XANH SM — CLEANER TRIPS, CALMER STREETS A greener way to move through the city A short ride can still leave a...

Blue Ocean, Better World!

Our oceans feed people, store carbon, and help control the weather. Yet beaches are filling with plastic, and polluted water is harming sea animals. (7) __________ this growing problem, our school is holding a Beach Care Day this Sunday.

Join us to learn how small actions protect a whole ecosystem. Volunteers will (8) __________ bottles, bags, and food containers along the sand. Please bring gloves, a hat, and a reusable bottle. At the sorting station, students will separate recyclable items from (9) __________ waste.

A large number of plastic items are collected from the beach each year, and (10) __________ of the plastic items left behind can harm sea animals. At the information desk, students can ask (11) __________  the clean-up will continue if it rains, so they can prepare properly.

Clean beaches mean safer food, healthier tourism, and better climate protection. Be part of the ocean (12) __________ movement today!

Question 7: A. Because of        B. Thanks to
C.  According to        D. Together with

Question 8: A. switch off        B. look for        C. pick up
D.  turn on

Question 9: A. reusable        B. renewable        C. coastal        D. household

Question 10: A. every        B. each
C.  much        D. little

Question 11: A. what        B. whether
C.  whose        D. that

Question 12: A. collection        B. consumption        C. conservation        D. contamination

Question 13:

a. Ben: Not much. If we use a smaller container and add leftovers to tomorrow’s fried rice, it won’t end up in the bin.

b. Ava: That’s smarter than throwing it away. I’ll label the container before Mum clears the table.

c. Ava: We cooked too much pasta again, and I feel wasteful scraping it off plates.

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

Question 14:

a. Ryan: Let’s leave it in your cart, mute sale alerts, and check tomorrow.

b. Ryan: Is it something you need for class, or did the countdown timer make it feel urgent?

c. Chloe: Fair point. I’ll wait one day and use that money for repairs.

d. Chloe: I almost bought another water bottle online, even though I have two reusable ones.

e. Chloe: The timer did. The discount looked small, but free shipping made me add more things.

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

Question 15:

Dear Store Manager,

I am writing to complain about the e-waste collection service at your electronics store.

a. When I asked a staff member, he said the box was full and told me to put the charger in the normal rubbish bin.

b. This made me concerned because old electronic items can release harmful materials if they are thrown away carelessly.

c. Last Saturday, I brought an old phone, a dead charger, and a broken tablet to your store for recycling.

d. I hope your store will empty the collection box more often and give customers clearer instructions.

e. However, the recycling box near the entrance was locked, dirty, and already filled with old batteries and cables.

I look forward to your reply.

Sincerely,

Noah

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

Question 16:

a. When we checked that shirt’s label, we found thin fabric and loose seams that were unlikely to last more than one season.

b. Fast fashion looks helpful when students need cheap clothes for a school event, but the low price hides another cost.

c. In the long run, buying fewer, better pieces and giving clothes away keeps useful material out of landfill.

d. That low price can turn a T-shirt bought for one photo into textile waste before it joins anyone’s real wardrobe.

e. Our class swap day showed a better choice: repair a loose button, choose second-hand jeans, or reuse a plain shirt with a new design.

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

Question 17:

a. The list showed that most waste was not caused by bad cooking, but by forgetting what was already in the fridge.

b. Because of that, we moved older food to the front shelf, used clear containers with dates, and planned one “leftover night” before shopping again.

c. In our house, food waste used to feel unavoidable because small amounts of rice, soup, or salad disappeared into the bin after dinner, even on busy weekdays.

d. Composting the rest helped, but it was only the final measure; using food while it was still good saved more resources and money.

e. For one week, my sister wrote down everything we threw away, from half a lemon to bread that had gone dry and a small box of noodles.

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

Green Food Beyond the Label

At lunch time, the school canteen was not crowded, but the food-waste bin was already full of rice, plastic sauce cups, and fruit peels. Seeing this, Ms Lan asked her students to test a simple idea: food is not automatically green because it carries a brown label or sits beside a leaf-shaped sign. The class looked at one meal from start to finish. The question was no longer about the label printed on the box; it was about (18) __________.

For the school fair, the class planned a lunch stall with fewer leftovers and shorter supply routes. (19) __________, the students found that the cheapest “eco” item was not always the least harmful. They chose vegetables (20) __________, then used carrot tops and slightly bruised tomatoes for soup. Instead of preparing identical large meals, they served smaller portions first, (21) __________.

The menu did not look like a campaign poster. It looked like normal food with better decisions behind it: rice from a nearby cooperative, soup made from usable scraps, and fruit served without extra wrapping. By the end of the day, the students understood that greener eating is not about buying perfect-looking products. It is about choosing food that is seasonal, fairly produced, and (22) __________.

Question 18:

A. a shelf design that encouraged quick choices rather than careful questions about waste

B. the calm colours that made shoppers trust the package before checking any evidence

C. naming local farmers to make the product seem more responsible and easier to sell

D. how carefully resources had been used before the food reached each student’s plate

Question 19:

A. By comparing only the label colours and advertised eco-certificates

B. After price, distance, and packaging were listed for display purposes

C. Having compared price, distance, and packaging for each ingredient

D. Once each ingredient had been praised for looking natural and fresh

Question 20:

A. grown on nearby farms and delivered in returnable crates instead of plastic bags

B. modern enough to make everyday meals look cleaner and more responsible online

C. carefully labelled so ordinary families can feel confident before checking its source

D. grown in certified farms but wrapped separately to make each portion look cleaner

Question 21:

A. because students had already finished every large meal before choosing soup that day

B. although students could request larger bowls after wasting less food at the fair

C. since students could ask for more later without throwing away untouched food

D. while students photographed bowls before deciding whether the lunch looked attractive

Question 22:

A. ordinary families can keep using it in everyday meals without extra pressure during busy weeks

B. keeping families practical enough to use everyday meals without extra pressure during busy weeks

C. for ordinary families to keep using it in meals without extra pressure during busy weeks

D. practical enough for ordinary families to keep using in their everyday meals without extra pressure

The Promise Written Before the Plan

The most confident sentence in the company report was also the most fragile: “We will reach net zero by 2035.” It sat beside a clean photograph of young trees and a factory roof touched by morning light. The promise sounded responsible, almost brave. Inside the company, though, no one was quite sure which machines would be replaced, which suppliers could change, or how the cost would be carried without quietly moving the problem elsewhere.

This is where greenwishing becomes more interesting than a simple lie. Greenwashing makes a business look cleaner than it really is. Greenhushing keeps useful environmental information too quiet. Greenwishing, by contrast, begins with a wish that may even feel sincere. A company wants to sound ambitious, so it sets a target before its plan has enough weight beneath it. The danger is not only dishonesty. It is the softer failure of hoping that good language will somehow become good action.

The pressure behind that failure is easy to understand. Customers want proof, investors want direction, employees want pride, and regulators increasingly expect clearer reporting. In that crowded room of expectations, a modest promise can look weak, while a bold one travels well across websites, speeches, and social media posts. Awareness has value because it pushes companies to treat climate and social risks as real business concerns. But when aspiration is packaged faster than capability, public concern is quietly turned into performance.

A fair response should not punish every company for admitting difficulty. Serious change is costly, technical, and often slower than a slogan allows. What deserves criticism is the habit of using future ambition to decorate present weakness. Better ESG reporting requires clear evidence, educated leadership, realistic pathways, and the courage to say what has not been solved. Only when companies do what they say and say what they do can green goals become more than polished wishes. Trust is not built by sounding ready. It is built by being accountable while still becoming ready.

[Adapted from https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/science/climate-issues/greenwashing]

Question 23: According to paragraph 2, how does "greenwishing" differ from "greenwashing"?

A. It involves keeping positive environmental data hidden from the public.

B. It is based on a deliberate lie rather than a lack of planning.

C. It often stems from a genuine desire to appear ambitious rather than pure deceit.

D. It focuses on immediate financial gain rather than long-term climate goals.

Question 24: The word “carried” in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to __________.

A. covered        B. lowered        C. recorded        D. shifted

Question 25: Which paragraph mentions a type of environmental promise that may begin sincerely but lacks enough practical support?

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

Question 26: The phrase “that failure” in paragraph 3 refers to the failure to __________.

A. turn impressive environmental language into real action.

B. keep useful environmental information completely private.

C. make customers accept weak climate goals more easily.

D. separate greenwashing from dishonest business reporting.

Question 27: Which of the following best paraphrases the underlined sentence in paragraph 3?

A. When companies present ambition before they can act on it, public concern becomes something they display.

B. When companies improve their ability quickly, public concern helps them avoid making public promises.

C. When businesses receive public pressure, they always develop stronger climate plans in response.

D. When companies use attractive language, customers no longer care about environmental action.

Question 28: Which paragraph mentions several groups whose expectations can push companies to make stronger public promises?

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

Question 29: According to paragraph 4, better ESG reporting requires all of the following EXCEPT __________.

A. clear evidence        B. educated leadership        C. realistic pathways        D. instant results

Question 30: The word “accountable” in paragraph 4 is OPPOSITE in meaning to __________.

A. irresponsible        B. uncertain        C. silent        D. unready

A boy selling cold drinks near the pier once thought the reef was only useful when tourists came with cameras. Bright fish meant boat trips, boat trips meant customers, and customers meant a better day for his family. Then one summer, the water looked warmer and strangely dull, and the guide who usually joked with visitors began asking them to stay farther from the coral. What had seemed like scenery was quietly becoming a warning.

Coral reefs protect more than holiday memories. They provide shelter for marine life, support fishing communities, and help reduce the force of waves before they reach the shore. Their value is easy to miss because much of their work happens beneath the surface. A healthy reef does not announce itself. It simply holds things together. Only when it weakens do people begin to notice how many small lives, jobs, and meals have depended on it.

[I] The damage is not caused by one careless swimmer or one plastic cup floating beside a boat. [II] Some awareness campaigns help because they explain why touching coral, throwing waste away near the sea, or buying seafood without asking questions may be harmful to the ecosystem. [III] But awareness becomes thin when suffering reefs are used only as dramatic images for quick sympathy. [IV] A sad photo may raise concern for a moment, yet it does not always prevent people from returning to the same wasteful habits.

A better approach begins before the reef looks ruined. Local rules can limit damaging activities, visitors can choose responsible tours, and communities can cut down on pollution before it reaches the water. These actions may not feel heroic, but conservation is rarely glamorous work. In the long run, protecting coral means treating the ocean not as a background for human pleasure, but as a living system that makes human life possible. The reef is not asking to be admired first. It is asking not to be used up.

[Adapted from https://coast.noaa.gov/]

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

Pollution, warmer water, coastal building, and unsustainable fishing can all have a harmful effect on coral.

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

Question 32: The word “What” in paragraph 1 refers to __________.

A. the guide’s warning to visitors near the coral        B. the boy’s work selling drinks near the pier

C. the reef that tourists once treated as scenery        D. the warmer water that appeared one summer

Question 33: The expression “holds things together” in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to __________.

A. keeps people from visiting the same place        B. makes the reef easier for tourists to see

C. stops all natural changes in the ocean        D. keeps a whole system working properly

Question 34: Which of the following best summarises paragraph 2?

A. Reefs quietly support marine life, coastal jobs, food sources, and shore protection before people notice their value.

B. Reefs are mainly important because they create beautiful holiday memories and attract visitors to coastal areas.

C. Reefs protect fishing communities only after storms have already damaged homes and food supplies near the shore.

D. Reefs are easy to value because their benefits are clearly visible above the surface every day.

Question 35: According to paragraph 3, coral reefs may be harmed by all of the following EXCEPT __________.

A. warmer water        B. coastal building        C. tourist photography        D. unsustainable fishing

Question 36: The word “thin” in paragraph 3 is OPPOSITE in meaning to __________.

A. serious        B. temporary        C. dramatic        D. emotional

Question 37: What can be inferred from paragraph 4 about effective coral protection?

A. It works best after the reef has become clearly damaged.

B. It depends mainly on heroic actions by individual visitors.

C. It should focus more on admiration than daily behaviour.

D. It requires early, practical action from several groups.

Question 38: Which of the following best paraphrases the underlined sentence in paragraph 4?

A. Coral protection matters because the ocean should remain a beautiful place where people can relax and take photos.

B. To protect coral properly, people must see the ocean as a life-supporting system rather than a setting for enjoyment.

C. Coral conservation succeeds when tourists understand that human pleasure and ocean protection are always the same goal.

D. To protect coral, communities should stop using the ocean for food, travel, or any form of human activity.

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

A. Tourism should be stopped completely because visitors always damage coral reefs.

B. Awareness campaigns are useless unless they avoid showing images of damaged reefs.

C. Coral protection requires people to move from short-lived concern to responsible habits.

D. Local communities benefit from reefs only when tourists continue taking boat trips.

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

A. Coral Reefs: More Than Tourist Attractions

B. Protecting Coral Reefs Through Better Tourist Behaviour

C. How Coral Damage Changes Coastal Tourism

D. The Power of Visual Campaigns in Coral Conservation