What is the key to avoid catching a cold?

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the correct word that best fits each of the numbered blanks.

The coronavirus is a kind of virus. Viruses are tiny germs that are so small that you can’t see them. They are so (1) _______ that they can float through the air in tiny drops of water, and they can sit on your skin without you feeling them. If some of these germs get inside you, they can use your body to make more germs, and that can make you ill.

There are lots of different sorts (2) _______ coronaviruses and some of them infect people. If you have been infected with one of these coronaviruses, all you probably (3) _______ was a snotty nose or a cough.

But when this completely new coronavirus germ gets inside a human body, it causes (4) _______ illness called COVID-19. When people talk about "catching the coronavirus", they are talking about this illness. Because this coronavirus is new, scientists don’t know everything about it yet. But they think that there are two main (5) _______ that people can catch it.

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the correct word that best fits each of the numbered blanks.

There can’t be many people who are unaware of e-mail, even if they have never actually sent one. (1) _______ there are some similarities between e-mail and letters, there are also many differences. The first is that e-mail is delivered instantly, so it can be a very effective means of (2) _______ when speed is important. This speed means that e-mail is more practical for communicating over large distances. Another difference is that e-mail tends to be relatively informal. People are much more (3) _______ to use language which they would consider unsuitable for a formal letter. Words spelled incorrectly in an e-mail are less likely to be checked than in a letter. One explanation for this is that (4) _______ e-mail seems to be less permanent than something written on paper. We can be sure that the future development of e-mail will have all kinds of (5) _______ effects on the way we communicate.

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks.

Most people enjoy listening to music but few realise the important and largely positive effects it can have on us. We know that certain (1) _______ of music are used to influence our emotions and our behaviour. For example, airlines use soothing music before a flight to (2) _______ passengers, especially those who may feel nervous about flying. You may have noticed how shops often play fast, rousing music (if you haven’t noticed, you probably shop at the more old-fashioned type of store) - this tends to make us feel (3) _______ and more likely to spend money!

Music is also being used now as a psychiatric therapy. It seems to be particularly (4) _______ for eating disorders and addictions, but also for sufferers of post-traumatic stress syndrome. People attending group therapy sessions are invited to bring along their favourite tracks. Not everyone does, but those (5) _______ do so play them for the group. This creates a sense of belonging, as well as a more relaxed atmosphere for the therapy session.

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, Cor D to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks.

Nowadays more and more people are moving to live in the cities because of the facilities that they find there. Many people prefer living in cities (1) _______ the opportunities of jobs, market places, big houses and buildings including schools and hospitals. But as the population in the city increases, the (2) _______ of cars, raw materials and others increases too. All this contributes to the pollution of the city and increases the size of the (3) _______ faced by individuals. Our problems in the city contribute to the destruction of the city and the spread of corruption. Also, these problems are (4) _______ an atmosphere of discomfort and the inability of the individual to adapt and live in peace in his home town. However, there are many solutions (5) _______ can be used and applied to contribute to reducing the number of problems, such as increasing the number of police members, providing employment opportunities and spreading awareness among members of the society.

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B,C or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

Scientists are trying to make the deserts into good land again. They want to bring water to the deserts, so people can live and grow foods. They are learning a lot about the deserts. But more and more of the earth is becoming deserts all the time. Scientists may not change the desert in time.

Why is more and more land becoming deserts? Scientists think that people make deserts. People are doing bad things to the earth.

Some places on the earth don’t have very much rain. But they still don’t become deserts. This is because some green plants are growing there. Small green plants and grass are very important to dry places. Plants don’t let the hot sun make the earth even drier. Plants don’t let the wind blow the soil away. When a little rain falls, the plants hold the water. Without plants, the land can become a desert much more easily.

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

I get a lot of letters at this time of year from many people who have a cold which won’t go away. There are many different stories about how to prevent or cure a cold. That’s why it is often difficult to know what to do. We know that colds are rarely "dangerous", except for weak people such as the elderly or young babies. These people are always uncomfortable and usually most unpleasant. Of course, you can buy a lot of medicines. They will help to make your cold less unpleasant. However, you must remember that nothing can actually cure a cold or make it go away faster. Any strong medicine used to make you feel better could be dangerous if you are already taking drugs for some other illness. Thus, check with your chemist or doctor to see whether they are all right for you. And remember they might make you sleepy. Please don’t try to drive if they do! Lastly, whatever you may be told about magic foods or drinks, the best answer is to keep yourself strong and healthy. You’ll have less chance of catching a cold. And if you do, it shouldn’t be so bad.

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B,C or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

From the start of his career as a writer, Mark Twain was fascinated with inventions. As a result, he chose to spend much of his available income on various types of inventions, generally without much success. In fact, he lost most of the money he invested. By 1887, the 49-year-old author had invested most of his money in one project, the Paige typesetting machine.

Twain expected the Paige machine to be completed in 1889. Unfortunately, the machine was never completely finished, and by the early 1890s, Twain knew he was in a serious financial situation. He worked hard to take care of his problems by producing a number of books in a row. He wrote A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (1892), An American Claimant (1892), Tom Sawyer Abroad (1893), and Pudd’nhead Wilson (1894). However, all of these works did not solve his financial problems, and he was forced to declare bankruptcy

This passage mainly discusses how an author _________.