Read the following passage and choose the correct answer.
As The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin describes in detail, apprenticeships in trades from printing to blacksmithing and tailoring were a fixture in Colonial America. Then came the Industrial Revolution. Manufacturing adopted an assembly-line process. Tasks were divided and subdivided and subdivided again into tiny, repetitious routines or reduced to machine watching, requiring no particular hierarchy of skills. Except for certain construction trades, apprenticeship was largely relegated to a historical footnote. In the United States in 1989, only 263,000 workers out of a blue-collar force of 35 million were registered apprentices. Their average age was in the mid-20s.
As college - any kind of liberal arts diploma - came to be seen as the only ticket to success, the country continued to back away from apprenticeship. In high schools, so-called shop courses evolved into a dumping ground for students who couldn't cope with (or had little interest in) education aimed at college. The idea that schools should prepare students to fill a niche in an industrialised society was regarded as elitist and un-American.
But today, partly because of the shortage of skilled workers and the need to revive American industry, partly because of the failure of American secondary school education, apprenticeship and work-based learning are a hot-button issue. An apprenticeship program combining education and work to train thinking workers for tomorrow is now seen as one means for the United States to regain its position in the increasingly competitive world economy. This subject was very much on the agenda of President Bill Clinton's pre-lnaugural economic conference in Little Rock. "The world will not long pay American line workers ten times as much to work half as hard as the competition in the Pacific Basin," says Marc Tucker of the National Center on Education and the Economy. "The choice we have is to become a nation of high skills or low wages."
What is the most appropriate title for this passage?
What does the term "a fixture" mean in paragraph 1?
Which of the following words could best replace the word "relegated" in paragraph 1?
What was the most important factor that initiated the decline of apprenticeships in the States?
Why did high school shop courses become perceived as "a dumping ground"?
What impact could an apprenticeship program combining education and work have on the United States?
Which of the following is NOT a cause for apprenticeship and work-based learning becoming a "hot-button" issue?
According to the passage, which of the following is NOT a cause-and-effect relationship?
You are going to read a review of a documentary film. Five paragraphs have been removed from the review. Choose from the paragraphs A-H the one which fits each gap. There are two extra paragraphs which you do not need to use.
A. But then, that is to forget the ravages of covid-19, which closed down 90 per cent of Phong Nha's small businesses, not to mention recent floods that brought what little activity remained to a standstill.
B. Of course, you can still watch the documentary for its beauty, and some credit for this goes to Oxalis Adventure, an expeditions and production company founded by Phong Nha-born entrepreneur Nguyen Chau, which has put a lot of money back into the local economy — and made it possible to film the documentary at all.
C. 'A Crack in the Mountain' plays its role in this dialogue by showcasing the stark reality without offering a silver bullet. Because, let's face it, these problems are complex. Just like any wicked problem, the answer lies in our hands.
D. Ten years ago, Phong Nha in Quang Binh province was one of the poorest regions in Vietnam. English arrived during flooding in 2010 and remembers the air of despondency. People fished the rivers and grew a little rice. Hunger was commonplace.
E. Following a 5-kilometre-long fault through limestone, the cavers discovered chambers that are each big enough to hold a skyscraper. In places, the ceilings are 200 metres high. Where the roof has fallen in, sunken forests sport rare tree ferns and other plants.
F. You may feel the story of Phong Nha strikes a chord. It's the age-old tug-of-war between economic prosperity and the environment, a balancing act that could leave you teetering on the edge. The community around Hang Son Doong is grappling with this, caught in the crosshairs of progress and preservation.
G. In "A Crack in the Mountain", director Alastair Evans tells a story we have heard many times before. It is a "tragedy of the commons", a term coined in 1968 by biologist Garrett Hardin for situations in which people use a shared resource for their own self-interest, leading to its eventual depletion. Will this happen here?
"A Crack in the Mountain" review: Stunning cave shows tourism's paradox
A poignant documentary tells the paradoxical story of a vast, remote cave in Vietnam that looks likely to turn into a major tourist attraction
Simon Ings, 17 May 2023 | The New Scientists
"Everyone on a bicycle wants to be on a motorbike. Everyone on a motorbike wants to be in a car. And everyone in a car wants to be in a helicopter," says entrepreneur David English, a wry smile creeping across his face. "So off we go to the future."
But the arrival of a British caving expedition the previous April had signalled a big change. The team had come to explore a remote cave system, whose entrance had been found by a local man named Ho Khanh in 1990, but that had otherwise been ignored.
With its jungles, rivers and waterfalls, Hang Son Doong is the largest dry cave (dry because it isn't underwater) in the world. "It doesn't feel like you're on planet Earth any more," says Meredith Harvey, a visitor to the cave.
Now, the local government wants to run a cable car through the site, opening it up to 1000 tourists an hour. Conversations with UNESCO (the cave is in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, which became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003) have won a reprieve until 2030, but no one believes the site will remain untouched forever.
Certainly. It is hard to imagine a rapidly growing economy writing off its most potentially lucrative wonder so a few wealthy tourists can enjoy its pristine charms.
It isn't unreasonable to want an adventure, or to make the most of your birthplace. Nor is it, after a lifetime of riding to work on a motorbike, to want your children to afford a car. It is what makes the tragedy of the commons a tragedy.
The production values of the documentary are extraordinarily high and the cave expeditions appear very well managed. One might wish that Nguyen could simply be left alone to tailor the region's development according to the needs of local people.
This is a film about a wicked problem, sure to despoil a wonderful location, if not today then tomorrow or the day after that. By then, if a way to solve this impossible equation is to be found, it will surely have been inspired by films as intelligent and passionate as this one.
Read the passage and do the following tasks.
"A Crack in the Mountain" review: Stunning cave shows tourism's paradox
A poignant documentary tells the paradoxical story of a vast, remote cave in Vietnam that looks likely to turn into a major tourist attraction
Simon Ings, 17 May 2023 | The New Scientists
"Everyone on a bicycle wants to be on a motorbike. Everyone on a motorbike wants to be in a car. And everyone in a car wants to be in a helicopter," says entrepreneur David English, a wry smile creeping across his face. "So off we go to the future."
Ten years ago, Phong Nha in Quang Binh province was one of the poorest regions in Vietnam. English arrived during flooding in 2010 and remembers the air of despondency. People fished the rivers and grew a little rice. Hunger was commonplace.
But the arrival of a British caving expedition the previous April had signalled a big change. The team had come to explore a remote cave system, whose entrance had been found by a local man named Ho Khanh in 1990, but that had otherwise been ignored.
Following a 5-kilometre-long fault through limestone, the cavers discovered chambers that are each big enough to hold a skyscraper. In places, the ceilings are 200 metres high. Where the roof has fallen in, sunken forests sport rare tree ferns and other plants.
With its jungles, rivers and waterfalls, Hang Son Doong is the largest dry cave (dry because it isn't underwater) in the world. "It doesn't feel like you're on planet Earth any more," says Meredith Harvey, a visitor to the cave.
Now, the local government wants to run a cable car through the site, opening it up to 1000 tourists an hour. Conversations with UNESCO (the cave is in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, which became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003) have won a reprieve until 2030, but no one believes the site will remain untouched forever.
In "A Crack in the Mountain", director Alastair Evans tells a story we have heard many times before. It is a "tragedy of the commons", a term coined in 1968 by biologist Garrett Hardin for situations in which people use a shared resource for their own self-interest, leading to its eventual depletion. Will this happen here?
Certainly. It is hard to imagine a rapidly growing economy writing off its most potentially lucrative wonder so a few wealthy tourists can enjoy its pristine charms.
It isn't unreasonable to want an adventure, or to make the most of your birthplace. Nor is it, after a lifetime of riding to work on a motorbike, to want your children to afford a car. It is what makes the tragedy of the commons a tragedy.
Of course, you can still watch the documentary for its beauty, and some credit for this goes to Oxalis Adventure, an expeditions and production company founded by Phong Nha-born entrepreneur Nguyen Chau, which has put a lot of money back into the local economy — and made it possible to film the documentary at all.
The production values of the documentary are extraordinarily high and the cave expeditions appear very well managed. One might wish that Nguyen could simply be left alone to tailor the region's development according to the needs of local people.
But then, that is to forget the ravages of covid-19, which closed down 90 per cent of Phong Nha's small businesses, not to mention recent floods that brought what little activity remained to a standstill.
This is a film about a wicked problem, sure to despoil a wonderful location, if not today then tomorrow or the day after that. By then, if a way to solve this impossible equation is to be found, it will surely have been inspired by films as intelligent and passionate as this one.
Does the following statement agree with the information given in the passage?
The British expedition rediscover the cave system once explored by a local man in 1990 but since then abandoned.
Does the following statement agree with the information given in the passage?
That a few wealthy people can enjoy the wonder while the locals may not reap the benefits of rapid ecomomic growth contributes to what referred to as the tragedy of the commons.
Complete the passage. Write a letter from A-G in each blank. There are two extra sentences which you do not need to use.
A. During a recent trip to Mexico, I was mistaken more than once for one of the natives.
B. Much of my love for Spanish came from my experience in Los Angeles when we moved to the States.
C. The fight that I led against family objections and immigration to a new land has allowed me to develop an ambitious and aggressive spirit in the face of adversity.
D. As I learned to read, I started associating the Romanian subtitles with the Spanish dialogue, and little by little, I began understanding the language.
E. Sadly, my family's objection was only the first of many hardships I was bound to encounter.
F. I often wondered if my decision to learn a language the right choice to make.
G. Having been born and raised behind the Iron Curtain, in a country where Western influence was limited and the official and only language was Romanian, I was on my own.
A Different Kind of Love
Oana Emilia Butnareanu I An essay to Stanford University
When I was four years old, I fell in love. It was not a transient love — one that stayed by my side during the good times and vanished during the bad — but rather a love so deep that few would understand. It was not the love for a person, but the love for a language. It was the love for Spanish.
. Everyone around me, especially my family, had trouble understanding what could possibly draw me to such a foreign and, in their opinion, unattractive language. But as they say, love is blind, and the truth of the matter is that I wasn't even sure what it was exactly that made Spanish so fascinating to me. The only thing I knew was that I absolutely adored hearing its perfectly articulated phrases, and trying to make sense of its sweet and tender words: serenades to my innocent ear.
Spanish entered through my door on June 16th, 1994, when a man from the local cable company came to connect our living room to the rest of the world. That day, I was introduced to "Acasa," a Romanian cable network dedicated to broadcasting Spanish language telenovelas (soap operas) to romanian audiences. . For a little girl who had yet to discover new aspects of her own language, this was quite an accomplishment, but no one around me felt the same way. My father, enraged at my apparent "obsession" with the language, scolded me incessantly, declaring that: "We are immigrating to the United States, not to Mexico! You should spend your time learning English instead of watching that nonsense!"
. When I was nine, my immigration to the US forced me to say goodbye to what had become a huge and indispensible part of me. I needed to hear Spanish, to listen to it daily, and although Los Angeles could be considered a Spanish speaker's paradise, my largely Romanian neighborhood allowed for little interaction with the language. For six years, destiny kept us apart and the feelings that Spanish had evoked in me soon faded away.
But high school brought about a new era in my life, an era in which my love for Spanish was revived and greatly amplified. For an hour a day, life was put on hold and I was able to speak and read Spanish more actively than ever. After two years of Advanced Placement Spanish, I not only understood the language to perfection, but spoke it flawlessly as well.
There are no words that can describe how proud and greatly accomplished I feel today at my ability to speak Spanish. . One man, after seeing my romanian last name, asked me if it was my husband's, for undoubtedly, he believed, I was Mexican. Given to a Romanian girl, whose family members were oblivious to the language, and who had learned it on her own despite their objections, this was the greatest compliment ofall. In the United States, Spanish is the second most spoken language and a great asset for anyone who speaks it. It is not "nonsense," as my father had dubbed it, and being able to prove this to him has made me even prouder for loving Spanish.
My love of Spanish has influenced much of who I am today. . It has made me stronger, and taught me that I must always fight with unstoppable perseverance for all that is important to me. I am determined to use my love and passion for Spanish to make an impact on the world. Currently, Spanish is the primary language of 21 nations around the globe, and one of the six official languages of the United Nations. I want to be the link that connects these nations to the United States, and to the 40 million Americans whose native language is Spanish. I want to use my ability to speak Spanish to learn more about the people of these nations, both on a professional and personal level. no matter where the path of life takes me, I wish for Spanish to always be a part of me.
Through the years, Spanish has evolved into one of my most remarkable accomplishments. Today, I am prouder than ever of loving Spanish — of having something that distinguishes me from the rest, something that makes me unique. It is not often the case for a Romanian-American girl living in Los Angeles to exhibit such passion and devotion towards a language that is foreign to both her native and adoptive countries. nevertheless, Spanish is a big part of whom I am today, and an even bigger part of who I will be in the future.
Read the following passage and choose the best answer for each blank.
Artificial Intelligence or Humanity?
Dr. Paplivia Russo from the ABS Institute of Technology believes that humans are in an unstable situation. She posits that artificial intelligence could become the force in future societies, with human beings finding themselves at a . To remain competitive, she argues, they will have to their capabilities, which can only be achieved by integrating more advanced technology within themselves, essentially becoming part-human, part-AI.
To pave the way for this integration, Dr. Russo has become the of her own experiments. In the winter of 2018, she had a device embedded in her wrist that captures her movements and feelings, transmitting them as data to a computer system. Dr. Russo's partner agreed to a similar procedure, thus allowing their neural activities to be linked via a computer system. Dr. Russo envisions that human communication will be by such technology. On her research agenda, an attempt will be to implant a similar device into her brain, linking it directly with a computer.
Understandably, Dr. Russo's work has significant media attention and sparked robust debate. Critics have that her research is nothing more than a sophisticated form of self-promotion. However, Dr. Russo dismisses these allegations, asserting that she would never subject herself to such invasive procedures for the mere sake of publicity. She anticipates that once the technology she is developing is , it could be in many ways, such as enabling individuals with paralysis to regain control over their movements.
I _____ the memories from my time in Japan, though I have been home for a year.
We _____ the Jeju Island while we were in Korea, but sadly we ran out of time.
He _____ signing a lease for a site in Boston when one of his backers persuaded him to take a look at Silicon Valley.
The email notification went off, and _____ out of his bed, though it was two in the morning.
After what he did, the authority decided to lock him up and ordered that _____.
No _____ Sasha found she lost her keys than she rushed to the store she _____.
We hear _____ about the tensions and difficulties of asking someone to be our lover, but _____ of the challenges of asking someone to be our friend.
_____ a compartment for air and a breathing tube, the aqua lung has revotionalised undersea exploration.
The butcher sliced fifty pounds of roast beef each morning _____ the deli down the street sold it all during lunch.
The unannounced nature of the president's arrival suggests he is keen to keep _____.
The public had to admit a(n) _____ respect for her, although they _____ disliked her.
There's no _____ proof of his guilt. The jury has no choice but to _____ him.
The suggestion is _____ the initial idea; it's a much safer choice.
Sir Kent Robinson is a(n) _____ speaker who holds lectures around the globe.
Hanyu Yuzuru won the World Figure Skating Championship four years _____.
_____ the chief engineer _____ to call, tell him the machine is expected to be installed by Friday.
Alice wondered when _____ the national park again.
Ronaldo's second goal was _____ because he was off-side.
Current policies _____, the government decided to try a new approach.
I'd prefer it if you _____ the proposal for our meeting.
When her parents passed away, she came _____ a small fortune, mostly in art collections and property.
Mary adamantly _____ to _____ her wrongdoings, persistently evading any sense of responsibility.
The local authority claim to have _____ all the mosquitoes in the _____.
The rescue team _____ the scene, trying to _____ out the best way to save any survivors.
The poet said that his _____ came from _____.
Now that you have more money, you'll be able to _____ a little; you have no excuses any more.
The committee _____ been _____ over this matter for years now.
I know it's _____ at first when you start a new job, but you'll soon _____.
After 15 years in prison, he lost his _____ on reality and descended _____ madness.
If I can be _____ for a moment, there's a lot going on at home which means I might not have been in the best _____ of mind.
Fill in each blank with ONE best word.
New research from Stanford University suggested that we learn how to behave by observing the actions others. In the context of relationships, a child learns by observing the relationships around them, as the one between their parents or siblings. They learn what is acceptable and what is not, they acquire knowledge about sharing, empathy, and conflict resolution.
As adults, we continue to learn relationships from our partners, friends, and even from television and movies. However, just we learn from observing others doesn't we don't make mistakes. Human relationships are complex and filled with nuances that can often lead to misunderstandings.
Communication is an integral part of any relationship. effective communication, misunderstandings become more frequent, leading to frustration and conflict. Listening is just as important, if not so, than talking in a relationship. It shows respect and understanding towards the other person's perspective.
In the , relationships are built on mutual respect, understanding, and communication. The quality of our relationships often determines our quality of life. Therefore, working to nurture and maintain relationships is a worthy endeavor.
Fill in each blank with ONE best word.
In the digital age, people often tune into the news without taking a moment to vet the sources of information, a habit that's healthy than binging on a bag of potato chips. As the flow of information hurls at us, whatever the hour, it becomes paramount to sift the vast pile of data. one to pick up another unverified article and present it as fact, one would find oneself the laughing at a party, caught up in a frenzy of social embarrassment. It's crucial to look each piece of information, since it's not as easy as one might think to spot fake news. The digital world is of dubious content, some of as plausible as another. The media landscape might not be perfect, but the onus is on us, the consumers, to check out the credibility of one source versus the other, and to separate the from the chaff. We can't always rely on journalists to dish the truth; sometimes, we must take up that mantle ourselves. After all, one man's truth could be man's fiction.
Complete the passage by changing the form of the word in capitals. Write no more than ONE word for each space.
LIFE ON EARTH
Life-forms present on Earth today have evolved from ancient common ancestors through the generation of (HEIR) variation and natural (SELECT). Although some studies state that life may have begun as early as 4.1 billion years ago, it can be traced to fossils dated to 3.5-3.7 billion years ago, which is still only slightly (YOUTH) than Earth, which (GRAVITY) accreted into a planet about 4.5 billion years ago. But this is life as a whole. More than 99.9 percent of species that have ever lived are (EXTINCTION). The several branches of science that reveal the common historical, functional, and chemical basis of the (EVOLVE) of all life include electron microscopy, genetics, paleobiology (including palaeontology), and molecular biology.
The phenomenon of life can be approached in several ways: life as it is known and studied on planet Earth; life imaginable in principle; and life, by (THESIS) that might exist elsewhere in the universe. As far as is known, life exists only on Earth. Most life-forms reside in a thin sphere that extends about 23 km (14 miles) from 3 km (2 miles) beneath the bottom of the ocean to the top of the troposphere; the relative (THICK) is comparable to a coat of paint on a rubber ball. An (ESTIMATION) 10 to 30 million distinguishable species currently (HABITAT) this sphere of life, or biosphere.
Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first one, using the word in brackets. You must use between THREE to EIGHT words, including the word given. Do NOT change the word given.
Attending the party on Friday night is not an option for me as the deadline for my assignment is approaching. (CHOICE)
=> As the deadline for my assignment is drawing skip the party on Friday night.
Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first one, using the word in brackets. You must use between THREE to EIGHT words, including the word given. Do NOT change the word given.
She felt greatly relieved when she received the news of her promotion. (INFORMED)
=> Much to her promotion.
Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first one, using the word in brackets. You must use between THREE to EIGHT words, including the word given. Do NOT change the word given.
John's aptitude for numbers enables him to solve complex mathematical problems effortlessly and quickly, completing them within seconds. (HEAD)
=> John numbers, effortlessly solving complex mathematical problems in seconds.
Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first one, using the word in brackets. You must use between THREE to EIGHT words, including the word given. Do NOT change the word given.
During the pandemic, it was difficult to find enough masks and ventilators. (SUPPLY)
=> Masks and ventilators occurred.
Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first one, using the word in brackets. You must use between THREE to EIGHT words, including the word given. Do NOT change the word given.
Anne Hathaway truly excelled in scenes that called for raw emotion and full-throttled singing, like the one in the Les Miserables. (ELEMENT)
=> Anne Hathaway in scenes that called for raw emotion and full-throttled singing, like the one in the Les Miserables.
Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first one, using the word in brackets. You must use between THREE to EIGHT words, including the word given. Do NOT change the word given.
The attendees of the party tolerated the unruly behavior of some individuals, despite feeling annoyed and uncomfortable. (UP)
=> The unruly behavior of some individuals at the party the attendees, despite their annoyance and discomfort.
Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first one, using the word in brackets. You must use between THREE to EIGHT words, including the word given. Do NOT change the word given.
As I stepped into the room, I was startled to discover that there was nothing left, no trace of furniture or belongings to be found. (ABACK)
=> When I entered the room, I find it completely empty, devoid of any furniture or belongings.
Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first one, using the word in brackets. You must use between THREE to EIGHT words, including the word given. Do NOT change the word given.
I did not hear much that could surprise me in any way. (FAR)
=> Much of surprising.
Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first one, using the word in brackets. (You must use between THREE to EIGHT words, including the word given. Do NOT change the word given.)
A professional receptionist always gives a friendly smile whenever a guest enters the hotel, as to make them feel welcomed. (IN)
=> A professional receptionist always to welcome guests when they enter the hotel.
Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first one, using the word in brackets. You must use between THREE to EIGHT words, including the word given. Do NOT change the word given.
Khanh found it difficult to accept that her dream job was no longer available. (TERMS)
=> Khanh had difficulty losing her dream job.
Identify the FIVE errors in the following passage and correct them. Indicate the line at which mistakes are found, and how to correct them.
Write the mistakes in the order they appeared in the text. Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS.
| Line | |
| 1 | The Olympic Games, one of the world's most prestigious athletic spectacle, |
| 2 | have roots dating back from ancient Greece, approximately 776 BCE. Originally, |
| 3 | they were religious events held in Olympia, in honor of Zeus, the king of the Greek |
| 4 | gods. Revived in the modern era by Baron Pierre de Coubertin in 1896, in Athens, |
| 5 | Greece, they eventually became a platform promoted international peace and |
| 6 | friendship through sports. |
| 7 | The Olympics have evolved significantly overtime, including the introduction |
| 8 | of the Winter Games in 1924 and the Paralympics for athletes with disabilities in |
| 9 | 1960. Without obstacles like political boycotts, terrorism, and pandemics, the |
| 10 | Olympic Games have persistently symbolised the unifying spirit of global |
| 11 | competitor and fair play. |
Example: Line 1: spectacle -> spectacles
| Line | Errors | Corrections |