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 43 to 50.
Aging is the process of growing old. It occurs eventually in every living thing provided, of course, that an illness or accident does not kill it prematurely. The most familiar outward signs of aging may be seen in old people, such as the graying of the hair and the wrinkling of the skin. Signs of aging in a pet dog or cat include loss of playfulness and energy, a decline in hearing and eyesight, or even a slight graying of the coat. Plants age too, but the signs are much harder to detect.
Most body parts grow bigger and stronger, and function more efficiently during childhood. They reach their peak at the time of maturity, or early adulthood. After that, they begin to decline. Bones, for example, gradually become lighter and more brittle. In the aged, the joints between the bones also become rigid and more inflexible. This can make moving very painful.
All the major organs of the body show signs of aging. The brain, for example, works less efficiently, and even gets smaller in size. Thinking processes of all sorts are slowed down. Old people often have trouble in remembering recent events.
One of the most serious changes of old age occurs in the arteries, the blood vessels that lead from the heart. They become thickened and constricted, allowing less blood to flow to the rest of body. This condition accounts, directly or indirectly, for many of the diseases of the aged. It may, for example, result in heart attack.
Aging is not a uniform process. Different parts of the body wear out at different rates. There are great differences among people in their rate of aging. Even the cells of the body differ in the way they age. The majority of cells are capable of reproducing themselves many times during the course of a lifetime. Nerve cells and muscle fibers can never be replaced once they wear out.
Gerontologists - scientists who study the process of aging-believe this wearing out of the body is controlled by a built-in biological time-clock. They are trying to discover how this clock works so that they can slow down the process. This could give man a longer life and a great number of productive years.
According to the passage, what condition is responsible for many of the diseases of the old?
A.The arteries have become thickened and constricted.      
B.The blood vessels lead from the heart.
C.The brain gets smaller in size.
D.Bones become lighter and brittle.

Task 2. Mark the letter A, B, C, D to indicate the word that differs from the rest in position of the main stress in each of the following questions.

A.subsequent              
B.undergo                  
C.government                        
D.enterprise

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions.
This is ______ the most difficult job I've ever had to do.
A.by heart
B.by chance
C.by far
D.by myself

Choose the one word or phrase  that best completes the sentence.
................ the storm. I would have been home before eight.
A. Instead of   
B.But for 
C.During      
D.Because of

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 1 to 5.
Drone racing is an exciting new sport, that has become popular faster than (1)______ other sport before it. Pilots steer small and lightweight, but high-powered drones along courses with obstacles.   They fly through gates and around flags at speeds of over a hundred miles an hour.
They control the drones using VR-like headgear. Every drone has a camera (2)______  to it so that spectators can also view flights either on a big screen or with special headgear.
The races take place either outdoors - in big stadiums, or indoors in old warehouses and sports arenas. (3)______  are short because the battery time of drones is limited.
(4)______  drone racing started only a few years ago there  are already international competitions that take place all over the world. In professional leagues, drone pilots  compete for thousands of dollars.  In March, the World Drone Prix was staged in Dubai. A 16-year old British teenager not only one the race but also received a prize money of 250 000 dollars.
Television and  other media have become aware of drone racing. ESPN, an Amercian sports channel,  will be broadcasting international drone races starting this August. Races are also recorded and uploaded to YouTube and other video platforms (5)______  they can be viewed over and over again.
(4)______
A.However  
B.Moreover  
C.Although   
D.Because

II. Choose the word in each line that has different stress pattern.
 
Question 8.A. poem                          B. champagne            C. label                        D. novel
 
A.poem                          
B.champagne             
C.label                        
D.novel

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word(s) CLOSEST in meaning to the underlined word(s) in each of the following questions.
Adding a garage will enhance the value of the house.
A.stabilize     
B.alter  
C.increase   
D.diminish

The man ................. our teacher is taking to is the headmaster of our school.
A.who 
B.which 
C.whom   
D.whose

The passage is most probably found in a ________ .
A.fiction story
B.book review
C.cartoon
D.a newspaper

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions from 1 to 14.
The equator is an ______ line that divides the earth into two.
A.imagination
B.imaginative
C.imaginary
D.imaginable