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Brush up on Your Use of English skills For Advanced 01 - Compilated by English for the Gifted
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Brush up on Your Use of English skills For Advanced
• Tài liệu tham khảo:
• Improve your skill: use of English for advanced
• CAE Handbook for teachers
• Succeed in Cambridge CAE, CPE
• Bộ sách Upstream C1
• Các đề thi chuyên & HSG khắp cả nước
• Các đề thi đề xuất Duyên Hải • Result in CAE
• New English file Advanced
• Test yourself for proficiency
• Language practice for advanced
• New proficiency reading For the revised CPE exam
• Vocabulary files C1, C2
• Advanced trainer 2 six practice tests with answers
• 1000 TRIOS or gapped sentences for Cambridge Advanced and Proficiency exams Part 1 Phonetics
➢ Choose the word whose underlined part is pronounced differently from that of the others) 1. A. rough B. tough C. cough D. though 2. A. healthy B. whom C. honest D. heal 3. A. impaired B. performed C. produced D. designed 4. A. supposedly B. markedly C. allegedly D. determinedly 5. A. prohibit B. co-exist C. frozen D. notify 6. A. children B. charity C. charm D. champagne 7. A. teenage B. luggage C. manage D. damage 8. A. invited B. crooked C. mentioned D. learned 9. A. throw B. brow C. slow D. crow
10. A. change B. hungry C. stronger D. Single 11. A. met B. effort C. chemistry D. explain 12. A. passion B. pleasure C. decision D. measure 13. A. easy B. ear C. lean D. eat 14. A. audible B. audience C. laundry D. draughty 15. A. species B. pollute C. accept D. receipt 16. A. school B. balloon C. flood D. moon 17. A. clerk B. terse C. term D. jerk 18. A. fly B. daggy C. extremity D.extraordinary 19. A. comb B. climb C. debt D. cable 20. A. neighbour B. height C. sleigh D. weight 21. A. theme B. there C. thin D. thank 22. A. nicest B. largest C. hottest D. best 23. A. cook B. blood C. shook D. look 24. A. wants B. says C. increase D. laughs 25. A. of B. cafe' C. knife D. leaf 26. A. locate B. decorate C. nominate D. private 27. A. architect B. parachute C. choir D. psychology 28. A. pens B.walks C. cups D. students 29. A. much B. autumn C. sunny D. summer 30. A . wrong B. two C. windy D. wrist 31. A. chalice B. challenge C. choice D. chemist 32. A. leather B. tea C. lead D. leave 33. A. allegedly B. confusedly C. supposedly D. wickedly 34. A. decline B. body C. gradual D. dependen 35. A. finger B. sniff C. offspring D. of 36. A. searches B. edges C. measures D. cadges 37. A. mow B. bowler C. sow D. vow 38. A. would B. south C. count D. mouth 39. A. children B. divorce C. married D. present 40. A. rhyme B. behind C. hundred D. here 41. A. smoothly B. three C. enthusiasm D. think 42. A. missing B. scissors C. messenger D. massage 43. A. twinkle B. twelve C. twin D. twofold 44. A. none B. ink C. blown D. brand 45. A. because B. nurse C. horse D. promise 46. A. speak B. need C. heart D. read 47. A. school B. scholarship C. chemistry D. children 48. A. scheme B. church C. cheese D. child 49. A. exterminate B. expert C. extinct D. extinguish 50. A. photograph B. phobia C. Stephen D. Philippine
➢ Choose the word whose stress pattern is different from that of the others 1. A. possibility B. disappointed C. manufacture D. instrument 2. A. environment B. mystery C. contribute D. terrific 3. A. influential B. creative C. introduction D. university
4. A. disappearance B. sympathetic C. capacity D. conversation 5. A. argument B. achievement C. Involvement D. confinement 6. A. gravity B. deposit C. pyramid D. colorful 7. A. industrial B. exhibition C. preparation D. decoration 8. A. argument B. reject C. attract D. install 9. A. librarian B. religious C. commercial D. Japanese 10. A. experiment B. fabulous C. merchandise D. influence 11. A. decorate B. disappoint C. festival D. primary 12. A. historic B. economic C. afternoon D.entertainment 13. A. remove B. cancel C. copy D. answer 14. A. Japanese
B. engineer C. practical D. questionnaire 15. A. benefit B. environment C. wonderful D. category 16. A. different B. tradition C. opera D. capital
17. A. environment B. difficulty C. inhabitant D. community 18. A. impossible B. entertainment C. adorable D. ability 19. A. counterpart B. precede C. nursery D. compliment 20. A. tsunami B. terrorist C. involvement D. disaster 21. A. demolish B. substantial C. dramatic D. terrorist 22. A. surplus B. surface C. surgeon D. surprise 23. A. disappear B. precision C. mechanic D. discover 24. A. empty B. relate C. suggest D. effect 25. A. sample B. behave C. replace D. parade 26. A. industrial B. infallible C. intimacy D. intensity 27. A. enough B. aware C. support D. swallow 28. A. alcohol B. legendary C. prominent D. legitimate 29. A. industry B. memory C. ambiguous D. advertise 30. A. tunnel B. nightmare C. retain D. thesis 31. A. popular B. politics C. exciting D. origin
32. A. characterization B. absence C. datum D. charcoal 33. A. parachute B. armchair C. accent D. accidentally 34. A. deficiency B. psychology C. ecological D. competitor 35. A. exercise B. refusal C. collective D. abundant
36. A. photochemical B. trigonometry C. dramatically D. alphabetical
37. A. bigoted B. perpetrate C. relativism D. picturesquely 38. A. diligent B. dimension C. action D. armchair 39. A. terrible B. family C. relaxing D. popular
40. A. consciousness B. ecotourism C. biosphere D. confirm 41. A. curriculum B. grammatical C. repetitious D. historical 42. A. preparation B. apology C. geography D. experience 43. A. university B. punctuality
C. agricultural D.mathematician 44. A. obligatory B. geographical
C. international D.undergraduate 45. A. architectural B. cosmopolitan C. appreciative D. archeologist 46. A. mausoleum B. conservative C. disqualify D. magnificent 47. A. document B. develop C. opponent D. astonish 48. A. magazine B. returnee C. misfortune D. monomania 49. A. forgettable B. philosophy C. humanism D. objectively 50. A. redundant B. officer C. unique D. suspect
Multiple choice: lexico-grammar
1 After the playwright rewrote the script, the story began to take _____. A. set B. form C. shape D. part
2 Anyone who criticises the lead is simply asking for ______ . A. trouble B. pain C. difficulty D. discomfort
3 Don't worry, you'll do splendidly tonight - just go out there and break a _____. A. limp B. leg C. mould D. step
4 Sophie was feeling a bit _____ on her luck after not getting the part, so Frank bought her lunch. A. down B. under C. below D. behind
5 The play is simply a vehicle for its stars and falls _____ of having a decent plot. A. fast B. short C. quick D. thin
6 Anna's friend knew the casting director, so she pulled a few _ to arrange an audition. A. ropes B. wires C. threads D. strings
7. General Custer was confident of victory despite being vastly _____ by the enemy. A. outnumbered B. outclassed C. overcome D. overtaken
8. The ministry refused to ______ the figures to the press. A. release B. leak C. show D. add
9. Steve ______ his chances of passing by spending too much time on the first question. A. threw out B. threw off C. threw away D. threw in
10. Mr Jones gave his sons some money to ______ them up in business. A. get B. set C. put D. make
11. ______ comes a time when you have to make a decision and stick to it. A. It B. Therefore C. There D. That
12. James had, _____, saved the manuscript of his first novel from the burning house. A. lastly B. at last C. lately D. at least
13. Mr Nixon refused to answer the questions on the _____ that the matter was confidential. A. reasons B. excuses C. grounds D. foundations
14. As they came under heavy fire, the captain ordered his men to ______. A. fall away B. fall back C. fall over D. fall out
15. Our main ______ is to reduce debt by cutting costs. A. objective B. decision C. resolution D. desire
16. The discovery of penicillin was a significant medical ______. A. revolution B. innovation C. novelty D. breakthrough
17. Employers are not allowed to discriminate against an applicant because
of their social or financial _______. A. past B. background C. history D. precedent
18. It's important to project a(n) ______ image during the interview. A. upbeat B. positive C. optimistic D. cheerful
19. Aspirin was used as a medicine as far ______ as the 5th century BC. A. back B. beyond C. behind D. before
20. Competitive ______ is an essential requirement for success in the entertainment industry. A. mind B. thought C. spirit D. soul
21. The brochure stated the hotel was situated ______ beside the sea. A. direct B. precise C. right D. exact
22. There is a wide ______ of options to choose from with something to suit all tastes. A. degree B. variance C. scale D. range
23. They say he inherited his money from a ______ relative he had never met. A. faraway B. remote C. distant D. slight
24. Carrie doesn't do her own washing, she ________ her little sister to do it for her. A. makes B. gets C. lets D. puts
25. You must complete the Business _____ course satisfactorily before you
can progress to the third year programme. A. Morals B. Values C. Rights D. Ethics
26. For the _____ of rewiring your home, hiring an electrician is a wise move. A. aim B. purpose C. object D. intention
27. He agreed to give me his car for the weekend on _____ that I helped him write his essay. A. condition B. term C. rule D. decree
28. The Beatles remain hugely popular among the ______ and the old alike. A. youth B. young C. adolescents D. teenagers
29. Expect seminars and tutorials to _____ approximately 15% of your time at university. A. cover B. receive C. occupy D. complete
30. Some say that success in today's competitive workplace calls for toughness and _______. A. ruthlessness B. cruelty C. rudeness D. callousness
31. When he learned that the assistant manager was retiring, he felt that this
was an opportunity he just had to ______. A. grab B. follow C. pull D. seize
32. For such an old house, it is in excellent _______. A. state B. condition C. form D. shape
33. Come on. Spill the _______! What's the big secret? A. peas B. beans C. milk D. dust
34. My brother is a real ____ potato. He watches TV all the time! A. couch B. sofa C. armchair D. cushion
35. We decided to celebrate by going out and painting the town ________. A. red B. purple C. gold D. brown
36. Lindsay’s excuses for being late are beginning to______ rather thin. A. get B. turn C. wear D. go
37. I have very______ feelings about the plan – it might possibly work or it could be a disaster. A. certain B. mixed C. doubtful D. troubled
38. The noise of the typewriter really______ me off. I just couldn’t concentrate. A. put B. pulled C. set D. took
39. When asked _____ she has interviewed with other companies, she denied having done so. A. when B. whenever C. while D. whether
40. We have worked out the plan and now we must put it into ______. A. practice B. reality C. fact D. deed
41. Nobody is ready to go, ______? A. isn’t he B. is he C. are they D. aren’t they
42. Nancy talks as if she ______ everything. A. knows B. had known C. knew D. know
43. When the electricity failed, he _____ a match to find the candles. A. rubbed B. scratched C. struck D. started
44. He’s _______ work and cannot possibly see you now. A. up to his ears in B. very interested in C. not involved with D. concerned with
45. Don’t let a good chance ______ . A. go by B. go off C. go down D. go over
46. The new manager explained to the staff that she hoped to ______ new
procedures to save time and money. A. manufacture B. establish C. control D. restore
47. Either Peter or his brothers ______ the keys to the car. A. has been taken B. has taken
C. have taken D.have been taken
48. When I got my case back, it had been damaged _______ repair. A. over B. further C. above D. beyond
49. He was so mean that he couldn’t bear to ______ The smallest sum of money for the charity appeal. A. pay off B. part with C. give in D. let out
50. The school was closed for a month because of serious ______ of fever. A. outcome B. outburst C. outset D. outbreak Word Formation
1. After the game, the police struggled to deal with the ______behaviour of the football. (SCANDAL)
2. Bella's a great friend but she does tend to be _____ at times.(QUARREL)
3. Richard is so uncomplaining and ______. He should learn to stand up for himself more. (QUESTION)
4. Don't listen to a word Janet says - it's all _____ gossip. (SPITE)
5. They were in search of ______ archaeological remains. (DATE)
6. The war has ______ nearly two-thirds of the country's population. (ROOT)
7. He wanted Jill to give up her life of alcohol and _________. (DESTROY)
8. He does a little training, but first and _______he’s a writer. (MANY)
9. Anna showed a lot of _______ in the way she handled the problem with Olivia. (MATURE)
10. Your constant criticism has ______ to apologize. (DIE)
11. The level of market _____ has not been as high as desired. That said, we
are confident of making steady inroads and growing our market share
significantly over the next two quarters. (PENETRATE)
12. The bank has been accused of ______ lending and its loan book is to be
closely examined by the financial ombudsman, government sources have claimed. (PREY)
13. The decision was made______; he did not consult his partners prior to the announcement. (LATERAL)
14. The ______ has designated her as his successor (CHAIR)
15. She's ______ cheerful no matter what the circumstances. (FAIL)
16. Each member of the group worked __________ to achieve a common aim. (SELF)
17. I was late because I __________ how much time I needed. (ESTIMATE)
18. Our rental contract states that we are not allowed to ___ the house. (LET)
19. The first time I tried out my new bike I ________(balance) and fell off.
20. Don't forget to give the door an ______ as well as a coat of gloss paint. (COAT)
21. The bath ________ and the water dripped through into the living room. (FLOW)
22. It is not as easy as all that. I think you are _____ the problem. (SIMPLE)
23. I apologize for the delay in sending your order but we are _______. (STAFF)
24. I’ll never forget the _________ I felt in the situation. (HUMILIATE)
25. Sales forecasts indicate a poor ______ for the clothing industry. (LOOK)
26. Beauty is in the eye of the _______ (HOLD).
27. Because of bad weather, Martin's flight was ______ (due)
28. He was _______ of making her acquaintance. (DESIRE)
29. A(n) _______ person exhibits a fearless spirit, defiant even of law or decorum. (AUDACITY)
30. If you weren’t so (ACT)_______________, you wouldn’t be so fat!
31. My friend is unbelievably self- centered and arrogant. He’s a complete______. (EGO)
32. Lisa is very ______. She always manages to look good in photographer. (PHOTO)
33. These attitudes reflected reformers' anxieties concerning their own ________ culture. (MATERIAL)
34. In order for the project to be started, they needed a large ______. (LAY)
35. Deforestation and excessive farming have _________ the soil. (POOR)
36. If trouble breaks out,they may be arrested and even (PRISON)
37. Barack Obama is the first President of the United States with _______ background. (RACE)
38. From the hotel there is a _______ view across the canyon. (BREATH)
39. The policeman examined the parcel _______as he had no idea what it could (SUSPECT)
40. The mother is usually the homemaker and the father is the _______. (BREAD)
41. The government’s _________ approach has brought criticism. (COMPROMISE)
42. Computers are now considered _________ in the business world. (DISPENSE)
43. The university has ________ the use of dictionaries during language examinations. (AUTHOR)
44. The boy was very violent and his parents found him _____. (MANAGE)
45. Please keep the email short. ________ makes everyone’s lives easier. (BRIEF)
46. The Transformer is quite intriguing. It is ___________ one of the best movies of the year. (DOUBT)
47. The new manager is not bad, but he lacks the leadership and _________.
of the previous one. (SENSITIVE)
48. The country is experiencing an era of peace and ________ (PROSPER)
49. He's not a very well-known ________ but I enjoy his books. (NOVEL)
50. I'm well aware of the fact that smoking is _______to my health. (DETRIMENT)
FILL IN EACH GAP WITH SUITABLE A PREPOSITION OR PARTCLE.
1. By a stroke _____ luck, I didn't miss the plane, although it was late.
2. She was gazing out the window, rocking rhythmically ______ and fro.
3. He was foaming ______ the mouth with rage.
4. The forest fire gave _____thick back smoke which made me scared.
5. I’d just like to pick up ______ a couple of points that you made.
6. I don't know what it is about John, but women just seem to throw themselves ______ him.
7. They’re meeting in Berlin to iron ______ the final details of the contract.
8. Somebody broke into the shop and made ______with several TVs.
9. It turns _______ that she had known him when they were children.
10. In this day and age, the poor are always looked down ______.
11. Colleges and universities come _______ all shapes and sizes.
12. You shouldn’t take his words _____ heart.
13. I think she took ______ me when I got the promotion she wanted.
14. The film didn’t live ______ to my expectation.
15. The next meeting is due _____be held in one month.
16. Don’t get your shorts ____ a knot, I'll have the car back by tomorrow morning!
17. The pop festival passed __ peacefully, despite the fears of local residents.
18. Private companies should not be allowed to skim _____ profitable
sectors of the postal service.
19. Her intellect towers _____ours.
20. My brother has a flair ______ languages and can speak more than six.
21. We had to queue ______ before we could get into the cinema last night.
22. The robot is a century _____the times.
23. He will be sued __ breach of contract if he does not do what he promised.
24. Revenge at last! I always said I would get my own back _____Steve, and
now I have. Steve, and now I have.
25. They say that there is an exception _____ every rule.
26. If I were you, I’d have the brakes seen ___ before you cause an accident.
27. When I saw the house, it reminded me ____ the one I grew up in.
28. He arrived in Los Angeles ____ nothing but the clothes he was wearing.
29. I’m unable to use my computer at present. It has been ______ repair since last Monday.
30. Mr Bradley has had an alarm installed in his car _____ fear of having it stolen.
31. I am afraid our plans has fallen ____. We will have to think again.
32. I got up at six, started my work half an hour later and stayed there until 5
p.m with no free time _____between.
33. Oh, it gets dark. I have immersed myself _________ reading the novel.
34. Can you tuck your shirt _________ your trousers?
35. I can put _______with most things but I can’t stand noisy children.
36. When I was turning out my cupboard I came ____this photograph of my uncle
37. Is it possible to take _____ 50$ please?
38. I’d like to pay _____ this cheque for 100$
39. Could you please refrain ________ smoking - this is a hospital!
40. I never doubt that this candidate can pull ____________a victory.
41. That awful new office block is a real blot ____________the landscape.
42. I’m extemely pressed ______ money these days. Could you lend me a few pounds, please?
43. I know Oete’s conduct was intolerable, but don’t be too hard _____ him.
44. Her husband was courteous _____ her.
45. John is very good _____ his hands
46. His recent conduct is ________ the pale.
47. There can be no excuse _______ such rude behavior.
48. Don't worry about the lunch. I'll see _____ it.
49. I’m so snowed _____ with work at the moment – it’s awful.
50. I didn’t take ___my stepbrother at first, but after a while we grew closer. Open cloze test Ex 1: How smart are pigs?
Most of the research (1)_____ pig intelligence in relation (2)_____dogs says
that, while pigs display basic traits of intelligence and show types of
characteristics similar (3)_____ dogs, the subject hasn’t been studied
(4)_____to say conclusively that one is smarter than the other. A 2019 study
(5)_____ untrained, four-month-old piglets and puppies found that both
animals responded similarly to human cues. The authors of the study
suggested that “dogs and pigs do not (6)______ essentially in their cognitive
(7)______of learning to follow interspecific communicative cues, but the
natural salience of the human as social stimulus for dogs might facilitate
such learning to ______ place without specific training.” Ex 2: The origin of language
The truth is nobody really knows how language first began. Did we all start
talking at around the same time (1) ______of the manner in which our brains had begun to develop?
Although there is a lack of clear evidence, people have come up with various
theories about the origins of language. One recent theory is that human
beings have evolved in (2) ______a way that we are programmed for
language from the moment of birth. In (3) ______words, language came
about as a result of an evolutionary change in our brains at some stage.
Language (4) ______well be programmed into the brain but, (5) ______this,
people still need stimulus from others around them. From studies, we know
that (6) ______children are isolated from human contact and have not learnt
to construct sentences before they are ten, it is doubtful they will ever do so.
The research shows, if (7) ______else, that language is a social activity, not
something invented (8) ______isolation. Ex 3
Civets look like small, gingery-brown cats with long ringed tails, their coats
covered with blurred darker blotches, and curious protuberant amber-
coloured eyes with vertical pupils (1)______ give them a faintly reptilian
look. I had collected Potsil in West Africa when he was (2) _____born and
still blind. As (3)_____ as his eyes opened and he got his milk (4)_____, I
realised I was rearing a monster. Potsil lived to eat and would fall (5)_____
anything, living or dead, that came within reach. He carried the text
book definition of 'omnivorous' to untold lengths. There was nothing he
would not throw (6)_____ onto with screams of joy, even if it were some
revolting 'titbit rejected by every other species as being inedible. His greatest
ambition in life was to consume a human (7)_____— a task he did not feel
was (8)______ his abilities. This made cleaning out his cage a hazardous
activity, for though he looked lethargic he could move like lightning when
spurred on by his gastric juices Ex 4:
Vitamins are substances required for the proper functioning of the body. In
this century, thirteen vitamins have been discovered .
A lack of any vitamins in a person’s body can cause illness. In some cases,
an excess of vitamins can also (1) _____to illness. For example, sailors in
the past were prone to suffer from scurvy (2) _____is a disease resulting
from the lack of vitamin C. It causes bleeding of the gum, loss of teeth and
skin rashes. Sailors suffer from scurvy because they did not eat fruits and
vegetables. Fruits and vegetables contain vitamin C ,which is necessary for good (3)_____.
Vitamin B complex is composed of eight different vitamins. A lack of any of
these vitamins will lead to different (4)_____ For instance, a person who has
too little vitamin B1 will suffer from beri-beri, a disease that causes heart
problems and mental disorders. A lack of vitamin B2 results in eye and skin
problems while deficiency of vitamin B6 causes problems of the nervous
system. Too little vitamin B12 will cause anemia. The knowledge that
vitamin deficiencies caused certain diseases led doctors to (5) _____ people
suffering from these illnesses by giving them doses of the necessary (6)
_____ Today, vitamins are available (7) _____the form of pills and can
easily be bought at any pharmacy. Ex 5:
The capital of japan's northermost island attracts visitors every year in
February. Despite this being the coldest time of the year, visitors flock to the
city, which transforms (1) ______ into a dream world of glittering snow
sculptures. More than two million people come to marvel (2)______ these
frosted creations. The festival began in 1950, (3) ______ two students
fashioned six snow statues in Odori Park. Five years (4)_______ ,members
of Sapporo's Defence Force sowed the seeds of the now world-famous
festival by building the first statue which was megalithic in (5)_______
proportions. Snow sculpting might sound (6)______ an easy skill, but it
takes a lot of patience and artistic talent. First, a wooden structure is built
and large blocks of snow are hammered into place around it. Once
positioned, the blocks are hosed with water to freeze them together. lt is only
(7)_______ that the painstaking job of sculpting can begin. The result is a
crystal-like dreamscape of well-known images, (8)______ as those of famous buildings and people. Ex 6:
Though the evolution and domestication of the dog have long been studied,
the story is (1) _____ no means fully understood as (2) ______. There are
currently more than thirty species of Canidae, the dog-like animals (3) _____
include wolves and coyotes, jackals and foxes, but the Grey Wolf, Canis
Lupus, is the domestic dog’s sole wild ancestor and cousin, and it (4)_____ exists.
Some modern breeds of dog retain (5)_____ wolf-like characteristics of
behaviour and appearance to this day, and the two species remain genetically
close (6)_____ to be able to interbreed easily. (7) ______ the use of DNA
evidence may lead eventually (8) _______ greater clarity, the precise
classification of fossil remains from remote periods of prehistory can be
uncertain when dealing with such very closely related species. There would
undoubtedly have been many contacts, hostile, neutral and occasionally
friendly between individual wolves or proto-dogs and human communities. Ex 7:
A cup of coffee, like any (1) _____ experience, can be enriched by selection
and consciousness. "No beans about it," the best coffee decisions (2) _____
the ones most pleasant to one's own palate - the selection of one's coffee is a
matter of personal preference. Choosing coffee beans can also be a
perplexing experience, (3) _____ there is a huge range of coffee types and
beans blends from all around the world. The final flavour and quality
involves many complex factors, beginning with the coffee seed, the beans'
botanics, a wide variety of soil and climate conditions, cultivation altitudes,
and the care (4) _____ in harvesting the beans. Raw green coffee beans are
then subjected (5) _____ many influencing factors, including various
processing, production, roasting, blending and brewing methods. On a global
note, (6) _____ many species and varieties of coffee trees from different
areas of the world also offer their own distinctive flavours. There are more
than forty-five coffee-exporting countries - all of (7) _____ use different
classification systems - that supply the world with coffee beans, in sizes
ranging over sixty known species of coffee plants. No wonder coffee can
involve a puzzling java jargon! Fortunately, the world's coffee nomenclature,
from mountain to market, can be classified (8) _____ simple categories. This
briefly outlines the basics of bean botanics, coffee cultivation and
processing, and global classifications used by the coffee trade and coffee- producing countries. Ex 8:
A cup of freshly-brewed coffee, (1)_____ any other adventure, can be
heightened by an awareness of quality. The best coffee choices (2)_____ the
ones that make the palate explode with happiness. Coffee is all about
personal taste (3)_____ the range of coffee flavors on the market to enjoy.
Complex flavors and brewing techniques (4)_____ with the coffee seed, with
which great care must be (5)_____ in order to cultivate the perfect roasted
(6)_____. Coffee beans are available from 45 different countries, and
(7)_____ of the various growing conditions, the beans from each country
taste different. To get (8)_____ more complex, over sixty coffee plants are grown around the world. Guided cloze test Ex 1:
The process of making rain is simpler than you might think. As warm,
moisture-laden air (1) ______ from the surface of the earth, it cools and
some of the air (2) ______ into tiny droplets that eventually become clouds.
These droplets form around the microscopic particles such as dust and
smoke which are (3) ______. in the air.
The science of weather modification is now big (4) ______. Using radar and
sensitive equipment that (5) _______. atmospheric changes, weather
modifiers fly above or below the clouds and spray them with billions of
minute particles known as seeding agents. These particles either fall into
clouds or are wafted into them from below by warm (6) ______ They then
‘attract’ tiny water droplets which (7) ______ around each one.
When enough droplets are attached, precipitation — the third and final (8)
_______. in the process which returns water to the earth's surface — occurs,
and it rains. It may take as many as a million droplets to form a single
raindrop. If the clouds contain ice crystals, the results are similar, but now
snow will form instead of rain.
Current weather manipulation technology only allows scientists to
`encourage' a cloud that is (9) _______ heavy to produce rain. Some more
ambitious scientists (10) _______ a day when they will be able to (11)
_______rain from blue skies, but this is still in the far (12) _______ future. 1 A. grows B. raises C.lifts D. rises 2 A. condenses B. evaporates C. transforms D. gathers 3 A. gliding B. flying C. floating D. hanging 4 A. commerce B. industry C. trade D. business 5 A. takes off B. picks up C. catches on D. puts across 6 A. flows B. draughts C. currents D. tides 7 A .gather B. fasten C. converge D. stick 8 A. division B. stage C. period D. level 9 A. sufficiently B. specifically C. splendidly D.satisfactorily 10 A. forecast B. prophesy C. guess D. foresee 11 A. manufacture B. supply C. conjure D. reveal 12 A. detached B. distant C. isolated D. remote Ex 2:
There can be no (1) ______ that online shopping is of huge benefit to the
consr.nner. Far from becoming (2) ______ online shoppers are very demanding.
Overpriced merchants with poor services should beware. Gone are the days
when stores could charge what they liked for goods and get away with it. The
same. too. for shady manufac-turers: smarter consumers know which products
have a good (3) ______ and which do not. because online they now read not
only the sales (4) ______ but also reviews f rom previous purchasers. And if
customers are disappointed, a few (5) ______ of the mouse will take them to
places where they can let the world know. Nowadays there is nothing more
damning than a flood of negative comments on the internet.
However, the big boys, as always, are ahead of the game. Some companies are
already adjusting their business models to take account of these trends. The
stores run by Sony and Apple, for instance, are more like brand showrooms than
shops. They are there for people to try out (6) ______ and to ask questions to
knowledgeable staff. Whether the products are ultimately bought online or
offline is of secondary importance.
Online traders must also adjust. Amazon, for one, is (7)______ turning lrom
being primarily a bookseller to becoming a (8) ______ retailer by letting other
companies sell products on its site, rather like a marketplace. During America's
Thanksgiving weekend last November, Amazon's sales of consumer electronics
in the United States (9) ______ its book sales for the first time in its history.
Other transformations in the retail business are (10) ______ to follow. 1. A. query B. examination C. question D. proposal 2. A. complacent B. dissatisfied C. competent D. compassionate 3. A. distinction B. resolution C. opinion D. reputation 4. A. bubble B. message C. blare D. blurb 5. A. taps B. clucks C. clicks D. prods 6. A. devices B. tools C. emblems D. schemes 7. A. mistakenly B. rapidly C. unreasonably D. secretly 8. A. mass B. block C. lump D. chunk 9. A. receded B. excluded C. repressed D. exceeded 10. A. tied B. secured C. bound D. fastened Ex 3: Three theories about sleep
People spend about one-third of their lives asleep. It seems certain ,therefore,
that sleep has a vital function. However, what that function might be is still in
(1)_______. Scientists are far from being in agreement about (2)______ why so
much of our precious time is given over to sleep. There seem to be three main
theories. The most popular states that the functions and (3)_______ of sleep are
primarily physiological. It claims that we sleep in order to (4) the health of our
body. In other words, biological processes work hard as we sleep to repair any
damage done during the day and to restore ourselves to (5)______ efficiency.
However, a second theory places more emphasis on the learning benefits of
sleep. This theory holds that sleep allows us to process the information that we
(6)______ during the day, and asserts that , without sleep, learning would not
take place. A third popular theory is (7) on ideas about energy, saying that we
need (8)______ of sleep in order to, in a sense, recharge our batteries and so
have an adequate supply of energy for the coming day. 1. A discussion B. dispute C argument D debate 2. A. correctly B. absolutely C. actually D. precisely 3. A. purposes B. targets C. intentions D. points 4. A take B. maintain C. stay D keep 5. A strong B. utter C. full D. entire 6. A. achieve B. complete C. reach D. acquire 7. A. rooted B. supported C. based D. developed 8. A periods B. eras C. moments D. episodes Ex 4:
The birth of the London Marathon
In 1979, hours after having run the New York Marathon, the former Olympic
champion Chris Brasher wrote an article for The Observer newspaper which
began: "To believe this story you must believe that the human race is one
joyous, happy family, working together, laughing together, (1) ______the
impossible. Last Sunday, in one of the most trouble-stricken cities in the world,
11,532 men and women from 40 countries in the world, assisted by over a
million black, w hite and yellow people, laughed, cheered and suffered during
the greatest folk festival the world has seen."Enchanted with the sight of people
coming together for such an occasion, he concluded by questioning " ... whether
London could (2)_______ such a festival?" Within months the London
Marathon was born, with Brasher making trips to America to study the race
organisation and finance of big city marathons such as New York and Boston,
the oldest in the world. He (3)_______ a contract with Gillette worth £50,000,
established the organisation's charitable (4)_______, and (5)________ down six
main aims for the event, which he not only hoped would echo the scenes he had
witnessed in New York, but also put Britain firmly on the (6) _______ as a
country capable of organising major events. His vision was realised on March
29th 1981 , with the (7)_______ London Marathon (8) _______ to be an instant
success. More than 20,000 people applied to run : 7,747 were accepted and
6,255 crossed the finish line on Constitution Hill as cheering crowds lined the route. 1. A. appointing B transacting C making D achieving 2. A. perform B. act C. rehearse D. stage 3. A. fastened B. tied C. secured D. possessed 4. A. grade B rank C. status D. class 5. A. let B. set C. took D. gave 6. A. map B. border C. atlas D. territory 7. A. penultimate B. former C. inaugural D. primitive 8. A. succeeding B. checking C. resulting D. proving Ex 5:
The history of air power has been much confused, both by the glamour
surrounding flight and by a lack in the past of (1) ______ perspective on the
part of its proponents. To pierce this confusion, we must examine the context
(2) ______ which the airplane first flew. Its arrival (3) ______ with the
beginning of (4) ______ industrialisation and with the closure of frontiers in the
United States, Russia, Australia, South Africa, and South America. Humans
were now confined to know geographic boundaries and their frustrations were
accentuated by the stalemate of the First World War when airmen – the
romantic frontiersmen of the day – appeared to be as free as the birds. Man had
(5) ______ the air in 1890s, just after the tabloid newspapers of the sensational
(6) ______ pages were started. This, and the fact that flying (7) ______ with the
cinema and shared its young heroes in the 1920s with radio, made glamorisation
inevitable. Flying somehow fit into each nation’s idealised characteristics. In
America, the Wright brothers were upper-class theoretical and practical
mechanics; (8) ______, pioneer fliers were more often gentry, manufacturers,
or engineers as in Britain, France and Russia, or even nobility as in Germany and Japan. 1. A. historically B. historical C. historic D. history 2. A. from B. on C. in D. by 3. A. coincided B. accompanied C. according D. cooperated 4. A. far-reaching B. outspread C. boundless D. widespread 5. A. taken off B. taken in C. taken out D. taken to 6. A. yellow B. red C. green D. blue 7. A. brought up B. grew up C. caught up D. picked up 8. A. elsewhere B. anywhere C. somewhere D. wherefore Ex 6: On top of the world
In December 2011, a teenage mountaineer from California (0) the youngest
person to complete one of his sport's most extravagant (1) ______ :scaling
highest peak on each of the world's seven continents. Jordan Romero was just
15 when he (2) ______ the summit of Vinson Massif in Antarctica. Jordan, who
grew up climbing the mountains in Big Bear Lake, just east of Los Angeles,
conquered his first (3) ______ summit, Mount Kilimanjaro, at the age of nine.
At 13, he became the youngest person to (4) ______ it to the top of Everest. He
beat the previous record for the Seven Summits, which was (5) ______ by 16-
year-old British climber George Atkinson. Both teenagers sparked controversy
in mountaineering (6) ______ with purists claiming they were too young to
contribute properly to climbs, and therefore relied excessively on the support of
their team-mates. Although Jordan broadcast his achievements on the Internet,
his mother (7) ______ to comment when contacted by the press, claiming that
the family was not (8) ______ attention for his feats. 0. A. overtook B. turned C. became D. succeeded 1. A. successes B. contests C. challenges D. disputes 2. A achieved B. reached C. fulfilled D.accomplished 3. A. major B. chief C .upper D. superior 4. A. get B. find C. make D. work 5. A. kept B. maintained C. broken D. held 6. A. sets B. bands C. fields D. circles 7. A. declined B. rejected C. denied D. renounced 8. A. asking B. seeking C. paying D. searching Ex 7:
Would you rather win a silver or bronze medal?
Try to picture yourself as an athlete in an Olympic event. We can (1) _______
assume you'd want to win, and, if that wasn't possible, you'd prefer to (2)
_______ up second rather than third. However, research (3) _______ that the reality may be different.
In one study, volunteers assessed athletes' faces as they waited for their medals.
In particular, they looked out for athletes with a tuchenne smile', which is
thought to show happiness and is (4) _______ by a raising of the mouth and a
crinkling round the eyes. Gold medal winners were rated as happiest, but those
in second place seemed less happy than bronze medallists. Researchers also
found that the (5) _______ by which a medal was won or lost appeared
important: silver medallists who (6) _______ lost out on gold were significantly
less happy than those who only just beat the third-placed athlete.
Do silver medallists (7) _______ on how they might have won gold, whereas
bronze medallists just feel lucky to win something? We can't be sure, but
researchers think comparative performance may greatly affect the (8) _______ of happiness. 1. A. soundly B. steadily C. safely D. strongly 2. A. take B. come C. make D. end 3. A. exposes B. suggests C. notifies D. admits 4. A. characterised B. featured C. constituted D. specified 5. A. distance B. area C. size D. limit 6. A. tightly B. finely C. closely D. narrowly 7. A. wonder B. reflect C. consider D. evaluate 8. A. impact B. conclusion C. feeling D. search Ex 8:
The shark is a meat- eating fish and one of the most feared animals of the sea.
Scientists (1)______ about 250 species of fish as sharks. These fish live in
oceans (2)_____ the world, but they are most common in warm seas.
Sharks (3)________ greatly in size and habits. Whale sharks, the largest kind of
shark, may grow 60 feet long. A whale shark weighs up to 15 tons, more than
twice (4) ______much as an African elephant. The smallest shark may (5)_____
only 4 inches long and weigh less than 1 ounce. Some kinds of sharks live in the
depths of the ocean, but (6)______ are found near the surface. Some species
live in coastal waters, but others (7)______ far out at sea. A few species can even live in (8)______ water.
All sharks are carnivores (meat- eaters). Most of them eat (9)______ fish,
including other sharks. A shark’s only natural enemy is a large shark. Sharks eat
their prey whole, or they tear off large chunks of flesh. They also (10)______on dead or dying animals. 1. A. classify B. divide C. organize D. arrange 2. A. all B. through C. throughout D. over 3. A. grow B. rise C. evolve D. vary 4. A. as B. so C. very D. exactly 5. A. stretch B. measure C. develop D. expand 6. A. some others B. others
C. different kinds D. some sharks 7. A. dwell B. exist C. emigrate D. migrate 8. A. fresh B. sweet C. light D. clear 9. A. uncooked B. live C. lively D. alive 10. A. eat B. swallow C. exist D. feed Reading Comprehension Ex 1:
After a bumpy 225km drive from a meagre airstrip in Tindouf, south western
Algeria, a sprawling single-story town begins to emerge from the desert’s dust.
As the sun climbs in the cloudless sky, visitors are rewarded with their first
glimpse of Dakhla refugee camp. It isn’t the most obvious setting for a film
festival, but for seven years, just before the glitz and glamour of Cannes, the
Sahrawi people of Dakhla have hosted actors and film-makers from around the
world for this six-day event. This year, for the first time, direct flights were laid
on from London, giving the opportunity for overseas visitors to play a part in
this extraordinary occasion. But despite the energy and excitement, the
background to the film festival is a serious one, as the Sahrawi people have
been living for thirty years in this isolated desert outpost, having been forced to
flee their native Western Sahara.
Western Sahara, Africa’s last colony, was taken over by Morocco when the
Spanish withdrew in 1976, despite a ruling from the International Court of
Justice. This was followed by a brutal 16-year war, during which time tens of
thousands of Sahrawis fled across the Algerian border to refugee camps. In
1991, a ceasefire agreement was drawn up, in which a referendum on self-
determination was promised to decide the fate of the country and its people.
However, almost twenty years later, the gears of diplomacy have turned slowly
and nothing has happened. Meanwhile the refugees have been left stranded in
five refugee camps dotted around the vast, inhospitable desert.
Dakhla, home to nearly 30,000 of these refugees, is the most remote of these
camps, being located 175 km from the nearest city. Unlike its namesake, the
beautiful coastal city in Western Sahara, this Dakhla has no paved roads and is
entirely dependent on outside supplies for food and water. Temperatures
regularly top 120 degrees, there is minimal vegetation and there are frequent
sandstorms. Locally it is known as the Devil’s Garden. Despite these obvious
setbacks, the town is clean and well organised, with wide sandy streets. Houses
and tents are grouped in neat family compounds. There are hospitals, funded by
aid agencies, and a good standard of education. For the duration of the festival,
an articulated lorry is parked in the central compound, and a multiplex-sized
screen is mounted on its side. Around it are stalls and tents housing workshops and exhibitions.
The aim of the festival is to raise international awareness on the plight of the
refugees. However, it also offers a rare chance for the refugees to go to the
movies and experience some educational opportunities. It is hoped that it might
foster a new generation of Sahrawi film-makers, especially as this year, the
festival also celebrated the opening of a permanent film, radio and television
school in a neighbouring camp.
The program of films for this year included over forty films from around the
world. Films range from international blockbusters to various works on and by
the Sahrawi people. The themes mostly centre on experiences of struggle and
hope, but there were lighter moments, such as an animated film for the children
and a flash of Rachel Weisz’s naked bottom during the ancient Egyptian epic
Agora which proved to be a highlight for many older boys. However, the
runaway favourite was ‘a Victime’, a documentary about Ibrahim Leibeit, a 19-
year-old Sahrawi who lost his leg to a land mine last year.
Films are screened at night, so the daytime is taken up with exhibitions, camel
races and football matches. One afternoon the London-based charity
‘Sandblast’ put on a joint workshop with a film-maker, giving refugees the
opportunity to learn about filmmaking and create their own video messages.
These were put online so that their extended families in Western Sahara, from
whom they have been separated for more than 33 years, could watch them.
Helen Whitehead, a film-maker from London said, ‘Working together really
broke down language and cultural barriers. It was very rewarding, and we came across some real talent.’
More than 500 visitors flew into Tindouf on charter planes and braved the rough
drive to the settlement. All the visitors to the festival stay with Sahrawi families,
sharing their homes and partaking of their food. Living with these displaced
people gives overseas participants an invaluable insight into the conditions in
which the refugees live. Alongside the film buffs there are real celebrities such
as actors Victoria Demayo and Helena Olano. They are mostly B and C listers
from the Spanish film industry, although the real stars do take an interest.
Director Javier Cardozo was a visitor last year, and Penelope Cruz is a long-
term supporter, but pulled out of attending the festival this year at the last
minute. Will the celebrity backing make a difference to the plight of the
refugees? Possibly. Cardozo’s suggestion that the Spanish, as the ex-colonial
masters of Western Sahara, were responsible for the situation received
significant coverage in the Spanish Media and put some pressure on the
government to take some action. However, although the campaign in Spain is
growing steadily, the focus of attention cannot only be on the Spanish government.
On the final day of the gathering, there is a dusty red-carpet ceremony in which
the White Camel award for best picture is presented to Jordi Ferrer and Paul
Vidal for ‘El Problema’, their 2009 film about Western Sahara. Actors,
activists and festival organisers gather on stage in high spirits to show their
solidarity with the refugees. But as the stalls are dismantled and the trucks are
driven away, the thoughts of the visitors turn to the people they are leaving
behind. They may never get the chance to see the world or fulfil their dreams of
becoming actors or film-makers. For them, there is nowhere to go. Dakhla is essentially a desert prison.
1. In the first paragraph, the writer emphasises:
A. the enthusiasm that the festival instils
B. the sensational nature of the festival
C. the festival’s increasing media attention
D. the festival’s unlikely location
2. According to the writer, the refugees have been in the desert for so long because:
A. International agencies do not know they are there
B. the Moroccan government disagree with the UN
C. a proposed vote is yet to take place
D. there is a war in their home country
3. What does the writer say about the original city of Dakhla? A. It is by the sea.
B. It has good health and educational facilities.
C. It does not have proper roads
D. It gets food and water from aid agencies.
4. What is said about the films shown at the festival?
A. They mostly show the personal experiences of the Sahwari people.
B. All of the films are serious in content.
C. The variety of films suited a wide range of tastes
D. The international films were more popular than the local films
5. What was the British visitors’ response to the workshops?
A. t hey were surprised by the refugee’s film knowledge
B. The workshops enabled them to communicate with local people.
C. the workshops taught the visitors a lot about local culture.
D. They showed the local films to their families via the internet.
6. What point does the writer highlight in the final paragraph?
A. There is a contrast between the visitors’ freedom and the refugees’ confinement
B. The film festival only gives the refugees unattainable dreams
C. The visitors only care about the refugees for the duration of the festival
D. The festival is a poor copy of the more famous film festivals. Ex 2:
The Great Indoors: At Home in the Modern British House
In 1910 the music hall comedian Billy Williams scored his biggest hit with the
song When Father Papered the Parlour, mocking the incompetence of the
amateur home decorator. Fifty years later, comedians Norman Wisdom and
Bruce Forsyth were still entertaining millions on the TV show Sunday Night at
the London Palladium with a similar routine, but the joke was starting to look
dated. The success of magazines such as The Practical Householder was already
proving that, as the 1957 Ideal Home Exhibition proclaimed, “Do-it-yourself is
a home hobby that is here to stay.”
By this stage, Britain had mostly completed its transition from primitive
housing conditions, made bearable – for those who could afford it – by servants
and handymen, into a world where families looked after themselves in highly
serviced environments. Recognisably modern technology, in the form of
telephones, televisions and electricity, had become ubiquitous and was to
transform domestic living still further in the coming years. The makeover of
British homes in the twentieth century is recounted in Ben Highmore’s
entertaining and informative new book. He takes us on a whirlwind tour of an
everyday house, from entrance hall to garden shed, illuminated by extensive
reference to oral histories, popular magazines and personal memoirs.
At its centre, though, is the way that our homes have reflected wider social
changes. There is the decline of formality, so that living rooms once full of
heavy furniture and Victorian knick-knacks are now dominated by television
screens and littered with children’s toys. There is a growing internationalism in
taste. And there is the rise of domestic democracy, with the household
radiogram and telephone (located in the hall) now replaced by iPads, laptops
and mobiles in virtually every room. Key to that decentralisation of the home –
and the implied shift of power within it – is the advent of central heating, which
gets pride of place as the innovation that allowed the whole house to become
accessible at all times of day and night. Telling an unruly child to ‘go to your
room’ no longer seems much of a threat.
Highmore also documents, however, some less successful steps in the onward
march of domestic machinery. Whatever happened to the gas-powered fridges
we were promised in 1946? Or to the Dishmaster a decade later that promised to
do “a whole day’s washing up in just three minutes”? Rather more clear is the
reason why a 1902 Teasmade failed to catch on: “when the alarm clock
triggered the switch, a match was struck, lighting a spirit stove under the kettle”.
You don’t have to be a health and safety fanatic to conclude that a bedroom
isn’t the ideal place for such a gadget. Equally disturbing to the modern reader
is the prewar obsession with children getting fresh air. It was a belief so
entrenched that even a voice of dissent merely argued that in winter, “The
healthy child only needs about three hours a day in the open air, as long as the
day and night nursery windows are always open.” Nowadays, the fresh air
obsession has been replaced by irrational fears of horrors outside the home. It’s
easier to laugh at the foibles of the past, and Highmore doesn’t always resist a
sense of modern superiority, though, for the most part, he’s an engaging and
quirky guide, dispensing sociological insights without jargon.
The message is that even the language of the home has changed irrevocably:
airing cupboards are going the same way as drawing rooms. As for that Billy
Williams song, “By the 1980s”, Highmore writes, “it would be impossible for
anyone to imagine their front room as a ‘parlour’ without seeming deeply old-
fashioned.” He’s not entirely correct, for there was at least one person who was
still employing such terminology. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher sold her
message with the use of what she called ‘the parables of the parlour’, which
suggests she understood the truth that, despite the catalogue of changes, there is
a core that seems consistent. A 1946 edition of Housewife magazine spelt it out:
“men make houses, women make homes”. When you watch a male comedian
today doing a routine about his wife’s attachment to scatter cushions, it seems
worth asking: has the family dynamic really moved a great deal?
1. The reviewer’s main topic in the first paragraph is
A. improvements in home decorating skills
B. how common it was for home decorating to be discussed
C. how unfair descriptions of home decorating used to be
D. a change in attitudes to home decorating
2. In the second paragraph, the reviewer says that the book includes evidence illustrating
A. that some British people’s homes were transformed more than others
B. the widespread nature of changes that took place in British homes
C. the perceived disadvantages of certain developments in British homes
D. that the roles of certain people in British homes changed enormously
3. In the third paragraph, the reviewer points to a change in
A. the extent to which different parts of the house are occupied
B. ideas of which parts of a house should be furnished in a formal way
C. how much time children spend in their own rooms
D. beliefs about what the most pleasant aspect of home life is
4. The reviewer suggests in the fourth paragraph that
A. most unsuccessful inventions failed because they were dangerous
B. various unsuccessful inventions failed because they did not work properly
C. some unsuccessful inventions were not advertised appropriately
D. there were unsuccessful inventions which might have been good ideas
5. In the fifth paragraph, the reviewer says that in his book, Highmore
A. sometimes focuses on strange ideas that were not very common in the past
B. occasionally applies the standards of today to practices in the past
C. occasionally expresses regret about how some attitudes have changed
D. sometimes includes topics that are not directly relevant to the main topic
6. In the final paragraph, the reviewer suggests that Highmore may be wrong about
A. when certain modern attitudes to home life first developed
B. which changes in home life in Britain have been most widely welcomed
C. the extent to which home life in Britain has changed
D. how common terms such as ‘airing cupboards’ are in modern Britain Ex 3:
Simply ticking the boxes isn’t enough
I have been asked what I think about the idea of ‘Investing in People’. The best
answer I can give is that I think that what it tries to achieve – basically making
the link between business improvement and focusing on the needs of the people
who work for an organisation – is great. My problem is with organisations who
subscribe to it as a way to help them ‘get better’, when they don’t bother to
understand where they went wrong in the first place. They need to ask what
explicit and implicit policies and procedures they have in place that prevent
their people from being able to do the right thing for the right reasons.
I am sure that there are managers out there who don’t know any better, and
assume that to manage they simply need to put pressure on their people to
perform. But people don’t demonstrate high performance because they are told
to. They do it because they see the need to do it, and make the choice to do so.
They do it because they are connected to the business goals and they see how
their contributions can help achieve them. Such managers may tell themselves
they can put a ‘tick’ in the ‘we care about people’ box. But simply putting ticks
in boxes is no good if it doesn’t reflect reality.
I know of a company that was so concerned that its people were doing the ‘right
thing’ that it put in place a series of metrics to measure their effectiveness. So
far, so good. But one of the objectives – making successful sales calls –
manifested itself in the metric ‘Number of potential customers seen in one day’.
The sales people obviously focused their efforts on going from one customer’s
office to another, and not on closing deals. Instead of the employees becoming
more effective, they focused on getting the boxes ticked. Good intent; poor thinking.
Another company wanted to improve the speed with which it was able to
introduce new products. Competition was beating it to the market place, and
consequently the company was losing market share. Senior management sent
out the message to reduce the time spent in getting products into customers’
hands, with the explanation that they couldn’t afford delays. This was a
relatively easy task, especially since the time spent testing the products was cut
in half to accomplish the time reduction. The result was new products were
introduced in less time than those of the competition – but soon rejected by
customers for poor quality. Good intent; reckless implementation.
A third company I know is trying hard to help employees see that they have
some control over their future. The company instituted a programme with a title
like ‘Creating our own future’ or something like that. A good idea; get the
people involved in the future of the company. But instead of the employees
becoming motivated to contribute, they saw it as a hollow exercise on the part
of senior management who, in the past, had paid little attention to anything
other than getting the job done so they could report great earnings. Yes, the
programme was a big ‘tick the box’ effort, but that was all it was in the minds of
the people that it was designed for.
A final example is of a company that brought in one of these ‘Investing in
People’ programmes to change the way the company was run. Assessors were
running around like crazy, helping managers examine how they managed. They
told managers how they could manage better. And when the programme was
over, the company was able to say they had done it – it had invested in its
people and life was now good. But the managers simply went back to business
as usual. After all, the assessors were gone, and they had targets to hit.
All these examples are representative of senior management who see the need to
improve things in their organisation, but don’t see how to do it. For a start, a
programme targeted at improving things is only as good as management’s
ability to motivate their people. And when the employees simply see the
programme as a box-ticking exercise, then it’s hopeless.
1. The writer thinks that putting the concept of ‘Investing in People’ into practice
A. frequently results in confusion among the people it is supposed to help.
B. involves more effort than some organisations are prepared to make.
C. may create problems where previously there had not been any problems.
D. is something that some organisations should not attempt to do.
2. The writer’s main point in the second paragraph is that the perfor
A. may be very good even if management is poor.
B. cannot be accurately measured by any box-ticking exercise.
C. is related to their knowledge of the organisation as a whole.
D. is not as unpredictable as some managers believe it to be.
3. hat point does the writer make about the first company he describes?
A. It was not really interested in measuring the effectiveness of employees.
B. The targets that it set for staff were unrealistic.
C. It failed to understand the real needs of its employees.
D. The data that it collected did not measure what it was supposed to measure.
4. What point does the writer make about the second company he describes?
A. It made what should have been an easy task into a complicated one.
B. It failed to foresee the consequences of an instruction.
C. It misunderstood why a new approach was required.
D. It refused to take into account the views of employees.
5. What does the writer say about the programme introduced by the third company he mentions?
A. Employees did not believe that it had been introduced for their benefit.
B. Employees felt that it was in fact a way of making their jobs even
C The reason given for introducing it was not the real reason why it was introduced.
D. It was an inappropriate kind of programme for this particular organisation.
6. The writer says that the programme in his final example
A. was too demanding for managers to maintain long-term.
B. was treated as a self-contained exercise by managers.
C. involved some strange ideas on how managers could improve.
D. caused managers to believe that their previous methods had been better. Ex 4:
The man who wants to teach the world
Helena de Bertodano meets Salman Khan.
What Salman Khan, the founder of the non-profit online school Khan Academy
has to say to the parent of an eleven-year-old in the USA is frankly terrifying:
‘If your child is not placed in the fast track for math in sixth grade, his chances
of becoming a doctor or an engineer are probably zero. And it’s decided when he’s eleven years old.’
This is exactly what happened to his cousin Nadia. Usually a straight-A student,
she had done poorly in a maths streaming test in sixth grade because she had
failed to understand one concept. This one test result, Khan says, might have
harmed her academic destiny. Nadia’s distraught mother turned to Khan for
help. Khan tutored her remotely over the phone and Nadia passed her retake
with flying colours. Soon, many more relations and friends wanted Khan’s help.
Unable to handle the volume of requests, at the suggestion of a friend, he started
to record his lessons on video and post them on YouTube. ‘At first I was
dismissive,’ Khan says. ‘I thought YouTube was for dogs on skateboards.’
Now Khan has more than 3,000 videos to his name, which are watched by
nearly three million unique users a month, via YouTube and his own website.
His friendly, avuncular style, coupled with his knack for making difficult
concepts seem simple, has helped children – and adults – all over the world
move into the fast track. He says his aim is to create ‘the world’s first free,
world-class, virtual school where anyone can learn anything’. Some teachers are
wary of him, thinking that he is trying to supplant them, but many more
embrace his approach and have started ‘flipping’ the classroom, encouraging
students to watch Khan’s videos at home and then tackling maths problems together in class.
You might expect a man with such influence to have state-of-the-art
headquarters but Khan’s premises are unprepossessing. Arriving at an unmarked
red door, sandwiched between a clothes shop and a Chinese restaurant, I decide
I have the wrong address – especially after ringing the bell for ten minutes with
no response. Eventually, I rouse someone on the telephone and the door is
opened. When his assistant shows me in, Khan appears at first to be slightly
annoyed at this interruption. Sitting on a leather swivel chair behind a heavy oak
desk surrounded by pictures of his wife – a doctor – and their two young
children, he continues to work for a few minutes. But once he warms up, it
becomes clear that the initial awkwardness is down to shyness, not rudeness.
‘I’m not very good when people want to meet me,’ he says. ‘I want to hide a little bit.’
Khan believes that the rigidity of the school system is outdated and deadens a
child’s natural curiosity. ‘Aged one to four, kids are excited by anything new,
they want to figure it out, then all of a sudden, when they turn five, you start
seeing fewer curious kids, by nine or ten you see very few with any curiosity,
and by eighteen it’s very much the exception. Curiosity is just stamped out of
them. I’m convinced it’s indoctrination, not a genetic thing. Kids are herded
together, the bell rings, you’re rewarded for passivity, you’re rewarded for
compliance, that’s what keeps you moving through the system.’
Private school education makes little difference, he says. Nor does he believe
that student-teacher ratio is an issue. ‘The idea that smaller classes will
magically solve the problem of students being left behind is a fallacy. ’ As he
points out, if a teacher’s main job is lecturing to the students, it doesn’t really
matter how many students are in the classroom. What matters is the ‘student-to-
valuable-human-time-with-teacher’ ratio. What his videos do, Khan says, is free
teachers up for more personal interaction.
He thinks bigger classes with more teachers would provide a more creative
learning ground. In his ideal classroom there would be 75-100 students of
widely varying ages, with three or four teachers. Some students would be
working at computers; others would be learning economics through board
games; others would be building robots or designing mobile apps; others would
be working on art or creative writing. His dream is nothing short of revolutionary.
‘In 500 years I hope people look back and say, “Imagine, kids had to learn in
classrooms that were like factories and it was unheard of for an eight-year-old
to truly, deeply understand quantum physics. Isn’t that strange?
1. Why did Khan initially start to record videos?
A. It was easier to explain concepts in a video than on the phone.
B. It enabled him to advertise his services worldwide.
C. It was impossible for him to respond personally to each request for assistance.
D. It was a more popular medium for young people to use.
2. One value of the videos is that they can
A. be used as an additional tool for teachers in class.
B. be shown to students as a reward for hard work.
C. act as a substitute for formal learning.
D. help students prepare for a topic they will study.
3. When visiting Khan the writer is
A. annoyed by Khan’s lateness.
B. surprised by Khan’s choice of location.
C. embarrassed by the way Khan addresses him.
D. impressed by the style of furnishings in Khan’s home.
4. The writer mentions different children’s ages to illustrate his idea that
A. it is quite natural for children to grow disillusioned with formal education.
B. the older a child is, the less able they are to assimilate new information.
C. a child’s growing lack of interest in learning is a result of experience at school.
D. younger children need more motivation to remain interested in education.
4. The writer mentions different children’s ages to illustrate his idea that
A. it is quite natural for children to grow disillusioned with formal education.
B. the older a child is, the less able they are to assimilate new information.
C. a child’s growing lack of interest in learning is a result of experience at school.
D. younger children need more motivation to remain interested in education.
5. In Khan’s opinion, the suggestion that a lower student-teacher ratio solves the
problem of ineffective learning is A. illogical. B. unproven. C. unworkable D. counterproductive.
6. When Khan compares classrooms to factories in the final paragraph, he is implying that
A. classrooms produced what industry demanded.
B. children were part of an inflexible system.
C. teaching methodology produced student clones.
D. small numbers of teachers dealt with large numbers of students. Transformation
1. In the end, I felt that I had been right to leave the club.
➢ I had_________________________________________________.
2. He talked about nothing except the weather in his first date.
➢ His sole_________________________________________________.
3. you may have a heart attack if you are obese.
➢ You run_________________________________________________.
4. I hadn't expected to win that scholarship.
➢ It came as _________________________________________________.
5. We couldn’t find the cat anywhere.
➢ The cat _________________________________________________.
6. It isn’t his fault for the accident.
➢ He wasn’t to_______________________________________________.
7. John said he almost never went out on a Wednesday night.
➢ “Rarely ______________________________________________________.
8. He speaks German extremely well
➢ He has ______________________________________________________.
9. You're not ever allowed in this laboratory.
➢ At _________________are you permitted_________________________.
10. Have you ever played a computer game before?
➢ Is this ______________________________________________________.
11. Although the dog appeared harmless, it was, in fact, quite dangerous.
➢ Contrary ___________________________________________________.
12. It was a mistake not to write the telephone number down.
➢ I should___________________________________________________.
13. As far as I know he is still working in Bristol.
➢ To the best___________________________________________________.
14. They are demolishing the old bus station and replacing it with a new one.
➢ The old bus station is pulled___________________________________.
15. I'm disappointed with the Fisher's new album when I compare it to their previous one.
➢ I think the Fisher's new album is ____________________their previous one.
16. Sarah cried her eyes out immediately she was told she'd failed her driving test.
➢ Sarah broke ___________________________________________________.
17. He was sentenced to six months in prison for his part in the robbery.
➢ He received___________________________________________________.
18. Such a ridiculous proposal isn’t worth serious consideration.
➢ There is______________________________________________________.
19. Just thinking about his face at that moment makes me laugh.
➢ The very____________________________________________________.
20. Someone stole the old lady’s handbag.
➢ The old lady was _______________________________________________.
21. From the educational point of view, his childhood years had been well spent
➢ In__________________________________________________________.
22. He is determined to become a doctor.
➢ He has set____________________________________________________.
23. I would like to be able to speak French. (HAD)
➢ I wish ____________________________________________ speak French.
24. I’m sure it wasn’t Jim who did it.
➢ It ________________________________________________________.
25. The hurricane blew the roof off the house.
➢ The house ___________________________________________________.
26. I hate watching late night films on TV.
➢ I can’t stand ___________________________________________________.
27. I meant to post that letter before lunch.
➢ What I meant _________________________________________________.
28. Adeles tries hard, but she doesn't get anywhere.
➢ However___________________________________________________.
29. I only recognised him when he came into the light.
➢ Not until____________________________________________________.
30. It was assumed that Roy would marry that old rich lady.
➢ People took __________________________________________________.
31. It is extremely difficult for us to make ends meet these days.
➢ We find__________________________________________________.
32. He brought the umbrella along but it didn't rain.
➢ He needn’t_____________________________________________.
33. Keeping calm is the secret of passing your driving test.
➢ As long as_________________________________________________.
34. We were impressed by the new cinema but found it rather expensive
➢ Impressive__________________________________________________.
35. “If my members agree to that, I’ll be very surprised,” said the union delegate.
➢ The union delegate observed that__________________________________.
36. Alan worked too hard at the office, and this led to his illness.
➢ Alan’s illness__________________________________________________.
37. Do you understand the grammar structure?
➢ Are you ____________________________________________________.
38. Her grief was so great that she almost fainted.
➢ So ________________________________________________________.
39. When I made my suggestion, he laughed.
➢ He greeted ____________________________________________________.
40. I don’t suppose you have change for 2 pounds, do you?
➢ Do you happen ________________________________________________.
41. I really want to see her again.
➢ I’m_______________________________________________________.
42. Only two out of the five rooms we have booked have air conditioning.
➢ We have booked five rooms, only _____________________________.
43. Welcome you all and please feel relaxed
➢ Please fell free to make _________________________________________.
44. I have never seen such a mess in my life.
➢ Never _____________________________________________________.
45. He was able to study overseas because his parents had been very wealthy.
➢ Had it _____________________________________________________.
46. The boy does whatever his father wants in an obedient way.
➢ The boy dances _______________________________________________.
47. People think that the owner of that house is abroad
➢ The owner__________________________________________________.
48. Was the film as good as you expected it to be or was it disappointing?
➢ Did the film__________________________________________________.
49. We got lost because we didn't have a map.
➢ Were______________________________________________________.
50. Without your help, I couldn't have been able to find my way.
➢ But for ______________________________________________________.
60. If there are any problems, I can be there right away. (MOMENT)
➢ Should_____________________________________________________.
61. Mark got lucky when he got the lead role. (STROKE)
➢ It was a_____________________________________________________.
62. The plot was so confusing, I couldn't follow it. (MUD)
➢ Because the plot was about as ___________________________________.
63. After the play finishes, I plan to relax and enjoy time off. (FEET)
➢ I'm going to_________________________________________________.
65. Does the plot remind you of anything? (BELL)
➢ Does the plot________________________________________________.
66. The dotcom has been operating for six months. (SET)
➢ The dotcom_______________________________________________.
67. We must complete this project by Friday. (OFF)
➢ This project has________________________________________________.
68. The offer the investors made has been withdrawn. (BACKED)
➢ The investors . ________________________________________________.
69. The start-up failed because of the founder lacked vision. (BROUGHT)
➢ The start-up _________________________by the founder's lack of vision.
70. I'll come in to see how you're progressing from time to time. UP
➢ I'll __________________________________________________________.
71. Do you think we can stew this kind of meat? (LEND)
➢ Do __________________________________________________________?
72. I’d be grateful if you could have a look at these figures (CAST)
➢ _____________________________________________________________.
73. The ferry timetable can alter depending on the weather. (SUBJECT)
➢ The ferry timetable_____________________________________________.
74. His argument was irrelevant to the case being discussed. (NOTHING)
➢ His argument__________________________________________________.
75. Karen sometimes appears very silly. (APT)
➢ Karen______________________________________________________.
76. His aggressive attitude shocked me. (ABACK)
➢ I__________________________________________________________.
77. She is proud of being so fit. (PRIDES)
➢ She__________________________________________________________.
78. If you don’t work harder, you will fail the exam. (SOCKS)
➢ You_________________________________________________________.
77. The new film was barely similar to the book I had read. (BORE)
➢ The new_____________________________________________________.
78. I know his name but I can’t quite remember it. (TIP)
➢ His name’s ___________________________________________________.
79. The school play has really lasted too long. (DRAGGING)
➢ The school play is ______________________________________________.
80. You can use my car whenever you want. (DISPOSAL)
➢ The car ______________________________________________________.
81. The pickpocket was caught while attempting to steal a man’s wallet. (ACT)
➢ The pickpocket was caught _______________________________________.
82. Many people believe that all cats have tails, but they are wrong. (POPULAR)
➢ Contrary __________________________________________ cats have tails.
83. When I heard her speak, it affected me profoundly. (IMPACT)
➢ When______________________________________________________.
84. He is very good at cooking spaghetti. (DAB)
➢ He ______________________________________________________.
85. We got started on the new project immediately. (TIME)
➢ We lost__________________________________________________.
86. It’s important to defend what you believe in when others express their doubts. (STAND)
➢ You must __________________________________________________.
87. The prime minister in unlikely to call an early general election. (LIKELIHOOD)
➢ There’s__________________________________________________.
88. He stood no chance of passing his driving test. (INEVITABLE)
➢ ___________________________________________________________.
89. What he told me made me very curious to hear the rest of the history. (APPETITE)
➢ What______________________________________________________.
90. We are not often invited to meetings at the college. (ACCUSTOMED)
➢ We are not _________________________________________________.
91. What did you think about the exam? I couldn't understand the last question at all. (HEAD)
➢ What____________________________________________________.
92. Remote parts of the country always become isolated in severe weather. (CUT)
➢ Remote parts of the country__________________________________.
93. I want to know if you have finalised those delivery dates yet. (ROUND)
➢ Have you_________________________________________________.
94. Unfortunately, if there is a rise in interest rates, we shall have to increase our prices. (EVENT)
➢ Unfortunately, _________________________________________________.
95. It's hard to be sure, but I think unemployment rates are beginning to fall. (TELL)
➢ As__________________________________________________________.
96. They all assume that James will be willing to work late. (GRANTED)
➢ Everyone_____________________________________________________.
97. You need to make up your mind about the topie for your dissertation soon. (COME)
➢ You must ____________________________________________________.
98. My boss said I should do some work on my French so I could take part in meetings. (BRUSH)
➢ My boss eneouraged____________________________________________.
99. Tina said she was pleased I had let her know what was going on. (PICTURE)
➢ Tine thanked me_______________________________________________.
100. The millionaire had made it clear how he wished his donation to be
allocated, and that was how it was done. (ACCORDANCE)
➢ The millionaire's donation was allocated_______________________wishes.