Read the passage below carefully, and then choose the best answer:
Space Debris
Once something is considered rubbish, we want to throw it away and forget about it. Yet if we are not careful about where we store it, our garbage could come back to haunt us. On the Earth, poorly discarded garbage can cause land, water, and air pollution. And now, people are starting to learn that space debris can also cause a host of different problems. Space debris is defined as a collection of objects that orbit the Earth. Space debris can be classified into two categories. One is man-made rubbish, such as old satellites, rockets, and other machinery left in space after past missions. The other is natural objects, such as meteors that are traveling through space. If you think the man-made garbage doesn’t amount to much, guess again. Researchers estimate that there are over 20,000 pieces of large debris floating around in space and approximately 300,000 smaller pieces in orbit as well. Traveling at speeds of up to 17,500 miles per hour, these objects create a great degree of danger for any spaceships when they leave or return to the Earth. We are lucky to some degree that there haven’t been too many accidents caused by space debris as of yet. Still some incidents have occurred. In 1996, a French satellite was damaged after it crashed into debris from an old French rocket. Then in 2009, an old Russian satellite collided with a working US satellite. The end result was an additional 2,000 pieces of space junk that was added to the junk pile. As the current situation can only worsen, it is now up to the international community to cooperate and create a plan to deal with space debris. For starters, several nations have pledged to take more care with the items they discard in space to cut down on future debris. Researchers are working on devising a way to label space junk, so it can be avoided. Others have proposed more creative techniques to recapture the garbage and discard it on the Earth, or destroy it with lasers. The nightmare scenario that everyone fears is if the Kessler Syndrome starts to occur. This is when the density of garbage becomes so high that it sets off a chain reaction of collisions which would raise the probability of accidents even further. Although there is not a long-term solution in place for space debris, nations are starting to understand the seriousness of this problem.
5. What are scientists most worried about with space debris?

Choose the best answer:
My father was disappointed __________ my school result.

Please be advised it is time for the IT department to ---131---mandatory server maintenance and updates.---132---. There will be no Internet service in the building from 7:00 P.M. Wednesday, March 12, until 9:00 A.M. Thursday, March 13. In addition, please note there will be no remote access available. Therefore, you will not be able to log in to the server from outside the office. ---133--- this regularly scheduled maintenance, you will not have access to your e-mail, calendar, or contacts. Employees should plan accordingly. We ---134--- any inconvenience this may cause.

131..................

Read the following passage and choose the best answer (A, B, C, D):
There are three valid arguments to support the preservation of endangered species. Aesthetic justification contends that biodiversity contributes to the quality of life because many of the endangered plants and animals are particularly appreciated for their unique physical beauty. The aesthetic role of nature in all its diverse forms is reflected in the art and literature of every culture attaining symbolic status in the spiritual life of many groups. According to the proponents of the aesthetic argument, people need nature in all its diverse and beautiful forms as part of the experience of the world. Another argument that has been put forward, especially by groups in the medical and pharmacological fields, is that of ecological self-interest. By preserving all species, we retain a balance of nature that is ultimately beneficial to humankind. Recent research on global ecosystems has been cited as evidence that every species contributes important or even essential functions that may be necessary to the survival of our own species. Some advocates of the ecological argument contend that important chemical compounds derived from rare plants may contain the key to a cure for one of the diseases currently threatening human beings. If we do not protect other species, then they cannot protect us. Apart from human advantage in both the aesthetic and ecological arguments, the proponents of a moral justification contend that all species have the right to exist, a viewpoint stated in the United Nations World Charter for Nature, created in 1982. Furthermore, if humankind views itself as the stewards of all the creatures on Earth, then it is incumbent upon human beings to protect them, and to ensure the continued existence of all species. Moral justification has been extended by a movement called “deep ecology,” the members of which rank the biosphere higher than people because the continuation of life depends on this larger perspective. To carry their argument to its logical conclusion, all choices must be made for the biosphere, not for people.
5. The author mentions all the following as justifications for the protection of endangered species EXCEPT .

Read the passage below carefully, and then choose the best answer:
The Film and the Novel: Twilight
When a popular book gets made into a movie, there will always be a debate about whether the novel or film is better. The filmmakers always have to consider certain things: do they want to follow the book closely to please dedicated readers, or do they want to change parts of the book if they don’t translate well on-screen? No matter what they do, there will always be people who feel the movie will never be as good as the book, people who will love the movie without ever reading the book, and people who enjoy both. The vampire series Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer, became so popular that movie companies wanted to produce it for the big screen. Most Twilight fans were excited about seeing characters such as Edward and Bella “come to life,” but there were other fans who did not trust the movie script. They assumed the scriptwriters would change parts of the story to make it seem more interesting as a movie. By the time the first Twilight movie was released, millions of people had read the series. Many of these people went on to watch the film, which made $35.7 million just on its opening day. While many fans and critics liked it and said the movie more or less followed the book’s storyline, some fans were not impressed. One change that angered them was that certain sound effects were added to the movie, such as a “whooshing” sound when the vampires jumped. This was not mentioned in the book, and many fans felt that it was too distracting. Those who liked the movie said that they enjoyed the light mood and excitement. This was very different from the book. The writing in Twilight is dark and gloomy, like many vampire novels. The movie, however, added more energy to the story and more personality to the characters. For example, many characters in the book are portrayed as being quiet, and they spend most of their time at school. But in the movie, the characters are cooler and funnier – one scene even shows them going surfing together. The director of the first movie, Catherine Hardwicke, thought it was important for the characters to be believable. She wanted them to have a wide variety of emotions, since the series is for, and about, teenagers. In the end, the films were considered a success, even if there were both happy and unhappy fans. It’s a great accomplishment to make films that are watched by millions of people, and you can’t expect to be able to please everyone all of the time.
8. What best describes this passage?

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Are you planning to go _______ Paul's job at the resort when he leaves?

Read the following passage and choose the best answer (A, B, C, D):
Any change in one part of an ecosystem can cause changes in other parts. Droughts, storms and fires can change ecosystems. Some changes (1) _______ ecosystems. If there is too (2)_____ rainfall, plants will not have enough water to live. If a kind of plant dies off, the animals that feed on it may also die or move away. Some changes are good for ecosystems. Some pine forests need fires for he pine trees to reproduce. The seeds are sealed inside pinecones. Heat from a forest fire melts the seal and lets the seeds (3) _______. Polluting the air, soil, and water can harm ecosystems. Building (4) _______ on rivers for electric power and irrigation can harm ecosystems around the rivers. Bulldozing wetlands and cutting down forests destroy ecosystems. Ecologists are working with companies and governments to find better ways of (5) _______ fish, cutting down trees, and building dams. They are looking for ways to get food, lumber, and other products for people without causing harm to ecosystems

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

"Men are lazy in the home, according to an official survey (1)……… today. They have about six hours a week more free time than wives, but play very little(2)…… in cooking, cleaning, washing, and ironing, according to the Social Trends Survey by the Central (3)…… Office.
 Nearly three quarters of married women (4)…… to do all or most of the housework, and among married men the proportion who admitted that their wives did all or most of the housework was only slightly lower.
 The survey (5)…… that washing and ironing was the least popular task among men, with only one percent (6)…… this duty, compared with 89 percent of women, and 10 percent sharing equally.
 Only 5 percent of men (7)….. the evening meal, 3 percent carry out household cleaning duties, 5 percent household shopping, and 17 percent wash the evening dishes. But when household gadgets break down, (8)……  are carried out by 82 percent of husbands.
 The survey says that, despite our economic problems, the majority of Britons are substantially better (9)….. than a decade ago. We’re healthier, too - eating healthier foods and smoking less.
 The (10)…..  Briton, not surprisingly, is more widely travelled than a decade ago. More people are going abroad for holidays, with Spain the favorite destination."

7. Only 5 percent of men (7)….. the evening meal, 3 percent carry out household cleaning duties, 5 percent household shopping, and 17 percent wash the evening dishes.

Choose the best answer:
He told me ___________ my best to study English.

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:
Overpopulation, the situation of having large numbers of people with too few resources and too little space, is closely associated with poverty. It can result from high population density, or from low amounts of resources, or from both. Excessively high population densities put stress on available resources. Only a certain number of people can be supported on a given area of land, and that number depends on how much food and other resources the land can provide. In countries where people live primarily by means of simple farming, gardening, herding, hunting, and gathering, even large areas of land can support only small numbers of people because these labor-intensive subsistence activities produce only small amounts of food.
In developed countries such as the United States, Japan, and the countries of Western Europe, overpopulation generally is not considered a major caus of poverty. These countries produce large quantities of food through mechanized farming, which depends on commercial fertilizers, large-scale irrigation, and agricultural machinery. This form of production provides enough food to support the high densities of people in metropolitan areas.
A country’s level of poverty can depend greatly on its mix of population density and agricultural productivity. Bangladesh, for example, has one of the world’s highest population densities, with 1, 147 persons per sq km. A large majority of the people of Bangladesh engage in low – productivity manual farming, which contributes to the country’s extremely high level of poverty. Some of the smalleer countries in Western Europe, such as the Netherlands and Belgium, have high population densities as well. These countries practice mechanized farming and are involved in high-tech industries, however, and there fore have high standards of living.
At the other end of the spectrum, many countries in sub-Saharan Africa have population densities of less than 30 persons per sq km. Many people in these countries practice manual subsistence farming; these countries also have infertile land, and lack the economic resources and technology to boost productivity. As a consequence, these nations are very poor. The United States has both relatively low population density and high agricultural productivity; it is one of the world’s wealthiest nations.
High birth rates contribute to overpopulation in many developing countries. Children are assets to many poor families because they provide labor, usually for farming. Cultural norms in traditionally rural societies commonly sanction the value of large families. Also, the governments of developing countries often provide little or no support, financial or political, for family planning; even people who wish to keep their families small have difficulty doing so. For all these reasons, developing countries tend to have high rates of population growth.
(From “Poverty” by Thomas J. Corbett)

Which of the following is given a definition in paragraoh 1?

Read the reading below carefully, and then complete it with the best option A, B, C or D given below:
To: Staff, Research and Development Dept. From: Jasmine Sparks, Manager
Date: October 20
Re: David Yang’s farewell party
I’m sure everyone in the department knows that David Yang will be leaving the company to work for Meyers and Goldman by now. A farewell party (1)------- for David from 5:30 to 8:30 P.M. on Friday, October 31, in the main conference room. I would like to ask each of you to contribute a small sum of money for a present that the department will purchase for David in appreciation for the excellent work he has done (2)------- the years. I have asked my secretary, Claudette, to receive your donations, so please drop by her desk before the end of next week. It is my hope that you will be able to join the entire department in honoring David’s ten years with the company. Please get in touch with Claudette by 5 P.M. on Monday, October 27 to let us know (3)------- you will be attending the commemoration

___ Peter gets here, we will congratulate him.

(508)_______

The plan’s highest priority was to develop _____ agriculture.

(296)____

Choose the letter A, B, C or D to complete the sentences with given words:
 In 1778, he went/ London/ study/ Benjamin West/ for/ four years.

Read the passage below carefully, and then choose the best answer:
Microwave Magic
The 20th century was a time in which many great inventions were created. Things like the automobile, computers, and the Internet truly changed the way we live forever. Yet, one handy invention that has made eating at home far more convenient is often overlooked. The invention of microwave allowed even the worst cooks in the world to prepare a meal in essentially no time at all. What is really fascinating about microwave ovens is that they were invented by accident. During World War II, British scientists discovered a device called a magnetron that can produce microwaves. They hoped it would help them quickly identify German planes that were intent on bombing their nation. However, it would be an American scientist named Percy Spencer who linked microwaves with cooking food. One day, Spencer brought a candy bar with him to work, and he stored it in his shirt pocket. While walking through a radar set, he noticed that the radar had somehow melted his treat. Afterwards, Spencer and his coworkers started to experiment with heating other things. They tried heating some popcorn kernels and it worked like a charm. Next, they tried to cook an egg with microwaves, but it literally blew up in their face. In 1945, the company that Spencer worked for, Raytheon, filed a patent for the technology and started working on ways to make microwave ovens more efficient. The first commercial microwave ovens hit the market, and an industry was born. In the first few years, things didn’t appear too promising. Early microwaves were quite expensive and they were big and chunky, so it was difficult to fit them in most kitchens. Yet, people did see the benefit an ease of being able to cook foods so quickly. Therefore, once manufacturers were able to shrink the device and bring down the price a bit, sales started to skyrocket. By 1986, approximately 25 percent of Americans had a microwave oven in their kitchen. Through the years, many people have questioned the safety and potential negative health effects of microwaves, fearing that the technology was a little too good to be true. Yet, some studies have shown that microwaving food actually helps it to retain more nutrients because of the short cooking times and minimal water required. However, it is essential to use microwave containers to avoid harmful chemicals from possibly leaking into your food. Microwave dishes may never be seen as gourmet cooking, but when you are in a hurry, nothing beats this method of cooking.
1. What is the main point of the first paragraph?

Choose the best answer:
Take the food _________ on the table.

Welcome to the Source Work jobs network, the leading online career matching service. Your e-mail address, work experience, and preferences---135--- in our database. This information will be used to identify employers who are seeking job candidates just like---136---. In the future, you will receive periodic notifications about open positions in your area.---137---. Therefore, we will not share your name or address with anyone. At any point, you can select the link at the bottom of any e-mail you receive from us to unsubscribe or change your e-mail preferences. Thank you for ---138---. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact us.

138..................

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Mrs. Smith/ travel to work/ motorbike/ every day.

Choose the best answer:
What ___ you do last night?

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.
Together, the thousands of scientists and conservation organizations that contribute to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List and other systems of assessment provide the world's largest knowledge base on the global status of species. The aim of these systems is to provide the general public, conservationists, nongovernmental organizations, the media, decision makers, and policy makers with comprehensive and scientifically rigorous information on the conservation status of the world's species and the threats that drive the observed patterns of population decline. Scientists in conservation and protected area management agencies use data on species status in the development of conservation planning and prioritization, the identification of important sites and species for dedicated conservation action and recovery planning, and educational programs. Although the IUCN Red List and other similar species-assessment tools do not prescribe the action to be taken, the data within the list are often used to inform legislation and policy and to determine conservation priorities at regional, national, and international levels. In contrast, the listing criteria of other categorization systems (such as the United States Endangered Species Act, the CITES) are prescriptive; they often require that landowners and various governmental agencies take specific mandatory steps to protect species falling within particular categories of threat It is likely that many undescribed or unassessed species of plants, animals, and other organisms have become or are in the process of becoming extinct. To maintain healthy populations of both known and unknown species, assessments and reassessments are valuable tools. Such monitoring work must continue so that the most current knowledge can be applied to effective environmental monitoring and management efforts. For many threatened species, large well-protected conservation areas (biological reserves) often play major roles in curbing population declines. Such reserves are often cited by conservation biologists and other authorities as the best way to protect individual species as well as the ecosystems they inhabit. In addition, large biological reserves may harbor several undescribed and unassessed species. Despite the creation of several large reserves around the world, poaching and illegal trafficking plague many areas. Consequently, even species in those areas require continued monitored and periodic assessment.
8. The word "cited" in paragraph 2 mostly means ____.