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.

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 Holders of out-of-date passports are not allowed to travel overseas.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?

Attempts must be made to____________the barriers of fear and hostility which divide the two communities.

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

Nothing is____________easy as it looks.

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word whose underlined part differs from the other three in pronunciation in each of the following questions.

You____________by my secretary next week.

The information you have got is actually off the record, so be careful if you intend to use it for publication.

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 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 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.

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