This text below is for the following questions

Alexa
I’m curious about your thoughts on whether it’s better to have daycare close to home or work. My
dilemma is if I choose one close to work, on my days off, I still need to drive 30 minutes each way
for drop-off and pick-up. If I choose a daycare close to home, that resolves this issue, but if I leave
work late or get stuck in traffic, I might struggle to make it in time before they close. Anyone else
in a similar situation?

Rosalina
I think it’s up to you. If you trust a friend or relative nearby, you can sign them up to pick up your
kids if you’re stuck in traffic or delayed.

Nadine
A daycare closer to home is good, but closer to your workplace is somewhat better. If you stay late,
you’re already nearby to pick them up, and you can reach them faster in emergencies. Just sharing!

Sammy
Close to home! As they grow, they’ll be invited to birthday parties and local friends are more
convenient for playdates. You’ll likely build relationships with other local parents, which can be
helpful. Also, some kids may end up at the same primary school, and you’d avoid long drives. Your
job location might change, too, so local is always a good choice.

Alfan
That’s why I always choose to live close to my workplace.

Edgar
We had this debate recently as we’ll need daycare next year. The consensus was close to home.
With both of us working from home part-time, it would be a hassle to take them far. It only makes
sense to choose near work if you’re physically there on the daycare days.

1. Who said that a daycare near the workplace was more convenient?
A. Rosalina
B. Nadine
C. Sammy
D. Alfan
E. Edgar

2. Which of the following issues is stated at the beginning of the thread?

A. Choosing a daycare close to home or work
 B. Offering some advice on how to pick a daycare
C. Selecting a daycare based on the services it offers
D. Choosing a daycare close to home to avoid the traffic
E. Finding a daycare the provides a pick-up service for children

3. Who suggested to choose a daycare close to home by giving detailed scenarios?

A. Rosalina
B. Nadine
C. Sammy
D. Alfan
E. Edgar

4. Nadine responds to Alexa’s post in order to…

A. Emphasize the importance of having friends to pick up
B. Suggest that daycare should be chosen based on proximity to school
C. Recommend daycare close to home for convenience
D. Suggest choosing a daycare close to work so that she/he can be late
E. Argue that daycare close to work allows more flexibilities

5. Who posted the most irrelevant response to Alexa?

A. Rosalina
B. Nadine
C. Sammy
D. Alfan
E. Edgar

6. What is the tone of the thread?

A. Supportive
B. Indifferent
C. Optimistic
D. Defensive
E. Critical
The texts below are for the following question

Text 1

Do you know why Japanese mayonnaise tastes so much better than the regular kind?
According to a local R&D chef, that is because it has MSG. Do you get nausea, heart palpitations,
headaches, numbness or excessive thirst after a meal? That is apparently the MSG having its
devious ways with you. I also found out recently the flavor enhancer has the same repelling effect
on chefs and private dining cooks as garlic on vampires.

My emails and Direct Messages about MSG, however, went largely rejected or
unanswered. Crowdsourcing responses through foodie colleagues and friends elicited the same
results. Many Chinese and Peranakan cooks use it, but they will never admit it.

The origin story of the flavor enhancer can be traced to a Japanese professor in 1907.
MSG or monosodium glutamate is not derived from combining specific levels of chemicals in
the lab, despite its very technical name. Rather, MSG is extracted from a fermented tapioca broth,
then heated and dried from crystals. In some cases, other plant ingredients such as beets,
sugarcane or corn may be used instead. MSG is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, which is a
naturally occurring amino acid. Even if you do not add MSG to your cooking, it is already
naturally present in many foods. MSG activates umami taste receptors on the tongue. It explains
why cooks treasure the liquid in which dried shiitake mushrooms or seaweed has been soaked
in, or why everything tastes better with cheese.

Text 2

The criticism of MSG goes way back into the past. It might have begun in the US when
the “Chinese Restaurant Syndrome” was coined by, ironically, a Chinese doctor and researcher.
In the late 1960s, following reports that people had bad reactions to food in Chinese restaurants,
MSG was suggested to be the cause. The use of MSG created a cultural fear and backlash against
American Chinese food. This still persists to some degree to this day.

The studies conducted around those times were “biased” and had methodological flaws
and small sample sizes. However, people still believed that the findings of the study were
accurate. After numerous years of better-quality clinical studied, international food safety
organizations have now considered MSG to be safe.
 Many chefs may avoid admitting its use because they want to maintain a perception of
using only ’natural’ ingredients. However, there has been a sea change in the culinary scene.
American chefs make no bones about proclaiming their love of MSG. The white stuff is like the
cook’s cheat code to level up a dish’s umami-ness without overlong flavor-extraction processes.

7. According to Text 1, MSG is…

A. Can be derived from tapioca, beets, sugar cane or corn
B. Can be obtained from extremely wet seaweed
C. Is produced by combining some chemicals
D. Is made from shiitake mushrooms
E. Can be soaked in liquid

8. Which of the following is the best main idea of Text 1?

A. While so many people think MSG can cause health problems, it is actually made from
natural substances that can enhance food estate
B. MSG is avoided because it dan activate umami taste receptors on the tongue and makes
the food delicious
C. Chefs and private cooks like MSG very much because it is made from natural ingredients
D. MSG actually exists in all food because it is made from natural ingredients
E. Although MSG is made from natural ingredients, it is better to stop using it

9. The expression “the flavor enhancer” in text 1 paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to…
A. Food stabilizer
B. Taste booster
C. Food coloring
D. Preservative
E. Supplement

10. According to the text, the purpose of conducting clinical studies on MSG is to...
A. Persuade people to use MSG
B. Parents are always eager in talk about children as individuals Counter the information
provided by the Chinese doctor
C. Help international food organization find the best food umami
D. Find out whether or not it is secure to add MSG on food
 E. Improve the quality of MSG

11. Which of the following is the best synthesis of the two texts?
A. MSG can be extracted from the dried shiitake mushroom, so many chefs consider its use
B. MSG is made from natural ingredients and studies have shown that it is safe to add on
food; so many chefs have no more fear of proclaiming their use of MSG.
C. Since MSG can cause nausea, heart palpitations, headaches, numbness or excessive
thirst after meal, it is now replaced by vegetables such as mushrooms or seaweed by
most chefs.
D. Since MSG is made from a fermented tapioca broth, it has been declared safe to be used
in food; therefore, the number of people using it increase significantly.
E. MSG is made from chemical substances, therefore, many chefs do not want to mention
that they use it.

12. Which of the following best restates the sentence ”The use of MSG created a cultural fear
and backlash against American-Chinese food” in text 2 paragraph 1?
A. Massive reactions to support American Chinese food happened due to the use of MSG.
B. A culture of fear was created to stop American Chinese reastaurants adding MSG on
their food.
C. There was fear of using MSG and it created a lot of tension to food in American Chinese
restaurants.
D. Because of the use of MSG, a painful agitation as well as strong and adverse reaction
toward American Chinese food happened.
E. American Chinese restaurants were asked to respond to the reactions and fear that
occurred in society because of the use of MSG in their food.

13. Which of the following statements from text 2 shows the author’s positive attitude toward
MSG?
A. This still persist to some degree to this day (Paragraph 1)
B. However, people still believed that the findings of the study were accurate (Paragraph
2)
C. Many chefs may avoid admitting its use because they want to maintain a perception of
using only natural ingredients (Paragraph 3)
D. However, there has been a sea change in the culinary scene (Paragraph 3)
 E. The white stuff is like the cook’s cheat code to level up a dish’s umaminess without
overlong flavor-extraction process (Paragraph 3)

The texts below are for the following question

Text 1 (Capacitors and Perovskite Nanosheets)

Researchers have found a new way to store energy that is important for using renewable
energy and making more electric cars. The current method, like lithium-ion batteries, takes a long
time to charge and has issues like breaking down over time and even catching fire.

One good alternative is the use of dielectric energy storage capacitors. These capacitors
are made of two metal plates with a special film in between. When electricity is applied, the film
stores energy. Capacitors can charge quickly and last a long time, but they do not store as much
energy as needed. To improve this, researchers need to find materials that can handle a higher
electric field.

The researchers used layers of nanosheets made of special materials with a structure
known as perovskite. This structure is great for storing energy. By using these materials, they
were able to store a lot more energy.

Their new capacitor was tested and showed that it could store 10 to 100 times more
energy than before. It also stayed stable even after many uses and at high temperatures. This
discovery could lead to better energy storage devices that are fast-charging, long-lasting, and
work well in high temperatures. The new capacitors could be used in electric cars, powerful
machines, and devices that need quick bursts of energy.

Text 2 (Perovskite Materials in Energy Storage)

Perovskite materials are known for their excellent ability to store electrical energy,
making them ideal for use in capacitors. These devices hold and release energy, and perovskites
can be customized with different elements to enhance their performance. This makes them
superior to older materials because they can store more energy and remain stable.

A major benefit of perovskite materials is their effectiveness even when very thin,
which is useful for creating smaller electronic devices. They also maintain stability at high
temperatures, allowing them to be used in a wide range of electronics without issues.
 Recently, scientists have developed a new type of perovskite materials called
nanosheets. These nanosheets are ultra-thin layers made from elements like calcium and oxygen.
They are particularly good at storing energy, resulting in capacitors that can hold more energy,
charge quickly, and perform well at high temperatures.

This nanosheet technology could lead to significant advancements in renewable energy

systems and electric vehicles. These capacitors can release energy quickly, which is beneficial
for devices that need a lot of power in a short time. As research progresses, these perovskite
nanosheets could help create more efficient and effective energy storage solutions.

14. According to Text 1, what is the advantage of using perovskite nanosheets as the dielectric
materials in capacitors?
A. The capacitors still perform well even when operating at high temperatures.
B. The capacitors can store more layers of dielectric materials at high temperatures.
C. The dielectric layers in the capacitors will easily break down over time operations.
D. The capacitors will resemble a lithium battery that serves as a source of electrical energy.
E. The charging time of the capacitors will become longer, especially during repeated
operations.

15. The word “they” in Text 2 Paragraph 3 refers to...

A. Calcium and oxygen
B. Capacitors
C. Elements
D. Scientists
E. These nanonsheets

16. Information regarding the positive aspects of using perovskite nanosheets as dielectric
materials in capacitors can be found in...
A. Text 1 Paragraph 1 and Text 2 Paragraph 1
B. Text 1 Paragraph 1 and Text 2 Paragraph 2
C. Text 1 Paragraph 3 and Text 2 Paragraph 3
D. Text 1 Paragraph 4 and Text 2 Paragraph 1
E. Text 1 Paragraph 4 and Text 2 Paragraph 4
17. What is the relationship between Text 1 and Text 2?
A. Text 1 compares the performance of capacitors using the materials elaborated in Text 2
B. Text 1 discusses the modification of lithium batteries using materials described in Text 2
C. Text 1 explains the innovation of capacitors using the material whose function is
described in Text 2
D. Both texts outline the use of perovskite dielectric capacitors to replace lithium batteries
as energy storage
E. Both texts highlight the improvement of capacitors and lithium batteries using nanosheet
dielectric materials

18. Based on the two texts, which of the following will most likely happen in the future?
A. Scientists will discover new crystal structures of perovskite materials to be applied as
capacitors and electrical energy storage
B. Capacitors with perovskite nanosheet dielectric materials will be combined with lithium
batteries to achieve large-capacity electrical energy storage
C. Lithium batteries with perovskite-type dielectric nanosheet materials will replace
capacitors for efficiently and high-density storing electrical energy
D. Capacitors with perovskite nanosheet dielectric materials will be widely used for storing
electrical energy due to their excellent performance
E. The researchers will develop a new dielectric material that performs well at low
operating temperatures for electrical energy storage

19. Based on Text 1 and Text 2, which of the following recommendations is appropriate to be
implemented?
A. Perovskite-type dielectric materials should not be used in capacitor systems due to
operational instability at high temperatures
B. Nanosheet dielectric from perovskite materials should be used in capacitor systems to
enhance electrical energy storage performance
C. Lithium-ion batteries should be used in electric cars due to some operational advantages
D. Perovskite-based electrode material in lithium batteries should not be utilized for
increasing the efficiency of electrical energy storage
E. Nanosheet technology should be integrated to improve the efficiency of renewable
energy system