(1) After considering the case, the judge decided to show ( ) and only gave the man a warning. She said that he was clearly very sorry for his crime.
1 disgrace 2 closure 3 mercy 4 seclusion
(2) Lisa looks exactly like her twin sister, but she has a completely different ). She is very calm and rarely gets angry, unlike her sister.
1 temperament 2 accumulation 3 veneer 4 glossary
(3)A: Annabel, don’t just ( ) your shoulders when I ask you if you’ve finished your homework. Give me a clear answer.
B: Sorry, Mom. I’m almost done with it.
1 echo 2 bow 3 dump 4 shrug
(4)When there is a big business convention in town, it is almost impossible to find a hotel with a ( ). Most hotels quickly get fully booked.
1 sprain 2 segment 3 transition 4 vacancy
(5) The detective ( ) the gang member for hours, but he would not say who had helped him commit the crime. Eventually, the detective stopped trying to get information from him.
1 discharged 2 converted 3 interrogated 4 affiliated
(6) To treat an injured ankle, doctors recommend ( ). This can be done by wrapping a bandage tightly around the injury.
1 depression 2 progression 3 compression 4 suspicion
(7) A: It suddenly started raining heavily on my way home, and I got completely wet.
B: You should have ( ) my advice and taken an umbrella with you.
1 molded 2 heeded 3 twisted 4 yielded
(8) As a way of attracting more ( ) customers, the perfume company began advertising its products in magazines read mainly by wealthy people.
1 theatrical 2 brutal 3 frantic 4 affluent
(9) The teacher said that, apart from a few ( ) errors, the student’s essay was perfect. He gave it the highest score possible.
1 trivial 2 conclusive 3 palatial 4 offensive
(10) The injured soccer player watched ( ) as his replacement played in the final game. He had really wanted to continue playing.
1 substantially 2 previously 3 enviously 4 relevantly
(11) The new hotel in front of Abraham’s apartment building is not tall enough to ( ) his view of the mountains beyond the city. He can still see them clearly.
1 obstruct 2 delegate 3 entangle 4 boost
(12) Having spilled red wine on the white carpet, Martha tried to remove the ( ) with soap and water. However, she could not remove it completely.
(13) The war continued for a year, but neither side could ( ). With victory seemingly impossible, the two countries agreed to stop fighting.
1 devise 2 prevail 3 evolve 4 reconstruct
(14) The leader used the political instability in his country as a ( ) for introducing strict new laws aimed at preventing any opposition to his rule.
1 trance 2 downfall 3 rampage 4 pretext
(15) The suspect continued to ( ) his innocence to the police. He told them repeatedly he had been nowhere near the place where the crime had occurred.
1 conceal 2 counter 3 expire 4 assert
(16) Good writers make every effort to ( ) mistakes from their work, but occasionally they miss some errors and have to make corrections later.
1 eliminate 2 expend 3 stabilize 4 oppress
(17) After the kidnappers returned the child to its parents in exchange for a large ( ), they tried to escape with the money. Police soon caught them, however, and returned the money to the couple.
1 ransom 2 applause 3 monopoly 4 prank
(18) Gaspar applied to go to a ( ) university. Unfortunately, his grades were not good enough, so he had to go to a lesser-known one.
1 prestigious 2 spontaneous 3 cordial 4 petty
(19) The spies ( ) themselves as army officers in an attempt to enter the military base without being noticed.
1 chronicled 2 disguised 3 rendered 4 revitalized
(20) Timothy is a very ( ) employee. He is reliable and eager to help, and he always shows loyalty to his company and coworkers.
1 grotesque 2 defiant 3 devoted 4 feeble
(21) To help Paul lose weight, his doctor recommended that he ( ) his diet. Specifically, she suggested that he eat fewer fatty foods and more fiber.
1 modify 2 pluck 3 exclaim 4 distill
(22) A: I’ve been so busy at work, and now I have to ( ) training our newest employee.
B: That’s too much. You should ask your boss if someone else can do it instead.
1 turn over 2 contend with 3 prop up 4 count off
(23) The young boy tried to blame his dog for the broken vase. However, his mother did not ( ) the lie and sent him to his room.
1 fall for 2 hang on 3 see out 4 flag down
(24) In his speech, the CEO ( ) his plan for the company’s development over the next five years. He hoped this would help guide everyone’s work as the company grew.
1 mapped out 2 leaped in 3 racked up 4 spaced out
(25) Last year, Harold spent all his money buying shares in various companies. He was ( ) the stock market performing well over the next few years.
1 casting away 2 putting down 3 stepping up 4 betting on
(26)-(28) The Peter Principle
A theory known as the Peter Principle may explain why there are many people in managerial positions who ( 26 ). According to the theory, employees who perform well in lower-level positions will eventually rise to positions they are not prepared for. The reason for this is that employees generally get promoted based on how well they perform in their current positions. Although this kind of promotion policy may seem logical, failing to fully consider employees’ strengths and weaknesses results in them eventually reaching positions for which their abilities are unsuited.
One study examined the careers of salespeople who were promoted to managerial positions. As expected, the study found that the best salespeople were the most likely to receive promotions, but it also found that they performed the worst in managerial roles. The study showed that promoting employees based solely on current performance ( 27 ). Not only do companies end up with poor managers but they also lose their best workers in lower-level positions.
The researchers who carried out the study say that one problem is that companies make the mistake of simply assuming that high performing employees will naturally be good managers. In most companies, new employees receive specialized training in how to do their jobs. ( 28 ), new managers are often given little or no training. This seems to suggest that one way to lessen the effects of the Peter Principle is to provide proper training for new managers.
(29)-(31) Nearsightedness
Nearsightedness has been increasing around the world at a rapid rate. People with this condition can see objects that are close to them clearly, but objects that are far away appear blurry. Many people blame this trend on the use of digital screens. They claim that using devices such as computers and smartphones leads to eyestrain, and that blue light, which is produced by digital screens, damages light-sensitive cells in the back of the eye. However, there is no clear evidence that digital screens ( 29 ).
In fact, the rise in nearsightedness began before digital screens became widely used. Some research suggests that the real issue is that people ( 30 ). This results in a lack of exposure to natural light. Nearsightedness is caused by the stretching of the lens in the eye, which reduces its ability to focus light. However, the release of dopamine, a chemical produced by the brain, can prevent this from occurring, and exposure to natural light leads to greater dopamine production.
Some experts say that being outdoors for about three hours a day can help prevent nearsightedness. For many people, however, doing this is impossible due to school and work schedules. ( 31 ), it may be more practical for people to change the kind of lighting they use in their homes. There is already lighting available that provides some of the benefits of natural light, and it is hoped that research will provide more alternatives in the future.
(32)-(34) Honey Fungus
The largest living organism on Earth is not a whale or other large animal. Rather, it belongs to the group of organisms which includes mushrooms and toadstools. It is a type of fungus commonly known as honey fungus, and its rootlike filaments spread underground throughout a huge area of forest in the US state of Oregon. DNA testing has confirmed that all the honey fungus in the area is from the same organism, and, based on its annual rate of growth, scientists estimate it could be over 8,000 years old. They also calculate that it would weigh around 35,000 tons if it were all gathered together.
As impressive as this honey fungus is, it poses a problem for many trees in the forest. The fungus infects the trees and absorbs nutrients from their roots and trunks, often eventually killing them. Unfortunately, affected trees are usually difficult to spot, as the fungus hides under their bark, and its filaments are only visible if the bark is removed. In the late fall, the fruiting bodies of the fungus appear on the outside of the trees, but only for a few weeks before winter. Although the trees attempt to resist the fungus, they usually lose the battle in the end because the fungus damages their roots, preventing water and nutrients from reaching their upper parts.
Full removal of the honey fungus in Oregon has been considered, but it would prove to be too costly and time-consuming. Another solution currently being researched is the planting of tree species that can resist the fungus. Some experts have suggested, however, that a change of perspective may be necessary. Rather than viewing the effects of the honey fungus in a negative light, people should consider it an example of nature taking its course. Dead trees will ultimately be recycled back into the soil, benefiting the area’s ecosystem.
(35)-(37) Intentional Communities
For hundreds of years, people have formed selfsustaining communities, often referred to as intentional communities, which are characterized by shared ideals, collective ownership, and common use of property. The first known intentional community was established in the sixth century BC by a Greek philosopher. Over the following centuries, a number of such communities were created by religious groups wishing to live outside mainstream society. Some of these, such as Christian monasteries and the collective farms called kibbutzim in Israel, remained successful for generations, while others lasted only a few years.
In the twentieth century, philosophical idealism, as seen in the backtotheland movement of the 1960s and 1970s, also motivated people to form intentional communities. By the early 1970s, it has been estimated that there were thousands of such communities in the United States alone, though many of those later disbanded. The Foundation for Intentional Communities now lists fewer than 800 communities in the United States and just under 250 in the rest of the world. Intentional communities that failed generally faced a similar challenge. Some people who came to stay were committed to ideals of shared work, growing their own food, and living collectively, but others were less serious. A cofounder of one community recalled, “We had an impractical but noble vision that was constantly undermined by people who came just to play.”
Not all intentional communities are destined to fall apart, however. The ongoing success of Damanhur, a spiritual and artistic collective near Turin, Italy, is attributed to open communication and a practical approach. Damanhur organizes its members into familylike groups of 15 to 20 people. The community has found that creating intimacy becomes difficult if a “family” has more than 25 people. In contrast, when there are too few people in the “family,” there is not enough collective knowledge to allow for effective decisionmaking. Damanhur’s ideals, which are outlined in its constitution, are upheld by elected leaders, and tensions in the community are handled by holding playful mock battles where people fight with paintfilled toy guns.
It seems that all successful intentional communities share a common trait: the ability to constantly think ahead. As one Damanhur member put it, “You should change things when they work not when they don’t work.” This strategy of making changes before problems occur has worked well for Damanhur and other successful communities, which suggests it is an effective way for intentional communities to fulfill the needs of their members in the long term.
(38)-(41) The British in India
Established in 1600, the Britishowned East India Company was one of the world’s largest corporations for more than two centuries. By trading overseas with various countries, such as India and China, it was able to import luxury items from these countries into Britain. The British government received a portion of the company’s vast profits, so it was more than willing to provide political support. Due to its size, power, and resources, which included a private army of hundreds of thousands of Indian soldiers, the company pressured India into accepting trade contracts that, in general, were only of benefit to the company. After winning a battle against a local ruler in the 1750s, the company seized control of one of the wealthiest provinces in India. As a result, the East India Company was no longer solely acting as a business but also as a political institution, and it began forcing Indian citizens to pay it taxes.
The East India Company gained a reputation among the countries it did business with for being untrustworthy. It also started to lose popularity within the British Parliament because the company’s dishonest trading habits damaged foreign relations with China. Then, in the 1850s, angered by the way they were being treated, a group of soldiers in the East India Company’s army rebelled. They marched to Delhi to restore the Indian emperor to power, and their actions caused rebellion against the British to spread to other parts of India. The rebellion was eventually brought under control after about two years, but it triggered the end of the East India Company. The British government, which blamed the East India Company for allowing the rebellion to happen, took control of India, and an era of direct British rule began. The British closed down the East India Company, removed the Indian emperor from power, and proceeded to rule India for almost a century.
While some claim that India benefited from British rule, typically using the construction of railways as an example, many historians argue that the country was negatively affected. In an effort to reinforce notions that British culture was superior, Indians were educated to have the same opinions, morals, and social preferences as the British. The British also implemented a policy known as “divide and rule,” which turned Indians from different religious backgrounds against each other. The British government used this strategy to maintain its control over India, as members of these religions had joined forces during the earlier rebellion. However, nationalist feelings among Indians increased from the early 1900s, and India eventually gained its independence in the late 1940s.
Although the East India Company stopped operating more than a century ago, it has had a lasting influence. Some experts say it pioneered the concept of multinational corporations and ultimately led to the economic system of capitalism that is widespread today. Moreover, the connection between the British government and the East India Company set a precedent for using political power to help achieve business objectives.
