Part 1: You will hear part of a radio interview in which a young man called Toby

Burrow is talking about a year he spent doing voluntary work in Madagascar. For
question 1-6, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which fits best according to what you
hear
1. Why did Toby choose to work in Madagascar?
A. He thought it would offer interesting travel experiences
B. He knew other students who had been there before him
C. He believed it would offer challenging opportunities
D. He had been influenced by a television programme
2. How did Toby’s mother respond when he announced he was going to Madagascar?
A. She tried to dissuade him from talking the job
B. She told him about her experience of working abroad
C. She insisted he take measures to protect his health
D. She did some research on the country
3. What aspect of life in the village did Toby originally find hard?
A. The constant noise
B. The lack of privacy
C. The basic facilities
D. The sense of isolation
4. How did Toby feel after the incident with his wallet?
A. He wanted to quit his job and go home
B. He thought it was a shame that not all people were honest
C. He no longer trusted the people he worked with
D. He believe he was partly responsible for the situation
5. What does Toby say about his return to the UK?
A. He was eager to discuss his adventures with friends
B. He felt relieved to be back in familiar surroundings
C. He was keen to return to Madagascar
D. He felt critical of his own countries
6. What advices does Toby offer students who are about to graduate?
A. Have the right attitude towards people you are helping
B. Give up your voluntary work if you are unhappy
C. Avoid just going abroad for your own pleasure
D. Travel with someone you already know well.

For questions 1-10, listen to a recording about education and complete the summary below
using words taken from the recording. Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS in each
blank.
- Education is supposed to make students become well-prepared for adult life, but schools are not
helping all but (1) __________ of students achieve this.
- Whether in private schools or government-run ones, there is a loss of ingenuity, energy,
goodwill and talent on (2) __________.
- There must be an emphasis on the real goal of education or, more specifically, the two (3)
___________ that it should help us perform.
- Around the economic system, there is a (4) ___________, which basically means that we do
not fully understand how it works.
- In a subject like Math, we should be ready to teach its most important (5) __________ for most
people: handling money.
- When they study about themselves, students will be able to, under the guidance of (6)
___________, draw personality maps with attention paid to their (7) __________ and fears.
- An ideal education system would also focus on the (8) ___________ that allow us to live better
together.
- In the educational utopia, the (9) ___________ of media and the arts will be maximized to help
people learn outside classrooms.
- While we try to deal with the challenges of running an extremely large education system, we
have failed to (10) __________ the true origin of its problems.
PART I: Choose the word whose underlined part differs from the other three in
pronunciation in each of the following questions.
1. A. submissive B. mission C. miss D. confess
2. A. zebra B. zipper C. seizure D. hazy
3. A. pronounce B. other C. won D. comfortable
4. A. houses B. faces C. horses D. sources
5. A. conservation B. consequential C. conscientious D. consideration
PART II: Choose the word that differs from the other three in the position of the primary
stress in each of the following questions.
1. A. primitive B. particular C. continuous D. connected
2. A. energy B. windows C. energetic D. exercise
3. A. computer B. memory C. serious D. special
4. A. teleconference B. enthusiastic C. hydroelectric D. humanitarian
5. A. morality B. attempt C. variety D. variation
Choose the best answer from A, B, C, or D to complete the following sentences.
1. The doctor says that it's ______whether Mary will be okay.
A. prim and proper B. spick and span C. touch and go D. up and coming
2. Our staff take pride in providing ______ service.
A. mundane B. atrocious C. impeccable D. lousy
3. It was a ______move to buy your house just before property prices started to rise.
A. astute B. crafty C. shrewd D. wily
4. They adopted a sensible, ______ policy on defence spending.
A. state-of-the-art B. trick-of-the-trade
C. run-of-the-mill D. middle-of-the-road
5. He'd be ______if he found out what you're doing
A. annoyed B. irritated C. livid D. cross
6. The company cannot accept_________for injuries resulting from improper use of rental
equipment
A. validity B. liability C. compensation D. privilege
7. Jack never cheats or tricks anybody when he plays. He always goes by the_________
A. book B. instructions C. principles D. method
Question 8: I hope the soft skills course starts this term. We are all as keen as to get
going.
A. coffee B. mustard C. a gigolo D. cornflakes
Question 9: The lecturer asked one of his students his assignment or not.
A. whether he had finished B. whether he finishes
C. if he finished D. if he has finished
Question 10: It costs me a fortune, but I don’t regret a year travelling around the
world.
A. have spent B. spent C. to spend D. spending
Question 11: Such that he would stop at nothing.
A. he was ambitious B. his ambition was C. ambitious was he D. was his
ambition
Question 12: Wood that has been specially treated is regular wood.
A. more than water resistant B. water resistant much more than
C. as water resistant much more than D. much more water resistant than
Question 13: The old man has recently purchased a cottage on the outskirts of town.
A. charming, Chinese 19th-century stone B. stone 19th-century charming Chinese
C. 19th-century charming stone Chinese D. charming 19th-century Chinese stone
Question 14: A golden handshake may have a effect when one is dealt with the
blow of redundancy.
A. pillowing B. carpeting C. cushioning D. curtaining
Question 15: In a formal debate, the same of persons speaks for each team, and
both teams are granted an equal of time to make their argument.
A. amount/number B. number/amount C. number/number D.
amount/amount
Question 16: The widely-publicized demonstration did not after all .
A. go off B. come off C. get on D. break out
Question 17: According to National Weather Service, cyclones are areas
of circulating winds that rotate counterclockwise in Northern Hemisphere and
clockwise in Southern Hemisphere.
A. ø/ø/the/the/the B. the/ø/ø/the/the C. the/ø/the/ø/ø D.
the/ø/ø/an/the Question 18: I can’t believe Mr. Jackson sent us a check for $100,000. I
wish get better acquainted with him the day he was there.
A. we are able to B. we were able to C. we had been able to D. we had able
to
19. He’s a nice guy, always already to do somebody a good…………………….……………
A. present B. play C. turn D. pleasure
20. Family relationships later …………………………………..a much significance on his life
A. took on B. kept up C. take up D. take on
21. When John was arrested for drunken driving, he expected to lose his driving license, but he
was …………………………….with a fine.
A. let through B. let off C. let out D. let down
22. Young children often ask many questions because they are naturally……………..……
A. intriguing B. inquisitive C. ingenious D. captivating
23. The rather humid climate in no way……………………………..from the beauty of place
A. subtracts B. protracts C. detracts D. attracts

Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word(s) CLOSEST in
meaning to the underlined word(s) in each of the following questions.
Question 1: The first time I met my friend’s parents, I was walking on eggshells because I
knew their political views were very different from mine.
A. was given many eggs B. had to be very cautious
C. had a lot of pleasure D. was talking nervously
Question 2: Albert Einstein is lauded as one of the greatest theoretical physicists of all time.
A. dictated B. acclaimed C. described D. ordained
Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word(s) OPPOSITE in
meaning to the underlined word(s) in each of the following questions.
Question 1: His lawyer thought Jack had a good chance of being acquitted at the trial, if no
further evidence was found.
A. charged of being faulty B. advised of appealing
C. found guilty D. declared innocent
Question 2: Recycling and disposal of wastes require sizable expenditure. In such situations,
industries preferred to export their wastes to other countries.
A. considerable B. plentiful C. trivial D. minimum
Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the option that best completes
each of the following exchanges.
 Question 1: Dick is thanking Michelle for giving him the gift on his birthday.
Dick: "Thanks for the nice gift you brought to me!” - Michelle: “ ”
A. Actually speaking, I myself don’t like it. B. Not at all.
C. Welcome! It’s very nice of you. D. All right! Do you know how
much it costs?
Question 2: Lisa is asking Charles for the permission to use his dictionary.
Lisa: "Do you mind if I use your dictionary?"
Charles:" ."
A. Yes, please do as you wish B. No, of course
C. No, go ahead D. Yes, let me check it
Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the underlined part that
needs correction in each of the following questions.
Question 1: According to the latest news from the earthquake site, two-thirds of the city have
been destroyed.
A. to B. latest C. two-thirds D. have
Question 2: Linda is the more capable of the two girls who has tried out for the part in the play.
A. the more B. of the C. who has D. in the play
Question 3: It was only after 1815 that a distinctive American literature began to appear with
writers as Washington Irving and James Fenimore Cooper.
A. It was B. that C. began D. as

For questions 1-10, read the text below. Use the word given in capitals at the end of some of
the lines to form a word that fits in the gap in the same line. There is an example at the
beginning (0).
A Balloon Expedition

In 1897 three Swedes set out from Svalbard on an (0)…EXPEDITION…to EXPEDITE

the North Pole by hot air balloon under the (1)…………………..of S.A. LEAD
Andree. Although all three men were experienced (2)……………..they BALLOON
continued to have (3)………………….faith in the effectiveness of their QUESTION
equipment despite considerable evidence of the (4)……………..of the EFFECT
balloon’s steering system which Andree had designed himself. Also, the polar
balloon had not (5)……………….the normal testing procedure for hydrogen GO
balloons but none of the three men, would in any way (6)………… the serious KNOW
(7)………………that this had for the likely fate of their voyage. Soon after their IMPLY
departure on July 7th, it was noticed that (8)…….amounts of hydrogen were CONSIDER
escaping from the balloon but the three men were unconcerned by the amount of
(9)……………Unfortunately, as the balloon gained altitude, this loss of gas soon LEAK
(10)……………………..and so, after a brief flight of ten hours and twenty-nine QUICK
minutes the balloon crash-landed on pack-ice where the three explorers attempted
to continue their journey on foot. Their bodies were eventually recovered from
the ice thirty-three years later.

Read the passage below and choose the best answer from A, B, C or D to each question.
Magnets
A solid object that has the power to attract iron and some metals is called a magnet. It
does this through its magnetic field, a region of force surrounding it. The (1) _____ the magnet,
the more intense is the field.
Objects that are attracted to the magnet feel a force (2) _____ as “magnetism” when they are
inside the magnetic field. This magnetic force can pass (3) _____ some materials. Even a weak
magnet will attract a pin to the other side of a (4) ______ of paper, for example.
Magnets come in (5) ______ shapes. A familiar one is the curved horseshoes magnet.
There are also bar magnets in the form (6) _____ disc or a stubby cylinder. Every magnet has (7)
______ poles, called north and south, at opposite ends of it: at the two ends of a horseshoes
magnet, for example, or on the two sides of a disc.
Powerful magnets can be (8) _______ by passing an electric current through wire coiled
around a piece of iron. The (9) _____ is called and electromagnet. Magnets are (10) ______ in
many household and everyday devices. They are also commonly used in industrial machinery,
usually in the form of electromagnets.
Question 1: A. smaller B. stronger C. weaker D. thinner
Question 2: A. mentioned B. called C. known D. said
Question 3: A. through B. away C. outside D. next
Question 4: A. pane B. block C. pile D. sheet
Question 5: A. separate B. different C. unknown D. identical
Question 6: A. of B. in C. out D. up
Question 7: A. many B. several C. two D. one
Question 8: A. found B. had C. done D. made
Question 9: A. ending B. result C. conclusion D. final
Question 10: A. used B. made C. lived D. unseen
Put the verbs in the brackets into the correct verb tenses
1. Scientists (discover) ……… that, all over the world, millions of frogs and toads are dying.
2. ‘You’re looking well’: ‘I (play) ……… a lot of squash to lose weight’.
3. We (look) ……… at the painting for about ten minutes before we realized who the artist was.
4. The plane (travel) ……… at twice the speed of sound when it passes overhead.
5. Although people are now angry about what he did, I’m sure that his behaviour soon (forget)
………

Fill in each numbered space with ONE suitable word.

EARTHQUAKE PREDICTION
If you were to hazard a (1) _________ at when and where the next major earthquake will strike,
there’s a chance that you’d be (2) _________ as accurate as the experts. The science of
earthquake prediction is still in its infancy, which is uncomfortable, considering the threat posed
(3) _________ human civilization. Even with vast resources at their disposal, often the best that
scientists can do is say that the odds are that an earthquake will strike where one occurred (4)
_________. One reason the chances of (5) _________ an accurate prediction are so low is the
nature of the forces involved. It seems to be (6) _________ to tell the difference between a small
earthquake and a warning tremor. Scientists need to decide (7) _________ to put lives at (8)
_________ by not issuing a warning, or constantly issue warnings about the threat (9)
_________ an earthquake that may be ignored. In the end, the odds seem to be (10) _________
us solving this difficult problem any time soon.

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on you answer sheet to indicate
the correct answer to each of the questions
When jazz began to lose its reputation as “low-down” music and to gain well-deserved
acclaim among intellectuals, musicians began to feature many instruments previously
considered inappropriate for jazz. Whereas before the 1950s, jazz musicians played only eight
basic instruments in strict tempo, in this decade they started to improvise on the flute, electric
organ, piccolo, accordion, cello, and even bagpipes, with the rhythm section composed for
strings or piano. Big bands no longer dominated jazz, and most changes emerged from small
combos, such as the Dave Brubeck Quartet and the Gerry Mulligan Quartet. The Gerry Mulligan
Quartet proved that a small, modern band could sound complete without a piano; the rhythm
section consisted only of a set of drums and a string bass.
Jazz continued to move in new directions during the 1960s. Saxophonist and composer
Ornette Coleman led a quartet playing “free” jazz that was atonal. Pianist Cecil Taylor also
conducted similar experiments with music, and John Coltrane included melodies from India in
his compositions. In the 1970s, musicians blended jazz and rock music into fusion jazz which
combined the melodies and the improvisations of jazz with the rhythmic qualities of rock ‘n’ roll,
with three or five beats to the bar and in other meter. The form of jazz music was greatly affected
by electric instruments and electronic implements to intensify, distort, or amplify their sounds.
However, the younger musicians of the time felt compelled to include a steady, swinging rhythm
which they saw as a permanent and essential element in great jazz.
Question 1: Which of the following would be the best title of the passage?
A. Popular Beats in Classical and Modern Jazz
B. Quintessential Moments in Jazz Music
C. The Achievements of Famous Jazz Musicians
D. The Rising Prestige and Deversity of Jazz
Question 2: The word “feature” in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to ______.
A. profess B. prohibit C. protest D. promote
Question 3: The paragraph preceding this passage would most likely to describe ______.
A. instruments used in jazz B. instrumental pieces in jazz
C. jazz in the 1940s D. the origins of jazz
Question 4: The author of the passage implies that in the 1950s, jazz musicians _______.
A. strictly adhered to its traditions and compositions
B. probably continued with its tempo and instrumentation.
C. experimented with rhythm and instrument
D. increased the tempo to keep up with the changes
Question 5: The author of the passage mentions all of the following EXCEPT _______.
A. bagpipes B. percussion C. string bass D. harpsichord
Question 6: It can be inferred from the passage that small jazz bands ______.
A. were dominated by large orchestras B. consisted of drums and a string bass
C. were innovative in their music D. included modern sound systems
Question 7: The author believes that the developments in jazz described in the passage ______.
A. should be seen as precocious B. should be considered influential
C. appear largely suggestive D. may be perceived as discrete
Question 8: The passage implies that representative jazz musicians_____.
A. concentrated on melodious combinations of sounds
B. blended improvisations and sheet music together
C. created and modernized sophisticated devices
D. sought novel techniques in form and concert.
Question 9: According to the passage, the changes in jazz music in the 1970s came from
_______.
A. another harmonious scale B. another musical trend
C. ambitious aspirations D. sound amplifications
Question 10: Which of the following best describes the organization of the passage?
A. Chronological innovations in jazz music
B. Definitions of diverse jazz styles
C. A classifications of prominent jazz musicians
D. Descriptions and examples to illustrate jazz rhythms
PART I: Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first
sentence, using the word given. Do not change the word given. You must use between TWO
and FIVE words, including the word given.

1. They suspended Jack for the next two matches.

BANNED
=> Jack …………………………………………….. in the next to matches.
2. As far as I know he is still working in Ha Noi.
KNOWLEDGE
=> To …………………………………………, he is still working in Ha Noi.
3. They began calmly discussing football but soon started arguing fiercely about politics.
HEATED
=> What began as a calm discussion about football soon developed
……………………………………………...
about politics.
4. Even though Diego didn’t know any French at all, he managed to communicate with the
SINGLE
Parisian taxi driver.
=> Despite ………………………………………………… of French, Diego managed to
communicate with the
Parisian taxi driver.
5. The warmth of her welcome surprised me.
ABACK
=> I ………………………………………… her warm welcome.
6.He made the mistake of thinking he could do anything he liked round here. (impression)
 He ______________________________________ could do anything he liked round
here.
7.The agricultural plan will cause a lot of objections from dairy farmers. (give)
 The agricultural plan _______________________________________ from dairy
farmers.
8.I felt like a new person after I’d had my hip operation. (of)
 My hip operation ______________________________________________________
life.
9.He says he didn’t know, so we’ll just have to take his word for it. (doubt)
 We’ll just have to ____________________________________ as he says he didn’t
know.
10Time is very precious, so can we please hurry? (short)
 We __________________________________________________________ please
hurry?