About 95% of all animals are invertebrates which can live anywhere, but most, like the starfish and crab, live in the ocean.

A. with backbones

B. with ribs

C. without ribs

D. without backbones

The clubs meet on the last Thursday of every month in a dilapidated palace.

A. renovated

B. regenerated

C. furnished

D. neglected

The works of such men as the English philosophers John Locke and Thomas Hobbes helped pave the way for academic freedom in the modern sense.

A. terminate

B. prevent

C. initiate

D. lighten

In some countries, the disease burden could be prevented through environmental improvements.

A. something to stiffer

B. something enjoyable

C. something sad

D. something to entertain

My mom is always bad-tempered when I leave my room untidy.

A. feeling embarrassed

B. talking too much

C. very happy

D. easily annoyed

In some Asian coutries, it is customary for people to worship their ancestors.

A. fossils

B. elders

C. heirs

D. forefathers

He is among wealthy members of the golf club.

A. adroit

B. affluent

C. adjacent

D. poor

The dim light made it hard to see, so Ben squinted to make out the stranger’s face in the distance.

A. faint

B. muted

C. weak

D. strong

The only means of access to the station is through a dark subway.

A. arrival

B. admission

C. outlet

D. output

He is over the moon about his examination result.

A. stressed

B. very sad

C. very happy

D. satisfied

‘What I’ve got to say to you now is strictly off the record and most certainly not for publication,’ said the government official to the reporter.

A. already official

B. beside the point

C. not popular

D. not recorded

With her sophiscated tastes, the singer has become an omnipresent icon of style and beauty.

A. oblivious

B. controversial

C. ubiquitous

D. unknown

We have to husband our resources to make sure we make it through these hard times.

A. spend

B. manage

C. use up

D. marry

Drivers are advised to get enough petrol because filling stations are few and far between on the highway.

A. easy to find

B. difficult to access

C. unlikely to happen

D. impossible to reach

They are launching a campaign to promote awareness of environmental issues.

A. encourage

B. publicize

C. hinder

D. strengthen

The Red Cross is an international humanitarian agency dedicated to reducing the sufferings of wounded soldiers, civilians and prisoners of war.

A. happiness

B. loss

C. sadness

D. pain and sorrow

It’s difficult to tell him to give in because he is so big-headed.

A. arrogant

B. generous

C. modest

D. wise

On the whole, the rescue mission was well executed.

A. in fact

B. in general

C. at once

D. in particular

School uniform is compulsory in most of VNese schools.

A. depended

B. optional

C. obligatory

D. required

He inherited a lucrative business from his father.

A. lucid

B. unprofitable

C. wealthy

D. profitable

His new yacht is certainly an ostentatious display of his wealth.

A. showy

B. expensive

C. modest

D. large

After a grueling and busy week at work, the stillness of the river reminded Lara of the silence.

A. uproar

B.  tranquility

C. serenity

D. tameness

The soliders will do anything to halt the enemies from entering.

A. stop

B. start

C. continue

D. kill

There has been insufficient rainfall over the past two years, and farmers are having trouble.

A.  adequate

B. unsatisfactory

C. abundant

D. dominant

After many months of grueling work and painful injuries to her shoulder and back, Susan realized that her dream of swimming the English Channel was unattainable.

A. impossible

B. unachievable

C. realistic

D. confused

Melanie thought the issue at hand was not morally just, and consequently she would never endorse the petition circulating throughout her neighborhood.

A. support

B. oppose

C. approve

D. create

Maureen usually felt depressed on Mondays, because she never got enough sleep on the weekends.

A. unhappy

B. cheerful

C. glum

D. understanding

He is not popular and has a lot of enemies.

A. opponents

B. friends

C. betrayers

D. attackers

The couple tried to converse in the busy restaurant, but they couldn't hear themselves speak so they went elsewhere.

A. talk

B. stop talking

C. chat

D. communicate

At the managers' meeting, the group decided against the new project as a viable option and decided on another direction to ensure success for the company's fall line.

A. impractical

B. feasible

C. practical

D. positive

I am afraid I haven’t allowed him enough initiative, said Father Payne, that’s a bad habit of mine.

A. determination

B. encouragement

C. beginning

D. cowardice

He was so insubordinate that he losst his job within a week.

A. fresh

B. disobedient

C. understanding

D. obedient

Adverse weather conditions made it difficult to play the game.

A. favorable

B. bad

C. comfortable

D. severe

Nutritionists believe that vitamins circumvent diseases.

A. defeat

B. nourish

C. help

D. treat

Slavery was abolished in the US in the 19th century.

A. instituted

B.   eradicated

C.   eliminated

D. required

Doctors have been criticized for their indiscriminate use of antibiotics.

A. disciplined

B. selective

C. wholesale

D. unconscious

Synthetic products are made from chemicals or artificial substances.

A. natural

B.  made by machine

C.   man-made

D. unusual

Affluent families find it easier to support their children financially.

A. Wealthy

B. Well-off

C. Privileged

D. Impoverished

We are very grateful to Professor Humble for his generosity in donating this wonderful painting to the museum.

A. meanness

B. sympathy

C. gratitude

D. churlishness

She wrote me a vicious letter.

A. helpful

B. gently

C. dangerous

D.  healthy