Choose the best answer:
Fans are generally taken (1)______ when a famous actor or actress suddenly (2)______ the profession at the height of his or her career. Greta Garbo, who made her last film when she was not yet 40, was a notable (3)______ in point.

Sportsmen and women face this decision earliest. Though they generally have evidence that their powers are in (4)______, very few have the self-awareness to get out while the going is still (5)______.

Politicians are perhaps the last to realise that the game is up. As long as they can (6)______ on to power, they refuse to accept the advice of party members, no doubt suspecting it is prompted by their colleagues' own ambitions!
2. 

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 first each of the numbered blanks from 1 to 5.
Humans are destroying the earth‟s tropical rain forests. About 80,000 square kilometers are being destroyed every year. About a quarter of the (1)_______ comes from people cutting trees for fuel. Another quarter is to make grassland for their cattle. The (2)_______ trees are cut down to sell the wood to start farms.
The population in cities all over the world is growing, and more and more wood is needed to build huge new buildings. For example, 5,000 trees from Sarawak rain forest in Malaysia were used to build just one tall building. (3)_______ people continue cutting down that many trees in Sarawak rain forest, all the trees could be gone in eight years.
The world needs more food, and it (4)_______ like a good idea to clear the rain forests and use the land for agriculture. Many people think that the land under these huge, thick forests must be in rich nutrients, but it isn't. This is another surprising thing about rain forests. Most of the land in tropical rain forest is very(5) _______ .
(1)....................

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

No matter who we are or where we are from, we only have 24 hours each day to get things done. Some people seem to make the most (1) ____ their time, using it to achieve their goals and dreams. Others feel that life is passing them by and they aren't (2) ____ anything. If you are in the latter group, it is not too late to turn things around. By implementing a few simple hacks, you can start getting better results very quickly.

If you want to become more productive, it pays to learn about the Pareto (3) ____ (which is also known as the 80-20 rule). It states that for most tasks, 80 percent of the results we get come from 20 percent of the work we do. For example, 80 percent of the company sales usually come from 20 percent of customers. Therefore, the trick is to focus your (4) ____ on the key 20 percent of actions that truly matter to greatly improve your results.

In some cases, people may be busy from morning to night but still seem to get nothing done. In this (5) ____, the problem might be that clear goals haven't been set. To fix this, set some time aside to list the things you want to achieve in life. Then, select the top three or four that you want to focus on for the next year. Look at your goals every night before bedtime and ask yourself what are the next (6) ____ to accomplish each day. Then, promise yourself that you will finish these tasks no matter how busy you get. If possible try completing the tasks first thing in the morning so you are (7) ____ of success.

Another common mistake regarding productivity is not considering our (8) ____ levels. If we try to work around the clock, we will eventually get tired and quit. Everyone needs time to sleep, eat, (9) ____ with friends, and unwind from the stress of the day. To make sure you don't burn out, be sure to schedule some time for breaks and fun activities into your (10) ____ every day. Finally, no matter how difficult your goals may seem, remember the old saying that "a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step".

(6) ______

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

Over the next 20 to 50 years, it will become harder to tell the (1) _____ between the human and the machine. All body (2) _____ will be replaceable. Computers will function like the human (3) _____ with the ability to recognize feelings and respond in a feeling way. They will then produce fake people. We will then be able to create a machine duplicate of ourselves (4) _____ we will appear to be alive long after we are dead. Maybe a few decades later, a way will be found to transfer our spirit, including our (5) _____ and thoughts, to the new body. Then we can choose to live for as (6) _____ as we want. It might be expensive. When it becomes possible to do a spirit transfer, they will figure out (7) _____ to do them automatically. So we will be able to reside within whichever duplicate we want, whenever we want. Miniature robots will be built to travel through your blood (8) _____ and repair damage. Also, larger robots will be used when you are sick. When you have an upset stomach, you will (9) _____ a very small cherry tasting robot which will travel through your stomach taking video of the mess. It will be set up like a video game, so you can control the exploring and the selection of images. Then you can replay the video to help a doctor (10) _____ your illness, or to prove to your employer that you really, were sick.

(6) _____

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.
One of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the Great Pyramid of Giza was a monument of wisdom and prophecy built as a tomb for Pharaoh Cheops in 2720 B.C. Despite its antiquity, certain aspects of its construction makes it one of the truly wonders of the world. The thirteen acre structure near the Nile river is a solid mass of stone blocks covered with limestone. Inside are the number of hidden passageways and the burial chamber of the Pharaoh. It is the largest single structure in the world. The  four sides of the pyramid are aligned almost exactly on true north, south, east and west-an incredible engineering feat. The ancient Egyptians were sun worshippers and great astronomers, so computations for the Great Pyramid were based on astronomical observations.
Explorations and detailed examinations of the base of the structure reveal many intersecting lines.
Further scientific study indicates that these represent a type of timeline of events – past, present and future. Many of the events have been interpreted and found to coincide with known facts of the past. Others are prophesied for future generations and are currently under investigation. Many believe that pyramids have supernatural powers and this one is no exception. Some researchers even associate it with extraterrestrial beings of ancient past. Was this superstructure made by ordinary beings, or one built by a race far superior to any known today?

In the second passage, the word “prophesied” 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 answer to each of the questions.

   On March 15, Dunes View Middle School held a contest for school bands. Student bands tried out for the opportunity to perform at the school picnic, which will be held at the end of June. The winner of the contest was the band called Four Square. “We’re very proud that we won the contest and are excited to perform at the picnic,” says Peter Zandt, who plays the guitar in the band. “And since we hope to perform someday at other local places, like restaurants and parks, this will be a great first step.”

   The contest was the creation of music teacher Mr. Lopez and drama teacher Ms. Cho. The two thought of the idea while discussing recent years’ school picnics. “The picnic is one of the biggest events of the year, but it has become a bit formulaic ,” said Ms. Cho. “The activities are the same every year. We thought that a performance by a student band would make the school picnic more interesting and fun.” Mr. Lopez, Ms. Cho, and three other teachers judged the contest, which took place in the gym. Eight student bands signed up to audition. The bands varied in their musical forms: there were several rock bands, a folk band, and even a jazz band. “I’m disappointed that my band didn’t win, but I think the judges made the right choice,” says student Marisol Varga, a member of the folk trio called The Bell Girls. “Four Square is really good.” To see if the bands could present a wide range of musical skills, the teachers asked them each to prepare two songs: one song with original words, and another in which students played instrumental music only. The judges finally chose the band Four Square as the winner of the contest. Four Square is a rock band with an unusual twist: it includes a violin player! The members of Four Square write their own songs and practice three times a week after school. Students and teachers agreed that the band competition was a big success. All are looking forward to the school picnic in June.

According to the article, what does the band Four Square hope to do in the future?

Choose the correct answer to complete the following passage by writing the corresponding letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet.
Of the myriad of Japanese ceremonies introduced to the West, the Japanese tea ceremony would have to be the least accessible. (1)__________ many other aspects of Japanese culture, the practice of drinking tea was (2) __________ from China well over a thousand years ago. In Japan, green tea developed its own character, and the Japanese tea ceremony has evolved (3) __________ a peculiarly Japanese phenomenon.

The modern tea ceremony can be (4) __________back to the 17th century when it developed alongside another singular Japanese adaption of Chinese culture: the philosophy of Zen. The tea ceremony eventually became established as a recognized form of high art, where it was practiced in (5) __________ locations, from a Zen temple to an ordinary home. Even today, the simplest and most secular tea ceremony still embraces the Zen aesthetics of (6) __________, austerity and devotion. During the ceremony strictly prescribed words of invitation and gratitude are murmured quietly; tea maker and guests (7) __________ their roles with humility and respect. A brief moment of (8) __________ tranquility has been communally created and shared. It is simultaneously an aesthetic, social and spiritual moment. Significantly it is a Japanese moment, fleeting and poignant with its own peacefulness (9) __________ the noise and confusion of the everyday world is temporarily suspended as a vague, indefinable (10) __________ of the eternal pervades.
3.

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.

Ever since it was first possible to make a real robot, people have been hoping for the invention of a machine that would do all the necessary jobs around the house. If boring and repetitive factory work could be (1)_____ by robots, why not boring and repetitive household chores too?

For a long time the only people who really gave the problem their attention were amateur inventors And they came up against a major difficulty. That is, housework is actually very complex It has never been one job it has always been many. A factor robot (2)_____ one task endlessly until it is reprogrammed to do something else. It doesn’t run the whole factory. A housework robot on the other hand, has to do several different (3)_____ of cleaning and carrying jobs and also has to cope (4)______ all the different shapes and positions of rooms, furniture, ornaments, cats and dogs. (5)______ , there have been some developments recently. Sensors are available to help the robot locate objects and avoid obstacles. We have the technology to produce the hardware. All that is missing the softwarethe programs that will operate the machine.

(1)..........................

Read the passage carefully and choose the correct answer.

In the future, genetic engineering will allow us to create the perfect human. It will be hard to get used to. Parents will order a baby who will grow up to become a genius or to have a Miss World appearance. Also, genetic engineering will allow us to mix plants and animals. As computers have advanced, they have helped us remember, calculate, organize, and clarify. So it will become easier to deal with things, and much quicker.

At a point in a future time, some may claim that computers become about as smart as Newton or Einstein. More advanced computers will be able to be creative, respond to feelings in a feeling way, develop intuition, recognize patterns, and suggest innovative alternatives. There is a hope if we choose to take action. We can select Internet information wisely, choose healthy computer games, limit our exposure to television commercials, and select television programs carefully. People will be aware of the importance of keeping active, getting outside to do more physical activities. We will also plan to make a major sacrifice the next time we buy a car, take the bus. Everybody will be more concerned about making environmentally friendly choices, eating healthy, and helping build a healthier society by shopping at better stores that sell better food.

Most people will be aware that a happy, loving family is a joy to be part of, and that it is a necessary foundation for building a strong society. But it is extremely important for our future that we maintain a healthy perspective. We need to value and appreciate the importance of what can be achieved by loving and committed parents. People need a strong foundation, so it is vital for our society that we encourage parents to work at creating love, joy, and happiness for their children in a decent, stable, and productive atmosphere.

How many aspects of life in the future are referred in the text?

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.
Do you ever wish you were more optimistic, some one who always (36)....... to be successful? Having some one around who always fears the worst isn’t really a lot of (37)........we all know someone who sees a single cloud on a sunny day and says: “It looks like rain.” But if you catch yourself thinking such things, it’s important to do something (38) ..........it. You can change your view of life, (39)....... to psychologists, it only takes a little effort, and you’ll find life more rewarding as a (40).......... Optimism, they say, is partly about self-respect and confidence, but it’s also a more positive way of looking at life and all it has to offer . Optimists are more (41).... to start new projects and generally more prepared to take risks.
Upbringing  is obviously very important in forming your (42).... to the world. Some people are brought up to (43)..... too much on others and grow up forever blaming other people when anything goes wrong. Most optimists, on the (44).......... hand, have been brought up not to regard failure as the end of the world-they just (45)......... with their lives
(38)...........................

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.
One of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the Great Pyramid of Giza was a monument of wisdom and prophecy built as a tomb for Pharaoh Cheops in 2720 B.C. Despite its antiquity, certain aspects of its construction makes it one of the truly wonders of the world. The thirteen acre structure near the Nile river is a solid mass of stone blocks covered with limestone. Inside are the number of hidden passageways and the burial chamber of the Pharaoh. It is the largest single structure in the world. The  four sides of the pyramid are aligned almost exactly on true north, south, east and west-an incredible engineering feat. The ancient Egyptians were sun worshippers and great astronomers, so computations for the Great Pyramid were based on astronomical observations.
Explorations and detailed examinations of the base of the structure reveal many intersecting lines.
Further scientific study indicates that these represent a type of timeline of events – past, present and future. Many of the events have been interpreted and found to coincide with known facts of the past. Others are prophesied for future generations and are currently under investigation. Many believe that pyramids have supernatural powers and this one is no exception. Some researchers even associate it with extraterrestrial beings of ancient past. Was this superstructure made by ordinary beings, or one built by a race far superior to any known today?

What was the most probable reason for providing so many hidden passageways?

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.
Advertising helps people recognize a particular brand, persuades them to try it, and tries to keep  them loyal to it. Brand loyalty is perhaps the most important goal of consumer advertising. Whether they produce cars, canned foods or cosmetics, manufacturers want their customers to make repeated purchases. The quality of the product will encourage this, of course, but so, too, will affect advertising.
Advertising relies on the techniques of market research to identify potential users of a product. Are they homemakers or professional people? Are they young or old? Are they city dwellers or country dwellers? Such questions have a bearing on where and when ads should be placed. By studying readership breakdowns for newspapers and magazines as well as television ratings and other statistics, an advertising agency can decide on the best way of reaching potential buyers. Detailed research and marketing expertise are essential today when advertising budgets can run into thousands of millions of dollars.
Advertising is a fast-paced, high-pressure industry. There is a constant need for creative ideas that will establish a personality for a product in the public's mind. Current developments in advertising increase the need for talented workers.
In the past, the majority of advertising was aimed at the traditional white family - breadwinner father, non- working mother, and two children. Research now reveals that only about 6 percent of American households fit this stereotype. Instead, society is fragmented into many groups, with working mothers, single people and older people on the rise. To be most successful, advertising must identify a particular segment and aim its message toward that group.
Advertising is also making use of new technologies. Computer graphics are used to grab the attention of consumers and to help them see products in a new light. The use of computer graphics in a commercial for canned goods, for instance, gave a new image to the tin can.

Where in the passage does the author give an example of a new development in advertising?

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.
More and more people are discovering that sharing and talking about their favorite books with others can be as rewarding as the act of reading itself. For people who feel that they are too busy to sit down with a book, a book club helps them schedule time to read, others have gained self-confidence by (46)......  in or leading a discussion. And most people enjoy the chance to  (47)........... new friends
A successful book club should have a group that is small enough so even the quiet people can be heard but also big enough for many different opinions. The best arrangement is a (48)......  of ages, sexes, and backgrounds for more reading variety and livelier discussions
The book club could  (49).........  in  one subject or type of book,  like mysteries,  science fiction, or biographies. Or the members could read books of all types, as long as the book is highly recommended by someone who thinks it would be (50)........... discussing
Some book clubs meet in places like bookstores, public libraries, or restaurants, but most have their meetings in members’ homes. The approach simply offers more privacy and time for longer meetings. To make the meeting go smoothly, a leader should be appointed. The leader will usually start the discussion by asking what the author’s main idea was. Book club members should never be afraid to offer their opinions, even if they don’t like a book. They just need to be prepared to explain why.
(47)...........................

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.

   Dodder is an unusual and unwanted plant that attacks other plants. Except for its flowers, the plant looks like spaghetti noodles. Its almost leafless, thread–like stems hang down atop other plants that dodder needs to stay alive. Dodder does not produce its own food. Instead, it steals it from other plants. It feeds by sucking juices from the plant it is wrapped around, often making its host very weak or even killing it. Dodder can find other plants by their smell. When a dodder seedling starts growing, it follows the scent of plants it prefers, like tomato plants, potato plants, or other farm crops.

   Unlike most plants that usually grow in the direction of light or warmth, a dodder plant will grow in the direction of, for example, tomato odor––if a tomato happens to be growing nearby.

   However, a young dodder plant must find a host plant quickly. If it cannot catch a whiff of a potential host within a few days, it will dry up and disappear—even if there is plenty of water around. Once it finds a host, the young dodder plant will attach itself to it and start growing faster. At that point, the dodder plant will drop its root.

   Dodder is thus a difficult weed to manage and a real headache for farmers. When it does get out of hand, dodder can greatly reduce a farmer’s harvest or even destroy crops completely. Before sowing their produce, farmers in warm parts of the world often check to make sure no unwanted dodder seeds have intermingled with their crop seeds. This is a good way to stop dodder plants from sneaking their way into a crop field.

The word it refers 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.
One of the most beautiful parts of Britain is the Lake District. The Lake District is situated in the north-west of England and consists of high hills, mountains and, of course, lakes. In all, there are 16 lakes, of (16)... the largest is Lake Windermere. Over the years many writers have been (17).......   with this region but there can be no (18).....  that the most famous of all was   William Wordsworth (1770-1850), who was born and lived almost the whole of his life there. He had close connections with the village of Grasmere, where he lived for some thirteen years. He loved this particular part of England and many of his poems of the joy he felt when surrounded by beautiful countryside.
Every year more than 14 million people from Britain and abroad visit the Lake District to enjoy the fresh air and the scenery. Some go to walk in the mountains while others sail boats on the lakes or simply sit admiring the (19).......   views. Unfortunately, the  region is becoming a   victim of its own success in attracting visitors.  (20).....  come to the  Lake District that they  threaten to destroy the peace and quite which many are searching for there
(20).....................................

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

"Oxford engineer, David Heston, is planning an interesting cycle ride this summer - (1)….. the Sahara Desert. During his five-week journey, temperatures (2)…..  a sizzling 45°. David, 19, of Church Road, Dorchester, hopes to complete the first summer (3)…… of the desert on a tandem (bicycle for two people). “It does sound a bit (4)….. he said. (5)…. there are good reasons. It’s part of a research expedition about finding ways of (6)…. the spread of the desert. The Sahara is getting bigger and bigger and that’s bad (7)…… .
David is taking five Cambridge University friends with him. One will join him on the tandem and the others will drive two Land Rovers in support, travelling from (8)….. of Algeria to Agadez in the South. The journey is not without its problems, and (9)….. a 600-mile section (10)…..has no roads and no water."

1. Oxford engineer, David Heston, is planning an interesting cycle ride this summer - (1)….. the Sahara Desert.

Choose the best answer: 
Archaeological records ― paintings, drawings, and carvings of humans engaged in activities involving the use of hands ― indicate that humans have been predominantly right-handed for more than 5,000 years. In ancient Egyptian artwork, for example, the right-hand is depicted as the dominant one in about 90percent of the examples. Fracture or wear patterns on tools also indicate that a majority of ancient people were right-handed. Cro-Magnon cave paintings some 2,000 years old commonly show outlines of human hands made by placing one hand against the cave wall and applying paint with the other. Children today make similar outlines of their hands with crayons on paper. With few exceptions, left hands of Cro-Magnons are displayed on cave walls, indicating that the paintings were usually done by right- handers. Anthropological evidence pushes the record of handedness in early human ancestors back to at least 1.4 million years ago. One important line of evidence comes from flaking patterns of stone cores used in toolmaking: implements flaked with a clockwise motion (indicating a right-handed toolmaker) can be distinguished from those flaked with a counter-clockwise rotation (indicating a left-handed toolmaker). Even scratches found on fossil human teeth offer clues. Ancient humans are thought to have cut meat into strips by holding it between their teeth and slicing it with stone knives, as do the present-day Inuit. Occasionally the knives slip and leave scratches on the users' teeth. Scratches made with a left-to-right stroke direction (by right-handers) are more common than scratches in the opposite direction (made by left-handers). Still other evidence comes from cranial morphology: scientists think that physical differences between the right and left sides of the interior of the skull indicate subtle physical differences between the two sides of the brain. The variation between the hemispheres corresponds to which side of the body is used to perform specific activities. Such studies, as well as studies of tool use, indicate that right- or leftsided dominance is not exclusive to modern Homo sapiens. Populations of Neanderthals, such as Homo erectus and Homo habilis, seem to have been predominantly right-handed, as we are.
3.What does the author say about Cro-Magnon paintings of hands?

Read the passage below and choose the best answer (A, B, C or D ) to each question.

At the end of 2019, a new type of coronavirus started spreading in China. This type of coronavirus is often called 2019-nCov, novel coronavirus, or COVID-19. It is believed that the virus was transmitted from animals to humans. Some of the first cases were diagnosed in people who had visited a market selling live seafood and animals. Unfortunately, when viruses are transmitted from animals to people, it can take scientists a lot of time before they can develop a vaccine or medicines to cure it.

Some of the symptoms of the coronavirus are fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat, headache, and trouble breathing. These symptoms are very much like those people have with a cold or the flu. The virus appears to spread mainly from person to person. The transmission occurs when someone comes into contact with an infected person. For example, a cough, sneeze or handshake could cause transmission. The spread may also be caused by coming into contact with something an infected person has touched and then touching your mouth, nose or eyes.

There is no specific vaccine or medication to cure the disease, but generally, symptoms will go away their own. However, experts recommend seeking medical care early if symptoms feel worse than a standard cold. Doctors can relieve symptoms by prescribing pain or fever medication. As far as antibiotics are concerned, they are useless to treat coronavirus.

Which is NOT mentioned in paragraph 2 as a symptom of the coronavirus?

Choose the best answer: 
....................... you count from one to ten when you ....................... two?
 

Read the passage carefully and choose the correct answer.

In the future, genetic engineering will allow us to create the perfect human. It will be hard to get used to. Parents will order a baby who will grow up to become a genius or to have a Miss World appearance. Also, genetic engineering will allow us to mix plants and animals. As computers have advanced, they have helped us remember, calculate, organize, and clarify. So it will become easier to deal with things, and much quicker.

At a point in a future time, some may claim that computers become about as smart as Newton or Einstein. More advanced computers will be able to be creative, respond to feelings in a feeling way, develop intuition, recognize patterns, and suggest innovative alternatives. There is a hope if we choose to take action. We can select Internet information wisely, choose healthy computer games, limit our exposure to television commercials, and select television programs carefully. People will be aware of the importance of keeping active, getting outside to do more physical activities. We will also plan to make a major sacrifice the next time we buy a car, take the bus. Everybody will be more concerned about making environmentally friendly choices, eating healthy, and helping build a healthier society by shopping at better stores that sell better food.

Most people will be aware that a happy, loving family is a joy to be part of, and that it is a necessary foundation for building a strong society. But it is extremely important for our future that we maintain a healthy perspective. We need to value and appreciate the importance of what can be achieved by loving and committed parents. People need a strong foundation, so it is vital for our society that we encourage parents to work at creating love, joy, and happiness for their children in a decent, stable, and productive atmosphere.

Which aspect is not referred in the text?

Choose the best answer: 
The picture is so beautiful, _______?