NATIONAL EXAM - 18621

Mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the word that differs from pronunciation in each of the
following questions.
Question 1: A. confine B. conceal C. convention D. concentrate
Question 2: A. answered B. discussed C. returned D. improved
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the word whose underlined part differs from the other
three in the position of primary stress in each of the following questions.
Question 3: A. protect B. direct C. access D. assess
Question 4: A. oceanic B. environment C. reality D. psychologist
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the word(s) CLOSEST in meaning to the underlined
word(s) in each of the following questions.
Question 5: I knew he was only flattering me because he wanted to borrow some money from me.
A. making me impatient B. praising me too much
C. making me feel worse D. elevating me
Question 6: The government are trying to play down their involvement in the affair.
A. blow up B. explode C. look down D. soften
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions.
Question 7: Once ______ to university, candidates will receive a letter of acceptable from the
admissions office.
A. admitted B. having admitted C. admitting D. get admitted
Question 8: They managed to do well at school ______ having their early education interrupted by
poverty.
A. despite B. owing to C. in addition to D. as a result of
Question 9: The invention of ______ telephone has made communication easier and easier.
A. a B. the C. Ø D. an
Question 10: Unlike her parents, Sue chose ______ as her major at university.
A. economy B. economize C. economic D. economics
Question 11: Three robbers ______ a suitcase of money in a bank robbery last night
A. made off with B. made up for C. carried along with D. ran away from
Question 12: Beyond all ______, Paul was the best person interviewed for the job.
A. conclusion B. negligence C. contradiction D. dispute
Question 13: By virtue of current financial difficulties, getting a rise in salary is temporarily ______.
A. out of this world B. out of the question C. out of sight D. out of the woods
Question 14: No wonder she doesn't remember ______ a beautiful doll on her fourth birthday. It's such
a long time ago.
A. having been given B. had been given C. to have given D. to be given
Question 15: Manchester United's coach was ______ for their team's recent poor performance.
A. charged B. accused C. bIamed D. embarrassed
Question 16: Travelling by motorbike to my hometown takes ______ travelling by car.
A. as twice as much time B. twice as much time as
C. as much time as twice D. twice as much as time
Question 17: I can't stand living with my roommate any there. He ______ a mess in our room.
A. always-made B. was always making C. is always making D. has always been making
Question 18: He suddenly burst out laughing in a very strange way, ______ everyone to turn round and
look.
A. making B. attracting C. causing D. allowing
Question 19: They didn't seem enthusiastic ______ the subject you mentioned in the meeting.
A. with B. about C. on D. in
Question 20: Mr. Pike would scarcely keep track of his business by cell phone when he was in his one-
month traveling, ______?
A. wouldn’t he B. didn’t he C. would he D. did he
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the correct answer to
each of the following questions.
Fiberscopes are one of the most important outcomes of the science of fiber optics. Fibers made of glass
and transparent acrylic plastic are capable of conveying light energy, and when thousands of these
fibers are combined in what is called a fiberscope, they can transmit images. The most common
fiberscopes contain about 750,000 fibers, each 0.001 centimeter, or 10 microns, in diameter. For certain
uses, the diameter of the fiber may be as small as 5 microns.
Fiberscopes have a wide range of applications. In the medical field, physicians use fiberscopes to
examine internal organs and as an aid in delicate surgeries. Miniature probes have also been
developed to view muscle fiber, skin tissue, and blood cells. Fiberscopes have also found varied uses in
industry, particularly to inspect or control operations in inaccessible areas. Bundles of fiberscopes
fused together in a solid plate, called a faceplate, are being used in the manufacture of television picture
tubes and other cathode-ray tube devices.
The most far-reaching applications of fiber-optic technology are in communications. Optical fibers carry
voice messages for telephone service. The sound of the voice is electronically broken down into
thousands of pulses per second, which causes a transmitting laser to send coordinated pulses of light
through the optical fibers. At the receiving end, the light pulses are converted to electrical signals and
the voice message is reconstructed. Light-wave communication systems can handle an immensely
greater number of telephone calls and television programs than the current system, and they will form
the basis of the "electronic superhighway" expected to crisscross the nation in the near future of the
information age.
Question 21: The main topic of the passage is ______.
A.The birth of the "electronic superhighway"
B. The various applications of fiber-optic technology
C. How fiberscopes have enhanced the Held of medicine
D. How sound may be transformed into light
Question 22: Fiberscopes are being used to do all of the following EXCEPT ______.
A. assist in delicate surgeries B. control operations in inaccessible areas
C. convert light pulses to electrical signals D. transmit images
Question 23: The word "inaccessible" in paragraph 2 means ______.
A. difficult to find B. extremely small C. hard to reach D. impossible to climb
Question 24: It can be inferred from the passage that fiberscopes ______.
A. have more uses in industry than in medicine
B. will play a major role in the information age
C. will decrease in importance as they become more common
D. have reached the peak of their development
Question 25: As used in the last sentence, the word "they" refers to ______.
A. fiberscopes B. light-wave communication systems
C. television programs D. telephone calls
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the
word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks.
There are several key technologies which will, without doubt, (26) ______ the nature of work in the
twenty first century, one of which is virtual reality. Appealing to several of your senses at once, this
marvel of science presents images that respond instantaneously (27) ______ your movements. It allows
people to behave as if they were somewhere completely different; this could be a place which existed
hundreds of years ago, or a completely fictional one. At present, you need to wear bizarre-looking
goggles to receive the images. (28)______, as computers become smarter these will be replaced by
more lightweight ones, which will be able to superimpose synthesized images onto the real world.
As software evolves, complex systems may be simplified into models which are (29) ______ longer
beyond human comprehension. New ranks of specialists will clearly be needed to enable both expert
(30) ______ amateur alike to access such applications. Clearly, the job opportunities this created for
those trained in virtual reality will be immense.apted from New Proficiency Read ing - gman
Question 26: A. effect B. account for C. affect D. influence on
Question 27: A. on B. for C. with D. to
Question 28: A. Besides B. Although C. However D. Therefore
Question 29: A. much B. any C. not D. no
Question 30: A. also B. and C. as well D. or
Mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the underlined part that needs correction in each of the
following questions.
Question 31: Basic (A) knowledge of social studies (B) along with his experience (C) have enabled him
to (D) get the job.
Question 32: The suspect (A) was seen (B) leave the crime scene (C) shortly after the murder (D) had
occurred.
Question 33: (A) The company has (B) overcome its difficulty (C) as its debt has been reduced to a
more (D) managerial level.
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the word(s) OPPOSITE in meaning to the underlined
word(s) in each of the following questions.
Question 34: I'm always on pins and needles, waiting to get my tests back.
A. anxious B. unworried C. unhappy D. uneasy
Question 35: Fortunately, no one was injured in the accident as the motorist crashed into a stationary
van.
A. damaged B. loaded C. large D. moving
Mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the most suitable response to complete each of the
following exchanges.
Question 36: Alex: "Need a hand with your homework, my dear?"
Kate: “______”
A. I'm afraid not I can manage without you. B. By all me means. That's very kind of you.
C. Some other time, perhaps. I'm busy now. D. Never mind. As long as you can do it correctly.
Question 37: Tim: "History is certainly one of the most interesting subjects.
Laura: “______”
A. I don't think so. You. can say that again. B. l'm afraid I'm not with you. It gives me a headache.
C. That's OK. As long as you like it. D. That's not true. I can't understand how you feel.
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the sentence that is closest in meaning to each of the
following questions.
Question 38: The president offered his congratulations to the players when they won the cup.
A. The President congratulated that the players had won the cup.
B. When they won the cup, the players had been offered some congratulations from the President.
C. The President would offered the players congratulations if they won the match.
D. The President congratulated the players on their winning the match.
Question 39: You must never take your helmet off while you are riding a motorcycle.
A. When you are riding a motorcycle, wearing a helmet is not a must.
B. You needn't wear a helmet whenever you are riding a motorcycle.
C. Helmets must be worn at all times when you are riding a motorcycle.
D. If you are riding a motorcycle, you needn't wear a helmet.
Question 40: You needn't take the course if you don't want to.
A. You are under no obligation to take the course.
B. You shouldn't take the course if it's not necessary.
C. You don't have to take any course you don't like.
D. You'd better not take the course if you don't want to.
Mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the sentence that best combines each pair of sentences
in the following questions
Question 41: So few people are interested in this camping holiday. I just can't understand it.
A. I find it surprising that there aren't fewer people interested in such a camping holiday.
B. Hardly anyone wants to go on this camping holiday, which I find strange.
C. To my surprise almost no one was interested in such a camping holiday.
D. It's hardly surprising that a few people are interested in this camping holiday.
Question 42: The trophy arrived. The villagers rushed cut to welcome it.
A. On the trophy's arrival, the villagers rushed out to welcome it
B. Since their arrival, the trophy was rushed out to welcome.
C. On arriving, the villagers rushed out to welcome it.
D. Rushing out, the villager welcomed the trophy's arrival.
Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the correct answer to
each of the following questions.
Until the nineteenth century, most tall buildings were constructed of load-bearing masonry walls.
Masonry walls had to be thick, particularly at the base, to support a building’s great weight.
Stoneworkers built these walls by placing stone upon stone or brick upon brick, adding strength and
stability by placing layers of mortar or cement between the stones. Floors and roofs had to be supported
by wooden beams, but the major vertical force of buildings was supported by thick masonry walls. This
imposed serious limitations on the number and size of windows.
In the 1850’s, an alternative was emerging that would eliminate the need for exterior weight-
bearing walls: a three-dimensional grid of metal beams and columns. The introduction of metal
construction made it possible to build larger interior spaces with fewer columns than before. The new
construction was capable of supporting all the loads to which a building might be subjected, including
the vertical forces caused by the weight of the floors and the horizontal forces caused by the wind or
earthquakes.
The first buildings to depart from the load-bearing wall tradition were iron-framed. Wrought iron,
shaped by hammering the heated metal or rolling it under extreme pressure, contains almost no carbon,
and when used as floor beams, it can support a great deal of weight. An interior wrought iron skeleton
supported all of the building’s weight. Exterior walls of reinforced concrete acted mainly as
weatherproofing. As masonry yielded to concrete, walls that once bore weight evolved into thin curtain
walls that would allow more windows. These modifications produced sturdier, lighter, and taller buildings
that quickly became known as skyscrapers. Skyscrapers satisfied the growing need for office space,
warehouses, and department stores. Buildings of eight or more stories quickly transformed the city
skyline and dominated the central business districts of American cities such as New York, Chicago, and
St. Louis.
Skyscrapers differed from previous tall structure with their use of technical innovations such as
cast iron and the elevator. The development of cast iron technology, in which molten iron is poured into
a mold, made modern plumbing possible. Cast iron pipes, fittings, and valves could deliver pressurized
water to the man floors of tall buildings and drain wastewater out. The invention of the mechanical
elevator made it possible to construct even taller buildings. Before the elevator, office buildings were
rarely more than four or five stories high. In 1857, the first passenger elevator equipped with safety
brakes prevented the elevator from falling to the basement when a cable broke. The elevator made the
upper floors as rentable as the first floor, liberating architecture from dependence on stairways and
human muscle.
Not only did these innovations have important uses in the engineering of tall buildings, but they
also erased the traditional architectural distinctions separating the bottom, middle, and top of a building.
Architects designed towers that reached to the heavens in a continuous vertical grid. Iron construction
established the principle of repetitive rhythms as a natural expression of construction, as well as the
idea that buildings could be made of new materials on a vast scale.
Construction techniques were refined and extended over the next several decades to produce
what architectural historians have called “true skyscrapers,” buildings over twenty stories high. The
invention of steel was particularly significant, as steel T-beams and I-beams replaced iron in these new
structures. Steel weighs less than half as much as masonry and exceeds both masonry and iron in
tension and compression strength as well as resistance to fatigue. Steel rivets replaced iron bolts and
were in turn replaced by electric are welding in the 1920s. The sky scraper’s steel skeleton could meet
all of the structural requirements while occupying very little interior space. Exterior curtain walls could be
quite thin, since their only function now was to let in light and keep the weather out.
Question 43: Which of the following was a typical characteristic of tall buildings before the nineteenth
century?
A. Stone floors and roofs B. Thick walls of stone or brick
C. A large number of tall windows D. An interior frame of metal
Question 44: The word “force” in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to ______.
A. appearance B. shape C. load D. movement
Question 45: All of the following are given as benefits of iron-frame construction EXCEPT ______.
A. sturdy walls made of stone or brick B. large interior spaces with few columns
C. a skeleton that supported heavy loads D. exterior walls with many windows
Question 46: According to the passage, which of the following statements is true of the earliest
skyscrapers?
A. They required the labor of stoneworkers. B. They were eight or more stories high.
C. They had very thick exterior walls. D. They were constructed with steel beams.
Question 47: Why does the author discuss the elevator in paragraph 4?
A. To illustrate an important use of cast iron technology
B. To compare the elevator with the office building
C. To explain why early elevators were dangerous
D. To show how an innovation contributed to architecture
Question 48: The word “they” in paragraph 5 refers to ______.
A. innovations B. uses C. buildings D. architects
Question 49: According to the passage, why did steel replace iron in the construction of skyscrapers?
A. Steel is stronger than iron and resists fatigue better.
B. Steel allows architects more freedom of expression.
C. Steel is more available and less expensive than iron.
D. Steel does not rust, so it lasts longer than iron does.
Question 50: It can be inferred from the passage that the author most likely believes which of the
following about the skyscraper?
A. The skyscraper is most beautiful when constructed of traditional materials.
B. Cast iron technology and the elevator made the skyscraper possible
C. Most technology used in the skyscraper existed before the nineteenth century
D. The definition of “true skyscraper” will probably change in the future

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