* C
hoose the word that best fits each of the blanks in the following passage. A FUTURE IN THE DARK
For many of us, we are working, travelling and shopping in hours that used to be (1)________ for
relaxation and sleep. But according to the results of tests being carried out by scientists, we are no longer
getting enough darkness in our lives. In fact, (2)________ shows that a growing number of health and
environmental problems are due to a loss of darkness.
Life has evolved with a day/night cycle. People who go (3)________ this day/night rhythm will notice
an adverse impact on their immune systems, and that’s not a good sign. We are (4)________ a conflict
between what our mind wants, and what our internal body clock prepares us for. Some experts explain
that our biological clock is similar to the conductor of an orchestra, with the multiple rhythms of the body
(5)________ the various orchestra sections.
The body clock is (6)________ on the light/dark cycle and it governs us for every (7)________ of
activity and rest in our lives. In ensures that all our various internal systems are working together – this is
its sole (8)________. By moving to 24-hour living, not taking into (9)________ the dark side, we will
effectively be throwing away the advantages of evolution, (10)________ we care to admit it or not. 1. A. conserved B. reserved C. upheld D. defended 2. A. discovery B. display C. research D. foundation 3. A. down B. without C. through D. behind 4. A. considering B. contributing C. giving D. creating 5. A. describing B. corresponding C. expressing D. representing 6. A. founded B. based C. decided D. established 7. A. prospect B. attitude C. position D. type 8. A. reason B. purpose C. project D. desire 9. A. interest B. importance C. detail D. account 10. A. so that B. whether C. unless D. in case PICTURE IMPERFECT
A couple who arranged a second wedding ceremony after photographs of the original ceremony were
ruined is claiming (1)_________ from the photographer who captured their special day on film. The
bride, Tracey Lloyd, burst into tears when she was given the initial(2)_______of her “big day” . Most of
the photographs were out of focus and in some her face was actually obscured. She and her husband Gary
are (3)_________in dispute with the company that took the wedding photographs. Two days after the
ceremony, the Lloyds had to (4)_______the ceremony again with a different photographer. The final
(5)________ was perfect, but they insist that the distress ruined their honeymoon. They have already
(6)_______ the offer of a refund of three hundred pounds. The new Mrs Lloyd said, “I was absolutely
(7)______ I couldn’t believe that it had happened to us after we had saved up for so long. It was supposed
to be a perfect day , but the photographs were more like holiday snaps that had been taken by a real
(8)_______” . Her husband added, “The second set of pictures is excellent but the company gave the
(9)_________ impression that everything went well the first time around. Now all those initial moments
have passed. They are something you can never (10)_______”. 1. A. damage B. refunds C. repayments D. compensation 2. A. record B. model C. copy D. likeness 3. A. at first B. currently C. at once D. momentarily 4. A. go through B. pass through C. go over D. pass over 5. A. effect B. product C. output D. work 6. A. dismissed B. denied C. dropped D. rejected 7. A. devastated B. demolished C. overpowered D. overwhelmed 8. A. newcomer B. apprentice C. amateur D. trainee 9. A. untrue B. wrong C. false D. imitation 10. A. take back B. bring back C. take in D. bring in
* Some famous places are disappointing: dirty, cramped, and a bit of a cliché. But there are others
(1)__________ even though you’ve seen every television programme ever made about it, are every
(2)__________as wonderful as you’ve imagined. The Grand Canyon is one of these and so, despite being
next door to a main road, is Stonehenge. Another is Venice which, in its entirety, (3)________a great
work of art, each decaying aspect revealing an (4)________glimpse of water or startling architecture,
each individual building or piazza (5)_______an exquisite sense of proportion . I return to Venice every
so often in the course of mywork and on each of these occasions I have found something new to
(6)________at. Alarm cries about how (7)_________this can last are sounded every now and then each
time the water levels rise. But the fact that this city is (8)________ into the sea seems to add to its
romantic atmosphere. Far more serious is the depopulation, for it seems that just about every week
another family leaves. Since 1945 more than half the population of Venice has moved to the mainland.
The rich (9)__________the great palazzos along the Grand Canal and visit every once in a while, but
leave the windows dark for the rest of the time. Mass tourism threatens (10)________ very structure of
the city.It is a sad victim of its own success. 1. A. then B. which C. these D. those 2. A. bit B. piece C. portion D. fragment 3. A. retains B. remains C. keeps D. maintains 4. A. unforeseen B. unexpected C. unimaginable D. unbelievable 5. A. concealing B. exhibiting C. displaying D. presenting 6. A. marvel B. compliment C. praise D. stare 7. A. far B. much C. often D. long 8. A. emerging B. drowning C. falling D. sinking 9. A. have B. own C. hold D. master 10. A. a B. this C. the D. that
* School exams are, generally speaking, the first kind of test we take. They find out how much
knowledge we have gained. But do they really show how intelligent we are? After all, isn’t it a
___(1)_____ that some people who are very academically successful don’t have any common sense.
Intelligence is the speed ___(2)_____ which we can understand and (3) ______ to new situations
and it is usually tested by logic puzzles. Although scientist are now preparing ___(4)_____ computer
technology that will be able to “read” our brains, ___(5)_____ tests are still the most popular ways of
measuring intelligence.A person’s IQ is their intelligence ___(6)_____ it is measured by a special test.
The most common IT tests are ___(7)_____ by Mensa, an organization that was found in England in
1946. By 1976, it had 1,300 members in Britain. Today there are 44,000 in Britain and 100,000 worldwide, largely in the US.
People taking the tests are judged in ___(8)_____ to an average score of 100, and those who score
over 148 are entitled to join Mensa. This works out at 2 percent of the population. Anyone from the age
of six can take the tests. All the questions are straightforward and most people can answer them if
___(9)_____ enough time. But that’s the problem; the whole ___(10)_____ of the test is that they’re against the clock. 1. A. case B. fact C. circumstance D. truth 2. A. on B. to C. in D. at 3. A. accord B. react C. answer D. alter 4. A. advanced B. forward C. ahead D. upper 5. A. at this age B. for the present C. at the time D. now and then 6. A. how B. that C. as D. so 7. A. appointed B. commanded C. run D. steered 8. A. concern B. relation C. regard D. association 9. A. allowed B. spared C. let D. provided 10. A. reason B. point C. matter D. question HELEN AND MARTIN
With a thoughtful sigh, Helen turned away from the window and walked back to her favourite
armchair. (1) ______her brother never arrive? For a brief moment, she wondered if she really cared that much.
Over the years Helen had given (2)_________ waiting for Martin to take an interest in her. Her
feelings for him had gradually (3)_______ until now, as she sat waiting for him, she experienced no more
than a sister’s (4) ________ to see what had (5)___________ of her brother.
Almost without (6)________ Martin had lost his job with a busy publishing company after spending
the last eight years in New York as a key figure in the US office. Somehow the two of them
hadn’t (7)_________ to keep in touch and, left alone, Helen had slowly found her (8) _________ in her
own judgement growing. (9)________the wishes of her parents, she had left university halfway (10)
_________ her course and now, to the astonishment of the whole family, she was (11) _________ a fast-
growing reputation in the pages of respected art magazines and was actually earning enough to live (12)
_________from her paintings. Of course, she (13) _________ no pleasure in Martin’s sudden misfortune,
but she couldn’t (14) _________ looking forward to her brother’s arrival with (15) _________satisfaction at what she had achieved. 1. A. Could B. Should C. Would D. Ought 2. A. in B. up C. out D. away 3. A. depressed B. weakened C. lowered D. fainted 4. A. wonder B. idea C. curiosity D. regard 5. A. become B. developed C. arisen D. changed 6. A. caution B. warning C. advice D. signal 7. A. minded B. concerned C. worried D. bothered 8. A. dependence B. confidence C. certainty D. courage 9. A. Ignoring B. Omitting C. Avoiding D. Preventing 10. A. along B. down C. through D. across 11. A. gaining B. reaching C. starting D. opening 12. A. for B. by C. with D. on 13. A. made B. took C. drew D. formed 14. A. help B. miss C. fail D. drop 15. A. soft B. fine C. quiet D. still
* As time passes, the power of newspapers seems to be on the . . . . .. . (1). This is odd because in the
relatively . . . . . . . . (2) past people were predicting that the influence of the written word would diminish
in . . . . . . (3) proportion to the rate of increase of the spoken word and moving image through TV and
video. The Internet, cable and satellite television, Teletext and multi-media computers in . . . . . . . (4)
other home should surely have . . . . .. . (5) for newspapers by now, particularly alongside a perceptible
resurgence in the audiences for news-carrying radio stations. How have these organs survived, let alone . .
. . . . .( 6 ) , particularly on a Sunday? Why do people who have seen a football or tennis . . . . . . . (7) live
or on the small screen rush the next day to read a . . . . . . . (8) version of it in four or five columns which
surely …..(9) mean more to the reader than that self-same viewer of the previous afternoon or evening?
Why would anyone who has seen a film and formed a . . . . (10) impression of it the following day read a
review of the . . . . . . (11 ) film in a newspaper? To see if s/he is right? Isn't that what friends are for?
Don't we have colleagues for just that purpose - to see if our ideas on any . . . . . . . . (12) song, film or
program tally with others? What is this product that . . . . . . (13) of not much more than outrageous
headlines, wayward comment, subjective editorials and hyperbolic sports pages still doing in our lives? It
seems for the time . . . . (14) to be leading a charmed life. When it finally goes, though, many may come to mourn its . .. .(15). 1. A. increase B. rise C. expansion D. build 2. A. latest B. distant C. immediate D. recent 3. A. exact B. direct C. precise D. equal 4. A. all B. any C. every D. one 5. A. done B. gone C. stood D. set 6. A. flourished B. bloomed C. flowered D. rooted 7. A. game B. set C. match D. meeting 8. A. curtailed B. cut C. reduced D. potted 9. A. cannot B. must not C. may not D. should not 10. A. vivid B. coloured C. bright D. direct 11. A. above-mentioned B. aforesaid C. latter D. previous 12. A. given B. taken C. subjected D. written 13. A. comprises B. contains C. consists D. informs 14. A. out B. being C. given D. present 15. A. perishing B. dying C. falling D. passing
*Read the passage carefully , then fill in the blank a suitable word.
LAUGHING IS GOOD FOR YOU – SERIOUSLY
It is a sad fact that adults laugh far less than children, sometimes by as (1)________as a couple of
hundred times a day. Just take a look at people’s faces on the way to work or in the office: you’ll be lucky
to see a smile , let (2)_______hear a laugh. This is a shame- especially in view of the fact (3)__________
scientists have proved that laughing is good for you. “When you laugh”, says psychologist David Cohen.
“it produces the feel-good hormones, endorphins. It encounters the effects of stress
(4)_________enhances the immune system”.
There are many reasons why we might laugh less in adult life: perhaps we are too work-obsessed , or too
embarrassed to (5)_________our emotions show. Some psychologists simply believe that children have
more naiive response, and as we naturally grow out of spontaneous reactions. Luckily, (6)________, it is
possible to relearn the art of laughter. In India, “laughter clinics” have been growing (7)________
popularity over the last few years, (8)________to the efforts of Dr Madan Kataria, whose work has won
him a devoted following. Dr Kataria believes that his laughing techniques can help to strengthen the
immune system and lower stress level, (9)_________other things. He teaches his patients different laughs
or giggles to relax specific parts of the body. In 1998,when Dr Kataria organized a World Laughter Day
at Bombay race track, 10.000 people (10)______up.
* Man is a unique being. He is (1)__________from all other creatures because he doesn’t merely form
part of the environment. Man reshapes his environment (2)_________ will to suit his purposes. He
doesn’t have a natural habitat and is able to adapt (3) _________ to living in different environments.
Among the many ways in which Man has changed his environment are the buildingof cities and roads, the
(4)_________of land for farming and the reclaiming of land from the sea. (5)_________some of the
changes are harmless, some are extremely harmful to the environment.
An example of a harmful consequence of Man’s actions is (6)__________of pollution.Through the use
of scientific knowledge and advanced technology, Man has increased his well-being and life
(7)_________.In the process, (8)________, he has also brought about the growing problem of worldwide
pollution.One of the main sources of air pollution is motro vehicle.
* For many people, lack of sleep is rarely a matter of choice. Some have problems getting to sleep, others
(1)___________staying asleep until the morning. Despite popular belief that sleep is one long event,
research shows that, (2)_______an average night, there are five stages of sleep and four cycles,
(3)_______which the consequence of stages is repeated. (4)______the first light phase , the heart rate and
blood pressure go down and the muscles relax. In the next two stages, sleep gets progressively deeper. In
stage four, usually reached (5)________an hour, the slumber is so deep that, if awoken, the sleeper would
be confused and disorientated. It is in this phase that sleep-walking can occur, (6)________an average
episode lasting no more than 15 minutes. In the fifth stage, the rapid eye movement (REM) stage, the
heartbeat quickly gets back (7)________ normal levels, brain activities accelerates (8)__________
daytime heights and above and the eyes move constantly (9)________closed lids as if the sleeper is
looking (10)________something. During this stage, the body is almost paralyzed. This REM phase is also the time when we dream.
* One of the main problems facing the environmental movement is that it may become a victim of its
own success. It is now generally accepted that issues such as global warming need to be (1)_____ with
seriously, and that the Scandinavian forests are being destroyed (2)________to the effects of
(3)________rain. Views (4)__________these have now become an accepted part of the political scene,
ans consumers are constantly bombarded with green or (5)_______friendly products. However, this does
not mean that the environmental groups can now afford to relax. On the (6)_______, the green movement
must consider how the momentum will (7)________sustained when the current enthusiasm has
(8)__________.The environment must not be (9)_________to fade from people’s minds, because the
progress of ecological collapse has already been (10)______ in train, and so far very little has been done to reverse it. FROST AND FIRE
Iceland has been called the “land of Frost and fire”. This is a very satisfactory (1)__ name______,
for the mountains on this island in the North Atlantic are capped with snow the (2)__ year____around,
and there are scores of fiery volcanoes. Contrary to what most people think, (3)___ however______,
Iceland’s climate is not extremely cold. Most days are quite agreeable because of the warm (4)__
current______ of the Gulf Stream.
When the Vikings began to (5)___ settle ______in Iceland in 874 AD,they found books and
crosses that showed the Irish had already been there. It is likely that Irish and Scotch had come to Iceland
about seventy years (6)__ before______ the Vikings arrived. These explorers, however , had made
(7)____no____ lasting settlements. The first real colonists were Scandinavians who came directly from
Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Since Iceland is adjacent (8)___to__one of the most important shipping
routes between the United States and England, it (9)__became______ very important during the Second World War.
The people of Iceland have very high educational standards. It is said that more books are sold in
Iceland in (10)__ relation________to its population than in any other countries in the world.
* How can you criticise somebody so that they will do as you ask? The (1)_________are that yelling at
them is never going to work while constant complaining, on the other hand,may very well sound like a
victimlike, poor-me moan that gives no incentive for change. Of course, if you do feel (2)__________to
have a go at someone, go ahead, but it is rarely productive. Not only is it more or less sure to end in a row
or a sulk, there’s also the (3)_________possibility it may be ignored. Constructive criticism really has to
be adult, rational and reasonable. No wonder so many of us struggle with it: there’s no
(4)___________it’s much easier being unreasonable. But even if you can manage to give criticism like an
adult, it needn’t mean the recipient will feel under any (5)__________to take it in the same way. In all
(6)__________you will be met by hurt eyes, slumped shoulders and a sad face. And when it comes to
being on the receiving end yourself beware of being too hard on yourself afterwards. There is, admittedly,
only a remote (7)_______ that you will go over the top by saying something like “Oh dear, I made a
mistake, my leags are too fat, I can’t cook and my children will probably fail at school and I might as well
go and live in the gardenand eat worms” . This , to put it mildly, is self-indulgent. Added to which you
may (8)________persuade other people that you are right. It’s absolutely (9)__________to learn from the
experience of being criticised. That way, when it’s your turn to dish it out, you will, (10)_________, make a better job of it. * U
se the word given in capitals to form a word that fits in the gap in the sentences .
OBSESSED WITH YOUR INBOX?
It was not so long ago that we dealt with colleagues through face-to-face (1. INTERACT)
___________ and with counterparts and customers by phone or letter. But the world of
communication has undergone a dramatic transformation, not for all the good. Email, while (2.
DOUBT) __________ a swift means of communication providing your server is fully (3.
FUNCTION) ____________ and that the address you have contains no (4. ACCURATE)
___________ has had a (5. SIGNIFY) ____________ effect on certain people’s behaviour, both at
home and business. For those people, the use of email has become (6. RESIST) __________ addictive
to the extent that it is (7. THREAT) ____________ their mental and physical health. Addicts spend
their day (8. COMPULSION) ___________ checking for email and have a (9. TEND)
______________ to panic if their server goes down. It is estimated that one in six people spend four
hours a day sending and receiving messages, the equivalent to more than two working days a week.
The negative effect on (10. PRODUCE) _____________ is something employers are well aware of. SALES MANAGER
As part of its major new program me of (1. EXPAND)________________ RAL Cosmetics is seeking
to appoint a dynamic sales professional to run a team of sales (2. REPRESENT) ___________ in the
UK. You will be highly-motivated, with the drive and (3. DETERMINE)____________ to be the best
in your field. You will also have strong (4. LEAD) ______________qualities and be an effective
communicator. The position will involve frequent travel to Europe for (5. ATTEND) ____________
at international sales conferences, as well as training courses at our head office in Lyon.Priority will
be given to those (6. APPLY) ____________who can demonstrate a good working knowledge of
French. Previous experience in the cosmetics industry is (7. PREFER)____________ though not
essential. We guarantee a comprehensive and (8. COMPETE)_____________ remuneration package,
including a company car, private health (9. INSURE)______________ and a (10. CONTRIBUTE)
_______________ pension scheme. If you feel you have the necessary qualities and background, and
enjoy working in a (11. CHALLENGE)______________, high-paced environment, send your CV to
Alain Sylvestre, 22 rue Marivaux, 69142 Lyon, France. Closing date for (12. RECEIVE)___________
of applications: September 25th.
BOOK REVIEW: WALLS HAVE EARS BY MARK MITCHELL
Avid readers of Mark Mitchell’s critically acclaimed historical novels will not be disappointed by his
(1.LATE)__________offering, Walls Have Ears, a simple but (2.BEAUTY) ____________ written
tale of childhood innocence in a world of adult corruption. Mitchell, a former history teacher, shot to
fame three years ago thanks to the television (3.ADAPT)____________ of his fourth novel, Baroque
of Ages, which followed the fortunes of two teenage siblings in seventeenth-century Britain. Despite
the author’s (4. SATISFY)______________ with the TV production, (5. STAR)____________
Marian Blackshaw and Edek Sobera, it was a huge success and(6. SELL)___________ of his books
for children rocketed overnight as a result. Walls Have Ears is a (7. VARY)___________ on the
central theme of Baroque of Ages, though this time set against the background of Hadrian’s Wall
during its construction in the second century. The chance (8. DISCOVER) _____________ by two
young friends of a plot to assassinate the Roman Emperor responsible for the defensive wall turns
their world upside down. The children are sworn to secrecy, but their conscience(9. THREAT)
____________ to get the better of them. (10. HISTORY)_______________have criticized Mitchell
for being too liberal with the facts, but this will not deter his young fans from queuing up for their
copy of the book when it is released on June 20th. ARTIST’S SHOW
Nancy Andrews’ latest exhibition at the Seagull Gallery proves that she is one of our most
(1. GIFT)_________ painters. She has emerged from her (2.CUBIC)_________ phase, in which the
influence of Picasso was apparent, and returned to a more (3. TRADITION ) _____________ style of
painting, but without losing her (4.DELIGHT)____________ sense of colour and form. She has
chosen (5. MYTHOLODY)_____________ themes for this show, and her portrait of Bacchus, for
example, has a wonderful (6. SIMPLIFY)___________ about it. But the most (7.
IMPRESSION)___________ work is the large canvas called simply “Mars”. It is a (8.
COLOUR)______________ study, in various shades of red and gold, and its balanced (9.
COMPOSE)_____________ gives it a pleasing, even restful feel, despite the (10.
VIOLENT)_____________ of its subject matter.
* According to a recent study the best musicians are born, not made. ___ RESEARCHERS
____________ (1. RESEARCH) at St Thomas’s Hospital in London claim that genes are responsible
for up to 80 per cent of our ability to recognise pitch, the key to musical ____ GREATNESS
___________ (2. GREAT). In a “distorted tune test” over 500 twins were played a _____ VARIETY
__________ (3. VARY) of popular songs, each ____ CONTAINING ___________ (4. CONTAIN) a
number of errors. A ______ COMPARISON _________ (5. COMPARE) of the ______
RESPONSES _________ (6. RESPOND) of identical twins with those of non-identical twins
revealed that the former were ____ NOTICEABLY ___________ (7. NOTICE) better at spotting the
mistakes. The results of the study suggest that for some children, music lessons may only go so far in
improving musical abilities such as pitch ____ RECOGNITION ___________ (8. RECOGNISE).
However, parents hoping to save money on lessons cannot use the test as an early indicator of musical
potential: it is ______ UNRELIABLE _________ (9. RELY) for children under 12, who do not have
sufficient ______ KNOWLEDGE _________ (10. KNOW) of the tunes played.
* Historically, Mars was thought the most likely planet to harbor life.There is a reflection of such
(1. BELIEVE) _____________ in popular culture as expressed in literature, radio and film. Public
fascination with Martians began in the late 19th century when, in 1877, astronomer Giovanni
Sciaparelli reported (2. OBSERVE) _______________ of large channels on Mars. In 1897, H. G.
Wells’ The War of the Worlds was the first major work to explore the (3.CONCEIVE )____________
of the “extraterrestrial invader” and exerted a substantial influence on the public psyche. A few years
later, even (4. KNOWLEDGE) ____________ astronomers such as Percival Lowell seriously
advocated the possibility of life forms as described in his book Mars as the Abode of Life (1910).
Consequently, Mars began to take a special placein popular culture around the turn of the 20th
century, (5. CONTINUE)____________ until today. However, this does not (6.
LITTLE)____________ the unique role of Mars in the history of science. Specifically the (7.
DOCUMENT)________________ of the movement of Mars, by Johannes Keppler, led to the
formulation of his three laws of (8. PLANET) ______________ motion which shattered mediaeval
anthropocentric notions of astronomy and laid the foundations for the (9. DISCOVER)
_________________ of Isaac Newton. Like no other planet, Mars has left (10.
REPLACE)__________________ marks on human imagination and thought.