15 My wife enjoys purchasing all kinds of kitchen gadgets. However, sometimes the things she buys are more of a _____ than a help.
(A)facility
(B)foresight
(C)hindrance
(D)hindsight

11 Barbecue is arguably the most American of food, and there’s no _____ of festivals, restaurants, contests, and TV shows that prove it. (A)fascination (B)paradox (C)shortage (D)tradition

12 Washing reduces the pesticide _____ on your produce, although it does not eliminate it. (A)cleaner (B)dealer (C)fabric (D)residue

13 To _____ how sexual harassment is defined in the workplace, companies need to hold institution-wide conversations on what constitutes sexual harassment. (A)determine (B)forbid (C)permit (D)retain

14 _____ trade policies－policies that allow the unrestricted flow of goods and services－sharpen competition and motivate creativity. (A)Domestic (B)Liberal (C)Protective (D)Sufficient

16 Any serious conversation about the planet’s climate and our energy future must begin, paradoxically, with a backward look at geologic time. (A)The earth’s climate patterns and energy consumption are, contradictorily, determined by the geologic past of the planet. (B)All important discussions about the climate and energy future of Earth must take the paradox of geologic time into consideration. (C)A historical review of the earth’s geological past will, interestingly, assist our discussions about the planet’s climate and energy future. (D)A retrospective view of the geologic time of Earth offers little insight into the planet’s climate and energy future.

17 Poems often feature a persona, or a speaker, who expresses a viewpoint the poet presumably does not share. (A)The viewpoint of the speaker in a poem is the same as that of the poet. (B)The viewpoint of the speaker is often different from that of the poet. (C)The persona in a poem represents the poet and speaks for him/her. (D)The persona or the speaker in the poem does not share the same literary features of the poet.

18 In an age in which people seem to want to show and see all on the Internet, is the world really open to being more open? (A)We live in an age in which we can share many of our opinions on the Internet, but are we really ready to post all our personal opinions online? (B)We live in an age in which we would like to share all our opinions on the Internet, but how can it be possible that we still do not respect others’ opinions online? (C)Nowadays people seem to want to share and access all the information online, but are we really ready to embrace the ideas of being more open? (D)Nowadays it has been very convenient to share and access a lot of information on the Internet, but is it necessary to post all our personal information online?

19 What is this passage mainly about? (A)Teenagers are encouraged to spend time in the mall. (B)Teenagers should be contained in some particular areas of the mall. (C)Teenagers are likely to become loyal adult shoppers since the mall provides a hangout place for them. (D)Teenagers in suburban areas enjoy shopping in the mall more than their urban counterparts.

20 According to the passage, which of the following statements is true? (A)Teenagers like to hang out in places where most adult shoppers visit. (B)Teenagers in suburban areas have caused more problems than those in urban areas because suburban teenagers spend too much time fooling around in the mall. (C)The installation of game arcades helps mall management keep teenagers in one area away from major shopping areas. (D)Mall management should not encourage teenagers to hang out with their friends in the mall.

21 According to the passage, why is it hard for teenagers to challenge the assumption that the goal of life is to make money and buy products? (A)They cannot find any other hangout place better than the mall. (B)They have been doing a lot of shopping in the mall. (C)They can easily get bored and need to find a place to go. (D)They are likely to be turned into consumers by spending a lot of time in the mall.