Text 1
Hatfield is 1 ____ town of about 35,000 people which is about 40 km North 2 ___ London. It is interesting because 3 ____ main railway and one 4 ___ the main roads to Scotland pass through it. Despite these facts there is some beautiful countryside around Hatfield. There are parks, farms and beautiful little villages 5____ old churches. However, most 6 ____ Hatfield is quite young as it grew after the Second World War. Hatfield was first important because of its large stately home. This is 7 ____ very large house which is almost 8 ____ a palace. Kings and Queens of England often visited this house. From the beginning 9 ____ the 1900’s 10 ____ the 1980’s Hatfield was important 11 ____ an aircraft factory. It produced many important planes in 12 _____ Second World War and the first jet airliner in the 1950’s. This is why Hatfield grew 13 ___the war. Unfortunately the factory was closed 14 _____ early 1990’s and many people lost their jobs. Now Hatfield has quite a large university so many students come to study there. Hopefully Hatfield has a good future 15 ____the University bringing new people and new money to the town.
Text 2
I was 1 ____ New York 2 ____ other day, some people like to say it’s 3 ____ the USA but I prefer 4 ____ sound of America. It’s quite an exciting city, there is plenty to do but some 5 ____ the people are very rude. I like it
6____ the north side where you can see 7 ____ Empire State building and the giant World Trade Centre. You can also watch all of the boats on the Hudson. It’s quite 8 _____ busy river sometimes! I’m staying 9 ____ the Sheraton at the
moment. It’s nice because it’s close10 _____ some pubs which are almost as good as the ones in England. There’s the Fox and Firkin, the Bull and if I fancy
11 ____ change I can always go 12 _____ the Hard Rock Cafe. I met an actor and 13 ____ singer in the Bull the other night. The actor was very friendly, he bought me some drinks and wanted to buy me a meal. I politely said no, it’s a difficult life when you work 14 ____ Rolling Stone magazine!
It’s a good thing I’m going to Colorado 15 ____ next week. I’ll go to the Rockies to relax for a while.
Text 3
The Western style of education has gained popularity over 1 ________ last decade. Many foreign students come to countries like Australia and the USA to study at university 2 ________ improve their employment prospects. In this essay I will briefly compare the contrast these two countries 3 ________ terms of their appeal to foreign students.
There are many similarities between 4 ________ two countries. Firstly they both have 5 ________ very multicultural population so is possible to enjoy food
6 _____ your own country when homesickness arises. Also, as they are both large countries it is possible to find 7 ______ institution in an area 8 ________ a climate that suits you. Another similarity is that their tertiary institutions have a reputation of quality and excellence 9 ________ academia.
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10 ________ the other hand there are some appreciable differences. The main one is that education in the USA is much more expensive in Australia. However, many students think that it is worth paying the extra money as some American universities have a world-wide reputation. Furthermore, as the USA has a much larger population there is 11 ________ wider range of institutions to choose
12 ______ and naturally, a wider range of courses.
To sum 13 ________, America offers more choice and a more acknowledged reputation, but a higher cost. Australia offers similar quality but 14 ________ cheaper if you can find 15 ________ course that you want.
Text 4
Sophie Wessex is pregnantand expecting 1 ___ Royal baby 2 ___ December, Buckingham Palace revealed today. Prince Edward and his wife are said to be "absolutely thrilled and excited 3 ___ the news" 4 ___ a"much wanted" baby.
A palace statement said: "Their Royal Highnesses 5 ___ Earl and Countess of Wessex are very pleased to announce that the Countess of Wessex is expecting a baby in December.
"The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh and members of both families are delighted 6 ____ the news."
A spokeswoman 7 ____ the Countess of Wessex said Sophie was feeling a "little tired" but was "absolutely fine".
She added that Sophie, 8 ___ home today in Bagshot Park, Surrey, would withdraw 9 _____ official engagements 10 ____ doctor's advice.
The news comes after tragedy struck 11 ___ Royal couple in December 2001 when Sophie, 38, lost a baby after suffering 12 ____ ectopic pregnancy.
13 ___ Queen, Prince Philip and Sophie's parents were told 14 _____ the pregnancy 15 ____ the weekend.
Text 5
One 1 ____ the difficulties that a man has to cope 2 ___ as he goes through life is what to do 3 ____ the persons with whom he has once been close 4____ and whose interest5 ___ him has 6 ____ due course subsided. If both parties remain in a modest station 7 ____ break comes naturally, and no ill feeling subsists, but if one of them achieves eminence the position is awkward. He makes a multitude of new friends, but the old ones are inexorable; he has 8 ____ thousand claims 9 ___ his time, but they feel that they have the first right to it. Unless he is 10 __ their beck and call they sigh and with a shrug of the shoulders say:
"Ah, well, I suppose you're like everyone else. I must expect to be dropped now that you're 11 ___ success."
That, of course, is what he would like to do if he had 12 ___ courage. For the most part he hasn't. He weakly accepts an invitation to supper13 ____ Sunday evening. The cold roast beef is frozen and comes 14 ___ Australia and was over-cooked 15 ___ middle day. Have they never been to Beaune and stayed at the Hôtel de la Poste? Of course it is grand to talk of the good old days when you shared a crust of bread in a garret together, but it is a little disconcerting when you reflect how near to a garret is the room you are sitting in.
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Text 6
A Good Lesson
Once a rich Englishwoman called Mrs Johnson decided to have a birthday party. She invited a lot 1__ guests and a singer. 2__ singer was poor, but he had a very good voice.
The singer got to Mrs Johnson's house at exactly six o'clock as he had been asked to do, but when he went 3__, he saw 4__ a door that the dining-room was already full of 5__ guests, who were sitting round a big table in 6__ middle of the room. The guests were eating, joking, laughing, and talking loudly. Mrs Johnson came out to him, and he thought she was going to ask him to join them, when she said, "We're glad, sir, that you have come. You will be singing 7__ dinner; I'll call you as soon as we're ready to listen to you. Now will you go into the kitchen and have dinner, too, please?"
The singer was very angry, but said nothing. 8__ first he wanted to leave 9__ Mrs Johnson's house at once, but then he changed his mind and decided to stay and teach 10__ her and her rich guests a good lesson. When the singer went 11__ the kitchen, the servants were having dinner, too. He joined them. After dinner, the singer thanked everybody and said, "Well, now I'm going to sing to you, my good friends." And he sang them some beautiful songs.
Soon Mrs Johnson called the singer.
"Well, sir, we're ready."
"Ready?" asked the singer. "What are you ready _12_?"
"To listen 13__ you," said Mrs Johnson in 14__ angry voice.
"Listen to me? But I have already sung, and I'm afraid I shan't be able to sing any more tonight."
"Where did you sing?"
"15__ the kitchen. I always sing for those I have dinner with."
Text 7
Means of communication
People use various means of communication to get 1__ one place 2__ another.
In 3__ old days people had to travel several days, weeks and months to get 4__ the place they needed. They either went 5__ foot, by coaches driven by horses or on horseback or 6__ boats and ships. Then trains, trams, cars, buses, airplanes, underground and other means appeared.
7__ many people like to travel by air as it is the fastest way 8__ travelling. 9__ lot of people like to travel by train because they can look 10__ passing villages, forests and fields 11__ windows. Some people like to travel by car. There they can go as slowly or as fast as they like. They can slop when and where they want. People who live 12__ big cities use various means of communication to get from one place to another. Do you know what means of communication Londoners use? Londoners use the underground railway. They call it 'the tube'. London's underground is the oldest in 13__ world. It was opened in 1863. Londoners use buses. The first bus route was opened in London in 1904. Today there are hundreds of routes there. The interesting thing is that some of the routes are the same as many years ago. London's buses are double-decked buses. Londoners do not use trams, though London was the first city where trams appeared. And now it is one 14__ the biggest cities in the world where there are no trams. The last tram left the streets of London many years ago. Londoners use cars. You can see a lot of cars in London streets. When Londoners leave 15__ the town, they use trains, ships or airplanes.
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Text 8
Weather
The weather is 1__ subject we can always talk 2__. It often changes and brings cold and heat, sunshine and rain, frost and snow. One day is often unlike the next. In 3__ summer 4__ sun shines, often there is no 5__ wind and there are no clouds 6__ the sky which is blue and beautiful. We can see stars and the moon at night and people like walks, outdoor games and sports in 7__fresh air. When autumn comes, the days become shorter and colder. It gets dark earlier and often 8__ heavy clouds cover the sky bringing rain 9__ them.
Sometimes there is heavy rain, so that 10__ umbrella or 11__ raincoat is necessary if we don't want to get wet through. Then you can hear people say, "What 12__ bad weather! When is this rain going to stop?" Many people then catch cold and must go to bed. Then a fire at home is so pleasant. At last frost and snow come. Fields, forests and houses are covered 13__ snow and rivers and lakes with ice. But spring again brings sunshine and warm winds. Sometimes it snows but snow will not remain long, it will melt in 14__ warm sun. Spring will bring bright sunshine, green grass and flowers.
We usually say: "A nice day", "Not a bad day" or "It's nice weather for the time 15__ the year" if the weather is fine. We can say: "It looks like rain", "It looks like snow" of "It's bad weather" when the weather is bad.
Text 9
Russian people take their pleasures seriously. They like to have 1__ aim, even when spending the time which is entirely their own. During the summer, people start work very early 2__ the morning so that they can finish early and enjoy a leisurely afternoon. It is difficult to imagine 3__ Russians going aimlessly 4__ a walk in 5__ country, though they might go to pick _6_ mushrooms or berries, to visit 7__ place of historical importance, to walk twenty kilometers as 8__ training exercise, or go 9__ a swim at the local beach.
A feature 10__ Russian culture which excites admiration is the enjoyment of the arts. All the parks are beautifully kept and are for the use and enjoyment of the people. Quite ordinary people will talk, with obvious delight, about 11__ symphony concerts. There is nearly always a crowd at the door 12__ the theatre asking for returned tickets.
People in 13__ Russia now have far more 14__ leisure time, and more money than ever before. It is therefore possible to spend the weekends in many new ways, and to get away from home for 15__ couple of days. Many people now have over twenty days’ holiday a year. This gives an opportunity for holidays in the country or at the seaside.
Text 10
Tokyo is 1__ ugly city. There are hardly any beautiful or even good buildings; there are few parks; there are no 2__ mountains or even hills inside or outside _3_ city; there is no green belt; there are few monuments worth looking 4__; the air pollution is terrifying.
But not all is ugliness in Tokyo. There are a few good buildings and impressive temples; there are a few parks worth visiting. And the overcrowding, the lack 5__ space, has one 6__ advantage, pleasing at least to the eye. Everything has to be small in Tokyo: houses, 7__ rooms, shops. Long side-streets consist 8__ tiny houses only, and this often creates a toy-like, unreal quality, with 9__ small women tip-toeing along in their kimonos and equally small men sitting inside their tiny shops.
Tokyo 10__ night is 11__ very different place from Tokyo in daytime. Millions of neon signs are switched on and nowhere in 12__ world are they more attractive, more fast-moving than there. The cafes, bars and nightclubs, sushi-places, Chinese restaurants and theatres, 13__ cinemas and many other establishments open their doors.
14__ town is not its buildings alone; it is an atmosphere, its feel, pleasures, sadness, madness and above all its people. Tokyo may lack 15__ architectural beauty but it has character and excitement: it is alive.