correct answer: During the modern era exciting new innovations in the world of building construction has brought soaring skyscrapers and fresh new approaches to building design Actually since many years ago building construction has been a significant part of our industrial field If somebody asks what the most significant, most beautiful and most interesting of the past 1000 years is there will be no single correct answer for this question Some will choose the Eiffel Tower while others might choose the high skyscrapers as the most remarkable buildings
The Fuller Building in New York is one of the world earliest skyscrapers which was built in 1902 with a height of 285 feet A solid steel skeleton that has been used during the construction of this building allowed it to achieve record -breaking height without the need for wide supporting walls at the foundation
Examples of advanced construction building in the world now are the CCTV headquarters in China, Burj Khalifa in Dubai and the Iconic Tower in the new capital city of Egypt; the New Administrative City With a total structural height of 385 8 metres it is the tallest building in Africa It will comprise 80 floors mostly for office use and is one of 20 towers being built as part of the Central business district in the new capital city The new city is located 45 kilometres east of Cairo and just outside the Second Greater Cairo Orbital Road According to the plans, the city will become the new administrative and financial capital of Egypt housing the main government departments and ministries as well as foreign embassies On 700 square kilometres total area it would have a population of 6 5 million people though it is estimated that the figure could rise to seven million Officially a major reason for the undertaking of the project was to relieve congestion in Cairo, which is already one of the world s most crowded cities, with the population of Greater Cairo expected to double in the next few decades
The CCTV headquarters are located
in the new capital city
b) in China
c) outside the Orbital Road of Cairo d) in Dubai
The underlined word congestion refers to the state of



a) being very tall
b) being calm and peaceful
c) having a very few vehicles
d) being crowded with vehicles
86 The underlined pronoun it refers to
a) the Iconic Tower
b) the Eiffel Tower
c) Burj Khalifa
d) the New Capital City
87 Wide supporting walls at the foundation were not needed while
building
a) the CCTV headquarters in China
b) the Fuller Building in New York
c) the Eiffel Tower in Paris
d) the Iconic Tower in the New Capital City of Egypt
88 The underlined word soaring means
a) very high b) very large
c) very expensive d) normal
89 According to the passage which is not true about works of engineering?
a) We know for sure what the most significant structure is
b) Innovative approaches to building design has been common

c) Building construction has been a significant part of our industrial field
d) Engineers won t stop designing massive structures
90 Which could be the most suitable title to this text?
a) Skyscrapers all over the world
b) Great Engineering
c) High towers
d) The New Capital City of Egypt

2
Read the text then choose the best answer:
W i t h i n cre a s i n g g l o b a l e n v ir o nm e n t al a w a r e ne s s t h e i m po r t an ce o f p r o d u ci n g b i o d e g r ad a bl e p l a s ti c s p a p e r s c o a ti n g s a n d o t h e r c o n su m e r m a te ri a l s i s d r i vin g m a n u f ac tu re r s t o b e a h e a d o f t h e c u r v e a n d g a in m a r ke t s h a re f o r t h e f u tu re T h e t e rm biodegradable p l a s tic s r e fe r s t o m a te ri al s t h a t m a i n t ai n t h e ir m e c h a n ic al s t re n g t h d u ri n g p r a c ti c al u s e b u t b r e a k d o w n i n t o l o w - we ig h t co m po u nd s a n d n o nt o x ic b y p r o d u c t s a f t e r t h e i r u se P l a st i c s b i o d e g ra d e a t h i g h l y v a r i a bl e r a t e s Th e p r o ce s s o f b i o d e g r ad a ti o n c a n b e d i vi d e d i n t o t h r e e s t a g e s : b i o d e t e r io r at io n b i o fr a gm e nt a t io n a n d a s s i m i l a t io n B io d e te ri o r a ti o n i s s o m e ti m e s d e s cr ib e d a s a s u r f a cel e ve l d e gr a d at io n t h a t m o d if ie s t h e m e c h a n ic al p h y s i c a l a n d c h e m i c al p r o pe r tie s o f t h e m a t e r i al I n a r c h i te c tu re w e a r e s o c a u g h t u p i n c re a t i ng s o m e t h i ng n e w w e o f te n f o r ge t a b o u t w h a t h a p p e n s a t t h e e n d o f a b u il d i ng s l i fe c y cl e t he u n fo r tu n a te i ne v it a b l e d e m o l i ti o n W e m a y w a n t o u r b u i l d i n g s t o b e t i m e l e s s a n d l i ve o n f o re ve r , b u t t h e h a r s h r e al i t y i s t h a t t h e y d o n o t s o w h e re i s a l l t h e w a s t e e x p e c te d t o g o ? A s w i t h m o s t n o n - re c ycl a bl e w a s t e , i t e n d s u p i n t h e l a nd fi l l a n d , a s t h e l a nd r e qu ir e d f o r l a n d f il l b e co m e s a n i n cr e a si n gl y s c a r ce r e so u r ce w e m u s t f i nd a n a l te r n a ti ve s o l u t io n E a c h y e a r i n t h e U K a l o ne 7 0 – 1 0 5 m il l i o n t o n ne s o f w a s t e i s c r e at e d f r o m d e m o l i s h i n g b u il d i n g s a n d o n l y
2 0 % o f t h a t i s b i o d e g r ad a bl e P e r h a p s o n e o f t h e b i g g e st a r c h i te c tu r al c r a ze s w i t h i n t h e l a s t f e w y e ar s b a m b o o p r o je c t s B u t w h y h a s i t b e co m e s o p o p u l ar ? B a m bo o c a n g r o w u p t o f o u r f e e t a d a y r e gr o w s a f t e r h a r v e s t i ng a n d i s t w o t o t h re e t im e s s t r o n ge r t h a n s t e e l A s p l a s ti c a c cu m u l a te s i n o u r o c e a n s a n d r i ve rs i t h a s b e c o m e u r ge n t t h a t w e b o t h r e d u ce o u r c o n su m p t io n a n d f i nd c l e a n e r b i o d e g r ad a bl e a l t e r n a t i ve s Choose the best option from a b c or d:
91 The word b io d e g ra d a bl e d e sc ri be s a ) to x ic c o m po n e nt s b ) e co - fr ie nd l y m a te ri a l s c ) d a n ge ro u s p ro d u c t s d ) b io l o gi c al we a po n s
92 During practical use biodegradable materials are a ) we a k b ) to x ic c ) st r o n g d ) we i g h tl e s s
93 After you have already used a biodegradable bag it a ) b r e a k s d o w n i n t o l o w -w e i g h t c o m p o u nd s b ) i s v e r y t o xi c t o p e o pl e e s pe ci al l y c h il d r e n c ) i s v e r y h a r m fu l t o t h e e n v ir o nm e n t d ) c a n b e u se d a g ai n a nd a g ai n
b ) i s v e r y t o xi c t o p e o pl e e s pe ci al l y c h il d r e n c ) i s v e r y h a r m fu l t o t h e e n v ir o nm e n t d ) c a n b e u se d a g ai n a
great
95 Manufacturers are the a ) p e o pl e wh o u s e t h e b i o d e g r ad a bl e m ate ri a l s b ) b i o d e g r ad a bl e m a te ri a l s m ad e b y f a c t o r ie s c ) m e n w h o s e b u s i ne s s i s m a k i n g t h i n g s d ) s m al l f ac t o r ie s in t h e b i g ci t ie s
96 The underlined word accumulates can be a synonym for a ) d e c ad e b ) d e gr ad e c ) c o l l e c t d ) h a r ve s t
97 The phrase architectural crazes refers to a ) n o rm al b u i l d in g s d e si g ne d b y n o rm a l e n g i ne e r s b ) f a s h i o na b l e a n d a m a zi ng b u il d i ng c ) c r a zy e n g i ne e r s w h o d e si g ne d d ) o l d - f a s hi o ne d bu il d i ng s
98 Bamboo has become so popular in construction; one of the following is not a reason: a ) it s m u c h c he a pe r t h a n a n y o t he r m a te ri a l b ) it c a n gr o w u p to fo u r fe e t a d a y c ) i t re g ro w s a ft e r h a r v e s ti n g d ) i t i s t w o to t h re e t im e s s t ro n ge r t h a n s t e e l
99 From the text pick out a word that means a result that can t be avoid a ) in e vi t a bl e b ) m a i n t ai n c ) u rg e nt d ) a w a re ne s s
100 This text can be of which type of writing? a ) A no ve l b ) A n ar t icl e c ) A t a bl o i d d ) A f a bl e Reading
3 Imagine you are driving your smart car along the highway when suddenly something goes wrong with the engine You don t know what the problem is but you needn t worry The engine will be examined by the computer in your car which will find the cause of the problem The computer will then connect to the internet to find the distance to the nearest garage where your car can be repaired An email will then be sent to the garage to check that it has the parts that are needed for your car If the garage has these you will receive an email asking when you would like to take your car to the garage so that the parts can be replaced When you are not driving your car you can reply on your mobile phone, which will email your message to the garage In this way your car s engine problems can be solved
Imagine that someone wants to drive a car faster than the rules say that you can In a smart car, this cannot happen The speed of the car is controlled by a special device It doesn t matter what you do it will be impossible to drive faster than what the device tells the engine Experts have found that the number of serious road accidents will be reduced by having this device in the car and thousands of lives will be saved every year Is this just science fiction? No the second device is currently being used You can find information about it on the internet The first device is
c) I like sci-fi
d) Technology: between dreams and reality
MODEL ANSWWERS
e
a ) p e o pl e wh o u s e t h