laughter
caught
daughter
augment
incline
eradicate
exacerbate
enclosure
Choose the word which has the underlined part pronounced differently from the others.
friends
opinions
picnics
computers
chimpanzee
interviewee
refugee
committee
politeness
conversation
resolution
introduction
I'd love to have lived in the old days when people _____ to market by horse and carriage.
I'll give you the phone number of my hotel so that you can reach me if anything happens. _____ anything happen, can you look after my children for me?
We've been together through _____ in our friendship, and we won't desert each other now.
_____ a scholarship, I entered the frightening and unknown territory of private education.
Millions of people say Coke tastes best from a bottle, and whether this is scientifically provable or not. These millions know they like the look of the bottle and the way it fits so _____ into the hand.
Language is so _____ woven into human experience that it is scarcely possible to imagine life without it.
_____ I'd like to help you out, I'm afraid I just haven't got any spare money at the moment.
She was very badly depressed after the car accident. Now she is beginning to think that there could be light at the end of the _____.
The government must _____ strong measures against crime.
Although she would have preferred to carry on working, my mum _____ her career in order to have children.
A number of landslides have _____ Nepal since the 7.8-magnitude earthquake on 25th April which killed more than 8,000 people and injured many more.
Choose the word that differs from the rest in the position of the main stress.
Choose the word that differs from the rest in the position of the main stress.
Choose the word that differs from the rest in the position of the main stress.
Choose the word that differs from the rest in the position of the main stress.
Choose the word that differs from the rest in the position of the main stress.
Read the passage and choose the best answer to each of the questions that follow.
Getting the best out of our children
There is a strange paradox to the success of the Asian education model. On the one hand, class sizes are huge by western standards with on average between 30 and 40 students per class in countries like Japan and Korea. On the other hand, school children in developed Asian economies rank among the highest in the world for academic achievement in the areas of science and mathematics, especially on standardized tests. Meanwhile, British secondary school students fail to shine in conditions most educational researchers would say are far more likely to help them succeed.
Why do Asian students seem to perform so well then? Is it their legendary discipline? Certainly, classroom management seems to be a whole lot easier in places like Korea, and perhaps lessons are more effective as a direct consequence. After all, we are only too aware of the decline in discipline standards in our own schools; belligerent and disrespectful students appear to be the norm these days. Teachers in Britain seem powerless to control what happens any more. Surely this situation cannot create a very effective learning environment, so perhaps the number of students is far less relevant than is the manner in which they conduct themselves.
But there are other factors to consider, too. Korean students spend a lot more time with their teachers. It seems logical to suggest, therefore, that they might form stronger bonds and greater trust, and that Korean teachers, in understanding their pupils better, might be able to offer them a more effective learning programme. Of course, trust and understanding lead to greater respect as well, so Korean students are probably less likely to ignore their teachers’ advice.
Then there is the home environment. The traditional family unit still remains relatively intact in Korea. Few children come from broken homes, so there is a sense of security, safety, and trust both at home and at school. In Britain meanwhile, one in every two marriages fails and divorce rates are sky-high. Perhaps children struggle to cope with unstable family conditions and their only way to express their frustration is by misbehaving at school. Maybe all this delinquent behavior we are complaining about is just a cry for help and a plea for attention.
But while the Japanese, Korean and Asian models generally do seem to produce excellent results, the statistics don’t tell the truth. Asian students tend to put their education before literally everything else. They do very few extracurricular activities and devote far more time to their studies than their British peers. And this begs the question: is all that extra effort justified for a few extra percentage points in some meaningless international student performance survey? So Asian students are on average 3-5% better at maths than Britons – big deal! What is their quality of life like? Remember, school days are supposed to be the best, are they not?
There has been a lot of attention and praise given to these Asian models and their impressive statistics of late. And without question, some of this praise is justified, but it seems to be a case of two extremes in operation here. At one end, there is the discipline and unbelievably hard work ethic of the Asian students' success in education before all else. At the other end, British students at times appear careless and extremely undisciplined by comparison, but at least they DO have the free time to enjoy their youth and explore their interests. Is either system better outright? Or is it perhaps about time we stopped comparing and started trying to combine the best bits of both so that we can finally offer our students a balanced, worthwhile education? We are not just dealing with statistics; never forget that every statistic is a little human being somewhere who desperately needs our help and guidance - who deserves it.
What does the writer mean when he says there is a paradox in the Asian education model?
British secondary school students _____.
What does the writer suggest might make lessons in Korean schools more successful than in Britain?
What can be inferred from the utterance perhaps the number of students is far less relevant than is the manner in which they conduct themselves?
The traditional family unit _____.
Look at the following sentence.
"You see, behind those great maths and science scores, there is a quite remarkable work ethic."
Where does the sentence best fit in the paragraph?
But while the Japanese, Korean and Asian models generally do seem to produce excellent results, the statistics don’t tell the truth. [1] Asian students tend to put their education before literally everything else. They do very few extracurricular activities and devote far effort more time to their studies than their British peers. [2] And this begs the question: is all that extra effort justified for a few extra percentage points in some meaningless international student performance survey? So Asian students are on average 3-5% better at maths than Britons – big deal! [3] What is their quality of life like? Remember, school days are supposed to be the best, are they not? [4]
According to the writer, Asian students _____.
What are the 'two extremes’ mentioned in the last paragraph?
Which conclusion about the two educational systems discussed would the author most probably agree with?
Read the text below and decide which answer best fits each gap.
VOLUNTEERING
When Pamela Janett left university to become a primary school teacher, it was by no easy to find a job. She, therefore, decided to go abroad as a volunteer teacher for a year. When she realized she would be teaching deaf and blind children, she was a taken aback. But after a month's training, she felt more confident that she would be able to cope with the situation. The basic living conditions also as something of a shock.
Pamela's school was situated in a remote Ethiopian village, where her accommodation of one room and a shared bathroom. Not only was the space cramped, but there was no electricity, Internet or telephone access, so she felt totally cut from the outside world. Now back home in Britain, Pamela has used her experience to set up a similar school for the deaf and blind which has made a huge to dozens of children who would find themselves struggling to learn. She is now concentrating her efforts on her school to cater for children with other learning difficulties, too. It seems as if the more people get to know her, the the demand is for her skills.
Put each verb in brackets into a suitable tense or form.
LEARNING TO SURVIVE
Last summer I (TAKE) a three-week survival course. The purpose of the course was (TEACH) us how to survive outdoors, where there are no shops, no houses, and no electricity. I had never slept outdoors before the course, and here I was (LEARN) to make a fire, navigate and find food in the forest. The part that I (LIKE) the most was catching our own fish and cooking them over a fire. While (DO) the course, I realised how much people (DEPEND) on modern technology. They think that they can't survive without it but they can if they (LEARN) how. I did! I (NEVER FORGET) that course - it was the greatest experience I (EVER HAVE) so far. Now I think if I (NOT TAKE) the survival course, I (NOT BE) able to deal with so many difficult situations in life.
Use the word given in brackets to form a word that fits in the space.
MODERN CULTURE?
When people talk about the contemporary culture they are just as (LIKE) to be talking about fast cars, trainers, or high heels as they are to be talking about Shostakovich or Shakespeare.
Goods have become as (MEAN) a measure and marker of culture as the Great and the Good. The word "culture" can now cover just about anything. Culture is no longer merely the beautiful and (SINGLE) until the late twentieth century that a (SCHOLAR) interest in objects began to (PLACE) the traditional interest in -isms, with historians, (LITERATE) critics and philosophers all suddenly becoming fascinated by the meaning of objects, large and small. Is this a sign, perhaps, of a society cracking under the strain of too many things?
Our current (OBSESSIVE) with material culture, one might argue, is simply a (RESPOND) to the Western crisis of abundance. There are obvious problems with this (MATERIAL) conception of culture. If our experience of everyday life is so (SATISFY) , then how much more so is the spectacle of our everyday things under scrutiny?
Read the text below and think of the word which best fits each space. Use only ONE word in each space.
When presented with the idea of international boarding school, parents are to baulk of emptying their bank to send their darlings to live a life permeated by blackboards, bunk beds, and Bovril. conversely, will feel overjoyed at the prospect of signing for a literally fantastic life at Hogwarts. Such misconceptions neatly miss the point of international boarding education, sidestepping its capacity to solid foundations for students' academic and professional success in today’s increasingly global society.
Parents, understandably, require justification for a considerate amount of money in their offspring's education. Their offspring, on the other hand, should be made of the huge number of opportunities provided by boarding school life. Most of the world's leading boarding schools offer to stimulate, progressive which prioritizes their students' needs, thus consistently produce graduates are confident learners, critical thinkers, and self-starters.
Therefore, the time has come for parents and students to discover the unique, intellectually challenging experiences offered by international boarding schools worldwide.
Complete the following sentence with one of the phrasal verbs given. Complete each sentence using a collocation in the appropriate form. You must use each verb and each preposition ONCE only.
[put… up | go up | come off | make up for | call for | come up | drop out of | set up | take… up | grow out of | blow up]
The hotels were all full so we offered to Carla for the night.
Early that morning, we set off on our journey as the sun was .
An inquiry was into the use of chemicals in farming.
You're such a good singer that you should it professionally.
How are they going to the time they wasted playing cards in the barracks?
Stop wasting your time. The whole situation an immediate response that could bring more decisive effects.
I like this photograph so much that I am going to have it .
As far as I know, the idea of the party does not quite appeal to him and that's why he's thinking of it.
I can't stop thinking there's something more that the scheme needs .
Peter used to be fond of collecting mascots, but after his military service, he the hobby.
Complete the second sentence using the word given so that it has a similar meaning to the following sentence. Do NOT change the word given in brackets in any way.
That historian is famous for his vast knowledge of primitive life. (AUTHORITY)
=> He is .
Complete the second sentence using the word given so that it has a similar meaning to the following sentence. Do NOT change the word given in brackets in any way.
Nobody could possibly believe the story about her achievements. (BEYOND)
=> The story about her achievements .
Complete the second sentence using the word given so that it has a similar meaning to the following sentence. Do NOT change the word given in brackets in any way.
I couldn't make sense of the radio message because of the interference. (IMPOSSIBLE)
=> The interference on the radio to make sense of the message.
Complete the second sentence using the word given so that it has a similar meaning to the following sentence. Do NOT change the word given in brackets in any way.
They arrived at the station with only a minute to spare. (NICK)
=> They arrived at the station of time.
Complete the second sentence using the word given so that it has a similar meaning to the following sentence. Do NOT change the word given in brackets in any way.
David praised her exceptionally good choice of venue for the party. (CONGRATULATED)
=> David a good venue for the party.
Were Jack not so affluent a man, she would not be dating with him.
=> But .....
Complete the second sentence so that it has the same meaning to the first.
It is likely that they forgot about the extra class.
=> They ..........
Complete the second sentence so that it has the same meaning to the first.
I'm looking for a scarf that's woolen, green and fairly long.
=> I’m looking for a ..........
Complete the second sentence so that it has the same meaning to the first.
You should not lock this door for any reason when the building is open to the public.
=> Under ..........
Complete the second sentence so that it has the same meaning to the first.
A bee sting is more likely to cause death than a snake bite these days.
=> Death ..........
Write a paragraph of about 150 words about the benefits of studying at a gifted school.
A Suggested Writing Sample
A gifted school is a really good environment to study and cultivate the mind. We all can see that studying in a gifted school brings us many benefits. Firstly, if you’re a student at a gifted school, you will have good conditions to develop abilities in your favorite subjects, help you to build a dream and orient your future career. Secondly, most of the teacher in the gifted school is good and enthusiastic. They always create a comfortable atmosphere in studying for students to receive knowledge easily. Besides, there are many valuable scholarships for good students, especially, for students that have difficult circumstances. Finally, the gifted school always has many different facilities for students to relax after studying hard. There are many advantages of studying in a gifted school. Therefore, we need to make the best use of these benefits to have the best results.