1.

TOPIC: WAYS OF SOCIALIZING

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct
word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 31 to 35.
When you first arrive in a foreign culture, often your first reaction is completely positive. Everything seems
exciting, different and fascinating. It’s an (31) . If you are just on a short
holiday, you will probably never leave this phase.
(32) , if you stay longer, your attitude can start to change. As you start to realize (33)
little you really understand the new culture, life can get frustrating. People misunderstand what you are
trying to say, or they may laugh at you when you say something incorrectly. Even simple things, like posting a
letter, can seem very difficult to you. Thus, you are likely to get angry or upset when things go wrong.
With time, though, you start to (34) to become more comfortable with the differences and better
able to handle frustrating situations. Your (35) of humor reappears. Finally, you may feel enthusiastic about
the culture once again, enjoy living in it, and even prefer certain aspects of the culture to your own.
(Adapted from Navigate – Coursebook, OUP 2015)
Question 31: A. adventure B. adventurous C. adventurer D. adventurously
Question 32: A. Therefore B. Or C. However D. Nor
Question 33: A. whether B. how C. if D. what
Question 34: A. replace B. maintain C. adjust D. keep
Question 35: A. taste B. sense C. touch D. sound

2. TOPIC: CULTURAL DIVERSITY - MARRIAGE

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct
answer to each of the questions.
Marriage nowadays is a choice people make on their own, but this has not always been the case in society.
Thousands of years ago, the average lifespan was shorter than it is today. A man usually lived until he was about
40 years old, while women died even sooner because of childbirth. There were many wars and illnesses, and people
had to protect themselves by having more children while they were still young. The parents lived through their
children.
Marriage was not so much a romantic love story but a business transaction, or deal. Most marriages were arranged
between parents while their children were still very young. It was the custom that the fathers made the decision on
whom their children were going to marry. The mothers had little say in it since they rarely made any decisions
outside the household. The fathers would meet to arrange the wedding date and the money given for the bride on
her wedding date. The more money and land a girl had, the more chances she had to marry well. Therefore, it was
important that her father choose the bridegroom very well. Usually, it was someone who came from a good family
or who was rich too. It was very unlikely that people married outside their social class. A few well-off and rich
merchants got to marry poorer noblewomen and became King’s business advisors. In a way, poor peasants had an
easier choice as it was less important whom they married.
The practice of arranged marriage is still common in some countries in the Middle East, such as India or Pakistan.
Here, social classes are still strongly divided and very well-kept. Often, however, arranged marriages are a sign
that people do not want to let go of the past, which gives them comfort and security in an ever-changing world.
(Adapted from Longman Essence Reading, Vol. 2)
Question 36: What does the passage mainly discuss?
A. Marriage as a business transaction today. B. Mothers' roles in their children's marriage.
C. Marriage practices in modern society. D. The practice of arranged marriage.
Question 37: The word "it" in paragraph 1 refers to .
A. marriage B. a choice C. society D. the average lifespan
Question 38: According to paragraph 1, women died even sooner than men because of .
A. wars B. illnesses C. childbirth D. marriage
Question 39: According to paragraph 2, richer girls were more likely to .
A. become noblewomen B. marry well
C. succeed in business D. marry peasants
Question 40: The author mentions all of the following in the passage EXCEPT .
A. People tended to marry outside their social class
B. Men made almost all decisions inside the family
C. Marriage used to be a deal between two families
D. The wedding date was decided by the fathers
3. TOPIC: ENDANGER SPECIES
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the
correct answer to each of the questions.
A ghostly animal creeps silently through a Florida swamp. It’s a rare type of big cat known as a Florida panther,
one of only 80 to 100 such panthers left in the world. Scientists must work to save these remaining panthers from
extinction, but their secretive nature is making it difficult. They are attaching a special transmitter to each Florida
panther so they can follow their movements, range, and habits. The technology these transmitters use is called
satellite tracking.
The scientists are dedicated professionals, but they are not pioneers. Their colleagues before them have attached
tiny transmitters to many different kinds of wild animals, including birds, fish, and big cats. So the Florida
scientists are using their methods. Firstly, they must trap and tranquilize the panther. Then, the transmitter is
attached to a harness and strapped to the panther’s body. Each harness is custom designed and manually
adjusted for panthers so it fits comfortably. Scientists don’t want the transmitter to interfere with the panther’s
natural habits. The point of tracking them is to find out as much as they can about their natural habits.
Once the tracking transmitter is in place, the information it records is sent to an orbiting satellite. The satellite can
see the transmitter that is attached to the panther, even when it is out of sight of a biologist on the ground. The
satellite collects information from the transmitter about the panther’s exact location. Once the information is
received, it is transmitted back to Earth so it can be recorded by scientists.
Scientists can use the information in many different ways. They can follow the panthers on the ground and
observe their behavior. Alternatively, they can use the information to determine the panthers’ ranges and to
understand their social patterns. They can also track how environmental changes like weather conditions
affect their movements and health. All this information can be used to provide ideal conditions for the
endangered panthers. It can also be used to protect the panthers from danger.
In the end, the panther silently slips away through the trees. Around its shoulders a transmitter is sending
signals via satellite to a dedicated biologist. The biologist is using the information the transmitter provides to
save the Florida panthers from extinction. With the help of satellite tracking these beautiful cats have a better
chance of survival in the modern world.
(Adapted from http://www.thereadingplanet.com)
Question 43: What is the passage mainly about?
A. Scientists dedicated to saving Florida panthers.
B. Different methods of tracking Florida panthers.
C. The use of a tracking device to protect Florida panthers.
D. Florida panthers' secretive nature and habits.
Question 44: According to the passage, what information does the satellite collect from the transmitter?
A. The chance of panthers’ survival. B. The panther’s exact location
C. The biologists on the ground. D. The total number of panthers.
Question 45: Florida panthers are characterized as the animals that .
A. tend to remain hidden from people B. are abundant in number
C. live with the spirit of ghosts D. can be easily followed
Question 46: According to the passage, which of the following about the tracking transmitter is NOT true?
A. Scientists use the information the transmitter provides to save the panther.
B. The transmitter helps scientists learn about the panther’s habits.
C. The transmitter is fastened to the panther’s body for tracking purposes.
D. The Florida panther is the first animal to be attached with the transmitter.
Question 47: The phrase "tranquillize the panther" in paragraph 2 could be best replaced by .
A. feed the panther properly B. make the panther calm
C. put the panther in a cage D. handle the panther carefully
Question 48: The phrase "custom designed" in paragraph 2 probably means .
A. specially made for panthers B. functioned according to a custom
C. skilfully created by hands D. created by famous designers
Question 49: The word "their" in paragraph 4 refers to .
A. the panthers’ ranges B. the transmitters
C. the panthers D. the scientists
Question 50: Which of the following could best describe the author’s attitude in the passage?
A. Objective B. Negative C. Sarcastic D. Sympathetic
 4. TOPIC: CULTURAL DIVERSITY
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the
correct answer to each of the questions from 28 to 34.
Different cultures follow their own special customs when a child's baby teeth fall out. In Korea, for example,
they have the custom of throwing lost teeth up on the roof of a house. According to tradition, a magpie will
come and take the tooth. Later, the magpie will return with a new tooth for the child. In other Asian countries,
such as Japan and Vietnam, children follow a similar tradition of throwing their lost teeth onto the roofs of
houses.
Birds aren't the only animals thought to take lost teeth. In Mexico and Spain, tradition says a mouse takes a
lost tooth and leaves some money. However, in Mongolia, dogs are responsible for taking teeth away. Dogs are
highly respected in Mongolian culture and are considered guardian angels of the people. Tradition says that
the new tooth will grow good and strong if the baby tooth is fedto a guardian angel. Accordingly, parents in
Mongolia will put their child's lost tooth in a piece of meat and feed it to a dog.
The idea of giving lost teeth to an angel or fairy is also a tradition in the West. Many children in Western
countries count on the Tooth Fairy to leave money or presents in exchange for a tooth. The exact origins of
the Tooth Fairy are a mystery, although the story probably began in England or Ireland centuries ago.
According to tradition, a child puts a lost tooth under his or her pillow before going to bed. In the wee hours,
while the child is sleeping, the Tooth Fairy takes the tooth
and leaves something else under the pillow. In France, the Tooth Fairy leaves a small gift. In the United States,
however, the Tooth Fairy usually leaves money. These days, the rate is $1 to $5 per tooth, adding up to a lot of
money from the Tooth Fairy!
(Source: Reading Challenge 2 by Casey Malarcher & Andrea Janzen)
Question 28. What is the passage mainly about?
A. Traditions concerning children's lost teeth B. Presents for young children's lost teeth
C. Animals eating children's lost teeth D. Customs concerning children's new teeth
Question 29. The word "their" in paragraph 1 refers to .
A. houses' B. roofs' C. children's D. countries'
Question 30. According to the passage, where is a child's lost tooth thought to be taken awayby a mouse?
A. In Mexico and Spain B. In Mongolia C. In Japan and Vietnam D. In Korea
Question 31. According to paragraph 2, parents in Mongolia feed their child's lost tooth to a dog because .
A. they know that dogs are very responsible animals
B. they believe that this will make their child's new tooth good and strong
C. they think dogs like eating children's teeth
D. they hope that their child will get some gifts for his or her tooth
Question 32. The word "origins" in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to _ .
A. countries B. families C. beginnings D. stories Question
33. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true about the tradition of tooth giving in
the West?
A. Children give money to the Tooth Fairy.
B. Children put their lost teeth under their pillows.
C. Children hope to get money or gifts from the Tooth Fairy.
D. Lost teeth are traditionally given to an angel or fairy.
Question 34. The phrase "the wee hours" in paragraph 3 probably refers to the period of time
A. early in the evening B. soon after midnight
C. late in the morning D. long before bedtime

5. TOPIC: EDUCATION- HIGHER EDUCATION

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct
word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 23 to 27.

As teenagers approach university level, a decision has to be made on what course to pursue. In this
world of diversity, (23) such a choice is not easy for both children and parents. In the old days, it was not
much a problem to do the task because there were not so many diverse learning areas to choose from.
Besides, there were only a few distinctive professional careers like doctor, engineer, accountant, nurse,
teacher, etc. to think about. Most higher learning usually led to a financially successful life. (24) , the cost of
education was not so high.
Today's world is entirely different from the things (25) have just been described. The job market
is constantly changing due to innovative technology and new (26) . Meanwhile, most teenagers have
difficulty in identifying their own interests. There are a variety of well-organized career talks and student
counseling workshops to guide and help teenagers (27) what
course to take. Furthermore, psychological tests are also used. Certain instruments such as surveys,
interviews and computer software can help to find out preferences, interests, or learning styles of
the students.
(Source: Essential Reading for IELTS by Humin & John A. Gordon)
Question 23. A. making B. taking C. giving D. having
Question 24. A. In addition B. Otherwise C. For example D. Therefore
Question 25. A. when B. that C. what D. where
Question 26. A. competition B. competitively C. competitive D. compete
Question 27. A. apply B. study C. decide D. employ

6. TOPIC: ENVIRONMENT - POLLUTION

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the
correct answer to each of the questions from 35 to 42.
The oceans are so vast and deep that until fairly recently, it was widely assumed that no matter how
much trash and chemicals humans dumped into them, the effects would be negligible. Proponents of dumping
in the oceans even had a catchphrase: "The solution to pollution is dilution."
Today, we need look no further than the New Jersey-size dead zone that forms each summer in the
Mississippi River Delta, or the thousand-mile-wide swath of decomposing plastic in the
northern Pacific Ocean to see that this "dilution" policy has helped place a once flourishing ocean ecosystem on
the brink of collapse.
There is evidence that the oceans have suffered at the hands of mankind for millennia. But recent studies
show that degradation, particularly of shoreline areas, has accelerated dramatically in the past three centuries
as industrial discharge and run-off from farms and coastal cities have increased.
Pollution is the introduction of harmful contaminants that are outside the norm for a given ecosystem.
Common man-made pollutants reaching the oceans include pesticides, herbicides, chemical fertilizers,
detergents, oil, sewage, plastics, and other solids. Many of these pollutants collect at the ocean's depths, where
they are consumed by small marine organisms and introduced into the global food chain.

Many ocean pollutants are released into the environment far upstream from coastlines. Nitrogen-rich
fertilizers applied by farmers inland, for example, end up in local streams, rivers, and groundwater and are
eventually deposited in estuaries, bays, and deltas. These excess nutrients can spawn massive blooms of algae
that rob the water of oxygen, leaving areas where little or no marine life can exist.
Solid wastes like bags, foam, and other items dumped into the oceans from land or by ships at sea are
frequently consumed, with often fatal effects, by marine mammals, fish, and birds that mistake them for food.
Discarded fishing nets drift for many years, ensnaring fish and mammals. In certain regions, ocean currents
corral trillions of decomposing plastic items and other trash into gigantic, swirling garbage patches. One in the
North Pacific, known as the Pacific Trash Vortex, is estimated to be the size of Texas.
Pollution is not always physical. In large bodies of water, sound waves can carry undiminished for
miles. The increased presence of loud or persistent sounds from ships, sonar devices, oil rigs, and even from
natural sources like earthquakes can disrupt the migration, communication, and reproduction patterns of
many marine animals, particularly aquatic mammals like whales and dolphins.
(Source: Reading Advantage by Casey Malarcher)
Question 35. What does the passage mainly discuss?
A. Marine pollution and its many forms
B. Noise and its disruptive effects on marine life
C. Various kinds of harmful pollutants
D. The end of the "dilution" era
Question 36. The word "negligible" in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to .
A. serious B. insignificant C. unpredictable D. positive
Question 37. It can be inferred from paragraph 2 that the "dilution" policy is related to .
A. dealing with the problems of water pollution
B. helping the ecosystem of the oceans flourish
C. neglecting the effects of dumping trash into the oceans
D. treating harmful materials in the oceans properly
Question 38. The word "they" in paragraph 4 refers to .
A. ocean's depths B. man-made pollutants
C. marine organisms D. the oceans
Question 39. The word "spawn" in paragraph 5 can be best replaced by .
 A. appear B. prevent C. produce D. limit
Question 40. According to the passage, nitrogen-rich fertilizers .
A. are created by massive blooms of algae
B. cause a shortage of oxygen in the ocean water
C. do not relate to the disappearance of marine life
D. cannot be found inland
Question 41. Which of the following statements is NOT supported in the passage?
A. Many pollutants deposited in the oceans finally become part of the global food chain.
B. It is apparent that the oceans have been polluted for a long time.
C. Industrial wastes and agricultural run-off are blamed for the degradation of the oceans.
D. The oceans in the past were more contaminated than they are now.
Question 42. Whales and dolphins are mentioned in the final paragraph as an example of marine
creatures that .
A. can communicate with each other via sound waves
B. can survive earthquakes because of their large bodies
C. suffer from loud or persistent sounds at sea
D. are forced to migrate because of water pollution

7. TOPIC: ENTERTAINMENT
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct
word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 33 to 37
The importance of fairy tales for children
Fairy tales are the stories that adults, especially parents, tell young children. In view of their name,
it is surprising that hardly any of them are actually about fairies. (33) most fairy tales have happy
endings, the stories usually deal with very (34) situations – children abandoned in the forest, terrifying
giants, cruel stepmothers. However, despite being scared when they are told the stories, children will
often ask to hear them over and over again.
Many psychologists believe that what fary tales do, in addition to (35) children’s
imagination, is to show that there are problems in the world and they can be overcome. Just like adults,
children have fears and worries: theirs are of things such as abandonment, loss, injuries, witches. Fairy
tales present real problems in a fantasy form (36) childrean are able to understand. This, it is claimed,
allow them to (37)
thir fears and to realise, if ever in their unconscious mind, that no matter how difficult the
circumstances, there are always ways of coping.
Question 33: A. Although B. Therefore C. Despite D. Because
Question 34: A. frighten B. frighteningly C. fright D. frightening
Question 35: A. inciting B. motivating C. stimulating D. speculating
Question 36: A. that B. why C. where D. who
Question 37: A. confront B. alter C. nurture D. suffer