Vincent Van Gogh is a very famous painter from the 19th century. Van Gogh’s paintings are sold at very high prices because many collectors want his paintings. But unfortunately, when he was (i) _______ he did not have a happy life. Van Gogh was from a poor family in Holland and lived (ii) _______ his life at home. He lived a rather sad and (iii) _______ life. He drew things that he could sec cither around the quiet town of his parents’ home or outside his window. This was why he painted things like the sky, his room and even himself. Van Gogh once cut off his own car after drawing a picture of himself. He cut it off to show the person that said the ear in Van Gogh’s painting was not correct. It was very (iv) _______ him to do such a thing. Van Gogh was also (v) _______ a crazy man. He really did become crazy, and was sent to a mental hospital. Sadly, he killed himself when he was just 37.

(i)____-

Choose the best option:

What a mess! We _____ up here for hours.

Every country has its own traditions, some of which have existed for centuries. In my opinion, we should do everything possible to preserve them. Some people think that in today’s high-tech world, traditional celebrations are too old-fashioned and (i) _______ to our lives. However, events such as Carnival, are important, as they bring communities together and make US think about other people and not just computers. (ii) _______ argument against traditional festivals is that they are expensive to organise. To some extent this is true, particularly when there are firework (iii) _______ or parades. On the other hand, it is a small price to pay for brightening up our lives with entertainment and colour. Moreover, celebrations like the ‘Fallas’ in my home town of Valencia attract many tourists and their money. Finally, although 1 agree that some traditional customs (iv) _______ their original significance, they can provide an opportunity for US to learn about our past. For example, Bonfire Night teaches British children about a particular period of their country’s history. To conclude, traditional celebrations are a source of great pleasure and interest, and they are certainly (v) _______ keeping

(iii)_____

When (i) _______ people think of sports, the first ones that come to mind are probably football – both American and European soccer – and basketball, hockey, tennis, and baseball. But that knights in shining armour who rode horses and carried sharp swords and lances in their hands to knock (ii) _______ knights off their horses, created the new sport of jousting. The idea of jousting dates back to really times before the 1100s and had its origins in France where jousting was not really a sport. Instead, it was really more of an occupation since jousting tournaments were really warring tournaments held between the families of nobility for the purpose of gaining notoriety and monetary wealth. As jousting became more of a sport, a code of “fair play” was enacted and chivalry entered (iii)  _______  the picture as well as the ideas conveyed in the talcs of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. In addition to the Inaugural code of ethics, the concepts of fair maidens and brave knights continues to (iv) _______  an important role in jousting. And even to this (v) _______ day, the idea of chivalry has an impact on the pageantry and activities of jousting tournaments.

(ii)____

The origins of golf have been debated for quite a long time, but the Scots get the credit for practicing the sport sometime during the 15th century. Reports dating back to the Song Dynasty as early as the 10lh century (i) ________ that the Chinese nobility also used (ii) ________ a game named “chuiwan” by means of 10 different clubs, a game which later must have been imported to Europe during the Middle Ages by Mongolian travellers. Regardless of these claims, however, it remains a fact (iii) ________ the game of golf players as we know it over a distance of 18 holes is of Scottish descent. Thus a golf course is a tract of land that includes up to 18 or 19 holes, but (iv) ________ less than 9. A hole designates both the open in the ground into which a golf ball is displaced, as well as the total distance from the tee, or the starting point, to the green, or the grassy area surrounding the actual hole, which is also termed a cup. The bar of grill of the clubhouse where most golfers meet at the end of a game is referred to in colloquial terms (v) ________ “the 19th hotel”.

(ii)______

There are 10 teams involved, each team having 2 drivers. (i) ________  teams are Renault, Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, Honda and Toyota. These teams built (ii) ________ the car and its engine. Formula One also has a constructor’s championship for the team that builds the best car. The cars are much smaller and narrower because. Formula One is not run on speed tracks (iii) ________ on circuits and sometimes on closed city streets. The drivers must be more technical and skilled on these types of tracks. Some circuits, like the ones in Monaco, are very tight, and it is hard to overtake there. Circuits such as Monza, Italy, or Germany, are very fast and wide. Cars reach (iv) ________  200 mph, and the engines have (v) ________ 750 horsepower.

(v)____

Special effects, abbreviated SPFX or SPF, are a (i) _______ enhancing and intensifying the impact a filmed scene has on its audience in order to create an optical illusion which would render that particular image undistinguishable (ii) _______  reality. Special effects engineers have at their disposal a (iii) _______ number of techniques, ranging from traditional theatre effects to sophisticated photography and modem computer graphics, which are often used in one single shot (iv) _______ create the desired effect.

Most special effects are employed to obtain effects that cannot (v) _______ by normal means, such as intcrgalactic battles or space travelling; others are substituted for more expensive real-life effects, such as high-blast explosions, while others still are there to recreate the particular atmosphere of long- ago times, such as restoring the arehitectural splendour of a princely castle.

(v)______

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word(s) OPPOSITE in meaning to the underlined word(s) in each of the following questions: 

They have not made any effort to integrate with the local community.

We are using up the world’s petroleum. We use (i) _______ in our cars and to heat our building in winter. Farmers use petrochemicals to make the soil rich. They use them to kill insects (ii) _______ eat plants. These chemicals go into rivers and lakes and kill the fish there. Thousands of pollutants also go into the air and pollute it. Winds carry this (iii) _______ air to other countries and other continents. Poor farmers use the same land over and over. The land needs a rest, so it will be better next year. However, the farmers must have food this year. In some areas when the trees are gone, the land (iv) _______ desert. The people and the nations of the world must work together to (v) _______ the world’s resources.

(v)______

The police ……….. to interview Fred about a robbery.

Martha loved Mt. Vernon and longed for a life of privacy but when duty (i) _______ her husband to command the Revolutionary War troops. Martha accepted her role with understanding and compassion. During the Revolutionary war, Martha remained at Mt. Vernon for long periods of time while her husband was commanding that Continental Army. She knitted socks for the soldiers, organized sewing societies to make needed items, and tried to raise money for the benefit of the troops. When her husband became (ii) _______ while the troops were camped at Morristown, Martha bravely made the trip to nurse him back to health. One winter while the American troops camped at Valley Forge, Martha made the long, arduous trip to Valley Forge. She did not go, (iii) _______, until she had been inoculated for smallpox. The inoculation, itself very dangerous, was the only option for Martha as she believed that without it she could die from the disease itself. Her deep love for her husband and her strong commitment to the American cause were the reasons why Martha received the inoculation as well as why she made the trip to the soldiers’ winter camp. During her visit to Valley Forge, Martha visited with the soldiers, cared for them and consoled them. She also continued to sew, (iv) _______,and make bandages needed for the wounded. Martha continued to organize volunteer groups of women to assist in the war effort, too. And she entertained the other officers and their wives who were in camp. As the fighting came (v)__________ _______ to where her husband’s soldiers were camped, Martha returned to Mt. Vernon to continue her efforts to support the American cause.

(ii)______

In (i) _______ times Poland was part of the Russian Empire and began its struggle for independence. Russia managed to (ii) _______ an end to the rebellion for years after persecuted and harassed its Polish citizens, especially those of Jewish origin. Even though Maria was a Catholic born into a gentry’s family, she was a mere female and thus felt that oppression stronger than many others. She was denied entrance into any university and had to work as a governess (iii) _______ the fact that she had once of the highest IQ’s ever (iv) _______ among women. Maria also had an amazing memory and was a workhorse, who neglected food and sleep in order to study and get the job done. (v) _______ those pressures led to a mental breakdown, and Maria was hospitalized for a year after graduating from high school.

(ii)____

Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, is a city of contrasts. It is an exciting, (i) _______ , modem city and, at the same time, a city that is full of history. The streets of Bangkok are usually noisy and have too many people. Some people are selling food; (ii) _______  are selling clothing, cassette tapes, flowers, or souvenirs. Visitors love the river markets, the beautiful temples and arehitecture, and the nightlife. They also enjoy the food, the shopping, and the friendly Thai people. (iii) _______ seems to smile there. Most of the year, Bangkok is hotter than any other capital city in Asia, but from December to February, the weather is not as warm and so it is much more comfortable. Actually, it’s an interesting city to visit at any time of the year. The shopping is excellent, and the prices are not as high as in many other large cities in Southeast Asia. There is always so much to do in Bangkok any time of the day or night – (iv) _______ watching Thai dancing or boxing to taking a boat trip on the river or trying some of the delicious and spicy food. And if you get (v) _______ the city and want fewer crowds, there are beautiful beaches only two hours away by bus.

(iii)_____

(i) ________ November 13rd, 1991, a new animation movie was making waves around the world. This movie that everyone was (ii) ________ about was Beauty and the Beast. It was made by Disney and was the first animation movie ever to (iii) ________  for an Academy Award. The Movie Academy in Hollywood chooses five movies every year to receive the famous Oscar Prize. But in the end only one can win. In 1991, Beauty and the Beast won the Oscar for Best Music and for Best Song in a movie, which was performed (iv) ________ the popular Celine Dion. In the same year, Beauty and the Beast (v) ________ got the prestigious Golden Globe Awards for Best Picture. That was a high honor for an animation film.

(v)_____

Which is the most popular recreation _________summer? 

Development economics is the branch of economics that focuses (i)  _______  the special economic problems faced by poor and undeveloped countries. (ii) _______ classical economics, development economics studies the social and political factors that affect economic growth. It (iii) _______  the problem of Third World debt and the role of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund in continuing that debt with strict repayment rules. Scholars in the field have proposed that the best long­term solution is to excuse much of the debt. Debtor nations also must be helped to establish (iv) _______ governments and self-sustaining economics. The goal is to help them become trading partners with creditor nations. An important means to that end is to encourage the growth of a strong middle class. Some ways to do that (v) _______ guaranteeing education for all, allowing free trade, and providing medical care. Governments must allow for elected representatives and independent court systems.

(iv)_____

When the war ended, Romania became a Communist country. For 50 years, people suffered (i) _______ the Communist rule. There was (ii) _______ food, no electricity or hot water in villages and small cities. Many important pieces of Romanian literature and art from the Golden Age were destroyed. People were (iii) _______ in jail; others ran illegally across the border to (iv) _______ countries. On December 16th, 1998, Romanians had had enough. There was a bloody revolution, the government was overthrown, and new elections (v) _______. Today, Romanians are trying to rebuild their future into a free country.

(ii)___

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word or phrase that is OPPOSITE in meaning to the underlined part in each of the following questions: She is a very generous old woman. She has given most of her wealth to a charity organization. 

The Great Wall stretches for 5,000 kilometres (i) _______ China from the East coast to the Gobi Desert. This biggest of all building projects was begun 2,000 years ago during the Qin Dynasty. Separately built walls were all joined up to form one huge line, supposedly to (ii) _______  any invading nomads. The project used thousands of workers, many of them prisoners.

Around 180 million cubic metres of earth were used to form the wall’s core. The wall was not particularly successful as a deterrent to invaders. However, it was very useful as a kind of ancient, elevated motorway. Men and equipment could be easily moved along the wall, through the previously (iii) _______, mountainous land. Also, a very useful communication system was developed between the different sections of the wall. Smoke signals were used to send messages quickly anywhere along the wall’s length. Now, the Great Wall is China’s most popular tourist attraction. It has suffered some decay and destruction over the centuries. Parts have been (iv) _______ by the wind and weather. Other sections have been destroyed by local peasants who carried off the materials to make their own homes. However, the wall is still an amazing sight, and a lasting monument to the ancient Chinese civilization that (v) _______ it.

(v)______

Health experts suggest that to stay healthy and happy, it’s important to keep our lives in balance. Chinese philosophy, which has spanned thousands of years, uses the principles of yin and yang to explain importance of balance in life. Explained simply, yang represents the active elements of the universe, (i) _______ the yin represents the passive elements. This expresses the importance of balance in all aspects of living. Today health experts agree that it’s important to have a balanced life. For example, they’ve said it’s necessary to have a balance between work and rest and to have a balanced exercise program. (ii) _______, I’m sure you’d agree that in our busy world, it’s not always easy to get and keep balanced in our lives. Due to business or study deadlines, many people work to excess, leaving little time at the end of their busy day to spend with family and friends. They cat fast-food and don’t get enough rest or recreation and then suffer badly from the effects of stress. It’s sad that this situation often is the answer to happen when people believe that access to (iii)   happiness instead of understanding the importance of balanced living.While ambition can be a good thing, having too much ambition can cause a person to become ‘out of balance’. Of course it’s also unbalanced to spend too much time on entertainment and pleasure activities, with little or no time (iv) _______ to work or education. Balance means allocating enough time for all the important aspects of life, such as spending time with family and friends, working or studying, as well as resting and relaxing. Experts now tell US that having balance in our life is the answer, not only to health and happiness, but also to success. If you’re balanced, you’ll have more energy and you’ll reach your ambitions in a more relaxed fashion, with less stress. So  (v) _______ is your life? Do you need to allocate your time differently to have better balance in your life?

(iii)______

In (i) _______ times Poland was part of the Russian Empire and began its struggle for independence. Russia managed to (ii) _______ an end to the rebellion for years after persecuted and harassed its Polish citizens, especially those of Jewish origin. Even though Maria was a Catholic born into a gentry’s family, she was a mere female and thus felt that oppression stronger than many others. She was denied entrance into any university and had to work as a governess (iii) _______ the fact that she had once of the highest IQ’s ever (iv) _______ among women. Maria also had an amazing memory and was a workhorse, who neglected food and sleep in order to study and get the job done. (v) _______ those pressures led to a mental breakdown, and Maria was hospitalized for a year after graduating from high school.

(iii)____