I.

VOCABULARY
Choose the word that best completes each sentence.
1. We should make the best of every ______ to learn.
A. chance C. benefit
B. availability D. opportunity

2. The decision was _______ to a later meeting.

A. cancelled C. deferred
B. tricky D. delayed

3. The man gave a series of ______ answers which told

them nothing more.
A. tricky C. evasive
B. uncertain D. elusive

4. There is a lot of friendly ______ between the

supports of the two teams
A. contest C. contention
B. rivalry D. defiance

5. I was ______ in the book I was reading and didn’t

hear the phone.
A. distracted C. gripped
B. submerged D. engrossed

6. _______ the invention of the steam engine, most

forms of transport were horse-drawn.
A. Akin to C. In addition to
B. Prior to D. With reference to
7. Lucy said that she’d baby-sit for us on Saturday
evening, so as long as she _______ we’ll be able to go
to the concert after all.
A. keeps her words C. minces her words
B. has the last words D. breaks her words

8. The football match was _____ after two hooligans

had been driven out
A. assumed C. returned
B. resumed D. revived

9. Simon _____ in me on the understading that I

wouldn’t tell anyone else.
A. confined C. confessed
B. intimated D. disclosed

10. If you want to be a rock star, talent helps, but what it

really ____ down to is luck.
A. boils B. revolves C. centres D. refines

II. STRUCTURES AND GRAMMAR

Choose the word or phrase that best complete each
sentence.
1. Anne’s work was ______
A. as good as, if not better than, ours
B. so good as, if not better than ours
C. as good like, if not better than our’s
D. as well as, if not better than, ours

2. -“Don’t worry about your sister. I’m sure she’s okay”

-“But it’s unlike her ______ to me every week”
A. if she didn’t write C. not writing
B. if not writing D. not to write

3. His arrogance makes him ______ whenever he goes.

A. hate B. hated C. to hate D. hating

4. From 1949 onward, the artist Georgia O’keefle made

New Mexico _____
A. her permanent residence was
B. where her permanent residence
C. permanent residence for her
D. her permanent residence

5. ________ no two people think exactly alike, there

will always be disagreement, but disagreement should
not always be avoided: it can be healthy if handled
creatively.
A. There are B. Why C. That D. Because

6. If you can win his attention ______ for you.

A. the so much better
B. the better so much
C. so much the better
D. so the much better

7. In order to grow vegetables properly, gardeners must

know ______
A. what the requirements for each vegetables are
B. that the requirements for each vegetables
C. what are each vegetable’s requirements
D. that is required by each vegetable
8. No longer _____ in our office since it _____
A. have typewriters been used / was computerized
B. have typewriters been used / computerized
C. typewriters have been used / was computerized
D. typewriters have been used / computerized

9. On being told about her sack, ______

A. her boss felt sorry for Mary
B. Mary was shocked
C. Mary’s face turned pale
D. all are correct

10. Excuse me, but there is something ______

immediately
A. which I must speak to you
B. about which I must speak to you
C. to you which I must speak about
D. that I must speak to you about

III. PREPOSITIONS AND PHRASAL VERBS

Choose the word or phrase that best complete each
sentence
1. I hate having injections at the dentist’s. They always
takes ages to _____
A. wear out C. heal up
B. wear off D. heal on

2. If you want to know anything about computers, ask

Richard. He’s very _____
A. clued-up C. sticked-in
B. clued-in D. sticked-on
3. If you need a plumber during a Bank Holiday
weekend, don’t forget that there’s a 50 dollars minimum
______ charge
A. invite-in C. call-out
B. invite-on D. call-up

4. I don’t know you are unhappy, but don’t ______ it

_____ on me
A. take / up C. put / down
B. take / out D. put / on

5. Clever salespeople are good at ____ customers _____

so that they buy things that they don’t need.
A. speaking / on C. leading / on
B. speaking / off D. leading / off

6. She couldn’t catch up with the other runner because

she had ______ too far ______
A. left / behind C. fallen / back
B. left / back D. fallen / behind

7. In disputes between management and trade unions,

it’s a good idea to allow a _____ period
A. cooling off C. slowing down
B. cooling on D. slowing off

8. The pupil misbehaved so much that the teacher had to

_____ him ____
A. kick / away C. say / off
B. kick / out D. say / away
9. I don’t need to book a hotel room in Manchester.
Joan has offered to ____ me _____
A. put / in C. offer / in
B. put / up D. offer / up

10. They ______ the solution quite by chance

A. kicked away C. hit upon
B. kicked on D. hit off

IV. READING COMPREHENSION

READING TEXT 1: Read the text and choose the
best answer
A rather surprising geographical feature of
Antarctica is that a huge freshwater lake, one of the
world’s largest and deepest, lies hidden there under
four kilometers of ice. Now known as Lake Vostok, this
huge body of water is located under the ice block that
comprises Antarctica. The lake is able to exist in its
unfrozen state beneath this block of ice because its
water are warmed by geothermal heat from the Earth’s
core. The thick glacier above Lake Vostok actually
insulates it from the frigid temperatures on the surface
The lake was first discovered in the 1970s while a
research team was conducting an aerial survey of the
area. Radio waves from the survey equipment
penetrated the ice and revealed a body of water of
indeterminate size. It was not until much more recently
that data collected by satellite made scientists aware of
the tremendous size of the lake; the satellite-borne radar
detected an extremely flat region where the ice remains
level because it is floating on the water of the lake.
 The discovery of such a huge freshwater lake
trapped under Antarctica is of interest to the scientific
community because of the potential that the lake
contains ancient microbes that have survived for
thousands upon thousands of years, unaffected by
factors such as nuclear fallout and elevated ultraviolet
light that have affected organisms in more exposed
areas. The downside of the discovery, however, lies in
the difficulty of conducting research on the lake in such
a harsh climate and in the problems associated with
obtaining uncontaminated samples from the lake
without actually exposing the lake to contamination.
Scientists are looking for possible ways to accomplish
this.

1. The word “hidden” in paragraph 1 is closest meaning

to
A. undrinkable C. unexploitable
B. untouched D. undiscovered

2. What is true of Lake Vostok?

A. It is completely frozen
B. It is a saltwater lake
C. It is beneath a thick slab of ice
D. It is heated by the sun

3. Which of the following is closest in meaning to

“frigid” in paragraph 1?
A. Extremely cold C. Quite harsh
B. Easily broken D. Lukewarm
4. All of the following are true about the 1970 survey of
Antarctica EXCEPT that it ______
A. was conducted by air
B. made use of radio waves
C. could not determine the lake’s exact size
D. was controlled by a satellite

5. It can be inferred from the passage that the ice would

not be flat if ____
A. there were no lake underneath
B. the lake were not so big
C. Antarctica were not so cold
D. radio waves were not used

6. The word “microbes” in paragraph 3 could best be

replaced by which of the following
A. Pieces of dust C. Tiny organisms
B. Tiny bubbles D. Rays of light

7. Lake Vostok is potentially important to scientists

because it _____
A. can be studied using radio waves
B. may contain uncontaminated microbes
C. may have elevated levels of ultraviolet light
D. has already been contaminated

8. The word “downside” in paragraph 3 is closest in

meaning to ____
A. bottom level C. underside
B. negative aspect D. buried section
9. The last paragraph suggests that scientists should be
aware of _____
A. further discoveries on the surface of Antarctica
B. problems with satellite-borne radar equipment
C. ways to study Lake Vostok without contaminating it
D. the harsh climate of Antarctica

10. The purpose of the passage is to _____

A. explain how Lake Vostok was discovered
B. provide satellite data concerning Antarctica
C. discuss future plans for Lake Vostok
D. present an unexpected aspect of Antarctica’s
geography

READING TEXT 2: Read the text and choose the

best answer
Each advance in microscopic technique has
provided scientists with new perspectives on the
function of living organisms and the nature of matter
itself. The invention of the visible-light microscope late
in the sixteenth century introduced a previously
unknown realm of single-celled plants and animals. In
the twentieth century, electron microscopes have
provided direct views of viruses and minuscule surface
structures. Now another type of microscope, one that
utilize x-rays rather than light or electron, offers a
different way of examining tiny details, it should extend
human perception still farther into the natural world
The dream of building an x-ray microscope dates to
1895, its development, however, was virtually halted in
the 1940’s because the development of the electron
microscopes routinely achieved resoultion better than
that possible with a visible-light microscope, while the
performance of x-ray microscopes has revived, largely
because of advances such as the development of new
sources of x-ray illumination. As a result, the brightness
available today is millions of times that of x-ray tubes,
which, for most of the century, were the only available
sources of soft x-rays
The new x-ray microscopes considerably improve
on the resolution provided by optical microscopes. They
can also be used to map the distribution of certain
chemical elements. Some can form pictures in
extremely short times, others hold the promise of
special capabilities such as three dimensional imaging.
Unlike conventional electron microscopy, x-ray
microscopy enables specimens to be kept in air and in
water, which means that biological samples can be
studied under conditions similar to their natural state.
The illumination used, so-called soft x-rays in the
wavelength range of twenty to forty angstroms (an
angstrom is one ten-billionth of a meter). Because of the
wavelength of the x-rays used, soft x-ray microscopes
will never match the highest resolution possible with
electron microscopes. Rather, their special properites
will make possible investigations that will complement
those performed with light-and-electron-based
instruments.
1. What does the passage mainly discuss?
A. The detail seen through a microscope
B. Sources of iullumination for microscopes
C. A new kind of microscope
D. Outdated microscope technique

2. According to the passage, the invention of the visible-

light microscope allowed scientists to ______
A. see viruses directly
B. develop the electron microscope later on
C. understand more about the distribution of the
chemical elements
D.discover single celled plants and animals they had
never seen before

3. The word “minuscule” is closest in meaning to

A. circular C. complex
B. dangerous D. tiny

4. The word “it” in line 8 refers to

A. a type of microscope
B. human perception
C. the natural world
D. light

5. Why does the another mention me visible light

microscope in the first paragraph?
A. To begin a discussion of sixteenth century
discoveries
B. To put the x-ray microscopes in historical
perspective
C. To show how limited its uses are
D. To explain how it functioned
6. Why did it take so long to develop the x-ray
microscope ?
A. Funds for research were insufficient
B. The source of illumination was not bright enough
until recently
C. Materials used to manufacture x-ray tubes were
difficult to obtain
D. X-ray microscopes were too complicated to operate

7. The word “enables” is closest in meaning to

A. constitutes C. expands
B. specifies D. allows

8. The word “Rather” is closest in meaning to

A. significantly C. somewhat
B. preferably D. instead

9. The word “those” refers to

A. properties C. microscopes
B. investigations D. x-rays

10. Based on the information in the passage, what can

be inferred about x-ray microscopes in the future?
A. They will probably replace electron microscopes
altogether
B. They will eventually be much cheaper to produce
than they are now
C. They will provide information not available from
other kinds of microscopes
D. They will eventually change the illumination range
that they now use
V. CLOZE TEST
CLOZE TEST 1: Read the text below and choose the
word which best fits each space.
The (1) ______ meaning of “advertise” is “to make
us turn toward something”. When we see an ad, we turn
our thoughts toward the (2)_____; we notice and
remember what it says. At least, that is what the
advertiser wants us to do. Sellers would have enormous
problems transacting any business without
advertisements. For example, if Apple or IBM or Texas
Instruments (3)_______ a new product like a personal
computer, we would not know about it if these
companies could not or did not advertise. Women and
men in business know very well that as advertising
increases, so (4)_____ sales.
(5)_______, the computer benefits from advertising
as well. Ads permit the public to buy intelligently. By
reading the bank ads, for example, we might decide to
transfer our money from our current bank to one
offering better rates or more convenient (6)______. In
addition, a traveler can save hundreds of dollars
(7)______ transcontinental airfares by comparing the
ads in the travel section of the newspaper.
Of course, nothing is perfect. Even the strongest
(8)______ of advertising admit there are many
problems. Some argue that commercials unnecessarily
(9)_____ into every waking minute of our lives. We
simply cannot get away from the pounding, incessant
messages. Because ads permeate radio and television,
we find ourselves singing their silly jingles and repeat
their “cute” lines. Sellers admonish us to buy through a
profusion of techniques; hard sell, soft sell, music,
comedy, and (10)_____ to all our emotions and fears
1. A. literal C. raw
B. black D. fresh
2. A. experssion C. word
B. decoration D. message

3. A. presents C. introduces
B. produces D. mentions

4. A. make C. can
B. become D. do

5. A. Beneficially C. Coincidentally
B. Fortunately D. Well

6. A. hours C. weeks
B. days D. months

7. A. to C. for
B. at D. on

8. A. idols C. proponents
B. fans D. agrees

9. A. intrude C. immigrate
B. invade D. move

10. A. appeals C. attachments

B. wonders D. magic
CLOZE TEST 2: Read the text below and choose the
word which best fits each space
MEDIA AND ADVERTISING
After more than fifty years of television, it might
seem only obvious to conclude that it is here to
(1)_____ There have been many objections to it during
this time, of course, and (2)_____ a variety of grounds.
Did it cause eye-strain? Was the (3)______ bombarding
us with radioactivity? Did the advertisements contain
subliminal messages, persuading us to buy more? Did
children turn to violence through watching it, either
because so (4) ________ children turn to violence
through watching it, either because so (4)______
programmers taught them how to shoot, rob, and kill, or
because they had to do something to counteract the
hours they had spent glued to the tiny screen? Or did it
simply create a vast passive (5)______ drugged by
glamorous serials and inane situation (6)_____? On the
other hand did it increase anxiety by sensationalizing
the news [or the news which was (7)______ by suitable
pictures and filling our living rooms with war, famine
and political unrest? (8)_______ in all, television
proved to be the all-purpose scapegoat for the second
half of the century, blamed for everything, but above all,
eagerly watched. For no (9) ______ how much we
despised it, feared it, were bored by it, or felt that it took
us away from the old paradise of family conversations
and hobbies such as collecting stamps, we never turned
it off. We kept staring at the screen, aware that our own
tiny (10)_____ was in if we looked carefully.
1. A. be C. exist
 B. stay D. prolong

2. A. with C. by
B. over D. on

3. A. screen C. machine
B. danger D. reason

4. A. that C. many
B. far D. what

5. A. programme C. audience
B. personality D. tense

6. A. comedies C. perhaps
B. programmes D. consequently

7. A. taken C. capable
B. presented D. accompanied

8. A. Taken C. Somewhat
B. All D. Thus

9. A. one C. difference
B. matter D. reason

10. A. fault C. situation

B. reflection D. consciousness

B. WRITTEN TEST
I. OPEN CLOZE TEST
OPEN CLOZE TEST 1: Fill each blank with ONE
word.
When you read something in a foreign language,
you frequently come (1)______ words you do not fully
understand. Sometimes you check the meaning in a
dictionary and sometimes you (2)_____ The strategy
you adopt depends very much upon the degree of
(3)_____ you require and the time at your disposal.
If you are the sort of person who tends to turn to the
dictionary frequently, it is (4)______ remembering that
every dictionary has its limitations. Each definition is
only an approximation and one builds up an accurate
picture of the meaning of a word only after meeting it in
a variety of (5)_____ It is also important to recognize
the special dangers of dictionaries that translate from
English into your native language and vice versa. If you
must use a dictionary, it is usually far safer to consult an
English-English dictionary
In most exams you are not permitted to use a
dictionary. (6)______ if you are allowed to use one, it is
very time-consuming to look up words, and time in
exams is usually limited. You are, therefore, (7)______
to guess the meaning of unfamiliar words.
When you come across unknown words in an exam
text, it is very easy to panic. However, if you develop
efficient techniques for guessing the meaning, you will
(8)______ a number of possible problems and help
yourself to understand far more of the text than you at
first thought likely.
When you come across unknown words in an exam
text, it is very easy to panic. However, if you develop
efficient techniques for guessing the meaning, you will
(8)______ a number of possible problems and help
yourself to understand far more of the text than you at
first thought likely.
Two strategies which may help you guess the
meaning of a word are: using (9)_____ clues, both
within the sentence and outside and making use of clues
(10)______ from the formation of the word

OPEN CLOZE TEST 2: Fill each blank with ONE

word
Some people believe that soon schools with no
(1)_____ be necessary. They say that because of the
Internet and other new technologies, there is no longer
(2)______ need for school buildings, formal classes, or
(3)______. Perhaps this will be true one day, but this is
hard to (4)_____ a world without schools. In fact, we
need to look at how we can use new technology to make
schools better, not to (5) ______ them. We should
invent a new kind of school that linked to libraries,
museums, science centers, laboratories, and (6)_____
companies. Expert could (7)_____ talks on video or
over the Internet. TV networks and local stations could
develop programming about things students are actually
studying in school.
Already there are several towns (8)_____ this is
beginning to happen. Blacksburg, Virginia, is one of
them. Here the entire city is linked to the Internet, and
(9)______ can take place at home, at school and in the
office. Businesses provide programs for the schools and
the schools computer labs for people (10) )_____ their
own computer at home

II. WORD FORMS

A. Supply the correct form of the word provided in
brackets.
1. The union claimed that some of its members had been
_____ for taking part in the strike. (victim)

2. It would be ______ for each member to be consulted

on every occasion. (practice)

3. The United Nations will act as a ____ of the peace

settlement. ( guarantee)

4. There has been little ____ improvement in their work.

(quality)

5. Children of school age are very ____ and tend to

believe what they are told (impression)

6. This house has been so _____ decorated that it is very

popular. (taste)

7. Checking all the information will be slow and _____

(labour)

8. The doctors are doing some _______ tests to try and

find out what’s wrong. (explore)
9. They attribute his misconduct to the ______ of his
parents. (permit)

10. They are cheered ______ as their team came out

(enthusiast)

B. Read the passage and fill each blank with the

appropriate form of the words chosen from the
following list.
Fascinate Collect Observe Nation Decide
Exclusive Usual Compare Office Determine

Centuries ago, when gold coins (1)_____ were used

as the money of nations and city-states, the (2)______
value of each nation’s money was (3)_____ by the ratio
of gold content of each coin. Today, gold coins are
“used” only by (4)______. (5)______ money is printed
on paper. Each country has its own, with names such as
pound, dollar, dong, yuan and so on. (6)_______ the
rate for the international exchange of money is one of
the most complex, and to many (7)_______, one of the
most (8)_______ aspects of international banking. Each
major currency has a “par value” that is (9)______
defined, (10)_____, in tems of gold

III. ERROR IDENTIFICATION

There are ten errors in the following passage.
Underline them in the text and correct them.
For almost people, the distinction between
vegetables and fruits is fairly clear. Scientists, however,
have varied opinions on this regard. For example,
horticulturists categorize a watermelon as a vegetable
despite its general acceptance like a fruit. Botanists
identify a tomato as a fruit even if it is common used as
vegetable. These differences stem from the ways by
which fruits and vegetables are classified. For a
botanist, a fruit is the seed bearing portion of a flowered
plant or tree. According to this definition, a tomatio is a
fruit. With a horticulturist, a vegetable is the cartable
portion of a plant that should be replanted annually.
According to this view, a watermelon is a vegetable. A
horticulturist sees a fruit as to come from a plant or tree
which lives at least two years. When fruits and
vegetables that meet the criterion of both group
scientists, such as apples or potatoes, there is no conflict

IV. SENTENCE TRANSFORMATION

A. Finish each of the following sentences in such a
way that it is as similar as possible in meaning to the
sentence printed before it. Begin with the words
given.
1. To appreciate the beauty of the lake you really need
to be in a boat
=> Only in a boat ____________

2. The plan is unlikely to find favour with managers,

unless the cost is greatly reduced
=> Without a great _________

3. The film didn’t come up to my expectations

=> The film fell _____________
4. They will consider age and experience when they
decide the salary.
=> They will take ____________
5. Screaming fans surrounded the star as soon as he
arrived at the stage door
=> On ____________

B. Finish each of the following sentences in such a

way that it is as similar as possible in meaning to the
sentence printed before it. Use the words given in
brackets
6. Final year students needn’t attend the lectures.
(option)
=> _______________________

7. I really regret to have lost the opportunity to get the

promotion. (boat)
=> ________________________

8. What finally ended the dispute was the fact that the
union agreed to go to arbitration (agreement)
=>_______________________

9. It’s becoming extremely expensive to maintain the

museum. (upkeep)
=>____________________________

10. That young man can speak English as well as

French. (bilingual)
=>___________________________