Time: 45 minutes

Read the text. Six sentences have been removed from the text. Choose from the sentences A-G the one which fits each gap (1-6). There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.

People often ask which is the most difficult language to learn, and it is not easy to answer 1 ___________________. A native speaker of Spanish, for example, will find Portuguese much easier to learn than a native speaker of Chinese, because Portuguese is very similar to Spanish, while Chinese is very different, so the first language can affect learning a second language. The greater the differences between the second language and our first one, 2 ___________________. Many people answer that Chinese is the hardest language to learn possibly influenced by the thought of learning the Chinese writing system. The pronunciation of Chinese appears to be very difficult for many foreign learners, too. However, for Japanese speakers, who already use Chinese characters in their own language, learning this language will be less difficult than for speakers of languages using the Roman alphabet.

Some people seem to learn languages readily, 3 ____________________. Teachers and the circumstances in which the language is learned also play an important role, 4 ____________________. If people learn a language because they need to use it professionally, they often learn it faster than people studying a language that has no direct use in their day-to-day life.

British diplomats and other embassy staff have found that the second hardest language is Japanese, which will probably come as no surprise to many. But the language that they have found to be the most problematic is Hungarian, which has 35 grammatical cases. This does not mean that Hungarian is the hardest language to learn for everyone, but it causes British diplomatic personnel the most difficulty. However, Tabassaran, a Caucasian language has 48 cases, 5 ____________________. Different cultures and individuals from those cultures will find different languages more difficult. In the case of Hungarian for British learners, it is not a question of the writing system, which uses a similar alphabet, but the grammatical complexity, though native speakers of related languages may find it easier, 6 ____________________.

A. as well as each learner’s motivation for learning

B. because there are many factors to take into consideration

C. so it might cause more difficulty if British diplomats had to learn it

D. while others find it very difficult

E. while struggling with languages that the British find relatively easy

F. the harder it will be for most people to learn

G. as it might seem

Read the text. For situations 7-20, choose the correct answer(A, B, C or D).

§ 1. China’s new marriage bureaus are doing a roaring business among frustrated singles. The world’s most populous nation, where young love once was considered almost a crime, recently opened it matchmaker service in the bustling seaport of Shanghai.

§ 2. Now one has opened in the capital of Peking. Both are doing so well that youth organizers dare to talk about a string of marriage bureaus across the country to cater for tens of millions of lonely hearts.

§ 3. The marriage bureaus are run by earnest young Communist Party cadres. They are serious business.

§ 4. The Peking bureau is in a beautiful temple courtyard with a curved green tile roof where China’s former emperors used to dress before praying at the nearby Sun Altar.

§ 5. It has quickly become the liveliest spot in town on Sunday afternoons.

‘We’re overwhelmed with people, ’ said Liu Lian, 29, one of the seven part-time employees who helps singles fill out lengthy application forms. ‘We cannot cope with the number of people we have.’

§ 6. As he explained bureau operations, dozens of eager males lined up in the courtyard. Women registered in a smaller building.

§ 7. ‘There are more men than women at present, ’ Liu said. ‘Perhaps the girls are shy. Often one will send her mother to register her.’

§ 8. In the middle of the courtyard, one elderly lady (who did not seem to mind she was ignoring bureau rules) spoke enthusiastically about the qualities of her daughter. A crowd of men gathered to listen.

§ 9. ‘Marriage seekers are allowed three tries. If they reject a series of partners without good reason, they are removed from the books, ’ Liu said.

§ 10. As he talked, an anxious-looking tile worker, Liang Zhe Cheng, 27, bustled into the room. He was the first to sign up when the bureau opened earlier this month. He had returned twice to ask if a suitable partner had been found.

§ 11. Liu told him that a meeting, under strict supervision, would be arranged shortly. Liang said his only alternative to the marriage bureau was to ask his parents’ help, ‘but their circle of friends is too small, and I haven’t been able to find a partner myself at work.’

§ 12. The newspaper China Youth News, reporting on the new marriage bureau, wrote, ‘These young people are suffering badly from their failure to get married. Their enthusiasm for work and study is dampened by lack of love, and this is not good for China’s modernization and their own development.’

§ 13. It explained why marriage bureaus are necessary in a country where there are few if any bars or clubs for meeting young people of the opposite sex: ‘The proportion is quite out of balance in various industries, ’ it said. ‘There are more young men than girls in porcelain, thermos flasks and bicycles, and vice versa in clocks and watches and the foodstuff trade. This has confronted the young people with not a few marriage difficulties, and our service wants to help them overcome their problems.’

7. Who are meant by ‘frustrated singles’ in the first sentence?

Men and women who

A do not dare to marry.

B have failed to find a marriage partner.

C have got no friends.

D have no one to live with.

8. What do the words ‘where young love once was considered almost a crime’ from the second sentence make clear?

A In China young people have to wait a long time before they can marry.

B In China young people in love behave differently from old people in love.

C Things have changed in China.

D Young people in China have to keep their love a secret.

9. ‘Both are doing so well’ (§ 2) can be replaced by...

A Both marriage bureaus are making so much money.

B Both marriage bureaus are organized so efficiently.

C Both marriage bureaus are so popular with young organizers.

D Both marriage bureaus have so many clients.

10. Which of the following is true about the “string of marriage bureaus” (§ 2)?

A It is already in existence all over the country.

B It is a possibility youth organizers are thinking of.

C It is a youth organizers’ dream that cannot come true.

D It is going to be realized in the near future.

11. What is the problem mentioned by Liu Lian in § 5?

A Clients get confused by having to deal with so many people.

B Clients get confused by the lengthy application forms.

C The bureau cannot always find the right partner.

D The bureau does not have enough staff.

12. Why did the elderly lady speak enthusiastically about her daughter’s qualities? (§ 8)?

A She realized this was the only way to attract the men’s attention.

B She thought it might help to find a suitable partner for her daughter.

C She thought it would make the bureau accept her daughter as a client.

D She wanted to find the best possible husband for her daughter.

13. Under what circumstances are applicants “removed from the books” (§ 9)?

A If, in the bureau’s opinion, they have proved to be unreasonably critical.

B If they have not behaved correctly towards a partner.

C If they keep turning up at the bureau without an appointment.

D If they refuse to meet more than one partner.

14. Which of the following can be concluded about Liang Zhe Cheng from § 10?

A He knew in his heart that no marriage partner could ever be found for him.

B He wanted very much to hear about a possible partner.

C He was nervous because that day’s visit was his last chance.

D He was sure the bureau had not paid enough attention to his case.

15. What is the attitude of the China Youth News towards the marriage bureaus (§ 12)?

It considers them …

A a good thing for the country and the young people.

B a guarantee for long-lasting marriages.

C a means of making the population grow.

D a sign of the country’s modernization.

16. Which “proportion” is meant in § 13?

A of married and unmarried people.

B of men and women.

C of skilled and unskilled workers.

D of young and old people.

In this reading, what do the following words mean?

17. populous (§ 1)

A popular

B intelligent

C numerous

18. to cater for (§ 2)

A to be useful to

B to service

C to look after

19. earnest (§ 3)

A serious

B honest

C professional

20. to dampen (§ 12)

A to weaken

B to stress

C to worsen