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I. Vocabulary (15%)
1. Taiwans melting pot culture blends a Mecca of flavors, textures and colors in its cuisine, which makes
your mouth water every time you taste the ________ food.
(A) scrumptious (B) rambunctious (C) opprobrious (D) magnanimous
2. Most young people are ________ enough to know that movies and TV are fictionalized, but that doesnt
mean they know how to keep history and Hollywood separate.
(A) doltish (B) savvy (C) frantic (D) snappy
3. Tobacco and poverty have become linked in a vicious circle, through which tobacco ________ poverty,
and poverty is also associated with higher prevalence of tobacco use.
(A) exacerbates (B) maneuvers (C) scrutinizes (D) propitiates
4. Amid severe flooding caused by torrential rain, rescuers found a girl with waterlogged lungs and no
signs of life. Fortunately, she was ________ after being sent to a hospital.
(A) retaliated (B) resuscitated (C) retrenched (D) relegated
5. UVA light penetrates deeper into the skin, destroying a structural protein called collagen. As collagen
degrades, our skin loses its ________ and smoothness, leading to wrinkles.
(A) ferocity (B) voracity (C) pugnacity (D) elasticity
6. We need to be more robust in identifying and ________ out extremism in public service and across
society, said Theresa May, British Prime Minister, after the deadly terror attack in London.
(A) sprouting (B) stamping (C) stalking (D) strutting
7. Ariana Grande decided to return to Manchester to play a benefit gig for the victims of the attack at her
concert. The American star said her heart, prayers and deepest ________ were with the victims.
(A) condolences (B) honorariums (C) muniments (D) repositories
8. An Indian charity is using big data to pinpoint human trafficking hot spots in a bid to ________ illegal
trade of humans and to prevent vulnerable women and girls vanishing from high-risk villages into the
sex trade.
(A) garnish (B) banish (C) broach (D) encroach
9. Scientists have ________ a powerful antibiotic, called vancomycin, so it is more powerful against
life-threatening bacterial infections. They have changed the compound so as to eliminate the threat of
antibiotic resistance.
(A) plunged (B) snitched (C) winced (D) tweaked
10. Paul McCartney, whose ________ include BRIT Awards, Grammy Awards, American Music Awards,
and MTV Video Music Awards, has been recognized as one of the most successful composers and
performers of all time.
 (A) parables (B) strictures (C) accolades (D) conundrums
11. In a post on the PTT forum, a WannaCry malware victim said that he gained a ________ by telling the
hackers he couldnt afford to pay the ransom with his low wage in Taiwan, and the hacker surprisingly
helped decrypt the lock.
(A) fracas (B) reprieve (C) neophyte (D) persiflage
12. As Africa ________ with a severe drought, and famine threatens millions of people, experts at the World
Economic Forum on Africa say food security needs to be a major part of discussions on advancing the
continent economically.
(A) grapples (B) blunders (C) coalesces (D) forfeits
13. A speech by a Chinese student at a University of Maryland graduation ceremony triggered ________
among Chinese students around the US. It was criticized as overemphasizing the fresh air and right to
free speech enjoyed in the United States.
(A) incantation (B) infraction (C) injunction (D) indignation
14. Taiwans top court ruled that restricting people of the same gender from marrying was unconstitutional.
The decision cements Taiwans role as a ________ in Asia, where gay rights are often contentious and
same-sex sexual activity sometimes outlawed.
(A) miniature (B) labyrinth (C) trailblazer (D) harangue
15. According to leaked Facebook documents, Facebook does allow certain posts that contain violent
language because people commonly express disdain or disagreement by threatening or calling for
violence in generally ________ and unserious ways.
(A) palpable (B) mendicant (C) facetious (D) languid

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I. Vocabulary
1.A 2.B 3.A 4.B 5.D
6.B 7.A 8.B 9.D 10.C
11.B 12.A 13.D 14.C 15.C