Section 1:

Choose the word that best complete the sentences.

Robert is handsome. He’s very ……………. .

Betty isn’t working right now. She’s ……………… vacation.

I wanted to change how I look, so I ……………….

I need some money. Could you ………….. me $10 until next week?

The earthquakes was terrible. It was the worst ………….. to hit our town in a century.

Section 2: Read the passages and answer questions about them.

Passage1:

What are you doing today?

Betty Chan: I usually stay home on Sundays and take it easy – read, clean the house, do stuff like that,. But today I’m at the mall. I’m buying some things for my kids.

Betty is ………. today.

Passage 2:

Henry Ford and the Model-T

Henry Ford became famous and rich because he found a better, faster way to build cars. This is shown in the history of the Model-T. when the Model-T was first introduced in 1908, it took 14 hours to build and cost $850. After Ford introduced into his own factory the mass-production techniques that he was in a meat-packing plant, the time for building a Model-T was reduced to less than two hours. As a result, Ford was able to drop the price of the cat to $265. By 1927, he had sold over 15 million Model-Ts.

The first Model-T was expensive because it ……………………

The Model-T became so popular because it was ……………. than other cars.

Passage 3:

Small talk isn’t so “small”

Small talk may not be about serious issues; nevertheless, researchers into the subject have concluded that it’s important. That’s because small talk keeps us connected to one another and can lead to bigger things, such as a job or a new friendship. Yet people who find themselves alone with another person often don’t know what to say. Here are a few tips to help you start a conversation, and to keep the conversational ball rolling:

Start with the obvious: If you have something in common with another person (your job, hobbies, a person you both know, etc.), begin with that. If you don’t know the person, it’s always acceptable to bring up a neutral topic such as the weather or a recent news event. It isn’t necessary to be clever- all that’s required is to show interest in the other person and to be willing to talk.

Compliment where appropriate: if the other person has done something you like or is wearing something attractive, it’s always appropriate to compliment, but avoid talking about specifics of a person’s physical appearance (people can’t usually change how they look) and keep your compliments short and to the point (“what a great tie! Or “you look great tonight!” and continue with another topic.

Talk about yourself – then return to your partner: It’s perfectly OK to talk about your own interests for a while, but keep your conversation from becoming a monolog. It’s only polite, for example, that after talking about your own children, you turn the conversation back to your partner by asking about his or her children.

According to the article, the main function of small talk is to …………………….

“Start with the obvious” means that you should talk about things that you ………………..

You need to be careful when complimenting someone because most people ………………

You should avoid monologs because other people ……………

Section 3: Choose the word that best complete the sentences.

……………. several good restaurants in our neighborhood.

“I can’t swim very well.”

“I can’t ……………….”

Mt. Everest is ……………….. mountain in the world.

If I had known about the accident, I …………. it to the police.

Would you mind …………… the window?

By 2020, scientist ………………… a cure for cancer.

Chicago, ………………. is nicknamed the Windy City, is the largest city in Illinois.

I’m taking a class …………… learn more about my computer.