The “Lifelong Learning Passport” — Your Skills, Always Up to Date

In 2026, career success isn’t a finish line—it’s a habit. That’s why CityLab is launching the Lifelong Learning Passport, a flexible program for adults who want to keep growing without quitting work. Every month, you’ll access short courses built around (1) __________ needs, from AI-assisted office tools to personal finance and public speaking.

Instead of long lectures, you complete bite-sized challenges, then join a mentor circle (2) __________ by industry volunteers and alumni. Learners often say the Passport helps them stay (3) __________ of change, especially when job tasks shift quickly.

You can choose weekend workshops, mobile lessons, or community projects. Our team will (4) __________ your progress to you and suggest the next skill path based on your goals.

If you’re ready to upgrade your future, start (5) __________ a learning rhythm that lasts. Apply now, and you’ll receive a welcome kit plus access to a library of (6) __________ resources.

Question 1: A. changing skill-market        B. skill-market changing
C. changing market skill        D. changing skill market

Question 2: A. run        B. running        C. to run        D. which run

Question 3: A. at        B. ahead        C. above        D. along

Question 4: A. explain        B. describe        C. present        D. show

Question 5: A. to build        B. building        C. built        D. to building

Question 6: A. personalize        B. personality        C. personal        D. personalised

WHEN THE CITY COMES CLOSER

• Urban life is spreading into the countryside—are we ready?

More factories, new roads, and online services are reaching rural areas, creating (7) __________ job opportunities. This can bring better jobs and easier living, but it may also change local traditions and farmland. This leaflet helps communities understand these (8) __________ and plan wisely.

• What is happening

Some families welcome the change; (9) __________ worry about higher costs and noise. Thanks to better transport, many residents can travel to school or work more easily. Local leaders are (10) __________ new rules to protect green spaces and keep rivers clean.

You can save time by using online public services, but it’s still important to keep community ties strong. New shops may liven up village life after dark, (11) __________ they should not replace local culture.

With good planning, rural areas can grow in a more (12) __________ way—modern, but still friendly and safe.

Question 7: A. plenty of        B. many of        C. a little        D. most of

Question 8: A. chances        B. changes        C. elements        D. choices

Question 9: A. other        B. another        C. the other        D. others

Question 10: A. turning down        B. drawing up        C. breaking out        D. looking after

Question 11: A. so        B. as         C. yet        D. thus

Question 12: A. noisy        B. careless        C. balanced        D. artificial

Question 13:

a. Ryan: I know! He kept learning English from cooking shows, and now he trains teens after work.

b. Emma: That mini – documentary about Amir, the refugee chef, made me rethink what “starting over” means.

c. Emma: I’m posting it on our class page, and I’ll drop a few dollars in his community – kitchen jar.

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

Question 14:

a. Liam: Sorry, I didn’t mean to sound rude; in my team we’re brief so tasks don’t slip.

b. Sofia: I get that. In Brazil we often add a friendly line first, so your message felt cold.

c. Liam: Want to agree on a quick rule—start with one soft sentence, then the action item?

d. Sofia: Liam, your comment “Fix this now” on my slide scared me. Did I mess up?

e. Liam: Deal. I’ll also use emojis only when it’s not a serious issue.

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

Question 15:

Dear Jamie,

Hi! How are things at your new school?

a. If you’re free next weekend, I can add you to our shared calendar and save you a pair of gloves.

b. I went last week and was surprised how much plastic we collected in just two hours.

c. Afterwards we usually grab iced tea, which makes the morning feel less like work.

d. Our town council started a Saturday clean – up, and my class signed up through a QR form.

e. They also teach simple sorting, so the bottles and cans don’t end up mixed again.

Write back soon.

Best,

Lina

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

Question 16:

a. Last month, a rescue centre in our city posted a reel about an otter they treated, and the caption clearly explained why buying otters fuels illegal trade.

b. That honest framing brought donations and volunteers, while the comments section turned into a mini – lesson on how to report suspicious sellers.

c. Many wildlife groups now rely on short videos to reach young viewers, but the same platforms can also encourage harmful trends.

d. When cute clips are shared without context, people start wanting wild animals as pets, even if the species is protected.

e. If creators add facts, links, and respectful images, mass media can become a real tool for conservation instead of a problem.

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

Question 17:

a. To handle that, I learned to check audio artifacts, reverse – search frames, compare transcripts with official streams, and ask a senior editor to confirm time stamps before anything left our shared “hold” folder.

b. Our newsroom began receiving short “exclusive” clips of politicians speaking in several languages, and some were deepfakes shared through anonymous accounts.

c. That routine slowed us slightly, yet it taught me that lifelong learning is now part of the job in a world where images travel faster than facts, and it shaped my plan to specialize in verification and media ethics.

d. When I started as a trainee reporter, my editor warned that AI tools could speed up research but also spread convincing misinformation.

e. The pressure to post fast was real, which made me fear we would publish something false and damage trust.

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

Zero-Waste Living: The Growing Movement Toward a Cleaner Future

Zero-waste living has grown from a small environmental movement into a mainstream lifestyle choice in 2025. More people are trying to cut unnecessary waste by making simple but effective changes, such as refusing single-use items, reusing what they already have, and recycling (18) __________.

The environmental impact of waste remains staggering. Recent research suggests the average person produces about 4.5 pounds of waste each day, (19) __________. These alarming figures have encouraged many individuals and communities to adopt zero-waste habits to shrink their environmental footprint. In response, zero-waste stores—(20) __________—have expanded rapidly in major cities in the United States and Europe.

Beyond environmental benefits, zero-waste living can improve finances and quality of life. Families practicing it (21) __________, making basic cleaning supplies at home, and reducing food waste through better planning. Many also say that consuming less lowers stress and helps them value what they truly need.

However, barriers still limit wider adoption. (22) __________. Upfront costs for alternatives can also be higher, even if they save money over time.

[Adapted from https://greenerideal.com/]

Question 18: 

A. as a way to eliminate household rubbish from disposal sites

B. so that they can prevent more debris from reaching the ocean

C. whenever possible to keep trash out of landfills

D. which enables them to minimize the waste sent to waste-burning plants

Question 19: 

A. much of it plastic that can take hundreds of years to break down

B. the majority of which is non-biodegradable and persists for centuries

C. mostly consisting of synthetic materials that never disappear

D. with a large portion being plastic which will dissolve in decades

Question 20: 

A. in which items are sold in reusable jars to avoid using any plastic covers

B. that provide daily goods in bulk without any need for disposable plastic bags

C. whose inventory consists of basic items without any external wrapping or labels

D. where customers bring their own containers and buy goods without packaging

Question 21: 

A. cuts their monthly expenses by approximately $200 through bulk buying

B. is documenting a decrease of nearly $200 in spending on wrapped goods

C. can reduce their spending by at least $200 by avoiding excessive packaging

D. report saving around $200 per month by buying fewer packaged products

Question 22: 

A. The lack of eco-friendly options is becoming more evident across most metropolitan regions

B. Convenience and access remain challenges, especially in rural and lower-income areas

C. Since most unpackaged goods are expensive, they tend to restrict the wider public's choice

D. Access is no longer a problem in cities, so the movement is spreading evenly nationwide

In many cities, “being there” has started to matter less than looking like you were there. A growing number of young people, pushed by FOMO and social pressure, chase proof of proximity—celebrity sightings, exclusive venues, iconic backdrops—because one photo can bring quick status. The line between experience and performance is thinning: some blend into crowded events, hover near VIP entrances, or wait outside hotels not out of admiration, but for a shot that can be framed as a personal connection.

This trend grows because digital life is easy to edit. Reposting a friend’s picture, borrowing a stranger’s image, or using a famous location as a ready – made stage can manufacture a lifestyle with little effort. A neon sign, a concert wristband, a luxury lobby—these become social currency. The goal is not memory but impression, and captions do the rest: “Best night ever,” “Ran into someone special,” “Private event.” When attention becomes the reward, authenticity becomes negotiable, and “it’s just a post” starts to sound like permission.

The costs are real. Socially, it creates an arms race of appearances, where people compete with images that may not even be true. Psychologically, it trains self – worth to depend on likes, so ordinary days feel like failure. Ethically, it normalises small deceptions—misleading captions, implied friendships, borrowed credit—and sometimes crosses into intrusion when people invade private spaces to chase a “moment.” Even when no one is harmed directly, trust erodes: friends become skeptical, and online life turns into a showroom rather than a community.

A healthier response isn’t quitting social media; it’s changing what we reward. Instead of chasing proximity, people can share genuine experiences: what they learned, what moved them, who helped them grow. And on a personal level, building confidence offline—through skills, relationships, and real routines—reduces the urge to borrow glamour. When identity is grounded in substance, FOMO loses its grip, and a photo stops being proof of worth.

Question 23: According to paragraph 1, which of the following is NOT mentioned as a motivation for young people seeking "proof of proximity"?

A. The desire to gain a rapid increase in social standing.

B. The emotional pressure caused by the fear of missing out.

C. The aspiration to document a genuine personal connection.

D. The influence of external expectations from their social circle.

Question 24: The word "negotiable" in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to __________.

A. flexible         B. settled         C. beneficial         D. mandatory

Question 25: The word "substance" in paragraph 4 is OPPOSITE in meaning to __________.

A. superficiality         B. importance         C. stability         D. reality

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

A. ready – made stages                 B. digital life edits

C. captions and impressions         D. luxury items and locations

Question 27: Which of the following best paraphrases the underlined sentence in paragraph 3: "Ethically, it normalises small deceptions and sometimes crosses into intrusion when people invade private spaces to chase a 'moment'."?

A. The widespread use of misleading captions is primarily driven by the ethical necessity to protect one's privacy from the public eye.

B. From a moral perspective, the habit of fabricating experiences fosters a culture of dishonesty and leads to the violation of personal boundaries.

C. Social media users are increasingly forced to compromise their integrity to ensure their digital presence remains influential.

D. In high – pressure environments, the pursuit of social recognition renders the trespassing into restricted zones a justifiable action.

Question 28: According to paragraph 3, what is TRUE about the psychological impact of chasing digital status?

A. It encourages individuals to find contentment in the mundane aspects of their daily routines.

B. It conditions people to measure their personal worth through the lens of online engagement.

C. It primarily affects those who are skeptical of the authenticity of their friends' shared images.

D. It helps users distinguish between their actual achievements and their performed identities.

Question 29: In which paragraph does the author discuss the methods used to manufacture an artificial lifestyle on social platforms?

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

Question 30: In which paragraph does the author suggest long – term internal solutions to overcome the pressure of digital comparison?

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

Coastal wetlands are often described as the planet’s “blue carbon vaults”: living coastlines that lock away atmospheric carbon while also underwriting biodiversity, fisheries productivity, and storm buffering. Yet the climate conversation still tends to orbit smokestacks and tailpipes, overlooking the quieter infrastructure of mangroves, tidal marshes, and seagrass meadows—ecosystems whose protection delivers a rare triple dividend of mitigation, adaptation, and livelihood security. Their value is not decorative; it is operational, because coastal resilience is built not only from concrete but from functioning ecology.

Blue carbon refers to carbon stored in coastal and marine systems, especially in vegetation and the sediment beneath it, where long – term burial can outlast political cycles. Although coastal habitats occupy less than 2% of the ocean area, the ocean drives about 83% of global carbon circulation, and these narrow fringes account for roughly half of the carbon sequestered in ocean sediments. In seagrass meadows, the carbon story is mostly a soil story: the overwhelming majority is held belowground, making disturbance a kind of ecological bank run. This disproportionate storage capacity turns small maps into large consequences.

The problem is acceleration. Mangrove loss has been estimated at around 2% per year, while tidal marshes and seagrasses are also shrinking annually, producing a chain reaction: habitat degradation → sediment exposure → carbon release → amplified warming → intensified coastal risk. When these systems are destroyed, they can flip from sinks to sources, venting centuries of accumulated carbon back into water and air; some estimates suggest around 1.02 billion tons of CO₂ may be released each year from degraded coastal ecosystems—comparable to a significant share of tropical deforestation emissions. The irony is sharp: the coast becomes a “seawall” against storms, yet policy gaps can make it a leak in the climate ledger.

[I] Effective action requires more than restoration slogans; it depends on measurement integrity, transparent baselines, and governance that prevents leakage, land grabs, or paper – only offsets. [II] A credible blue carbon agenda blends scientific coordination (to improve sequestration accounting and risk assessment) with policy architecture (to enable conservation finance, community participation, and long – horizon stewardship). [III] Without that alignment, blue carbon becomes another feel – good label; with it, it can become a measurable, investable pathway toward climate stability and coastal wellbeing. [IV]

[Adapted from https://www.thebluecarboninitiative.org/]

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

What is being done is increasingly strategic, but still uneven.

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

Question 32: The term "triple dividend" in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to __________.

A. A three – fold increase in the total cost of coastal restoration projects.

B. The rapid growth of three distinct species within a seagrass meadow.

C. A set of three simultaneous benefits for the climate and communities.

D. The financial profit earned from three different types of carbon trading.

Question 33: The word "it" in paragraph 2 refers to __________.

A. blue carbon         B. vegetation         C. marine system         D. coastal habitat

Question 34: According to paragraph 1, which of the following is NOT mentioned as a function of coastal "blue carbon vaults"?

A. Assisting in the long – term sequestration of carbon from the atmosphere.

B. Providing a natural defense mechanism against the impact of storms.

C. Replacing industrial smokestacks as the primary source of clean energy.

D. Supporting the productivity of fisheries and maintaining biodiversity.

Question 35: Which of the following best summarises the content of paragraph 2?

A. The majority of ocean carbon is found in the open water rather than in the narrow fringes of coastal habitats.

B. Ocean sediments are primarily composed of political cycles that influence the long – term burial of vegetation.

C. Coastal ecosystems play a vital role in global carbon storage despite occupying a tiny fraction of the ocean.

D. Disturbance in seagrass meadows is considered an ecological bank run because it increases carbon circulation.

Question 36: The word "integrity" in paragraph 4 is OPPOSITE in meaning to __________.

A. honesty         B. corruption         C. stability         D. unity

Question 37: Based on paragraph 3, what occurs when coastal ecosystems are significantly degraded?

A. They begin to absorb centuries of accumulated carbon from the surrounding water and air.

B. The emissions released are much lower than those produced by the process of deforestation.

C. They transition from absorbing carbon to releasing large amounts of it back into the nature.

D. The ironical seawalls are strengthened by the sediment exposure caused by the chain reaction.

Question 38: Which of the following best paraphrases the underlined sentence in paragraph 3?

A. Had policy frameworks addressed existing gaps, the coastal areas would not have turned into a source of carbon leakage.

B. If the coast became a seawall against storms, policy gaps would prevent the climate ledger from leaking information.

C. No sooner had the coast acted as a seawall than policy gaps were found to be the main leak in the climate ledger.

D. Were the climate ledger to have a leak, the coast would definitely become a seawall despite the existence of policy gaps.

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

A. Technological solutions like concrete seawalls are more effective than ecological infrastructure for long – term climate adaptation.

B. The success of blue carbon initiatives depends as much on accurate scientific data as it does on inclusive policy frameworks.

C. Tropical deforestation remains the only significant source of carbon emissions that policy makers should focus on globally.

D. Community participation is only necessary when scientific coordination fails to improve the accuracy of carbon accounting.

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

A. Coastal wetlands are decorative ecosystems that require scientific coordination and community participation to improve their sequestration.

B. The acceleration of mangrove loss is the primary reason why blue carbon has become a feel – good label in the global climate conversation.

C. Seagrass meadows and tidal marshes are the only ecosystems capable of delivering a triple dividend of mitigation, adaptation, and security.

D. Protecting coastal ecosystems is a crucial yet overlooked strategy that requires integrated scientific and policy efforts to ensure climate stability.