39.
(A) hence


(B) although


(C) due to


(D) as

40. (A) shiver (B) shrink (C) shun (D) shed Part IV: Reading Comprehension (20%) Choose the best answer for each question. Passage A: Questions 41-44 (Adapted from "Is Modern Food Making Us Sick?" by Idil Karsit, CNBC) More than half of the calories consumed in an average household in the US or UK comes from ultra-processed foods (UPFs). Consumption is already high in the developed world and rapidly increasing in developing countries. However, recent scientific studies have linked eating UPF with serious health issues like diabetes, obesity, and even cancer. Although current studies cannot prove causation, experts believe reducing UPF in a diet is essential for overall well-being. "Eating this stuff regularly, every single day, every meal, accumulating all these chemicals in our body, they make us overeat by 25%," said Tim Spector, a professor of epidemiology at King's College London and the co-founder of ZOE—a personalized nutrition app. "Most of the ultra-processed food that you find are higher in salt, fat and sugar. They are designed extremely tasty, they're ready to eat and they are aggressively marketed, especially to children", Dr. Kiara Chang of Imperial College London noted. In the UK, where 1 in 4 people are obese, there are growing calls for the food industry and the government to act and offer healthier options to the population. The $128 billion British food and beverage industry is the largest manufacturing sector in the country, employing more than 400,000 people. "We are calling for food sector companies to report a set of health and sustainability metrics that would be on a mandatory basis," said Sophie Lawrence, who leads a group of investors called the Investor Coalition for Food Policy, managing assets worth $7 trillion. "We need to make sure that the government and businesses are acting to actually change the food environment people are living in," said Rebecca Tobi, senior business and investment manager at the Food Foundation.

41. Which statement best captures the author's overall position on UPFs? (A) UPF consumption has definitively been shown to cause multiple chronic diseases. (B) UPF consumption is widespread and economically important, making regulation unrealistic. (C) While causation has not been proven, the accumulating evidence and expert opinion justify efforts to reduce UPF consumption. (D) The responsibility for reducing UPF consumption lies with individual consumer choice.

42. How do the quotations from Spector and Chang function together in the passage? (A) They present competing scientific explanations for the rise of obesity. (B) They connect physiological effects of UPF with the way such foods are engineered and marketed. (C) They contrast academic research with public health policy concerns. (D) They shift the focus of the passage from health outcomes to economic interests.

43. Based on the final two paragraphs, which of the following can most reasonably be inferred about proposed solutions to the UPF problem in the UK? (A) Experts believe that voluntary changes by consumers will be sufficient. (B) There is growing support for industry-level accountability enforced through government action. (C) Investors oppose government regulation due to economic risks. (D) The food industry has already implemented comprehensive health reforms.

44. Why does the author include detailed figures about the size and employment impact of the British food and beverage industry? (A) To argue that economic growth should take priority over public health concerns (B) To explain why the food industry resists changes to its production practices (C) To demonstrate that the food industry is more influential than the government (D) To highlight the structural and political challenges involved in reforming the food system Passage B: Questions 45-47 (Adapted from "Japan PM Joins Fight for More Female Toilets in Parliament" by Kelly Ng, BBC) Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is among some 60 female lawmakers petitioning for more women's toilets in the parliament building to match their growing representation in the legislature. A record 73 women were elected into the 465-seat Lower House in October 2024, exceeding the previous high of 54 in 2009. One opposition lawmaker, Yasuko Komiyama, said there were often "long queues in front of the restroom... before plenary sessions start." There is one female toilet with two cubicles near the plenary chamber, though the entire building itself has nine female toilets with 22 cubicles. On the contrary, there are a total of 12 men's toilets with 67 stalls and urinals across the building. The current situation is "often inconvenient" because female staff and visitors also share the toilets, said Ms. Komiyama from the opposition Constitutional Democratic Party. "I want to raise my voice and prepare myself for the day when women hold more than 30% of [parliamentary seats] in the future," she wrote in a post on Facebook. Japan's parliament building was built in 1936, a decade before women were given the right to vote in 1945. The first women were appointed to parliament in 1946. "If the administration is serious about promoting women's empowerment, I believe we can count on their understanding and cooperation," Komiyama said. Chair of the Lower House committee Yasukazu Hamada has "expressed a willingness" to consider the proposal for more women's toilets. The Japanese government earlier set a target of having 30% of leadership roles across all sectors of society held by women by 2020, but at the end of that year the timeframe was quietly pushed back by a decade. Women currently hold nearly 16% of the seats in the Lower House and about a third—or 42 out of 125 seats—in the Upper House. Takaichi, who became Japan's first female leader in October 2025, had pledged to raise female representation in her cabinet to levels comparable to Nordic countries, which hold the top spots in terms of female leadership. But she has appointed just two other women to her 19-member cabinet. In Japan, the dearth of women's restrooms extends beyond the legislative chamber. Long lines in front of women's public restrooms are a common sight nationwide. Former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba had said his government would look into "enhancing women's restroom facilities" to make Japan a society where "women can live their lives with peace of mind."

45. What problem does the passage primarily highlight regarding Japan's parliament building? - (A) The building is too old to accommodate modern facilities. - (B) The number of women elected has exceeded legal limits. - (C) Women's growing political representation is not matched by adequate facilities. - (D) Male lawmakers receive preferential treatment in committee assignments.

46. In the final paragraph, the phrase "the dearth of women's restrooms" most nearly means _____. - (A) the gradual improvement of women's restrooms - (B) the uneven distribution of women's restrooms - (C) the temporary closure of women's restrooms - (D) the severe lack of women's restrooms

47. Which of the following can most reasonably be inferred from the passage about government commitments to gender equality? - (A) Symbolic commitments to gender equality have not always been followed by concrete action. - (B) Public infrastructure reforms have progressed faster than political reforms. - (C) Official targets for women's representation have been met ahead of schedule. - (D) Increased female representation has eliminated practical barriers for women in politics. Passage C: Questions 48-50 (Adapted from "Proposed Reproductive Rules Advanced" by Chia-yu Hou and Jake Chung, The Taipei Times) Proposed amendments to the Assisted Reproduction Act advanced yesterday by the Executive Yuan would grant married lesbian couples and single women access to legal assisted reproductive services. The proposed revisions are "based on the fundamental principle of respecting women's reproductive autonomy," Cabinet spokesperson Michelle Lee quoted Vice Premier Li-chiun Cheng, who presided over a Cabinet meeting earlier yesterday, as saying at the briefing. The draft amendment would be submitted to the legislature for review. The Ministry of Health and Welfare, which proposed the amendments, said that experts on children's rights, gender equality, law, and medicine attended cross-disciplinary meetings, adding that the draft amendment, first announced in July, underwent changes after feedback was submitted. The amendment would address assisted reproduction quality, expand licensing and authorization, and enforce regulatory compliance, enabling facilities to adapt management methodologies to evolving technology, it said. All assisted reproduction facilities must implement policies to inform patients and obtain their agreement for all surgeries or invasive treatments, as well as enforcing regulations on the donation, preservation and use of sperm, oocytes and embryos, the proposed amendments say. All potential candidates for assisted reproduction must undergo assessment by central government-designated professional facilities regarding whether they would be adequate parents, they say. The assessment is a required procedure for heterosexual and same-sex couples, as well as single women, said Yu-hsuan Lin, head of the Health Promotion Administration's (HPA) Women's and Children's Health Division. To avoid conflicts of interest, the assessment cannot be conducted by the facility and must be carried out by an independent, professional third party, Lin said, adding that the government is compiling a list of such agencies. Facilities providing assisted reproduction services must wait until the assessment is completed and approved before proceeding to help ensure that children would grow up in a stable, safe environment. To balance privacy rights and the rights of children, those who are born from assisted reproduction procedures can apply to see the donor's blood type and nationality. If they require organ transplants due to hereditary disorders, the name and contact information of the donors can be obtained. With a donor's agreement, such people—when they reach the age of majority—would also be able to access information about the donor that was provided voluntarily.

48. What is the primary purpose of the proposed amendments to the Assisted Reproduction Act? - (A) To remove government oversight of assisted reproductive services. - (B) To expand legal access to assisted reproductive services while strengthening regulation. - (C) To prioritize children's rights over women's reproductive autonomy. - (D) To limit assisted reproductive services to married heterosexual couples.

49. According to the passage, why are assessments by independent professional facilities required before assisted reproduction procedures can proceed? - (A) To reduce the cost of assisted reproduction services. - (B) To prevent assisted reproduction facilities from expanding too rapidly. - (C) To help ensure that children are raised in a stable and safe environment. - (D) To determine donors' eligibility to participate in reproductive programs.

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