SOFT LIFE
A calmer way to define success

A new rhythm: Soft life is not laziness. It is a thoughtful response to burnout, built on rest, clear limits, and (1) __________.

• What it looks like: People who follow this lifestyle often protect their evenings, reduce digital noise, and speak (2) __________ about what they can and cannot do. Rather than showing off exhaustion, they try to leave room (3) __________ rest and avoid endless comparison.
• Why it matters: In a culture (4) __________ constant availability is often praised, soft life reminds us that peace can still be productive.

Everyday signs

• Many young adults now think twice before (5) __________ every free hour with tasks that only create more pressure.
• They also turn off notifications at night and try to (6) __________ a line under unrealistic expectations.
• Soft life does not reject ambition; it simply asks for a gentler, more sustainable pace.

Question 1: A. balanced routines of self-care        B. balancing self-care routines

C. balanced self-care routines        D. self-care routine balance

Question 2: A. honesty        B. honest        C. honestly        D. more honest

Question 3: A. with        B. at        C. to        D. for

Question 4: A. on where        B. at which        C. that        D. in which

Question 5: A. having filling        B. filling        C. being filled        D. to fill

Question 6: A. make        B. draw        C. keep        D. put

Social Media in Modern Life

Communication
Social media now shapes how people exchange ideas and react to events. A large (7) __________ of daily communication happens through comments, short videos, and private messages.

Different Experiences

For some users, these platforms provide useful information and quick connection. For (8) __________, however, they create pressure to stay visible and constantly updated.

Privacy and Trust

(9) __________ repeated warnings about online safety, many people still post personal details too easily. Users should also (10) __________ doubtful stories before sharing them with friends or relatives.

Long-term Influence

The overall (11) __________ of social media depends greatly on people’s habits. Some networks support creativity and discussion, while many (12) __________ are designed mainly to keep users scrolling for longer.

Question 7: A. quantity        B. level        C. amount        D. extent

Question 8: A. other than        B. each other        C. the others        D. others

Question 9: A. Nevertheless        B. Concerning        C. Notwithstanding        D. Considering

Question 10: A. settle down        B. look into        C. pass over        D. put aside

Question 11: A. aftermath        B. outcome        C. consequence        D. impact

Question 12: A. channels        B. hubs        C. platforms        D. forums

Question 13:

a. Nora: Nice, but did you check its sources? My cousin trusted one answer, and the example turned out to be old.

b. Ethan: I used an AI app to make a biology quiz, and the diagrams helped me review faster.

c. Ethan: I did. I matched it with our textbook, kept the diagrams, and rewrote the notes myself.

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

Question 14:

a. Ben: Kind of. My screen time got bad again, and I kept checking our class group chat after midnight.

b. Ben: Not really, because I worry I’ll miss something important from the teachers.

c. Ava: You looked exhausted in math today. Are you still staying up to finish every task?

d. Ava: I used to feel that way, but now I read everything at 6
A. m., and the late-night stress is gone.

e. Ava: That explains it. Have you tried focus mode or turning off notifications for an hour?

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

Question 15:

Dear Residents,

I hope your week has been going well. Thank you for your patience over the past few days.

a. During that time, volunteers will guide older residents, and printed instructions will be available for anyone who does not use mobile payment.

b. To reduce long lines and cash handling, the management board will begin a new card-based laundry booking system next Monday.

c. If the trial works well, the same model may later be used for the reading room and the shared study hall.

d. We understand that any change in a familiar routine can be inconvenient at first, especially for families with busy schedules.

e. For this reason, the old paper sign-up sheet will remain beside the machines for two weeks while everyone gets used to the update.

Best regards,

Building Office

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

Question 16:

a. When I checked the settings, I found saved addresses, contact access, and a long list of marketing partners I had never noticed before.

b. Instead of deleting the app immediately, I turned off tracking, cleared old permissions, and wrote a complaint through the help center.

c. I used to think privacy warnings were exaggerated until a food-delivery app sent me ads for a clinic I had searched only once on my laptop.

d. The experience did not make me fear technology, but it did teach me that digital services earn trust only when they explain clearly what data they take and why.

e. That coincidence felt less like convenience than being watched, especially when the app also kept asking for my location after the order arrived.

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

Question 17:

a. Although some of his stories were difficult to hear, the honesty in his reflections created a sense of connection that felt both personal and communal.

b. As the veteran began speaking, the room shifted into a quieter space, and his steady voice carried a weight that drew everyone closer to the experiences he had endured.

c. By the end, I realised that the speech had reshaped my understanding of courage, leaving a lingering respect for those who serve.

d. What struck me most was not only his resilience but also the calm clarity with which he explained the cost of preserving peace.

e. When my friend invited me to a gathering where a veteran would share his wartime memories, I immediately agreed, unsure of what the evening might reveal.

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

The secondhand clothing movement is clearly here to stay. Much of the old stigma has disappeared. Where wearing used garments was once associated with a certain degree of embarrassment, public attitudes have, fortunately, evolved, and admitting that your outfit is pre-owned (18) __________.

This transformation has not occurred by chance. Prominent figures in the fashion world increasingly treat vintage pieces with the same respect as newly produced luxury goods, a shift (19) __________. Ethical concerns have also played a role, as consumers have become more aware of environmental damage and the exploitation of garment workers. (20) __________. The resale market has expanded into a varied ecosystem in which shoppers can find everything from inexpensive retro items to luxury accessories once considered unattainable.

Despite its growing appeal, the movement is not without contradictions. The ease with which people can now purchase preloved clothing online risks encouraging patterns of consumption similar to those associated with fast fashion. (21) __________, especially when low prices reduce the hesitation that might otherwise accompany an unnecessary purchase. Critics therefore warn that the global trade in secondhand clothing can sometimes function as an informal waste-management system for the fashion industry, (22) __________.

Question 18:

A. which is now more of a self-conscious boast than a thing to conceal

B. is now more of a self-conscious boast than something to conceal

C. by becoming less embarrassing than people once used to think

D. more of a self-conscious point of pride than a source of shame

Question 19:

A. reflected in a broader shift in attitudes towards secondhand fashion

B. signalling a broader cultural reassessment of secondhand fashion

C. which marks a wider rethinking of fashion values ​​in old societies

D. to mark a wider reconsideration of the value of secondhand fashion

Question 20:

A. As a result, ethical concern alone fully explains the movement’s popularity

B. Even so, ethical considerations have done little to shape the movement

C. Yet ethical concern alone does not fully account for the movement’s momentum

D. Therefore, the movement’s rise is ethically motivated rather than commercially driven

Question 21:

A. Items once bought to be worn for years may now be discarded with little thought

B. The lower the price of clothing, the more carefully it is likely to be valued

C. What made secondhand fashion appealing has encouraged buyers to purchase less often

D. Garments available online are usually selected with more care than before

Question 22:

A. although the industry has done little to increase the volume of discarded clothing

B. thereby shifting the consequences of overconsumption to communities elsewhere

C. where excess clothing can be processed before creating wider social harm

D. because distant markets are chiefly responsible for generating the waste involved

Gentrification

Gentrification is often described as a sign that a neighbourhood is improving, yet the process is more complex than that description suggests. In general, the term refers to a change in which wealthier residents move into a lower-income area, bringing new investment and visible upgrades with them. Streets may look cleaner, buildings may be repaired, and services may appear more efficient. This influx of money can make a district seem safer and more attractive, but it also begins to alter who can afford to live there.

Some of the earliest changes are often commercial and physical. Small cafés, restaurants, and boutiques may replace older local businesses, while renovated housing and redesigned public spaces create an image of urban revitalisation. These developments are frequently praised by city officials and property investors because they suggest that an area once seen as neglected is gaining value. At the same time, what looks like renewal to one group may feel unfamiliar to another, especially when long-standing shops and everyday meeting places begin to disappear.

Housing pressure is usually where the effects become most serious. As demand increases, rents and property values often rise, sometimes faster than long-term residents can manage. People are not always forced out immediately, but they may be gradually displaced by costs that keep climbing around them. For lower-income families, even modest changes in rent can become an adverse burden. In this way, displacement may happen quietly, through financial pressure rather than direct removal.

Gentrification can also reshape the social identity of a neighbourhood. As new residents arrive and older ones leave, the area may begin to lose patterns of life that once gave it a distinct character. Local traditions, informal support networks, and familiar community spaces can become harder to maintain. This is why many cities now try to mitigate the harsher side of urban redevelopment through tenant protections and affordable housing measures. The debate, then, is not only about better buildings, but about whether improvement can take place without erasing the people and culture already there.

[Adapted from Britannica]

Question 23: Which of the following is NOT mentioned in paragraph 1 as a direct result of wealthier residents moving into a lower-income area?

A. The appearance of more efficient services.        B. Visible upgrades and repair of buildings.

C. A documented decrease in local crime rates.        D. A change in the affordability of living in the district.

Question 24: The word "influx" in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to __________.

A. stability        B. investment        C. arrival        D. support

Question 25: The word "adverse" in paragraph 3 is OPPOSITE in meaning to __________.

A. favorable        B. affordable        C. minor        D. manageable

Question 26: The word "they" in paragraph 2 refers to __________.

A. older local businesses        B. city officials        C. developments        D. property investors

Question 27: Which of the following best paraphrases the underlined sentence in paragraph 3?

A. Residents are often forced to move immediately because of sudden and direct eviction by landlords.

B. The rising cost of living serves as a silent mechanism that compels people to leave without being explicitly evicted.

C. Financial incentives are provided to long-term residents to encourage them to vacate their homes voluntarily.

D. Direct removal is more common than financial pressure when it comes to the displacement of lower-income families.

Question 28: According to the passage, the primary reason city officials and investors praise urban revitalisation is that __________.

A. it ensures that long-standing shops remain open for the community.

B. it transforms neglected districts into areas with higher economic worth.

C. it strengthens the informal support networks of the original residents.

D. it provides immediate affordable housing for all social classes.

Question 29: In which paragraph does the author discuss the impact of urban change on the social fabric and cultural preservation of an area?

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

Question 30: In which paragraph does the author mention the physical and commercial transformation that often serves as the initial sign of gentrification?

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

Anticipatory Anxiety

Long before an event begins, its influence may already have taken possession of the day. That is the peculiar force of anticipatory anxiety: it does not wait for difficulty to arrive, but imports its pressure into the present and demands emotional payment in advance. A meeting scheduled for Monday can sour a quiet Sunday evening; a conversation not yet spoken can thin out an entire night’s sleep. What has not happened begins to acquire the weight of lived experience. The Cleveland Clinic, in describing the so-called “Sunday scaries,” notes how easily the return of emails, meetings, and obligation can cast a shadow over hours that ought to remain restful. Yet the phrase itself is almost too light. What is at stake is not mere nervousness, but the gradual surrender of today to a future that has not yet earned such authority.

What makes this state especially draining is its strange relation to reality. [I] The feared event may still be distant, manageable, or even unlikely to unfold as imagined, yet the body often behaves as though danger were already present. [II] In this way, anxiety becomes less a response to life than an internal rehearsal of disaster, polished by dread and stripped of proportion. [III] Leisure is no longer restorative but provisional, a pause already breached by tomorrow. [IV] Many people notice the change only after it has settled in: they have been paying emotional interest on a debt no reality has yet claimed.

Part of anticipatory anxiety’s power lies in its disguise. It presents itself as preparation, even prudence, persuading people that repeated worry is a form of control. Yet what begins as vigilance often hardens into self-exhaustion. The mind, claiming to protect, becomes an accomplished dramatist, enlarging uncertainty into threat and tension into fate. Left unchecked, this habit does more than darken a few hours; it narrows choice itself. Invitations are declined, risks postponed, and ordinary peace forfeited to scenarios that exist nowhere except in fear’s private theatre.

To live well, then, is not to abolish anxiety, but to deny it dominion over time that does not yet belong to it. The future will make its demands soon enough, and when it does, it should be met with steadiness rather than with strength already spent in rehearsal. Anticipatory anxiety is most persuasive when it masquerades as wisdom, asking to be mistaken for foresight or responsibility. But there is no wisdom in suffering twice, once in imagination and again in reality, nor in surrendering the present to a tribunal that has not yet convened. The wiser task is smaller and harder: to prepare where preparation is possible, to name fear without kneeling before it, and to let tomorrow arrive at its proper size. Only then does the mind recover proportion, and the future cease to rule before it begins.

[Adapted from https://health.clevelandclinic.org/sunday-scaries]

Question 31: Where in the passage does the following sentence best fit?

Sleep grows shallow, the heart accelerates, and attention contracts around scenes of imagined failure.

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

Question 32: The word “its” in paragraph 1 refers to __________.

A. the event        B. difficulty        C. the present        D. anticipatory anxiety

Question 33: Which of the following is NOT mentioned as an effect or sign of anticipatory anxiety?

A. sleep becoming thinner or shallower        B. attention narrowing around imagined failure

C. invitations being turned down        D. appetite becoming noticeably weaker

Question 34: Which of the following best summarises paragraph 3?

A. A sense of caution often masks what repeated worry is actually doing: draining energy and gradually shrinking the range of choices people feel able to make.

B. Physical tension becomes truly harmful only when it grows severe, although careful planning can still turn worry into a productive habit.

C. Rest loses its value mainly when people mistake uncertainty for avoidance, even if naming that uncertainty often restores perspective.

D. Uncertainty remains powerful because it is naturally unpleasant, though its effects rarely reach beyond a few difficult hours.

Question 35: The word “forfeited” in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to __________.

A. recalled        B. restrained        C. affected        D. lost

Question 36: Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A. This state mainly affects people whose workweeks are unusually crowded with meetings and obligations.

B. A future difficulty can begin to feel powerful long before it has actually arrived.

C. Most people notice the problem only after they have fully understood how unrealistic their fear has become.
D. It becomes serious only when the feared event is likely to unfold exactly as imagined.

Question 37: According to paragraph 4, which of the following does the writer most strongly recommend?

A. Stronger habits of foresight should be developed so that worry can be turned into a more reliable form of preparation.

B. Future pressure should be met early so that fear has less chance to return when the real event finally arrives.

C. Responsible-feeling anxiety should be trusted, since it often reflects a useful instinct for self-protection.

D. Practical preparation matters, but fear should not be allowed to govern time that still belongs to the present.

Question 38: Which of the following best paraphrases the underlined sentence in paragraph 4?

A. It is more difficult to prepare for the future than to kneel before it, so we must name our fears to ensure they grow to their proper size.

B. We should focus on abolishing fear entirely rather than preparing for it, as naming the future only makes it harder for the mind to recover proportion.

C. A better approach involves taking practical steps where feasible, acknowledging anxiety without being controlled by it, and refusing to overstate future challenges.

D. Preparation is only possible when we allow tomorrow to arrive at a larger size, which helps the mind name fear and meet the tribunal of the future.

Question 39: Which of the following can most likely be inferred from the passage?

A. Unless anticipatory anxiety is recognised, it may quietly shape behaviour long before any real event demands a response.

B. The most effective way to resist anticipatory anxiety is to avoid uncertain situations until the mind fully regains its balance.

C. Anticipatory anxiety persists mainly because modern working life leaves too little time for genuine rest and emotional recovery.

D. People who worry in advance usually understand that their fear is unrealistic, even if they struggle to stop rehearsing it.

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

A. Failing to prepare calmly for future demands allows emotional strain to grow, so steadier routines and more realistic planning become the best defence.

B. Modern schedules and obligations give rise to this state, especially near the end of weekends, and it becomes dangerous when rest and sleep begin to suffer.

C. Imagined difficulty invades the present, drains rest and proportion, disguises itself as wisdom, and pushes people to surrender today to a future that has not yet arrived.

D. The body often reacts faster than reason, which is why emotional discomfort should be managed early before it hardens into something more lasting.