Choose the word(s) CLOSEST in meaning to the underlined word(s).
The app provides a personalised training plan based on your goals and fitness level.
Choose the word(s) CLOSEST in meaning to the underlined word(s).
Many inhabitants in the village have been inflicted with cancer due to the polluted source of water.
Choose the word(s) CLOSEST in meaning to the underlined word(s).
The neighbors' constant wrangles with each other shattered our tranquility.
Choose the word(s) OPPOSITE in meaning to the underlined word(s).
Throughout the ages, many great civilizations have extolled the use of colour as a powerful healing agent.
Her _____ approach to problem-solving, characterized by a stubborn adherence to traditional methods, often clashed with the team's innovative spirit and hindered our progress.
Before her big presentation, she always gets _____ in her stomach, but once she starts speaking, her confidence takes over.
Kathy _____ comes up with a solution when everyone else is at a loss.
Read the passage below and decide which word best fits each space.
STRIKING BACK AT LIGHTNING WITH LASERS
Seldom is the weather more dramatic than when thunderstorms strike. Their electrical fury inflicts death or serious injury around 500 people each year in the United States alone. As the clouds roll in, a leisurely round of golf can become a terrifying dice with death - out in the , a lone golfer may be a lightning bolt’s most inviting target. And there is damage to property too. Lightning damage costs American companies more than $100 million a year.
But researchers in the United States and Japan are planning to hit back. Already in laboratory trials they have tested strategies for neutralising the power of thunderstorms, and this winter they will real storms, equipped with an armoury of lasers that they will be pointing towards the heavens to discharge thunderclouds before lightning.
The of forcing storm clouds to discharge their lightning on command is not new. In the early 1960s, researchers tried firing rockets trailing wires into thunderclouds to set up an easy discharge path for the huge electric charges that these clouds generate. The technique survives to this day at a test site in Florida by the University of Florida, with support from the Electrical Power Research Institute (EPRI), based in California. 4EPRI, which is funded by power companies, is looking at ways to protect the United States’ power grid from lightning strikes. We can cause the lightning where we want it to using rockets,’ says Ralph Bernstein, manager of lightning projects at EPRI. The rocket site is providing precise measurements of lightning voltages and allowing engineers to check how electrical equipment .
Read the following passage then choose the best answer to each question below.
A folk culture is a small, isolated, cohesive, conservative, nearly self-sufficient group that is homogeneous in custom and race with a strong family or clan structure and highly developed rituals. Order is maintained through sanctions based on the religion or family, and interpersonal relationships are strong. Tradition is paramount and change comes infrequently and slowly. There is relatively little division of labor into specialized duties. Rather, each person is expected to perform a great variety of tasks, though duties may differ between the sexes. Most goods are handmade, and a subsistence economy prevails. Individualism is weakly developed in folk cultures, as are social classes. Unaltered folk cultures no longer exist in industrialized countries such as the United States and Canada. Perhaps the nearest modern equivalent in Anglo-America is the Amish, a German-American fanning sect that largely renounces the products and labor-saving devices of the industrial age. In Amish areas, horsedrawn buggies till serve as a local transportation device and the faithful are not permitted to own automobiles. The Amish's central religious concept of Demut, "humility", clearly reflects the weakness of individualism and social class so typical of folk culture, and there is a corresponding strength of Amish group identity. Rarely do the Amish marry outside their sect. The religion, a variety of the Mennonite faith, provides the principal mechanism for maintaining order.
By contrast, a popular culture encompasses a vast, diverse group of people who are often characterized by their distinct individualism and continuous evolution. In this realm, relationships frequently have an impersonal nature. Furthermore, there's a distinct division of labor which has paved the way for the emergence of many specialized professions. Instead of relying on religion and familial ties to ensure societal order, secular institutions, including the police force and military, step in as primary regulators, and an economy rooted in monetary transactions prevails. Due to these stark differences, the terms "popular" and "folk" are seen as fundamentally distinct from each other.
In today's world, especially in industrialized nations and many that are developing, there's a noticeable shift where the popular is replacing the folk. Objects traditionally made in the folk style are now being replaced by their popular equivalent. This switch often occurs because items born from popular culture can be produced more rapidly or at a lower cost. Additionally, they might be more convenient, save users time, or lend more prestige to the owner. This shift underlines the ever-evolving nature of societal values and preferences.
What is the main source of order in Amish society?
The phrase "prevails" in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to _____.
According to the third paragraph, a popular culture ____.
Which of the following is NOT given as a reason why folk-made objects are replaced by mass-produced objects?
Choose the sentence CLOSEST in meaning to the sentence given.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
Choose the sentence CLOSEST in meaning to the sentence given.
Even if the job market is not stable, those who persist will be able to land jobs eventually.
Choose the sentence CLOSEST in meaning to the sentence given.
There won’t be peace in the conflict if both sides do not really desire it.
Choose the sentence CLOSEST in meaning to the sentence given.
There is no point in your phoning Jane - she's away.
Choose the sentence CLOSEST in meaning to the sentence given.
Only their own mother can tell Simon and Mike apart.
Choose the sentence that best combines this pair of sentences.
The coronavirus pandemic has caused people to change their behaviors for the better. People are now more conscious of making sustainable choices in their daily lives.
Choose the sentence that best combines this pair of sentences.
I wouldn’t mind having a late meeting tomorrow. I’m quite used to going home late.
Choose the sentence that best combines this pair of sentences.
William Clark was not granted the rank of captain. Captain Lewis more or less ignored this and treated Clark as his equal in authority and rank.
Choose the sentence that best combines this pair of sentences.
Olga was about to say something about the end of the movie. He was stopped by his friends right then.
Choose the sentence that best combines this pair of sentences.
The champion arrived. The villagers rushed out to give him a special welcome.
Read và choose the correct answers.
In the past, people used to work at one job for their whole life. They had a sense of loyalty to their company or employer. But these days it is common for people to work at two or three companies during their career. Sometimes they even change their profession completely. Because of this situation, (1) _____ There are certain ways they can do this.
The most important thing is to treat the workers well. This means providing good benefits, (2) _____ health care, vacation time, sick leave, bonuses, and pension plans. Many employers do not want to spend much money on these benefits because they are very expensive. This can be a big mistake. The workers feel that the boss doesn't care about them. As a result, the workers feel they don't need to be loyal to the company. If they see a better job offer, (3) _____ Another way that an employer can keep their workers' loyalty is by maintaining a friendly workplace environment. The boss can do this by visiting the workers regularly while they are working. They can encourage the employees to do a good job and compliment them when the work is done well. The boss can also throw parties around the holiday season. At this time they can take the workers out to restaurants and buy them food and drinks. (4) _____, supportive atmosphere can make the employees more comfortable. This positive relationship with their boss will make them decide to be loyal to the company.
(5) _____ They consider whether or not the company has made them feel welcome and comfortable. If they think that their employer tries hard to make their life good, then they will probably be more loyal to the company. (6) _____
Write an academic essay of about 250 words on the following topic.
In the developed world, average life expectancy is increasing. What problems will this cause for individuals and society? Suggest some measures that could be taken to reduce the impact of aging populations.
Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.