15. Hundreds of Swedish workers are trialing a six-hour working day in the hopes that it will _______ sick leave and save the country money.

A. cut down　　　 B. turn down　　　 C. pull down　　 　　 D. cast down

14. Her work involved ______ absences from home, so she couldn’t look after her children.

A. repeating　　 　　　 B. repeated　 　　　　 C. to repeat　 　　　　 D. repeat

13. How can you expect to get ahead in your life __ you even live to yourself from time to time?

A. though　　　 　　　 B. until　　　　 　　 C. before　　　 　　 D. when

12. With children, if you say “no”, you have to mean_______.

A. that　　　　 　　　 B. this　　　 　　　　 C. it　　　　　 　　　 D. one

11. North Korea has apparently told China it may be ready to return to six-nation talks, which appears to be a(n) ______ step aimed at ending its nuclear weapons programs.

A. aggressive　　 　　 B. primitive　　 　　 C. tentative　　 　 D. passive

10. Malaysia Airlines says it has lost contact with a plane __________ from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, with 239 people on board.

A. travelled　　 　　　　 B. travelling　　 　　 C. to travel　　　 　　　　 D. having travelled

9. Don’t sigh over the small achievement. _______, and I’m sure if you keep at it, you’ll see the light at the end of the tunnel.

A. Lookers-on see most of the game　 　　　 B. Constant dropping wears away the stone

C. Love makes the world go round　　 　　　 D. Lost time is never found again

8. — Guess what, he has decided to enter for tomorrow’s speech contest!

　 — ______ it be possible? He is usually quite shy and reserved.

A. Must　　 　　　　　　　 B. Would　　 　　　　　 C. Should　　 D. Need

7. — Have our travel plans been decided? 　　 — No, still________.

A. out of order　　 　　 B. up in the air　 　 C. in the case　 　　　 D. in the way

6. Those who said looking after children was an easy way to make money obviously ________ such a troublesome boy, she thought.

A. hadn’t met　　 　　 B. didn’t meet　 　 C. haven’t met　 　 D. wouldn’t meet