We are pleased to announce that the installation of the new manufacturing equipment in our main plant has been completed. The new machines---131--- workflow by allowing for flexibility in production. With six mixing tanks of ---132--- sizes, we expect to be able to fill a wider range of orders, from small to very large. This ---133--- is an important way to ensure that Balm Manufacturing continues to be a leader in the fragrance industry.---134---. Jim Martel, who is organizing this effort, will contact each of you soon with details.

133...................

To improve its athletes’ ____ Viet Nam has regularly exchanged delegation of sport officials, coaches, referees and athletes with other countries.

(443)______

Read the following passage and choose the best answer (A, B, C, D):
Although he created the game of basketball at the YMCA in Springfield, Massachusetts, Dr. James A. Naismith was a Canadian. Working as a physical education instructor at the International YMCA, now Springfield College, Dr. Naismith noticed a lack of interest in exercise among students during the wintertime. The New England winters were fierce, and the students balked at participating in outdoor activities. Naismith determined that a fast-moving game that could be played indoors would fill a void after the baseball and football seasons had ended. First he attempted to adapt outdoor games such as soccer and rugby to indoor play, but he soon found them unsuitable for confined areas. Finally, he determined that he would have to invent a game. In December of 1891, Dr. Naismith hung two old peach baskets as either end of the gymnasium at the school, and, using a soccer ball and nine players on each side, organized the first basketball game. The early rules allowed three points for each basket and made running with the ball a violation. Every time a goal was made, someone had to climb a ladder to retrieve the ball. Nevertheless, the game became popular. In less than a year, basketball was being played in both the United States and Canada. Five years later, a championship tournament was staged in New York City, which was won by the Brooklyn Central YMCA. The teams had already been reduced to seven players, and five became standard in the 1897 season. When basketball was introduced as a demonstration sport in the 1904 Olympic Games in St. Louis, it quickly spread throughout the world. In 1906, a metal hoop was used for the first time to replace the basket, but the name basketball has remained.
6. Where in the passage does the author discuss the first basketball championship tournament?

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 ‌from‌ ‌43‌ ‌to‌ ‌50.‌ ‌
There‌ ‌are‌ ‌two‌ ‌basic‌ ‌types‌ ‌of‌ ‌glaciers,‌ ‌those‌ ‌that‌ ‌flow‌ ‌outward‌ ‌in‌ ‌all‌ 
directions‌ ‌with‌ ‌little‌ ‌regard‌ ‌for‌ ‌any‌ ‌underlying‌ ‌‌terrain‌ ‌‌and‌ ‌those‌ ‌that‌ ‌are‌ ‌confined‌ ‌by‌ ‌terrain‌ ‌to‌ ‌a‌ ‌particular‌ ‌path.‌ ‌The‌ ‌first‌ ‌category‌ ‌of‌ ‌glaciers‌ ‌includes‌ ‌those‌ ‌massive‌ ‌blankets‌ ‌that‌ ‌cover‌ ‌whole‌ ‌continents,‌ ‌appropriately‌ ‌called‌ ‌ice‌ ‌sheets.‌ ‌There‌ ‌must‌ ‌be‌ ‌over‌ ‌50,000‌ ‌square‌ ‌kilometers‌ ‌of‌ ‌land‌ ‌covered‌ ‌with‌ ‌ice‌ ‌for‌ ‌the‌ ‌glacier‌ ‌to‌ ‌
qualify‌ ‌as‌ ‌an‌ ‌ice‌ ‌sheet,‌ ‌when‌ ‌portions‌ ‌of‌ ‌an‌ ‌ice‌ ‌sheet‌ ‌spread‌ ‌out‌ ‌over‌ ‌the‌ ‌ocean,‌ ‌they‌ ‌form‌ ‌ice‌ ‌shelves.‌ ‌
About‌ ‌20,000‌ ‌years‌ ‌ago‌ ‌the‌ ‌Cordilleran‌ ‌Ice‌ ‌sheet‌ ‌covered‌ ‌nearly‌ ‌all‌ ‌the‌ ‌mountains‌ ‌in‌ ‌southern‌ ‌Alaska,‌ ‌western‌ ‌Canada,‌ ‌and‌ ‌the‌ ‌western‌ ‌United‌ ‌States.‌ ‌It‌ ‌was‌ ‌about‌ ‌3‌ ‌kilometers‌ ‌deep‌ ‌at‌ ‌its‌ ‌thickest‌ ‌point‌ ‌in‌ ‌
northern‌ ‌Alberta.‌ ‌Now‌ ‌there‌ ‌are‌ ‌only‌ ‌two‌ ‌sheets‌ ‌left‌ ‌on‌ ‌Earth,‌ ‌those‌ ‌covering‌ ‌Greenland‌ ‌and‌ ‌Antarctica.‌ ‌Any‌ ‌domelike‌ ‌body‌ ‌of‌ ‌ice‌ ‌that‌ ‌also‌ ‌flows‌ ‌out‌ ‌in‌ ‌all‌ ‌directions‌ ‌but‌ ‌covers‌ ‌less‌ ‌than‌ ‌50,000‌ ‌square‌ ‌kilometers‌ ‌is‌ ‌called‌ ‌an‌ ‌ice‌ ‌cap.‌ ‌Although‌ ‌ice‌ ‌caps‌ ‌are‌ ‌rare‌ ‌nowadays,‌ ‌there‌ ‌are‌ ‌a‌ ‌number‌ ‌in‌ ‌northeastern‌ ‌Canada,‌ ‌on‌ ‌
Baffin‌ ‌Island,‌ ‌and‌ ‌on‌ ‌the‌ ‌Queen‌ ‌Elizabeth‌ ‌Islands.‌ ‌The‌ ‌second‌ ‌category‌ ‌of‌ ‌glaciers‌ ‌includes‌ ‌those‌ ‌of‌ ‌a‌ ‌variety‌ ‌of‌ ‌shapes‌ ‌and‌ ‌sizes‌ ‌generally‌ ‌called‌ ‌mountain‌ ‌or‌ ‌alpine‌ ‌glaciers.‌ ‌Mountain‌ ‌glaciers‌ ‌are‌ ‌typically‌ ‌identified‌ ‌by‌ ‌the‌ ‌landform‌ ‌that‌ ‌controls‌ ‌their‌ ‌flow.‌ ‌One‌ ‌form‌ ‌of‌ ‌mountain‌ ‌glacier‌ ‌that‌ ‌resembles‌ ‌an‌ ‌ice‌ ‌cap‌ ‌in‌ ‌that‌ ‌it‌ ‌flows‌ ‌outward‌ ‌in‌ ‌several‌ ‌directions‌ ‌is‌ ‌called‌ ‌an‌ ‌ice‌ ‌field.‌ ‌The‌ ‌difference‌ ‌between‌ ‌an‌ ‌ice‌ ‌field‌ ‌and‌ ‌an‌ ‌ice‌ ‌cap‌ ‌is‌ ‌‌subtle‌.‌ ‌Essentially,‌ ‌the‌ ‌flow‌ ‌of‌ ‌an‌ ‌ice‌ ‌field‌ ‌is‌ ‌somewhat‌ ‌controlled‌ ‌by‌ ‌surrounding‌ ‌terrain‌ ‌and‌ ‌thus‌ ‌does‌ ‌not‌ ‌have‌ ‌the‌ ‌domelike‌ ‌shape‌ ‌of‌ ‌a‌ ‌cap.‌ ‌
There‌ ‌are‌ ‌several‌ ‌ice‌ ‌fields‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌Wrangell.‌ ‌St.‌ ‌Elias,‌ ‌and‌ ‌Chugach‌ ‌mountains‌ ‌of‌ ‌Alaska‌ ‌and‌ ‌northern‌ ‌British‌ ‌Columbia.‌ ‌Less‌ ‌spectacular‌ ‌than‌ ‌large‌ ‌ice‌ ‌fields‌ ‌are‌ ‌the‌ ‌most‌ ‌common‌ ‌types‌ ‌of‌ ‌mountain‌ ‌glaciers:‌ ‌the‌ ‌cirque‌ ‌and‌ ‌valley‌ ‌glaciers.‌ ‌Cirque‌ ‌glaciers‌ ‌are‌ ‌found‌ ‌in‌ ‌depressions‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌surface‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌land‌ ‌and‌ ‌have‌ ‌a‌ ‌characteristic‌ ‌circular‌ ‌shape.‌ ‌The‌ ‌ice‌ ‌of‌ ‌valley‌ ‌glaciers,‌ ‌bound‌ ‌by‌ ‌terrain,‌ ‌flows‌ ‌down‌ ‌valleys,‌ ‌curves‌ ‌around‌ ‌‌their‌ ‌‌corners,‌ ‌
and‌ ‌falls‌ ‌over‌ ‌cliffs.‌ ‌

‌The‌ ‌word‌ ‌“subtle”‌ ‌in‌ ‌paragraph‌ ‌5‌ ‌could‌ ‌best‌ ‌be‌ ‌replaced‌ ‌by____________.‌ ‌

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.
                       THE GENERATION GAP
People talk about the generation gap as a kind of division between young people and their parents. It is something which is generally a problem when children enter their teenage years, and results (1)........ complaints on both side. Parents, for example, can often be heard to say that young people are (2)............and disobedient and in addition tend to be irresponsible when spending because they don’t appreciate the (3).............. of money. Adolescents, on the other hand, complain that their parents don’t understand them.
What has gone wrong? One explanation lies in (4)............ society has changed. In the past, children would typically continue the way of life of their parents. In today’s world, parents are very (5)........... for their children because they want them to achieve more than they did. The problem is that the children often don’t agree with their parents’ plans. Teenagers also reach maturity at an earlier age than they used to and want their independence sooner. The resulting conflict is painful to both sides.

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

Silas is talking to his roommate, Salah, about the Olympic Games.

- Silas: "Do you think our country can host the Olympic Games some day in the future?" - Salah: "______. We can't afford such a big event."
(137)________

Read the reading below carefully, and then complete it with the best option A, B, C or D given below:
Other disabilities include hearing, visual, or orthopedic impairments; autism; (1) _______ traumatic brain injury. An increasing number of children in the United States are identified as having attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and (2) _______ special education services. Many schools in the United States provide special education services (3) _______ gifted children, although federal law does not mandate these services. Gifted children demonstrate (4) _______ high abilities in intellectual, creative, academic, leadership, or artistic areas. Estimates of the gifted (5) _______ in the United States range from 3 to 5 percent of all schoolchildren.

Choose the best answer:
You can join the club when you ________ a bit older.

Choose the best answer:
“I thought you bought a new fountain pen last week?” “Yes, I did but I left it at home. Can I borrow _____ for a moment?”

Choose the best answer:
This dress is the ___________ expensive of the two dresses.

Choose the best answer:
The construction work was _____ by the local contractor.

 Her job was so_____ that she decided to quit it.

(259)_______

Read the passage carefully and choose the correct answer.

Jean spent her first few years in Hooper and her family moved to Otsego early in her life. She was only ten when her father died unexpectedly, leaving her mother to raise and support their family alone. Her mother soon went to work outside the home to provide for the family, and Jean, being one of the oldest, had to help care for her younger siblings. Although she had much responsibility at home, Jean thoroughly enjoyed school and was an excellent student. She went on to graduate 10th in her class at Otsego High School in 1953.

While still in high school, Jean met a young man named Charles "Chuck" Holly, at a dance in Alamo; and they were quite taken with each other. Over the next few years, their love for each other blossomed and they were married on February 24, 1953, while Jean was still in school. At the time, Chuck was serving his country in the military, and had come home on leave to marry his sweetheart. Unfortunately, shortly thereafter, he was sent overseas to serve in Korea for the next fifteen months.

Upon his discharge, the couple settled into married life together in the Plainwell, Otsego area. To help make ends meet, Jean went to work at the collection bureau in Kalamazoo for a while, before taking a job at the cheese company in Otsego. In 1964, Chuck and Jean were overjoyed with the birth of their son, Chuck, who brought great joy into their lives. Jean remembered how her mother was always gone so much working after her father died and she did not want that for her son, so she left her job to devote herself to the role of a mother.

Which is not true about Jean?

In the past, people ____ to the beach more often. 

(180)_____

Choose the best answer:
It’s funny __________ the comedy and the quiz show.

Read the passage below carefully, and then choose the best answer:
Space Tourism
If you are like most people, you probably dream of spending your next vacation sightseeing or relaxing in a tropical spot. But pretty soon, you may have the option of blasting into space and exploring the universe. It appears that space tourism may start to experience a boom that is sure to be out of this world. Since ancient times, humans have surely dreamed about visiting space. However, it was just a fantasy until 1961, when Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first person to fly into space. Yet in the years following, only a few highly-trained Soviet and American astronauts managed to leave the Earth’s atmosphere. In the mid-1980s, the US began to relax some of its restrictions. In 1986, an engineer named Charles Walker became the first non-government employee to fly into space. A year later, an American teacher named Christa McAuliffe was chosen to be the first teacher in space. Unfortunately, the Space Shuttle she was on, The Challenger, crashed during takeoff, killing everyone on board. Space tourism got an unexpected boost from the collapse of the Soviet Union. With Russia’s space programme in dire need of money, it became open to offers for space tourism. In 1990, a Japanese reporter was allowed to fly with a Russian crew into space, but the trip would cost his employer $28 million. In the late 1990s, a private company, MirCorp, started organizing trips to space for wealthy individuals. Now, many other companies are trying to do the same. Still, most people who want to become space tourists face a major barrier: the price. Early space tourists have paid dozens of millions of dollars for a seven-to- ten-day stay outside the Earth. However, there are some indications that the price will come down in the near future. Some corporations are gearing up for this with big plans to make space a more hospitable place. The luxurious hotel chain Hilton has expressed interest in opening a space hotel in the next 15 to 20 years. Meanwhile, some experts believe that flights to and from the moon could become a common occurrence within a few decades. Hopefully someday soon we will all have the chance to get to know our solar system a little bit better.
8. It can be inferred from the passage that _________.

Sometimes it is _____ to find suitable books for our children.

(382)_______

Choose the best answer:
“How was the first night of the play?” “Oh, pretty good – there were a _______________ number of people there.”

Read the following passage and choose the best answer (A, B, C, D):
Genetics is the study of hereditary characteristics that are passed down from one generation of living organisms to another. Although farmers have used selective breeding to improve the resilience of crops and animals, it wasn't until the mid-1800s that Gregor Mendel started the science of genetics as we know it today. Following Mendel's methods, scientists have discovered "chromosomes" and "DNA". With the ability to study DNA, scientists were able to study the genetic differences between races. Modern genetics discovered that all humans are descendants of "Mitochondrial Eve," a woman who lived over 150,000 generations have passed, and many subtle differences are now evident. Humans share at least 99% of their genetic makeup. A 1% difference may not seem like much, but when you consider that a chimpanzee shares 98% of human genes, you realize how much a 1% difference makes! Africans are more closely related to Europeans than any other two groups despite the fact that they differ so much in appearance. The biggest genetic differences are found between Africans and the native populations of Nord America (22%). However, it is essential to note that the genetic differences between people of the same race are much greater than the differences between people of different races. This means that the argument which claims that genets differences make one race superior to another is nothing but a tall story. The differences in various populations may also be the result of circumstances rather than genetic makeup. Factors such as climate, diet, health care, education, and employment as well as other socioeconomic factors are all influential. However, there are some traits which are genetic, for example, then is a much higher incidence of sickle cell anemia among black populations that any other population group. Adult African-Americans and Latinos have twice as many cases of diabetes than Caucasians. In the U.S, Latinos suffer more deaths from liver disease than other races. Europeans suffer more from heart disease and cancer. Genes not only affect our susceptibility to disease, they also affect our physical attributes. The Dinka people from the Sudan are considered to be the tallest people with men having an average height of 6ft 3 in, while women hit the big time with an impressive 5ft 3 in. This contrasts sharply with the Pygmy tribes who get the short end of the stick at only about 4ft 11 in tall. Genetic differences may help US to tailor health service to people of different races or to detect life threatening diseases early. However, they are not significant enough to support the claim that one race is superior to another. In fact, our modern scientific understanding of human genetic diversity flit in the face of almost all our social stereotypes.
5. Where do the greatest genetic differences occur?

Read the passage below carefully, and then choose the best answer:
Tantalizing Teas from around the Globe
There are few things in life as refreshing as a cup of hot tea. However, few people realize the wide variety of teas available. Here are some more options to try the next time you are in the mood for a cup of tea. The most famous tea in the West is Earl Grey. Although it is classified as a black tea, Earl Grey contains some citrus qualities as well. The tea gets its name from a 19th century prime minister of England, Charles Grey. According to the legend, Grey saved the life of a drowning man in China. The man he rescued was reportedly a tea blender, so as a reward he instructed Grey how to flavour black tea with a special type of oil. Many tea historians doubt this tale and insist that the only reason the tea is named after Grey is that he was a famous politician. Another famous black tea is Assam tea. It comes from the mountains of India and it is named after the region where it is produced. Assam tea is known for its strong and bitter flavour. It is sometimes called the breakfast tea, because it is an invigorating brew to enjoy in the morning. Although Assam tea is cultivated in the East, it immediately became a big hit once it was introduced to the West. Some people enjoy drinking Assam tea straight, but others feel it is best with a little bit of milk and sugar added. It has been known to go perfectly with sweets as well as more pungent foods like cheese. Chamomile tea has a light, pleasant taste that some people have described as a mix between flowers, herbs, and apples. Yet, it is the potent health benefits of the tea that cause most people to buy it. For starters, it is the best tea to have at the end of a long day when you are looking to relax. In fact, it has been used as a cure for insomnia for hundreds of years. In ancient times, it was also used by the Romans, Greeks, and Egyptians to help wounds heal faster. Chamomile has anti-­inflammation properties, so it can also help to clear up skin issues such as allergies and acne as well. So the next time you are sitting down for afternoon tea, be sure to have a close look at the menu. You may even discover a new variety that becomes your favourite.
1. What is the passage mainly about?

Read the following passage and choose the best answer (A, B, C, D):
Left-handers are the odd ones out. Sure, lefties (1) ______up about 10 percent of the population - but, frankly, it seems like society has forgotten about them. Just consider all of the right- handed gadgets, awkwardly designed desks, and cooking tools that fit comfortably only in your right hand. What (2) ______someone to become a lefthand? Scientists aren’t exactly sure, but research points to a complex (3) ______between genes and environment While no exact set of “leftie genes” have been discovered, people who dominantly use their left hands do have more left-handed family members. And researchers have found different brain wirings in righties vs. lefties. But no matter (4) ______it is that drives someone to use their antipodal paw, science has also uncovered a particular set of personality traits that left-handed people tend to have. So for all of you lefties, leftie-loving righties, and ambidextrous folks out there - it’s time to brush up on your left-handed knowledge and help (5) ______an end to leftie discrimination once and for all.