ĐỀ THI THỬ OLYMPIC 30/4 NĂM 2023

PART 1. For questions 1-40, choose the correct answer A, B, C, or D to each of the following
questions and write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
1. They are quite _____ about not going to university; they wouldn’t even consider it.
A. evasive B. suspicious C. adept D. adamant
2. Mike: ‘Look! Anna and her boyfriend are _____ under the umbrella to keep dry.’ – Timmy: ‘If only I
had a lover to do like
that!’
A. augmenting B. huddling C. muffling D. enclosing
3. The football team became _____ after 6 successive losts.
A. regrettable B. conscience-stricken C. egregious D. disconsolate
4. The unity of colleagues and willingness to help each other are _____ in our workplace.
A. the mod cons B. the creature comforts C. the birds and the bees D. the vantage points
5. Mike: ‘Your brother is not interested in learning Spanish, is he?’ – Anna: ‘_____. I’m afraid!’
A. No, he is B. Yes, he is C. No, he isn’t D. Yes, he isn’t
6. Mina could get any guy she wanted – so I was really surprised when she introduced me to her latest
boyfriend, who I thought was ____ ugly.
A. bitterly B. ostentatiously C. hideously D. extremely
7. Mike makes it clear _____ his girlfriend’s problems again.
A. not to cope with B. not coping with C. he would not cope with D. he not cope with
8. Cindy says she’s _____ busy to come to my birthday party.
A. so much B. much too C. too much D much so
9. After many ______, the handicapped children finally could go to school themselves.
A. trials and tribulations B. pass judgement C. hues and cries D. loom large
10. Given how spontaneous she had always been, no one was in the least bit surprised when she decided
she was going to move to Greece on a(n) _____.
A. impulse B. wish C. whim D. flash
11. I don’t like the way Dennis is trying to __________ trouble between us.
A. dish out B. rub up C. stir up D. spark out
12. He was undoubtedly making progress, __________ rather slowly.
A. albeit B. notwithstanding C. however D. whilst
13. When several companies showed interest in buying the film rights to his novel, he knew he had
__________.
A. upped the ante B. scooped the bag C. caught the fat one D. hit the jackpot
14. I can’t go out wearing something like that. I’d be the __________ of the neighbourhood.
A. make-me-laugh B. laughing stock C. laughter maker D. laughing gas
15. These two are obviously brothers. The likeness is _____________.
A. infallible B. unmistakable C. faultless D. doubtless
16. I’m a vegetarian. I refuse to eat meat on __________.
A. belief B. conscience C. principle D. theory
17. It’s best to meet your problems ________ and solve them before they get worse.
A. eye-on B. hair-on C. nose-on D. head-on
18. We are pleased to inform you that we have decided to _________your request for British citizenship.
A. give B. grant C. permit D. donate
19. We can only _______ as to the causes of the disaster.
A. think B. consider C. speculate D. ponder
20. The footballer never really recovered from the injury he _______ at the beginning of the season.
A. got B. struck C. endured D. sustained
21. He likes nothing better than to spend his Sunday mornings _______ in the gardens.
A. pottering about B. hanging around C. whiling away D. winding down
22. After testing positive on a doping test, the renowned athlete was advised to lay low and avoid the
press like the _______.
A. plague B. hawk C. wildfire D. wind
23. Despite all the evidence, he wouldn't admit that he was in the _______.
A. fault B. error C. wrong D. slip
24. After a six-year relationship, Martha and Billy have decided to _______.
A. break the bank B. turn the page C. tie the knot D. make the grade
25. Never buy anything second-hand. I bought a second-hand fridge a month and it was _______.
A. trouble from the word go B. too awful for words
C. a play on word D. lost for words
26. A new generation of performers, ______ those who by now had become a household name, honed
their skills before following the same path onto television.
A. no less talented than B. along with talented as
C. together with talented as D. having been more talented than
27. My mother always told me that I shouldn’t judge people ______. The way they look says nothing
about their character.
A. by their appearance B. with their outlook C. through appearance D. by their face
28. Nobody, even the best doctors, expected Frank’s ______ to be so quick and successful after so severe
an accident.
A. renewal B. resumption C. recuperation D. remuneration
29. Unanswered, the demands for nuclear deterrents have ______fears of civil war.
A. flashed up B. prognosticated C. sidetracked D. stoked up
30. Little did I imagine The Amazing Race would entail long-winded journeys and ups and downs
______.
A. aplenty B. inexhaustibly C. profusely D. superabundant
31. Researchers have made a(n) ______ plea for more sponsorship so that they can continue their project.
A. compassionate B. dispassionate C. encompassed D. impassioned
32. Although he acts tough, ______.
A. his bark is worse than his bite B. he’s a tough nut to crack
C. he’s learned the hard way D. he isn’t up to scratch
33. Towards the end of the film Thelma and Louise, a large truck is ______ by the main characters when
they shoot its tank, which is full of oil.
A. shot off B. struck in C. poured out D. blown up
34. In the novella, Hadji Murat is an important figure among the Chechens, but he ______ the main
leader Sheikh Shamil following an argument.
A. sets apart from B. falls out with C. cuts back on D. keeps out of
35. He was wearing very shabby, dirty clothes and looked very ______.
A. easy-going B. down to teeth C. out of shape D. down at heel
36. I’m afraid you’ve caught me on the ______. I wasn’t expecting you until this afternoon.
A. stove B. grapevine C. spot D. hop
37. The escaped prisoner fought ______ before he was finally overpowered.
A. head over heels B. tooth and nail C. heart and soul D. foot and mouth
38. I didn’t suspect anything at first, but when I noticed her going through the office drawers I began to
smell ______.
A. a rat B. a pig C. a thief D. a culprit
39. Nagging Susan to stop smoking has no effect on her. It’s like water off ______.
A. a windmill B. a duck’s back C. a dripping tap D. an umbrella
40. I hope the computer course starts this term. We’re all as keen as ______ to get going.
A. coffee B. mustard C. a gigolo D. cornflakes
PART 2 Read the texts below and decide which answer best fits each space.

Promoting children’s self-esteem seems to be one of the aims of modern childcare and education. It goes
(1) _______ with a culture in which children are (2) _______ for the most minor achievements. While
this promotion of self-esteem is, rightly, a reaction against (3) _______ times when children weren’t
praised enough, it also seems to be (4) _______ a fear of how failure will affect children: a fear that if
they don’t succeed at a task, they will somehow be damaged.

However, the opposite may well be true. Many scientists spend years experiencing (5) _______ failure in
the lab until they make a breakthrough. They know that ultimately this process advances scientific
knowledge. (6) _______, children need to experience failure to learn and grow. If children have been
praised for everything they’ve done, regardless of how good it is, then failure in adult life will be all the
more painful.

Life is full of (7) _______ and there is no point in trying to protect children from the disappointments that
(8) _______ them. Parents and educators shouldn’t be afraid of picking up on children’s mistakes, as long
as they also praise them when they do well. After all, the heroes children try to (9) _______ the pop stars
and footballers, have all reached the top (10) _______ruthless competition. Like them, children need to
learn how to cope with failure and turn it to their advantage.

1. A. cap in hand B. hand in hand C. to show D. without saying

2. A. enthusiastically B. devotedly C. immensely D. thoroughly

3. A. grimmer B. more unrelenting C. more unsparing D. sterner

4. A. consequent upon B. owing to C. culminated in D.resulted from

5. A. concurrent B. consequent C. consecutive D. continual

6. A. All the same B. By the same token C. In like manner D. In similar fashion

7. A. flies in the ointment B. obstacle courses

C. spanners in the works D. stumbling blocks

8. A. put great store by B. lie in wait for C. hold in store for D. wait up for

9. A. duplicate B. emulate C. replicate D. stimulate

10. A. in the face of B. in the teeth of C. irrespective of D. without regard to

PART 3 Read the texts below and choose the best answer to each question.

Is the Internet Making us Stupid?

In an article in Science, Patricia Greenfield, a development psychologist who runs UCLA’s Children’s
Digital Media Centre, reviewed dozens of studies on how different media technologies influence our
cognitive abilities. Some of the studies indicated that certain computer tasks, like playing video games,
increase the speed at which people can shift their focus among icons and other images on screens. Other
studies, however, found that such rapid shifts in focus, even if performed adeptly, result in less rigorous
and ‘more automatic’ thinking.

In one experiment at an American university, half a class of students was allowed to use internet-
connected laptops during a lecture, while the other half had to keep their computers shut. Those who
browsed the web performed much worse on a subsequent test of how well they retained the lecture’s
content. Earlier experiments revealed that as the number of links in an online document goes up, reading
comprehension falls, and as more types of information are placed on a screen, we remember less of what
we see.

Greenfield concluded that ‘every medium develops some cognitive skills at the expense of others’. Our
growing use of screen-based media, she said, has strengthened visual-spatial intelligence, which can
strengthen the ability to do jobs that involve keeping track of lots of rapidly changing signals, like
piloting a plane or monitoring a patient during surgery. However, that has been accompanied by ‘new
weakness in higher-order cognitive process’, including ‘abstract vocabulary, mindfulness, reflection,
inductive problem solving, critical thinking and imagination’. We’re becoming, in a word, shallower.

Studies of our behavior online support this conclusion. German researchers found that web browsers
usually spend less than ten seconds looking at a page. Even people doing academic research online tend to
‘bounce’ rapidly between documents, rarely reading more than a page or two, according to a University
College London study. Such mental juggling takes a big toll. In a recent experiment at Stanford
University, researchers gave various cognitive tests to 49 people who do a lot of media multitasking and
52 people who multitask much less frequently. The heavy multitaskers performed poorly on all tests.
They were more easily distracted, had less control over their attention, and were much less able to
distinguish important information from trivia. The researchers were surprised by the results. They
expected the intensive multitaskers to have gained some mental advantages. That wasn’t the case,
though. In fact, the multitaskers weren’t even good at multitasking. ‘Everything distracts them’, said
Clifford Nass, one of the researchers.

It would be one thing if the ill effects went away as soon as we turned off our computers and mobiles, but
they don’t. The cellular structure of the human brain, scientist have discovered, adapts readily to the tools
we use to find, store and share information. By changing our habits of mind, each new technology
strengthens certain neutral pathways and weakens others. The alterations shape the way we think even
when we’re not using the technology. The pioneering neuroscientist Michael Merzenich believes our
brains are being ‘massively remodelled’ by our ever-intensifying use of the web and related media. Not
long ago he said that he was profoundly worried about the cognitive consequences of the constant
distractions and interruptions the internet bombards us with. The long-term effect on the quality of our
intellectual lives, he said, could be ‘deadly’.

Not all distractions are bad. As most know, if we concentrate too intensively on a tough problem, we can
get stuck in a mental rut. However, if we let the problem sit unattended for a time, we often return to it
with a fresh perspective and a burst of creativity. Research by Dutch psychologist Ap Dijksterhuis
indicates that such breaks in our attention give our unconscious mind time to grapple with a problem,
bringing to bear information and cognitive process unavailable to conscious deliberation. We usually
make better decisions, his experiments reveal, if we shift our attention away from a mental challenge for
a time.

But Dijksterhuis’s work also shows that our unconscious thought processes don’t engage with a problem
until we’ve clearly and consciously defined what the problem is. If we don’t have a particular goal in
mind, he writes, ‘unconscious thought does not occur’. The constant distractedness that the Net
encourages is very different from the kind of temporary, purposeful diversion of our mind that reflects
our thinking. The cacophony of stimuli short-circuits both conscious and unconscious thought,
preventing our minds from thinking either deeply or creatively. Our brains turn into simple signal-
processing units, shepherding information into consciousness and then back again. What we seem to be
sacrificing in our surfing and searching is our capacity to engage in the quieter, attentive modes of
thought that underpin contemplation, reflection and introspection.

1 What do we learn about Patricia Greenfield’s research in the first paragraph?

A It focused on problems resulting from the use of media technologies.

B It did not produce consistent patterns in connection with computer use.

C It involved collating the results of work done by other people.

D It highlighted differences between people when using their computers.

2 Two of the experiments mentioned in the second paragraph concerned

A the amount of attention people pay to what they see on computers.

B the connection between computer use and memory.

C the use and non-use of computers for studying .

D changes that happen if people’s computer use increases.

3 One of Greenfield’s conclusions was that

A certain claims about the advantages of computer use are false.

B computer use has reduced a large number of mental abilities.

C people do not care about the effects of computer use on their minds.

D too much emphasis has been placed on the benefits of computer use.

4 One of the pieces of research mentioned in the fourth paragraph indicated that

A some people are better at multitasking than others.

B ‘mental juggling’ increases the mental abilities of only a few people.

C beliefs about the effectiveness of multitasking are false .

D people read online material less carefully than other material.

5 What is the writer’s purpose in the fifth paragraph?

A to advise on how to avoid the bad effects of new media technology.

B to present opposing views on the consequences of use of new media technology.

C to warn about the damage done by use of new media technology.

D to summarize the findings of the previously- mentioned research.

6 The writer mentions Ap Dijksterhuis’s research in order to make the point that

A not all research supports beliefs about the dangers of computer use.

B the mind functions in ways that computers cannot.

C problem-solving can involve very complex mental processes.

D uninterrupted concentration on something is not always a good thing.

7 The writer’s main point in the final paragraph is that

A constant computer use makes people incapable of complex thought processes.

B the stimulation provided by computer use causes people to become confused.

C it is natural for some people to want to avoid thinking deeply about problems.

D both conscious and unconscious thought are affected by computer use.

PART 4 Read the texts below and choose the best answer to each question.

Unwanted guests
 New York is the perfect city for a mini-break, says Tim Geary. Just don’t stay at my place.

I hate early autumn. I hate its deep blue skies and late summer winds, its new plays and films, its alluring
beauty. I hate it because it means one thing: houseguest season in New York. That doesn't mean I can
hunt them (I wish), but that they're here to visit. These guests never take on January's biting winds or the
swelter of mid-August. They prefer to spoil the beautiful months. They want to torture me now. Since I
moved to New York from England in 1989, I have become accustomed to chirpy midsummer calls setting
up visits in the fall. 'It's been too long!' an old friend will begin. I know what's coming next: 'So we
thought we'd come to New York!' 'Great!' I long to reply. 'Come for coffee. Fly in, fly out, I'm busy.' And
yet, because this man was my tennis partner in college or that woman gave birth to me, I agree to have
them to stay, knowing as I speak the error of my ways.

The truth is that houseguests have no place in New York City. More to the point, they should have no
place but they usually do- mine. Over the next three months, I have twelve people coming to stay. I feel
like the manager at the Plaza, only less well dressed. It isn't that I'm mean. I know the pleasure found in
staying with friends in Dallas or Seattle. I appreciate being collected from the airport and chauffeured
around my friends' cities. I recognise the luxury in spreading out my clothes across the floor of a tidy
spare room.

But in New York there are few spare rooms. We live in tiny apartments. We rarely have cars. We work at
jobs that don't permit leisurely lunches. More important, New Yorkers choose a pace that is exclusively
our own, finding neighbourhoods and jobs and lovers to suit that style. Houseguests, with their lazy
hometown ways, arrive in our apartments at a different speed. Like the specks of dirt that get stuck
between the grooves of a CD, they interrupt the sound and rhythm of our days.

As any adult with parents knows, nothing interrupts a life more than having your folks back in it. My
parents, whom I love deeply from afar, are staying with me now.Because they travel like refugees,
seemingly with their life's possessions, my apartment looks like a check-in desk at Miami airport over
spring break. And it is my wife, Sarah, and I who feel like the travellers. While my parents sleep in the
bedroom, we clamber over bags and wrestle with the springs of the sofa bed I chose for its lack of inviting
comfort. As I watch the VCR's clock blink into the small hours, I can hear the snores from the bedroom's
well-padded mattress.

The daylight hours are yet worse. Houseguests claim they are keen to see how we live, yet they have no
interest in which grocer's mango is 20 cents cheaper or where to find a dry cleaner that will protect your
buttons with foil. Instead, visitors expect to be presented with a New York that isn't our own. They want
to take cabs, not subways; to meander along leafy streets, not be asked to jaywalk across four-lane
avenues; to run into Woody Allen at the Carnegie Deli, not your chiropractor at the local diner. They want
to know when the Circle Line leaves or which clubs offer techno on Mondays. If you don't know the
answers, they look at you as if you don't belong. The truth, of course, is that New Yorkers take no interest
in the things tourists crave. We want to know where our chiropractor buys his mangoes.

Occasionally, perfect houseguests do appear, stopping by for a night or two to show the others up. They
pack lightly. They are not vegetarians or insomniacs. They like your cats. They buy wine and milk and
don't have long showers on their vacation, at least not in your apartment. And they leave when they
promise, or sooner. But they are rare.
From next year on, I'm just going to say no. I realise that while it is said that houseguests, like fish, stay
fresh for only three days, in New York their shelf life is much shorter. Like bagels, they need only a few
hours before they become very stale indeed.

1 What does the writer say in the first paragraph regarding visits from family and friends?

A They intrude on the precious time he reserves for his family.

B They disrupt his routine at a particularly busy time of year.

C They ruin for him what would otherwise be a pleasant season.

D They force him to be hospitable to people he doesn't know well.

2 Regarding the twelve people coming to stay with him, the writer says that he

A doubts that they will be appreciative of his hospitality.

B understands their motives for wanting to stay with him.

C thinks that it would be better for them to stay in a hotel.

D hopes that he will be able to stay with them in return.

3 The main reason why the writer believes houseguests are not for New York is that

A most New Yorkers live in very overcrowded conditions.

B they expect a level of attention that New Yorkers cannot give them.

C New York's residential neighbourhoods are not visitor-friendly.

D they interfere with the unique lifestyles of New Yorkers.

4 The writer mentions refugees in line 39 to emphasise

A the amount of luggage his parents travel with.

B the extent to which his parents' visit inconveniences his life.

C the lack of space in his apartment for visitors.

D the feelings he has towards his parents when they visit

5 In the fifth paragraph, the writer criticises houseguests for the fact that

A they have no respect for the way New Yorkers live.

B they have many misconceptions about New York.

C they lack the desire to experience the real New York.

D they are not interested in meeting real New Yorkers.

6 In the sixth paragraph, the writer describes a good houseguest as being one who is

A honest.

B unconventional.

C easy-going.

D unobtrusive.

7 In the final paragraph, the writer concludes that

A New Yorkers should refuse all houseguests.

B the novelty of being a houseguest in New York soon wears off.

C New Yorkers should limit houseguests to a three-day visit.

D houseguests quickly outstay their welcome in New York.

PART 5 You are going to read a magazine article. Seven paragraphs have been removed from the
article. Choose from the paragraphs A-H the one which fits each gap (1-7). There is one extra
paragraph which you do not need to use.

THE UNKNOWN AMAZON

THE AMAZONIAN RAINFOREST is one of the most significant and largely intact ecosystems left on
Earth. It is often characterised as an essentially untouched natural environment in which the human
presence is merely incidental. However, the vast reaches of the rainforest have been lived in and shaped
by human hands for thousands of years. The Amazon Basin boasts the largest river system on Earth and
harbours an ecosystem of unrivalled complexity.
1.

Friar Gaspar de Carvajal, who accompanied him, wrote a memorable account of their adventures,
including mention of the great signal drums that sounded from village to village far in advance of their
arrival, warning of the incursion by bearded and helmeted strangers.
2.
Such reports have intrigued anthropologists ever since, for they describe dense populations and sizeable
confederations which, if substantiated, would be entirely at odds with modern stereotypes of hidden,
thinly scattered tribes eking out a precarious existence.
3.

This population collapse and displacement along the principal watercourses has contributed to a distorted
impression of the cultural achievements of tropical forest societies. in the 1950s, North American
investigators argued that the sophisticated archaeological styles they were discovering on Marajo Island
could not have originated in the Amazon Basin itself, but must have been derived from more advanced
cultures in the Andean highlands. They supposed the tropical forest to be a 'counterfeit paradise' incapable
of supporting much beyond a simple hunting-and- gathering way of life. This misnomer has exerted a
pervasive influence ever since.
4.

The Amazon Polychrome Tradition appears to have its origins on Marajo Island, where the Amazon
meets the Atlantic, and later spread across much of the Upper Amazon and the coast of Brazil and the
Guianas. Even if all the reasons for this surge in cultural complexity are still not well understood, we do
know that important changes took place then in the social and political organisation of native Amazonian
societies. The style transcends local and regional cultures and points to the exchange of ideas and
technology along the vast riverine network.
5.

More recent archaeological research has focused on a phenomenon barely noticed before: extensive
patches of rich black soils found along the banks and bliiffs of all major rivers in the Amazon. Some
cover an area of many acres and are up to two metres deep. They are thought to have formed over many
centuries as the accumulated byproduct of organic remains left by native settlements.
6.

Among the most exciting discoveries are funerary urns dating to AD 1400-1700 in caves and rock shelters
along the Maraca River near the mouth of the Amazon. The bones — from men, women and children —
were preserved in individually dedicated vessels. It seems that the sites were visited regularly over the
years and new urns added. The community of ancestors reflects the kinship ties and lineages of ancient
Maraca settlements and their nurturing of links between the living and the dead.
7.

The future of the Amazon Basin is now hotly debated. Knowledge about the past has a vital role to play in
planning and decision-making for the future. Archaeology points to successful, sustainable adaptations
grounded in practical expertise and born of a familiarity with the limitations and possibilities of this
environment. Its wise management is becoming a matter of global concern.

A Secondly, there is a truly impressive linguistic diversity, with several hundred distinct languages and
dialects. This complexity must have evolved over thousands of years and implies an occupation of the
Amazon basin for at least 14,000 years, a figure supported by archaeological evidence. The rock art in the
Amazon Basin may be as old as human occupation itself. Images are engraved and painted on exposed
bedrock near rapids and waterfalls where fishing is most productive, and in caves and rock shelters close
to archaeological sites.

B From' the late seventeenth century a succession of naturalists and explorers recorded and collected
many of the everyday objects fashioned from wood and other organic materials that rarely survive the
vicissitudes of climate in the tropical lowlands. Among the first to assemble a collection was the
Portuguese scholar Alexandre Rodrigues Ferreira. Then, from 1820 to 1834 the Austrian naturalist Johann
Natterer amassed an amazing collection of natural history specimens and cultural objects. Such
collections housed in European museums preserve a 'window' into cultures that were soon to experience
irreversible changes brought about by extraneous diseases and merciless exploitation.

C There are also, of course, numerous trading links between the different tribes and extended family
groups, though the diversity of languages can, at times, impede the smooth settlement" of commercial
transactions. It should be noted, however, that much of the trading dynamic has been nurtured through the
business education opportunities that have been available to riverside Amazonians since the days of the
Spanish explorers.

D Taking into account the wider relevance of these connections, Amazonian indigenous groups can no
longer be seen as isolated communities in the depths of the forest or dispersed along rivers. We still have
much to learn about their internal dynamics and social formations, but the rainforest should no longer be
seen as an untouched 'paradise', leaving the way open to informed discussion.

E He recounts seeing a multitude of settlements along the river: on one day they passed more than twenty
villages in succession, and some of these are said to have stretched for six miles or more.

F These soils are usually laden with ancient pottery and are now being studied for clues to the rise of
tropical forest civilization in the Amazon Basin. Local farmers regard the black soils as a 'gift from the
past' because of their natural fertility and ability to support a wide range of crops.

G Two factors have been instrumental in overturning this paradigm. First is a surprisingly diverse range
of pottery styles, not only within the Marajoara Tradition (AD 500-1500) on Marajo Island at the mouth
of the Amazon, but also many hundreds of miles upriver. Excavations in the furthest reaches of the Upper
Amazon in Peru and Ecuador have demonstrated the existence of a widespread style of painting large urns
in bold black, red and cream designs that has come to be known as the Polychrome Tradition. Together
with recent research at the mouth of the Amazon, this seems to confirm that a creative explosion of styles
occurred about 2,000 years ago.

H Early European travellers were awed by their first encounters. In 1531, Francisco Pizarro overthrew the
Inca emperor Atahualpa, and a decade later his younger brother Gonzalo ventured east from Quito in the
Andean highlands. Forging downriver along the Rio Napo, the expedition soon exhausted its supplies
and, at Pizarro's behest, his second-in-command Francisco de Orellana led a group sent ahead to
reconnoitre for food. Eight months later Orellana emerged at the mouth of the Amazon, having made
what would prove to be the first descent of the length of the river.
PART 6 For questions 1-10, fill each of the following numbered blanks with ONE suitable word and
write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
For the (1) _____ few decades innovators have been coming up with ideas for (2) _______ power
sources for automobiles, though so far none has had a significant appeal for consumers. The technologies
we have at present are (3) _______ far behind the petrol-guzzling internal combustion engine in terms of
speed and the distance that can be travelled before refuelling. But what does the future (4) ______? At
present a hybrid car propelled by a (5) _______ of an electric motor and petrol engine may be the best
compromise for those who want to help save the planet and still have the convenience of a car. When you
start the hybrid car and when you are (6) _______ normally, power is provided by the electric motor,
which works with a battery. However, when the battery starts to go (7) _______, the petrol engine starts
automatically and drives a generator to (8) _______ the battery. Similarly, when the car needs extra
power - in order to accelerate, for (9) _______ - the petrol engine provides that power. This vehicle
performs respectably, though not spectacularly: it can go from 0 to about 100 kph in around 10 seconds,
has a top speed of 165 kph, and below (10) _______ fuel consumption.
PART 7 Use the correct form of the word given to fill in each blank.
1. Look! I know you've lost your wallet, but there's no use in keeping on __________ the fact. Someone
has stolen it and that's all there is to it! (MOAN)
2. Paul is a good employee, and is very __________ (CONSCIENCE)
3. He must be drunk. He is making __________ remarks. (SENSE)
4. You can ask a __________ for advice on what kind of food you should eat to keep you healthy. (DIET)
5. Few active steps were taken to measure, understand or manage the occurance of __________
(ABSENCE)
6. __________ fans crowd near the stage the moment the pop star appears. (AWE)
7. She finally left her husband because of his __________ (ADULT)
8. Liskeard and Callington are basically __________ from here, so it'll take about the same time to get to
either of them. (DISTANT)
9. You won't persuade him to change his mind. His decision is __________ (REVOKE)
10. Since his bad habits were never broken when he was a child, they are __________ now (CORRECT)

PART 8: Complete the passage with appropriate forms from the words given in the box.
immune form invade introduce populate

success assist place effect caution

UNWANTED VISITORS
 Loss of habitat poses the single greatest threat, endangering indigenous species. The second largest threat
to native flora and fauna would have to be the(1) ____________ of alien species into an environment
other than their own. Alien species are able to cause such cataclysmic damage because they are usually
more (2) ____________ in competing for food. They introduce diseases to which the local inhabitants do
not possess (3) ____________. Interbreeding has caused the destruction of entire species because the first
hybrid generation will eventually (4) ____________ the parent stock. Hybrid individuals tend to possess
greater vigour and will therefore compete more (5) ____________ with the remaining pure stock. Their
offspring may also be infertile, resulting in the (6) ____________ of an entire species because of a
reduction in the number of breeding animals. The (7) ____________of guidelines has been called on to
exclude non-native wildlife, contain it where it has a foothold, and eliminate it if possible. The principles
call for border controls, (8) ____________ in international trade and technical and financial (9)
____________ to help poor countries detect and combat (10) ____________.
PART 9 SENTENCE TRANSFORMATION
1. John hints that they have allowed him to join the business deal. (HINT)

➔ John _______________________________________________________ in on the business venture.

2. I have noticed that some of my colleagues are offended by my comments. (OFFENCE)

➔ It has been _______________________________________________________________________.

3. It wasn’t until later that I realised why Tim made such an extraordinary decision. (SPURRED)

➔ Not ____________________________________________________________________ a decision.

4. We could only realise Mark was a fair-weather friend when we read his diary. (MOMENT)

➔ Only _____________________________________________________________________________.

5. The situation was so urgent that the commander asked us to be ready for action all the time. (TOES)

➔ Such ____________________________________________________________________________.

6. Mrs. Chun was extremely worried when she was told that someone had withdrawn a large sum of
money from her bank account. (MIND)

➔ Being ____________________________________________________________________________.

7. Fans from all over the world were furious because the film studio had exploited the singer’s death for
profit. (CASHED)

➔ The film studio ______________________________________________ fans from all over the world.

8. Ralph only manages to live with very little money now because he has wasted all his savings on fancy
clothing. (EKES)

➔ Squandering ______________________________________________________________________.

9. You really didn’t have to be willing to accept the blame for our whole team. (FAR)
➔ You needn’t ___________________________________________________ can for our whole team.

10. When the project was approved, we felt certain that it would turn out successful. (GREEN)

➔ The project ____________________________________________________________________ of it.

KEY

PART 1. For questions 1-40, choose the correct answer A, B, C, or D to each of the following
questions and write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
1.D 2.B 3.D 4.B 5.C 6.C 7.C 8.B 9.A 10.C 11.C 12.A 13.D 14.B 15.B
16.C 17.D 18.B 19.C 20.D 21.A 22.A 23.C 24.C 25.A 26. A 27. C 28. C 29. D 30. A
31. D 32. A 33. D 34. B 35. D 36. D 37. B 38. A 39. B 40. B
PART 2 Read the texts below and decide which answer best fits each space.
1. B 2. A 3. D 4. A 5. D 6. C 7. D 8. C 9. B 10. A
PART 3 Read the texts below and choose the best answer to each question.

1. C 2. B 3. B 4. C 5. C 6. D 7. A
PART 4 Read the texts below and choose the best answer to each question.

1.C 2.B 3.D 4.A 5.C 6.D 7.D

PART 5
1.H 2.E 3.B 4.G 5.A 6.F 7.D
PART 6 For questions 1-10, fill each of the following numbered blanks with ONE suitable word and
write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
1. last 2. Alternative 3. lagging 4. hold 5. combination
6. driving/using 7. flat/dead 8. Recharge 9. example/instance 10. average/normal
PART 7 Use the correct form of the word given to fill in each blank.
1. bemoaning 2. conscientious 3. nonsensical 4. diettician 5. Absenteeism
6. awestruck 7. adultery 8. equidistant 9. irrevocable 10. incorrigible
PART 8
1. introduction 2. successful 3. Immunity 4. Displace/ replace 5. effectively
6. depopulation 7. formulation 8. Precautions 9. assistance 10. invasion
PART 9 SENTENCE TRANSFORMATION
1. John drops/gives the hint that they have cut him in on the business deal.
2. It has been brought to my notice that some of my colleagues take offence at my comments.
3. Not until later did I realise what spurred Tim to make so extraordinary a decision.
4. Only when we read his diary could we realise (that) Mark was a friend for the moment.
5. Such was the urgency of the situation that the commander kept us on our toes all the time.
6. Being told that someone had withdrawn a large sum of money from her bank account, Mrs. Chun
was/went out of her mind with worry.
7. The film studio had cashed in on the singer’s death, which infuriated fans from all over the world.
8. Squandering all his savings on fancy clothing, Ralph ekes out a living now.
9. You needn’t have gone so/as far as to carry the can for the whole team.
10. The project given the green light, we felt certain that we would make a success of it.