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According to the world university rankings compiled by the Times Higher Education, more than half of the world's top 200 universities are located in either the US or the UK

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As usual, the taxpayers will end up footing the _______ for the new animal shelter that the government is so busy boasting about

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In spite of the hot weather, the little boy refused __________off his coat

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She ____ in Provence, France for two years when she was a student

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Thanks to the back-up generators which were ------- installed, we could keep the plant operational during the power outage

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The weather is really bad today in your country, ______?

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The warming of the Pacific Ocean has created weather patterns (31)__________ strongly affect the world. When the water is warm, the (32)__________ of rainfall in Indonesia and the surrounding regions decreases. Australia could even experience a drought in many parts. On the other hand, Chile (which borders the Pacific Ocean) is preparing for severe rainstorms. In Pakistan and northwestern India, the weather pattern makes the rainy season weaker and makes the area much drier. This happening is called El Nino and is used by weather forecasters to make long-range weather predictions. They also know that El Nino will (33)__________ unusually heavy rains to the southwestern part of the United States and make the central part of the country drier at the same time. According to research, weather forecasters (used to know about the coming weather with certainty. Now everything has become (34)__________ different. El Nino itself used to be (35)__________ . It would occur every two to seven years. But now, this weather pattern is becoming more frequent. We cannot say when and how often tornadoes or cyclones occur. Scientists are unsure of the reason for this change on a global scale either.

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Nothing can ..... us if you just hold my hand

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Hurry up! Our uncle is coming. His plane will ___________in less than an hour

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Many groups worldwide are trying to develop vaccines that protect against a wide range of coronaviruses and prevent (26) _______ pandemic. These efforts have now been boosted by the discovery that some healthcare workers had pre-existing immunity to the SARS-CoV-2 virus during the first wave of the pandemic. During the first half of 2020, around 700 healthcare workers in the UK were tested weekly as part of a crowdfunded study called Covid Sortium. Most of these people, who wore protective equipment, never tested positive for covid-19 in PCR tests or developed covid-19 antibodies – proteins that (27) _______ to the outside of viruses, preventing cells from being infected. (28)_______ , when Leo Swadling and Mala Maini at University College London and their colleagues looked more closely, they found some of those (29) _______ tested negative had a protein in their blood that is linked to covid-19 infection, as well as T cell responses to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. T cells are (30) _______ of the immune system

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The football stadium was illuminated by _______

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The Amazing Race (TAR) is a popular reality TV show. Elise Doganieri and Bertram van Munster created it in 2001 and since then it has won many awards. In the show, teams travel around the world to different places. They try to arrive first, or at least not come last and they also try to win prizes on their journey. Every year, between 10 and 12 teams play on the show. There are two people in each team and they must know each other before they come on the game. For example, they can be husband and wife, parents and children, friends, etc. They have to travel to different countries and work together on the journey. The teams get some money at the beginning of the race and they use it to buy food, tickets, etc. They can use planes, trains, bikes or even skis to travel. The teams explore places they've never been to before and have games or ‘challenges’. These challenges have some connection to the country they are in and can be things like riding a camel, solving puzzles or eating a lot of food, for example. The teams often have to face extreme weather conditions during their journey. Many times they are outside in the rain or snow or in storms and get cold and wet. It's all part of the experience, though. Each week, one team leaves the show, and in the end there are only four teams. The first team to get to the last city on the journey wins the game. TAR is a very hard game and the teams become really stressed, but it's an amazing experience.
2. The word “created” in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to ________

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"Curiosity is one of permanent and certain characteristics of a vigorous intellect." _ Samuel Johnson

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Although she knows only a mere _______ of Spanish, she still manages to communicate her ideas well.

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Tan ____ the idea of giving sweaters and warm clothes to the poor just a couple of weeks ago, shortly after the beginning of the rainy season

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In all social systems, there is a minority group which is looked ____ by others in that culture and kept ____ of mainstream society

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Would you like to invite your ______________ to the New Year’s party?

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That country was brought……..to disaster.

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When he ____ ten years old. Louis Braille ____ the National Institute for the Blind in Paris

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After a busy day of work and play, the body needs to rest. Sleep is necessary for good health. During this time, the body recovers from the (26) ______ of the previous day. The rest that you get while sleeping enables your body to prepare itself for the next day. There are four levels of sleep, each being a little (27) ______ than the one before. As you sleep, your muscles relax little by little. Your heart beats more slowly, and your brain slows down. After you (28) _____ the fourth level, your body shifts back and forth from one level of sleep to the other. Although your mind slows down, you will dream from time to time. Scientists who study sleep state that when dreaming (29) ______ , your eyeballs begin to move more quickly. This stage of sleep is called REM, which stands for Rapid Eye Movement. If you have trouble falling asleep, some people recommend breathing very slowly and deeply. Other people believe that drinking warm milk will make you (30) ______. There is also an old suggestion that counting sheep will put you to sleep

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 Isolated from the mainland, the Con Dao islands are one of Vietnam’s star (4) _____. Long preserve of political prisoners and undesirables, they now turn heads thanks to their striking natural beauty. Con Son, the (5) _____ of this chain of 15 islands and islets, is ringed with lovely beaches, coral reefs and scenic bays, and remains partially covered (6) _____ tropical forests. In addition to hiking, diving and exploring deserted coastal roads, there are excellent wildlife–watching opportunities, such as the black giant squirrel and endemic bow–fingered gecko. (7) _____ it seems an island paradise, Con Son was once hell on earth for the thousands of prisoners who languished in a dozen jails during French rule and the American–backed regime. Many Vietnamese visitors are former soldiers (8) _____ were imprisoned on the island. Until recently, few foreigners visited Con Dao, but with the commencement of low–cost boat connections this looks sure to change