Question

nowadays, in england, tea is quite the most popular, and also the cheapest, of all drinks. people drink their tea in different ways. some like it with sugar, some without. some drink it with milk, some with lemon; yet, one way or another just about everyone drinks tea. this, however, has not always been the case. during the last century, when tea was very expensive, it was kept locked up, and the lady of the house had the key. tea drinking then was quite a ceremony, reserved for the evenings. at breakfast everyone drank beer!

1. compared with the past, in england today ______.

a) more and more people prefer tea to beer.
b) tea is regarded as a luxury.
c) tea is very cheap and commonly available.
d) sugar is becoming less and less popular.
e) people don’t care about the quality of tea.

1. it is obvious from the passage that ______.

a) english people have always regarded tea as better than beer.
b) over the years the popularity of tea in england has increased tremendously.
c) drinking tea with lemon is only a recent habit in england.
d) like tea, beer also is an extremely popular drink.
e) english people are no longer fond of ceremonies.

1. in the passage it is explained that ______.

a) in england today people have different habits of tea drinking.
b) in the past in england only the wealthy were able to drink beer.
c) at breakfast english people also like to drink beer.
d) english people mostly prefer to have their tea in the evening.
e) in england usually a ceremony is held in the family before tea is served.

elizabeth parked the car and then went into the busy station to meet jane who was going to spend the weekend with her. elizabeth’s friends often came for the weekend, but there was something a little different about jane’s visit. she and jane hadn’t seen each other for 15 years. while at the university, they had shared a flat together for 2 years but then each had married and jane and her husband had lived abroad a great deal. elizabeth began to ask herself, “will we even be able to recognize each other after all these years?” right then she saw jane walking towards her and smiling straight at her with the old unforgettable smile quite unchanged.

1. the first thing elizabeth noticed about jane when they met at the station was ______.

a) that she had become quite old.
b) how well she was looking.
c) that she had not forgotten how to smile.
d) her smile which had not changed.
e) that she had already been married.

1. elizabeth’s friendship with jane ______.

a) went back to their university years.
b) lasted only for two years when they were at the university.
c) ended soon after they had each married.
d) has always been envied by all their friends.
e) found its best expression in their weekend visits to each other.

1. elizabeth is worried ______.

a) because jane’s husband may have changed a great deal after all these years.
b) in case she won’t be able to find a place to park the car.
c) about jane and her husband who are going to live abroad.
d) in case jane will change her mind about coming for the weekend.
e) in case after a separation of so many years they may both fail to recognize each other.

there once was a time when mr. mayne and mr. bridge were on very good terms. their offices were in the same building and they often had lunch together. mr. mayne was the gentler, more trusting of the two. he thought that mr. bridge was an excellent partner. mr. bridge, however, was not quite so sure. he thought that mr. mayne was too soft and too ready to make concessions. one day, when they were discussing a new business deal, mr. bridge said something that mr. mayne took as an insult. mr. mayne got angry and they had a heated argument. after that, they never spoke to each other again. mr. mayne felt very sad about this, but mr. bridge didn’t seem to care. he just went on with his work as if nothing had happened.

1. mr. mayne and mr. bridge scarcely spoke to each other because ______.

a) they hated each other.
b) they didn’t think it was necessary.
c) there was nothing to say.
d) each wanted the other to start.
e) they didn’t want to work together.

1. when mr. mayne and mr. bridge met, they ______.

a) were anxious to talk about their wealth.
b) hoped to solve their financial problems.
c) were both sure that they could have been successful partners in business.
d) found they had nothing to say.
e) disliked each other immediately.

1. when mr. mayne and mr. bridge separated ______.

a) each was confident that the partnership would flourish (grow).
b) they both seemed relieved (relaxed).
c) they agreed to meet again soon.
d) both were feeling disappointed
e) they were equally pleased with themselves.

wolfgang amadeus mozart’s world was a world of music from the moment he was born. his father, who was a fine musician, was teaching his daughter to play the piano. little wolfgang used to listen to his sister as she practiced. he quickly learned the pieces she played. one day he said he wanted to play too. but he was only three years old then, and his father thought that his hands were too small. however, that evening, alone and in the dark, he played the pieces his sister had been practicing and he played them much better than her.

1. while his sister was practicing, mozart ______.

a) usually made a lot of noise.
b) used to play by himself.
c) used to feel very bored.
d) and his father talked about music.
e) learned how to play the piano.

1. mozart’s father didn’t believe that ______.

a) his daughter practiced often enough.
b) a child of three could possibly play the piano.
c) his children would ever learn to play well.
d) music could be regarded as a profession.
e) children could understand music well.

1. as a child, mozart ______.

a) was hated by his father.
b) was taught by his sister to play the piano.
c) rarely listened to any music.
d) had a great talent for music.
e) used to play for his sister.

Explanation:

Question 37

To solve this, we analyze each option:

• Option A: The passage doesn't say more people prefer tea to beer now. Eliminate.
• Option B: Tea is not regarded as a luxury now (it's common). Eliminate.
• Option C: The passage implies tea is now cheap and commonly available (since it's popular and not a luxury). This fits.
• Option D: The passage says tea is popular, not that beer is less popular. Eliminate.
• Option E: The passage doesn't say people don't care about tea quality. Eliminate.

• Option A: The passage says tea is now popular, not that it was always preferred over beer. Eliminate.
• Option B: The passage states tea is the most popular drink now, implying its popularity has increased. This fits.
• Option C: The passage doesn't say drinking tea with lemon is recent. Eliminate.
• Option D: The passage focuses on tea, not beer's popularity. Eliminate.
• Option E: The passage doesn't say people don't like ceremonies. Eliminate.

• Option A: The passage says "People drink their tea in different ways" now. This fits.
• Option B: The passage says in the past tea was expensive, not about beer and wealth. Eliminate.
• Option C: The passage doesn't say English people like beer at breakfast. Eliminate.
• Option D: The passage doesn't say they prefer tea in the evening. Eliminate.
• Option E: The passage doesn't mention a ceremony before tea. Eliminate.

Answer:

C. tea is very cheap and commonly available.

Question 38