FAMILY CARE PRESSURES

• A changing household pattern

In many families, many middle-aged adults (1) __________ between raising children and caring for ageing parents are now commonly described as the “sandwich generation”. In a city where family responsibility is still highly valued, this pressure often remains invisible until it begins to affect work, health, and daily routines.

• What families are facing

Many households struggle to (2) __________ rising medical costs, school-related expenses, and the practical demands of multigenerational living. Even when they try to remain calm, caregivers may become emotionally (3) __________ after long periods of divided attention and limited rest.

• Why the issue matters

Researchers link the problem not only to longer life expectancy but also to changing employment patterns, delayed financial independence among younger adults, and (4) __________. Specialists warn that families should not postpone (5) __________ professional support once prolonged stress starts to affect sleep, concentration, or relationships. Without broader discussion, the needs of middle-aged carers may continue to fade (6) __________ public view, despite their growing social importance.

Question 1:
A.  catching        B. caught
C.  are caught        D. who were caught

Question 2:
A.  keep pace with        B. come up with        C. catch up with        D. put up with

Question 3:
A.  exhausting        B. exhaustively        C. exhaustion        D. exhausted

Question 4:
A.  intergenerational caregiving pressure        B. caregiving intergenerational pressure

C.  pressure intergenerational caregiving        D. intergenerational pressure caregiving

Question 5:
A.  seek        B. to seek        C. seeking
D.  to seeking

Question 6:
A.  through        B. over        C. from        D. beyond

INTERNAL BRIEF: IS FULL-TIME REMOTE WORK ACTUALLY BETTER THAN OFFICE WORK?

Key observation

Remote work saves commuting time and often gives employees control over (7) __________ the tasks that require their deepest focus. It suits some professionals extremely well; for (8) __________, however, the office still provides structure, routine, and quicker support.

Operational concerns

Remote work also removes much casual contact, which matters more than expected for new staff. For highly (9) __________ work, small delays in reply chains can slow decisions and weaken accountability. Managers therefore need to (10) __________ a balance between flexibility and supervision instead of treating one model as universally better.

Practical conclusion

(11) __________ lower overheads, many firms still keep office days for training, feedback, and problem-solving. In the long run, the more effective arrangement depends on role design, team habits, and the quality of professional (12) __________ built over time.

Question 7: A. several         B. many of        C. some        D. each

Question 8: A. others
B.  all others        C. each other        D. another

Question 9: A. autonomous        B. solitary        C. interdependent        D. self-paced

Question 10: A. hold        B. find        C. strike
D.  keep

Question 11: A. Whereas        B. Beyond        C. Unlike        D. Given

Question 12: A. hierarchy        B. throughput        C. payroll        D. rapport

Question 13:

a. Nora: That explains it. I nearly reposted the same story because the headline was infuriating, but the article had no named source and the date was from last year.

b. Liam: Not yet. I’m checking the source, the date, and a second report first. Getting angry fast is exactly how fake news wins.

c. Nora: You shared that story already? It’s all over our group chat, and people are arguing in the comments.

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

Question 14:

a. Ryan: That makes sense. So your plan is to build skills AI can’t easily copy, like storytelling and visual judgment?

b. Emma: I know, but I still want to study animation. Even if AI handles routine design, people still look for a human point of view.

c. Ryan: Are you really applying for that program? People keep saying AI could wipe out creative jobs within a decade.

d. Emma: Exactly, and I’m also learning motion tools now, so I can work with the technology instead of fearing it.

e. Ryan: Fair enough. Choosing the field and adapting with it sounds braver than picking a safe path you never wanted.

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

Question 15:

Dear Maya,

I hope you and your parents are doing well. How is school this term?

a. However, Grandma’s laughter when I mix languages at home has taught me to be more patient with my own "clumsy" identity.

b. For a while, I believed being brave meant choosing one side clearly, so I copied my classmates’ slang and stopped bringing my traditional lunch to school.

c. This change felt real last Friday when I wore our family’s traditional jacket while singing a pop song with my class, a moment that felt strangely honest.

d. Lately, I’ve realized that real courage isn't about picking a side to please others, but about keeping both parts of me alive, even if it confuses people

e. I used to think living between two cultures meant I belonged nowhere, but now it feels more like learning to stand in two rooms at once.

Best,

Lena

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

Question 16:

a. What makes his story memorable is not the success that followed, but the uncomfortable period when he had to work without the title that once defined him.

b. Years later, when he returned and helped rebuild Apple, people saw a triumph, but the deeper lesson had already appeared earlier.

c. Many people admire Steve Jobs for creating products that changed daily life, yet the most inspiring part of his life may be the moment he was pushed out of his own company.

d. During that setback, he started new projects, kept experimenting, and proved that failure had not emptied his imagination.

e. His story matters because it shows that losing status can force a person to rebuild identity from skill, curiosity, and courage rather than from public praise.

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

Question 17:

a. This habit becomes dangerous later, because in real life the hardest problems do not arrive with four options, a clear chapter title, or a teacher quietly hinting what matters most.

b. School often rewards students for producing correct answers quickly, which is useful up to a point, but it can also train them to wait for someone else to define the problem first.

c. Consequently, the students who keep growing are usually the ones who learn to ask sharper questions: What is missing here, who benefits, what evidence would change my mind, and why am I assuming this is normal before acting?

d. In an age of search engines and AI tools, information appears instantly, so the real advantage no longer belongs only to the person who remembers the most facts.

e. That is why lifelong learning is less about collecting endless answers and more about developing the courage to frame better questions before accepting convenient ones.

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

Digital learning has rapidly moved from being a supplementary tool to becoming a central feature of modern education. In universities in particular, blended models now allow students to combine classroom interaction with flexible online study. Through virtual learning environments, students can access recorded lectures, interactive exercises, and shared academic resources, allowing them to exchange ideas with peers, explore materials at their own pace, and (18) __________.

When used thoughtfully, digital education can widen access to knowledge and make learning more responsive to individual needs. Teachers are often able to track progress more efficiently, while students benefit from materials that can be reviewed repeatedly at their own pace. In many education systems, online platforms now support both formal instruction and independent learning. (19) __________. This often involves learning habits and digital practices that encourage autonomy, responsible participation, and academic continuity.

Even so, the expansion of digital learning has raised important concerns. Easy access to technology does not automatically result in meaningful education, and some institutions have adopted digital tools without rethinking how students actually learn. (20) __________. Problems may also arise when online systems are poorly designed, excessively standardized, or dependent on constant surveillance. In such cases, learners may feel less engaged, less trusted, and more distracted than empowered. Another  issue is that not all forms of educational technology serve the same purpose equally well. (21) __________. Some platforms genuinely support deep learning and inclusion, whereas others mainly collect user data, reward passive completion, or create the appearance of innovation without improving outcomes. For this reason, schools and teachers must remain selective, ensuring that the tools they adopt (22) __________.

Question 18:

A. build stronger habits of independent study

B. strengthening their capacity for more independent study

C. greater independence in managing their own studies

D. they become more independent in managing their own studies

Question 19:

A. As a flexible mode of study, it can promote more continuous and personalized learning

B. It promotes a flexible mode of study because learning is continuously personalized methods

C. With the promotion of flexibility in study, it becomes personalized learning methods

D. As study is flexible, personalized learning is promoted by the continuity of it

Question 20:

A. As a result, digital access alone may widen convenience without necessarily improving understanding

B. Because digital access improves understanding, convenience alone may be widened as a result

C. Digital understanding may improve alone when access widens convenience as a result

D. Improving understanding alone results in digital access widening convenience necessarily

Question 21:

A. While some tools are designed around clear pedagogical goals, others fall short of that standard

B. Though clearly pedagogical, many tools are designed to fall short of educational standards

C. Tools with clear standards may design pedagogy while others are falling short in goals

D. Educational standards are clear, while pedagogy is designed by tools that fall short

Question 22:

A. which are aligned with genuinely educational and ethically responsible purposes

B. by being aligned with genuinely educational and ethically responsible purposes

C. are aligned with genuinely educational and ethically responsible purposes

D. having aligned with genuinely educational and ethically responsible purposes

A clip appears on your screen. Someone says something absurd, cruel, or just sharp enough to make your blood rise. You know it is shallow, yet you stop, stare, and read the comments. Soon the post is everywhere, not because it is wise, but because it has hit a nerve. In moments like this, many users begin to sense what rage bait is before they can define it. It does not ask for thought first. It asks for anger, fast and hot, like a match struck in a dry field.

Oxford University Press describes rage bait as online content deliberately designed to provoke anger or outrage in order to increase traffic or engagement. That definition matters because it shifts attention from the words alone to the machinery behind them. Not only is the message provocative, but it is also built to travel. The point is less to persuade than to trigger. Once outrage starts moving, algorithms often treat it like proof of value, lifting the loudest fragments while quieter truths sink almost without a trace.

Yet not every angry post deserves to be dismissed. Some strong language exposes hypocrisy, names abuse, or shakes people out of moral sleep. Awareness can sting. Exploitation, however, is another creature entirely. One tries to clarify harm; the other fattens on reaction. The difference lies in intent, depth, and consequence. Where honest criticism opens a window, rage bait often paints flames on the glass and calls the smoke a public service.

What makes the trend unsettling is not merely that people are being manipulated, but that many now know they are. Oxford notes that the term surged in use as public awareness of such tactics grew. That rise carries a sliver of hope. Once a trick is named, it loses some of its spell. Still, recognition alone is no cure. A culture fed on instant fury may end up mistaking emotional heat for moral clarity.

[Adapted from Oxford University Press]

Question 23. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a feature of rage bait or the way it spreads online?

A. It is designed to provoke anger in order to increase engagement.

B. It often gains visibility because algorithms treat outrage as a sign of value.

C. It mainly depends on careful reasoning to persuade readers step by step.

D. It can spread widely even when the content itself is shallow.

Question 24. In paragraph 2, the word “provocative” is closest in meaning to __________.

A. dramatic        B. emotional        C. upsetting        D. memorable

Question 25. In paragraph 3, the word “dismissed” is OPPOSITE in meaning to __________.

A. accepted        B. considered        C. noticed        D. rejected

Question 26. In paragraph 4, the word “they” in “many now know they are” refers to __________.

A. strong emotions        B. online users        C. public tricks        D. social platforms

Question 27. Which of the following best paraphrases the sentence “The point is less to persuade than to trigger”?

A. Rage bait mainly aims to change people’s opinions through careful argument.

B. Rage bait is intended more to spark an immediate reaction than to win reasoned agreement.

C. Rage bait usually succeeds because it presents the strongest evidence in the clearest way.

D. Rage bait works best when readers are given enough time to think before responding.

Question 28. Which of the following is TRUE according to paragraph 3?

A. Online anger is always a sign that a post lacks social value.

B. Honest criticism may disturb people, but it can still help reveal genuine harm.

C. Rage bait is useful because it pushes the public to think more deeply about complex issues.

D. The main difference between criticism and rage bait is that one spreads more quickly online.

Question 29. In which paragraph does the writer mainly explain the mechanism by which outrage is turned into visibility and reach online?

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

Question 30. In which paragraph does the writer mainly distinguish between necessary moral criticism and manipulation that feeds on reaction?

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

A degree continues to carry a peculiar kind of social brightness. Before anyone checks course quality, verifies institutional standing, or asks what was actually learned, the credential has already begun to speak on its own behalf, implying discipline, persistence, and a level of knowledge supposedly tested rather than merely claimed. That symbolic force is precisely what makes fraudulent credentials so effective. They do not need to reproduce education in any serious sense. They need only to reproduce its surface grammar: the formal website, the ceremonial language, the official-looking seal, the promise that prior experience can be converted quickly into academic standing. Under pressure, that offer can feel less ridiculous than redemptive.

What makes diploma mills dangerous, then, is not simply that they sell weak or worthless degrees. It is that they traffic in borrowed legitimacy. [I] In the United States, accreditation is a voluntary, nongovernmental process of quality review, and recognized accrediting bodies are treated as reliable authorities on educational standards. [II] Diploma mills exploit the fact that many people understand the prestige of accreditation far more readily than the system behind it. [III] The claim itself, therefore, proves remarkably little unless the accreditor is properly recognized. The deception is often quiet. [IV] It works not by sounding absurd, but by sounding ordinary enough to pass.

The wider harm extends well beyond the individual buyer. Employers may refuse to recognize such credentials. Other institutions may deny transfer credit. Licensing boards may reject the qualification altogether, and in some states the use of a degree from an institution lacking recognized accreditation may even be unlawful unless separately approved. Even so, the issue resists lazy simplification. Lack of accreditation does not automatically prove poor quality, and some institutions outside the familiar route may still offer serious instruction. That distinction matters because panic is not the same as discernment. A useful warning system should sharpen judgment, not replace it with reflex suspicion.

The deeper problem, then, is counterfeit trust. Diploma mills flourish where aspiration meets opacity, where the social meaning of education remains powerful but the mechanisms that confer legitimacy remain obscure to the very people expected to rely on them. Awareness helps most when it teaches verification rather than fear. Once achievement can be staged convincingly through branding alone, the fraud does not merely mislead isolated individuals. It begins, more quietly, to erode the public meaning of earned recognition itself. That loss is harder to quantify than tuition wasted or applications rejected. It is also harder to repair.

[Adapted from U.S. Department of Education, “Diploma Mills and Accreditation”]

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

Any institution may claim to be accredited.

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

Question 32. In paragraph 1, the word “They” refers to __________.

A. serious institutions        B. fraudulent credentials        C. academic standards        D. prior experiences

Question 33. Which of the following best captures the main message of paragraph 2?

A. The voluntary nature of accreditation in the United States makes it impossible for students to verify the quality of any academic institution.

B. Diploma mills are dangerous primarily because they charge high tuition fees for degrees that do not meet basic academic requirements.

C. The deceptive effectiveness of diploma mills relies on exploiting public ignorance regarding the official recognition of accrediting agencies.

D. Any educational institution that claims to be accredited should be treated as a reliable authority until proven otherwise by the government.

Question 34. According to paragraph 2, why is the claim of being “accredited” often insufficient to prove an institution’s quality?

A. Most people prefer the prestige of an institution over its actual educational standards or course quality.

B. Recognized accrediting bodies in the United States are nongovernmental and therefore lack legal authority.

C. The validity of such a claim depends entirely on whether the organization granting the accreditation is itself officially recognized.

D. Diploma mills have developed a system of quality review that sounds ordinary enough to pass official government inspections.

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

A. careful judgment        B. anxiety        C. flexibility        D. ambition

Question 36. According to paragraph 3, which of the following is true?

A. Any institution without recognized accreditation should be assumed to offer low-quality teaching.

B. Licensing boards usually accept such qualifications if students can prove they completed the coursework.

C. A lack of recognized accreditation may have serious consequences, but it should not automatically trigger blanket distrust.

D. The main harm of diploma mills lies in wasted tuition rather than later professional or legal difficulties.

Question 37. Which of the following best captures the author’s perspective on institutions that lack recognized accreditation in paragraph 3?

A. They should be automatically treated with reflex suspicion until they can prove their academic standing.

B. They are invariably of poor quality because they have failed to meet the standards of recognized accrediting bodies.

C. They deserve a careful evaluation of their instruction rather than being dismissed solely based on their lack of official status.

D. They are the primary cause of panic among individual buyers and should be regulated more strictly by licensing boards.

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

A. Once branding can make achievement appear convincing, the damage no longer stops with a few mistaken individuals and begins to blur the wider meaning of genuine merit.

B. When branding alone can make achievement look real, the fraud affects more than isolated victims and starts to erode the public meaning of earned recognition.

C. If branding becomes persuasive enough to simulate achievement, the main danger is that individuals may misjudge quality even when broader standards of recognition remain stable.

D. As achievement is increasingly presented through branding, public confidence weakens because people become less certain which institutions deserve social respect.

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

A. The prestige of a degree will likely decrease as more people become aware of the voluntary nature of the accreditation process.

B. Redemptive offers from diploma mills are more common in states where the use of unaccredited degrees is considered unlawful.

C. The threat posed by diploma mills is exacerbated by a disconnect between the social value placed on degrees and the public’s understanding of how they are validated.

D. Employers and licensing boards are the only entities capable of restoring the public meaning of earned recognition in the education system.

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

A. Formal academic credentials still carry strong symbolic power, and diploma mills exploit that power by imitating legitimacy, confusing public judgment, and gradually weakening trust in genuinely earned recognition.

B. Accreditation in the United States has become too obscure for ordinary students to understand, so employers and licensing boards should rely less on degrees and more on practical performance.

C. Fraudulent degrees become effective not because they recreate real education, but because they copy its surface signs, exploit confusion about legitimacy, and ultimately damage both individual prospects and public trust.

D. The spread of diploma mills shows that many students now care more about quick credentials than real learning, which has made educational fraud harder for authorities to regulate successfully.