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 from 1 to 10.

China is quietly easing regulations on private education companies as the government aims to support a slowing economy. (I) Government officials have not announced a policy change. (II) Industry experts say the new efforts aim to support job creation. (III) Reuters News Agency recently spoke with people in the industry, parents in China, and others. (IV) Here is what Reuters reported: Starting in 2021, the government prohibited for-profit tutoring in main school subjects such as Math and English.

The reported aim was to reduce financial pressure on families. It was also meant to create equal educational chances for both rich and poor families and to eliminate poor-quality tutoring services. The policy was known as the “double reduction”. The crackdown cost the industry billions of dollars. It affected companies like New Oriental Education & Technology Group and TAL Education Group. It also led to tens of thousands of job losses.

Before the policy change, China’s for-profit tutoring industry was valued at about $100 billion. The three biggest companies employed over 170,000 people. During the crackdown, the industry did not disappear as parents continued to seek tutoring services for their children. Many Chinese parents consider after-school tutoring services as a way for their children to gain an advantage in China’s competitive education system. Michelle Lee is a parent based in southern China. Lee spends about $420 a month on after-school classes for her son and daughter. These classes include mathematics tutoring and online lessons in English. She told Reuters that in recent months tutoring schools had been operating more openly. After the government crackdown in 2021, the number of tutoring centers and the number of teachers employed by them fell. The industry is now coming back as policies ease.

The research company Plenum China said that active licenses for for-profit tutoring centers rose 11.4 percent between January and June. Liu Xiya is a delegate to China’s legislature and president of an education group based in the southwestern city of Chongqing. Liu told local media at a press conference in March that the government was dealing with problems in education policy. Lynn Song is an economist at ING. He said China was unlikely to admit that the crackdown "was a little too forceful" but that regulations would be loosened. He said, "The overall policy environment has changed from restrictive to supportive as the main goal now is stabilization."

Question 1. Which of the following best summarizes paragraph 3?

A. The 2021 crackdown in China caused the tutoring industry to close entirely, with no demand from parents although it was valued at nearly $100 billion.

B. China's tutoring industry, though reduced by the 2021 crackdown, is now rebounding as demand remains high and policies ease.

C. China's tutoring industry, valued at about $100 billion, decreased due to a drop in parental interest, but policies now encourage its return.

D. In spite of the crackdown, China’s tutoring industry has been wholly unaffected by government policies and remains at $100 billion.

Question 2. The phrase "crackdown" in paragraph 2 could be best replaced by ____________.

A. governmental restriction                                B. economic burden

C. national assistance                                        D. public backing

Question 3. According to paragraph 2, which of the following is NOT a result of China’s policy banning for-profit tutoring?

A. lessening financial pressure on families                B. fostering high-standard tutoring services

C. giving rise to thousands of job losses                D. allocating balanced educational opportunities

Question 4. The word "forceful" in paragraph 4 is OPPOSITE in meaning to ____________.

A. trivial                B. profound                        C. passionate                        D. vigorous

Question 5. Where in paragraph 1 does the following sentence best fit?

But news reports say policymakers are now permitting the tutoring industry to grow.

A. (III)                        B. (II)                                C. (IV)                                D. (I)

Question 6. Which of the following best paraphrases the underlined sentence in paragraph 4?

He said, "The overall policy environment has changed from restrictive to supportive as the main goal now is stabilization."

A. Having shifted from restrictive, the policy environment aims at stabilization, which was not the main objective before.

B. Although the policy environment has become more supportive, its main goal is still to impose restrictions on the industry without stabilization.

C. He stated that from being restrictive, the policy environment has shifted to a more supportive one, with the primary objective now focused on achieving stabilization.

D. It is clear that the policy environment has changed from restrictive to supportive, with its primary aim now to stabilize economic growth.

Question 7. Which of the following best summarises the passage?

A. The Chinese government has gradually relaxed its restrictions on private tutoring, recognizing the growing demand for educational services and aiming to balance economic and social needs.

B. The government's policy change reflects an effort to expand the private tutoring industry, which was severely limited during the crackdown.

C. The easing of regulations is intended to help the tutoring industry regain its former size, without addressing the long-term effects of previous restrictions.

D. Irrespective of initial policy measures to reduce tutoring services, the government's current focus on economic stability has led to the industry's rapid recovery.

Question 8. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A. China's government openly announced a change in policy to ease restrictions on for-profit tutoring.

B. Active licenses for for-profit tutoring centers decreased between January and June due to policy restrictions.

C. Parents in China continued to seek tutoring for their children even during the crackdown on the industry.

D. The primary aim of the "double reduction" policy was to encourage the growth of private tutoring companies.

Question 9. The word "It" in paragraph 2 refers to ____________.

A. financial pressure        B. government                        C. reported aim                D. policy

Question 10. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?

A. The government's easing of restrictions on the tutoring industry is solely motivated by the desire to boost the economy, regardless of educational equity.

B. Despite the government's previous efforts to limit tutoring, the policy change indicates a shift toward recognizing the continued demand for educational support services.

C. The Chinese government is now prioritizing the expansion of the private tutoring industry above all other educational reforms.

D. The primary goal of the "double reduction" policy was to reduce financial pressure on families while leaving the long-term effects on the tutoring industry behind.