Choose the word whose underlined and bold part is pronounced differently from that of the rest.
unanimous
umpire
unabated
unarmed
Choose the word whose underlined and bold part is pronounced differently from that of the rest.
boot
book
hook
foot
Choose the word which has the underlined part pronounced differently from the others.
chiropody
choir
cholera
scholar
Choose the word whose primary stress is placed differently from that of the others.
Choose the word whose stress pattern is different from the others.
Nobody has any firm information, so we can only ______ on what caused the accident.
What’s all this crying ______?
When I realised that I'd left my homework at home, I quickly _______ back to get it.
The text doesn't give you the answer explicitly - you have to _______ it from the evidence.
I couldn't decide what to write about, when I suddenly _______ upon the idea of doing something on writer's block.
Do you think you could pull a few ______ for me and get someone at the office to look at my drawings?
______ did Arthur realise that there was danger.
Cars have been banned from the city centre, which makes the area much safer for ______.
______ in the schedule, would you please inform me?
I hope the government reduces the amount of ______ tape required to start a new company.
Think of ONE word which can be used appropriately in all three sentences.
There are several courses of action _______ to the government.
The job is still ________ if you're interested.
The two boxers looked at each other with ________ hostility.
Answer:
Think of ONE word which can be used appropriately in all three sentences.
From what the police spokesman said, we _______ that he'd been arrested.
The car rapidly ________ speed as it went down the hill.
The crowds _________ in the square 10 catch a glimpse of the film star.
Answer:
Think of ONE word which can be used appropriately in all three sentences.
When he goes to an Indian restaurant, Henry will always ________ the hottest curry on the menu.
The ship's captain is going to __________ the crew to cast off at dawn.
Writers should always ________ their thoughts before putting pen to paper.
Answer:
Form the collocations using the verbs and prepositions from the boxes. Complete each sentence using a collocation in the appropriate form.
Each verb and each preposition must be used ONCE only.
|
Verbs |
Prepositions |
|
account, acquaint, answer, attribute, derive, object, result |
for, from, in, to, to, to, with |
I a lot of pleasure collecting stamps.
The arrested man did not the description of the wanted man.
The lawyer was the facts of the case.
The storm over 50 people being killed.
Your explanation does not really the disappearance of the money.
These words are an ancient philosopher.
I’m sure Brian won’t taking care of the baby.
Use the word given in brackets to form a word that fits in the space.
Workers at Shepparton Carpets Ltd voted today to continue with their industrial action. Union leader Elaine Watkins issued a statement saying: “Although we do not envisage an all-out strike at this stage, everyone at the plant will continue to refuse to work (TIME) until this dispute is settled. We urge managers to reconsider their proposals. “The industrial action, which began three weeks ago, has affected (PRODUCE) at the factory. Joe Turner, Managing Director of Shepparton Carpets, has, however, refused to bow to union demands. “If Shepparton Carpets wants to survive, it has to become more (COMPETE),” he said. “It is my responsibility as an employer of over 500 employees to ensure this company continues to make a profit. Periodically, we have to make changes to improve efficiency. If we don’t, we’ll all be out of a job. It may not be pleasant, but it is essential. Some of the working practices at the factory are, frankly, (ANTIQUE) and totally (APPLY) to the modern world. I just wish the unions would work with me on this, rather than fighting me every step of the way.”
Read the text below and decide which answer best fits each numbered space.
Smart shoes
Smart shoes that adjust their size throughout the day could soon be available. A prototype has already been produced and the commercial may be in production within a few years. The shoe contains sensors that constantly checked the amount of room in it. If the foot has become too large, a tiny valve open and the shoe slightly. The entire control system is about 5mm square and it's located inside the shoe. This radical shoe a need because the volume of the foot can change by as much as 8% during the course of the day. The system is able to learn about the wearer's feet and up a picture of the size of his or her feet throughout the day. It will allow the shoes to change in size up to 8% so that they always fit . They are all obviously more comfortable and less likely to cause blisters. From an athlete's point of view, they can help improve a little, and that is why the first for the system is likely to be in a sports shoe. Eventually, this system will find a . In many other household items, from bed that automatically change to fit the person sleeping in them, to power tools that themselves to the user's hand for better grip.
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.
Read the passage and choose the best answer to each of the question.
STAYING POWER
The British Museum recently launched a nation-wide search to find the oldest working television set in the country. After whittling down the numerous contenders, a winner has finally been tracked down to a house in London. The set, a 1936 Marconiphone, belongs to Jeff Black, an engineer and collector of antique TVs and radios. He believes that his beloved device is contemporaneous with the launch of the BBC's first television transmissions and could well have received the first-ever TV programme in the UK.
To all intents and purposes resembling a wooden cabinet with its walnut veneer and Art Deco inlays, this 73-year-old TV set looks more like an attractive piece of furniture than an electrical appliance. The technology, very crude by today's standards, is based on a cathode ray tube which is mounted vertically inside the cabinet. The image from the cathode ray appears on a 30cm screen and is reflected onto a viewing mirror fixed to the underside of the cabinet lid. You had to be fairly well-heeled to afford one of these early TV sets with their £60 price tag (about £11,000 in today's money) and even after such an outlay, there were only two hours of broadcasting per day, so it was hardly value for money! The controls were simple, an on/off switch and a volume control and no channel changer as there was only one channel.
Television was such a novelty in the 1930s that the whole neighbourhood would come over to watch and cram into someone's living room, craning their necks to get a glimpse of the tiny black and white screen. Even without the neighbours, watching TV was hardly plain sailing. The new technology was very temperamental and the TV repairman would have been an all-too-frequent visitor. Also, because the cathode ray tube required such a high voltage to function, it could be very dangerous. In fact, these early sets were prone to blow up and even became known as 'widow makers'.
Jeff is longing to restore the electronics in his set to their true 1936 magnificence. Originally, TV screens comprised 405 lines, a system which lasted until 1964 when 625 lines were introduced, but with a bit of electronic wizardry, Jeff can watch modern digital TV on his set. He prefers to watch old movies, just as the original owners did before television became as ubiquitous as it is today.
It's not just ancient televisions that attract such loyalty. Other searches have unearthed a 1931 fridge still going strong, a 1947 gas cooker in daily use and a 1953 vacuum cleaner still hoovering up the dust. Why do people hang onto ancient appliances for so long? Certainly not because they are cheaper to run, as older models are far less energy-efficient than today's versions, and the cost of repairs and spare parts can be prohibitive. Undoubtedly, modern devices are not built to last and fall to pieces while older, more robust models function well beyond their life expectancy. Obviously durability is crucial but for many, the associated memories are more important. Owners not only trust the appliance's performance, but are also reminded of the family member from whom it was inherited. Just think how smaller the world’s rubbish tips would be if everyone copied Jeff and his ilk!
(Đề đề nghị Olympic 30/4 - Trường THPT Chuyên Trần Đại Nghĩa - TP. Hồ Chí Minh)
The oldest TV set in Britain was discovered ______
According to the text, many people in 1936 ______
Owning a TV in the 1930s could be regarded as ______
Jeff’s enjoyment of his TV set comes mostly from ______
According to the text, people use obsolete products despite their ______
The main attraction of older products lies in their _______
The writer seems to regard the owners of these older products as ______
CONTEMPORANEOUS in paragraph 1 can best be replaced in the text by ______
CRAM in paragraph 3 can best be replaced in the text by _______
ROBUST in paragraph 5 can best be replaced in the text by ______
Read the article and choose your answers from the sections A-D. You may choose any of the sections more than once.
OFFSHORE VESTMENTS
Initially designed for yachtsman, marine clothing then unwittingly took the male fashion scene by storm. Now this modern leisurewear is becoming increasingly popular. Keith Wheatley reports.
A. When American rap star M.C. Hammer appeared in a video draped in a baggy, high-tech Helly Hansen sailing jacket, he started a trend in nightclub fashion. The singer was more likely to have stepped from a limousine than a racing yacht (Helly Hansens were worn by the crews in the Whitbread Round the World Race) but the nautical origin of the clothes did not deter the fans. Across the US, sales began to soar — but in unlikely urban retail outlets rather than marine sales centres. Suddenly male fashion was all at sea. 'There's an element of fashion, especially with active role models, like British solo yachtsman Pete Goss,' says Sarah Woodhead, editor of the trade fashion magazine Menswear. 'But this marine-look, high-tech clothing thing has moved from a trend to a staple in the male clothing industry, and that's true right across Europe. It's also bringing in a new, more mature, fashion customer.'
B. Brand names that were once synonymous with yachts and epic voyages are now cropping up in every High Street. Musto, probably the biggest company in the sector, was founded some 30 years ago by Keith Musto, winner of a dinghy silver medal at the 1964 Olympic Games. The first sailing clothes were born out of Musto's frustration with the inadequate clothing then available. Now the company makes clothes worth £40 million a year. We wanted to branch out — away from just sailing gear, which is a smaller business than most people think,' explains Musto's son, Nigel, now marketing director. 'We discounted the fashion route as too dangerous commercially for us. Keeping people warm and dry is what we're good at.' Skiing and mountaineering were ruled out as clothes markets, either because they were too well covered by competitors, or were too small for market growth. But clothing for country pursuits was judged ripe for a vigorous commercial attack. That was over a decade ago and Musto gear now dominates the British equestrian market, from riding trousers to fleece zip-up jackets. The biggest barrier we faced was that it is an ultra-traditionalist marker, where two factors dominated,' says Nigel Musto. 'Firstly, the belief that there was nothing better than the traditional materials simply because they had been used in the family for generations. Secondly, that the older the design of the garment was, the more style points it scored.'
C. The key to penetrating the country clothes market was to be the superior performance of modern fabrics: the fact that they are 'breathable' as well as waterproof. The basic principles of breathable fabrics have been known for two decades, and were first developed by an American company, Gore. Gore-Tex is the best known of the breathables and still the most widely used by most manufacturers. Some companies have come up with their own variants but in each case the basic technology remains the same. The manufacturers rejoice in providing pages of diagrams and acres of text which describe in minute detail exactly how each variation on the basic principle works. 'I think this is a key point in its appeal, actually,' says Sarah Woodhead. `Customers can buy this stuff the way they would a stereo or a car.'
D. In 1963 Henri Strzelecki founded his company, Henri Lloyd, and the business is now one of the world's top three in the sector. From the outset, Strzelecki knew the value of publicity and did his utmost to make sure that yachting celebrities such as Sir Francis Chichester were always dressed in his products. Early on, therefore, Henri Lloyd had a secure place in a highly specialised business. Then, in the mid-1980s, huge orders suddenly started pouring in from Italy, hitherto a profitable but very small pan of the sailing market. Unknown to the Strzelecki family, a large group of young people in Milan had adopted a fashionable uniform which included a Henri Lloyd jacket, as worn by Sir Francis Chichester, in a distinctive blue with a red, quilted lining. The look spread across Italy, and in the Henri Lloyd factory just outside Manchester, in the north of England, machinists struggled to keep pace with demand.
In which section are the following mentioned?
a creation by one company that was copied by other:
a company which decided against entering particular sporting markets:
new clothes on the market which are attracting older customers:
the way a company promoted itself in its early days:
an advantage that the current materials have over those used in the past:
the fact that the marine clothing market is not as large as one might expect:
Complete the second sentence using the word given so that it has the same meaning to the first.
Many people believe that all cats have tails, but they’re wrong. (popular)
=> Contrary ………. cats have tails.
Complete the second sentence using the word given so that it has the same meaning to the first.
Alan was not a confident person, and that was why he was so shy. (due)
=> Alan's ………. of confidence.
Complete the second sentence using the word given so that it has the same meaning to the first.
‘I can’t believe it – I’ve just come into $10,000!’ James shouted. (luck)
=> James couldn't ……… came into $10,000.
Complete the second sentence using the word given so that it has the same meaning to the first.
They weren't getting anywhere until John had a bright idea. (came)
=> They were getting ……… a bright idea.
Complete the second sentence using the word given so that it has the same meaning to the first.
Peter is not very aware of other people’s feelings. (lacks)
=> Peter ………. comes to other people's feelings.
Complete the second sentence so that it has the same meaning to the first.
It was wrong of you to take what he said for granted.
=> You shouldn't ……….
Complete the second sentence so that it has the same meaning to the first.
We need to think about how old the house is when making our decision.
=> We need to take ………
Complete the second sentence so that it has the same meaning to the first.
My husband is enormously proud of his cooking.
=> My husband prides …….
Complete the second sentence so that it has the same meaning to the first.
Everyone stopped talking when he entered the class.
=> Everyone fell ……
Complete the second sentence so that it has the same meaning to the first.
Hardly any boys among my students know who Virginia Woolf is.
=> Among my students, very ……….