Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word for each of the blanks from 34 to 38. 

Jobs in the time of Covid-19

     The impact of this deadly virus and actions taken by governments are affecting businesses and industries across the globe. Some, like the travel industry, are staring at one of the worst crises of their time. Countries and cities ...34... go through a long shutdown period will force many out of business for good, especially micro and small firms and others to ...35... employees. Many corporations have already initiated a lockdown-like state with mandatory work-from-home exercise. 

     An ongoing job-hunt and a pandemic make for a heavy combination. How so? By now, ...36... is pretty evident that this virus has not just attacked our bodies, but also shaken our economies and stock markets. If an economy plummets into a recession, almost all of us are at risk of losing our jobs. Especially if you are a job-seeker, searching for a job in a recession will be a Herculean task and you need a battle plan. 

     Your job search strategy in a recession should focus on applying to fewer job openings, not more.  Confused? In trying times, you need to narrow down to companies that you want to work for and then find a reasonable opening in just those firms. The logic is to direct your energies towards ...37... quality job applications, the ones that stand out from the multitude of mediocre job applications. Do not try to spread yourself too ...38... by applying anywhere and everywhere in the market. This is one of the most ill-suited times for that.

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. 

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

Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheer to indicate the word(s) CLOSEST in meaning to the underlined word(s) in each of the following questions. 

Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to show the underlined part that needs correction.

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 39 to 45. 

Black Friday

     The day after Thanksgiving has become America's biggest shopping day. Closed all day on Thursday, shopping centres all across the nation open early on Friday. Some of them open at 12:01 Friday morning, while others open at 4 a.m. Some "sleepyhead" shopping centres, like Target this year, don't open their doors on Friday until 6 a.m. From Friday to the day before Christmas, this is the season when businesses make nearly 25 per cent of what they earn in a year. This season puts many businesses “in the black", that is, they make the money they need for the year. 

     Reporters from local TV stations interview people who sleep in tents in front of the shops a day or two before the doors open on Friday. These people patiently wait in queue to get products that are 50 per cent cheaper or more. 

     "Oh, we have fun," said one of the persons queuing, "We sometimes bring games to play, we watch TV and order lots of pizza, and we often meet interesting people. And, most important of all, we save a lot!" The problem, of course, is that only a very small number of products have big reductions in their prices. Apart from a few big discounts, each shop has other things that are reduced from 10 to 50 per cent, saving shoppers from 10 to 400 dollars per item, and so Americans want to go shopping. 

     Not all Americans enjoy shopping. Reverend William Graham wants to change Black Friday's name.  "We want to call it Remember Jesus Friday. People should start the season with the right attitude, Christmas has become a Season of Shopping. We want to make it a Season of Giving. And we don't mean giving material things. We mean giving your back, your mind, and your hands. Help an old lady clean up her house. Teach a kid how to read. Visit sick people in the hospital or in nursing homes.... 

Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word that differs from the rest in the position of the main stress.

Reverend William Graham thinks shopping so much at this time of the year ______.

Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word that differs from the rest in the position of the main stress.

Her son, who was reported dead more than three years ago, came out of the blue.