19.

Online shopping is quick and convenient. You can easily find the perfect item at the right price. No wonder that online shopping ________ more popular in recent years.

20.

Online shopping has also got some drawbacks. In case of offline shopping, you can receive the product then and there. However, this ________ in online shopping.

21

Even though it hardly takes 10-15 minutes to buy the product online, it sometime takes 4 or 5 days for the product to reach ________ hands.

22.

In 1698, a number of Londoners received invitations to see the lions washed in the Thames. It happened on April Fool’s Day. However, the same trick ________ in 1860, and again a lot of curious Londoners came to enjoy the lions washed.

23.

In 1957, BBC Television played an even ________ joke on its viewers. It showed a film about a spaghetti crop grown in Southern Switzerland

24.

While workers ________ long strands of spaghetti from bushes, the presenter told the viewers that they can buy and grow ‘these vegetables’. After the programme had finished, there were a lot of calls from curious TV viewers who did not get the joke.

19.

This is the latest news from BBC. Yesterday an earthquake ________ the southern port city of Bandar Abbas in Iran, cutting power and telephone lines.

20. 

At the moment emergency teams ________ people, suffering from injuries. Fortunately, there are no reported deaths in this quake.

21.

This is a breaking news update. Check back soon for ________ information

22.

Rostov Veliky is one of the oldest Russian cities. It was mentioned in the ancient chronicles of the IX century as the city that ________ on the shores of Lake Nero long before this time.

23.

Rostov Veliky ________ many ancient churches and monasteries. Today it is one of the largest religious centres of Russia.

24.

The present view of the city centre is pretty much the same as it was centuries ago. That is why a lot of historical movies ________ there

My First Year at Wennington School

19. I __________ (COME) to Wennington School in the autumn of 1968. 

20. The school itself was doing rather well; it had a new theatre and science building but the rest of the school was much as it __________ (BE) for years before. 

21. Life in general was not too bad for me. In the first year I __________ (BULLY) a bit by a couple of boys. There were always two or three pupils in every class that did get some bullying from the others.  

22. However, that __________ (NOT LAST) long. Personally, I tended to leave my fellow pupils alone as I was more interested in making life hell for the staff.  

23. The __________ (ENJOYABLE) aspect of school life for an eleven-year-old Londoner was going to the woods.  

24. I spent most of my free time during the first few weeks __________ (EXPLORE) the woods in the company of a classmate.  

A Real Millionaire Next Door

19. Kris and I love our neighborhood. One of our favorite neighbors is John. John is a 70-year-old retired school teacher who lives in a modest ranch house. He __________ (HAVE) the same house for over forty years. 

20. John spends his winters in New Zealand helping friends on a dairy farm. His summers __________ (SPEND) fishing in Alaska. Year-round, he rents his house to boarders. For a couple of months each year, he’s home. He leads a very active retirement. 

21. John __________ (WORK) in the yard the other day when I returned from a trip to the book store. 

22. ‘What books __________ (you) (BUY)?’ he asked by way of conversation. ‘Nothing much,’ I said. ‘Just a few books on personal finance.’ ‘That’s great,’ he smiled. I’m glad to see that you are interested in investing.’ 

23. ‘Let me tell you something,’ he added. ‘I was a school teacher and I __________ (NOT HAVE) a big salary. But I saved what I could, and I invested it. I got a little luck, but mostly I just kept putting the money away. 

24. Do you know how much I have now?’ I shook my head. Over a million dollars,’ he said. ‘And if you get started now, in a few years you __________ (SAVE) a lot of money.’ 

Cristiano Ronaldo, the world’s Best Football Player

19. Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo is a special man. What makes Ronaldo special is that he is football great who __________ (DOMINATE) the soccer world today. 

20. Only last Sunday, Ronaldo became the __________ (ONE) Premier League player to be named the FIFA World Player of the Year. 

21. Ronaldo __________ (HAND) a golden trophy and he expressed his joy, speaking to the audience. 

22. ‘This is a special moment in my life. I __________ (even) (NOT THINK) about winning this award,’ said Ronaldo. 

23. However, it __________ (SEEM) that football players can demonstrate much more experience at controlling a game on the pitch than a powerful car on the road. 

24. Ten days ago, Ronaldo ruined his Ferrari in a tunnel near Manchester Airport while he __________ (HAVE) a race with Van der Sar. According to The Guardian, Ronaldo had owned his Ferrari for just two days before the accident. 

Mountain Biking

19. In the past people __________ (ENJOY) watching TV or reading in their free time. 

20. Nowadays people are more interested in __________ (DO) activities which take them out of their homes. 

21. That's why mountain biking __________ (BECOME) a very popular sport in recent years. It is one of the most rewarding ways to explore the countryside. 

22. Cyclists must pay attention to the type of path they are on. Some paths __________ (DESIGN) for people who are on foot. 

23. So if you cycle along these paths, you __________ (CAUSE) inconvenience to walkers. On any other path, you should still re­spect walkers. 

24. Another thing which everyone is asked to do is closing gates behind you, so that farm animals cannot escape. If the weather is fine, you will enjoy a wonderful day out, especially if you __________ (NOT FORGET) to take some food and drinks with you. 

Graffiti

19. Graffiti is any type of public markings that may appear in the forms of simple written words to elaborate wall paintings. Graffiti __________ (EXIST) since ancient times. 

20. The __________ (EARLY) forms of graffiti date back to 30, 000 BC in the form of prehistoric cave paintings and pictographs using tools such as animal bones and pigments. 

21. The images drown on the walls showed scenes of animal wildlife and hunting expeditions. These illustrations __________ (PLACE) in ceremonial and sacred locations inside of the caves. 

22. Modern graffiti __________ (COME) in many different forms, from the scrawled message in a public bathroom stall to the spray-painted murals boasted on subway walls. 

23. Nowadays, paint, particularly spray paint, and marker pens have become them __________ (COMMONLY) used graffiti materials.  

24. In most countries, marking or painting property without the property owner’s consent is considered to be vandalism, which is a punishable crime. Because of the controversial material contained in many murals, graffiti is now considered to be a form of resistance art, in rebellion against common public __________ (BELIEF) and government laws.  

The largest snowfall in decades 

19. This week’s snowfall in Brazil is one of the largest in decades. As snow on the ground is not a very common sight in a so-called tropical country, everybody _____________ (FEEL) excited when they saw streets in snow. 

20. In the cities by the sea people are used to spending the summer sun bathing. They ____________ (SURPRISE) when they saw snow covering the city. 

21. It ______________ (NOT BE) long before social media became loaded with pictures of white fields and roads, and snowmen.

The largest snowfall in decades 

22. The usual images of the North-Pole are impressive ice sheets, but scenes from a webcam there reveal a different story. Meteorologists have reported that temperatures in early July were one to three degrees Celsius ______________ (HIGH) than the year’s average over most of the Arctic Ocean.

23. Thanks to rapidly melting ice, Santa Claus now ________________ (HAVE) his own swimming pool. The North Pole is currently a lake, the media reports. The lake is about a foot deep, consisting entirely of the melted ice itself. It shows a dramatic change is the Arctic climate. 

24. In fact, a pool of melted water __________________ (FORM) at the North Pole every year now since 2002. The mythical home of Santa Claus has been officially flooded. 

19. A famous scientist was on his way to a lecture when his chauffeur offered an idea. “Hey, boss, I ____________ (HEAR) your speech so many times already I bet I could deliver it and give you the night off.” 

20. “Sounds great,” the scientist said. When they ___________ (GET) to the auditorium, the chauffeur walked to the lectern and delivered the speech. 

21. Afterward he asked if there ____________ (BE) any questions. “Yes,” said one professor and asked a highly technical question. The chauffeur panicked for a moment but quickly recovered. “That’s an easy one,” he replied. “In fact, it’s so easy, I’m going to let my chauffeur answer it!” 

Memory technique 

22. It was a nice summer day. Two elderly couples were enjoying a friendly conversation in the garden when one of the ____________ (MAN) asked the other, “Fred, how was the memory clinic you went to a month ago?” 

23. “Outstanding,” Fred replied. “We were taught visualization, association. We learned all the ____________ (LATE) psychological techniques — it has made a big difference for me.” 

“That’s great! What was the name of that clinic?” 

24. Fred went blank. He thought and thought but ______________ (NOT CAN) remember. Then a smile broke across his face and he asked, “What do you call that flower with thorns?” “You mean a rose?” “Yes, that’s it!” Then he turned to his wife and asked, “Rose, what was the name of that clinic?”