• For questions 1 - 7, read the three texts below and decide which answer (A, B, c, or D) best fits each gap: This book began when I (1) ............. a suggestion to try my hand as a political journalist nine years ago. What makes this (2) ............. so wonderfully bearable is that unfashionable as it now is to say so, I'm rather fond of British Members of Parliament. They can be dreadfully silly, of course, and there are days when they irritate (3) ............. measure. Occasionally, even, comes a moment when an MP's speech or behavior (4) ............. genuine anger, goading me into an attempt at lofty (5) ............. But I always regret it. It rarely reads well the next day. There are other journalists to ride high horses and my mission, I think, is to remind readers that their MPs are often more (6) ............. than they are wicked and that, through the laughter, we may discern the outlines of arguments, ambitions, even principles. MPs are mostly human, rarely scaling the heights nor often touching the depths to (7) ............. the famous figures of history fly. Only a handful among them are of unusual intelligence but many are effective and most are hard-working. 1, A. agreeable B. approved C. accepted D. agreed 2, A. slavery B. servitude C. maid D. charwoman 3, A. far off B. yonder C. further on D. beyond 4, A. arouses B. awake C. set off D. enkindle 5, A. condemnation B. condemn C. self-condemnation D. admonition 6, A. ludicrous B. ridiculous C. laughable D. outrageous 7, A. whichever B. whose C. whomsoever D. which