Read the following passage and choose the correct answer to each of the questions.
American jazz is a mixture of sounds borrowed from such varied sources as American and African folk music, European classical music, and Christian gospel songs. One of the recognizable characteristics of jazz is its use of improvisation: certain parts of the music are written out and played the same way by various performers, and other improvised parts are created spontaneously during a performance and vary widely from performer to performer.
The earliest form of jazz was ragtime, lively songs or rags performed on the piano, and the best-known of the ragtime performers and composers was Scott Joplin. Born in 1868 to former slaves, Scott Joplin earned his living from a very early age playing the piano in bars along the Mississippi. One of his regular jobs was in the Maple Leaf Club in Sedalia, Missouri. It was there that he began writing the more than 500 compositions that he was to produce, the most famous of which was "The Maple Leaf Rag".
This passage is about _____.
Which of the following is NOT a source of American jazz?
According to the passage, ragtime was _____.
The word "which" in paragraph 2 refers to_____.
Ben and Thomas are discussing where their study group will meet.
- Ben: "Where is our study group going to meet next Saturday?"
- Thomas: "_____"
Jane and Mark are talking about the use of public transportation.
- Jane: "Do you think that we should use public transportation to protect our environment?"
- Mark: "_____"
Choose the word which has the underlined part pronounced differently from the others.
slipped
wanted
kissed
washed
Choose the word which has the underlined part pronounced differently from the others.
bought
course
courtesy
nought
Choose the word that differs from the rest in the position of the main stress.
Choose the word that differs from the rest in the position of the main stress.
Choose the underlined part that needs correction.
An octopus has three hearts to pump blood throughout their body.
Choose the underlined part that needs correction.
Although ostriches and penguins cannot fly, they had other abilities like swimming and running.
Choose the underlined part that needs correction.
After the social science lecture, all students were invited to take part in a discussion on the issues which were risen in the talk.
Choose the sentence that is closest in meaning to this sentence.
It isn't necessary to bring skis because they are included in the package.
Choose the sentence that is CLOSEST in meaning to the sentence given.
"I will fix your bike tomorrow," Mr. Smith said to his son.
Choose the sentence CLOSEST in meaning to the sentence given.
It is over twenty years since I last got in touch with my old friends.
Choose the word(s) CLOSEST in meaning to the underlined word(s).
These beautiful old towns have remained relatively untouched by tourism.
Choose the word(s) CLOSEST in meaning to the underlined word(s)
If you feel drowsy you should take a break from work and definitely not drive.
Choose the sentence that best combines this pair of sentences.
Sports clear my mind. They also help me maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Choose the sentence that best combines this pair of sentences.
My sister is not here. She is the only person who can tell me what to do now.
Read the following passage then choose the best answer to each question below.
Astronomers have long used direct photography to gather a large of information from telescopes. To do this, they have special light-sensitive coatings on glass plates, whose size depends on the type of telescope employed. Certain wide-field telescopes commonly required very large glass plates. These plates do not bend, can be measured accurately, and can preserve information over a long period of time, providing a record that an astronomer at a later time can examine. However, even though long time exposures increase the amount of light striking the plate so that very faint objects in the sky eventually show up clearly, even the most sensitive plates convert only a small percent of the photons striking them into an image. For this reason, photography cannot make very efficient use of short-time exposures on a telescope. Despite this inefficiency, photography is still very useful because it works as a two-dimensional detector covering a large area at a telescope's focus. Hence, the information contained in a single photograph can be enormous, especially when the photograph is taken with wide-field telescopes.
Today, the technology of newer radio and X-ray telescopes has allowed astronomers to view images otherwise invisible to the eye, and direct photography is now used less often to gather images. Today's astronomers can study an enhanced view of a telescope's focus on a television monitor, and in most cases, the data can later be converted by a computer into digital form. This procedure, called image processing, plays a central role in astronomy today. Using false colors, the computer can display images of information otherwise undetectable to the unaided eye. These colors are false in the sense that they are not the actual colors of the object in the visual range of the spectrum. Rather, they are codes to a specific property, such as the X-ray emissions from stars.
What is the main topic of the passage?
The word "employed" in paragraph 1 could be best replaced by _____.
According to paragraph 1, which of the following is NOT mentioned as an advantage of glass-plate photographs?
The word "efficient" in paragraph 1 could be best replaced by _____.
According to paragraph 2, astronomers most probably use direct photography less often today than in the past because _____.
Why do computer-generated images use false colors?
What does pronoun "it" in paragraph 1 refer to?
Peter _____ aerobics and weight training at the gym three times a week.
Daisy still pursues her dream job as a firefighter _____ many obstacles.
It's normal to be a bit nervous. I'm sure you'll _____ it once you start your presentation.
A new campaign has already been _____ by all secondary schools in the local area to help disadvantaged children go to school.
The more knowledge about how to stay safe online we gain, _____ we worry about the stress of cybercrime.
_____ over £100 on repairs, she wasn't expecting any more problems.
A story-telling competition _____ by our school every year.
_____ to an end, the students will start a new academic year.
My brother's feeling a bit under the weather today, but I expect he'll be as right as _____ by the weekend.
Let's walk to the supermarket instead of taking a taxi, _____?
This mobile is one of the most _____ designs for teenagers.
The ozone layer is an invisible layer of protection around the planet that protects us _____ the sun's harmful rays.
John has a collection of _____ postage stamps.
Martin _____ his fortune in growing cork oaks before he brought his expertise to his new hometown.
The climbers stopped at the top of the hill to admire the magnificent _____.
Choose the word(s) OPPOSITE in meaning to the underlined word(s).
Andy, our team coach, is very organized and confident. He runs a tight ship and he does a great job.
Choose the word(s) OPPOSITE in meaning to the underlined word(s).
Experts hope that the vaccine will be mass-produced soon.
Read the passage then choose the correct answer to fill in each blank.
It's the end of the school year and the exam period is approaching. Undoubtedly, exams pressure on both students and parents alike. parents would like to see their children succeeding academically, as they believe a good education gives them an added advantage in life. They want to see their children settled in a rewarding job and be financially well-off. But is that what their children have planned for themselves? Apparently it is not. Most students either can't think that far ahead or have no intention of doing so. They would rather aim low so as not to be disappointed if they get low marks.
However, child psychologists, who have been consulted on the matter, stress that students should aim high, but at the same time have a variety of other options. , students will not have to worry about grades and in the long term they will have better chances of succeeding. On whole, there are many practical and invaluable things parents can do for their children.