Read the following passage about the THE RIGHT TO REPAIR MOVEMENT: A NEW ERA FOR CONSUMERS 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 31 to 40.
The Right to Repair movement has finally won important battles against companies that control product servicing. After years of hard work, 2023 brought major legal victories in North America and Europe. [I] People were tired of paying high prices for repairs at official service centers. Now, expensive manufacturer-controlled fixing is becoming a thing of the past as governments recognize that consumers should be able to repair their own electronics and household items. This change will affect how we think about owning products, protecting the environment, and using technology.
In the United States, several states have created new laws to help consumers. New York, Minnesota, and California passed "Digital Fair Repair" laws that require companies to share the same parts, tools, and instructions with regular customers and independent repair shops that they give to authorized centers. This means regular people can now fix their devices without going to expensive official stores. [II] Colorado made similar rules for farm equipment, while Maine did the same for car data. In Canada, Quebec banned planned obsolescence and created repair rights for consumer goods. These examples show how North American governments are solving this problem in different ways.
European Union rules have gone even further with their requirements. New standards require minimum repairability for smartphones and tablets, long-term access to spare parts and software updates, modular design, and eventually batteries that users can replace themselves. [III] The EU's "common charger" rule makes USB-C required for many products, which reduces electronic waste and makes repairs easier. These actions show the EU's strong focus on environmental protection and helping consumers through clear technical rules.
[IV] Nineteen American states have introduced over thirty-five new bills, while the EU is preparing laptop repair standards and broader rules covering washing machines, refrigerators, televisions, and computers beyond warranty periods. These changes should increase competition in repair markets, make products last longer, reduce electronic waste, and create repair jobs. However, real success depends on whether manufacturers actually design products that are easy to fix and whether governments enforce these new consumer rights effectively.
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Question 31: The phrase “a thing of the past” in paragraph 1 has the closest meaning to _________.
A. die out B. take over C. carry on D. bring about
Question 32: According to the passage, all of the following are mentioned as benefits EXCEPT _________.
A. Making products last for longer periods
B. Reducing the amount of electronic waste
C. Lowering the prices of new electronic devices
D. Creating more jobs in the repair industry
Question 33: Where in the paragraph does the following sentence best fit?
The coming years promise even greater progress for repair rights.
A. [I]
B. [II]
C. [III]
D. [IV]
Question 34: The word “obsolescence” in paragraph 2 is OPPOSITE in meaning to _________.
A. innovation B. efficiency C. accessibility D. durability
Question 35: Which of the following best summarises paragraph 3?
A. The EU standardized charging systems and created basic repair guidelines to reduce waste and help consumers.
B. European rules require companies to provide repair services, prioritizing corporate responsibility over environmental concerns.
C. The EU introduced moderate repair standards for electronics, allowing manufacturers significant flexibility in product design.
D. The EU established comprehensive repairability standards, combining environmental protection with consumer rights through technical requirements.
Question 36: The word “their” in paragraph 3 refers to _________.
A. manufacturers
B. European Union rules
C. consumers
D. governments
Question 37: Which of the following best paraphrases the underlined sentence in paragraph 4?
A. The reforms should boost repair competition, extend product life, cut e-waste, and create repair jobs.
B. The reforms should improve authorized repairs, extend warranties, cut e-waste, and create technical jobs.
C. The reforms should support repair shops, ensure permanent functionality, eliminate e-waste, and establish jobs.
D. The reforms should enhance service availability, maximize usage periods, reduce manufacturing waste, and develop jobs.
Question 38: Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. The Digital Fair Repair laws provide repair resources exclusively to independent shops rather than individual consumers themselves.
B. The EU's common charger rule has already made all smartphone batteries user-replaceable across all member states.
C. Quebec's legislation primarily focuses on farm equipment and automotive data, following Colorado and Maine's sector-specific approach.
D. The passage suggests meaningful repair success requires both manufacturer design cooperation and effective government enforcement.
Question 39: Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?
A. Prior to these laws, manufacturers likely restricted repair material access to maintain profitable control over their servicing markets.
B. The European Union's comprehensive regulatory approach has proven significantly more effective than North America's fragmented state-by-state strategies.
C. Consumer demand for repairs exceeded manufacturer servicing capacity, thereby necessitating government regulations to authorize independent repair shops.
D. Most electronics manufacturers voluntarily supported these repair regulations after recognizing their significant environmental sustainability and consumer benefits.
Question 40: Which of the following best summarises the passage?
A. The passage describes the Right to Repair movement's legislative victories across North America and Europe in 2023, with various jurisdictions establishing comprehensive consumer protection standards.
B. The passage contrasts regional approaches to repair legislation, with North American state-level initiatives differing significantly from the European Union's comprehensive technical and environmental requirements.
C. The passage outlines Right to Repair's 2023 victories in North America and Europe, plus ongoing expansion, while emphasizing that success requires both manufacturer cooperation and effective enforcement.
D. The passage details consumer frustration with expensive manufacturer-controlled repairs that prompted new legislation requiring repair access, potentially creating significant economic and environmental benefits.