will become easier to deal with things, and much quicker. At a point in a future time, some may claim that computers become about as smart as Newton or Einstein. More advanced computers will be able to be creative, respond to feelings in a feeling way, develop intuition, recognize patterns, and suggest innovative alternatives. There is a hope if we choose to take action. We can select Internet information wisely, choose healthy computer games, limit our exposure to television commercials, and select television programs carefully. People will be aware of the importance of keeping active, getting outside to do more physical activities. We will also plan to make a major sacrifice the next time we buy a car, take the bus. Everybody will be more concerned about making environmentally friendly choices, eating healthy, and helping build a healthier society by shopping at better stores that sell better food. 
Most people will be aware that a happy, loving family is a joy to be part of, and that it is a necessary foundation for building a strong society. But it is extremely important for our future that we maintain a healthy perspective. We need to value and appreciate the importance of what can be achieved by loving and committed parents. People need a strong foundation, so it is vital for our society that we encourage parents to work at creating love, joy, and happiness for their children in a .decent, stable, and productive atmosphere.

The phrase to have a Miss World appearance means that _______.

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.
One rather unlike word that has recently entered the language is “blog”, a shortened form of “web log”. A blog is a diary on the Internet by the person writing it – the “blogger” – who presumably expect other people to read it. Modern technology is being used to (1)........ new life into such an old-fashioned form as the personal journal. And now, as the technology behind video camera is making them easier to use, we have the video log, or “vlog”. Vlogging does not require (2)....... sophisticated equipment: a digital video camera, a high-speed Internet connection and a host are all that is needed. Vloggers can put anything that takes their fancy onto their personal web site. Some vloggers have no ambition (3)........ than to show films they have shot while on holiday in exotic places. However, vlogs can also serve more ambitious purposes. For instance, amateur film-makers who want to make a (4).......... for themselves might publish their work on the Internet, eager to receive advice or criticism. And increasingly, vlogs are being used to publicize political and social issues that are not noteworthy enough to earn coverage by the mass media. It is still too early to predict whether vlogging will ever (5)...........off in a major way or if it is just a passing fad, but its potential is only now becoming apparent.
(5).............................