Read the following passage and choose the best answer (A, B, C, D):
We’ve just come back exhausted after a two-week holiday in France. We were really stupid. On the last day we drove non-stop from Marseille to Calais- we should have (34)_____ our journey in Lyon or Paris. As if that wasn’t enough, the sea was so rough in the English Channel that the (35) _____ took three hours instead of one and a half. Next year we’ve decided we’re going on a cheap (36) _____ holiday to Italy. It sounds marvellous- the cost of the flight, the hotel and all our meals are (37) _____ in the price. While we’re in Rome we’ll be going on a guided tour of the Coliseum. The last time I was in Italy, I was on a business trip – I can’t say I saw many of the famous tourist (38) _____ on that occasion
Suy nghĩ và trả lời câu hỏi trước khi xem đáp án
Lời giải:
Báo saiGiải thích:
Stop (v): dừng
Pause (v): tạm ngừng
Break (v): phá vỡ, làm hỏng
Interrupt (v): ngắt quãng
Tạm dịch: Vào ngày cuối cùng chúng tôi lái xe thẳng từ Marseille đến Calais – chúng tôi đã nên bỏ cuộc hành trình của chúng tôi ở Lyon hay Paris.
Câu hỏi liên quan
-
Read the following passage and choose the best answer (A, B, C, D):
Stonehenge, the prehistoric stone circle in southern England, is one of the most distinctive and mysterious monuments in the world. The monument, which attracted more than one and a half million visitors last year, is thought to be up to 5,000 years old, and the heaviest stone weighs 38 tons. No one really knows how the stones got there, or the reason they look the way they do – but a piece removed from one of the stones six decades ago could bring some answers. At first glance, the new “discovery” - a cylinder of rock - might look unremarkable. But for Lewis and Robin Phillips, it meant one thing: their dad, Robert. In 1958, Robert Phillips worked on a major restoration project commissioned by the British government. The goal was to make the monument safer, and help historians better understand what Stonehenge was and why it was there. The team drilled through the largest of the sarsen rocks, removing three stone cores. Robert Phillips was gifted one as a souvenir. At the time, the core sample was considered to be “waste material,” Lewis said. “I think that the standards of the day, in conservation, were a bit different to what they are now,” Robert added. Six decades later, Robert - who’s now in his 90s - asked his sons to return the “waste material.” But what had become a family heirloom for the Phillips’ was “the Holy Grail” of Stonehenge for geologists, according to Susan Greaney, an archaeologist at English Heritage. “When the Phillips family first got in touch with us, we had no idea that this existed,” Greaney said. “We’d just assumed that they’d been thrown away.” In 1958, samples like this couldn’t provide much information - but now, Greaney added, it can help archaeologists understand where the stones were from and how they were transported. It could even provide clues to one of the biggest questions: why move all these rocks to one location? Right now, “we don’t know” is the answer to that, Greaney said. "We think this is a prehistoric temple. It’s aligned with the movements of the sun, so we think it’s some kind of ceremonial space. But exactly what the stones mean, why they built them in this way and set them up in the way we see today, there are lots of mysteries about Stonehenge that we have yet to get to the bottom of.
8. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage? -
Read the following passage and choose the best answer (A, B, C, D):
The national teachers union and an activist group have welcomed Human Resources Minister M Kula Segaran’s announcement that schools will be supplied with a list of endangered jobs, saying it will be a useful aid in career guidance. Kula said on Wednesday that the list would help pupils decide what courses to avoid in pursuing further studies. Kula spoke of the looming fourth industrial revolution, saying it could result in the irrelevance of 30% of existing jobs. Harry Tan, the secretary-general of the National Union of the Teaching Profession, said the list would be a good additional tool for schools in their work to prepare students for the job market, and Parent Action Group for Education chairman Noor Azimah Rahim said its use could result in an easing of the problem of youth unemployment. Tan told FMT he hoped the education and human resources ministries would also consult the private sector since they were familiar with market forces. He said teachers would always try to help students pursue their dreams, but he added that schools were facing what he called “logistical issues” that could prevent them from effectively preparing students for future jobs. One of these problems, he said, was a shortage of English teachers and another was a lack of computer numerical control machines in vocational colleges. Azimah warned against using the list as more than just a guide, saying the job market would keep changing with the times. What would remain a constant, she said, was the need for students to be bilingual, to master the foundations of mathematics and science and to balance these with involvement in sports and the arts. She urged teachers to promote creative thinking and problem solving skills among their students, saying these were sought after by employers.
2. According to paragraph 1, what is the possible result of the 4th industrial revolution? -
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:
When another old cave is discovered in the south of France, it is not usually news.
Rather, it is an ordinary event. Such discoveries are so frequent these days that hardly anybody pays heed to them. However, when the Lascaux cave complex was discovered in 1940, the world was amazed. Painted directly on its walls were hundreds of scenes showing how people lived thousands of years ago. The scenes show people hunting animals, such as bison or wild cats.
Other images depict birds and, most noticeably, horses, which appear in more than 300 wall images, by far outnumbering all other animals.
Early artists drawing these animals accomplished a monumental and difficult task. “They” did not limit themselves to the easily accessible walls but carried their painting materials to spaces that required climbing steep walls or crawling into narrow passages in the Lascaux complex.
Unfortunately, the paintings have been exposed to the destructive action of water and temperature changes, which easily wear the images away. Because the Lascaux caves have many entrances, air movement has also damaged the images inside. Although they are not out in the open air, where natural light would have destroyed them long ago, many of the images have deteriorated and are barely recognizable. To prevent further damage, the site was closed to tourists in 1963, 23 years after it was discovered.Which title best summarizes the main idea of the passage?
-
Read the following passage and choose the best answer (A, B, C, D):
A friend once boasted to me that she had seen the film The Sound of Music no fewer than 17 times. Personally, I cannot imagine any greater (1) ______of one’s time (once was enough for me), but I have to confess there are films I, too, have watched on multiple occasions without ever growing tired of them. Indeed, some films have benefited (2)______ a second viewing, in exactly the same way that one’s enjoyment of a novel can improve on the second, third or fourth reading. It often feels like a different experience. And a recent study has shown that it actually is different, that reading books, watching films again or revisiting places (3)_____ you have been happy, ‘results in a new or renewed appreciation’ of the experience. (4)______study says that doing something again enables people not only to relieve the past experience, but also to discover new details. “Therefore, the experience is different, (5) _______ it is repeated,” the research concludes. “By doing it again, people get more out of it.” -
Read the following passage and choose the best answer (A, B, C, D):
An individual’s personality is the complex of mental characteristics that makes them unique from other people. It includes all of the patterns of thought and emotions that cause us to do and say things in particular ways. At a basic level, personality is expressed through our temperament or emotional tone. However, personality also colors our values, beliefs, and expectations. There are many potential factors that are involved in shaping a personality. These factors are usually seen as coming from heredity and the environment. Research by psychologists over the last several decades has increasingly pointed to hereditary factors being more important, especially for basic personality traits such as emotional tone. However, the acquisition of values, beliefs, and expectations seem to be due more to socialization and unique experiences, especially during childhood. Some hereditary factors that contribute to personality development do so as a result of interactions with the particular social environment in which people live. For instance, your genetically inherited physical and mental capabilities have an impact on how others see you and, subsequently, how you see yourself. Likewise, your health and physical appearance are likely to be very important in your personality development. You may be frail or robust. You may have a learning disability. You may be slender in a culture that considers obesity attractive or vice versa. These largely hereditary factors are likely to cause you to feel that you are nice-looking, ugly, or just adequate. Likewise, skin color, gender, and sexual orientation are likely to have a major impact on how you perceive yourself. Whether you are accepted by others as being normal or abnormal can lead you to think and act in a socially acceptable or marginal and even deviant way. There are many potential environmental influences that help to shape personality. Child rearing practices are especially critical. In the dominant culture of North America, children are usually raised in ways that encourage them to become self-reliant and independent. Children are often allowed to act somewhat like equals to their parents. Children are given allowances and small jobs around the house to teach them how to be responsible for themselves. In contrast, children in China are usually encouraged to think and act as a member of their family and to suppress their own wishes when they are in conflict with the needs of the family. Independence and self-reliance are viewed as an indication of family failure and are discouraged.
3. What is NOT mentioned as a hereditary factor? -
Read the following passage and choose the best answer (A, B, C, D):
Our parents play an important role in what we’re today and in what we’ll be in future. It’s our parents who make us (1)_____ in all sphere of life, they guides us, supports us, teaches us, and propels us in all phases of your life. The biggest role is of our mother; most cherished and admired relation in the world. She is special for everyone and should be. She is one (2)____ teaches us everything from how to speak to what to speak, from how to eat to what to eat, from how to (3)____ up for school to college. She is with us from happiness to sorrow. She teaches us from what is right to what is wrong. Definitely she is one who brings smiles on our faces when we take a walk down memory lane from our childhood till now. But when I recall my childhood, what I have is her faint memory; unfortunately, probably when I was about 5 years old she left this world. When I look around I realize how lucky they are who have someone under whose feet lies the paradise. So realize importance of her presence in your life and love her (5)______ the way she loves you unconditionally; dedicate every day of your life to her and don’t wait for mother day; celebrate everyday a mother day -
Read the following passage and choose the best answer (A, B, C, D):
The word noise is derived from the Latin word nausea, meaning “seasickness”. Noise is among the most pervasive pollutants today. Noise pollution can broadly be defined as unwanted or offensive sounds that unreasonably intrude into our daily activities. Noises from traffic, jet engines, barking dogs, garbage trucks, construction equipment, factories, lawn mowers, leaf blowers, televisions, boom boxes and car radios, to name a few, are among the audible litter that is routinely broadcast into the air. One measure of pollution is the danger it poses to health. Noise negatively affects human health and well-being. Problems related to noise include hearing loss, stress, high blood pressure, sleeplessness, fright, distraction, and lost productivity. Noise pollution also contributes to a general reduction in the quality of life and eliminates opportunities for tranquility. We experience noise in a number of ways. On some occasions, we can be both the cause and the victim of noise, such as when we are operating noisy appliances or equipment. There are also instances when we experience noise generated by others, just as people experience secondhand smoke. In both instances, noise is equally damaging physically. Secondhand noise is generally more troubling, however, because it is put into the environment by others, without our consent. The air into which secondhand noise is emitted and on which it travels is “a commons”. It belongs not to an individual person or a group, but to everyone. Please, businesses and organizations, therefore, do not have unlimited rights to broadcast noise the as they please, as if the effects of noise were limited only to their private property. Those that disregard the obligation to not interfere with other’ use and enjoyment of the commons by producing noise pollution are, in many ways, acting like a bully in a schoolyard. Although they may do so unknowingly, they disregard the rights of others and claim for themselves rights that are not theirs. The actual loudness of a sound is only one component of the negative effect noise pollution has on human beings. Other factors that have to be considered are the time and place, the duration, the source of the sound, and even the mood of the affected person. Most people would not be bothered by the sound of a 21-gun salute on a special occasion. On the other hand, the thump-thump of music coming from the apartment downstairs at 2a.m, even if barely audible, might be a major source of stress. The sound of neighbor’s lawn mower may be unobjectionable on a summer afternoon, but if someone is hoping to sleep late on a Saturday morning, the sound of a lawn mower starting up just after sunrise is an irritant
3. The author of the passage implies that secondhand noise pollution ______ -
Choose the best answer:
These are all-star, professional teams __________ of 22 players each. -
Read the following passage and choose the best answer (A, B, C, D):
When I tell people about the idea of moving out, many people’s reaction is like, “what do your parents say?” because they assume the parents would not like their children to leave them. Well I don’t know if my parents like it but I can tell you my parents support and respect my decision. They think it is good for me to try and live on my own and then I would know it is the best to stay with my family. The most important reason for independent living is to save the travelling time to work. It used to take me one hour fifteen minutes to travel to work from my previous living place. From my new apartment, it just takes me thirty minutes so I saved forty-five minutes’ traveling time. I don’t have to get up so early and I save two-third of my traveling cost. It does not only save my time to travel for work but also from most of the places in Hong Kong. In addition, I gain my personal space and freedom by independent living. I make my own decision all the time, I do not have to say whether I would go home for dinner, I can invite my friends to come up and stay late. Of course, there are some trade-offs in living on your own. If you want to rent an apartment, there are lots of preparatory work to do. You have to keep visiting the apartments to search for your ideal one. You have to negotiate with the landlord about the price, furniture inclusion, who is responsible for the maintenance of the furniture and equipment. My experience was that after we moved into the apartment, it was not until the kitchen cupboard was soaked with water that we found out there was water leakage in the kitchen sink. Money is the main issue in living on your own. You have to be responsible for all the expenses, for example, the rent, electricity, gas, water, telephone, internet bills, etc. Therefore, you’ve got to be well prepared and save up for your bills. Although I find my transportation time much shorter, the saved time is spent on other things, such as cooking and some other household chores. I think preparing and cooking the food do occupy a significant portion of my time, therefore I always try to make simple meals. On the other hand, I have to regularly tidy up my apartment and wash my clothes, so it doesn’t really save much of my time after all. Now everything is settled down, I’m getting used to my new life and I am enjoying it. I feel that moving out makes it easier for me to strike a balance between my work, my social life, my study and my family. It may be troublesome but it may worth
4. Which of the following is NOT included in the preparatory work of renting an apartment? -
Read the following passage and choose the best answer (A, B, C, D):
Naturalists in the developed countries were largely split between conservationists and preservationists. This battle is no better demonstrated in the US than during the Progressive Era of 1890-1920. While the existing economic paradigm was one of laissez-faire economics that many felt was damaging the natural environment and integrity of natural resources, the conservationist movement led by Theodore Roosevelt was deeply concerned about the wastage and harm it was doing to the land, leading to a large number of game species in the US on the brink of extinction in less than a century. Then there were the preservationists who argued that the proposals of the emerging conservationists did not go far enough. This was certainly the view of John Muir who believed that there was still too much concern for the economic value of land rather than the need for preservation of pristine landscapes. Muir’s Sierra Club made a stand with the development of the Hetch Hetchy Dam in Yosemite, arguing that the land should be kept pristine and the valley protected. As president, Roosevelt pushed strongly for conservation issues which may be the reason they eventually won the day. During his term in office, around 230m acres of land were put under Federal protection, established the US Forestry Service, and created five national parks, and several national forests. That’s not to say that preservationists did not have their victories. In the 1960s, the Wilderness Actset aside large tracts of land with minimal human impact and of particular cultural, scientific, or natural interest. In these areas, logging, mining and other industrial activities are prohibited and there are strong protections in place to maintain the integrity of natural water sources partly for the ecosystem and partly for industrial and commercial developments downstream of the water flow.
4. The word “it” in paragraph 2 refers to _______ -
Read the following passage and choose the best answer (A, B, C, D):
Kids can be creatures of habit. Much like how they can watch the same movie over and over, some kids will stick to one author or genre of book that they’ve fallen in love with. But does it matter if they’re always reading the same type of book? After all, isn’t their love of reading in itself enough? Reading builds their imagination, develops their critical thinking skills, and improves their communication skills, amongst many other benefits. Well, while a love of reading of any sort is to be nurtured, when a child only reads the same author or type of book, their growth and the benefits they gain may not be as broad if they were to explore more types of books. Coaxing them to open up to reading other genres can be a big advantage for them in the long term. They will get exposed to different types of characters and lifestyles when they read a wider range of writing. For example, their favourite fantasy novels may spark their imagination, but true tales of life halfway around the world can trigger interest in traveling and foster understanding of other cultures. It helps them develop a broad perspective on the world around them. Their vocabulary will benefit, too, if they read a wide selection of books. Think of the words and the sentence structure used in a vampire book and how they will differ significantly from those in a suspense novel. They will have to sound out words, and it’ll be helpful to have a dictionary handy. With each new word encountered in the broad range of reading materials they’re consuming, their vocabulary grows. Reading a variety of books will also help your child grow their love of reading and it’ll fuel their motivation to read more and more. They once only adored one author, who has a limited number of books written, discovering new authors or types of books expands their choice of reading material; they’ll never run out of books to add to their reading list! Consider, too, the value of specific types of books for very young readers. Ones that teach the alphabet help them learn that letters come together to form the words in books. Poetry with rhyming words will help develop a child’s phonemic awareness, which is the ability to hear, identify and manipulate individual sounds in spoken words. Folktales and nursery rhymes are beloved and cherished. Surely there are ones that bring you right back to your childhood, and they tend to be shared from one generation to the next - your child’s favourite will likely be ones they teach their children when they grow up and have kids of their own!
3. The phrase “coaxing” in paragraph 2 mostly means ______ -
Read the following passage and choose the best answer (A, B, C, D):
Stories about how people (1)__________ know when they are being watched have been going around for years. However, few made have been made to investigate the phenomenon scientifically. Now, with the completion of the largest ever study of the socalled staring effect, there is impressive evidence that this is a recognizable and (2) _______ sixth sense. The study involved hundreds of children. For the experiments, they sat with their eyes covered and with their backs to other children, who were told to either stare at them or look away. The results consistently showed that the children who could not see were able to (3) _______ when they were being stared at. In a total of 18,000 trials carried out worldwide, the children correctly sensed when they were being watched almost 70% of the time. The experiment was repeated with the added precaution of putting the children who were being watched outside the room, (4) _______ from the starters by the windows. The results, though less impressive, were more or less the same. Dr. Sheldrake, the biologist who designed the study, believes that the results are (5) _______ enough to find out through further experiments precisely how the staring effect might actually come about -
What is 'extreme' weather? Why are people talking about it these days? 'Extreme' weather is an unusual weather event such as rainfall, a drought or a heat wave in the wrong place or at the wrong time. In theory, they are very rare. But these days, our TV screens are constantly showing such extreme weather events. Take just three news stories from 2010: 28 centimetres of rain fell on Riode Janeiro in 24 hours, Nashville, USA, had 33 centimetres of rain in two days and there was record rainfall in Pakistan.
The effects of this kind of rainfall are dramatic and lethal. In Rio de Janeiro, landslides followed, burying hundreds of people. In Pakistan, the floods affected 20 million people. Meanwhile, other parts of the world suffer devastating droughts. Australia, Russia and East Africa have been hit in the last ten years. And then there are unexpected heat waves, such as in 2003 in Europe. That summer, 35,000 deaths were said to be heat-related.
So, what is happening to our weather? Are these extreme events part of a natural cycle? Or are they caused by human activity and its effects on the Earth's climate? Peter Miller says it's probably a mixture of both of these things. On the one hand, the most important influences on weather events are natural cycles in the climate. Two of the most famous weather cycles, El Niño and La Niña, originate in the Pacific Ocean. The heat from the warm ocean rises high into the atmosphere and affects weather all around the world. On the other hand, the temperature of the Earth's oceans is slowly but steadily going up. And this is a result of human activity. We are producing greenhouse gases that trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere. This heat warms up the atmosphere, land and oceans. Warmer oceans produce more water vapour - think of heating a pan of water in your kitchen. Turn up the heat, it produces steam more quickly. Satellite data tells US that the water vapour in the atmosphere has gone up by four percent in 25 years. This warm, wet air turns into the rain, storms, hurricanes and typhoons that we are increasingly experiencing. Climate scientist, Michael Oppenheimer, says that we need to face the reality of climate change. And we also need to act now to save lives and money in the future.
Which statement is NOT supported by the information in the passage?
-
Read the following passage and choose the best answer (A, B, C, D):
With 13,000 floral species and over 15,000 faunal species, three newly discovered big animal species, and a ratio of country/world species of 6.3%. Vietnam has enormous tourismparticularly ecotourism-potential. In fact, since 1986, when Renovation Reforms began the shift from a centrally planned to a socialist-oriented market, or multi-sectoral, economy, tourism has been an sector of primary concern to the government. In May 1995, the prime minister of Vietnam approved a master plan of tourism development for the period 1995- 2010. In February 1999, the state decree on tourism was part of the socio-economic development strategy for the period 2001-2010 approved at the IX National Congress of the Party: “Tourism development has become a spearhead economic industry indeed. It is necessary to improve the quality and effectiveness of tourism activities, bringing into full play the natural conditions, and cultural and historical tradition to meet the domestic and international demand for tourism and to catch up with tourism development in the region” (Document of the IX National Congress 2001). Tourism has so far brought great benefits to the economy, but it has also contributed to environmental degradation, especially biodiversity deterioration. Thus, the concept of “sustainable development”-development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs - must be factored into tourism development. This consideration is reflected in the term “ecotourism,” which is referred to variously as ecological or environmental tourism, nature or green tourism, sustainable or responsible tourism. Ecotourism involves travel to relatively undisturbed natural areas with the specific object of studying, admiring, and enjoying scenery, plants, and animals, as well as any cultural features found in these areas. It is distinguished from mass or resort tourism by its lower impact on the environment, lower infrastructure requirements, and its role in educating tourists about natural environments and cultural values. Fully aware of its significance, the government of Vietnam has prioritized ecotourism in its strategy for tourism development to ensure both sustainability and economic benefits. Though ecotourism in Vietnam is at a beginning stage of development, it is expected to grow strongly through support from government and international organizations.
6. What is the word "degradation" closest in meaning to? -
Read the following passage and choose the best answer (A, B, C, D):
The term “generation gap” may have been coined not long ago but the problem itself is as old as the hills. All sorts of conflicts and misunderstanding between younger and older generations occur in probably every family. Adults complain about arrogance and insensitivity of young people whereas the latter claim that their parents have no idea about what they are going through. There seems to be no perfect solution to this problem as the young and the old find it difficult, if not impossible, to communicate and accept opposite views. The fact that teenagers develop different values from those held by their parents leads to numerous conflicts. There are many reasons why the problem of generation gap arises. First of all, the period of adolescence is difficult. Teenagers are not children any longer, but they are no adults yet. They search for a sense of identity and crave independence. On the other hand, they depend on their parents financially and still need their parent consent when they want to go out, go for holidays, buy something expensive, invite friends home, etc. Very often teenagers treat their parents like enemies especially when they are not permitted to do one thing or another. Obviously, it is understandable when parents insist a teenager returns home before midnight. They have a wide knowledge of the world and all kinds of risks involved – reckless youngsters see no danger in walking alone in the middle of the night or getting a lift from a stranger who might be a serial killer. When children grow up and start their own families they are able to admit that their parents were usually right, although a bit overprotective at times However, we must remember that adolescence is the period of making important decisions. Sixteen or seventeen-year-olds want to choose their career path or at least develop their talents, which in turn will enable them to decide upon a job later on. Secondly, it is in their late teens when they form their lifelong friendships, go for their first dates, analyze what qualities they will look for in their future partners. Unfortunately, a lot of parents do not want to accept the fact that their child is growing up and has the sole right to choose who she or he wants to become in the future. Such mothers and fathers often have their own idea what their child’s life should be. To my mind, this kind of behavior is really harmful and it can result in a very serious family conflict. Every now and then we meet forty-year-old people who accuse their parents of making them study the subject they hated or marrying the person they never loved. The generation gap problem, which usually disappears a few years later, in such families turns into an emotional wound which might never heal and the feeling of a wasted life on both parts. To sum up, although conflicts between teenagers and their parents are unavoidable, they definitely do not have to lead to an open war. My advice to parents is to try and treat teenagers as their equal partners and to accept their ideas. Teenagers should respect their mothers and fathers more, and be always ready to discuss serious problems with them. All in all, who else loves them more than their parents do?
7. According to paragraph 4, which of the following is NOT mentioned as the thing teenagers do during their adolescence? -
Read the following passage and choose the best answer (A, B, C, D):
While trust in media as a whole may be at an all-time low, a new study by the EBU has shown the public’s trust in traditional media (broadcast and the written press) is actually on the rise. However, people’s trust in new media continues to fall: 61% of European countries distrust the internet while 97% have no faith in social networks. The EBU’s new report – Trust in Media 2018 – shows the figures illustrating the differences between people’s trust in traditional and new media. Broadcast media remain the most trusted forms of media with 59% of people tending to trust radio (equivalent to 2017) and 51% trusting TV in the EU (an increase of 1 percentage point on 2017). Trust in the written press has also slowly improved over the last 5 years and it is now trusted by 47% of EU citizens. At the same time, people’s trust in the internet and social media has been eroded by fake news, misinformation and disinformation. Only 34% of EU citizens trust the internet and a mere 20% now trust social networks (down from 36% and 21% respectively in 2017). Trust in Media 2018 is based on data published in the 88th Eurobarometer survey and gives an idea of European citizens’ perception of the trustworthiness of different types of media. The survey consists of approximately 1000 face-to-face interviews in the 33 countries covered by the study. The report shows how European citizens’ trust in broadcast media is closely connected with a free and independent press. The higher the level of trust in a country’s radio and TV, the higher press freedom in that country tends to be. There are also strong regional differences with the Nordics and Albania tending to trust traditional media the most while Eastern Europeans tend to trust social networks and the internet more. The EBU’s Head of Strategy and the Media Intelligence Service Roberto Suárez Candel said: “The results of our research show that good quality, impartial media is highly valued by the public. “Public service media play an important role in that and, together, our Members make an invaluable contribution to society. The role of our public service Members in upholding democratic values and supporting media freedom is clearly demonstrated by the results of our research.”
1. Which best serves as the title for the passage? -
Read the following passage and choose the best answer (A, B, C, D):
Once restricted to luxury or super-tech buildings, home automation is proving to be an increasingly fundamental and affordable addition to architectural projects. The idea is to connect devices, which in turn connect and talk through a centralized control unit, accessible by computers, tablets, and mobile phones. For example, home automation users can turn the lights on or off at specific times each day, adjust the heater or air conditioner to turn on a few minutes before they arrive home. In addition to these immediate effects, monitoring applications can also provide accurate home information by generating detailed reports on equipment that could be working better or spending less. That is, in addition to smartphones and personal computers, appliances and sensors are able to identify patterns, process information, and perform tasks both through commands and automatically. Although it sounds like a science fiction script, these are technologies that are not so far from us. Artificial intelligence can be used to automate threat detection and perhaps more proactively alert us if something looks wrong, such as heat sensors and video cameras setting off alarms and calling firefighters in the event of a short circuit. Through facial recognition algorithms on social media, the system itself can tell if someone outside your circle of acquaintances is trying to access your space and send a message to your mobile phone. This type of technology can improve the efficiency of security systems and reduce false alarms. Automation can be useful for people with disabilities and for the elderly. People with Parkinson’s disease or other motor diseases can trigger switches without touching them, and motion sensors can trigger safety lights automatically. Blood pressure sensors and blood sugar levels can be incorporated into these systems, providing peace of mind to close relatives. The ability to automate repetitive housekeeping can free time for more important things. For example, an internet-connected refrigerator can check for missing items and make purchases online. It is important to mention that these systems must be highly protected, as a single attempt to break into this centralized system can lead to the invasion of privacy and the loss of valuable confidential information. Still, most people who have experienced life in an automated space will likely be uncomfortable returning to traditional systems
8. The passage implies that ______ -
Read the following passage and choose the best answer (A, B, C, D):
For 150 years scientists have tried to determine the solar constant, the amount of solar energy that reaches the Earth. Yet, even in the most cloud-free regions of the planet, the solar constant cannot be measured precisely. Gas molecules and dust particles in the atmosphere absorb and scatter sunlight and prevent some wavelengths of the light from ever reaching the ground. With the advent of satellites, however, scientists have finally been able to measure the Sun's output without being impeded by the Earth's atmosphere. Solar Max, a satellite from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), has been measuring the Sun's output since February 1980. Although a malfunction in the satellite's control system limited its observation for a few years, the satellite was repaired in orbit by astronauts from the space shuttle in 1984. Max's observations indicate that the solar constant is not really constant after all. The satellite's instruments have detected frequent, small variations in the Sun's energy output, generally amounting to no more than 0.05 percent of the Sun's mean energy output and lasting from a few weeks. Scientists believe these fluctuations coincide with the appearance and disappearance of large groups of sunspots on the Sun's disk. Sunspots are relatively dark regions on the Sun's surface that have strong magnetic fields and a temperature about 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than the rest of the Sun's surface. Particularly large fluctuations in the solar constant have coincided with sightings of large sunspot group. In 1980, for example, Solar Max's instrument, registered a 0.3percent drop in the solar energy reaching the Earth. At that time a sunspot group covered about 0.6 percent of the solar disk, an area 20 times larger than the Earth's surface. Long-term variations in the solar constant are more difficult to determine. Although Solar Max's data have indicated a slow and steady decline in the Sun's output, some scientists have thought that the satellite's aging detectors might have become less sensitive over the years, thus falsely indicating a drop in the solar constant. This possibility was dismissed, however, by comparing Solar Max's observations with data from a similar instrument operating on NASA's Nimbus 7 weather satellite since 1978.
5. The word "its" in the second paragraph refers to the: -
Read the following passage and choose the best answer (A, B, C, D):
According to airline industry statistics, almost 90 percent of airline accidents are survivable or partiallysurvivable. But passengers can increase their chances of survival by learning and following certain tips. Experts say that you should read and listen to safety instruction before take off and ask questions if you have uncertainties. You should fasten your seat belt low on your hips and as tightly as possible. Of course, you should also know how the release mechanism of your belt operates. During takeoffs and landings, you are advised to keep your feet flat on the floor. Before take off, you should locate the nearest exit and an alterative exit and count the rows of seats between you and the exits so that you can
reach them in the dark if necessary. In the event that you are forewarned of a possible accident, you should put your hands on your ankles and keep your head down until the planes comes to a complete stop. If smoke is present in the cabin, you should keep your head low and cover your face with napkins, towels, or clothing. If possible, wet these for added protection against smoke inhalation. To evacuate as quickly as possible, follow crew commands and do not take personal belongings with you. Do not jump on escape slides before they are fully inflated, and when you jump, do so with your arms and legs extended in front of you. When you get to the ground, you should move away from the plane as quickly as possible, and smoke near the wreckage
2. Travelers are urged by experts to read and listen to safety instruction -
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.
It is terrible but we are not (1).................. against crime. The first step towards preventing crime is understanding its nature. Most crime is against property, not people, and most crime is not carried out by professionals; nor is it carefully planned. Property crimes (2).............. on the easy opportunity. They are often committed by adolescents and young men, the majority of whom stop offending as they grow older.(3)............ages for offending are 15 to 18. Also, and not surprisingly, the risk of being a victim of crime (4)...........greatly depending on where you live. This reliance by criminals on the easy opportunity is the key to much crime prevention. Motor cars, for example, are a sitting target for the criminal. Surveys have shown that approximately one in five drivers do not always bother to secure their cars by locking all the doors and shutting all the windows, and in 30 percent of domestic burglaries, the burglar simply walks in without having to use (5)...................... If opportunities like these did not exist, criminals would have a much harder time. The chances are that many crimes would not be committed, which would release more police time for tackling serious crimes.(5)..............................................