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.
Christina and James met in college and have been dating for more than five years. For the  past two years, they have been living together in a  condo  they  purchased jointly. While Christina and James were confident in their decision to enter into a commitment like a  20-year mortgage,  they are unsure if they want to enter into marriage. The couple had many discussions about marriage and decided that it just did not seem necessary. Wasn't it only a piece of  paper? And  didn't half of all marriages end in divorce?
Neither Christina nor James had seen much success with marriage while growing up. Christina was raised by a single mother. Her parents never married, and her father has had little contact with the family since she was a toddler, Christina and her mother lived with her maternal grandmother, who often served as a surrogate parent. James grew up in  a  two-parent household  until age seven, when his parents divorced. He lived with his mother for a  few years, and then    later with his mother and her boyfriend until he left for college. James remained close with his  father who remarried and had a baby with his new wife.
Recently, Christina and James have been thinking about having children and the subject of marriage has resurfaced. Christina likes the idea of her children growing up in a traditional  family; while James is concerned about possible marital problems down the road and negative consequences for the children should that occur. When they shared these concerns with their parents, James's mom was adamant that the couple should get married. Despite having been divorced and having a live-in boyfriend of 15  years, she believes that children are better off when  their parents are married. Christina's mom believes that the couple should do whatever they want but adds that it would "be nice" if they wed. Christina and James's friends told them, married or not married; they would still be a family.

What does the passage mainly discuss?

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:
Facebook users spend an average of more than 15 hours a month on the social networking site. While there are plenty who caution against such intensive use — and there are a number of studies detailing the harm Facebook could potentially cause — there also are lots of reports extolling the site's virtues. As the social media giant prepares for its upcoming initial public offering, here are some ways Facebook just might be good for you.
Spending time on Facebook can help people relax, slow down their heart rate and decrease stress levels, according to researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Milan. In a study published earlier this year, researchers studied 30 students and  found that a natural high was sparked when they were on  the  social media network that led  to  the relaxed heart rates and lower levels of stress and tension. In the study, the students were monitored in three situations: looking at panoramic landscapes, performing complicated mathematical equations and using Facebook. While the first situation was the most relaxing to students and the math problems were the most stressful, the time on Facebook uncovered high levels of attractiveness and arousal. The findings support the researchers' hypothesis that Facebook's success, as well as that of other social media networks, correlates to the specific positive mental and physical state users experience.
While many may argue that social media networks only distract employees, research shows  the opposite may be true. Research from Keas.com found that a 10-minute Facebook break makes employees happier, healthier and more productive. The study examined workers in three groups: one that was allowed no  breaks, one that was allowed to do  anything but use the Internet and one  that was allowed 10 minutes to use the Internet and Facebook. The Facebook group was found to be 16 percent more productive than the group that was not allowed to use the Internet and nearly 40 percent more productive than the group that was allowed no breaks. "Short and unobtrusive breaks, such as a quick surf on the Internet, enables the mind to rest itself, leading to a higher net total concentration for a day's work, and as a result, increased productivity," said Brent Coker of the department of management and marketing at the University of Melbourne in Australia.
Facebook is also in the business of matchmaking. Research shows that nearly 60 percent of singles will friend someone new on Facebook after meeting them in  person. If  they like what they see, 25 percent are likely to contact their new love interest via Facebook. Once the courting is over, nearly 40 percent of those social networking adults will update their relationship status on Facebook, with just 24 percent telling their friends first. Facebook use between couples will continue through the dating process, the research shows. Throughout the day, 79 percent of  couples  said they send partners Facebook messages or chat on the social network. In addition, more than 60 percent would post romantic messages on their significant other's Facebook wall. When the relationship ends, more than half of those surveyed immediately update their status to single, which automatically sends out a notification to their friend list to start the dating cycle over again.

The word "sparked" in the second paragraph probably means    _.

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:
Why are there so many grandmothers and so few grandfathers? In other words, why do men die younger than women? Is this because men are afraid of getting old and helpless and so they prefer to die before that happens? Perhaps they fear to be left alone by their women and so decide to do the leaving first.
Many explanations are given for the fact that men die earlier than women. Men are stronger physically, yet women can hang on longer to life. Both men and women are emotional creatures but women are not afraid or ashamed to cry while men refuse to do so. They are afraid of being thought "soft". Some men, when they are upset, play loud music or dig in the garden to relieve their feelings. Many men like an orderly life so that they bury themselves in their work or want a wife with some children or long to take part in wars where there is a definite chain of command. There is a leader to give orders and a known enemy to fight against and defeat. All these make men feel they live in a rational world.
So the majority of men like a rational world. Rationality is fine but it does not include everything that makes life joyful and fun or even messy and frustrating. When a man refuses to cry he is refusing to accept that his emotions are part of him. Of course some men do not follow this pattern. Bob Hawke is capable of crying in public whereas Margaret Thatcher is probably incapable of crying at any time.
We need to cry because that shows our ability to suffer. If we do not suffer we are not really alive at all. Suffering can be creative or destructive. If we can all learn to cry and laugh and shout and dance openly, we are living creatively and adding something to the human race. We often say men suffer more from stress and therefore they die earlier. Are we not saying in another way that they do not know how to suffer in the right way – with tears and laughter instead of silence – and so they are miserable and just give up? That is just my theory of course. Have you a better one?

What is found the same for both men and women?

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:
Most desert animals will drink water if confronted with it, but many of them never have any opportunity. All living things must have water, or they will expire. The herbivores find it in desert plants.
The carnivores slake their thirst with the flesh and blood of living prey. One of the most remarkable adjustments, however, has been made by the tiny kangaroo rat, who not only lives without drinking but subsists on a diet of dry seeds containing about 5% free water. Like other animals, he has the ability to manufacture water in his body by a metabolic conversion of carbohydrates. But he is notable for the parsimony with which he conserves his small supply by every possible means, expending only  minuscule amounts in his excreta and through evaporation from his respiratory tract.
Investigation into how the kangaroo rat can live without drinking water has involved various experiments with these small animals. Could kangaroo rats somehow store water in their bodies and slowly utilize these resources in the long periods when no free water is available from dew or rain? The simplest way to settle this question was to determine the total water content in the animals to see if it decreases as they are kept for long periods on a dry diet. If they slowly use up their water, the body should become increasingly dehydrated, and if they begin with a store of water, this should be evident from an initial high water content. Results of such experiments with kangaroo rats on dry diets for more than 7 weeks showed that the rats maintained their body weight. There was no trend toward a decrease in water content during the long period of water deprivation. When the kangaroo rats were given free access to water, they did not drink water. They did nibble on small pieces of watermelon, but this did not change appreciably the water itent in their bodies, which remained at 66.3 % to 67.2 % during this period. This is very close to the water content of dry-fed animals (66.5 %), and the availability of free water, therefore, did not lead to any “storage” that could be meaningful as a water reserve. This makes it reasonable to conclude that physiological storage of water is not a factor in the kangaroo rat’s ability to live on dry food.

The word “expire” 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 word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks
We can (29)............ other people in many different ways. We can talk and write, and we can send messages with our hands and faces. There is also the phone (including the mobile!), the fax, and e-mail. Television, film, painting, and photography can also communicate ideas.
Animals have ways of exchanging information, too. Bees dance and tell other bees where (30)................. food. Elephants make sounds that humans can’t hear. Whales sing songs. Monkeys use their faces to show anger and love. But this is nothing (31)............._ to what people can do. We have language - about 6,000 languages, in fact. We can write poetry, tell jokes, make promises, explain, persuade, tell the truth, or tell lies. And we have a sense of past and future, not just present.
Radio, film, and television (32)......... a huge influence on society in the last hundred years. And now we have the Internet, which is infinite. But what is this doing to this? We can give and get a lot of information very quickly. But there is (33)........... information that it is difficult to know what is important and what isn’t. Modem media is changing our world every minute of every day.
(33)..................

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions:
In the North American colonies, red ware, a simple pottery fired at low temperatures, and stone ware, a strong, impervious grey pottery fired at high temperatures, were produced from two different native clays. These kinds of pottery were produced to supplement imported European pottery. When the American Revolution (1775-1783) interrupted the flow of the superior European ware, there was incentive for American potters to replace the imports with comparable domestic goods. Stoneware, which had been simple utilitarian kitchenware, grew increasingly ornate throughout the nineteenth century, and in addition to the earlier scratched and drawn designs, threedimensional molded relief decoration became popular. Representational motifs largely replaced the earlier abstract decorations. Birds and flowers were particularly evident, but other subjects---lions, flags, and clipper ships---are found. Some figurines, mainly of dogs and lions, were made in this medium. Sometimes a name, usually that of the potter, was die-stamped onto a piece.
As more and more large kilns were built to create the high-fired stoneware, experiments revealed that the same clay used to produce low-fired red ware could produce a stronger, paler pottery if fired at a hotter temperature. The result was yellow ware, used largely for serviceable items; but a further development was Rockingham ware---one of the most important American ceramics of the nineteenth century. (The name of the ware was probably derived from its resemblance to English brown-glazed earthenware made in South Yorkshire.) It was created by adding a brown glaze to the fired clay, usually giving the finished product a mottled appearance. Various methods of spattering or sponging the glaze onto the ware account for the extremely wide variations in color and add to the interest of collecting Rockingham. An advanced form of Rockingham was flint enamel, created by dusting metallic powders onto the Rockingham glaze to produce brilliant varicolored streaks.
Articles for nearly every household activity and ornament could be bought in Rockingham ware: dishes and bowls, of course; also bedpans, foot warmers, cuspidors, lamp bases, doorknobs, molds, picture frames, even curtain tiebacks. All these items are highly collectible today and are eagerly sought. A few Rockingham specialties command particular affection among collectors and correspondingly high prices.

The word “It” in paragraph 2 refers 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:
The concept of obtaining fresh water from iceberg that is towed to populated areas and arid regions of the world was once treated as a joke more appropriate to cartoons than real life. But now it is being considered quite seriously by many nations, especially since scientists have warned that the human race will outgrow its fresh water supply faster than it runs out of food. Glaciers are a possible source of fresh water that has been overlooked until recently. (A)
Three-quarters of the Earth's fresh water supply is still tied up in glacial ice, a reservoir of untapped fresh water so immense that it could sustain all the rivers of the world for 1,000 years. Floating on the oceans every year are 7,659 trillion metric tons of ice encased in 10,000 icebergs that break away from the polar ice caps, more than ninety percent of them from Antarctica. (B)
Huge glaciers that stretch over the shallow continental shelf give birth to icebergs throughout the year. Icebergs are not like sea ice, which is formed when the sea itself freezes; rather, they are formed entirely on land, breaking off when glaciers spread over the sea. As they drift away from the polar region, icebergs sometimes move mysteriously in a direction opposite to the wind, pulled by subsurface  currents. Because they melt more slowly than smaller pieces of ice, icebergs have been known to drift as far north as 35 degrees south of the equator in the Atlantic Ocean. (C)
The difficulty arises in other technical matters, such as the prevention of rapid melting in warmer climates and the funneling of fresh water to shore in great volume. But even if the icebergs lost half of their volume in towing, the water they could provide would be far cheaper than that produced by desalination, or removing salt from water. (D)

Which is the best place where the following sentence will most properly fit?

“To corral them and steer them to parts of the world where they are needed would not be too difficult.”

Please note that an advertisement will be placed in this Wednesday’s newspaper regarding a new position at the Central  City  Museum. After the---143--- of Bloom Outside the Box, our recent exhibition showcasing the artwork of local sculptor Leanne Bloom, the museum board has decided to allocate a new position dedicated to creating new quarterly exhibitions. The position title is Special Exhibitions    Curator. The successful applicant---144--- work on January 2.---145---. Proven knowledge of local and regional artists is preferred. ---146--- museum staff are encouraged to apply. Please contact Liliana Wells at extension 449 with questions.

145..................

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:
Generally, in order to be preserved in the fossil record, organisms must possess hard body parts such as shells or bones. Soft, fleshy structures are quickly destroyed by predators or decayed by bacteria. Even hard parts left on the surface for any length of time will be destroyed, therefore, organisms must be buried rapidly to escape destruction by the elements and to be protected against agents of weathering and erosion. Marine organisms thus are better candidates for fossilization than those living on the land because the ocean is typical the site of sedimentation, whereas the land is largely the site of erosion. The beds of ancient lakes were also excellent sites for rapid burial of skeletal remains of freshwater organisms and skeletons of other animals, including those of early humans, Ancient swaps were  particularly plentiful with prolific growths of vegetation, which fossilized in abundance. Many animals became trapped in bogs overgrown by vegetation. The environment of the swaps kept bacterial decay to a minimum, which greatly aided in the preservation of plants and animals. The rapidly accumulating sediments in flood plains, deltas, and stream channels buried freshwater organisms, along with other plants and animals that happened to fall into the water.
Only a small traction of all the organisms that have ever lived are preserved as fossils. Normally, the remains of a plant or animal are completely destroyed through predation and decay. Although it seems that fossilization is common for some organisms, for others it is almost impossible. For the most part of, the remains of organisms are recycled in the earth, which is fortunate because otherwise soil and water would soon became depleted of essential nutrients. Also, most of the fossils exposed on Earth’s surface are destroyed by weathering processes. This make for an incomplete fossil record with poor or no representation of certain species. The best fossils are those composed of that form the vast majority of
unaltered fossils. Calcite and aragonite also contributed to a substantial number of fossils of certain organisms.

The fact that the “land is largely the site of erosion” is significant because     

TAYLORSVILLE (October 4) – Mayor Bo Crandell of the town of Taylorsville announced plans for a bicycle-share program this week. Past efforts to encourage the use of bicycles for transportation failed because there were no convenient areas to park bicycles downtown. Additionally, cyclists ---139--- to share narrow streets with cars and trucks, raising safety concerns.

With the new bicycle-share initiative, bicycle stations will be placed ---140--- at eight locations around Taylorsville. One important purpose of the initiative is to ease the limited vehicle parking in the downtown area. “---141---, I want to encourage local residents to spend more time outdoors and enjoy our beautiful town,” added the mayor at the end of his remarks. ---142---.

140.......................

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:
Translators and interpreters for tech jobs of the future are expected to be one of the fastest growing occupations in the nation, according to a just released survey by Vietnamworks. Almost all positions for programmers, application developers, database and network administrators, engineers, designers, architects, scientists, technicians, and tech support will require bilingual or multilingual fluency. In just the last two years the demand for tech professionals with foreign language skills has increased more than two and one-half fold, said the survey, and the uptick shows no signs of abating anytime soon. Roughly 400,000 jobs are expected to open for interpreters (who focus on spoken language) and translators (who focus on written language) in the tech segment, between 2017 and 2020, says Tran Anh Tuan. Tuan, who works for the Centre for Forecasting Manpower Needs and Labour Market Information in Ho Chi Minh City doesn't include other industries in his prediction,
which are also recruiting ferociously for more people with these same language skills.
While that claim might seem a bit overblown (and amounts to little more than a guess by Tuan), it is clear that innovative technologies like robotics, 3D printing, drones, artificial intelligence   and virtual reality will create major upheavals in all sorts of labor markets, not just technology over     the next few years. In the last month alone, most every job posted on employment websites throughout Vietnam included the word bilingual. Far higher salaries go to people who work in high    tech positions and can speak a foreign language such as English in addition to Vietnamese, says Tran Quang Anh from the Posts and Telecommunications Institute of Technology.
Unfortunately, the surveys show that most graduating Vietnamese students are unable to do more than understand a few basic phrases of foreign languages, and practically none of them  can speak any foreign language coherently, The good paying jobs with high salaries and benefits are only available to translators and interpreters who specialize in high tech jobs, says Anh. But it's    not just English— graduates are needed with fluency in middle eastern languages like  Arabic, Farsi and Pashto (Afghani) as well as German, Japanese and Korean to name just a few. Spanish is  also in high demand in Vietnam, primarily because it is the second most common language in the US after English.
A recent tech expo in Hanoi sponsored by Vietnamworks and the Navigos Group attracted nearly 4,000 young tech graduates and recruiters from 14 leading companies looking to fill job  vacancies with skilled bilingual workers. The job applicants were young and industrious, said the recruiters. However, missing were candidates with the requisite language skills and most lacked  basic 'soft skills' such as written and verbal communication abilities to effectively communicate  even in their native Vietnamese language.
Notably, the recruiters said they considered language abilities and soft skills just as, if not more important, than academic ability. Yet virtually all the prospective academically qualified employees lacked even the most basic of interpersonal communication abilities.

What can be inferred from the passage?

Garden Shade creates tree landscapes and hedges to suit every garden, no matter the size. Our designs have ---131--- small urban gardens as well as large-scale projects commissioned by architects and property developers. ---132---. However, no single nursery can offer trees of all species and sizes. That is why Garden Shade has developed close relationships with many specialist growers
---133--- to provide us with the trees we need. Such resources give us the variety necessary to complete any ---134---. In other words, whatever your landscape design dream, we can make it happen.

132......................

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.
Christina and James met in college and have been dating for more than five years. For the  past two years, they have been living together in a  condo  they  purchased jointly. While Christina and James were confident in their decision to enter into a commitment like a  20-year mortgage,  they are unsure if they want to enter into marriage. The couple had many discussions about marriage and decided that it just did not seem necessary. Wasn't it only a piece of  paper? And  didn't half of all marriages end in divorce?
Neither Christina nor James had seen much success with marriage while growing up. Christina was raised by a single mother. Her parents never married, and her father has had little contact with the family since she was a toddler, Christina and her mother lived with her maternal grandmother, who often served as a surrogate parent. James grew up in  a  two-parent household  until age seven, when his parents divorced. He lived with his mother for a  few years, and then    later with his mother and her boyfriend until he left for college. James remained close with his  father who remarried and had a baby with his new wife.
Recently, Christina and James have been thinking about having children and the subject of marriage has resurfaced. Christina likes the idea of her children growing up in a traditional  family; while James is concerned about possible marital problems down the road and negative consequences for the children should that occur. When they shared these concerns with their parents, James's mom was adamant that the couple should get married. Despite having been divorced and having a live-in boyfriend of 15  years, she believes that children are better off when  their parents are married. Christina's mom believes that the couple should do whatever they want but adds that it would "be nice" if they wed. Christina and James's friends told them, married or not married; they would still be a family.

According to the paragraph 2, which of the following statements is TRUE?

For the last three years we have charged the same wholesale prices for our baked goods, including cakes, pies, cookies, and brownies. We regret that sharply rising prices for our raw ingredients, such as sugar and fruit, have forced us to raise our prices by 5 percent ---135--- August 1. We have made every attempt to avoid this price increase. ---136---, we refuse to compromise on the quality of our products. Using the best ingredients available will allow us to provide the delicious desserts your restaurant guests have come to expect. -------137---.We appreciate your ---138--- and look forward to continuing to serve you.

135................

On behalf of the Australia Wildlife Park Association, thank you for your donation of 40 AUD to our national park.---143---.  Individual
contributions have helped it stay open to visitors for more than 50 years. Our goal is to keep the park system running effectively for future ---144----to enjoy.
Enclosed please find a copy of our brochure, which lists various programs ---145--- to benefit both park visitors and our wildlife habitats. Please consider---146--- one of these programs in the future. The money would be used wisely and would be deeply appreciated.

143..............

Choose the item (A, B, C or D) that best completes each of the following sentences. 
In 1988, for the first time in British history, a National Curriculum was introduced. The National Curriculum tells pupils which subjects they have to study, what they must learn and when they have to take assessment tests. [assessment: đánh giá] 
Between the ages of 14 and 16, pupils study for their GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) exams. Pupils must take English Language, Maths and Science for GCSE, as well as a half GCSE in a foreign language and Technology. addition, they must also be taught Physical Education, Religious Education and Sex Education, although they do not take exams in these subjects. 
At the age of 16, pupils can leave school. If pupils stay on, they usually take A (Advanced) levels, AS (Advanced Supplementary) level or GNVQs (Greater National Vocational Qualifications). It is quite common to combine, for example, two A levels with one AS level, or one A level with one GNVQ. 
Pupils taking A levels study traditional subjects, such as French, Physics or History. To go to university, pupils usually need two or three A levels. 
AS levels are the same standard as A levels, but only half of the content: AS level German. Pupils take the A-level German language exam, but do not take the A-level German Literature exam. 
GNVQs are vocational qualifications. Pupils usually take on GNVQ in subjects such as Business, Leisure and Tourism, Manufacturing, and Art and Design. One GVNQ (at advanced level) is equal to two A levels.

Pupils need_________A levels to continue to study at university. 

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to in the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks
Singapore  has  a  highly  developed  market-based  economy,  (6)...... historically revolves around extended trade. Along with Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan, Singapore is one (7)......... The Four Asian Tigers. The economy depends heavily on exports , refining, imported  goods,  especially  in  manufacturing.  Manufacturing  constituted  26  (8)...... of Singapore's GDP in 2005. The manufacturing industry is well-diversified into electronics, petroleum refining, chemicals, (9).......... engineering and biomedical sciences manufacturing. In 2006. Singapore produced about 10 percent of the world’s foundry water output. Singapore is the busiest port in the world in terms of tonnage shipped. Singapore is the world's fourth largest foreign exchange trading centre after London, New York City (10)................ Tokyo.

(8)..............................

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

"The Internet was born (1) _________scientists attempted to connect the American Defence Network to other satellite networks in (2) _________to exchange information. Soon, scientific and educational institutions as well as research departments became interested (3) _________ linking up, and, before long, the Internet had expanded into an international information and communication network.

The Internet now (4) _________ all the countries in the world. You can be connected to the Internet directly through your own computer or you can hook up to (5) _________ access system which allows you to use some of the Internet’s services."

4. The Internet now (4) _________ all the countries in the world.

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.
Throughout history, women have had responsiblity for healing the sick. However, it is only in ccomparative recent times that they have been allowed to train as doctors at medical schools in Britain. Yet in that short time, they have (61)....... an enormous contribution to modern medicine.
The first female doctors were nuns (62)........._ gave advice about diseases and (63)......... and prepared medicnes. In ancient Rome, women healers were considered skillful and respected. In Britain, for centuries, male doctors were suspicious of women who pratised medicine (64) ..........and in 1512 a law was passed making it illegal for them to do so. Women coulnd’t study medicine at universities (65).......... the 19th century and they only began to gain equality with male doctors in the 20th century.
(63)...........................

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

The General Certificate of Secondary Education or the GCSE examinations for (26) _____ are the standard school-leaver qualifications taken by (27) _____ all UK students in the May and June following their 16th birthday. If you come to a UK (28) _____ school before you (29) _____ the age of 16, you will study towards GCSE examinations in up to 12 subjects. Some subjects are compulsory, including English arid mathematics, and you can select (30) _____, such as music, drama, geography and history from a series of options. GCSEs provide a good all-round education (31) _____ you can build on at college and eventually at university. AS- and A-levels are taken after GCSEs. They are the UK qualifications most (32) _____ accepted for entry to university and are available in subjects from the humanities, arts, sciences and social sciences as well as in (33) _____ subjects such as engineering, and leisure and tourism. You can study up to four subjects at (34) _____ same time for two years, (35) _____ AS-level examinations at the end of your first year (called the lower-sixth) and A-level qualifications at the end of your second year (called the upper-sixth).

(26) _____

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:
Life expectancy is the period of time that a person can expect to live. Life expectancy varies greatly between genders and cultures. It used to be that women had a lower life expectancy than men (1 in every 4 women died in childbirth), but now they live an average of four to five years longer than men. Life expectancy has been increasing rapidly over the last centuries. With the advent of such modern miracles as sewers, medicine and a greater understanding of how diseases are spread, our life expectancy has increased by 25-30 years.
In developing countries like Swaziland, where there is a high HIV/ AIDS rate, life expectancy is as low as 32.6 years. In developed countries like Australia, life expectancy rates are as high as 81 years. There are an increasing number of factors which can cancel out the disadvantages you have. The one that we are looking at now is how your career can affect your life expectancy. Choosing the wrong career can result in a shorter life!
If you want your career to positively influence your life expectancy, you have to be made of money. That's right. Rich people in wealthy areas of England and France live 10 years longer than the people in poorer areas. Having a successful career has its drawbacks, too if the result of hard work is stress.
Stress can lead to a number of psychological disorders such as depression, anxiety, fatigue, tension and aggression. These conditions may result in a lack of concentration and an increase in serious injuries at work. They can also lead to high blood pressure and heart attacks which seriously affect life expectancy.
If you are worried that your job might decrease your life expectancy, you probably need to avoid careers on "dangerous jobs" list such as timber cutters, pilots, construction workers, roofer, truck drivers.
So if you don't want to kick the bucket at an early age, choose a career in something other than timber cutting, but above all, remember to relax.

The passage mainly discusses         .