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 average annual increase in the number of urbanites in developing countries, from 1950 to 2000 A.D. was close to_____.

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

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

(5) ______

Advantages of Living in a Big City

Do you live in a big city? It is said that living in big cities is expensive because of the high living cost. There are also pollution and traffic problems that make living in big cities unpleasant. However, many people enjoy living in big cities because they offer convenience and countless options for entertainment.

Many big cities already have good public transportation systems, which make it easy for the citizens to go anywhere around the city. This also reduces and helps overcome the problem of traffic jams that often occur at peak times. With the convenience of public transportation, the citizens do not have to drive everywhere and can save money as they do not have to pay for parking charges.

Staying healthy is everybody’s concern and in big cities you can find the best possible medical care for any diseases, especially the severe ones. Moreover, compared to rural areas, access to medical treatment is easier because there are always clinics or medical centers that open 24 hours in many parts of the city so you can get medical help anytime, as soon as you need it. Reaching hospitals is also easier as public transport is usually available 24 hours a day.

There is a saying that big cities never sleep. This is true for some cities in which the nightlife begins just when people in other cities are ready to go to bed. Big cities like New York, Madrid, London and Paris have vibrant nightlife. People can still find entertainment, dine out or go shopping into the early hours. 

City dwellers are usually more diverse and there are many communities that hold social events or parties, which provide interesting opportunities for social interactions and social networking. The social interactions allow you to learn about other cultures and share interests with people from different backgrounds, which makes you more open minded and able to understand individuals. On the other hand, the social networking helps you to broaden not only personal but also professional relationships.

All in all, living in big cities is more convenient because of the complete facilities provided. The advanced transportation system enables the citizens to access public facilities easier, cheaper and faster. Big cities also provide better education and health service. In addition, city life is more fun and exciting because there is a wide range of entertainment to enjoy and a lot of social events to attend. 

Why do many people like living in big cities?

Choose the best answer:
The first traffic signal was invented by a railway signaling engineer. It was installed (33) ___ the Houses of Parliament in 1868. It (34)_____ like any railway signal of the time, and was operated by gas. (35) ____, it exploded and killed a policeman, and the accident discouraged further development until cars became common. (36) ____ traffic lights are an American invention. Red – green systems were installed in Cleveland in 1914. Three - color signals, operated (37) _____ hanz d from a tower in the (38) _____ of the street, were installed in New York in 1918. The first lights of this type to (39) ____ in Britain were in London, on the junction between St. James‘s Street and Piccadilly, in 1925. Automatic signals were installed (40) ____ year later. In the past, traffic lights were special. In New York, some lights had a statue on top. In Los Angeles the lights did not just change silently, but would ring bells to (41) _____ the sleeping motorists of the 1930s. These are gone and have been (42) ____ by standard models which are universally adopted.

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:
Carbon dating can be used to estimate the age of any organic natural material; it has been used successfully in archeology to determine the age of ancient artifacts or fossils as well as in a variety of other fields. The principle underlying the use of carbon dating is that carbon is a part of all living things on Earth. Since a radioactive substance such as carbon-14 has a known half-life, the amount of carbon-14 remaining in an object can be used to date that object.
Carbon-14 has a half-life of 5,570 years, which means that after that number of years, half of the carbon- 14 atoms have decayed into nitrogen-14. It is the ratio of carbon-14 in that substance that indicates the age of the substance. If, for example, in a particular sample the amount of carbon- 14 is roughly equivalent to the amount of nitrogen-14, this indicates that around half of the carbon- 14 has decayed into nitrogen-14, and the sample is approximately 5,570 years old.
Carbon dating cannot be used effectively in dating objects that are older than 80,000 years. When objects are that old, much of the carbon-14 has already decayed into nitrogen-14, and the molecule amount that is left doesn’t provide a reliable measurement of age. In the case of older objects, other age-dating methods are available, methods which use radioactive atoms with longer half-lives than carbon has.

This passage is mainly about     .

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:
The history of clinic nutrition, or the study of the relationship between health and how the body takes in and utilizers food substances, can be divided into four distinct eras: the first began in the nineteenth century and extended into the early twentieth century when it was recognized for the first time that food contained constituents that were essential agents. Near the end of this era, research studies demonstrated that rapid weight loss was associated with nitrogen imbalance and could only be rectified by providing adequate protein associate with certain foods.
The second era was initiated in the early decades of the twentieth century and might be called "the vitamin period". Vitamins came to be recognized in foods, endeficiency syndromes were described. As vitamins became recognized as essential food constituents necessary for health, it became tempting to suggest that every disease and condition for which there had been no previous effective treatment might be responsive to vitamin therapy. At the point in time, medical schools started to become more interested in having their curricula integrate nutritional therapies in medicine. Reckless claims were made for effects of vitamins that went far beyond what could actually be achieved from the use of them.
In the third era of nutritional history in the early 1950's to mid-1960's, vitamin therapy began to fall into disrepute. Concomitant with this, nutrition education in medical schools also became less popular. It was just a decade before this that many drug companies had found their vitamins sales skyrocketing and were quick to supply practicing physicians with generous samples of vitamins and literature extolling the virtue of supplementation for a variety health-related conditions. Expectations as to the success of vitamins in disease control were exaggerated. As is known in retrospect, vitamin and mineral therapies are much less effective when applied to health-crisis conditions that when applied to long-term problems of nutrition that lead chronic health problem.

The word "reckless" can be best replaced by     .

Choose the best answer:
Most people feel that when they dream, they are (35)________ off to another world. On the (36)________, dreams are often connected to our daily lives. When our whole (37)_________ is filled with something, when we are either very upset (38)________ when we are in good spirit, a dream will represent this reality in symbols. It is often (39)_______ that we benefit from dreams because they help the spirit to heal itself when things (40)__________ wrong Dreams are therefore a kind of escape, almost a holiday from (41)__________ life, with its fears and responsibilities. It is, however, a strange kind of holiday because whether we have a wonderful time or whether it turns (42)_________ to be a nightmare, we quickly forget it. Most dreams disappear forever, (43)_________ you are one of those people disciplined enough to write them down as soon as you (44)_________

Choose the best answer:
The joys and tribulations of being a pet owner! During our lifetime most of us have some experience of either owning a pet or being in (1) ________contact with someone who does. Is there such a things as ―the ideal pet‖? If so what characterizes the ideal pet? Various (2) ________influence one‘s choice of pet, from your reasons for getting a pet to your lifestyle. For example, although quite a few pets are relatively cheap to buy, the cost of (3) ________can be considerable. Everything must be (4) ________into account, from food and bedding, to vaccinations and veterinary bills. You must be prepared to (5) ________ time on your pet, which involves shopping for it, cleaning and feeling it. Pets can be demanding and a big responsibility. Are you prepared to exercise and (6) ________an animal or do you prefer a more independent pet? How much spare room do you have? Is it right to lock an energetic animal into a (7) ________space? Do you live near a busy road which may threaten the life of your pet? Pets (8) ________ as turtles and goldfish can be cheap and convenient, but if you prefer affectionate pets, a friendly cat or dog would be more (9) ________ . People get pets for a number of reasons, for company, security or to teach responsibility to children. Pets can be affectionate and loyal and an excellent source of company as long as you know what pet (10) ________ you and your lifestyle

Choose the best answer:
Most people feel that when they dream, they are (35)________ off to another world. On the (36)________, dreams are often connected to our daily lives. When our whole (37)_________ is filled with something, when we are either very upset (38)________ when we are in good spirit, a dream will represent this reality in symbols. It is often (39)_______ that we benefit from dreams because they help the spirit to heal itself when things (40)__________ wrong Dreams are therefore a kind of escape, almost a holiday from (41)__________ life, with its fears and responsibilities. It is, however, a strange kind of holiday because whether we have a wonderful time or whether it turns (42)_________ to be a nightmare, we quickly forget it. Most dreams disappear forever, (43)_________ you are one of those people disciplined enough to write them down as soon as you (44)_________

Population in big cities

A United Nations report on world population trends has provided some interesting information for thought on the future demographics of our planet. The world’s population is currently 6.5 billion and is set (1) ________ and level off to about 9 billion people. The report says population explosions will occur in Africa and Asia, but not in the (2) _________ of the world, “Considerable diversity exists in the expected population growth of countries. The population of many countries, (3) __________ in Africa and Asia, will increase greatly in the coming decades.”  (4)___________, population levels in developed countries are expected to fall, because of decreased fertility rates caused by increased contraceptive use. The report also indicates half of the world’s population will be city (5) _________ by 2007. That is a huge jump from the figure of 30% urbanization in 1993. The five most populated cities today are Tokyo (35 million people), Mexico City (19 million), New York (18.5 million), Bombay (18.3 million) and Sao Paulo (18.3 million). In 1950 only Tokyo and New York had populations of more (6) _________ 10 million people. By 2050 there will be 22 cities of that size. The report concludes, “the current population picture is one of dynamic population changes, reflected in new and diverse patterns of childbearing, mortality, migration, urbanization and ageing. The (7) ___________ and consequences of these population trends present opportunities as well as (8) __________for all societies in the twenty-first century.”

(7) ________

Choose the best answer:
During shopping trip to your supermarket, you will (1)_____ many similar products. How do manufacturers (2)_____ you to buy their products and not those of another company? By careful packaging! (3)_____ of the boxes and bottles that you see has been carefully designed to appeal to you, personally. Do you care about the environment? Then buy this washing powder; it contains (4)_____ chemicals. Do you want to impress your friends? Buy these trainers; they have a designer label. Before manufacturers market a new product, they spend months discussing the packaging. Then, they try out their ideas on a group of customers. Manufacturers (5)_____ customers will see more than just a box or bottle. They want to convince you that their product ((6)_____ your personality more than any other product in the shop. One psychologist did some interesting (7)_____ .He wanted to (8)_____ how important packaging is. He asked customers to try a certain drink. They all agreed about the taste and quality. Then he secretly poured the same drink into a differently designed bottle. The results changed! People thought this drink tasted much better than the first, (9)_____ both drinks were, in fact, the same! To the researcher‘s amazement, people‘s opinions depended (10)_____ the design of the bottle

Choose the best answer:
Nearly 200 of the 1500 native plant species in Hawaii are at risk of going extinct in the near future because they have been (33)_______ to such low numbers. Approximately 90 percent of Hawaii's plants are found nowhere else in the world but they are (34)_______ by alien invasive species such as feral goats, pigs, rodents and (35)_______ plants. The Hawaii Rare Plant Restoration Group is striving to (36)_______ the extinction of the 182 rare Hawaiian plants with fewer than 50 individuals remaining in the (37)_______ . Since 1990, (38)_______ a result of their "Plant Extinction Prevention Program", sixteen species have been brought into (39)_______ and three species have been reintroduced. Invasive weeds have been removed in key areas and fencing put up in order to (40)_______ plants in the wild. In the future the Hawaii Rare Plant Restoration Program aims (41)_______ collecting genetic material from the remaining plants in the wild for storage as a  safety net for the future. They also aim to manage wild populations and where possible reintroduce species into (42)_______ 

Choose the best answer:
Minor illnesses have a nasty habit of striking (1)______ the wrong time, don‘t they ? (2) ______ you have a pile of things to do at work and even more on your plate at home, the last thing you want is a (3) _______ throat or a tension headache to drag you down. (4) _______ this summer, when you‘re feeling (5)_______ the weather, remember that a visit to your (6) ______ pharmacy (7)_______ be a real bonus in helping you get the right remedy to ease your symptoms. But it‘s not (8) ______ the medication that assists the cure – only at a pharmacy will you find expert (9)________ from a highly trained health professional. Just try asking a supermarket shelf what it (10) _______ for family heath problems !

Choose the best answer:
Education is more important today than ever before. It helps people acquire the skills they need for such everyday (13)_______ as reading a newspaper or managing their money. It also gives them the specialized training they may need to (14)_______ for a job or career. For example, a person must meet certain educational requirements and obtain a (15)_______ or certificate before he can practice law or medicine. Many fields, like computer operation or police work, (16)_______ satisfactory completion of special training courses. Education is also important (17)_______ it helps people get more out of life. It increases their knowledge and understanding of the world. It helps them acquire the skills that make life more interesting and enjoyable, (18)_______ the skills needed to participate in a sport, paint a picture, or play a musical (19)_______ . Such education becomes (20)_______ important as people gain more and more leisure time. Education also helps people adjust to change. This habit has become necessary because social changes today take place with increasing speed and (21)_______ the lives of more and more people. Education can help a person understand these changes and provide him (22)_______ the skills for adjusting to them

Choose the best answer:
In the United it is not customary to telephone someone very early in the morning. If you telephone him early in the day, while he is shaving or having breakfast, the time of the (1) _______ shows that the matter is very important and requires immediate attention. The same meaning is (2) _______ to telephone call (3) _______ after 11:00 p.m. If someone receives a call during (4) _______ hours, he assumes it is a matter of life and death. The time chosen for the call communicates (5) _______ importance. In social life, time plays a very important part. In the USA guests tend to feel they are not highly regarded if the invitation (6) _______ a dinner party is extended only three or four days before the party date. But it is not true in all countries. In other areas of the world, (7) _______ may be considered foolish to make an appointment too far in advance (8) _______ plans which are made for a date more than a week tend to be forgotten. The meaning of time differs in different parts of the world. (9)_______, misunderstandings arise between people from cultures that treat time (10) _______

Population in big cities

A United Nations report on world population trends has provided some interesting information for thought on the future demographics of our planet. The world’s population is currently 6.5 billion and is set (1) ________ and level off to about 9 billion people. The report says population explosions will occur in Africa and Asia, but not in the (2) _________ of the world, “Considerable diversity exists in the expected population growth of countries. The population of many countries, (3) __________ in Africa and Asia, will increase greatly in the coming decades.”  (4)___________, population levels in developed countries are expected to fall, because of decreased fertility rates caused by increased contraceptive use. The report also indicates half of the world’s population will be city (5) _________ by 2007. That is a huge jump from the figure of 30% urbanization in 1993. The five most populated cities today are Tokyo (35 million people), Mexico City (19 million), New York (18.5 million), Bombay (18.3 million) and Sao Paulo (18.3 million). In 1950 only Tokyo and New York had populations of more (6) _________ 10 million people. By 2050 there will be 22 cities of that size. The report concludes, “the current population picture is one of dynamic population changes, reflected in new and diverse patterns of childbearing, mortality, migration, urbanization and ageing. The (7) ___________ and consequences of these population trends present opportunities as well as (8) __________for all societies in the twenty-first century.”

(3) ________

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:
Anthropologists have pieced together the little they know about the history of left - handedness and right - handedness from indirect evidence. Though early men and women did not leave written records, they did leave tools, bones, and pictures. Stone Age hand axes and hatchets were made from stones that were carefully chipped away to form sharp cutting edges. In some, the pattern of chipping shows that these tools and weapons were made by right handed people, designed to fit comfortably into a right hand. Other Stone Age implements were made by or for left-handers Prehistoric pictures, painted on the walls of caves, provide further clues to the handedness of ancient people. A right - hander finds it easier to draw faces of people and animals facing toward the left, whereas a left - hander finds it easier to draw faces facing toward the right. Both kinds of faces have been found in ancient painting. On the whole, the evidence seems to indicate that prehistoric people were either ambidextrous or about equally likely to be left - or right - handed.
But, in the Bronze Age, the picture changed. The tools and weapons found from that period are mostly made for right - handed use. The predominance of right - handedness among humans today had apparently already been established.

Which of the following helped lead to conclusions about whether Stone Age people preferred one hand to the other?

Choose the best answer:
When you read something in a foreign language, you frequently come across words you do not (45)______ understand. Sometimes you (46)______ the meaning in a dictionary and sometimes you guess. The strategy you adopt depends very much upon the (47)______of accuracy you require and the time at your disposal. If you are the sort of person who tends to turn to the dictionary frequently, it is (48)_______ remembering that every dictionary has its limitations. Each definition is only an approximation and one builds up an accurate picture of the meaning of a word only after meeting it in a (49)__________of contexts. It is also important to recognize the special dangers of dictionaries that translate from English into your native language and vice versa. If you must use a dictionary, it is usually far safer to (50)________an English- English dictionary. When you read something in a foreign language, you frequently come across words you do not (45)______ understand. Sometimes you (46)______ the meaning in a dictionary and sometimes you guess. The strategy you adopt depends very much upon the (47)______of accuracy you require and the time at your disposal. If you are the sort of person who tends to turn to the dictionary frequently, it is (48)_______ remembering that every dictionary has its limitations. Each definition is only an approximation and one builds up an accurate picture of the meaning of a word only after meeting it in a (49)__________of contexts. It is also important to recognize the special dangers of dictionaries that translate from English into your native language and vice versa. If you must use a dictionary, it is usually far safer to (50)________an English- English dictionary. In most exams you are not permitted to use a dictionary. (51)__________you are allowed to use one, it is very time- consuming to look up words, and time in exams is usually limited. You are, (52)______, forced to guess the meaning of unfamiliar words. When you come across unknown words in an exam text, it is very easy to panic. However, if you develop efficient techniques for guessing the meaning, you will(53)__________a number of possible problems and help yourself to understand far more of the text than you at first likely. Two strategies which may help you guess the meaning of a word are: using contextual clues, both within the sentence and outside, and making uses (54)_____ clues derived from the formation of the word

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:
Rachel Carson was born in 1907 in Springsdale, Pennsylvania. She studied biology at college and zoology at Johns Hopkins University, where she received her master’s degree in 1933. In 1936, she was hired by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, where she worked most of her life.
Carson’s first book, Under the Sea Wind, was published in 1941. It received excellent reviews, but sales were poor until it was reissued in 1952. In that year she published The Sea Around Us, which provided a fascinating look beneath the ocean’s surface, emphasizing human history as well as geology and marine biology. Her imagery and language had a poetic quality. Carson consulted no less than 1,000 printed sources. She had voluminous correspondence and frequent discussions with experts in the field. However, she always realized the limitations of her nontechnical readers.
In 1962, Carson published Silent Spring, a book that sparked considerable controversy.
It proved how much harm was done by the uncontrolled, reckless use of insecticides. She detailed how they poison the food supply of animals, kill birds and fish, and contaminate human food. At the time, spokesmen for the chemical industry mounted personal attacks against Carson and issued propaganda to indicate that her findings were flawed. However, her work was proved by a 1963 report of the President’s Science Advisory Committee.

Which of the following was NOT mentioned in the passage as a source of information for The Sea Around Us?

Choose the best answer:
According to the Sleep Council, 20 million people in the UK aren‘t (1)____ enough sleep 3 and some experts now believe that ―sleep debt‖ can impair your metabolism and disrupt hormone levels. To (2) ____ out how (3)_____ you need, says sleep expert Professor Chris Idzikowski, director of the Sleep Assessment and Advisory Service, (4)_____ your alarm for when you (5)______ to get up, then count back six to eight hours, (6) ______ on how much shut-eye you feel you need. Try to go to bed at this time every night, and get up at the same time - even at weekends. If you (7)______ feel tired during the day, go to bed earlier by 15 minutes a week until you wake up refreshed. So if you (8)_____ go to bed at 11 pm, say, go at 10.45 pm for a week. If you‘re still tired, try going at 10.30 the (9)_____ week, and so on. Remember, too: a weekend afternoon nap can help (10)_____ up for any missed hours in the week.

Choose the best answer:
In this week‘s issue, our resident film critic discusses the etiquette of cinema going, and the (1) ____ who prefer chewing hot-dogs, slurping drinks, gossiping and rustling crisp papers to actually watching the film. Fair complaint, or just cinema snobbery ? It‘s the munchers and talkers, not those who complain about them, who are (2) _____ other people‘s (3) ______ pleasures and the (4)_______ seem to me to be self-evident. Junk (5) _______ and even popcorns and choc ices, when eaten in a (6) _______ and possibly crowded space, are inclined to demand living space. They spread themselves about – usually onto other people‘s(7) _______ Crisps, peanuts, and boiled sweets make a lot of noise, first when being (8) ______ then when being crushed or sucked. These are definite(9) _______ , especially if you yourself – having merely come to see and hear the film – are not eating and therefore generously(10) ________ your friend onions, mustard and ketchup with the trousers of the stranger in the next seat