Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word whose underlined part differs from the other three in pronunciation in each of the following questions. (Question 1, 2)
required
maintained
promoted
argued
same
safe
tall
late
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word that differs from the other three in the position of primary stress in each of the following questions. (Question 3, 4)
offer
achieve
insist
supply
customer
industry
candidate
tradition
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions. (Question 5-19)
He’s American, ______?
won’t he
isn’t he
didn’t he
doesn’t he
The flood victims ______ with food and clean water by the volunteers.
provide
were providing
provided
were provided
Many students are worried ______ the coming exam.
from
on
about
to
______ it is, the more uncomfortable we feel.
The hottest
Hottest
Hotter
The hotter
He was fascinated by the ______ car at the exhibition.
German old red
old red German
red German old
old German red
Mike ______ his favourite program on TV when the lights went out.
watches
was watching
is watching
watched
My uncle lives a happy life ______ his disability.
because
in spite of
though
because of
Mrs Brown will have worked at this school for 30 years ______.
after she had retired
when she retired
by the time she retires
as soon as she had retired
______ the report to the manager, she decided to take a rest.
To hand in
Having handed in
Being handed in
Handed in
This restaurant is ______ with those who like Vietnamese food.
popular
popularly
popularity
popularise
Tom’s brother asked him to ______ the music so that he could sleep.
close down
stand up
go up
turn down
When Linda was little, her mother used to ______ her a bedtime story every night.
talk
say
speak
tell
Students from other schools have to pay a small ______ to join the club.
fee
wage
salary
fare
As the season turns from spring to summer, some people feel a bit under the ______ and can’t concentrate fully on their work.
storm
rain
weather
climate
James had a cosy birthday party at home last Friday in the ______ of his close friends.
company
business
atmosphere
residence
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 20, 21)
It’s great to go out on such a lovely day.
modern
beautiful
ugly
old
Josh’s ambition is to become a successful businessman like his father.
dream
pleasure
doubt
patience
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 22, 23)
You should dress neatly for the interview to make a good impression on the interviewers.
untidily
formally
comfortably
unfairly
The Covid-19 pandemic has taken a heavy toll on the country’s aviation industry due to international travel restrictions.
severely damaged
considerably benefited
negatively changed
completely replaced
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 24, 25)
Tim is talking to Peter, his new classmate, in the classroom.
- Tim: “How far is it from your house to school, Peter?”
- Peter: “______.”
Not too expensive
A bit too old
Five hours ago
About five kilometres
Jack and David are talking about taking a gap year.
- Jack: “I think taking a gap year is a waste of time.”
- David: “______. It gives gap-year takers a lot of valuable experiences.”
It’s right
I agree with you
My pleasure
I don’t quite agree
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 26 to 30.
The Best Students
According to most professors, mature students are ideal students because they are hard-working and become actively involved in all aspects of the learning process. The majority of mature students have a poor educational (26) ______ but they manage to do exceptionally well at tertiary level. (27) ______ many of them have a job and children to raise, they are always present at seminars and lectures and always hand in essays on time. They like studying and writing essays and they enjoy the class discussions (28) ______ take place. Consequently, they achieve excellent results. In fact, as they have experienced many of life’s pleasures, they are content with their lives and this has a positive effect on their attitude, making them eager to learn.
On the other hand, despite their enthusiasm and commitment, mature students suffer from anxiety. The fact that they have made (29) ______ sacrifices to get into university puts extra pressure on them to succeed. Nevertheless, completing a degree gives mature students a sense of achievement, (30) ______ their confidence and improves their job prospects.
(Adapted from Use of English for All Exams by E. Moutsou)
basement
development
background
institution
But
And
So
Although
whom
which
when
where
much
many
another
every
surges
boosts
mounts
arises
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 31 to 35.
Marcel Bich, a French manufacturer of traditional ink pens, was the man turning the ballpoint pen into an item that today almost anyone can afford. Bich was shocked at the poor quality of the ballpoint pens that were available, and also at their high cost. However, he recognised that the ballpoint was a firmly established invention, and he decided to design a cheap pen that worked well and would be commercially successful.
Bich went to the Biro brothers and asked them if he could use the design of their original invention in one of his own pens. In return, he offered to pay them every time he sold a pen. Then, for two years, Bich studied the detailed construction of every ballpoint pen that was being sold, often working with a microscope.
By 1950, he was ready to introduce his new wonder: a plastic pen with a clear barrel that wrote smoothly, did not leak and only cost a few cents. He called it the ‘Bic Cristal’. The ballpoint pen had finally become a practical writing instrument. The public liked it immediately, and today it is as common as the pencil. In Britain, they are still called Biros, and many Bic models also say ‘Biro’ on the side of the pen, to remind people of their original inventors.
Bich became extremely wealthy thanks to his invention, which had worldwide appeal. Over the next 60 years his company, Société Bic, opened factories all over the world and expanded its range of inexpensive products. Today, Bic is as famous for its lighters and razors as it is for its pens, and you can even buy a Bic mobile phone.
(Adapted from Complete IELTS Workbook by Rawdon Wyatt)
What could be the best title for the passage?
Ballpoint Pen’s New Design – For Better or Worse?
From a Luxury Item to an Everyday Object
Biros – A Business Model in Britain
From Mobile Devices to Ballpoint Pens
The word “which” in paragraph 4 refers to ______.
factories
invention
range
According to the passage, which of the following is NOT mentioned as products of Bich’s company?
pencils
lighters
razors
mobile phones
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 36 to 42.
A study was set up to examine the old marriage advice about whether it’s more important to be happy or to be right. Couples therapists sometimes suggest that in an attempt to avoid constant arguments, spouses weigh up whether pressing the point is worth the misery of marital discord. The researchers from the University of Auckland noticed that many of their patients were adding stress to their lives by insisting on being right, even when it worked against their well-being.
The researchers then found a couple who were willing to record their quality of life on a scale of 1 to 10. They told the man, who wanted to be happy more than right, about the purpose of the study and asked him to agree with every opinion and request his wife had without complaint, even when he profoundly didn’t agree. The wife was not informed of the purpose of the study and just asked to record her quality of life.
Things went rapidly downhill for the couple. The man’s quality-of-life scores fell, from 7 to 3, over the course of the experiment. The wife’s scores rose modestly, from 8 to 8.5, before she became hostile to the idea of recording the scores. Rather than creating harmony, the husband’s agreeableness led to the wife becoming increasingly critical of what he did and said (in the husband’s opinion). After 12 days he broke down, and the study was called off because of “severe adverse outcomes.”
The researchers concluded, shockingly, that humans need to be right and acknowledged as right, at least some of the time, to be happy. They also noted this was further proof that if given too much power, humans tend to “assume the alpha position and, as with chimpanzees, they become very aggressive and dangerous.” It is often said that there can be no peace without justice, and that’s true of domestic sphere.
Obviously the results are to be taken with extreme caution, since this was just one couple with who-knows-what underlying issues beforehand. But the study’s chief author, Dr. Bruce Arroll, maintains that the question of happiness vs. rightness, theoretically, could be settled by scientific inquiry with a wider sample. “This would include a randomized controlled trial,” he says. “However, we would be reluctant to do the definitive study because of the concern about divorce.”
(Adapted from https://healthland.time.com)
Which best serves as the title for the passage?
Expert Advice: It Pays to be Kind rather than to be Right
Marriage Experiment: It’s Better to be Right than Happy
It Makes Sense to Avoid Marriage Conflicts
It’s Worth Listening to Experts for a Happy Marriage
The word “discord” in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to ______.
understanding
disloyalty
disagreement
status
In paragraph 1, the study was conducted in order to ______.
see if people are happy in their marriage
illustrate how to live a happier life
test an old piece of advice on marriage
find out the best advice for couples
The word “critical” in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to ______.
unequal
agreeable
disapproving
encouraging
The word “They” in paragraph 4 refers to ______.
chimpanzees
humans
researchers
results
Which of the following is NOT true, according to the passage?
In domestic sphere, peace can hardly be maintained without justice.
It was anticipated that people need to be regarded as right to be happy.
Having too much power in hand may lead to aggression among people.
The woman in the study was kept in the dark about its aim.
Which of the following can be inferred from paragraph 5?
Further research on the issue will definitely be conducted with a larger sample.
Studies of this kind will ultimately lead to divorce among the subjects.
The findings of the study are inconclusive due to its limited sample.
The researchers are willing to continue the study despite its bad influence.
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 43-45)
Yesterday morning, Joe arrives late for school for the first time. A B C D
D
A
C
B
The word “practical” in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to ______.
sharp
traditional
accurate
useful
According to paragraph 1, Marcel Bich was shocked because ______.
most people could not afford such a firmly established invention
a cheap pen could be designed with great commercial success
the ballpoint pens available were expensive despite their poor quality
a firm was not established to produce high-quality ballpoint pens
In different parts of the world, elephants are still hunted for its ivory tusks. A B C D
It is essential to provide high school students with adequate career orientation, so they A B
can make more informative decisions about their future major. C D
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the sentence that is closest in meaning to each of the following questions. (Question 46-48)
She last visited her home country ten years ago.
She didn’t visit her home country ten years ago.
She has visited her home country for ten years.
She hasn’t visited her home country for ten years.
She was in her home country for ten years.
“I’ll help you with the washing-up, Mary” he said.
He promised to help Mary with the washing-up.
He denied helping Mary with the washing-up.
He admitted helping Mary with the washing-up.
He refused to help Mary with the washing-up.
It’s necessary for you to drink enough water every day.
You may drink enough water every day.
You needn’t drink enough water every day.
You should drink enough water every day.
You mustn’t drink enough water every day.
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the sentence that best combines each pair of sentences in the following questions. (Question 49,50)
His parents are away on holiday. He really needs their help now.
If only his parents had been at home and could have helped him.
If his parents are at home, they can help him now.
As long as his parents are at home, they will be able to help him.
He wishes his parents were at home and could help him now.
He finally contracted the disease. He was aware of the importance of preventive measures only then.
But for his awareness of the importance of preventive measures, he could have contracted the disease.
Hardly had he been aware that preventive measures were essential when he contracted the disease.
Only after he had contracted the disease was he aware that preventive measures were essential.
Not until he was aware of the importance of preventive measures did he contract the disease.