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)

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)

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, ______?

The flood victims ______ with food and clean water by the volunteers.

Many students are worried ______ the coming exam.

______ it is, the more uncomfortable we feel.

He was fascinated by the ______ car at the exhibition.

Mike ______ his favourite program on TV when the lights went out.

My uncle lives a happy life ______ his disability.

Mrs Brown will have worked at this school for 30 years ______.

______ the report to the manager, she decided to take a rest.

This restaurant is ______ with those who like Vietnamese food.

Tom’s brother asked him to ______ the music so that he could sleep.

When Linda was little, her mother used to ______ her a bedtime story every night.

Students from other schools have to pay a small ______ to join the club.

As the season turns from spring to summer, some people feel a bit under the ______ and can’t concentrate fully on their work.

James had a cosy birthday party at home last Friday in the ______ of his close friends.

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. 

Josh’s ambition is to become a successful businessman like his father.

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.

The Covid-19 pandemic has taken a heavy toll on the country’s aviation industry due to international travel restrictions.

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: “______.”

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.”

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)

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?

The word “which” in paragraph 4 refers to ______.

According to the passage, which of the following is NOT mentioned as products of Bich’s company?

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?

The word “discord” in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to ______.

In paragraph 1, the study was conducted in order to ______.

The word “critical” in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to ______. 

The word “They” in paragraph 4 refers to ______.

Which of the following is NOT true, according to the passage?

Which of the following can be inferred from paragraph 5?

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

The word “practical” in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to ______.

According to paragraph 1, Marcel Bich was shocked because ______.

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.

“I’ll help you with the washing-up, Mary” he said.

It’s necessary for you to 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.

He finally contracted the disease. He was aware of the importance of preventive measures only then.