Đề thi thử ĐGNL ĐHQG TP.HCM năm 2026 - Tiếng Anh

A former teacher, Butler, wanted a change in her life. After many years of working in the U.S., she dreamed of living somewhere quiet, peaceful, and affordable. She discovered Latronico, a small mountain village in southern Italy’s Basilicata region. There, she was able to buy a charming old house at a very low price compared to what she would pay in a big city. For her, this was the beginning of a new chapter filled with hope and peace.

Buying the house was easier than she had expected. Latronico has a special program called “La Tua Casa a Latronico” (Your Home in Latronico). The program helps people purchase and restore empty houses that once belonged to families who moved away. This made the process simple and welcoming for newcomers. It is part of a wider trend across Italy, where small towns invite people to settle and stop villages from becoming empty.

After moving in, Butler began to work on her house. Many of these old houses need improvements, and hers was no different. She fixed the floors, painted the walls, and hired local workers to upgrade the kitchen and bathrooms. With each improvement, the house felt more like home. She enjoyed the process because it allowed her to be creative while also supporting local workers. In this way, she was not just fixing her house but also joining the community.

Life in Latronico soon became more than just home renovations. She loved walking through the quiet streets, greeting neighbors, and visiting small shops. People in the village were warm and friendly, making her feel part of the community very quickly. Simple moments – like buying bread at the bakery or sitting in the town square – became joyful experiences. She felt that her new life was slower, healthier, and more connected compared to her old stressful, fast-paced city life. Her story shows how affordable housing programs can give people a second chance.

Climate change is making the world’s weather more extreme. Scientists say that regions with hotter air can hold more water, and warmer seas give storms extra strength. This means storms today are often stronger, wetter, and more dangerous than those in the past. These changes are not just predictions for the future - they are already happening and affecting millions of people.

One big effect is the increase in rainfall and flooding. Typhoons no longer bring only strong winds; they now dump record amounts of water. In 2023, Typhoon Haikui hit Taiwan and later Hong Kong, where it caused the heaviest rainfall in 140 years. Streets, subways, and homes were flooded, and daily life was stopped for many people. This shows how climate change turns storms into water disasters, especially in crowded cities that do not have strong drainage systems.

Another effect is that typhoons now cause more economic damage. The bigger and more developed cities are, the more expensive it is to repair. Typhoon Doksuri in 2023 is a clear example. It flooded Beijing and other parts of China, destroying homes and farmland. The cost reached more than 28 billion dollars, making it the most expensive typhoon in China’s history. Climate change makes such storms more frequent, and urban growth makes the damage higher, a dangerous mix for modern societies.

A third effect is that storms are stronger than they would be due to climate change. In 2024, scientists studied Typhoon Gaemi and found that its winds were about 9 mph stronger and rainfall 14% heavier because of hotter oceans. They also said climate change made storms like Gaemi 30% more likely. This proves climate change is not just a background factor; it directly increases the power of storms.

Finally, climate change is making typhoons intensify faster, which gives people less time to prepare. In 2025, Typhoon Kajiki grew very quickly before striking Vietnam. Nearly 600,000 people had to evacuate, and many cities, including Hanoi, were badly flooded. This rapid growth shows how climate change makes storms more dangerous by reducing warning time.

Countries now need stronger plans, better evacuation systems, and more climate action to protect people in the years ahead.