Read the text to answer the question. 

   The archetype of the classic witch is a cornerstone of global folklore and fiction, often depicted as a formidable and sinister antagonist. These figures are deeply embedded in collective storytelling, usually characterized by their malevolent intentions towards protagonists, especially innocent children or virtuous heroes. Their narrative role is fundamentally to embody the forces of darkness, chaos, or forbidden knowledge, creating a clear moral contrast and a formidable obstacle for the main characters to overcome. From European fairy tales to modern pop culture, the classic witch serves as a powerful symbol of fear and the supernatural.

    Physically, the traditional witch is frequently described as an old, haggard woman with exaggeratedly ugly features, which visually symbolizes her inner corruption and alienation from societal norms. Common traits include a long, hooked nose, warts, disheveled gray hair, and crooked fingers. She is typically clothed in dark, ragged robes and a pointed, wide-brimmed hat, an image popularized and solidified by Western media. This distinct and fearsome appearance is designed to evoke immediate unease and signal her dangerous nature to the audience.

   The classic witch's power is intrinsically linked to specific magical tools and practices. The bubbling cauldron is her quintessential instrument, used for brewing potent potions, casting spells, and concocting mysterious elixirs. Her magic often involves ancient books ofspells, enchanted mirrors that show more than mere reflections, and the command over supernatural familiars like black cats, crows, or toads. These elements are not just props; they are extensions of her will and the sources of her power, which she uses to curse, transform, or deceive those who cross her path.

This archetype finds vivid expression in some of the most famous villains of literature and film. The Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz menaces Dorothy with her command over flying monkeys and her thirst for revenge. The Evil Queen from Snow White, obsessed with being the "fairest of them all," uses a poisoned apple in her deadly scheme. Similarly, Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty is a figure of pure vengeance, cursing an infant princess to a sleep-like death. Beyond Anglo-American tales, other cultures have their own versions, such as Brazil's Cuca, a child-eating alligator-witch from Sítio do Picapau Amarelo.

   However, the portrayal of the witch is not monolithic and has evolved to include more nuanced or comedic figures. In the Mexican sitcom El Chavo del Ocho, Doña Clotilde, nicknamed "La Bruja del 71," is a neighborhood eccentric whose witch persona is more a source of gossip and lighthearted fear than genuine evil. Furthermore, modern narratives like the film Hocus Pocus present the Sanderson sisters as a blend of the classic tropes—complete with spell books and a thirst for youth—but with a comedic and less terrifying demeanor, showcasing the adaptability and enduring fascination with this iconic character type. 

Reading Comprehension

Modern supermarkets

Many of the major supermarket chains have come under fire with accusations of various unethical acts over the past decade. They’ve wasted loads of food, they’ve underpaid their suppliers and they’ve contributed to excessive plastic waste in their packaging, which has had its impact on our environment.

But supermarkets and grocers are starting to sit up and take notice. In response to growing consumer backlash against the huge amounts of plastic waste generated by plastic packaging, some of the largest UK supermarkets have signed up to a pact promising to transform packaging and cut plastic wastage. In a pledge to reuse, recycle or compost all plastic wastage by 2025, supermarkets are now beginning to take some responsibility for the part they play in contributing to the damage to our environment, with one major supermarket announcing their plan to eliminate all plastic packaging in their own-brand products by 2023.

In response to criticisms over food waste, some supermarkets are donating some of their food surplus. However, charities estimate that they are only accessing two per cent of supermarkets’ total food surplus, so this hardly seems to be solving the problem. Some say that supermarkets are simply not doing enough. Most supermarkets operate under a veil of secrecy when asked for exact figures of food wastage, and without more transparency it is hard to come up with a systematic approach to avoiding waste and to redistributing surplus food.

Some smaller companies are now taking matters into their own hands and offering consumers a greener, more environmentally friendly option. Shops like Berlin’s Original Unverpakt and London’s Bulk Market are plastic-free shops that have opened in recent years, encouraging customers to use their own containers or compostable bags. Online grocer Farmdrop eliminates the need for large warehouses and the risk of huge food surplus by delivering fresh produce from local farmers to its customers on a daily basis via electric cars, offering farmers the lion’s share of the retail price.

There is no doubt that we still have a long way to go in reducing food waste and plastic waste. But perhaps the major supermarkets might take inspiration from these smaller grocers and gradually move towards a more sustainable future for us all.

(adapted from www.britishcouncil.org)

Space power: The dream of beaming solar energy from orbit 

(Available at: www.bbc.com/future/article/20251029-the-beam-dream-should-we-build-solar-farms-in-space– 

text specially adapted for this test). 

Read the text below and answer question

Plan to test Liberian schoolchildren for drugs blocked

October 17th, 2025

By Moses Kollie Garzeawu

Monrovia, Liberia, Africa

Liberia's Education Ministry has blocked controversial plans to introduce mandatory drug testing in all of the country's schools.

Speaking to local media, the interim head of the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA), Fitzgerald Biago, said school testing would help address the growing problem of drug abuse.

The announcement sparked a mixed response. Some thought it would help tackle the scourge of drugs, while others saw it as an invasion of privacy, or feared it would cost too much.

Last year, President Joseph Boakai declared drug and substance abuse a national emergency and a recent EU-backed report estimated that one in five young Liberians take drugs.

However, the Education Ministry said it was not aware of any plans to test students and added that such a decision needed to be based on concrete evidence and properly thought through.

Assistant minister in charge of students Sona Toure-Sesay told the BBC that this kind of plan required proper research. "Let's assume we are made aware of the proposed initiatives by the LDEA, it will require us to conduct research and review case studies from other countries where this has been successful," she said.  

Toure-Sesay also noted that testing could affect students. "What happens to students who test positive? What are the social services in place for them? Some of them might be bullied even after returning, and it may affect their overall educational performances."

She added that a multi-sectoral committee on drug and substance abuse had been set up, headed by the Health Ministry. Along with strengthening health clubs in schools, she said that this would help to reduce the prevalence of drugs among students.

President Boakai dismissed the leadership of the LDEA in August this year, and recently appointed Biago, a former senior police officer, as interim head of the agency.

Taken from:

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0mxz3x1lr7o