Choose the word which has the underlined part pronounced differently from the others.
forage
dosage
mirage
hostage
Choose the word which has the underlined part pronounced differently from the others.
suit
bruise
suite
fruit
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 word that differs from the rest in the position of the main stress.
After the concert, everyone had to _____ home through the thick snow.
"I bought you some flowers." - "They're beautiful, but you _____."
If _____ by hunger, you might consider eating a frog.
An industrial society which makes goods that are not designed to last is known as a _____ society.
I like Betty and Belle, but I think Belle is the _____ of the two.
My brother would rather we ____________ each other any more last month.
The play wasn’t very good but it wasn't very bad either. _____, I’d say.
Complete the text by changing the form of the word in capitals.
The Media Commentator
A live broadcast of any public event, such as a space flight or sporting occasion, is almost (VARIABLE) accompanied by the thoughts of a commentator. This may be on television, along with the relevant pictures, or (ALTERNATE) on radio. The technique involved differs between the two media, with radio broadcasters needing to be more explicit and (DESCRIBE) because of the (ABSENT) of visual information. TV commentators do not need to paint a picture for their audience; instead their various (OBSERVE) should add to the images that are already there. There will sometimes be silences and pauses in TV commentary, although these are becoming increasingly rare. Both types of commentators should try to be informative but should avoid sounding (OPINION) .
In sports commentary, (FAIR) and impartiality to both sides is vital, but spontaneity and (ENTHUSE) are valued by those watching or listening. Sports commentators usually broadcast live in an essentially unscripted way, although they may refer to previously prepared materials such as sports statistics. Because of the (PREDICT) nature of live events, thorough preparation in advance is vital. The internet has helped enormously with this aspect of the Job. Anyone interested in becoming a commentator should have excellent organizational skills, the willingness to work (REGULAR) hours and a strong voice.
Write one word in each gap.
The climate in Bach Ma National Park is tropical with two distinctive seasons caused by the monsoon winds. The weather conditions the parking area can change very quickly. In the morning, it is sunny but it may be cloudy with heavy rain in the afternoon. of the proximity of the sea there are often strong winds. Admittedly, the park supports a very large of plant and animal species. This is partly due to the variations in altitude and also because the park is within the transition area of two bio-geographical zones containing species from northern and southern Vietnam. The vegetation includes two main formations: tropical lowland below 900 m and sub-tropical forest between 900 and 1450 m – the latter being the richest and less disturbed human influence. The flora of Bach Ma includes at least 1,400 which represent around one-fifth of the entire flora of Vietnam. The fauna is considered to half of all mammals known in Vietnam. 43 species of mammals have been identified in the and further 76 species have been listed as potentially present, considering their overall range of distribution. Nine species of primates have been confirmed in Bach Ma. 330 species of birds that have been observed in the park represent over one-third of the species in Vietnam.
Read the text and choose the best answer to fill in the blanks.
Working to through with my university did, in , prepare me for life after graduation. I've never been lazing and have already crammed as much into each day as I could. I guess I've always been someone who takes things in their stride and snapped up any opportunity that has come my way. Looking back, I feel a great of respect for finishing my studies without with any debts but I'll admit it wasn't always plain sailing. Not until I scraped through my first-year exams did I realize the of time management. I think personality has played a huge role in my success, . I’ve always taken pleasure in whatever I do, whether it’s for work or to play. Sometimes people are surprised at my ability to solve problems and wonder where my energy comes from. I think it must be . My parents’ work ethic and attitude towards life have had a great impact on me and me down the path I’ve taken.
Read the following passage then choose the best answer to each question below.
Sleep is a natural process, and although a lot have been written about the subject, it is still surrounded by mystery. It is used by some as an escape from the world, and regarded by others as an irritating waste of time: some people get by on very little, others claim they can not exist without at least ten hours, but nobody can do without sleep completely.
Our night’s sleep does not just consist of a steady phase of gradually deepening sleep. It alternates between two stages: Nondreaming or ordinary sleep, and REM (rapid eye movement) or dreaming sleep. As soon as we fall asleep, we go straight into nondreamingsleep for an hour or so, then into REM sleep for about 15 minutes, then back into nondreaming sleep. It alternates in this way for the rest of the night, with nondreaming sleep tending to last longer at the beginning of the night. Nondreaming sleep occupies threequarters of our night’s sleep, about a quarter of it deep and the rest fairly light.
It is widely believed that sleep repairs the body and makes good the damage caused by being awake. However, its main function is to refresh the brain. Experts believe that probably only about twothirds of our sleep is necessary for repairing and refreshing the brain, with the most valuable sleep coming in the first few hours of the nondreaming period, the last few hours of sleep are not so essential. The brain can manage quite well with reduced sleep as long as it is uninterrupted sleep.
The quality of sleep is important. A study conducted in the USA looked at short sleepers, who slept for 5.5 hours on average, and long sleepers, who had 8.5 hours or more. It is discovered after a variety of tests that the long sleepers were poor sleepers, had twice as much REM sleep as the short sleepers, appeared to sleep longer to make up for poor sleep, and did not wake up in the morning refreshed. Similarly, people who sleep deeply do not necessarily get a better quality of sleep than shallow sleepers. Deep sleepers can feel tired the following day, so six hours of good sleep is worth more than eight hours of troubled sleep.
It can be concluded from the first paragraph that ______
All the following statements are true, EXCEPT for ______
Unlike the common belief, sleep helps ______ .
It can be inferred from the experts' ideas that _____ .
Which of the following is NOT discussed in the passage?
The word "irritating" in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to ______
This passage is the most likely taken from ______ .
Read the text below and look carefully at each sentence. Find errors at each sentence and correct them (there may be more than one error in each sentence).
If there is no mistake, write "x" in both blanks.
(1) The weight and pressure of icy accumulation causes glacier movement. (2) Glaciers move out from under them, via plastic deformation and basal slippage. (3) First, the internal flow of ice crystals begins to spread outward and downward from the thickened snowpack also known as the zone of accumulation. (4) Next, the ice along the ground surface begins to slip on the same direction. (5) Seasonal thawing at the basis of the glacier helps to facilitating this slippage. (6) The middle of a glacier moves faster than the sides and bottom because there was no rock to cause friction. (7) The above part of a glacier rides on the ice below. (8) As a glacier moves it carves out a U-shape valley to a riverbed, but with much steeper walls and a flat bottom. (9) Beside the extraordinary rivers of ice, glacial erosion creates other unique physical features in the landscape such as horns, fjords, hanging valleys, and cirques.
Mistake(s) in sentence (1):
Error: => Correction:
Mistake(s) in sentence (2):
Error: => Correction:
Mistake(s) in sentence (3):
Error: => Correction:
Mistake(s) in sentence (4):
Error: => Correction:
Mistake(s) in sentence (5):
Error: => Correction:
Error: => Correction:
Mistake(s) in sentence (6):
Error: => Correction:
Mistake(s) in sentence (7):
Error: => Correction:
Mistake(s) in sentence (8):
Error: => Correction:
Mistake(s) in sentence (9):
Error: => Correction:
Read the following passage and choose which of the headings from A - J match the blanks. There are two extra headings, which do not match any of the paragraphs.
List of headings
A. Holiday stress statistics
B. Stressful ‘perfect holidays’
C. Complex holiday preparations
D. Holiday complaints
E. Good advice for happy holidays
F. A mathematical model
G. Times have changed
H. How to relax after a holiday
I. Delayed relaxation
K. Physical and psychological effects of stress
The getaway blues
Formula explains why it takes so long to relax on holiday
Paragraph 1:
With so much to do, going on holiday is certainly no vacation. First, there’s the flight to arrange, then the hotel or villa to book, and that’s before you’ve sorted out the delicate matter of the beach outfit, evening wear and reading material.
Paragraph 2:
For much of the year, we fantasise about a long break from the relentless drive of the everyday grind. But making our dream holiday a reality is what makes the stress really kick in, so it is little wonder it takes most holidaymakers a good few days to relax after their arrival. No matter how idyllic the surroundings, there’s no immediate way to simply forget all about work, the children’s schooling, the leaking roof and all those other domestic issues we long to escape.
Paragraph 3:
Susan Quilliam, the psychologist, body language expert, and regular TV and radio commentator, states that stress creates actual changes in the body’s hormonal balance, which in turn leads to a changed psychological state. She continues by pointing out that stress caused by trying to arrange a holiday can be responsible for these hormonal changes in the body and that this can lead to dramatic mood alteration. These changes in mood can range from anxiety and irritability to a range of more serious psychological problems including mild depression.
Paragraph 4:
As if that weren’t bad enough, Ms. Quilliam goes on to say that these hormonal changes do not rectify themselves immediately when the stressful situation is removed. It can take the body a certain amount of time to regain its hormonal balance and for the individual to become relaxed again. That is why if we get stressed before the holiday, we may not be able to relax sufficiently to enjoy ourselves – often for several days after our arrival. We can be lying on a beach in the sunshine, but feeling stressed!
Paragraph 5:
So how many days of our holiday are going to be wasted recovering from going on holiday? Is it worth going on holiday at all? To answer these questions we now have a formula to calculate the amount of holiday time needed to recover from the stress of preparing for what should be our annual period of rest and recuperation. The formula, devised by Ms Quilliam, is calculated thus: time spent preparing for the holiday, multiplied by the level of stress caused by the preparation (on a scale of 0 to 9), then divided by the stress level of the holiday (on a scale of 1 to 15). The result is the number of recovery hours needed before relaxation is possible.
Paragraph 6:
Ms. Quilliam points out that today’s pressurized lifestyles mean that going on holiday is a lot more stressful. Taking a holiday is no longer a question of catching a bus to the nearest seaside resort with your bucket and spade. We not only have to organize foreign travel and negotiate long, complex journeys, we also have to settle our home and work matters before we go. Add in potential tension with travel partners and the psychological pressures of high expectations, and by the time we arrive at our destination, we’re stressed to the max!
Paragraph 7:
So according to Ms. Quilliam, the secret to a stress-free holiday is planning, choosing the right kind of holiday and having realistic expectations. This means concluding any unfinished work in the office and ensuring the little ones are sufficiently entertained during the trip. You must prepare and plan well in advance, don’t leave things to the last minute, make a list of the things that you need to do, and cross them off one by one. If you feel it’s all too much, then book an all inclusive holiday where you are transferred to the hotel, you don’t have to negotiate lots of different restaurants with the children, and you have a travel rep on hand to help you with any problems.
Paragraph 8:
The results of a survey commissioned by Lloyds TSB bank and carried out by Ms. Quilliam have confirmed her theories; today’s holidaymakers really are stressed out. More than 83 percent of people surveyed admitted to getting ‘severely stressed’ in the run-up to their holiday. More than a quarter of people admitted to needing the first few days of their holiday to recover. Some became so anxious they left without making essential arrangements and forgot things such as feeding the cat (11 per cent), taking out travel insurance (20 per cent), and cancelling the milk (12 per cent). Amazingly, a tiny minority of travellers (a little over 1 per cent) actually forgot to tell their bosses they were going on holiday!
The spectators got so angry that they had to cancel the football match.
=> Such .....
Even though I admire his courage, I think he's foolish.
=> Much ...........
No one stands a chance of beating Mansell in this year's championship.
=> It's foregone .....
Complete the second sentence using the word given so that it has the same meaning to the first.
This house is very different from the little flat we used to live in. (CRY)
=> This house .....
Complete the second sentence using the word given so that it has the same meaning to the first.
My parents are furious with me for getting a tattoo and so have grounded me. (ARMS)
=> My parents, who .....
Try to stay level with the other runners at the start of the race. (fall)
=> Try the other runners at the start of the race.
The police have put a barrier around the building to keep people out. (cordoned)
=> The building police.
The managing director always likes to welcome new employees on their first day. (point)
=> The managing director always new employees on their first day.
There’s no need for me to tell you that you’ll be paid handsomely for this. (saying)
=> It that you’ll be paid handsomely for this.
I’m sure she discussed this with Bob first. (word)
=> She this first.