Read the following announcement 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. ⇱
School Charity Event
We are pleased to announce that our school will be hosting a special charity event to support those in need. This is a great chance ___(1)___ students, parents, and teachers to come together.
The event will take place on Saturday, April 20th, from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM in the school gym. There will be various activities, ___(2)___ a bake sale, a raffle, and games for children. Additionally, you can also donate ___(3)___ items at our booth. If you want to volunteer, please sign up at the school office by Friday, April 12th.
All proceeds from this event will go to local charities ___(4)___ that help underprivileged families. Let’s work together to create positive change!
We sincerely hope ___(5)___ many of you there, as your presence would mean a lot. Join us and help ___(6)___ a truly meaningful impact on our community!
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 7 to 12. ⇱
Glow Every Day with FreshGlow!
Want healthy, glowing skin? We’re ___(7)___ to introduce - your natural skincare solution!
This skincare set includes a gentle cleanser, a moisturizing cream, and a refreshing toner.
Unlike ___(8)___ products, FreshGlow uses natural ingredients to nourish your skin without harsh chemicals. The set works best when you follow the simple routine provided. ___(9)___, it is suitable for all skin types.
To make your experience even better, we are offering a special ___(10)___ for the first 100 customers. You can ___(11)___ your set at our store or order it online. Don’t forget to share your results with us on social media!
Try FreshGlow Skincare Set today, and see the difference for yourself. We believe this product will become a part of your daily ___(12)___. Don’t miss out - get yours now!
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. ⇱
a. Lucy: That’s great! What inspired you to pursue this career?
b. Tom: I’ve always dreamed of working as a software engineer.
c. Tom: I’ve always been fascinated by technology and solving problems.
a. Mark: That’s great! What changes have you made so far?
b. Anna: Yes, I’ve been taking shorter showers and fixing leaky faucets to save water.
c. Anna: I’ve been trying to live a more sustainable life lately.
d. Mark: That’s a good start! Have you thought about reducing your water usage too?
e. Anna: I started using reusable bags and switched to energy-efficient light bulbs.
Hi Jane,
a. I’ll let you know if I come across any other useful tools for learning.
b. I appreciate your suggestion about the new note-taking app - it’s really helping me stay organized.
c. The best part is that I can access my notes on both my phone and laptop, which makes studying much easier.
d. Have you found any other great apps lately? I’d love to hear your recommendations.
e. I also tried the flashcard app you mentioned, and it’s been great for memorizing key terms.
Drop me a line soon.
Emily
a. That's why it's vital that consumers thoughtfully examine the media they access.
b. It includes various forms such as television, radio, newspapers, and social media platforms.
c. Mass media play a significant role in shaping public opinion and culture.
d. However, while mass media can inform, it can mislead or manipulate if not used responsibly.
e. With the rise of the internet, online news and digital content have become essential sources of information.
a. Although numbers changed slightly in the middle period, by 2015, both groups had returned to nearly the same unemployment rates as in 1990, with 14% for non-graduates and 10% for graduates.
b. The line graph illustrates the unemployment trends among recent graduates and non-graduates aged 21 to 30 between 1990 and 2015.
c. At all times, the number of unemployed non-graduates was higher than that of recent graduates.
d. Throughout the period, there were fluctuations in both groups, with a decline followed by an increase.
e. From 1990 to 2000, unemployment decreased, with a slight drop in the early years and a more significant decline towards 2000.
Read the following passage 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. ⇱
Self-driving cars are rapidly becoming a reality in today's world. Major companies like Tesla and Google ___(18)___. Tesla's autopilot system, for instance, was first introduced in 2015 and has since been refined to enhance vehicle safety and navigation. These cars rely on sophisticated AI systems to function autonomously, allowing them to perform tasks such as braking, accelerating, and steering without human input. ___(19)___. It can also predict traffic movements, and navigate roads efficiently.
The technology behind self-driving cars is still developing, but it has already begun to revolutionize the way we think about transportation. Companies that create autonomous vehicles focus on building reliable systems ___(20)___. Legal frameworks around the world are also evolving to regulate the use of these cars. Many experts say that self-driving cars are believed to help reduce accidents, improve efficiency and decrease fuel consumption by optimizing driving efficiency.
However, the challenges are not just technological. ___(21)___. People from different backgrounds and driving experiences need to feel confident in the safety of self-driving cars before they can be widely adopted. Nonetheless, as advancements continue, it seems inevitable that autonomous vehicles will play a critical role in shaping the future of transportation, ___(22)___.
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. ⇱
The concept of obtaining fresh water from an iceberg that is towed to populated areas and arid regions of the world was once treated as a joke more appropriate to cartoons than real life. But now it is being considered quite seriously by many nations, especially since scientists have warned that the human race will outgrow its fresh water supply faster than it runs out of food. Glaciers are a possible source of freshwater that has been overlooked until recently.
Three-quarters of the Earth's freshwater supply is still tied up in glacial ice, a reservoir of untapped fresh water so immense that it could sustain all the rivers of the world for 1,000 years. Floating on the oceans every year are 7,659 trillion metric tons of ice encased in 10,000 icebergs that break away from the polar ice caps, more than ninety percent of them from Antarctica.
Huge glaciers that stretch over the shallow continental shelf give birth to icebergs throughout the year. Icebergs are not like sea ice, which is formed when the sea itself freezes; rather, they are formed entirely on land, breaking off when glaciers spread over the sea. As they drift away from the polar region, icebergs sometimes move mysteriously in a direction opposite to the wind, pulled by subsurface currents. Because they melt more slowly than smaller pieces of ice, icebergs have been known to drift as far north as 35 degrees south of the equator in the Atlantic Ocean.
The difficulty arises in other technical matters, such as the prevention of rapid melting in warmer climates and the funneling of fresh water to shore in great volume. But even if the icebergs lost half of their volume in towing, the water they could provide would be far cheaper than that produced by desalination, or removing salt from water.
(Adapted from TOELF reading)
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. ⇱
The custom of paying a bride price before marriage remains a deeply rooted tradition in many African cultures. [I] The groom’s family must provide payment to the bride’s family before the marriage is permitted. [II]The form of payment varies across regions—Zulu and Swazi tribes in southern Africa often use cattle, while kola nuts, blankets, shells, and other goods are common in West Africa. [III] The amount paid also varies, with some modern bride prices being largely symbolic, while others remain significant, especially among traditional or high-status families. [IV]
Several reasons justify the payment of bride price. It compensates the bride’s family for the cost of raising her and acknowledges their loss as she officially joins her husband’s family. On a deeper level, the bride price is also a recognition of the children the bride will bring into her husband’s family, increasing its wealth. This idea is reinforced by the common practice of refunding the bride price if the marriage does not result in children.
The bride price influences African society in various ways. It strengthens family bonds, as sons rely on their fathers and elders for financial support, fostering respect and obedience. Negotiations over the bride price encourage families to interact and build relationships before the marriage. Additionally, because the bride price is often repaid in cases of divorce, the bride’s family has a vested interest in ensuring marital stability. Furthermore, the practice redistributes wealth within African communities, as wealthier families support the marriages of their sons, transferring resources to others.
However, the system also has drawbacks. One significant issue is the age disparity between husbands and wives. Since young men often lack the financial means to afford a bride price, women frequently marry older men. This results in many young women marrying before the age of 18, cutting short their education. Additionally, a large age gap can mean that a husband passes away while his wife is still relatively young, leaving her to raise their children alone. While bride price remains an important cultural tradition, it has lost its popularity in recent years.
(Adapted from TOELF reading)