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 from 24 to 28.

A surprising number of popular spectator sports, for example football or baseball, (24)______ in Europe or the USA in the nineteenth century. This did not happen by chance. It was the (25) ______ of changes in the way people lived in those places at that time. Until then, more people lived In the country than in towns. They worked in small groups and had no regular time off. All this changed with the growth of factories and industry in the nineteenth century, first in Europe and (26) ______. In the USA. For the first time, most people began to live in towns, and they found themselves with regular free time. They had more leisure time than ever before. This resulted in the need for organized entertainment. Suitable games developed or were invented, typically team games, in which the crowd could (27) ______ sides and become involved. This gave people some of the entertainment they need in their free time. The recent explosion in TV, with the introduction of satellite and cable channels, has caused an increase in (28) ______ for sports as entertainment. The money TV has broughtto games such as football, tennis and baseball means that spectator sports will certainly go on playing an important part in our lives.

Điền vào ô 27

Indiana University, one of the largest in the nation, is located in a ____ town.

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the sentence that is closest in meaning to each of the following questions.

The doctor said, “You really ought to rest for a few days. Jasmine."

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the word or phrase CLOSEST in meaning to the bold and underlined part in each of the following questions.

We decided to pay for the car on the installment plan.

John. “What time did the meeting end?'' Laura. “_______."

Make sure you ______ up the data on your computer, because you might get a virus.

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

The advent of the Internet may be one of the most important technological developments in recent years. Never before have so many people had access to so many different sources of information. For all of the Internet’s advantages, however, people are currently becoming aware of some of its drawbacks and are looking for creative solutions. Among the current problems, which include a general lack of reliability and numerous security concerns, the most crucial is speed.

First of all, the Internet has grown very quickly. In 1990, only a few academics had ever heard of the Internet. In 1996, over 50 million people used it. Every year, the number of people with access to the Internet doubles. The rapid growth has been a problem. The computer systems which run the Internet have not been able to keep up with the demand. Also, sometimes, a request for information must pass through many routing computers before the information can be obtained. A request for information made in Paris might have to go through computers in New York, Los Angeles and Tokyo in order to obtain the required information. Consequently, the service is often slow and unpredictable. Service also tends to be worse when the Internet is busiest - during the business day of the Western Hemisphere - which is also when companies need its service the most.

Some people are trying to harness the power of networked computers in such a way as to avoid this problem. In 1995, a group of American universities banded together to form what has come to be known as Internet II. Internet II is a smaller, more specialized system intended for academic use. Since it is more specialized, fewer users are allowed access. Consequently, the time required to receive information has decreased.

Businesses are beginning to explore a possible analogue to the Internet II. Many businesses are creating their own “Intranets”. These are systems that can only be used by the members of the same company. In theory, fewer users should translate into a faster system. Intranets are very useful for large national and international companies whose branches need to share information. Another benefit of an Intranet is an increased amount of security. Since only company employees have access to the information on the Intranet, their information is protected from competitors. While there is little doubt that the Internet will eventually be a fast and reliable service, industry and the academic community have taken their own steps toward making more practical global networks.

All of the following are advantages of business “Intranets” mentioned in the passage EXCEPT__________