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USE OF ENGLISH
PART A
Choose the best alternative to complete each blank:
First Passage
Evidence is accumulating that the brain works ( 1 ) like a muscle - the harder you use it, the more it
grows. ( 2 ) scientists had long believed the brain's circuitry was hard-wired by adolescence and inflexible
in adulthood, ( 3 ) newly ( 4 ) ability to change and adapt is ( 5 ) with us well into old age. Best of
all, this research has opened up an exciting world of possibilities for treating strokes and head ( 6 ) and
warding off Alzheimer's disease. ( 7 ) Harvard's David Hubel, who shared a Nobel Prize just 13 ( 8 ) for
vision experiments ( 9 ) parts of the brain become fixed in infancy, is surprised that new research shows
the brain "is much more ( 10 ) than we ever suspected."
1) a. very
b. a lot
c. hard
d. not at all
2) a. But
b. On the other hand
c. In spite of
d. Although
3) a. your
b. its
c. his
d. those
4) a. discovered
b. accepted
c. adopted
d. received
5) a. logically
b. badly
c. apparently
d. recently
6) a. hurts
b. brains
c. neurons
d. injuries
7) a. Except
b. Even
c. Not only
d. Again
8) a. years
b. long years
c. years old
d. years ago
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9) a. showing that
b. showed that
c. showing off
d. are showing
10) a. comfortable
b. modifiable
c. believable
d. affordable
Second Passage
India has 950 million people ( 11 ) only 12 million phone lines - one of ( 12 ) phone-density ratios in
the world. "Getting a phone is like ( 13 ) a jackpot," says Samir Singh, a telecom ( 14 ) in New Delhi.
More than 2 million people are waiting for the Department of Telecommunications to give them a
connection. It's often easier to place a call to New York ( 15 ) to reach someone in a ( 16 )
neighborhood. Customer service is appalling; subscribers must sometimes pay bribes to get ( 17 ) phone
fixed. ( 18 ) the horror stories, the situation has started to improve. Private investors, ( 19 ) , are now
building local networks. Satellite uplink facilities will ( 20 ) to private firms, and there is a rush to place
communications satellites over the vast country.
11) a. while
b. among
c. per
d. but
12) a. those
b. the lowest
c. which
d. a low
13) a. hitting
b. to hit
c. being hit
d. hit
14) a. consultant
b. consultative
c. consul
d. consult
15) a. as
b. in order
c. than
d. whether
16) a. friendly
b. distant
c. nearby
d. flat
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17) a. his
b. him a
c. its
d. their
18) a. However
b. Despite
c. On the other hand
d. Although
PART B
Compare the underlined sections in the passage with the alternatives and choose the best one:
First Passage
Robots ( 21 ) have been long stuck on the factory floor, welding car bodies and lifting heavy steel bars.
Now they are ( 22 ) liberating. Service robots, already at work in nuclear plants and under the sea, are
embarking on myriad new activities: ( 23 ) looking at the handicapped and elderly, cleaning offices and
hotel rooms, guarding commercial buildings. In laboratories ( 24 ) worldwide, hundreds of robots perform
( 25 ) much intricate tasks as ( 26 ) buying and mixing minute quantities of chemicals, medications and
even DNA. The Navy is starting to deploy tethered ( 27 ) undersea robotic devices with cutter-arms that
snip mines' mooring cables. Other ( 28 ) parts wide open for service robots include ( 29 ) support in
building and maintaining offshore oil platforms, assembling space stations, preparing fast foods, sorting (
30 ) especially for the U.S. Postal Service and inspecting high-tension electric wire.
21) a. NO CHANGE
b. long to
c. have long been
d. could be
22) a. NO CHANGE
b. breaking loose
c. lost
d. fine
23) a. NO CHANGE
b. going through
c. using
d. taking care of
24) a. NO CHANGE
b. wide open
c. somewhere
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d. of the world
25) a. NO CHANGE
b. an
c. such
d. relative
26) a. NO CHANGE
b. measuring
c. shaking
d. tasting
27) a. NO CHANGE
b. under the sea
c. below the sea
d. sea's depth
28) a. NO CHANGE
b. lands
c. fields
d. places
29) a. NO CHANGE
b. helping the
c. a complete
d. putting down the
30) a. NO CHANGE
b. it
c. out
d. packages
Second Passage
When the first ( 31 ) native Americans arrived, the bald eagle soared over ( 32 ) all North America.
Tens of thousands thrived in the United States through the ( 33 ) middle 1800th. For generations the
American eagle was a familiar and ( 34 ) thriller view. The great bird can weigh 15 pounds, have a
wingspan of seven feet and ( 35 ) live more thirty years in the wild and fifty years in ( 36 ) captivity.
The eagle can see in two different ways: scanning from ( 37 ) the part of the head or, as we do, straight
ahead to get a single picture. Its vision is ( 38 ) very bad - at least four times more acute than a human's
- that by one estimate, it ( 39 ) clearly spot another bird ( 40 ) there are 40 miles.
31) a. NO CHANGE
b. men
c. population
d. European settlers
32) a. NO CHANGE
b. out of South America
c. the American cities
d. in the sky
33) a. NO CHANGE
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b. 1800
c. mid-1800s
d. 1800 years
34) a. NO CHANGE
b. thrilling sight
c. common view
d. disturbing noise
35) a. NO CHANGE
b. within
c. live up to
d. must live
36) a. NO CHANGE
b. capture
c. capital
d. captive
37) a. NO CHANGE
b. a section
c. the surface
d. either side
38) a. NO CHANGE
b. so keen
c. partly good
d. so strange
39) a. NO CHANGE
b. can't
c. may be able to
d. should
40) a. NO CHANGE
b. until
c. far
d. at
PART C
Choose the correct alternative to complete each sentence:
42) Sarah suggested ___ downtown ___ the good quality of the products.
a. to go shopping ; since c. to go to shop ; as
b. going shopping ; due to d. going to shop for ; by
43) The talk will be called off ___ the lecturer has difficulties arriving ___ time.
a. unless ; at c. although ; in
b. in case; over d. if; on
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44) Opposite ___ my sister, I've never been good ___ arts.
a. to ; at c. to ; in
b. of ; in d. of ; on
46) The police ___ the burglar last night and, consequently, he ___ .
a. caught ; had been arrested c. had caught ; was arrested
b. caught ; was arrested d. had caught ; had been arrested
47) ___ Margareth ___ Brian are enrolled ___ the American Literature class.
a. Neither ; nor ; at c. Not only ; but also ; to
b. Both ; and ; in d. Either ; or ; for
48) ___ Whites will spend their summer vacation in ___ Caribean.
a. --- ; the c. The ; the
b. --- ; --- d. The ; ---
49) You may give me a call ___ you feel like ___ to someone.
a. when ; to talk c. when ; talk
b. whenever ; to talk d. whenever ; talking
52) Dad advised us ___ home very late at night because ___ law breakers around.
a. to get ; there are c. not get ; there were
b. don't get ; there will be d. not to get ; there might be
53) Sandy is using ___ car because ___ has broken down.
a. her ; she c. my ; hers
b. my ; her's d. mine ; she
56) The children are excited ___ the new video game.
a. in playing c. of playing
b. to playing d. about playing
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57) Lisa's parents traveled last week. She wishes she ___ with them.
a. went c. would go
b. had gone d. has gone
65) Everybody wanted to know ___ he stayed in New York or Washington, D.C.
a. if c. or
b. whether d. either
68) Each person in this room ___ fill in this application form.
a. is supposed to c. are supposed to
b. are willing to d. is expected that
69) Daniel caught a cold. ___ , he's going swimming this afternoon.
a. Otherwise c. Even so
b. Therefore d. As it is
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70) The ___ you talk the ___ it is; so why don't you keep quiet?
a. less ; worst c. most ; worst
b. least ; bet d. more ; worse
PART D
Choose the most appropriate word to match the definition:
73) The verbs ___ , collapse and desintegrate are closest in meaning.
a. fall apart b. build c. move apart d. knock down
75) Striped, checked, solid and polka dot are different types of ___ .
a. patterns b. sizes c. brands d. cloth
77) The public celebration when musical bands, brightly decorated vehicles, etc. move down the street is
called ___ .
a. commemoration b. parade c. promenade d. commencement
78) A bar fixed on the front and back of a car to protect it if it hits anything is a ___ .
a. bumper b. blinker c. trunk d. hood
79) The activity of buying, selling or exchanging goods within a country or between countries is called ___ .
a. buzz b. busy c. staff d. trade
80) A ___ is an area of low flat land that is always wet and soft.
a. desert b. marsh c. forest d. lake
PART E
Choose the best alternative to complete the sentences:
81) As it was ___ outside when I was about to leave, she invited me to spend the night there.
a. shivering b. pouring c. lighting d. storm
82) The hole in the ozone ___ has brought about bad consequences to our lives.
a. atmosphere b. place c. part d. layer
83) This article ___ people who have been suffering from AIDS.
a. concerns b. regards c. tells d. regrets
84) Nowadays, people don't have time to meet their old friends because of their ___ lives.
a. inherited b. religious c. fast d. hectic
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85) Their wedding will be next spring. They've been ___ for six months.
a. up to date b. engaged c. married d. fiance
86) In the past, it was necessary to use ___ to light up dark rooms.
a. a lit b. a beacon c. a torch d. a head light
90) One should often use a good ______ in order to avoid having dry skin.
a. perfume b. cleaner c. moisturizer d. moisture
91) Her children are so disobedient and they behave so badly! They're too ___ .
a. lenient b. naughty c. gentle d. fickle
92) She was ___ from the tragic car accident in which two people died.
a. rescued b. safe c. helped d. caught
93) He invited her to go to the movies but she turned him ___ twice.
a. off b. out c. in d. down
94) A lot of ___ will be set off at night for the celebration of the city's anniversary.
a. planes b. fireworks c. flying saucers d. kites
96) You'd better keep the crystal vases out of childrens ____.
a. look b. reach c. foot d. arms
97) Although Mrs. Adams cleaned the living room, we can see ___ on the coffee table.
a. grain b. powder c. dust d. lust
98) I try to be nice to salesmen when they ___ on my house, but some of them are too insistent.
a. call b. get c. try d. make
99) Many children get sick and die because of poor ___ .
a. arrangement b. implement c. nourishment d. resentment
100) Steve and I were talking about his next project when James broke ___ the conversation.
a. onto b.into c. off d. out
PART F
Read the passages and choose the correct answers:
Although it had its roots in German Expressionism and the private-eye novel, film noir fully emerged like a
walking hangover after World War II, a haunted shadow rising fromEurope's bombed-out rubble and Japan's
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radioactive ash - a slice of death drawn froma larger annihilation. Unlike the lusher Hollywood productions
of the period, where thelight was evenly dispensed and the actors perfectly placed, noir had a morbid bent,
emphasizing deep focus, skewed camera angles, rain-slick streets, clouded obscurity(smoke, steam, fog),
Kafkaesque compositions and high-contrast black and white. Anurban art, like jazz, graffiti, and pulp fiction,
noir had a neurotic propulsion perfect forthe pulse of New York. After all, New York City is the world capital
of neurosis - it'salmost a matter of civic pride. Freud's late-19th-century Vienna was a mere farm
system for the major-league jitters Manhattan came to symbolize in the 20th century. The city itself
stretches across its island slab like a patient on a psychiatrist's couch. The hectic pace, the struggle for
success and the fear of failure, the daily collision of so many smart mouths and hyperactive, hyperanalytical
brains - all contribute to the average turnstiler's restless unease. As the first port of call for millions of
immigrants, New York had a more pronounced sense of uprootedness than Los Angeles, the West Coast
capital of noir. L.A. noirs are set in deceptively peaceful groves and quiet bungalows where the corruption
and violence snake like evil into paradise.
103) Which of these terms was NOT used to refer to New York?
a. An urban art.
b. The world capital of neurosis.
c. A patient on a psychiatrist's couch.
d. The first port of call for immigrants.
Kathryn Rambo got a taste of the future recently, and she didn't like it one bit. Sure, she had a new $22,000
Jeep, five credit cards, an apartment and a $3,000 loan listed in her name. Problem was, she hadn't asked
for any of it. A woman impersonating her had, with the help of information lifted from Rambo's employee-
benefits form. Straightening out the mess took months of angry phone calls, court appearances and
legal expenses. Rambo was a victim of "identity theft," an increasingly common crime committed by
increasingly sophisticated swindlers. All they need is your full name or Social Security number, which they
drop into Internet databases that serve up info like your address, phone number, employer or driver's
license number. Then they're on their way - applying for credit using your good name. Security experts say
identity theft's high profitability and low penalties could make it as common as auto theft in the coming
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century. And identity theft is only one new form of millennial malfeasance. While new technology and
widening global trade have made enterprise more efficient, both have also opened new cracks in society's
defenses. Take commerce. As much as $117 billion in financial transactions will occur on-line by the year
2000, according to market researchers IDC. As banks go digital - in operations like trading stocks, paying
bills, making loans - the robbers will, too." The sheer size and speed of information networks will make them
impossible to monitor closely.
By the year 2000, an estimated one-and-a-half billion people - a quarter of the world's population - will
speak English. For some 400 million people, the majority of whom will be living in the United States and the
United Kingdom, English will be their first language. But for another 1.1 billion, English will be a second or
third language essential to both their professional and their personal lives. English is increasingly becoming
entrenched as the language of choice for business, science and popular culture. Three-quarters of the
world's mail, for example, is currently written in English, as is up to 80% of the electronic mail on the
Internet. Soon, more people will speak English as a foreign language than speak it as their mother tongue.
But why is English rising so far above the babble of the world's other tongues? There are no clear linguistic
reasons for English's global dominance. The grammar is complicated, the pronunciation eccentric, and the
spelling peculiar, to say the least. But, as David Crystal, author of "English as a global language" points out,
logic does not necessarily apply when building a lingua franca. "A language becomes powerful when a nation
becomes powerful," he says. This power may be military or cultural or economic - or in the case of the U.S.,
arbiter of world English, all of the above. Another key factor is flexibility. According to Crystal, "English is a
kind of vacuum cleaner of language - it sucks in vocabulary from any language it can get." Crystal estimates
that there are now words from more than 150 other languages incorporated into standard English.
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112) Which fact does the author use to show the increasing use of English?
a. The large amount of mail in English.
b. The number of people for whom English is a second language.
c. The Internet.
d. The fact that more people speak English as a foreign language than speak it
as their mother tongue.
The concept of quality time arrived on the scene in America in the early '70s, featured in a wave of research
including a now famous study by Alison Clarke-Stewart of the University of California, Irvine. She found (and
recent brain research backs her up) that the more actively mothers were involved with their babies, talking
and cooing, and so forth, the better it was for the babies' cognitive and social development. Babies
who spent time with their mothers but didn't get as much of the goo-gooing and eye contact did less well.
"But to be able to have that high-quality time, you have to invest a certain amount of pure time" says
Clarke-Stewart. "It's not just 10 minutes a week." Such nuances quickly dropped away as baby-boomer
couples found quality time an immense help in juggling two careers and a potty chair. Today it's not even
clear what most people mean when they use the term. All we reliably know is that whenever time with kids
is in short supply, calling it "quality time" makes parents feel better. Experts say that many of the most
important elements in children's lives - regular routines and domestic rituals, consistency, the sense that
their parents know and care about them - are exactly what's jettisoned when quality time substitutes for
quantity time.
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