I.  (ID: 117806) CHOOSE THE CORRECT ANSWER TO FILL IN  THE BLANK.        (20 PTS)

1.      “I’m sure the Whitleys  were involved.”    “They          have since they know nothing about the business.”

A.    can’t                               B.    wouldn’t                        C.    shouldn’t                       D.  mustn’t

2.      “Candy’s an excellent pianist,  isn’t she?”     “She           to win the prize if she plays this well during the competition.”

A.    is  due                           B.    is bound                        C.    is about                         D.  is set

3.               , the balcony chairs will be ruined in this weather.

A.      Leaving  uncovered        B.    Having left uncovered    C.    Left uncovered              D.  Been left uncovered

4.      His friends offered to           the next time he was in town so that he wouldn’t have to pay for a hotel.

A.              place him in                  B.    put him up                    C.    back him up                  D.  turn him out

5.      Susan became so tired of city life that she decided to buy a piece  of land            .

A.              out  of the ordinary         B.    as the crow flies            C.    far and away                 D.  in the middle of nowhere

6.      The          of our cruise includes stops at six ports in three different countries.

A.              timetable                        B.    intention                       C.    itinerary                        D.  itemisation

7.      My mind went           when the official asked me my phone number – I couldn’t remember it at all.

A.              empty                             B.    clear                             C.    blank                            D.  vacant

8.      The life          of individuals in developed countries increases dramatically every decade.

A.              expectation                     B.    exception                      C.    exertion                        D.  expectancy

9.      She believes that all countries should            the death penalty as it is inhumane.

A.              put down to                   B.    catch up on                   C.    get down to                   D.  do away with

10.  Although the journey was           with danger, it turned out to be a rewarding experience for everyone.

A.              fraught                           B.    filled                             C.    full                                D.  littered

11.  One way to let off           after a stressful day is to take some vigorous exercise.

A.              cloud                              B.    tension                         C.    steam                           D.  sweat

12.  I’m amazed that this game ever           – it is so silly!

A.              took  in                          B.    caught on                      C.    took up                         D.  caught by

13.  They avoid the usual tourist attractions in favour of places that are off the             track.

A.              gone                               B.    worn                            C.    beaten                          D.  ridden

14.  Their research into the causes of cancer promises to break new            in the field and possibly lead to a cure.

A.              earth                              B.    ground                          C.    soil     D.  land

15.  The          of the building of the new shopping centre are doing everything they can to prevent the project from even starting.

A.              advocates                       B.    opponents                     C.    independents                 D.  opposites

16.  After three days in the desert, his mind began to play             on him.

A.              games                            B.    jokes                            C.    tricks                            D.  fun

17.  Finding the gorillas alive had been           his wildest dreams.

A.              past                                B.    beneath                        C.    beyond                         D.  without

18.  He has been           to supporting his nephews.

A.              determined                     B.    allowed                         C.    compromised                 D.  committed

19.  She worried          about her exam and couldn’t focus on her revision.

A.              constantly                       B.    practically                     C.    decidedly                      D.  effectively

20.  Different measures have been           to help the homeless.

A.              made                              B.    taken                            C.    done                             D.  conducted

21.  The noisy music           the students from their test.

A.              distracted                        B.    disrupted                      C.    dissolved                       D.  disqualified

22.  Health food is now           in popularity.

A.              growing                          B.    raising                          C.    getting                          D.  flying

23.            fire, please break the glass and ring the bell.

A.              In case of                     B.    During                          C.    Because of                    D.  With a view to

24.  Left-handed children are said to be           to accidents in the kitchen.

A.              prone                             B.    clear                             C.    subject                          D.  bound

25.  It was          of Harry to arrive late and then try to dominate the meeting.

A.              common                         B.    usual                            C.    ordinary                        D.  typical

26.  During their first date, Jane had nervously peppered the conversation with             talk.

A.              unimportant                    B.    tiny                              C.    small                            D.  trivial

27.  The match will be screened on ITV with           commentary by Andy Gray.

A.              lively                              B.    live                               C.    alive                             D.  living

28.  The job creation scheme is still  in its          .

A.              childhood                        B.    babyhood                      C.    opening                        D.  infancy

29.  I am subjected to           smoking in the office and at home.

A.              passive                           B.    inactive                         C.    involuntary                    D.  reluctant

30.  Dr Chen advised me to use this remedy in            as it is extremely potent.

A.              restraint                          B.    moderation                    C.    control                          D.  regulation

31.  I’m          my brother is.

A.              nowhere like so ambitious

B.              nothing near as ambitious as

C.              nothing as ambitious than

D.             nowhere near as ambitious as

32.  Reports are coming in that a flood has hit a heavily-           area in the south of India.

A.              crowded                         B.    personalised                  C.    peopled                        D.  populated

33.  It was          a victory that even Smith’s fans couldn’t believe it.

A.              such  surprising              B.    so surprising                  C.    too surprising                D.  surprising

34.  I always clean the flat before my mom comes round, but she always finds at least one             of dust.

A.              scrap                              B.    gust                              C.    speck                           D.  blade

35.  Everyone          around the old woman on the floor, but no one offered her any help.

A.              crowded                         B.    spread                          C.    put                               D.  hung

36.  I do agree there           simple solution to this problem.

A.              is  no                             B.    be not                           C.    not to be                       D.  not being

37.  I know you didn’t want to upset me but I’d sooner you             me the whole truth yesterday.

A.              could have told              B.    told                               C.    have told                      D.  had told

38.  As  the drug took         , the patient became quieter.

A.              effect                              B.    force                             C.    influence                       D.  action

39.  The dawn redwood appears           some 100 million years ago in northern forests around the world.

A.              was  flourished               B.    having to flourish           C.    to have flourished          D.  have flourished

40.  His comments           little or no relation to the facts and the figures of the case.

A.              reflect                             B.    bear                             C.    give                              D.  possess

II.   (ID: 117870) CHOOSE THE WORD OR PHRASE THAT BEST FITS EACH SPACE IN THE  FOLLOWING PASSAGE.                                                                                                                                                 (15 PTS)

We often assume the best way     to (1)             to a decision is to spend ages taking into account a lot of

information before we arrive at our conclusion. We (2)  the evidence in the belief that instant decisions are  unreliable. However, there are  arguments for a reassessment of that (3)    . It may be that (4)     our     subconscious mind does a better job in a moment than our conscious mind does.

When Evelyn Harrison, a(n) (5)   on sculpture, was shown a statue that the J. Paul Getty Museum had   purchased for $10 million, she (6)        out that it was a fake. It came (7)         a shock to the museum. Harrison  was (8)        to explain why she had formed that impression, but it was enough to (9)         doubt on the statue.  Now most experts have come round to her (10)        , but how did she (11)         the difference between that and the (12)       article so quickly? It’s probable that her subconscious mind sorted through information that escaped   the (13)          of her conscious mind. Although we are rarely, (14)          , aware of our subconscious mind, it can   be surprisingly (15)          .

III.   (ID: 117966) IDENTIFY THE MISTAKE IN  EACH SENTENCE.          (5 PTS)

1.      Asteroids may be fragments (A) of a planet shattered (B) long ago (C) or from material (D) the nuclei of old comets.

2.      Between (A) the ages of nine and fifteen, almost (B) all young people undertake (C) a rapid series of (D) psychological changes.

3.      Ponds are noted (A) for their rich and varied types of (B) plant and animal life, all maintain (C) in a delicate ecological balance (D).

4.      The explorers said that (A) they could make (B) the round trip shorter if (C) the weather had not been that bad (D).

5.      The Pinebrook Inn has (A) a courtesy bus which (B) runs every thirty minute (C) both to and from (D) the downtown area.

6.      Most authorities consider both (A) dreaming while (B) sleep and daydreaming to be (C) forms of fantasy (D).

7.      Antique auctions (A) are getting more and more (B) popular in the United States because of increasingly (C) public awareness of the value of (D) investing in antiques.

8.      An X-ray microscope enables (A) a person to see on (B) solid materials such as (C) metal and bone (D).

9.      The growth rate (A) of the Pacific Rim countries is twice faster than (B) other comparable (C) areas during (D) the Industrial Revolution.

1. 10.  Computers have (A) made access (B) to information instantly available (C) just to push (D) a few buttons.

IV.   (ID: 117977) READ THE PASSAGE AND CHOOSE THE BEST ANSWERS TO  THE QUESTIONS.            (10 PTS)

In the early days of the United States, postal charges were paid by the recipient and charges varied with the distance carried. In 1825, the United States Congress permitted local postmasters to give letters to mail carriers for home delivery, but these carriers received no government salary and their entire compensation depended on what they were paid by the recipients of individual letters.

In 1847 the United States Post Office Department adopted the idea of a postage stamp, which of course  simplified the payment for postal service but caused grumbling by those who did not like to prepay. Besides, the stamp covered only delivery to the post office and did not include carrying it to a private address. In Philadelphia, for example, with a population of 150,000 people still had to go to the post office to get their mail. The confusion and congestion of individual citizens looking for their letters was itself enough to discourage use of the mail. It is no wonder that, during the years of these cumbersome arrangements, private letter-carrying and express businesses developed. Although their activities were only semi-legal, they thrived, and actually advertised that between Boston and Philadelphia they were a half-day speedier than the government mail. The government postal service lost  volume to private competition and was not able to handle efficiently even the business it had.

Finally, in 1863, Congress provided that the mail carriers who delivered the mail from the post offices to private addresses should receive a government salary, and that there should be no extra charge for that delivery. But this delivery service was at first confined to cities, and free home delivery became a mark of urbanism. As late as 1887, a town had to have 10,000 people to be eligible for free home delivery. In 1890, of the 75 million people in the  United States, fewer than 20 million had mail delivered free to their doors. The rest, nearly three-quarters of the population, still received no mail unless they went to their post office.

A.       The increased use of private mail services

B.       The development of a government postal system

C.       A comparison of urban and rural postal services

D.       The history of postage stamps

2.   It can be inferred from the first paragraph that in the USA in the early 19th century     .

A.       the recipient had to pay to receive the letters

B.       the recipient paid the same for all kinds of letters

C.       postage stamps for letters came into use

D.       the mail carriers earned a lot of money from the government

3.        Which of the following was seen as a disadvantage of the postage stamp?

A.       It had to be purchased by the sender in advance.

B.       It increased the cost of mail delivery.

4.        Why does the author mention the city of Philadelphia?

A.       Its postal service was inadequate for its population.

B.       It was the site of the first post office in the United States.

5.    In the 1950s,      .

A.   American people were happy with every postal service

C.  there was a preference among Americans for private mail services

D.       the American government managed their mail businesses satisfactorily

6.   The word ‘they ’ refers to       .

A.       Boston and Philadelphia  B.     businesses                    C.     arrangements                D.   letters

7.   The private postal services of the 19th century claimed that they could do which of the following better than the government?

A.       Deliver a higher volume of mail

B.       Deliver mail more cheaply

C.       Deliver mail faster

D.       Deliver mail to rural areas

8.   In 1863 the United States government began providing which of the following to mail carriers?

A.       A  salary                         B.     Housing                        C.     Transportation               D.   Free postage stamps

9.   All of the following statements are true of the American postal service in the second half of the 19th century EXCEPT           .

A.       Delivery service distinguishes cities from the countryside.

B.       People paid more to get their letters delivered to their home.

C.       Small towns did not provide delivery service.

D.       About 55 million people had to get to the post office to receive their mail.

10.  The word ‘confined ’ is closest in meaning to     .

A.       granted                           B.     scheduled                     C.     limited                          D.   recommended

1.      The students were                    to hear that the class had been cancelled. (JOY)

2.      A sports club has just been established and aims to have a                      of 500 in the next two years. (MEMBER)

3.      The spectators booed when the second  goal was                   . (ALLOW)

4.                        , we didn’t buy better quality goods from the beginning. (REGRET)

5.      A fatal                    was made by air traffic control. (CALCULATE)

6.      Despite having a                    job, she has difficulty making ends meet. (PAY)

7.      When the lab findings and the research  results were                    , an amazing discovery came to light. (RELATE)

8.      I really believe that it should be a major mistake to                     any drugs that are currently illegal. (CRIME)

9.      The attack in the city centre last night is said to                      the kind of behaviour amongst young people that many people object to. (EXAMPLE)

10.  Theo and his twin brother are always together.  They are                   . (SEPARATE)

11.  Reading is an effective way to                    your vocabulary. (RICH)

12.  John considers reading others’ diaries an                     invasion of privacy. (PERMIT)

13.  His failure in the exam was a real                    for his parents. (LET)

14.  There is                   a great demand for organic vegetables. (DENY)

15.  Having a deep                    of strangers, he felt reluctant to talk to the newcomer. (TRUST)

VI.   (ID: 118009) SUPPLY EACH BLANK WITH ONE  SUITABLE WORD.     (15 PTS)

The development of the sport of skateboarding can be (1)                      back to the early 1890s, when children in California used wooden boards to ‘surf’ the streets. During the 1950s, the (2) of the sport increased and

manufacturers began producing the first factory-made boards. By the 1960s, the sport had (3)                       an impressive following, not just in the USA,  but (4)                    .

However,  by  1965,  (5)                     about  safety  resulted  in  regulations  being  (6)                       to  ban skateboarding in most public places in the USA. This effectively killed the sport there for the next decade. Companies that had been making a (7)                     selling skateboards suddenly faced huge losses and many (8)                        out of business. Over the next eight years a few enthusiasts continued practising the sport but, although they tried hard to raise its profile, they were (9)                    in their efforts.