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 42 to 50.
For over 300 years since its appearance in Britain in 1621, newspapers were written and read by only a tiny minority. In 1896, a new newspaper was produced in large numbers and at such low prices that ordinary people could buy it on every street corner, and it was an instant success. The Daily Mail, which is still running today, was the mother of the modern tabloid, and the beginning of a whole new subculture in the British press. Today more than twice as many tabloids are sold than the so-called “quality press” titles such as The Times or The Guardian.
Originally, the word tabloid referred to the size and format. But today, for most people, the word tabloid has nothing to do with shape and size. What makes a tabloid a tabloid is content, and above all, style. Tabloids follow a special formula: they report the news, but only certain kinds. Tabloids dedicate most of their pages to stories about celebrities. This involves photographing them in embarrassing situations, gossiping about their private lives and generally making them look a bit silly. However, the tabloids are not simply an irritation for celebrities; they are also a vehicle for self-promotion.
Though they have millions of devoted readers, tabloids are also widely criticised in Britain. They are accused of being sensationalist, in bad taste, and of having no ethical standards in their reporting and “researching” methods. They may tap celebrities’ phones or even break into their houses just to get a story. When criticised, the tabloids state that the public has a right to know about everything, but celebrities have no rights to privacy at all.
So why does Britain, which has access to the best press agencies and the highest journalistic standards, consume tabloids like chocolate? Maybe the reason is that we have enough news on the television, the radio and in the quality newspapers. Tabloids are not actually about news at all; tabloids are just about gossip. And when it comes to gossip, what matters is not what is true or what is kind, but what is entertaining and what is funny. The more in bad taste a story is, the funnier it seems. And bad taste is what the British tabloids have made into an art.
(Adapted from “Oxford Exam Excellent” by Danuta Gryca et al.)
The phrase “a vehicle” in paragraph 2 mostly means .




A.a method of researching something
B.a set of instructions on how to do something
C.a means of transporting something
D.a way of achieving something

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 33 to 37.
The cyberspace learning initiative
Advances in technology have generated revolutionary applications that could change the face of education as we know it today. Online learning, also known as electronic learning, may (33) the future of education thanks to recent developments in the Internet and multimedia technologies.
It is anticipated that cyberspace institutions or online universities will replace traditional educational (34) . Virtual classrooms will be multi-functional, acting simultaneously as learning platforms, forums and (35) networks. They will be geared towards promoting the acquisition of knowledge as a life- long endeavour, (36) occurs through global collaboration. Cyberspace institutions can go a long way towards achieving this as they are able to liberate us from the limitations of time and space. Flexibility of time and location makes e-learning a highly accessible, international resource. (37) , prospective students will, regardless of age, background or origin, have unlimited access to both formal and informal learning opportunities. The pursuit of knowledge will consequently become an end in itself and not a means to an end.
(Adapted from “Traveller Advanced” by H. Q. Michell)
(36)




A.when
B.which
C.where
D.who

Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word that differs from the other three in the position of primary stress in each of the following questions.




A.study
B.delete
C.reward
D.survive

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




A.bread
B.peak
C.steal
D.heat

Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions.
The manager is directly responsible the efficient running of the office.




A.in
B.for
C.about
D.at

Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions.
My aunt used to sell vegetables at the local market to a living.




A.take
B.do
C.earn
D.have

My parents' twenty — fifth wedding...................... is tomorrow.




A.anniversary
B.party
C.meeting
D.holiday

Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions.
_______, playing music is an effective way for them to open their heart to the outside world.




A.Being visually impaired people
B.For those with visual impairments
C.Such were their visual impairments
D.Having been visual impaired

Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word(s) CLOSET in meaning to the underlined word(s) in each of the following questions.
A new road has just been built to connect my hometown with the city centre.




A.locate
B.link
C.move
D.transport

August 1st is the day when Indonesians celebrate their.................... from the Netherlands.




A.dependence
B.independent
C.independence
D.dependent