LEXICO-GRAMMAR (60 pts)

I. Choose the best answer (A, B, C, or D) to each of the following questions and write your answers in
the correspondent numbered boxes. (20 pts)
1. At school he had a good academic record, and also __________ at sports.
A. prevailed B. excelled C. surpassed D. achieved
2. Christine’s face _______ up when she heard the good news.
A. showed B. cleaned C. warmed D. lit
3. I think Candy _______ the prize if she plays this well during the competition.
A. is in for winning B. may as well win C. is set for winning D. is bound to win
4. Mrs. Brown always ________ in a crowd because she wore large hats.
A. found against B. looked up C. stood out D. showed up
5. She ________ on the computer for more than two hours when she decided to stop for a rest.
A. has worked B. has been working
C. was working D. had been working
6. ______ lectures at your university?
A. Haven’t students got to attended B. Don’t students have to attend
C. Needn’t students have attended D. Mustn’t students to attend
7. To get a passport, you must send in your birth ________ and two photos.
A. certificate B. license C. paper D. card
8. Have you ever visited New York harbor _________ the famous Statue of Liberty stands?
A. on where B. that C. on that D. where
9. _________ smart he was, he couldn't figure out how to solve the puzzle.
A. Although B. However C. Much as D. Despite
10. Mary is so______ that people told her all their troubles.
A. dependent B. confidential C. permission D. sympathetic
11. It’s essential that every student ______ the exam before attending the course.
A. pass B. passes C. would pass D. passed
12. Ancient Egyptians mummified their dead through the use of chemicals, ________ancient Peruvians did
through natural processes.
A. because B. whereas C. even though D. whether or not
13. I wrote to them a fortnight ago but ______ I haven’t had a reply.
A. as yet B. these days C. so long D. just now
14. It’s not surprising that he became a writer because he always longed to see his name______.
A. in type B. in print C. in letters D. in edition
15. The prospects of picking up any survivors are now ______.
A. thin B. narrow C. slim D. restricted
16. Marge walked away from the discussion. Otherwise, she ______ something she would regret later.
A. will say B. might say C. said D. might have said
17. Rita's very________and easily gets upset when people criticize her.
A. sensitive B. level-headed C. sensible D. open-minded
18. "Fantastic sale. Everything must be sold _______of the price!"
A. regardless B. in vain C. despite D. without
1 9 . In bacteria and in other organisms, _______ _is the nucleic acid DNA that provides the genetic
information.
A. both B. and C. it D. which
20.________ I am aware, there were no problems during the first six months.
A. As far as B. So much as C. Much more than D. Except that

Your answers
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20.
II. Fill each gap of the following sentences with the correct form of the word in brackets. Write your
answers in the correspondent numbered boxes. (20 pts)
1. Water _________are things such as detergents, pesticides, oil, and other chemicals. (POLLUTE)
2. There are so many swear words in this article that I think it’s________. (PRINT)
3. Under her fine editorship, ________ has increased by 100,000. (CIRCULATE)
4. Deaths caused by reckless driving are ________. (AVOID)
5. In electronics, we learn to repair______ appliances. (HOUSE)
6. A recent report has warned of global food _______ unless the current system of farming and food
distribution is changed. (SHORT)
7. Increasing world ______ will lead to the rise in demand for energy, food and fresh water.
(PROSPEROUS)
8. The spiral and the helix are everywhere, ______, curving shapes whose incredible regularity contrasts so
sharply with the random world around them. (GRACE)
9. Although a vast amount of information, imagery, and commentary has been made available, it is difficult
to determine the authenticity and______ of information contained in web pages. (RELY)
10. In many countries, mobile phones now ______ _land-line telephones, with most adult and many
children now owning mobile phones. (NUMBER)

Your answers
1. 6.
2. 7.
3. 8.
4. 9.
5. 10.

III. Fill in the gaps of the following sentences with suitable particles or prepositions. Write the
answers in the corresponding numbered boxes. (0) has been done as an example. (10pts)
0. Poachers aren’t being punished enough for their crimes; many are let _______ without charges.
1. She’s a nature enthusiast and she will certainly jump______ the opportunity of visiting Yellow Stone
National Park.
2. “Please go on talking while I’m jotting_______ my notes.” he said.
3. Unless your wife stops leading her extravagant lifestyle, you won’t get _______ on the poor salary you
obtain.
4. It's like banging your head _____ a brick wall.
5. This led _____ the criticism that the music they played was no longer relevant to today's South Africans.
6. I wish my friends would call me first before they drop______.
7. He came ______ a large sum of money when his uncle died.
8. You look tired. Are you ______ the weather?
9. The book abounds ______ close-up images from space.
10. A brief outline of the course were handed ______ to the students at the first meeting.

Your answers
0. off 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

IV. There is ONE mistake in each of the following sentences. Find out the mistake and correct it.
Write your answers in the correspondent numbered boxes. No. (0) has been done for you. (10pts)
0. Most people are afraid from sharks.
1. A dolphin locates underwater objects in its path by doing a series of clicking and whistling sounds.
2. The council said that they had no option apart to closing the sports center.
3. More than 600 million individual bacterium live on the skin of humans.
4. In several parts of Asia, there is still a strong market for traditional medicines making from these animal
parts.
5. If a species does not have the natural genetic protection against particular diseases, an introduced disease
can have severely effects on that species.
6. The number of the books in the library have risen to over five million.
7. I'm tired because I stayed up late to do all my homeworks last night.
8. Sliding across the snow at skis is one of the most ancient methods of transport known to man.
9. At a crime scene, the police will tell you to get back although they don’t want civilians to interfere with
the investigation.
10. At school I disliked the chemistry’s teacher because she was always picking on me.
Your answers
Mistake Correction Mistake Correction
0. from of
1. 6.
2.. 7.
3. 8.
4. 9.
5. 10.

READING (50 points)

I. For the following questions, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each gap. Use
only one word in each gap. Write your answer in corresponding numbered boxes. (10pts)
The Great Pyramid of Giza is probably the most famous of the seven wonders of the ancient world. It
___________ (1) built by King Khufu (known as Cheops to the Greeks) around 2450 BC, and its neighbor,
___________ (2) is a little smaller, was constructed later __________ (3) his son Khefren. By the time of
the beautiful Queen Cleopatra, they _________ (4) already stood against the desert skyline through the
reigns of more ___________ (5) a hundred kings or pharaohs. For centuries archaeologists have puzzled
over the reasons for their construction. Now a new solution __________ (6) the mystery has been proposed,
according to which Great Pyramid was intended as a focus for __________ (7) pharaoh’s complicated
funeral ceremony. Astronomers think the narrow passages __________ (8) from the royal burial chambers
were aligned with certain stars in the 26,000-year cycle of the constellations, ___________ (9) that the dead
king’s soul could be launched to the stars. The latest discovery is a hitherto unopened door in the depths of
the Pyramid. Who can imagine what ___________ (10) behind it?
Your answers
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8 9. 10.

II. Read the following passage and decide which answer (A, B, C, or D) best fits each gap. Write your
answer in corresponding numbered boxes. (10pts)
Some famous places are disappointing: dirty, cramped, and a bit of a cliché. But there are others (1) ______,
even though you've seen every television program ever made about them, are every (2) ______ as
wonderful as you'd imagined. The Grand Canyon is one of these and so, despite being next door to a main
road, is Stonehenge. Another is Venice which, in its entirety, (3) ______ a great work of art, each decaying
aspect revealing an (4) ______ glimpse of water or startling architecture, each individual building or piazza
(5) ______ an exquisite sense of proportion. I return to Venice every two years in the course of my work and
on each of these occasions I have found something new to (6) ______ at. Alarm cries about how (7) ______
this can last are sounded every now and then each time the water levels rise. But the fact that this city is (8)
______ into the sea seems to add to its romantic atmosphere. Far more serious is the depopulation, for it
seems that just about every week another family leaves. Since 1945 more than half the population of Venice
has moved to the mainland. The rich (9) ______ the great palazzos along the Grand Canal and visit every
once in a while, but leave the windows dark for the rest of the time. Mass tourism threatens (10) ______
very structure of the city. It is a sad victim of its own success.
 1. A. then B. which C. these D. those
2. A. bit B. piece C. portion D. fragment
3. A. retains B. remains C. keeps D. maintains
4. A. unforeseen B. unexpected C. unimaginable D. unbelievable
5. A. concealing B. exhibiting C. displaying D. presenting
6. A. marvel B. compliment C. praise D. stare
7. A. far B. much C. often D. long
8. A. emerging B. floating C. falling D. sinking
9. A. gain B. own C. hold D. master
10. A. a B. this C. the D. that

Your answers
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

III. Read the following passage about the future life. Choose the best answer (A, B, C or D) according
to the passage. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes. (10 pts)
The modern comic strip started out as ammunition in a newspaper war between giants of the
American press in the late 19 th century. The first full-color comic strip appeared in January 1894 in the New
York World, owned by Joseph Pulitzer. The first regular weekly full-color comic supplement, similar to
today’s Sunday funnies, appeared two years later, in William Randolph Hearst’s rival New York paper, the
morning Journal.
Both were immensely popular, and publishers realized that supplementing the news with comic relief
boosted the sale of papers. The Morning journal started another feature in 1896, the “Yellow Kid,” the first
continuous comic character in the United States, whose creator, Richard Outcault had been lured away
from the “World” by the ambitious Hearst. The “Yellow Kid’ was in many ways a pioneer. Its comic
dialogue was the strictly urban farce that came to characterize later strips, and it introduced the speech
balloon inside the strip, usually placed above the characters’ heads.
The first strip to incorporate all the elements of later comics was Rudolph Dirks’s “Katzenjammer
Kids,” based on Wilheim Busch’s Max and Moritz, a European satire of the nineteenth century. The “Kids”
strip, first published in 1897, served as the prototype for future American strips. It contained not only
speech balloons, but a continuous cast of characters, and was divided into small regular panels that did away
with the larger panoramic scenes of earlier comics.
Newspaper syndication played a major role in spreading the popularity of comic strips throughout
the country. Though weekly colored comics came first, daily black-and-white strips were not far behind.
They first appeared in the Chicago American in 1904. it was followed by many imitators, and by 1915
black-and-white comic strips had become a staple of daily newspapers around the country.
1. What does the passage mainly discuss?
A. A comparison of two popular comic strips.
B. The differences between early and modern comic strips.
C. The effects of newspapers on comic strip stories.
D. Features of early comic strips in the United States.
2. Why does the author mention Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst?
A. They established New York’s first newspaper.
B. They published comic strips about the newspaper war.
C. Their comic strips are still published today.
D. They owned major competitive newspapers.
3. The passage suggests that comic strips were popular for which of the following reasons?
A. They provided a break from serious news stories.
B. Readers enjoyed the unusual drawings.
C. Readers could identify with the characters.
D. They were about real-life situations.
4. To say that Richard Outcault had been lured away from the ‘World’ by Hearst (line 9) means which of
the following?
 A. Hearst convinced Outcault to leave the World.
B. Hearst fired Outcault from the World.
C. Hearst warned Outcault to leave the World.
D. Hearst wanted Outcault to work for the World.
5. The word “it” in line 10 refers to ___________.
A. The “Yellow Kid” B. dialogue C. farce D. balloon
6. According to the passage, the “Yellow Kid” was the first comic strip to do all of the following EXCEPT
_____________.
A. feature the same character in each episode.
B. include dialogue inside a balloon.
C. appear in a Chicago newspaper.
D. characterize city life in a humorous way.

7. The word “incorporate” in line 12 is closest in meaning to __________.

A. affect B. create C. combine D. mention
8. The word “prototype” in line 14 is closest in meaning to ________.
A. story B. humor C. drawing D. model
9. The word “staple” in line 20 is closest in meaning to _________.
A. regular feature B. Popular edition C. new version D. huge success
10. In what order does the author discuss various comic strips in the passage?
A. alphabetical order by title.
B. in the order in which they were created.
C. according to the newspaper in which they appeared.
D. from most popular to least popular.
Your answers
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10
IV. Read the following passage then do the tasks that follow. (10 points)
A SILENCE FORCE
A. There is a legend that St Augustine in the fourth century AD was the first individual to be seen
reading silently rather than aloud, or semi-aloud, as had been the practice hitherto. Reading has come a long
way since Augustine’s day. There was a time when it was a menial job of scribes and priests, not the mark
of civilization it became in Europe during the Renaissance when it was seen as one of the attributes of the
civilized individual.
B. Modern nations are now seriously affected by their levels of literacy. While the Western world has
seen a noticeable decline in these areas, other less developed countries have advanced and, in some cases,
overtaken the West. India, for example, now has a large pool of educated workers. So European countries
can no longer rest on their laurels as they have done for far too long; otherwise, they are in danger of falling
even further behind economically.
C. It is difficult in the modern world to do anything other than a basic job without being able to read.
Reading as a skill is the key to an educated workforce, which in turn is the bedrock of economic
advancement, particularly in the present technological age. Studies have shown that by increasing the
literacy and numeracy skills of primary school children in the UK, the benefit to the economy generally is in
billions of pounds. The skill of reading is now no more just an intellectual or leisure activity, but rather a
full-fledged economic force.
D. Part of the problem with reading is that it is a skill which not appreciated in most developed
societies. This is an attitude that has condemned large swathes of the population in most Western nations to
illiteracy. It might surprise people in countries outside the West to learn that in the United Kingdom, and
indeed in some other European countries, the literacy rate has fallen to below that of so called less
developed countries.
E. There are also forces conspiring against reading in our modern society. It is not seen as cool among a
younger generation more at home with computer screens or a Walkman. The solitude of reading is not very
appealing. Students at school, college or university who read a lot are called bookworms. The tern indicates
the contempt in which reading and learning are held in certain circles or subcultures. It is a criticism, like all
such attacks, driven by the insecurity of those who are not literate or are semi-literate. Criticism is also a
means, like all bullying, of keeping peers in place so that they do not step out of line. Peer pressure among
young people is so powerful that it often kills any attempts to change attitudes to habits like reading.
F. How should people be encouraged to read more? It can easily be done by increasing basic reading
skills at an early age and encouraging young people to borrow books from schools. Some schools have
classroom libraries as well as school libraries. It is no good waiting until pupils are in their secondary school
to encourage an interest in books’ it needs to be pushed at an early age. Reading comics, magazines and low
brow publications like Mills and Boon is frowned upon. But surely what people, whether they be adults or
children, read is of little import. What is significant is the fact that they are reading. Someone who reads a
comic today may have the courage to pick up a more substantial tome later on.
G. But perhaps the best idea would be to stop the negative attitudes to reading from forming in the first
place. Taking children to local libraries brings them into contact with an environment where they can
become relaxed among books. If primary school children were also taken in groups into bookshops, this
might also entice them to want their own books. A local bookshop, like some local libraries, could perhaps
arrange book reading for children which, being away from the classroom, would make the reading activity
more of an adventure. On a more general note, most countries have writers of national importance. By
increasing the standing of national writers in the eyes of the public, through local and national writing
competitions, people would be drawn more to the printed word. Catch them young and, perhaps, they just
might then all become bookworms.
A. The Reading Passage above has seven paragraphs (A-G). Choose the most suitable heading from the
List of Headings below. Write the appropriate numbers (i-xi) in boxes 1-5. (5 points)
Paragraph D and G have been done for you as an example. Any heading may be used more than once.
List of Headings
i Reading not taken for granted
ii Taking children to libraries
iii Reading: the mark of civilization
iv Reading in St Augustine’s day
v A large pool of educated workers in India
vi Literacy rates in developed countries have declined because of people’s attitude
vii Persuading people to read
viii Literacy influences the economies of countries in today’s world
ix Reading benefits the economy by billions of pounds
x The attitude to reading amongst the young
xi Reading becomes an economic force
1. Paragraph A: ………
2. Paragraph B: ………
3. Paragraph C: ………
Paragraph D: …vi..
4. Paragraph E: ……….
5. Paragraph F:……….
Paragraph G:…vii…

B. Do the following statements agree with the information in the reading text. (5 points)
In boxes 6-10, write
Yes if the statement agrees with the information
No if the statement contradicts the information
Not Given if there is no information about the statement
6. European countries have been satisfied with past achievements for too long and have allowed other
countries to overtake them in certain areas.
7. Reading is an economic force.
8. The literacy rate in less developed nations is considerably higher than in all European countries.
9. If you encourage children to read when they are young the negative attitude to reading that grows in some
subcultures will be eliminated.
10. People should be discouraged from reading comics and magazines.
Your answers
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10
V. For questions 1-5, choose the best phrase or sentence A- H (given below the text) to fill each of the blanks in
the following text. Write on letter (A-H) in corresponding numbered boxes. Three of the suggested answers do
NOT fit at all. (10pts)
SHORT OF FUNDS
You see, I started the job with the highest of hopes. I mean, I’d never really thought of fund-raising as a
career, but at the end of the day it’s a job, isn’t it? It pays the bills. Well, it would have done if they hadn’t
kept ____________ (1).That was the trouble. First they wanted me to phone their precious sponsors, then
they said I should forget them and concentrate on ____________ (2). And of course, I was having to input
everything on this all-singing, all-dancing computer- you wouldn’t believe the things it could do! I wasn’t
getting on well with my boss either- you could tell I just wasn’t her flavor of the month. Who knows why?
____________ (3). But when she discovered I hadn’t raised any money at all in the whole three months I’d
been there it all went pear-shaped and I found myself out on my ear. Well, I never liked it much there
anyway. Being unemployed isn’t ____________ (4). I’ve got enough money to tide me over till about
September. I’m still looking around for something else, but if there’s absolutely nothing and push comes to
shove, I might try and ____________ (5) on the internet. It can’t be that difficult, can it?

A.I must have raised a lot of money to please her

B. the end of the world
C. I must have done something to upset her
D. the end of the tunnel
E. moving the goalpost
F. go on business
G. attracting new donors
H. set up my own business
Your answers
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
PART IV. WRITING (50points)
I. Finish each of the following sentences in such a way that it means exactly the sentence before it. (10
points)
1. The telephone rang right after he had left the room.
→ Hardly……………………………………………………………………………..
2. But for his contributions, the project wouldn’t have been completed successfully.
→ If it ………………………………………………………………………………..
3. Mark is a passionate skier and he also takes part in skateboarding tournaments.
→ Apart from………………………………………………………………………...
4. You are allowed to play in my garden if you promise not to do anything wrong.
→ So long …………………………………………………………………………...
5. The journalists only heard about the changes to the wedding plans when they arrived at the venue.
→ It was only ………………………………………………………………………………………….
II. For each of the sentences below, write a new sentence as similar as possible in meaning to the
original one, using the word given. DO NOT CHANGE the word given. (10 points)
1. Tim looks nothing like his father. (TAKE)
→Tim……………………………………………………………………………….his father.
2. There's no point asking Lynda to help as she's really busy. (WASTE)
→It's……………………………………………… asking Lynda to help as she's really busy.
3. I'm sure it was Anna I saw in town as I recognized her coat. (MUST)
→It ………………………………………………Anna I saw in town as I recognized her coat.
4. He made unsuccessful attempt to buy the company. (WITHOUT)
→ He…………………………………………………………………………………..success.
5. I'd be grateful if you would check these accounts for me. (MIND)
→ Would……………………………………………………………………………….for me?
III. Write a paragraph of about 150 -180 words to express your opinion on the following topic (30 pts)
“Participating actively in volunteer work makes you become a responsible person to the community.”