The development of writing (1) ...A didB hadC madeD took a huge difference to the world and we might see it as the beginning of the (2) ...A mediaB bulletinC programmeD journalism. Pieces of pottery with marks on that are probably numbers have been (3) ...A inventedB displayedC discoveredD appeared in China that date from around 4000 BC. Hieroglyphics and other forms of 'picture writing' developed in the (4) ...A distanceB areaC lengthD earth around Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq), where the (5) ...A antiqueB old-fashionedC ancientD dated Sumerian civilization was based, from around 3300 BC onwards. However, the first (6) ...A trueB accurateC exactD precise alphabet was used by the Phoenicians around 1050 BC. Their alphabet had 22 letters and it is (7) ...A observedB measuredC countedD estimated that it lasted for 1000 years.

The first two signs were called 'aleph' and 'beth', which in Greek became 'alpha' and 'beta', which gave us the (8) ...A newB trendyC modernD fashionable word 'alphabet'. The modern European alphabet is based on the Greek and (9) ...A spreadB appearedC wasD occurred to other European countries under the Romans. A number of changes took (10) ...A placeB partC controlD account as time (11) ...A spentB passedC wentD developed. The Romans added the letter G, and the letters J and V were (12) ...A infamousB unpopularC unknownD hidden to people in Shakespeare's time.

If we (13) ...A look intoB bring onC make offD hold up the history of punctuation, we also find some interesting facts. The Romans used to write quaesto at the end of a sentence in (14) ...A turnB factC orderD intention to show that it was a question. They started to write Qo in (15) ...A positionB spaceC spotD place of the whole word, and then put the Q above the o. In the end, that became the question mark '?'.

A. After we had been marching for two weeks, getting soaked by daily rains and living entirely on the (1) we carried with us, we found footprints. Two people were (2) of us and travelling fast. We followed them. Each morning, when we (3) off again after a night's (4) , we found their tracks in the forest nearby and knew they had been watching us the (5) evening.

One night we (6) gifts in the forest but they (7) not touched. We called our greetings (8) the language of the river people but we did not know (9) this unknown tribe were able to understand it. In any case (10) was no reply.

We continued day after day until eventually we lost all sign of their movements. After three weeks we had almost (11) up hope (12) making contact. Then early one morning we woke up to find seven men standing within a (13) yards of our tent. They were very small and wore nothing (14) a wide belt of green leaves (15) around their waist.

B. I used to go into the countryside to sketch animals and plants, carrying my drawing materials in a bag. One day I was walking across a field, looking (16) rabbits to draw. Lost (17) thought, I (18) not noticed a bull running towards me. About one hundred metres ahead was a tree under (19) I intended to sit and draw. Suddenly, I (20) a noise behind me. I turned and saw the bull. I knew that a bull can run (21) faster (22) a man, but I also knew that a bull cannot see very (23) and notices only shape and movement. I did not panic but ran towards the tree, keeping the (24) , myself and the bull in a straight line. To distract the bull, I then threw my bag to the right, so it was out of the line of the tree. The bull saw (25) sudden movement and headed towards the bag. I (26) the tree and climbed up it. From there I watched the bull attacking my bag with its horns and feet. It continued to do this for fifteen minutes and I was very (27) to be up the tree.

(28) , the bull was satisfied and moved off. I waited till it was a very long way (29) and then got down from the tree and picked up my bag. I left the field as fast as I (30) and then looked inside my bag. Everything was completely ruined.

1. luck, we should be in London by 3 o'clock.
2. "Are all the preparations made?" "Don't worry, everything is hand."
3. I told her her face exactly what I thought of her.
4. Sarah was very quick figures, so she eventually became a successful accountant.
5. It is the ambition of every writer to complete a book ahead schedule. So far, no one has achieved this.
6. Charles is disabled, so he is fortunate having a wife who is a trained nurse.
7. Some plants are so sensitive pollution that they can only survive in a perfectly clean environment.
8. Newton was so deep thought that morning that he absent-mindedly put the egg in his pocket and dropped his watch into the boiling water.
9. The proposal to introduce a local income tax is still discussion.
10. Anyone can apply for a job with us irrespective race, creed or colour.
11. Our prices are subject increase without warning.
12. I never met Joe Louise, but he was a great boxer all accounts.
13. Have you seen this morning's paper? There's a big picture of you the front!
14. Do you agree? a point, but I don't think you are completely right.