Read the 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 3...

Read the 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 31 to 40.

        On the morning of October 19, 2025, a meticulously orchestrated heist unfolded at the Louvre Museum in Paris, shocking the global art community. In under seven minutes, four masked individuals infiltrated the Galerie d’Apollon and absconded with eight priceless artifacts. The speed and audacity of the operation exposed alarming vulnerabilities in the security infrastructure of one of the world's most celebrated museums.

The robbery points unmistakably to a professional operation. The perpetrators employed a crane mounted on a vehicle to gain access to a window on the museum’s upper level—an entry point made accessible by ongoing construction work. Once inside, they used industrial-grade tools to break open reinforced glass display cases, threatening guards with angle grinders without deploying firearms. Their escape on motorbikes further underscores the premeditated nature of the crime. Perhaps most telling is the fact that the thieves bypassed the Regent Diamond, arguably the gallery’s most valuable piece, suggesting that the robbery was a targeted operation guided by a specific acquisition list. By the time the sun rose over the Seine, some of the world’s most priceless treasures had vanished without a trace.

        This incident is emblematic of the commodification of cultural heritage in the shadow economy. In recent years, historical objects have become assets for laundering illicit wealth and fulfilling the desires of unscrupulous private collectors. The Louvre heist demonstrates that even prestigious institutions are not immune to this trend. The loss of royal artifacts, particularly those symbolizing national identity, represents a "cultural erosion" that cannot be measured solely in financial terms. Once sold into the black market, the historical context and national identity associated with the objects are often irretrievably lost.

        (I) The heist has reignited debate about systemic neglect in the preservation of cultural institutions. (II) Despite repeated appeals for increased funding, it appears that necessary measures were delayed or deprioritized. (III) The fact that such a breach occurred during visiting hours raises troubling questions about preparedness and oversight. (IV) In an age of evolving threats, relying on outdated infrastructure is indefensible.

        While authorities have launched an investigation through a specialized police unit, the path to recovery remains uncertain. If the objects were stolen to order, they may still be intact. If, however, they were taken for their intrinsic material value—gems or precious metals—the likelihood of recovery diminishes drastically. This outcome signals the urgent need for international cooperation in reinforcing preventive frameworks. The Louvre robbery is a litmus test for how nations value their cultural legacy. Museums are guardians of collective memory; when that memory is compromised, it is identity itself that is lost.

Question 31. Which of the following best summarizes the passage?

A. An account of a sophisticated heist that highlights broader crises in cultural heritage security and identity.

B. An in-depth investigative report focusing on the criminal backgrounds of the four masked individuals.

C. A detailed technical critique of the architectural flaws in the Louvre’s Galerie d’Apollon.

D. A comprehensive historical review of the most famous robberies at the Louvre Museum since its founding.

Question 32. Where in paragraph 4 does the following sentence best fit? "The lack of proactive investment has left a window of opportunity for sophisticated criminal syndicates."

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

Question 33. Which of the following best paraphrases the underlined sentence in paragraph 2:

"By the time the sun rose over the Seine, some of the world’s most priceless treasures had vanished without a trace."?

        A. The treasures were so heavy that they could only be moved after the sun had risen.

        B. Because the treasures were priceless, the thieves decided to leave them near the Seine river.

        C. Before the morning began, several extremely valuable items had completely disappeared.

        D. The sunlight helped the thieves find the priceless treasures more easily as they escaped.

Question 34. Which of the following best summarizes paragraph 5?

        A. An analysis of the possible fates of the stolen artifacts and the necessity for global action.

        B. A deeply pessimistic outlook on the uncertain future of international cooperation in art recovery.

        C. A comprehensive list of the specialized police units involved in the investigation.

        D. A comparison between the intrinsic economic value of gems and the historical value of artifacts.

Question 35. The phrase “absconded with” in paragraph 1 could be best replaced by ____________.

        A. escaped with        B. discovered among                C. investigated for                D. surrendered to

Question 36. The word “those” in paragraph 3 refers to ____________.

        A. royal artifacts        B. private collectors                C. prestigious institutions        D. financial terms

Question 37. Which of the following can be inferred from the thieves’ decision to bypass the Regent Diamond?

        A. The thieves were amateur criminals who were unaware of the diamond's immense market value.

        B. The heist was likely a targeted operation focused on specific items rather than general wealth.

        C. The security surrounding the Regent Diamond was too formidable to be breached in seven minutes.

        D. The diamond was too large and heavy to be transported quickly on the getaway motorbikes.

Question 38. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a detail of the heist’s execution?

        A. The exploitation of an entry point created by ongoing construction work.

        B. The use of a crane mounted on a vehicle to reach an upper-level window.

        C. The use of motorbikes as a getaway vehicle after the theft was completed.

        D. The deployment of firearms to incapacitate the museum’s security guards.

Question 39. What can be inferred from the passage?

        A. The ongoing investigation will certainly recover absolutely all the stolen objects intact.

        B. The stolen artifacts were quite likely taken completely randomly due to their high material value.

        C. The robbery reveals weaknesses in both museum security and broader cultural protection systems.

        D. Cultural heritage crimes are now gradually decreasing due to stronger international cooperation.

Question 40. According to the passage, the loss of cultural artifacts represents "cultural erosion" because ____________.

        A. It directly encourages more and more people to visit the museum to see the empty display cases.

        B. The financial loss is simply far too great for the French government to compensate.

        C. the historical context and national identity associated with the objects are often destroyed.

        D. It ultimately leads to the permanent destruction of the physical building of the museum.