Well it may have been Harry who was responsible for the stupid mistake but it must be said that Simon and Tony were _____ him on the whole way

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.

(iii)____

Minh used to _____ his homework late in the evening.

People from all cultures and civilizations are also (i) _______ with numbers, dates and festival days. In North America, the number 13 is considered (ii) _______ unlucky that often high-rise buildings do not have a 13th floor and the apartment that should be number 13 is given another number. There is no clear reason behind this superstition, (iii) _______ there is evidence for a pathological fear of the number 13, called triskaidekaphobia. Conversely, in Japan, Korea and China, the number 4 is the one bringing bad luck since the character for this number, ‘shi’ sounds like the word ‘death’. Yet all cultures seem to agree (iv)  _______the importance of New Year’s Day. Virtually all countries have rituals surrounding this first day of the year to (v)________ good luck for the future.

(i)_______

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.

(iv)______

The professor (i) _______ the ancient symbol in the course of researeh for a visual history of the 20th century, to be published by the Trecca in Encyclopedia. The first (ii) _______ instance of its use, he says, occurred in a letter written by a Florentine merchant on May 4th, 1536. He says the sign made its (iii) ________  along trade routes to northern Europe, where it came to represent “at the price of” – its contemporary accountancy (iv) _______  . Professor Stabile believes that Italian banks may possess even earlier documents (v) _______ the symbol lying forgotten in their arehives. The oldest example could be of great value. The race is on between the mercantile world and the banking world to sec who has the oldest documentation of @.

(i)_____

To many people the idea of graffiti has negative images and responses. If the drawings are done on surfaces without permission, it is thought of as vandalism. And in many instances, a crime. In most countries of the world graffiti, not only has negative connotations but is also considered illegal. One of the reasons is that graffiti is placed on buildings and property not owned by the painter. And where it is applied without (i) _______ , it is usually done quickly W’ith products such as permanent markers and spray paint. Historically, though, graffiti was important to the Romans because it was a way of expressing the knowledge they had as a people as well as a way of expressing their appreciation of beauty of (ii) _______      subjects. Today, tourists can see for themselves examples of ancient graffiti when they visit the catacombs in Rome or Pompeii. Modem graffiti is considered an art form, but it is one whichis greatly misunderstood by most people. In the 1970s, when the punk rock movement was big, many of the anti­establishment groups wrote and drew on walls and other surfaces to draw attention to their cause, group, or agenda. A lot of bands also used graffiti to (iii) _______ recognition and notoriety. For about a (iv) _______ of a century, from the mid 1960s to the late 1980s, graffiti was considered in its prime as an art form. In urban areas, graffiti could be seen on the walls of vacant buildings, on subway station walls, and on the subway cars themselves. Political activities used the medium to transmit their messages because it was an easy and inexpensive way to do (v) _______.

(i)______-

During the last 400 years, most scientists have based on mathematics in their development of their inventions or discoveries. However, one great British scientist, Michael Faraday, did not make (i) _______ of mathematics. Faraday, the son of a poor blacksmith, was born in London in 1971 and had no (ii)  _______  beyond reading and writing. In 1812, Faraday was hired as a bottle washer by a great chemist Humphry Davy. Later, Faraday became a greater scientist than Davy, making the last years of Davy’s life embittered (iii) _______ jealousy. Faraday made the first (iv) _______  motor in 1821, a device that used electricity to produce movement. Then Faraday became interested in the relationship between electricity and magnetism. In 1831, he discovered that when a magnet is moved near a wire, electricity flows in the wire. With this discovery, he produced a machine for making electricity called a dynamo. Faraday then went on to show how electricity affects chemical substances. Because Faraday believed that money should be given to the poor, when he grew old, he was destitute. (v) _______, Queen Victoria rewarded him for his discoveries by giving him a stipend and a house. He died in 1867.

(i)______

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 wrote me a vicious letter. 

 I haven't heard anything _____ her for months. 

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)_____

They are all ________ ready for the party.

Half of the money … to Mr. Lam.

As President, Grant had the task of continuing to attempt (i) _______ reunify the American nation after its Civil War. One of Grant’s accomplishments as President was the enactment of the Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution which ensured voting rights for blacks. Grant is also remembered as the President who signed the bill into law which created America’s first national park – Yellowstone Park. But financial problems throughout the land while Grant was in office (ii) _______ the Panic of 1873.

Grant was criticized for his indecisiveness, failure to lake decisive action, and inability to helo the American economy during the Panic, and in the next elections the (iii) _______  won more scats in Congress and look the Presidency. Several scandals occurred during Grant’s administration. Grant was an (iv) _______ man but had appointed loyal friends and supporters to serve in governmental capacities.

Some of his appointees were involved in the corruption. It is thought that Grant’s early business failures and lack of success in personal relationships with other military leaders and businessman (v) _______ reasons why Grant appointed those who had remained loyal to him and had been nice to him even though they were not political astute.

(v)_____

find that have too much work. t’s _______ into my spare time and don’t stand for that. 

In Britain, greetings cards are sold in chain stores and supermarkets, in newsagents’ shops, comer shops and, increasingly, in shops that specialize in the sale of cards and paper for wrapping presents in. The (i)  _______ cards are birthday and Christmas cards. Many Christmas cards are sold in aid of charity and special ‘charily card shops’ are often set up in temporary premises in the weeks before Christmas. A wide (ii) _______ of birthday cards is available to cater for different ages and tastes. Some, especially ones for young children or for people (iii) _________ a particular birthday, have the person’s age on the front. Many have comic, often risque, messages printed on them, and cartoon-style illustrations. Others are more sober, with reproductions of famous paintings or attractive original designs. The usual greeting on a birthday card is ‘Happy Birthday’, ‘Many Happy Returns’ or ‘Best Wishes for a Happy Birthday’. Some people also send special cards for Easter and New Year,Easter cards (iv) _______ portray images of spring, such as chicks, eggs, lambs, spring flowers, etc., or have a religious theme. Cards are produced for every ‘milestone’ in a person’s life. There are special cards for (v) _______ engagement, a marriage, a new home, a birth, success in an examination, retirement, a death in the family, etC. Some are ‘good luck’ or ‘congratulations’ cards. Others, for example ‘get weir cards for people who are ill, express sympathy.

(i)______

Over the years, not all of the American boats have been the fastest but their maneuverability, good sails and construction have been the keys to success because in the America’s Cup not always (i) _______ the waves splash gently nor docs the summer sun shine down romantically upon the huge yachts racing through rugged ocean waters navigating buoys to determine the winner. The winner of the previous America’s Cup race and the challenger selected to race the previous winner need to navigate the deep, and sometimes rough and unpredictable salt waters of the ocean (ii)      tranquil and flatter waters of inland lakes. And it is the ease of maneuvering and the exacting ratios of weight, balance, and sail volume which can determine the winner. Throughout the years, the types of boats raced in the America’s Cup have changed but the challenge and possibility of fame for winning the competition is still alluring and has not changed. In 1983, the Australians took away the Cup from the Americans and the races left the American waters for the Australian waters. After that, the American waters have again been host to racers as well as European waters (iii) _______ the coast of Spain.

Regardless of (iv)________ the race is held or who the competitors or the winners are, the America’s Cup continues to be the oldest continual racing competition – and (v)  _______  prestigious

(v)______

I have several good friends but I (i) _______ that my best friend is Ellen. We have been friends with each other since we were very young because she (ii) _______ next door to me. We have always been in the same class al school, although she has always been much cleverer than me. I don’t mind (iii) _______, because she often helps me with my homework! Anyway, I’ve always been better at sports than she is. I always beat her at tennis, and she doesn’t like that. In fact, she hates losing al anything and gets very annoyed if she docs. That’s the only thing that 1 don’t like about her. Otherwise, she has a great sense of humour and she’s always making me laugh. We get on very well together, although occasionally we’ve had arguments – usually about silly little things. Ellen and her family moved to another district last year, but I still see her a lot. We’re planning to go on a trip around Europe next summer, I’m really (iv) _______ to it because 1 think we’ll have a lot of fun and sec exciting places. Of course, it’s going to be hard -to afford such a wonderful and exciting trip, so we’re both going to get jobs and try to (v) _______ enough money for it

(i)____

The arehitects who designed the London Eye (i) _______ drew it for a competition in 1993. Subsequently, they formed a (ii) _______ with British Airways to develop the project. As the biggest observation wheel ever built, its covnstruction involved 1,700 people in five countries. Most of its (iii) _______had to be invented, and delivering them had to be coordinated with the tides in the River Thames. On average, 350 hours a week are spent (iv) _______ the maintenance of the Eye, and only distilled water is used to (v) _______ the glass.

(v)_______

Today the move away from rigid rules makes it much easier (i) _________  the right way to behave because there are fewer out and out ‘wrongs’. Of course there are still a few situations where inflexible lilies apply although these are mainly concerned with official functions. But nine times out of ten, the way you choose to behave is (ii) _________you, with one very important proviso that you keep firmly in mind the basis on which etiquette has grown up; in other words, the need to always consider other people’s feelings first. Some people, for instance, are very informal and outgoing by (iii) _________, while others prefer to be more reserved and formal. Younger people tend to be less formal than their parents. Habits can (iv) _________in different parts of the country. Behavior which may be commonplace in the capital – like arriving later than the stated time – can often be unconventional elsewhere. Just remember the basic rule of consideration for others, and when in doubt, follow the example of those around you. Etiquette is a skill that is easily learned and it brings the benefits of other people’s appreciation whenever you (v) _________ in practice. It’s a pleasure to spend time with people who are reliably courteous and considerate; it’s also pleasant to feel that you will always know what to do or say in any circumstances, mundane or extraordinary.

(i)_______

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.

(i)____