Name:………………………………………….

Class:…………………
MINI TEST (2)
Read the following passage about multi-tasking drawbacks and mark the letters A, B, C, D on your answer sheet to indicate
the best answer to each of the following questions
Working from home has become increasingly common, providing employees with greater flexibility and control over their
work environments. Without the need for long commutes, people have more time for family, personal interests, or simply to rest. A
personalized workspace at home can also lead to higher productivity, as individuals can adjust their surroundings to suit their needs.
Many companies now support remote work, recognizing its benefits for both employee well-being and business outcomes.
However, working from home does bring certain challenges. For example, while remote work can boost productivity, some
people find it hard to stay focused without the structure of an office setting. There’s also a risk of isolation, as virtual meetings don’t
always fully replace face-to-face interactions. However, companies are increasingly devising creative strategies to mitigate these
drawbacks, using sophisticated collaboration tools and arranging virtual social activities to preserve a sense of team cohesion.
Another difficulty with working from home is the blurred line between work and personal life. With workspaces merged
into the home environment, the temptation to check emails or tackle tasks outside of regular hours can lead to an “always-
on” mentality. Setting clear schedules and defining specific working hours is essential to ensure a healthy balance.
Looking forward, remote work is likely to remain a popular choice, supported by ever-advancing technology. Many
companies are considering hybrid models, allowing employees to split their time between home and office. This flexible approach
can balance the productivity of remote work with the social and collaborative benefits of in-person interactions. As remote work
continues to evolve, it will reshape traditional work culture, requiring adaptation from both businesses and employees.
(Adapted from BreakingNewEnglish)
Question 1: According to the passage, which of the following is NOT mentioned as a challenge of working from home?
A. Difficulty focusing without office structure B. Lack of technological support for remote work
C. Risk of isolation from lack of face-to-face contact D. Temptation to work outside regular hours
Question 2: The word “blurred” in paragraph 3 is OPPOSITE in meaning to _______
A. shrouded B. obscured C. defined D. concealed
Question 3: The word “it” in paragraph 4 refers to _______
A. remote work B. approach C. productivity D. work culture
Question 4: The word “cohesion” in paragraph 2 could be best replaced by
A. detachment B. fracture C. unity D. discord
Question 5: Which of the following best paraphrases the underlined sentence in paragraph 3?
A. Since workspaces have become more distinct from home environments, people find it easy to disconnect from work and avoid
tasks after hours.
B. The integration of workspaces into home environments increases the likelihood that people will work beyond regular hours,
fostering a mindset of constant availability.
C. Separating workspaces from home environments helps employees maintain a work-life balance and discourages the habit of
working outside standard hours.
D. The division between work and home environments encourages employees to check emails only during regular hours,
minimizing the need to be constantly available.
Question 6: Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. The shift to remote work has resulted in a universal decrease in employee productivity across all sectors.
B. Companies are finding that virtual meetings are a complete substitute for in-person interactions.
C. Working from home is universally beneficial and eliminates all challenges associated with traditional office settings.
D. Employees who work remotely may experience a lack of focus due to the absence of an office structure.
Question 7: In which paragraph does the writer mention a present concession relationship?
A. Paragraph 1 B. Paragraph 2 C. Paragraph 3 D. Paragraph 4
Question 8: In which paragraph does the writer discuss another challenge associated with the lack of separation between work and
personal life?
A. Paragraph 1 B. Paragraph 2 C. Paragraph 3 D. Paragraph 4
Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the best arrangement of utterances or sentences to make a
meaningful exchange or text in each of the following questions
Question 9:
a. Steve: I usually get mine from food blogs or cooking websites.
b. Mary: Thanks! I’ll definitely look it up.
c. Mary: Do you know where I can find some good recipes?
d. Mary: Oh, I’ll check those out. Any specific ones you recommend?
e. Steve: Sure! You should try this blog called “Tasty Treats”. They have a lot of great ideas.
A. c - a - e - d – b B. a - c - d - e – b C. c - a - d - e – b D. b - a - c - d - e
Question 10: Hi James,
a. I'm excited to start my painting classes soon!
b. Thanks so much for the art supplies you sent me last week.
c. I've been practicing sketching daily, and I feel like I'm improving.
d. The brushes and paints are amazing - they are much better than the ones I've been using.
e. Hopefully, we can attend a class together in the future!
Write back soon.
Emma
A. b - d - a - c – e B. b - a - c - d – e C. a - c - b - d – e D. a - b - c - d – e
Question 11:
a. Lucy: It's important to gain knowledge and learn foreign languages, but there's more to it than acquiring hard skills.
b. Lucy: Well, I believe that there's no comparison between, say, achieving digital literacy and developing empathy, which is
essential to building strong relationships among colleagues.
c. Betty: To my way of thinking, it's necessary to combine both. Simply being adaptable won't get you very far.
d. Betty: I see your point. However, you can't make a difference in the corporate world without any hard skills.
e. Betty: What do you mean?
f. Lucy: Perhaps. However, some people succeed in life because they possess soft skills, like empathy, adaptability and critical
thinking.
A. b-d-a-c-f-e B. a-c-b-d-f-e C. c-a-e-b-d-f D. a-e-b-d-f-c
Question 12:
a. Tom: Seriously? Where is it, and how do they know it’s got aliens?
b. Lily: Did you see the news? Scientists just found a planet that might have alien life!
c. Tom: That’s insane! Imagine if we could visit and meet those aliens one day!
d. Lily: It’s light-years away, but its atmosphere has weird gases that could mean something’s alive.
A. c-b-a-d B. b-a-d-c C. a-b-c-d D. a-d-c-b
Question 13: Dear John,
I hope you’re doing well since completing your course with Horizon Academy.
a. Your feedback will help us improve and ensure we continue empowering students to chase their dreams.
b. We’re reaching out because your opinion means a lot to us, and we’d love to hear about your experience.
c. We truly appreciate your time and input! If you have any questions, feel free to reply to this email.
d. It’ll only take a few minutes to share your thoughts via this link: www.horizonacademy.com/feedback.
e. How did you find the lessons, the instructors, and the resources provided during the program?
Warm regards,
Horizon Academy Team
A. a - b - d - e – c B. b - e - a - d – c C. d - a - b - c – e D. b - a - d - e - c
Question 14:
a. We choose what we pay attention to and what we think is important. That creates a problem: confirmation bias.
b. For example, if you believe that the world is generally getting worse, you will see only evidence to support your opinion when
you hear the news.
c. That’s a lot of information, and no one can possibly concentrate on all of it.
d. We like to be right, and so we listen to evidence that supports what we already believe and we ignore evidence that goes against
what we believe.
e. You will pay attention to stories about rising crime and environmental problems. And you will ignore evidence that suggests
people around the world are getting richer, becoming healthier, and living longer.
f. Scientists believe that the average person receives about 34 gigabytes of information and sees or hears 100,500 words every day.
A. f - c - a - d - b – e B. b - c – d - f - a – e C. d – f - c - b - a – e D. a - b - c - d – e – f
Read the following leaflet and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the option that best fits each of the
numbered blanks
The future of your mind
Check out our top five mind-bending future possibilities from Hollywood films.
1. Get rid of bad memories
In Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Clementine and Joel have their memories of (1)________ erased by a doctor when they
(2)________. But things get complicated when they meet again.
2. Plant ideas in other people’s minds
Wouldn’t it be (3)_________ to plant an idea in someone’s mind while they’re asleep? Then, when they wake up, they believe it’s
their idea. That’s all possible in the Christopher Nolan film Inception.
3. Learn to do anything – instantly
In the classic sci-fi film, The Matrix, the characters don’t waste time actually learning new skills, they (4)________ them
downloaded directly to their brains. How convenient!
4. Buy memories
Perhaps we won’t have bad memories erased, (5)________ we’ll have good ones implanted instead. We’ll choose the ones we want,
just like we choose clothes in a shop. Both the original version and the 2012 remake of Total Recall explore this idea, in typical
Hollywood style.
5. Record and play back your experiences
Or, perhaps, we’ll be able to record all our experiences so (6)________we (or other people) can watch them again. This is the future
reality in Brainstorm, a film from 1981.
Question 1: A. another B. other C. one another D. each other
Question 2: A. split up B. make up C. take up D. use up
Question 3: A. edible B. incredible C. various D. envious
Question 4: A. make B. put C. get D. do
Question 5: A. but B. so C. and D. or
Question 6: A. whom B. whose C. which D. that