Use of English
Task 1
For questions 1-13, read the text below and decide which answer A, B, C
or D best fits each gap.
Internet words form the language of 2moro
Traditional spellings could be killed off by the
internet within 1____ decades, a
language expert has claimed. The advent of blogs and
chat rooms meant that for the first time in centuries 2_____ words were widely distributed without 3____or proofread, said Professor David
Crystal, of the University of Wales. As a result, writers could spell words
differently and their versions could 4___ common usage and become 5___ by children. Within a few decades, the
spellings 6___by many internet
users could replace the current, more complex versions, he said. Current spellings 7____ in the 18th century with the advent of dictionaries.
It could mean that internet slang - such as ''2moro'' instead of ''tomorrow''
or ''thx'' for ''thanks'' - may enter into mainstream publications.
Professor Crystal said many spellings 8_____no relation to meaning or
pronunciation. ''The vast majority of spelling rules
in English are irrelevant,'' he said. ''They don't stop you 9___ the word in question. ''If I spell
the word rhubarb without an 'h', you have no trouble 10____ it. Why do we spell it with an 'h'?
Because some guy in the 16th century said it was good to put an 'h' in to remind
us of the history of the word.''
Professor Crystal said that before the internet,
nobody could write something in print without an editor or a proofreader 11___ it. But now simplified and
phonetically spelt words were likely to enter the vocabulary. ''There's been a
huge movement over hundreds of years to simplify English spelling, because it
is complex for historical reasons.'' ''What you consider 12___ atrocious now may be standard in 50
years,'' he said.
Professor Crystal told the 20th anniversary conference
of the International English Language Testing System that the internet would
not lead to a complete breakdown in spelling rules. ''All that will happen is
that one set of conventions will replace another set of conventions,'' he said.
He said schools should not abandon 13___ of traditional spelling. ''Kids have got to realise
that in this day and age, standard English spelling is an absolute criterion of
an educated background,'' he said. ''You're not going to get certain types of
jobs if you don't spell well. The point is that they haven't been taught well.
''Teachers don't know how to teach spelling because they haven't done the
appropriate linguistics … The blame is being put on the kids, but most of the
kids I know who have got poor spelling regret the fact.''
1. A. a few B. few C. little D.
a little
2. A. the printed B. the printing C. printed D. printing
3. A. edited B. been edited C. having been edited D.
have been edited
4. A. enter B. enter into C. be entered D.
to be entered
5. A. taken B. admitted C. brought D. accepted
6. A. favoured B. favour C. favouring D. to favour
7. A. standardize B. standardized C. standardizing D.
were standardized
8. A. born B. borne C. bore D. beared
9. A. understand B. to understand C. understood D. understanding
10. A. understand B. of understanding C. understanding D. to understand
11. A. checking B. being checked C. check D. checked
12. A. to be B. being C. been D. be
13.
A. teaching B. the teaching C. teacher D. being taught
Task 2
For questions
14-22, read the text below. Use the word given in capitals at the end of some of
the lines to form a word that fits in the gap in the same line.
Example 0: PLANETARY
Rich exoplanet system discovered
Astronomers
have discovered a 0___________ system PLANET
containing
at least five planets that orbit a star called HD 10180,
which is
much like our own Sun. The star is 127 light years
away, in
the 14 _____________ constellation of Hydrus. The SOUTH
researchers
used the 15 _____________ Observatory to EUROPE
monitor
light 16 ____________ from the system and identify EMIT
and 17
_____________the planets. They say this is the CHARACTER
"richest"
system of exoplanets - planets outside our own Solar
System -
ever found. The 18 ____________ could provide DISCOVER
insight
into the 19 ____________of our own Solar System FORM
"The 20
________________of the system of planets around HD RICH
10180 with
its many characteristic features marks the way
forward
towards gathering the 21 _______________that will INFORM
put our own 22
____________into cosmic context," Dr. Martin EXIST
Dominik, an
astronomer from the UK's University of St Andrews,
told BBC
News.
Task 3
For questions 23-39, complete the following sample
report by putting a preposition in each space.
A The current market 23 ___
home-health-care services is 24 __ $2.6 billion. 25___2013,
the market will be $5.2 billion.
B Nokia Growth Partners is the leading
global growth stage venture firm focused 26 ____mobile technology,
services and media. We invest 27 _____ companies, firms, and people
that are changing the face 28 _____ mobility, communications, and the
internet. Nokia Growth Partners works closely 29 ____ the
promising companies adding value through deep domain expertise and
network in the mobility market combined 30 ___ many years of venture
investment and operating experience.
C At the National Nuclear Security
Administration (NNSA), the Obama administration is seeking a funding increase 31
____ 25 percent, to $2 billion, 32 ____ the continued safety and
surety of the nuclear weapons stockpile. That would ensure funds for the agency
to reach full production 33 _____ the refurbished Navy W-76 Trident submarine warhead, to
refurbish the B-61 bomb, and to study options for maintaining the W-78, the warhead
in the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile.
D In 2004, governments 34 ____ North
America and Western Europe invested the highest shares 35 ______national
resources 36___ education: 5.6% of GDP. The region is followed 37
_____ the Arab States (4.9%) and sub-Saharan Africa (4.5%). The regions of Latin
America and the Caribbean as well as Central and Eastern Europe are close 38
____ the world average, with 4.4% and 4.2% respectively. By far the lowest
level of public spending is found in Central Asia and in East Asia and the
Pacific – both of which report only 2.8% of GDP. However, the figure for East
Asia and the Pacific should be interpreted with caution as the average is based
39 _____ an estimate for China for 1999.
Task 4
For questions 40-50, choose a word or phrase from the
box opposite for each space in the text below. There is one extra phrase which you do not
need to use.
Research-based writing in American institutions, both therefore
educational and corporate, is filled with rules that
writers,
particularly beginners, aren't aware of or don't know
how
to follow. Many of these rules have to do with
research generally speaking
and proper citation. Gaining a familiarity of these
rules, however
40____________, is critically
important, as inadvertent
mistakes can lead to charges of plagiarism, 41
_______ while
is the uncredited use (both intentional and
unintentional)
of somebody
else's words or ideas. 42_________some
cultures may not insist so heavily on documenting
sources
of words, ideas, images, sounds, etc., American
culture
does. 43_____________, a charge of plagiarism
can have not to
mention
severe consequences, 44 ____________ expulsion
from
a university or loss of a job, 45 _________________a
which
writer's loss of credibility and professional
standing.
There are some actions that can almost unquestionably
be
labeled plagiarism. Some of these, 46 ______________,
but
then
include buying, stealing, or borrowing a paper
(including,
47______________, copying an
entire paper or article for
example
from the Web); hiring someone to write your paper for
you; and copying large sections of text from a source
without quotation marks or proper citation.
48 ___________ there are
actions that are usually in to sum
up
more of a gray area. Some of these include using the
words
of a source too closely when paraphrasing (where including
quotation marks should have been used) or building on
someone's ideas without citing their spoken or written
work.
49_______________, you can regard
something as additionally
common knowledge if you find the same information
undocumented in at least five credible sources.
50___________, it might be
common knowledge if of
course
you think the information you're presenting is
something
your readers will already know, or something that a
person
could easily find in general reference sources. But
when in
doubt, cite; if the citation turns out to be
unnecessary, your
teacher or editor will tell you.
Task 5
You are going to read a news
article about robot teachers. Six paragraphs have been
removed from the article. Choose
from the paragraphs A-G the one which fits each gap
(51-56). There is one extra
paragraph which you do not need to use.
Robot teachers invade South Korean classrooms (By Susannah
Palk)
It's a
typical classroom scene: Students working at their desks as the teacher calls
out instructions. But, unlike your average teacher, this one is made of plastic
and computer circuits. This isn't a sci-fi movie; it's an English language
class taught by Engkey, a robot teacher, in the coastal city of Masan in South
Korea. Included into a pilot program launched by the South Korean government,
students in two elementary schools in the city are being taught English by
robot teachers.
51
IMun-Taek Choi is a senior research engineer at the
Korea Institute of Science and Technology, the government-funded research
institute that developed the Engkey. He told CNN that government evaluation has
shown that "the educational robot system indeed helps increase students'
interest and self-motivation in studying English and improves their English
skills." Thirty-six Engkeys are due to be implemented in 18 elementary
schools across the Korean city of Daegu by the end of this year, according to
KIST.
52
Besides being popular with children, the telepresence
robot also helps address South Korea's shortage of qualified native-English
speaking teachers, Choi said.
Using telepresence robots can be beneficial to
students, according to Tucker Balch, associate professor of interactive
computing at the Georgia Institute of Technology. "This type of technology
can bring many types of teaching that would otherwise be unavailable into more
classrooms," he said.
53
Robots haven't replaced human teachers in South Korean
classrooms. Instead, they currently serve more as assistants.
Another version of the Engkey, which doesn't connect
students to a human, uses voice recognition technology to help students
practice their English pronunciation and dialogue.
54
"Due to the limitations on the current robotic
technologies, robots cannot completely supplant human teachers in the
educational field," said Choi. And there are doubts about whether they
will ever be capable of doing that.
55
But if children are looked after by robots for too
long, in almost exclusive care, it would give them attachment disorders.
Sharkey told CNN: "There is no understanding in robots, there is just processing."
56
"Teaching is probably the most challenging role
for artificial intelligence. It is a creative role and to teach well you really
have to understand the person you're teaching. It requires a real fundamental
leap in ability before we can get there."
A The Engkey is linked to and controlled remotely by a human
teacher outside the classroom, whose face appears on the screen of the robot.
The robot links students to teachers located as far away as Australia.
B Robotic technology is still developing and it'll be a
long time -- if ever -- before robots are capable of leading a classroom on
their own, Balch said.
C In high-tech South Korea, robots serve a variety of
educational purposes and the government is pressing ahead with plans to expand
its robot learning, or "R-learning," program.
D Robots aren't bad as add-ons in the classroom, says
Noel Sharkey, a professor of artificial intelligence and robotics at the
University of Sheffield in England. As long as there's a teacher involved,
children can find them interesting and it can inspire their learning, he said.
E But the Engkey isn't the only type of robot being used in
schools. Pre-school teachers in the city of Daejeon have received a helping
hand (or wheel), thanks to iRobi and a robot dog named Genibo. iRobi marks
students' attendance and uses a face recognition program to ask children about
their mood. Genibo, originally invented to be a pet robot, was redesigned to
teach dance and gymnastics moves.
F
Robots are a cost-effective way to help teachers when
relatively simple and repetitive training is required, Choi said. "We do
not intend to substitute real teachers with robots," he said. "Rather
it is important for us to develop robot systems that provide satisfiable assistance
to teachers." For now, teachers don't have to be worried about being
replaced in the classroom.
G "It may be better to have a telepresence robot
from a highly skilled teacher than to have just an average teacher in the
classroom," Balch added.
Task 6
For questions 57-70, match the
first part of each short dialogue with the second part (A-P). There are 2 extra replies which you do not need to
use.
57 What’s your all-time favourite? A No, you needn’t.
58 Must I take off my coat? B Yes. I
think he is expecting me.
59 You don’t look so good. What’s up? C
I think it may be a good idea to rent a bus.
60 Could you give me a wake-up call for tomorrow
morning at 6:15?
D Not really. I’m just browsing.
61 I have a reservation for tonight. E I really like classical music.
62 Excuse me, what is this amount for? F I’m afraid I can’t make it. I have
a prior
engagement.
Could we make it some other day?
63 Have you got an appointment with the Personnel
Manager?
G Certainly. How
much do you want to invest?
64 May I speak to Mr. Smith, Finance Manager,
please?
H This is the charge for using the
internet.
65 What’s your suggestion? I
I’m Vice-Manager of the Marketing Department.
66 What do you do for a living? J
Sure. Anything else?
67 What position do you hold in the company? K I’m a self-employed individual.
68 I’m phoning to ask you if you would like to have
dinner with me tomorrow evening.
L I major in English and minor in
Economics.
69 I’d like to see your managing director, Mr. Long. M I have a backache.
70 What’s your educational background? N Have you got an appointment
with him?
O
Hold the line. I’ll put you through.
P What name is the booking for?
Part 2 Sociocultural
Aspect
Task 1
For questions 1-5, match a newly
coined English word or phrase with its definition and
use this new word in a sentence
below. There is one word you do not need to use in the
sentence.
digitally excluded
|
daycations
|
coffee guilt
|
cyberphobia
|
digital nomads
|
textism
|
1. people who use technology, especially
a laptop and a wireless network, to work remotely from anywhere in the world
__________________________
2. description of someone who doesn't
have or can't afford home Internet access and is therefore unable to do things
like online banking or shopping
________
3. vacations, usually involving leaving town, which last only a day
__________
4. the language used in sms messages, characterized
by the use of abbreviations,
single letters and symbols
______________________________
5. fear of using or dealing with technology __________________________
6. the shame one feels arriving late to
a meeting, carrying a purchased cup of coffee that reveals why one was late
_________________
1. _________ can cause panic
attacks and keep people apart from loved ones and business associates.
2. Instead of spending lots of dough on far-away
travel, my friends and I have decided to try and fill our summer with ____________.
3. _________ and English can coexist; the
former can actually help the latter.
4. The story also talked about how ________mostly
gather in coffee shops and other places where wireless access is available.
5. Andrea was five minutes late for her meeting,
having stopped for a latte, and her_________ was evident as she sipped
from her drink while trying to catch up with the discussion.
Task 2
For questions 6-10, select the
words that might sound British to Americans and give their equivalents in American English. Follow the
alphabetic order of words while filling in
the table.
Aerial, apartment, appetizer, aubergine, bathrobe,
biscuit, bun, chips, condominium, cookbook, facilities, fortnight, movie,
parka, railroad, to rent, restroom, trousers.
British
English
|
American
English
|
|
6
|
||
7
|
||
8
|
||
9
|
||
10
|
Task 3
For questions 11-15, read the
definitions and identify American culture-loaded words.
11. A temperature scale which was commonly used in English-speaking
countries up until the 1970s and nowadays it is maintained only in the United
States.
______________________________________________________________
12. A stringed musical instrument, played by plucking. It was brought to
America by African slaves and is used a lot in folk and bluegrass music.
______________________________________________________________
13. A usually paved area adjoining a house, used for outdoor dining and
recreation.
______________________________________________________________
14. A small tree with sharp dark green leaves and red berries, or the leaves
and berries of this tree used as a decoration at Christmas.
_____________________________________________________________
15. A popular way to get rid of unwanted stuff or when moving; a sale of used
furniture, clothes etc from people's houses.
_____________________________________________________________