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.

   GAP YEAR

In the professional or career world, a gap year is a year before going to college or university and after finishing high school or (1) ____ a year off before going into graduate school after completing a bachelor as an undergraduate. (2) ____ this time, students may engage in advanced academic courses, extra-academic courses and non-academic courses, such as yearlong pre-college math courses, language studies, learning a trade, art studies, volunteer work, travel, internships, sports and more. Gap years are sometimes considered a way for students to become independent and learn a great deal of (3) ____ prior to engaging in university life.

Australians and New Zealanders have a tradition of travelling overseas independently (4) ____ a young age. In New Zealand, this is known as “doing an OE” (Overseas Experience). Sometimes, an OE is (5) ____ to one year, but often Australians and New Zealanders will remain overseas for three to five years, with many working short-term in service industry jobs to fund their continuing travels. Europe and Asia are popular destinations for doing an OE. In Australia, through exchange programmes and benefits for youth, there are so many opportunities for a young person to broaden their (6) ____ through travel in a gap year.

(3)....................

Complete the letter by choosing the appropriate adjectives or nouns.
Dear Diana,

My parents and I are (1)…… to know that you passed the end-of-term examination. Congratulations! I think that with your excellence, your (2)……… to become a good doctor will come true.
My younger sister was really (3)………. to receive a hair curling machine from you on her birthday and she asked me to say “thank you” to you. However, she doesn't know the (4)…….. to use that machine. It seems (5)……. for her to use it.
I was relieved that your mother had recovered after a serious surgery. It was (6)………. to believe that she had to suffer from a severe disease for a long period of time. Please give her my love.
I am excited that you're going to visit my beautiful city. I want to show you my (7)……… to take you to famous places.
We're looking forward to seeing you. It will be (8)………. for me to welcome you to my house.
Write me soon and confirm your arrival date and time.

Love,
Sarah

Students at the age of 18 always have to face difficult decision to make: some want to go on with theirstudy at college or university; others prefer to start work immediately. Many school leavers are eager to go to work in order to make money to live independently and help their parents. They always do their best to overcome any obstacles they may encounter.
Unfortunately, owing to the guidance poor and bold from theirparents and teachers, most boys and girls are ill- prepared for unemployment. Therefore, they often feel worried and build up all sort of fearsome prospects in their mind as the time to start work gets nearer. It is the duty of the school and family to prepare these young people for their future jobs

The main idea of the passage is_____

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

Let's see if you can correctly answer the following question: At what age are Latter-day Saint youth allowed to date? Of course, you probably immediately said, "16". OK, then, how about this one: At what age are you allowed to have a boyfriend or girlfriend? You may be thinking, “Um, 16. Didn't I just answer that?" Well, if that was your answer, then, even though you aced the first question, you missed the second one. Just because you can date when you turn 16 doesn't mean you should immediately start looking for a steady boyfriend or girlfriend. [….]

To begin with, there are two different types of dating: casual dating and steady (or serious) dating. The distinction between the two has to do with exclusivity. With casual dating, there is no exclusivity. The two people aren't “a couple” or “an item”, and they don't refer to each other as a “boyfriend” or “girlfriend”. They don't pair off. People who are casually dating are simply friends. This is the kind of dating the Church encourages you to do after you turn 16. You should put aside a need to find a “one and only”. If you're dating casually, you don't expect a relationship to become a romance. You have fun; you do a variety of things with a variety of people. On the other hand, steady dating means the couple is exclusive with one another. They expect each other not to date anyone else or to be emotionally or physically close with other people. Couples who date seriously consider the future, because there is a real possibility they could stay together. This is the kind of dating the Church encourages young adults (generally, people in their 20s) to progress toward, because that's the age when they should be thinking of marrying. [….]

 It can be inferred from the first paragraph that ____.

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 advent of the Internet may be one of the most important technological developments in recent years. Never before have so many people had access to so many different sources of information. For all of the Internet’s advantages, however, people are currently becoming aware of some of its drawbacks and are looking for creative solutions. Among the current problems, which include a general lack of reliability and numerous security concerns, the most crucial is speed.

   First of all, the Internet has grown very quickly. In 1990, only a few academics had ever heard of the Internet. In 1996, over 50 million people used it. Every year, the number of people with access to the Internet doubles. The rapid growth has been a problem. The computer systems which run the Internet have not been able to keep up with the demand. Also, sometimes, a request for information must pass through many routing computers before the information can be obtained. A request for information made in Paris might have to go through computers in New York, Los Angeles and Tokyo in order to obtain the required information. Consequently, the service is often slow and unpredictable. Service also tends to be worse when the Internet is busiest - during the business day of the Western Hemisphere - which is also when companies need its service the most.

   Some people are trying to harness the power of networked computers in such a way as to avoid this problem. In 1995, a group of American universities banded together to form what has come to be known as Internet II. Internet II is a smaller, more specialized system intended for academic use. Since it is more specialized, fewer users are allowed access. Consequently, the time required to receive information has decreased.

   Businesses are beginning to explore a possible analogue to the Internet II. Many businesses are creating their own “Intranets”. These are systems that can only be used by the members of the same company. In theory, fewer users should translate into a faster system. Intranets are very useful for large national and international companies whose branches need to share information. Another benefit of an Intranet is an increased amount of security. Since only company employees have access to the information on the Intranet, their information is protected from competitors. While there is little doubt that the Internet will eventually be a fast and reliable service, industry and the academic community have taken their own steps toward making more practical global networks.

As it can be inferred from the passage, what benefits does Internet II have over the Internet I?

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.

In a healthy relationship, both partners respect, trust and embrace (1) ____ differences. Both partners are able to communicate (2) ____ their needs and listen to their partner, and work to resolve conflict in a rational and (3) ____ way. But maintaining a healthy relationship (4) ____ for skills many young people are never taught. A lack of these skills, and (5) ____ up in a society that sometimes celebrates violence or in a community that experiences a high (6) ____ of violence, can lead to unhealthy and even violent relationships among youth.

Dating violence (7) ____ psychological or emotional violence, such as controlling behaviours or jealousy; physical violence, such as hitting or punching. More than 20 per cent of all adolescents report having experienced (8) ____ psychological or physical violence from an intimate partner - and underreporting remains a concern.

Adolescents, (9) ____ older adolescents, often have romantic relationships, which are long-term, serious, and intimate. Society has a responsibility to provide young people with the resources, skills, and space (10) ____ to safeguard their physical and emotional well being in these relationships. Youth-serving professionals, educators, and parents can help young people in need access services to (11) ____ dating abuse victimisation. Research also has shown that programmes intended to prevent dating violence can be (12) ____.

and work to resolve conflict in a rational and (3) ____ way. 

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

The Amazon rainforest is home to more than a third of all the world's species of plants, birds and animals. Twenty per cent of all the birds in the world live in the rainforest. Scientists have discovered thousands of types of plants and animals that can only be found there. There are thousands - probably millions more that we haven't discovered yet. There are at least 2.5 million species of insects there. Imagine what would happen if they all lost their home? It couldn't happen, could it? Unfortunately, it's happening right now. Yet, the rainforest is big. But it's getting smaller. The problem is that people are cutting down the trees, mainly to make room for cows. These provide meat and make money for their owners. This process of cutting down trees is called ‘deforestation'.

The good news is that it is slowing down. In 2004, for example, more than 27,000 square kilometres were cut down. That's an area bigger than Wales. In 2006, because of all the campaigns to save rainforest, it dropped to just over 13,000 square kilometres. The bad news is that it's not enough. Scientists predict that by 2030, the rainforest will have become smaller by 40%. It's possible that by the end of the 21st century, the rainforest will have completely disappeared. With deforestation, thousands of the animals, birds, fish and plants that live in the Amazon rainforest lose their home, their natural habitat. Some of them move to other areas, but most of them die. Many species have already become extinct, and many more will if deforestation continues. That will change the balance of life in the rainforest and could cause enormous problems to the region's ecosystem.

There's another problem too. Trees and plants are a vital source of oxygen. If we cut them down, we lose that oxygen. But it's worse than just that. With deforestation, the trees and plants are burnt. This sends gases into the Earth's atmosphere, which stops some of the Earth's heat escaping. That then leads to the temperature here on the ground going up. This increase in the world's temperature is called 'global warming', and most scientists believe it's a very serious issue. If they stopped deforestation, it might help prevent global warming.

In paragraph 1, the word "room” is closest in meaning to ____.

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.

   GAP YEAR

In the professional or career world, a gap year is a year before going to college or university and after finishing high school or (1) ____ a year off before going into graduate school after completing a bachelor as an undergraduate. (2) ____ this time, students may engage in advanced academic courses, extra-academic courses and non-academic courses, such as yearlong pre-college math courses, language studies, learning a trade, art studies, volunteer work, travel, internships, sports and more. Gap years are sometimes considered a way for students to become independent and learn a great deal of (3) ____ prior to engaging in university life.

Australians and New Zealanders have a tradition of travelling overseas independently (4) ____ a young age. In New Zealand, this is known as “doing an OE” (Overseas Experience). Sometimes, an OE is (5) ____ to one year, but often Australians and New Zealanders will remain overseas for three to five years, with many working short-term in service industry jobs to fund their continuing travels. Europe and Asia are popular destinations for doing an OE. In Australia, through exchange programmes and benefits for youth, there are so many opportunities for a young person to broaden their (6) ____ through travel in a gap year.

(1)..................

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.

In a healthy relationship, both partners respect, trust and embrace (1) ____ differences. Both partners are able to communicate (2) ____ their needs and listen to their partner, and work to resolve conflict in a rational and (3) ____ way. But maintaining a healthy relationship (4) ____ for skills many young people are never taught. A lack of these skills, and (5) ____ up in a society that sometimes celebrates violence or in a community that experiences a high (6) ____ of violence, can lead to unhealthy and even violent relationships among youth.

Dating violence (7) ____ psychological or emotional violence, such as controlling behaviours or jealousy; physical violence, such as hitting or punching. More than 20 per cent of all adolescents report having experienced (8) ____ psychological or physical violence from an intimate partner - and underreporting remains a concern.

Adolescents, (9) ____ older adolescents, often have romantic relationships, which are long-term, serious, and intimate. Society has a responsibility to provide young people with the resources, skills, and space (10) ____ to safeguard their physical and emotional well being in these relationships. Youth-serving professionals, educators, and parents can help young people in need access services to (11) ____ dating abuse victimisation. Research also has shown that programmes intended to prevent dating violence can be (12) ____.

 More than 20 per cent of all adolescents report having experienced (8) ____ psychological or physical violence from an intimate partner - and underreporting remains a concern.

Read the passage and choose the correct answer:

Ecotourism is an environmentally responsible form of travel to natural areas which aims to reduce the impact that tourism has on the natural environment, including the flora and fauna of the area. There are a number of guidelines provided for ecotourists when visiting fragile environments.

Before taking a trip to any destination, it is recommended that eco-travellers educate themselves about the places they are visiting by reading guidebooks and travel articles. Tourists should also be aware of local history, culture and customs of the locals before arriving. One way to gain appreciation from local people and enrich the experience is to make the effort to learn enough of the language to be polite, for example: hello, please and thank you. When packing, it is not recommended for visitors to give sweets or cookies to local people in developing countries, instead give them clothes or pens.

During the time staying at the place, it is important that ecotourists be aware of the local customs. Different cultural values including different concepts of time, personal space and communication are other things to keep in mind. For example, in America, using a firm handshake is considered appropriate to greet a stranger; however, in France it is common to kiss someone you greet on both cheeks. Ecotourists are highly recommended to use local transport, guides, hotels, restaurants or markets to benefit the local economy. They should also limit the waste discharged into the air or water by using bicycles instead of cars or motorbikes and not leaving litter or starting fires.

When returning from the trip, visitors should support organizations or societies that follow eco-principles and share their experiences with others in order to increase awareness of environmental issues and the protection of precious species in the area.

Tourists need to know the traditions of the places they visit.

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions

Do you think education is better now than it was in your grandparents' time? Many older people in the UK believe the opposite. “Schools were better in our day,” they complain. “There isn't enough discipline these days. Kids don't work as hard as we did, either. The syllabus isn't as challenging, so clever students aren't being stretched enough. They need to study things in greater depth. Exams are much, much easier now as well.”

Were schools better years ago? Some British teenagers travelled back in time to a 1950s boarding school. They got a big surprise! The first shock came when the teenagers met their new teachers. Dressed in traditional black gowns, they look so frosty and uncaring! They were really authoritarian, too, so anyone caught breaking the rules - talking in classes, mucking about in the playground or playing truant – was in big trouble! Punishments included writing 'lines' or staying after class to do detention. The naughtiest kids were expelled.

Things were just as bad after class. At meal times the students had to endure a diet of plain, no-nonsense, healthy food. Homework was obligatory and it took ages! Copying essays off the Internet wasn't an option, as personal computers didn't exist in the 1950s!

At the end of 'term' everyone sat 1950s-style exams. The old exams were much longer than their twenty-first century equivalents and involved learning huge amounts of facts by heart. History papers were all dates and battles. Maths papers were trickier, too; calculators weren't around in the 1950s, so the students had to memorise multiplication tables and master long division. Our candidates found this really difficult.

The exam results surprised a lot of people. Students predicted to do well in their real-life, twenty-first century exams often got low grades in the 1950s exams. Does this prove modern exams are too easy? Do twenty-first century kids rely too much on modern technology, like calculators and computers?

The TV series of That 'll teach 'em! focused on a 1960s vocational school. UK school-kids study a range of academic subjects these days. But in the 1960s, children judged to be less ‘able' went to vocational schools. These helped them learn job skills. Boys studied subjects like metalwork, woodwork or gardening. In some classes, they even learned how to milk goats! The girls' timetables included secretarial skills. They also learned to cook, clean and sew - probably not much fun for most girls.

Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

Complete the letter by choosing the appropriate adjectives or nouns.
Dear Diana,

My parents and I are (1)…… to know that you passed the end-of-term examination. Congratulations! I think that with your excellence, your (2)……… to become a good doctor will come true.
My younger sister was really (3)………. to receive a hair curling machine from you on her birthday and she asked me to say “thank you” to you. However, she doesn't know the (4)…….. to use that machine. It seems (5)……. for her to use it.
I was relieved that your mother had recovered after a serious surgery. It was (6)………. to believe that she had to suffer from a severe disease for a long period of time. Please give her my love.
I am excited that you're going to visit my beautiful city. I want to show you my (7)……… to take you to famous places.
We're looking forward to seeing you. It will be (8)………. for me to welcome you to my house.
Write me soon and confirm your arrival date and time.

Love,
Sarah

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.

   We find that bright children are rarely held back by mixed-ability teaching. On the contrary, both their knowledge and experience are enriched. We feel that there are many disadvantages in streaming pupils. It does not take into account the fact that children develop at different rates. It can have a bad effect on both the bright and the not-so-bright child. After all, it can be quite discouraging to be at the bottom of the top grade!

   Besides, it is rather unreal to grade people just according to their intellectual ability. This is only one aspect of their total personality. We are concerned to develop the abilities of all our pupils to the full, not just their academic ability. We also value personal qualities and social skills, and we find that mixed-ability teaching contributes to all these aspects of learning.

   In our classroom, we work in various ways. The pupils often work in groups; this gives them the opportunity to learn to co-operate, to share, and to develop leadership skills. They also learn how to cope with the personal problems as well as learning how to think, to make decisions, to analyze and evaluate, to communicate effectively. The pupils learn from each other as well as from the teachers. Sometimes the pupils work in pairs; sometimes the work on individual tasks and assignments, they can do this at their own speed. They also have some formal class teaching when this is appropriate. We encourage our pupils to use the library, and we teach them the skills they need in order to do this effectively. An advanced pupil can do advanced works; it does not matter what age the child is. We expect our pupils to do their best, not their least, and we give them every encouragement to attain this goal.

The author’s purpose of writing this passage is 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.

   Algae is a primitive form of life, a single-celled or simple multiple-celled organism that is able to conduct the process of photosynthesis. It is generally found in water but can also be found elsewhere, growing on such surfaces as rocks or trees. The various types of algae are classified according to pigment.

   Blue-green algae, or Cyanophyta, can grow at very high temperatures and under high-intensity light. This type of algae is the oldest form of life with photosynthetic capabilities. Fossilized remains of blue-green algae more than 3.4 billion years old have been found in parts of Africa.

   Green algae, or Chlorophyta, is generally found in fresh water. It reproduces on the surfaces of enclosed bodies of water such as ponds or lakes and has the appearance of a fuzzy green coating on the surface of the water.

   Brown algae, or Phaeophyta, grows in shallow, temperate water. This type of algae is the largest in size and is most recognizable as a type of seaweed. Its long stalks can be enmeshed on the ocean floor, or it can float freely on the ocean's surface.

   Red algae, or Rhodophyta, is a small, delicate organism found in the deep waters of the subtropics. This type of algae has an essential role in the formation of coral reefs: it secretes lime from the seawater to foster the formation of limestone deposits.

What is the author's main purpose?

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.

   Algae is a primitive form of life, a single-celled or simple multiple-celled organism that is able to conduct the process of photosynthesis. It is generally found in water but can also be found elsewhere, growing on such surfaces as rocks or trees. The various types of algae are classified according to pigment.

   Blue-green algae, or Cyanophyta, can grow at very high temperatures and under high-intensity light. This type of algae is the oldest form of life with photosynthetic capabilities. Fossilized remains of blue-green algae more than 3.4 billion years old have been found in parts of Africa.

   Green algae, or Chlorophyta, is generally found in fresh water. It reproduces on the surfaces of enclosed bodies of water such as ponds or lakes and has the appearance of a fuzzy green coating on the surface of the water.

   Brown algae, or Phaeophyta, grows in shallow, temperate water. This type of algae is the largest in size and is most recognizable as a type of seaweed. Its long stalks can be enmeshed on the ocean floor, or it can float freely on the ocean's surface.

   Red algae, or Rhodophyta, is a small, delicate organism found in the deep waters of the subtropics. This type of algae has an essential role in the formation of coral reefs: it secretes lime from the seawater to foster the formation of limestone deposits.

The word "pigment" at the end of the first paragraph means________.

Your Job
What sort of job should you look for? Much depends on your long-term aim. You need to ask ______(36) whether you want to specialise in a particular field, work your way up to higher levels of responsibility or _____(37)of your current employment into a broader field.
This job will be studied very carefully when you send your letter of ________(38) for your next job. It should show evidence of serious career planning. Most important, it should extend you, develop you and give you increasing responsibility. Incidentally, if you are interested in travelling, now is the time to pack up and go. You can do temporary work for a ______(39) when you return, pick up where you_____(40) left off and get the second job.
(40).............................

TRAVEL BOOKS OF THE YEAR
The best travel books of this year fall into three main categories: purely informational, narrative, and what, for (1)___________of a better term, I’ll call ‘anecdotal’. Between these broad categories, however, the boundaries are (2) ________. One problem with putting travel writers into genres is that they are reluctant to be pigeon-holed. Many of them see their role as a (3) _________of the documentary and the creative. 
Some claim to be more novelists, employing some of the elements of fiction writing. Others regard themselves as sociologists, exploring the customs and mores of other societies. At the end of the day, what (4)_______ is how readable or useful the book is, and in many cases, how well it is presented. However, it is quite clear that travel and books were (5) _________for each other.
(3)..................................

Your Job
What sort of job should you look for? Much depends on your long-term aim. You need to ask ______(36) whether you want to specialise in a particular field, work your way up to higher levels of responsibility or _____(37)of your current employment into a broader field.
This job will be studied very carefully when you send your letter of ________(38) for your next job. It should show evidence of serious career planning. Most important, it should extend you, develop you and give you increasing responsibility. Incidentally, if you are interested in travelling, now is the time to pack up and go. You can do temporary work for a ______(39) when you return, pick up where you_____(40) left off and get the second job.
(37).............................

Read the passage carefully, then choose the correct answers.

Last year I went to Nepal for three months to work in a hospital. I think it's important to see as much of a country as you can, but it is difficult to travel around Nepal. The hospital let me have a few days’ holiday, so I decided to go into the jungle and I asked a Nepalese guide, Kamal Rai, to go with me.

We started preparing for the trip at six in the morning, and left camp with two elephants carrying our equipment. It was hot but Kamal made me wear shoes and trousers to protect me from snakes. In the jungle there was a lot of wildlife, but we were trying to find big cats, especially tigers. We climbed onto the elephants' backs to get better view, but it is unusual to find tigers in the afternoon because they sleep in the heat of the day.

Then, in the distance, we saw a tiger, and Kamal told me to be very quiet. We crept nearer and found a dead deer, still bleeding. This was the tiger's lunch! Suddenly I started to feel very frightened.

We heard the tiger a second before we saw it. It jumped out like a flash of lightning, five hundred kilos plus and four meters long. I looked into its eyes and face, and saw right down the animal's throat. It grabbed Kamal's leg between its teeth, but I managed to pull Kamal away. One of our elephants ran at the tiger and made it go back into the grass, so we quickly escaped to let the tiger eat its lunch. That night it was impossible to sleep!

 The writer went to Nepal ________.

Health experts have warned that the currently soaring obesity levels in European children may create health problems of epidemic proportions within the next three decades. Over the past ten years, obesity in six-year olds (38)_________the number of obese fifteen-year olds has trebled. If present trends continue, by 2030 between 60 and 70 percent of Europeans will be overweight and 44 to 50 per cent will be obese. The rise in weight-related diabetes, high blood pressure, heart (39)_________ and some forms of cancer will place intolerable strains on health services (40)__________ steps are taken to address the problem. The explosion in child obesity can be put (41)_________to the increasingly inactive lifestyles of modern children. Many parents, worried lest their children, should come to harm from traffic or strangers, discourage them from playing outdoors and instead provide ever more opportunities for sedentary entertainment in the home. Nor should be the influence of the food industry be underestimated; it spends one thousand times more on advertising fast food and convenience food in Europe and America (42)__________ the total budget for promoting health in the same two regions
(41)................................

Students at the age of 18 always have to face difficult decision to make: some want to go on with theirstudy at college or university; others prefer to start work immediately. Many school leavers are eager to go to work in order to make money to live independently and help their parents. They always do their best to overcome any obstacles they may encounter.
Unfortunately, owing to the guidance poor and bold from theirparents and teachers, most boys and girls are ill- prepared for unemployment. Therefore, they often feel worried and build up all sort of fearsome prospects in their mind as the time to start work gets nearer. It is the duty of the school and family to prepare these young people for their future jobs

Why do you some young people want to find a job after they leave school?