A- SPECIALISED SCHOOL ENTRY EXAMINATION

LEVEL PREPARATION NO. 6

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PHONOLOGY
I. Choose the word whose underlined part is pronounced differently from those of the others.
1. A. slash B. stack C. stamp D. swamp
2. A. fluoride B. hid C. arid D. lid
3. A. frightened B. stamped C. walked D. laughed
4. A. surgeon B. agent C. engine D. regard
5. A. new B. sew C. few D. nephew

II. Underline the main stressed syllable of the following words.

1. misapprehend 2. satellite 3. insufficient 4. encounter 5. disappointment
6. minerals 7. occur 8. disposal 9. defense 10. personnel

GRAMMAR & STRUCTURE

I. Use the correct tense and form of the verbs in brackets.
1. The plane (take off) __________ by this time tomorrow.
2. My roommate’s handwriting is very bad, so he had me (type) __________ his paper for him last night.
3. Do you wish you (study) __________ science instead of language?
4. Do you mean we don’t have any photographs now? I (not take) __________ the pictures if I (know)
__________ there was no film in the camera.
5. I hope the situation in East Timor soon (stabilize) __________.
6. There was a cold wind (blow) __________ in our faces when we were in the field.
7. He (suppose) __________ to leave at 4 o’clock.
8. What would you do if he (resign) __________ tomorrow?
9. The child’s arm was swollen because he (sting) __________ by a bee.

II. Fill the blank with the given phrases. Put the phrases in correct form or tense.
fall out turn sb down move in with get on well with keep in touch with
run away from get to know let sb down grow up go out together

1. When Brian asked her to marry him, Ann __________________.

2. I __________________ most of my old friends.
3. Ann __________________ in London.
4. David and Jean __________________ for three months before they got engaged.
5. Kate __________________ with her boyfriend and they stopped seeing each other.
6. Helen __________________ her in-laws. She often visits them.
7. Harry __________________ home as he didn’t want to do what his parents forced him to.
8. Sophia promised to meet Michael after work but __________________.
9. After a few weeks I __________________ some friends in the city to prepare for my study at university.
10. I __________________ Pam when we started working together.

III. Finish each sentence in such a way that it means exactly the same as the first one.
1. In the end we walked to the railway station.
We ended_______________________________________________________________________________
2. A true story is the basis of the novel.
The novel ______________________________________________________________________________
3. Sally persuaded me not to sell my car.
Sally talked_____________________________________________________________________________
4. The Mountain Rescue Team is pessimistic about the missing climbers.
The Mountain Rescue Team doesn’t hold______________________________________________________
5. Don’t make me suffer because of your problem.
Don’t take______________________________________________________________________________
6. I waited for him until 6.30 and then gave up.
I waited for him until 6.30, at _______________________________________________________________
7. If you’re ever in the neighborhood, please drop in and see us.
Should _________________________________________________________________________________
8. The guest didn’t finally leave until after midnight.
It _____________________________________________________________________________________
9. The best solution was thought of by Sally.
Sally came _____________________________________________________________________________
10. The arrangement for our holiday didn’t come to anything.
Our holiday _____________________________________________________________________________

IV. Rewrite the sentences using the given word. Do not change the word in brackets.
1. I think this word comes from ancient Greece. (DERIVED)
_______________________________________________________________________________________
2. I like to spend a lot of time in the open air. (DOORS)
_______________________________________________________________________________________
3. I don’t think you mean what you say about helping me. (EARNEST)
_______________________________________________________________________________________
4. Paul went to see the bank manager about getting a loan. (VIEW)
_______________________________________________________________________________________
5. This miserable weather isn’t funny anymore! (JOKE)
_______________________________________________________________________________________
6. It’s uncertain whether the band’s tour will take place. (BALANCE)
_______________________________________________________________________________________
7. I wish I knew what to do about the problem. (SOLUTION)
_______________________________________________________________________________________
8. You can walk to the station easily from the hotel. (WITHIN)
_______________________________________________________________________________________
9. Karen received a medal for her services. (RECOGNITION)
_______________________________________________________________________________________
10. You have to pay your son’s debts as he is underage. (LIABLE)
_______________________________________________________________________________________

READING COMPREHENSION
I. Choose the most suitable word for each space.
Whenever we read about the natural world nowadays, it is generally to be (1) ______ dire
predictions about its imminent destruction. Some scientists go so (2) ______ as to assert that from now on,
the world can no longer be called “natural”. Insofar as future processes of weather, (3) ______, and all the
interactions of plant and animal life will no longer carry on in their time-honoured way, unaffected by (4)
______. There will never be such a thing as “natural weather” again, say such writers, only weather (5)
______ by global warming. It is hard to know whether to believe such (6) ______ of doom, possibly because
what they are saying seems too terrible to be (7) ______. There are other equally influential scientists who
argue that climate, for example, has changed many times over the (8) ______, and that what we are
experiencing now may simply be part of an endless cycle of change, rather than a disaster on a global (9)
______. One cannot help wondering whether these attempts to wish the problem away (10) ______
underline the extent to the world’s (11) ______. It is not our fault, they seem to be saying, because
everything is all right, really! One certain (12) ______ which is chilling in its implications, is that there is no
longer anywhere on the earth’s (13) ______, whether in the depths of the oceans or in the polar wastes,
which is not (14) ______ by polluted air or (15) ______ with empty cans and bottles. Now we are having to
come to terms with understanding just what that means, and it is far from easy.
1. A. made B. given C. told D. granted
2. A. much B. often C. really D. far
3. A. change B. atmosphere C. climate D. even
4. A. beings B. man C. people D. humans
5. A. built B. manufactured C. affected D. organized
6. A. prophets B. champions C. warriors D. giants
7. A. stopped B. true C. guessed D. here
8. A. top B. again C. centuries D. world
9. A. sense B. form C. scale D. existence
10. A. simply B. to C. that D. or
11. A. future B. ecology C. balance D. population
12. A. fact B. must C. fault D. and
13. A. planet B. atmosphere C. anywhere D. surface
14. A. full B. stained C. breathing D. only
15. A. even B. recycled C. littered D. bothered

II. Read the passage and choose the best answer among A, B, C or D to each of the questions below.
The air above our head is becoming cleaner. A breath of fresh air has been running right round the
planet for the past five years. The planet is apparently purging itself of pollution. Paul Novell of the
University of Colorado, the co-author of a report on this phenomenon says, “It seems as if the planet’s own
cleansing service has suddenly got a new lease of life. Suddenly, there are a lot of changes going on up
there.”
Estimates of the death toll from urban smogs have been steadily rising, so the new cleaner trend
could have significant consequences for life expectancy in cities as well as for the planet itself. The sudden
and unexpected reversal of several decades of worsening pollution extends from the air in city streets to the
remotest mid-Pacific Ocean and Antarctica.
Among the pollutants which have begun to disappear from the atmosphere are carbon monoxide,
from car exhausts and burning rain forests, and methane from the guts of cattle, paddy fields, and gas fields.
Even carbon dioxide, the main gas behind global warming, has fallen slightly.
There are two theories about why pollution is disappearing. First, that there is less pollution to start
with due to laws cto cut down urban smogs and acid rain starting to have a global impact. Second, that the
planet may be becoming more efficient at cleaning up.
The main planetary clean-up agent is a chemical called hydroxyl. It is present throughout the
atmosphere in tiny quantities and removes most pollutants from the air by oxidizing them. The amount of
hydroxyl in the air had fallen by a quarter in the 1980s. Now, it may be revising for two reasons: ironically,
because the ozone hold has expanded, letting in more ultraviolet radiation into the lower atmosphere, where
it manufactures hydroxyl. Then the stricter controls on vehicle exhausts in America and Europe may have
cut global carbon monoxide emissions, thereby allowing more hydroxyl to clean up other pollutants.
1. What is the main topic of the passage?
A. The decreasing pollution of the atmosphere B. The changing pollutants in the atmosphere
C. Hydroxyl’s influence on the atmosphere D. The oxygenation of the atmosphere
2. The word “purging” in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to:
A. destroying B. refining C. filtering D. ridding
3. According to the passage, life expectancy partly depends on people having _______.
A. access to details about atmospheric pollution B. recommendations from university research
C. improvement in atmospheric conditions D. changes in their lifestyle
4. The word “toll” in paragraph 2 could best be replace by:
A. cost B. count C. damage D. loss
5. What does the author suggest is the main cause of pollution reduction?
A. Less impact from burning forests B. A smaller number of cars
C. A curtailment of chemicals D. Fewer cattle and gas fields
6. The word “It” in paragraph 5 refers to:
A. urban smog B. a clean-up agent C. acid rain D. the ozone hold
7. It can be inferred from the passage that the cleansing of the planet is _______.
A. inexplicable B. confusing C. surprising D. predictable
8. According to the passage, all of the following information referring to hydroxyl is true EXCEPT:
A. The reduction in the ozone layer is beneficial to hydroxyl.
B. Oxydization of pollutants is carried out by hydroxyl.
C. There is difficulty in destroying carbon dioxide by hydroxyl.
D. Ultraviolet radiation increases production of hydroxyl.
9. The word “revising” in paragraph 5 is closest in meaning to:
A. reappearing B. refreshing C. reproducing D. repeating
10. Which of the following conclusions does the passage support?
A. The decrease of methane has enabled ultraviolet radiation to enter the atmosphere.
B. An expansion in hydroxyl has enlarged the ozone hole.
C. The reduction in carbon dioxide has produced a cleaner atmosphere.
D. The beneficial effect of hydroxyl has aided the cleansing process.

VOCABULARY
I. Use the correct form of the words given in brackets.
1. Bill was given a medal in _______________ of his service. (RECOGNISE)
2. All _______________ must be received before July 20th 1994. (APPLY)
3. Karen and Catherine are _______________ twins. (IDENTIFY)
4. You look rather _______________. Are you worried about something?
5. I’m sure that the whole problem is a simple _______________. (UNDERSTAND)
6. Going swimming every day would have very _______________ effects. (BENEFIT)
7. It’s much more _______________ to buy large size packets. (ECONOMY)
8. My ankle is really and I can’t walk easily. (SWELL)
9. The government’s _______________ approach has brought criticism. (COMPROMISE)
10. The meeting adopted a _______________ calling for Smith to resign. (RESOLVE)

II. Choose the most suitable word to fill in the blanks.

1. We believed that these animals could be saved if our plan were _________.
A. adopted B. take up C. practiced D. exploited
2. Local people are concerned about pollution from _________ oil well.
A. maritime B. sea-going C. off-shore D. coastline
3. The match had to be cancelled because of the severe _________.
A. ice B. frost C. snow D. freezing
4. We’re very busy this week. Can you work _________?
A. extra time B. supplementary time C. overtime D. double time
5. I succeeded in my job through sheer hard _________.
A. work B. labour C. industry D. office
6. Catherine works for a/ an _________ engineering company.
A. main B. forefront C. outgo D. leading
7. I’m thinking of changing my job because there are few _________ of promotion.
A. prospects B. opportunities C. chances D. sources
8. Bill has a real _________ for looking after handicapped children.
A. career B. post C. inspiration D. vocation
9. Ruth is looking for a new _________ at the moment.
A. vacancy B. appointment C. condition D. employment
10. I am well-qualified and have completed _________ in graphic design.
A. lessons B. curriculum C. course D. timetable

-- Hard work pays off! –