Choose the item among A, B, C or D that best answers the question about the passage: 

"Many people think that we can learn a lot about the culture of a foreign country simply by living in that country. However, this is not necessarily true. Often, the longer we stay in a foreign country, the more we realize how little we actually know about the culture of that country.
 Books and talks about other people’s culture can even be dangerous because they concentrate on cultural differences and exaggerate national character, and sometimes a lot of information they contain is untrue.
 In a study recently carried out in Britain, people were asked to make a list of anything that they thought was typical of Britain and would interest a foreign visitor there. Most mentioned Shakespeare, the Queen, village inns, English folk dancing, English castles, and fish chips wrapped in newspaper. Although all of these characters can be found in British culture, they do not show the real interest of ordinary British people: (They are, in fact, simply stereotype - that is, general character which people wrongly think are typical.) What is surprising is that they were suggested by British people themselves as representing their culture. If people have such a wrong impression of their own culture, how much false would their impression of other culture be!"

3. When asked about their own culture, many British people……

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The UK Government ensures that all schools in the UK (55)_______ certain standards, and this includes independent schools as well as those that are (56)_______ by the Government. All qualifications are awarded by national agencies accredited by the Qualification and Curriculum Authority (QCA), (57)_______ the quality of the qualifications you will gain is guaranteed. At many independent schools inEngland, you will be encouraged to take part (58)_______ extracurricular activities to develop your hobbies and learn new skills, and you may be encouraged to take graded music exams (59)_______ by the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. The exam grades gained from these are widely accepted toward university entry (60)_______ . Independent schools do not usually offer vocationally focused qualifications but if you are (61)_______ in these qualifications, you can find out more in the 'career-based and pre-university qualifications' section. The (62)_______ you pay to attend independent school, include your course fees, accommodation and may include some or all extracurricular activities. Fees (63)_______ from school to school and are at the discretion of the institution; there are no national standards. You should expect to pay a minimum of £8,000 per year and fees can be (64)_______ high as £25,000

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.

In line 6, the word “further” is closest in meaning to which of the following?

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Women are expert at gossiping, and they always talk about trivial things, or at least that‘s what men have always thought. However, some new research (1) _____ that when women talk to women, their (2) ______ are far from frivolous, and cover many more (3) _____ (up to 6 subjects) than men talk to other men. Women‘s conversations (4)_____ from health to their houses, from politics to fashion, from movies to family, from education to relationship problems. Sports are notably (5)_____. Men tend to have a more limited range of subjects, the most popular being work, sports, jokes, cars, and women. According to Professor Petra Boynton, a psychologist who interviewed over 1000 women, women also tend to move quickly from one subject to another in (6)_____, while men usually stick to one subject for longer periods of time. At work, this (7) _____ can be an advantage for men, as they can put other matters aside and concentrate matter aside and concentrate (8) ______ on the topic being discussed. On the other hand, it also means that they sometimes find it hard to concentrate when several things have to be discussed at the same (9) _____ in a meeting. Professor Boynton also says that men and women talk for different reasons. In social (10) _____ women use conversation to solve problems and reduce stress while men talk with each other to laugh or to compare opinions

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Most Americans eat three meals (40) ______ the day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Breakfast begins between 7:00 and 8:00am, lunch between 11:00 am and noon, and dinner between 6:00 and 8:00 pm. On Sundays "brunch" is a (41) ______ of breakfast and lunch, typically beginning at 11:00 am. Students often enjoy a "study break" or evening snack around 10:00 or 11:00 pm. Breakfast and lunch tend to be light meals, with only one (42) ______. Dinner is the main meal. (43) ______ breakfast Americans will eat cereal with milk which are often mixed (44) ______ in a bowl, a glass of orange juice, and toasted bread or muffin with jam, butter, or margarine. Another common breakfast meal is scrambled eggs or (45) ______ omelet with potatoes and breakfast meat (bacon or sausage). People who are on (46) ______ eat just a cup of yogurt. Lunch and dinner are more (47) ______. When eating at a formal dinner, you may be overwhelmed by the number of utensils. How do you (48) ______ the difference between a salad fork, a butter fork, and a dessert fork? Most Americans do not know the answer (49) ______ But knowing which fork or spoon to use first is simple: use the outermost utensils first and the utensils closest to the plate last

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Our family has got many books. All the …(33)……… of our family buy books and read them. My mother says that books help us in self-education. In ancient times, books ……(34)…… written by hand. It was difficult to write a book …(35)……… a pen. Then printing came into our life. Printing played an important ……(36)…. in the development of literature and culture. Now there are a lot of books in the shops, there are many books in our flats. But it is difficult to buy all books …(37)……… we want to read. That‘s why we get books in public libraries. There are some problems in our life and sometimes it is difficult to ……(38)… them. I think that books can help us. Last year I read a very interesting book ― An American Tragedy‖ by Theodore Dreiser. This novel was …(39)…… at the beginning of the 20th century. The novel ……(40)……. The tragic fate of a boy and a girl, Clyde and Roberta ……(41)…… name. It is a sad story. This novel was written many years ago, but it is …(42)……… nowadays. Books must be our friends during our life

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Nearly 200 of the 1500 native plant species in Hawaii are at risk of going extinct in the near future because they have been (1) ____ to such low numbers. Approximately 90 percent of Hawaii's plants are found nowhere else in the world but they are (2) ____ by alien invasive species such as feral goats, pigs, rodents and (3) ____ plants. The Hawaii Rare Plant Restoration Group is striving to (4) ____ the extinction of the 182 rare Hawaiian plants with fewer than 50 individuals remaining in the (5) ____ . Since 1990, (6) ____ a result of their "Plant Extinction Prevention Program", sixteen species have been brought into (7) ____ and three species have been reintroduced. Invasive weeds have been removed in key areas and fencing put up in order to (8) ____ plants in the wild. In the future the Hawaii Rare Plant Restoration Program aims (9) ____ 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 (10) _____

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Skilling has become a way of life for many people. From the moment the first snowflake falls until the spring (1) ______ skiers put skis on their cars and (2) ______ for slopes. There are many reasons behind the (3) ______ of this winter sports. Skiing is a true family sport that can be enjoyable by all people, whether 3 or 93 years old. Being able to (4) ______ a hill, to turn at will and nature at its loveliest are (5) ______ for all age groups. Skiing is also interesting because it provides a variety of experiences. Snow conditions change hourly as the temperature and weather conditions change during the day. Moreover, every trail is different. Rarely does one pass over the same (6) ______ twice. Improvement in skis equipment, clothing, and ski areas have made the sport more pleasurable, comfortable and available. Warm and light clothing has replaced (7) ______ of heavy sweaters. Ski equipment made with modern materials has made skis and poles lighter, more flexible and suited to people of all ages. The (8) ______ of skiing had also improved by snow-making equipment. Even in areas of the countries that have (9) ______ snowfall, snow can be made (10)______ the temperature be below 30 degrees Celsius. For many people, skiing is an opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the out-of-doors, to challenge their physical abilities and, finally, to simply have fun. It is a sport world-wide and appears to be gaining in popularities constantly

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:
Successful students often do the followings while studying. First they have an overview before reading. Next, they look for important information and pay greater attention to it (which often needs jumping forward or backward to process information). They also relate important points to one another. Also, they activate and use their prior knowledge. When they realize that their understanding is not good, they do not wait to change strategies. Last, they can monitor understanding and take action to correct or “ fix-up” mistakes in comprehension.
Conversely, students with low academic achievement often demonstrate ineffective study skills. They tend to assume a passive role in learning and rely on others(e.g, teachers, parents) to monitor their studying. For example, low-achieving students often do not monitor their understanding of content, they may not be aware of the purpose of studying, and their show little evidence of looking back, or employing “fix-up” strategies to fix understanding problems. Students who struggle with learning new information seem to be unaware that they must extent beyond simply reading the content to understand and remember it. Children with learning disabilities do not plan and judge the quality off their studying. Their studying may be disorganized. Students with learning problems face challenges with personal organization as well. They often have difficulty keeping track of materials and assignments, following directions, and completing work on time. Unlike good student who employ a variety of study skills in a flexible yet purposeful manner, low-achieving students use a restricted range of skills. They can not explain why good study strategies are important for learning, and they tend to use the same, often ineffective, study approach for all learning tasks, ignoring task content, structure of difficulty.

According to the passage, what can be learnt about passive students?

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.
The knock-on effect of volunteering on the lives of individuals can be profound. Voluntary work helps foster independence and imparts the ability to deal with different situations, often simultaneously, thus teaching  people  how to (1)........... their way through different systems. It therefore brings people into touch with the real world; and, hence, equips them for the future.
Initially, young adults in their late teens might not seem to have the expertise or knowledge to impart to others that say a teacher or an agriculturalist or a nurse would have, (2)......... they do have many skills that can help others. And in the absence of any particular talent, their energy and enthusiasm can be harnessed for the benefit (3)...... their fellow human beings, and ultimately themselves. From all this, the gain to any community no matter how many volunteers are involved is (4) ................
Employers will generally look favorably on people (5).......... have shown an ability to work as part of a team. It demonstrates a willingness to learn and an independent spirit, which would be desirable qualities in any employee.

(5)........................................

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Higher Education in the UK Students who have successfully completed an A-level course may go to university to do (1)_____ three- or four-year course leading to a first degree such as Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science (BSc), etc. They apply to several universities which then (2)_____ an offer of a place specifying the minimum grades the student needs to obtain in the A level subjects studied. Higher education is not (3)_____. In principle, students have to pay a contribution to the cost of teaching (tuition fees) and have also to pay their living costs (maintenance). The government provides (4)_____ to help them pay for university education which have to be paid back from earnings once their income reaches a certain (5)_____. In recent years government policy has been to (6)_____ the percentage of 18-year olds (7)_____ go to university, which is now, at 40%, double the 1990 figure, but this growth has been at the (8)______ of the amount of financial support given to individual students. Universities receive money (9)_____ the state for each student and are responsible for employing staff and deciding which courses to offer. The head of a university, who is (10)_____ for its management, is called a vice-chancellor.

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Television has changed the lifestyle of people in every industrialized country in the world. In the United States, where sociologists have studied the effects, some interesting observations have been made. Television, although not essential, has become a(n) (1) _____ part of most people‘s lives. It has become a baby-sitter, an initiator of conversations, a major transmitter of culture, and a keeper of traditions. Yet when what can be seen on TV in one day is critically analyzed, it becomes evident that television is not a teacher but a sustainer. The poor (2) ______ of programs does not elevate people into greater (3) ______. The (4) _______ reason for the lack of quality in American television is related to both the history of TV development and the economics of TV. Television in America began with the radio. Radio companies and their sponsors first experimented with television. Therefore, the close relationship, (5) _______ the advertisers had with radio programs, became the system for American TV. Sponsors not only paid money for time within programs, but many actually produced the programs. Thus, (6) _______ from the capitalistic, profit-oriented sector of American society, television is primarily (7) _______ with reflecting and attracting society (8) _______ than innovating and experimenting with new ideas. Advertisers want to attract the largest viewing audience possible; to do so requires that the programs be entertaining rather than challenging. Television in America today remains, to a large (9) _______, with the same organization and standards as it had thirty years ago. The hope for some evolution and true achievement toward improving society will require a change in the (10) _______ system

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:
Insects’ lives are very short and they have many enemies, but they must survive long enough to breed and perpetuate their kind. The less insect-like they look, the better their chance of survival. To look "inedible" by resembling or imitating plants is a deception widely practiced by insects. Mammals rarely use this type of camouflage, but many fish and invertebrates do.
The stick caterpillar is well named. It is hardly distinguishable from a brown or green twig. This caterpillar is quite common and can be found almost anywhere in North America. It is also called "measuring worm" or "inchworm." It walks by arching its body, then stretching out and grasping the branch with its front feet then looping its body again to bring the hind feet forward. When danger threatens, the stick caterpillar stretches its body away from the branch at an angle and remains rigid and still, like a twig, until the danger has passed.
Walking sticks, or stick insects, do not have to assume a rigid, twig-like pose to find protection; they look like inedible twigs in any position. There are many kinds of walking sticks, ranging in size from the few inches of the North American variety to some tropical species that may be over a foot long. When at rest their front legs are stretched out, heightening their camouflage. Some of the tropical species are adorned with spines or ridges, imitating the thorny bushes or trees in which they live.
Leaves also seem to be a favorite object for insects to imitate. Many butterflies can suddenly disappear from view by folding their wings and sitting quietly among the foliage that they resemble.

Which of the following is true of stick insects?

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.

   William Sydney Porter (1862-1910), who wrote under the pseudonym of O. Henry, was born in North Carolina. His only formal education was to attend his Aunt Lina’s school until the age of fifteen, where he developed his lifelong love of books. By 1881 he was a licensed pharmacist. However, within a year, on the recommendation of a medical colleague of his Father’s, Porter moved to La Salle County in Texas for two years herding sheep. During this time, Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary was his constant companion, and Porter gained a knowledge of ranch life that he later incorporated into many of his short stories. He then moved to Austin for three years, and during this time the first recorded use of his pseudonym appeared, allegedly derived from his habit of calling “Oh, Henry” to a family cat. In 1887, Porter married Athol Estes. He worked as a draftsman, then as a bank teller for the First National Bank.

   In 1894 Porter founded his own humor weekly, the “Rolling Stone”, a venture that failed within a year, and later wrote a column for the Houston Daily Post. In the meantime, the First National Bank was examined, and the subsequent indictment of 1886 stated that Porter had embezzled funds. Porter then fled to New Orleans, and later to Honduras, leaving his wife and child in Austin. He returned in 1897 because of his wife’s continued ill-health, however she died six months later. Then, in 1898 Porter was found guilty and sentenced to five years imprisonment in Ohio. At the age of thirty five, he entered prison as a defeated man; he had lost his job, his home, his wife, and finally his freedom. He emerged from prison three years later, reborn as O. Henry, the pseudonym he now used to hide his true identity. He wrote at least twelve stories in jail, and after re-gaining his freedom, went to New York City, where he published more than 300 stories and gained fame as America’s favorite short Story writer. Porter married again in 1907, but after months of poor health, he died in New York City at the age of forty-eight in 1910. O. Henry’s stories have been translated all over the world.

Why did the author write the passage?

Read the following passage and choose A, B, C or D to indicate the correct word for each of the blanks
Just as more English is being taught in primary schools worldwide, so there are a growing number of language schools in English-speaking countries that are (1) .................. courses for younger learners. In Britain most young learners' courses are (2) .................. to 11-year-olds and upwards, with a few that  cater for children as young as seven. But what is a sensible age to start sending children abroad to study?(3).................. , even adult learners find the experience of travelling to a strange country and encountering people who speak an incomprehensible language challenging?A great deal depends on how a child has been (4) .................. up. For example, if they have been exposed to new things and have already started to learn independence, then they are likely to prosper. Further on, children who have previously travelled abroad with their parents are usually more prepared for a study (5).......... in an English-speaking country on their own than those who have not.

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

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May 7, 1840 was the birthday of one of the most famous Russian composers of the nineteenth century Peter Illich Tchaikovsky. The son of a mining inspector, Tchaikovsky studied music as a child and later studied composition at the St.Pertersburg Conservatory. His greatest period of productivity occurred between 1876 and 1890, during which time he enjoyed the patronage of Madame von Meck, a woman he never met, who gave him a living stipend of about $1,000.00 a year. Madame von Meck later terminated her friendship with Tchaikovsky, as well as his living allowance, when she, herself, was facing financial difficulties. It was during the time of Madame von Meck’s patronage, however, that Tchaikovsky created the music for which he is most famous, including the music for the ballets of Swan Lake and The Sleeping Beauty.
Tchaikovsky’s music, well known for its rich melodic and sometimes melancholy passages, was one of the first that brought serious dramatic music to dance. Before this, little attention had been given to the music behind the dance. Tchaikovsky died on November 6,1893, ostensibly of cholera, though there are now some scholars who argue that he committed suicide.

According to the passage, all of the following describe Madame von Meck EXCEPT     

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.

Which of following is NOT given as a reason why folk-made objects are replaced by mass-produced objects?

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All plants rely on nutrients taken from the soil in order to survive. However, in areas where the soil does not contain enough (35)_____ nutrients, some plants have adapted to (36) _____ their diets from another source: living organisms. Though they are few in number, carnivorous plants are (37)_____ fascinating beings that ―eat‖ anything from one-celled organisms to insects in order to survive. They are commonly found in marshlands. Carnivorous plants feature one of several types of ―traps‖ to ensnare prey, which they consume to make up for nutrients that may be missing from the soil. While there are over 400 species of carnivorous plants in the world today, some are more (38)_____ than others. The most well-known of these plants are the snap traps, which include the Venus flytrap. Snap traps are easily identified by their leaves, which are separated into two lobes that have the ability to fold together. Inside the lobes, the surface is covered with tiny hairs that are (39) _____ to movement. When the plant‘s prey brushes against the hairs, it triggers a closing mechanism that rapidly brings the two lobes together, trapping the prey (40)_____ inside. The response of the traps is phenomenal (41)_____ speed: the time between triggering the hairs and snapping shut is less than a second. As the prey struggles inside the trap, it only triggers more hairs, causing the leaves to tighten their (42) _____. The plant then secrets liquid chemicals from special glands into the trap to dissolve the prey and absorb all of its nutrients. Besides the Venus flytrap, only one other type of snap trap exists today, (43)_____ to as the waterwheel plant. The two share a common ancestor and differ only in a few ways. For instance, the waterwheel is an aquatic plant, while the flytrap is exclusively terrestrial. In addition, the flytrap feeds primarily on arthropods like spiders, while the waterwheel lives (44)_____ simple invertebrates, like certain types of plankton

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Langston Hughes was one of the greatest American writers of the twentieth century. He was born in Joplin, Missouri, and moved to Cleveland at the age of fourteen. Four years later he went to Mexico and spent one year there before attending Columbia University in New York. For a few years after that he roamed the world as a seaman, visiting ports around the world and writing some poetry. He returned to the United States and attended Lincoln University, where he won the Writer Bynner Prize for undergraduate poetry. After graduating in 1928, he traveled to Spain and to Russia. His best novels include “Not Without Laughter” and “The Big Sea”. He wrote an autobiography in 1956 and also published his collections of poetry then. A man of many talents, Hughes is one of the most accomplished writers in American literature history.

Where was Langston Hughes born?

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:
Under the Medicare insurance policy, people approaching 65 may enroll during the seven-month period that includes three months before the sixty-fifth birthday, the month in which the birthday falls, and three months after the birthday. However, if they wish the insurance coverage to begin when they reach 65, they must enroll three months before their birthday. People who do not enroll within their first enrollment period may enroll later, during the first three months of each year. Those people, however, must pay 10% additional for each twelve-month period that elapsed since they first could have enrolled.
The monthly premium is deducted from social security payment, railroad retirement or civil service retirement benefits.

The period after the sixty-fifth birthday during which people may apply for Medicare is     .

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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.