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.

The development of writing (1) ______ a huge difference to the world and might see it as the beginning of the (2) ______. Pieces of pottery with marks on that are probably numbers have been discovered in China that date from around 4000 BC. Hieroglyphics and other forms of "picture writing" developed in the (3) _______ around Mesopotamia (mordern-day Iraq), where the ancent Sumerian civilization was based, from around 3300 BC onwards. However, the first (4)________ alphabet was used by the Phoenicians around 1050BC. Their alphabet had 22 letters and it is estimated that it lasted for 1000 years. The first two signs were called "aleph" and "beth", which in Greek became "alpha" and "beta", which gave us the (5) ________ word "alphabet".

Question 1

Choose the underlined words or phrases that are not correct in standard written English.

One of the most urgent problem facing us now is the need to control population growth.

Choose the underlined words or phrases that are not correct in standard written English.

Many people believe that New York is the most great city in America.

Choose the underlined words or phrases that are not correct in standard written English.

Each year people around the world spending billions of dollars buying goods on the Internet.

Choose the underlined words or phrases that are not correct in standard written English.

These televisions are quite popular in Europe, but those ones is not.

Choose the underlined words or phrases that are not correct in standard written English.

Despite of the heavy snow, she went out.

Choose the underlined words or phrases that are not correct in standard written English.

I'd lost my front door key and I had to smash a window by a brick to get in.

Choose the underlined words or phrases that are not correct in standard written English.

They asked me what did happen last night, but I was unable to tell them.