She insisted that the report _____ as his source of information.
No matter how often I explain it, he doesn't seem to _____.
_____ as a masterpiece, a work of art must transcend the ideals of the period in which it was created.
As we failed to reach a consensus on which is more suitable, there's no choice but _____ and come up with something new.
When he woke up, he realized that the things he had dreamt about could not _____ have happened.
The tiny bells on the Christmas tree were _____ in the draught.
It was too late when the father realized he was too _____ on the boy. Now he knew he should have adopted a more lenient approach.
Warning: anyone caught stealing from these premises will be _____.
If the service isn’t up to standard, I think you have _____ right to complain.
You _____ this report to the managing director personally. Do you understand?
A: Have you told your dad what’s bothering you?
B: I’d ______than my parents.
_____ have made communication faster and easier through the use of email and the Internet is widely recognized.
The political situation in the country is _____, as both parties are unwilling to compromise.
There will be numerous parades and displays of fireworks in _____ of Independence Day.
After the terrorist attack in New York, a _____ of "you're either with us or you're against us." became dominant.
We're a bit _____ at the moment, so we're not thinking about holidays.
From an investor's viewpoint, getting _____ advice is the key to making sound investment decisions.
He has been unable to find a job ______ with his ability.
The thieves cleared _____ when they heard the guard approaching.
She believes that all countries should _____ the death penalty as it is inhumane.
At the heart of the bustling market _____ that captivates every visitor.
A: What would you do in my place?
B: Were _____ treated like that, I'd complain to the manager.
The company decided to _____ a new marketing strategy to boost sales and attract more customers.
Fill each of the following blanks with ONE suitable word.
Instant decisions
We often assume the best way to come to a decision is to spend ages taking account a lot of information before we arrive our conclusion. We weigh the evidence in the belief that instant decisions are unreliable. However, there are arguments for a reassessment of that view. It may be that from to time our subconscious mind does a better job in a moment than our conscious mind does.
When Evelyn Harrison, an expert on sculpture, was shown a statue that the J. Paul Getty Museum had purchased for $10 million, she blurted that it was a fake. It came a shock to the museum. Harrison was unable to explain why she had formed that impression, but it was enough to cast doubt on the statue. Now most experts have come to her position, but how did she tell the difference between that and the real article so quickly?
It's probable that her subconscious mind sorted through information that the notice of her conscious mind. Although we are rarely, if ever, aware of our subconscious mind, it can be surprisingly effective.
Fill each of the following blanks with ONE suitable word.
The Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., which has the largest of books in the world, is fighting a battle against paper deterioration. The pages of old books, often yellowed and torn, sometimes crumble when they are touched. The main culprit in the battle is the acidic paper that has been used for making books since the 19th century. Air and moisture have added to the problem. Strangely, the books that are most in danger of are not the oldest ones. The paper in books produced before the 18th century was made from cotton and linen rags, which are naturally low in acid.
In the 19th century with widespread literacy bringing a for a cheaper and more plentiful supply of paper, the industry began using chemically treated pulp for making paper. It is the chemical in this paper that is causing today's problem. France, Canada and Austria are all doing into new methods of deacidification. A new technology has been recently that allows for mass deacidification of thousands of books at the same time. It less than microfilming and still preserves books in their original form. It is hoped there will soon be facilities all over the world to preserve library book collections.
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 text and choose the best answer to fill in the blanks.
There is a long list of reasons why Phong Nha, a world heritage site, and pride of Quang Binh province, . This tourist attraction is a must-visit destination - and it's not just about caves!
lt is widely known that Phong Nha is home to the biggest cave on the planet: Son Doong Cave, It's also home to the third largest cave on the planet, En Cave, as well as tens of other caves that are ready for exploration. In fact, in Phong Nha, vacationers may more caving trips than any other caving destination in the world. But the main reason why Phong Nha has become special is that it offers so many different kinds of caving experiences, from extreme adventures like the Son Doong cave expedition to more accessible adventures like exploring the Tu Lan Cave system. There are also several family-friendly tours available, those to Paradise Cave and Phong Nha Cave.
If visitors aren't caving but love the great outdoors, Phong Nha is still a good choice. Alongside world-class caving activities, Phong Nha also offers jungle walks through primary forest, river kayaking across gentle waters and a village atmosphere that will charm tourists . And as a developing destination, this list is growling. Locals are sipping out secluded lakes, pockets of wildlife and areas that are perfect for other outdoor activities, such as rock-climbing and ziplining.
Additionally, Phong Nha has proved itself as a(n) tourism success story. The benefits that tourism has brought to the local people are immense. Phong Nha remains poor, but rising household incomes by an increase in employment opportunities have significantly raised living standards in the village. Tourism is good news for environmental protection, too. Before tourism took off in the village, poverty many of the villagers in the jungle to partake in illegal logging, hunt wildlife or do other activities that were harmful to the environment. Now as tourism has offered them a stable income, these activities have reduced dramatically.
You are going to read an article about people who make films about wild animals in Africa. Seven sentences have been removed from the article. Choose from the sentences A–H the one which fits each gap. There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.
Missing sentences
A. Even while this film of one of Africa’s shyest cats was being shown, the pair were already back where they belong – this time trailing that equally shy animal, the jackal.
B. It can be a rough existence, but the appeal of being alone in such remote areas is that we can get close enough to the animals to become part of their lives.
C. Neither of them regard themselves as the leader, and he says that one of the reasons why they get on so well with each other is that they both see the animals in a similar way.
D. Since then, they have learned to set aside four months on location to gather sufficient material for each half-hour film.
E. In Africa, however, they are seldom sighted at all as they scour the vast Serengeti Plain, their two vehicles packed with cameras, drinking water, camping gear and food.
F. The rest of the Newman-Barrett daily diet consists of pre-packed meals heated and dished out by whoever is at hand at the time.
G. What we are always seeking to achieve is a film that is rich in atmosphere, that brings to life the true spirit of the place and animals, and that will touch people’s hearts.
H. Newman explained that they had to invest in an expensive piece of equipment so that whenever one of their vehicles gets stuck in the mud, Amanda can pull him back to safety.
IN THEIR NATURAL HABITAT
What keeps film-makers Amanda Barrett and Owen Newman away from their home comforts for months on end? The search for the perfect shot.
Of all the creatures to be found in the jungles and plains of East Africa, two of the hardest to track down must surely be producer Amanda Barrett and cameraman Owen Newman.
Their present habitat, the Ngorongoro Crater, has been lashed by six months of almost continuous rain, giving rise to a number of unforeseen problems. His working partnership with the talented producer has created some of TV’s finest wildlife films, such as their amazing and well-received film on leopards.
But this is nothing unusual in television partnerships. Travelling film-makers have been constantly circling the globe, in order to point cameras at exotic wildlife ever since the birth of television.
I spoke to Newman about their partnership while he was making one of his rare and unpredictable reunions with other members of the human race at a safari lodge. ‘We do have occasional arguments but we tend to get over them fairly quickly,’ he says of his colleague.
‘When we are on the move, we have to put up our tents each night. But this time we are operating much more of a fixed camp, and as we set out at 5 a.m. each morning, we tend to make the tea the night before and keep it warm in a vacuum flask.’
‘It’s not unusual for us to be out and about for up to eight weeks at a time, so catering does cause the odd panic,’ says Newman.
‘I remember once we were filming a family of lions and there was one lioness who would regularly go off on her own. Whenever she returned, she would go round and greet all the other members of the pride, and after a while she made a point of greeting our car as part of her round.’
It was back in 1988 that Newman first worked with Barrett on a film called The Great Rift, and two more years before they set off as a team to film Arctic foxes. And before they get the green light, they have to submit a script for approval.
‘Amanda and I struck up a good working relationship from the start,’ says Newman, ‘because it was obvious that we shared the same ideas and overall vision.’ ‘I believe if you can evoke an emotional response from people, that is far better than if you appeal only to their heads.’
Reading the following passage and complete the tasks.
LOOKING IN THE TELESCOPE
A story is told that around 400 years ago some children were fooling around in an eye glass shop. They noticed that when they placed lenses one on top of the other, they were able to see a considerable distance. They played around with the concept for a while, experimenting with what happened when they varied the distance between the lenses. Hans Lippershey, the Dutch lens maker who eventually applied for the first telescope patent, credits children as having been his motivation for the invention of the first telescope.
The first telescopes built in the early 1600s were very primitive inventions allowing the user to see around 3-times further than the naked eye. It was not too long however, until Italian astronomer Galileo heard about the invention ‘that through use of correctly-positioned lenses, allowed people to see things a long way away’. The tools used in the manufacturing of the first refracting telescope was all Galileo needed to know and within 24 hours he had developed a better one. In fact, the process of improvements Galileo made on Lippershey’s telescope were quite dramatic. Whereas the original version had a magnification of 3, the new telescope had a magnification of around 30. Galileo achieved these extraordinary results by figuring out the combination of the positions of the lenses and also by making his own lenses which were of better quality. Although he originally thought they were stars, the better quality lenses – and some scientific analysis – enabled him to eventually use his telescopes to see the moons of Jupiter. Galileo’s refracting telescopes – so-called due to the way they handled the light that passed through them – were the standard at that time.
Some 70 years later, British scientist Isaac Newton, explored the way a prism refracts1 white light into an array of colors. He recognised that a lens was a circular prism and that the separation of colors limited the effectiveness of the telescopes in use at the time. Newton created a Reflective Telescope, one that used a dish-shaped or parabolic mirror to collect light and concentrate the image before it was visible in the eyepiece. Thus, lenses used for magnification in telescopes were replaced by mirrors. Mirrors have since been the standard for telescopes. In fact, according to telescope researcher Dr. Carl Addams, the basic designs of telescopes have not changed much in the last 100 years. What has changed however, is the way technology has been used to improve them. For example, the larger telescopes in the world today are around 10 metres in diameter and the mirrors placed within them are so finely polished that even at the microscopic level there are no scratches or bumps on them at all. To achieve such a flawless surface requires a very expensive process that operates with the utmost precision.
The mid 1700s, saw the discovery and production of the Achromatic telescope. This type of telescope differed from previous ones in the way it handled the different wavelengths of light. The first person who succeeded in making achromatic refracting telescopes seems to have been the Englishman, Chester Moore Hall. The telescope design used two pieces of special optical glass known as crown and flint Each side of each piece was ground and polished and then the two pieces were assembled together. Achromatic lenses bring two wavelengths – typically red and blue – into focus in the same plane. Makers of achromatic telescopes had difficulty locating disks of flint glass of suitable purity needed to construct them. In the late 1700s, prizes were offered by the French Academy of Sciences for any chemist or glass-manufacturer that could create perfect discs of optical flint glass however, no one was able to provide a large disk of suitable purity and clarity.
Currently the largest telescopes are around eight to ten metres in size. These extremely expensive and sophisticated pieces of equipment are located primarily throughout Europe and America. Dr Addams believes that the telescopes of the future will be a gigantic improvement in what is currently considered state-of-the-art. Telescopes that are 20 or 30 metres in diameter are currently being planned, and there has been a suggestion put forward by a European firm that they would like to build a 100-metre telescope. Says Addams, ‘The quality of the glass needed to build a 100 meter telescope is like building a lens the size of a football field and having the largest bump in that football field being a ten-thousandth of a human hair’. The engineering and technology required to build such a flawless reflective surface is most impressive.
1: The separation or change of direction of a ray of light when passed through a glass of water.
Classify the following features as belonging to. You may use each option more than once.
|
A. the Achromatic telescope B. the Reflective telescope C. the Refracting telescope |
The first telescopes made.
Uses a series of lenses one on top of the other.
Highly polished lenses.
First use of mirrors to collect light.
Two pieces of glass stuck together.
Complete the summary below using words from the passage.
Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.
There have been a number of changes in telescopes since they were first invented. For example, Galileo’s telescope increased magnification of the previously made telescope by a factor of 30. He did this by altering the lenses and also constructing lenses .
Other improvements followed but the most significant step forward, and still a major factor today in telescope design, has been the inclusion of .
Complete the passage by changing the form of the word in capitals.
FLOODS
We are still unable to predict with any precision when an (INUNDATE) may occur. Even as recently as the early years of the 21st century, Europe was washed as the rivers which flow across the continent burst their banks. (TORRENT) rains meant that countries were ravaged by swollen rivers, cities were swamped and isolated. Although the levels the rivers rose to are not (PRECEDE), some of them were at their highest since the late 19th century, and the death toll from this natural disaster was (ACCEPT) high. Many flood victims began to question government policies, which had proved (ADEQUATE) as a defence.
Cities which erected flood barriers for their protection largely escaped (SPREAD) flooding, so those authorities who had not built such barriers laid themselves open to criticism for lack of (SIGHT). With growing concern in the scientific world about the rise in the sea level caused by melting polar ice caps and global warming, it became apparent that there was a need for more countries to take precautions against further (OCCUR) of this nature.
Read the passage then answer the questions.
MORAL BEHAVIOR
The dictionary defines morality as "being in accord with standards of right or good conduct." The argument over whether our moral behavior is innate or whether it is developed by our environment and culture has been raging for ages. Many people feel morality is based on reason, while others feel it comes from religion or one's own spirituality. Biologists believe that humans' tendency to obey the Golden Rule - "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you"- is a product of evolution.
At first, moral behavior seems to oppose the rules of Charles Darwin's theory of survival of the fittest and natural selection. However, researchers in the field of biology feel that as animals evolved to live in groups, the propensity to look only after the group's success as a whole, every member had to look only after one's own needs had to fade in order for a group mentality to emerge. To ensure the group's success as a whole, every member had to look out for the interests of the majority, a concept known as utilitarianism. This is a system of beliefs based on what does the greatest good for the greatest number of people.
A researcher named Jonathon Haidt at the University of Virginia believes that morality is driven by two separate mindsets-one ancient and one modern. Dr. Haidt declares that the human mind is unaware of the distinction between the two. The ancient mental system is based on the emotion behind moral behaviors, which is a type of intuitive sense of what is right and wrong that evolved before language developed. These are the "gut reactions" people experience in tough situations that call for quick action. The more modern system of thought came with the development of language, as people became able to express verbally why something was right or wrong. The two work together when we are put in morally compromising situations. When confronted with a moral dilemma, one's intuition immediately decides what is right or wrong. Rational thought and judgment about the morality of an issue follow the decision that one's emotional reaction already made.
Dr. Haidt identified five areas of moral conduct that are common in most countries and systems throughout the world, and he describes these as the foundation for all moral behavior. These moral components conceptualize how people treat others and what is important in being part of a group. Regardless of their background, religion, socioeconomic status, or educational level, Dr. Haidt found that the majority of people hold to these moral concepts. The first moral concept is the prevention of harm. Generally, people believe that it' is wrong to harm another human being or animal for cruel and needless reasons. The second moral concept is fairness, which holds that all people should be treated fairly. For instance, people should treat the poor in the same manner as the wealthy, and the weak the same as the strong. The third moral concept is loyalty to one's group. This entails a strong devotion to the values of the group as a whole. People with strong loyalties believe that adherence to the laws of society is important because it upholds the integrity of that society. The idea of loyalty is closely interwoven with the fourth moral foundation: respect for authority. People who value authority believe in the strength of a governing body and a strong hierarchy with established roles and rules. The fifth concept involves upholding high standards of purity. This deals with the way that members of a group view their bodies. The idea of purity comes into play in the standards of cleanliness in the society. Daily hygiene routines, eating food that has not been contaminated in some way, and burial rules and rituals fall into this category.
Dr. Haidt's research concludes that these moral concepts are inherent in our physical makeup and are learned behaviors, reinforced by our environments from a very early age. The five moral foundations are interpreted differently from society to society, and people rate them differently in order of importance. While morality may take different forms across the many different cultures of the world, it remains true that the basic task of morality, restraining selfishness, is a part of all humanity's moral behavior.
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 and EIGHT words, including the word given. Do NOT change the word given.
I’m finding it difficult to cope with all the work I have to do. (TOP)
=> All the work I have to do me.
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 and EIGHT words, including the word given. Do NOT change the word given.
“Let’s not make any plans and just see what happens,” said Dawn. (EAR)
=> Dawn suggested and just seeing what happened.
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 and EIGHT words, including the word given. Do NOT change the word given.
I prefer to get value for money by staying at the theme park all day. (WORTH)
=> I’d rather we by staying at the theme park all day.
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 and EIGHT words, including the word given. Do NOT change the word given.
I made a slight mistake at the beginning, so my whole answer to the maths problem was wrong. (SLIPPED)
=> My answer to the maths problem would have been right at the beginning.
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 and EIGHT words, including the word given. Do NOT change the word given.
After a slow start, the audience were soon laughing at the comedian’s jokes. (HAD)
=> After a slow start, the comedian at his jokes.
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 and EIGHT words, including the word given. Do NOT change the word given.
Misfortune can turn even wealthy people into beggars on the street overnight. (REDUCED)
=> Even wealthy people on the street overnight by misfortune.
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 and EIGHT words, including the word given. Do NOT change the word given.
Most people can understand him when he speaks Spanish. (UNDERSTOOD)
=> He can make when he speaks Spanish.
Complete the second sentence, using the word given so that it has a similar meaning to the sentence before it. Write between THREE and EIGHT words, including the words given in bracket. Do not change the word given in brackets in any way.
Mike will give you lots of excuses for being late, don’t believe any of them. (MANY)
=> No Mike gives you for being late, don’t believe any of them.
Complete the second sentence, using the word given so that it has a similar meaning to the sentence before it. Write between THREE and EIGHT words, including the words given in bracket. Do not change the word given in brackets in any way.
The number of violent crimes around here has risen dramatically recently. (SHARP)
=> There the number of violent crimes around here recently.
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 and EIGHT words, including the word given. Do NOT change the word given.
Nobody could possibly believe the story about her achievements. (BEYOND)
=> The story about her achievements .