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.
The texting pigeons
Not everybody recognizes the benefits of new developments in communnicatons technology. Indeed, some people fear that text messaging may actually be having a negative (41) ________ on your people’s communication and language skills, especially when we hear that primary school children may be at rick of becoming addicted to the habit. So widespread has texting become, however, that even pigeons have started doing it. (42) ________, in this case, it’s difficult to view the results as anything but positive.
Twenty of the birds are about to take to the skies with the task of measuring air pollution, each (43) ________ with sensor equipment and a mobile phone. The readings made by the sensors will be automatically converted into text messages and beamed to the Internet – (44) ________ they will appear on a dedicated ‘pigeon blog’.
The birds will also each have a GPS receiver and a camera to capture aerial photos, and researchers are building a tiny ‘pigeon kit’ containing all these gadgets. Each bird will carry these in a miniature backpack, (45) ________, that is, from the camera, which will hang around its neck.
The data the pigeons text will be displayed in the form of an interactive map, which will provide local residents with up-to-the-minute information on thir local air quality.
Điền vào ô 45
A. instead
B. except
C. apart
D. besides
Đáp án C.
Tạm dịch: Each bird will carry these in a miniature backpack, ________, that is, from the camera, which will hang around its neck: Mỗi con chim sẽ mang những dụng cụ này trong một chiếc ba lô siêu nhỏ ________ ngoài chiếc máy ảnh được đeo ở cổ.
A. instead of: thay vào đó
B. except for: ngoại trừ
C. apart from: ngoài … ra
D. besides: bên cạnh đó
Giới từ đề bài cho sẵn là “from”. Vậy chọn đáp án C.