I would have been here sooner but the rain kept me ......

Today, there are libraries in almost every towns in the world. Even in areas where there are no libraries, there are often mobile libraries which take books from one village to (i) _______  . But in the days when books were copied by hand rather than printed, libraries were very rare. The reason is simple: books took a very long time to produce, and there were far fewer copies of any given work around. The greatest library (ii) _______ all, that in Alexandia had 54,000 books. In the ancient world, this number (iii) _______ considered huge. It was the first time that anyone had collected so many books from all around the world under one roof. There are many theories about why these books were lost. (iv) _______ is that the library accidentally burned down. Another is that one of the rulers of the city ordered the books to be burned. They were taken to various places and it took six months to bum them. (v) _______ happened, the collection there was priceless. Many of the library’s treasures were lost forever, some books were never recovered. We cannot even know exactly what the library contained.

(v)______

What does an elephant eat on typical day? Layang – Layang, an elephant at London Zoo, has a good appetite. Her keeper describes what she ate yesterday. “Breakfast (i) _____ of a kilo of dog biscuits mixed with 750g of dried horse food with extra vitamins, hay, bread, bananas apples, oranges, potatoes, carrots and cabbage. Zoo food is always of a (ii) _____standard! “During the morning, the daily supply of branches is delivered. Layang -Layang is particularly fond of cherry and apple, so she was given four big (iii) _____. She chewed the twiggy bits and used the rest as toys. Lunch was another kilo of dog biscuits, more bread, vegetables and fruit. Most of this comes from local supermarkets who give us stock that otherwise they would (iv) _____. After lunch she ate more branches. We have to make sure she doesn’t run out of these. Some visitors to the zoo aren’t very sensible and feed laying- Layang unsuitable things. If she swallows paper and plastic, her stomach hurts. “Supper was another kilo of dog biscuits, 750g of dried horse food, 350g of linseed oil to (v) _____ healthy skin and hair and 500g of vitamin E. Layang-Layang cats a lot but she never puts onweight. “If she feels like a snack during the night, Layang-Layang has some hay and more branches.”

(ii)______

What’s in a name? In the case of the secretary, it can be something rather surprising to call a secretary “anyone who handle correspondence, keeps records and docs clerical work for others”. But while this particular job definition looks a bit (i) _____, the word’s original meaning is a hundred times more exotic and perhaps more appropriate. The word itself has been with US since the 14th century and comes the mediaeval Latin word secretaries meaning “Something hidden”. Secretaries started out as those members of staff with knowledge hidden from the ones mysteriously operating the secret machinery of organizations.A few years ago “Something hidden” probably meant kept out of sight, lucked away with all the other secretaries and typists. A good secretary was an unremarkable one, efficiently (ii) _____ orders, and then returning mouse-like to his or her station behind the typewriter, but, with the (iii) _____ of new technology, the job effectively upgraded itself and the role has changed to one closer to the original meaning. The skills required are more demanding and more technical. Companies are (iv) _____ that secretarial staff should already be highly trained in, or at least familiar with, a range of word processing packages. The professionals in the recruitment business see all these developments as improving the jobs which secretaries are being asked to do. It may also encourage a dramatic (v) _____ in office practice. In the past it was usual to regard the secretary as almost dehumanized, to be seen and not heard.

(iii)_______

The Thames Barrier is a major part of the flood defence scheme for protecting London (i) _______ rising water levels. The defenses also include raised river embankments and additional flood gates at strategic points, including the Barking Barrier. The unique structure that is the Barrier spans the 520- melre wide Woolwich reach and consists of 10 separate movable gates, each pivoting and supporting between concrete structures which house the operating machinery. When raising, the four main gates (ii) _______stand as high as a five-storey building and as wide as the opening of Tower Bridge. Each weighs 3700 tones. During the first twelve years of (iii) _______, the Barrier has been closed twenty nine times to protect London. You can (iv) _______ the Barrier from the comfortable Cafeteria, picnic on the riverside embankment. Enjoy beautiful views from the riverside walk. Visit the shop which stocks a large selection of souvenirs, books and Barrier information. There is a children’s play area suitable for 4- to 12- year olds, located adjacent to the riverside walk. A visit to the spectacular Thames Barrier is a (v) _______experience

(iv)______.

Japan is no longer an Empire. When it lost all of its colonics, it also (i) ______ Korea and Dokdo Island. Dokdo Island has always been Korean territory and part of its country. Japan only wants to rebuild its Empire by sending its ships there. On the other hand, Japan says that it only wants to check (ii) ______ for more fish. There are many South Korean fishing boats in the area and Japanese fishermen have no place to do their own fishing. However, Japan has similar problems with two (iii) ______ neighbors, China and Russia, over two other islands, Senkaku/ Diaoyu and North Territories/ Kurils.

Liancourt Rocks may (iv) ______ an unimportant matter, but it is not. If Japan gives up its right to it, it has a good chance of losing its right to other islands as well. Japan has demanded the USA to act as a judge in this argument, but South Korea refuses to (v) ______ another country decide over its own land.

(iv)______

Shall have to bring this matter  ........... at the next meeting.

Traditionally, spas were places which had a spring of mineral water, where people who were sick went to recover from an illness or (i) _____ a disease. Spas were developed by the (ii) _____ Romans, who built public bath houses over hot volcanic springs. Some Roman baths could accommodate up to 6,000 bathers, and had restaurants, sports centres, swimming pools, gardens and libraries. An extremely low entrance fee ensured the popularity of the baths. There was no fixed order in which the rooms were used. People might begin with a hard workout, before going to the Warm Room to relax, have a vigorous massage in olive oil and then (iii) _____ a good soak in a warm bath. Next, they could take a bath in the Hot Room, before cooling down the Cold Room. After that, they might (iv) _____ for a swim, read some poetry in the library, have a (v) _____ to eat, or talk about urgent matters of state in a private talk room

(iv)_______

Smart shoes that adjust their size throughout the day could soon be available. A prototype of such a shoe has already been produced and a commercial (i) _____ may be in production within a few years. The shoe contains sensors that constantly check the amount of (ii) _____ left in it. If the fool has become too large, a tiny valve opens and the shoe expands slightly. The entire control system is about 5mm square and is located inside the shoe. This radical shoe (iii) _____ a need because the volume of the average foot can change by as much as 8% during the course of the day. The system is able to learn about the wearer’s feet and build up a picture of the size of his or her feet throughout the day. It will allow the shoes to change in size by up to 8% so that they always fit (iv) _____. They are obviously more comfortable and less likely to cause blisters. From an athlete’s point of view, they can help improve performance a little, and that is why the first use for the system will find a place in other household items, from beds that automatically change to fit the person sleeping in them, to power tools that (v) _____themselves to the user’s hand for better grip. There is no reason why the system couldn’t be adapted for use in hundreds of consumer possessions.

(ii)_____

Choose the correct answer to each of the following questions. "Hoa reminded Mai ____ some groceries on the way home"

The teacher read _____ interesting article from the newspaper. 

There’s extensive historical evidence that our ancestors may have witnessed a massive invasion of Unidentified Flying Objects encroaching on their territories. These extraterrestrials are (i) _______ to have come into touch with the ancient earthly populations and helped them erect numerous magnificent structures or even establish glamorous empires. However, the present – day fascination with UFO was only instigated by the first widely (ii) _______ American sighting in Idaho in 1947. Since that time, countless other close encounters have been reported both by highly credible witnesses such as top – class pilots and less credible ones such as ordinary civilians. Thousands of people around the world maintain having come (iii) _______ to the visitors from outer space or to have been abducted for a scientific study inside their flying saucers. Although most of theseaccounts have been dismissed as fantasy or hallucinations, there’s (iv) _______ criticism from the public and media for ignoring the subject for too long. To many people, rejecting even the most inexplicable sightings or UFO encounters as luminous artificial objects, natural phenomena like auroras or even as meteorological balloons and satellites seems to be an irresponsible approach. Most of us would prefer to believe that there extraterrestrial guests are arriving from some remote galaxies to establish a peaceful relationship and possibly give us a fair warning against the consequences of our wasteful lifestyles. Yet, there’s another theory (v) _______ that the visitors’ attitude towards mankind isn’t so conciliatoryas the terrestrial populations. Doubtless, flying saucers still continue to be observed in many places of the world, triggering the imagination of UFO – maniacs. But, a large percentage of such sightings will remain beyond explanation until more convincing evidence is supplied by the true experts.

(v)______-

The UK Government ensures that all schools in the UK meet certain standards, and this includes independent schools as well as those that are (i) _______ by the Government. All qualifications are awarded by national agencies accredited by the Qualification and Curriculum Authority (ỌCA), so the quality of the qualifications you will gain is guaranteed. Al many independent schools in England, you will be encouraged to take part (ii) _______ extracurricular activities to develop your hobbies and learn new skills, and you may be encouraged to lake graded music exams (iii) _______ by the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of MusiC. The exam grades gained from these are widely accepted toward university entry requirements. Independent schools do not usually offer vocationally focused qualifications but if you are (iv) _______ in these qualifications, you can find out more in the ‘career­ based and pre-university qualifications’ section. The fees you pay to attend independent school, include your course fees, accommodation and may include some or all extracurricular activities. Fees (v) _______  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 as high as £25,000.

(ii)_______

Choose the word(s) CLOSEST in meaning to the following word(s). "recover"

Today large sums of money go into the search for treatments for a whole range of diseases. Three hundred years ago, when European explorers returned from distant lands with unfamiliar substances they’d found there, the problem was how to (i) _____ the illnesses for which these new imports could possibly be a cure. When the brown chocolate bean was first (ii) _____  into Britain from Mexico, it was thought to have medicinal qualities. Sir Hans Sloane was the man who is said to have (iii) _____  with the idea of mixing the powdered bean with milk. Sloane was an important figure in eighteenth-century London, a landowner whose name lives on in some of the city’s most fashionable streets and squares. Less appreciated is his contribution to the beginning of a national addiction; the (iv) _____ Briton gets through eight kilograms of chocolate a year, a level of consumption exceeded only by the Swiss. Today, when almost every pleasure is regarded as addictive, the name ‘chocoholics” is given to people who can’t get enough of the stuff. (v) _____ of its fat and sugar content, chocolate is usually an enemy of slender elegance.

(V)_______

- “Do you feel like going to the stadium this afternoon

- “ ...............   ”

Some years ago, when I was working as an astronomer at the Greenwich Observatory in London I received a letter from an elderly lady living nearby who said: “When I was a girl we could sec so I many stars, but they’re not there anymore. Have they faded?” Walking down the hill on which the observatory stands, I (i) _____ the truth of what she said. Beneath me were all the lights of London and above me was the orange glow they send up into the night sky. But I could (ii)  _____ see any stars. If light pollution – as this effect is known – continues to increase at its present rate, our grandchildren will only get the chance to see the stars if they visit an observatory like the one in Greenwich. Light pollution is almost (iii) _____ for granted in most cities, and it is fast spreading into rural areas too. (iv) _____ recent research, almost half of all Europeans and two-thirds of North Americans can no longer see the milky Way. And this type of pollution doesn’t only destroy our view of the night sky. It also wastes money and causes environmental pollution. For example, a single light bulb, (v) _____ all year, releases around a quarter of a tone of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, making global warming even worse.

(v)_______

Carefully conducted studies that have followed the children of working mothers have not been able to shown any long-term problems, compared with children of working mothers stayed at home. My personal (i) _______  is that mothers should be allowed to work if they wish. Whether we like it or not, there a number of mothers who just have to work. There are those who have invested such a big part of their lives in establishing a career that they cannot expect to see it lost. Then there are many who must work out of pure economic necessity. Many mothers are not (ii) _______ out to be full-time parents. After a few months at home with a much loved infant, they feel trapped and isolated. There are a number of options when it refers to choosing childcare. These range from child minders and nannies through to Granny or the kind lady (iii) _______ the street. In reality, however, many parents don’t have any choice; they have to accept anything they can get. Be prepared! No matter how good the childcare may be, some children are going to protest wildly if they are left. This is a (iv) _______ normal stage of child development.Babies separate well in the first six months, but soon after that, they start to get a crush on Mum and close family members. Make sure that in first week, you allow plenty of time to help your child settle in. All children are different. Some are independent, while others are more attached to their mothers. Remember that if you want to do the best for your children, it’s not the quantity of time you spend with them, it’s the (v) _______ that matters.

(ii)_____-

Many species of animal and plants have disappeared from the earth. They have died out, or become extinct. But sometimes animals or plant (i) _______ can be found buried in rocks. These are called fossils. Imprints in rocks, paw prints, for example are also called fossils. Not every creature survives as a fossil. Many simply rot away completely and leave no (ii) _______ of their existence. Because many creatures and plants have disappeared without leaving any fossils, we will never know anything about them. The study of fossils, or palaeontology, to give it its scientific term, became established at the beginning of the nineteenth century. Before this researeh began, people did not believe that fossils had once been alive. Large fossil teeth were seen as evidence of a race of giants in the past, while ammonites, a very(iii) _______ type of fossil which you might easily find yourself on a beach or among rocks, were called snakcstoncs because of their snake-like shape. People believed that snakes had been turned to stone by a miracle. The most famous fossils of all are the dinosaurs. There are, of course, no dinosaurs on display in zoos. They were not (iv) _______ to extinction by humans as some animal have been, but became extinct millions of years before our own species developed. The reason why the dinosaurs became extinct is still a mystery. Many theories have connected the disappearance of dinosaurs with major climatic change. One possibility is that a gigantic meteorite crashed into the earth (v) _______ so much dust into the atmosphere that the heat of sunlight was reduced. The temperature would have fallen and, as a consequence, many types of plants and animals would have become extinct.

(iv)______

Our teacher told us that if we don't .........  the environment, our grandchildren may not even be able to carry on living.

Do you still live in _____ Bristol?