Read the following passage and choose the best answer (A, B, C, D):
Not everybody recognizes the benefits of new developments in communications technology. Indeed, some people fear that text messaging may actually be having a negative (1)_____ on young people's communication and language skills, especially when we hear that primary school children may be at (2)______ of becoming addicted to the habit. So widespread has texting become, however, that even pigeons have started doing it. What’s more, in this case, it's difficult to view the results as anything but positive. Twenty of the birds are about to (3) ______ to the skies with the task of measuring air pollution, each (4) _____ with sensor equipment and a mobile phone. The (5) _____ made by the sensors will be automatically (6) _____ into text messages and beamed to the Internet - where they will appear on a dedicated 'pigeon blog'

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks.
The philosopher Aristotle said, “In poverty and other misfortunes of life, true friends are a sure refuge. They keep the young out of mischief; they comfort and aid the old in their weakness, and they incite those in the prime of life to noble deeds. “Growing up”, my mother always used to tell me “your friends are a reflection of you”. I did not quite understand this (1).................. I started meeting individuals who kept, not so healthy friends in their lives and suddenly, as a young teenager, I learned to understand that the friends I keep in my life (2)............... who I am and desire to be as a person and therefore I have learned to choose my friends wisely over the years. I do not care about the superficial (3)................such as looks, money, success or status but rather I emulate those (4)................ bring laughter, joy, honesty and  who can be there for me and also give me a firm kick in the butt when I need it. I always find it intriguing to meet friends of people I know because I can really get a sense of that person by the company they choose to (5)................... in their life.

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

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the best option for each of the following questions.
Banana fiber is used in the production of banana paper. Banana paper is used in two different senses: to (1)..................... to a paper made from the bark of the banana tree, mainly used for artistic purposes, or paper made from banana’s fiber, (2).............. from an industrialized process, from the stem and the non–usable fruits. The paper can be either hand–made or made by machine. The volume of raw (3)................... for making banana paper around the world on plantations is vast and largely unutilized. The market for banana paper is seen as a growth industry. (4).......... 1988, in Costa Rica, companies like EcoPaper.com   and   Costa   Rica   Natural   Paper   have   been   producing   100%   industrialized   fine environmental and ecological paper derived from natural banana fibers, for the writing and stationery market.
This industry (5).......... numerous waste products such as: the plastic that wraps the bananas, plastic cords to tie the wrapping, damaged bananas and the pinzote (stems). An alarming quantity of over of 92% of water, 3% of resins and 2% glucose; the rest is vegetal fiber. This particular composition  makes it decompose without the solid component being destroyed. This causes a severe impact on the surrounding ecosystems – much to the detriment of rivers and underground waters.

(4)......................

Read the passage below carefully, and then choose the best answer:
Danger!
If you are walking through the woods and you see a bear, you know that you are in danger. The same is true if you see a snake or a beehive. However, these aren’t the only dangerous things in nature. When you are having a good time outside, you also need to be careful of plants. In some ways, plants are more dangerous than animals. This is because dangerous plants often look normal. Sometimes they even look pretty. If you try to touch one of these nice-looking plants, you could be in a lot of trouble. Take the angel’s trumpet flower, for example. This beautiful white flower is full of poison. A person who touches it can get headaches, confusion, and a very fast heartbeat. Very often, the poison can kill you. All parts of the angel’s trumpets are poisonous, but the most dangerous parts are the seeds and leaves. Here is another dangerous and somewhat creepy plant: doll’s eyes. This plant got its name because its berries look just like doll’s eyes. The berries from these plants can stop a person’s heart. In fact, most berries that you see in nature are poisonous. You should never eat wild berries that you find when you are outside. Some plants can sting you. Stinging needles don’t look dangerous, but they have many tiny hairs on them. If you touch a stinging needle, those hairs will put a weak poison onto your skin. The poison won’t kill you, but it will make your skin itch for a while and it might drive you crazy. One of the more common dangerous plants is poison ivy. This plant produces a clear liquid that will cause all kinds of problems to anyone who touches it. Most people who touch poison ivy get a red and very painful rash on their skin. The rash often itches very badly, and sometimes it creates large blisters. If you see a green plant that has three leaves growing from every branch, stay away from it. It could be poison ivy.
1. What do the first two sentences of the second paragraph mean?

SHIRESBERRY (February 15) – The second annual Shiresberry Film Festival begins on April 18 and ---143--- for five weeks. This year's offerings will not be limited to entries from North America and Europe. We will also be presenting ---144--- from Asia and South America. And everyone's favorite feature from last year's festival will be back: directors and screenwriters will hold question-and-answer sessions after their films' initial screening. Make sure you do not miss this ---145---  event. Tickets always sell out quickly. ---146---. Shiresberry Film Club members can now purchase priority tickets. Visit the Shiresberry Theater box office or www.shiresberrytheater.com

145...............

Read the passage below carefully, and then choose the best answer:
A Microchip in Your Body
In 1998, a British scientist named Kevin Warwick did an experiment. He inserted a small microchip into his left arm. He used the microchip to turn on lights, work with his computer, and even start the water for his hath. After only nine days, Warwick removed the microchip from his arm. Nine days is not a long time, but it was enough to give the world a very important message. It is possible to have a microchip in your body. Many people think that someday, we all will have microchips. There are all kinds of things that a microchip could do. It could be useful for simple, everyday things. You might not have to carry keys, because you could use your microchip to open the front door of your house. You might not need cash, because you could use your microchip to buy things. A microchip might be able to do more important things. For example, a microchip could contain all of your important health information. If you had an emergency and wert to hospital, doctors could read your microchip and learn all of your health history. Some scientists even believe that someday a microchip could help cure diseases. Many people dislike the idea of a microchip in their body. They have a lot of concerns. Is it safe? Could a microchip make you sick? Besides, would other people be able to read your microchip and steal your personal information? People are especially worried about personal freedom. This is probably the biggest reason why so many people are against these microchips. What if your government could use your microchip to watch you? What if your government could use your microchip to find your location? Do you want the government to have that information about you? Again, for most people the answer is “no". Nobody has microchips in their body yet. We don't know if this will ever happen. If we ever do have microchips, we don't know what they would look like or what they would do. What do you think? Would you like to have a microchip inserted into your body?
7. All of the following are concerns about the idea of inserting a microchip into a human body EXCEPT that________

Choose the best answer:
We are planning on spending the weekend in the country as long as the weather stays fine.

Those problems will be worse if the government does not ______ any measures to reduce the negative effects of urbanisation.
(155)________

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Pham Tuan said everything quite strange although he ……….. when he was on the ground.

She always had wanted to go to places _____ she could speak her native tongue.

(279)____

Choose the best answer:
The country’s population consists of three main ___ groups.

Choose the best answer:
We wish _______ to college next year.

Choose the best answer:
The boy asked his mother _____ .

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the word or phrase that is CLOSEST in meaning to the underlined part in each of the following questions.
I checked the form carefully but didn’t notice the mistake

Harry is talking to Judy over the phone.

- Harry: “Thank you for helping me prepare for my birthday party, Judy.” - Judy: “_______.”

(99)________

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 :
Much of the music we listen to today is a mixture of styles from various countries and time periods. A lot of music has (1)___________ in older traditional songs heard in many different countries around the world. Traditional, (2)__________ music is collected over decades, if not centuries. Younger generations learn these songs from their elders through practice and repetition. Since music can tell us a lot about different cultures (3)____________ its lyrics, melodies, and the instrument used, researchers and music fans see it as an essential part of history. They fear that traditional and older types of music are slowly disappearing, partly because they are less likely to be written down or recorded, or because the format in which they are recorded is no longer (4)___________. Also, younger generations may not find such music very appealing, so once older generations pass away, the music may die (5)___________ them. Whole genres of music may go extinct.

Read the reading below carefully, and then complete it with the best option A, B, C or D given below:
To help pay for infrastructure improvements, Governor Bill Anderson (1)------- a $1 increase on the toll fee for vehicles entering the western turnpikes. The governor’s decision took effect last week. It is expected that an amount of $80 million dollars will be generated from the increase this year and will be used to repair the state’s turnpike system. (2)-------, the Transport Authority is now scheduling tunnel and road renovations to ensure drivers’ convenience and safety. In a press conference held last week, Governor Anderson addressed the motorists’ concerns. He said that although the toll fee increase is (3)-------, he believes that it will improve road and traffic conditions for all drivers using the turnpike.

Choose the best answer:
How much is a washing machine?

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:
Telecommunicating is a form of computer communication between employees’ homes and offices. For employees whose jobs involve sitting at a terminal or word processor entering data or typing reports, the location of the computer is of no consequence. If the machine can communicate over

telephone lines, when the work is completed, employees can dial the office computer from a distant site and transmit the material to their employers. A recent survey in USA Today estimates that there are approximately 8.7 million telecommuters. But although the numbers are rising annually, the trend does not appear to be as significant as predicted when Business Week published "The Portable Executive" as its cover story a few years ago. Why hasn't telecommuting become more popular?
Clearly, change simply takes time. But in addition, there has been active resistance on the part of many managers. These executives claim that supervising the telecommuters in a large work force scattered across the country would be too difficult, or, at least, systems for managing them are not yet developed, thereby complicating the manager's responsibilities.
It is also true that employees who are given the option of telecommuting are often reluctant to accept the opportunity. Most people feel that they need regular interaction with a group, and many are concerned that they will not have the same consideration for advancement if they are not more visible in the office setting. Some people feel that even when a space in their homes is set aside as a work area, they never really get away from the office.

It can be inferred from the passage that the author is     .

Choose the best answer:
The boy found a wallet in the street, and then he ...... to return it to the loser.

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.
(1)...................... in technology have made a lot of changes to our everyday lifestyles, but one of the biggest has got to be how we read books. Since the invention of the e–book, there has been a significant change to our reading habits. Given the choice between taking a couple of heavy paperbacks on holiday or an e–book device like a Kindle, most of us, including our parents and grandparents, would unsurprisingly opt (2)................... the Kindle.
But  what  would  our  lives  be  like  with  no  books  at  all?  It’s  a  (3).......... question. Some educational specialists are making predictions that in the future we won’t even see books in classrooms – everything will be done online! (4).................. of the idea of getting rid of books say that there will always be a need for paper–based versions of materials. However, to be realistic, we have to accept that there is a (5)..............chance that in a decade’s time schools and classrooms will be book–free! What do you think of that?

(2).....................................