Read the passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the best answer to each of the following questions from 1 to 8.

        The Covid-19 pandemic shook global supply chains to their core, and they have not yet fully recovered. Managers who once embraced lean, just-in-time routines often overcorrected toward ad-hoc, ill-defined “just-in-case” practices. The result was a glut: inventories surged across retail, wholesale, and manufacturing, even as the Business Confidence Index and Consumer Confidence Index swung erratically. With sentiment oscillating, planning horizons shrank, and contingency policies multiplied; yet crude stockpiles proved a blunt instrument rather than a nuanced hedge against uncertainty.

        When confidence whipsaws from month to month, the signal-to-noise ratio collapses and planning becomes brittle. When confidence lurches from month to month, planning grounded in stale numbers becomes perilous. Firms that chase yesterday’s indicators risk mistiming production, booking capacity at the wrong moment, or amplifying volatility through panic ordering. Some stabilize operations by pacing commitments, sequencing replenishment windows, and letting buffers breathe; nonetheless, a failure to discriminate between genuine demand and transient noise can still cascade through warehouses and storefronts.

        In apparel, the problem is magnified by time: buyers must place peak-season orders roughly six months ahead of shelves. With volatility high, June forecasts can diverge sharply from December realities. If predictions undershoot, stockouts surface and a coveted season is missed; if they overshoot, excess piles up and January brings bruising markdowns. Long lead times, once tolerable under steadier conditions, now act like an echo chamber, turning small misreads into outsized consequences that are difficult to reverse mid-cycle.

        Overstocking, then, is a costly insurance policy, not resilience itself. Durable resilience is quieter: calibrated safety stock, disciplined scenario thinking, and clearer sensing of genuine demand. Rather than hoarding, firms experiment with shorter decision cadences, staged commitments, and transparent thresholds that trigger adjustments. Where planning must be conditional, governance should be explicit; where buffers must exist, they should be measured. In turbulent markets, prudence lies less in volume than in timing, discrimination, and the agility to unwind missteps swiftly.

(Adapted from Harvard Business Review, “Using Technology to Improve Supply Chain Resilience,” Sept. 2023)

Question 1. The word ad-hoc in paragraph 1 can be best replaced by ______?

A.  improvised                B. deliberate                        C. standardized                D. prescheduled

Question 2. Which of the following is TRUE according to paragraph 1?

A.  Confidence indices were stable, enabling long planning horizons.

B.  Overstocking rose as firms adopted vague “just-in-case” policies.

C.  Inventories fell across manufacturing due to strict lean practices.

D.  Managers abandoned both lean and inventory strategies entirely.

Question 3. The word volatility in paragraph 3 is OPPOSITE in meaning to ______.

A.  fluctuation                B. variability                        C. turbulence                        D. stability

Question 4. The word they in paragraph 1 refers to ______.

A.  global supply chains                                B. the confidence indices

C.  managers following lean routines                D. apparel buyers

Question 5. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in paragraph 3 as a specific risk or challenge?
A. Placing peak-season orders six months ahead despite erratic demand signals and shifting consumer tastes.

B.  Missing the selling window entirely because limited inventory cannot satisfy a sudden surge in purchases.
C. Having to cut prices steeply after holidays when unsold items accumulate due to overly optimistic projections.

D.  Losing supplier licenses after regulatory audits uncover compliance violations unrelated to forecasting accuracy.

Question 6. Which of the following best paraphrases the underlined sentence in paragraph 2?

A.  Frequent shifts in business confidence render plans built on older indicators increasingly unreliable and prone to error.

B.  Monthly volatility in confidence undermines forecasts relying on historical data, increasing the likelihood of strategic missteps.

C.  When market sentiment fluctuates erratically, using past metrics to guide decisions introduces significant execution hazards.

D.  Rapid shifts in sentiment make plans based on outdated figures risky and liable to fail in execution.

Question 7. Which paragraph mentions the six-month ordering horizon in apparel?
A. Paragraph 1        B. Paragraph 2                C. Paragraph 3                D. Paragraph 4

Question 8. Which paragraph mentions overstocking as an overcorrection to lean routines?

A.  Paragraph 1        B. Paragraph 2                C. Paragraph 3                D. Paragraph 4

Read the following announcement and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the option that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 9 to 15.

Riverside Community Sports Centre - Summer Athletics Programme 2025

Dear Members and Prospective Participants,

We are thrilled to announce our comprehensive summer athletics programme, designed to cater to individuals of all fitness levels. Whether you are a seasoned athlete or just beginning your fitness journey, we have something special for everyone.

Programme Highlights:

1. Track and Field Training - Our professional coaches will (9) ______ conducting specialized sessions in sprinting, long-distance running, high jump, and javelin throwing. Sessions run Monday through Friday, 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM.
2. Team Sports - Join our basketball, volleyball, and football leagues. We encourage participants to form teams and compete (10) ______ a friendly atmosphere that promotes sportsmanship and camaraderie.
3. Fitness Classes - Experience a diverse (11) ______ of classes including yoga, Pilates, spinning, and high-intensity interval training. All classes are led by certified instructors with extensive experience.

Equipment and Facilities:

Our centre boasts (12) ______ training equipment, recently upgraded to meet international standards. Lockers, showers, and a nutritious juice bar are available (13) ______ all participants. We also offer equipment rental services for those who need them.

Registration Information:

Early bird discounts apply until June 15th. Don’t miss this opportunity to (14) ______ your physical fitness and meet like-minded individuals who share your passion for sports and healthy living.

For more information, visit our website or contact us at sports@riversidecentre.com.

(Adapted from community sports centre announcements)

Question 9.         A. set about                B. embark on                C. get down to        D. go about

Question 10. A. in                        B. among                C. between                D. throughout

Question 11. A. spectrum                B. extent                C. scale                D. scope

Question 12. A. sophisticated modern Olympic-standard        

                 B. modern Olympic-standardsophisticated

                 C. Olympic-standard sophisticated modern

                 D. modern sophisticated Olympic-standard

Question 13. A. to                        B. for                        C. with                        D. by

Question 14. A. elevate                B. escalate                C. enhance                D. amplify

Read the following announcement and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the option that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 15 to 20.

National Innovation Day 2025

Event Overview

The National Innovation Centre in Hòa Lạc will serve as the venue for National Innovation Day 2025, a three-day celebration (15) ______ from October 1st to 3rd. This significant gathering aims to spotlight Vietnam’s remarkable achievements in technological advancement, digital transformation, and sustainable development initiatives.

Key Highlights

Participants will have the chance (16) ______ with industry pioneers, government officials, and innovative startups throughout the event. The programme features panel discussions, product demonstrations, and networking sessions designed to foster collaboration. Attendees can explore an extensive (17) ______ of cutting-edge solutions spanning artificial intelligence, green technology, and smart city applications.

The organizing committee has (18) ______ partnerships with major tech corporations to ensure meaningful exchanges between stakeholders. This event represents a crucial platform for entrepreneurs, researchers, and policymakers (19) ______ seek to drive innovation forward while addressing pressing societal challenges.

Don’t miss this (20) ______ opportunity to be part of Vietnam’s innovation journey!

For registration details, visit https://nic.gov.vn/

(Adapted from https://vietnamnews.vn)

Question 15. A. spanning                B. lasting                C. continuing                D. extending

Question 16. A. to interact                B. interacting                C. interact                D. interacted

Question 17. A. array                B. range                C. variety                D. collection

Question 18. A. set up                B. brought about        C. carried out                D. taken over

Question 19. A. whom                B. which                C. who                        D. whose

Question 20. A. transform                B. transformative        C. transformation        D. transformed

Question 21. a. Conservation measures were subsequently intensified, including stricter regulations on tourism activities and protection of endemic species.

B. The designation brought international attention and substantially increased visitor numbers, generating significant economic benefits for local communities.

C. Ha Long Bay’s inscription as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994 represented a pivotal milestone in Vietnam’s conservation efforts.

D. This enhanced status has ultimately positioned Ha Long Bay as Vietnam’s premier natural attraction, balancing preservation with sustainable development.

e. Moreover, extensive scientific research programs were launched to study the geological formations, contributing valuable knowledge to conservation practices.

A.  c-b-e-a-d                        B. c-a-b-e-d                        C. c-b-a-e-d                        D. c-e-b-a-d

Question 22. Dear Mr. Thompson,

A. Please confirm your attendance by replying to this email no later than September 15th, including any dietary requirements you may have.

B. The interview will last approximately 45 minutes and will include a brief presentation about our company culture and benefits package.

C. We are delighted to invite you for an interview for the Marketing Manager position at our downtown office on September 20th at 10:00 AM.

D. You will meet with our HR Director and the Head of Marketing Department during separate sessions throughout the morning.

e. Should you need directions or have any questions, please contact our HR team at hr@company.com or call 0234567890.

Yours sincerely,

Johnson & Associates

A.  c-d-b-a-e                        B. b-c-d-a-e                        C. c-b-d-a-e                        D. d-c-b-a-e

Question 23. a. Mr. Thompson: May I ask why you need to leave early?

B. Jessica: I have a dental appointment at three o’clock that I can’t reschedule. I’ll make sure to finish all my tasks before I go.

C. Jessica: Excuse me, Mr. Thompson. Would it be possible for me to leave work an hour early today?

A.  c-a-b                        B. b-c-a                        C. c-b-a                        D. a-c-b

Question 24. a. Grace: Do you prefer eating at home or dining out?

B. Grace: True, but restaurants offer a sense of discovery and new flavors.

C. Nathan: Dining out is convenient, but cooking at home feels more personal and healthy.

D. Nathan: Yes, sharing meals outside also strengthens social bonds and enjoyment.

e. Grace: I think balancing both keeps life tasty and meaningful.

A.  a-b-c-d-e                        B. a-c-b-d-e                         C. a-b-d-c-e                         D. a-b-e-c-d

Question 25. a. I tried to bend over backwards to satisfy him, hoping my efforts would resolve the situation peacefully.

B. While working at a café last summer, I encountered an extremely difficult customer who complained about everything.

C. Yet he continued to berate me loudly in front of other customers, making me feel humiliated and helpless.

D. Such encounters ultimately taught me to maintain professionalism under pressure and not take criticism personally.

e. Rather than letting it ruin my day, I sought advice from my manager and learned conflict resolution strategies.

A.  b-a-c-d-e                        B. a-b-c-e-d                        C. b-a-c-e-d                        D. d-b-a-c-e

        Electric power transformed daily life and economic activity across regions. Cities built central stations and complex distribution networks first, bringing reliable light and industry to factories and streets. (26) _______. Extending lines to smaller towns required coordinated investment, often from both governments and private companies. Rural electrification came later, yet when it arrived it changed farming, education, and health services. (27) _______. Small workshops modernized and new tools eased heavy labour, increasing productivity and local trade. (28) _______. Engineers experimented with different generation methods, including hydro and coal, before diversified systems emerged. Over the past decades, renewable options like solar panels and batteries have become practical alternatives. (29) _______. Communities that combine grid connections with local generation often gain resilience against outages. (30) _______.

Question 26. A. This infrastructure development generated employment opportunities and commercial enterprises, though many suburban areas remained without power

B.  These distribution networks enabled continuous factory operations and extended productive hours for urban businesses and services

C.  This technological advancement created new industries and occupations while leaving numerous outlying districts inadequately served

D.  These power systems facilitated manufacturing expansion and commercial growth but required substantial capital investment initially

Question 27. A. Although rural electrification arrived later, households gained sudden access to lighting, motorized equipment, and basic refrigeration

B.  While electrical infrastructure reached agricultural areas belatedly, farming communities continued to rely on traditional kerosene lighting

C.  Though rural networks expanded gradually, villages abandoned immediate established practices in favor of electric alternatives

D.  Despite delayed rural implementation recently, electrification primarily benefited educational institutions rather than agricultural operations

Question 28. A. For instance, electrified irrigation systems enabled farmers to cultivate larger areas, substantially increasing crop yields and seasonal reliability

B.  Similarly, mechanized agricultural equipment allowed rural producers to enhance efficiency and reducing manual labor requirements

C.  Likewise, electric-powered processing facilities permitted farmers to add value to harvests through on-site manufacture

D.  Correspondingly, improved storage capabilities helped agricultural communities minimizing post-harvest losses and extend market access

Question 29. A. Contemporary distributed systems, integrated with smart monitoring technology, enable communities to manage energy consumption more efficiently

B.  Modern decentralized networks, combined with intelligent metering, help populations regulate electricity usage with greater precision

C.  Current localized power systems, paired with advanced sensors, allow communities to optimize their energy utilization effectively

D.  Present-day distributed infrastructure, connected with digital management tools, assists societies in controlling power consumption economically

Question 30. A. Consequently, integrating centralized grids with local renewable generation frequently reduces outage risks and supports sustained development

B.  Therefore, combining traditional power networks with community-based renewable sources enhances resilience and promotes long-term growth

C.  Thus, merging established electrical systems with decentralized clean energy strengthens stability and encourages sustainable progress

D.  Hence, blending conventional distribution networks with local renewable capacity improves reliability and facilitates economic advancement

Read the passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the best answer to each of the following questions from 31 to 40.

        Contrary to the trope of a regulatory vacuum, geoengineering already sits under a dense, restrictive canopy of norms. Since 2008, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) instituted an effective moratorium on ocean fertilization, widened in 2010 to a de facto pause on geoengineering; Parties reaffirmed it in 2016 and again at COP16 in 2024 as outdoor trials proliferated. The moratorium permits only narrowly tailored, justified, small-scale research subject to impact assessment and no transboundary harm, while commercial purposes are excluded. [I] The problem, therefore, is erosion of compliance, not a lacuna of rules.

        Marine interventions are likewise cabined by the London Convention/Protocol: ocean fertilization was effectively prohibited in 2008, and 2013 amendments created a rubric to regulate marine geoengineering, with 2023 guidance deferring activities other than legitimate scientific research. It has signaled restrictions on biomass dumping, ocean alkalinity enhancement, marine cloud brightening, and microbubbles. Exemptions for research are tightly drawn and explicitly preclude commercial elements, acting as a bulwark against carbon-credit schemes masquerading as science. [II] Even so, proposals crowd the horizon.

        Beyond treaty silos, the precautionary principle and duties to prevent transboundary harm – codified in the Rio Declaration and echoed in CBD decisions – loom large. [III] In 2024, International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) advised that introducing pollutants or transforming one form of pollution into another could breach United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), while human-rights bodies warn that solar and marine schemes may jeopardise life, food, water, health, and Indigenous Free, prior and informed consent (FPIC). Modeling even anticipates monsoon disruption; those least responsible for emissions would bear disproportionate risk, including future generations under the Maastricht Principles.

        Despite this architecture, experiments have multiplied: hundreds of open-air and open-water trials, sharply accelerating since 2019. Voluntary carbon markets, abetted by contested COP29 rules on removals, risk opening a “backdoor for commercialization” that undermines mitigation and rewards polluters. [IV] Counter-currents gather: over 500 scholars urge a Solar Geoengineering Non-Use Agreement; the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment and the European Parliament endorse non-use, with Vanuatu, Fiji, and others voicing support; governments are pressed to forbid outdoor trials, withhold public funding and patents, and enforce existing moratoria.

(Adapted from Center for International Environmental Law, Mary Church, “Geoengineering Governance: Restrictive Framework Must Be Upheld and Strengthened,” March 5, 2025)

Question 31. The word moratorium in paragraph 1 mostly means ______.

A.  purely symbolic                                        B. temporarily prohibitive

C.  broadly permissive                                D. loosely discretionary

Question 32. Where in the passage does the following sentence best fit?

This precautionary logic reverberates outside environmental treaties, extending into human-rights jurisprudence.

A.  [I]                        B. [II]                                C. [III]                                D. [IV]

Question 33. Which of the following best summarises paragraph 2?

A.  Market instruments can responsibly scale marine projects if oversight gradually improves.

B.  Ocean sciences are unregulated, so experimentation proceeds wherever funding arises.

C.  Marine cloud brightening is endorsed, while microbubble trials are immediately deployable.

D.  LC/LP constrains marine geoengineering, allowing only narrow, non-commercial research under strict screening.

Question 34. What does the CBD allow under its moratorium?

A.  Only small, justified, controlled studies                B. Broad pilots with private finance

C.  National opt-outs without review                        D. Marketplace-led demonstration projects

Question 35. According to paragraph 3, the precautionary principle requires refraining from actions that could cause ______.

A.  modest or reversible damage where compensation is assured afterward

B.  severe or irreversible harm amid significant scientific uncertainty that persists

C.  limited impacts provided regional consultations are timely and inclusive

D.  localized harm when benefits demonstrably exceed regional externalities

Question 36. What is the core risk posed by voluntary carbon markets, according to the passage?

A.  They underprice removals but strengthen patent transparency overall.

B.  They centralize governance within UN shipping and seabed bodies.

C.  They ensure robust audits that accelerate treaty ratification timelines.

D.  They create a loophole that commercializes risky trials and dilutes mitigation.

Question 37. The phrase backdoor for commercialization in paragraph 4 refers to ______.

A.  loophole                B. subsidy                        C. embargo                        D. license

Question 38. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?

A.  New treaties are unnecessary because national courts already ban all outdoor trials worldwide.

B.  LC/LP rules have fully entered into force, rendering additional protocols redundant.

C.  Immediate priorities imply enforcing restrictive treaties rather than inventing new ones, because proliferating experiments are driven by market incentives and weak compliance.

D.  Human-rights bodies endorse solar geoengineering if FPIC is obtained from coastal communities.

Question 39. Which of the following best paraphrases the underlined sentence in paragraph 2?

Exemptions for research are tightly drawn and explicitly preclude commercial elements, acting as a bulwark against carbon-credit schemes masquerading as science.

A.  Research projects may sell credits if peer-reviewed results confirm permanent carbon storage capacity and demonstrate additionality across baseline scenarios.

B.  The research exception is narrow and bans commercial motives, blocking offset-market projects disguised as experiments from circumventing restrictive treaty obligations.

C.  Commercial pilots are permitted when accompanied by transparent registries and post-trial remediation funds ensuring accountability and environmental harm prevention.

D.  Any study linked to patents is invalid unless sponsored by intergovernmental agencies guaranteeing scientific integrity and prohibiting private profit extraction.

Question 40. Which of the following best summarises the passage?

A.  Existing international rules already restrict geoengineering; weak compliance and market pressures demand stricter enforcement and momentum toward non-use.

B.  Geoengineering is unregulated; governments should accelerate deployment while drafting standards later.

C.  Carbon markets fix governance gaps by funding rapid demonstrations across ocean and atmosphere.

D.  Human-rights law is irrelevant to environmental decision-making regarding climate interventions.