Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks.

Amy Tan was born on February 19th , 1952 in Oakland, California. Tan grew up in Northern California, (33)____________when her father and older brother both died from brain tumors in 1966, she moved with her mother and younger brother to Europe, where she attended high school in Montreux, Switzerland. She returned to the United States for college. After college, Tan worked as a language development consultant and as a corporate freelance writer. In 1985, she wrote the story "Rules of the Game" for a writing workshop, which laid the early (34) ____________for her first novel The Joy Luck Club. Published in 1989, the book explored the (35) ____________between Chinese women and their Chinese-American daughters, and became the longest-running New York Times bestseller for that year. The Joy Luck Club received numerous awards, including the Los Angeles Times Book Award. It has been translated into 25 languages, including Chinese, and was made into a major motion picture for (36) ____________Tan co-wrote the screenplay. Tan's other works have also been (37) ____________into several different forms of media.

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the most suitable response to complete each of the following questions.

Two students are chatting in the corridor after class.

Tim: “ We should make a slide show for our history presentation next week.”

Laura: “_____________”

The local council recommended that John____________to the head of the apartment.

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

Sleeping, resting and to drink fruit juice are the best ways to care for a cold.

He was wearing very shabby, dirty clothes and looked very____________.

You____________by my secretary next week.

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the sentence that best combines each pair of sentences in the following questions

Marie didn’t turn up at John’s birthday party. I feel so sorry for that.

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

Tom’s jokes are inappropriate but we have to put up with it just because he’s the boss.

It was under the tree____________he found the wallet he had lost before.

Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word or phrase that is CLOSEST in meaaning to the underlined part in each of the following questions.

Sports and festivals form an integral part of every human society.

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

I have bought a present for my brother, and now I need some____________.

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the most suitable response to complete each of the following questions.

Sue and Anne are talking about their future plans.

Sue: “I am not interested in the idea of taking a gap year and going backpacking in Nepal.” Anne: “ Well,_____________.”

Her boy friend is said____________in the army two years ago.

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

A supermarket is more convenient than a shopping centre.

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

Choosing a career may be one of the hardest jobs you ever have, and it must be done with care. View a career as an opportunity to do something you love, not simply as a way to earn a living. Investing the time and effort to thoroughly explore your options can mean the difference between finding a stimulating and rewarding career and move from job to unsatisfying job in an attempt to find the right one. Work influences virtually every aspect of your life, from your choice of friends to where you live. Here are just a few of the factors to consider.

Deciding what matters most to you is essential to making the right decision. You may want to begin by assessing your likes, dislikes, strengths, and weaknesses. Think about the classes, hobbies, and surroundings that you find most appealing. Ask yourself questions, such as “Would you like to travel? Do you want to work with children? Are you more suited to solitary or co-operative work?” There are no right or wrong answers; only you know what is important to you. Determine which job features you require, which ones you would prefer, and which ones you cannot accept. Then rank them in order of importance to you. The setting of the job is one factor to take into account. You may not want to sit at a desk all day. If not, there are diversity occupations - building inspector, supervisor, real estate agent - that involve a great deal of time away from the office. Geographical location may be a concern, and employment in some fields is concentrated in certain regions. Advertising job can generally be found only in large cities. On the other hand, many industries such as hospitality, law education, and retail sales are found in all regions of the country. If a high salary is important to you, do not judge a career by its starting wages. Many jobs, such as insurance sales, offers relatively low starting salaries; however, pay substantially increases along with your experience, additional training, promotions and commission.

Don’t rule out any occupation without learning more about it. Some industries evoke positive or negative associations. The traveling life of a flight attendant appears glamorous, while that of a plumber does not. Remember that many jobs are not what they appear to be at first, and may have merits or demerits that are less obvious. Flight attendants must work long, grueling hours without sleeps, whereas plumbers can be as highly paid as some doctors. Another point to consider is that as you get mature, you will likely to develop new interests and skills that may point the way to new opportunities. The choice you make today need not be your final one.

In paragraph 5, the author suggests that____________

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

The first thing to do when you have a trip abroad is to check that your passport is valid. Holders of out-of-date passports are not allowed to travel overseas. Then you can prepare for your trip. If you don't know the language, you can have all kinds of problems communicating with local people. Buying a pocket dictionary can make a difference. You'll be able to order food, buy things in shops and ask for directions. It's worth getting one. Also there's nothing worse than arriving at your destination to find there are no hotels available. The obvious way to avoid this is to book in advance. This can save you money too. Another frustrating thing that can happen is to go somewhere and not know about important sightseeing places. Get a guide book before you leave and make the most of your trip. It's a must.

Then, when you are ready to pack your clothes, make sure they are the right kind. It's no good packing sweaters and coats for a hot country or T-shirts and shorts for a cold one. Check the local climate before you leave.

Also, be careful how much you pack in your bags. It's easy to take too many clothes and then not have enough space for souvenirs. But make sure you pack essentials, what about money? Well, it's a good idea to take some local currency with you but not too much. There are conveniently located cash machines (ATMs) in most big cities, and it's usually cheaper to use them than change your cash in banks. Then you'll have more money to spend. When you are at your destination, other travellers often have great information they are happy to share. Find out what they have to say. It could enhance your travelling experience.

(Adapted from Pearson Test of English General Skills)

what is the passage mainly about?