Read the following passage and choose the best answer (A, B, C, D):
The custom of paying a bride price before marriage is still a well-established part of many African cultures. In paying a bride price, the family of the groom must provide payment to the family of the bride before the marriage is allowed. The bride price can vary greatly from culture to culture in Africa. In the Zulu and Swazi tribes of southern Africa, the bride price often takes the form of cattle. In Western African, kola nuts, shells, and other goods are often used for the payment of the bride price. The actual payment of money sometimes takes place, but the payment of goods is more frequent. The amount of paid in a bride price can also vary. In modern times, the bride price is occasionally quite small and its value is mainly symbolic. However, the bride price can still be quite high, especially among prominent or highly traditional families.There are a number of justifications used to explain the payment of bride price. The first is that the bride price represents an acknowledgement of the expense the bride's family has gone in order to raise her and bring her up as a suitable bride for the groom. It also represents payment for the loss of a family member, since the bride will officially become a member of her husband's family and will leave her own. On a deeper level the bride price represents payment for the fact that the bride will bring children into the family of the groom, thereby increasing the wealth of the family. This concept is reinforced by the fact that the bride price must often be returned if the bride fails to bear children.The payment of the bride price has quite a number of effects on African society. First, the payment of bride price acts to increase the stability of African family structures. Sons are dependent on their fathers and older relatives to help them pay the bride price of their wives, and this generally leads to greater levels of obedience and respect. The negotiations between the two families concerning the bride price allow the parents and other family members to meet and get to know one another before the marriage. Finally, since the bride price must often be repaid in case of divorce, the bride's family often works to make sure that any marital problems are solved quickly. Bride prices also work as a system of wealth distribution in African cultures. Wealthier families can afford to support the marriage of their son, and thus their wealth is transferred to other families.Not all of the effects of bride price are so positive, however. One major disadvantage to the system of bride price is that women are often married to men much older than themselves. In many African cultures, the typical age for marriage amongst women is still quite young, lower than in many cases. Yet few men at this age would have the ability to raise the bride price to marry. Thus there is sometimes a significant age gap between husbands and wives. This cuts short the education of many young women. In addition, the husband, being far older, may die whilst the wife is still relatively young, leaving her with the burden of raising the children alone.
3. The word "prominent" in the passage is closest in meaning to _______

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:
Glass is a remarkable substance made from the simplest raw materials. It can be colored or colorless, monochrome or polychrome, transparent, translucent, or opaque. It is lightweight impermeable to liquids, readily cleaned and reused, durable yet fragile, and often very beautiful. Glass can be decorated in multiple ways and its optical properties are exceptional. In all its myriad forms - as table ware, containers, in architecture and design - glass represents a major achievement in the history of technological developments.
Since the Bronze Age about 3,000 B.C., glass has been used for making various kinds of objects. It was first made from a mixture of silica, line and an alkali such as soda or potash, and these remained the basic ingredients of glass until the development of lead glass in the seventeenth century. When heated, the mixture becomes soft and malleable and can be formed by various techniques into a vast array of shapes and sizes. The homogeneous mass thus formed by melting then cools to create glass, but in contrast to most materials formed in this way (metals, for instance), glass lacks the crystalline structure normally associated with solids, and instead retains the random molecular structure of a liquid. In effect, as molten glass cools, it progressively stiffens until rigid, but does so without setting up a network of interlocking crystals customarily associated with that process. This is why glass shatters so easily when dealt a blow. Why glass deteriorates over time, especially when exposed to moisture, and why glassware must be slowly reheated and uniformly cooled after manufacture to release internal stresses induced by uneven cooling.
Another unusual feature of glass is the manner in which its viscosity changes as it turns from a cold substance into a hot, ductile liquid. Unlike metals that flow or "freeze" at specific temperatures glass progressively softens as the temperature rises, going through varying stages of malleability until it flows like a thick syrup. Each stage of malleability allows the glass to be manipulated into various forms, by different techniques, and if suddenly cooled the object retains the shape achieved at that point. Glass is thus amenable to a greater number of heat-forming techniques than most other materials.

Why does the author list the characteristics of glass in paragraph 1?

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

"The United States has been criticized* for its treatment of its elderly citizens. Although in many other countries the elderly usually live with their children’s family, many older Americans live alone, without the close companionship of their children. This situation is sometimes blamed on the “selfishness” of the younger generation but a closer look shows that many of the elderly prefer to maintain their independent lives.
 Research on the situation of the elderly in America has shown that while grandparents are delighted to be visited periodically by their children and grandchildren, they prefer to continue living in the surroundings that they are familiar with. This suggests that children should permit their parents to live alone if they wish to, and should encourage them to maintain close ties to the rest of the family.
 Another surprising result of the research on the elderly in the United States has been the very positive influence which pets have been found to have on the elderly people that they live with. It has been shown that elderly people who care for small pets, such as cats or dogs, live longer, are healthier, and have better attitudes towards their lives than similar elderly people without these companions."

3. Many of the elderly Americans want to …...

Rewirte the sentence
I am 14 and my new friend in the guitar club is 14 too.

Choose the best answer:
Space travel is one of the marvels wonders of modern _______.

Read the passage below carefully, and then choose the best answer:
Getting Closer to Nature at National Parks
In modern times, we seem to be getting more separate from nature with each passing day. Most of us spend the majority of our time indoors, typing away at computers and fiddling with digital devices. All the while, we are destroying the planet’s natural beauty by cutting down forests and building cities in their place. In an effort to preserve nature for future generations, national parks were created. The primary function of national parks is conservation. In many cases, it is a matter of national pride for countries to protect their indigenous species. Although several nations considered opening national parks, the US was the first country to officially do so when Yellowstone Park opened in 1872. This designation made the federal government responsible for taking care of the territory. Soon after, national parks started to open in Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and eventually across the globe. Today, almost 100 countries have established their own national parks. In total, there are over 6,500 worldwide. There are several incredible national parks that have a lot to offer. Kruger National Park in South Africa at 19,633 square kilometers is one of the largest game reserves. Tourists can go on safari and witness elephants, rhinoceroses, lions, and several other large mammals in their natural environments. At 75,000 square miles, the Northeast Greenland National Park is the world’s largest. In fact, it is larger than all but 30 countries in the world. Despite differences in names, location, and rules, most natural parks have certain traits in common. For one, they are usually open to visitors throughout the year. Those who come to the park can take part in a wide scope of outdoor activities including hiking, camping, cycling, bird watching, and fishing. Other options may include horseback riding, rafting, or scuba diving if the territory is suitable. In most places, visitors are encouraged not to feed the animals. The purpose for this law is twofold: to protect the animals as well as those who might feed them. Animals also have strict dietary needs, so feeding them exotic foods could make them sick. Feeding wild animals could also cause them to aggressively pester humans they encounter in the future for food. However, as long as you follow the rules, you are assured of having a great time at whichever national park you visit.
5. Which of these activities would probably NOT be featured at a national park?

This book is not really _____ It is a waste of money buying it.

(381)________

Choose the sentence A, B, C or D which in closest in meaning to the printed sentence.:
Cats is one of the longest-running musicals in Britain. It was written by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

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 :
It was once thought that forests and the wood that could be taken from them were in endless supply. Especially in areas like South America, where vast areas of the continent were covered by rainforests, logging and clearing of forests for farming seemed like a harmless endeavor. (1)__________ the clearing of rainforests been kept in moderation, it may have become a stable source of wood and a(n) (2)_________ for the people in the region. It was not, though, and the amount of damage that has been (3)__________ to the entire planet has been terrible because of the clearing of rainforests. The rainforests are considered the lungs of the world because they breathe in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen. We need the oxygen to survive, and the more we clear rainforests, the more carbon dioxide begins to concentrate in the atmosphere. In addition to the clearing of forests, the burning of fossil fuels for energy (4)__________ more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. It makes the problems of global warming get worse, as we keep adding more carbon dioxide while simultaneously taking away the planet’s (5)___________ to deal with this gas.

Choose the best answer:
I started studying English 3 years ago. → I have

Read the reading below carefully, and then complete it with the best option A, B, C or D given below:
To: Staff, Research and Development Dept. From: Jasmine Sparks, Manager
Date: October 20
Re: David Yang’s farewell party
I’m sure everyone in the department knows that David Yang will be leaving the company to work for Meyers and Goldman by now. A farewell party (1)------- for David from 5:30 to 8:30 P.M. on Friday, October 31, in the main conference room. I would like to ask each of you to contribute a small sum of money for a present that the department will purchase for David in appreciation for the excellent work he has done (2)------- the years. I have asked my secretary, Claudette, to receive your donations, so please drop by her desk before the end of next week. It is my hope that you will be able to join the entire department in honoring David’s ten years with the company. Please get in touch with Claudette by 5 P.M. on Monday, October 27 to let us know (3)------- you will be attending the commemoration

Choose the best answer:
The inventions/ imitate/ animals/ the aeroplane/ and/ the submarine.

Read the following passage and choose the best answer (A, B, C, D):
Chess, often (1)______ to as the Royal Game, is the oldest of all board games which do not contain an element of chance. The origins of chess are uncertain, (2)______ there are a number of legends regarding its invention. One story says that it was King Solomon who invented chess, another that it was the Greek god Hermes, and yet another that the Chinese mandarin Han-Sing was responsible for its creation. In fact, chess almost certainly originated in India in the sixth or seventh century AD. The game’s popularity then spread quickly through Persia (now known as Iran) and from there came to Europe. The first documented reference to chess in literature is in a Persian romance which was written about 600 AD. It is (3)_______ the word ‘chess’ comes from ‘shah’, the Persian word for ‘king’ and that ‘checkmate’, the game’s winning (4)_______, comes from the phrase ‘shah mat’, (5)______ ‘the king is dead’. The rules and pieces used in the game have undergone changes over the centuries. Modem chess owes much to the Spaniard Lopez de Segura, who in 1561 wrote the first book on how to play the game. In it, he introduced the concept of ‘castling’, which had not been part of the game until then.

Choose the best answer:
I usually watch TV ________ the evening.

Read the following passage and choose the best answer (A, B, C, D):
I had never been to Denmark before, so when I set out to catch the ferry in early May, I little suspected that by the end of the trip I’d have made such lasting friendships. Esjberg is a (1) ________ port for a cyclist’s arrival, where tourist information can be obtained and money changed. A cycle track leads (2) ________ town and down to Ribe, where I spent my first night. The only appointment I had to keep was a meeting with a friend who was flying out in June. I wanted to use my time well, so I had planned a route which would include several small islands and various parts of the countryside. In my (3) ________, a person travelling alone sometimes meets with unexpected hospitality, and this trip was no (4) ________. On only my second day, I got into conversation with a cheerful man who turned out to be the local baker. He insisted that I should join his family for lunch, and, while we were eating, he contacted his daughter inOdense. Within minutes, he had (5) ________ for me to visit her and her family. Then I was sent on my way with a fresh loaf of bread to keep me going and the feeling that this would turn out to be a wonderful holiday

Choose the best answer:
If/ there/ be/ fire/ in/ your house, call/ 114.

Read the passage below carefully, and then choose the best answer:
Inside a 4D Film
A lot of people think that 3D films are pretty cool. When you watch a 3D film, it sometimes feels like you can reach out and touch the things that you see. In the future, however, 3D might be replaced by something even more advanced: 4D. What you see in a 4D film is the same as what you see in a 3D film. The screen is the same, and the glasses are the same. 4D films are different because they don’t use 3D technology. People in the audience also feel physical things during the films. Let’s look at a few examples. Let’s say that you are watching a film about earthquakes. If you are watching a 4D film, maybe your seat will suddenly start to shake. It will feel like you are in the middle of an earthquake, but you are not. The 4D effects make your seat shake. Or perhaps during the film, one of the characters gives flowers to another character. The people in the cinema might suddenly smell flowers. The point of 4D films is to make people feel like they are in the film. When we watch films these days, we only use two senses: our sense of sight and our sense of hearing. If we use our other senses, the film might feel more real to us. 4D films already exist. The film Avatar was released everywhere in 3D, but in Korea and Hong Kong, it was also released in 4D. People who watched Avatar in 4D feel wind and rain. They also smelled smoke from the weapons in the film, and sometimes their seats moved. Will 4D replace 3D films? It is possible, but we can’t be sure yet. One problem with 4D films is that it is very expensive to show them in theaters. Before a theater shows a 4D film, it has to buy a lot of special equipment. However, 4 films are catching on. Other films shown in 4D include Shrek 4-D, and Iron Man 3.
7. What can be inferred from the passage?

Choose the best answer:
Lan used to go to school _________.

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 :
The television has undoubtedly changed society. For a modern person to think about (1)__________ the world was like without television is actually hard to imagine. The world before the TV was one of little information flowing in to communities throughout the world. All information that people could get was filtered through newspapers often had specific biases that caused them to (2)__________ the news to whatever their preference was. Although television would follow this to a certain (3)__________, it was able to hit a widespread audience at the same time. In other words, people literally watched the broadcast at the same time each day, and they began (4)__________ news as things happened. A television grew into something that practically every household in industrialized nations had, businesspeople were quick to realize the (5)__________ television had. They realized there was an enormous amount of money to be made, and therefore they were willing to invest in the technology and infrastructure that made it possible.

Choose the best answer:
Last summer we went to Russia ______ the ferry. It was wonderful.

Choose the best answer:
TV/ bring/ not only/ information/ but also/ entertainment.