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.

Scotland: The Land of Legends

If we travel all over Scotland, we can see that it has three main parts: Lowlands, Uplands and Highlands with their Grampian Mountains, where the tallest mountain peak, Ben Nevis, is located.

You are sure to enjoy the beauty of the Scottish varied landscape: the hills covered with purple heather, its beautiful lakes (here they are called lochs), its green and narrow valleys.

The biggest and the most beautiful lake in Scotland is Loch Lomond, but the most famous one is Loch Ness with its mysterious monster Nessie. Nessie sometimes appears to scare the tourist but only in fine weather!

But what can be more curious and attractive for tourist than a man in the kilt, playing the bagpipes? The Celts of Scotland made the chequered pattern of tartan – the national dress of the country. The earliest Scots formed themselves into clans (family groups) and the tartan became a symbol of the sense of kinship. There are about 300 different clans in Scotland, and each has its own colour and pattern of tartan together with the motto.

Scotland is a land of many famous people: writer and poets, scientist and philosophers, such as Robert Burns, Arthur Conan Doyle, Alexander Graham Hell, or Alexander Fleming.
Question: In early times, 300 clans were different from each other in __________.

(2 Points)

. the chequered pattern of tartan and the sense of kinship

. its area and population and beautiful landscape

. its own colour and pattern of tartan together with the motto

. its green and narrow valley where they lived

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.

     Recent research into the world of teenagers has suggested that they value friendship above everything else. Children aged between 12 and 15 were asked what was important to them. Their answers included possessions such as money and computer gadgets but also relationships with people. The teenagers questioned said that friends were the most important to them, more even than family, or boyfriends and girlfriends.

     We wanted to find out more about the results of this research so we asked our readers what they thought about the value of friendship. Here are some examples of what they said about their friends:

     Ben, 15:

     Every time I have a fight with my parents, I need some time on my own. But after that, the first thing I do is meet up with my friends. After playing football for a while, or skateboarding, I usually feel much happier again.

     Rory, 13:

     When I moved to a village in the countryside, I thought that it would be the end of my friendships. But my old friends have kept in touch and they come and visit during the holidays. There’s a lake nearby, so we often go sailing, waterskiing or windsurfing. And I have made some new friends here too, at school, since I joined the rugby club.

     Carlos, 11:

     Last year, I broke my arm on a skiing holiday. Unfortunately, it was my left arm and I am left-handed. My school friends all helped and copied their notes for me.

     It seems that our readers value their friendships very highly. From what they told us, they spend a lot of time with their friends, just hanging out, or sharing hobbies and interests. They seem to need their friends for advice, help, chats, and for having fun. Clearly, friends make each other feel better. Looking at what our readers told us, the results of the recent research are not really surprising.

28. Why are Ben, Rory and Carlos mentioned in the article?

     A. They know why teenagers value friendship.

     B. They read magazines.

     C. They give information about themselves.

     D. They are teenage boys.

29. Which of the following best describes Ben?

     A. He often has fights.                    B. He is happier than his friends.

     C. He likes being alone.                  D. He likes some sports.

30. What do we know about the lake that Rory visits?

     A. It is near the school.

     B. It is used by a lot of people who do water sports.

     C. It is near his home.

     D. It is a village.

31. Carlos mentions that he is left-handed because ………………………...

     A. it makes skiing harder

     B. it makes it worse that he broke the arm he uses most

     C. it is an interesting fact about himself and he was talking about his left arm

     D. it is very unfortunate when you break your left hand

32. The answers to the recent research and the answers from the readers …..

     A. were surprising                                       B. were similar

     C. were not the same                                              D. were both about sports

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.

London is the capital city of the United Kingdom. It is the largest city in Britain. It has got the population of about 7 million people. It is a very old city which was founded by the Romans.  London is famous for many things. The original area is the City. There are thousands of offices and banks but only a few people live here. The Tower of London was built in the 11th century. It was a prison but now it is a museum. You can see the Crown Jewels here. Tower Bridge is near the Tower of London. It was opened in 1894. Westminster Abbey is a beautiful church where the Coronation Ceremony takes place. Westminster Abbey is in the west of London, near the Houses of Parliament, where you can see and hear the well-known clock Big Ben.  Hyde Park is the most popular park in London. At Speaker’s Corner, anybody can speak about anything except the Queen. The Queen lives in Buckingham Palace. London stands on River Thames. There are 27 bridges over the Thames in London and 8 tunnels under the river. A quick and easy way to get to different places in the city is to use an underground train. Londoners call this means of transport the “tube”. There are many famous red buses in London called double-deckers and London taxis are called black cabs.

Question 28. The Tower of London used to be ______.

 A. a library           B. a museum                   C. a prison                               D. a church

Question 29. The word “It” in line 4 paragraph 2 refers to _____.

A. The Tower of London    B. Big Ben       C. The Crown Jewels       D. Tower Bridge

Question 30. The word “well-known” can be best replaced by _____.

 A. quick                B. renowned           C. beautiful                             D. charming

Question 31. You can’t talk about ____ when you are at Speakers’ Corner.

 A. the Parliament        B. politics           C. the Queen                           D. London

Question 32. A convenient way to get around the city is by ____.

A. tube                         B. bus                  C. train                   D. car  

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions

How long ago ____________ the Civil War?

A. was 

B. happened 

C. occurred 

D. took place

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions.

Only in the Civil War ________ killed or wounded

A. soldiers in America were

B. so many American soldiers were

C. many in America were

D. were so many American soldiers

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.

Television and Kids

Television is very popular and even has some benefits for kids. It helps very young children learn the letters of the alphabet, and helps other kids learn about science, cultures, and world events.

However, researchers show that too much TV is bad for children. For one thing, there is a link between watching more than four hours of TV a day and being overweight. For another thing, many TV shows are violent and upsetting. Watching these shows may cause kids to be more fearful. And of course, more time in front of the TV means less time to study. Too much TV may also be the cause of lower grades. Experts do not agree on the solution to these problems. Some say that kids should watch only educational programs; others say kids should watch no TV at all. And others suggest teaching them to watch TV as occasional entertainment, not as an everyday hobby.

Question28. What is the passage mainly about?

A. Benefits of kids' TV shows C. Why kids love TV    

B. Effects of television on kids D. Why kids shouldn't watch TV  

Question 29. According to the passage, watching a lot of TV may ___________________.

A. cause weight problems in children C. cause children to get better grades    

B. cause children to be more famous D. cause students to study more  

Question 30. The word "them" in paragraph 3 refers to

A. programs B. experts C. kids D. problems

Question 31. The word "occasional" in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to

A. very often B. not very often C. always D. everyday

Question 32. What can be inferred from the passage?

A. TV is always bad for children.

B. TV is only good for entertainment.

C. Kids should watch only educational shows.

D. Television has some benefits along with problems

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.

There is one planet that still fascinates and teases scientists mainly because it doesn’t have an atmosphere to obscure observation, yet it is not big enough for sufficiently accurate telescopic observation. The fact that it is also very close to the sun also makes it difficult for astronomers.

However, space telescopes have told us a lot more about Mercury. It is rather similar to Earth’s moon and to Mars. There are mountainous areas dotted with craters and large valleys which are uncratered. The moon’s valleys have fewer cracks and ridges are smoother. Mercury’s valleys are filled with volcanic rocks, similar to on the moon, yet there is no evidence of volcanoes, even extinct ones, on Mercury, as there is on the both Mars and the moon, and of course here on Earth.

So, scientists presume the valleys on Mercury were caused by different things, that is to say not by volcanoes, but by very large meteorites, which also caused the cracks in the terrain and left the ridges rough and uneven. More and better photos of Mercury are at present at best only hypotheses.

Question28. What is the main topic of this passage?

A. Astronomers’ difficulties. C. The Earth’s moon.

B. Observation of planets. D. The planet, Mercury

Question29. Why does Mercury still tease scientists?

A. Because it has an atmosphere which obscures observation.

B. Because it is too close to the sun.

C. Because it is difficult for space probes to get close to.

D. Because it is too small.

Question30. What is true about Mercury but not true about the moon or Mars?

A. The valleys are filled with volcanic rocks. C. There are no volcanoes.

B. The valleys are uncratered. D. They are hilly regions.

Question31. What does the author imply space telescopes can do better than land-based telescopes?

A. Show more of the planet, Mercury. C. Show what caused Mercury’s valleys.

B. Show the meteorites which hit Mercury. D. Show the volcanoes on Mercury. 

Question32. What can we infer from the passage that astronomers still need to get more detailed observation of Mercury?

A. More hypotheses C. Larger space telescopes.

B. Better and more space telescopes. D. More ways to prove hypotheses.

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.

Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?

A. Animal and plant species which pose threats to humans will die out soon.

B. Saving popular animal and plant species should be given a high priority.

C. Humans will make changes in their lifestyles to save other species.

D. The dilemma humans face between maintaining their lives and saving other species remains

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.

What is the main idea of the passage?

A. Today’s style of American music is mostly influenced by African-rooted songs.

B. It is hard to exactly recognize the people who started the American musical tradition.

C. Spirituals, blues and ragtime are the major components that formed jazz.

D. American’s musical history was built by several famous musicians.