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 many countries of Northern Europe, including Scandinavia, Finland, Northern Russia, and the Baltic states, ice swimming is closely connected with the tradition of sauna, (1)......... has led to the creation of a new activity where stays in the sauna are (2)......... with quick 'pauses' in ice water. In Russia, ice swimmers are called what can be literally translated as 'walruses '. The north of Europe, (3)............, is not the only place where winter swimming is practised regularly. A large ice swimming movement exists in the UK, based in a famous location: the Serpentine Lake in Hyde Park in London. In Harbin, Northern China, about 200,000 people ice-swim in the Songhua River every winter. The oldest ice swimming club in the United States, the Coney Island Polar Bear Club of New York, organises an annual (4)....... on New Year's Day. In Canada, 'Polar Bear Swims; 'Plunges' or 'Dips' are a New Year's Day tradition in (5)........ communities as well, the biggest one taking place in Vancouver since 1920.

(4)...........................

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word for each of the blanks.
The wind controls our planet's weather and climate. But how much do we understand about this complex force (1).................. can kill and spread fear? On the night of October 15, 1987, the south of England was struck by strong winds. Gusts of over 130 km/h (2)................... through the region. Nineteen people were killed, £1.5-billion worth of damage was (3)....... and 19 million trees were blown down in just a few hours. Although people thought of this as a hurricane, the winds of 1987 were only a (4)............ 7 storm. They remain far better known than the much more serious storms of January 25, 1990, when most of Britain was hit by daytime winds of up to 173 km/h. On this occasion, 47 people were killed, even though, (5)........ in 1987, the weather forecasters issued accurate warnings.

(5)..........................

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

"“Customs, then, is the great guide of human life,” wrote Scottish (1)…..  David Hume. Knowing the customs of a place is a guide to understanding the soul of that place and its (2)….. . The customs of a nation: how people marry, how families celebrate holidays and other (3)…… , what people eat, how they socialize and have fun (4) ….. many things about their country and their inner thoughts and feelings.
 In Wales, a (5)…… handshake is usual when first being introduced, but is often dispensed with thereafter. When meeting for the first time, a common (6)….. is “How do you do?” or “Pleased to meet you.” On other occasions, “How are you?” may be used. Good friends, (7) ……  young people, use “Hello” and “Hi” to greet each other. Women who are close friends may kiss each(8) ….. once slightly on the cheek; sometimes men also kiss women this way.
 Many women remain seated when being introduced and shaking hands. First (9) …… are widely used. The Welsh enjoy visiting friends and neighbors, and often call without an invitation. If invited for a meal, however, it is (10) ……. impolite to arrive late."

1. “Customs, then, is the great guide of human life,” wrote Scottish (1)…..  David Hume.

Choose the best answer:
You will make the interview process easier for the employer if you prepare relevant information about yourself. Think about how you want to present your (35)...... , experiences, education, work style, skills, and goals. Be prepared to supplement all your answers with examples that support the statements you make. It is also a good idea to review your resume with a critical eye and (36)........ areas that an employer might see as limitations or want further information. Think about how you can answer difficult' questions (37)....... and positively, while keeping each answer brief. An interview gives the employer a (38)....... to get to know you. While you do want to market yourself to the employer, answer each question with an honest (39).......... . Never say anything negative about past experiences, employers, or courses and professors. Always think of something positive about an experience and talk about that. You should also be (40).......... . If you are genuinely interested (41).......... the job, let the interviewer know that. One of the best ways to show you are keen on a job is to demonstrate that you have researched the organization prior to the interview. You can also (42)...........  interest by asking questions about the job, the organization, and its services and products. The best way to impress an employer is to ask questions that build upon your interview discussion. This shows you are interested and (43).........  close attention to the interviewer. It is a good idea to prepare a few questions in advance, but an insightful comment based on your conversation can make an even stronger statement. At the (44).............  of an interview, it is appropriate for you to ask when you may expect to hear; from the employer

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the undelined part that needs correction in each of the following questions:
Not very long ago, when people needed to find a job, there were several possible steps. They might begin with a look through the classified ads in the newspaper. They could go to the personnel office at various companies and fill out an application, or they could go to an employment agency. They could even find out about a job opening through word-of-mouth - from another person who had heard about it.
These days, job hunting is more complicated. The first step is to determine what kind of job you want (which sounds easier than it is) and make sure that you have the right education for it. Rapid changes in technology and science are creating many professions that never existed until recently. It is important to learn about them because one might be the perfect profession for you. The fastest- growing areas for new jobs are in computer technology and health services. Jobs in these fields usually require specific skills, but you need to find out exactly which degrees are necessary. For example, it may be surprising to learn that in the sciences, an M.S. is more marketable than a Ph.D! In other words, there are more jobs available for people with a Master of Science degree than for people with a doctorate (however, people who want to do research still need a Ph.D.) How do people learn about "hot" new professions? How do they discover their "dream job"? Many people these days go to a career counselor. In some countries, job hopping has become so common that career counseling is now "big business". People sometimes spend large amounts of money for this advice. In Canada and the United States, high school and college students often have access to free vocational counseling services on campus. There is even a career organization, the Five O'Clock Club, which helps members to set goals. Members focus on this question: what sort of person do you want to be years from now? The members then plan their career around that goal. All career counselors - private or public - agree on one basic point: it is important for people to find a career that they love. Everyone should be able to think, "I'm having such a good time. I can't believe they're paying me to do this.”

According to the second paragraph, why is it important for us to learn about various professions?

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Speech is one of the most important (35) ...... of communicating .It consists of far more than just making noises . To talk and also (36) ........ to by other people, we have to speak a language ,that is, we have to use combinations of (37).......  that everyone agrees to stand for a particular object or idea. Communication would be impossible if everyone made up their own language.  Learning a language properly is very (38)........ . The basic (39)......... of English is not very large, and not only about 2,000 words are needed to speak it quite well.But the more idea you can (41)........ the more precise you can be about their exact meaning. Words are the (42)........ thing we use in communicating what we want to say. The way we(43)........... the words is also very important. Our tone of voice can express many emotions and (44).......... whether we are pleased or angry, for instance

Fill in each numbered blank with one suitable word or phrase.

In Korea, in former days the marriage between a man and woman represented the joining of two families, rather (1) ______ the joining of two individuals. The event (2) ______ Taerye (Great Ritual), and people from all over the village or neighborhood participated. The ceremonies and events surrounding the actual marriage were long and (3) ______. Professional matchmakers paired up likely candidates for marriage, with the new couple often meeting for the first time at their wedding! The families considered many factors in the decision, consulting with fortune tellers for (4) ______ about the couple's future life together. During the Chosun period, people married (5) ______ their early teens, with the girl often being several years older than the boy. The groom usually traveled to the house of the bride for the ceremony, then stayed there for three days (6) ______ taking his new bride to his family's home. The actual ceremony involved many small rituals, with many bows and symbolic gestures. The (7) ______ were expected to control their emotions and remain somber. (8) ______ Koreans have kept several aspects of the traditional ceremony, most modern ceremonies resemble Western marriage ceremonies more than (9) ______ Korean ones. However, many folk villages and museums across the country regularly perform ceremonies to (10) ______ the traditions alive.

(5) ______

Choose the best answer:
Market research has become more and more important in recent years. In some organizations, in fact, managers will not initiate any activity without market research to back them up. The first thing to be said about market research is that it is not an (1)___to management decision making. No form of market research, no matter how deep, complicated and detailed, can ever be seen as a substitute (2)_____ creative decisionmaking by professional managers. At its very best, all it can do is (3) _____ some doubt and clarify the nature of the problem. It may even be seen as a tool which can improve the (4)_____ of decisions but it is not in itself a decision-making mechanism. Market research, in (5)_____with a number of other approaches in marketing, suffers from the frequent (6)_____ that it is not really accurate. Market research results can never be completely accurate because they (7)____with a dynamic, ever-changing marketplace. It is vital that this is understood by everyone with an imagination when considering market research results and when making any (8)____ to apply them in the marketplace. Lastly, it should always be remembered that market research is not an end in itself but simply a (9) _____ by which some degrees of risk can be removed from marketplace activity. If no activity results from the research, then the entire exercise has been completely (10)_____.

Choose the best answer:
All plants rely on nutrients taken from the soil in order to survive. However, in areas where the soil does not contain enough (1)_____ nutrients, some plants have adapted to (2) _____ their diets from another source: living organisms. Though they are few in number, carnivorous plants are (3)_____ fascinating beings that ―eat‖ anything from onecelled organisms to insects in order to survive. They are commonly found in marshlands. Carnivorous plants feature one of several types of ―traps‖ to ensnare prey, which they consume to make up for nutrients that may be missing from the soil. While there are over 400 species of carnivorous plants in the world today, some are more (4)_____ than others. The most well-known of these plants are the snap traps, which include the Venus flytrap. Snap traps are easily identified by their leaves, which are separated into two lobes that have the ability to fold together. Inside the lobes, the surface is covered with tiny hairs that are (5) _____ to movement. When the plant‘s prey brushes against the hairs, it triggers a closing mechanism that rapidly brings the two lobes together, trapping the prey (6)_____ inside. The response of the traps is phenomenal (7)_____ speed: the time between triggering the hairs and snapping shut is less than a second. As the prey struggles inside the trap, it only triggers more hairs, causing the leaves to tighten their (8) _____. The plant then secrets liquid chemicals from special glands into the trap to dissolve the prey and absorb all of its nutrients. Besides the Venus flytrap, only one other type of snap trap exists today, (9)_____ to as the waterwheel plant. The two share a common ancestor and differ only in a few ways. For instance, the waterwheel is an aquatic plant, while the flytrap is exclusively terrestrial. In addition, the flytrap feeds primarily on arthropods like spiders, while the waterwheel lives (10)_____ simple invertebrates, like certain types of plankton

Choose the best answer:
Our family has got many books. All the …(33)……… of our family buy books and read them. My mother says that books help us in self-education. In ancient times, books ……(34)…… written by hand. It was difficult to write a book …(35)……… a pen. Then printing came into our life. Printing played an important ……(36)…. in the development of literature and culture. Now there are a lot of books in the shops, there are many books in our flats. But it is difficult to buy all books …(37)……… we want to read. That‘s why we get books in public libraries. There are some problems in our life and sometimes it is difficult to ……(38)… them. I think that books can help us. Last year I read a very interesting book ― An American Tragedy‖ by Theodore Dreiser. This novel was …(39)…… at the beginning of the 20th century. The novel ……(40)……. The tragic fate of a boy and a girl, Clyde and Roberta ……(41)…… name. It is a sad story. This novel was written many years ago, but it is …(42)……… nowadays. Books must be our friends during our life

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the undelined part that needs correction in each of the following questions:
One of the highest honors for formalists, writers, and musical composers is the Pulitzer Prize. First awarded in 1927, the Pulitzer Prize has been won by Ernest Hemingway, Harper Lee, John F. Kennedy, and Rodgers and Hammerstein, among others. As with many famous awards, this prize was named after its founder, Joseph Pulitzer.
Joseph Pulitzer’s story, like that of many immigrants to the United States, is one of hardship, hard work and triumph. Born in Hungary, Joseph Pulitzer moved to United States in 1864. He wanted to be a reporter, but he started his American life by fighting in the American Civil War. After the war, Pulitzer worked for the German - language newspaper, the Westliche Post. His skills as a reporter were wonderful, and he soon became a partial owner of the paper.
In 1978, Pulitzer was able to start a newspaper of his own. Right from the first edition, the newspaper took a controversial approach to new. Pulitzer wanted to appeal to the average reader, so he produced exciting stories of scandal and intrigue. Such an approach is commonplace today, but in Pulitzer’s time it was new and different. The approach led to the discovery of many instances of corruption by influential people. Pulitzer ‘paper became very famous and is still produced today.
The success of Joseph Pulitzer’s newspaper made him a very wealthy man, so he wanted to give something back to his profession. Throughout his later years, he worked to establish university programs for the teaching of journalism, and he funded numerous scholarships to assist journalism students. Finally, he wanted to leave a legacy that would encourage writers to remember the importance of quality. On his death, he gave two million dollars to Columbia University so they could award prizes to great writers.
The Pulitzer Prize recipients are a very select group. For most, winning a Pulitzer Prize is the highlight of their career. If an author, journalist, or composer you know has won a Pulitzer Prize, you can be sure they are at the top of their profession.

According the passage, who receives the Pulitzer Prize?

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

"“Customs, then, is the great guide of human life,” wrote Scottish (1)…..  David Hume. Knowing the customs of a place is a guide to understanding the soul of that place and its (2)….. . The customs of a nation: how people marry, how families celebrate holidays and other (3)…… , what people eat, how they socialize and have fun (4) ….. many things about their country and their inner thoughts and feelings.
 In Wales, a (5)…… handshake is usual when first being introduced, but is often dispensed with thereafter. When meeting for the first time, a common (6)….. is “How do you do?” or “Pleased to meet you.” On other occasions, “How are you?” may be used. Good friends, (7) ……  young people, use “Hello” and “Hi” to greet each other. Women who are close friends may kiss each(8) ….. once slightly on the cheek; sometimes men also kiss women this way.
 Many women remain seated when being introduced and shaking hands. First (9) …… are widely used. The Welsh enjoy visiting friends and neighbors, and often call without an invitation. If invited for a meal, however, it is (10) ……. impolite to arrive late."

6. When meeting for the first time, a common (6)….. is “How do you do?” or “Pleased to meet you.”

Choose the best answer:
The well-being of America's rural people and places depends upon many things - the availability of good-paying jobs; (1)______ to critical services such as education, health care, and communication; strong communities; and a healthy natural environment. And, (2)______ urban America is equally dependent upon these things, the challenges to well-being look very different in rural areas than in urban areas. Small-scale, low-density settlement (3)______ make it more costly for communities and businesses to provide critical services. Declining jobs and income in the natural resource-based industries that many rural areas depend on (4)______ workers in those industries to find new ways to make a living. Low-skill, low-wage rural manufacturing industries must find new ways to challenge the increasing number of (5)______ competitors. Distance and remoteness impede many rural areas from being connected to the urban centers of economic activity. Finally, changes in the availability and use of natural resources located in rural areas (6)______ the people who earn a living from those resources and those who (7)______ recreational and other benefits from them. Some rural areas have met these challenges successfully, achieved some level of prosperity, and are ready (8)______ the challenges of the future. Others have neither met the current challenges nor positioned themselves for the future. Thus, concern for rural America is real. And, while rural America is a producer of critical goods and services, the (9)______ goes beyond economics. Rural America is also home to a fifth of the Nation's people, keeper of natural amenities and national treasures, and safeguard of a/an (10)______ part of American culture, tradition, and history

Choose the best answer:
Skilling has become a way of life for many people. From the moment the first snowflake falls until the spring (1) ______ skiers put skis on their cars and (2) ______ for slopes. There are many reasons behind the (3) ______ of this winter sports. Skiing is a true family sport that can be enjoyable by all people, whether 3 or 93 years old. Being able to (4) ______ a hill, to turn at will and nature at its loveliest are (5) ______ for all age groups. Skiing is also interesting because it provides a variety of experiences. Snow conditions change hourly as the temperature and weather conditions change during the day. Moreover, every trail is different. Rarely does one pass over the same (6) ______ twice. Improvement in skis equipment, clothing, and ski areas have made the sport more pleasurable, comfortable and available. Warm and light clothing has replaced (7) ______ of heavy sweaters. Ski equipment made with modern materials has made skis and poles lighter, more flexible and suited to people of all ages. The (8) ______ of skiing had also improved by snow-making equipment. Even in areas of the countries that have (9) ______ snowfall, snow can be made (10)______ the temperature be below 30 degrees Celsius. For many people, skiing is an opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the out-of-doors, to challenge their physical abilities and, finally, to simply have fun. It is a sport world-wide and appears to be gaining in popularities constantly

Choose the best answer:
British families started going on holiday to the seaside around the middle of the 19th century. The invention of the railways (45) ____ this possible. The first holidaymakers were quite rich and went for their health and education. The seaside was a place to be (46) ____ of illness, and doctors recommended bathing in the sea and drinking sea water. Also to (47) ____ their knowledge, families attended concerts and read books from the library. At that time, ordinary working people had very little time (48) ____ work. However, in 1871, the government introduced four ‗Banking Holiday‘ - national holiday days. This (49) ____ people to have a day or two out, which now and then gave them a taste for leisure and the seaside. At first, they went on day-trips, taking (50) ____ of special cheap tickets on the railways. By the 1880s, rising incomes (51) ____ that many ordinary workers and their families could have a week‘s holiday at the seaside. Rail fares were reduced and cheap hotels were built to (52) ____ them. Holidaymakers enjoyed being idle, sitting on the beach, bathing in the sea, and eating ice-cream. Cheap entertainment was (53) ____ offer and holidaymakers went to have fun. Today the English seaside (54) ____ popular, with more than 18 million holidays taken there each year.

Choose the best answer:
According to a recent TV program, noise pollution is becoming an increasingly serious problem. Background noise such as (18)_____, police sirens and aeroplanes is growing year by year, and complaints to the police are becoming more and more (19)_____. However, for people like Mary Norman, who lives close to London Heathrow airport, the situation is particularly bad. ―It‘s becoming very difficult to (20)_____ a normal family life,‘ she told an interviewer, ‗because the planes start first thing in the morning. They make a terrible noise, as you can imagine, and it (21)_____ on all day long. Of course I have complained about it but nobody takes any notice. I‘m fed (22)_____ with living here, but unfortunately I can‘t afford to move. Researchers believe that the problem is getting worse. They have found that people who are exposed to high levels of noise become (23)_____ aggressive. Take the case of Henry Wilson, who was (24)_____ mad by a neighbor who insisted on playing his music at full volume. One night, he finally lost his (25)_____. After being forced to listen to heavy metal songs for hours, he burst into his neighbor‘s house, poured petrol all over the carpets and (26)_____ to set fire to the place. When he finally appeared in court, the judge was surprisingly understanding. He (27)_____ to send him to jail, saying that he had suffered enough

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All relationships go through difficult times. In the past, when married couples had problems they usually didn‘t (11) . They had to either (12) with each other or continue to live together in an unhappy relationship. Getting divorced wasn‘t an option for most people due to economic and social reasons. Some people believe that this wasn‘t such a bad thing. They say that relationships require hard work and (13) . ―If a relationship is going to last a lifetime, you have to keep working at it,‖ says Doreen, who is celebrating her fiftieth wedding anniversary this year. ―It isn‘t all roses and romance. (14) perfect all of the time. These days young people give up when there‘s the (15) argument.‖ Experts agree that communication is key. The most important thing is to (16) talking. How many times have you heard yourself say to (17) , ―If only you‘d listen!‖ or ― I wish you (18) do that!‖ The truth is, the (19) couples talk, the better their relationship (20) be

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The role of translation enabling literature to pass beyond its natural frontiers is receiving growing recognition. In view of the general increase in this (30)_____, it is not surprising that many people with literary interests and a knowledge of languages should think of adopting translating as a full-or part-time (31)_____. Some advice may usefully be given to such would-be translators. The first difficulty the beginner will (32)_____is the unwillingness of publishers to entrust a translator to anyone who has not already (33)____a reputation for sound work. The least publishers will (34)____ before commissioning a translator is a fairly lengthy specimen of the applicant‘s work, even if unpublished. Perhaps the best way the wouldbe translator can begin is to select some books of the type (35)_____ he or she feels competent and eager to translate, translate a (36)_____section of the book and then submit the book and the translation to a suitable publisher. If he or she is extremely lucky, this may result in a commission to translate the book. More probably, however, publishers will(37) the book as such but if they are favorably (38) by the translation, they may very possibly commission some other books of a (39) nature which they already have in mind

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The first question we might ask is: What can you learn in college that will help you in being an employee? The schools teach (55) _______ many things of value to the future accountant, doctor or electrician. Do they also teach anything of value to the future employee? Yes, they teach the one thing that it is perhaps most valuable for the future employee (56)_______. But very few students bother to learn it. This basic skill is the ability to organize and express ideas in writing and in speaking. This means that your success as an employee will depend on your ability to communicate with people and to (57) _______ your own thoughts and ideas to them so they will (58) _______ understand what you are driving and be persuaded. Of course, skill in expression is not enough (59) _______ itself. You must have something to say in the first place. The effectiveness of your job depends (60) _______ your ability to make other people understand your work as they do on the quality of the work itself. Expressing one‘s thoughts is one skill that the school can (61) _______ teach. The foundations for skill in expression have to be (62) _______ early: an interest in and an ear (63) _______ language; experience in organizing ideas and data, in brushing aside the irrelevant, and above all the habit of verbal expression. If you do not these foundations (64) _______ your school years, you may never have an opportunity again.

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How many times in the last hundred years or so have people talked of the imminent death of the book? Films were an early threat because they were so effective at telling stories in a visual way. Next there was radio, (26)...... stepped into the mid-twentieth century and provided such an alternative to books as drama, documentaries and discussions. When television arrived, many people believed that it would finish the book off. Nowadays, (27)............ the threat by TV, the book is thought to be endangered by computers and the Internet, and by other technological attractions (28).........  theCD and the video game, too Surely there are now reasons why (29).............  book ought to be dead, or at least very badly injured. If so, why does it not show proper respect for these reportedly less literate times (30)......... die out? There is clearly more than a single answer to this question. Firstly, we have more leisure time than we(31)..........  to, and people are generally living longer, which means there is more time to do more (including reading books). As (32)............ as this, there is the strength of the book as a tradition. We are all too dismissive of traditions in our modern world, but they can have very strong pull (33)....... us. Added to this, the book is such a practical tool: it doesn't cost too (34).......... , it is usually small enough to carry around, and it can easily be (35)......... . We will never go without books, because they have served us so well for so long

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Beatrix Potter was a story writer chose books about animals have been translated into many languages and read by both children and adult. (1) ________ being an author, she was also regarded as a very successful farmer. Born in London in 1866, Beatrix was (2) ________ for at home by various servants. Every year she (3) ________ the days to her annual holiday in the countryside. She would (4) ________ to her London home small animals which she (5) _____ and drew. As she grew up, she entertained other children with drawings and stories about these animals. In 1901, she printed a book at her own (6) ________ called ‗The Tale of Peter Rabbit‘. So many (7) ________ were sold that she bought a farm, where over the next eight years she wrote many other stories. They all sold very well and readers liked their detailed color drawings. With her growing (8) _______ , Beatrix started buying more farmland, animals and property. After her marriage, at the age of 47, Beatrix stopped writting, (9) _______ that she had run out of (10) ________. She became a farmer and spent the rest of her life working with her sheep and awarding prizes at sheep fairs