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.
Sociologists have been carrying out research into the social pressures of being a teenager. Many adolescents are unhappy at school because they find it difficult to (1)....... friends. This stress can bring on illness or result in poor grades. They may also worry about their appearance and often feel (2)......enormous pressure to dress, talk and behave the same as (3)....... . This phenomenon is called peer pressure, and it is very common in today’s society. Advertising contributes a lot to the social pressures teenagers feel. Advertisers know how important it is to feel that you belong to a group when  you are in your teens, so they try to persuade teenagers that certain products will make them (4).....  with their classmates. Sadly, many teenagers act irresponsibly and even do dangerous things just to make others accept them. Peer pressure is often the reason for teenage smoking, drug (5)........ or dangerous driving. Teenagers need to learn to say no to social pressure and to find friends who they can talk things over with when they have a problem.
(3)...............

What does it take to graduate from university with a First?

Mark McArdle, first–class degree holder from the University of Lancaster, tells how he did it.

Don’t spend too much time at the student lounge, do turn up for most lectures and tutorials and do submit all coursework – eventually. That, I was told by a PhD student during freshers’ week, was all I needed to do to get a 2:2. For a 2:1, I’d require a better attendance record and have to work harder, but not at the expense of being cut off from civilization. And for a First I would have to become some sort of social outcast, go to even lecture and tutorial (scribbling notes madly), spend every waking moment immersed in academic books, and be among the last to be thrown out of the university library at 10 pm closing time.

Well, I did not give up my life for study. I didn't attend every lecture and tutorial. I didn’t write down every word spoken in lectures. I didn’t get 80% or more in every essay, project, test or exam. I was usually behind with my reading and occasionally mystified by the syllabus. Sometimes I couldn't be bothered to go to university and stayed at home instead. But I always knew where I was what I had to do and what not to bother with. And I always worked hard on the things that counted: assignments and exams.

Getting a degree is about learning, but it isn’t just about learning biology, history, English or whatever. It’s about understanding what you need to succeed − what, in fact, the university wants from you and what you will get in return. You have to have a feel for the education market and really sell your inspirations. What does the lecturer want? What is the essay marker searching for? Some students try to offer something not wanted. Others want to give very little − they steal the thoughts of others and submit them as their own. But they all want to be rewarded. Exchange, but don’t steal, and you’ll get a degree.

I could guarantee every book on my reading list was out on long loan from the university library within five seconds of the list being issued. This was worrying at first, but I quickly learned that it was impossible to read all of the books on an average reading list anyway. I sought shortcuts. Collections of selected readings or journal articles were excellent sources that often saved me the bother of reading the original texts. References in books dragged me all over the place but with all the courses I had to do, there wasn't enough time to be dragged too far. I would flick through the book, read the introduction, note any summaries, look at diagrams, skim the index, and read any conclusions. I plucked out what was needed and made my escape.

I revised by discarding subject areas I could not face revising, reading, compiling notes, and then condensing them onto one or two sheets of A4 for each subject area. Leading up to the exam, I would

concentrate on just the condensed notes and rely on my memory to drag out the detail behind them when the time came. I didn’t practice writing exam questions, although it was recommended. I prefer to be spontaneous and open–minded. I don't want pre–formed conclusions filling my mind.

And nor should you; there is no secret to getting a First – this is just an account of how I got my First. Be a happy student by striking the right balance between working and enjoying yourself. Take what you do seriously and do your best. And, no matter what you do don’t forget to appreciate every day of your university studies: it is one of the greatest periods of your life.

Glossary:

University degree classifications in the UK:

– First class – Upper second (2:1) – Lower second (2:2) – Third class (3)

What is the main purpose of the passage?

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:
Garbage cans are not magical portals. Trash does not disappear when you toss it in a can. Yet, the average American throws away an estimated 1,600 pounds of waste each year. If there are no magic garbage fairies, where does all that trash go? There are four methods to managing waste:
Recycling, landfilling, composting, and incinerating. Each method has its strengths and weaknesses. Let’s take a quick look at each.
Recycling is the process of turning waste into new materials. For example, used paper can be turned into paperboard, which can be used to make book covers. Recycling can reduce pollution,  save materials, and lower energy use. Yet, some argue that recycling wastes energy. They believe   that collecting, processing, and converti g waste uses more energy than it saves. Still, most people    agree that recycling is better for the planet
than landfilling.
Landfilling is the oldest method of managing waste. In its simplest form, landfilling is when people bury garbage in a hole. Over time the practice of landfilling has advanced. Garbage is compacted before it is thrown into the hole. In this way more garbage can fit in each landfill. Large liners are placed in the bottom of landfills so that toxic garbage juice doesn't get into the ground  water. Sadly, these liners don't always work. Landfills may pollute the local water supply. Not to mention that all of that garbage stinks. Nobody wants to live next to a landfill. This makes it hard to find new locations for landfills.
Compositing is when people pile up organic matter, such as food waste, and allow it to decompose. The product of this decomposition is compost. Compost can be added to  the soil  to  make the soil richer and better for growing crops. While composting is easy to do onsite somewhere, like home or school, it's hard to do after the garbage gets all mixed up. This is because plastic and other inorganic materials must be removed from the compost pile or they will pollute the  soil. There's a lot of plastic in garbage, which makes it hard to compost on a large scale.
One thing that is easier to do is burning garbage. There are two main ways to incinerate waste. The first is to create or harvest a fuel from the waste, such as methane gas, and burn the fuel. The second is to burn the waste directly. The heat from the incineration process can boil water,  which  can  power steam generators. Unfortunately, burning garbage pollutes the air. Also, some critics worry that incinerators destroy valuable resources that could be recycled.
Usually, the community in which you live manages waste. Once you put your garbage in that can, what happens to fit is beyond your control. But you can make choices while it is still in your possession. You can choose to recycle, you can choose to compost, or you can choose to let someone else deal with   it. The choice is yours.

Which of the following best explains why composting is not feasible on a large scale?

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Very few people in the modem world obtain their food supply by hunting and gathering in the natural environment surrounding their homes. This method of harvesting from nature’s provision is the oldest known subsistence strategy and has been practised for at least the last two million years. It was, indeed, the only way to obtain food until rudimentary farming and the domestication of wild animals were introduced about 10,000 years ago.
Because hunter-gatherers have fared poorly in comparison with their agricultural cousins, their numbers have dwindled, and they have been forced to live in marginal environments, such as deserts and arctic wastelands. In higher latitudes, the shorter growing seasons have restricted the availability of plant life. Such conditions have caused a greater dependence on hunting, and on fishing along the coasts and waterways. The abundance of vegetation in the lower latitudes of the tropics, on the other hand, has provided a greater opportunity for gathering a variety of plants. In short, the environmental differences have restricted the diet and have limited possibilities for the development of subsistence societies.
Contemporary hunter-gatherers may help US understand our prehistoric ancestors. We know from the observation of modem hunter-gatherers in both Africa and Alaska that a society based on hunting and gathering must be very mobile. While the entire community camps in a central location, a smaller party harvests the food within a reasonable distance from the camp. When the food in the area has become exhausted, the community moves on to exploit another site. We also notice seasonal migration patterns evolving for most hunter-gatherers, along with a strict division of labor between the sexes. These patterns of behavior may be similar to those practised by mankind during the Paleolithic Period.

Which of the following would serve as the best title of the passage?

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The green building movement, started in the 1970s as a way to reduce environmental destruction, is changing the way buildings are constructed. In the early years, green builders were a small minority, and their goals of reducing the environmental impact of buildings were considered unrealistic. Now, however, the movement is growing, as builders have been able to take advantage of new technology.
Green builders try to make use of recycled materials, which means less waste in dumps. Also, they reduce environmental impact by reducing the energy requirements of a building. One way is to provide an alternative, non-polluting source of energy. First, with solar panels, it is possible to produce electricity from the rays of the sun. Once installed, they provide energy at no cost and with no pollution.
Another solution is to reduce the amount of energy required in a building. It is possible to cut electricity use noticeably by improving natural lighting and installing low-energy light bulbs. To reduce the amount of fuel needed for heating or cooling, builders also add insulation to the walls so that the building stays warmer in winter and cooler in summer.
One example of this advanced design is the Genzyme Center of Cambridge, the most environmentally responsible office building in America. Every aspect of the design and building had to consider two things: the need for a safe and pleasant workplace for employees and the need to lessen the negative environmental impact. 75 percent of the building materials were recycled materials, and the energy use has been reduced by 43 percent and water use by 32 percent, compared with other buildings of the same size.
In other parts of the world, several large-scale projects have recently been developed according to green building principles. One of these is in Vauban, Germany, in an area that was once the site of army housing. The site has been completely rebuilt with houses requiring 30 percent less energy than conventional ones. These houses, heated by special non-polluting systems, are also equipped with solar panels.
A larger project is under way in China. The first phase of this project will include houses for 400 families built with solar power, non-polluting bricks, and recycled wall insulation. In a second phase, entire neighborhoods in six cities will be built. If all goes well, the Chinese government plans to copy these ideas in new neighborhoods across China.
Green building ideas, on a small or large scale, are spreading. Individuals, companies, and governments are beginning to see their benefits. Not only are they environmentally friendly, green buildings improve living and working conditions and also save money in the long run.A

According to the passage, which of the following statements about green buildings is TRUE?

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Until recently, hunting for treasure from shipwrecks was mostly fantasy; with recent technological advances, however, the search for sunken treasure has become more popular as a legitimate endeavor. This has caused a debate between those wanting to salvage the wrecks and those wanting to preserve them.
Treasure hunters are spurred on by the thought of finding caches of gold coins or other valuable objects on a sunken ship. One team of salvagers, for instance, searched the wreck of the RMS Republic, which sank outside the Boston harbor in 1900. The search party, using side-scan sonar, a device that projects sound waves across the ocean bottom and produces a profile of the sea floor, located the wreck in just two and a half days. Before the use of this new technology, such searches could take months or years. The team of divers searched the wreck for two months, finding silver tea services, crystal dinnerware, and thousands of bottles of wine, but they did not find the five and a half tons of American Gold Eagle coins they were searching for.
Preservationists focus on the historic value of a ship. They say that even if a shipwreck's treasure does not have a high monetary value, it can be an invaluable source of historic artifacts that are preserved in nearly mint condition. But once a salvage team has scoured a site, much of the archaeological value is lost. Maritime archaeologists who are preservationists worry that the success of salvagers will attract more treasure-hunting expeditions and thus threaten remaining undiscovered wrecks. Preservationists are lobbying their state lawmakers to legally restrict underwater searches and unregulated salvages. To counter their efforts, treasure hunters argue that without the lure of gold and million-dollar treasures, the wrecks and their historical artifacts would never be recovered at all.a

From the passage, you can infer that a preservationist would be most likely to     .

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The tourist looking at the African savannah on a summer afternoon might be excused for thinking that the wide yellow grass plain was completely deserted of life, almost a desert. With only a few small thorn trees sticking out through the veldt, there seems to be almost no place for a living creature to hide.
However, under those trees you might find small steenbok, sleeping in the shade, and waiting for the night to fall. There may even be a small group of lions somewhere, their bodies exactly the same shade as the tall grass around them. In the holes in the ground a host of tiny creatures, from rabbits and badgers to rats and' snakes are waiting for the heat to finish.
The tall grass also hides the fact that there may be a small stream running across the middle of the plain. One clue that there may be water here is the sight of a majestic Marshall eagle circling slowly over the grassland. When he drops, he may come up with a small fish, or maybe a grass snake that has been waiting at the edge of a pool in the hope of catching a frog.
The best time to see the animals then, is in the evening, just as the sun is setting. The best time of the year to come is in late September, or early August, just before the rains. Then the animals
must come to the waterholes, as there is no other place for them to drink. And they like to come while it is still light; so they can see if any dangers are creeping up on them.
So it is at sunset, and after the night falls, that the creatures of the African veld rise and go about their business.

By "go about their business" the writer means:

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the answer to each of the question. 
Covering more than 70 percent of our planet, oceans are among the earth’s most valuable natural resources. They govern the weather, clean the air, help feed the world, and provide a living for millions. They also are home to most of the life on earth, from microscopic algae to the blue whale, the largest animal on the planet. Yet we’re bombarding them with pollution. By their very nature—with all streams flowing to rivers, all rivers leading to the sea—the oceans are the end point for so much of the pollution we produce on land, however far from the coasts we may be. And from dangerous carbon emissions to choking plastic to leaking oil to constant noise, the types of ocean pollution humans generate are vast. As a result, collectively, our impact on the seas is degrading their health at an alarming rate. Here are some ocean pollution facts that everyone on our blue planet ought to know.
When we burn fossil fuels, we don’t pollute just the air but the oceans, too. Indeed, today’s seas absorb as much as a quarter of all man-made carbon emissions, which changes the pH of surface waters and leads to acidification. This problem is rapidly worsening—oceans are now acidifying faster than they have in some 300 million years. It’s estimated that by the end of this century, if we keep pace with our current emissions practices, the surface waters of the ocean could be nearly 150 percent more acidic than they are now.
The majority of the garbage that enters the ocean each year is plastic—and here to stay. That’s because unlike other trash, the single-use grocery bags, water bottles, drinking straws, and yogurt containers, among eight million metric tons of the plastic items we toss (instead of recycle), won’t biodegrade. Instead, they can persist in the environment for a millennium, polluting our beaches, entangling marine life, and getting ingested by fish and seabirds.
Where does all this debris originate? While some is dumped directly into the seas, an estimated 80 percent of marine litter makes its way there gradually from land-based sources―including those far inland―via storm drains, sewers, and other routes. Oil from boats, airplanes, cars, trucks, and even lawn mowers is also swimming in ocean waters. Chemical discharges from factories, raw sewage overflow from water treatment systems, and storm water and agricultural runoff add other forms of marine-poisoning pollutants to the toxic brew.
The ocean is far from a “silent world.” Sound waves travel farther and faster in the sea’s dark depths than they do in the air, and many marine mammals like whales and dolphins, in addition to fish and other sea creatures, rely on communication by sound to find food, mate, and navigate. But an increasing barrage of human-generated ocean noise pollution is altering the underwater acoustic landscape, harming—and even killing—marine species worldwide.

The word “persist” in paragraph 3 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. 
Astronomers have for the first time definitively ID’d the birth of a specific heavy element during a neutron-star smashup. They found strontium. And it showed up in the wavelengths of light — or spectra — making up this collision’s afterglow.
Scientists had assumed that a collision by two super-dense objects, such as neutron stars, would trigger a chain of nuclear reactions. They’re known as the r-process. In such an environment, the nuclei of atoms could rapidly gobble up neutrons. Afterward, those nuclei would become transformed in a process known as radioactive decay. The r-process was seen as a way to transform old, smaller elements into newer, bigger ones. About half of all elements heavier than iron were thought to be made in the r-process. Finding strontium in the recent collision at last offered the most direct evidence yet that neutron-star collisions really do trigger the r-process.
Physicists had long predicted that silver, gold and many other elements more massive than iron formed this way. But scientists weren’t sure where those r-process reactions took place. After all, no one had directly seen the r-process underway in a celestial event. Or they didn’t until the merger of two neutron stars in 2017. Scientists quickly analyzed light given off by that cataclysm. In it, they found evidence of the birth of a hodgepodge of heavy elements. All would seem to have come from the r-process. 
The researchers were examining mostly very heavy elements — ones whose complex atomic structures can generate millions of spectral features. And all of those features were not yet fully known, Watson points out. This made it extremely difficult to tease apart which elements were present, he says.
Strontium, however, is relatively light compared to other r-process elements. And its simple atomic structure creates a few strong and well-known spectral clues. So Watson and his colleagues expanded their analysis to consider it. In doing so, they turned up the clear "fingerprint" of strontium. It emerged in light collected by the Very Large Telescope in Chile within a few days of the neutron-star collision. Seeing strontium in the afterglow wasn’t all that unexpected, says Brian Metzger. He’s an astrophysicist at Columbia University in New York City and not involved in the new work. Strontium, he notes, “does tell us something interesting” about the elements formed during the neutron-star collision.

The word “hodgepodge” in paragraph 3 can be replaced by _______.

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. 
Do you ever find yourself flustered when you see someone you don't expect? Have you experienced those embarrassing and awkward moments (25) _____ you can't think of something to say? Prepare yourself for the future so you won't be caught off guard. Being prepared can (26) _____ the difference between feeling self-conscious and being confident as you express your delight (27) _____ seeing someone you know.
When you're out and about, there is a good chance you'll encounter someone you know or have met in the past. Although you might be tempted to pretend not (28) _____ or hear the other person if you are in a hurry, it's a good idea to be friendly and at least offer a greeting in return. Not doing so can label you a snob and that will stay with you for a long time.
When you see someone you know, it's a good form to start with a warm smile. If the situation allows, and you don't have your hands full of packages, extend your hand and offer a firm handshake, unless you have a cold. In that case, you can do a fist bump or explain that you might be (29) _____.

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.
               KEEPING FIT
Bodies are  made to move! They are   not (1) ............. for sitting around in front of the television or reading magazines. Keeping fit doesn't mean have to be a super-athlete, and even (2)...exercise can give you a lot of fun. When you are fit and healthy, you will find you look better and feel better. You will develop more energy and self-confidence.
Every time you move, you are exercising. The human body is designed to bend, stretch, run, jump  and climb. (3)........ it does, the stronger and fitter it will become. Best of all, exercise is fun. It's what your body likes doing most-keeping on the move.
Physical exercise is not only good for your body. People who take regular exercise are usually happier, more relaxed and more alert than people who sit around all day. Try an experiment-next time you are in a bad mood, go for a walk or play a ball game in the park. See how much better you feel after an hour.
A good (4)......... of achievement is yet another benefit of exercise. People feel good about themselves when they know they have improved their fitness. People who exercise regularly will tell you that they find they have more energy to enjoy life. So  have (5)....... you'll soon see and feel the benefits.

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

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:
The ability of falling cats to right themselves in midair and land on their feet has been a source of wonder for ages. Biologists long regarded it as an example of adaptation by natural selection, but for physicists it bordered on the miraculous.
Newton's laws of motion assume that the total amount of spin of a body cannot change unless an external torque speeds it up or slows it down. If a cat has no spin when it isreleased and experiences no external torque, it ought not to be able to twist around as it falls.
In the speed of its execution, the righting of a tumbling cat resembles a magician's trick. The gyrations of the cat in midair are too fast for the human eye to follow, so the process is obscured. Either the eye must be speeded up, or the cat's fall slowed down for the phenomenon to be observed. A century ago the former was accomplished by means of high-speed photography using equipment now available in any pharmacy. But in the nineteenth century the capture on film of a falling cat constituted a scientific experiment.
The experiment was described in a paper presented to the Paris Academy in 1894. Two sequences of twenty photographs each, one from the side and one from behind, show a white cat in the act of righting itself. Grainy and quaint though they are, the photos show that the cat was dropped upside down, with no initial spin, and still landed on its feet. Careful analysis of the photos reveals the secret; as the cat rotates the front of its body clockwise, the rear and tail twist counterclockwise, so that the total spin remains zero, in perfect accord with Newton's laws. Halfway down, the cat pulls in its legs before reversing its twist and then extends them again, with the desired end result. The explanation was that while nobody can acquire spin without torque, a flexible one can readily change its orientation, or phase. Cats know this instinctively, but scientists could not be sure how it happened until they increased the speed of their perceptions a thousandfold.

The word “process” in line 10 refers to

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 from 81 to 92.
Together with the festive atmosphere Tet brings to Vietnam every year, the event is also the best time of the year for Vietnamese people to spend time on their (81) life and pay respect to religious institutions. Visiting pagodas on the first days of the year has long been a (82) tradition.
It has been a long-lasted custom of the people in this country each time a New Year arrival to visit pagoda. In Vietnam, the custom is described as "Lễ Chùa" - (83) "lễ" means not only visiting but also showing respects in all sincerity to Buddha and Gods of the pagodas or temples. No matter how busy the Vietnamese are during the hilarious atmosphere of Tet, everyone attempts (84) an incense to wish for best wishes for the New Year like healthiness, happiness and wealth. (85) praying at pagodas and temples is among the best ways to go out and enjoy the spring. Mixing ones' soul with the spiritual spaces, breathing in the aroma of burning incense and flowers and enjoying relaxing glimpse in the garden of the pagodas help demolish all the stresses and worries of the previous year.
(83)..........................

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All living cells in an animal's body require energy to power the various chemical processes going in inside them. This energy is ultimately supplied by the food that animals eat. These chemical processes are collectively referred to as metabolism, and one of the byproducts of metabolism is heat. Metabolic rates vary significantly between species. Warm-blooded animals (birds and mammals) have metabolic rates about five to ten times higher than those of similarly sized cold-blooded ones (reptiles, amphibians, and fishes). And it is precisely because birds and mammals have such high metabolic rates that they are able to keep their bodies warm.
The terms warm-blooded and cold-blooded are still in everyday use, but they are not entirely precise. Anyone who has handled a snake knows this because a snake’s body actually feels quite warm. But very little of the snake’s body heat originates internally, from its cells, most of it having been supplied from the outside, either by the sun or by a heat lamp. Instead of referring to reptiles as cold- blooded, they are best described as ectothermic, meaning “outside heat”. Similarly, birds and mammals are said to be endothermic, meaning “inside heat”.
There are advantages and disadvantages to each thermal strategy. Reptiles are usually sluggish first thing in the morning, their body temperatures having dropped during the cool of the night. Accordingly, they have to bask in the sun to raise their body temperatures, but once they have warmed up sufficiently, they can go about their business. By altering between the sun when they are too cool, and the shade when they are too warm, many reptiles are able to maintain their body temperatures at optimum levels of about 95°F or more. Endotherms, on the other hand, maintain temperatures of about 98°F all the time, so they are always ready for action.
I used to keep a crocodile. He had very sharp teeth, and I had to be careful how I handled him during the daytime, when he was warm. But I could do whatever I wanted at night, when he was cold, without any fear of being bitten. The obvious disadvantage of being ectothermic is that the animal’s activity levels are dependent upon the environment. But its low metabolic rates mean that it requires far less food, which is an advantage. I used to feed the crocodile a tiny piece of liver once a week, while the family cat demanded three meals every day. We should therefore not think that reptiles are inferior to mammals and birds; they are just different.

The word "inferior" in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to     .

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or II to indicate the answer to each of the question. 
     Having a hobby that you enjoy—whether that’s crocheting a sweater for your beastie’s new baby, hitting the slopes to enjoy some fresh powder, or practicing pirouettes in ballet class—has all sorts of well-documented benefits, from lower levels of stress to an increased sense of belonging and purpose. Clearly, hobbies can make a serious impact on your quality of life. But they can also improve your work performance. According to licensed professional counselor Rebecca Weiler, when you’re engaged and fulfilled in your life outside of work like you are when you’re pursuing meaningful hobbies, that happiness spills over. It can make you more focused and enthusiastic when you’re on the job.
     And depending on the hobby, the skills you gain as a result of your leisurely pursuits can also make you better at your job and make you a more appealing candidate for potential employers. “For example, someone who performs in an improvisational group as a hobby could be attractive to an employer because they can think quickly on their feet and may also be more comfortable presenting in front of a group of people,” Weiler says.
    So, having a hobby that you love can do good things for your life and your job. But what if you don’t actually have a hobby you enjoy? You’re not alone. According to Weiler, trying to find meaningful hobbies is one of the primary reasons her clients—especially young people—seek counseling. Clearly, there are plenty of people out there who don’t have, or don’t know how to find, a hobby. But that doesn’t mean they can’t find one. It doesn’t matter if you’re 25 or 85 years old—it’s not too late to hop on board the hobby train! 

According to paragraph 1, what is NOT mentioned as a rewarding hobby by the author?

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The blue whale is the largest animal ever known to  have existed. During the 20th century,  the species was almost exterminated due to commercial whaling. The species has slowly recovered following the global whaling ban but it remains endangered and faces a  number of  serious threats including ship strikes and the impact of climate change.
Blue whales are simply enormous with most ranging in length from 24-30 m. The largest  ever recorded was a gargantuan 33.5 m long. Females are up to 10 m longer than males. And they can weigh up to 200 tonnes. Just to put that in perspective: an adult male African elephant weighs 6 tonnes. The blue whale's heart is the size of a small car and its beat can be detected two miles away. But that's nothing compared to their calls. Blue whales are the loudest animals on earth and their calls are louder than a jet engine: reaching 188 decibels, while a jet's engine hit 'just' 140 decibels. Apart from their gigantic size, blue whales can be identified by their relatively small dorsal fin, a fairly rounded rostrum (anterior part of the skull), and approximately 90 ventral  grooves, which reach the navel. They also have row of 300-400 baleen plates on each side of the mouth, which are black in color and range in length from 50 cm in front to 100 cm in back.
Blue whales mostly travel alone or in groups of 2-3. Larger groups of up to 60 whales have been reported and are probably associated with feeding grounds. However, the blue whale has the most powerful voice in the animal kingdom and its low-frequency sounds can travel in deep water over hundreds, or even thousands, of miles. Under these circumstances, animals which may appear to us to be traveling alone may actually be in constant contact with one another.
At birth, a blue whale calf is the largest baby on earth: approximately 8m long and weighing about 4 tonnes. They grow at a rate of 90 kg per day and wean after 7-8 months, once they have reached about 15 m in length, and are able to follow the normal migration pattern alone. They reach sexual maturity at 5-10 years. This growth rate is astonishing and is probably the fastest in the animal kingdom.  From  conception to weaning, it represents a several billion-fold increase in tissue in just over a year and a half. Like other baleen whales, the blue whale has no teeth so it is hard to tell its age but scientists believe they live until at least 50.
Like other large whales, blue whales are threatened by chemical and sound pollution, habitat loss, overfishing of krill, ship strikes and becoming entangled in fishing gear. Climate change could also have a major impact on its food supply, since global warming and associated ocean acidification may impact krill populations. In addition, frontal zones - critical whale habitats - are projected to move further south due to climate change. Frontal zones are boundaries between different water masses, where water can rise from the depths, bringing with it large amounts of nutrients that stimulate the growth of phytoplankton and support substantial populations of prey species for whales. Blue whales would have to migrate further (perhaps 200-500 km more) to reach and feed at these food-rich areas where they build up reserves to sustain themselves for the rest of the year. These longer migration paths could increase the energy costs  of migration and reduce the duration of the main feeding season. As frontal zones move southward, they also move closer together, reducing the overall area of foraging habitat available.

Which of the following is NOT correct about the blue whale's physical description?

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer for each of the blanks .
In the late 1930s, a group of leading American scientists seeking dinosaur fossils made some noteworthy (1).... . Although one of their expeditions discovered no fossils, it proved nonetheless historic expedition, which took place along the banks of the Paluxy river in Texas, something extraordinary was revealed: a dinosaur track, clearly distinguishable in the rock. These dinosaur footprints (2).....  their preservation to the salts and mud that covered them and then hardened into rock, before coming to light 100 million years later. Tracks like these are (3)... to experts. There have been great gaps in scientists’ understanding of dinosaur behavior, and so such footprints are useful since they  provide  direct  evidence  of  how  dinosaurs  actually  moved.  Scientists  have  used  these  and  (4)......footprints to determine how quickly different species walked, concluding that many kinds of dinosaur must have travelled in (5)..........

(2).....................................

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Although noise, commonly defined as unwanted sound, is a widely recognized form of pollution, it is very difficult to measure because the discomfort experienced by different individuals is highly subjective and, therefore, variable. Exposure to lower levels of noise may be slightly irritating, whereas exposure to higher levels may actually cause hearing loss. Particularly in congested urban areas, the noise produced as a byproduct of our advancing technology causes physical and psychological harm, and detracts from the quality of life for those who are exposed to it.

Unlike the eyes, which can be covered by the eyelids against strong light, the ear has no lid, and is, therefore, always open and vulnerable; noise penetrates without protection. Noise causes effects that the hearer cannot control and to which the body never becomes accustomed. Loud noises instinctively signal danger to any organism with a hearing mechanism, including human beings. In response, heartbeat and respiration accelerate, blood vessels constrict, the skin pales, and muscles tense. In fact, there is a general increase in functioning brought about by the flow of adrenaline released in response to fear, and some of these responses persist even longer than the noise, occasionally as long as thirty minutes after the sound has ceased.

Because noise is unavoidable in a complex, industrial society, we are constantly responding in the same way that we would respond to danger. Recently, researchers have concluded that noise and our response may be much more than an annoyance. It may be a serious threat to physical and psychological health and well-being, causing damage not only to the ear and brain but also to the heart and stomach. We have long known that hearing loss is America‟s number one nonfatal health problem, but now we are learning that some of us with heart disease and ulcers may be victims of noise as well. Fetuses exposed to noise tend to be overactive, they cry easily, and they are more sensitive to gastrointestinal problems after birth. In addition, the psychic effect of noise is very important. Nervousness, irritability, tension, and anxiety increase affecting the quality of rest during sleep, and the efficiency of activities during waking hours, as well as the way that we interact with each other.

The word it in the first paragraph refers to ___.

Choose the best answer:
The expression on your face can actually dramatically alter your feelings and perceptions, and it has been proved that (1) _______ smiling or frowning can create corresponding emotional responses. The idea was first (2) ____ ward by a French physiologist, Israel Waynbaum, in 1906. He believed that different facial (3) ____ affected the flow of blood to the brain, and that this could create positive or negative feelings. A happy smile or irrepressible laughter increased the blood flow and contributed to joyful feelings. But sad, angry expressions decreased the flow of oxygen- carrying blood, and created a vicious (4) ____ of gloom and depression by effectively (5) _______ the brain of essential fuel.

Psychologist Robert Zajonc rediscovered this early research, and (6) ____ that the temperature of the brain could affect the production and synthesis of neurotransmitters which definitely influence our moods and energy levels. He argues that an impaired blood flow could not only deprive the brain of oxygen, but create further chemical imbalance by inhibiting these vital hormonal messages. Zajonc goes on to propose that our brains remember that smiling is associated with being happy, and that by deliberately smiling through your tears you can (7) ____ your brain to release uplifting neurotransmitters – replacing a depressed condition with a happier one. People suffering from psychosomatic illness depression and anxiety states could (8) _____ from simply exercising their zygomatic (9) ____ which pull the corners of the mouth (10) ____ to form a smile, several times an hour.
5. 

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THE RISE OF OLDER CITIES
        Many older cities are having modern makeovers and they are being given a new (1) ______. Sometimes the impetus for this type of change comes from the need to provide new facilities for particular events being held in the city - a sporting event, or something similar. On other occasions the change just seems to take place almost naturally. 
        Take Birmingham, for instance, (2) ________ it was previously an unfashionable place to live, it has now become trendy, and this change has been brought about largely by the new-look architecture that can be found everywhere in the city. The old shopping centre has been knocked down and completely rebuilt, and new shopping malls are (3) ________ to attract shoppers with the high quality of their services and goods. The area located around the canal, once hidden away and surrounded by decaying factories was often used as a rubbish tip, but it has now become a trendy place made up of modern offices, bars, sought-after apartments and restaurants. To (4)_________ up, Birmingham has become the place to be. Even in what was formerly the poorest part of the city an old factory has been converted into a lively complex of studios, galleries and coffee bars. With its theatres, museums and football teams Birmingham is (5) _______ worth visiting and has something for everyone. 

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

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Where one stage of child development has been left out, or not sufficiently experienced, the child may have to go back and capture the experience of it. A good home makes this possible
- for example, by providing the opportunity for the child to play with a clockwork car or toy railway train up to any age if he still needs to do so. This principle, in fact, underlies all psychological treatment of children in difficulties with their development, and is the basic of work in child clinics.
The beginnings of discipline are in the nursery. Even the youngest baby is taught by gradual stages to wait for food, to sleep and wake at regular intervals and so on. If the child feels the world around him is a warm and friendly one, he slowly accepts its rhythm and accustoms himself to conforming to its demands. Learning to wait for things, particularly for food, is a very important element in upbringing, and is achieved successfully only if too great demands are not made before the child can understand them. Every parent watches eagerly the child's acquisition of each new skill: the first spoken words, the first independent steps, or the beginning of reading and writing. It is often tempting to hurry the child beyond his natural learning rate, but this can set up dangerous feelings of failure and states of anxiety in the child. This might happen at any stage. A baby might be forced to use a toilet too early, a young child might be encouraged to learn to read before he knows the meaning of the words he reads. On the other hand, though, if a child is left alone too much, or without any learning opportunities, he loses his natural zest for life and his desire to find out new things for himself.
Learning together is a fruitful source of relationship between children and parents. By playing together, parents learn more about their children and children learn more from their parents. Toys and games which both parents and children can share are an important means of achieving this co-operation. Building-block toys, jigsaw puzzles and crosswords are good examples.
Parents vary greatly in their degree of strictness or indulgence towards their children. Some may be especially strict in money matters; others are severe over times of coming home at night, punctuality for meals or personal cleanliness. In general, the controls imposed represent the needs of the parents and the values of the community as much as the child's own happiness and well-being.
With regard to the development of moral standards in the growing child, consistency is very important in parental teaching. To forbid a thing one day and excuse it the next is no foundation for morality. Also, parents should realize that“Example is better than precept”. If they are hypocritical and do not practice what they preach, their children may grow confused and emotionally insecure when they grow old enough to think for themselves, and realize they have been, to some extent, deceived. A sudden awareness of a marked difference between their parents' ethics and their morals can be a dangerous disillusion.

The encouragement of children to achieve new skills .