Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 43 to 50.

The technology of the North American colonies did not differ strikingly from that of Europe, but in one respect, the colonists enjoyed a great advantage. Especially by comparison with Britain, Americans had a wonderfully plentiful supply of wood.

The first colonists did not, as many people imagine, find an entire continent covered by a climax forest. Even along the Atlantic seaboard, the forest was broken at many points. Nevertheless, all sorts of fine trees abounded, and through the early colonial period, those who pushed westward encountered new forests. By the end of the colonial era, the price of wood had risen slightly in eastern cities, but wood was still extremely abundant.

The availability of wood brought advantages that have seldom been appreciated. Wood was a foundation of the economy. Houses and all manner of buildings were made of wood to a degree unknown in Britain. Secondly, wood was used as fuel for heating and cooking. Thirdly, it was used as the source of important industrial compounds, such as potash, an industrial alkali; charcoal, a component of gunpowder; and tannic acid, used for tanning leather.

The supply of wood conferred advantages but had some negative aspects as well. Iron at that time was produced by heating iron ore with charcoal. Because Britain was so stripped of trees, she was unable to exploit her rich iron mines. But the American colonies had both iron ore and wood; iron production was encouraged and became successful. However, when Britain developed coke smelting, the Colonies did not follow suit because they had plenty of wood and besides, charcoal iron was stronger than coke iron. Coke smelting led to technologic innovations and was linked to the emergence of the Industrial Revolution. In the early nineteenth century, the former colonies lagged behind Britain in industrial development because their supply of wood led them to cling to charcoal iron.

Question 43: What does the passage mainly discuss?

Mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the most suitable response to complete each of the following exchanges.

Question 20: Mai and Lan are friends. Lan asks Mai about Mai's plan. Select the most suitable response to fill in the blank.

Lan: “Are you going to see the live show by Son Tung today?”

Mai: “__________”.

Mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions.

Question 17: Tom is _____ with his teacher because he didn't do any assignments.

Mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions.

Question 13: I'm thinking of changing my job because there are few _____ of promotion.

Mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions.

Question 12: I__________ the bell three times when he answered the door.

Mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the underlined part that needs correction in each of the following questions.

Question 5: She was anxious about the interview because she failed three interviews before.
                                                  A                              B               C                                 D

Mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the word or phrase that is OPPOSITE in meaning to the underlined part in each of the following questions.

Question 24: He was arrested for his illicit drug trade in the police raid yesterday.

Mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the underlined part that needs correction in each of the following questions.

Question 7: It is noisy enough in this room, so I would rather you stop shouting like that.

                                        A                          B            C                D

Mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions.

Question 8: That Marie was able to retire at the age of 50 __________.

Read the following passage and mark the letter A. B, C or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 36 to 42.

In ancient Greece, athletic festivals were very important and had strong religious associations. The Olympic athletic festival, held every four years in honour of Zeus, eventually lost its local character, became first a national event, and then, after the rules against foreign competitors had been abolished, international. No one knows exactly how far back the Olympic Games go, but some official records date from 776 B.C.

The Games took place in August on the plain by Mount Olympus. Many thousands of spectators gathered from all parts of Greece, but no married woman was admitted even as a spectator. Slaves, women and dishonoured people were not allowed to compete. Records show that the evening of the third day was devoted to sacrificial offerings to the heroes of the day, and the fourth day, that of the full moon, was set aside as a holy day. On the sixth and last day all the victors were crowned with holy garlands of wild olive from a sacred wood. So great was the honour that the winner of the foot race gave his name to the year of his victory. How their results compared with modern standards, we unfortunately had no means of telling.

After an uninterrupted history of almost 1,200 years, the Games were abolished in A. D. 394 because of their pagan origin. It was a great many years before there was another such international athletic gathering. The Greek institution was brought back into existence in 1896 and the first small meeting took place in Athens. After the 1908 London Olympics, success was re-established and nations sent their best representatives.

Today, the Games are held in different countries in turn. The host country provides vast facilities, including a stadium, swimming pools and living accommodation, but competing countries pay their own athletes' expenses. Athletic contests are still the main feature, but now many more sports are represented, women compete, the ancient pentathlon, for example, has been modified into a more comprehensive test, and the marathonraces, initiated in 1896, are now a celebrated event.

The Olympics start with the arrival in the stadium of a torch, lighted on Mount Olympus by the sun's rays. It is carried by a succession of runners to the stadium. The torch symbolizes the continuation of the ancient Greek athletic ideals, and it burns throughout the Games until the closing ceremony.

Question 37: At the ancient Olympic Games, any competitor had to be _________.

Mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the sentence that is closest in meaning to each of the following questions.

Question 28: “I'm very sorry for what happened but you will just have to accept the truth.” Laura said to her friend.

Mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the word or phrase that is OPPOSITE in meaning to the underlined part in each of the following questions.

Question 25: I eat lunch with a convivial group of my friends.

Mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions.

Question 19: The government is building a nuclear power ________ not far from here.

Mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the sentence that is closest in meaning to each of the following questions.

Question 26: If their car hadn't broken down, these people would have come to the meeting in time.

Mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the word/phrases SIMILAR in meaning to the underlined word(s) in each of the following questions.

Question 23: I told her I understood what she was feeling as we were both after all in the same  boat.

Mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the most suitable response to complete each of the following exchanges.

Question 21: Andy: How about coming to my English class tonight?

                    Bob: ______________________.