• 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

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.

Natural disasters include all types of severe (25)__________  ,which have the potential to pose a significant (26)__________   to human health and safety, property, critical infrastructure, and homeland security. Natural disasters occur both seasonally and without warning, subjecting the nations to frequent periods of insecurity, disruption, and economic (27)__________  . 

Winter storms occur when a significant amount of snow or (28)__________   accumulates over a short period of time, (29)__________ roads, disrupting communications systems, causing power outages, and threatening life safety.

Ninety percent of natural disasters within the United States involve flooding. Consequently, (30)__________  lead to more economic damage and loss of life and property than any other natural hazard.

More than one thousand tornadoes (31)__________  the United States every year, causing significant disruption to transportation, power, gas, water, and communication services.

Each year, the United States experiences dozens of severe earthquakes, any of which can bring (32)__________ the collapse of hundreds of buildings.

25. A. pollution                       B. weather                   C. diseases               D. floods  

26. A. threat                           B. impact                     C. effect                    D. influence  

27. A. development                B. improvement          C. fail                  D. loss  

28. A. ice                                 B. soil                         C. rains                  D. gas  

29. A. crossing                        B. preventing             C. blocking                D. building  

30. A. volcanoes                     B. droughts                C. floods             D. mudslide  

31. A. hit                                 B. strikes                    C. buried                            D. raged  

32. A. about                           B. in                            C. with                               D. on  

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.

Natural disasters include all types of severe 25__________  ,which have the potential to pose a significant 26_______   to human health and safety, property, critical infrastructure, and homeland security. Natural disasters occur both seasonally and without warning, subjecting the nations to frequent periods of insecurity, disruption, and economic 27__________  . 

Winter storms occur when a significant amount of snow or 28________   accumulates over a short period of time, 29_______ roads, disrupting communications systems, causing power outages, and threatening life safety.

Ninety percent of natural disasters within the United States involve flooding. Consequently, 30_______  lead to more economic damage and loss of life and property than any other natural hazard.

More than one thousand tornadoes 31__________  the United States every year, causing significant disruption to transportation, power, gas, water, and communication services.

Each year, the United States experiences dozens of severe earthquakes, any of which can bring 32__________ the collapse of hundreds of buildings.

25. A. pollution                       B. weather                   C. diseases                 D. floods  

26. A. threat                           B. impact                     C. effect                     D. influence  

27. A. development                B. improvement          C. fail                         D. loss  

28. A. ice                                 B. soil                        C. rains                        D. gas  

29. A. crossing                        B. preventing            C. blocking                  D. building  

30. A. volcanoes                     B. droughts                C. floods                    D. mudslide  

31. A. hit                                 B. strikes                    C. buried                    D. raged  

32. A. about                           B. in                            C. with                       D. on  

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