Read the following passage 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 1 to 5.

Seldom has the need to protect our planet's delicate ecosystems been more urgent or more widely acknowledged. At this critical juncture, governments and corporations face a watershed moment: they can either cling to outdated, profit-driven models, make superficial gestures of environmentalism, or (1) ______. The path chosen now will irrevocably shape the world for generations to come.

The obstacles to meaningful conservation stem not only from the scarcity of financial resources and advanced technology but also (2) ______. Ambitious targets are often set at international conferences, with vast sums allocated to various projects. (3) ______. The ancestral knowledge and daily stewardship of indigenous communities are invaluable assets, yet they are too often sidelined in policymaking.

Looking ahead, the path toward meaningful conservation must be paved with more than just good intentions and legislative ink. Robust international policies can certainly regulate industries and protect vast ecosystems, (4) ______. This cultivation of a shared environmental ethic is what animates policy, transforming it from a distant concept into a collective human endeavor. (5) ______.

(Adapted from ScienceDirect)

Question 1:
A. a fundamental commitment to embracing the redesign of our economic relationship with nature
B. redesigning our economic relationship with nature is a fundamental commitment to be embraced
C. of committing to a fundamental embrace of our economic relationship with nature's redesign
D. embrace a fundamental commitment to redesigning our economic relationship with nature

Question 2:
A. within political and corporate spheres is a deep-seated resistance to change
B. from the deep-seated resistance to change within political and corporate spheres
C. on account of the deep-seated changing resistance within political and corporate spheres
D. the political and corporate spheres, from which resist changes in a deep-seated way

Question 3:
A. Genuine local support, nevertheless, frequently proves these top-down efforts ineffective
B. Without genuine local support, these top-down efforts' ineffectiveness is frequently proven
C. Frequently, efforts to prove these top-down are ineffective, supported with local genuineness
D. However, these top-down efforts frequently prove ineffective without genuine local support

Question 4:
A. or their sterility and ineffectiveness remain corresponded without a public consciousness shift
B. so a corresponding shift in the public consciousness is not without being sterile and ineffective
C. yet they remain sterile and ineffective without a corresponding shift in the public consciousness
D. if the corresponding shift which is publicly conscious, does not remain sterile and ineffective

Question 5:
A. Within this collective shifting, the truest hope for our planet's future resides in the mindset
B. It is within this collective shift in mindset that the truest hope for our planet's future resides
C. For our planet's future, the truest hope's residence is within this collective mindset's shifting
D. The truest hope for our planet's future resides in the collective mindset, within this shift

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 6 to 13.

Primary education systems across the West are in a state of profound disagreement over the teaching of reading. For decades, the prevailing doctrine on how to teach children to read was dominated by a "balanced literacy" approach. That consensus is now imploding. A growing body of evidence, drawn from cognitive neuroscience, indicates these popular methods are fundamentally flawed and failing a substantial portion of students. The fallout is forcing a non-optional, systemic overhaul of curricula and challenging long-held beliefs about learning.

The repudiated methods, often grouped under names like "whole language," operated on a mistaken assumption that learning to read is a natural process, similar to learning to speak. Children were actively encouraged to use contextual cues, sentence structure, or accompanying pictures to guess at unfamiliar words. This practice, critics contend, diverted attention from the text itself. It inadvertently trained students to scan and predict rather than to meticulously decode the phonemes on the page, leaving many without the tools to read proficiently.

In response, a movement known as the "Science of Reading" has gained immense political and academic traction. This is not an invention but a compendium of established research. It posits that reading is a complex, acquired skill that must be explicitly taught. The methodology emphasizes systematic phonics—the direct, sequential instruction of sound-letter correspondence. Proponents argue this is the only reliable way to build the neurological pathways required for fluent, automatic word recognition, particularly for students who struggle.

Adopting these new standards is proving neither smooth nor universally celebrated. School districts are spending millions to procure new, phonics-aligned materials. Veteran educators, long trained in balanced literacy, are now required to undergo intensive retraining, with some lamenting the new model as rigid and joyless. They fear its mechanical focus on decoding will stifle a student's genuine desire to read for pleasure. It is a deeply contentious and costly transition, representing a fundamental battle over the very philosophy of how children learn.

(Adapted from Education Next)

Question 6: The word imploding in paragraph 1 is OPPOSITE in meaning to ______.
A. expanding B. shifting C. emerging D. strengthening

Question 7: Which of the following best paraphrases the underlined sentence in paragraph 2?

A. The method unintentionally conditioned students to skim and guess, rather than to precisely analyze the phonemes on the page, depriving many of proficient reading skills.

B. Students were inadvertently taught to scan and anticipate, as opposed to meticulously decoding the phonemes, which left many lacking the tools needed to read quickly.

C. Leaving many without proficient reading skills, the method accidentally trained students to scan and predict, rather than to meticulously grasp the meaning of the words.

D. The unintentional outcome was that students learned to read for gist instead of carefully decoding phonemes, which ultimately deprived many of proficient reading tools.

Question 8: According to the passage, which of the following was NOT encouraged as a tool for guessing unfamiliar words in the 'whole language' approach?

A. Contextual cues B. Sentence structure

C. Accompanying pictures D. Word memorization

Question 9: The word It in paragraph 3 refers to ______.
A. An invention B. Established research
C. A movement D. Reading

Question 10: The word contentious in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to ______.
A. controversial B. expensive C. unnecessary D. complicated

Question 11: Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A. The "Science of Reading" movement is based on the concept that acquiring literacy is an innate ability, much like acquiring speech.

B. The widespread financial spending by school districts on new materials is a direct consequence of recent cognitive neuroscience findings.

C. The resistance from some long-serving educators stems from the lack of sufficient cognitive evidence supporting the new reading model.

D. Some seasoned teachers are concerned that the new curriculum's focus on structured rules will diminish a child's intrinsic desire to read

Question 12: Which paragraph mentions that an old method taught students to look away from the text for clues?
A. Paragraph 1 B. Paragraph 3 C. Paragraph 2 D. Paragraph 4

Question 13: Which paragraph mentions the financial resources needed to adopt the new teaching model?
A. Paragraph 1 B. Paragraph 3 C. Paragraph 2 D. Paragraph 4

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 14 to 23.

lining Fossil fuel company net zero plans 'largely meaningless,' report says

Amid a growing wave of corporate climate commitments, a new report delivers a stark assessment: the recent surge in "net-zero" targets from fossil fuel companies is largely performative and lacks the requisite substance for genuine climate action. [I] The analysis, conducted by Net Zero Tracker, a research consortium including the University of Oxford, found that while the number of major firms with such pledges has risen sharply, their plans are undermined by critical deficiencies that render them "largely meaningless."

The report's primary criticism targets the pervasive failure to address Scope 3 emissions. For fossil fuel companies, this is by far the most crucial category, as it encompasses the emissions generated from the end-use combustion of their products. This single source can account for up to 90% of a company's total carbon footprint. [II] The assessment determined that the vast majority of corporate net-zero plans either completely disregard these emissions, lack transparency in their accounting, or fail to present any credible reduction strategy, thereby negating their core environmental accountability.

Beyond the glaring omission of Scope 3, the report identifies other significant shortcomings. [III] Researchers noted a widespread absence of clear, short-term reduction targets, which are essential for ensuring accountability and preventing procrastination. Furthermore, the analysis highlights a profound contradiction: not a single one of the 112 companies reviewed had made any substantive commitment to phasing out or even reducing their primary business of fossil fuel extraction. Such practices fall far short of the stringent guidelines issued by the United Nations to prevent corporate greenwashing.

The credibility gap between rhetoric and reality extends beyond the corporate world. The report's findings arrive in a context where over 4,000 entities globally, including countries and cities, have made similar net-zero commitments. [IV] A separate study recently published in the journal Science, however, found that roughly 90% of national net-zero targets are also deemed unachievable due to inadequate planning. While some industry experts contend that credible transition plans take time to develop, the profound disconnect between public pledges and the concrete actions required for genuine decarbonization casts serious doubt on the current state of global climate commitments.

Question 14: According to paragraph 1, the conclusion that numerous corporate climate promises lack significance stems from ______.

A. the recent sharp increase in the number of firms with "net-zero" pledges

B. the participation of fossil fuel companies in a growing wave of climate commitments

C. a specific finding from the University of Oxford about meaningless corporate pledges

D. the absence of credible and detailed plans to support the stated commitments

Question 15: Which of the following best summarises paragraph 2?

A. A key difficulty for fossil fuel firms in creating credible net-zero plans is the challenge of accurately tracking Scope 3 emissions, as the end-use combustion of their products is a complex and vast source of their carbon footprint.
B. Due to Scope 3 emissions constituting a vast portion of their total carbon footprint, most fossil fuel companies have chosen to exclude them from their net-zero plans, arguing they fall outside of their direct operational control.
C. The failure of fossil fuel companies to address their Scope 3 emissions, which can be up to 90% of their carbon footprint, renders their net-zero commitments invalid under most international corporate reporting standards.
D. The central weakness identified in fossil fuel firms' net-zero pledges is a failure to properly account for Scope 3 emissions, the category covering the end-use of their products and representing the majority of their carbon impact.

Question 16: Which of the following best paraphrases the underlined sentence in paragraph 2?

A. For fossil fuel companies, Scope 3 is the most important emissions category as it covers the pollution created during the transportation and refining of their products.

B. For oil and gas companies, Scope 3 is the most important category as it tracks emissions from fuel combustion, specifically by their large industrial clients.

C. The significance of the Scope 3 category to fossil fuel firms is the reason that emissions are generated from the end-use combustion of their products.

D. The category of Scope 3 emissions includes pollution from the final burning of their products, so it is considered the most significant for fossil fuel firms.

Question 17: The word negating in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to ______.
A. invalidating B. avoiding C. reducing D. questioning

Question 18: The word their in paragraph 3 refers to ______.
A. researchers B. analysis C. companies D. guidelines

Question 19: What is noted about the scale of pollution from a fuel company's consumed products?
A. Its significant but steadily decreasing impact on the company's overall emissions.
B. Its potential to constitute the vast majority of the firm's total pollution.
C. Its specific mention within recent UN guidelines on corporate greenwashing.
D. Its central focus in the national net-zero targets reviewed by Science.

Question 20: What is the stated purpose of establishing immediate goals for emission reduction?
A. To align corporate pledges with the stringent new guidelines issued by the UN.
B. To address the pervasive and widespread failure to account for Scope 3 emissions.
C. To bridge the credibility gap between corporate rhetoric and the reality of action.
D. To enforce responsibility and deter any delays in taking concrete climate action.

Question 21: Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?

A. For a typical fossil fuel company, the vast majority of its carbon footprint comes from emissions generated by the final consumption of its products.

B. The fossil fuel firms analyzed in the report have demonstrated no genuine intention of transitioning their core business models away from resource extraction.

C. The failure of corporate net-zero pledges can be partly attributed to the ambiguous and unenforceable nature of the guidelines issued by the United Nations.

D. The gap between stated net-zero ambitions and credible implementation plans is a pervasive issue found at both the corporate and national levels.

Question 22: Where in the passage does the following sentence best fit?

Ignoring this principal emission source is a critical, fatal flaw.

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

Question 23: Which of the following best summarises the passage?

A. A recent analysis concludes fossil fuel firms' net-zero pledges are insubstantial, citing flaws like excluding product emissions and no plans to reduce extraction, a credibility issue also seen in many national commitments.

B. The poor net-zero pledges from fossil fuel firms, which ignore key emissions and fail to curb extraction, have set a negative precedent that contributes to the similarly unachievable climate targets adopted by national governments.

C. The net-zero pledges of many fossil fuel firms are deemed ineffective for failing to meet UN guidelines, a problem of insufficient planning that is also reflected in the thousands of inadequate targets set by other global entities.
D. The disconnect between the net-zero rhetoric of corporations and their actual plans, which omit key emissions, implies these public commitments may be doing more harm than good for the cause of genuine decarbonization.

Mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the best arrangement of utterances or sentences to make a meaningful exchange or text in each of the following questions from 24 to 28.

Question 24:
a. Tony: Definitely! Let’s go together and bring some snacks!
b. Jame: Yeah, I’m planning to! What about you?
c. Tony: Hey, are you going to Sarah’s party tonight?

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

Question 25:
a. Mai: Now, click ‘Get’ next to the ‘I-Speak’ icon and wait until the download is complete.
b. Mai: Of course. First, go to the App Store on your phone. Second, type ‘I-Speak’ in the search box at the top of the screen, then click the ‘Search’ button.
c. Tam: Mai, can you show me how to install the app I-Speak on my smartphone? I want to practice my English-speaking skills.
d. Tam: Let me try. OK, I see the search results. What do I do next?

(From Global Success)

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

Question 26:
Dear Ms. Johnson,

A. Thank you for always supporting me and making me do my best.

B. Finally, I want to thank you for having made me spend many hours redoing my homework. I learned a lot, and my assignments now get really good grades because of it.

C. How are you doing? It's been a long time since I last talked to you. I am writing to tell you that I really appreciate having had you as a teacher in high school. You showed me lots of love and helped me become a better person.
d. I also appreciate your lessons on time management. Last semester I completed all my assignments! And thank you for having given me many great lessons about relationship building.

e. I love having learned emotion management skills in your class. I was so stressed when I started living alone. Thanks to the skills you taught me, I was able to stay calm and control my feelings better.

Sincerely,
Patricia Harris

(Adapted from I Learn Smart World)

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

Question 27:
Here are a few things that teenagers can do today to become more independent.

A. Finally, independent people plan for their futures. They plan and have a goal that they are trying to achieve. They often do things that move them toward their goals.

B. Teenagers should keep an open mind by acting on new opportunities and seeing things differently than they did in the past. They often take advantage of situations that arise which may help them develop.

C. First, they develop good habits that help them become more independent and self-confident. Forming positive habits helps them immensely in the future.

D. Independent people are not easily swayed. They listen to the ideas of others, but they make their own decisions that benefit them.

e. In summary, becoming independent is a bit scary. But teenagers must do new things in order to grow and achieve their goals.

(Adapted from Discovery)

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

Question 28:

A. On the positive side, it creates more job opportunities as industries and businesses thrive in urban areas, leading to economic growth.

B. Moreover, the rapid expansion of cities often results in the loss of natural habitats and increased living costs, making it difficult for some people to adapt.

C. Cities also provide better access to education, healthcare, and entertainment facilities, improving people's quality of life.

D. Urbanization has brought both advantages and disadvantages to society.

e. However, urbanization also causes significant challenges, such as overcrowding, which can strain infrastructure and resources, leading to traffic congestion and pollution.

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

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct option that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 29 to 34.

Just Ask: Ciara-Beth’s Journey from Idea to Impact

Ciara-Beth always felt different, and at 14, she found out why — she was diagnosed with high-functioning autism. While many feared rejection, she believed asking was better than wondering, a mindset that would soon come in handy. She was determined to help (29) ______ like herself, especially with one issue they commonly faced: making eye contact. When she (30) ______ to build an app to support autistic children, she didn’t know how to code or even own a computer. Most people around her doubted her, including some (31) ______ she had hoped would help. Still, she believed passion could be stronger than limitations. Her belief in persistence was the direct opposite of what (32) ______ statistics said about autistic individuals. She has worked tirelessly on her project since the day she received her first “yes.” That breakthrough gave her the (33) ______ to learn coding and improve the app herself. Today, her app MiContact is preparing for launch, (34) ______ that bold ideas begin when someone dares to ask.

(Adapted from https://assembly.alala.org/)

Question 29:
A. mostly B. much C. others D. another

Question 30:
A. turn out B. take out C. come out D. set out

Question 31:
A. whom B. whose C. which D. when

Question 32:
A. unemployed B. employment C. employ D. employable

Question 33:
A. moment B. movement C. momentum D. mobility

Question 34: A. proving B. proved C. be proved D. to prove

Read the following leaflet and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct option that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 35 to 40.

Building a Carpool Culture at Work

Small shifts, big impact

Promoting carpooling in the workplace can begin with just (35) ______ committed individuals. Even (36) ______ participation can reduce traffic, cut emissions, and lead to noticeable savings for employees. Irrespective of job title or department, everyone stands to benefit from a more efficient and (37) ______.

Making the commute work for everyone

When planned well, carpooling can transform long, solitary commutes into something far more bearable. (38) ______ employees team up to ride to work, they often pick up on new routines and perspectives that enhance their daily experience. Over time, participation tends to catch on, especially when early adopters speak positively and the word gets (39) ______. Building this momentum takes time, but with the right structure and encouragement, carpooling will pay (40) ______.

(Adapted from Carpool.com)

Question 35:
A. a few B. a little C. few D. little

Question 36:
A. inedible B. compact C. modest D. hectic

Question 37:
A. commuting eco-conscious model B. eco-conscious commuting model

C. model commuting eco-conscious D. eco-conscious model commuting

Question 38:
A. If B. Before C. As D. Hence

Question 39:
A. aside B. away C. aback D. around

Question 40:
A. colors B. dividends C. grindstones D. bargains