Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the option that b...

Read the following advertisement and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the option that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 1 to 6.

Speed reading is not just about reading first. It is also about how much information you can remember when you have finished reading. The World Championship Speed-Reading Competition says that its top competitors average between 1,000 and 2,000 words a minute. But they must remember at least 50 percent of this in order to qualify for the competition. Nowadays, speed reading has become an (1) ____________ in any environment (2) ____________ people have to master a large volume of information. Professional workers need reading skills to help them (3) ____________ many documents every day, while students under pressure to deal with assignments may feel they have to read more and read faster all the time.

(4) ____________ there are various methods to increase reading speed, the trick is deciding what information you want first. For example, if you only want a (5) ____________ outline of an issue, then you can skim the material quickly and extract the key facts. However, if you need to understand every detail in a document, then you must read it slowly enough to understand this. Even when you know how to ignore irrelevant detail, there are (6) ____________ improvements you can make to your reading style which will increase your speed.

Question 1.
A. academic essential skill
B. essential academic skill        

C. essential skill academic
D. skill academic essential

Question 2.
A. where
B. when
C. who
D. which

Question 3.
A. see through
B. come across
C. get through
D. look up

Question 4.
A. So
B. However
C. Although
D. Moreover

Question 5.
A. harsh
B. rough
C. hard
D. tough

Question 6.
A. another
B. others
C. lots
D. other

Read the following leaflet and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the option that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 7 to 12.

ANNOUNCEMENT: NEW POLICY IMPLEMENTATION

We are pleased (7) ____________ the implementation of a new policy designed to enhance our operational efficiency and foster a more collaborative working environment. The policy will be (8) ____________ starting from October 1st.

Key Highlights:

A. Enhanced Communication Channels: We are introducing (9) ____________ new internal communication platform to streamline project updates and interdepartmental collaboration.

B. Flexible Working Hours: In response to feedback and (10) ____________ to promote work-life balance, we are offering more flexible working hours. Detailed guidelines and application procedures will be provided.

C. Professional Development Opportunities: To support your career growth, we (11) ____________ the budget for professional development programs.

We believe these changes will greatly benefit our team and contribute to our success. Your cooperation is worth its weight in (12) ____________ as we transition to these new practices.

Question 7.
A. in announcing
B. by announcing
C. to announce
D. to announcing

Question 8.
A. effective
B. efficient
C. valuable
D. invaluable

Question 9.
A. other
B. Ø
C. the
D. a

Question 10.
A. at an effort
B. on an effort
C. in an attempt
D. for an attempt

Question 11.
A. will be increased
B. will be increasing        

C. are increased
D. will increase

Question 12.
A. mind
B. gold
C. soul
D. prime

Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the best arrangement of utterances or sentences to make a meaningful exchange or text in each of the following questions from 13 to 17.

Question 13.        

A.  Woman: And who am I speaking to?

B.  Man: Oh, hello! I'd like to order some  stationery, please.

C.  Woman: Thank you for calling Millennium Office Supplies. Gina speaking. How can I help you?

D.  Man: I am John Carter.

A. b – c – d – a
B. d – b – a – c
C. c – b – a – d
D. a – c – b – d

Question 14.        

A.  Ms. Ha: Sorry, I have another appointment at that time. But I’m free on Saturday morning.

B.  Lan: Ms. Ha, could I meet you on Thursday afternoon? I would like your advice on how to prepare for my university entrance exam next year.

C.  Ms. Ha: Ok, then. See you on Saturday in the staff room.

D.  Lan: That would be good for me. What time suits you best?

e. Ms. Ha: Around 9 o’clock?

f. Lan: Yes, sounds good. Thank you, Ms. Ha.

A. b – a – d – e – f – c
B. c – a – b – f – d – e        

C. b – a – c – e – d – f
D. c – b – f – e – a – d

Question 15.         

Dear Jane,

A. I intend to invite about 10 people, so it will be a small gathering.

B. As the school year is coming to an end, I'm giving a farewell party before we go away for holiday.
C. I will order some pizzas and buy snacks and fruits. There will be dancing and karaoke competition, so there will be a lot of fun.

D. It will be held at my home at 7 p.m. this coming Sunday.

e. That’s all what I’m planning, and please let me know if you can come. Just leave me a message on the phone if you can't catch me at home.

Your friend,

Lana

A. b – d – a – c – e
B. b – e – a – d – c        

C. b – d – e – a – c
D. b – a – e – c – d

Question 16.         

A. Education plays a crucial role in bridging these gaps, fostering a sense of empathy and tolerance among diverse populations.

B. This constant interaction allows individuals to broaden their horizons and develop a deeper understanding of others.

C. Furthermore, the media can either facilitate positive intercultural exchange or, conversely, perpetuate stereotypes and deepen divides.

D. The evolving nature of multicultural societies presents both promise and complexity.

e. However, the process of integration is not always smooth, as it can give rise to cultural clashes and misunderstandings.

f. It is therefore essential that media outlets present balanced narratives that promote understanding rather than division.      

A. d – b – e – a – c – f
B. d – a – b – c – f – e        

C. d – f – e – a – c – b
D. d – e – b – a – c – f

Question 17.         

A. It emphasizes that individuals should not be discriminated against or disadvantaged based on their gender identity.

B. When everyone, regardless of their gender, is given the opportunity to reach their full potential, it leads to stronger economies, healthier communities, and a fairer, more inclusive society.

C. Achieving gender equality involves breaking down traditional stereotypes and biases, promoting equal access to education, healthcare, and employment;

D. This also ensures that women and men have an equal voice in decision-making processes.

e. Gender equality is a fundamental principle that advocates for equal rights, responsibilities, and opportunities for all, regardless of their gender.

f. Gender equality is not only a matter of social justice but also has significant economic and societal benefits.

A. f – d – a – b – e – c
B. b – d – a – e – f – c         

C. c – f – a – d – e – b
D. e – a – c – d – f – b        

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the best answer to each of the following questions from 23 to 30.

Is the west falling out of love with the car? For environmentalists it seems an impossible dream, but it is happening. While baby boomers and those with young families may carry on using four wheels, a combination of our ageing societies and a new attitude among the young seems to be breaking our 20th- century car addiction. Somewhere along the road, we reached the high point of the car and are now cruising down the other side.

The phenomenon was first recognised in “The Road Less Traveled”, a 2008 report by the Brookings Institution in Washington DC, but had been going on largely unnoticed for years. Japan reached it in the 1990s. They talked there of “demotorisation”. The west had its tipping point in 2004. That year the US, UK, Germany, France, Australia and Sweden all saw the start of a decline in the number of kilometres the average person travelled in a car that continues today.

What could be driving us off the road? Fuel costs and rising insurance premiums may be a factor. And urban gridlock, combined with an absence of parking places and congestion charging, makes an increasing number of us look on the car as a dumb way to move around in cities where there are public transport alternatives. Demographics are another possible explanation. It is surely no accident that “peak car” happened first in Japan, which has the world’s oldest population. Pensioners do not drive to work, and many don’t drive at all. There is also the rise of “virtual commuters” who work from home via the Internet.

Besides these new employment patterns, leisure lifestyles are also changing. Social scientists detect a new “culture of urbanism”. The stylish way to live these days is in inner-city apartments, not the suburbs. Richard Florida, an urban studies theorist at the University of Toronto in Canada, points out that the young shop online, telecommute, live in walkable city neighbourhoods near public transport and rely more on social media and less on face-to-face visiting. Given those changes, they can think of better ways to spend their money than buying a car.

Some think car use will revive if and when economies recover. But it looks like something more profound is going on. Florida calls it a “great reset” in society that will have profound consequences – not least for the environment. Even our most treasured consumer aspirations can have a peak. Enough can be enough.

(Adapted from Compact Advanced by Peter May)

Question 23. Which best serves as the title for the passage?

        A. Road Travel Trends: An In-Depth Examination

        B. Motormania's Decline: A Comprehensive View

        C. Environmental Reset: A Significant Shift

        D. Gen Z's Role: An Analytical Perspective

Question 24. The word “cruising” in paragraph 1 is CLOSEST in meaning to ____________.

A. speeding
B. voyaging
C. travelling aggressively
D. driving slowly

Question 25. According to paragraph 3, what is stated regarding decline in motorization?

        A. Numbers of remote work are experiencing a decline.

        B. Surging petrol prices may be a contributing factor.

        C. Increased car usage due to added parking spaces.

        D. Japanese seniors are experiencing a lack of car accessibility.

Question 26. The word “they” in paragraph 4 refers to ____________.

A. changes
B. studies
C. neighbourhoods
D. youngsters

Question 27. Which of the following is TRUE, according to the passage?

        A. Virtual commuters prefer to live in inner-city apartments rather than the cities’ outskirts.

        B. Private transport usage has risen considerably as a result of congestion pricing.

        C. The Japanese witnessed a decline in motorisation prior to other Western nations.

        D. People today enjoy using social media more than visiting friends and family face to face.

Question 28. The word “profound” in paragraph 5 is OPPPOSITE in meaning to ____________.

A. serious
B. thorough
C. trivial
D. important

Question 29. Which paragraph mentions a neglected document about the reduction in car use?

A. Paragraph 1
B. Paragraph 2
C. Paragraph 3
D. Paragraph 4

Question 30. Which paragraph mentions a change in modern lifestyle that affects car use?

A. Paragraph 2
B. Paragraph 3
C. Paragraph 4
D. Paragraph 5

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the best answer to each of the following questions from 31 to 40.

             On the surface, a desert appears to be one of the harshest environments on Earth yet a remarkable variety or plants have adapted to thrive in this dry climate. Despite their origins in different locations around the globe, desert plants have developed similar strategies for surviving in arid environments. Some plants have adapted in such a way that it is hard to tell them apart even though they belong to very different biological families, one evolution of certain survival strategies which are shared across geographic and biological boundaries.

             In general, the survival strategies of desert plants can be divided into two kinds: adaptation for quick use of ephemeral resources (“maximum variance behavior”) and adaptation for the best use of poor but more permanent resources (“minimum variance behavior”). The former strategy involves adaptation to environmental changes, such as seasonal availability of water. This is observed in desert annuals and perennials alike. Such plants tend to grow rapidly and produce many seeds under the right conditions. The latter strategy involves adaptation to the worst possible conditions, which can be seen in succulents, true xerophytes, and grasses. These plants usually grow slowly, use water efficiently, and exhibit passive cooling.

Water scarcity and heat are the key factors limiting the survival of desert plants. [I] Depending on strategies and physical adaptations, they can be divided into either succulents or drought-resistant plants. For the most part, succulents have evolved extensive, shallow root systems to quickly absorb water during brief periods of heavy rainfall. [II] Water is then stored in the fleshy tissue of their thick trunks or lobes, as well as in the roots. The cactus is a good example of a succulent. [III] To retain water, succulents have waxy coatings on their skin and a modified system of respiration. The stomata (surface pores), through which the plant takes in carbon dioxide and releases oxygen, open only at night when temperatures are cooler and less water from the plant will evaporate. [IV] Unlike most other plants, a succulent stores all or most of its chlorophyll, the chemical essential to photosynthesis, in its stem, skin, or other outer tissues, rather than concentrating it in the leaves. Doing this places it in a strong, well-watered part of the plant, rather than in an appendage susceptible to drying out and dropping off.

Drought-resistant plants, or xerophytes, come in many forms including true xerophytes, deciduous plants, and grasses. Xerophytic shrubs, such as the five species of creosote bush, are the most abundant type of vegetation in most arid environments. They are able to withstand desiccation in severe droughts without dying. Some have evolved small leaves with special coatings to reduce loss of water through evaporation. Others have replaced leaves with thorns or spines. While succulent roots form shallow, dense webs, xerophytes tend to develop deep root networks that pull water out of soil other desert plants cannot reach. For example, the roots of the mesquite bush, said to have the deepest root systems among desert plants, can reach depths of up to eighty feet.

Succulents and xerophytes, on the one hand, have physically adapted to gather and retain water to survive long periods of drought. Drought-avoiding plants, on the other hand, escape unfavorable conditions by perishing. These include annuals and perennials. Because profuse seed development is crucial to the survival of most annual species, they tend to produce far more flowers than other types of desert plants. The desert marigold of the American southwest, for example, has adapted to seasonal changes in rainfall by growing rapidly, bursting into a brilliant display of yellow flowers, and then dropping a cascade of seeds before dying. In some cases, annuals complete their entire life cycle in a matter of a few weeks or months. Their seeds may remain inactive for up to ten years while waiting for wetter conditions. Perennials, such as the ocotillo, may go dormant during dry periods, spring to life when it rains, and then return to dormancy in a process that may occur up to five times per year.

                                                                                 (Adapted from Expert on Cambridge IELTS practice tests)

Question 31. According to paragraph 1, which of the following is true of desert plants?

        A. They are hard to see in the harsh desert landscape

        B. They have evolved similar features, regardless of geographic origins

        C. They have evolved from different families that exchanged survival strategies

        D. They all look essentially the same.

Question 32. The word “ephemeral” in the passage is closest in meaning to ____________.

A. minimal
B. annual
C. temporary
D. abundant

Question 33. Where in paragraph 3 does the following sentence best fit?

“Plants that have adapted to the worst possible conditions have evolved ways for quickly acquiring and storing water to ensure their survival.”

A. [I]
B. [II]
C. [III]
D. [IV]

Question 34. Why does the author mention the action of stomata in the passage?

        A. To explain how chlorophyll works         

        B. To emphasize a unique adaptation of succulents

        C. To illustrate that cacti have no leaves.         

        D. To describe the basic parts of a succulent

Question 35. Which of the following best paraphrases the underlined sentence in paragraph 4?

A. At the same time that xerophytes evolved their thick webs of low-lying roots, succulents formed thin networks to reach surface water.

B. Both succulents and xerophytes form long, dense networks of roots in order to reach water within the soil that non-developed plants could not reach.

C. Because of their long roots systems developed to reach water deep within the soil, xerophytes have become more dominant in desert environments than succulents

D. In contrast to xerophytes, which produce long root systems to tap water deep within the soil, succulents develop a thick web of roots just below the soil surface.

Question 36. According to paragraph 4, thorns on xerophytes ____________.

A. are similar to blades of grass.                 

B. can reach water very far underground

C. are what some plants have instead of leaves         

D. help keep the plants from being eaten by animals

Question 37. Which of the following best summarizes of the fourth passage?

A. Xerophytes are drought-resistant plants with deep root systems and adaptations like small leaves or thorns, enabling them to survive in arid environments

B. Xerophytes, mainly shrubs like the creosote bush, have shallow roots and large leaves to absorb as much water as possible in arid environments.

C. Xerophytes are the only type of vegetation in deserts, and they survive by growing very quickly after rainfalls to absorb water.

D. Xerophytes, such as the mesquite bush, are drought-resistant plants that only survive in areas with frequent rainfall by developing thorns and spines.

Question 38. The word “these” in paragraph 5 refers to ____________.

A. xerophytes
B. drought-avoiding plants        

C. succulents
D. unfavorable conditions

Question 39. According to the author, all of the following are associated with plants that exhibit “minimum variance behavior” EXCEPT ____________.

A. slow growth
B. modified respiration         

C. rapid seed production
D. deep root systems

Question 40. Which statement about a perennial plant called “ocotillo” is supported by the text?

        A. It completes its entire life cycle in a single rainy season.

        B. It can switch between dormancy and active growth multiple times in one year.

        C. It survives drought by storing water in thick, fleshy leaves.

        D. It avoids drought by producing seeds and then dying immediately.