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 46 to 50. Amy Tan was born on February 19, 1952 in Oakland, California. Tan grew up in Northern California, (46) _____ when her father and older brother both died from brain tumors in 1966, she moved with her mother and younger brother to Europe, where she attended high school in Montreux, Switzerland. She returned to the United States for college. After college, Tan worked as a language development consultant and as a corporate freelance writer. (47) _____ 1985, she wrote the "Rules of the Game” for a writing workshop, which laid the early foundation for her first novel The Joy Luck Club. Published in 1989, the book explored the (48) _____ between Chinese women and their Chinese-American daughters, and became the longest running New York Times bestseller for that year. The Joy Luck Club received numerous awards, including the Los Angeles Times Book Award. It has been translated into 25 languages, including Chinese, and was made into a major motion picture for (49) _____ Tan co-wrote the screenplay. Tan's (50) _____ works have also been adapted into several different forms of media

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the option that best completes each of the following exchanges

Ella is asking Eric about self-study. 

- Ella: “Do you think people with self-education can succeed nowadays?" 

- Eric: “________ because they tend to be very independent and self-disciplined." 

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

In the early 21st century, with the explosion of mobile communication technology, the mobile phone has emerged as a new and unique channel. 

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

Many wild animals are _______ threat _______ extinction

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

Her career ground to a halt when the twins were born

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

Everyone agreed with Janice's point that the accounts could have been falsified.

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

Sports can be an effective way to foster blood circulation, burn extra fat as well as improve our stamina and _______. 

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