Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the best answer to each of the following quest...

Read the following 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.

        In their article "Just Plane Wrong: Celebs with the Worst Private Jet CO2 Emissions," YARD ranked Taylor Swift as the celebrity with the largest carbon footprint, attributing 138 tons of emissions to her private jet. Jay-Z and Floyd Mayweather followed closely behind. Swift's recent attendance at Kansas City Chiefs games to support her partner, Travis Kelce, has intensified media scrutiny. Celebrities receiving public criticism for air travel is hardly a new phenomenon. Singling out one individual risks oversimplifying a broader issue that predates any particular headline. [I]

        Carbon emissions are, to some extent, unavoidable for high-profile public figures who travel frequently. In "Rich Enough to Offset," Laura Kiesel explores the ever-increasing carbon emissions of celebrities including Arnold Schwarzenegger and Leonardo DiCaprio, and how they have tried to account for them. One popular approach is carbon offsetting, a practice that allows individuals to compensate for emissions by funding environmental initiatives, including reforestation or renewable energy projects. [II] While such efforts may signal accountability, critics argue that they rarely neutralize emissions in any meaningful sense.

        Professor Jon Erickson of the University of Vermont highlights concerns about the unintended consequences of certain offset projects, particularly in developing regions. Some initiatives, such as small-scale solar schemes established to counterbalance luxury emissions, may inadvertently limit resources available for essential services like healthcare and education. Furthermore, these efforts do little to address the root causes of excess carbon emissions. Erickson therefore calls for stronger legislative measures, including mandated caps on emissions that would directly address the source of the problem without displacing its impacts. [III]

        Celebrity air travel remains under constant scrutiny, regardless of public sentiment. Although voluntary offset programmes may help restore celebrities' reputations, they can also legitimise continued overconsumption. In "Don't Bet on Offsets," A.C. Thompson and Duane Moles question whether such mechanisms can realistically counteract emissions. Companies such as TerraPass offer affluent consumers the opportunity to calculate and compensate for their carbon footprints, yet these transactions often occur in loosely regulated markets lacking consistent standards. [IV]

        While carbon offsetting provides limited mitigation opportunities, meaningful progress depends on systemic reforms that reduce overall emissions and confront the underlying causes of climate impact.

Question 14. The author mentions Taylor Swift in paragraph 1 primarily to ____________.

A. suggest that media attention exaggerates environmental concerns

B. illustrate how individual cases can obscure a broader structural issue

C. argue that public figures are the main contributors to climate change

D. demonstrate that celebrities are unfairly targeted by environmental critics

Question 15. The phrase “such efforts” in paragraph 2 refers to ____________.

        A. high-profile individuals                                B. carbon emissions

        C. environmental initiatives                                D. renewable energy projects

Question 16. According to paragraph 2, how do some celebrities attempt to manage their environmental impact?

A. By reducing the frequency of their international travel schedules

B. By complying with mandatory government carbon regulations

C. By investing exclusively in large-scale renewable infrastructure

D. By financially supporting environmental projects to offset emissions

Question 17. According to paragraph 3, some offset initiatives may be problematic because they ____________.

A. eliminate local employment opportunities in developing regions

B. reduce investment in global renewable energy schemes and markets

C. unintentionally limit essential services in lower-income communities

D. increase the operational costs of small-scale solar installations

Question 18. Which of the following best paraphrases the underlined sentence in paragraph 3?

A. These initiatives are likely to eliminate the primary factors responsible for high carbon emissions.

B. These programmes shift responsibility for tackling carbon emissions to alternative environmental sectors.

C. These initiatives make minimal progress in tackling the underlying issue of excessive carbon emissions.

D. These efforts tend to focus on reducing visible emissions rather than their overall generated volume.

Question 19. Which of the following is TRUE according to paragraph 4?

A. Offset programmes guarantee measurable reductions in emissions.

B. TerraPass has eliminated doubts about carbon neutrality claims.

C. Carbon offset markets operate under strict international regulation.

D. Some offset transactions occur in poorly regulated environments.

Question 20. The word “legitimise” in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to ____________.

        A. calculate                B. justify                        C. restrict                        D. conceal

Question 21. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?

A. Carbon offsetting may alleviate certain environmental pressures but does not fundamentally transform emission-producing behaviour.

B. Carbon offsetting provides a comprehensive remedy capable of permanently eliminating luxury-related carbon emissions.

C. Carbon offsetting guarantees measurable climate benefits through market-based investment in renewable initiatives.

D. Carbon offsetting functions primarily as a public relations strategy without individuals' sense of accountability towards the environment.

Question 22. Where in the passage does the following sentence best fit?

This environment creates space for exaggerated claims of carbon neutrality without verifiable outcomes.

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

Question 23. Which of the following best summarises the passage?

A. Although celebrities adopt carbon offsetting to address emissions from private air travel, critics argue that these measures are inadequate and effective climate action requires systemic reform.

B. Although media scrutiny of celebrity jet use has intensified, public criticism tends to focus disproportionately on affluent individuals rather than the broader patterns of carbon consumption.

C. Growing public concern about luxury air travel has prompted calls for stricter government regulation of private aviation and improved oversight of carbon offset markets.

D. Carbon offset markets provide a practical mechanism for reducing the environmental impact of luxury air travel among high-profile individuals in response to growing criticism.