Mock Test 14
Mock Test 14
Mock Test 14
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21. The noisy music ________ the students from their test.
A. distracted B. disrupted C. dissolved D. disqualified
22. Health food is now ________ in popularity.
A. growing B. raising C. getting D. flying
23. ________ fire, please break the glass and ring the bell.
A. In case of B. During C. Because of D. With a view to
24. Left-handed children are said to be ________ to accidents in the kitchen.
A. prone B. clear C. subject D. bound
25. It was ________ of Harry to arrive late and then try to dominate the meeting.
A. common B. usual C. ordinary D. typical
26. During their first date, Jane had nervously peppered the conversation with ________ talk.
A. unimportant B. tiny C. small D. trivial
27. The match will be screened on ITV with ________ commentary by Andy Gray.
A. lively B. live C. alive D. living
28. The job creation scheme is still in its ________.
A. childhood B. babyhood C. opening D. infancy
29. I am subjected to ________ smoking in the office and at home.
A. passive B. inactive C. involuntary D. reluctant
30. Dr. Chen advised me to use this remedy in ________ as it is extremely potent.
A. restraint B. moderation C. control D. regulation
31. I’m ________ my brother is.
A. nowhere like so ambitious B. nothing near as ambitious as
C. nothing as ambitious than D. nowhere near as ambitious as
32. Reports are coming in that a flood has hit a heavily-________ area in the south of India.
A. crowded B. personalised C. peopled D. populated
33. It was ________ a victory that even Smith’s fans couldn’t believe it.
A. such surprising B. so surprising C. too surprising D. surprising
34. I always clean the flat before my mom comes round, but she always finds at least one ________ of dust and
says it’s filthy.
A. scrap B. gust C. speck D. blade
35. Everyone ________ around the old woman on the floor, but no one offered her any help.
A. crowded B. spread C. put D. hang
36. I do agree there ________ simple solution to this problem.
A. is no B. be not C. not to be D. not being
37. I know you didn’t want to upset me but I’d sooner you ________ me the whole truth yesterday.
A. could have told B. told C. have told D. had told
38. As the drug took ________, the patient became quieter.
A. effect B. force C. influence D. action
39. The dawn redwood appears ________ some 100 million years ago in northern forests around the world.
A. was flourished B. having to flourish C. to have flourished D. have flourished
40. His comments ________ little or no relation to the facts and the figures of the case.
A. reflect B. bear C. give D. possess
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II/ CHOOSE THE WORD OR PHRASE THAT BEST FITS EACH SPACE IN THE FOLLOWING PASSAGE. (15 PTS)
We often assume the best way to (1)________ to a decision is to spend ages taking into account a lot of
information before we arrive at our conclusion. We (2)________ the evidence in the belief that instant decisions
are unreliable. However, there are arguments for a reassessment of that (3)________. It may be that (4)________
our subconscious mind does a better job in a moment than our conscious mind does.
When Evelyn Harrison, a(n) (5)________ on sculpture, was shown a statue that the J. Paul Getty Museum had
purchased for $10 million, she (6)________ out that it was a fake. It came (7)________ a shock to the museum.
Harrison was (8)________ to explain why she had formed that impression, but it was enough to (9)________ doubt
on the statue. Now most experts have come round to her (10)________, but how did she (11)________ the
difference between that and the (12)________ article so quickly? It’s probable that her subconscious mind sorted
through information that escaped the (13)________ of her conscious mind. Although we are rarely, (14)________,
aware of our subconscious mind, it can be surprisingly (15)________.
1. A. come B. go C. reach D. make
2. A. measure B. observe C. weigh D. give
3. A. outlook B. view C. proof D. support
4. A. many a time B. from time to time C. all the time D. the time of the life
5. A. scholar B. specialist C. artist D. expert
6. A. put B. figured C. mumbled D. blurted
7. A. as B. with C. in D. by
8. A. incapable B. difficult C. unable D. hard
9. A. put B. lay C. cast D. place
10. A. place B. position C. argument D. point
11. A. make B. tell C. realize D. seek
12. A. inimitable B. true C. actual D. real
13. A. notice B. procession C. realization D. guard
14. A. let alone B. in fact C. even then D. if ever
15. A. influential B. dependent C. effective D. productive
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In the early days of the United States, postal charges were paid by the recipient and charges varied with the
distance carried. In 1825, the United States Congress permitted local postmasters to give letters to mail carriers for
home delivery, but these carriers received no government salary and their entire compensation depended on what
they were paid by the recipients of individual letters.
In 1847 the United States Post Office Department adopted the idea of a postage stamp, which of course
simplified the payment for postal service but caused grumbling by those who did not like to prepay. Besides, the
stamp covered only delivery to the post office and did not include carrying it to a private address. In Philadelphia,
for example, with a population of 150,000, people still had to go to the post office to get their mail. The confusion
and congestion of individual citizens looking for their letters was itself enough to discourage use of the mail. It is
no wonder that, during the years of these cumbersome arrangements, private letter-carrying and express businesses
developed. Although their activities were only semilegal, they thrived, and actually advertised that between Boston
and Philadelphia they were a half day speedier than the government mail. The government postal service lost
volume to private competition and was not able to handle efficiently even the business it had.
Finally, in 1863, Congress provided that the mail carriers who delivered the mail from the post offices to
private addresses should receive a government salary, and that there should be no extra charge for that delivery.
But this delivery service was at first confined to cities, and free home delivery became a mark of urbanism. As late
as 1887, a town had to have 10,000 people to be eligible for free home delivery. In 1890, of the 75 million people
in the United States, fewer than 20 million had mail delivered free to their doors. The rest, nearly three-quarters of
the population, still received no mail unless they went to their post office.
1. What does the passage mainly discuss?
A. The increased use of private mail services B. The development of a government postal system
C. A comparison of urban and rural postal services D. The history of postage stamps.
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2. It can be inferred from the first paragraph that in the USA in the early 19 century ______.
A. the recipient had to pay to receive the letters B. the recipient paid the same for all kinds of letters
C. postage stamps for letters came into use D. the mail carriers earned a lot of money from the
government
3. Which of the following was seen as a disadvantage of the postage stamp?
A. It had to be purchased by the sender in advance. B. It increased the cost of mail delivery.
C. It was difficult to affix to letters. D. It was easy to counterfeit.
4. Why does the author mention the city of Philadelphia?
A. Its postal service was inadequate for its population. B. It was the site of the first post
office in the United States.
C. It was the largest city in the United States in 1847. D. It was commemorated by the
first United States postage stamp.
5. In the 1950s, ______.
A. American people were happy with every postal service
B. people in Philadephia had their letters delivered free of charge by the government
C. there was a preference among Americans for private mail services
D. the American government managed their mail businesses satisfactorily
6. The word "THEY" refers to ______.
A. Boston and Philadelphia B. businesses C. arrangements D. letters
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7. The private postal services of the 19 century claimed that they could do which of the following better than the
government?
A. Deliver a higher volume of mail B. Deliver mail more cheaply
C. Deliver mail faster D. Deliver mail to rural areas
8. In 1863 the United States government began providing which of the following to mail carriers?
A. A salary B. Housing C. Transportation D. Free postage stamps
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9. All of the following statements are true of the American postal service in the second half of the 19 century
EXCEPT ______.
A. Delivery service distinguishes cities from the countryside.
B. People paid more to get their letters delivered to their home.
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C. Small towns did not provide delivery service.
D. About 55 million people had to get to the post office to receive their mail.
10. The word "CONFINED" is closest in meaning to ______.
A. granted B. scheduled C. limited D. recommended
V/ SUPPLY THE APPROPRIATE FORMS OF WORDS IN THE BRACKETS. (15 PTS)
1. The students were ______________________________ to hear that the class had been cancelled. (JOY)
2. A sports club has just been established and aims to have a ______________________________ of 500 in the
next two years. (MEMBER)
3. The spectators booed when the second goal was ______________________________. (ALLOW)
4. ______________________________, we didn’t buy better quality goods from the beginning. (REGRET)
5. A fatal ______________________________ was made by air traffic control. (CALCULATE)
6. Despite having a ______________________________ job, she has difficulty making ends meet. (PAY)
7. When the lab findings and the research results were ______________________________, an amazing
discovery came to light. (RELATE)
8. I really believe that it would be a major mistake to ______________________________ any drugs that are
currently illegal. (CRIME)
9. The attack in the city center last night is said to ______________________________ the kind of behaviour
amongst young people that many people object to. (EXAMPLE)
10. Theo and his twin brother are always together. They are ______________________________. (SEPARATE)
11. Reading is an effective way to ______________________________ your vocabulary. (RICH)
12. John considers reading others’ diaries an ______________________________ invasion of privacy. (PERMIT)
13. His failure in the exam was a real ______________________________ for his parents. (LET)
14. There is ______________________________ a great demand for organic vegetables. (DENY)
15. Having a deep ______________________________ of strangers, he felt reluctant to talk to the newcomer.
(TRUST)
VI/ SUPPLY EACH BLANK WITH ONE SUITABLE WORD. (15 PTS)
The development of the sport of skateboarding can be (1)_______ back to the early 1890s, when children in
California first used wooden boards to ‘surf’ the streets. During the 1950s, the (2)_______ of the sport increased
and manufacturers began producing the first factory-made boards. By the 1960s, the sport had (3)_______ an
impressive following, not just in the USA, but (4)_______.
However, by 1965, (5)_______ about safety resulted in regulations being (6)_______ to ban skateboarding in
most public places in the USA. This effectively killed the sport there for the next decade. Companies that had been
making a (7)_______ selling skateboards suddenly faced huge losses and many (8)_______ out of business. Over
the next eight years a few enthusiasts continued practicing the sport but, although they tried hard to raise its profile,
they were (9)_______ in their efforts.
Then in 1973, some technological breakthroughs revolutionized the sport. The invention of new materials
(10)_______ that manufacturers (11)_______ strengthen the boards but at the same time make them lighter and
more maneuverable. Such improvements also made the boards (12)_______ dangerous and pressure from an
increasing number of users (13)_______ to the installation of special skateboarding parks. Despite the various
(14)_______ it has suffered over the years, the sport is now stronger than (15)_______.
VII/ REWRITE THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES WITHOUT CHANGING THE MEANING. (20 PTS)
1. He played so well that he received a standing ovation from the audience. (SUCH)
His ___________________________________________________________________________
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2. Sam tried extremely hard to convince her, but it was no use. (BRING)
Hard __________________________________________________________________________
3. Unless you take the train, you will be late for work. (MAKE)
Only by _______________________________________________________________________
4. Surprisingly, the website wouldn’t allow me to access certain pages. (WHICH)
The website denied ______________________________________________________________
5. She worked hard during her final year. Therefore, she easily got admitted to this prestigious high school.
(INDUSTRY)
Had it ___________________________________________________________________________
6. Looking back, I really believe I did everything I could to stop her. (MORE)
I can honestly say, with _____________________________________________________________
7. When he arrived at the airport, his family welcomed him warmly. (GIVEN)
On ______________________________________________________________________________
8. “I must say goodbye to Peter at the airport,” said Helen. (OFF)
Helen insisted ______________________________________________________________________
9. Jane said it would be a good idea if I called in the plumber to check the plumbing. (CHECKED)
Jane urged ________________________________________________________________________
10. Arguing about the referee’s decision would be a waste of time. (ARGUMENT)
There’s ___________________________________________________________________________
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