PART 1: For questions 1–5, listen to a recording about some historical events related to

Bhutan and Nepal and decide whether the following statements are True (T), False (F), or
Not Given (NG) according to what you hear.
1. The decade-long presence of Sikkim, a third inner state sandwiched between China and
India, prevented Nepal and Bhutan from being absorbed into either.
2. In spite of their failure, Nepal and Sikkim were claimed to be independent nations so long
as they remained under British control.
3. According to the speaker, the British overlords decentralised and distributed authority to
local leaders due to their inability to govern Bhutan.
4. The unfavorable geographical conditions, which made invading, trading, and maintaining
domination particularly challenging, deterred the Chinese Republic from taking control
of Bhutan.
5. Tibet was a protectorate in the early eighteenth century, but it was invaded only when
China recognised the territorial threats posed by the British.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

KEY:
1 NG (NOT THE REASON)
2 FALSE (ONLY SIKKIM)
3 FALSE (THIS WAS THE CASE FOR MOGUL)
4 NG (NOT MENTION TRADING AND THIS IS THE CASE FOR NEPAL, NOT BHUTAN)
5 TRUE
PART 2: For questions 6–10, listen to the recording and answer the questions. Write NO
MORE THAN TWO WORDS taken from the recording for each answer.
1. Which terms scientifically refers to the system which triggers people’s curiosity and thirst
for knowledge beyond their current understanding?
_____________________________________________________________________
2. Besides being deleterious for workers themselves, what does people’s desire to get away
from the very thought of work adversely impacts?
_____________________________________________________________________
3. Back in the days when curiosity was not widely promoted, besides the system of
regulation and penalties, what did employers utilize to get workers into carrying out
repetitive and boring assignments?
_____________________________________________________________________
4. Which occupation does the speaker refer to as a change from being a delivery person to
highlight the unpredictable nature of job?
_____________________________________________________________________
5. What set is intended to be used to evaluate you and your work performance?
_____________________________________________________________________
KEY
1 Ventral striatum
2 Organizations/ Organisations/ The Organizations/ The Organisations
3 Extrinsic rewards
4 Corporate espionage
5 KPIs

Part 3: You will hear two alternative practitioners called Stella and Rick McFarland,
talking about laughter therapy. For questions 1 -5, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which
fits best according to what you hear.

1. What do Stella and Rick see as the chief explanation for the popularity of what are called
‘laughter clubs’?

A. They allow people to interact and open up about their hardships with others.
B. They sound appealing to those who may be wary of other forms of therapy.
C. They don't require people to become long-term member.
D. They are a free-of-charge method for people to seek counsel from experts.

2. Rick feels that a laughter therapist mostly aids individuals to

A. grant a means of escapism from one pattern of behavior.

B. ensure that people get sufficient rest and relaxation.
C. prevent people from feeling the grave consequences of anxiety.
D. investigate the root causes of people's emotional hardships.

3. What does Rick regard as the main benefit of the laughter therapy sessions he runs?

A. They provide people with a good mental workout.

B. They enable people to feel less inhibited.
C. They stop people from forming a pessimistic outlook on life.
D. They pave the way for the formation of lasting bonds.

4. Rick’s initially grow hooked on laughter therapy after

A. attending his wife's group sessions.

B. his skepticism about the effectiveness of other alternative methods.
C. gaining first-hand experience of another approach.
D. being encouraged to help his clients more effectively.

5. Why does Rick tell us about a client who had problems giving presentations?

A. to draw a relationship between the level of stress and its impact on a person's level of
performance.
 B. to lend weight to Stella's point regarding making time for certain activities.
C. to emphasize how human’s senses are affected by essential oils.
D. to propose an alternative treatment for work-related stress.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

KEY
1B
2A
3B
4C
5B

PART 4: For questions 16–25, listen to a recording and complete the following summary.
Write NO MORE THAN ONE WORD taken from the recording for each blank.

Its scientific name alludes to its demigod-like stature and ferocity, and this is not a plant with
which you want to mess. Today, we will discuss Heracleum mantegazzianum, often known as
the far less elegant Giant hogweed. This blooming herbaceous plant, named after Hercules
himself, may reach heights of 5 metres. The giant hogweed is indigenous to the Caucasus
Mountains of Georgia – the nation, not the state – Azerbaijan, and southern Russia, where it
thrives in meadows, clearings, forest margins, and along rivers. The giant hogweed belongs to
the Apiaceae family. It contains a number of deadly species, such as poison hemlock, as well as
phototoxic species, such as gigantic hogweed. Giant hogweed sap may make your skin sun-
sensitive and itchy, like Dracula. Photodermatitis is sap plus sun. Within 24 to 48 hours, you'll
develop weepy rashes and blisters that might cause lasting scarring or discoloration. If the sap
gets into the eyes, it may result in temporary or permanent blindness. The giant hogweed is a
monocarpic perennial, which means it blooms just once following a lengthy period of vegetative
growth.
Lexico-grammar
1. I never trust such fair-weather friends; they always promise to help me, but when it comes to
the ______, they do nothing.
A. hunch B. bunch C. crunch D.
punch
2. After sending their children to two separate schools, the two families believed their bond
would ______ out.
A. fizzle B. sizzle C. drizzle D.
muzzle
3. My writing is terrible; I think I’ll have a ______ on it this term.
A. stab B. blot C. slick D. blitz
4. Thousands of copies of his latest novel were ______ within two days, making it one of the
bestsellers of the year.
 A. cranked out B. snapped up C. shot out D.
pulled off
5. I know I sound like a(n) ______, but I have to repeat that you should make an effort to
prepare for the NEC exam.
A. sick parrot B. old song C. broken record D. mad
hatter
6. His injury has put him hors de ______; he cannot participate in any athletic competitions now.
A. fight B. combat C. battle D. war
7. When the singer’s scandal came into light, all the tabloids really had a ______.
A. free lunch B. hot button C. big league D. field
day
8. I think that you should raise a(n) ______ about the substandard fire safety guidance here.
A. opus B. rumpus C. corpus D.
genus
9. Except for several astonished gobblers in front of a tavern, everyone __________.
A. stalked B. vamoosed
C. emulated D. engrossed
10. Many parents worry that their children may be led ______ by their peers.
A. amiss B. astray C. askew D. adrift
11. She is embarrassingly ______ to her bosses and ready to do whatever they tell her to.
A. obsequious B. ferocious C. multifarious D.
ostentatious
12. You should never invest your money in those ______ companies; they are likely to close
down and disappear along with your money soon.
A. devil-may-care B. fly-by-night C. open-handed D.
down-to-earth
13. After the exams, our class went bowling in order to _______ down.
A. wind B. slow C. play D. settle
14. My parents were brimming _______ with happiness when I won the top prize in the
MockNEC competition.
A. over B. up C. out D. along
15. Prolonged wars have left the country’s economy in ______ straits.
A. callous B. stringent C. absurd D. dire
Word formation
1. The new law was introduced at the end of 2021 but was made _________ to the beginning of
2020. (ACT)
retroactive
2. Son Doong Cave is internationally famous for its _________ rainforests. (TERRAIN)
subterranean
3. In my opinion, a good textbook should provide information that is _________ by every
student. (SIMILAR)
assimilable
4. As teenagers, you all need to stay away from gambling, computer games, and other
_________ activities. (WHOLE)
unwholesome
5. Since our factory is _________, we need to take on more workers to maintain the production
rate. (MAN)
undermanned
Part 1, For questions 46-55, read the passage and fill each of the following numbered
blanks with ONE suitable word. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered
boxes provided.
Justin Bieber is incredibly famous now, but we sometimes forget the origins of his fame –
YouTube. Grainy videos uploaded by his mother of him singing at local performances in his
hometown were what more or less put him on the map. His first videos garnered upwards of ten
thousand viewers in a very short period of time, inspiring his mother to upload more. Soon
enough, he was signed by a major record label and his 2009 debut album made a huge splash
in the pop music world. For the next few years, he would be known as a spectacular music
sensation far removed from his humble beginnings.
But his fame, as we all know, took its toll and things started to get out of hand for the singer. He
soon starting making headlines for outlandish behaviour, walking off stage in the middle of
performances and lashing out at photographers. He visited the Anne Frank museum in
Amsterdam and made a joke in very bad taste about her being a 'Belieber' were she alive today
– something the press wouldn't let him live down. However, he wasn't dropped from his label
and went on to clean up his act (sort of).
What's interesting to consider about his rollercoaster life is how much fame simply uploading
videos on a video-sharing website eventually brought him – and could bring anyone else.

Part 2: For questions 56 – 68, read the following passage and do the tasks that follow.

A. vii RMS Titanic was a British passenger liner operated by the White Star Line that sank in the North
Atlantic Ocean in the early morning hours of 15 April 1912, after striking an iceberg during her maiden
voyage from Southampton to New York City. Of the estimated 2,224 passengers and crew
aboard, more than 1,500 died, making the sinking one of modern history's deadliest peacetime
commercial marine disasters. RMS Titanic was the largest ship afloat at the time she entered
service and was the second of three Olympic-class ocean liners operated by the White Star Line. 
B. i Titanic's sea trials began at 6 a.m. on Tuesday, 2 April 1912, just two days after her fitting out was
finished and eight days before she was due to leave Southampton on her maiden voyage. The trials
were delayed for a day due to bad weather, but by Monday morning it was clear and fair.
Representatives of various companies travelled on Titanic's sea trials. Jack Phillips and Harold Bride
served as radio operators, and performed fine-tuning of the Marconi equipment. Francis Carruthers, a
surveyor from the Board of Trade, was also present to see that everything worked, and that the ship
was fit to carry passengers. 
C. iv Titanic's maiden voyage was intended to be the first of many trans-Atlantic crossings between
Southampton and New York via Cherbourg and Queenstown on westbound runs, returning via
Plymouth in England while eastbound. Indeed, her entire schedule of voyages through to December
1912 still exists. When the route was established, four ships were assigned to the service. In addition
to Teutonic and Majestic, the RMS Oceanic and the brand new RMS Adriatic sailed the route. When
the Olympic entered service in June 1911, she replaced Teutonic, which after completing her last run
on the service in late April was transferred to the Dominion Line's Canadian service. The following
August, Adriatic was transferred to White Star Line's main Liverpool-New York service, and in
November, Majestic was withdrawn from service impending the arrival of Titanic in the coming
months, and was mothballed as a reserve ship. 
D. ix At 11:40 p.m. (ship's time) on 14 April, lookout Frederick Fleet spotted an iceberg immediately
ahead of Titanic and alerted the bridge. First Officer William Murdoch ordered the ship to be steered
around the obstacle and the engines to be stopped, but it was too late; the starboard side of Titanic
struck the iceberg, creating a series of holes below the waterline. The hull was not punctured by the
iceberg, but rather dented such that the hull's seams buckled and separated, allowing water to seep in.
Five of the ship's watertight compartments were breached. It soon became clear that the ship was
doomed, as she could not survive more than four compartments being flooded. Titanic began sinking
bow-first, with water spilling from compartment to compartment as her angle in the water became
steeper. 
E. x Those aboard Titanic were ill-prepared for such an emergency. In accordance with accepted
practices of the time, where ships were seen as largely unsinkable and lifeboats were intended to
transfer passengers to nearby rescue vessels, Titanic only had enough lifeboats to carry about half of
those on board; if the ship had carried her full complement of about 3,339 passengers and crew, only
about a third could have been accommodated in the lifeboats. The crew had not been
trained adequately in carrying out an evacuation. The officers did not know how many they could safely
put aboard the lifeboats and launched many of them barely half-full. Third-class passengers were
largely left to fend for themselves, causing many of them to become trapped below decks as the ship
filled with water. The "women and children first" protocol was generally followed when loading the
lifeboats, and most of the male passengers and crew were left aboard. 
F. viii Between 2:10 a.m. and 2:15 a.m., a little over two and a half hours after Titanic struck the
iceberg, her rate of sinking suddenly increased as the boat deck dipped underwater, and the sea
poured in through open hatches and grates. As her unsupported stern rose out of the water, exposing
the propellers, the ship broke in two main pieces between the second and third funnels, due to the
immense forces on the keel. With the bow underwater, and air trapped in the stern, the stern remained
afloat and buoyant for a few minutes longer, rising to a nearly vertical angle with hundreds of people
still clinging to it, before foundering at 2:20 a.m. For many years it was generally believed the ship sank
in one piece; but when the wreck was located many years later, it was discovered that the ship had
fully broken in two. All remaining passengers and crew were immersed in lethally cold water with a
temperature of -2 °C. Sudden immersion into freezing water typically causes death within minutes,
either from cardiac arrest, uncontrollable breathing of water, or cold incapacitation, and almost all of
those in the water died of cardiac arrest or other bodily reactions to freezing water, within 30 minutes.
Only 5 of them were helped into the lifeboats, though these had room for almost 500 more people.
G. v Distress signals were sent by wireless, rockets, and lamp, but none of the ships that responded
was near enough to reach Titanic before she sank. A radio operator on board the Birma, for instance,
estimated that it would be 6 a.m. before the liner could arrive at the scene. Meanwhile, the SS
Californian, which was the last to have been in contact before the collision, saw Titanic's flares but
failed to assist. Around 4 a.m., RMS Carpathia arrived on the scene in response to Titanic's earlier
distress calls. 
H. ii About 710 people survived the disaster and were conveyed by Carpathia to New York, Titanic's
original destination, while at least 1,500 people lost their lives. Carpathia's captain described the place
as an ice field that had included 20 large bergs measuring up to 61m high and numerous smaller
bergs, as well as ice floes and debris from Titanic; passengers described being in the middle of a vast
white plain of ice, studded with icebergs. This area is now known as Iceberg Alley.
Choose the correct heading for the paragraphs from the reading (A-H) from the list of headings
below.
List of Headings  
i. Testing the Titanic 
ii. Aftermath 
iii. Distress Signals
iv. First Journey 
v. A Ship Alone 
vi. Iceberg Alley 
vii. The Titanic 
viii. The Ship Sinks 
ix. Tragedy Strikes 
x. Man the Boats

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage?
In boxes 9–13 on your answer sheet, choose
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
1. True The Titanic commenced sea testing eight days before to her first voyage.
2. NOT GIVEN After more than a century, people commemorate one of the worst maritime
disasters in human history.
3. False The iceberg penetrated and deformed the hull to the extent that the seams collapsed
and parted, enabling water to enter.
4. True Third-class passengers were mostly left to their own devices, which resulted in many of
them being stranded below decks as the ship began to take on water.
5. False Wireless, missile, and light signals of emergency were sent, but no vessels were close
enough to detect them.
Part 3. In the passage below, seven paragraphs have been removed. For questions 69–75,
read the passage and choose from paragraphs A–H the one which fits each gap. There is
ONE extra paragraph which you do not need to use. Write your answers in the corresponding
numbered boxes provided.
FIVE TIMES A WEEK
Alexander McCall Smith on the challenge of writing a serial novel for a newspaper
Last year, in the course of an American book tour, I met Armistead Maupin at a literary festival
in San Francisco. I had read his Tales of the City and some of the sequels and I had enjoyed
their gossipy, meandering feel. On my return to Scotland, I was asked to write an article about
my tour for The Herald, one of the two major Scottish broadsheets. In this article I mentioned my
conversation with Maupin and remarked on what a pity it was that newspapers no longer
published serial novels. The Herald article was read by the literary editor of The Scotsman and
he and the paper’s editor invited me for lunch, together with the features editor. Now here’s a tip
for young authors: never accept an invitation to lunch with the editor of a newspaper unless you
are happy with deadlines.
69

The lunch was a generous one, and when they said that they were prepared to rise to my
challenge and publish a serial novel, I was in a mood to agree. ‘Of course, it's quite a tall order,
writing a weekly serial,’ I observed. There was silence. Then: ‘Actually, we were thinking of a
daily serial.’ What could I do but accept — which I did, thereby prompting my agent to ask me
succinctly: ‘You agreed to do what?’
70

So I set to work, starting with instalments of eight hundred and fifty words a day (this later
became eleven hundred words a day — a much more comfortable length, I found). By the time
we were ready to start publishing, I had forty instalments ready, which would last me, Monday to
Friday, for two months.
71

The Scotsman launched the serial with a great blast of trumpets. They spent a considerable
amount of money on the making of television ads, which ran on commercial television in
Scotland in the week before the launch. They also used large swathes of their own newspaper
space to draw attention to the serial, and sent press releases round the world. No author could
have asked for a more energetic and committed effort at publicising his work.
72

I then thought long and hard about what sort of narrative and style would be appropriate for the
audience envisaged. After all, The Scotsman is a national newspaper with a readership that
ranges across the whole spectrum of ages, occupations and geography. I thought that we
needed something that would appeal to younger readers as well as to the middle-aged. In crude
terms, this meant that some of the characters should be young enough to appeal to teenagers
reading the paper in the home or at school, while some of them would need to be old enough to
strike a chord with the many readers of the paper who would be in their fifties and beyond.
73

I appreciated that this did not mean that one had to change one’s fundamental stance or
approach that would be meretricious. However, one had to be aware of the fact that certain
things could not be taken for granted in quite the same way as one would assume with one's
usual readership.
74
There were also issues with structure. I believe that it would be impossible successfully to
publish a conventional novel in thousand-word chunks in a newspaper. You simply cannot chop
a text up in this way — it would seem exactly that: chopped up.
75

After one hundred and ten instalments, I brought Volume One to an end. Volume Two will begin
to appear in the newspaper in October. So, it is worth writing a serial novel in a daily
newspaper? In my view it is, mainly because it gives the writer the opportunity to communicate
with new readers on a substantial scale. And it’s fun. How often does an author have the
pleasure of getting into a taxi and being immediately engaged by the taxi driver in a debate
about what one of his characters has just that morning said and done?
Missing Paragraphs
A At least there was a bit of time. It would be a few months before the novel would begin, and
during that time I could make sure that I had a sufficient number of instalments written to
ensure that I would feel comfortable.
B But there was no room for complacency: episodes vanished at an alarming rate and my two
months’ comfort zone soon looked less reassuring. I therefore had to write five instalments a
week in order to keep the buffer intact. Right at the end, I was only three instalments ahead
of publication.
C Newspaper editors are not like publishers, some of whom have a very flexible understanding
of the concept. Publishers think in terms of months, or even years; newspaper editors think
in terms of this afternoon, by which they mean 5 minutes past 12.
D This aspect of the task was really quite interesting. Most writers probably don’t think of
tailoring their work to an audience; they write as they wish to write and they find their
appropriate audience. I found it remarkably stimulating to have to think of ways in which I
could say what I wanted to say to such a broad range of people.
E Each short instalment, therefore, has to do the work of a full section or chapter in a novel. It
has to attract the reader's attention, say something about character or plot. Then end in
such a way that the reader might be tempted to find out what happens next. And if that were
not enough, each instalment has to modulate smoothly into the next one.
F However, serial novels engage the reader in a particular way – especially if you invite
readers to comment upon and influence the development of the plot as one goes along. We
did this, and readers responded with enthusiasm. Some suggestions were accepted and
embodied in the plot; others were noted, but declined.
G In particular and this was a real challenge one had to be aware of the fact that newspaper
readers are very ready to be offended by any departure from what they see as the familiar
tone of the newspaper. The conversation that one has with a newspaper reader really is
subtly different from the conversation that one has with self-selecting readers of a book.
H On top of that, the editor gave me complete freedom as to what I would write. I decided to
write a story of the people living in a particular block of flats in Edinburgh's impressive
Georgian New Town. The flats were in a street called Scotland Street, a real street, but I
chose a number that did not exist, No 44 Scotland Street, in order to avoid
misunderstandings with the real residents.
KEY
69. C 70. A 71. B 72. H 73. D 74. G 75. E

Part 4. For questions 76–85, read the passage and choose the best answer A, B, C or D.

UPPER PALEOLITHIC REVOLUTION

1 In its most basic sense, culture refers to the shared patterns of behavior among members of a
society. It describes not just the tangible elements of daily life, such as tools, clothing, and food,
but also the ways in which those items are perceived, used and interpreted. According to
anthropologists, that modern humans appeared as early as 100,000 years ago is indisputable;
however, it was not until 40,000 years ago that societies with what could be considered "modern
culture" emerged. There is evidence of impressive technological and social growth at that time.
Archaeologists refer to these advances as the Upper Paleolithic Revolution. There are three
main elements that comprise this transformation: tools and technology, artistic expression, and
the emergence of a belief system.
2 The archaeological record is full of proof of major advancements in tools and technology during
the Late Stone Age (another name for the Upper Paleolithic period). Previously, people had used
crude stone tools that served numerous purposes. But there is evidence that during the Late
Stone Age, for the first time people made differentiated tools to be used for specific tasks. For
instance, there were implements for engraving, sewing and drilling, in addition to multiple types
of knives, projectile points and hooks. The first bone tools appeared during this time, and ancient
people added stone blades to their toolmaking repertoire. Blades, which are twice as long as
they are wide, require a high skill level to craft, and suggest that humans were becoming
increasingly complex during this time. The Upper Paleolithic period also saw the creation of
composite tools (tools made of different materials), such as harpoons, which allowed
people to fish in addition to their previous methods of food collection, hunting and
gathering. Furthermore, archaeologists have discovered earthen ovens from this period.
Although people had learned to manipulate fire prior to this period, this allowed them to regularly
cook their food using hearths.
3 [A] The oldest cave paintings date to approximately 30,000 years ago, and were discovered in
modern-day France and Spain. [B] The Lascaux Cave in France holds some of the most famous
and abundant prehistoric paintings, with nearly 2,000 images. [C] The pictures, drawn in red and
yellow tones, depict large animals such as stags, bulls, cattle and bison, as well as human
figures and abstract geometric symbols. [D] Anthropologists suspect that they celebrated
successful hunting excursions, or helped groups strategize for future hunts. In addition to
paintings, the first evidence of sculpture and ceramics dates to the Late Stone Age.
Archaeologists have uncovered various statuettes portraying the female body, known collectively
as the Venus figurines. These small sculptures were carved from bone, ivory, or soft stone, or
were fashioned of clay and fired in crude kilns. They have been found primarily in central
Europe, around the Alps. Musical instruments, such as ivory flutes, suggest prehistoric peoples'
use of music, dance and singing. All of these are signs of blossoming artistic skills during the
Late Stone Age.
4 The third element of the Upper Paleolithic Revolution is the indication that prehistoric people
were developing belief systems about the supernatural world, although what exactly they
believed is unclear. The primary evidence of this is remnants showing how they buried their
dead, suggesting that they held elaborate burial ceremonies, and had ideas about what happens
after death. For instance, the dead were often decorated with tattoos, paints, and crude jewelry,
 and archaeologists have discovered graves adorned with various possessions such as animal
teeth and seashells. This suggests that prehistoric people may have believed in an afterlife for
which they were preparing. The artwork described previously may also give clues about
prehistoric peoples' beliefs. One theory postulates that the Venus figurines were signs of
goddess worship, and some anthropologists believe that spiritual leaders like shamans were
responsible for making cave paintings while performing rituals; the purpose, however, is unclear.
5 Although we will likely never know for sure the meanings of the cave paintings or what the
female statuettes meant to prehistoric people, one thing is sure: the Upper Paleolithic Revolution
represents an explosion of growth and change in human history. Sophisticated technology,
growth in arts, and the elaboration of belief systems form the birth of culture, and were the
precursors to modern society.
76. The word “tangible” in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to
A authentic
B crucial
C physical
D suitable

77. According to paragraph 1, what is true about the first modern humans?
A For the most part, they lived independently and did not form societies.
B There is a debate about how long it took them to create societies.
C They developed advanced technology that predates the Upper Paleolithic Revolution.
D Thousands of years passed between their appearance and that of modern culture.

78. According to paragraph 2, what was a feature of the tools from the Late Stone Age?
A Each one was designed to be used for a number of functions.
B They allowed humans to engage in activities like sewing and drilling for the first time.
C They required a certain amount of expertise to craft.
D They were primarily used for food collection purposes.

79. Which of the following best expresses the essential information in the bold sentence in
paragraph 2? Incorrect answer choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential
information.
A Composite tools like harpoons were created by people during the Upper Paleolithic
Revolution and used for fishing.
B Hunting and gathering was the food collection method used by people prior to the Upper
Paleolithic Revolution period when fishing became more feasible.
C People who had previously survived only by hunting and gathering began to fish after the
invention of complex tools like the harpoon in the Upper Paleolithic Revolution.
D The creation of complex tools like the harpoon during the Upper Paleolithic Revolution period
allowed people to collect food by hunting and gathering.

80. What is true of the Lascaux Cave paintings, according to paragraph 3?

A They are the most recent evidence of Stone Age art.
B They depicted prehistoric instruments and dances.
C They helped anthropologists understand ancient hunting techniques.
D They may have been used to plan hunting excursions.
81. Based on the information in paragraph 4, it can be inferred that ancient people believed that
_____.
A having animal teeth in their graves would protect the living
B nothing happened to a person after he or she died
C the dead used their jewelry as offerings in the afterlife
D the items in their graves would help them in the afterlife

82. The word “postulates” in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to

A advises
B guesses
C recommends
D supports

83. Look at the four squares in paragraph 3 that indicate where the sentence below could be added.
Where would the sentence best fit? Choose A, B, C or D.
Artistic accomplishments abounded during the Upper Paleolithic Revolution period as well.
A [A]
B [B]
C [C]
D [D]

84. According to paragraphs 3 and 4, what is NOT true about the Venus figurines?
A Some might have been made by spiritual leaders.
B Some were baked in a kiln after being sculpted.
C They might have been made to represent goddesses.
D They were small and made in a variety of materials.

85. Why does the author mention shamans in paragraph 4?

A to contrast the beliefs of two Late Stone Age societies
B to explain how spirituality may have been connected to art
C to give an example of a type of early spiritual leader
D to suggest that each Upper Paleolithic Revolution society had one

Part 5. You are going to read four extracts about places in Asia to inspire your travel plans.
For questions 86–95, choose from the extracts (A-D). The extracts may be chosen more than
once.
Where to Go on Holiday in 2017: The Hot List
A. India
In Agra, a new orientation centre will open at the Taj Mahal, as well as the David Chipperfield-
designed Mughal Museum. New flights are putting less well-known areas of India on the map.
Last August, for instance, Air India resumed flights from Heathrow to Ahmedabad, capital of
Gujarat state and one of the fastest-growing cities in the world. Among that city’s attractions are
a labyrinthine old quarter, a 15th-century citadel, the Gandhi Ashram (a national monument) and
the Calico Textile Museum, with a dazzling array of costumes and fabrics. Go independently or
try an operator like Real Holidays, whose Gujarat itineraries can include a tailormade safari to
see the last remaining Asiatic lions.
B. Seoul (South Korea)
With shimmering skyscrapers, dazzling neon-signage, chic coffee shops, 24-hour shopping,
delicious street food and a “sheep cafe” (customers can pet a woolly animal while they enjoy a
tea), the South Korean capital gives Tokyo a run for its money. Yet it has remained relatively
under the radar for British visitors. New developments likely to raise its profile include plans to
open the Seoul Skygarden in August 2017, a 1km-long urban park that will transform an ageing
1970s highway into a green space—New York’s High Line being its prototype. Other recent
Seoul developments include the Zaha Hadid-designed Dongdaemun Design Plaza, a futuristic-
looking building that opened in 2014 and serves as a hub for art, design and technology in the
Dongdaemun district. Tour operators taking an interest in the city include Intrepid, which this
year launches an eight-day South Korea food tour, on which travellers will discover the true
meaning of Korean fried chicken.
C. Indonesia
Indonesia is an archipelago of 17,508 islands, but most holidaymakers visit only one: Bali. With
that in mind, the country’s ministry of tourism is promoting the “new Bali” in 2017–10
undiscovered destinations that, it says, are equally enticing. Investment in the 10 areas will
bring new hotels, restaurants and parks, as well as improved transport, electricity provision and
IT access. For now, the most accessible destination is Labuan Bajo, which is part of a UNESCO
biosphere reserve and the gateway to the Komodo national park and world heritage site – and
home of the eponymous dragon. Garuda started direct flights from Jakarta in October, and Air
Asia will fly there from Kuala Lumpur later this year. There are also existing flights from
Denpasar in Bali, for a holiday combining “old” and “new” Indonesia.
D. Sabah (Malaysia)
The Maliau Basin in Sabah is known as Borneo’s lost world – for good reason. Indigenous
people knew of it, but it was only “officially” discovered when a pilot almost crashed into it in
1947, and the first record of human entry is in the 1980s. The basin is a plateau that has eroded
in the middle, forming an amphitheatre with sides 1,600 metres high; inside is an almost
untouched wilderness of ancient rainforest, 15 miles across, one of the most biodiverse places
in the world. Most visitors today are scientists and researchers – until recently, tourists had to be
on a guided trip. Now it is being opened up to trekkers, although visitor numbers are still strictly
limited and independent travellers must apply to the conservation board. It is a six-hour drive
from Kota Kinabalu and two-and-a-half hours from Tawau, by 4x4.
Which extract
86. mentions a place that serves as a model for the renovation of another place?
87. says that a particular group of people makes up the bulk of tourists to this place?
88. mentions a development that is bringing more attention to places other than famous?
89. suggests that there is a rivalry between two famous places for tourists?
90. indirectly informs the reader about the name of a native of a place?
91. mentions an incident that led to the recognition of this place?
92. mentions a service that caters to people’s different needs and purposes?
93. implies that the place deserves more attention from tourists?
94. admits that access to this place remains tightly controlled?
95. implies that the current facilities in these regions may not be very well developed?

KEY
86. B (a 1km-long urban park that will transform an ageing 1970s highway into a green space—
New York’s High Line being its prototype)
87. D (Most visitors today are scientists and researchers)
88. A (New flights are putting less well-known areas of India on the map. NOT C)
89. B (the South Korean capital gives Tokyo a run for its money)
90. C (the Komodo national park and world heritage site – and home of the eponymous dragon)
91. D (but it was only “officially” discovered when a pilot almost crashed into it in 1947)
92. A (Real Holidays, whose Gujarat itineraries can include a tailormade safari to see the last
remaining Asiatic lions)
93. B (Yet it has remained relatively under the radar for British visitors)
94. D (although visitor numbers are still strictly limited and independent travellers must apply to
the conservation board)
95. C (will bring new hotels, restaurants and parks, as well as improved transport, electricity
provision and IT access)

WRITING

Read the following article and use your own words to summarise
it. Your summary should be between 100 and 120 words.
Whaling ship Industry sank in the Gulf of Mississippi when both masts
broke in a storm on May 26, 1836. Originally spotted a decade ago
during an energy company survey, the wreck was noticed again in
February 2022. The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) confirmed that the hulk is indeed a whaler. The
vessel’s tryworks—huge iron cauldrons mounted on deck for
rendering blubber into oil, are clearly visible. Westport,
Massachusetts-built Industry, 64’ long, is the only whaling ship known
to have sunk in the Gulf out of more than 200 whaling voyages there
between the 1780s and 1870s.
Whaling was a popular trade among free Blacks and escaped slaves but
whaling while Black in the Gulf of Mississippi was risky. Robin Winters, a
librarian at Westport Free Library in that Massachusetts town recently found
evidence that Industry’s entire crew was rescued by another whaler and
returned to Westport. Those men’s identities are not known, but on previous
voyages Industry’s crew included the son and son-in-law of Paul Cuffe, a
Black whaler turned prominent shipbuilder, entrepreneur, and antislavery
activist. The younger Cuffe had served as navigator, and the son-in-law was
an officer.
“Today we celebrate the discovery of a lost ship that will help us better
understand the rich story of how people of color succeeded as captains and
crew members in the nascent American whaling industry of the early 1800s,”
said NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad, PhD. “The discovery reflects how
African Americans and Native Americans prospered in the ocean economy
despite facing discrimination and other injustices. It is also an example of
how important partnerships of federal agencies and local communities are to
uncovering and documenting our nation’s maritime history.” 

Task 2
The graph below shows the unemployment rate by race in the U.S. from 2019 to 2022.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, make
comparisons where relevant. You should write about 150 words.
Task 3. Write an essay of 350 words on the following topic.
Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it
today.
Discuss the statement and give your opinion.

Speaking
Modern food preparation and packing technology have allowed the creation of ready-to-eat
meals. These have become extremely popular and supermarket aisles have been filled with this
type of foods. What are the advantages and disadvantages of consuming these foods? Provide
your opinion and specific reasons for your choice.