Read the following passage and choose the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the answer to each of the following questions.

Carnegie Hall, the famous concert hall in New York City, has again undergone a restoration. While this is not the first, it is certainly the most extensive in the building’s history. As a result of this new restoration, Carnegie Hall once again has the quality of sound that it had when it was first built.

Carnegie Hall owes its existence to Andrew Carnegie, the wealthy owner of a steel company in the late 1800s. The hall was finished in 1891 and quickly gained a reputation as an excellent performing arts hall where accomplished musicians gained fame. Despite its reputation, however, the concert hall suffered from several detrimental renovations over the years. During the Great Depression, when fewer people could afford to attend performances, the directors sold part of the building to commercial businesses. As a result, a coffee shop was opened in one corner of the building, for which the builders replaced the brick and terra cotta walls with windowpanes. A renovation in 1946 seriously damaged the acoustical quality of the hall when the makers of the film Carnegie Hall cut a gaping hole in the dome of the ceiling to allow for lights and air vents. The hole was later covered with short curtains and a fake ceiling

but the hall never sounded the same afterwards.

In 1960, the violinist Isaac Stern became involved in restoring the hall after a group of real estate developers unveiled plans to demolish Carnegie Hall and build a high-rise office building on the site. This threat spurred Stern to rally public support for Carnegie Hall and encourage the City of New York to buy the property. The movement was successful, and the concert hall is now owned by the city. In the current restoration, builders tested each new material for its sound qualities, and they replaced the hole in the ceiling with a dome. The builders also restored the outer walls to their original appearance and closed the coffee shop. Carnegie has never sounded better, and its prospects for the future have never looked more promising.

This passage is mainly about___________.

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

SPORTS IN SOCIETY

The position of sport in today's society has changed out of all recognition. People no longer seem to think of sports as ‘just a game’ - to be watched or played for the (33) ____________of enjoyment. Instead, it has become big business worldwide. It has become accepted practice for leading companies to provide sponsorship. TV companies pay large sums of money to screen important matches or competitions. The result has been huge rewards for athletes, some of (34) ____________are now very wealthy, particularly top footballers, golfers and tennis players. (35) ____________, it is not unusual for some athletes to receive large fees on top of their salary, for advertising products or making personal appearances.

A trend towards shorter working hours means that people generally tend to have more free time, both to watch and to take in sporting activity; sport has become a significant part of the recreation industry that we now rely (36) ____________to fill our leisure hours. Professional sport is a vital part of that industry, providing for millions of (37) ____________people all over the world.

Peter works hard at everything he does. His brother, ____________, seldom puts out much effort.

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

He was not offered the job because he knew____________about Information Technology.

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

The more tired you are, the more hard you can concentrate.

Sally hoped____________to join the private club. She could make important business contacts there.

It is absolutely essential that she____________ head office in advance.

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

The loss of his journals had caused him even more sorrow than his retirement from the military six years earlier.

We have just visited disadvantaged children in an orphanage____________in Bac Ninh Province.

The word “it” in the first paragraph refers to___________.

How does the author seem to feel about the future of Carnegie Hall?