Read the following advertisement and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct option that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 1 to 6. ⇱
Super Typhoon Milton and its Destruction
Super Typhoon Milton struck the eastern coastline last weekend, causing widespread devastation. Many residents described it as the most ___(1)___ experience they had ever faced. The combination of ___(2)___ and relentless rain left the town completely paralyzed.
The typhoon, ___(3)___ the coast at around 3 PM, brought winds exceeding 180 km/h. This resulted in massive flooding and left thousands ___(4)___ need of emergency assistance. The authorities worked hard to ___(5)___ a difference, but the sheer scale of the disaster made recovery efforts slow.
Now, the community is slowly rebuilding their homes, hoping ___(6)___ what was lost.
Read the following leaflet and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct option that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 7 to 12. ⇱
Students born in 2007 have just received the university entrance mock exam issued by the Ministry of Education. The exam, which is reportedly shorter and more difficult than previous years, has left many ___(7)___ feeling anxious. The questions are mainly focused on reading comprehension and vocabulary, requiring students to ___(8)___ complex words and phrases.
Teachers have acknowledged that this is a ___(9)___ exam, but they believe it has the potential to accurately classify students based on their abilities. ___(10)___ the increased difficulty, the exam is considered fair and capable of assessing the students’ true competencies.
Despite the pressure, the ___(11)___ of students sitting for the exam remains high. With a focus on reading comprehension, the exam is expected to test the ___(12)___ of students' preparedness for the university entrance process.
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct arrangement of the sentences to make a meaningful exchange or text in each of the following questions. ⇱
a. Alice: "That sounds serious. Have you been to see a doctor?"
b. Mark: "Not great, actually. I've been feeling under the weather for a few days."
c. Alice: "How have you been, Mark?"
a. Mark: "Yeah, I really needed to relax after such a stressful week at work."
b. Alice: "Did you do anything fun this weekend, Mark?"
c. Alice: "I'm glad to hear that! What did you do?"
d. Mark: "I went hiking in the mountains. The fresh air was amazing."
e. Alice: "That sounds like a perfect way to unwind!"
a. I wanted to tell you that I’ve recently accepted a new job in New York, and I’ll be moving there next month. It’s a big change, but I’m really excited about this new chapter in my life.
b. Dear Emily,
c. I’m planning to visit my family before the big move, and I’d love to see you if you’re free during that time.
d. Hope this message finds you well! I wanted to catch you up on some recent news.
e. Take care, and I hope to see you soon!
a. Online education has grown in popularity due to its flexibility, allowing students to balance their studies with personal and professional responsibilities.
b. This means that students can attend classes from anywhere in the world, without being tied to a specific location.
c. In addition to convenience, online courses often provide a wide range of resources, such as recorded lectures, discussion forums, and interactive assignments.
d. In conclusion, online education offers students the flexibility and resources they need to succeed, especially in today’s fast – paced world.
e. Furthermore, online platforms are accessible at any time, allowing learners to study at their own pace, which is particularly beneficial for those with busy schedules.
a. However, once the foundation is laid, the real work begins as they start building more complex systems of thought and understanding.
b. Learning a new language is challenging, especially at the beginning when students are overwhelmed by grammar rules and unfamiliar vocabulary.
c. With continuous practice, learners gradually develop confidence in their speaking, listening, and writing skills, although progress may seem slow at first.
d. Many language learners experience frustration early on, but it's important to remember that fluency comes with time and dedication.
e. In the end, the sense of accomplishment that comes from mastering a language makes the effort worthwhile, opening doors to new cultures and opportunities.
Reall the following passage about humanoid robots 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 18 to 22. ⇱
In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has been widely applied in various fields, including healthcare, finance, and education. AI systems are now ___(18)___. Despite these advancements, there are still concerns about the ethical use of AI, particularly in ___(19)___.
Many organizations are adopting AI technologies ___(20)___. These technologies have the potential to transform industries, but experts emphasize that AI should complement human abilities rather than replace them. For example, in education, AI can ___(21)___, allowing teachers to focus on other important aspects of teaching. However, it remains crucial to ensure that AI ___(22)___.
Read the following passage about endangered languages and mark the letter A, B, C, D on your answer sheet to indicate the best answer to each of the following questions from 23 to 30. ⇱
Living in the stressful modern era, most of us usually look for sources of relaxation, and it’s no secret that viewing nature and being outdoors can be pleasant and restorative. Spending time in nature is linked to improvements in mental health, mood, emotional well – being, and cognitive benefits. However, the more surprising thing is that, according to new research, viewing water may be a better environment for relaxation than green areas with grass and trees.
In a recent article, Harvard psychologist Adam Grant discussed a remarkable 2024 study that he came across, showing that people who viewed water for less than two minutes had reduced blood pressure compared to people who viewed green areas and trees.
So why are nature’s blue spaces more relaxing than green ones? According to the original authors of the study, the reason might be related to the process of our evolution. For early humans who have to work hard to survive day by day, the lack of water has always been a major challenge, as it posed a direct threat to life, leading to heightened levels of stress, increases in blood pressure and cardiac stress. Therefore, successfully detecting water or simply just looking at it can provide a sense of great relief.
Being in nature can help you re – invigorate your body, mind, and spirit, offering moments of awe, calm, and relaxation. And now we are learning that bodies of water may bring even greater relaxation. So, whether it's a river, lake, or ocean, it might be time to go outside and find the nearest blue space to experience the effects for yourself!
(Adapted from psychologytoday.com)
Read the following passage about urban shift and mark the letter A, B, C, D on your answer sheet to indicate the best answer to each of the following questions from 31 to 40. ⇱
[I] Sperm whales are fascinating creatures. [II] They possess the biggest brain of any species, six times larger than a human’s, which scientists believe may have evolved to support intelligent, rational behavior. [III] They’re also highly social and capable of making decisions as a group. [IV] But there’s also a lot we don’t know about them, including what they may be saying to one another when communicating with a system of short clicks, known as codas.
Now, new research published in Nature Communications today suggests that sperm whales’ communication is actually much more expressive and complicated than was previously thought. A team of researchers led by Pratyusha Sharma at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL) working with Project CETI, a nonprofit focused on using AI to understand whales, used statistical models to analyze whale codas and managed to identify a structure to their language that’s similar to features of human language. Their findings represent a tool future researchers could use to decipher not just the structure but the actual meaning of whale sounds.
For the study, the researchers examined recordings of 8,719 codas from around 60 whales collected by the Dominica Sperm Whale Project between 2005 and 2018, using a mix of AI algorithms for pattern recognition and classification. The AI then turned the clicks within the coda data into a new kind of data visualization called an exchange plot, revealing that some codas featured extra clicks. These extra clicks, combined with variations in the duration of their calls, appeared in interactions between multiple whales, which they say suggests that codas can carry more information and possess a more complicated internal structure than we had previously believed.
The team’s next step is to build language models of whale calls and to examine how those calls relate to different behaviors. They also plan to work on a more universal system that could be used across species, says Sharma. Taking a communication system we know nothing about, working out how it encodes and transmits information, and slowly beginning to understand what’s being communicated could have many purposes beyond whales. “I think we’re just starting to understand some of these things,” she says. “We’re very much at the beginning, but we are slowly making our way through.”
(Adapted from technologyreview.com)