Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer for each of the blanks.

    Amy Johnson joined the London Aeroplane Club when she was still a schoolgirl. There, she was taught (34) ____ to service planes and she was introduced to a pilot (35) ____ Jim Mollison, who held the record for a flight to Australia. In 1930, Amy tried to beat his record. She didn’t succeed, but she was still the first woman (36) ____ to Australia. When she returned, she and Jim Mollison were married. Amy was very popular and a song (37) ____ about her: Amy, wonderful Amy ! Her death is a mystery. During the war, in 1941, she and her aeroplane (38) ____ into the sea.

Question 34. A. where                     B. why                           C. how                           C. what

Question 35. A. call                         B. called                        C. calling                        D. calls

Question 36. A. to fly                       B. flying                         C. flew                           D. that flying

Question 37. A. wrote                     B. was writing                C. written                       D. was written

Question 38. A. disappeared            B. was disappeared        C. was disappearing       D. disappears

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer for each of the questions.

     In 1960, Laura Ashley, a housewife with young children, began designing and selling clothes. After some early success, her husband, Bernard, an experienced businessman, joined her and was able to provide considerable help and advice. The business expanded rapidly. Laura had started working at home, and soon there were several "Laura Ashley" shops where women could buy pretty, traditional clothes in a country style, made of natural materials. By the 1980s, the company had developed into a multi-million pound international organization with branches in places as far apart as London, Brussels, San Francisco and Tokyo.

Laura Ashley was a woman of simple tastes and strong moral beliefs. She was born in Wales and one of her largest factories producing clothes was situated in the countryside there. Her employees were encouraged to lead healthy lives, enjoy the fresh air and a good diet. Many of the Ashley family were involved in the business, but in 1985 it was decided that the public should be given the opportunity to invest money in the company. Obviously this was a major development and a clear sign of commercial success. But the woman whose ideas had been the basics of the company's development did not live to see it. She fell down the stairs while staying at a friend's house and died in hospital a few days afterwards. She was only sixty-one.

Question 39. Laura Ashley started her business by      

      A. running an international organization                               B.   working at home

      C. organizing branches in cities                                          D. opening some shops

Question 40. Which of the following is TRUE about Laura Ashley?

      A. She was a young housewife with children when she started doing business.

      B.   Her husband had helped her in the first place.

      C. Her business did not go well for many years after the start.

      D. Women came to her shops to buy expensive clothes made of luxury materials.

Question 41. We can infer from the passage that by 1985.      

      A. Many members of her family had worked in her company.

      B.   Only Laura had done the business of the company.

      C. None of the Ashley family, except her husband, had worked in the company.

      D. No one else in the family had helped Laura in business.

Question 42. Which of the following would be the best title of the passage?

      A. The expansion of a company                                         B.   A woman's excellent ideas

      C. The success story of a housewife                                  D. How a woman runs a business

Question 43. The word "Obviously" in the passage is closest in meaning to   

      A. Apparently                              B. Consequently            C. Lately                        D. Generally

*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 question.  

School education system in England

Schooling is compulsory for all English children from the age of 5 to 16. The academic year in England runs from September to July and is divided into three terms. Autumn Term is from the beginning of September to mid – December. Spring Term is from the beginning of January to mid- March and Summer Term from early April to mid – July. Each term is separated by a one-week break called half terms, usually at the end of October, mid- February and the end of May.

There are two parallel school systems in England. The first is the state school system, which is free for all students and paid for by the state. The second category is the “independent” or “public school system, which is fee-paying. The state school system, which educates 93% of the pupils in England, can be divided into two levels of education: primary education and secondary education.

The National Curriculum is set by the government and must be followed in all state schools. It is made up of the following subjects : English, Design and Technology , Geography, Maths, Information Technology , Music , Science , Arts , Physical Education , History and a Modern Foreign Language. English, Maths and Science are core subjects, which are compulsory in the national examination at certain stages of the school education system.

Question 8:  When do children in England start their compulsory schooling?

A. When they are from 5 to 16 years old.                    B. When they are under 5 years old.

C. When they are 16 years old.                                    D. When they are 5 years old.

Question 9:  When do students in England take their half terms?

A. At the end of the school year B. At the end of each term                   

C. In the middle of each term                          D. At the beginning of each term                

Question 10:  The phrase is made up of in the passage means………………

A. exclude                       B. be compulsory

C. include                           D. produce               

Question 11:  Which of these statements is NOT true about the school education system in England?

A. The students who go to state school do not have to pay tuition fees.

B. Most students in England go to state school.

C. There are three half terms in a school year, which last one week each.

D. The National Curriculum is set by the government and must be followed in all schools.

Question 12:  What does the word it in paragraph 3 refer to? 

A. Primary education B. The government          

C. The state school system              D. The national curriculum        

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.

According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true?

A. Humans have difficult choices to make about saving endangered species.

B. The existence of humans is at the expense of some other species.

C. No other species can threaten the survival of humans on Earth.

D. Some animals and plants cannot survive without human help.

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word that best fits each of the numbered blanks. 

• Read the following passage and mark the letter (A, B, C, or D) on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word that best fits each of the numbered blanks.

                                                                                                        BERTHA

Fifty feet below downtown Seattle, the world's largest (1) _________ machine, nicknamed Bertha after the city's (2) _________ mayor, lies still. This (3) _________  vehicle weighs 7,000 tons, stretches nearly 330 feet long, and has a 60-foot diameter. When fully (4) _________, Bertha has an intrepid crew of 25. In early August, Bertha began carving out a two-mile road tunnel to replace the Alaskan Way viaduct, an ugly double-decker motorway that has been (5) _________ Seattle's waterfront since the 1950s.

   Dozens of (6) _________ were considered, including twin tunnels, another elevated roadway, and even scrapping the highway in favor of improved surface roads and better public transport. As it happens, (7) _________ dithered long enough for tunneling technology to develop (8) _________ facilitating another option: a single tunnel large enough to accommodate two levels of multi-lane traffic. Many local (9) _________ are against Bertha, but she has already chewed up and spit out one politician. As the new mayor settles into his new role, he will surely be hoping that Bertha (10) __________ finds her appetite for muck, not mayors.

1, A. tunnel-drilling     B. drill-hole     C. tunnel-boring     D. soil-drilling

2, A. increasing     B. progressing     C. progressive     D. progression

3, A. remarkable     B. extraordinary     C. noteworthy     D. impressive

4, A. operating     B. operational     C. operative     D. postoperative

5, A. mutilating     B. disfigured     C. deformed     D. disfiguring

6, A. replacements     B. alternatives     C. surrogates     D. substitutions

7, A. politicians     B. legislators    C. lawmakers     D. policymakers

8, A. satisfactorily     B. abundantly     C. adequately     D. sufficiently

9, A. delegators     B. commissioners     C. legislatures     D. representatives

10, A. speedily     B. quickly     C. rapidly     D. precipitately

• Read the following passage and mark the letter (A, B, C, or D) on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word that best fits each of the numbered blanks.

                                                                                                   ^{REMOTE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT}

     With (1) .......................... transportation technologies, it is now possible to reach even the most distant regions in the world.    (2) .........................., I would contend that the merits of this development are outweighed by its drawbacks. 

    (3) ..................., the ability to travel anywhere in the world offers (4) ................... benefits. At the outset, the discovery of new areas allows everyone to gain a better perception of the earth and new species. This newfound knowledge can act as a precursor to clinical (5) ................... or provide scientists with valuable insights to more effectively combat environmental issues such as climate change. Access to previously unreachable scenic beauty also suggests tourism opportunities, as travel enthusiasts are always on the lookout for new exotic getaways.

     Nonetheless, I believe the (6) ................... perspectives of this trend are eclipsed by more immediate threats to life in this remote natural world. More often than not, as major corporations set foot on and (7) .................... tourism in these areas, the construction of tourism facilities drives out the indigenous people living there. Hotels and recreational facilities emerged at the expense of the locals' accommodation. These people are (8) .................... assimilation, which, as history has indicated, results in the loss of civilizations and cultures. The presence of foreign visitors in these places also poses certain threats to the natural environment, specifically water contamination, land degradation, and natural resource depletion.

     In conclusion, (9) ........................ the thought of traveling to remote natural areas may sound, I conclude that they are better off left untouched.

1, A. the aid of                   B. the help of                 C. support of                  D. assistance of

2, A. That's why                 B. Nevertheless              C. Even though              D. All the same

3, A. On the one hand        B. Other way                  C. Moreover                   D. On one side

4, A. appreciable                B. substantial                 C. considerable              D. extensive

5, A. breakthroughs           B. steps forward             C. improvements           D. tapers off

6, A. constructive               B. favorable                   C. peremptory                D. positive

7, A. tap into                      B. expand                       C. exploit                       D. utilize

8, A. forced to                    B. coerced into               C. influenced by             D. pushed out

9, A. look interesting         B. as attractive as           C. as fascinating as        D. as exciting as

• 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.

                                                                                        SMARTPHONES - A NECCESITY

Smartphones have spread beyond the boardroom and keeping a close eye on what's new is Mike Lazaridis, chief executive of RIM, the company that makes the BlackBerry smartphone. His device may no longer be quite as trendy as it once was but it is still (21) .................. − particularly for Argentinian milk farmers. Mr. Lazaridis says: "I like the way it's being used by the farmers so they are always up to date. Milk is a (22) .................. item, so delivery and production standards are incredibly important." He is reminded of the company's early days: "This is where we started in 1987, with a wireless vertical data business for the Swedish lumber (23) .................., and then on to fire brigades, ambulances, and garbage trucks."

    While the BlackBerry was quick to (24) .................. itself as the accessory of choice for business professionals such as Wall Street traders, the cheaper price (25) .................. and new, more colorful handsets now (26) .................. offer have opened it up to a much wider market. Mr. Lazaridis says: "It was obvious that business people and self-employed professionals would buy the BlackBerry, but we were not expecting the (27) .................. we had from ordinary consumers."

    The greatest challenge for RIM, however, could lie in an economic (28) ..................., when individuals and companies alike may see devices like the BlackBerry as luxuries they can (29) .................. without. The company has to make its product indispensable to the lifestyles of consumers or prove that they bring a real (30) .................. on investment for business users.

_{+ ANSWER:}

21, A. constructive     B. functional     C. active     D. operative

22, A. perishable     B. short-lived     C. decaying     D. destructible

23, A. manufacturers     B. enterprise     C. commerce     D. industry

24, A. install     B. establish     C. create     D. demonstrate

25, A. designs     B. programmes     C. plans     D. systems

26, A. at            B. on             C. for            D. under

27, A. return     B. retort     C. reply     D. response

28, A. downturn     B. tall     C. decrease     D. drop

29, A. make      B. carry      C. do      D. stay

30, A. return      B. gain      C. interest      D. profit

PART C: READING (2 marks)

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 from ($) to (#).

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was one of the [21]   ________    musicians in the world. He created some of the most beautiful music ever heard, which made him become people's favorite composer of all time. Mozart was [22]   ________     in 1756 in Austria. Mozart's father, Leopold, was a musician. He played the violin and he worked as a music teacher. His son Mozart [23]   ________   plays the piano when he was 3. At the age of 4 he started to write music. He simply took a violin and started to play before anyone showed him how to play the instrument. Mozart's sister, Maria Anna, was good at music, too. Mozart and his sister invented their own secret language. They told stories about a magic kingdom where they were a king and a queen. Leopold took his two children to Vienna. There they played for the Emperor of Austria at his palace. Everyone [24] ______ their talent and the Emperor called Mozart a “little magician”.