Their children ______ lots of new friends since they moved to that town.

 Read the following passage carefully, and then select the best option A, B, C or D to complete it:

"London is the capital of the United Kingdom and the home of its queen, Elizabeth II. It’s also the largest city in Europe. About 7 million people call London home.
LONDON LANDMARKS
Millions of people visit London every year from all (1) _______ the world. If you travel there, you’ll find many (2) _______ things to see and do.
During August and September, you can visit Buckingham (3) _______. That’s where the queen lives most of the year. It has about 600 (4) _______, but you’ll see only state rooms where the queen entertains guests. In the morning, a colorful ceremony (5) _______ “changing of the guard” takes place in the palace courtyard. One group of palace guards (6) _______ off duty, and another troop arrives to replace them.
You can (7) _______ the Tower of London, a historic fortress that was once a royal palace. It was also used as a (8) _______ for hundreds of years. Two of the wives of King Henry VIII—Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard—were put (9) _______ death here. The Crown Jewels are a popular attraction at the Tower. This (10) _______ of jeweled crowns, swords, scepters, and other royal objects is only used on (11) _______ occasions, such as the crowning of a new ruler.
Be (12) _______ to visit Westminster Abbey, one of Britain’s famous (13) _______. The nation’s kings and queens are crowned here. Many rulers and famous citizens are (14) _______ here.
There are also monuments to political figures and poets.
The (15) _______ of Parliament are along the Thames River, near Westminster Abbey. This is where the government meets. Look (16) _______ to see the clock tower with Big Ben, London’s famous (17) _______ that rings every hour. You can get on a boat (18) _______ for a ride on the Thames.
Other places you might want to see are Scotland Yard, Madame Tussaud’s, (19) _______ the British Museum. You can find out about London’s famous criminals in the (20) _______ Museum at Scotland Yard, the home of London’s Metropolitan Police. At Madame Tussaud’s, you’ll see eerily(21) _______, life-size wax figures of pop idols and historic figures. A great thing to see at the British Museum is the collection of mummies, tomb (22) _______, and gold jewelry from ancient Egypt. The museum’s Egyptian collection is (23) _______ of the largest in the world.
For a good (24) _______ of London, take a ride in the London Eye. This enormous wheel takes you 443 feet (135 meters) above the London skyline. Unlike a traditional Ferris wheel, the (25) _______ carries its passengers in enclosed compartments."

7. You can (7) _______ the Tower of London, a historic fortress that was once a royal palace.

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

In the Mekong Delta, Long Dinh village of Tien Giang province is famous for its traditional craft of weaving flowered mats. The mat’s high quality makes them popular domestically, and they are also exported to markets worldwide including Korea, Japan, and America.

Despite its well-established reputation for this traditional craft, mat weaving only started here some 50 years ago. It was first introduced by immigrants from Kim Son, a famous mat weaving village in the northern province of Ninh Binh. However, the technique of weaving village sedge mats in Long Dinh, as compared with other places in the South, is somewhat different. Long Dinh branded mats are thicker and have more attractive colors and patterns.

Weaving sedge mats are similar to growing rice. Long Dinh mat production mainly occurs during the dry season, from January to April. Weavers have to work their hardest in May and June, otherwise, when the rainy season starts in July, they will have to put off finishing their Products till the next dry season. No matter how much work it requires, Long Dinh mat producers stick with this occupation, as it brings a higher income than growing rice.

This trade employs thousands of local laborers. At present, nearly 1,000 households in Long Dinh village live on weaving mats. To better meet market demands, Long Dinh mat weavers have created more Products in addition to the traditional sedge mats. Particularly, they are producing a new type of mat made from the dried stalks of water hyacinth, a common material in the Mekong Delta.

Thanks to the planning and further investment, the mat weaving occupation has indeed brought in more income for residents. Their living standards have improved considerably, resulting in better conditions for the whole village.

We can infer from the sentence “Weaving sedge mats is similar to growing rice” that ______________.

Choose the word or phrase that best fits each blank in the following passage. (1.5 pts)

On a yearly (1)______, the USA is afflicted by hurricanes on the east coast, flooding in the Midwest, forest fires, earthquakes, and any number of tornadoes, blizzards, and storms. Historically, the weather has (2)_________ as harsh a chord in people’s lives as any we feel today. Historians list the four major events to wreak devastation (3)________ the country as the Chicago fire in 1871, the Johnstown flood and the Galveston hurricane of 1900, and the San Francisco earthquake in 1906. These (4)_______ provide a flavor of the havoc that natures storms have wrecked on humanity and our reactions to them. Galveston, Texas, (5) _______ on the island of Galveston in the Gulf of New Mexico, (6)_________ on industry and exports. It's over 30,000 citizens in the early 1900s were generally economically successful and comfortable with existing conditions. (7)___________ the ill-fated morning of Sept. 7, 1900, the people of Galveston enjoyed their life on the remote island. (8)______ weather watchers had been following a (9)_______ storm* in the Atlantic for several days and were warning of the (10)_____________ danger of a hurricane. Unfortunately, people (11)_________ the warnings. A day after the hurricane had hit the island, all that (12)____________ of the beautiful city was, a mass of crumbled buildings, debris, and hopeless survivors (13)___________ aimlessly with the stench of rotting flesh all around. However, a few days later, that the city was beginning to heal became (14) ______________  everywhere – soon new buildings were (15) _______ the burned, and the lifeblood of the ravaged city was returning.

2_______________

Choose the best answer:
 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.

6. The author uses the word “marital” to indicate that the problems are related to ________.

Choose the letter A, B, C or D to complete the passage below

"To make matters even more interesting some researchers suggest that Elisha Gray, a professor at Oberlin College, applied for a caveat of the telephone on __________ (1) same day Bell applied for his patent of the telephone- these gentlemen didn’t actually visit the Patent Office, their lawyers did __________ (2) their behalf. In Historical First Patents: The First United States Patent for Many Everyday Things (Scarecrow Press, 1994), Travis Brown, reports that Bell’s lawyer got to the patent office first. The date was February 14, 1876. He was the fifth entry of that day, __________ (3) Gray’s lawyer was 39th. Therefore, the U.S. Patent Office ___________ (4) Bell with the first patent for a telephone, US Patent Number 174,465 rather than honor Gray's caveat. _________, (5) some authors dispute this story and suggest that there was malfeasance by certain individuals at Patent Office, and possibly Bell himself."

3. He was the fifth entry of that day, __________ (3) Gray’s lawyer was 39th.

Choose the best answer: 
In the world of messengers and chat rooms, the use of Internet (1) ___________ is as naturalas seeing another selfie maker at the street. Some people call it Internet slang since manyabbreviations are (2) ___________ used in informal conversations of specific groups in socialmedia networks. However, the typical slang of British English, American English, Australian English, and others are typically localized (3) ___________ Internet abbreviations are universal and used by any person who catches the gist of a chat.

The likelihood you can come up (5) __________ ten common internet abbreviations isalmost as high as the fact that you text or (5) ___________ your friends each day. Test yourself,what does NSFW mean in texting? And can you decode at (6) __________ half of the followingabbreviations? LOL, ASAP, OMG, XOXO, B4N, FYI, G2G, FB, MSG, TTYL. Easily?

By the way, FYI, ASAP, as well as other acronyms and abbreviations (7) __________ BTW(By the way), IMO (In my opinion), LMK (Let me know), PRB (Please reply by) havebeen included to the business email conversation (8) __________ almost never happens withcommon slang.

Tokyo is the capital of Japan. It is a big city with many incredible attractions and destinations. Each of them has their own character and appeal that attract people from all over the world. Tokyo attracts millions of tourists each year, and the number keeps on increasing. Tokyo has a distinct character that makes it so attractive to tourists from all over the world.

For itinerary ideas for your 3-day Tokyo trip, my recommendation is TripleLights. From the website, not only you can find ideas for places to visit for an itinerary, you can even choose the private tours with set itineraries made by professional tour guides. You can customize and personalize the itinerary according to your preferences and needs. If you don’t want to do the planning on your own, private guides are also available to guide you and help you experience Tokyo and learn the destinations and the culture deeper. You can talk to the guides to make sure that your itineraries are perfectly made according to your preferences.

After a few days in Tokyo, you might find yourself asking, "What's that thing they always say when I walk in?" Whether it's sweaty, aproned guys shouting in unison as you walk into an izakaya (lively restaurants that serve alcohol with lots of small dishes) or one perfectly coiffed woman murmuring as you enter the hush of a small boutique, they're saying the same thing: "Irasshaimase." It's a polite way of saying "welcome." Although your instinct may be to reply -- "Thank you?" "Hello?" -- locals insist no response is required. A friendly little bow in response doesn't hurt, though.

What is the function of TripleLights?

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

The system of USA education starts with twelve years of primary and secondary school education which the Americans have to follow. A secondary school (“high school“) diploma or certificate is a compulsory requirement for the student to be able to enter college, university, vocational, secretarial, or other professional and technical schools. American children who are around six years of age normally begin their learning at a primary school. It takes from five to six years to complete primary schooling. After finishing primary schooling, students will have to enter a secondary school where they may spend 6 or 7-year durations consisting of either two three-year programs, or a three-year and a four-year program. Schools at this level are known as Middle School or Junior High School and High or Senior High School Completion of this stage is called Twelfth Grade. International students are advised to find out which level of education in their country corresponding to the twelfth grade in the US.A.

After completing the twelfth grade, students are admitted to college or university for higher education. Study at a college or university leading to a Bachelor’s Degree is known as “undergraduate” education. Study beyond the Bachelor’s Degree is known as “graduate” school or “postgraduate” education. Advanced or graduate degrees include law, medicine, M.B.A. (Master), and Ph.D.(doctorate), etc.

The USA has the highest number of educational institutions providing higher education than any other country. There are more than 3800 colleges and universities imparting degree programs. The size of the US. higher educational institutions vary greatly, too, from colleges that enroll fewer than 1,000 students to large universities that enroll more than 50,000 students.

According to the text, which statement below is TRUE?

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

Discipline is an important virtue in one’s life. Discipline means complete obedience to certain rules and regulations. Life without discipline is just like a house without a roof. It is absolutely essential for a successful life.

Discipline is the structural and fundamental unit of a successful person. It is essential for us at home, for soldiers on the battlefield, for students in school, for players on the playground. A team of experienced players often loses the match because of indiscipline in the team. A horrible battle can be won by a disciplined army.

Discipline is very important in a student’s life. We must obey our teachers, must follow the rules of the school. We should be sincere, dedicated, firm, and focus on our goals. If we violate, we will suffer a great deal in the future.

As a student is the future of the country, we need to be very punctual to our routine, hard-working, healthy and fit. Discipline demands self-control and dedication. It leads to the formation of a good society and nation as well. 

What does the word “fundamental” mean?

Choose the letter A, B, C or D to complete the sentences

Nowadays, the divorce rate is higher than it used to be________ young people are allowed to decide on their marriage.

Choose the best answer: 
Nowadays, some people choose to live and work in the countryside. New ways of working, such as online working, have made it (1)____________for more people to live there. There are both advantages and disadvantages to living in the countryside.

On the one hand, life in the countryside is very (2)____________. There are less cars and that means that there is less noise, and that it is less (3)____________ . Furthermore, there is more land available in the countryside, and people can often live in bigger houses or flats than in cities. Finally, it is easier to do a lot of (4)____________activities such as walking or cycling if you live in the countryside. On the other hand, life in the countryside can be (5)____________ . There are fewer restaurants, cinemas and shops to go to. Moreover, there is little public transport, which makes it difficult to get (6)____________ if you don’t have a car. Finally, you can feel (7)____________ if you live a long way from other people.

In (8)____________, there are both pros and cons to living in the countryside. However, in my opinion, the peacefulness of the countryside makes it a very attractive option.

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.

Nonverbal communication, or “body language”, is communication by facial expressions, head or eyes movements, hand signals, and body postures. It can be just as important to understand (23) __________ words are. Misunderstandings- often amusing (24) __________ sometimes serious- can arise between people from different cultures if they misinterpret nonverbal signals. For example, take the differences in the meaning of a gesture (25) __________ is very common in the United States: a circle made with the thumb and index finger. To an American, it means that everything (26) __________OK. To Japanese, it means that you are talking (27) __________             money. In France, it means that something is worthless. Meanwhile, in Greece, it is an obscene gesture. Therefore, an American could unknowingly offend a Greek by using that particular hand signal.

23.___________

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

Every year students in many countries learn English. Some of these students are young children. Others are teenagers. Many are adults. Some learn at school. Others study by themselves. A few learn English just by hearing the language in films, on television, in the office, or among their friends. But not many are lucky enough to do that. Most people must work hard on their lessons to learn another language.

Many boys and girls learn English at school because it is one of their subjects. They study their language, mathematics, and English. In England, America, or Australia, many boys and girls study their language, which is English, and another language, perhaps French, German or Spanish.

Many adults learn English because it is useful for their work. Teenagers often learn English for their higher studies because some of their books are in English at college or university. Other people learn English because they want to read newspapers or magazines in English

According to the writer:__________

Choose the word or phrase (a, b, c or d) that best fits the blank space in the following passage.

One of the greatest advances in modern technology has been the (61)__________ of computers. They are already (62)______ used in industry and in universities and the time may come when it will be common for (63)________ people to use them as well. Computers are capable of doing extremely complicated work in all (64)_________ of learning. They can (65)______ the most complex mathematical problem and put thousands of unrelated facts (66)______ order. Because they work accurately and at high speeds they (67)______ research workers years of hard work. (68)____ is a mistake to believe that these machines could “think”. There is no (69)_____ that human beings will be controlled by machines. Though computers are capable of (70)______ from their mistakes and improving on their performance, they need detailed (71)_______ from human beings in order to be able to operate. They can never, as it were, (72)________ independent lives or rule the world by making decisions of their (73)___________. Computers are the most efficient (74)____ man has ever had and there is no limit to the ways they can be used to (75)_____ our lives.

65_________

Choose the best answer:
 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.

 4. The phrase “The first” in the passage refers to the first _________.

And while physical injury may pose the most obvious danger, the emotional and psychological consequences of domestic abuse are also severe. Emotionally abusive relationships can destroy your self-worth, __________ (15) to anxiety and depression, and make you feel helpless and alone. No one should have to endure this kind of pain—and your first step to breaking free is recognizing that your relationship is abusive.

Read the following passage and choose the correct answer to each question.

If there is a building which symbolizes a country, such as the Eiffel Tower for France and the Sydney Opera House for Australia, then it has to be the Taj Mahal for India.

It was set up by Emperor Shah Jahan in 1653 in memory of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. From the time they got married, they wouldn’t be separated. She followed him to wars, advised him on affairs of state, and was loved by his people for her good work. But she died in 1631 during her childbirth. The emperor was heartbroken and had the Taj Mahal built as a sign of his love.

It took more than 20 years for the Taj Mahal to be built. Workers were brought in, not only from all over India but from central Asia too. A total of 20,000 people worked on the building.

In 1657, Shah Jahan fell ill, and in 1658 his son, Aurangzeb imprisoned his father and seized power. Shah Jahan stayed in prison until he died in 1666. He was finally buried there with his wife, who he could never forget.

The Taj Mahal is worth more than a single visit. As it is built with white marble stones, its character changes in different lights. It looks more beautiful at sunrise and sunset. At sunset, for example, the color of the Taj Mahal changes from white to yellow, then to pink. As the moon rises, it turns silvery-white. To show respect to the Taj Mahal, tourists are asked to take off their shoes during their visit.

From the passage, we can easily see that ____.

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

You can do a few things to make homework less stressful. First, be sure you understand the assignment. Write it down in your notebook or day planner if you need to, and don’t be afraid to ask questions about what is expected. It is much easier to take a minute to ask the teacher during or after class than to struggle to remember later that night! If you want, you can also ask how long the particular homework assignment should take to complete so you can plan your time.

Second, use any extra time you have in school to work on your homework. Many schools have libraries that are specifically designed to allow students to study or get homework done. The more work you can get done in school, the less you will have to do that night.

Third, pace yourself. If you don’t finish your homework during school, think about how much you have left and what else is going on that day, and then plan your time. Most middle students should have between 1 and 3 hours of homework a night. If it is a heavy homework day, you will need to devote more time to homework.

No one is expected to understand everything, and maybe you need some help. The first place to turn for help is your teacher. But what if you don’t feel comfortable with your teacher? If you are in a big enough school, there may be other teachers who teach the same subject. Speak to other teachers directly and you may be in luck. Sometimes it just helps to have someone explain something in a different way. Moreover, you might also be able to get some help from another student. If there is someone you like who is a good student, think about asking that person if you can study together.

According to the passage, all of the following are correct EXCEPT that__________.

Read the following passage and choose the correct answer to each question.

If there is a building which symbolizes a country, such as the Eiffel Tower for France and the Sydney Opera House for Australia, then it has to be the Taj Mahal for India.

It was set up by Emperor Shah Jahan in 1653 in memory of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. From the time they got married, they wouldn’t be separated. She followed him to wars, advised him on affairs of state, and was loved by his people for her good work. But she died in 1631 during her childbirth. The emperor was heartbroken and had the Taj Mahal built as a sign of his love.

It took more than 20 years for the Taj Mahal to be built. Workers were brought in, not only from all over India but from central Asia too. A total of 20,000 people worked on the building.

In 1657, Shah Jahan fell ill, and in 1658 his son, Aurangzeb imprisoned his father and seized power. Shah Jahan stayed in prison until he died in 1666. He was finally buried there with his wife, who he could never forget.

The Taj Mahal is worth more than a single visit. As it is built with white marble stones, its character changes in different lights. It looks more beautiful at sunrise and sunset. At sunset, for example, the color of the Taj Mahal changes from white to yellow, then to pink. As the moon rises, it turns silvery-white. To show respect to the Taj Mahal, tourists are asked to take off their shoes during their visit.

It can be inferred from the passage that the writer________.

Sydney _________ (1) one of the world's greatest cities. It is the cultural and financial heart of Australia. It is ___________ (2) for Sydney Opera House. It is located on Bennelong Point ___________ (3) Sydney Harbor. The opera house was completed in 1973 after 16 years of construction. A Danish architect named Jørn Utzon ____________ (4) the landmark. It was a very __________ (5) to create the building. The top of the opera house looks like sails from a boat or large shells.

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