Exercise 8. 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 from 36 to 40.
TATTOOING: AN ANCIENT TRADITION
Tattooing is an old art. In ancient Greece, people who had tattoos were regarded as members of the upper classes. On the other hand, tattooing was (36) __________ in Europe by the early Christians, who thought that it was a sinful thing to do. It was not until the late 18th century, when Captain Cook saw South Sea Islander decorating their bodies with tattoos that attitudes began to change. Sailors came back from these islands with pictures of Christ on their backs and from then on, tattooing (37)__________ in popularity. A survey by the French army in 1881 showed that among the 387 men (38) __________there were 1,333 designs.
Nowadays, not everybody finds tattoos acceptable. Some people thing that getting one is silly because tattoos are more or less permanent. There is also some (39) __________ about catching a blood disease from unsterilized needles. Even for those who do want a tattoo, the process of getting one is not painless, but the final result, in their eyes, is (40) __________ the pain.
(40)
A.worth                      
B.owed                       
C.due                         
D.deserved

It is better to try to work ...........rather than against nature.
A.for      
B.with
C.by
D.along

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
Millions of people tune into the weather forecast each evening on television. Most of them imagine that the presenter does little more than arrive at the studio a few minutes before the broadcast, read the weather, and then go home. In fact, this image is far from the truth. The two-minute bulletin which we all rely on when we need to know tomorrow's weather is the result of a hard day's work by the presenter, who is actually a highly-qualified meteorologist. Every morning after arriving at the TV studios, the first task of the day is to collect the latest data from the National Meteorological Office. This office provides up-to-the-minute information about weather conditions throughout the day, both in Britain and around the world. The information is very detailed and includes predictions, satellite and radar pictures, as well as more technical data. After gathering all the relevant material from this office, the forecaster has to translate the scientific terminology and maps into images and words which viewers can easily understand. The final broadcast is then carefully planned. It is prepared in the same way as other programmes. The presenter decides what to say and in what order to say it. Next a "story board" is drawn up which lays out the script word for word. What makes a weather fore­cast more complicated than other programmes are the maps and electronic images which are required. The computer has to be programmed so that the pictures appear in the cor­rect order during the bulletin.
The time allocated for each broadcast can also alter. This is because the weather re­port is screened after the news, which can vary in length. The weather forecaster doesn't always know how much time is available, which means that he/she has to be thoroughly prepared so that the material can be adapted to the time available. Another related complication is that the weather forecast has to be a live broadcast; it cannot be pre-recorded. Live shows are very nerve-racking for the presenter because almost anything can go wrong. Perhaps the most worrying aspect for every weather fore­caster is getting the following day's predictions wrong. Unfortunately for them, this is not an unusual occurrence; the weather is not always possible to predict accurately. The weather is a national obsession in Britain, perhaps because it is so changeable. It’s the national talking point, and most people watch at least one day bulletin. It can be mortifying for a weather man or woman who has predicted rain for the morning to wake up to brilliant sunshine.
This day, a weather forecaster’s job is even more complicated because they are relied upon to predict other environmental conditions. For example, in the summer the weather forecast has to include reports on ultraviolet radiation intensity to help people avoid sunburn. The job of a weather forecaster is certainly far more complicated than just pointing at a map and describing weather conditions. It's a job for professionals who can cope with stressful and demanding conditions.
Weather forecasters have to know the material well because
A.the broadcast is pre-recorded.
B.the forecast may be incorporated into the news broadcast.
C.the content of the report may have to change.
D.the length of the report may have to change.

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions.
When he went to Egypt, he knew _________ no Arabic, but within 6 months he had become extremely fluent.
A.virtually                         
B.entirely                          
C.barely                            
D.scarcely

Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first one.
“What is your name?” Mr. Brown asked me.
A.Mr. Brown asked me  what my name is.
B.Mr. Brown asked to me  what my name was.
C.Mr. Brown asked me  what my name was.
D.Mr. Brown asked me  what my name had been.

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word(s) OPPOSITE in meaning to the underlined word(s) in each of the following questions.
The first year at university was probably the best and most challenging year of my life. It caused me plenty of troubles.
A. tricky                     
B.tough                      
C.easy                               
D.difficult

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the sentence that best completes each of the following exchanges.
- David: “Would you like to join our volunteer group in this summer?” - Peter: “________” 
A.Do you think I would?      
B.Yes, you're a good friend.
C.I wouldn’t. Thank you.        
D.Yes, I’d love to. Thanks.

I’m learning English ________I want to get a good job after school.
A.but  
B.because      
C.so     
D.therefore

What might a visitor at an exhibition say about Aitchison’s work?
A.I love his recent paintings of Scotland, which are very similar to a number of other Scottish painters.
B.You can still see the influence of his trip to Italy in some of these pictures
C.You can tell he spent a lot of time drawing the picture before he started painting.
D.I wonder if his law training helps him at all, especially in selling his work

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions.
Italian TV has ______ a young composer to write an opera for the TV’s thirtieth anniversary.
A.appointed
B.ordered
C.consulted
D.commissioned