Read the text to answer question.

“A few light taps upon the pane made him turn to the window. It had begun to snow again. He watched sleepily the flakes, silver and dark, falling obliquely against the lamplight. The time had come for him to set out on his journey westward. Yes, the newspapers were right: snow was general all over Ireland. It was falling on every part of the dark central plain, on the treeless hills, falling softly upon the Bog of Allen and, farther westward, softly falling into the dark mutinous Shannon waves. It was falling, too, upon every part of the lonely churchyard on the hill where Michael Furey lay buried. It lay thickly drifted on the crooked crosses and headstones, on the spears of the little gate, on the barren thorns. His soul swooned slowly as he heard the snow falling faintly through the universe and faintly falling, like the descent of their last end, upon all the living and the dead.”

― James Joyce, Dubliners

INSTRUCTION: Read the following text to answer question. 

When life feels chaotic, less is more

    When the feeling of pandemonium takes over, our instinct is often to try to regain control through sweeping personal change. We’ll jump in with grand plans to overhaul our routines, transform our homes, or tackle every to-do we’ve neglected. But inevitably, when the enthusiasm fades, anxiety spirals further, or real life gets in the way, our plans fall apart.

    This cycle of starting big and stalling out leaves people feeling more discouraged than before. When we’re overwhelmed, our mental bandwidth is limited, and ambitious plans become just one more thing to manage. That’s where the magic of micro wins comes in. They might not look impressive or overtly ambitious, but they provide a sense of accomplishment, momentum (even pride?), and gradually shift our environment and mindset, especially during times of mass madness.

Source: https://time.com/7172611/little-winsbenefits-essay/

Accessed on November 13, 2024. [Adapted fragment]

(Available in: https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20240114-denmark-s-frederik-x-to-become-king-afterqueen-margrethe-s-abdication – text especially adapted for this test).

British troops move black rhinos to Malawi

British troops have helped to move a group of critically endangered black rhinos from South Africa to Malawi to protect them against poaching. Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion Royal Gurkha Rifles moved 17 of the animals, which are hunted for their horns, in the hope they can be better protected. They were transported by air and road from KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa to Liwonde National Park in Malawi.

The troops then spent three months training rangers to keep them safe. Major Jez England, the officer commanding the British Army counter-poaching team in Liwonde, said the operation had been “hugely successful”. “Not only do we share skills with the rangers, improving their efficiency and ability to patrol larger areas, but it also provides a unique opportunity for our soldiers to train in a challenging environment”, he said.

The UK government says it has committed more than £36m to tackle the illegal wildlife trade between 2014 and 2021. Part of this is to help support trans-boundary work to allow animals to move more safely between areas and across national borders.

(Site: BBC - adaptado.)