*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        

VI. 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. (1 pt)

In the USA, there are two days for children to express their love and gratitude to their parents: Mother day and Father's Day. Mother's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in May. On this day, mothers usually receive greeting cards and gifts from their husbands and children The best gift of all American moms is a day of leisure. The majority of American mothers have outside jobs as well as housework, so their working days are often very hard. Flowers are an important part of the day. Mothers are often given a plant for the occasion, particularly if they are elderly. Father's Day is celebrated throughout the USA on the third Sunday in June. The holiday customs are similar to Mother's Day. Dad also receives the same gifts as what moms get on their day.

1. This passage is mainly about

A. celebrations for teachers                     B. festivals in the USA

C. celebrations for parents in the USA    D. festivals for parents in the world.

2. According to the passage, Mother’s Day is celebrated

A. on the third Sunday in May         B. on the second Sunday in May

C. on the last weekend in may        D. on the first weekend

3. According to the passage, which can mother NOT receive on Mother's Day?

A. greeting cards    B. a day of leisure         

C. flowers               D. a wedding dress

4. Father's Day is held

A. in the west of the USA            B. outside the USA

C. throughout the USA                D. in the east of the USA

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.

The author mentions all of the following as requirements for slang expressions to be created EXCEPT

A. new situations

B. a new generation

C. interaction among diverse groups

D. a number of linguists

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.

In paragraph 2, non-native species are mentioned as ______.

A. a kind of harmless animals

B. an achievement of human beings

C. a harmful factor to the environment

D. a kind of useful plants

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

 Tides are the periodic rise and fall of the Earth’s waters that are caused by the Moon’s and Sun’s forces of gravity acting on the Earth .It is important to distinguish natural tidal phenomena from huge tsunamis , with the latter being caused by earthquakes and undersea volcanic eruptions.

 The Moon is a main factor controlling ordinary tides. At the location on the Earth closest to the Moon, it exerts a powerful gravitational pull on the water. The resulting rise in the water produces higher tides. The water on the side of the Earth farthest away from the Moon also gets pulled by this lunar gravity, but not as strongly. The Earth itself has its own gravitational force that is constantly pulling waters downward, which is why the oceans do not simply bulge out toward the Moon. Ordinary tides usually feature high and low waters alternating in relation to the Earth’s rotation. Most shores around the world have high waters and two low waters for each day, which last about 24 hours and 50 minutes. The difference in height between the high water and low water is called the range of tide, and it can be quite dramatic in narrower bays .Canada’s bays of Fundy , for example , commonly experiences the world’s most extreme tidal ranges , with daily differences of the 16 meters.

 Two other types of tides are influenced by the Sun, which is much farther away from the Earth and exerts less than half of the Moon’s gravitational force. When the Sun, the Moon and the Earth are directly in line, the solar and lunar gravitational forces add up to produce higher spring tides. The range of spring tides is intensified, with higher water marks and lower low water marks. However, when the Moon is in the first or third quarter, it is at a 90–degree angle with the Sun in relation to the Earth .The opposing solar and lunar forces partially cancel each other out, and the result is a lower tide. This is called a neap tide, which comes twice a month and has lower high water marks and higher low water marks. The range of neap tides is minimum.

 Some tides do not occur over water at all. The solid body of the Earth has slight elasticity, so lunar and solar gravity cause it to stretch very subtly. These changes in the Earth’s shape, although imperceptible to humans, are known as Earth tides. Another tidal phenomenon, atmospheric tides, is caused by the Sun’s heating of the Earth’s atmosphere. Like ordinary tides, they usually occur over 12–hour periods. 

Why does the author mention tsunamis in the passage?

A. To explain that not all tides are caused by gravity. 

B. To give an example of an extreme tidal phenomenon

C. To show that they are not related to natural tides

D. To suggest that more categories for tides area needed.

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.

Question 2

A. media

B. bulletin

C. programme

 D. journalism