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No. 37
Vocabulary & Phrases
1/ Every room in the hotel was characterized by shabby furniture and _______ lighting.
A/ morose B/ negative C/ sullen D/ glum
2/ Jane: Do you want you to go to that pizza place again?
Daniel: I wasn’t very struck ______ it last time.
A/ on B/ off C/ into D/ with
3/ I’ve got to _______ idioms and phrasal verbs for the forthcoming school-team selection test.
A/ mull over B/ rub off C/ enlarge upon D/ swot up
4/ Teachers should not _______ out students for special treatment.
A/ opt B/ single C/ pry D/ separate
5/ An expensive court battle could drag ______ for years.
A/ on B/ off C/ up D/ down
6/ The accused confidently _______ that he was innocent.
A/ preserved B/ maintained C/ conserved D/ defended
7/ She had a(n) ______ interest in holding a separate bank account.
A/ vested B/ invested C/ shadowed D/ implied
8/ We knew that the concert was sold out but we still went to the stadium ______ the off-chance that someone
might want to tell us their ticket.
A/ with B/ by C/ on D/ in
9/ The deal was completely open and ______ board.
A/ above B/ upon C/ within D/ into
10/ She was given a magic charm to _____ evil spirits.
A/ lash out B/ stand up to C/ ward off D/ scape through
11/ I try not to let my problems at work _____ into my private life.
A/ add up B/ carry over C/ pile up D/ nose out
12/ Serena is till ______ ignorant of the fact that she is about to be made redundant.
A/ delightedly B/ blissfully C/ jubilantly D/ ecstatically
13/ Working conditions are susceptible _____ improvement by legislation.
A/ for B/ to C/ of D/ with
14/ Turning on his _____ light would have alerted other drivers to his present at the roadside.
A/ danger B/ risk C/ hazard D/ peril
15/ In neighboring Honduras, protestors have taken to the street every week in May to _____ against
allegations of corruption.
A/ pine B/ rail C/ pinch D/ retire

Open Cloze
Budding Writers
What do Charles Dickens and Ernest Hemingway have in common? The answer is that, along with many
other famous novelists, their writing careers began on a local newspaper. Today. Despite its somewhat
tarnished (1) _____________, journalism still remains one of the few career paths open to the budding writer
(2) ____________ his or her best to earn a living. (3) ___________ is more, many aspiring novelists are to be
found biding their time on the staff of regional newspapers.
It is not exaggerating, however, to say that good writers are of (4) ____________ or no value to a
newspaper if they do not know how to set about finding stories. Junior (5) _____________ have to devote
hours to the cultivation of contacts who will (6) ____________ them supplied with the type of stories their
readers have become accustomed to seeing in print.
Newspapers also require a particular style. The graduate entrant to journalism, all (7) _____________
experience and training is based on essay writing, may find the discipline required in writing a news report
rather a daunting prospect. The philosophy of the newspaper is quite simple, (8) ____________ the fact that
there are thousands of words competing for a limited number of columns. In addition, the average roader only
spends at (9) ___________ twenty – five minutes reading a paper, so brevity is of the utmost (10)
____________.

Guided Cloze
How to complain in shops
People love to complain. Moaning to friends can be a source of relief from the stresses and strains of
work, study or relationships. But when it comes to protesting to a retailer about ( 1) _____ goods and services,
many of us find we don’t have the nerve and choose to suffer in silence.
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By the time we do (2) ______ summon up the courage to make our point, we have generally
already allowed the problem to get to us, and we are angry. In this state, we can all too (3) ______ become
aggressive, gearing up for battle and turning what should be a rational discussion into a conflict.

To complain effectively, you need to be specific about your problem and communicate it dearly using
words which are objective and fair. (4) _______ over the top with emotional language and unreasonable claims
will get you nowhere. Good negotiators tend to be calm and logical. They start by explaining the situation and
starting their requirements clearly, without threat. Most complaints prompt a defensive (5) _______ from other
people, but by being reasonable yourself, you (6) _______ more chance of achieving the positive (7) ________
you want.
If you feel angry or upset about what has happened, by all means tell the company, but do so calmly,
(8) ______ that you understand the situation from all points of (9) _______, but explaining what you will do if
your complaint is ignored. Be sure to remember, however, that it is unwise to (10) ________ threats unless
you are in a position to carry them out.
1/ A. faulty B. inexpert C. improper D. scruffy
2/ A. essentially B. especially C. exceptionally D. eventually
3/ A. easily B. happily C. simply D. casually
4/ A. Being B. Going C. Getting D. Feeling
5/ A. response B. respect C. revenge D. regard
6/ A. spend B. attract C. stand D. establish
7/ A. fallout B. outcome C. turnout D. output
8/ A. revealing B. exhibiting C. displaying D. demonstrating
9/ A. mind B. opinion C. view D. reason
10/ A. make B. bear C. do D. carry

Gapped Sentences
1/ Putting flowers in the room was a nice __________ on the part of the hotel.
I’m not feeling well today. I think I’ve got a ________ of flu.
At that restaurant they always remember your name and I think that personal ________.
2/ I’d go to Italy like a _______ if somebody asked me.
I’ll have a ______ at fixing the radio if you like.
Saying “Cuba” was just a ______ in the dark, but it turned out to be the correct answer.
3/ The government is being criticized ______ all sides for its educational policy.
Speaking ______ Mr. Pitt’s behalf, I’d like to thank all of you.
He looks as if he’s _______ the point of crying.
4/ We were only in London for the weekend but he really ______ us a good time.
You ______ such complete disregard for everyone’s feelings that it’s hardly surprising no one is talking
to you today.
Well, he certainly _____ you a thing or two about playing the piano, didn’t he?
5/ You wouldn’t feel so sick if you hadn’t made a ______ of yourself at dinner.
It was simple to put together, but you’ve made a _____ ‘s ear out of it.
You’ve bought a _____ in a poke because you couldn’t be bothered to check it before you bought it.
6/ Will you teach me that card _____, Joey?
My brother doesn’t miss a ______ when it comes to making money.
A little bit of glue will do the ______ and your teapot will be as good as ever, Mum.
7/ I was at my wit’s ______ with worry by the time they found the child.
If you’re at a loose _____ this evening, drop in for a game of chess.
I’m going to put an _____ to this situation, one way or another.

Word Form
pace stream earth cosmetics ally ear
part shadow process convention

Organic farmers pride themselves on fostering (1) ____________ sustainable agriculture, but it remains
to be seen if the organic food industry’s rapid growth is equally sustainable.
One challenge facing the industry is to bring the price of organic products more in line with those of ( 2)
____________ food products. The price of organic ingredients is improving over time, but demand still (3)
___________ supply in many cases. However, supply issues are (4) _____________ by the fact that the
organic foods segment continues to grow faster than the food industry as a whole, fundamentally due to the
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natural (5) _____________ between organic crops and (6) ___________ foods. For one thing, organic fruit
and vegetables (7) ____________ for processing do not have to be as (8) _____________ perfect as their
fresh (9) _____________. In addition, freezing or tinning organic products reduces many of the shelf-life
problems associated with fresh produce. It was only a question of time before ( 10) ___________ food
companies woke up to these synergies.

Sentence Transformation
1/ You’d better get yourself under control before the headmaster gets here. GRIP
You’d better ………………………………………………………………… before the headmaster gets here.
2/ I always beat dad when we play chess. BETTER
I …………………………………………………………………………………. whenever we play.
3/ You’ll have to make a decision soon, you know. FENCE
You ………………………………………………………………………….…. forever, you know.
4/ Peter can always rely on you to calm things down, Gina. OIL
Peter can always rely on you ……………………………………………………………, Gina.
5/ My husband may be able to fix the calculator so I’ll take it home. OFF-CHANCE
I’ll take the calculator home ……………………………………………………..… can fix it.
6/ As soon as you get your orders, report to the army base. RECEIPT
Report to the army base …………………………………………………………. your orders.
7/ You must go back to the beginning and find the error. SQUARE
We must ………………………………………………………………………… to find the error.
8/ Steve has been flying for so long that he does it almost automatically now. SECOND
Flying ……………………………………………………………………………………... Steve now.

Reading Comprehension
Birth Order
A considerable body of research has demonstrated on a correlation between birth order and aspects
such as temperament and behavior, and some psychologists believe that birth order significantly affects the
development of personality. Psychologist Alfred Adler was a pioneer in the study of the relationship between
birth order and personality. A key point in his research and in the hypothesis that he developed based on it
was that it was not the actual numerical birth position that affected personality; instead, it was the similar
responses in large numbers of families to children in specific birth order position that had an effect. For
example, first-borns, who have their parents to themselves initially and do not have to deal with siblings in the
first part of their lives, tend to have their first socialization experiences with adults and therefore tend to find
the process of peer socialization more difficult. In contrast, later-born children have to deal with siblings from
the first moment of their lives and therefore tend to have stronger socialization skills.
Numerous studies since Adler’s have been conducted on the effect of birth order and personality. These
studies have tended to classify birth order types into four different categories: first-borns, second-borns and/or
middle, last and only child.
Studies have consistently shown that first-born children tend to exhibit similar positive and negative
personality traits. First-borns have consistently been linked with academic achievement in various studies; in
one study, the number of National Merit, scholarship winners who are firstborns was found to be equal to the
number of second and third-borns combined. First-borns have been found to be more responsible and assertive
than those born in other birth-order positions and tend to rise to positions of leadership more often than
others; more first-borns have served in the U.S Congress and as U.S presidents than have those born in other
birth-order positions. However, studies have shown that first-borns tend to be more subject to stress and were
considered problem children more often than later-borns.
Second-born and/or middle children demonstrate markedly different tendencies from first-borns. They
tend to feel inferior to the older child or children because it is difficult for them to comprehend that their lower
level of achievement is a function of age rather than ability, and they often try to succeed in areas other than
those in which their older sibling or siblings excel. They tend to be more trusting, accepting, and focused on
others than the more self-centered first-borns, and they tend to have a comparatively higher level of success in
team sports than do first-borns or only children, who more often excel in individual sports. Thus, second-borns
tend to be better at soccer, football, volleyball, and baseball than at tennis, diving, gymnastics, or archery.
The last-born child is the one who tends to be the eternal baby of the family and thus often exhibits a
strong sense of security. Last-borns collectively achieve the highest degree of social success and demonstrate
the highest levels of self-esteem of all the birth-order positions. They often exhibit less competiveness than
older brothers and sisters and are more likely to take part in less competitive group games or in social
organizations such as sororities and fraternities.
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Only children tend to exhibit some of the main characteristics of first-borns and some of the
characteristics of last-borns. Only children tend to exhibit the strong sense of security and self-esteem exhibited
by last-borns while, like first-borns, they are more achievement oriented and more likely than middle- or
last-borns to achieve academic success. However, only children tend to have the most problems establishing
close relationships and exhibit a lower need for affiliation and other children.

1/ The word ‘body’ in paragraph 1 could best be replaced by _____.

A/ corpse B/ amount C/ organization D/ skeleton
2/ The word ‘key’ in paragraph 1 could best be replaced by _____.
A/ locked B/ secret C/ studied D/ significant
3/ The word ‘it’ in paragraph 1 refers to _____.
A/ personality B/ component C/ research D/ hypothesis
4/ What is stated in paragraph 1 about Adler?
A/ He was one of the first to study the effect on birth order on personality.
B/ He believed that it was the actual birth order that affected personality.
C/ He had found that the responses by family members had little to do with personality.
D/ He was the only one to study birth order.
5/ The author includes the idea that These studies have tended to classify birth order types into four different
categories in paragraph 2 in order to ______.
A/ announce what ideas will be presented in the following paragraphs
B/ show how other studies differed from Adler’s
C/ explain how Adler classified his work
D/ describe the various ways that different studies have categorized birth order groups
6/ The word ‘traits’ in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to ______.
A/ stresses B/ marks C/ characteristics D/ fears
7/ The word ‘accepting’ in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to ______.
A/ tolerant B/ affectionate C/ admissible D/ respectable
8/ Which of the following is NOT true, according to the passage?
A/ First-borns tend to do well in individual sports.
B/ Middle children tend to have a preference for team sports.
C/ Last-borns tend to prefer games with fierce competition.
D/ Only children tend to prefer individual over team sports.
9/ The phrase ‘more achievement oriented’ in paragraph 6 is closest in meaning to _____.
A/ more directly involved B/ more focused on accomplishments
C/ more skilled as leaders D/ more aware of surroundings
10/ Which of the following would be most likely to have a successful career but few close friendships?
A/ A second-born B/ A middle child C/ A last-born D/ An only child

Error Correction
The CDC has started recommending that people start to wear masks again in public indoor settings—
even if you’re vaccinated—as the Delta variant causes a surge on cases. The vaccine is largely effective in
preventing hospitalizations due to COVID-19, and while breakthrough cases are rare, they do happen and are
likely contagious. Wearing a mask as a civilian is now commonly sense. 
The best face masks to wear are made by two layers of breathable material that matches your face
snugly, either cloth or disposable. N95s, favored by healthcare professionals and essential workers, are, of
course, also an option. But designers have been in the fabric-mask game for a long time. Billie Eilish wore a
Gucci face covering (that’s, uh, probably not CDC approved) to the Grammys before the coronavirus was a
pandemic in the United States. Fendi, Palm Angels, and Marine Serre have both made masks. And, since the
start of 2020, Christian Siriano turned his business into a mask-making machine for hospitals. And many,
including Collina Strada’s Hillary Taymour, have offered tutorials on making one at home.
Masks are not a fashion accessory, but they do take up a fair amount of real estate on your face, so it’s
not surprising that people are looking for aesthetically pleasing one. With that in mind, there is a selection of
the most stylish masks to buy now. Some sellers are even offering a buy-one-donate-one with every purchase.

THE END

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