PART C: READING COMPREHENSION (30 pts)

Question I: Read the following passage and then choose the most suitable word or phrase for each space. (10 pts)

The money that some professional sportsmen earn shouldn’t impress anyone when you take into (51)__ __the fact that only a few of them manage to attain immortality and everlasting fame. And once they reach their (52) __and display their talent at their best, they are fully conscious that their brilliant careers won’t last forever. They live under a constant pressure of being (53) and subsequently replaced by someone who is younger, faster and more accomplished. For that reason, objectives like retirement benefits and pensions are (54)_______great concern to all professional athletes.

Some of the retired competitors go as far as to organize strikes and rallies to voice their protest against any policy unresponsive to their demand (55)_____the younger professionals seek more upgrading solutions to the problem as more and more of them attach a proper significance to (56)___a solid education, even at university level. Such an approach should help them find interesting and well-paid jobs (57)____their sports career is over.

A completely new strategy has been devised by the schools priding themselves (58)_____supporting their own teams. Their authorities insist that the sports clubs members achieve high academic standards or else they are debarred from partaking in certain sports events, which may lead to further disruption in their professional careers.

By these practical and most effective (59)___, combining education with sports activity, the (60)___of the professional athlete as being brainless and unintelligent may eventually be changing to the sportsmen’s benefit.

51. A. reflection B. attention C. examination D. consideration

52. A. prime B. shape C. best D. capacity

53. A. outcast B. outshone C. outstayed D. outgrown

54. A. with B. in C. at D. of

55. A. whereby B. whereas C. whereupon D. wherein

56. A. mastering B. learning C. receiving D. attending

57. A. right away B. promptly C. barely D. once

58. A. with B. on C. for D. in

59. A. grounds B. results C. factors D. means

60. A. vision B. outlook C. image D. judgment

Question II: Read the following passage and then choose the most suitable word or phrase for each space. (10 pts)

Huong lives in a house near the sea. It is ...(36)…... old house, about 100 years old and...(37).... very small. There are two bedrooms upstairs ….(38)……. no bathroom. The bathroom is downstairs ... .(39)... the kitchen and there is a living room where there is a lovely old fire place. There is a garden….(40)... the house. The garden….(41).... down to the beach and in spring and summer ....(42)… flowers everywhere. She likes  alone…..(43)… her dog, Rack, but they have a lot of visitors. Her city friends often stay with….(44)… She loves her house for....... (45)…… reasons: the garden, the flowers in summer, the fire in winter, but the best thing is the view from her  bedroom window.

Question II: Read the following passage and then choose the most suitable word or phrase for each space. (10 pts)

Huong lives in a house near the sea. It is ...(36)…... old house, about 100 years old and...(37).... very small. There are two bedrooms upstairs ….(38)……. no bathroom. The bathroom is downstairs ... .(39)... the kitchen and there is a living room where there is a lovely old fire place. There is a garden….(40)... the house. The garden….(41).... down to the beach and in spring and summer ....(42)… flowers everywhere. She likes  alone…..(43)… her dog, Rack, but they have a lot of visitors. Her city friends often stay with….(44)… She loves her house for....... (45)…… reasons: the garden, the flowers in summer, the fire in winter, but the best thing is the view from her  bedroom window.

Question II: Read the following passage and then choose the most suitable word or phrase for each space. (10 pts)

Huong lives in a house near the sea. It is ...(36)…... old house, about 100 years old and...(37).... very small. There are two bedrooms upstairs ….(38)……. no bathroom. The bathroom is downstairs ... .(39)... the kitchen and there is a living room where there is a lovely old fire place. There is a garden….(40)... the house. The garden….(41).... down to the beach and in spring and summer ....(42)… flowers everywhere. She likes  alone…..(43)… her dog, Rack, but they have a lot of visitors. Her city friends often stay with….(44)… She loves her house for....... (45)…… reasons: the garden, the flowers in summer, the fire in winter, but the best thing is the view from her  bedroom window.

Question II: Read the following passage and then choose the most suitable word or phrase for each space. (10 pts)

Huong lives in a house near the sea. It is ...(36)…... old house, about 100 years old and...(37).... very small. There are two bedrooms upstairs ….(38)……. no bathroom. The bathroom is downstairs ... .(39)... the kitchen and there is a living room where there is a lovely old fire place. There is a garden….(40)... the house. The garden….(41).... down to the beach and in spring and summer ....(42)… flowers everywhere. She likes  alone…..(43)… her dog, Rack, but they have a lot of visitors. Her city friends often stay with….(44)… She loves her house for....... (45)…… reasons: the garden, the flowers in summer, the fire in winter, but the best thing is the view from her  bedroom window.

Part II: Read the following passage and choose the most suitable sentence from the list A - H  for each gap from 1 - 5. There are two extra sentences that you do not need to use. Write your answer in the space provided. (0) has been done as an example. (2,5 points)
      The Sahara’s meager resources are being plundered right to the present day. This is shown most clearly in the dramatic fall in the region’s precious water reserves. The rock is of a type which hinders easy underground storage so the water supply depends on rainfall. (0)        B      . However, the seriousness of the situation goes far beyond mere seasonal changes.
There’s one district where observations go back at least 125 years. Here it is known that wells of the balance beam type were once used in cultivated areas. This way of drawing water is intended for the irrigation of gardens and small plots and works only if there’s water not more than about five metres below the surface.
(1) ______. They have all been replaced by wells from which the water has to be raised by draught animals, because it is now 25 metres down. (2) ______.
In a classic example of a vicious circle, shortage of water has led to the digging of more wells to save the flocks and birds. As these have been deepened the water supply has been further depleted. (3) ______.
The Air region was once regarded as the Switzerland of Africa because of its temperate climate. (4) ______. Nowadays, though, there are only a third of the palms which existed there at the turn of the century. The amount of wildlife has shown a proportionate fall. (5) ______. This is highly dangerous in a world where the overall population is growing rapidly. We cannot afford to lose fertile land.
A. So, too, has the number of human beings who can now survive in the area.
B. This being so, it is easy to understand why it varies.
C. Today, though, not one well of this type exists.
D. This has resulted in soil erosion which then dries out the land still further.
E. Here, then, the water level has evidently dropped by 20 metres in little over a century.
F. It was criss-crossed by valleys filled with palm trees and was thronged with wildlife.
G. Such are conditions in the Sahara Desert in recent times.

Part II: Read the following passage and choose the most suitable sentence from the list A - H  for each gap from 1 - 5. There are two extra sentences that you do not need to use. Write your answer in the space provided. (0) has been done as an example. (2,5 points)
      A.  For example, in the 1950s, young people around the world dressed like Elvis Presley.
      B.  They usually like the same type of music and wear the same style of clothing.
      C.  The truth is most people don’t want to look unfashionable.
      D.  The British Queen Elizabeth was famous for her fashionable clothes.
      E.  However, it can also explain what you think.
      F.  The French King Louis XIV was famous for his elegant style.
      G.  Some people say they don’t care what they wear.
      H.  Fashion is the most important thing that young people think of every day.
THE POWER OF FASHION
Fashion is something we think about every day. (0) __G____But they still choose clothes every morning that say a lot about them and how they feel.(1) ______ They want to wear up-to-date clothes that make them feel good. The problem is fashion is always changing.
During the eighteenth century, Paris was the centre of the fashion industry and, like today, the fashions changed. (2) ______ He wanted other countries to know about Paris fashions, so he sent fashion dolls to Europe. Dressmakers could then copy the clothes, footwear and hats on the dolls.
In recent years, music, films, videos, books and TV have all influenced what people wear. (3) ___________ Then in the 1990s, hip hop was very popular and young people dressed in baggy trousers and hooded tops and boots. Ray-Ban sold thousands of pairs of sunglasses after Will Smith wore them in the film Men In Black. If he’d worn a different type of sunglasses, they would have become popular instead.
Young people often choose their clothes in order to be part of a group. The members of the group have the same interests, and have names such as goths, skaters or rappers. (4) ______If a young person is a goth, for example, they wear black clothes. If somebody is a rapper, they often wear baggy jeans and lots of jewellery.
Style can show what kind of music you like, or what group you belong to. (5) ______ In the 1970s, people wore badges to show what they thought about important issues. In the 1990s, Katherine Hamnett, a top British fashion designer, became popular when her T-shirts with messages such as ‘Preserve the rainforests’ were worn by different rock bands. In 2005, people at the Live 8 concerts wore white wrist-bands with the message ‘Make poverty history’.

Part 2:  Read the text below and choose the correct answer for each space. (10 points)

FAMILY BLUES

Do you have a good (1) …….. with your brothers and sisters or do they drive you crazy? Most brothers and sisters (2) …….. from time to time. There’s nothing (3) …….. with that - it’s a basic animal instinct. Baby kittens fight for the mother cat’s attention. And human brothers and sisters (4) …….. out for very similar reasons. They think they should have more attention, or more space, or more privacy. (5) …….., although a little jealousy is natural in families, constant fighting can make life a misery. You don’t need to be best buddies with your brother or sister but you should show them respect. Getting aggressive and (6) …….. your temper isn’t the best way to win an argument. In fact, it’s a complete (7) …….. of time. So next time your brother or sister annoys you or starts to (8) …….. you about, take a deep breath, stay calm, and make it clear you want to stop the fights. They probably don’t enjoy arguing all the time, (9) ……... If you sit down and discuss things, you may find you have a lot more (10) …….. common than you knew!

1.            A. relationship   B. friendship                       C. relations                         D. relative

2.            A. dispute                            B. discuss                             C. disagree                          D. disturb

3.            A. wrong                             B. bad                                   C. false                                 D. incorrect

4.            A. drop                 B. stand                               C. break                               D. fall

5.            A. And                  B. But                                    C. Also                  D. So

6.            A. throwing                        B. showing                          C. making                            D. losing

7.            A. mistake                           B. waste                               C. miss                  D. loss

8.            A. mess                                B. bully                                 C. nag                                   D. spoil

9.            A. too                                    B. also                                   C. either                               D. as well

10.          A. on                                     B. at                                       C. for                                     D. in