This passage discusses coin collecting and how to grade coins. It explains that coin grading is important because a coin's value depends on both its popularity and scarcity as well as its condition. The passage outlines the standardized grading system for coins using letter designations from MS (mint state) to G (good) along with number grades within each category. MS coins can receive grades from 60 to 70, with 70 being the highest, perfect condition. The passage explains the characteristics graders examine for each number grade, such as contact marks and luster. Coin collectors prefer coins that have not been artificially cleaned, as cleaning reduces value.

1. Placement Test A
LEA School of Economic Sciences
Department of Foreign Languages
Time: 120 minutes
Section 1
Structure
Time: 20 Minutes
25 Questions
Directions: This section measures your ability to recognize language appropriate for standard written English. One type
of question consists of incomplete sentences, with a blank showing where information is to be filled in. Choose the word
or phrase that most correctly completes the sentence. A second type of question consists of sentences with four underlined
words or phrases. For each sentence, choose the one underlined word or phrase that is incorrect in standard written
English. Mark the answer in your answer sheet.
1. A congressional committee has been appointed to
study a new procedure __________ to eliminate some
costly expenditures.
A. that is expected
B. what is expected
C. which expects
D. that expected
2. Some professors enjoy writing articles and
A
performing research, while anothers would be
B C
more content to devote all their time to teaching.
D
3. Some people send job applications even when they are
reasonably happy in their jobs, __________ improving
their position.
A. with hoping to
B. hoping that
C. with hopes of
D. hoping to
4. Swimming is a beneficial exercise, __________
aerobic activity and uses a number of muscle groups.
A. not only because it provides
B. because it both provides
C. for provision
D. as result of providing
5. Tests have been performed to determine whether
A B
studying TOEFL questions will help students rise
C D
their test scores.
6. The professor instructed the students__________ the
essay without preparing an outline first.
A. to not write
B. not to write
C. do not write
D. to no write
7. It is not clear when __________, although there are
many different theories.
A. dinosaurs becoming extinct
B. dinosaurs extinction
C. dinosaurs became extinct
D. did dinosaurs become extinct
8. The professor decided to allow the students to take the
A B
examination a second time because the low scores.
C D
9. If the driver’s own car __________ damaged, the
favorite probably would have won the race.
A. had not been
B. not
C. no had been
D. has no be
10. Having withdrawn from the race, the candidate
A
decided supporting his opponent despite the
B C
opponent’s representing the other political party.
D

2. 11. The soldiers were unable to determine where
__________.
A. the jeep had been left
B. had been leave the jeep
C. had the jeep been left
D. had the jeep left
12. The manager was angry because somebody
_________.
A. had allowed the photographers to enter the building
B. had let the photographers to enter the building
C. permitting the photographers enter the building
D. the photographers let into the building
13. The committee members resented __________ of the
meeting.
A. the president that he did not tell them
B. the president not to inform them
C. the president’s not informing them
D. that the president had failed informing themselves
14. __________ did Arthur realize that there was danger.
A. Upon entering the store
B. When he entered the store
C. After he had entered the store
D. Only after entering the store
15. The congressman, accompanied by secret agents and
A
aides, are preparing to enter the convention hall within
B C D
the next few minutes.
16. Because the torrential rains that had devastated the
A B C
area, the governor sent the National Guard to assist in
D
the clean-up operation.
17. Lack of sanitation in restaurants are a major
A B
cause of disease in some areas of the country.
C D
18. Had the committee members considered the
A
alternatives more carefully, they would have realized
B
that the second was better as the first.
C D
19. Malnutrition is a major cause of death in those
A B
countries where the cultivation of rice have been
C
impeded by recurrent drought.
D
20. The decision to withdraw all support from the
A B
activities of the athletes are causing an uproar among
C D
the athletes’ fans.
21. Underutilized species of fish has been proposed
A B
as a solution to the famine in many underdeveloped
C D
countries.
22. Because the residents had worked so diligent to
A B C
renovate the old building, the manager had a party.
D
23. John’s wisdom teeth were troubling him, so he went
A
to a dental surgeon to see about having them pull.
B C D
24. Hardly __________ the office when he realized that
he had forgotten his wallet.
A. he had entered
B. had entered
C. entered
D. had he entered
25. Suzy had better to change her study habits if she
A B
hopes to be admitted to a good university.
C D

3. Section 2
Reading
Time: 45 Minutes
30 Questions
Directions: This section measures your ability to read and understand written English similar to that which one may
expect in a college or university setting. Read each passage and answer the questions based on what is stated or implied in
the passage. Circle or mark the correct answer on your answer sheet.
Passage 1
Collecting coins can be a good investment, but it
requires the study of popularity, availability, and grading
techniques. Some coins are more desirable than others,
their popularity being affected by the artists’ talent, the
subject of the design, the material from which the coin is
made, and the time period when the coin was created.
Availability is just as critical. Providing the coin is
otherwise interesting or pleasing to the eye, the number
of coins minted and available on the market seems to
have a direct relationship to the popularity.
The ability to grade coins is perhaps the most important
requirement of a collector. A coin that is popular and
scarce, which would normally make it valuable, may be
worth much less or nothing at all if it has a low grade.
Grading is standardized, and one can buy books and take
courses on how to do it. Grades are given letter
designations as well as numbers. The letters represent
general levels of the grade, while the numbers are more
detailed. For example, there are 11 number grades within
the letter grade for a mint state coin. A mint state coin is
uncirculated, which means it has never been used in
commerce. It is in the condition that it left the mint, the
place where a coin is created. The mint state letter
designation is MS, and the numbers range from 60
through 70. An absolutely perfect coin is MS-70. It takes
much training and a good eye to tell the difference
between
coins in this range. The things one considers include
whether the coin has contact marks, which are marks
obtained when coins bounce against each other in a coin
bag; hairlines, which are marks appearing on the face of
the coin from the minting process; luster, which is the
natural coloration; and eye appeal. For example, an MS-
70 is said to have no contact marks, no hairlines, very
attractive and fully original luster, and outstanding eye
appeal, while an MS-60 may have heavy contact marks,
noticeable hairlines, impaired luster, and poor eye
appeal.
Below the mint state coin, the letter designation and
number have the same meaning. That is, there are
generally no numbers within the range of letters. But
there are categories:
 Coins that are About Uncirculated: Very
Choice About Uncirculated, known as AU-58;
Choice About Uncirculated, known as AU-55;
and About Uncirculated, known as AU-50.
 Coins that are Fine: Choice Extremely Fine,
known as EF-45; Extremely Fine, known as EF-
40; Choice Very Fine, known as VF-30; Very
Fine, known as VF-20; and Fine, known as F-
12.
 Coins that are Good: Very Good, known as
VG-8; Good, known as G-4; and About Good,
known as AG-3.
Thus, a circulated coin can have a number designation
between 3 and 58, with only the numbers shown above
available. That is, one cannot have a coin with a grade of
6, for example. It is either G-4 or VG-8. It is possible
for a coin labeled G-4 or even AG-3 to be extremely
valuable, but generally it will be a coin that is almost
unavailable in higher grades. Books and publications
monitor the coin market regularly, just like the stock
market is monitored, and they describe a coin’s type,
date, and grade, assigning a price to every one unless
that grade would have no value.
In general, coin collectors loathe cleaned coins, so
artificial cleaning by adding any chemical will detract
greatly from a coin’s value. A true coin collector will say
the dirt in the creases is a positive attribute and much
preferable to a cleaned coin.

4. 1. A good title for this passage would be
A. The Financial Benefits of Coin Collecting.
B. How Popularity and Availability Affect Coin Value.
C. Coin Grading — One of the Most Important Skills in
Coin Collecting.
D. How to Grade Coins — A Detailed Study.
2. The word talent in the second sentence is closest in
meaning to
A. ability.
B. pay.
C. source.
D. money.
3. The author describes a coin’s popularity as involving
all the following except
A. grade.
B. how well the artist created the work.
C. the depiction on the coin.
D. the coin’s material.
4. The word scarce in the second paragraph is closest in
meaning to
A. popular.
B. old.
C. rare.
D. valuable.
5. The author implies that availability is primarily related
to
A. the popularity of a coin.
B. the material used to create a coin.
C. the age of a coin.
D. the number of coins of a given type and date that they
were minted.
6. The author implies that the most important feature of a
coin is its
A. grade.
B. date.
C. artist.
D. depiction.
7. Organize the following according to grade from the
highest to the lowest.
A. AU-58
B. MS-60
C. AG-3
D. VF-20
8. The one grading category that has the most numbered
grades within it is
A. Good.
B. Mint State.
C. Fine.
D. About Uncirculated.
9. According to the author, the phrase contact marks
means
A. marks on a coin caused by banging from other coins.
B. defects in the minting process.
C. connections among coin dealers.
D. defects caused by cleaning.
10. The word luster in the third paragraph
is closest in meaning to
A. value.
B. sheen.
C. marked.
D. material.
11. According to the passage, a Mint State coin with
which of the following characteristics would be graded
the highest?
A. One small contact mark, full luster, good eye appeal,
and no hairlines
B. One large hairline, diminished luster, good eye
appeal, and no contact marks
C. A small contact mark, a small hairline, foggy luster,
and fair eye appeal
D. No contact marks, luster affected by cleaning,
average eye appeal, and no hairlines
12. All of the following grades would be possible except
A. MS-64.
B. AU-56.
C. VF-30.
D. AG-3.
13. The author implies that
A. a low-grade coin never has value.
B. the only difference between an MS-60 and an AU-58
may be that the AU-58 has been in circulation.
C. cleaning a coin can increase its value.
D. one must be a professional in order to obtain
information on coin value.

5. Passage 2
Television Addiction
A. The term "TV addiction" is imprecise,
but it captures the essence of a very real
phenomenon. Psychologists formally
define addiction as a disorder
characterized by criteria that include
spending a great deal of time using the
thing; using it more often than one
intends; thinking about reducing use or
making repeated unsuccessful efforts
to reduce use; giving up important activities to use it;
and reporting withdrawal symptoms when one stops
using it.
B. All these criteria can apply to people who watch a lot
of television. That does not mean that watching
television, in itself, is problematic. Television can
teach and amuse; it can be highly artistic; it can
provide much needed distraction and escape. The
difficulty arises when people strongly sense that they
ought not to watch as much as they do and yet find
they are unable to reduce their viewing. Some
knowledge of how television becomes so addictive
may help heavy viewers gain better control over their
lives.
C. The amount of time people spend watching
television is astonishing. On average, individuals in
the industrialized world devote three hours a day to
the activity – fully half of their leisure time, and more
than on any single activity except work and sleep. At
this rate, someone who lives to 75 would spend nine
years in front of the television. Possibly, this devotion
means simply that people enjoy TV and make a
conscious decision to watch it. But if that is the whole
story, why do so many people worry about how much
they view? In surveys in 1992 and 1999, two out of
five adults and seven out of ten teenagers said they
spent too much time watching TV. Other surveys
have consistently shown that roughly ten per cent of
adults call themselves TV addicts.
D. to study people’s reactions to TV, researchers have
undertaken laboratory experiments in which they
have monitored the brain waves, skin resistance or
heart rate of people watching television. To study
behavior and emotion in the normal course of life, as
opposed to the artificial conditions of the laboratory,
we have used the Experience Sampling Method
(ESM). Participants carried a beeper*, and we
signaled them six to eight times a day, at random,
over the period of a week; whenever they heard the
beep, they wrote down what they were
doing and how they were feeling.
E. As one might expect, people who
were watching TV when we beeped them
reported feeling relaxed and passive. The
EEG studies similarly show less mental
stimulation, as measured by alpha brain-
wave production, during viewing than
during reading.
F. What is more surprising is that the sense of
relaxation ends when the set is turned off, but the
feelings of passivity and lowered alertness continue.
Survey participants commonly reflect that television
has somehow absorbed or sucked out their energy,
leaving them depleted. They say they have more
difficulty concentrating after viewing than before. In
contrast, they rarely indicate such difficulty after
reading. After playing sports or engaging in hobbies,
people report improvements in mood. After watching
TV, people's moods are about the same or worse than
before.
G. Within moments of sitting or lying down and
pushing the "power" button, viewers report feeling
more relaxed. Because the relaxation occurs quickly,
people are conditioned to associate viewing with rest
and lack of tension. The association is positively
reinforced because viewers remain relaxed
throughout viewing.
H. Thus, the irony of TV: people watch a great deal
longer than they plan to, even though prolonged
viewing is less rewarding. In our ESM studies the
longer people sat in front of the set, the less
satisfaction they said they derived from it. When
signaled, heavy viewers (those who consistently
watch more than four hours a day) tended to report on
their ESM sheets that they enjoy TV less than light
viewers did (less than two hours a day). For some, a
twinge of unease or guilt that they aren't doing
something more productive may also accompany and
depreciate the enjoyment of prolonged viewing.
Researchers in Japan, the U.K. and the U.S. have
found that this guilt occurs much more among
middle-class viewers than among less affluent ones.
Television addiction is no mere metaphor

6. I. The orienting response is an instinctive reaction to any sudden or new, such as movement or possible attack by a
predator. Typical orienting reactions include the following the arteries to the brain grow wider allowing more blood to
reach it, the heart slows down and arteries to the large muscles become narrower so as to reduce blood supply to them.
Brain waves are also interrupted for a few seconds. These changes allow the brain to focus its attention on gathering
more information and becoming more alert while the rest of the body becomes quieter.
Questions 14-16
The list below gives some characteristics of addiction.
Which THREE of the following are mentioned as
characteristics of addiction to television?
A harmful physical effects
B loss of control over time
C destruction of relationships
D reduced intellectual performance
E discomfort when attempting to give up
F dishonesty about the extent of the addiction
Do the following statements agree with the information
given in Reading Passage 2?
(T)TRUE if the statement agrees with the information.
(F) FALSE if the statement contradicts the information.
(NG) NOT if there is no information on this.
GIVEN
17. One purpose of the research is to help people
manage their lives better.
18. Watching television has reduced the amount of time
people spend sleeping.
19. People's brains show less activity while watching
television than when reading.
20. There is a relationship between the length of time
spent watching TV and economic status.
21. Pleasure increases in proportion to the length of
time spent watching TV.
Classify the following feelings or mental states as
generally occurring:
A before watching television.
B while watching television.
C after watching television.
D both while and after watching television.
22. reduced anxiety and stress.
23. increased fatigue.
24. higher levels of concentration.
25. less mental activity.
26. worry about time wasted.
Questions 27-30
Complete the labels on the diagram. Choose your
answers from the box below.
NB There are more words / phrase than spaces, so you will not use
them all.
A relaxed E reduced
B accelerated F stopped momentarily
C increased G widened
D lengthened H regulated

7. Section 3
Writing
Name: ____________________________________ I.D.: ______________ Major: ___________________
Time: 55 Minutes
2 Question
Directions: This section measures your ability to write in English, including your ability to organize ideas, create an essay
in standard written English, and support the thoughts with sufficient examples and evidence.
TASK 1
Time: 20 Minutes
The line graph below shows the number of annual visits to Australia by overseas residents. The table below gives
information on the country of origin where the visitors came from. Write a report for a university lecturer describing the
information given.
You should write at least 150 words.
________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
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__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
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A

8. TASK 2
Time: 35 Minutes
Write about the following topic:
In most countries multinational companies and their products are becoming more and more important. This trend
is seriously damaging our quality of life.
Do you agree or disagree?
You should use your own ideas, knowledge and experience and support your arguments with examples and relevant
evidence.
Write at least 250 words.