Làm thử Đề thi thử tốt nghiệp THPT · Tiếng Anh · Đề 085

Question 16. a. As a young ranger, he walked for days through the forest just to track a single herd.
b. Because of his efforts, the elephant population in the reserve has slowly begun to recover.
c. Dr. Tran Minh has spent the last twenty years protecting elephants in a national park.
d. He later trained local villagers to spot signs of poaching before any damage was done.
e. His work shows that patience and cooperation with local communities can save a species.

Very few insects affect our daily lives as much as the honeybee, yet most people rarely think about them beyond the occasional sting. Bees pollinate roughly a third of the crops we eat, carrying pollen from flower to flower as they search for nectar. Without this quiet, unpaid labour, supermarket shelves would look very different, with far fewer fruits, vegetables, and nuts available. In many countries, the honeybee has become an unlikely symbol of environmental health, since a landscape with fewer bees usually signals a landscape in trouble.

A single bee can visit several hundred flowers in one trip, transferring tiny grains of pollen each time it lands. This constant movement between flowers allows plants to reproduce and produce the seeds and fruit that humans and animals both depend on. Farmers who grow almonds, apples, and strawberries often rent hives from beekeepers during flowering season, moving them from field to field so that every crop receives enough visits from bees.

Governments, farmers, and ordinary citizens have begun responding to the crisis. Some countries have restricted the pesticides most harmful to bees, while cities have planted wildflower strips along roads and in parks to give bees more places to feed. Even small actions, such as leaving a patch of garden unmown, can provide valuable habitat. Researchers are cautiously hopeful that, with enough public support, bee populations can recover before the damage becomes irreversible.

Very few insects affect our daily lives as much as the honeybee, yet most people rarely think about them beyond the occasional sting. Bees pollinate roughly a third of the crops we eat, carrying pollen from flower to flower as they search for nectar. Without this quiet, unpaid labour, supermarket shelves would look very different, with far fewer fruits, vegetables, and nuts available. In many countries, the honeybee has become an unlikely symbol of environmental health, since a landscape with fewer bees usually signals a landscape in trouble.

A single bee can visit several hundred flowers in one trip, transferring tiny grains of pollen each time it lands. This constant movement between flowers allows plants to reproduce and produce the seeds and fruit that humans and animals both depend on. Farmers who grow almonds, apples, and strawberries often rent hives from beekeepers during flowering season, moving them from field to field so that every crop receives enough visits from bees.

Governments, farmers, and ordinary citizens have begun responding to the crisis. Some countries have restricted the pesticides most harmful to bees, while cities have planted wildflower strips along roads and in parks to give bees more places to feed. Even small actions, such as leaving a patch of garden unmown, can provide valuable habitat. Researchers are cautiously hopeful that, with enough public support, bee populations can recover before the damage becomes irreversible.

Very few insects affect our daily lives as much as the honeybee, yet most people rarely think about them beyond the occasional sting. Bees pollinate roughly a third of the crops we eat, carrying pollen from flower to flower as they search for nectar. Without this quiet, unpaid labour, supermarket shelves would look very different, with far fewer fruits, vegetables, and nuts available. In many countries, the honeybee has become an unlikely symbol of environmental health, since a landscape with fewer bees usually signals a landscape in trouble.

A single bee can visit several hundred flowers in one trip, transferring tiny grains of pollen each time it lands. This constant movement between flowers allows plants to reproduce and produce the seeds and fruit that humans and animals both depend on. Farmers who grow almonds, apples, and strawberries often rent hives from beekeepers during flowering season, moving them from field to field so that every crop receives enough visits from bees.

Governments, farmers, and ordinary citizens have begun responding to the crisis. Some countries have restricted the pesticides most harmful to bees, while cities have planted wildflower strips along roads and in parks to give bees more places to feed. Even small actions, such as leaving a patch of garden unmown, can provide valuable habitat. Researchers are cautiously hopeful that, with enough public support, bee populations can recover before the damage becomes irreversible.

Very few insects affect our daily lives as much as the honeybee, yet most people rarely think about them beyond the occasional sting. Bees pollinate roughly a third of the crops we eat, carrying pollen from flower to flower as they search for nectar. Without this quiet, unpaid labour, supermarket shelves would look very different, with far fewer fruits, vegetables, and nuts available. In many countries, the honeybee has become an unlikely symbol of environmental health, since a landscape with fewer bees usually signals a landscape in trouble.

A single bee can visit several hundred flowers in one trip, transferring tiny grains of pollen each time it lands. This constant movement between flowers allows plants to reproduce and produce the seeds and fruit that humans and animals both depend on. Farmers who grow almonds, apples, and strawberries often rent hives from beekeepers during flowering season, moving them from field to field so that every crop receives enough visits from bees.

Governments, farmers, and ordinary citizens have begun responding to the crisis. Some countries have restricted the pesticides most harmful to bees, while cities have planted wildflower strips along roads and in parks to give bees more places to feed. Even small actions, such as leaving a patch of garden unmown, can provide valuable habitat. Researchers are cautiously hopeful that, with enough public support, bee populations can recover before the damage becomes irreversible.

Very few insects affect our daily lives as much as the honeybee, yet most people rarely think about them beyond the occasional sting. Bees pollinate roughly a third of the crops we eat, carrying pollen from flower to flower as they search for nectar. Without this quiet, unpaid labour, supermarket shelves would look very different, with far fewer fruits, vegetables, and nuts available. In many countries, the honeybee has become an unlikely symbol of environmental health, since a landscape with fewer bees usually signals a landscape in trouble.

A single bee can visit several hundred flowers in one trip, transferring tiny grains of pollen each time it lands. This constant movement between flowers allows plants to reproduce and produce the seeds and fruit that humans and animals both depend on. Farmers who grow almonds, apples, and strawberries often rent hives from beekeepers during flowering season, moving them from field to field so that every crop receives enough visits from bees.

Governments, farmers, and ordinary citizens have begun responding to the crisis. Some countries have restricted the pesticides most harmful to bees, while cities have planted wildflower strips along roads and in parks to give bees more places to feed. Even small actions, such as leaving a patch of garden unmown, can provide valuable habitat. Researchers are cautiously hopeful that, with enough public support, bee populations can recover before the damage becomes irreversible.

Very few insects affect our daily lives as much as the honeybee, yet most people rarely think about them beyond the occasional sting. Bees pollinate roughly a third of the crops we eat, carrying pollen from flower to flower as they search for nectar. Without this quiet, unpaid labour, supermarket shelves would look very different, with far fewer fruits, vegetables, and nuts available. In many countries, the honeybee has become an unlikely symbol of environmental health, since a landscape with fewer bees usually signals a landscape in trouble.

A single bee can visit several hundred flowers in one trip, transferring tiny grains of pollen each time it lands. This constant movement between flowers allows plants to reproduce and produce the seeds and fruit that humans and animals both depend on. Farmers who grow almonds, apples, and strawberries often rent hives from beekeepers during flowering season, moving them from field to field so that every crop receives enough visits from bees.

Governments, farmers, and ordinary citizens have begun responding to the crisis. Some countries have restricted the pesticides most harmful to bees, while cities have planted wildflower strips along roads and in parks to give bees more places to feed. Even small actions, such as leaving a patch of garden unmown, can provide valuable habitat. Researchers are cautiously hopeful that, with enough public support, bee populations can recover before the damage becomes irreversible.

Very few insects affect our daily lives as much as the honeybee, yet most people rarely think about them beyond the occasional sting. Bees pollinate roughly a third of the crops we eat, carrying pollen from flower to flower as they search for nectar. Without this quiet, unpaid labour, supermarket shelves would look very different, with far fewer fruits, vegetables, and nuts available. In many countries, the honeybee has become an unlikely symbol of environmental health, since a landscape with fewer bees usually signals a landscape in trouble.

A single bee can visit several hundred flowers in one trip, transferring tiny grains of pollen each time it lands. This constant movement between flowers allows plants to reproduce and produce the seeds and fruit that humans and animals both depend on. Farmers who grow almonds, apples, and strawberries often rent hives from beekeepers during flowering season, moving them from field to field so that every crop receives enough visits from bees.

Governments, farmers, and ordinary citizens have begun responding to the crisis. Some countries have restricted the pesticides most harmful to bees, while cities have planted wildflower strips along roads and in parks to give bees more places to feed. Even small actions, such as leaving a patch of garden unmown, can provide valuable habitat. Researchers are cautiously hopeful that, with enough public support, bee populations can recover before the damage becomes irreversible.

Very few insects affect our daily lives as much as the honeybee, yet most people rarely think about them beyond the occasional sting. Bees pollinate roughly a third of the crops we eat, carrying pollen from flower to flower as they search for nectar. Without this quiet, unpaid labour, supermarket shelves would look very different, with far fewer fruits, vegetables, and nuts available. In many countries, the honeybee has become an unlikely symbol of environmental health, since a landscape with fewer bees usually signals a landscape in trouble.

A single bee can visit several hundred flowers in one trip, transferring tiny grains of pollen each time it lands. This constant movement between flowers allows plants to reproduce and produce the seeds and fruit that humans and animals both depend on. Farmers who grow almonds, apples, and strawberries often rent hives from beekeepers during flowering season, moving them from field to field so that every crop receives enough visits from bees.

Governments, farmers, and ordinary citizens have begun responding to the crisis. Some countries have restricted the pesticides most harmful to bees, while cities have planted wildflower strips along roads and in parks to give bees more places to feed. Even small actions, such as leaving a patch of garden unmown, can provide valuable habitat. Researchers are cautiously hopeful that, with enough public support, bee populations can recover before the damage becomes irreversible.

For most of the past century, the five-day school week has been treated as a fixed part of growing up, as unquestioned as summer holidays or homework. In the past few years, however, a small but growing number of schools around the world have begun experimenting with a four-day week, extending each remaining school day by roughly an hour to cover the same number of teaching hours. By one estimate, more than a thousand public school districts in the United States alone now follow some version of the four-day model, a number that would have seemed unthinkable a generation ago.

[I] The idea first gained attention in rural districts in the United States, where shrinking budgets made it difficult to keep schools open five days a week. [II] Closing on Fridays allowed districts to save money on transportation, heating, and cafeteria staff without cutting teachers' salaries. [III] Some administrators also hoped that a shorter week would make teaching jobs more attractive in areas struggling to recruit staff. [IV] Within a few years, similar experiments had begun appearing in cities as well, for reasons that had little to do with saving money.

Research on the academic effects of the four-day week remains mixed. Some studies have found little difference in test scores between four-day and five-day schools, while others report a small decline, particularly among younger children. Supporters argue that longer school days help students concentrate for fewer, more focused sessions, whereas critics worry that a three-day weekend disrupts routines that many families, especially those with working parents, depend on.

For families without access to affordable childcare, an extra day off school can create serious difficulties, forcing some parents to reduce their working hours or pay for costly private care. Critics also point out that students from wealthier households are more likely to spend the free day on enrichment activities, while others may simply be left unsupervised. Some school boards have responded by offering optional supervised programmes on the day off, though these programmes are not always free, and not every family can afford them. Even so, as more districts report the change, education researchers are watching closely to see whether the four-day week becomes a lasting shift or a passing experiment.

For most of the past century, the five-day school week has been treated as a fixed part of growing up, as unquestioned as summer holidays or homework. In the past few years, however, a small but growing number of schools around the world have begun experimenting with a four-day week, extending each remaining school day by roughly an hour to cover the same number of teaching hours. By one estimate, more than a thousand public school districts in the United States alone now follow some version of the four-day model, a number that would have seemed unthinkable a generation ago.

[I] The idea first gained attention in rural districts in the United States, where shrinking budgets made it difficult to keep schools open five days a week. [II] Closing on Fridays allowed districts to save money on transportation, heating, and cafeteria staff without cutting teachers' salaries. [III] Some administrators also hoped that a shorter week would make teaching jobs more attractive in areas struggling to recruit staff. [IV] Within a few years, similar experiments had begun appearing in cities as well, for reasons that had little to do with saving money.

Research on the academic effects of the four-day week remains mixed. Some studies have found little difference in test scores between four-day and five-day schools, while others report a small decline, particularly among younger children. Supporters argue that longer school days help students concentrate for fewer, more focused sessions, whereas critics worry that a three-day weekend disrupts routines that many families, especially those with working parents, depend on.

For families without access to affordable childcare, an extra day off school can create serious difficulties, forcing some parents to reduce their working hours or pay for costly private care. Critics also point out that students from wealthier households are more likely to spend the free day on enrichment activities, while others may simply be left unsupervised. Some school boards have responded by offering optional supervised programmes on the day off, though these programmes are not always free, and not every family can afford them. Even so, as more districts report the change, education researchers are watching closely to see whether the four-day week becomes a lasting shift or a passing experiment.

For most of the past century, the five-day school week has been treated as a fixed part of growing up, as unquestioned as summer holidays or homework. In the past few years, however, a small but growing number of schools around the world have begun experimenting with a four-day week, extending each remaining school day by roughly an hour to cover the same number of teaching hours. By one estimate, more than a thousand public school districts in the United States alone now follow some version of the four-day model, a number that would have seemed unthinkable a generation ago.

[I] The idea first gained attention in rural districts in the United States, where shrinking budgets made it difficult to keep schools open five days a week. [II] Closing on Fridays allowed districts to save money on transportation, heating, and cafeteria staff without cutting teachers' salaries. [III] Some administrators also hoped that a shorter week would make teaching jobs more attractive in areas struggling to recruit staff. [IV] Within a few years, similar experiments had begun appearing in cities as well, for reasons that had little to do with saving money.

Research on the academic effects of the four-day week remains mixed. Some studies have found little difference in test scores between four-day and five-day schools, while others report a small decline, particularly among younger children. Supporters argue that longer school days help students concentrate for fewer, more focused sessions, whereas critics worry that a three-day weekend disrupts routines that many families, especially those with working parents, depend on.

For families without access to affordable childcare, an extra day off school can create serious difficulties, forcing some parents to reduce their working hours or pay for costly private care. Critics also point out that students from wealthier households are more likely to spend the free day on enrichment activities, while others may simply be left unsupervised. Some school boards have responded by offering optional supervised programmes on the day off, though these programmes are not always free, and not every family can afford them. Even so, as more districts report the change, education researchers are watching closely to see whether the four-day week becomes a lasting shift or a passing experiment.

For most of the past century, the five-day school week has been treated as a fixed part of growing up, as unquestioned as summer holidays or homework. In the past few years, however, a small but growing number of schools around the world have begun experimenting with a four-day week, extending each remaining school day by roughly an hour to cover the same number of teaching hours. By one estimate, more than a thousand public school districts in the United States alone now follow some version of the four-day model, a number that would have seemed unthinkable a generation ago.

[I] The idea first gained attention in rural districts in the United States, where shrinking budgets made it difficult to keep schools open five days a week. [II] Closing on Fridays allowed districts to save money on transportation, heating, and cafeteria staff without cutting teachers' salaries. [III] Some administrators also hoped that a shorter week would make teaching jobs more attractive in areas struggling to recruit staff. [IV] Within a few years, similar experiments had begun appearing in cities as well, for reasons that had little to do with saving money.

Research on the academic effects of the four-day week remains mixed. Some studies have found little difference in test scores between four-day and five-day schools, while others report a small decline, particularly among younger children. Supporters argue that longer school days help students concentrate for fewer, more focused sessions, whereas critics worry that a three-day weekend disrupts routines that many families, especially those with working parents, depend on.

For families without access to affordable childcare, an extra day off school can create serious difficulties, forcing some parents to reduce their working hours or pay for costly private care. Critics also point out that students from wealthier households are more likely to spend the free day on enrichment activities, while others may simply be left unsupervised. Some school boards have responded by offering optional supervised programmes on the day off, though these programmes are not always free, and not every family can afford them. Even so, as more districts report the change, education researchers are watching closely to see whether the four-day week becomes a lasting shift or a passing experiment.

For most of the past century, the five-day school week has been treated as a fixed part of growing up, as unquestioned as summer holidays or homework. In the past few years, however, a small but growing number of schools around the world have begun experimenting with a four-day week, extending each remaining school day by roughly an hour to cover the same number of teaching hours. By one estimate, more than a thousand public school districts in the United States alone now follow some version of the four-day model, a number that would have seemed unthinkable a generation ago.

[I] The idea first gained attention in rural districts in the United States, where shrinking budgets made it difficult to keep schools open five days a week. [II] Closing on Fridays allowed districts to save money on transportation, heating, and cafeteria staff without cutting teachers' salaries. [III] Some administrators also hoped that a shorter week would make teaching jobs more attractive in areas struggling to recruit staff. [IV] Within a few years, similar experiments had begun appearing in cities as well, for reasons that had little to do with saving money.

Research on the academic effects of the four-day week remains mixed. Some studies have found little difference in test scores between four-day and five-day schools, while others report a small decline, particularly among younger children. Supporters argue that longer school days help students concentrate for fewer, more focused sessions, whereas critics worry that a three-day weekend disrupts routines that many families, especially those with working parents, depend on.

For families without access to affordable childcare, an extra day off school can create serious difficulties, forcing some parents to reduce their working hours or pay for costly private care. Critics also point out that students from wealthier households are more likely to spend the free day on enrichment activities, while others may simply be left unsupervised. Some school boards have responded by offering optional supervised programmes on the day off, though these programmes are not always free, and not every family can afford them. Even so, as more districts report the change, education researchers are watching closely to see whether the four-day week becomes a lasting shift or a passing experiment.

For most of the past century, the five-day school week has been treated as a fixed part of growing up, as unquestioned as summer holidays or homework. In the past few years, however, a small but growing number of schools around the world have begun experimenting with a four-day week, extending each remaining school day by roughly an hour to cover the same number of teaching hours. By one estimate, more than a thousand public school districts in the United States alone now follow some version of the four-day model, a number that would have seemed unthinkable a generation ago.

[I] The idea first gained attention in rural districts in the United States, where shrinking budgets made it difficult to keep schools open five days a week. [II] Closing on Fridays allowed districts to save money on transportation, heating, and cafeteria staff without cutting teachers' salaries. [III] Some administrators also hoped that a shorter week would make teaching jobs more attractive in areas struggling to recruit staff. [IV] Within a few years, similar experiments had begun appearing in cities as well, for reasons that had little to do with saving money.

Research on the academic effects of the four-day week remains mixed. Some studies have found little difference in test scores between four-day and five-day schools, while others report a small decline, particularly among younger children. Supporters argue that longer school days help students concentrate for fewer, more focused sessions, whereas critics worry that a three-day weekend disrupts routines that many families, especially those with working parents, depend on.

For families without access to affordable childcare, an extra day off school can create serious difficulties, forcing some parents to reduce their working hours or pay for costly private care. Critics also point out that students from wealthier households are more likely to spend the free day on enrichment activities, while others may simply be left unsupervised. Some school boards have responded by offering optional supervised programmes on the day off, though these programmes are not always free, and not every family can afford them. Even so, as more districts report the change, education researchers are watching closely to see whether the four-day week becomes a lasting shift or a passing experiment.

For most of the past century, the five-day school week has been treated as a fixed part of growing up, as unquestioned as summer holidays or homework. In the past few years, however, a small but growing number of schools around the world have begun experimenting with a four-day week, extending each remaining school day by roughly an hour to cover the same number of teaching hours. By one estimate, more than a thousand public school districts in the United States alone now follow some version of the four-day model, a number that would have seemed unthinkable a generation ago.

[I] The idea first gained attention in rural districts in the United States, where shrinking budgets made it difficult to keep schools open five days a week. [II] Closing on Fridays allowed districts to save money on transportation, heating, and cafeteria staff without cutting teachers' salaries. [III] Some administrators also hoped that a shorter week would make teaching jobs more attractive in areas struggling to recruit staff. [IV] Within a few years, similar experiments had begun appearing in cities as well, for reasons that had little to do with saving money.

Research on the academic effects of the four-day week remains mixed. Some studies have found little difference in test scores between four-day and five-day schools, while others report a small decline, particularly among younger children. Supporters argue that longer school days help students concentrate for fewer, more focused sessions, whereas critics worry that a three-day weekend disrupts routines that many families, especially those with working parents, depend on.

For families without access to affordable childcare, an extra day off school can create serious difficulties, forcing some parents to reduce their working hours or pay for costly private care. Critics also point out that students from wealthier households are more likely to spend the free day on enrichment activities, while others may simply be left unsupervised. Some school boards have responded by offering optional supervised programmes on the day off, though these programmes are not always free, and not every family can afford them. Even so, as more districts report the change, education researchers are watching closely to see whether the four-day week becomes a lasting shift or a passing experiment.

For most of the past century, the five-day school week has been treated as a fixed part of growing up, as unquestioned as summer holidays or homework. In the past few years, however, a small but growing number of schools around the world have begun experimenting with a four-day week, extending each remaining school day by roughly an hour to cover the same number of teaching hours. By one estimate, more than a thousand public school districts in the United States alone now follow some version of the four-day model, a number that would have seemed unthinkable a generation ago.

[I] The idea first gained attention in rural districts in the United States, where shrinking budgets made it difficult to keep schools open five days a week. [II] Closing on Fridays allowed districts to save money on transportation, heating, and cafeteria staff without cutting teachers' salaries. [III] Some administrators also hoped that a shorter week would make teaching jobs more attractive in areas struggling to recruit staff. [IV] Within a few years, similar experiments had begun appearing in cities as well, for reasons that had little to do with saving money.

Research on the academic effects of the four-day week remains mixed. Some studies have found little difference in test scores between four-day and five-day schools, while others report a small decline, particularly among younger children. Supporters argue that longer school days help students concentrate for fewer, more focused sessions, whereas critics worry that a three-day weekend disrupts routines that many families, especially those with working parents, depend on.

For families without access to affordable childcare, an extra day off school can create serious difficulties, forcing some parents to reduce their working hours or pay for costly private care. Critics also point out that students from wealthier households are more likely to spend the free day on enrichment activities, while others may simply be left unsupervised. Some school boards have responded by offering optional supervised programmes on the day off, though these programmes are not always free, and not every family can afford them. Even so, as more districts report the change, education researchers are watching closely to see whether the four-day week becomes a lasting shift or a passing experiment.

For most of the past century, the five-day school week has been treated as a fixed part of growing up, as unquestioned as summer holidays or homework. In the past few years, however, a small but growing number of schools around the world have begun experimenting with a four-day week, extending each remaining school day by roughly an hour to cover the same number of teaching hours. By one estimate, more than a thousand public school districts in the United States alone now follow some version of the four-day model, a number that would have seemed unthinkable a generation ago.

[I] The idea first gained attention in rural districts in the United States, where shrinking budgets made it difficult to keep schools open five days a week. [II] Closing on Fridays allowed districts to save money on transportation, heating, and cafeteria staff without cutting teachers' salaries. [III] Some administrators also hoped that a shorter week would make teaching jobs more attractive in areas struggling to recruit staff. [IV] Within a few years, similar experiments had begun appearing in cities as well, for reasons that had little to do with saving money.

Research on the academic effects of the four-day week remains mixed. Some studies have found little difference in test scores between four-day and five-day schools, while others report a small decline, particularly among younger children. Supporters argue that longer school days help students concentrate for fewer, more focused sessions, whereas critics worry that a three-day weekend disrupts routines that many families, especially those with working parents, depend on.

For families without access to affordable childcare, an extra day off school can create serious difficulties, forcing some parents to reduce their working hours or pay for costly private care. Critics also point out that students from wealthier households are more likely to spend the free day on enrichment activities, while others may simply be left unsupervised. Some school boards have responded by offering optional supervised programmes on the day off, though these programmes are not always free, and not every family can afford them. Even so, as more districts report the change, education researchers are watching closely to see whether the four-day week becomes a lasting shift or a passing experiment.

For most of the past century, the five-day school week has been treated as a fixed part of growing up, as unquestioned as summer holidays or homework. In the past few years, however, a small but growing number of schools around the world have begun experimenting with a four-day week, extending each remaining school day by roughly an hour to cover the same number of teaching hours. By one estimate, more than a thousand public school districts in the United States alone now follow some version of the four-day model, a number that would have seemed unthinkable a generation ago.

[I] The idea first gained attention in rural districts in the United States, where shrinking budgets made it difficult to keep schools open five days a week. [II] Closing on Fridays allowed districts to save money on transportation, heating, and cafeteria staff without cutting teachers' salaries. [III] Some administrators also hoped that a shorter week would make teaching jobs more attractive in areas struggling to recruit staff. [IV] Within a few years, similar experiments had begun appearing in cities as well, for reasons that had little to do with saving money.

Research on the academic effects of the four-day week remains mixed. Some studies have found little difference in test scores between four-day and five-day schools, while others report a small decline, particularly among younger children. Supporters argue that longer school days help students concentrate for fewer, more focused sessions, whereas critics worry that a three-day weekend disrupts routines that many families, especially those with working parents, depend on.

For families without access to affordable childcare, an extra day off school can create serious difficulties, forcing some parents to reduce their working hours or pay for costly private care. Critics also point out that students from wealthier households are more likely to spend the free day on enrichment activities, while others may simply be left unsupervised. Some school boards have responded by offering optional supervised programmes on the day off, though these programmes are not always free, and not every family can afford them. Even so, as more districts report the change, education researchers are watching closely to see whether the four-day week becomes a lasting shift or a passing experiment.