Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 17 to 26.

Hoan Kiem Lake is an attractive body of water right in the (17) _____ of Hanoi. Legend has it that in the mid-15th century (18) _____, Heaven gave Emperor Le Thai To (Le Loi) a magical sword which he used to fight (19) _____ the Chinese, the Ming aggressors, out of Vietnam. After that one day when he was out (20) _____ in the lake, a giant (21) _____ tortoise suddenly grabbed the sword and (22) _____ into the depths of the lake. Since then, the lake has been known as Hoan Kiem lake, (23) _____ it is believed the sword was taken to its original divine owners.

The tiny Tortoise Pagoda, topped with a red star, is (24) _____ a small island in the middle of the lake; it is often used (25) _____ an emblem of Hanoi. Every morning around 6 a.m, local residents can be seen around Hoan Kiem lake (26) _____ their morning exercises, jogging or playing badminton.

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the sentence that best combines each pair of sentences in the following questions.

“I will help you with the housework”, Mai said to me.

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He did not work hard. He failed the exam.

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The demand was so great. They had to reprint the book immediately.

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Only Mary scored high enough to pass this test.

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You will never eat there at the weekend unless you have made a reservation.

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The Matrix was released in 1999. It stars Keanu Reeves.

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Cats is one of the longest-running musicals in Britain. It was written by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

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The sculpture represents the biblical King David. It was carved in the early 1500s.

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You can see Velazquez in this painting. He is standing in the background.

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A picture was stolen by art thieves. It was painted by Munch.