Test 14. Read the text below and add the preposition which best fits each space. Living a Long Time

It is often said that Japanese people, ___ (1) average, live much longer than Europeans. ___ (2) a large extent this must be due to the food most Japanese people eat since from the point of view of life‑style, life ___ (3) modern Japan is no less stressful than ours ___ (4) the west. The Japanese live ___ (5) a diet largely made up ___ (6) fish and rice. ___ (7) lunch‑time a typical Japanese family will consume ___ (8) least twice as many vegetables as we do in Europe. ___ (9) comparison with Europeans, the Japanese eat far less meat and fewer potatoes; ___ (10) the same time, they eat seven times more fresh fish than we do which makes their diet much healthier ___ (11) far. It would be fair to say that, ___ (12) general, the Japanese – frequent visitors ___ (13) Europe ___ (14) business or ___ (15) pleasure – are discovering the pleasures and dangers of western‑style eating habits.

Test 15. Fill in the gaps in the following letter. Dear Marjorie,

I’m having problems ___ (1) my studies at school. I find it difficult to get down to work in the evenings and I can’t concentrate ___ (2) anything at the moment. I spend most of my time listening ___ (3) records or watching TV instead ___ (4) doing my homework. The other students in my class are much better than I am and I have difficulty ___ (5) keeping up with them. I sometimes have problems ___ (6) following the lessons as well. I can’t always take ___ (7) the important things my teacher says because I write so slowly. She has told me that I’m falling ___ (8) with my studies. I’m not good ___ (9) writing essays and I usually hand ___ (10) my homework late because I put ___ (11) doing it until the last minute. So I often have to invent silly excuses to explain why I haven’t done the work. I’m sure I’m not going to get ___ (12) my final exams in June. I’m now so far ___ (13) that I don’t know how I’m going to catch up ___ (14) them. My teacher spent some time going ___ (15) my homework with me but she found so many mistakes that I felt even more depressed. What do you suggest I do?

Yours desperately,

George