* 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.

  In young language learners, there is a critical period of time beyond which it becomes increasingly difficult to acquire a language. Children generally attain proficiency in their first language by the age of five and continue in a state of relative linguistic plasticity until puberty. [A] Neurolinguistic research has singled out the lateralization of the brain as the reason for this dramatic change from fluidity to rigidity in language function. Lateralization is the process by which the brain hemispheres become dominant for different tasks. The right hemisphere of the brain controls emotions and social functions, whereas the left hemisphere regulates the control of analytical functions, intelligence, and logic. [B] For the majority of adults, language functions are dominant on the left side of the brain. [C] Numerous studies have demonstrated that it is nearly impossible to attain a nativelike accent in a second language, though some adults have overcome the odds, after lateralization is complete. [D]

  Cognitive development also affects language acquisition, but in this case adult learners may have some advantages over child learners. Small children tend to have a very concrete, here- and-now view of the world around them, but at puberty, about the time that lateralization is complete, people become capable of abstract thinking, which is particularly useful for language. Generally speaking, adults can profit from grammatical explanations, whereas children cannot. This is evidenced by the fact that children are rather unreceptive to correction of grammatical features and instead tend to focus on the meaning of an utterance rather than its form. However, language learning theory suggests that for both adults and children, optimal language acquisition occurs in a meaning centered context. Though children have the edge over adult language learners with respect to attaining a nativelike pronunciation, adults clearly have

 

an intellectual advantage which greatly facilitates language learning.

What is stated in the passage about the achievement of an accent like a native’s by an adult?

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

A: I believe that modem robots will be more intelligent and replace humans in many dangerous jobs.

                                 B:__________

* 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.

His mother has no alternative, but stitches his clothes as ready-made clothes are not available.

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

A: Do you think the match will be on TV later?

                        B:__________       

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

I’ve pushed___________with the work because I want to finish it today.

* 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 24 to 30.

GREEN CARS

  Many of the world’s cities lie under a permanent blanket of smog. People are concerned about global warming, and fuel prices just keep going up and up. It’s no surprise therefore, that in recent years, car manufacturers have been put under pressure to invent a vehicle that is both cheaper to run and better for the environment. Finally, after much trial and error, it seems as though they might be making progress, and the future of the car industry is beginning to look a little “greener”.

  One of the first ideas which car manufacturers tried was to replace engines which run on fossil fuels with electric motors. Unfortunately, these vehicles had several drawbacks and they didn’t sell very well. The problems were that the batteries of these electric cars ran out very quickly and took a long time to recharge. Also, the replacement energy parts were very expensive.

  However, the idea of electric cars has not been scrapped altogether. Car manufacturers have improved the concept so that environmentally friendly cars can now be efficient and economical as well. This is where the hybrid car, which has both an electric motor and a traditional petrol engine, comes in. The electric motor never needs to be recharged and it is much better for the planet than a traditional car.

  In a hybrid car, the engine is controlled by a computer which determines whether the car runs on petrol, electricity, or both. When the car needs maximum power, for example, if it is accelerating or climbing a steep hill, it uses all of its resources, whereas at steady speeds it runs only on petrol. When slowing down or braking, the electric motor recharges its batteries.

  Hybrid cars are better for the environment because the electric motor can help out whenever it is needed and they have a much smaller engine than a traditional car. Also, hybrid cars on the market are made using materials such as aluminium and carbon fibre, which makes them extremely light. Both of these factors mean that they use far less petrol than normal cars, so they produce less pollution.

  Of course, hybrid cars aren’t perfect; they still run on fossil fuel and so pollute the environment to some extent. However, they may be the first step along the road to cleaner, “greener” cars. Car manufacturers are already working on vehicles which run on hydrogen. The only emission from these cars is harmless water vapor. These are still some way in the future, though, as designers need to think of cheap and safe ways of producing, transporting and storing hydrogen, but at last, it looks like we might be heading in the right direction.

 Car manufacturers are trying to invent a new vehicle because___________.

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

Never before________as accelerated as they are now during the technological age.

* 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.

He is someone we can respect and look up to. but he's not so high above us that we feel low and downtrodden.