MỤC LỤC

MÔ TẢ ĐỀ THI……………………………………………………………………………………….2
NGÂN HÀNG CÂU HỎI THI TRẮC NGHIỆM……………………………………………………3
PART 1: VOCABULARY………………………………………………………………….....3
PART 2: GRAMMAR………………………………………………………………………..10
PART 3: READING………………………………………………………………………….16
PART 4: LISTENING………………………………………………………………………..45
NGÂN HÀNG CÂU HỎI TỰ LUẬN………………………………………………………………..55
PART 1: WRITING………………………………………………………………………….55
PART 2: SPEAKING………………………………………………………………………...57
ANSWER KEY……………………………………………………………………………………….61

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 MÔ TẢ ĐỀ THI

Thời gian thi: 150 phút

Trắc nghiêm máy: 90’ (Nghe: 40’; Đọc: 50’)
Nói: 10’
Viết: 50’

Số câu thi:
Trắc nghiệm máy: 120 câu
Nói: 3 phần
Viết: 2 phần

Định dạng bài thi:

Trắc nghiệm máy
- Đọc: 80 câu
Phần 1: 30 câu từ vựng
Phần 2: 25 câu ngữ pháp
Phần 3: 10 câu chọn A, B, C, D điền chỗ trống cho 1 văn bản (1 đoạn)
Phần 4: 15 câu đọc hiểu chọn A, B, C, D (3 đoạn)

- Nghe: 40 câu (nghe 2 lần)

Phần 1: 20 câu chọn A, B, C, D (nghe 4 đoạn)
Phần 2: 20 câu điền thông tin (nghe 4 đoạn)

Tự luận
- Viết: 50 phút:
- Phần 1: viết lại câu dựa vào câu cho trước mà không đổi ý (5 câu)
- Phần 2: viết một bài văn (khoảng 250 từ)

- Nói (trực tiếp): gồm 3 phần: phỏng vấn, trình bày chủ đề, thảo luận

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 NGÂN HÀNG CÂU HỎI THI TRẮC NGHIỆM
PART 1 – VOCABULARY

Read the following sentences and choose the best answer for the blank.
1. She's trying to find a ________ for her spare room because she can't afford the rent by herself.
A. lodger( người thuê trọ) B. teammate C. owner D. landlord
2. He's just staying there on a ________ basis because he's going to move overseas soon.
A. permanent B. essential C. temporary D. crucial
3. They really ________. They hardly talk to anyone in the dormitory.
A. keep themselves to themselves B. keep themselves to others
C. do something to themselves D. do themselves to others
4. "Keep away from the computer and don't stay in the room. I don't want you to be a computer
________" said the mother to her son.
A. guy B. man C. worker D. geek( nghiền mtinh)
5. She never pays her share when getting out with friends. She's really ________.
A. hard-handed( hà khắc) B. tight-fisted( keo kiệt) C. short-handed(thiếu
người) D. loose-fisted
6. Don't ________ me please. I'm studying for my final exam.
A. disturb B. observe C. reserve D. mess
7. He loves to invite friends round and cook for them. He's a ________ person.
A. man B. people C. guy D. person
8. I always know where my things are. I'm really ________ about order.
A. general B. common C. specific D. particular
9. Sarah wasn't ________ her weight at all. She just sat there and watch TV.
A. taking B. gaining C. pulling( vận động) D. losing
10. Tom is the most ________ person I know. He is always nice and well-behaved.
A. sensible B. sensitive C. surging D. logical
11. You need to be more ________. Don't dream of things you can never get.
A. sensitive B. down-to-earth C. sentimental D. essential
12. John is definitely a ________ guy. He's nice, and he's got a good job. You don't see men like that
very often.
A. people B. common C. decent D. logical
13. You need to be ________ when dealing with so as not to upset him.
A. conservative B. assertive C. tactless D. tactful
14. John said they want to have a ________ with us, but we need to play more popular music.
A. gig B. play C. sign D. post
15. It's really fun to be with Tom. He's such ________
A. a good laugh B. a good joke C. a good deal D. a good man
16. Coco Chanel started to ________ fashion when she was really young.
A. give up B. get into C. make over D. give out
17. She never makes friends with and rarely talks to anyone. She is so ________.
A. particular B. decent C. introverted D. realistic
18. Barbara always tries to listen to and understand people around her. She is very ________.
A. introverted B. extroverted C. practical D. sympathetic
19. After finishing an email, don't send it right away. You need to check for ________ first.
A. accuracy B. precision C. sensitivity D. correction
20. I felt so ________ realizing that I had forgotten to zip my jeans.
A. impressed B. embarrassed C. relieved D. realistic
21. I was very ________ and I think animals can sense it when you're nervous and worried.
A. impressed B. embarrassed C. anxious D. relieved
22. She's totally ________ as she passed her final exam.
A. anxious B. embarrassed C. relieved D. frustrated

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23. Laura was totally ________ by the beauty of the sea.
A. fascinated B. embarrassed C. exhausted D. frustrated
24. They try to persuade people to experience ________ activities, such as changing oil in the car or
having a tap-dancing lesson.
A. extraordinary B. mundane C. special D. amazing
25. To ________ means to walk or move in an unsteady way.
A. shake B. go over C. totter D. loath
26. To have an absolute loathing of something means you ________ it.
A. love B. like C. admire D. hate
27. She is ________ in social situations as she doesn't know how to behave and what to say.
A. awkward B. awesome C. impressed D. exhausted
28. A matinee performance usually starts in the/at ________.
A. morning B. afternoon C. evening D. night
29. Please guarantee your place with a $50 ________.
A. money B. charge C. change D. deposit
30. You need to ________ the form to sign up for our free training session.
A. fill up B. fill down C. fill in D. fill over
31. Commercial logging and overgrazing have made the soil less compact and more ________ to
land slide.
A. desirable B. reasonable C. sensible D. vulnerable
32. Visiting those African countries was really ________ to me. I can't believe people can live in
such poor conditions.
A. eye-opening B. eye-open C. open-eye D. opening-eye
33. He's absolutely ________. He can barely stand on his feet.
A. run out B. worn out C. got out D. given out
34. A large portion of the ________ will be spent on finding new ways to fight malaria.
A. check B. donation C. donor D. cash
35. They are holding a charity event to ________.money for the fund.
A. make B. earn C. raise D. rise
36. One third of the population in this rural area can earn more than $2 a day. They are living in
________.
A. charity B. conditions C. donation D. poverty
37. There has been a serious ________ in this area. It hasn't rained for 2 months.
A. drought B. flood C. heat D. crop
38. The percentage of children with ________ has more than tripled since the 1970s. Their average
weight has reached an alarming level.
A. malaria B. chickenpox C. obesity D. malnutrition
39. Twelve people were killed in that traffic accident. What a ________!
A. success B. disaster C. equality D. violence
40. CCTV cameras are considered to be a/an ________ of privacy because people can see the area
where you live and how to get in.
A. invasion B. takeover C. sharing D. prevention
41. When you are ________, you obey rules and regulations.
A. law-binding B. law-breaking C. law-abiding D. law-making
42. How long do you think it will take for them to ________ a decision?
A. end B. stick to C. arrive D. come to
43. People need to be more ________ what they do.
A. accountable for B. dependable on C. suitable to D. reasonable with
44. People don't like their private information to be ________ to other companies.
A. given up B. handed over C. hung over D. looked over
45. The husband hired a detective to ________ his wife.
A. go along with B. be accountable to C. keep track of D. look up
46. In the company, emails are ________ for particular words so company's secret can be safe.
A. used B. sent C. written D. filtered
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47. In the future, _________ may be used to predict whether someone might commit a crime.
A. genetic screening B. CCTV cameras C. microchip D. number plate
recognition
48. Social network websites are often ________ by hackers to steal people's personal data.
A. used B. infiltrated C. filtered D. screened
49. The city council is considering the ________ of some security systems.
A. manufacture B. production C. installation D. announcement
50. He was arrested for his ________ of the copyright law.
A. violence B. violate C. violent D. violation
51. You need to ________ the pros and cons.
A. weigh up B. follow C. go against D. decide
52. A ________ is someone who breaks into your house to steal things.
A. robber B. stealer C. burglar D. lifter
53. If something is ________, it makes you feel upset.
A. illegal B. sensible C. disturbing D. inevitable
54. If something is ________, it's going to happen sooner or later.
A. illegal B. inevitable C. sensible D. disturbing
55. If something is ________, it's against the principles of what's right or wrong.
A. illegal B. unethical C. disturbing D. inoffensive
56. If someone is ________, he or she is totally shocked and extremely angry.
A. unethical B. illegal C. offensive D. outrageous
57. Mike's girlfriend actually had some Botox ________ to look better.
A. injections B. rejections C. infections D. reflections
58. He was the ________ of that serious crime.
A. respect B. suspect C. aspect D. expect
59. If you do something ________, the police might arrest you.
A. inoffensive B. unethical C. illegal D. sensible
60. If something is ________, there's a good reason for it.
A. sensible B. illegal C. offensive D. justifiable
61. Sarah is really ________ She never listens to her parents.
A. stubborn B. obedient C. understanding D. obese
62. When you ________ something, you don't pay attention to it.
A. neglect B. ignore C. compliment D. criticize
63. When you ________ someone, you say nice things to them.
A. criticize B. ignore C. complement D. neglect
64. When someone ________ you, he or she makes you really angry.
A. looks after B. complements C. neglects D. irritates
65. When you ________ with someone, you fight or argue with him.
A. quarrel B. irritate C. ignore D. neglect
66. The meeting was ________ due to the unavailability of the conference room.
A. put on B. put off C. put in D. put away
67. In order to understand your teammates, you need to ________ with them.
A. interfere B. interlude C. interact D. interpret
68. The Korean ________ consists of two nations, Democratic People's Republic of Korea and
Republic of Korea.
A. island B. continent C. region D. peninsula
69. We are really looking ________ to the coming holiday.
A. forward B. into C. over D. toward
70. If you don't book in advance, you can't find any ________ to stay in this time of year.
A. trip B. accommodation C. reservation D. commodity
71. We lost all our ________ so we couldn't keep our personal hygiene up.
A. stationery B. toiletries C. perfumes D. chemistry
72. Has airport security ever gone through the ________ of your suitcases?
A. intent B. contend C. content D. retain
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73. People who take part in a game show on TV are called ________.
A. opponents B. enemies C. competitors D. contestants
74. 'Reed' is a/an ________ of 'deer'.
A. anagram B. synonym C. antonym D. definition
75. The host dealt ________ 5 cards to each player.
A. in B. out C. with D. to
76. Let's play some tennis tomorrow. See you on the ________.
A. field B. course C. pitch D. court
77. A ________ of wolves was running free on the field.
A. pack B. herd C. swarm D. flock
78. A ________ of locusts is responsible for the consumption of enough crops to feed 1.5 million
people.
A. pack B. herd C. swarm D. flock
79. Their proposal was turn ________ due to the lack of budget.
A. up B. in C. over D. down
80. You need to give ________ your essay as soon as you've finished it.
A. up B. away C. in D. into
81. The shop had some great clothes but the loud music put her ________.
A. in B. out C. off D. down
82. Bungee-jumping and wing-walking are two examples of ________ activities
A. active B. extreme C. over D. daily
83. People have always been ________ by dolphins' playfulness and intelligence.
A. fascinated B. scared C. feared D. stretched
84. Jumping from the plane is ________ although you know that you have a parachute on your back.
A. terrifying B. boring C. fascinating D. exciting
85. My grandfather always encourages me to ________ my dreams.
A. pursue B. challenge C. inspire D. tackle
86. They will decide to raise your pay after considering how much you have ________ to the
company.
A. distributed B. contributed C. attributed D. tributed
87. A ________ of supporters is marching to celebrate the victory of their team.
A. gang B. herd C. crowd D. bunch
88. With the help from her mom, the little girl finally managed to make her first ________ of
cookies.
A. bunch B. series C. batch D. flock
89. With evidence from the CCTV camera, that ________ of thieves were arrested.
A. bunch B. batch C. gang D. crowd
90. They are just a ________ of idiots. They don't even know a thing.
A. bunch B. batch C. gang D. crowd
91. My brother made a ________ by investing at the right time.
A. wealth B. fortune C. richness D. luck
92. I think you will find that the Honda bike is really very ________ to ride. It doesn’t cost you
much.
A. costly B. financial C. economical D. endless
93. If you still have ________ we can accept the return of the item.
A. receipt B. bill C. check D. invoice
94. If you show this coupon at the ________ you will receive a free gift.
A. check-out B. discount C. reception D. counter
95. I’m not keen on Hanson so I’ll try to ________ this CD for one by Westlife.
A. return B. refund C. exchange D. swap
96. I paid the assistant and took the books but then stupidly left the bookshop without waiting for my
________.
A. cash B. fee C. refund D. change
97. When the note I gave the assistant turned out to be ________ she called the manager.
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 A. plastic B. fake C. false D. polymer
98. This unbeatable special ________ is only available until the end of the week, so hurry!
A. offer B. bill C. reduce D. bargain
99. Excuse me, but I don’t suppose you have ________ for a fifty, do you?
A. make B. change C. do D. exchange
100. I went back to the shop a month later, and the ________had gone up by 30%!
A. cash B. cost C. expenses D. price
101. I need to find a bank because I didn’t bring enough ________ out with me.
A. coin B. note C. cash D. dollar
102. Businesses are complaining that the ________ of labour is rising.
A. spend B. cost C. price D. expenses
103. You only paid five dollars for such a gorgeous hat? That’s a real ________!
A. reduction B. cheapness C. discount D. bargain
104. Waiter! Do you think you could bring us the ________, please?
A. bill B. quote C. receipt D. invoice
105. Of course I’ll pay you back next week. You can ________ it.
A. bank up B. bank on C. bank down D. bank to
106. Would you please ________ the cheque to Mr Martin?
A. make out B. make up C. make over D. make for
107. I try to ________ a little money each year to spend on a nice holiday.
A. put on B. put off C. put by D. put down
108. We ________ a lot of butter in our family every week.
A. get down B. get on C. get on with D. get through
109. Do you fancy coming into town on Sunday to ________ the shops?
A. look round B. look into C. look after D. look for
110. The suspect couldn’t explain how he had ________ such a large amount of money when the
police caught him.
A. come in B. come by C. come to D. come on
111. Did you hear about the millionaire who ________ his entire fortune to charity?
A. give up B. give out C. give away D. give back
112. I’ve got a/an ________ for the school play tomorrow. I really hope I get a main part!
A. rehearsal B. practice C. audition D. performance
113. Did you read that ________ of the new Lloyd – Rice musical? I said it was awful!
A. review B. criticism C. report D. summary
114. I’ll pick up a ________ on the way home and then we won’t have to cook.
A. fast food B. takeaway C. microwave D. delivery
115. We really ________ ourselves at the party! Thanks so much for inviting us!
A. entertained B. had fun C. enjoyed D. occupied
116. Ellie does a/an ________ each week for the local newspaper. It’s really quite funny.
A. comic B. comedian C. animation D. cartoon
117. The water park we went to yesterday was fantastic, but the entrance ________ was a bit
expensive.
A. ticket B. fee C. charge D. cost
118. Vanila Sky ________ Tom Cruise, Penelope Cruze and Cameron Diaz.
A. acts B. plays C. stars D. contains
119. When you’re learning to play a musical instrument, it’s important to ________ for an hour or two
every day.
A. rehearse B. practice C. perform D. train
120. The play wasn’t supposed to be a comedy, but everyone started laughing when some of the
________ fell over and hit one of the actors.
A. scenery B. scenes C. stages D. acts
121. Ed ________ at the clock and realized he was late for the meeting.
A. glimpsed B. observed C. glanced D. watched

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122. Being a conductor of a large ________ is an extremely demanding job. You have to make sure
about a hundred musicians playing in time.
A. group B. band C. company D. orchestra
123. Marlon Brando will ________ in history as one of the greatest actors of all time.
A. go down B. go up C. go through D. go into
124. Our class is going to ________ a play at the end of term.
A. put off B. put up C. put on D. put down
125. I didn’t really like Madonna’s new single when it came out, but it’s starting to ________ me
now.
A. grow up B. grow on C. get on D. put on
126. Did you know that the sandwich is ________ the Earl of Sandwich?
A. looked after B. went after C. ran after D. named after
127. The band has really ________ since appearing on the Video Music Awards show last month.
A. paid off B. put off C. taken off D. gone off
128. The Eurovision Song Contest is ________ again soon. Shall we organize a Eurovision party?
A. coming around B. looking around C. turning around D. going around
129. I felt completely ________ when he refused to give me his autograph. I’m never going to buy
another one of his CDs!
A. let down B. go down C. put down D. get down
130. I’m reading a ________ set in Greece during the Second World War.
A. novel B. fiction C. literature D. writing
131. I don’t like ________ on clothes in shops because I don’t want people to see me in something
that doesn’t suit me.
A. putting B. trying C. wearing D. handing
132. I’m not sure a green skirt ________ combination with a blue top is such a good idea.
A. on B. at C. in D. for
133. I’d like to speak to the person in ________ please.
A. charge B. responsibility C. duty D. obligation
134. I think some modern designs are more like ________ of art.
A. makes B. works C. objects D. jobs
135. I wish people didn’t ________ a tendency to follow without thinking about what suits them
personally.
A. do B. make C. get D. have
136. I don’t think T – shirts and jeans will ever go ________ of style, do you?
A. away B. out C. off D. down
137. Make sure you ________ your make-up with a soft brush, like this one.
A. apply B. construct C. decorate D. dress
138. If you wear that shirt with the ________ pattern, you’ll look like a chessboard!
A. plain B. striped C. shinny D. checked
139. You always seem to look so formal. If only you would ________ your hair down!
A. get B. set C. put D. let
140. The latest trend ________ footwear is to wear very simple, traditional shoes.
A. of B. on C. in D. from
141. My sister and I share the same taste ________ clothes and we wear each other’s things all the
time.
A. in B. of C. for D. on
142. Why can’t you ________ Edger’s example and wear a tie to work?
A. set B. make C. follow D. do
143. My dad asked me whether his clothes were ________ fashion and I said they were – about
twenty years ago.
A. in B. from C. on D. of
144. If you care about your ________ too much, people might start to think you’re vain.
A. body B. appearance C. outfit D. clothes
145. Long dresses and high heels are quite a good ________ for you.
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 A. see B. glance C. sight D. look
146. I wish my brother would get a new ________ to wear for his job interview.
A. costume B. skirt C. suit D. dress
147. China ________ the world with cheap clothes.
A. supplies B. produces C. assemble D. sell
148. Jeans and T-shirts will never go out of ________.
A. trend B. fashion C. image D. tendency
149. I need a funny ________ for the fancy-dress party. Any ideas?
A. dress B. uniform C. suit D. costume
150. Tim forgot to use clothes ________ and all his clothes fell off the line into the mud!
A. pegs B. clips C. hooks D. pins
151. The ________ for this position starts at thirty thousand dollars per year.
A. wage B. payment C. salary D. tip
152. My grandfather was looking forward to his ________ after working at the same factory for thirty
years.
A. overtime B. pension C. charity D. allowance
153. Some people ________ to Bac Ninh every day from as far away as Hanoi.
A. connect B. commute C. correspond D. commerce
154. Most governments tax people on the amount they ________ each year.
A. win B. gain C. benefit D. earn
155. Sara disagreed with the board’s decision so she ________ and went to work for another
company.
A. retired B. fired C. sacked D. resigned
156. When the factory closed, over a hundred people were ________ redundant.
A. done B. taken C. made D. given
157. Here at Weatherby’s, we provide all our ________ members, from senior management down,
with regular training.
A. staff B. crew C. crowd D. firm
158. In Arab culture it is ________ to paint the bride’s hands with henna before she marries.
A. practical B. customary C. priceless D. supplementary
159. You will get a weekly ________ of about $500 before deductions.
A. pay B. wage C. tip D. commission
160. Have you had any news about that ________ you applied for yet?
A. job B. career C. work D. business
161. Not only did we all have to work ________ this week, but didn’t get paid for it!
A. part-time B. full-time C. over-time D. shift-work
162. It is the ________ policy not to allow the use of phone for personal calls during working hours.
A. company B. firm C. business D. corporation
163. All the heavy ________ in the factory has been manufactured on site.
A. machinery B. works C. industries D. products
164. It seems that Mr. John lied about his ________ on his application form.
A. certificates B. documents C. diploma D. qualifications
165. You can often tell where a person comes from by the ________ of English he or she speaks.
A. usage B. dialect C. trace D. linguist
166. Our new printer can scan and ________ photographs as well as print ordinary paper.
A. assign B. wrap C. duplicate D. seal
167. The final two ________ for the job both had outstanding qualifications and experience.
A. candidates B. volunteers C. superiors D. colleagues
168. The lawyer’s explanation seems ________ because it fits the facts.
A. malicious B. inappropriate C. ignorant D. plausible
169. Now that DVDs are so popular, videotape’s days are ________.
A. inspired B. extinct C. numbered D. demotivated
170. Megan eats a healthy diet, but she takes vitamin ________ for good nutrition.
A. devices B. atoms C. harvests D. supplements
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 PART 2 – GRAMMAR

Read the following sentences and choose the best answer for the blank.
1. We were disappointed that ________ of the members came to the youth club party.
A. a few B. a little C. few D. little
2. I wasn’t really impressed with _______ candidate.
A. both B. either C. neither D. any
3. The army is looking for ________ good ________.
A. a few/men B. a few/man C. few/men D. few/men
4. I don’t have ________ to do so I can meet you at 5:00.
A. much work B. many work C. a large number of D. a great deal of
5. ________ was too old to read easily.
A. Every books B. All of the books C. All books D. Every book
6. I take ________ sugar in my tea.
A. a large number of B. a lot of C. a great deal of D. many
7. The ________ baby needs to be picked up.
A. crying B. cry C. cried D. to cry
8. The classes ________ by Professor Smith were very interesting.
A. teaching B. teaches C. taught D. were teaching
9. The material has been cut, ________ the pieces have been sewn together.
A. and B. but C. or D. so
10. ________ he has been working so hard, he is tired.
A. Although B. However C. So D. Because
11. The bill must be paid immediately, ________ the electricity will be turned off.
A. and B. or C. but D. however
12. We could not believe ________.
A. what he did to us B. what did he do to us C. what he done D. what he did us
13. Of the three, I can’t decide ________.
A. which is better B. which is best C. which best D. which is the best
14. It is not certain ________ the class was cancelled.
A. what B. why C. where D. which
15. No single factor explains why ________ vary so greatly among individuals.
A. aging affects B. the effects of aging C. aging has an affect D. the aging effect
16. Lack of clarity about ________ the party in the coming year will be removed at the party’s
convention.
A. will lead B. lead C. they will lead D. who will lead
17. The first eyeglasses had convex lenses for the aged who ________ farsighted.
A. had become B. they had become C. becoming D. it became
18. Some scientists think ________ be a planet but a moon of Neptune.
A. that Pluto does not seem B. not Pluto
C. Pluto that might not D. that Pluto might not
19. Systems ________ the tow symbols 0 and 1 are called binary number systems.
A. use B. uses C. they use D. using
20. Half of the students in the class ________ early.
A. arrive B. arrives C. arriving D. that arrive
21. All of the next chapter ________ very important information.
A. contain B. contains C. containing D. are contain
22. ________ money is needed to pay the bills.
A. Most of B. The most of C. Most of the D. The most
23. No one here ________ afraid of skydiving.
A. is B. are C. be D. being
24. Everyone in the world ________ love and respect.
A. need B. needs C. needing D. be needed
1. Have you ever considered ________ to live in the countryside?
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 A. go B. going C. to go D. went
2. Do you think my jacket needs ________?
A. cleaning B. to be cleaned C. clean D. to clean
3. I’d be interested to know how ________ the cooking.
A. you organize B. do you organize C. is D. organized
4. What ________ you most about sharing a flat?
A. annoy B. annoys C. does annoy D. annoying
25. Judy offered ________ me the sandwiches.
A. make B. making C. makes D. to make
26. Vicky said she ________ where Anna ________.
A. doesn’t know/was B. didn’t know/was C. didn’t know/is D. doesn’t know/is
27. He asked me how much I ________ it ________ cost.
A. thought/ would B. thought/ will C. think/will D. think/would
28. Students ________ homework is late will be punished.
A. who B. whom C. that D. whose
29. If David wasn’t so clumsy, he ________ so many accidents.
A. won’t have B. wouldn’t have C. wouldn’t have had D. would had
30. If the airport ________, Maria could have flown to London.
A. wasn’t closed B. had been closed C. hadn’t been closed D. didn’t closed
31. If I had had an umbrella, I ________ wet in the rain.
A. won’t get B. didn’t get C. wouldn’t get D. wouldn’t have got
32. We must avoid ________ so much time.
A. waste B. to waste C. wasting D. to wasting
33. Nancy suggested ________ to the lake this weekend.
A. go B. going C. to go D. to going
34. Glasses make him ________ older.
A. look B. looking C. to look D. to looking
35. ________ a car enables you to travel round more easily.
A. Have B. Had C. Having D. Being had
36. Would you mind ________ me all the time?
A. don’t bother B. not bother C. don’t bothering D. not bothering
37. Remind me ________ Sam tomorrow.
A. phone B. to phone C. phoning D. will phone
38. I would rather ________ at home tonight.
A. stay B. to stay C. staying D. to staying
39. I can’t face ________ early in the morning.
A. get up B. to get up C. getting up D. to getting up
40. The children are looking forward ________ to the circus.
A. go B. going C. to go D. to going
41. There was such ________snow for us to go out.
A. many B. a lot C. a large number of D. a lot of
42. But for the bad weather, it ________ a superb weekend.
A. would be B. will be C. would have been D. was
43. They still want to go to school ________ it is raining hard.
A. even though B. because C. since D. despite
44. He sat at the lakeside, ________ by trees, ________ a letter and ________ of his childhood.
A. surrounded / wrote / thought B. surrounded / writing / thinking
C. surrounding / writing / thinking D. surrounding / wrote / thought
45. ________ how unsafe the area was, he decided ________ indoors.
A. Knowing / to stay B. To know / to stay C. Knowing / staying D. Knowing / stay
46. I don’t know those people ________ next door.
A. live B. to live C. living D. to living
47. I ________ the email. I can’t find it anywhere.
A. must delete B. must have deleted C. must have delete D. must deleted
11
48. I lost all my work yesterday. I realized I ________ the document.
A. couldn’t save B. didn’t save C. couldn’t have saved D. haven’t saved
49. Most people prefer not ________ involved in a crime investigation.
A. get B. getting C. to get D. to getting
50. How ________ you feel if you ________ in my position?
A. will / are B. would / are C. will / were D. would / were
51. I used ________ 20 cigarettes a day, but now I give up ________.
A. to smoke / smoking B. smoking / to smoke C. smoke / smoking D. to smoke / smoke
52. Jane suggested ________ a rest, so we stopped ________ for a while.
A. to have / to rest B. having / resting C. to have / resting D. having / to rest
53. We are discussing ________ out for dinner. Would you like ________ us?
A. to go / to join B. going / to join C. going / joining D. to go / joining
54. It’s difficult ________ used to ________ with chopsticks.
A. to get / eat B. getting / eating C. getting / to eat D. to get / eating
55. - Do you think my jacket needs ________? – No, but you need ________it.
A. cleaning / to iron B. to clean / to iron C. cleaning / ironing D. to clean / ironing
56. I would rather ________ home. It’s not worth ________ a taxi.
A. walk / to take B. walking / taking C. walking / to take D. walk / taking
57. You need to show ________ kindness.
A. few B. a few C. little D. a little
58. ________ owner must register his or her car.
A. Some B. Each C. Both D. Many
59. The red cardinal spends ________ of its time ________ on the ground.
A. many / feeding B. most / to feed C. most / feeding D. many / to feed
60. Although knives and forks ________ of prehistoric origin, spoon are relatively new.
A. are B. they are C. are they D. which are
61. ________ lived on Earth for nearly 150 million years.
A. Dinosaurs B. Dinosaurs who C. Since dinosaurs D. If dinosaurs
62. In 1934, chemist Wallace Carothers produced a plastic which ________ nylon.
A. his call B. he called C. calling D. to call him
63. By studying the movements of the Sun and Moon, even early astronomers could________
eclipses would take place.
A. predicting when B. when it predicts C. the prediction when D. predict when
64. A group of winged reptiles ________ pterosaurs is believed to have been the first vertebrates
with the power of flight.
A. call B. calls C. called D. is called
65. Researchers have begun studying what ________ is on human circadian rhythms.
A. it is the effect of light B. the light affects
C. is affecting the light D. the effect of light
66. Some early batteries used concentrated nitric acid, ________ gave off poisonous fumes.
A. they B. but they C. then they D. but they had
67. A yacht is steered with a rudder, ________ the flow of water that passes the hull.
A. which deflecting B. deflects C. it deflects D. which deflects
68. It is still unclear ________ the Mayor will accept the recommendations of the City Council.
A. yet B. about C. whether D. before
69. Beginning in August, free parking ________ available to anyone ________ the commuter train
from Green City.
A. to be / taking B. will be / taking C. will be / take D. is / to take
70. Bill asked Tom ________.
A. where is he going B. where he is going C. where he was going D. where was he going
71. ________ proficiency in German would be of much help, it is not a requirement for the
advertised position.
A. Otherwise B. Despite C. Regarding D. Although

12
72. We regret ________ you that Ms. Markowitz’s workshop on public speaking ________
postponed until next week.
A. to inform / has been B. informing / is C. to inform / would be D. informing / were
73. ________, he felt so unhappy and lonely.
A. Despite his wealthy B. Rich as was he
C. Rich as he was D. In spite of his being wealth
74. I would be very rich now ________ working long ago.
A. were I to give up B. if I wouldn’t give up C. if I had not given up D. If I gave up
75. They were such difficult tests ________.
A. so I couldn’t finish them B. that I couldn’t finish
C. that I couldn’t finish them D. for me to finish
76. ________to Jim myself, I can’t really tell you why he would say such terrible things.
A. Not having spoken B. Not to be speaking
C. Not to have spoken D. Because of not speaking
77. The shop assistant finally agreed ________ a full refund.
A. giving me B. to give me C. give to me D. to me to give
78. Bill asked me why ________ to go shopping with me.
A. I hadn’t invited him B. hadn’t I invited him C. I hadn’t him invited D. hadn’t I him invited
79. Ellie asked Stan ________ to look at the new catalogue.
A. did he want B. do you want C. whether he wants D. if he wanted
80. ‘What did the man say when you challenged him?’ ‘He said he ________ pay for the things in
his bag, but I didn’t believe him.’
A. is going to B. has been going to C. goes to D. was going to
81. When I last saw Carrie, she told me she ___ of buying a house, but now she’s changed her mind.
A. thought B. is thinking C. was thinking D. has been thinking
82. ‘What did they say when they realized you weren’t a shoplifter?’ ‘They apologized _______ me.’
A. to doubt B. they had doubted C. for doubting D. the doubt of
83. The minister, ________ was appointed just last week, made no comment on the situation.
A. who B. which C. that D. whose
84. Isn’t that the spot ________ the accident happened last night?
A. where B. which C. that D. when
85. The Titanic, ________ people said was unsinkable, sank on her maiden voyage.
A. that B. where C. when D. which
86. All the people to ________ the email was sent replied.
A. who B. that C. whom D. whose
87. Harry Hill, ________ new series starts next week, is one of my favourite comedians.
A. who B. whose C. that D. which
st
88. April 1 , ________ we play tricks on people, is known as April Fools’ Day.
A. which B. where C. what D. when
89. ________ my notes, I couldn’t revise properly for the test.
A. Having lost B. Losing C. Loss D. Lost
90. I’m sure that after ________ your exam, you will feel much better.
A. passed B. passing C. past D. being passed
91. ‘Which CD did you get Marcus is the end?’ ‘I got him the one ________ said he really
wanted to hear.’
A. that B. who he C. which D. which he
92. ‘Have you seen Jason Green’s latest film?’ ‘Is that the one in ________ joins the FBI?’
A. which he B. that he C. whom he D. which
93. ‘Why don’t we go to Lionel’s for dinner tonight? ‘Is that the new restaurant ________ has just
opened on the other side of the town?’
A. which B. which it C. that it D. where
94. ‘Could you lend me some money?’ ‘I’d like you to give me one good reason ________ I should.’
A. that B. why C. which D. who
95. ‘What do you want to do this summer?’
13
 ‘I think we should go somewhere ________ has plenty of sun and sand.’
A. who B. where C. when D. that
96. ________ quite intelligent, Matt hopes to get into a good university.
A. Having been B. Being C. Having D. Having had
97. ________ an Oscar last year, she’s now one of the most powerful movie stars in the industry.
A. She won B. To win C. The winning of D. Having won
98. And the song ________ by our listeners as their favourite of the week is Goodbye Baby by The
Tunesmiths.
A. having chosen B. chosen C. was chosen D. is chosen
99. _______ to change his name by his agent, John Smith became Marvo The Magnificent overnight.
A. Made B. Having made C. Making D. To make
100. It’s about time you ________ thinking about setting up your own business.
A. start B. have started C. started D. to start
101. I’d really rather you ________ the kids drop bits of pizza all over my new sofa.
A. don’t let B. aren’t letting C. won’t let D. didn’t let
102. ________ anything particular in mind or are you just browsing?
A. Did you have B. Are you having C. Can you have D. Had you had
103. I wish Karen ________ that we’re not trying to interfere in her life.
A. understands B. would understand
C. has understood D. is going to understand
104. I’d been able to say goodbye to Trish if only ________ to the airport in time.
A. I get B. I got C. I have got D. I had got
105. Don’t you sometimes wish you ________ invisible?
A. could be B. would be C. will be D. are
106. Suppose we ________ we could go and live on another planet. Would you want to go?
A. to hear B. hearing C. heard D. having heard
107. Do you wish ________ an official complaint?
A. making B. to make C. you make D. you made
108. Adrian was ________ enough money to buy a new computer for the school.
A. wishing to have raised B. wishing he will raise
C. hoping to have raised D. hoping he will raise
109. Don’t you wish we ________ the exam a week on Monday and not tomorrow?
A. take B. will take C. would take D. were taking
110. No sooner ________ down than the phone rang.
A. I had sat B. do I sit C. had I sat D. was I sitting
111. Never ________ a greater day in the history of mankind.
A. did there be B. was there C. there was D. there has been
112. At no time ________ that he was the killer.
A. I didn’t suspect B. was I suspect C. I had suspected D. did I suspect
113. Little ________ that I knew his secret.
A. did John know B. John did know C. was John know D. John knew
114. Not until ________ her did I realize how beautiful she was.
A. I saw B. did I see C. was I saw D. saw I
115. Not only ________ my keys, I’ve lost my wallet, too.
A. I have lost B. are I lost t C. I did lose D. have I lost
116. Rarely ________ about the environment enough to give up their car.
A. do people care B. people care C. are people care D. care people
117. Only when ________ may vehicles cross the train tracks.
A. is the green light on B. the green light is on
C. did the green light be on D. on is the green light
118. Seldom ________ such a rude person!
A. have I met B. I have met C. did I met D. am I meeting
119. Only after doing his chores ________ to go to meet his friends.
A. Jason was allowed B. did Jason allow C. was allowed Jason D. was Jason allowed
14
120. Are you sure this isn’t ________, because it looks just like the one I was given for Christmas?
A. me B. my C. mine D. I
121. I saw a wallet on the floor next to a couple of tourists and asked them if it was ________.
A. my B. mine C. their D. theirs
122. I’m not sure, but I think ________ Mark’s bag, isn’t it?
A. it’s B. its C. this D. that
123. ‘What did Maria ask you?’ ‘She asked me ________ I had ever been abroad.’
A. that B. whether C. for D. about
124. Mr. Anderson refused ________ the policeman into his house.
A. allowing B. to allowing C. that he allowed D. to allowed
125. The explanation ________ for the problems didn’t satisfy anybody.
A. giving B. which gave C. given D. having given
126. Eventually, William agreed ________ his teacher what he had behind his back.
A. that he shows B. with showing C. to show D. on showing
127. I know you don’t like saving money, but suppose you ________ your job. What then?
A. will lose B. lost C. are losing D. would lose
128. ‘They’ve got some great clothes on sale in there!’ ‘If only I ________ the time to go shopping.’
A. will have B. can have C. had D. have
129. ‘Shall I come at nine?’ ‘I’d rather you ________ at ten instead.’
A. come B. will come C. had come D. came
130. In Britain, most shops close at 6 pm, _____ in other countries they often open in the evening, too.
A. despite B. moreover C. nevertheless D. whereas
131. I wonder ________ mind watching this bag for me for a moment.
A. would you B. you would C. if would you D. whether you would
132. Despite ________ president, she felt totally powerless.
A. being B. she was C. of having been D. to be
133. It’s high time ________.
A. are leaving B. were leaving C. have to leave D. had been leaving
134. I wish you ________ rude to Rosa last night.
A. weren’t B. wouldn’t be C. hadn’t been D. haven’t been
135. ‘Have we still got lots of time? ‘No, ________ get a move on. We’re going to be late.’
A. you’d rather B. you’d better C. you’d prefer to D. you’d be better off
136. Calculators are banned from the examining room, as _____ dictionaries and handheld computers.
A. are B. do C. were D. did
137. ________ was it that no one wanted to work.
A. Such a hot day B. So hot a day C. Too hot a day D. Very hot a day
138. Doug wasn’t shortlisted for the job ________ he had a great CV.
A. despite B. in spite of C. even though D. whereas
139. It’s a great film ________ the plot being a little complicated.
A. although B. though C. while D. despite
140. Ferries have been cancelled, ________ planes are able to take off and land.
A. however B. nevertheless C. while D. in spite of
141. The politician denied ________ done anything wrong despite the evidence against him.
A. having B. to have C. have D. on having
142. I cooked dinner and ________ that I sat down to watch TV.
A. having done B. doing C. done D. had
143. Not ________ any Japanese, Georgia used a phrase book when she was in Japan.
A. know B. knowing C. to know D. known
144. ________ I had known the shop was having a sale last week, I would have gone shopping there.
A. Suppose B. If only C. Even D. Thus
145. The fashion show was expensive to put on. ________, I did make a profit.
A. Also B. Even though C. However D. While
146. My sister doesn’t like getting ready for work, and ________.
A. so do I B. as am I C. either do I D. neither do I
15
 PART 3 – READING

Part I: Read the passage below and decide which answer A, B, C or D best fits each space.
Passage 1
The large crowds of people who came to see David Blame’s performance in London in 2003 show that
magicians are incredibly popular. 1_________, although David Blame is famous, his popularity is still
a long way from that of Harry Houdini, who has been the 2_________ of many magicians for
generations.
Harry Houdini was the 3_________ of Ehrich Weiss, who was born in Hungary in 1874 and moved to
the United States as a child. He made his 4_________ performance as a professional magician in 1891,
but at first he wasn’t very popular. His early tricks were just card tricks and other traditional acts, but
he soon started 5_________ with escape feats. These escape stunts led to his big 6_________, and he
soon took his show to Europe where plenty of people were 7_________ with his show. One of his most
8
_________ stunts was called “The Chinese Water Torture,” where he was chained and hung upside-
down in a locked glass and steel container of water. He 9_________ his escape while the audience
watched his ordeal inside the tank.
After the death of his mother Houdini spent the last few years of his life revealing as frauds people
who claimed to be able to speak to the dead. These frauds, with their 10_________ lies, tricked many
mourning people, and he wanted to persuade the public that they were just magicians like him.
Houdini died in 1926 as the result of an illness.
1. A. On the other hand B. Therefore C. However D. Moreover
2. A. idol B. adventurer C. risk taker D. gambler
3. A. given name B. nickname C. title D. code name
4. A. formative B. inaugural C. original D. debut
5. A. playing out B. playing off C. playing around D. playing up
6. A. breakthrough B. discovery C. detection D. revelation
7. A. obsessed B. enthralled C. preoccupied D. thoughtful
8. A. advancing B. exhausting C. worrying D. demanding
9. A. caught B. succeeded C. accomplished D. satisfied
10. A. plausible B. incredible C. unthinkable D. unbelievable

Passage 2
The largest land 1_________ alive today is the elephant. Today, there are two kinds of elephant - the
African elephant and the Indian elephant. However, this has not always been the case. Until about
10,000 years ago, there was another group - the mammoths - who unfortunately are now 2_________.
Mammoths, who lived in the 3_________ cold of northern Russia and North America, looked very
similar to modern elephants, but had long hair over their whole bodies.
Some-scientists 4_________ humans as the 5_________ responsible for the extinction of the
mammoths - 6_________ because mammoth bones have been found in places where humans lived.
However, 7_________ recent evidence, it now seems that changes in weather were most likely
responsible. The climate changed, and with it, the types of plants available, 8_________ a problem for
the mammoths, who now had trouble finding food. These changes probably took place quite suddenly,
and in fact, whole mammoths have been found perfectly 9_________ in the ice.
Because mammoths and modern elephants are so similar; some scientists think it might be possible to
10
_________ the animals by mixing DNA taken from frozen mammoths with that of an elephant.
1. A. mammal B. carnivore C. human D. herbivore
2. A. inactive B. extinct C. dead D. away
3. A. forceful B. heavy C. powerful D. intense
4. A. point the finger at B. put their finger on C. lay a finger on D. pull a finger out
5. A. outlaws B. offenders C. culprits D. murderers
6. A. officially B. obviously C. completely D. supposedly
7. A. because B. thanks to C. since D. and
8. A. heading B. facing C. posing D. dealing
9. A. preserved B. saved C. rescued D. protected
16
 10. A. bring down B. bring forward C. bring in D. bring back
Passage 3
Research has shown that being tall is an advantage in politics and business management. If you’re
taller than your 1_________, you are more likely to be elected or promoted. 2_________ many
exceptionally tall people think that these advantages are exaggerated compared to the 3_________. The
problems start early when growth hormones stimulate increased height. When children are much taller
than their classmates, they are subject to teasing and even bullying. This can range from dumb
questions such as “How’s the weather up there, big guy?” to snubbing on the playground when sports
teams are chosen. 4_________, tall children are given nicknames related to their height such as “Jolly
Green Giant” or “Stilts.” It can be a painful ordeal when the teacher reads common fairy tales such as
Jack and the Beanstalk. Some children even develop stooped or bent posture to 5_________ their
height.
When tall people reach adulthood, they discover that the rest of society is 6_________ for miniature
folks. They bump their heads on the roofs of cars designed for shorter people and they trip people in
airline aisles when they try to 7_________ their legs. The span of average beds is only 1.8 meters from
tip to toe 8_________ over 30 percent of British males are now taller than this. Tallness has an impact
9
_________ clothing too. Clothes for tall people 10_________ more material and consequently are
more expensive. Tall people end up paying a penalty, thanks to their anatomy. Only every now and
again are clothing items the same price as more common sizes.

1. A. enemies B. opponents C. rivals D. managers

2. A. Nonetheless B. In spite of C. At least D. In addition
3. A. attractions B. edges C. losses D. drawbacks
4. A. Officially B. Typically C. Fortunately D. Naturally
5. A. disguise B. bury C. cancel D. cover
6. A. categorized B. classified C. graded D. organized
7. A. expand B. stretch C. lengthen D. extend
8. A. despite B. and C. whereas D. because
9. A. on B. for C. with D. in
10. A. want B. require C. request D. ask

Passage 4
Political Culture
In most countries, except 1_________ states there are several different political parties. The one with
the 2_________ of seats normally forms the government, and the parties which are against the
government are called the 3_________. Sometimes no single party wins enough seats, and several
parties must combine together in a 4_________ to form a government. The principal ministers in the
government form a group called the 5_________. The leader of this group, and of the government, is
the 6_________. Of course, there are many different kinds of parties and governments. A socialist or
communist party is often described as 7_________. A conservative party on the other hand, is usually
said to be 8_________. Political situations are always changing. Sometimes in a party or between two
parties there is a big argument or deep difference of opinion. This is called a(an) 9_________. When,
on the other hand, two parties work together, this is sometimes called an 10_________.

1. A. cabinet B. majority C. coalition D. one-party

2. A. majority B. alliance C. coalition D.
opposition
3. A. composition B. opponent C. component D. opposition
4. A. combination B. connection C. coalition D. unification
5. A. cabinet B. officer C. left-wing D. one-party state
6. A. cabinet minister B. majority C. prime minister D. president
7. A. good-wing B. left-wing C. bad-wing D. middle-wing
8. A. right-wing B. good-wing C. bad-wing D. middle-wing
17
9. A. argumentation B. solidarity C. alliance D. split
10. A. argumentation B. solidarity C. alliance D. split

18
Passage 5
TELEVISION

Mass 1_________ is a phrase often used to describe ways of giving information and entertainment to
very large numbers of people. It includes newspapers, advertising and radio and, of course, television.
In most countries people can 2_________ to any of three or four different 3_________. Do television
programs influence our minds? Do they 4_________ us? Is the news completely 5_________ (neutral)
or is it 6_________ (considered from one particular point of view)? Don’t the 7_________ for alcohol,
food and other goods condition our minds? Even the 8_________ going on week after week telling the
story of one family or group of people sometimes make us want to copy the life-style we see on the
screen. Also 9_________ which give people big prizes for answering simple questions can make us
greedy. Some programs are watched by tens of millions of 10_________. Despite the fast popularity
and development of the Internet, television is still a must in every household.

1. A. press B. information C. media D. entertainment

2. A. button B. switch C. control D. change
3. A. channels B. objectives C. buttons D. medias
4. A. indoctrinate B. switch C. treat D. motivate
5. A. subjective B. objective C. partial D. biased
6. A. objective B. subjective C. fair D. impartial
7. A. products B. publications C. commercials D. comments
8. A. movies B. documentaries C. commercials D. soap operas
9. A. documentaries B. soap operas C. commercials D. quiz shows
10. A. viewers B. spectators C. audience D. crowd

Passage 6
Scientists believe that they have made a 1 __________ breakthrough in fighting HIV- they have shown
what happens when an infection-fighting antibody attacks a 2 __________ in
3
HIV's  __________ defences.  Finding a vaccine against HIV has been very difficult because the
proteins on the surface of the virus are continually mutating, but they have shown an antibody, called
b12, attacking a weak spot of the virus where the protein is 4 __________.  The virus is able to 5
__________ rapidly to avoid 6__________ by the immune system, and is also covered in sugary
molecules which block access by antibodies.  7 __________, certain parts of the virus must remain 8
__________ unchanged so that it can catch hold of and enter human cells.  One protein that sticks out
from the surface of the virus and binds to receptors on host cells is one such region, which makes it a
target for vaccine development.
Previous analyses of the 9 __________ of people that have been able to keep HIV from developing into
AIDS for long periods of time 10__________ revealed a rare group of antibodies - including b12 - that
seem to fight HIV with some degree of success. The latest study showed how the antibody and the
protein interact.  Scientists hope that revealing the structure of this bond in such precise detail will
provide clues about how best to attack HIV. 
1. A. majority B. major C. solution D. final
2. A. gap B. space C. line D. shape
3. A. consider B. considerate C. considerably D. considerable
4. A. stable B. instability C. unstable D. stability
5. A. mutation B. mutant C. mutate D. mutating
6. A. detective B. detect C. detecting D. detection
7. A. Though B. However C. Also D. Even though
8. A. relatively B. relative C. relatives D. relation
9. A. bleed B. bleeding C. blood D. bloody
10. A. was B. has C. have D. were

19
Passage 7
The global recording industry has launched its largest wave of legal 1 __________ against people
suspected of sharing music files on the internet. The latest move by the International Federation of the
Phonographic Industry (IFPI) 2 __________   2,100 alleged uploaders using peer-to-peer (P2P)
networks in 16 nations 3__________   the UK, France, Germany and Italy. Thousands of people have
agreed to pay compensation since the campaign began. In the US, civil lawsuits have been brought
against more than 15,597 people 4 __________ September 2003 and there have been 3,590 settlements.
'This is a significant escalation of our enforcement actions against people who are uploading and
distributing5 __________   music on p2p networks,' said IFPI chief John Kennedy. 'Thousands of
people - mostly internet-savvy men in their 20s or 30s - have learnt to their 6__________   the legal
and financial risks involved in file-sharing copyrighted music in large quantities.' Individual cases are
generally brought by the national associations 7 __________ the recording industry, and in some cases
by the labels, as civil complaints. The UK record industry has so far brought 97 cases, with a 8
__________ 65 ______________by the latest action. More than 140,000 in _____________has been
paid to the British Phonographic Industry by 71 individuals.
1. A. action B. activity C. acting D. acts
2. A. Aimed B. targeted C. directed D. pointed
3. A. Such B. with C. including D. throughout
4. A. During B. throughout C. in D. since
5. A. copyrighted B. registered C. trademark D. illegal
6. A. benefit B. charge C. cost D. fortune
7. A. for B. working C. representing D. inside
8. A. newly B. addition C. further D. another
9. A. covering B. covered C. to cover D.be covered
10. A. compensation B. fund C. money D. cards

Passage 8
In the western customs 1_________ hands is the customary form of greeting, but in China a nod
of the head or 2_________ bow is sufficient. Hugging and kissing when greeting are uncommon.
Business cards are often 3_________ and yours should be printed in your own language and in
Chinese. Also, it is more respectful to present your card or a gift or -any other article using 4_________
hands. The Chinese are 5_________ applauders. You may be greeted with group clapping, even by
small children. When a person is applauded in this practice it is the custom for that person to return the
applause or a "thank you." When walking in public places, direct eye 6_________ and staring is
uncommon in the larger cities, especially in those areas accustomed to foreign visitors. 7_________, in
smaller communities, visitors may be the subject of much curiosity and therefore you may notice some
stares. 8_________ speaking, the Chinese are not a touch-oriented society, especially true for visitors.
So, avoid 9_________ or any prolonged form of body contact. Public displays of affection are very
rare. On the other hand, you may note people of the same sex walking hand-in-hand, which is simply a
gesture of friendship. Do not worry about a bit of pushing and shoving in stores or when groups board
public buses or trains. In this case, 10_________ are neither offered nor expected. The Chinese will
stand much closer than Westerners.
1. A. shaking B. giving C. holding D. moving
2. A. small B. slight C. immediate D. direct
3. A. asked B. shown C. passed D. exchanged
4. A. two B. both C. whole D. single
5. A. severe B. enthusiastic C. reserved D. calm
6. A. contact B. sight C. focus D. communication
7. A. While B. Otherwise C. Therefore D. However
8. A. Approximately B. Highly C. Generally D. Literally
9. A. to touch B. touching C. to be touched D. being touched
10. A. apologies B. thanks C. appreciations D. condolences

20
Passage 9
The name television comes from a Greek word meaning far and a Latin word meaning to see. Thus,
television 1_________ to see far. Television systems change the light and 2_________ waves from a
scene into electronic signals called electromagnetic waves. A television 3_________ receives these
signals and turns them back into pictures and sounds.
Experiments leading to the invention of TV began in the 1800’s, but the 4_________ was slow.
Television as we know it today was not developed until the 1920’s. It had little importance in
communication until the 5_________ 1940’s. During that time, television stations began local over-the-
air broadcasting, using electromagnetic waves to send 6_________ from a transmitter to antennas in
homes.
Most homes in industrialized nations have at 7_________ one television set. In the United States, for
example, a TV set is in use in each home for an 8_________ of seven hours a day. Because of its
widespread popularity, television has an important 9_________ on today’s culture, including how
people 10_________ their time and money, and what they see and learn.
1. A. is B. translates C. means D. herbivore
2. A. micro B. sound C. frequency D. radar
3. A. box B. part C. screen D. set
4. A. progress B. improvement C. benefit D. outcome
5. A. lateness B. lately C. late D. latest
6. A. films B. pictures C. signal D. programs
7. A. least B. most C. the least D. the most
8. A. estimate B. average C. calculation D. approximability
9. A. image B. role C. influence D. status
10. A. waste B. use C. save D. spend

Passage 10
Nespresso, began life in 1986 as a mail-order business 1_________ coffee capsules for espresso
machines that people use at home. Then it started selling coffee machines retailed through 2_________
selected shops, but the coffee was sold directly to people who joined Nespresso Club, a mail-order
business, 3_________ now gets half its sales online.
Nespresso's key outlets are divided between small bars in shops; large standalone boutiques; and the
latest boutique bars, 4_________ up to half the total area of 400-450 square metres is for drinking
coffee. The boutique concept 5_________ a critical role in developing customer interaction
6
_________ the brand - providing a place where customers can experience the ultimate coffee
experience. Nespresso does not plan 7_________ become an up market coffee chain and does not
expect 8_________ money from selling cups of coffee, 9_________ prices are high. But its CEO hopes
that once customers see how its coffee machines work, they will be 10_________ to buy them, and will
also purchase accessories such as coffee cups.
1. A. selling B. sold C. sell D. sells
2. A. careless B. careful C. carefully D. carelessly
3. A. that B. who C. which D. whose
4. A. why B. whose C. that D. where
5. A. keeps B. plays C. makes D. takes
6. A. between B. with C. to D. for
7. A. to B. for C. with D. into
8. A. making B. creating C. to create D. to make
9. A. however B. but C. even though D. because
10. A. decided B. avoided C. persuaded D. considered

21
Part II: Read the passage below and choose the correct answer for each question.

Passage 1
The Changing Face of Education
Despite a rapidly changing world where technology and globalisation have had an impact on
almost every possible corner of our lives, methods of education in the modern world haven’t really
been affected very much. In fact, the way young people learn in schools and colleges is remarkably
similar to when free, compulsory education for all, was first introduced. But what if getting an
education doesn’t just mean getting up and going to a school or college building and sitting in a
classroom reading books and listening to a teacher?
Although lessons are still held in classrooms, computers and technology have already started to
play a major role in modern education. This role can only grow as the power of computer memory
increases while the cost of computers drops. Computers can replace books, assist teaching, be used in
testing and provide teachers with a plentiful supply of teaching resources. Though they are already an
essential part of education, the day that they become the core tool for receiving an education cannot be
very far away. How long before they replace classrooms?
Possibly not that long at all if colleges and universities are anything to go by. Many universities
now offer online degree courses that are completed only over the Internet.
This means that it doesn’t matter where you are in the world, you can still have access to a
university education without moving to the country the university is in. What would happen if schools
offered the same learning opportunities too? Perhaps one of the main reasons why this type of learning
hasn’t taken off at school level, except in isolated areas, is because parents want their children to be
looked after while they are at work. As the world of work changes, it might not be long before it stops
being necessary for children physically to go to school.
Another benefit of getting away from traditional teaching methods and using technology more
and more as an educational tool is that it means that education in the future won’t just be something
that is mainly associated with the young. There will be much more opportunity for lifelong learning.
Imagine if, at any time of your life, you could just find the course you want to do on the internet and
do it whenever it suited you. You wouldn’t have to worry about giving up work or moving away from
your family in order to study. Having so much greater choice over how people study will make it
much more attractive to them, whatever their age. At the moment, one of the main stumbling blocks to
change is the teachers who have been trained to teach using traditional methods. Some of them may
find it hard to adapt to the kind of teaching where they need to give up books and the blackboard and
embrace tablet computers, smart phones and social media as positive teaching tools. Even harder will
be giving up on classrooms entirely and having little to no face-to-face contact with pupils or students.
However, it’s doubtful that any resistance to new ways of learning will last very long because there’s
just no getting away from the fact that the world is changing, technology is becoming more and more
central to our daily lives both at home and at work. So, why would education be the only part of our
lives that looks backwards to earlier times? In the end it won’t. Education and learning methods will
have to change in order to reflect the world and the lives we lead.
1. In the first paragraph the writer says that education ________.
A. hasn’t altered a great deal in recent decades
B. has been deeply affected by technology and globalisation
C. is exactly the same as when free education became available
D. no longer requires attending a school or college
2. The writer believes that computers and technology in education will ________.
A. only increase when computers get cheaper
B. one day become essential
C. drastically change all aspects of learning
D. give teachers a lot of extra work
3. The writer points out that online courses ________.
A. are now the main way to get a degree
B. need only a few lessons at the university
C. are the same all over the world
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 D. make it easier to get a university education
4. One advantage of the increasing use of technology in learning is that ________.
A. people of all ages will have greater access to education
B. young people won’t have to choose between work or study
C. people would worry less about passing exams
D. older people will use the internet a lot more
5. The writer believes some teachers may find it particularly difficult to ________.
A. get better training in the future
B. see anything positive in new teaching methods
C. accept that they won’t come into personal contact with students
D. admit that technology is changing the world

Passage 2
RETHINK RUBBISH @ HOME
Come on, admit it. We’ve all got clothes in our wardrobe that we haven’t worn for years and
we know we’ll never wear again. Taking your old clothes to the local charity shop or recycling bin is a
great way of getting rid of a load of rubbish and creating extra space at the same time! And it’s all for a
good cause. Charities such as The Salvation Army, Oxfam, TRAID and Scope are big collectors of old
clothes, either through charity shops and recycling banks or for sorting and selling on, often abroad.
Buying second-hand clothes is now definitely in vogue too, with dedicated followers of fashion
such as Kylie and Geri Halliwell leading the way. Vintage boutiques offer ranges of designer classics,
but can be a bit on the expensive side, so why not raid your local charity shop to pick up a real
bargain? You can create your own distinct look and feel good about your recycling effort.
Hate junk mail? Around one million tonnes of junk mail and magazines get binned each year!
But it’s easy to cut down on the rubbish in your bin by registering with the Mailing Preference Service.
Send them your details and they’ll make sure that you don’t receive piles of unwanted offers and
advertisements through your letterbox.
A massive 60% of the contents of your dustbin can be recycled. So why not give your bin a
break and drop off your paper, card, glass bottles, jars and cans at the recycling banks located at most
supermarkets? By doing this, you’ll reduce your household waste by nearly one third!
Did you know that if you’re really clever, there’s £34 million worth of empty aluminum drink
cans in the UK just waiting to be collected and recycled? The reason is that aluminum is really
valuable and the sort that’s made into the billions of drinks cans we see on our supermarket shelves
can be recycled and used time and time again to make new drinks cans.
We produce over 26 million tonnes of household rubbish in the UK every year, so there’s plenty
of scope for us to Rethink Rubbish in the home! By thinking about the types of goods we buy, how we
use them and where we dispose of them, we can dramatically reduce the amount of rubbish our homes
produce. Whilst we can’t get rid of rubbish altogether, there are hundreds of ways in which we can cut
down on what we throw away. So, whether we’re recycling, finding new uses for ‘junk’ or simply
reducing what we create in the first place, with a little effort, we can all make our homes cleaner and
greener!
1 The writer suggests that getting rid of old clothes can ________.
A. benefit you and other people
B. only be done through recycling bins
C. cause a problem with rubbish
D. save you time
2 What does the writer say about buying clothes second-hand?
A. It is expensive and you can end up being a fashion victim.
B. All of today’s top stars do it.
C. You save money, look different and it helps with recycling.
D. It is a fashionable thing to do but ordinary people can’t afford it.
3 The Mailing Preference Service ________.
A. keeps you informed about environmental issues
B. collects paper from your home to be recycled
23
 C. provides your details to advertisers
D. helps you to reduce the amount of rubbish you throw away
4 What does the figure of £34 million represent?
A. The cost of recycling all the drinks cans in the UK.
B. The amount spent on soft drinks each year in the UK.
C. The annual cost of the aluminum used to make drinks cans.
D. The amount spent by supermarkets on recycling schemes.
5 What point does the writer make in the last paragraph?
A. Nobody tries to reduce the amount of rubbish they produce.
B. There are many ways to reduce the amount of rubbish we produce.
C. If we follow this advice, we will have no rubbish at all.
D. Our homes are too dirty because of all the rubbish.

Passage 3
GOING ON A DIET?
If someone tells you they’re going on a diet, the chances are you’ll imagine they’re trying to
lose weight. In fact, weight-loss diets are only one type of dieting. Some sports players, for example,
might go on a weight-gain diet, with the aim of increasing their body mass and, by extension, their
strength. Patients who have lost weight through illness may also embark on a weight-gain diet. Their
aim differs from the athlete in that they’re attempting to return to their previous levels of muscle and
body fat, rather than aiming to increase their normal personal levels. Actors may also decide to go on a
weight-gain diet to play a particular role. Robert De Niro, for example, is well known for greatly
increasing his weight to play certain characters - he gained more than 27 kilograms to play the older La
Motta in the film Raging Bull.
At the end of filming, De Niro presumably changed his eating patterns to reduce his weight. In
effect, he went on a weight-loss diet. Weight-loss diets generally limit the amount of certain foods, or
food in general, in order to reduce body mass. Despite what many people think, this reduction is not
just a reduction in fat, however. Weight loss is usually a combination of a loss in muscle, water and
fat. Indeed, some dieters lose weight without losing much fat at all. An overweight person dieting
should aim to lose fat rather than muscle. Some dieters therefore have to restrict their muscle loss by
doing push-ups, lifting weights and making sure they get enough protein (which is required to build
muscle).
Protein is just one of the essential nutrients our bodies need. We also need fats, vitamins,
minerals and water. A diet that doesn’t provide these nutritional requirements can be damaging to our
physical well-being. In general, then, the most sensible weight-loss diet is an adapted standard
balanced diet - adapted in the sense that the size of portions is reduced, and some foods are substituted
for others (for example, full-fat milk is replaced with skimmed milk, or sugar is replaced with artificial
sweetener).
Although some overweight people are overweight because of their metabolism, others are
overweight simply because they eat too much. For this reason, some diets focus on the psychological
aspect of weight-loss, with the aim of reducing the desire to overeat. Some foods, for example high-
fibre vegetables, have been shown to effectively ‘obtain satiation’, or, in other words, to create a
feeling of fullness and loss of appetite. Drinking water and exercising are also effective in reducing the
appetite. For some diets, doctors prescribe drugs such as ephedrine to help suppress the appetite. Some
dieters join a weight-loss group in their attempt to lose weight. Some of these groups, such as
Overeaters Anonymous, are nonprofit organisations. Others, such as Weight Watchers, are commercial
concerns. Groups differ in their aims - some offer special menus, some provide their own brand of
prepared food, and others focus mainly on providing emotional support and giving practical
information.
Of course, there are also a large number of named weight-loss diets to choose from. The weight-
loss diet book is a multi-million pound industry in its own right. These diets tend to go in and out of
fashion, and are frequently promoted by celebrities, their creators, or both. Many of these diets - the
Atkins Diet being a prime example - are controversial, in that the medical and scientific community
becomes divided over how effective and healthy the diet actually is. Before starting one of these diets,
24
the golden rule is to find out as much about it as possible. The internet is a valuable source of
information, and your local GP can also advise you whether a particular diet is suitable for your needs.
1 How do the weight-gain diets of sports players and patients differ?
A. Sports players, unlike patients, focus on their own personal weight levels
B. Sports players, unlike patients, are interested in increasing their strength.
C. Patients try to increase muscle and body fat, rather than just muscle.
D. Patients try to get back weight they have lost rather than put on extra weight.
2 According to the writer, a lot of people wrongly believe that ________.
A. you shouldn’t aim to reduce your body fat in a weight-loss diet.
B. the only effect of eating less is a decrease in the amount of body fat.
C. successful weight loss comes through losing muscle, water and fat.
D. if you eat less, your body may actually lose muscle rather than fat.
3 Some dieters do push-ups, according to the writer, to ensure that ________.
A. they have enough protein in their bodies.
B. their muscles aren’t restricted in anyway.
C. they don’t lose muscle instead of fat.
D. they are able to lift heavy weights.
4 How does Weight Watchers differ from Overeaters Anonymous?
A. Weight Watchers is more worried about advertising.
B. Weight Watchers is a business that tries to make a profit.
C. Overeaters Anonymous is less successful at making money.
D. Overeaters Anonymous isn’t interested in helping individuals.
5 According to the writer, what is the Atkins Diet a good example of?
A. a diet that was in fashion but isn’t any more
B. a diet that was promoted by celebrities
C. a diet that all scientists agree is very good
D. a diet that some doctors do not recommend

Passage 4
Don’t go on Holiday!
Dawn Lanare takes a good look at some of the reasons not to travel this summer.
Yes, I’m being completely serious. Travel can broaden the mind but that’s not likely on a two-
week holiday. Let me tell you why.
It’s summertime again and you’re planning to pack your bags and take off for a package holiday
for two weeks in the sun. It’s a chance to relax, recharge your batteries and enjoy yourself. But if
you’re honest with yourself, is it really such a good idea? Think about all the holidays you’ve had in
the past few years. What were they really like?
For a start, there is the stress of travelling. The actual getting to and returning from our chosen
destination is usually stressful and tiring. Airports are always in the middle of nowhere and take hours
to get to. It’s also expensive to get to them, too. Then there’s the fact that you have to be at the airport
at least an hour before your departure, which adds more hours to all the travel. Let’s not forget, either,
that even a short hop to the nearest sunny resort is going to take at least a couple of hours and, during
the main holiday season, delays and strikes can mean getting stuck at the airport. All too often, by the
time you get to your holiday destination, you’ll be too tired and miserable to enjoy your first day there.
One of the reasons we convince ourselves that going abroad is a good idea is because we want to
learn something about the place we’re going to visit. We might go sightseeing around museums and
archaeological sites and we hope we will absorb some of the culture of the place while we’re there.
But we’re just fooling ourselves. It simply isn’t possible to learn anything meaningful about a culture
in just two weeks. We might learn a few words of the language and try some new food but we’re not
even so much as scratching the surface of a country’s culture when we spend most of our time in a
resort, sitting on a beach with hundreds of other tourists.
Now I don’t want to make you all feel too downhearted but there’s no getting away from facts. In
short, mass tourism is of very little value to local communities and their environments. Package
holidays are sold to us as a wonderful opportunity to see the world cheaply, but we are being cheated.
25
We spend two weeks away from home in a resort where we will hardly get a chance to see what life in
the country we are visiting is like and where our presence is more likely to do harm than good.
It’s not that I’m completely against all travel, not at all. What I’m against is the form of mass
tourism that has developed in the 21st century. I think we should go back to the days when travel was a
leisurely pursuit, when people would spend months getting to know a place, learning the language and
soaking up the culture. Unfortunately, this form of travel isn’t possible for most of us as we only get a
couple of weeks off in the summer. But if you ever do get the chance to really spend time in another
country, then you should jump at it.
1 When the writer advises people not to go on holiday, she ________.
A. is being dishonest B. just joking C. really means it D. is being unkind
2 According to the writer, airports are ________.
A. expensive B. difficult to get to C. badly organized D. difficult to find
3 The writer thinks that a two-week holiday ________.
A. is a good opportunity to go to museums
B. can help you learn a new language
C. isn’t long enough to learn about a country
D. gives people a chance to meet other tourists
4 The writer says that mass tourism ________.
A. benefits local people B. is a good way to travel cheaply
C. has few benefits D. is a way of stealing tourists’ money
5 On the whole, the writer believes that people should ________.
A. never travel abroad B. only travel if they have to
C. take holidays in their own country D. avoid mass tourism

Passage 5
Everyone is nervous when they go to an interview for a new job. But, being well-prepared for
the interview can really reduce your stress level when you walk in the door to the interview room. One
way to prepare for an interview is to think about the typical questions interviewers ask. If you know
which questions are likely to come up in the interview, you can prepare your answers beforehand.
Then, when you are talking with the interviewer, you will make a much better impression.
Probably the most frequently asked question in any job interview is not really a question at all.
It is the request, “Tell me about yourself.” The interviewer’s purpose in asking this question is to elicit
information related to work and related to the job opening. Some people make the mistake of taking
this request literally, and answering by giving their life history. In fact, the best points to focus on
when answering this question are past work experience, education, and extracurricular activities. Of
these three, in most cases work experience carries a lot more weight than where you went to school or
the clubs you were involved in.
Another very common question that comes up in interviews is “Why do you want to work for
this company?” A surefire way to get your name crossed off the candidate list for a job is by not
having an answer to this question. If you don’t have an answer ready for this question, you are letting
the interviewer know that you haven’t done much research about the company or the job you are
interviewing for. Candidates who can give detailed answers about the perceived benefits of working
for a particular company make a much better impression on interviewers. Some good things to brush
up on before an interview are the company’s philosophy, goals, products, organizational structure, and
so forth.
Two other questions that many people find difficult in interviews are “What are your
strengths?” and “What is your biggest weakness?” People have a hard time answering the first
question because it feels like boasting in some ways. But an interview is no time to be shy or modest!
The second question poses a problem because the answer needs to be a weakness that sounds like a
strength. For example, you could answer that sometimes you work too hard, especially trying to make
up work that a colleague is having trouble with or has not done. A good tip to keep in mind is to
mention how you are trying to improve this weakness. For example, you could say that when you
realize you are doing the work of others, you stop and ask yourself if there is a better way to help out
your coworker.
26
 Along with considering these common interview questions, it is also helpful to bear in mind the
types of questions that should not be asked during an interview. In many Western countries, in
particular there are laws that restrict the kinds of questions that employers can ask. For instance,
questions related to ethnicity, family, health, or religion are generally off limits in an interview.
Sometimes interviewers may slip up and ask questions along these lines before the official interview
begins as a way to break the ice. In such cases, you can decide how to respond if you don’t feel
comfortable giving the interviewer such personal information, simply don’t.
A final suggestion for preparing for an interview is to go into the interview with your own
questions to ask. By asking the interviewer questions about the company or about the position, you are
showing interest and enthusiasm for the job. Stay alert during the interview for opportunities to
naturally bring up one of the questions you have prepared. Usually it is a good idea to write down five
questions you would like to ask, but don’t be surprised if you can’t ask all or any of them in the
interview.
1 What is the passage mainly about?
A. actions to avoid during an interview
B. embarrassing interview experiences
C. body language that interviewers watch for
D. typical interview questions and responses
2 When asked to tell about yourself, what should be your main focus?
A. your family B. your hobbies
C. your past jobs D. kinds of work you enjoy
3 Which is NOT something that is important to know before an interview?
A. how the company plans to grow or change
B. the company’s philosophy
C. the background of the interviewer
D. the different departments of the company and how they relate to each other
4 According to the passage, which type of question is inappropriate for an interviewer to ask?
A. How many children do you have?
B. Where did you last work?
C. What is one of your weak points?
D. Why do you want to work for this company?
5 Why should you prepare your own questions before the interview?
A. to let the interviewer know your strong points
B. to make the interview last longer
C. to help the interviewer feel relaxed
D. to seem enthusiastic

Passage 6
Almost everyone accepts the fact that crime can never be wiped out entirely. Thus, control of
crime becomes the focus of police and governments around the world. The question lawmakers must
answer is, “Which system of criminal punishment works best for society?” Each country has
developed its own ideas for solutions to this question, and these solutions then determine how
criminals are punished under different systems. However; there are four main ideas behind the
punishment of criminals, none of which has proven 100 percent effective. These are deterrence,
retribution, rehabilitation, and incapacitation.
The aim of deterrence is to prevent people from committing crimes by making the penalties
more severe than any benefit that might come from committing a crime. This theory aims to deter
criminal from repeating a crime in the future. These systems also try to deter others in society by using
the criminal as an example of what can happen to a person if he or she is caught committing crimes.
Some systems look only to get retribution, or revenge, against criminals. Retributive theories of
punishment are behind the ancient expression, “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.” This idea of
getting even is the oldest form of justice. It says that a criminal who causes a victim to suffer should be
made to suffer him- or herself.

27
 Rehabilitation is another philosophy by which many systems of punishment operate. The goal
of these systems is to return a former criminal to society after a required period of treatment and
training, usually in prison. The idea is to try to help change the person’s behavior and attitude so that
he or she becomes a law-abiding citizen. A major problem with the current system of rehabilitation in
the United States is that most criminals return to crime after they have supposedly been rehabilitated.
Two-thirds of those released from prison each year are re-arrested within three years. As a result, many
people feel that rehabilitation of criminals just doesn’t work.
A goal of criminal punishments involving imprisonment is incapacitation. This refers to the
removing of the criminal from society by placing them in prison, where they are physically incapable
of reoffending. This type of punishment is displayed in the “three strikes and you’re out laws of
California, where a criminal who has repeatedly committed crimes, and has been convicted of serious
crimes three times, is imprisoned for the rest of his or her life.
Imprisonment as a form of punishment is used in all countries of the world. In 2003, there were
an estimated 8.75 million prisoners around the world. The country with the largest prison population,
by far, is the United States, with around two million people behind bars.
The most extreme form of punishment is capital punishment, in which the criminal is executed,
or put to death. Today, capital punishment is still used in eighty-three countries, usually for severe
crimes such as murder; rape, kidnapping, and treason. Another seventy-six countries have done away
with it completely. In others, capital punishment remains only officially in law books but is rarely used
- fifteen countries have capital punishment, but only enforce it during war time, while twenty-one
countries, despite officially retaining the death penalty, never enforce it.
Many people feel that society is becoming more dangerous, and that rates of crime are increasing. In a
recent survey in the United Kingdom, almost two-thirds of respondents felt that crime had increased in
the previous two years. However, actual crime figures revealed that crime had decreased nine percent
on the previous year and was actually at its lowest rate in two decades. Why is there such a
discrepancy between perceived crime rates and actual crime rates? Many people point the finger at the
media. They think that the media’s heavy focus on crimes, particularly violent or sensational ones, has
led people to believe that crime rates are rocketing.
1 What is NOT discussed in this passage?
A. theories behind the punishment of criminals
B. different ways of punishing criminals
C. arguments against capital punishment
D. ways in which punishments vary in different countries
2 The fact that many criminals reoffend is a major argument against _________.
A. deterrence B. retribution C. rehabilitation D. incapacitation
3 In some ancient societies, a man who accidentally killed another man’s child would have his
own child put to death. This is an example of _________.
A. deterrence B. retribution C. rehabilitation. D. incapacitation
4 How many countries around the world have the death penalty, at least in theory?
A. 76 B. 119 C. 98 D. 83
5 What did the survey performed in the United Kingdom reveal?
A. The media tend not to report violent crime.
B. Most people’s impression of crime rates is mistaken.
C. Britain is safer now than at any time in the past.
D. Crime rates have been increasing over the last two years.

Passage 7
THE NATURE OF RISK
A diver descends into an underwater cave, a scientist researches a dangerous disease, and an
entrepreneur’ invests in a new business.
Each time we try something new, we take a risk. Sometimes, like the diver or the businessman,
we take big risks, usually for obvious reasons - for fame, for money, or to save lives. Most people will
take some risk to achieve one of these goals. But as the danger increases, the number of people willing

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to go forward decreases. Only extreme risk-takers continue on. The question is: What exactly drives
these people to go on when others would stop?
The Biology of Risk
To answer this question, scientists are studying the biological factors involved in risk-taking.
Their research focuses on certain chemicals in the brain. An important chemical in risk-taking is
dopamine. It motivates us to seek out and learn new things, and it helps us process emotions like
anxiety and fear. People whose brains don’t produce enough dopamine often lack motivation and
interest in life. “On the other hand, someone who takes risks to accomplish something – to climb a
mountain or start a company - that’s driven by motivation, and motivation is driven by dopamine,”
says Larry Zweifel, a neurobiologist at the University of Washington. “It’s what compels humans to
move forward.”
When we accomplish a task, dopamine produces a feeling of satisfaction; it makes us feel
good. The riskier the task, the more dopamine we produce, and the better we feel. Given this, why isn’t
everyone trying to climb mountains or start businesses? In part, it’s because of small molecules called
autoreceptors. These receptors control dopamine use in the brain. A person with more autoreceptors
tends to be more careful, as there is less dopamine moving freely around his or her brain. Think of
dopamine like gasoline,” says neuropsychologist David Zald. The autoreceptors, on the other hand, are
like the brakes on a car. A person who is less able to use brakes is more likely to take risks.
Dealing with Fear
Dopamine production may make us feel good, but being in a high-risk situation for an extended
period of time is also stressful and can be dangerous. Successful risk-takers must learn to deal with the
fear associated with high-risk situations to reduce stress and stay safe.
In reality, adapting to risk is something we all learn to do. Take, for example, learning to drive
a car. At first, a new driver may be afraid to travel on freeways. In time, though, as the driver gains
experience, he or she will move comfortably into speeding traffic and will worry less about the danger.
Similarly, a tightrope walker first learns to walk on a beam on the ground. Later, he or she moves to a
rope just off the ground, and then finally to the high wire. By this point, the tightrope walker is in
control and the activity doesn’t feel dangerous. By practicing a challenging activity, humans can
become used to the risk, manage the danger, and control the fear that they feel in those situations.
The work that marine biologist and deep-sea diver Rhian Waller does illustrates this well. She
studies life in some of the deepest and coldest waters on Earth. How does Waller control her fear and
stay safe in these high-risk situations? “It comes with practice,” she says. It’s knowing exactly what to
do when something goes wrong. “We prepare well for each of our expeditions, and we try to minimize
the number of risks we take.”
Of course, a person doesn’t have to be a tightrope walker or a deep-sea diver to be a risk-taker.
Taking risks is part of being human. We are all motivated to experience new things. In order to do so,
we have to take chances and, of course, we may fail. But with enough practice, we might also succeed.
1 According to the article, what is a common reason for people to take large risks?
A. a desire for fame B. a lack of dopamine
C. to control motivation D. to learn new things
2 What is one of the main functions of dopamine?
A. It allows us to talk. B. It allows us to be alert.
C. It helps us process emotions. D. It makes us fear dangerous situations.
3 What do autoreceptors do?
A. They make us less careful. B. They make us feel better.
C. They control dopamine in our brain. D. They connect molecules in our brain.
4 What is the purpose of paragraph 5?
A. to show why driving and tightrope walking are such risky activities
B. to give examples of how practicing a risky activity can reduce fear of it
C. to illustrate how some people are attracted to risky activities while others aren’t
D. to explain why some activities are riskier and more dangerous than others
5 What can we infer about marine biologist Rhian Waller?
A. She has learned to adapt to risk.
B. She has been afraid of the ocean for most of her life.
29
 C. She prefers to do her job when there is danger involved.
D. She thinks it is impossible to prepare for most risks.

Passage 8
THE POWER OF COLOUR
Thinkers, artists, and scientists have long debated the nature of color: What are its origins, and
how does it affect us?
Early humans watched their fires blacken the ceilings of the caves where they lived. They saw
blue and red in the sky and brown and green on the ground. In time, people began to understand that
color not only made the world more beautiful, it was also able to convey emotion and symbolize
power. Using colors they extracted from insects, plants, and minerals, primitive humans copied
animals, painting their bodies to signal aggression toward an enemy or to attract a mate.
Over the centuries, the sources of colors such as blue, purple, and red were carefully guarded
and were often worth as much as gold. In the 19 th century, a young chemistry student became the first
to manufacture a synthetic dye, and suddenly the world became a much more colorful place. By the
20th century, as scientists discovered the psychological effects of colors, everyone from advertisers to
educators found ways to make use of color to influence our feelings and behavior.
Red
Red, the color of human blood, has traditionally symbolized intensity, fire, love, and anger. In
Eastern cultures, it also represents luck, wealth, and success. In humans, the color red can send
different messages. Some people redden, for example, when they are angry or embarrassed, sending a
clear signal to others about how they are feeling. British anthropologists Russell Hill and Robert
Barton of the University of Durham found that when opponents in a game are equally matched, the
team dressed in red is more likely to win. Why? According to Barton, “red seems to be the color,
across species, that signals dominance” - giving those dressed in red an advantage in sporting events.
In many animal species (including humans), contact with this bold color causes the heart rate to
accelerate. However, one of red’s lighter shades, pink, can have the opposite effect on people. Men in
prisons are reported to be more passive when the walls are painted a specific shade of pink.
Humans have also used the color red in everything from politics to advertising. Many food products in
the U.S., for example, are packaged in red containers. Why? The color makes the product look as if it
is advancing toward a shopper.
Blue
Blue, the color of sky and sea, has long been associated in many cultures with water, holy or
religious objects, and protection against evil. Over the years, darker shades of the color have also come
to represent calm, stability, and power. Dark blue, for example, is the color of the business suit or
police uniform; it tells others, “I am in control” or “You can trust me.” In other cultures, blue has been
associated with sadness. It’s common in English, for example, when feeling sad or depressed, to talk
about “feeling blue”, while in Iran, blue is the color of mourning, worn when a person dies.
Like pink, blue has a neutral, calming effect on people. Rooms painted blue help people relax or
sleep. (Sleeping pills are often colored blue to suggest exactly this idea.) The color also seems to
inhibit hunger. Blue food is rarely seen in nature, and when it is, such food is usually no longer healthy
to consume (with the exception of certain fruits like blueberries). Thus, eating off blue plates may
reduce one’s hunger. So if you’re planning to lose weight, try adding a blue light to your refrigerator -
it will make the food inside look less appetizing. It’s just one more example of the power that color can
hold over us.
1 What is this reading mainly about?
A. how color influences our lives
B. the various sources for extracting color
C. how views about color have changed
D. how certain colors can have a calming effect
2 The first non-natural colors were produced _______.
A. many centuries ago B. in the 19th century
C. in the 20th century D. only recently
3 According to the passage, which color can give sports team a competitive advantage?
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 A. black B. yellow C. blue D. red
4 In the last paragraph, this idea refers to _______.
A. inhibiting hunger B. blue food C. relaxation D. painting rooms
5 According to the passage, what do the colors pink and blue have in common?
A. They both have a calming effect. B. They both make people less hungry.
C. They both express sadness. D. They both represent power.

Passage 9
History books record that the first film with sound was The Jau Singer in 1927. But sound
films, or “talkies”, did not suddenly appear after years of silent screenings. From the earliest public
performances in 1896, films were accompanied by music and sound effects. These were produced by a
single pianist, a small band, or a full-scale orchestra; large movie theaters could buy sound-effects
machines.
Research into sound that was reproduced at exactly the same time as the pictures – called
“synchronized sound” – began soon after the very first films were shown. With synchronized sound,
characters on the movie screen could sing and speak. As early as 1896, the newly invented
gramophone, which played a large disc carrying music and dialogue, was used as a sound system. The
biggest disadvantage was that the sound and pictures could become unsynchronized if, for example,
the gramophone needle jumped or if the speed of the projector changed. This system was only
effective for a single song or dialogue sequence.
In the “sound-on-film” system, sounds were recorded as a series of marks on celluloid which
could be read by an optical sensor. These signals would be placed on the film alongside the image,
guaranteeing synchronization. Short feature films were produced in this way as early as 1922. This
system eventually brought us “talking pictures”.
1. The passage is mainly about the ______.
A. development of sound with movies B. research into reproduction
C. disadvantages of synchronized sound D. history of silent movies
2. According to the passage, films using sound effects were screened ______.
A. in 1927 B. as early as 1896 C. as early as 1922 D. before 1896
3. It can be inferred that ______.
A. orchestras couldn’t synchronize sound with the pictures
B. sound-effects machines were not common because they were expensive
C. gramophones were developed about the same time as moving pictures
D. most movie theaters had a pianist
4. According to the passage, gramophones were ineffective because they ______.
A. were too large for most movie theaters
B. got out of synchronization with the picture
C. were newly invented and still bad imperfections
D. changed speeds when the needle jumped
5. According to the passage, sound-on-film guaranteed synchronization because the recording was
_________.
A. read by an optical sensor B. made during the filming of the picture
C. inserted beside the image on the film D. marked on the gramophone

Passage 10
Telecommunicating is a form of computer communication between employees’ homes and
offices. For employees whose jobs involve sitting at a terminal or word processor entering data or
typing reports, the location of the computer is of no consequence. If the machine can communicate
over telephone lines, when the work is completed, employees can dial the office computer from a
distant site and transmit the material to their employers. A recent survey in USA Today estimates that
there are approximately 8.7 million telecommuters. But although the numbers are rising annually, the
trend does not appear to be as significant as predicted when Business Week published "The Portable
Executive" as its cover story a few years ago. Why hasn't telecommuting become more popular?

31
 Clearly, change simply takes time. But in addition, there has been active resistance on the part
of many managers. These executives claim that supervising the telecommuters in a large work force
scattered across the country would be too difficult, or, at least, systems for managing them are not yet
developed, thereby complicating the manager's responsibilities.
It is also true that employees who are given the option of telecommuting are often reluctant to
accept the opportunity. Most people feel that they need regular interaction with a group, and many are
concerned that they will not have the same consideration for advancement if they are not more visible
in the office setting. Some people feel that even when a space in their homes is set aside as a work
area, they never really get away from the office.
1. The author mentions all of the following as concerns of telecommuters EXCEPT_____.
A. the lack of interaction with a group B. the different system of supervision
C. the fact that the work space is in the home D. the opportunities for advancement
2. How many American workers are involved in telecommuting?
A. More than 8 million B. More than predicted in Business Week
C. Fewer than estimated in USA Today D. Fewer than last year
3. It can be inferred from the passage that the author is _______.
A. the manager of a group of telecommuters B. a reporter
C. a telecommuter D. a statistician
4. The word "resistance" could best be replaced by_______.
A. participation B. consideration C. opposition D. alteration
5. Which of the following is the main topic of the passage?
A. A definition of telecommuting B. The advantages of telecommuting
C. An overview of telecommuting D. The failure of telecommuting

Passage 11
Because writing has become so important in our culture, we sometimes think of it as more real
than speech. A little thought, however, will show why speech is primary and writing is secondary to
language. Human beings have been writing (as far as we can tell from surviving evidence) for at least
5000 years; but they have been talking for much longer, doubtless ever since there have been human
beings.
When writing did develop, it was derived from and represented speech, although imperfectly.
Even today, there are spoken languages that have no written form. Furthermore, we all learn to talk
well before we learn to write; any human child who is not severely handicapped physically or mentally
will learn to talk: a normal human being cannot be prevented from doing so. On the other hand, it takes
a special effort to learn to write; in the past many intelligent and useful members of society did not
acquire the skill, and even today many who speak languages with writing systems never learn to read
or write, while some who learn the rudiments of those skills do so only imperfectly.
To affirm the primacy of speech over writing is not, however, to disparage the latter. One
advantage writing has over speech is that it is more permanent and makes possible the records that any
civilization must have. Thus, if speaking makes us human, writing makes us civilized.
1. In the passage, the author judges that_______.
A. writing has more advantages than speech
B. speech is essential but writing has important benefits
C. speech conveys ideas less accurately than writing does
D. writing is more real speech.
2. The following statements are true EXCEPT_______.
A. writing was derived from speech B. we can talk before we can write
C. every spoken language has written form D. men have been writing for at least 5000 years
3. The word “doubtless” in the passage mostly means_______.
A. almost certainly B. almost uncertainly
C. almost impossibly D. almost doubtfully
4. In order show that learning to write requires effort, the author gives the example of............
A. intelligent who could not write B. people who learn the rudiments of speech
C. people who speak many languages D. severely handicapped children
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5. According to the passage, writing_______.
A. is imperfect, but less so than speech B. is represented perfectly by speech
C. represents speech, but not perfectly D. developed from imperfect speech

Passage 12
Psychologists have debated a long time about whether a child’s upbringing can give it the
ability to do outstandingly well. Some think that it is impossible to develop genius and say that it is
simply something a person is born with. Others, however, argue that the potential for great
achievement can be developed. The truth lies somewhere between these two extremes.
It seems very obvious that being born with the right qualities from gifted parents will increase a
child’s ability to do well. However, this ability will be fully realized only with the right upbringing and
opportunities. As one psychologist says, “To have a fast car, you need both a good engine and fuel.”
Scientists have recently assessed intelligence, achievement, and ability in 50 sets of identical
twins that were separated shortly after birth and brought up by different parents. They found that
achievement was based on intelligence, and later influenced by the child’s environment.
One case involving very intelligent twins was quoted. One of the twins received a normal
upbringing, and performed well. The other twin, however, was brought up by extremely supportive
parents and given every possible opportunity to develop its abilities. That twin, though starting out
with the same degree of intelligence as the other, performed even better.
This case reflects the general principle of intelligence and ability. The more favorable the
environment, the more a child’s intelligence and ability are developed.
1 The word “others” used in the first paragraph refers to .
A. other people B. other scientists C. other children D. other geniuses
2 When scientists studied intelligence and ability in twins, they found that .
A. ability depends mainly on intelligence and achievement
B. intelligence and development are irrelevant to ability
C. ability depends both on intelligence and on environment
D. different twins generally have different levels of ability.
3 Scientists chose twins for their study because .
A. each twin has the same environment as his/her twin
B. they are born into the same family, hence the same upbringing
C. they have the same economic background and hence the same opportunities
D. they have the same genetic background, usually with similar intelligence
4 The writer advises that gifted children should be allowed to follow .
A. their own interests B. their parent’s interests
C. only their interests in musical instruments D. only their interests in computer games
5 The remark: “To have a fast car, you need both a good engine and fuel.” in the passage means
that in order to become a genius .
A. you need to have good health and good nourishment
B. you need intelligence and you need to develop it
C. you should try to move quickly and efficiently
D. you must nourish your brain and train your muscles hard

Passage 13
The goal of Internet-based encyclopedia Wikipedia (www.wikipedia.org) is to give everyone on
the planet access to information. Like other encyclopedias, Wikipedia contains lots of information:
more than 2.5 million articles in 200 different languages covering just about every subject. Unlike
other encyclopedias, however, Wikipedia is not written by experts, but by ordinary people. These
writers are not paid and their names are not published. They contribute to Wikipedia simply because
they want to share their knowledge.
Encyclopedias began in ancient times as collections of writings about all aspects of human
knowledge. The word itself comes from ancient Greek, and means “a complete general education”.
Real popularity for encyclopedias came in the nineteenth century in Europe and the United States, with
the publication of encyclopedias written for ordinary readers. At first, Wikipedia, the brainchild of
33
Jimmy Wales, a businessman in Chicago, was not so different from these. In 2001, he had the idea for
an Internet-based encyclopedia that would provide information quickly and easily to everyone.
Furthermore, that information would be available free, unlike other Internet encyclopedias at that time.
But Wales, like everyone else, believed that people with special knowledge were needed to write
the articles, and so he began by hiring experts. He soon changed his approach; however, as it took
them a long time to finish their work. He decided to open up the encyclopedia in a radical new way, so
that everyone would have access not only to the information, but also to the process of putting this
information online.
1. Wikipedia is a(n) __________ .
A. book B. journal C. article D. dictionary
2. Wikipedia is written by___________.
A. paid written B. millionaires C. normal people D. world experts
3. The phrase “these writers” in the first paragraph refers to _______.
A. ordinary readers B. ordinary people
C. encyclopedia experts D. every subject
4. The phrase “the word” in the second paragraph refers to ________.
A. knowledge B. encyclopedia C. writing D. collection
5. We can say that Jimmy Wales _______.
A. became very famous after the formation of Wikipedia
B. is the father of Wikipedia
C. made a great profit from Wikipedia
D. decides who can use Wikipedia

Passage 14
The diseases that are afflicting the Western societies have undergone dramatic changes. In the course
of a century, so many mass killers have vanished that two-thirds of all deaths are now associated with the
diseases of old age. Those who died young are more often than not the victims of accidents, violence and
suicide.
These changes in public health are generally equated with progress and are attributed to more or
better medical care. In fact, there is no evidence of any direct relation between changing disease patterns and
the so-called progress of medicine. The importance of services to change life expectancy and the
insignificance of much contemporary clinical care in the curing of disease are all obvious, well documented
and well-repressed.
Neither the proportion of doctors in a population, nor the clinical tools at their disposal, nor the
number of hospital beds, are causal factors in the striking changes in overall patterns of disease. The new
techniques available to recognize and treat such conditions as pernicious anemia and hypertension, or to
correct congenital malformation by surgical interventions, increase our understanding of disease but do not
reduce its incidence. The fact that there are more doctors where certain diseases have become rare has little to
do with their ability to control or eliminate them. It simply means that doctors deploy themselves as they like,
more so than other professionals, and that they tend to gather where the climate is healthy, where the water is
clean, and where people work and can pay for their services.
1. The passage argues that ___________.
A. Western societies are facing many mass-killers.
B. Accidents kill many people at once
C. the most common cause of deaths in Western societies is old age
D. Violence results from modern life styles
2. The writer claims that evidence of medicine’s inadequacies ___________.
A. is widely accepted B. has been destroyed
C. has been kept quiet D. should not be publicized
3. The author thinks that the presence of a large numbers of doctors in a community ___________.
A. disguises the true facts about disease B. improves the overall quality of life
C. does not have much effect on disease D. controls the spread of disease
4. Many doctors choose to live where ___________.
A. they are most needed B. conditions discourage disease
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 C. they can be near the colleagues D. research facilities are available
5. What is the author’s attitude to developments in medicine?
A. cautious B. indifferent C. matter- of - fact D. cynical

Passage 15
Did you know that if you want your pet cat to live as long as possible you should choose an
ordinary female cat, keep a close eye on her in spring and summer, and make sure that she is not black
or black and white? It has been discovered that male cats wander further from home, and of large
number of cats killed on the roads in spring and summer, a surprisingly high percentage are black or
black and white. 
Did you know, too, that domestic cats regard their owners as fellow members of the cat family
and make many more sounds to us than they do to other cats when living in groups? They have worked
out that we communicate by sound - and so learn a vocabulary we will understand to get their massage
over. 
The way cats have learned to live with, and be looked after by man, without losing their hunting and
killing abilities or their mental independence, is a good reason for studying them, some scientists say. 
A study of the suburban cats in Barking in Essex showed that outside the home they adopted
the same hunting and exploring habits as wild cats, the female cats covered a territory limited to house
and garden, while male cats travelled over an area ten times as large. 
Though many people think the opposite, a cat is very practical about defending its territory. Its
attitude depends on its confidence about the cat it faces following the experience of its previous
meetings. Females and young males often hide when fierce adult males turn up on their territory.
Female cats seem to feel no tension between their affectionate relationships with humans and
their life "in the wild". It is the male cats which occasionally show signs of anxiety indicating that they
are suffering from strain. 
1. Why do cats make a wider range of sounds when communicating with people?
A. They are used to doing this with other cats.
B. They are taught to do so by their owners.
C. They are copying human behaviour.
D. They wish to be considered human beings.
2. Why are domestic cats of special interest to scientists?
A. They are fierce and clever hunters.
B. They have been domesticated for a very long time.
C. They have lost all traces of wild behaviour.
D. They lead both wild and domesticated lives.
3. In what ways are wild cats and domestic cats alike?
A. They cover a wide territory. B. They tend to fight.
C. They hunt and explore. D. They like to be alone.
4. When on their own territory cats _________.
A. hide from all strange cats B. allow only familiar cats to cross
C. chase larger cats D. allow fierce cats to cross
5. Compared with female cats, male cats tend to_________.
A. be mostly black and white B. show less affection to humans
C. hunt more successfully D. suffer more frequently from nervous strain

Passage 16
Life on Mars
From the days of the ‘Martian canals’, once thought by many to have been made by an
intelligent civilization but later proved to be an optical illusion, to our current preoccupation with
gathering data in the hope of providing us with more information, our fascination with the Red Planet
continues.
In the early days of space exploration, visits were restricted to ‘fly-bys’, such as those by the
Mariner probes, whereby craft would simply pass the planet, taking pictures and obtaining data as they
went. The Viking ‘orbiters’ were next, and later craft in the Viking series, known as ‘Landers’, began
35
to probe the mysteries of its surface, equipped with instruments which continued to relay data about
the environment until they stopped working.
The more recent ‘Rovers’ move around the planet’s surface as they gather information. Current
proposals include missions to study terrain, climate, and soil components, in order to determine,
amongst other things, whether the planet can ever have supported carbon-based life forms. Scientists
now believe that at some stage the planet cooled dramatically, resulting in the near-loss of its
atmosphere and, thanks to erosion features, mineral deposits and other factors, it is also believed that
liquid water once flowed there.
One of the most recent craft is Phoenix, a Rover which landed in November 2008. Named after
the mythological bird, Phoenix’s mission was to obtain samples from beneath the surface by digging
into the arctic ice, while its high-resolution camera provided geological data and other equipment
scanned the atmosphere, measuring temperature and pressure in a bid to discover whether the
chemicals necessary for life might exist beneath the surface. The craft was expected to send back data
for three months, but managed to hold out for a further two.
An especially important part of the project was the need to maintain sterility of the equipment, in order
to ensure that any organic material collected was not contaminated by ‘hitchhiking’ terrestrial
microbes.
In the future manned landings may be possible – and though it may seem an outrageously
difficult undertaking, plans have already been discussed for the ‘terraforming’ of the planet - giving it
an atmosphere, oceans and a terrain similar to earth, with the possibility of human colonisation.
1. A fly-by is a ________
A. A photograph of a planet.   B. way of collecting information.  
C. type of spacecraft.   D. an airplane
2. According to the writer, what is one of the factors that suggests that Mars once had liquid water?
A. The wearing away of areas on its surface. 
B. The fact that there is ice on the planet.  
C. The fact that it once had breathable air.
D. The fact that it has materials beneath the surface.
3. How long did Phoenix remain active for?
A. three months   B. five months   C. two months   D. four months
4. What were the scientists connected with the Phoenix mission particularly concerned about?
A. The danger that people might try to stow away on the spacecraft.  
B. The need to maintain the data-gathering equipment.  
C. The risk that equipment might transport organisms from Earth to Mars. 
D. Organic material collected
5. How does the writer feel about the possibility of human beings going to Mars?
A. It might be hard, but it’s not impossible.  B. It would be much too difficult a task.  
C. It is difficult to say. D. It will happen and has already been planned.  

Passage 17
Earthquakes

Earthquakes are natural disasters that humans cannot control. Sometimes earthquakes can
be very dangerous and people need to know more about where earthquakes come from, and
how to protect themselves from them and any other natural disasters.
Earthquakes are the shaking, rolling or sudden shock of the earth’s surface. They are the
Earth’s natural means of releasing pressure. More than a million occur in the world each year.
Earthquakes can be felt over large areas although they usually last less than a minute. However,
earthquakes cannot be predicted although scientists are still working on the problem.
There are about 20 plates along the surface of the earth that move continuously and slowly past
each other. When the plates squeeze or stretch, huge rocks form at their edges and the rocks shift with
great force, causing an earthquake. As the plates move, they put forces on themselves and each other.
When the force is large enough, the crust is forced to break.

36
 Shaking and ground breaking are the main effects created by earthquakes, principally resulting in
more or less severe damage to buildings and other structures. The severity of the effect depends on the
complex combination of the earthquake magnitude. Ground break is a major risk for large engineering
structures such as dams, bridges and nuclear power stations and requires careful mapping of existing
faults to identify any likely to break the ground surface within the life of the structure.
1. The above reading is mainly about
A. the destruction caused by earthquakes B. protecting people from earthquakes
C. describing a violent earthquake D. why and where earthquakes occur
2. Earthquake are considered natural disaster because
A. they are man-made B. man has no control over them
C. man can control them D. they are always expected
3. What does the shaking of the ground result in?
A. damage to buildings and structures B. releasing energy into air
C. breaking and shifting of rocks D. All of the above
4. Earthquakes are considered disastrous for people and properties because:
A. earthquakes happen in cities B. man can control them
C. they are unpredictable D. they result in little destruction
5. According to the text, how long does an earthquake usually last?
A. few minutes B. less than a minute
C. more than a minute D. exactly a minute

Passage 18
The renowned Boston Symphony Orchestra gave its inaugural concert on October 22, 1881. It
has continued to uphold the vision of its founder, the philanthropist, Civil War veteran, and amateur
musician Henry Lee Higginson, who dreamed of founding a great and permanent orchestra in Boston
for many years. The first concert was given under the direction of conductor Georg Henschel, who
remained music director until 1884. For nearly twenty years, concerts were held in the Old Boston
Music Hall, then in Symphony Hall from 1900, one of the world's most highly regarded concert halls.
Henschel was succeeded by a series of German born and trained conductors: Wilhelm Gericke, Arthur
Nikisch, Emil Paur, and Max Fiedler - culminating in the appointment of the legendary Karl Muck,
who served two terms as music director, 1906 - 08 and 1912 - 18.
Meanwhile, in July 1885, the musicians of the Boston Symphony Orchestra had given their
first "Promenade “, concert, offering both music and refreshments. This fulfilled Major Higginson's
with to give "concerts of a lighter kind of music." These concerts, soon to be given in the springtime
and renamed, first "Popular " and then "Pops”, fast became a tradition. Recording, began with the
Victor Talking Maching Company (predecessor to RCA Victor) in 1917, and continued with
increasing frequency, as did radio broadcasts.
In 1918 Henri Rabaud was engaged as conductor; he was succeeded a year later by Pierre
Monteux. There appointments marked the beginning of a French-oriented tradition which was
maintained, even during the Russian-born Serge Koussevitzky's time from 1924, with the employment
of many French-trained musicians. Koussevitzky's extraordinary musicianship and electric personality
proved so enduring that he served an unprecedented term of twenty-five years. Regular radio
broadcasts of Boston Symphony concerts began during Koussevitzky's years as music director. In 1936
Koussevitzky led the orchestra's first concerts in the Berkshires; a year later he and the players took up
annual summer residence at Tanglewood. Koussevitzky passionately shared Majoy Higginson's dream
of " a good honest school for musicians, " and in 1940 that dream was realized with the founding of the
Berkshire Music Center (now called the Tanglewood Music Center).
1. In the first paragraph, Henry Lee Higginson is described as _______
A. an amateur conductor B. a war historian
C. a visionary D. a philanthropist
2. The word “inaugural” in line 1 is closet in meaning to________
A. demonstration B. practice C. first D. official
3. The word “legendary” in line 9 is closest in meaning to________
A. notorious B. fabulous C. lengthy D. talented
37
4. The word “unprecedented” in line 20 is closest in meaning to________
A. unique B. remarkable C. important D. continuous
5. Which of the following musical directors served the longest?
A. Georg Henschel B. Serge Koussevitsky
C. Karl Muck D. Pierre Monteux

Passage 19
Started in 1636, Harvard University is the oldest of all the colleges and universities in the
United States. Yale, Princeton, Columbia and Dartmouth were opened soon after Harvard. They were
all started before the American Revolution made the thirteen colonies into states.
In the early years, these schools were much alike, and only young men attended college. All the
students studied the same subjects, and everyone learned Latin, Greek and Hebrew. Little was known
about science then, and one kind of school could teach everything that was known about the world.
When the students graduated, most of them became ministers or teachers.
In 1782, Harvard started a medical school for young men who wanted to become doctors. Later,
lawyers could receive their training in Harvard's law school. In 1825 Harvard began teaching modern
languages, such as French and German, as well as Latin and Greek. Soon it began teaching American
history.
As knowledge increased, Harvard and other colleges began to teach many new subjects. Students
were allowed to choose the subjects that interested them.
Special colleges for women were started. New state universities began to teach such subjects as
farming, engineering and business. Today, there are many different kinds of colleges and universities.
Most of them are divided into smaller schools that deal with special fields of learning. There is so
much to learn that one kind of school cannot offer it all.
1. Of the four universities in the United State, ______________ has the longest history.
A. Yale B. Columbia C. Princeton D. Harvard
2. From the passage we can infer that ______________
A. universities have changed a lot over the years.
B. students studied to become teachers and ministers.
C. colleges and universities are the same.
D. they were not very alike in the early years.
3. As knowledge increased colleges began to teach _______________.
A. everything that was known. B. many new subjects.
C. Latin Greek and Hebrew. D. French and German.
4. On the whole, this passage is about ______________.
A. how colleges have changed. B. how to start a university.
C. the American Revolution. D. the world-famous colleges in America.
5. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
A. There is more to learn today than in the 17th century.
B. Harvard University and four others started during the American Revolution.
C. Harvard University and four others began when the American Revolution was over.
D. A university is as large as a college.

Passage 20
The attraction between dolphins and people goes back thousands of years. Ancient Greek
artists decorated coins, pottery, and walls with pictures of dolphins, and the animals appear in Greek
and Roman mythology. The ancient Greeks considered the common dolphin sacred to the god Apollo.
For centuries, sailors have regarded the presence of dolphins near ships as a sign of a smooth voyage.
On the other hand, hunters of several nations, including Sri Lanka and Japan, kill thousands of
dolphins annually. The dolphins provide meat eaten by people and animals, and the oil from their body
is used as a lubricant. In addition, millions of dolphins have drown in fishing nets that were intended to
catch cod, salmon, and other kinds of fishes. Tuna fishing crews have been responsible for the largest
number of these death among dolphins. In 1990, leading U.S. tuna-canning companies announced that
they would refuse tuna caught in nets that also kill dolphins.
38
 Since the mid-1900’s, hundreds of dolphins have been trained to perform in shows presented
by aquariums, zoos, and amusement parks. Scientists conduct various types of research on dolphins to
understand their complex communication systems.
1. What does the phrase the animals refer to?
A. The animals in general B. The dolphins
C. All the animals including dolphins. D. All the animals without dolphins.
2. What would sailors do when they saw dolphins?
A. They thought that they would have a good voyage.
B. They believed that dolphins would bring them good meals.
C. They would drive the dolphins away.
D. They would try to catch dolphins for food.
3. What is the main idea of the second paragraph?
A. Dolphins are killed by tuna fishing crews.
B. Dolphins are hunted because of their meat.
C. The many reasons why dolphins die.
D. People prefer cod and salmon to dolphins.
4. Why do people hunt dolphins?
A. Because companies refuse to accept tuna.
B. Because hunting them is a good sport.
C. Because they can make dolphins perform for money.
D. To get oil for lubricant and meat for food.
5. What is the purpose of scientists’ research on dolphins?
A. To show that they are useful animals.
B. To stress the importance of dolphins in amusement parks.
C. To understand their communication system.
D. To prove that dolphins need protecting.

Passage 21
The best age to be

Childhood is the time when there are few responsibilities to make life difficult. If a child has
good parents, he is fed, looked after and loved, whatever he may do. It is improbable he will ever gain
in his life given so much without having to do anything in turn. In addition, life is always presenting
new things to the child – things that have lost their interest for older people because they are too well-
known. A child finds pleasure playing in the rain, or in the snow. His first visit to the seaside is a
marvelous adventure. But a child has pain: he is not so free to do as he wishes as he thinks older
people are; he is continually told not to do things, or being punished for what he has done wrong. His
life is therefore not perfectly happy.
When a young man starts to earn his own living, he becomes free from the discipline of school
or parents, but at the same time he is forced to accept responsibilities. He can no longer expect others
to pay for his food, his clothes and his room, but he has to work if he wants to live comfortably. If he
spends most time playing about in the way he used to as a child, he will go hungry. And if he breaks
the laws of the society as he used to break the laws of his parents, he may go to prison. If, however, he
works hard, keeps out of trouble and has good health, he can have the greatest happiness of seeing
himself make steady progress in his job and of building up for himself his own position in society.
Old age has always been thought of as the worst age to be, but it is not necessary for the old to
be unhappy. With old age come wisdom and the ability to help others with advice wisely given. The
old can have the joy of seeing their children making progress in life, they can watch their children
growing up around them, and perhaps best of all, they can, if their life has been a useful one, feel the
happiness of having come through the battle of life safely and of having reached a time when they can
lie back and rest, leaving others to continue the fight.
1. It is stated in the passage that
A. a young man accepts a lot of responsibilities. B. childhood is the best age to be.
C. a person can be happy at any age. D. old age is the worst age.
39
2. What makes life difficult according to the author?
A. laws of society B. responsibilities
C. discipline D. All are correct.
3. Old people are not interested in new things presented to children because:
A. These are too familiar B. They are impossible
C. Children are imaginative D. These things are famous
4. A child’s life is not perfectly happy because
A. he is not free to do as he wishes.
B. he is continually being told not to do things.
C. he is punished for what he has done.
D. All are correct.
5. According to the author a young man
A. is happier than a child because he is free from discipline of school and parents.
B. is happier than a child because he starts to earn his own living.
C. is happier than a child because he can spend most of his time playing about.
D. A and B are correct.

Passage 22
When you are being interviewed for a job, remember that it’s normal for many people to be
nervous, particularly in such a stress-producing situation. There are plenty of jobs-indeed, probably
most-where a little nervousness isn’t looked at askance. It does help to dry a damp brow or a clammy
hand just before meeting the interviewer, but otherwise, don’t be too concerned about the outward
manifestations of your nervousness. Experienced interviewers will discount most physical signs of
nervousness. The only one that people have a hard time ignoring is a fidgety hand. Interviewees who
constantly twist their hands or make movements that are dramatically distracting are calling to their
nervousness.
Remember that interviewers talk to people in order to hire, not because they enjoy embarrassing,
uneasy applicants. One way to overcome a flustered feeling, or “butterflies in the stomach”, is to note
that interviewers want to hire people who have something offer the company. If interviewers think you
will fit into their organization, you will be the one who is sought after. It’s almost as if you are
interviewing them to see if they are good enough for you.
1. According to the passage, the outward sign of nervousness that most attracts the attention of
interviewers is _______________.
A. a damp brow B. clammy hands
C. restless hand gesture D. jittery stomach
2. An interviewer is someone who ___________________.
A. is looking for a job B. seeks facts from prospective employees
C. has already hired you D. is always on the lockout to trip applicants
3. It can be inferred from the passage that overcoming nervousness is matter of _____________.
A. wiping your head and hands before entering the interview room
B. taking several tranquilizers before the interview
C. being dramatic and aggressive
D. realizing that interviews are two-sided and making the most of it.
4. “Butterflies in the stomach” means ______________.
A. a nervous feeling B. feeling of happiness
C. woes D. sufferings
5. The word “discount” means ____________.
A. remember B. ignore C. discontinues D. discharge

Passage 23
When most people think of Mevil Dewey, they think of the classification system cataloguing
and arranging books and pamphlets in libraries that he devised in the second half the nineteenth
century. This system classifies books and other publications into ten major categories, according to
topic area; each category is further subdivided by number. Dewey was fortunate enough to see his
40
Decimal System adopted by libraries throughout the world, including 96 percent of the public and 89
percent of the college libraries in the United States.
However, in addition to developing his classification system, Dewey also helped found the
American Library Association, established the first library school in America, set up the Lake Placid
Club, and worked out his own orthography. He regarded the spelling system of English as nuisance and
a great waste or time. He called for the simplification of the language, and insisted that once spelling
was freed from complexities and absurdities inherited from the past and made uniform, three years
could be saved in a child's education. His zeal was such that not only used his simplified spelling
exclusively but would also correct the spelling in his mail as he read through it.
1. What is the theme of the second paragraph?
A. Dewey's attitudes toward the correspondence he received
B. Dewey's activities beyond his classification system.
C. Development in nineteenth-century education
D. Developments in the orthography of American English.
2. The word "called for" in line ten is closest in meaning to _________.
A. proclaimed B. designed C. demanded D. cherished
3. From the passage, it can be inferred that the Dewey Decimal system was adopted by ________.
A. A higher proportion of public than college libraries in the United States
B. A majority of public libraries throughout the world.
C. All but 4 percent of the college libraries in the United Sates.
D. Most of the college libraries around the world.
4. Dewey's major claim to fame rests on his ___________.
A. founding of the American Library Association
B. simplified spelling system
C. library classification system
D. founding of the Lake Placid Club
5. Dewey claimed that his orthography would ____________.
A. reflect inherited complexities B. be regarded as the spelling system of English
C. be used exclusively in letters D. make educating children more efficient.

Passage 24
The planet Earth is 4,600 million years old. It is difficult for us to think about such an enormous
length of time because it has little meaning for us. We can, however, simplify the idea to make it more
understandable. We can compare the planet Earth to a person of forty six years of age.
Nothing is known about the first seven years of this person’s life. Very little information exists about the
middle period either. It was only at the age of forty-two that the Earth began to flower.
Dinosaurs and great reptiles did not appear until one year ago, when the planet was forty-five.
Mammals only arrived eight months ago. In the middle of last week, man-like apes became ape-like men
and began to communicate with each other. Last weekend, the Ice Age covered the Earth.
Modern man has only been around for four hours. During the last hour man discovered agriculture. The
Industrial Revolution and the rise of large cities began just six hours ago.
During the short time, modern man has made a rubbish tip of the Earth. In one minute, he has
increased his numbers to terrible proportions, and has caused the death of hundreds of species of animals.
He has robbed and destroyed the planet in his search for fuels. Now he stands, like a violent, spoilt child,
delighted at the speed of his rise to power, on the edge of final mass destruction and killing all the life
which exists in the solar system.
1. The passage tells us about that
A. a great deal is known about how the Earth was created.
B. life on Earth has begun relative recently.
C. more is known about the first part of the Earth’s life than the middle part.
D. scientists are well-informed about the middle part of the Earth’s life.
2. We are informed by the author that
A. the dinosaurs appeared during the middle period.
B. mammals and great reptiles both appeared at the same time.
41
 C. there were more than forty-five kinds of great reptiles.
D. ape-like man appeared before the last Ice Age.
3. The author is mainly interested in
A. the time when man first evolved from apes.
B. what has happened since the Industrial Revolution.
C. the effects of farming.
D. the period before the last Ice Age.
4. It would appear that the main danger ahead is that
A. man will destroy everything on Earth. B. man will use up all the fuels.
C. there will be a population explosion. D. more species of animal may die out.
5. The author’s general view of man seems to be that
A. he has no right to be so destructive. B. he has been the most successful animal.
C. he will be able to control the environment. D. he has learned a lot from past mistakes.

Passage 25
Unilever, one of the world’s biggest producers of consumer goods, is trying to be the first
foreign company to list domestic A shares in China. There have been reports that China’ s securities
regulatory authorities are considering revising regulations concerning the criteria for companies
seeking domestic listings, which could allow foreign capitals entry into A shares available to domestic
investors.
But a senior researcher with a government think-tank said allowing foreign companies to list A shares
will take some time.
“The permission would require the speeding up of the merging of AB share markets, which is
still proceeding slowly,” he said. Today, most of the A-share stocks are state-owned companies and
foreign investors are not allowed to list or trade A shares. Unilever has set up 14 joint ventures in
China, with a total investment of US$800 million, company statistics indicate.
1. Which of the following is incorrect? ______________.
A. It’s difficult to be listed in China for foreign companies.
B. Foreigners are not allowed to buy A share stocks.
C. Unilever hopes to make breakthrough in listing in China.
D. AR share markets will soon be unified
2. Unilever is ______________.
A. one of the world’ s biggest companies
B. one of the world’ s biggest producers of consumer goods
C. a large company listed in China
D. a large foreign company which is listing in the B-share market
3. Which of the following is false? ______________.
A. Unilever is applying for listing in China.
B. Unilever is famous for producing consumer goods.
C. No foreign companies are allowed to be listed in China at present.
D. Unilever has been listed in the W-share market.
4. ‘Think-tank' means ______________.
A. the tank for thinking B. a kind of container for holding oil
C. a group of experts D. thinking about how to make a tank
5. At present Unilever has invested US$ ___________ in China according to the company statistics.
A. 800,000 B. 80,000,000 C. 800,000,000 D. 8,000,000

Passage 26
Recently, the Ministry of Education and local education departments worked out specific
measure to relieve academic pressure on primary and middle school students. Such a move, aiming to
promote the student’s overall development, has been applauded by children and their parents.
However, because the reform conflicts with China’s traditional school system and the unchanged
university entrance exam, whether it can be successfully carried out remains to be seen, according to
an article in Outlook Weekly, a Beijing-based magazine.
42
 Under the current 100-mark system, which has been used for some 40 years, scores were
previously considered as indispensable to assessment of a pupil's academic performance. To gain the
highest score possible, most primary school pupils are expected to work on homework several hours
each day.
They also have to attend extra courses during holidays to pass the make-up exams.
Chinese academic requirements in primary and high schools have long been higher than their Western
counterparts. Experts argued that it is beyond the ability of the teenagers, which dissipates students’
confidence and enthusiasm in learning, the magazine said.
To promote the quality of education instead of concentrating exclusively contest scores, the
ministry has completed its revision of the educational programme that covers 10 subjects in the nine-
year compulsory education.
Beginning this spring, the urban primary school will replace the 100-mark grading system with
the one which uses letter grades.
Schools will also be required to control the amount of homework, and no homework will be
given to first and second-grade primary students, according to the new guidelines.
But students’ burden cannot be fundamentally eased without reforming the national university
entrance exam.

1. Who has applauded to promote the student's overall development?

A. Government B. Children C. Parents D. Both B&C
2. Which will be adopted in the urban primary schools?
A. Letter - grading system
B. 100 mark - system
C. Revision of the educational programme that covers 10 subjects in the nine-year compulsory
education.
D. Students have to attend extra courses during holidays
3. What is the experts' opinion?
A. They are for the reform B. They are against the reform
C. They have no idea D. They wait for the Government's decision
4. The students' burden can be fundamentally eased _____________
A. without reforming the national university entrance exam.
B. when there will be no more homework
C. only when the national university entrance exam is reformed
D. when using a new grading system
5. "Indispensable" can be understood as ___________
A. unnecessary B. necessary C. possible D. impossible

Passage 27
Shopping online makes sense for consumers - the web can save both money and time, and
offers them the convenience of a very large selection of products. A recent Harris Interactive survey,
commissioned by Tealeaf, a specialist in customer experience management software, revealed that in
the UK, over half of all online adults (52 per cent) generally prefer to do business online (compared to
41 per cent in person).
But what happens when a consumer tries to purchase online and something is goes wrong?
Perhaps they are not allowed to log in, or their shopping cart mysteriously empties, or the site returns
an unclear error message. In a physical store, an assistant might be found to help, as leaving
For online business success, it is important to have an effective, intuitive website, or frustrated
online customers will go straight to competitors. The impact of poor online customer experiences is
much bigger than many might think. The Harris survey identified a high level of consumer
abandonment when they experience online problems.
According to the survey, 49 per cent of British online adults who experience problems when
conducting a transaction online would probably abandon it or switch to another site. A similarly
worrying number of US online adults (41 per cent) would also switch to a competitor or abandon after
encountering an online transaction problem.
43
1. What may be a problem to customers when shopping online?
A. There are not enough shopping carts.
B. They may be directed to wrong sites.
C. The customers cannot log in.
D. The site does not send a message to the customers.
2. According to the survey, consumers who have a lot of technical problems when trying to buy online
are likely to…
A. complain a lot to customer services. B. go to a competitor’s site.
C. leave the site D. Both B & C
3. Which statement is TRUE according to the passage?
A. 41 per cent of all those surveyed in the UK prefer to do business online.
B. 49 per cent of British online adults experience problems when conducting a transaction
online.
C. 41 per cent of all those surveyed in the US who experience problems when conducting a
transaction online would probably abandon it or switch to another site.
D. When experience problems with online transaction, the percentage American leaving the
site is higher than that of the British.
4. The writer thinks consumers want sites that…
A. work well and are easy to use.
B. offer an easy way to contact customer services.
C. provide online customers experiences
D. help frustrated online customers go straight to competitors.
5. What is the percentage of British online adults prefer to shop online?
A. 41 B. 52 C. 49 D. 45

Passage 28
Microsoft's Windows operating system, one of the world's most successful consumer products,
is also one of the world's most neglected brands. An estimated 1bn people use PCs that run on
Windows. Most of the company's revenues come from sales to business customers, and it has no direct
relationship with consumers - they have to deal with electronics retailers and PC manufacturers, not
the company that makes the software. That wasn't important when Windows was an unchallenged
monopoly, even if an unloved one. Competition from Apple's machines and laptops that run on the
Linux operating system changed things. Caught in this unfamiliar competitive situation, the Windows
brand has been found wanting.
That brand weakness was uncovered after the launch of Windows Vista in 2007. Many
computer users found that the new software was not compatible with some of their old peripherals,
such as printers or scanners, and that it ran slowly. Nor did the software have obvious new consumer
benefits

1. Choose the best explanation for this idea from the paragraph: "...when Windows was on
unchallenged monopoly..."
A. had total control of the market and there were no other competitors
B. had a large share of the market, and other companies found it difficult to compete
C. accepted the prevailing prices in the market of its products, its own transactions being
unable to affect the market price
D. had produced a small share of the total market output and its output is identical
2. Why was Microsoft less concerned about consumers in its early days?
A. The company made most of its money from business customers, not retail.
B. There was also no real competitor for Windows.
C. Everybody loves the brand.
D. Both A and B are correct.
3. Which is mentioned in the paragraph?
A. Microsoft launched a new improved version of the Vista operating system.
44
 B. Competition from Apple highlighted inadequacy of the Windows brand.
C. Apple launched a negative advertising campaign criticizing Vista.
D. Microsoft launched an advertising campaign in the US to improve the image of Bill Gates,
the Microsoft founder, and the company.
4. Why were customers dissatisfied with Vista?
A. The system didn’t work with older printers, scanners, etc.
B. There were no real consumer benefits.
C. It runs slow.
D. All are correct.
5. Which sentence is TRUE in this paragraph?
A. Satisfaction levels for the Windows brand increase.
B. Windows has direct relationship with consumers
C. Microsoft launched Vista but with technical and compatibility problems.
D. Microsoft is the most loved brand by consumers.

Passage 29
Those who make the case for centralized global advertising often seem to be swimming
against the tide. Strong central planning, with head office telling its subsidiaries how they should talk
to ‘their’ consumers, is an approach that has become unfashionable, unsexy and un-now. Global
advertising campaigns, the thinking goes, are creatively hamstrung is by the need to be all things to all
men. The resulting adverts are functional but forgettable, inoffensive but uninspiring, and a safe option
for the risk-averse. And of course local offices are much happier creating their own ideas than
implementing someone else's.
From the advertiser’s point of view, the global approach is not completely without its merits.
From a financial point of view, it is obviously cheaper to develop one set of creative material and then
roll it out worldwide. A global approach is also faster, and simpler to implement. And as people travel
the world more and more - physically or virtually - they are exposed to the same brand in different
markets, and they should get the same advertising experience. If you want to build a global brand, a
global campaign seems the most obvious way to do it.
Every ad starts with an insight and a proposition. If the planners, market researchers and
marketing strategists can find an insight and develop a proposition that is relevant to potential
customers around the world, then a single creative concept should be able to convey this to all their
potential customers around the world. In other words, so effective global advertising starts, just like
any effective advertising does, with understanding your consumers.
1. “swimming against the tide” means…
A. fighting to get their views heard
B. doing the exact opposite to what most other people are doing
C. being very difficult
D. being unfashionable
2. What is NOT an advantage of adopting a global approach?
A. It is less expensive to develop. B. It is more creative to create materials.
C. It is faster to implement. D. It is easier to carry out.
3. What can be inferred from the passage?
A. People expect to see the same advertising experience when they travel abroad.
B. The global approach is completely without merits.
C. If you want to expand to international markets, a global campaign seems to be the only
obvious way.
D. In the global approach, it is quick and easy to create material and then roll it out worldwide.
4. The word “proposition” in this passage means…
A. official instructions explaining a task
B. a suggestion or plan of action
C. an understanding about the customer needs
D. an understanding about the position of a brand in the market
5. Which statement is TRUE according to the passage?
45
A. Effective advertising starts with understanding customer needs.
B. Effective advertising starts with having good creative ideas.
C. Effective advertising starts with having a position.
D. Effective advertising starts with conveying a single creative concept to all their potential
customers around the world.

46
 PART 4 – LISTENING

PART I - Listen to the recording and choose the best answer to each question.

Recording 1
1 In the introduction, the presenter says that _________.
A. some people are obviously more intelligent than others
B. you have to be intelligent to be good at sport or music
C. it is difficult to say exactly what intelligence is
D. Mozart was more intelligent than many footballers or modern musicians
2 The professor says that _________.
A. the only important factor is whether someone can solve a problem or not
B. the most important thing is how someone solves a problem
C. intelligent people can solve problems immediately
D. intelligent people don’t have to face problems
3 Which of these is NOT true?
A. Asking for help is intelligent because someone else may know the answer.
B. It isn’t very intelligent to spend time unnecessarily solving a problem.
C. It is no good asking if you don’t listen.
D. Intelligent people don’t need help.
4 The professor says that _________.
A. intelligent people look for help wherever possible
B. you should never work alone
C. you should ignore things you have learned in the past because each problem is different
D. each problem is unique
5 The professor says that _________.
A. once you have found a solution your work is finished
B. there may be more than one way to solve a problem
C. you should start trying to solve the problem immediately
D. intelligent people don’t take risks

Recording 2
1 Susan says The Daily Post is similar to a tabloid newspaper because it _________.
A. has lots of stories about celebrities C. is quite small
B. has millions of readers D. has got off to a good start
2 Susan says The Daily Post is different to many newspapers because it is _________.
A. only for young readers C. not for young readers
B. also for young readers D. for people with houses and good jobs
3 What does Susan say about The Daily Post and politics?
A. The paper isn’t interested in politics. C. The paper supports the government
B. The paper supports a political party. D. The paper doesn’t support a political
party.
4 What does Susan say about The Tuesday Magazine?
A. It should have fewer advertisements. C. It should be cheaper.
B. It should have more papers. D. It should have more TV channels
5 What might happen soon, according to Susan?
A. The Daily Post will drop its price.
B. The Daily Post will sell fewer copies.
C. The Daily Post will try hard to get people to come back the newspaper.
D. The Daily Post will face strong competition.

Recording 3
1 Most of the people who see Tessa have a problem with _________.
A. borrowing too much C. understanding their bank account
47
 B. paying their household bills D. investing their money
2 Using a credit card often makes people _________.
A. buy things they don’t want C. spend more than they should
B. ignore the prices of things D. think about expensive things
3 The first thing people with large credit card bills should do is _________.
A. call their bank manager C. get advice from an expert
B. ignore them D. contact their credit card company
4 Tessa advises people with financial problems to _________.
A. destroy their credit cards
B. use their credit cards carefully
C. lock their credit cards away
D. wait for chances of using their credit cards again
5 Some of the people that see Tessa _________.
A. think she’s wrong about credit cards
B. don’t want to pay off the money they owe
C. make the same mistakes again later
D. realize that they don’t want a credit card

Recording 4
1 Josephine uses tomatoes as an example of a product which _________.
A. isn’t sold in some supermarkets
B. is the most popular product in the supermarket
C. is the same in every supermarket
D. is better in some supermarkets than others
2 What does Josephine’s supermarket NOT do?
A. make products with the supermarket’s name on
B. buy products with the supermarket’s name on
C. sell products with the supermarket’s name on
D. choose companies to make products for the supermarket
3 The example of the soup company shows that _________.
A. labels aren’t important at all
B. companies want to make sure that their business can make money
C. soup is better when it’s from a tin
D. they like the supermarket labels
4 Why don’t supermarkets often buy from small food companies?
A. because their customers don’t like the products
B. because big food companies own the supermarkets
C. because supermarkets need large amounts of a product
D. because small food companies don’t want sell to 300 supermarkets
5 What does Josephine say about the ‘local produce section’?
A. It is only in one of her 300 supermarkets.
B. It contains products from smaller food companies.
C. It sells the same products all over the country.
D. It sells local food products in 300 supermarkets.

Recording 5
1 What does Craig say about the work of a careers officer?
A. It has changed completely over the years. C. It is similar to what it used to be.
B. It’s better than the other jobs he’s done. D. He works for 50 schools.
2 Only one in ten of the people who want to become doctors _________.
A. succeed in their ambition C. became lawyers
B. are successful in other professions D. later want to do all kinds of jobs
3 Craig suggested the air force to the young man because he _________.
A. wanted to change his mind about being an astronaut
48
 B. though it was probably the best way to achieve his aim
C. was sure that astronauts started in the air force
D. knew that the young man would become part of the European space programme
4 Craig’s advice is that you should _________.
A. only talk about your ambition if you really mean it
B. be clear about what you want and try hard to make it
C. be ready to choose a completely different career
D. become a doctor if you can’t become an architect
5 Susan’s advice is that you should _________.
A. become a lawyer if you like helping people
B. know local lawyers and their work
C. get legal advice before choosing your career
D. find out more about the job you want to do

Recording 6
1 How can Dr Schultz remember her previous week of work?
A. She interviewed some people.
B. She has described it before.
2 What does Dr Schultz feel about most older people?
A. They have a healthy lifestyle.
B. They really need special check-up.
3 What was one man’s problem?
A. He wouldn’t visit the doctor.
B. He didn’t like fried food.
4 Why did the woman need an injection?
A. because she was so scared
B. because she was going on holiday
5 What did Dr Schultz have to do?
A. get a nurse to help her with the patient
B. forget about giving the injection
C. She wrote about it in a diary.
D. She had a normal week.
C. They need to make more effort.
D. They need more looking after.
C. He didn’t know how to cook.
D. He wasn’t fit enough.
C. because she couldn’t take pills
D. because she was red and hot-looking
C. talk to and comfort the patient
D. try to get the woman to sit down

Recording 7
1. According to the man, the woman can do all the following things with a smart phone EXCEPT
_________.
A. take notes C. connect with a computer
B. transfer files D. print documents
2. According to the man, the wireless Internet means _________
A. you can download anything you want.
B. you don’t need to plug into a computer to connect with the Internet.
C. you can check emails everywhere.
D. you can surf the Internet whenever you want.
3. The man says that a touch screen allows you _________
A. to play games.
B. to send messages.
C. to control your phone by pressing the feature on the screen.
D. to download your favorite songs or video games.
4. It can be inferred from the conversation that _________
A. the woman doesn’t know much about smart phones.
B. the man is an expert in IT field.
C. the man and the woman are close friends.
D. the man feels angry with the woman.
5. The conversation may take place in _________.
A. a meeting B. a conference C. a library D. a store

49
Recording 8
1. How much does the customer have to pay now to get the special offer?
A. 15 dollars B. 50 dollars C. 20 dollars D. 12 dollars
2. What is the original price of the recorder?
A. 290 dollars B. 260 dollars C. 250 dollars D. 230 dollars
3. If the customer pays an extra 49.99 dollars, he can _________
A. get free instant replacement within three years. C. get free repair within three years.
B. get the recorder delivered within 3 days. D. get a refund if the recorder is faulty.
4. Which statement is TRUE about the store’s policies according to the recording?
A. They offer free delivery.
B. They charge an amount of 40 dollars for delivery.
C. They offer a discount of 40 dollars for regular customers.
D. They offer extended warranty for regular customers.
5. What can be inferred from the conversation?
A. The customer won’t buy the recorder.
B. The customer will pay in installment for the recorder.
C. The shop assistant will reduce the price of the recorder.
D. The customer will take the extended warrantee option.

Recording 9
1. How long does Yuki’s course last?
A. Six months B. Over six months C. One year D. Over one year
2. To get a visa, Yuki needs to do all of the following things EXCEPT _________.
A. fill out a form
B. send passport-sized photos
C. send some documents
D. call the local British Embassy visa section
3. To be able to study in the UK, Yuki needs to prove that _________
A. she is well enough. C. she can support herself.
B. she can speak English fluently. D. she has a bank account.
4. How many hours can Yuki work when she is doing the course in the UK?
A. No more than 20 hours a week. C. More than 20 hours a week.
B. 20 hours a month. D. 20 hours on holidays.
5. Which of the following statement is TRUE according to the text?
A. Yuki is a student in Japan now. C. Yuki does not have a passport.
B. Yuki does not have to pay for her visa. D. Yuki is on a holiday in the UK.

Recording 10
1. What is the purpose of the call?
A. To do a booking. C. To check a booking.
B. To reschedule a booking. D. To cancel a booking.
2. When does the conference take place?
A. From 15th to 19th of July. C. From 15th to 19th of June.
B. From 5th to 9th of July. D. From 5th to 9th of June.
3. How many people will be at the conference?
A. 34 B. 35 C. 36 D. 37
4. Why does she book a room on ground floor?
A. Because she likes the view.
B. Because there is a disabled participant.
C. Because a newly married couple want it.
D. Because she does not want to use the elevator.
5. What does the man mean by “full-board”?
A. everything included. C. breakfast and dinner included.
B. breakfast, lunch, and dinner included. D. meeting rooms included.
50
Recording 11
1 The idea of rail transportation has appeared _________.
A. for ages B. recently C. for 100 years D. for a short time
2 Rails were always made of _________.
A. wood or metal B. wood, stone or metal C. metal or stone D. wood or stone
3 Who invented the first steam engine for trains?
A. James Watt B. Richard Trevithick C. Iron Works D. Cornish Wales
4 The Rocket first travelled on the _________.
A. Stockton and Darlington Railway C. Manchester and Liverpool Railway
B. Eurotunnel D. Stockton and Liverpool Railway
5 When was the first accident?
A. 1833 B. 1829 C. 1830 D. 1933

Recording 12
1. Why did France give the statue to the United States?
A. To remember the war between France and America
B. To remember the friendship between France and America
C. To remember Gustave Eiffel
D. To remember the soldiers in the war against Britain
2. Which is NOT TRUE about the construction of the Statue?
A. The statue’s skin was made of copper.
B. Gustave Eiffel was chosen to design the statue.
C. It’s reduced to 350 pieces and shipped to America.
D. It is 46 meters high.
3. What needed to be built in the United States?
A. A base C. An ice cream cone
B. A torch D. A huge metal frame
4. How did the statue get to the United States?
A. It’s put together in France and sent by ship.
B. It was reduced to 46 pieces.
C. It came in many parts in many boxes.
D. It was transported by a big plane.
5. Which is TRUE about the statue?
A. It serves as a lighthouse.
B. Visitors can only see the statue from far away.
C. There are 354 steps to the top.
D. It is the tallest structure in America.

Recording 13
1. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a use for bamboo?
A. Building houses B. Making clothes C. Making cars D. Making bicycles
2. Bamboo _________
A. can grow on any kind of soil. C. reaches a useful size in 3 to 7 years.
B. is a member of tree family. D. is used to make paper.
3. People build houses with bamboo because _________
A. It is very strong. C. It can be formed into different shapes.
B. It stops bad smells. D. It can be used instead of metal tubes.
4. Why is growing bamboo more efficient than growing trees?
A. It isn’t like other plants in the tree family.
B. It grows faster than trees.
C. It can be used in different fields of construction.
D. It sells better than wood.
5. According to the story, how will bamboo help the world in the future?
A. It can help feed many hungry people.
51
 B. Using bamboo can help to save trees.
C. Planting bamboo will make the world smell better.
D. It can be used instead of other materials.

Recording 14
1. Which is TRUE about the computers in 1980?
A. They were popular in schools and libraries only.
B. They were made with a size of a box.
C. They were too expensive.
D. They were used to solve math problems.
2. After the BBC showed the program "The Mighty Micro," _________
A. someone built the first computer.
B. computers became very expensive.
C. people in Britain became interested in small computers.
D. A company started their researches on tiny computers.
3. The BBC wanted to design a microcomputer that was _________.
A. expensive B. affordable C. television-oriented D. big
4. How did the BBC turn the “microcomputers” into reality?
A. They made their computers with lots of functions.
B. They found a computer company to make their computer.
C. They started a new division to make their computers.
D. They hired a big corporation to finish their ideas.
5. The BBC computers _________
A. were made by a big company.
B. were famous with Model C.
C. were not successful at first.
D. were mainly used by children in schools.

Part II: Listen to the recording and fill in the gaps with the words you heard. Write NO MORE
THAN THREE words for each gap.

Recording 1
I Listen to the recording and fill in the blank with one word you hear from the listening
passage.
Today we’re going to look at marketing over the life time of a product and how the different
phases in the product life cycle 1 _______________ on the kinds of marketing decisions we make and
influence the marketing strategies we employ.
Of course, the first stage in the product life cycle is known as the Market Introduction Stage. At
this point, costs are very high indeed, and, since the product is fresh to the market, sales 2
_______________ can be low to start as the product has yet to take off. What the marketing
department must do therefore is get as much publicity as possible for the product and begin to develop
brand 3 _______________ and loyalty. Think of the process as little steps. The first step is to get the
brand noticed by your target market. This will require aggressive advertising using 4
_______________ which are likely to expose the product to, and, just as importantly, appeal to the
target customer. The next step would be to encourage the target market to try the product. Promotions,
free trials and other special offers all 5 _______________ a role in enticing new customers over to your
brand.
Key: 1. impact 2. volumes 3. awareness 4. mediums 5. play

Recording 2
Tonight, I’d like to address myself to parents who are planning to send their children to
university, but who might be 1 _______________ about the cost. There’s no doubt that university
education is a great asset. Not only will your children learn and grow but, according to the Department
of Skills figures, on average someone with higher education earns 50% more in a lifetime than
52
someone without. But in the last 2 _______________ or so, the cost of getting a degree has more than
doubled - and it looks as if things are going to get worse. Maintenance grants were abolished in 1997
and 3_______________ fees introduced for students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
University fees are rising steadily, some of them more than £6,000 a year. If you thought 4
_______________ a university education was beyond your reach, think again. With sound planning,
you can provide your children with this opportunity of a lifetime. If you’re a new parent, remember
that the earlier you start saving, the less you have to pay every month and the greater your return.
Money will give you 5 _______________ over where your children study and the course they choose.
Key: 1. concerned 2. decade 3. tuition 4. funding 5. flexibility

Recording 3
Scholarships and bursaries come in all sizes, are 1_______________ for a variety of reasons
and may be a one-off or annual payments. You may be eligible to apply simply because of where you
come from or for a specific course you are 2_______________. They are seldom advertised and many
go unclaimed every year.
The Internet is a great way to start looking. There is a searchable 3_______________ at
www.studentmoney.org and while you’re at the computer, go to www.google.co.uk and type in some
key words. If you’re a keen cricketer, for example, put in ‘university bursary sport cricket’, for
instance. Top of the results page is the University of Kent, which gives £1,500 cricket bursary to
4
_______________ players.
If you haven’t put any money aside, your teenager will almost certainly need to get a student
loan - by far the best way for him or her to borrow. The maximum yearly loan is about £5,000. There
are two reasons why the loan is so attractive; firstly, the index-linked 5_______________ rate is very
low, far lower than you’d get from the bank. Secondly, you don’t have to start paying it back until
you’ve left university and you start earning a decent salary.
Key: 1. awarded 2. attending 3. database 4. talented 5. interest

Recording 4
Tutor: I’d like you to give a warm welcome to our guest speaker Dr. Sophie Martin from the Faculty
of Science. Dr. Martin is an expert in energy conservation and she’s going to talk to us about ways can
conserve energy in the home. This is a very important subject as the world we live in is
1
_______________ dramatic and potentially destructive climate change as a result of our excessive
wastefulness and aggressive 2______________ of natural resources.
Dr. Martin: Thank you for the kind words Alice. You are quite right, we face an unprecedented
climate 3_______________ and it is up to each and every one of us to do our bit to help stop global
warming. Believe it or not, if we all took some simple steps, we could dramatically reduce our carbon
footprint and help protect the environment. It is not a cliché, it is not silly nonsense talk, one person
really can make a4_______________ and I hope that after my speech today, you will understand how.
But first, what exactly is your carbon footprint? Basically, it’s how much you pollute the environment
as an individual, or rather what volume of greenhouse gas is 5_______________ into the atmosphere
because of your day-to-day activities. The key to stopping global warming is for each of us to reduce
our carbon footprint, and if we conserve energy in the home, we can achieve some truly dramatic
results.
Key: 1. facing 2. exploitation 3. crisis 4. difference 5. emitted

Recording 5
Statistics show that the nation is heavier than it used to be and this is due to the long hours that
we work and the lack of time we have to prepare healthy meals that are low in fat and sugar. There are
some simple 1_______________ everyone can take to help improve their general health; maybe lose
some weight first; in the long run, it could lower your cholesterol and blood 2_______________.
The first thing to do in order to check that your weight is healthy is to work out your Body
Mass Index or BMI. This is a tool that can help you find out if you are a healthy weight for your
height. Obviously the height of a person will 3_______________ what weight they should be. To work
out your BMI you should take your weight in kilograms and divide it by your height in meters. Then
53
you divide the results by your height in meters again. The results you come up with can be checked on
a chart to see if your BMI is too high, too low or about right.
Even if your BMI is about where it should be it is still important to eat a healthy and
4
_______________ diet. A healthy diet involves consuming appropriate amounts of all the food
groups, including an adequate amount of water. Nutrients can be obtained from many different foods,
so there are a wide 5_______________ of healthy diets.
Key: 1. steps 2. pressure 3. Affect 4. well-balanced 5. variety

Recording 6
It is only natural to feel somewhat nervous before giving a 1_______________ and while a few
nerves never did any harm - and can in fact prove beneficial - letting your nerves overcome you can be
detrimental. Today’s presentation will focus on ways to control those butterflies and help you to give
better presentations in future.
First and foremost, you’ve got to know your 2_______________. I can’t stress that enough. If
you fail to prepare, you might as well prepare to fail. Even the most 3_______________ speakers
never turn up unprepared and never try to win it. Personalize your subject and use humour, anecdotes
and conversational language. This will make it easier for you to remember what you want to say.
Secondly, practise, practise, practise! Rehearse well in advance, and 4_______________ out
loud, and with all the equipment you plan on using. Practise your timing - when to pause and when to
breathe - and prepare for the unexpected. Something always goes wrong, especially when you are
5
_______________ on technology. So always have a back-up plan.
Key: 1. speech 2. material 3. experienced 4. preferably 5. relying

Recording 7
Most important of all is that you shouldn’t try to (1) .............. ..................... .................. of
everything you hear. A lecture is not a (2) ..................................... You have to listen and decide what
is important and what isn’t. Second, when you make notes, don’t write everything in full. Use (3)
.................................., symbols, numbers...anything to help keep pace. Also, try to organize your notes
effectively. Furthermore, you should try to be an (4) ..................... .................... By that, I mean you
need to try to predict what the speaker is going to say...so before the lecture ask yourself what you
already know about the topic, and during the lecture think about where the talk (5)
.................... ................... ................. Another useful tip is if you miss something, then don’t panic.
Key: 1. make a note 2. dictation 3. abbreviations 4. active listener 5. might be heading

Recording 8
Now, most people would agree that the massive (1) ........................ ........................ China has
enjoyed in the last forty years represents perhaps the most significant geopolitical event of the 21 st
century. It started with the (2) .......................... ......................... back in the late 1970s, before which
time China’s economy was largely rural. Since the 1970s China’s economy has grown on average 10%
a year. Exports have soared and (3) ............................ ............................. is growing at 17% per annum.
Since 2001, China has doubled its share of global (4) ....................................... ....................... In fact,
China is second only to the US, and most forecasts suggest it will (5) ............................. the American
economy within the next ten years.
Key: 1. economic growth 2. economic reforms 3. industrial production
4. manufacturing output 5. overtake

Recording 9
You can see from this chart that we (1) ....................................... the vast majority of our
visitors to continue to come from our neighbor Australia. Other (2)
................................... ........................... are the UK which we have included along with Nordic
countries and Ireland, North-East Asia, principally Japan, and the Americas, notably the US of course.
Let’s (3) .................. .................. ............... look at our biggest market by far, Australia. This
graph shows that visitor numbers from Australia will continue to rise. Growth here will remain steady,
as it has been for the last twenty and more years. We expect this to continue, thanks to a (4)
54
.............................. of low airfares and aggressive marketing by our Ministry of Tourism in Australia.
With (5) ................... ......................... around 3% per annum we expect numbers from Australia will
get up to around 1.2 million.
Key: 1. anticipate 2. significant markets 3. take a closer 4. combination 5. total growth

Recording 10
The focus of this semester will be on the development of the EU and its enlargement. You’ll
have four (1) ........................ ................................... to do. These must be typed and handed in on time
or they will not be considered. They have (2) ............................ ................................ and make up 20%
of your final grade, so take them seriously. We’ll also have a couple of exams; a (3)
......................... ................................... which will count 30% towards the final grade and an end of
term exam which will also count for 30%. Each exam will be in two parts, a (4)
............................ ......................... test and then four short essay questions. At the end of the semester
you’ll also have to give an oral report, which will take the form of a 15-minute (5)
..................................... on a topic of your choice related to the main course themes, followed by a Q
and A session also of 15 minutes. This comprises 10% of the final grade.
Key:
1. written assignments 2. equal weighting 3. mid-term exam 4. multiple choice 5. presentation

Recording 11
New research suggests listening to sad music can help (1) ..................... ................ …………... 
of an ended relationship. The study contradicts common wisdom that upbeat music is best when
feeling the blues after (2) ....................................... turmoil. It might account for why people began
singing the blues music to accompany painful or miserable times. The research is from the University
of California at Berkeley. It says people find (3) ....................................... in listening to tunes that
reflect their (4) ....................................... . It also says weepy movies and books, or gloomy artwork
provide comfort and console broken hearts. Study co-author Stephen Palmer said: "Emotional
experiences of aesthetic products are important to our happiness and well-being. The research is to be
published in the August edition of the "Journal of Consumer Research" and is titled: “(5)
.......................................  and Preferences for Mood-Congruency in Aesthetic Experiences.” The
authors say: "Consumers experience serious emotional distress when intimate relationships are broken
and look for a surrogate to replace the lost bond.
Key: 1. overcome the heartbreak 2. emotional 3. comfort
4. negative mood 5. Interpersonal Relationships

Recording 12
A rainbow is a beautiful act of nature. It looks like magic, but really, it can be understood with
basic science. Rainbows appear in the sky when three events happen at the same time. First, there are
millions of water drops in the atmosphere. That’s why rainbows are (1)
....................................... during or right after a rain shower. Second, the sun is behind your back. If
you are facing the wrong (2) ......................................., you can’t see a rainbow. Third, the sun is low in
the sky. That’s why rainbows are usually seen in the early morning or late afternoon. When these three
(3) ....................................... are present, light enters the drops, bends, changes direction and comes out
at different angles. As the light (4) ......................................., it breaks into seven colors. This is the
interesting part: white light enters a drop and seven colors come out. All of the colors are shooting off
into the sky in random directions. However, only a small amount of those colors can be seen by
people. The (5) ...................... .................... of color which we see, and call a rainbow, leaves the drops
at very specific angles. We see just the line of light moving straight towards us. For that reason, we see
only one color from each drop.
Key: 1. visible 2. direction 3. conditions 4. Bends 5. tiny portion

Recording 13
Now here’s an interesting story about the mystery of how memory works or doesn’t work.

55
 Give Tatiana Cooley 100 1 __________________ to memorize and she can remember 70 of
them 15 minutes later. Give her 4,000 numbers or 500 words and she’ll repeat them better than most
people. It’s the same with a 54-line poem. So, why does Tatiana Cooley need sticky notes?
She says she’s incredibly 2 _______________! She recently defeated 16 challengers to keep her
memory champion title, but when asked how many brothers and sisters she has, she replied, “six…
er…seven…er…six”.
She keeps a daily 3 _______________ and says she “lives by reminder notes.” According to
Tatiana, the ability to memorize things is different from remembering things on a daily basics. She
says her memorizing is “not on the same level as remembering to call people”.
Tatiana insists that she is not unique. She believes that anybody can train their mind to
memorize. She uses 4 _________________________: visualization and association. For visualization,
she looks at material and mentally photographs it. For association, she makes up a story to link random
numbers and words.
Tatiana noticed that her ability to memorize was better than average when she was studying in
college. She found that 5 _______________________ was enough to prepare for tests. She didn’t have
to do anything else.
Key:
1. faces and names 2. absent-minded 3. To Do List 4. two techniques 5. taking lecture notes

Recording 14
Julia Hill, an American woman, was born in 1974. She was 23 years old when she 1
__________________ that a company wanted to cut down part of a forest in California. In the forest
there were lots of redwood trees. One of the trees was 2 _______________ and 1,000 years old.
Julia wasn’t happy about this. She traveled to California and climbed up the tree. “If I sit in the
tree” she said, “the company can’t cut it down”. At the beginning, Julia 3 _______________ in the tree
for two weeks. She lived in a small-tree house and her friends were very helpful- they cooked food for
her every day. She used her mobile phone to talk to her family and to news reporters. She stayed in the
tree day and night.
4
______________________ supported her, but other people weren’t on her side and they tried
to stop her. The company used a helicopter that stayed near her tree-house for a long time. The
helicopter was very noisy and there was a lot of wind. Julia didn’t like it, but she stayed in the tree.
In the end, she was successful. The company agreed not 5 ________________ the redwood.
Finally, after two years and eight days in the tree, Julia Hill climbed down and walked on the ground
again. She and her friends were very happy.
Key
1. discovered 2. 70 meters tall 3. planned to stay 4. Environmental organizations 5. to cut down

Recording 15
I do prefer to keep to deadlines and if I don’t I tend to get a bit stressed out, I don’t like to
disappoint people and I like to feel as though I’m quite organized. I (1) .............. ................ …………
late sometimes if it’s to get something finished, and I feel much more satisfied getting something
completed at the end of the day and I’m more likely to go home and relax. But, (2) ......................, I’ll
end up going home and just thinking about everything that I’ve got to do the next day, so that stresses
me out more.
I think it’s really important for transport, public transport to be (3)..................... when you’re
working, and that, that’s – that’s just normal but I think when I’m on holiday I’m a bit more relaxed
about whether trains or buses are a little bit late, (4)........................ you don’t want to waste a whole
day waiting for your transport when you want to get from A to B and you want to make the most of
your holiday but, yeah, I think I’m (5).................. ............... ………… when I’m abroad than when I’m
in my own country…
Key: 1. don't mind working 2. otherwise 3. punctual 4. obviously 5. definitely more relaxed

56
 NGÂN HÀNG CÂU HỎI TỰ LUẬN
PART 1: WRITING

PART 1: Rewrite the sentences. Use the word in brackets so that the meaning stays the same.

1. He failed the exam because he didn’t study hard.

Had he studied hard, he wouldn’t have failed the exam..
2. When Peter was given the first prize, he felt so happy.
Given the first prize, Peter felt so happy.
3. “I don’t want to be criticized by non-professionals”, said the film star.
The film star objected to being criticized by non-professionals.
4. Mr. Sam knew little about the internet, so he didn’t invest into any computer companies.
Had Mr. Sam known more about the internet, he would have invested into some computer
companies..
5. It is believed that the man was killed by terrorists.
The man is believed to have been killed by terrorists..
6. “I didn’t steal the car,” he said, “I just borrowed it”.
He denied stealing the car, but admitted borowing it.
7. You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to.
You are under no obligation to do it if you don’t want to.
8. I’m always nervous when I travel by air.
Travelling by air always makes me nervous..
9. “Why don’t you put your luggage under the seat?” he asked.
He suggested that I should put my luggage under the seat.
10. You must see the manager tomorrow morning.
You’ve got to see the manager tomorrow morning..
11. Since we had nothing else to do, we decided to go for a walk.
Having nothing else to do, we decided to go for a walk..
12. “Nothing will persuade me to sleep in that haunted house,” she said.
She flatly refused to sleep in that haunted house...
13. People seem to be criticizing the police quite a lot nowadays.
There’s quite a lot of criticism directed at the police nowadays.
14. It was a bit difficult to get into work this morning.
Getting into work this morning was a bit difficult.
15. We regret to inform you that your application has not been successful.
Much to our regret, we have to inform you that your application has not been successful.
16. They decided not to go by boat because they thought they would be seasick.
(For fear of) being seasick, they decided not to go by boat.
17. Alice and Charles did not decide to move to a bigger house until after the birth of their second
child.
Only when Alice and Charles had their second child, did they decide to move to a bigger house..
18. There are several categories of people who do not have to pay the new tax.
There are several categories of people who are exempt from (paying) the new tax..
19. “That’s a lovely new dress, Jean” said her mother.
Jean’s mother complimented her on the lovely new dress.
20. It’s believed that the man escaped in a stolen car.
The man is believed to have escaped in a stolen car..
21. You must make allowances for his inexperience.
You must take his inexperience into account/you must take account of his inexperience..
22. You shouldn’t take his help for granted.
You shouldn’t assume that he will help you.
23. Keeping calm is the secret of passing your driving test.
As long as you (can) keep calm, you will pass your driving test.
24. You can try to get Tim to lend you his car but you won’t succeed.
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 There’s no point (in) trying to get Tim to lend you his car.
25. ‘I really must have a rest.’
Emma insisted on having a rest..
26. The only thing that prevented the passing of the bill was the death of the Prime Minister.
Had it not been for the death of the Prime Minister, the bill would have been passed..
27. Please excuse Jane’s poor typing. She’s only been learning for a month.
Please make allowance for Jane’s poor typing; she’s only been learning for a month.
28. They never made us do anything we didn’t want to do.
We were never made to do anything we didn’t want to.
29. The workers only called off the strike after a new pay offer.
Only after a new pay offer did the workers call off the strike..
30. It was his incompetence which led to their capture.
If he hadn’t been so incompetent, they wouldn’t have been captured..
31. You feel tired now because you didn’t sleep very well last night.
Had you slept well last night, you wouldn’t feel tired now.
32. It was Walter Raleigh who introduced potatoes and tobacco into England.
The English owe the introduction of potatoes and tobacco to Walter Raleigh.
33. “If my members agree to that, I’ll be very surprised,” said the union delegate.
The union delegate observed that he would be very surprised if his members agreed
34. It would be a good idea to take more exercise.
You really should take more exercise.
35. Driving cars in the town center is not allowed.
You are not allowed to drive cars in the town center..
36. Driving in heavy snow isn’t easy.
Heavy snow makes it hard to drive..
37. I don’t mind if a book is long or short.
It doesn’t matter to me if a book is long or short.
38. I didn’t go swimming with Sam because I was very busy.
I was too busy to go swimming with Sam..
39. My aunt got heavily stressed because her marriage broke up.
The break-up of the marriage made my aunt heavily stressed.
40. I can’t believe that he passed the exam.
I find it hard to believe that he passed the exam..
41. I spent seven years at secondary school and then I went to university.
After having spent seven years at secondary school, I went to university..
42. It’s not worth living to make her change her mind.
There’s no need to make her change her mind..
43. He said he was not guilty of stealing the car.
He denied having stolen the car/that he had stolen the car..
44. ‘Would you mind turning the music down?’
We asked our neighbours to turn the music down.
45. He was very sorry that he didn’t see Andrey on her trip to London.
He greatly regretted not seeing Andrey on her trip to London..
46. It’s thought that the accident was caused by human error.
The accident is thought to have been caused by human error..
47. “Will you be visiting the Taj Mahal when you go to India?” he asked Elizabeth.
He asked Elizabeth if she would be visiting the Taj Mahal when she went to India..
48. “I think you should try the chicken Marego,” said the waiter.
The waiter recommended us to try/ that we should try the chicken.
49. The boy will receive some money to continue his study. His parents died in a traffic accident.
The boy whose parents died in a traffic accident will receive some money to continue his study..
50. I’m sure that someone forgot to lock the door.
Someone must have forgotten to lock the door.

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PART 2: Write an essay of about 250 words about the following topic:
1. How does travelling around the world affects life and personality?
Traveling helps to explore different places, getting to know the place’s culture, its tradition, how
people celebrate culture and what type of food they eat. Getting to see the place from ourselves gives
us some lifetime experiences and helps us to learn more than reading it from books.
Traveling through different places gives a chance to meet new people. And talking to them about
themselves or ourselves gives us a different way to see things. If we get to meet a person who has a
completely different way of seeing things, spending some time with them, helps us to think things in a
much broader way. it is very helpful in getting out of our comfort zones. While traveling we get a
chance to do the things that we are not able to do. Traveling to a place where we haven't been before
helping to increase our knowledge about its history, festivals, and food. Talking to them face-to-face
gives us a more clear picture of the place than reading it from books. We might also be able to know
about the things that are not written in the books by visiting the place itself and talking to the locals.
Travelling has many great benefits. It helps us to move out of our comfort zones, make new
friends, enhances your creativity, knowledge and give more positive thinking.
2. What are the effects of homeschooling?
Homeschooling has been a heated controversity in recent years. It is undeniable that homeschooling
brings children a wealth of benefist. However, in my opinion, this issue has many negative effects on
child's development, the ability to learn and the finance.
First, it is easily seen that homeschooling is detrimental to a child's development. Under parent's
education at home, children have been isolated for most of their lives. This one-to-one tutoring allows
children study and communicate only with their parents, not others people such as friends or teachers.
This can lack of social skills and seriously cannot adapt to a struggling life when getting out of home
without parent's protecction.
Secondly, though homeschooling is considered as the top ranked educating method, many people still
suspect about children's ability to learn. In fact, many parents, who directly guide children, do not
have sufficient knowledge or experience to satisfy children's demands. Whereas, children learning at
schools are received the better education programs that are created by Ministry of Education and
Training and put into practice all over country. As a consequence, the child's proficiency will be lack
of knowledge in some fields.
In conclusion, one-to-one tutoring contains visible harmful impacts on children's development, ability
and finance. So, parents should have an all-round look on this issue to gain a wise decision for
children.
3. What were your reasons for choosing your major/your university?
Nowaday, English is very essential. Before I made my decision to take an English major, I had taken
account of several reasons.
First of all, I was fortunate enough to be a student of English class during my high school time and this
was of great advantage to me to choose any field that is related to English study or required basic
English skills. Also, a strong background in English would make it easier for me to study in a program
where I have to learn and deal with English literature, poetry reading, as well as do a lot of writings.
For this reason, English might be an ideal major for me at this point.
Additionally, ever since I was a child, I had developed a strong passion for learning English and
wished to pursue a career in English translating and interpreting. This is why, apart from being a
student of English class, I would like to take a further step towards a higher education where I would
major in English and turn my passion into my life's career. Furthermore, the fact that a degree in
English would lead to various career paths after graduation has eventually reinforced my decision that
a major in English is the perfect choice for university.
Looking back, I have absolutely no regrets of my choice and are putting maximum efforts into making
it worth choosing.
4. What are the causes and effects of telling lies?
No person can possibly stay one hundred percent honest throughout their lives. It happens that they
resort to lying for some reason, either big or small. We must be extremely careful about the
consequences which can possibly stem from one seemingly small act of us lying for certain purposes.

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 The most common reason for which people lie is the urgent need to hide truth. Many occasions take
place which force us into certain situations where we cannot possibly disclose the truth. Therefore we
necessarily need to conceal it from other people. Sometime, we also lie to save ourselves from
different kinds of trouble. The most common lie of telling the teacher that you have forgotten to bring
your notebook to class for escaping the consequences of not finishing the homework clearly
demonstrates this factor evidently.

There are many adverse consequences of lying, but perhaps the most severe of all of those are the
loss of face, or the decline in the reputation of the person who is lying. If a person is known to be a
frequent liar, his or her reputation falls under severe criticism. This can eventually lead to even graver
consequences, for example, such people will never be possibly believed wholeheartedly by the others,
no matter how genuine they later become in their endeavors.

In short, lying can be dangerous not only for the present but also for our future and can have certain
long-term consequences. Therefore, we shouldn’t lie for bad purposes to adversely affect others or
ourselves.

5. What are the causes and effects of the popularity of fast food restaurants?
Nowadays,many kinds of fast-food restaurants are available in the malls and strategic places.It
indicates that the fast-food restaurants are popular and preferable.There are several causes and effects
of the Popularity of fast-food restaurant and fast food.
The first cause is needs of modern community which have intensive activities.In a family, both
husband and wife have a tendency to have a job.Consequently, they do not have enough time to cook
and frequency of eating takeout is increased. Most people work full days with a lunch break of limited
time,thus practically they need fast food for lunch. Secondly, Some restaurants also provide free
delivery services which consumers just call to order.Serving food in many kinds of package can make
consumers choose quickly by pointing to the appropriate picture and price.
Besides it's popularity, fast-food has some effects on human health.Most fast food contains calories
from refined sugar and fats.It is also high in sodium from salt and other additives which can lead to
someone to eat it more and more.Consuming more calories that human needs can cause obesity and
also some health problems such as hypertension, diabetes,heart disease and even cancer.
In conclusion, popularity of fast-food restaurants is caused by life style of modern people, food
quality and good services.Besides its popularity,fast food has an effect on human health.Reducing
frequency of fast-food meal and eat more fresh vegetables and fruits may lead to reduce health risk in
the future.
6. What are the reasons for the popularity of shopping online?
In recent years, online shopping has become popular. The number of people buying various
products and services online is growing more than ever. In my opinion, online shopping has evolved
for several reasons.
Firstly, it is a quicker and cheaper way to shop since people can buy products at home without
having to go to stores or shopping malls. As a result, consumers can save time and the costs of
travelling. Online shopping allows people to have a wider range of choices as they can compare
different brands and products.
Secondly, online shopping allows people to select from a wide range of products, and the prices and
features of products are often compared. This has enabled customers to choose the right products that
suit their needs. Besides, placed orders on these websites can be altered or cancelled by customers,
and purchased products can also be returned if they do not meet the assured quality. Popular shopping
websites often compete with stores with lower prices and discount sales. This has also influenced
many people to purchase products online
In conclusion, online shopping offers greater benefits to customers when compared to in-store
purchasing. Clearly, while it converts shopping into a hassle free experience, shopping over the

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internet is increasingly convenient, too. Therefore, I think this is definitely a positive trend and the
popularity of online shopping is likely to continue.
7. What are the popular ways to reduce stress?
Modern life can be stressful. Even the best jobs often require long hours and strict deadlines.
Balancing work and family can also be difficult. To find the ways which is healthy to manage stress is
essencial.
There are many healthy ways to reduce stress. Yoga class is perfect for anyone who wants to stay
in safe,keep fit or have a healthy heart system.In addition, others prefer going out, organizing a party at
weekend to have chance to amuse.Someone neither does sport nor goes out, they would rather do
something more pieceful peacful such as staying at home reading book or cooking a square meal for
themselves.
For one who are gets married and have children, they should spend time with their family.Going
on a vacation,doing sport or just simply watching TV together are is good ways to relax and also knit
the members. The moment the family gather is so valuable .It is a key to balance work and family - the
two priceless things of every person.
Relaxation is the key to success. Everyone should have some time gets to get away from daily
worries and get charge with new energy. In my opinion the best way to manage stressful could be any
healthy activity which can help us have fun and do not cause hamrful consequence.
8. What are the common ways to spend holidays?
Holidays are indispensable for anyone. It enable us to resume our work redoubled zeal and energy.
We work hard during the working days of school. Our brain requires some rest after deep studies.
Holidays do not mean idleness. They do not mean sleeping, smoking and gossiping. Our holidays
can be a source of enjoyment recuperation if we make a careful plan to spend them. We must be busy
doing many things We may take long walks in the open air in the morning or in the evening.
We may enjoy the scents and sights of nature. Walking improves our health. During the holidays
we can visit new places. It will increase our knowledge and experience. Travelling broadens our
minds.
We must enjoy our holidays fully. We should read our books. sometimes we can read other
informative books. Reading books will increase our knowledge.
We may do some writings and practicing if we feel interested in it. A wise selection of items of rest
makes holidays are not to be taken as opportunities for irresponsible holidays wisely we shall again be
able to work hard with a cheerful mind.
9. What are the common study habits of students nowadays?
The key to becoming an effective student is learning how to study smarter, not harder. Therefore,
each student should have their own study habits for success. Me too, I also have my own study habits
and I think it is the same with most others.
Firsly, I always take and review thorough notes while in class. Whether I’m sitting through a
lecture or doing an assigned reading, always take notes. I'll absorb key terms and ideas more quickly
by writing them down immediately. Secondly, I must schedule study time, instead of squeezing study
sessions in between classes, naps, and other responsibilities, treat studying like any other class or
commitment. Beside, organize my class materials, this makes it easier to find what i need for each
exam, keep my homework together, and prevent overwhelming clutter.
Finally, make sure you're not distracted while you're studying. Everyone gets distracted by
something. Maybe it's the TV, smartphone or maybe it's your family. When you're distracted while
studying you lose your train of thought and are unable to focus, both of which will lead to very
ineffective studying. So I always find myself a quiet place to study.
Being successful in life is a matter of habit, practice and discipline. Students should follow these
studying habits and make their studies effective in their college.

10. What do people usually do to keep fit?

Keeping fit has become a great concern of everyone recent years. Everyone wants to become
more beautiful and healthy. There are many ways to keep fit.
Eating healthfully is important to keep fit. I try to avoid foods high in fat like French fries or
cookies. I also try to limit the amount of animal protein I consume. I never eat more than a few ounces
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of fish or chicken a day and I rarely eat meat. I eat a lot of vegetables and fresh fruit which are full of
fiber and vitamins. It is important to know how to cook these foods so the nutrients are not lost in the
cooking process.Your muscles must continue to be strong to support your body as it grows older.
Exercise helps the bones build density and helps you maintain your posture. A regular exercise
program of cardiovascular training and weight training is an important part of keeping you healthy.
Keeping fit can be done by exercising regularly. There are various things that are possible for
keeping fit. From brisk walking, running to playing badminton, soccer… Regular exercise not only
improves your health but also prevents some diseases. Besides, it can make you look younger and
slimmer. It also helps you reduce stress.
By eating properly and exercise regularly, people can keep their body at an appropriate weight
and can maintain their health. It’s all part of my recipe for healthful living.

PART 2 – SPEAKING

TOPIC 1: MEDIA
Part 1: Questions
1 Do you read newspapers or magazines?
 I often read magazines when I'm free because they have in-depth information on specific topics
and my selection is sports. As for news updates, I prefer watching Tv over reading newspapers
2 What do you read to get informed?
 I often get information by reading social media articles because I can update information in the
world quickly and accurately
3 What is your favourite TV show?
 My favorite TV show recently is Rap Viet because I like rap and hiphop and it really fascinated
me.

Part 2 – Topic: Describe a piece of good news you heard (from TV or the Internet)
You should say:
 what the news was about
 when you got this news          
 where you got this news from
 and why you think it was good news
 The good news I've heard recently was when the government announced that their first phase
of the Coronavirus vaccine was complete and it showed positive results. I got this news a few
months ago on some page of facebook. For me, it’s a good news because Coronavirus is very
dangerous and it gave the world a bad year. It has killed millions of people around the world
and caused a lot of damage in all aspects. So that’s why I think it’s a good news for me.

Part 3: Discussion
1 Why do you think news is censored in some countries?
 I think most of the sources of news come from the internet, mobile phones, and television and
they have made it easier for kids to access all kinds of content. With news censorship children
can surf the web and watch TV with more freedom while being protected from heavily violent
material. Besides, that news is censored also helps us avoid the fake news and toxics
advertisement, sensitive information
2 What would the world be like without news?
 Without the news, we would only receive information from the activities happening in close
quarters to us and narrow our understanding. Keeping up with the news makes us informed on
the world around us, making us more intelligent and also giving us an opinion on certain issues.
3 Do you think people need to know all of the news? Why or why not?
 I don't think it is necessary to know all the information, just to know the information I need to
know. What is too much is not good
Do you think it’s important to read the newspaper and know what is going on in the world?

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  We don’t really have to know everything happening all over the world and sometimes people
forget about the places around them. Of course this is all important, but it is also extremely
important to focus on local issues. This is where you are living and they are the issues that are
most closely related to you, whether you believe it or not

TOPIC 2: THE NEWS

Part 1: Questions
1 What is the biggest news story of the past two weeks?
 the biggest news story of the past two weeks I think is about love story of ST MTP and TBT
with another word green tea, it available on all news website.
2 Do you follow celebrity news?
 I'm also quite interested in news about my idols ebcause everyone will have curiosity about
their idols, how they live or when they release new music and I’n no exception
3 What kinds of news do you enjoy watching or reading?
 I enjoy watching sport news most because I really like sport, especially basketball I always
want to update all the news about it

Part 2 – Topic: Describe a magazine you enjoy looking at.

You should say:
 where it can be bought
 what information it contains
 who you think reads this magazine
 and explain why you think this magazine is interesting.
 My favourite magazine is Vouge, which is a well-known fashion and lifestyle magazine.
Vouge is widely published. It was described as "the world's most influential fashion magazine".
I subcribe to the magazine; it can be delivered to me the very day its out each month. Not only
they represent a kind of fashion culture but also publishes writting on art, culture, politics, and
ideas. It helps me update the new trends quickly. Although at least half of the magazine is
advertising, and all the items in magazine are out of my price, it also widens my eyesight and
enriches my leisure time.

Part 3: Discussion
1 What kinds of magazines are popular?
 I think the most popular magazine in Vietnam is Football Fan. It provides breaking sports news
about teams not only in Vietnam but also in other countries. Vietnamese people love sports so
they bought this magazine a lot
2 What are the main differences between magazines and newspapers?
 The main difference is that news paper are written for a general audience, while magazines are for
specific types of audiences. News paper are generally published daily, while magazines are usually
published weekly or monthly.
3 Do you think it’s important to keep up with the news?
 i think It is important to stay up to date with current events so you can be an informed people.
Learning about the news opens up your mind to everything that is happening. ... Keeping up
with the news makes us informed on the world around us, making us more intelligent and also
giving us an opinion on certain issues.

TOPIC 3: BEHAVIOUR
Part 1: Questions
1 What types of Classroom Rules do you think support student learning?
 I think it is the rules about respect and listen to the teacher, Be quiet when the teacher is talking,
Raise your hand to speak, Be prepared for class.
2 Can you name some small behavioral problems in the classroom?

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  I think the most problematic behavior is noise in class, lack of concentration and laziness. The
most unacceptable problem behavior is disrespecting the teacher about disobedience and
rudeness, followed by profanity and verbal aggression.
3 Do you think students should play a part in the creation and revision of the Classroom Rules?
 Yes, In my opinion when they contribute to class rules, they are more likely to follow them.
They will also be able to use their critical thinking skills when developing ideas to share with
the class. It is beneficial to have student investment to promote a positive and safe learning
environment.

Part 2 - Topic: Describe an important decision made with the help of other people.
You should say:
 when it happened
 who helped you to make the decision
 what the decision was
 and how you felt about it
 Today, I would like to talk about an important decision which I made with the help of my
sister. It happened when I was in high school, I didn't know what major I should choose for my
future. I was really disoriented. After that, I had a serious talk with my sister about my
problem. She gave me lots of helpful advice. And finally, I was able to decide to major in
English for my future because I knew from her that I could get a good job and high salary with
this major. Then, I was happy that my problem was solved.

Part 3: Discussion
1 Why some can make quick decisions and some cannot?
 in my opinion, some can't make quick decisions mostly to the “fear” of what kind of outcomes,
simply because we humans, in general, are fearful of the “unknown” and conversely, those who
can make quick decisions are those who are more confident, daring to think and dare to do.
2 How important is it to get advice from other people when making decisions?
 In my opinion, it is very important to always get advice from others, when we take advice from
others, we will be able to learn about the results when someone has experienced in the past.
From there we will have our own lessons
3 What should national leaders consider when they make decisions?
 I think they need to consider putting the interests of the people first and then consider the
consequences of that decision and then predict whether the outcome of the decision is positive
or negative

TOPIC 4: FRIENDSHIP
Part 1: Questions
1 Do you have a lot of friends?
 Not a lot, but I have a group of close friends, I think it’s better to have one reliable friend who
you can share everything with.
2 Are most of your friends from school or from outside school?
 Well, I have a lot of my friends of all ages outside my school because that time I took part in
dancing club and spent most of my leisure time there
3 Is there anything special about your friends?
 I guess there are a lot of things to tell you, For instance, my best friend can draw unbelievable
art. And my other friend is really keen on cooking... But most importantly, they are people,
who are near and dear to my heart.

Part 2 – Topic: Describe one of your friends. You should say:

 who he/she is
 when you met
 why he/she is so close to you
64
  and say what you like about your friend the most
 Now I will talk about my close friend. Her name is Loan and she is my best friend. You may
find it strange that my best friend is a girl but it is the truth. Loan is a very beautiful, charming
girl and always attracts the attention of men. She is shorter than me and has straight brown hair
that suits her. The special thing is that she and I have the same birthday and live in the same
village and we are also neighbors, that is the reason why we started playing together since
childhood. We always share a lot of things together and she is always my emotional advisor. I
felt really lucky to have her as a best friend

Part 3: Discussion
1 Do you think friendship is important nowadays?
 There is no doubt that friendship plays an important role in our lives. They make our lives
interesting and wonderful. They help us develop a sense of sharing whether it is tangible(ten zơ
bồ) things or just an inspiration or motivation
2 Is it important to stay in touch with your friends throughout the years?
 Yes, it very important not to lose touch with your friends… Surely, everyone changes and even
close friends can drift apart. But, in my opinion, friends are your second family and we should
highly appreciate them.
3 What qualities are necessary for friendship?
 Two friends in a friendship have to be loyal to each other and they need to understand each
other so that they will not suspect the other due to any reason. To have a long lasting
friendship, people should learn how to sympathize with the goals, interests, joys, sorrows,
desires, and preferences of their friends. At where there is no such mutual sympathy, friendship
cannot exist there.

TOPIC 5: CRIME
Part 1: Questions
1 Have you ever seen a crime? 
 I have never seen a crime happen before my eyes, but yes, there are videos and newspapers that
I have experienced.
2 What sorts of crimes are common where you live?
 sorts of crimes are common where i live are robber,bag-snatching, fraud, smuggling.
3 Does your country have a big organized crime group like the mafia?
 a big organized crime group like the mafia i knew in vietnam is Nam Cam, it was a very large
criminal organization but was arrested many years ago

Part 2 – Topic: Describe a good law in our country. You should say:
 What the law is
 How you first learned about this law
 Who benefits from this law (who is affected by the law)
 Why you think this is a good law
 Now I will talk about a good law in my country is wear a helmet when in traffic. I don't
remember exactly when I learned this law but I can be sure that I have known it since I was
very young. This law have many benefits, a helmet is designed to protect the driver's head from
a crash. Wearing a helmet while riding greatly reduces the severity of injury to the head, the
probability of death, and overall cost of medical care. So I think it's a very good law.

Part 3: Discussion
1 Are there any situations people disobey the law?
 Yes, I think this happens because of human consciousness they just want to make a profit for
themselves without thinking about the consequences. For example, passing a red light or not
wearing a helmet when in traffic is a daily occurrence.
2 Do people like being a policeman in our country?
65
  I think that in Vietnam everyone wants to be a policeman because it can make more money and
enjoy better welfare policies.
3 What qualities should a police officer have?
 Just like any other professional, a policeman should also be honest, punctual, hard-working,
well-educated, intelligent and helpful. especially strong and brave.

TOPIC 6: CELEBRITY
Part 1: Questions
1 Who is your favorite celebrity in our country?
 Off the top of my head, I guess I would have to say it’s MT pop. I’m not sure if you’ve heard
of him, but he’s the best dancer in Vietnam, and I basically admire him for everything that he’s
achieved
2 Do you like any foreign celebrities?
 Yes of course, I’m a big fan of JB. He is my favorite singer, I've been listening to his music
since I was in elementary school and I really like his music
3 How do celebrities influence their fans?
 I never really thought about it! But I think one aspect could be the clothes they wear, you
know, that can affect fans' clothing choices to some extent. And uh… what else? Um.. oh yeah,
I guess their general behavior may also have some kind of influence on their fans.
Part 2 – Topic: Describe a famous person (a celebrity) that you admire. You should say:
 Who this person is
 What this person does
 What sort of life he had before becoming famous
 Why do you admire him
 I want to tell you about a person who has a very attractive and eye-catching look. He is Son
Tung MTP. Currently he is a famous singer in Vietnam, and his music is all the rage.
Whenever he releases any products, they become top trends. I got to know him a couple of
years ago, when his first song hit the world by storm, I crazily love him and all his products.
His look is actually impressive and I guess many fan girls will love him at the first sight. For
me, Son Tung is also acclaimed for (nổi tiếng về) one of the most fashionable singers in
Vietnam. Whatever he wears will make it sell like hot cakes. That's why I admire and respect
him very much.

Part 3: Discussion
1 In general, how do people become famous?
 I firmly believe that creativity is the most recognizable thing on the internet. If you’re creative,
it means you can rock the world. As I have mentioned earlier, if you’re creative enough to
make even a single video that can go viral, then you can be a star overnight on YouTube and
social media
2 What qualities do (all or most or many) famous people have in common?
 Maybe it is different for actors and actresses, for them they actually need talent as well as
willingness to put themselves out there.
3 Do you think people are famous as a result of some real talent or are they famous for some
other reasons?
 just…well…other reasons why they are famous. Their actual fame lies in their talent. For
instance, you have some professional singers who are extremely good-looking. And then there
are some who have voices like angels, but their faces look like those of wanted criminals.

TOPIC 7: CULTURE
Part 1: Questions
1 What are some things that define a culture?

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  I think culture is defined as the symbols, languages, beliefs, values and artifacts that are part of
any society.
2 What do you think is interesting about our culture?
 I think the Vietnamese culture is very unique and interesting unlike any other country like
music, holiday, people are funny, friendly and easygoing. A wonderful country to live in
3 Have you ever experienced culture shock?
 When I traveled to the West, I saw them eating fruit with rice and I was really shocked that I had never
eaten like that before.

Part 2 – Topic: Describe an occasion when you must be polite. You should say:
 What the occasion was
 Where it was
 Who was with you
 And explain why you had to be polite
 I would like to talk about a time when I saved a bus seat for a pregnant lady. On a bus ride
from my home to the city center for a Heneiken-sponsored music festival, I met a pregnant
woman on a bus. At that time, the bus was full of students, and many even had to stand because
there was not enough seats for all. She looks really tired. Without hesitation, I stood up and
asked her to take my seat. After sit down, the lady seemed to feel better and started to have
conversation with me. She also thanked me a lot for saving her the seat. Without a place to sit
on the bus, she thought she would have fainted because of dizziness. I think any person who
witnessed that moment would also have the same reaction as me. For me, I did it simply
because it was necessary, and my action just came from my instinct, without any hesitation.

Part 3: Discussion
1 How do people show politeness in our country?
 In Vietnam, people show politeness when young people speak politely to the elderly in
honorifics. Politeness is also shown during meals, when one must wish others a delicious meal
and when the young person has to wait until the adult finishes to set the table.
2 What kinds of behavior are not polite?
 In my opinion, These impolite acts are that the younger does not respect the older or when
someone makes a noise in a public place, I think it is impolite.
3 Why is it important to show respect to others?
 When you respect someone, you get the same thing you did, From there you will make a good
impression on others, making you trustworthy and loved

TOPIC 8: HAPPINESS
Part 1: Questions
1 What does happiness mean to you?
 Happiness for me is having a lot of money, being free, taking control of my life and taking care
of my family.
2 What are the three most important things for you to be happy?
 Three most important things for me to happy, The first is good health, the second is have a lot
of money and finally, my family is always healthy
3 What is or was the happiest time of your life?
 maybe it was the first time I made money for myself and then bought the stuff I liked, That is
the moment that I feel satisfied with the effort I put in.

Part 2 – Topic: Describe a happy experience you had before. You should say:
 Where you were and when this happened
 Who was with you
 What you did
 And explain why you felt happy about it
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  A happy experience I had is when I have first date with my girl friend. It happened about 7
months ago. We were very excited for this. We actually planned to meet each other at the park
and then decide on where to go later, but she got there pretty late so we ended up staying there.
We got two take out milk tea glasses and kebabs from a small street vendor and found a
comfortable corner to enjoy ourselves. We sat there watching people passing by, talking about
random things that came up. Even though we weren't going anywhere as originally planned, we
still had a lot more fun than I expected. It was a very happy day for me

Part 3: Discussion
1 What’s the relationship between money and happiness?
 Money can bring happiness to by ensuring that we can live comfortably and take care of all our
needs. However, when money becomes more important than one’s relations or when it
becomes an obsession, then it brings more stress than happiness.
2 What do you do to make yourself happy?
 There are many things that I do that make me happy. I listen to music, read, spend time with
my family, talk or chat with my friends, meet my friends, watch movies, and many more such
things.
3 What is there to be happy about in the world today?
 I think that the world has peace, without war, against the corona virus that is already a
happiness

TOPIC 9: TRAVEL
Part 1: Questions
1 What countries would you like to visit? Why?
 The country I would most likely want to visit is: Switzerland because When I saw it on the
photos, I was suprise at the beauty of the place, the clear blue sky and the high mountains. It
looks very similar to the old tales.
2 What do you need when you want to travel abroad?
 I think first you must have money then you should know a little foreign language and cultures
of this country.
3 What problems can you come across when travelling?
 I think the most common problem people have while traveling is culture shock, which happens
when people don't find out before, maybe because of the food, language or customs not like
own country

Part 2: Describe a trip that you went on by public transportation. You should say:
 When and where you went
 Why you took the trip
 What you did and saw on the trip
 And explain how you feel about the trip
 I will now tell you about my trip traveling by train - which is pretty impressive. this was the
trip to Sapa with my best friends about a couple of months ago. We decided to book the train
because the cost is quite small just 500,000 VND per person and we all wanted to experience
something new. It took us about 9 hours to reach Lao Cai - quite a long journey but
surprisingly we did not get tired. What I love about this train ride is that it has large windows
on both sides where I can enjoy a beautiful view with green color of rice fields and mountains.
I highly recommend everyone to try train to have a great time like us and enjoy the precious
moments in life!

Part 3: Discussions
1 What are some benefits of travel?

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  Traveling is a way to better understand, improve communication skills, have new experiences
and memories, and it also helps to reduce stress after stressful working days.
2 What’s the best way to travel when you visit a country? Train, car, bicycle, bus, some other
way? Why?
 The best way to travel when I visit a country is by train because you won't need to worry about
driving, all you need to do is just sit back and enjoy the beautiful scenery outside the window.
3 How to encourage more people to take public transportation?
 I think there should be more bus locations all over the country so that people can travel easier
and more convenient.

TOPIC 10: TOURISM

Part 1: Questions
1 What is the biggest tourist destination in your country?
 One of the biggest tourist destination in Vietnam is Da Nang, a beautiful place that everyone
should visit once in their life
2 How important is tourism in your country?
 Tourism in Vietnam is very important, it boosts the revenue of the economy, creates thousands
of jobs, develops the infrastructures of a country.
3 What’s the best way for a country to bring in more tourists?
 The ways to bring in more tourists are Highlight the Main Attractions, country image ads
around the world
Part 2: Describe a tourist destination you’ve visited. You should say:
 Where it is?
 When you went there?
 What you did there?
 And explain why you like it
 One of the most interesting places I have ever come to was Hoi An ancient town. This place
attracts a lot of tourists every year to come and enjoy a wonderful time in Hoi An. I came to
Hoi An about 2 years ago with my family when I passed the university exam. When we got
here, we enjoyed the beautiful scenery here and took commemorative pictures. Especially, I
tasted the local dishes here. The cuisine here is very different from other regions and it is really
delicious. I really enjoyed my time in the old town of Hoi An. It was a one-of-a-kind
experience, and if I had the money, I'd be happy to take another trip back to this town.
Part 3: Discussion
1 What’s the most important factor for a tourist attraction?
 Tourists' expectations when visiting a particular place are related to several features of the
chosen destination: culture, architecture, gastronomy, landscape, events, shopping, etc. These
features attract people to the destination and contribute to the overall experience of the trip.
2 Should a government try to improve domestic tourism or try to attract international tourists
instead? Why?
 In my opinion, the focus should be on both sides. While international travel helps to collect
foreign currency for the country, domestic tourists travel to remote locations on a short trip,
encouraging local governments to develop local infrastructure .
3 What are the benefits of international tourism? Are there any drawbacks?
 International travel has many benefits. Firstly, Tourists can relax and have fun by visiting a
new place. In addition, tourism broadens their horizons and broadens their minds by exposing
them to different cultures and customs

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