Ngày 5: Full Reading Test 2 — 3 Passages, 40 Questions

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Tổng: 60 phút — Bấm giờ ngay! ⏰

📖 Passage 1: The History of Public Libraries

A. The concept of a public library — a collection of books freely available to all members of a community — is so deeply embedded in modern society that it is easy to forget how revolutionary the idea once was. For most of human history, access to written knowledge was restricted to the wealthy, the clergy, and the ruling classes. Books, painstakingly copied by hand, were extraordinarily expensive and were typically chained to shelves in private collections or monastery libraries to prevent theft.

B. The invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg around 1440 fundamentally transformed the relationship between books and society. As printing made books dramatically cheaper and more widely available, literacy rates gradually increased, and the demand for public access to reading materials grew. However, it would take another four centuries before the modern public library system began to take shape.

C. Britain’s Public Libraries Act of 1850 is widely regarded as a landmark in the history of public access to knowledge. The Act gave local councils in England, Wales, and Ireland the power to establish free public libraries funded through local taxation. Although the Act was initially limited — it only applied to towns with populations exceeding 10,000 and imposed a strict spending cap — it established the principle that access to books and information was a public good deserving of government support.

D. In the United States, the development of public libraries was significantly accelerated by the philanthropy of Andrew Carnegie. Between 1883 and 1929, Carnegie funded the construction of 2,509 libraries across the English-speaking world, including 1,689 in the United States alone. Carnegie, who had grown up in poverty and educated himself largely through borrowing books, believed that libraries were the most effective way to provide opportunities for self-improvement. His libraries were built with a distinctive architectural style and were designed to be welcoming spaces that encouraged community engagement.

E. Today, public libraries face unprecedented challenges. The rise of the internet and digital media has fundamentally altered how people access information, leading some commentators to question whether physical libraries remain relevant in the digital age. Library visitor numbers in many countries have declined steadily over the past two decades. In the United Kingdom, over 800 public libraries have closed since 2010 due to government funding cuts.

F. Yet many library professionals argue that reports of the library’s death are greatly exaggerated. Modern libraries have evolved far beyond their original function as book repositories. They now serve as community centres, offering free internet access, digital literacy training, children’s reading programmes, and spaces for community events. In Scandinavian countries, libraries have been reimagined as “third places” — social environments distinct from home and work — where citizens can gather, learn, and connect with their communities.

Câu 1-5: Matching Headings

Chọn heading phù hợp cho mỗi đoạn từ danh sách:

Câu 6-9: Sentence Completion

Hoàn thành câu với KHÔNG QUÁ BA TỪ từ passage.

6. Before the printing press, books were extremely expensive because they were _______.
7. The 1850 Act initially only applied to towns with populations over _______.
8. Carnegie funded the construction of _______ libraries in total.
9. In the UK, more than _______ libraries have closed since 2010.

Câu 10-13: True / False / Not Given

📖 Passage 2: The Psychology of Decision-Making

A. Every day, the average adult makes approximately 35,000 decisions, ranging from trivial choices such as what to eat for breakfast to potentially life-altering decisions about careers, relationships, and finances. While most of these decisions are made automatically and without conscious deliberation, the quality of our decision-making has profound implications for our well-being, success, and happiness.

B. Traditional economic theory assumed that humans are rational decision-makers who carefully weigh costs and benefits before choosing the option that maximises their utility. This view, known as the “rational actor” model, dominated economic thinking for over a century. However, beginning in the 1970s, psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky conducted groundbreaking research demonstrating that human decision-making is systematically biased in predictable ways. Their work, which earned Kahneman the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2002, gave rise to the field of behavioural economics.

C. One of the most well-documented cognitive biases is the “anchoring effect.” When making estimates or decisions, people tend to rely heavily on the first piece of information they encounter — the “anchor” — even when that information is irrelevant. In a classic experiment, Kahneman and Tversky asked participants to estimate the percentage of African countries in the United Nations. Before answering, participants spun a rigged wheel that stopped at either 10 or 65. Those who saw the number 10 estimated an average of 25%, while those who saw 65 estimated 45% — despite the wheel being obviously random.

D. Another powerful bias is “loss aversion,” the tendency for people to feel the pain of losing something approximately twice as strongly as the pleasure of gaining something of equivalent value. This asymmetry explains why investors often hold onto losing stocks far too long, hoping to avoid realising a loss, while selling winning stocks too quickly to “lock in” their gains. Loss aversion also helps explain why people are often reluctant to change jobs, end relationships, or move to new cities, even when rational analysis suggests they would benefit from doing so.

E. The “availability heuristic” is another common shortcut that can lead to poor decisions. People tend to judge the likelihood of events based on how easily examples come to mind. Because dramatic events such as plane crashes and shark attacks receive extensive media coverage, people significantly overestimate their probability while underestimating the likelihood of more common but less newsworthy dangers such as heart disease or car accidents. Studies have shown that after a widely reported plane crash, flight bookings typically decrease by 20-30% for several weeks, even though statistically, air travel remains far safer than driving.

F. Understanding these biases does not automatically eliminate them, but awareness can help individuals and organisations make better decisions. Many companies now employ “nudge” strategies — small changes to the choice environment that guide people toward better decisions without restricting their freedom. For example, making organ donation the default option on driving licence applications has dramatically increased donation rates in countries that have adopted this approach. Similarly, automatically enrolling employees in retirement savings plans, with the option to opt out, has significantly increased participation rates compared to systems requiring employees to actively opt in.

Câu 14-19: Multiple Choice

14. According to paragraph A, most daily decisions are:

    • A) carefully planned
    • B) made automatically
    • C) about careers and finances
    • D) unimportant

15. The “rational actor” model suggests that people:

    • A) always make irrational choices
    • B) are influenced by emotions only
    • C) carefully weigh costs and benefits
    • D) cannot make good decisions

16. In the anchoring experiment, participants’ estimates were influenced by:

    • A) their knowledge of African geography
    • B) an obviously random number
    • C) previous research findings
    • D) group discussion

17. Loss aversion means people:

    • A) enjoy gaining more than losing
    • B) feel losses more strongly than equivalent gains
    • C) always avoid taking risks
    • D) are good at managing investments

18. The availability heuristic causes people to:

    • A) make accurate probability judgments
    • B) ignore all media reports
    • C) overestimate risks of dramatic but rare events
    • D) underestimate all types of danger

19. “Nudge” strategies work by:

    • A) forcing people to make certain choices
    • B) removing all options except the best one
    • C) making small changes to guide better decisions
    • D) providing financial rewards for good choices

Câu 20-26: Summary Completion

Hoàn thành tóm tắt bằng cách chọn từ trong danh sách:

Từ: biases, rational, predictable, anchoring, twice, dramatic, default, freedom

Kahneman and Tversky’s research showed that human decisions are affected by systematic (20)_______ that operate in (21)_______ ways. The (22)_______ effect shows people rely on the first information they receive. Loss aversion means losses feel approximately (23)_______ as painful as equivalent gains feel pleasurable. The availability heuristic leads people to overestimate (24)_______ events. “Nudge” strategies change the (25)_______ option while preserving (26)_______ of choice.

📖 Passage 3: Urbanisation and Its Environmental Consequences

A. The pace of global urbanisation over the past century has been extraordinary. In 1900, only 13% of the world’s population lived in cities. By 2007, that figure had crossed 50% for the first time in human history, and current projections suggest that by 2050, approximately 68% of the global population — nearly 6.7 billion people — will reside in urban areas. This transformation represents one of the most significant demographic shifts in human history and carries profound implications for the natural environment.

B. The physical expansion of cities is perhaps the most visible environmental consequence of urbanisation. As populations grow, cities spread outward, converting agricultural land, forests, and wetlands into residential and commercial areas. This process, known as urban sprawl, has accelerated dramatically in recent decades. Between 2000 and 2014, the total built-up area of the world’s cities increased by approximately 28,000 square kilometres — an area roughly equivalent to the size of Belgium. The loss of natural habitats through urban expansion has been identified as one of the primary drivers of biodiversity decline, particularly for species that are unable to adapt to fragmented landscapes.

C. Urban areas are also disproportionate contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. Although cities occupy only about 3% of the Earth’s land surface, they account for approximately 70% of global carbon dioxide emissions. This concentration of emissions is driven by several factors: the energy demands of buildings for heating, cooling, and lighting; transportation systems heavily dependent on fossil fuels; industrial activity clustered around urban centres; and the high consumption patterns associated with urban lifestyles. A resident of a major city in a developed country typically has a carbon footprint two to three times larger than that of a rural resident in the same country.

D. Water management presents another critical challenge for growing cities. Urban areas require vast quantities of water for domestic, commercial, and industrial use, and the impervious surfaces that characterise cities — concrete, asphalt, and buildings — prevent rainwater from being absorbed into the ground naturally. This leads to increased surface runoff, which overwhelms drainage systems during heavy rainfall and carries pollutants into rivers and coastal waters. Many rapidly growing cities in developing countries face a dual crisis: insufficient water supply infrastructure to meet growing demand, and inadequate wastewater treatment facilities, resulting in widespread water pollution.

E. The urban heat island effect represents a localised but significant environmental consequence of city development. Built surfaces such as roads and buildings absorb and re-emit solar radiation far more efficiently than natural vegetation, causing urban areas to be consistently warmer than surrounding rural areas. Temperature differences between city centres and nearby countryside can reach 5-10°C during calm, clear nights. This effect increases energy consumption for cooling, exacerbates air pollution through the formation of ground-level ozone, and poses serious health risks during heat waves, particularly for elderly residents and those with pre-existing medical conditions.

F. Despite these challenges, urbanisation also presents opportunities for environmental improvement. Dense urban living, when well-planned, can actually be more resource-efficient than dispersed rural settlement. Compact cities with effective public transport systems can reduce per-capita carbon emissions compared to car-dependent suburban sprawl. Green infrastructure initiatives — including urban forests, rooftop gardens, permeable pavements, and constructed wetlands — can help mitigate the environmental impacts of urbanisation while improving residents’ quality of life.

G. The concept of the “smart city” has emerged as a framework for integrating environmental sustainability into urban planning. Smart city initiatives use sensors, data analytics, and connected infrastructure to optimise energy use, reduce waste, and improve transport efficiency. Barcelona, for example, has deployed a network of sensors across the city that monitor air quality, noise levels, and waste bin capacity in real time, enabling more efficient resource management. Singapore has implemented a comprehensive smart water management system that has reduced water losses to just 5%, compared to an average of 30-40% in many other major cities.

Câu 27-32: Matching Information

Đoạn nào (A-G) chứa thông tin sau?

Câu 33-36: True / False / Not Given

Câu 37-40: Multiple Choice

37. The main purpose of paragraph C is to:

    • A) argue that cities should be abolished
    • B) explain why cities produce disproportionate emissions
    • C) compare urban and rural lifestyles
    • D) promote renewable energy use

38. According to paragraph D, impervious surfaces in cities:

    • A) help absorb rainwater
    • B) reduce the need for drainage systems
    • C) prevent natural water absorption
    • D) improve water quality

39. The urban heat island effect is worsened by:

    • A) natural vegetation
    • B) built surfaces absorbing solar radiation
    • C) reduced energy consumption
    • D) rural development

40. The author’s overall attitude toward urbanisation is:

    • A) entirely negative
    • B) cautiously optimistic — acknowledging problems but seeing potential solutions
    • C) neutral and uninformed
    • D) overwhelmingly positive

✅ Đáp án

Passage 1: Public Libraries

Passage 2: Decision-Making

Passage 3: Urbanisation

📊 Bảng tính điểm

Số câu đúng của bạn: ___/40 → Band: ___

🎯 Tổng kết Day 5

Hôm nay bạn đã hoàn thành:

• ✅ Full Reading Test 2 — 3 passages, 40 câu hỏi trong 60 phút
• ✅ Đa dạng question types — Matching Headings, Sentence Completion, T/F/NG, MC, Matching Information, Summary Completion
• ✅ Luyện quản lý thời gian — phân bổ hợp lý cho từng passage

🌟 Ghi lại số điểm để theo dõi tiến bộ ở Day 7! Nếu dưới 23/40, hãy xem lại đáp án kỹ và hiểu tại sao sai. 💪📖