I. READING (2.

0 points)
PART 1. Read the following passage and choose the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct answer to
each of the questions from 1 - 5. (1.0 point)
VIRTUAL PEOPLE - REAL FRIENDS
YOU DON’T GET TO 500 MILLION FRIENDS WITHOUT MAKING A FEW ENEMIES
The benefits of forming friendships with those we meet online are obvious, so why do people still make fun of
the idea?
Another week, another survey claiming to reveal great truths about ourselves. This one says that (shock
horror!) people are increasingly turning ‘online friends’ into people they’d think worthy of calling real-life
friends. Well, that’s stating the obvious, I would have thought! If there’s a more perfect place for making
friends, I have yet to find it. However, when surveys like this are reported in the media, it’s always with a slight
air of “It’s a crazy, crazy world!” And whenever the subject crops up in conversation, it’s clear that people look
down on friends like these. In fact some members of my family still refer to my partner of six years as my
‘Internet Boyfriend.’
It’s the shocked reaction that surprises me, as if people on the internet were not ‘real’ at all. Certainly, people
play a character online quite often - they may be a more confident or more argumentative version of their real
selves - but what’s the alternative? Is meeting people at work so much better than making friends in a virtual
world? Perhaps, but for some a professional distance between their ‘work’ selves and their ‘social’ selves is
necessary, especially if they tend to let their guard down and might say or do something they will later regret.
And are people really much more themselves at a party than online?
Those people disapproving of online friendships argue that the concept of ‘friendship’ is used loosely in a
world driven by technology, in which you might have a thousand online friends. They make a distinction
between ‘social connections’ - acquaintances who are only a click away - and meaningful human interaction,
which they say requires time and effort. They note that for many Facebook ‘friends’, conversation is a way of
exchanging information quickly and efficiently rather than being a social activity. With its short sharp updates
on what you’re thinking ‘right now’, Facebook has been criticised for encouraging rushed and therefore shallow
friendships.
This may all have an element of truth. However, I’ve found that far from being the home of oddballs and
potential serial killers, the internet is full of like-minded people. For the first time in history, we’re lucky
enough to choose friends not by location or luck, but by those who have similar interests and senses of humour,
or passionate feelings about the same things. The friends I’ve made online might be spread wide
geographically, but I’m closer to them than anyone I went to school with, by a million miles. They are the best
friends I have. And for people like me who might be a little shy - and there are plenty of us about - moving
conversations from the net to a coffee shop is a much more natural process than people might expect. After
having already made friends online, you can get rid of the social awkwardness that comes with trying to make a
friend out of someone you don’t know at all. You can enjoy their company when you eventually meet, knowing
that you have enough in common to sustain the friendship. The benefit is clear - you cut out all the boring small
talk. What could be better?
1. The writer thinks the findings of the survey described in the first paragraph are __________.
A. amusing
B. ridiculous
C. predictable
D. impressive
2. What does the subject refer to?
A. surveys
B. the media
C. real friends
D. online friends
3. What does the phrase let their guard down mean?
 A. prefer to spend time alone
B. find it difficult to hide emotion
C. dislike spending free time with colleagues
D. refuse to worry about possible consequences
4. According to the writer, online friendships are often criticised because __________ A. their
purpose is functional rather than social.
B. the people have no shared history to hold them together.
C. the more friends people have, the less each one is valued.
D. the friendship can’t be genuine until people meet face to face.
5. How does the writer feel about meeting up with her online friends? A. It’s a waste of time.
B. It can be difficult to arrange.
C. It’s easier than meeting complete strangers.
D. It can often lead to even stronger friendships.
PART 2. You are going to read a magazine article about voluntary work. Six sentences have been removed
from the text. Choose from the sentences A - G the one which fits each gap (6 - 10). There is ONE extra
sentence which you do not need to use. There is one example (0) for you. (1.0 point)
VOLUNTEERS ABROAD
More and more young people are doing voluntary work abroad. The wide variety of jobs and destinations
available is making it an increasingly attractive option for those who have just left school and have a year free
before university. (0) G There they will earn little or no money, but they will be doing something useful and
enjoying the experience.
The work may consist of helping local communities, for example by helping to build new roads or provide
water supplies to isolated rural villages. (6) __________. Whatever kind of job it is, though, it is certain to be
challenging and worthwhile, and an experience that will never be forgotten.
So what are the requirements if you want to volunteer? For many organizations, you should be at least 17,
although in exceptional cases 16-year-olds will be accepted. (7) __________. The majority, though, do not
require any particular skills.
What you might have to do, however, is go on a short assessment course before they consider sending you
anywhere. (8) __________. It will also give some idea of who is capable of working well with others in
situations that can be stressful.
Provided you successfully come through this introduction to life as a volunteer, the next stage is the choice
of destination. With some organizations you can decide where you want to go, with others you can’t. Either way
you are likely to be going to a developing country in Africa, Latin America or Asia.
This will probably mean that you will need to have inoculations against malaria, hepatitis, and so on. (9)
__________. You should make sure, too, that you take with you an adequate supply of any special medicines
you might need, as these may not be so easy to obtain in the country you are about to go to.
(10) __________. There may be volunteer bricklayers and labourers, nurses and doctors, civil engineers and
scientists. You will live within the community, and get to know the people, the country and its history. You will
also quickly become familiar with the economic, social and environmental problems there, and the experience
might well change your whole outlook on life.
Sentences:
A. As local health care in these countries is likely to be extremely basic, and in some places non-existent, you
are also advised to take out insurance to cover illness and accidents.
B. When you eventually arrive at your destination, you are likely to meet many different types of people, from
all kinds of backgrounds.
C. You will be given training in this language as soon as you arrive in the country.
D. These few days may be quite demanding physically and mentally, and will help show who is and who isn’t
suitable for work.
E. Some, however, such as Voluntary Service Overseas, have a minimum age limit of 20 and for many jobs
they also expect you to have relevant qualifications.
F. Other projects may concentrate more on conservation or environmental protection.
G. Many choose to spend these twelve months working in poor countries.

II. USE OF ENGLISH (5.0 points)

PART 1. Choose the word or phrase A, B, C, or D that best completes each sentence. (1.0 point)
1. Everybody __________ Mr. Jones. He is a respectable member of our community.
A. looks up to B. looks up C. looks down on D. looks over
2. Whoever is hired to be in __________ of this project needs to have a lot of creativity.
A. charge B. responsibility C. rule D. organization
3. I hear Sarah is __________ a fortune with sales from her latest novel.
A. taking B. making C. winning D. saving
4. Snowboarding started to __________ as a winter sport in the 1970s and 1980s but has become even more
popular since then.
A. get out B. take off C. come out D. go off
5. I suppose I found it hard at my new school because I just __________ to the situation.
A. didn’t use B. used not C. wasn’t getting usedD. didn’t get
6. Only when you grow up __________ the truth.
A. you will know B. you know C. do you know D. will you know
7. Cooking utensils __________ before you cook any dishes.
A. will wash B. have washed C. are washing D. must be washed
8. Mary will wear this dress __________.
A. when the graduation ceremony was held
B. after the graduation ceremony had been held
C. as the graduation ceremony is held
D. once the graduation ceremony was held
9. The man who answered the phone __________ my brother, for I have no brother.
A. can’t be B. mustn’t have been C. can’t have been D. shouldn’t be
10. The better the weather is, __________.
A. the most crowded the beaches get
B. the more crowded the beaches get
C. the most the beaches get crowded
D. the more the beaches get crowded
PART 2. Read the following passage and decide which answer A, B, C or D best fits each gap. (1.0 point)
SPEND, SPEND, SPEND
People’s attitude to money has changed in recent years. When my mother was younger, she never (1)
__________ from anyone and she always paid her (2) __________ on time. Things like cars, TVs and washing
machines cost a huge amount of money and there weren’t so many different (3) __________ to choose from.
Nowadays, the number of mobile phones on the market is unbelievable. Some of my friends change their
mobile every few months (4) __________ the expense. There is also huge choice in clothes and shoes,
especially on the Internet. I ordered some jeans once but they were very (5) __________ because they didn’t fit
me very well - they were much too big. I prefer to try things (6) __________ before I buy them. I think I know
what (7) __________ good on me and I quite often get great (8) __________ in the sales. Some shops charge a
fortune but the (9) __________ of clothes that they sell is awful. They persuade people to buy things that don’t
(10) __________ them, just because they have a designer label. I don’t have to pay high prices in shops in order
to feel good about the way I look.
1. A. lent B. borrowed C. paidD. owed
2. A. bills B. fees C. prices D. limits
3. A. designsB. styles C. makes D. forms
4. A. although B. despite C. however D. but
5. A. deceptive B. disappointed C. deceived D. disappointing 6. A. out B. on C. up D.
through
7. A. suits B. matches C. looks D. fits
8. A. bargains B. fines C. reduction D. price
9. A. form B. brands C. style D. designs
10. A. suit B. match C. go D. wear

PART 3. Fill each blank with ONE suitable word. (1.0

point) PLANETS BEYOND OUR SOLAR SYSTEM
Throughout history we (1) __________ wondered about the possibility (2) __________ life beyond the
Earth. It is only in recent years, however, that advances (3) __________ technology have revealed the existence
of extrasolar planets (or ‘exoplanets’); that is to say, planets (4) __________ orbit not our own Sun, but other
stars in the universe. So (5) __________, astronomers have identified a few thousand exoplanets, but believe
that billions more exist.
Although many astronomers believe that a large (6) __________ of planets in the universe are capable of
supporting some kind of living organism, (7) __________ or not life has developed on any of them is not yet
known. An essential requirement for life is liquid water. (8) __________ a planet is to have liquid water on its
surface, its temperature must be (9) __________ too hot nor too cold. However, (10) __________ a planet,
other than the Earth, has yet to be discovered.
PART 4. Give the correct form of the words in the brackets. (1.0 point)
1. According to __________, we could be facing a crisis within fifty years. (ENVIRONMENT)
2. Mary was very __________ about picking up her new scooter. (ENTHUSIAST)
3. Are those flowers real or are they __________? (ART)
4. We live in an increasingly __________ world. (DEPENDENT)
5. Many of the city’s __________ are now moving into the new development. (INHABIT)
6. A __________ number of residents complained about the proposed rent increase. (SIGNIFY)
7. You don’t need to be quite so __________ in your work, and you might find you enjoy it more if you take a
little time off. (ZEAL)
8. She is employed by the president in an __________ company. (ADVISE)
9. Why do they put so many __________ in processed food? (ADD)
10. His behaviour was __________ and I’m never going to speak to him again. (ACCEPT)
PART 5. (1.0 point)
For questions 1 - 5, complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence,
using the word given. Do NOT change the word given.
1. People think that children’s personalities are strongly affected by their parents. (INFLUENCE) People
think that parents ______________________________ children’s personalities.
2. If I were you, I wouldn’t refuse such a good offer. (TURN) You ______________________________
such a good offer.
3. I’d love to come on holiday with you, but I haven’t got much money at the moment. (SHORT) I’d love
to come on holiday with you, but ______________________________.
4. It’s very hard for Lily to get up in the morning. (TROUBLE) Lily ______________________________
up in the morning.
5. I tried to get you a ticket but they had sold out. (ATTEMPT) I ______________________________ a
ticket but they had sold out.