Do you like ________? – No, I don’t.

Everyone has to tidy up around the house sometimes, but the new idea known as “decluttering” goes further than that. By showing you how to get (i)________________ of all the things you don’t need, dccluttcring can actually help you lead a healthier, less stressful lifestyle. At least, that is the belief of professional dccluttcring consultant, Clare Davis visits her clients in their homes and (ii)__________ them on what to keep, what to throw out, and how best to arrange the furniture and storage space. But Clare does more than just tidying a desk or clearing out a wardrobe that is stuffed with last year’s fashion items. She aims to get to the root of the problem. According to Clare, if your home is disorganized and untidy then so is your mind, and your happiness and health will(iii)__________________________ as a result. She believes that everything in the house should either have a function or be something you really cherish. Many people hold on to things for the wrong reasons. And so the first step in Clare’s dccluttcring programme is to remove everything her clients don’t need, like clothes they have grown (iv)_____________________________ of and objects they no longer need. Clare’s clients speak (v)__________ of her. All sorts of people from writers to computer programmers have said they found her service useful. Many have said that her decluttering programme has helped them to become more organized.

(v)______

Can anyone give me _________ hand, please because I have just fallen over? 

I hope I can …………... Tom from leaving 

The weather across much of the British Isles remained settled last week with a good deal of sunshine. On Saturday, the lunchtime temperature at Bridlington on the north-cast (i) _______  of England was 28.2 c, which compared favorably with Alicante in southern Spain at 229 C. the rest of the world, however, was coping with some (ii) _______ conditions. A tropical storm, given the name Helen, hit Hong Kong on Saturday morning, though her presence had been felt in advance. From noon on Friday, the showers and (iii)  _______ of rain became more and more frequent so that by midnight on Sunday, thirty – six hours later, there had been 333 mm of rainfall, not far off the average for the month of August, at 367 mm. Even on Sunday there was a sting in Helen’s tail. The town centre of Shanwci, near Hong Kong, was (iv) _______ when 468 mm of rain fell in the sixty hours leading up to midday on Sunday, nearly twice the normal August rainfall. On the other side of the globe, tropical storm Gabrielle moved across the Gulf of Mexico and overnight rain exceeded the usual rainfall for the whole month. Although most of Europe enjoyed sun, the high temperatures were sufficient to set off some (v) __showers. On Tuesday morning, a thunderstorm at Lyons in eastern France deposited 99 mm of rain in just six hours.

(iii)_______

Choose the correct answer to complete the sentence. "Anna advised me ______ more to keep fit"

I don’t know what to do. It’s _________ problem. 

 I used to be a member of the tennis club but I never found the time to play so I….. out after a while 

Choose a, b, c or d that best completes each unfinished sentence:

I had forgotten all about it because I had been so ____ with other things.

Parrots and macaws have become so rare that special varieties of these birds are fetching up to £9,000 each on the black market in Britain. Macaws from Brazil cost from £1,000 and parrots from Australia can cost £7,500 a pair. The demand for parrots, cockatoos and macaws has led to a (i) _______ increase in thefts from zoos, wildlife parks and pet shops. London and Whipsnade zoos are among the many places from which parrots have been stolen. Some thefts have not been (ii) _______  in an effort to prevent further incidents. Parrot rustling, as it is known among bird fanciers, has increased rapidly in Britain since 1976 when imports and exports of exotic birds became (iii) _______ controlled. Quarantine controls, coupled with the scareity of many types of paiTOts in the wild in Africa, Australia, Indonesia, and South America, have caused a shortage of birds which can be sold legally under (iv) _______. This has sent prices to (v) _______ levels. Working al night and equipped with wire-cutters, nets and substances to dope the birds, the rustlers are prepared to take serious risks to capture the parrots they want. At Birdworld, a specialist zoo, thieves stole two parrots after picking their way through an enclosure containing cassowaries. The cassowary is a large flightless bird, related to the emu, which can be extremely agressive, and has been known to kill humans with blows from its powerful legs.

(iv)_______

Tourism is the fastest-growing industry in the world. As well as bringing prosperity to an area, however, it can also destroy the qualities which attracted visitors in the first place. If it is not carefully controlled, tourism can also (i) _____ problems for local people, as is shown by various examples from around the world. When Phuket in Thailand first became a popular tourist (ii) _____, people there were unable to cope with the increase in rubbish that 2 million visitors a year produce and a huge incinerator had to be built in the countryside in water consumption, (iii) _____ many local people to walk considerable distances to get clean water. And Egypt’s desert landscapes are being destroyed by the litter dropped by tourists. Moving sands are difficult to clean, and the white desert to the west of the Nile Valley may be permanently (iv) _____. It’s encouraging, therefore, to read about the efforts of certain tour companies who are organising environmental holidays in some of the worst hit areas. Regular tours now go to places such as the Himalayas and Atlas mountains In North Africa with the aim of combining a bit of sightseeing with the chance to help (v) _____ some of the mess left by previous visitors.

(ii)_____

In Britain, greetings cards are sold in chain stores and supermarkets, in newsagents’ shops, comer shops and, increasingly, in shops that specialize in the sale of cards and paper for wrapping presents in. The (i)  _______ cards are birthday and Christmas cards. Many Christmas cards are sold in aid of charity and special ‘charily card shops’ are often set up in temporary premises in the weeks before Christmas. A wide (ii) _______ of birthday cards is available to cater for different ages and tastes. Some, especially ones for young children or for people (iii) _________ a particular birthday, have the person’s age on the front. Many have comic, often risque, messages printed on them, and cartoon-style illustrations. Others are more sober, with reproductions of famous paintings or attractive original designs. The usual greeting on a birthday card is ‘Happy Birthday’, ‘Many Happy Returns’ or ‘Best Wishes for a Happy Birthday’. Some people also send special cards for Easter and New Year, Easter cards (iv) _______ portray images of spring, such as chicks, eggs, lambs, spring flowers, etc., or have a religious theme. Cards are produced for every ‘milestone’ in a person’s life. There are special cards for (v) _______ engagement, a marriage, a new home, a birth, success in an examination, retirement, a death in the family, etC. Some are ‘good luck’ or ‘congratulations’ cards. Others, for example ‘get weir cards for people who are ill, express sympathy.

(v)_____-

Travelling abroad is getting easier and easier for young people nowadays. If you take the time to talk to travel (i) _____.and shop around, some really good deals can be found. Eurorail and interrail are two travel cards which allow people aged 20 or under, unlimited travel in Europe, mainly by train. It’s quite a good idea to plan your (ii) _____ before you set off. Most young travelers stay on campsites or in youth hostels, as they are quite cheap. Unbelievable bargains can be found by last-minute bookings for charter flights. Remember to (iii) _____.with your luggage two hours before take-off forinternational flights. But don’t take too much with you or you won’t be able to carry it to the bus or taxi that will take you to your hotel. It is advisable to carry traveler’s cheques rather than cash, and keep them in a money belt around your waist. Look after your passport and tickets carefully. If disaster (iv) ______ .and all your valuables are stolen, contact your nearest (v) _____   .There they’ll help you with all the paperwork and make sure you get home safely.

(ii)_____

Choose A, B,C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the underlined part that needs correction in each of the following questions: 

I would rather that the weather is fine tomorrow morning.

From next year, every student in their final year at our school will study for a compulsory Diploma of Practical Achievement.

This will be in addition to the (i) _____ examinations. Up to now, the course has been optional, but from now on every student must (ii) _____ it. The aim is to (iii) _____ students with “life skills”, which the Diploma divides into eight categories. These cover a range of things relevant to life beyond school, from sending an e-mail to giving presentations to an audience. Under the heading “survival”, (iv) _____, students can learn car maintenance, first aid and cooking. We have discovered that many students cannot do simple things such as mend a puncture or boil an egg. At the other extreme, the Diploma includes such things as how to design a webpage and how to (v) _____ if someone has a heart attack. It has been called a “Diploma in Common Sense”.

(iv)______

In Britain, the average young person now spends more money on games each year than on going to the cinema or renting videos. But is this (i) _______ a bad thing? For years, newspaper reports have been saying that children who spend too much lime playing computer games become unsociable, bad- tempered, even violent as a result. But new researeh, (ii) _______ out in both Europe and the USA, suggests that the opposite may be true. Indeed, playing some of the more complicated games may help people of all ages to improve certain skills. Researehers claim that this is because the games make the brain work harder in certain ways, like (iii) _______ sounds and movements quickly and identifying what they are. The fact that people play the games repeatedly means that they get a lot of practice in these skills which are therefore likely to become highly developed. Social skills may benefit, too. Researehers in Chicago think that fans of first- person shooter games (iv) _______ . “Counterstrike” are better than non­ players when it comes to building trust and co-operation, and that this helps them to make good friendships and become strong members of their communities. So rather than (v) _______ up computer games, perhaps young people need to spend more lime on them?

(v)______

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the word(s) OPPOSITE in meaning to the underlined word(s) in each of the following questions. The theme of the upcoming conference is to remove barriers to create an inclusive and accessible society for all.

We need to protect _________ environment from pollution. 

Mr Minh advised my family   ......  leaving Vietnam.

I feel tired. Therefore, I ______ to school.

On Friday night, some of our friends came to the party and ...... for the weekend.