Choose the word(s) CLOSEST in meaning to the underlined word(s).
In the early days of baseball, the game was played by young men of means and social position.
Choose the word(s) CLOSEST in meaning to the underlined word(s).
He did not particularly want to play any competitive sport.
Choose the word(s) CLOSEST in meaning to the underlined word(s).
His new car collided with a van coming in the opposite direction due to seriously defective brakes.
Choose the word(s) CLOSEST in meaning to the underlined word(s).
Although we argued with him for a long time, he stood his ground.
Choose the word(s) OPPOSITE in meaning to the underlined word(s).
The downside to this is that they lose valuable advertising space on television programmes.
Choose the word(s) OPPOSITE in meaning to the underlined word(s).
Adverse reviews in the New York press may greatly change the prospects of a new product on the market and lead to its failure.
Choose the word(s) OPPOSITE in meaning to the underlined word(s).
It was not for his friend to abate that confidence.
Choose the word(s) OPPOSITE in meaning to the underlined word(s).
In the fullness of time Britain will become the best place in the world to do business.
_____ you to work on is exercise two on page 26.
I was told that this sweater would not _____ in the wash but it has.
The needs of gifted children in schools have long been _____ neglected.
The doctor gave the patient _____ examination to discover the cause of his collapse.
_____ over long distances is a fact that everyone knows.
The unforeseen circumstances fed to the rescheduling of the conference that was _____ last month, much to the attendees' disappointment.
Despite her limited income, Sarah managed to _____ very little money by budgeting carefully and prioritizing her expenses.
You should take a _____ look at all the possible options before making a decision.
As they saw this wonder, each looked in _____ terror at the other, and dropping their eyes they prayed silently.
Read the text and choose the best answer to fill in the blanks.
HEALTH AND HAPPINESS
Health experts suggest that to stay healthy and happy, it’s important to keep our lives in balance. Chinese philosophy, which has thousands of years, uses the principles of yin and yang to explain the importance of balance in life. Explained simply, yang represents the active elements of the universe, the yin represents the passive elements. This expresses the importance of balance in all aspects of living. Today health experts agree that it’s important to have a balanced life. For example, they’ve said it’s necessary to have a balance between work and rest and to have a balanced exercise program. , I’m sure you’d agree that in our busy world, it’s not always easy to get and keep balance in our lives.
Due to business or study deadlines, many people work to excess, leaving little time at the end of their busy day to spend with family and friends. They eat fast - food and don’t get enough rest or recreation and then badly from the effects of stress. It’s sad that this situation often happens when people believe that access to wealth is the answer to happiness instead of understanding the importance of balanced living.
While ambition can be a good thing, too much ambition can cause a person to become ‘out of balance’. Of course, it’s also unbalanced to spend too much time on entertainment and pleasure activities, with little or no time to work or education. Balance means allocating enough time all the important aspects of life, such as spending time with family and friends, working or studying, as well as resting and relaxing.
Experts now tell us that having balance in our life is the answer, not only to health and happiness but also to success. If you’re balanced, you’ll have more energy and you’ll reach your in a more relaxed fashion; with less stress. So how balanced is your life? Do you need to allocate your time differently to have a better balance in your life?
Read the following passage and mark the letter on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.
HE KNOWS TOO MUCH
Dick Sterling put the phone down. His hands were trembling. He was furious with himself for failing to persuade his boss in Delhi, Keith Lennox, to support him and was disgusted at the mixture of veiled threats and vague promises Lennox had made. "He knows too much" - the words still rang in his ears. He wondered, not for the last time, just what it was that Vish, the officer manager of the factory, knew. How could it be so important that the company's position in India could be threatened by it? It simply didn't make sense. Dick glanced at his watch. Four o'clock. He called for his driver, Gopal, and asked to be driven home. He'd had enough for the day.
Dick sat gloomily in the back of the car, going over in his mind the events which had led up to the present crisis. How had he got himself into this impossible situation? It should never have happened, yet somehow, looking back, it seemed inevitable. Perhaps he was beginning to believe in fate?
He had arrived three years earlier to take over as general manager of Trakton's factory in Madras. India was, of course, only one of the many countries in which Trakton operated. Dick had been transferred to Madras from Nigeria in fact, after a series of other overseas appointments. Each of the overseas factories had a general manager appointed from headquarters to oversee the management of the local workforce. In India, this had worked particularly well. The Indian staff was highly-trained and efficient. They were also generally easy to work with; the company's enlightened industrial relations policy had made sure of that. Salaries were higher than the average; there was a good pension scheme and generous health insurance benefits. Trakton boasted that it had not lost a day in strikes for over fifteen years.
Dick had found his senior Indian colleagues particularly good to work with. They knew their jobs inside out and were clearly committed to the company. Many of them had been with Trakton for the whole of their working lives, starting in the factory and working their way up to become managers. They were a good team.
The only exceptions had been Visvanathan, or "Vish" as he was known, the office manager, and his wife Molly. Molly was in charge of the Personnel Department. For reasons Dick had only gradually understood, Vish and Molly were regarded by the rest of the senior staff as somehow "special". They behaved as if they had special privileges and expected other staff to defer to them. Dick slowly realized that they controlled other staff members through a combination of threats and promises. Given their positions, they could make life very difficult for anyone who opposed them. Likewise, they could make life easy for those who did what they wanted.
Dick knew that this sort of behaviour happened to varying degrees in every culture and didn't think much of it. Indeed, in the first few weeks after his arrival, both Vish and Molly had been all smiles and helpfulness. They had invited Dick and his wife Sally to dinner too. Their newly-built house was in the fashionable, up-and-coming Kalakshetra Colony, close to the sea. Dick had been suitably impressed by the expensively-furnished house, which was full of the most modern household equipment. He had half-wondered, innocently, whether Vish had had to borrow money to pay for it all.
What was Dick's reaction to his conversation with Lennox?
When he was in his car, Dick thought that _____.
Before Dick took charge of the Madras factory, _____.
What is meant by "enlightened" in paragraph 3?
A lot of the bosses at Trakton _____.
What does the word "those" in paragraph 5 refer to?
How did Dick feel about the way Vish and Molly treated the other employees?
Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
A: Would you mind lending me your bike?
B: _____.
A: Well, I think volunteering will bring some useful experience for our future job.
B: _____
A: What a meaningful thing you’ve done for your less fortunate friends, my son!
B: _____
Tuan: Which places in our country do visitors enjoy visiting the most?
Nga: _____
A: I'm sorry for keeping you waiting for 2 hours. My car broke down on the way.
B: _____
John: Sorry, Brian is not here.
Peter: _____
Choose the sentence CLOSEST in meaning to the sentence given.
Without his help, she would not have managed to solve the problem.
Choose the sentence CLOSEST in meaning to the sentence given.
He started computer programming as soon as he left school.
Choose the sentence CLOSEST in meaning to the sentence given.
“My company makes a large profit every year. Why don’t you invest more money in it?” my friend said to me.
Choose the sentence CLOSEST in meaning to the sentence given.
The successful cardiac surgery afforded him the energy to live life to the fullest.
Choose the sentence CLOSEST in meaning to the sentence given.
For your safety, we recommend that you keep your seat belt fastened during the flight.
Choose the sentence that best combines this pair of sentences.
She gave a great performance at the festival. We now know she has artistic talent.
Choose the sentence that best combines this pair of sentences.
We chose to find a place for the night. We found the bad weather very inconvenient.
Because the weather was so severe, we were worried about what we'd do at night.
Choose the sentence that best combines this pair of sentences.
It never stops raining here. That is not what I wish.
Choose the sentence that best combines this pair of sentences.
There are few passengers. The coach to Dover will still leave on schedule.
Choose the sentence that best combines this pair of sentences.
You were not well-organized. That’s why you were so stressed at the last minute.
Read the passage and choose the correct answer.
Norwich, a city in the east of England, is a popular shopping center for thousands of people. In particular, visitors love to explore the small, unusual shops hidden away in Norwich's narrow streets. (1)_____.
The link between mustard, a type of sauce, and Norwich goes back to the nineteenth century. Jeremiah Colman began to make mustard in 1814 in a nearby village. The yellow fields, full of mustard flowers (2) _____, soon changed the appearance of the local scenery. The company expanded rapidly (3) _____. By this time, Colman's mustard was famous in many countries. The company is still in existence (4) _____ many people continue to enjoy eating mustard with meat, cheese, and other food.
(5) _____. It is a careful reproduction of a typical shop of a hundred years ago and sells a wide range of mustards. Upstairs there is a small museum where visitors can examine a collection of old Colman's posters and an exhibition explaining the history of mustard. (6) _____.
Choose the correct answer for (1).
Choose the correct answer for (2).
Choose the correct answer for (3).
Choose the correct answer for (4).
Choose the correct answer for (5).
Choose the correct answer for (6).
During lunchtime, two students who usually sit alone started sharing their snacks and talking. They discovered they both love the same video game and decided to meet after school to play together.
Which phrase best describes the situation?
Emma’s bakery became famous after a food blogger praised her unique recipes. Seizing this opportunity, she launched a new dessert menu. Now, customers line up in front of her bakery daily.
Which expression best describes Emma's situation?
The team was losing by 20 points at halftime. However, their incredible comeback in the second half shocked everyone. They eventually managed to reverse the situation and win against their opponents.
Which expression best describes their performance?
After years of consideration, Mark made a bold decision to leave his stable job and pursue his passion for woodworking. Today, his handmade furniture sells for thousands of dollars, proving that his leap of faith was well worth it.
Which expression best describes his action?
Write an academic essay of about 250 words on the following topic.
In some countries, the average weight of people is increasing and their levels of health and fitness are decreasing.
What do you think are the causes of these problems and what measures could be taken to solve them?
Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.