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 2...

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 23 to 32.

A thick, acrid haze has descended upon Vietnam's capital, obscuring buildings and muting the sunlight to a pale glow. It blankets the skyline in a brownish-gray veil, creating a somber, almost dystopian, ambiance. [I] This pervasive smog is not an isolated incident but a grim, seasonal regularity that envelops the city for days or weeks at a time. The air quality frequently deteriorates to hazardous levels, forcing a severe disruption of public life and posing a substantial and tangible threat to the health of its millions of residents.

The city’s inhabitants are obliged to alter their daily routines in response to the oppressive conditions. Outdoor exercise is abandoned, windows are sealed shut, and the ubiquitous sight of commuters on motorbikes is now accompanied by the mandatory use of face masks. [II] The physical discomfort is a constant complaint. “It is terrible. I have to wear a mask all the time when I am on the street,” laments Nguyen Thi Thuy, an office worker. Her sentiment encapsulates the collective feeling of helplessness and physical distress experienced by the populace living in the insalubrious atmosphere.

Official monitoring applications often register air quality indices exceeding the “very unhealthy” threshold. The primary danger stems from the high concentration of PM2.5, fine particulate matter capable of penetrating deep into the lungs and causing a range of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Environmental authorities attribute the hazardous conditions to a confluence of factors. The sheer volume of vehicle emissions, industrial output, pervasive construction dust, and the seasonal burning of agricultural waste contribute to the toxic mixture. [III] The convergence of these elements creates a perfect storm for dangerously poor air quality.

With no immediate large-scale solutions available, the population has resigned itself to a state of forced adaptation. Checking air quality apps has become as routine as checking the weather forecast. Life during these protracted smog events becomes a waiting game, a collective hope for a change in meteorological patterns. [IV] The arrival of a strong wind or a heavy rain is no longer a simple weather event, but a desperately needed, albeit temporary, respite that can purge the atmosphere and restore a semblance of normalcy. It is a cyclical pattern of endurance and fragile hope, a new, unwelcome rhythm to life in one of Asia’s most dynamic capitals.

(Adapted from Vietnam News)

Question 23: According to paragraph 1, the visual presentation of the haze over the capital ______.

A. is a brownish-gray veil that is formed by the sun’s muted, pale glow
B. involves a dark covering over the cityscape that creates a gloomy mood
C. is a thick haze that becomes acrid as it is obscuring the buildings
D. is a somber, dystopian ambiance created by the brownish-gray veil