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 from 23 to 27. Fill in the appropriate word in question 24

        What is meant by the term economic resources? In general, these are all the natural, man-made, and human resources that go into the production of goods and services. Economic resources can be broken down into (23) _________ general categories: property resource - land and capital, and human resources - labor and entrepreneurial skills.

        What do economists mean (24) _________ land? Much more than the non-economist, land refers to all the natural resources (25) _________are usable in the production process: arable land, forests, mineral and oil deposits, and so on. What about capital? Capital goods are all the man­made aids to producing, storing, transporting, and distributing goods and services. Capital goods differ from consumer goods in that (26) _________ satisfy wants directly, while the former do so indirectly by facilitating the production of consumer goods. It should be noted that capital as defined here does not refer to money. Money, as such, produces nothing.

        The term labor refers to the physical and mental talents of humans used to produce goods and services (with the exception of a certain set of human talents, entrepreneurial skills, which will be considered separately because of their special significance). Thus the services of a factory worker or an office worker, a ballet dancer or an astronaut all fall (27) _________ the general heading of labor.

A. calling

B. with

C. using

D. by

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the sentence that is closest in meaning to each of the following questions.

He couldn’t retake the exam because he missed too many lessons.

A. He would retake the exam if he didn’t miss too many lessons.

B. He could have retaken the exam if he hadn’t missed too many lessons

C. If he missed too many lessons, he wouldn’t retake the exam.

D. If he had missed too many lessons, he wouldn’t have retaken the exam.

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 from 28 to 34.

A letter of application is a sales letter in which you are both salesperson and product, for the purpose of an application is to attract an employer’s attention and persuade him or her to grant you an interview. To do this, the letter presents what you can offer the employer, rather than what you want from the job.

Like a resume, the letter of application is a sample of your work and an opportunity to demonstrate your skills and personality. If it is written with flair and understanding and prepared with prefessional care, it is likely to be very effective. While the resume must be factual, objective, and brief, the letter is your chance to interpret and expand. It should state explicitly how your background relates to the specific job, and it should emphasise your strongest and most relevant characteristics. The letter should demonstrate that you know both yourself and the company.

The letter of application must communicate your ambition and enthusiasm. Yet it must be modest. It should be neither aggressive nor compliant: neither pat yourself on the back nor ask for sympathy. It should never express dissatisfaction with the present or former job or employer. And you should avoid discussing your reasons for leaving your last job.

Finally, it is best that you not broach the subject on salary. Indeed, even if a job advertisement requires that you mention your salary requirements, it is advisable simply to call them “negotiable.” However, when you go on an interview, you should be prepared to mention a salary range. For this reason, you should investigate both your field and, if possible, the particular company. You don’t want to ask for less than you deserve or more than is reasonable.

(Adapted from “Select Readings – Intermediate” by Linda Lee and Erik Gundersen)

The word “it” in paragraph 2 refers to _______.

A. the resume

B. an opportunity

C. the letter of application

D. your work

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

By 1820, there were over sixty steamboats on the Mississippi river, _________ were quite luxurious.

A. which many

B. many of them

C. many of which

D. many that

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

No matter _________, he was an accomplished composer while still a child.

A. how it seems remarkable

B. how remarkable it seems 

C. it seems remarkable how

D. how seems it remarkable

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

When the weather was very hot in summer, sales of bottles of water went _________the roof.

A. through

B. to

C. above

D. over