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.

Smart cards and mobile phones are becoming an increasingly popular way to make all sorts of payments. Even now, in Japan thousands of transactions, from paying rail tickets to picking up the groceries, take place every day with customers passing their handsets across a small flat-screen device. And predictions in the world of finance reckon that payments using mobile phones will have risen to more than $50 billion in the very near future.

What's the appeal of e-cash? Compared to cheques or credit cards, it offers the speed of cash, but more so. It takes just one tenth of a second to complete most transactions and as no change is required, errors in counting are eliminateD. Fraud and theft are also reduced and for the retailer, it reduces the cost of handling money. Sony's vision of having a chip embedded in computers, TVs and games consoles means that films, music and games can be paid for easily without having to input credit card details.

 

And what about the future of the banks? Within their grip on the market, banks and credit- card firms want to be in a position to collect most of the fees from the users of mobile and contactless-payment systems. But the new system could prove to be a "disruptive technology" as far as the banks are concerneD. If payments for a few coffees, a train ticket and a newspaper are made every day by a commuter with a mobile, this will not appear on their monthly credit card statements but on their mobile phone statements. And having spent fortunes on branding, credit-card companies and banks do not want to see other payment systems gaining popularity. It's too early to say whether banks will miss out and if so, by how much. However, quite a few American bankers are optimistiC. They feel there is reason to be suspicious of those who predict that high-street banks may be a thing of the past. They point out that Internet banking did not result in the closure of their high-street branches as was predicteD. On the contrary, more Americans than ever are using local branches. So, whether we'll become a totally cash-free society remains open to contention.

The word "embedded” in the second paragraph is closest in meaning to_____

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

John cannot make a_____________ to get married to Mary or stay single until he can afford a house and a car.

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

Tom invited us to come to his party, _______?

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

By the end of this month I ______for this company for two years.

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

It is said the Robinhood robbed rich and gave the money to______poor.

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

John and Mike are talking about Mike's new car.

- John: "___ "

- Mike: "Thanks. I'm glad to hear 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.

$\underline{The policeman}$ warned the tourists $\underline{not walking}$ alone in empty streets $\underline{at night}$.

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

Jim: “ This dictionary is for you. I hope you will find it useful.”

Mai : "______ ."

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

There was plenty of time. She______

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.

The novel was $\underline{such}$ interesting that I read $\underline{it}$ from the $\underline{beginning}$ to the end $\underline{in}$ 4 hours.

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 each of the numbered blanks. Fill in the appropriate word in question 39

Most people think of computers as very modern inventions, products of our new technological age. But actually the idea for a computer had been worked out over two centuries ago by a man  (39) _____________ Charles Babbage. Babbage was bom in 1791 and grew up to be a brilliant

mathematician. He drew up plans for several calculating machines which he called "engines". But

despite the fact that he (40)____ building some of these, he never finished any of them. Over

the years, people have argued (41)___ his machines would ever work. Recently, however, the

Science Museum in London has finished building(42)__ engine based on one of Babbage's

designs. (43)_____ has taken six years to complete and more than four thousand parts have been

specially made.

Whether it works or not, the machine will be on show at a special exhibition in the Science Museum to remind people of Babbage's work.

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

The manager in this company is always $\underline{courteous}$to customers.

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.

He was very tired. However, he agreed to help me with my work.

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 each of the numbered blanks. Fill in the appropriate word in question 39

Most people think of computers as very modern inventions, products of our new technological age. But actually the idea for a computer had been worked out over two centuries ago by a man  (39) _____________ Charles Babbage. Babbage was bom in 1791 and grew up to be a brilliant

mathematician. He drew up plans for several calculating machines which he called "engines". But

despite the fact that he (40)____ building some of these, he never finished any of them. Over

the years, people have argued (41)___ his machines would ever work. Recently, however, the

Science Museum in London has finished building(42)__ engine based on one of Babbage's

designs. (43)_____ has taken six years to complete and more than four thousand parts have been

specially made.

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

Sometimes she does not agree ______her husband about child rearing but they soon find the solutions.