English reading part test (sample)

PAPER ONE

READING COMPREHENSION

SECTION 1
In this section you must choose the word or phrase which best completes each
sentence.
1. I would like to thank you, _______ my colleagues, for the welcome you have given us.
a. on account of
b. on behalf of
c. because of
d. instead of
2. He was offered the job _________ his qualifications were poor.

a. despite
b. in spite of
c. even though
d. whereas
3. The representative from New York was not present, and _______ was the one from
Tokyo.
a. so
b. either
c. neither
d. as
4. The job offer was too good for Jennifer to turn _________.
a. off

b. away
c. out
d. down
5. Inflation is eating _________ all our hard-earning savings.
a. down
b. on
c. through
d. away
6. The question of late payment of bills was __________ again at the board meeting.
a. risen
b. raised
c. brought

d. taken
7. The rise in house prices _____________ him to sell his house for large profit.
a. succeeded
b. enabled
c. achieved
d. facilitated
8. Call in and see our _________ of spring fashions today.
a. reputation
b. election
c. collection
d. production

9. The discovery was a major ___________ for research workers.
a. breakthrough
b. breakdown
c. break-in
d. breakout
10. The credit terms ___________ that payment should be on presentation of the goods.
a. remind
b. agree
c. settle
d. stipulate
11. If it weren’t for venture capital, the American business machine ___________

collapse.
a. would
b. will
c. was
d. were
12. I must get _______________ before the boss sees it.
a. my office tidying up
b. tidied up my office
c. tidying up my office
d. my office tidied up
13. He came to the meeting ______________ than we expected.
a. much more earlier

b. much more early
c. much earlier
d. more early
14. The building, for ___________ a purchasing fund had been set aside, was severly
damaged in the hurricane.
a. that
b. which
c. whose
d. when
15. Only after John spoke to his lawyer, ___________ the contract.
a. did he sign
b. he signed

c. he did sign
d. did he signed
SECTION 2: READING
Questions 1 – 5
According to research released today by the Progressive Center for Business Studies,
workers are feeling increasingly stressed and unhappy in the workplace. The center
conducted a survey of employee attitudes among 2,000 wage and salary earners.
Amazingly, over 75% of respondents said that they got either “no” or “very little”
satisfaction from their daily work. The most common reasons that employees gave for


this negative outlook were that they received low pay, feel overworked, and saw no

opportunities for career advancement.
The Employers’ Federation of America has already downplayed the significance of the
study. Chad Stevens, the president of the federation, explained that employees
traditionally respond negatively to surveys relating to job satisfaction: “In reality,
employees have it better now than they ever have before. It’s just the nature of these
surveys that leads people to complain.”
However, Dough Gardner, the Chief Executive of the Combined Labor Union, sees it
differently. He suggested that with unemployment nearing 7% of the eligible workforce
nationwide, those currently in employment have little option but to keep working in jobs
where they feel unhappy: “Employees can’t suddenly leave because they don’t like it.
They can’t afford to lose their jobs.” He even expressed concern that some employers
may start taking advantage of the situation as the competition for job increases by

reducing employee benefits.
The Virginia Herald
1. What is this article mainly about?
a. A new guide to handling stress in the workplace
b. A survey about employees’ concerns over the economy
c. A project to find out about workplace relations
d. A study showing that employees are dissatisfied
2. What organization does Chad Stevens work for?
a. The Progressive Center for Business Studies
b. The Employers’ Federation of America
c. The Virginia Herald
d. The Combined Labor Union

3. Which is NOT mentioned by employees as factor for this response?
a. High unemployment
b. Unreasonable work demands
c. A low chance of promotion
d. Depressed wages
4. According to Mr. Gardner, what may start happening?
a. Unemployment rates will begin decreasing.
b. More employees will join the Combined Labor Union.
c. Some companies will take away employee benefits.
d. There will be reduced competition for jobs.
5. The word “advancement” in the sentence “…saw no opportunities for career
advancement” can be best replaced by ……………

a. development
b. complement
c. experiment
d. compliment
Questions 6 – 10


Quintel, Inc. ended negotiations with Fulton Corporation this week. The two companies
have signed an agreement to work together to enhance bio-chemical analysis for use in
medical laboratories around the country.
In a statement to the press, Quintel CEO, Ferdinad Markos, expressed excitement that the
collaborative venture would help both entities improve reputations within the

international medical community. “By employing Fulton Corporation’s ingenuity in the
medical research field to work with Quintel’s superbly engineered technology, the
partnerships will, undoubtedly, lead to great findings and an expansion of our presence
within the community. There will be discoveries that will lead to new medicines and
treatments for a number of illnesses we currently know very little about.”
Quintel, Inc., based out of London, is known to the general public for its contributions to
ease the suffering of patients with common, yet potentially serious illnesses, such as
pneumonia. Fulton Corporation has recently begun marketing its newest piece of medical
equipment, an improved heart monitor for child patients which can detach the heart’s
responses to new medications with minutes of use.
Investors seem to be excited about the partnership as stock prices for both companies
have risen more than 10% on the NYSE and the NASDAQ since the agreement was

announced two days ago.
6. According to the passage, what will the companies be doing?
a. merging into one company
b. working together on a project
c. declaring bankruptcy
d. introducing a new product line
7. What has happened in the past 48 hours?
a. A contract has been signed.
b. A new heart monitor has been introduced.
c. Share prices have increased.
d. Customers have placed more orders.
8. What strength is noted about Fulton Corporation?

a. a well-trained workforce
b. attractive product design
c. a great amount of funding
d. innovative medical research
9. What strength is noted about Quintel Inc.?
a. well-planned marketing campaigns
b. devotion to the benefits of the community
c. an experienced management board
d. good reputation for high quality products
10.
The word “employing” in the sentence “By employing Fulton Corporation’s
ingenuity …” can be best replaced by ……………

a. using
b. hiring
c. recruiting


d. providing
SECTION 3: READING CLOZE
Complete the following passage with the missing words. Fill each blank with ONE
suitable word only.
To be successful, a business traveler must be able to maintain contact with the office, no matter
(1) …………….. the time or place. Negotiations often involve decisions based (2) …………
the latest figures. New telecommunications products and services now on the market make

staying in touch easier (3) …………….. ever before.
The most widespread device is the cellular telephone, the price of (4) …………….. has
dropped from several thousand dollars to a few hundred, including installation. There are over
2 million cellular phones in use today, including both car phones and cordless transportable (5)
……………... Car phones have proven indispensable (6) …………….. road emergencies as
well as routine business transactions. Phone service is also available on airplanes and on the
rails.
Recently introduced pocket-sized organizers help business travelers with heavy schedules keep
(7) …………….. of clients. These are tiny (8) …………….. that can store all kinds of
information. They can serve as phone and (9) …………….. directories, calendars, electronic
memo pads, and calculators, among other (10) ……………..
PAPER 2: WRITING

SECTION 1: CONTROLLED WRITING (10 marks)
From the following suggested words and phrases in the given sequences, make all the
changes and additions necessary to produce sentences, which together make a complete
paragraph. Follow the example
Example:
my aunt / born / England / now/ she/ live / Perth / Australia /
Answer: My aunt was born in England, but now she lives in Perth, Australia.
1. LG Electronics / be / third largest handset maker / world.
………………………………………………………………………………………
2. The LG Group / originally establish / 1958 / GoldStar.
………………………………………………………………………………………
3. It / first produce / radios, TVs, refrigerators, washing machines, / air conditioners

………………………………………………………………………………………
4. The LG Group / be / merger / two Korean companies, Lucky and GoldStar.
………………………………………………………………………………………
5. The abbreviation / LG / derive / the two names Lucky and GoldStar.
………………………………………………………………………………………
6. Before the corporate name change / LG, household products /sell / the brand name of
Lucky, while electronic products /sell / the brand name of GoldStar.
………………………………………………………………………………………
7. January 2009 LG / buy / domain name, LG.com
………………………………………………………………………………………

8. It / become / one / company / who own their two letter brand's domain name
………………………………………………………………………………………
9. 1994 GoldStar / gain / sponsorship / The 3DO Company to make the first 3DO
Interactive Multiplayer.
………………………………………………………………………………………
10. 1995 GoldStar / rename / LG Electronics, and / acquire / Zenith Electronics of the
United States.
………………………………………………………………………………………
SECTION 2: SENTENCE TRANSFORMATION
Use the words given to rewrite each of the following sentences in such a way that it
means exactly the same as the original sentence.
EXAMPLE: I haven't enjoyed myself so much for years.

ANSWER: It’s years since I enjoyed myself so much.
1. The hotel manager did not offer us a 25% discount because we were not a party of ten
or more.
If ………………………………………………………………………………………….
2. Viettravel asked us to send them a copy of our itinerary so that they could arrange
transport.
Viettravel said, “Please …………………………………………………………….”
3. Printix is offering us a 15% discount on all orders over $1,000.
A 15% discount …………………………………………………………………………..
4. Despite being one indicator of success, profit needs not be the only one.
Although ………………………………………………………………………………..
5. It was not necessary for you to give me Miss Malone’s curriculum vitae, by the way; I

already have a copy.
You ……………………………………………………………………………………….
OR
1. Mr. Smith said, “Can I have your detailed offer, including prices and delivery terms?”
Mr. Smith asked us ……………………………………………………………………….
2. Some managers would like to ignore the incompetent in the company more than
dealing with them.
Some managers would rather …………………………………………………………….
3. I wasn’t able to convey our apologies to the auditors, I’m afraid, because they had
already left.
I wished …………………………………………………………………………………..
4. Mary never seems to be promoted even though she is the most creative staff in

marketing.
However ………………………………………………………………………………….
5. Calendar years and fiscal years hardly coincide.
Hardly ……………………………………………………………………………………