The popular view of towns and cities in developing countries and of urbanization process is that despite the benefits and comforts it brings, the emergence of such cities connotes environmental degradation, generation of slums and squatters, urban poverty, unemployment, crimes, lawlessness, traffic chaos etc. But what is the reality? Given the unprecedented increase in urban population over the last 50 years from 300 million in 1950 to 2 billion in 2000 in developing countries, the wonder really is how well the world has coped, and not how badly.

In general, the urban quality of life has improved in terms of availability of water and sanitation, power, health and education, communication and transport. By way of illustration, a large number of urban residents have been provided with improved water in urban areas in Asia’s largest countries such as China, India, Indonesia and the Philippines. Despite that, the access to improved water in terms of percentage of the total urban population seems to have declined during the last decade of 20th century, though in absolute numbers, millions of additional urbanites, have been provided improved services. These countries have made significant progress in the provision of sanitation services too, together, providing for an additional population of more than 293 million citizens within a decade (1990-2000). These improvements must be viewed against the backdrop of the rapidly increasing urban population, fiscal crunch and strained human resources and efficient and quality-oriented public management.

The popular view about the process of urbanization in developing countries is __________

Choose the best answer:
My younger sister is a potential star of state and screen, or at least that's what she tells me. Last week she had an interview. It was for the (38)……………..of Juliet in Shakespear‘s Romeo and Juliet. It went well and she starts (39)……………..next week. This is the first play that she has been in, but she has done quite a lot of TV advertising work and she has been in a couple of films. The last film she was in was called The magician. It was set in ancient Egypt and she was in a crowd (40)……………..with thousands of other people When I went to see it, I sat in the front (41)…………….. so that I could see the (42)…………….. really clearly, but I couldn‘t pick out my sister in the crowd. She says the (43)……………..was one of the best professionals she has worked with but I must say the (44)……………..seemed a bit stupid to me. It was all about a very clever magician who had managed to travel back through time to the Court of Tutankhamen. The (45)……………..were magnificent and so were some of the sets but having an actor saying (46)……………..in present day American English just didn‘t work. The ending was really ridiculous. The magician got accidentally buried with Tutankhamen. Funnily enough, the rest of the (47)……………..seemed to have rather enjoyed the film

Choose the best answer:
Voluntary work is work that you do not get paid for and usually involves in doing things to help other people, especially the elderly or the sick. or working on (1)_____of a charity or similar organization. Most charitable organizations rely on unpaid volunteers, and thousands of Americans and British people give many hours of their time to doing some form of social work or organizing - fund raising events to support the work. Volunteering is especially popular in the US and the reasons this may be found in (2)_____American values such as the Protestant work ethic, the idea that work improves the person who does it, and the belief that people can change their (3)_____if they try hard enough. In the US young people over 18 can take part in AmeriCorps, a government programme that (4)_____them to work as volunteers for a period of time, with the (5)_____of help in paying for their education later. Older Americans who do not work may spend much of their free time volunteering. In Britain a lot of voluntary work is directed towards supporting the country‘s social services.The WRVS and other organizations run a meals- on- wheels service in many parts of Britain, (6)_____hot food for old people who are (7)_____to cook for themselves. The nationwide Citizens Advice Bureau, which offers free advice to the public (8)_____ a wide range of issues, is run (9)_____by volunteers, and the Blood Transfusion Service relies on voluntary blood donors to give blood for use in hospitals. Political parties use volunteers at election time, and Churches depend on volunteers to (10)_____building clean

Choose the best answer:
Earth is the only place we know of in the universe that can support human life. (33) ______ human activities are making the planet less fit to live on. As the western world carries on consuming (34)_______ of the world's resources while half of the world's population do so just to stay (35)_______ we are rapidly destroying the only resource we have (36)________ which all people can survive and prosper. Everywhere fertile soil is (37)______ built on or washed into the sea. Renewable resources are exploited so much that they will never be able to recover (38)______. We discharge pollutants into the atmosphere without any thought of the consequences. As a (39)______, the planet's ability to support people is being reduced at the very time when rising human numbers and consumption are making increasingly heavy demands on it. The Earth's (40)______ resources are there for us to use. We need food, water, air, energy, medicines, warmth, shelter and minerals to (41)______ us fed, comfortable, healthy and active. If we are sensible in how we use the resources they will last indefinitely. But if we use them wastefully and excessively they will soon (42)_______ and everyone will suffer

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the undelined part that needs correction in each of the following questions:
A lot of advice is available for college leavers heading for their first job. In this article we consider the move to a second job. We are not concerned with those looking for a second temporary position while hunting for a permanent job. Nor are we concerned with those leaving an unsatisfactory job within the first few weeks. Instead, we will be dealing with those of you taking a real step on the career ladder, choosing a job to fit in with your ambitions now that you have learnt your way around, acquired some skills and have some idea of where you want to go.
What sort of job should you look for? Much depends on your long-term aim. You need to ask yourself whether you want to specialize in a particular field, work your way up to higher levels of responsibility or out of your current employment into a broader field.
Whatever you decide, you should choose your second job very carefully. You should be aiming to stay in it for two or three years. This job will be studied very carefully when you send your letter of application for your next job. It should show evidence of serious career planning. Most important, it should extend you, develop you and give you increasing responsibility. Incidentally, if you are interested in traveling, now is the time to pack up and go. You can do temporary work for a while when you return, pick up where you left off and get the second job then. Future potential employers will be relieved to see that you have got it out of your system, and are not likely to go off again.
Juliette Davidson spend her first year after leaving St. Aldate’s College working for three lawyers. It was the perfect first job in that “ OK ... they were very supportive people. I was gently introduced to the work, learnt my way around an office and improve my word processing skills. However, there was no scope for advancement. One day, I gave my notice, bought an air ticket and traveled for a year.”
Juliette now works as a Personal Assistant to Brenda Cleverdon, the Chief Executive of business in the Community. “In two and a half years I have become more able and my job has really grown”, she says. “ Right from the beginning my boss was very keen to develop me. My job title is the same as it was when I started but the duties have changed. From mainly typing and telephone work, I have progressed to doing most of the correspondence and budgets. I also have to deal with a variety of queries, coming from chairmen of large companies to people wanting to know how to start their own business. Brenda involves me in all her work but also gives me specific projects to do and events to organize.”

According to the writer, why is the choice of your second job important?

Choose the best answer:
Always arrive early. If you do not know (35) ______ the organization is located, call for exact directions (36) ______ advance. Leave some extra time for any traffic, parking, or (37) ______ events. If you are running late, call right away and let someone know. The best time to arrive is approximately 5 - 10 minutes early. Give (38) ______ the time to read your resume one more time, to catch your breath, and to be ready for the interview. Once you are at the office, treat everyone you encounter with respect. Be (39) ______ to everyone as soon as you walk in the door. Wear a professional business suit. This point should be emphasized enough. First (40) ______ are extremely important in the interview process. Women should (41) ______ wearing too much jewelry or make up. Men should avoid flashy suits or wearing too much perfume. It is (42) ______ important that you feel comfortable. While a suit is the standard interview attire in a business environment, if you think it is (43) ______ informal environment, call before and ask. Regardless, you can never be overdressed (44) ______ you are wearing a tailored suit

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.

      Centuries ago, man discovered that removing moisture from food helped to preserve it, and that the easiest way to do this was to expose the food to sun and wind. In this way the North American Indians produced pemmican (dried meat ground into powder and made into cakes), the Scandinavians made stockfish and the Arabs dried dates and apricots.

      All foods contain water - cabbage and other leaf vegetables contain as much as 93% water, potatoes and other root vegetables 80%, lean meat 75% and fish anything from 80% to 60% depending on how fatty it is. If this water is removed, the activity of the bacteria which cause food to go bad is checked.

      Fruit is sun-dried in Asia Minor, Greece, Spain and other Mediterranean countries, and also in California, South Africa and Australia. The methods used vary, but in general the fruit is spread out on trays in drying yards in the hot sun. In order to prevent darkening, pears, peaches and apricots are exposed to the fumes of burning sulphur before drying. Plums for making prunes, and certain varieties of grapes for making raisins and currants, are dipped in an alkaline solution in order to crack the skins of the fruit slightly and remove their wax coating, so increasing the rate of drying.

      Nowadays most foods are dried mechanically; the conventional method of such dehydration is to put food in chambers through which hot air is blown at temperatures of about 110oC at entry to about 45oC at exit. This is the usual method for drying such things as vegetables, minced meat, and fish.

      Liquids such as milk, coffee, tea, soups and eggs may be dried by pouring them over a heated horizontal steel cylinder or by spraying them into a chamber through which a current of hot air passes. In the first case, the dried material is scraped off the roller as a thin film which is then broken up into small, though still relatively coarse flakes. In the second process it falls to the bottom of the chamber as a fine powder. Where recognizable pieces of meat and vegetables are required, as in soup, the ingredients are dried separately and then mixed.

      Dried foods take up less room and weigh less than the same food packed in cans or frozen, and they do not need to be stored in special conditions. For these reasons they are invaluable to climbers, explorers and soldiers in battle, who have little storage space. They are also popular with housewives because it takes so little time to cook them.

The word “checked” in the second paragraph is closest in meaning to ______.

Choose the best answer:
One of the most urgent environmental problems in the world today is the shortage of clean water. Having clean drinking water is a basic human right. But acid rain, (1) ____ pollution and garbage have made many sources of water undrinkable. Lakes, reservoirs and even entire seas have become vast pools (2) ____ poison. Lake Baikal in Russia is one of the largest lakes in the world. It (3) _____ a rich variety of animals and plants, including 1,300 rare species that do not exist (4)____ else in the world. But they are being destroyed by the massive volumes of toxic effluent which (5) ____ into the lake every day. Even where law existed, the government did not have the power to enforce them. Most industries simply ignore the regulations. The Mediterranean Sea (6)____ 1% of the world's water surface. But it is the dumping (7)____ for 50% of all marine pollution. Almost 16 countries regularly throw industrial wastes a few miles (8) ____ shore. Water is free to everyone. A few years ago, people thought that the supply of clean water in the world was limitless. Today, many water supplies have been (9) ____ by pollution and sewage. Clean water is now scarce, and we are at last beginning to respect this precious (10) _____.We should do something now

Choose the best answer:
Culture has a strong influence on non-verbal communication. Even the simple act of looking someone in the eye is not at all that simple. In the USA, Americans are (23)______ to look directly at people when speaking to them. It shows interest in what they are saying and is thought to carry a (24)______ of honesty. Meanwhile, in Japan and Korea, people avoid long periods of eye contact. It is considered more polite to look to the side during a conversation. The Lebanese, (25)______, stand close together and look intensely into each other's eyes. The action shows sincerity and gives people a better sense of what their counterparts want. Given such differences with even the most common expressions, people (26)______ travel or work abroad have a real need to learn the other culture's body language. People tend to be unaware of the messages they are sending to others. So, it is (27)______ to consider your own body language before dealing with people from other cultures. Knowing about the body language of friends, clients, and colleagues can be very helpful in improving understanding and avoiding miscommunication

Choose the best answer:
All over the world, people are changing the face of the earth. Wild areas are cleared for farming and to build roads and expand cities. Our factories, cars, and power stations poison the ….(1) with polluting gases and chemical waste. As well as transforming the environment, we are destroying habitats, the home of ……(2) plants and animals. Living things have evolved over millions of years. Many animals and plants can only …….(3) in certain environments. When such areas destroyed, wildlife cannot always ……..(4) to the new conditions and some species may …….(5) out. Thousands of species of plants and animals face extinction because of human activities. People can also…….(6) from habitat destruction. When forests are cut down, earth is washed away, this causes crop failures and starvation. There is the future to consider, too; plants provide essential foods and can also be used in medicines. If species……..(7) extinct, their potential value will never be known. The scale of destruction is enormous. Swamps, forests, grasslands and jungles are being cleared at an increasing extend. Half of the world‘s tropical rainforests have……..(8) been destroyed. Coral reefs, called the forests of the ocean because they are so rich in life, are……..(9) around the world. We must limit the damage to habitats now………(10) they remain a valuable resource for the future.

Choose the best answer:
Cultural diversity can be such a cool thing. I grew up in a predominantly white private school, (1)_______ teaching in a place that is extremely diverse has been a joy. I can stand in the hall and (2)_______ Spanish, Russian, Polish, Korean, Mandarin, Hindu, etc. the list can go on and on. What we need to be careful of is not to make (3) _______ a big deal out of cultural diversity. I think that when we place too much (4) _______ on the diversity it can become a polarizing act. Many students are very aware (5) _______ their differences, and most just don‘t care. I think that cultural diversity is something that needs (6) _______ addressed be teachers in the schools as something that is positive. Often in rural areas there is not a lot of cultural diversity. (7)_______ a result, when a student is from a different culture there is a question of what do I do to (8)_______ their learning needs. It is important before a teacher can teach diverse population they need to(9) _______ that they are also multicultural. In addition, how much of a role will these beliefs (10)_______ within the education on the child

Choose the best answer:
According to a magazine article I read recently, we (1) _____live in an age of increasing leisure. Not only are more and more people reaching (2) _____ age with their taste for enjoyment and even adventure relatively (3) _____ but the working week is becoming shorter and the opportunities for (4) _____ are becoming greater and greater all the time. Not to mention the fact that people tend to spend less time traveling to work or may even be working from home. What I can‘t understand, however, is who these people are. As far as I can (5) _____ the whole thing is another one of those journalistic fictions. I admit that there are a lot of retired people (6) _____but I am not sure that all of them are dashing about learning hang-gliding or sailing single-handed (7) _____ the world. My own parents seem to spend most of their time gazing at the television. And as for the shorter working week, I wish someone would remind my company about it. I seem to be working longer hours (8) _____the time. The little leisure time I have is eaten into by sitting in traffic jams or waiting for trains to (9) _____up at rain-swept platforms. I haven‘t noticed any dramatic improvements in my (10) _____either, but perhaps I just have to wait until I get my pension

Choose the best answer:
Interpreting the feelings of other people is not always easy, as we all know, and we (1) __ _ as much on what they seem to be telling us, as on the actual words they say. Facial (2) _ _ and tone of voice are obvious ways of showing our (3) _ _ to something, and it may well be that we unconsciously express views that we are trying to hide. The art of being (4) __ _ lies in picking up these signals, realizing what the other person is trying to say, and acting so that they are not embarrassed in any way. For example, we may understand that they are in fact (5) __ __ to answer our question, and so we stop pressing them. Body movements in general may also indicate feelings, and interviewers often pay particular attention to the way a candidate for a job walks into the room and sits down. However it is not difficult to present the right kind of appearance while what many employers want to know relates to the candidate‘s character traits, and (6) __ __ stability. This raises the awkward question of whether job candidates should be asked to complete psychological tests, and the further problem of whether such tests actually produce (7) __ __ results. For many people, being asked to take part in such a test would be an objectionable (8) __ _ into their private lives. After all, a prospective employer would hardly ask a candidate to run a hundred meters, or expect his or her family doctor to provide (9) _ _ medical information. Quite apart from this problem, can such tests predict whether a person is likely to be a (10) __ __ employee or a valued colleague?

Read and complete the following passage.

"Language is the most important cultureal identifier (1)_____ it allows me to communicate with my family and community. Other reasons that make language the most important cultural identifier. Firstly, language helps us communicate, express our thoughts, and (2)______ our feelings with other people.(3)______ language, we can hardly understand one another on a deep level. Secondly, most essential information about a nation is written in its (4)_______ language.Thus, (5)_____ we don't master a language, it is hard for us to know its culture."

Thus, (5)_____ we don't master a language, it is hard for us to know its culture.

FIRST TIME IN THE AIR
When John Mills was going to fly in an aeroplane for the first time, he was frightened. He did not like the idea of being thousands of feet up in the air. “ „I also didn‟t like the fact that I wouldn‟t be in control,” says John. 
“I‟m a terrible passenger in the car. When somebody else is driving, I tell them what to so. It drives everybody crazy.”
However John couldn‟t avoid flying any longer. It was the only way he could visit his grandchildren in Canada. 
“I had made up my mind that I was going to do it, I couldn‟t let my son, his wife and their three children travel all the way here to visit me. It would be so expensive for them and I know Tom‟s business isn‟t doing so well at the moment – it would also be tiring for the children – it‟s a nine-hour flight!” he says. 
To get ready for the flight John did lots of reading about aeroplanes. When he booked his seat, he was told that he would be flying on a Boeing 747, which is better known as a jumbo jet. “I needed to know as much as possible before getting in that plane. I suppose it was a way of making myself feel better. The Boeing 747 is the largest passenger aircraft in the world at the moment. The first one flew on February 9th 1969 in the USA. It can carry up to 524 passengers and 3.400 pieces of luggage. The fuel for aeroplanes is kept in the wings and the 
747‟s wings are so big that they can carry enough fuel for an average car to be able to travel 16,000 kilometres a year for 70 years. Isn‟t that unbelievable? Even though I had discovered all this very interesting information about the jumbo, when I saw it for the first time, just before I was going to travel to Canada, I still couldn‟t believe that something so enormous was going to get up in the air and fly. I was even more impressed when I saw how big it was inside with hundreds of people!” 
The biggest surprise of all for John was the flight itself. “The take-off itself was much smoother than I expected although I was still quite scared until we were in the air. In the end, I managed to relax, enjoy the food and watch one of the movies and the view from the window was spectacular. I even managed to sleep for a while! 
Of course,” continues John, “the best reward of all was when I arrived in Canada and saw my son and his family, particularly my beautiful grandchildren. Suddenly, I felt so silly about all the years when I couldn‟t even think of getting on a plane. I had let my fear of living stop me from seeing the people I love most in the world. I can visit my son and family as often as I like now!”

What surprised John most about the flight? 

Choose the best answer:
Schools in the United States have not always had a large number of libraries. As (42)______ as 1958 about half of the public schools in the United States had no libraries at all. The (43)______ of public school libraries increased dramatically when the federal government passed the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, (44)______ provided funds for school districts to improve their education programs and facilities, including their libraries. (45)______, many educators claim that since the legislation was passed federal spending has not increased sufficiently to meet the rising (46)______ of new library technologies such as computer databases and Internet access Because the federal government provides only limited funds to schools, individual school districts (47)______ on funds from local property taxes to meet the vast majority of public school expenses. Therefore, the libraries of public schools tend to reflect the (48)______ capabilities of the communities in which they are located. Districts in wealthy suburbs often have fully staffed libraries (49)______ abundant resources, spacious facilities, and curricular and instructional support. In (50)______, school districts in many poor areas house their libraries in ordinary classrooms or in small rooms. The libraries in such areas are generally staffed by volunteers, who organize and (51)______ books that are often out-of-date, irrelevant, or damaged. 

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

Choose the best answer:
Everyone wants to reduce pollution . But the pollution problem is ( 1 ) …………….. complicated as it is serious . It is complited ( 2 ) …………… much pollution is caused by things that benefit people . ( 3)………. , exhaust from automobiles causes a lartge percentage of air pollution . But the automobile (4 ) ….. transportation for millions of people . Factories discharge much (5)……. the material that pollutes theair and water , but factories give employment to a large munber of people . Thus , to end (6)……… greatly reduce pollution immediately , people would have to ( 7) ….. using many things that benefit them . Most of the people do not want to do that , of course . But pollution can be ( 8) ….. reduced in several ways . Scientists and engineers can work to find ways lessen the (9) ………. Of the pollution that such things as automobiles and factories cause . Governments can pass and enforce laws that (10) ……….businesses and traffic to stop , or to cut down on certain polluting activities

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.
                A MORE COMMERCIAL TUNE
 Roger Press, 40, has changed his career. After spending five years (1)...... a concert pianist, he has gone into business, recently setting up his own company.
After leaving university I decided to (2)....... myself to a career in music. I loved performing, but it was hard work. I played at concerts in Europe and America, made recordings and got reviews. But after a while I felt I had gone as far as I could. Unless you’re one of the world’s top 20 pianists, it’s difficult to earn a good living and I wasn’t one of the greatest.
When I gave up my performing career, people around me were more sad and disappointed than I was. But I felt free  and (3).... I knew I was getting serious about life. After getting a qualification in business administration I joined the recording company EMI and started their classical video division, producing programmes about famous artists. A year ago I left EMI and formed a new company, New Media Systems, which (4)............ in multimedia programs.
(5)........... I run my own business, I’m in control of my life and I feel proud of my achievements. Although the stress is high and I work long hours, the stress involved in piano playing was much worse. It took physical, emotional and mental skills. I prefer the pressures I live with now.

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

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the undelined part that needs correction in each of the following questions:
A folk culture is small, isolated, cohesive, conservative, nearly self-sufficient group that is homogeneous in custom and race, with a strong family or clan structure and highly developed rituals.
Order is maintained through sanctions based in the religion or family, and interpersonal relationships are strong. Tradition is paramount, and change comes infrequently and slowly. There is relatively little division of labor into specialized duties. Rather, each person is expected to perform a great variety of tasks, though duties may differ between the sexes. Most goods are handmade, and a subsistence economy prevails. Individualism is weakly developed in folk cultures, as are social classes. Unaltered folk cultures no longer exist in industrialized countries such as the United States and Canada. Perhaps the nearest modern equivalent in Anglo-America is the Amish, a German American farming sect that largely renounces the products and labor saving devices of the industrial age. In Amish areas, horse-drawn buggies till serve as a local transportation device, and the faithful are not permitted to own automobiles.
The Amish’s central religious concept of Demut, “humility”, clearly reflects the weakness of individualism and social class so typical of folk cultures, and there is a corresponding strength of Amish group identity. Rarely do the Amish marry outside their sect. The religion, a variety of the Mennonite faith, provides the principal mechanism for maintaining order.
By contrast, a popular culture is a large heterogeneous group, often highly individualistic and constantly changing. Relationships tend to be impersonal, and a pronounced division of labor exists, leading to the establishment of many specialized professions. Secular institutions, of control such as the police and army take the place of religion and family in maintaining order, and a money-based economy prevails. Because of these contrasts, “popular” may be viewed as clearly different from “folk”.
The popular is replacing the folk in industrialized countries and in many developing nations, Folk- made objects give way to their popular equivalent, usually because the popular item is more quickly or cheaply produced, is easier or time saving to use, or lends more prestige to the owner.

 What does the author imply about the United States and Canada?