Read the following passage and choose the options among A, B, C or D that best complete the blanks. Write your answers on your answer sheet.

           Stressful situations that (1)________ almost everyday in life seem to be unavoidable. However, we can do little sometimes to avoid a misfortune or an unpleasant occurrence which may (2)________ us unexpectedly as only it can. At such a moment, one may hit the (3)_______,  give in to the helplessness of the situation or, ideally, put a brave face on it trying to (4)_________ the burden.

           Can you (5)_________ in your mind an hour spent in a traffic jam, say, this morning? Do you light one cigarette after another? Do you sound the horn every few seconds like the other neurotics? Or do you take a different (6)________ and make good use of the time drawing up a schedule for the days to come? To withstand the stressful moment you can also do a crossword puzzle, listen to your favorite music or even compose a menu for your Sunday dinner.

           In fact, whatever way you (7)________ to the annoying situation, you can exert no impact on it as the traffic jam will only reduce in due (8)_________. Nevertheless, your reaction might considerably influence your mood for the rest of the day. The inability to confront a stressful occurrence like that with a deal of composure and sensibility adds much more strain to your life and in this way puts your well – being in (9)_________. Surprisingly, it is seemingly negligible hardships we stumble on daily that run double the risk of developing serious health disorders rather than our isolated tragedies however painful they may be. (10)_______that so many of those wretched stresses and inducing troubles affect us in a day, we should, at best, try to avoid them or possibly make radical alterations in the way we lead our daily lifestyles.

Their (7. ARGUE) ___________is based on research that claims workers are far more (8. PRODUCT) _________ when they have the (9. FREE) _________to dress in a way that they feel most (10. COMFORT) _______in.

Georgia hasn’t written to me recently. (HEARD)

-> I ___________________________________________________________.

Dinner will be served immediately upon our arrival at the hotel. (SOON)

-> Dinner will be served ___________________________________________.

Barbara couldn’t sing or dance. (UNABLE)

-> Besides ______________________________________________________.

Complete each of the following sentences with the correct answer (A, B, C or D). Identify your answer by writing the corresponding letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet.

I’m really sorry. We _____ stop at a service station and phone you, but we didn’t want to waste any more time.

Rewrite the following sentences without changing their meaning, using the words given. These words must not be changed in any way. Write your answers on your answer sheet.

The reduction in the price of the magazines led to a growth in sales. (RESULT)

-> Sales of the magazines __________________________________________. 

Complete the following sentences with one preposition/particle for each blank. Write your answers on your answer sheet.       

Kate fell _______ with her boyfriend and they stopped seeing each other.

Supply the correct form of the word in capital letter. Write your answers on your answer sheet.

           UK companies have received criticism from a business forum for what their report refers to as a rather narrow-minded attitude towards the dress code for office workers. This follows a case in which a male (1. EMPLOY) __________working in the post room of a large (2. ORGANISE) __________in the United Kingdom received a (3. SUSPEND) __________ for wearing jeans to work. Whilst the report accepts that there is a need for people dealing with (4. CUSTOM) __________to look well dressed, it questions whether employees who work behind the scenes necessarily need to dress formally. The authors of the report made a (5. COMPARE)  ___________ between the UK and other European nations where employers seem (6. CONCERN)___________about the need for their workers to wear smart clothes in the office. Their (7. ARGUE) ___________is based on research that claims workers are far more (8. PRODUCT) _________ when they have the (9. FREE) _________to dress in a way that they feel most (10. COMFORT) _______in.