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

When man first learnt how to make fire, he began to use fuel for the first time. The fuel he used was probably wood. As time passed, man eventually discovered that substances such as coal and oil would (23) ______.

Coal was not used very widely as a (24) ______of energy until the last century. With the coming of the industrial revolution, it was soon realized that production would double if coal was used instead of wood. Nowadays, (25) ______of the huge factories and electricity stations would be unable to function if there was no coal.

In the last twenty or thirty years, (26) ______, the use of coal has declined. As a result, there have been changes in the coal industry. It is (27) ______that more people would use coal if oil and gas were not available.

23. A. heat              B. bum                     C. fire                   D. light

24. A. resource       B. reason                  C. Cause              D. source

25. A. much            B. many                   C. more                D. few

26. A. however       B. therefore             C. because            D. since

27. A. believed       B. Considered         C. made               D. provided

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 numbered blank.

           The railway system in Viet Nam was first built in 1899, when Viet Nam was still a French colony. The total __( 28 )__ of the railroad is over 3,000 km, with the main route being the North-South __( 29 )__, which is 1,726 km long. This track was considered the backbone of Indochina at the time. Now, the rail system covers 35 out of the 63 cities and provinces of Viet Nam.

  However, the system was __( 30 )__ damaged by bombings during the war. In 1975, after the reunification of the north and the south, the Vietnamese government decided to restore the system. In the space of a year, hundreds of bridges, tunnels, and stations were restored, along with 660 km of tracks. The new and improved system was __( 31 )__ the Thong Nhat Express. Thanks to the rail system, travelling from north to south has become much more convenient for tens of thousands of people. In the past, in order to be able to buy train tickets people had to wait in long lines. Now, __( 32 )__ can buy tickets online, or at the central station, without having to wait that long.

Question28: A.  wide B.  long C.  will D.  length

Question29: A.  Way B.  Route C.  Road D.  Railway

Question30: A.  seriously B.  very C.  importantly D.  serious

Question31: A.  recalled     B.  considered C.  renamed D.  known

Question32: A.  visitors B.  buyers C.  passengers          D.  attendants

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

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