Choose the letter A, B, C or D to complete the passage below.

"Kumbh Vivah: India

Indian men and women born as Mangliks - meaning Mars is situated in the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 7th, 8th or 12th house of a person’s Rashi (Indian astrological moon sign) - are believed __________ (1). It is believed that Mangalik Dosha negatively impacts married life, causing tension and sometimes the untimely death of one of the partners. To cancel ___________ (2) effects, a Kumbh Vivah can be performed before the wedding. This is a wedding between a Mangalik and either a statue of Vishnu or a Peepal tree or banana tree. The celebrated Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai had one such marriage with a tree before marrying her husband, Abhishek."

2. To cancel ___________ (2) effects, a Kumbh Vivah can be performed before the wedding. This is a wedding between a Mangalik and either a statue of Vishnu or a Peepal tree or banana tree.

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:
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.

Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?

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Bodies are made to move! They are not (19) _________for sitting around in front of the television or reading magazines. Keeping fit doesn‘t (20) _________you have to be a super-athlete, and even (21) ______exercise can give you a lot of fun. When you are fit and healthy, you will find you look better and feel better. You will develop more energy and self-confidence. Every time you move, you are exercising. The human body is designed to bend, stretch, run, jump and climb. (22) _________ it does, the stronger and fitter it will become. Best of all, exercise is fun. It‘s what your body likes doing most-keeping on the (23) _________. Physical exercise is not only good for your body. People who take regular exercise are usually happier, more relaxed and more alert (24) _________ people who sit around all day. Try an experiment-next time you are (25) _________a bad mood, go for a walk or play a ball game in the park. See how much better you feel after an hour. A good (26) _________of achievement is yet another benefit of exercise. People feel good about themselves when they know they have (27) _________their fitness. People who exercise regularly will tell you that they find they have more energy to enjoy life. So have (28) _________-you‘ll soon see and feel the benefits

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How lucky can you be? Twelve-year-old Eloise Noakes has got the best job in the world – trying out (34) ______ new games. A leading company held a competition to find young testers and Eloise was selected to test games which are about to be (35) ______ onto the market. Each week she is given a different game to play before recording her thoughts on a form (36) ______ was designed by the company. As the company director said, “What better way to find out about games than to put them in the hands of the customers who will make most use of them?” Eloise is delighted with her new job, but she also takes it very seriously. She is allowed to keep the games after testing them. (37) ______, she has decided instead to give them away to children less (38) ______ than herself. “I’ve got plenty of games and some children don’t have any,” she explained

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 know that your place on the family ladder may have certain effects on the sort of person you grow up to be? You may be the only child, the eldest, youngest or (1)..............one; you may be the youngest of three boys or the eldest girl with a younger brother and sister. All the different combinations of relationships will have helped to make you the person you are. (2).................. of years between your siblings and you also helps to shape your character.
Knowing such details about your best friend or loved one (3)............ also tell you about the type of friend or partner he needs. For example, a boy with a younger sister would normally (4)......... much better with a girl who has an older brother than with a girl who has a younger brother. Similarly, if your girlfriend is the oldest in her family, she would probably be more than a little domineering.
Fortunately for all of us, family psychology is not totally accurate. There are always exceptions to the rule.  Most  important  of  all,  we  should  always  judge people (5)................ to who they are, not the relatives they have.

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

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The overall outlook for the hotel and tourism industry in Vietnam is very (1)____ . Tourism is viewed as an important economic (2)____ in the future development of this country, and it is easy to see why Vietnam , among the countries in South East Asia, has become increasingly popular as a new (3)____ destination. The sublime beauty of the country‘s natural settings is very (4)____ . The sights, the sounds and the tastes of Vietnam leave a lasting memory for many foreign (5)____ . Its key destination such as Dalat, PhanThiet, Hoi An or NhaTrang are offering, indeed, great tourism (6)____ . Combine this with the friendly nature of the Vietnamese people and the current political (7)____ , and we are set for solid growth pattern for the years to come. It is therefore not a surprise that foreign (8)____ to Vietnam have steadily increased during the past few years. Also important is the increasing demand from the domestic market. It is projected that 17 million domestic (9)____ will make a short trip in 2005 within the country for leisure and (10)____

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.

People would pay 10% more for their insurance if they     .

Read and complete the following passage.

"For most people, (1) _________ one's cultural identity is often a way to show who they are and how they relate to others. It can be (2) _________ through their language, food, clothing, beliefs, music and festivals. Among these (3) _________, language is what makes me Vietnamese. There are several reasons for this. Vietnamese is the language that can (4) _________ the people of my country in the face of any danger. Although there are over fifty ethnic groups, we all use Vietnamese as the offical language. It is the means of communication at school and in my community. It allows me to experience and (5) ________ my culture. I am also proud to speak a language that has a long history. Although my country used to be (6) ________ by other countries, the language has always been kept alive. Modern Vietnamese developed from an ancient form similar to other Asian languages. It is written with the Latin alphabet combining letters with tone markings. In conclusion, Vietnamese as the community and national language is the most powerful (7) ________ force. That is why it is also the most meaningful part of my cultural identity. This beautiful and (8) ________ language defines me as a person and I am very proud of it."

In conclusion, Vietnamese as the community and national language is the most powerful (7) ________ force.

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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

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.

      Contrary to popular belief, one does not have to be a trained programmer to work online. Of course, there are plenty of jobs available for people with high-tech computer skills, but the growth of new media has opened up a wide range of Internet career opportunities requiring only a minimal level of technical expertise. Probably one of the most well-known online job opportunities is the job of Webmaster. However, it is hard to define one basic job description for this position. The qualifications and responsibilities depend on what tasks a particular organization needs a Webmaster to perform.

      To specify the job description of a Webmaster, one needs to identify the hardware and software the website the Webmaster will manage is running on. Different types of hardware and software require different skill sets to manage them. Another key factor is whether the website will be running internally or externally (renting shared space on the company servers). Finally, the responsibilities of a webmaster also depend on whether he or she will be working independently, or whether the firm will provide people to help. All of these factors need to be considered before one can create an accurate webmaster job description.

      Webmaster is one type of Internet career requiring in-depth knowledge of the latest computer applications. However, there are also online jobs available for which traditional skills remain in high demand. Content jobs require excellent writing skills and a good sense of the web as a “new media”.

      The term “new media” is difficult to define because it compasses a constantly growing set of new technologies and skills. Specifically, it includes websites, email, internet technology, CD-ROM, DVD, streaming audio and video, interactive multimedia presentations, e-books, digital music, computer illustration, video games, virtual reality, and computer artistry.

      Additionally, many of today’s Internet careers are becoming paid-by-the-job professions. With many companies having to downsize in tough economic items, the outsourcing and contracting of freelance workers online has become common business practice. The Internet provides an infinite pool of buyers from around the world with whom freelancers can contract their services. An added benefit to such online jobs is that freelancers are able to work on projects with companies outside their own country.

      How much can a person make in these kinds of careers? As with many questions related to today’s evolving technology, there is no simple answer. There are many companies willing to pay people with Internet skills salaries well over $70,000 a year. Generally, webmasters start at about $30,000 per year, but salaries can vary greatly. Freelance writers working online have been known to make between $40,000 to $70,000 a year.

Which of the followings is true about the job of the freelance writers?

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__55)______ history, women have always aimed for a recognized place in (56)________ Guided by their own (57)________of knowledge and expertise, women like Marie Curie in science, Mary Wollstonecraft in literary writing, Simone de Beauvois in philosophical existentialist debate, and Marie Stopes in medicine, to name a few, have brought about (58)________awareness of the role of women in any walks of life. These women have helped redefine and (59)________ the nature of women‘s place in society. Today the (60)________ of global women's organizations and the impact of women's contributions (61)________society show that progress has been made and the progress in furthering the role of women in society has been some benefits to the (62)________ woman. It is true to say that not all women have the same need. The need of the woman who stays at home and (63)________children will differ widely from the woman who works outside. Nonetheless, in the extensive field of equal opportunities, it would be good to know that access is given to both with equal measure according to the true value of respective abilities. It also would be good to know that the woman at home is recognized as a valued (64)________of society just as much as the one who deals with business outside the home

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.

American folk music originated with (1)________ people at a time when the rural population was isolated and music was not (2)________ spread by radio, records, or music video. It was (3)_______ by oral traditional and is noted for its energy, humor, and emotional impact. The major source of early American folk songs was music from the British Isles, but songs from Africa as songs of the American Indians have significant part in its heritage. Later settler from other countries also contributed songs. In the nineteenth century, composer Steven Foster wrote some of the most enduringly popular of all American songs, (4)_________ soon became part of the folk tradition. Beginning in the 1930s, Woody Guthrie gained great popularity by adapting melodies and lyrics and supplying new ones as well. In the 1950s and 1960s, singer – composers such as Peter Seeger, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez continued this tradition by urban’ folk music. Many of these songs deal (5)________ important social issue, such as racial integration and the war in Vietnam.

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

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
What is meant by the term economic resources? In general, these are all the natural, man-made, and human resources that go into the (1).....   of goods and services. Economic resources can be broken down   into two general categories: property resource – land and capital, and human resources – labor and entrepreneurial skills.
What do economists mean (2).......... land? Much more than the non-economist, land refers to all the natural resources that are usable in the production process: arable land, forests, mineral and oil deposits, and (3).........on.  What  about  capital?  Capital  goods  are  all  the  man-made  aids to producing, storing, transporting, and distributing goods and services. Capital goods differ from consumer goods in that (4)........... satisfy wants directly, while the former do so indirectly by facilitating the production of consumer goods. It should be noted that capital as defined here does not refer to money. Money, as such, produces nothing.
The term labor refers to the physical and mental talents of humans used to produce goods and services (with the exception of a certain set of human talents, entrepreneurial skills, which will be considered separately because of their special significance). Thus the services of a factory worker or an office worker, a ballet (5)..........or an astronaut all fall under the general heading of labor.

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

A recent survey of crime statistics shows that we are all more likely to be burgled now than 20 years ago and the police advise everyone to take a few simple precautions to protect their homes.

The first fact is that burglars and other intruders prefer easy opportunities, like a house which is very obviously empty. This is much less of a challenge than an occupied house, and one which is well-protected. A burglar will wonder if it is worth the bother.

There are some generalt ips on how to avoid your home becoming another crime statistic. Avoid leaving signs that your house is empty. When you have to go out, leave at least one light on as well as a radio or television, and do not leave any curtains wide open. The sight of your latest music centre or computer is enough to tempt any burglar.

Never leave a spare key in convenient hiding place. The first place a burglar will look is under the doormat or in a flower pot and even somewhere more ‘imaginative’ could soon be uncovered by the intruder. It is much safer to leave a key with a neighbour you can trust. But if your house is in a quiet, desolate area be aware that this will be a burglar’s dream, so deter any potential criminal from approaching your house by fitting security lights to the outside of your house.

But what could happen if, in spite of the aforementioned precautions, a burglar or intruder has decided to target your home. Windows are usually the first point of entry for many intruders. Downstairs windows provide easy access while upstairs windows can be reached with a ladder or by climbing up the drainpipe. Before going to bed you should double-check that all windows and shutters are locked. No matter how small your windows may be, it is surprising what a narrow gap a determined burglar can manage to get through. For extra security, fit window locks to the inside of the window.

What about entry via doors? Your back door and patio doors, which are easily forced open, should have top quality security locks fitted. Even though this is expensive it will be money well spent. Install a burglar alarm if you can afford it as another line of defence against intruders.

A sobering fact is that not all intruders have to break and enter into a property. Why go to the trouble of breaking in if you can just knock and be invited in? Beware of bogus officials or workmen and, particularly if you are elderly, fit a chain and an eye hole so that you scrutinise callers at your leisure. When you do have callers never let anybody into your home unless you are absolutely sure they are genuine. Ask to see an identity card, for example.

If you are in the frightening position of waking in the middle of the night and think you can hear an intruder, then on no account should you approach the intruder. It is far better to telephone the police and wait for help.

According to the writer, we should ________ .

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We are using up the world‘s petroleum. We use (1) ______ in our cars and to heat our building in winter. Farmers use petrochemicals to (2) ____ the soil rich. They use them to kill insects (3) ______ eat plants. These chemicals go (4) ______ rivers and lakes and kill the fish there. Thousands of pollutants also go into the air and pollute it. Winds carry this (5) _____ air to other countries and other continents. Poor farmers use the same land over and (6) _____ The land needs a rest so it will be better next year. However, the farmers must have food this year. Poor people cut down forests (7) _____ firewood. In some areas when the trees are gone, the land (8) ______ desert. Poor people can‘t save the environment for the (9) _____ . This is not a problem for one country or one area of the world. It is a problem for allhumans. The people and the nations of the world must work together to (10) _______ the world‘s resources

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

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

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.

Which of the following is true, according to the passage?

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A solid object that has the power to attract iron and some metals is called a magnet. It does this through its magnetic field, a region of force surrounding it. The (33) _____ the magnet, the more intense is the field. Objects that are attracted to the magnet feel a force (34) _____ as ―magnetism‖ when they are inside the magnetic field. This magnetic force can pass (35) _____ some materials. Even a weak magnet will attract a pin to the other side of a (36) ______ of paper, for example. Magnets come in (37) ______ shapes. A familiar one is the curved horseshoes magnet. There are also bar magnets in the form (38) _____ disc or a stubby cylinder. Every magnet has (39) ______ poles, called north and south, at opposite ends of it: at the two ends of a horseshoes magnet, for example, or on the two sides of a disc. Powerful magnets can be (40) _______ by passing an electric current through wire coiled around a piece of iron. The (41) _____ is called and electromagnet. Magnets are (42) ______ in many household and everyday devices. They are also commonly used in industrial machinery, usually in the form of electromagnets

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

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate thecorrect word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks
There is usually one important (1)............. missing from most school. Very few students are taught how to organize their learning, and how to (2)............ the best use of their time. Let’s take some simple examples. Do you know how to look up words in a dictionary, and do you understand all the information the dictionary contains? Can you (3)............ notes quickly, and can you understand them afterwards? For some reasons, many schools give learners no (4)..........with these matters. Teachers ask students to memorize pages from books, or tell them to write ten pages, but don’t explain (5)............to do it.
Learning by heart can be useful, but it is important to have genuine understanding of a subject. You can waste a lot of time memorizing books, without understanding anything about the subject.

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