Mở Bài
Chủ đề về thương mại điện tử và bán lẻ trực tuyến đang ngày càng trở nên phổ biến trong các đề thi IELTS Reading gần đây, đặc biệt là khi nói đến sự phát triển vượt bậc tại các thị trường mới nổi. Với sự chuyển đổi số mạnh mẽ và thói quen mua sắm thay đổi của người tiêu dùng toàn cầu, Cambridge và British Council thường xuyên lồng ghép chủ đề này vào các passages từ mức độ trung bình đến nâng cao.
Bài viết này cung cấp cho bạn một đề thi IELTS Reading hoàn chỉnh với ba passages được thiết kế theo đúng chuẩn kỳ thi thật, bao gồm: Passage 1 ở mức độ Easy (Band 5.0-6.5) giới thiệu tổng quan về sự phát triển của bán lẻ trực tuyến; Passage 2 ở mức độ Medium (Band 6.0-7.5) phân tích các yếu tố thúc đẩy và thách thức; và Passage 3 ở mức độ Hard (Band 7.0-9.0) đi sâu vào tác động kinh tế xã hội phức tạp. Mỗi passage đi kèm với đầy đủ 40 câu hỏi thuộc các dạng khác nhau, đáp án chính xác, giải thích chi tiết và từ vựng quan trọng.
Đề thi này phù hợp cho học viên từ band 5.0 trở lên muốn làm quen với chủ đề thương mại hiện đại và rèn luyện kỹ năng đọc hiểu học thuật một cách bài bản.
1. Hướng Dẫn Làm Bài IELTS Reading
Tổng Quan Về IELTS Reading Test
Bài thi IELTS Reading kéo dài 60 phút với ba passages có độ dài và độ khó tăng dần. Tổng cộng có 40 câu hỏi mà bạn cần hoàn thành, mỗi câu trả lời đúng được tính là 1 điểm.
Phân bổ thời gian khuyến nghị:
- Passage 1: 15-17 phút (độ khó Easy)
- Passage 2: 18-20 phút (độ khó Medium)
- Passage 3: 23-25 phút (độ khó Hard)
Lưu ý rằng không có thời gian bổ sung để chuyển đáp án sang answer sheet, vì vậy bạn cần quản lý thời gian hiệu quả ngay từ đầu.
Các Dạng Câu Hỏi Trong Đề Này
Đề thi mẫu này bao gồm 8 dạng câu hỏi phổ biến nhất trong IELTS Reading:
- Multiple Choice – Câu hỏi trắc nghiệm
- True/False/Not Given – Xác định thông tin đúng/sai/không được đề cập
- Matching Information – Nối thông tin với đoạn văn
- Summary Completion – Hoàn thành đoạn tóm tắt
- Matching Headings – Chọn tiêu đề phù hợp cho đoạn văn
- Sentence Completion – Hoàn thành câu
- Matching Features – Nối đặc điểm với đối tượng
- Short-answer Questions – Câu hỏi trả lời ngắn
Mỗi dạng yêu cầu kỹ năng đọc và chiến lược riêng biệt, vì vậy hãy chú ý đến hướng dẫn (instructions) của từng phần.
Học viên đang luyện tập IELTS Reading với đề thi về thương mại điện tử
2. IELTS Reading Practice Test
PASSAGE 1 – The Digital Shopping Revolution in Emerging Economies
Độ khó: Easy (Band 5.0-6.5)
Thời gian đề xuất: 15-17 phút
The landscape of retail has undergone a dramatic transformation over the past decade, particularly in emerging markets across Asia, Africa, and Latin America. What was once a domain dominated by traditional brick-and-mortar stores has evolved into a thriving digital ecosystem where millions of consumers now conduct their shopping activities through smartphones and computers. This shift represents not merely a change in shopping habits but a fundamental restructuring of economic participation for billions of people.
In countries like India, Indonesia, and Nigeria, the penetration of internet connectivity has grown exponentially. Between 2015 and 2023, internet users in these regions increased by over 400%, creating an unprecedented opportunity for online retailers. The widespread adoption of affordable smartphones, costing as little as $50 in some markets, has been a crucial enabling factor. These devices have become the primary gateway to the digital economy for populations that never owned personal computers. E-commerce platforms such as Jumia in Africa, Tokopedia in Indonesia, and Flipkart in India have capitalized on this trend, building user-friendly applications specifically designed for first-time internet users.
The appeal of online shopping in emerging markets stems from several compelling advantages. First, it offers access to a vastly wider selection of products than what is typically available in local physical stores. A consumer in a rural village in Vietnam can now browse and purchase items from urban centers or even international suppliers, something that would have been impossible just a few years ago. Second, online platforms often provide competitive pricing through direct manufacturer relationships and reduced overhead costs. Many platforms also offer installment payment options and cash-on-delivery services, which are particularly important in regions where credit card ownership remains low and trust in digital payments is still developing.
However, the rise of online retail in these markets has not been without significant challenges. Infrastructure limitations present persistent obstacles, particularly in last-mile delivery to remote or poorly connected areas. Roads in many emerging economies are inadequate for efficient logistics, leading to longer delivery times and higher costs. Digital literacy remains another barrier; while smartphone ownership has increased, many users still lack the skills or confidence to navigate e-commerce platforms effectively. Concerns about product authenticity, return policies, and online fraud continue to make some consumers hesitant about embracing digital shopping fully.
Governments in emerging markets have begun to recognize the economic potential of online retail and are taking steps to support its growth. India’s Digital India initiative, for example, has invested billions in improving internet infrastructure and promoting digital payments. Similarly, several African nations have simplified regulations for online businesses and reduced import duties on technology equipment. These policy changes are creating a more conducive environment for e-commerce expansion, though progress varies significantly across different countries and regions.
The social implications of this retail transformation extend beyond mere convenience. Online shopping has created employment opportunities across various skill levels, from warehouse workers and delivery personnel to software developers and digital marketers. For many women in conservative societies, e-commerce platforms have provided opportunities to start home-based businesses without facing the cultural constraints associated with traditional retail environments. Small-scale manufacturers and artisans have found new channels to reach customers directly, bypassing traditional intermediaries who often captured a large share of profits.
Looking ahead, experts predict that the online retail sector in emerging markets will continue its robust expansion. The World Bank estimates that by 2030, more than 60% of retail transactions in major emerging economies could occur through digital channels. This growth trajectory is expected to accelerate further as technologies like artificial intelligence and augmented reality become more accessible, creating even more engaging shopping experiences. The question is no longer whether online retail will dominate these markets, but how quickly this transformation will occur and what it will mean for traditional retailers struggling to adapt to the new reality.
Questions 1-13
Questions 1-5: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
1. According to the passage, the retail transformation in emerging markets is best described as:
A. A temporary trend that will soon reverse
B. A fundamental change in economic participation
C. A minor adjustment to shopping preferences
D. A development limited to urban areas only
2. What has been identified as a crucial factor enabling e-commerce growth?
A. The availability of credit cards
B. Government subsidies for online businesses
C. Affordable smartphone technology
D. International trade agreements
3. The passage suggests that cash-on-delivery services are important because:
A. They generate more profit for retailers
B. Credit card ownership is low in these markets
C. Digital payments are illegal in some countries
D. Consumers prefer using physical currency
4. Infrastructure limitations primarily affect:
A. Product selection
B. Last-mile delivery
C. Smartphone manufacturing
D. Internet content creation
5. According to the passage, by 2030, what percentage of retail transactions in major emerging economies could be digital?
A. More than 40%
B. Approximately 50%
C. More than 60%
D. Nearly 80%
Questions 6-9: True/False/Not Given
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the passage?
Write:
- TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
- FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
- NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
6. Internet users in emerging markets increased by over 400% between 2015 and 2023.
7. All emerging market governments have simplified regulations for online businesses.
8. E-commerce platforms have created employment opportunities across various skill levels.
9. Traditional retailers in emerging markets are successfully adapting to online competition.
Questions 10-13: Sentence Completion
Complete the sentences below.
Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.
10. Online platforms often establish __ with manufacturers to offer competitive prices.
11. Many users in emerging markets still lack the __ to use e-commerce platforms effectively.
12. For women in conservative societies, e-commerce has provided opportunities without facing __ associated with traditional retail.
13. Small manufacturers have been able to reach customers directly, avoiding __ who previously took large profits.
PASSAGE 2 – Infrastructure and Innovation: The Backbone of E-commerce Expansion
Độ khó: Medium (Band 6.0-7.5)
Thời gian đề xuất: 18-20 phút
The meteoric rise of online retail in emerging economies has been fundamentally dependent on two interrelated pillars: physical infrastructure development and technological innovation. While consumer demand provides the impetus for growth, it is the sophisticated interplay between logistics networks, payment systems, and digital platforms that ultimately determines whether e-commerce can scale effectively in markets characterized by unique challenges and opportunities. Understanding this infrastructural foundation is essential for grasping how companies have managed to penetrate markets where traditional retail faced insurmountable barriers.
Logistics infrastructure represents perhaps the most critical bottleneck in emerging market e-commerce. Unlike developed economies with well-established postal systems and integrated transportation networks, many emerging markets must build these capabilities from scratch. Companies like Alibaba in China pioneered the creation of proprietary delivery networks, investing billions in sorting facilities, delivery vehicles, and last-mile solutions. The Chinese e-commerce giant’s Cainiao logistics platform now coordinates with over 3,000 partners to handle more than 100 million packages daily, a staggering volume that would have been inconceivable two decades ago. This model of vertical integration has been replicated across other markets, with companies recognizing that reliable delivery is not merely a service feature but the cornerstone of customer trust.
The challenge of last-mile delivery has spawned remarkable innovations tailored to local contexts. In India, where residential addresses are often imprecise or non-existent in rural areas, delivery companies have developed systems using landmark-based navigation and extensive communication with customers to ensure packages reach their destinations. Several platforms now employ local residents as part-time delivery agents, individuals who possess intimate knowledge of their communities and can navigate areas that would confound external logistics providers. This crowdsourced delivery model not only solves practical problems but also creates income-generating opportunities for community members, embedding the e-commerce ecosystem more deeply into local economies.
Digital payment infrastructure has evolved in parallel with logistics, addressing the pervasive challenge of limited banking penetration in emerging markets. Traditional credit card systems, designed for consumers with established credit histories and bank accounts, proved inadequate for populations where cash transactions dominated. The response has been the development of alternative payment ecosystems that bypass conventional banking intermediaries. Mobile payment platforms like M-Pesa in Kenya, originally launched as a money transfer service, have become integral to e-commerce transactions, allowing users to make purchases using mobile phone credit. China’s Alipay and WeChat Pay have similarly revolutionized digital payments, enabling even street vendors to accept cashless transactions through QR code scanning.
The success of these payment innovations stems partly from their ability to serve multiple functions beyond simple transactions. These platforms have evolved into comprehensive financial services ecosystems, offering microloans, insurance products, and investment opportunities to users who would be excluded from traditional banking systems. This multifunctionality creates strong user engagement and network effects – as more merchants accept a particular payment method, more consumers adopt it, which in turn encourages more merchants to participate, creating a self-reinforcing cycle of growth.
However, the infrastructure development required for e-commerce expansion raises important questions about digital inequality. While urban centers and wealthier regions benefit from concentrated investment in logistics hubs and high-speed internet, rural and remote areas often remain underserved. This infrastructure gap threatens to create a two-tier digital economy where the benefits of online retail accrue disproportionately to already privileged populations. Some governments have attempted to address this through universal service obligations, requiring telecommunications and delivery companies to serve unprofitable rural areas in exchange for licenses to operate in lucrative urban markets. The effectiveness of these policies varies considerably, and in many countries, significant disparities persist.
Technological innovation continues to push the boundaries of what is possible in emerging market e-commerce. Artificial intelligence algorithms now help platforms predict demand patterns and optimize inventory placement across distributed warehouses, reducing delivery times and costs. Voice-based shopping interfaces are being developed for markets with high rates of illiteracy, allowing consumers to browse products and complete purchases through spoken commands in local languages. Some companies are experimenting with drone delivery for remote areas, though regulatory hurdles and technical challenges have limited widespread implementation thus far.
The infrastructure and innovation ecosystem supporting online retail in emerging markets demonstrates how necessity breeds ingenuity. Faced with challenges that would have deterred companies in more developed markets, entrepreneurs and corporations have created novel solutions that are now being studied and sometimes adopted in other contexts. This pattern of reverse innovation – where solutions developed for resource-constrained environments find applications in wealthier markets – represents an unexpected benefit of the emerging market e-commerce boom. As these infrastructure systems mature and expand, they are not merely replicating Western models but forging distinctive paths that reflect the unique characteristics and needs of the societies they serve.
Questions 14-26
Questions 14-18: Yes/No/Not Given
Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer?
Write:
- YES if the statement agrees with the claims of the writer
- NO if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer
- NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this
14. Traditional retail faced fewer barriers than e-commerce in emerging markets.
15. Alibaba’s Cainiao platform handles over 100 million packages every day.
16. Crowdsourced delivery models create employment opportunities for local communities.
17. Digital payment platforms in emerging markets generate more revenue than traditional banks.
18. Voice-based shopping interfaces have been successfully implemented across all emerging markets.
Questions 19-22: Matching Information
Match the following statements (Questions 19-22) with the correct paragraph (A-H).
Write the correct letter, A-H, in boxes 19-22 on your answer sheet.
Paragraph A – Introduction
Paragraph B – Logistics infrastructure
Paragraph C – Last-mile delivery innovations
Paragraph D – Digital payment infrastructure
Paragraph E – Multi-functional payment platforms
Paragraph F – Digital inequality concerns
Paragraph G – Technological innovations
Paragraph H – Reverse innovation
19. A description of how payment systems have expanded beyond their original purpose
20. An explanation of why traditional payment methods were unsuitable for emerging markets
21. Examples of how artificial intelligence is being used to improve operations
22. A discussion of the risk that online retail benefits may not be equally distributed
Questions 23-26: Summary Completion
Complete the summary below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
The success of e-commerce in emerging markets depends on both physical infrastructure and technological innovation. Companies have had to create 23. __ because traditional postal systems were inadequate. In India, delivery services use 24. __ to locate addresses in rural areas where street addresses may not exist. Payment systems have also evolved, with platforms like M-Pesa becoming 25. __ transactions for e-commerce. These innovations demonstrate **26. __, where solutions from resource-limited environments are adopted in wealthier markets.
PASSAGE 3 – Socioeconomic Ramifications of Digital Commerce in Developing Nations
Độ khó: Hard (Band 7.0-9.0)
Thời gian đề xuất: 23-25 phút
The proliferation of online retail platforms across emerging markets represents far more than a mere commercial phenomenon; it constitutes a profound restructuring of economic relationships, social hierarchies, and patterns of consumption that will have enduring consequences for development trajectories in the Global South. While popular discourse has largely focused on the ostensible benefits – increased consumer choice, price transparency, and entrepreneurial opportunities – a more nuanced analysis reveals a complex landscape of both emancipatory potential and nascent risks that demand careful scholarly and policy attention. The socioeconomic ramifications of this transformation extend across multiple dimensions, from labor market dynamics and gender relations to urban planning and environmental sustainability, creating what some theorists have termed a “digital inflection point” in the developmental pathways of nations that have historically occupied peripheral positions in global commerce.
Labor market transformations precipitated by e-commerce expansion exhibit profound ambivalence. On one hand, the sector has generated employment opportunities across the skill spectrum, with the International Labour Organization estimating that online retail and associated logistics have created over 15 million direct jobs in emerging economies since 2015. These positions range from relatively low-skilled warehouse and delivery roles to highly specialized functions in data analytics, user experience design, and algorithm development. For many workers, particularly in regions characterized by chronic underemployment, these jobs provide crucial income streams and, in some cases, pathways to economic mobility. Moreover, the gig economy structure prevalent in delivery services offers flexibility that some workers value, allowing them to supplement other income sources or balance employment with caregiving responsibilities.
However, this ostensibly positive employment generation must be contextualized within broader patterns of labor precariousness that characterize much e-commerce work. Delivery personnel, who form the visible frontline of online retail, typically work as independent contractors rather than formal employees, a classification that absolves companies of obligations regarding minimum wages, health benefits, or employment security. This strategic misclassification, now subject to legal challenges in several jurisdictions, effectively transfers operational risks from corporations to individual workers while maintaining tight algorithmic control over their activities through platform surveillance systems. Workers face punitive rating mechanisms where customer complaints can result in immediate deactivation from platforms, creating a form of digitally mediated employment vulnerability that some labor scholars have characterized as “algorithmic despotism.” The question of whether e-commerce represents net labor market improvement thus depends critically on the counterfactual – what alternative employment opportunities exist for these workers – and on whether emerging regulatory frameworks can compel platforms to extend greater protections without stifling sectoral growth.
Nhân viên giao hàng đang làm việc tại thị trường mới nổi với smartphone
The gender dimensions of e-commerce expansion merit particular attention, as online platforms have created unprecedented opportunities for female entrepreneurship in contexts where cultural norms, mobility restrictions, or domestic responsibilities have historically constrained women’s economic participation. E-commerce platforms enable women to establish businesses from their homes, selling products ranging from handicrafts to food items without the need for physical storefronts or frequent public interaction that might transgress social norms. Research in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia has documented cases where online selling has provided women with their first independent income, conferring greater household bargaining power and challenging traditional gender roles. Some platforms have implemented targeted initiatives to recruit female sellers, offering training programs and preferential commission structures that acknowledge the systemic barriers women face.
Yet this emancipatory narrative requires significant qualification. Women’s online entrepreneurship often reinforces rather than challenges gendered divisions of labor, with female sellers concentrated in traditionally “feminine” product categories like clothing, cosmetics, and home goods, while men dominate electronics and automotive parts. The additional income women generate frequently fails to translate into substantive autonomy, as male family members may control how earnings are spent or even appropriate the income while women perform the labor. Furthermore, the home-based nature of online selling can intensify the double burden women face, as entrepreneurial activities are layered onto existing domestic and caregiving responsibilities rather than replacing them. The digital platform economy thus exhibits what feminist economists term “adaptive patriarchy” – the incorporation of women’s labor into commercial systems in ways that preserve rather than dismantle underlying gender hierarchies, even as surface-level indicators suggest progress.
The spatial implications of e-commerce growth are reshaping urban and regional development patterns in emerging markets in ways that merit closer examination. Online retail’s promise of geographical democratization – the ability of consumers anywhere to access products previously available only in major cities – has materialized to some extent, with rural consumers now able to purchase goods that would have required arduous journeys to urban centers. This disintermediation of traditional urban-rural retail hierarchies potentially reduces the economic primacy of cities and could, theoretically, support more spatially balanced development. However, the reality is more complex. E-commerce operations themselves exhibit strong spatial concentration, with fulfillment centers, technology hubs, and logistics coordination facilities clustering in and around major metropolitan areas where infrastructure is superior and skilled labor more abundant. This creates a paradoxical geography where consumption is increasingly dispersed while production, warehousing, and control functions become more concentrated, potentially reinforcing rather than ameliorating urban-rural disparities in economic dynamism and employment quality.
From an environmental perspective, the sustainability implications of booming online retail in emerging markets present a troubling picture that has received insufficient policy attention. The convenience of home delivery comes at considerable ecological cost: increased vehicle trips for package delivery generate higher per-unit carbon emissions than consolidated shopping trips to physical stores, particularly when delivery density is low and routes are inefficient – conditions that characterize much last-mile delivery in emerging markets. The proliferation of packaging materials, much of it non-recyclable plastic, creates waste management challenges in countries where municipal systems are already overwhelmed. The accelerated consumption enabled by e-commerce platforms, with their algorithmically optimized recommendation systems and frictionless purchasing interfaces, contributes to patterns of material throughput that are ecologically unsustainable in a finite world.
Some platforms have initiated sustainability programs – electric delivery vehicles, packaging reduction commitments, carbon offset schemes – but these remain marginal relative to the overall environmental footprint of the sector. The fundamental tension is that e-commerce business models depend on continuous expansion of transaction volumes, a growth imperative that conflicts with ecological limits. As emerging economies follow development paths increasingly shaped by digital commerce, they risk locking in consumption patterns and infrastructure configurations that will prove economically costly and environmentally catastrophic to transform later. The question facing policymakers is whether regulatory interventions can steer e-commerce growth toward more sustainable configurations before path dependencies become entrenched, or whether the political economy of platform capitalism makes such redirection implausible.
The Rise Of Online Retail In Emerging Markets thus exemplifies the Janus-faced character of digital capitalism more broadly: simultaneously enabling and constraining, liberating and controlling, democratizing and concentrating. Avoiding both technological determinism and nostalgic romanticism about pre-digital commerce requires engaging with this complexity honestly. The challenge for developing nations is not whether to embrace or reject e-commerce – that ship has sailed – but rather how to construct regulatory frameworks, labor protections, and industrial policies that maximize the distributive benefits while mitigating the social and environmental costs of this transformation. This will require institutional innovations as creative as the technological innovations that spawned the sector itself, and political will that can withstand the considerable lobbying power that platform companies increasingly wield.
Questions 27-40
Questions 27-31: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
27. According to the passage, the term “digital inflection point” refers to:
A. The moment when internet usage exceeded 50% in emerging markets
B. A critical juncture in the development pathways of developing nations
C. The point at which e-commerce became profitable
D. When traditional retail began to decline
28. The writer suggests that employment in e-commerce delivery services is characterized by:
A. High wages and job security
B. Flexibility valued by all workers equally
C. A transfer of operational risks to workers
D. Better conditions than all alternative employment
29. What does the writer mean by “algorithmic despotism”?
A. Government control of digital platforms
B. Customer complaints affecting workers’ ratings
C. Digitally mediated employment vulnerability
D. The use of algorithms in product recommendations
30. The passage indicates that women’s online entrepreneurship often:
A. Completely transforms traditional gender roles
B. Provides substantive autonomy in all cases
C. Reinforces gendered divisions of labor
D. Eliminates the double burden women face
31. According to the writer, e-commerce creates a “paradoxical geography” because:
A. Rural areas have better internet than urban areas
B. Consumption disperses while operations concentrate in cities
C. Cities are becoming less important economically
D. All regions develop at the same rate
Questions 32-36: Matching Features
Match each statement with the correct aspect of e-commerce impact.
Write the correct letter, A-E, in boxes 32-36 on your answer sheet.
A. Labor market effects
B. Gender dimensions
C. Spatial implications
D. Environmental perspective
E. Regulatory challenges
32. Home delivery generates higher per-unit carbon emissions than traditional shopping trips.
33. Platform companies maintain tight control over workers through surveillance systems.
34. Female sellers are concentrated in traditionally feminine product categories.
35. Fulfillment centers cluster in metropolitan areas with superior infrastructure.
36. Women’s additional income may be controlled by male family members.
Questions 37-40: Short-answer Questions
Answer the questions below.
Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.
37. According to the International Labour Organization, how many direct jobs has online retail created in emerging economies since 2015?
38. What term do feminist economists use to describe how women’s labor is incorporated into commercial systems while preserving gender hierarchies?
39. What type of recommendation systems do e-commerce platforms use to accelerate consumption?
40. What does the writer say platform companies increasingly wield that makes regulatory reform difficult?
3. Answer Keys – Đáp Án
PASSAGE 1: Questions 1-13
- B
- C
- B
- B
- C
- TRUE
- FALSE
- TRUE
- NOT GIVEN
- direct manufacturer relationships
- skills or confidence / confidence
- cultural constraints
- traditional intermediaries
PASSAGE 2: Questions 14-26
- NO
- YES
- YES
- NOT GIVEN
- NOT GIVEN
- E
- D
- G
- F
- proprietary delivery networks / delivery networks
- landmark-based navigation
- integral to (e-commerce)
- reverse innovation
PASSAGE 3: Questions 27-40
- B
- C
- C
- C
- B
- D
- A
- B
- C
- B
- over 15 million / 15 million
- adaptive patriarchy
- algorithmically optimized
- lobbying power
4. Giải Thích Đáp Án Chi Tiết
Passage 1 – Giải Thích
Câu 1: B
- Dạng câu hỏi: Multiple Choice
- Từ khóa: retail transformation, emerging markets, best described as
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 1, dòng 1-5
- Giải thích: Câu đầu tiên của passage nói rằng “This shift represents not merely a change in shopping habits but a fundamental restructuring of economic participation for billions of people.” Từ “fundamental restructuring of economic participation” được paraphrase thành “fundamental change in economic participation” ở đáp án B. Các đáp án khác không phù hợp vì bài không nói đây là xu hướng tạm thời (A), thay đổi nhỏ (C) hay giới hạn ở khu vực đô thị (D).
Câu 2: C
- Dạng câu hỏi: Multiple Choice
- Từ khóa: crucial factor, enabling, e-commerce growth
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 2, dòng 3-5
- Giải thích: Passage nói rõ “The widespread adoption of affordable smartphones, costing as little as $50 in some markets, has been a crucial enabling factor.” Đây là paraphrase trực tiếp của câu hỏi. Các đáp án khác không được đề cập là “crucial factor”.
Câu 3: B
- Dạng câu hỏi: Multiple Choice
- Từ khóa: cash-on-delivery services, important
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 3, dòng 5-7
- Giải thích: Bài viết chỉ ra rằng cash-on-delivery “are particularly important in regions where credit card ownership remains low and trust in digital payments is still developing.” Đáp án B paraphrase thông tin này. Đáp án A, C, D không được nhắc đến trong bài.
Câu 6: TRUE
- Dạng câu hỏi: True/False/Not Given
- Từ khóa: Internet users, increased by over 400%, 2015-2023
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 2, dòng 1-2
- Giải thích: Passage nói rõ “Between 2015 and 2023, internet users in these regions increased by over 400%”, hoàn toàn khớp với statement.
Câu 7: FALSE
- Dạng câu hỏi: True/False/Not Given
- Từ khóa: All emerging market governments, simplified regulations
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 5, dòng 3-6
- Giải thích: Bài viết nói “several African nations have simplified regulations” và “progress varies significantly across different countries”, cho thấy không phải tất cả chính phủ đều làm vậy. Từ “All” làm cho statement này sai.
Câu 10: direct manufacturer relationships
- Dạng câu hỏi: Sentence Completion
- Từ khóa: online platforms, competitive prices
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 3, dòng 4-5
- Giải thích: “Online platforms often provide competitive pricing through direct manufacturer relationships and reduced overhead costs.” Cụm từ này chính xác xuất hiện trong bài.
Câu 12: cultural constraints
- Dạng câu hỏi: Sentence Completion
- Từ khóa: women, conservative societies, opportunities, traditional retail
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 6, dòng 3-5
- Giải thích: Passage nói “For many women in conservative societies, e-commerce platforms have provided opportunities to start home-based businesses without facing the cultural constraints associated with traditional retail environments.”
Passage 2 – Giải Thích
Câu 14: NO
- Dạng câu hỏi: Yes/No/Not Given
- Từ khóa: traditional retail, fewer barriers, e-commerce
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn A, dòng 2-4
- Giải thích: Passage nói e-commerce đã “penetrate markets where traditional retail faced insurmountable barriers” (thâm nhập thị trường nơi bán lẻ truyền thống gặp rào cản không thể vượt qua). Điều này ngược lại với statement, vì vậy đáp án là NO.
Câu 15: YES
- Dạng câu hỏi: Yes/No/Not Given
- Từ khóa: Alibaba’s Cainiao, 100 million packages, daily
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn B, dòng 5-7
- Giải thích: “The Chinese e-commerce giant’s Cainiao logistics platform now coordinates with over 3,000 partners to handle more than 100 million packages daily” – statement khớp chính xác với thông tin này.
Câu 19: E
- Dạng câu hỏi: Matching Information
- Từ khóa: payment systems, expanded beyond original purpose
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn E (Paragraph về Multi-functional payment platforms)
- Giải thích: Đoạn E nói rõ “These platforms have evolved into comprehensive financial services ecosystems, offering microloans, insurance products, and investment opportunities” – cho thấy chúng đã mở rộng xa hơn mục đích thanh toán ban đầu.
Câu 22: F
- Dạng câu hỏi: Matching Information
- Từ khóa: benefits may not be equally distributed
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn F (Paragraph về Digital inequality)
- Giải thích: Đoạn F thảo luận về “infrastructure gap” và “two-tier digital economy” nơi lợi ích “accrue disproportionately to already privileged populations” – đây là thông tin về phân phối không đều.
Câu 23: proprietary delivery networks / delivery networks
- Dạng câu hỏi: Summary Completion
- Từ khóa: companies, create, traditional postal systems inadequate
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn B, dòng 3-4
- Giải thích: “Companies like Alibaba in China pioneered the creation of proprietary delivery networks” – đây là câu trả lời cho khoảng trống.
Câu 26: reverse innovation
- Dạng câu hỏi: Summary Completion
- Từ khóa: solutions, resource-limited environments, adopted in wealthier markets
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn H, dòng 2-3
- Giải thích: “This pattern of reverse innovation – where solutions developed for resource-constrained environments find applications in wealthier markets” – paraphrase chính xác nội dung của câu hỏi.
Passage 3 – Giải Thích
Câu 27: B
- Dạng câu hỏi: Multiple Choice
- Từ khóa: digital inflection point, refers to
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 1, dòng 6-9
- Giải thích: Passage định nghĩa “digital inflection point” là “developmental pathways of nations that have historically occupied peripheral positions in global commerce” – tức là một điểm quan trọng trong con đường phát triển của các quốc gia đang phát triển. Đáp án B là paraphrase chính xác nhất.
Câu 28: C
- Dạng câu hỏi: Multiple Choice
- Từ khóa: employment, delivery services, characterized by
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 3, dòng 2-5
- Giải thích: Passage nói “This strategic misclassification… effectively transfers operational risks from corporations to individual workers” – đây chính là đáp án C. Các đáp án khác không được hỗ trợ bởi văn bản.
Câu 29: C
- Dạng câu hỏi: Multiple Choice
- Từ khóa: algorithmic despotism, mean
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 3, dòng 6-8
- Giải thích: Thuật ngữ này được giải thích là “digitally mediated employment vulnerability” trong cùng câu, do đó đáp án C là chính xác.
Câu 30: C
- Dạng câu hỏi: Multiple Choice
- Từ khóa: women’s online entrepreneurship, often
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 5, dòng 1-3
- Giải thích: “Women’s online entrepreneurship often reinforces rather than challenges gendered divisions of labor, with female sellers concentrated in traditionally ‘feminine’ product categories” – đây là paraphrase của đáp án C.
Câu 32: D
- Dạng câu hỏi: Matching Features
- Từ khóa: Home delivery, carbon emissions, shopping trips
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 7, dòng 2-4
- Giải thích: Statement này thuộc về Environmental perspective, được thảo luận trong đoạn về tác động môi trường.
Câu 34: B
- Dạng câu hỏi: Matching Features
- Từ khóa: Female sellers, traditionally feminine product categories
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 5
- Giải thích: Statement này liên quan đến Gender dimensions, được thảo luận cụ thể trong đoạn về khía cạnh giới.
Câu 37: over 15 million / 15 million
- Dạng câu hỏi: Short-answer Questions
- Từ khóa: International Labour Organization, direct jobs, since 2015
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 2, dòng 2-3
- Giải thích: “The International Labour Organization estimating that online retail and associated logistics have created over 15 million direct jobs in emerging economies since 2015.”
Câu 38: adaptive patriarchy
- Dạng câu hỏi: Short-answer Questions
- Từ khóa: feminist economists, term, women’s labor, preserving gender hierarchies
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 5, dòng cuối
- Giải thích: “The digital platform economy thus exhibits what feminist economists term ‘adaptive patriarchy’” – thuật ngữ được định nghĩa rõ ràng trong bài.
Câu 40: lobbying power
- Dạng câu hỏi: Short-answer Questions
- Từ khóa: platform companies, increasingly wield, regulatory reform difficult
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn cuối, dòng cuối cùng
- Giải thích: “political will that can withstand the considerable lobbying power that platform companies increasingly wield” – cụm từ này xuất hiện ở cuối passage.
5. Từ Vựng Quan Trọng Theo Passage
Passage 1 – Essential Vocabulary
| Từ vựng | Loại từ | Phiên âm | Nghĩa tiếng Việt | Ví dụ từ bài | Collocation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| dramatic transformation | noun phrase | /drəˈmætɪk ˌtrænsfəˈmeɪʃən/ | sự chuyển đổi mạnh mẽ | “The landscape of retail has undergone a dramatic transformation” | undergo a dramatic transformation |
| thriving ecosystem | noun phrase | /ˈθraɪvɪŋ ˈiːkəʊˌsɪstəm/ | hệ sinh thái phát triển mạnh | “evolved into a thriving digital ecosystem” | thriving digital/business ecosystem |
| penetration | noun | /ˌpenɪˈtreɪʃən/ | sự thâm nhập, lan tỏa | “penetration of internet connectivity” | market/internet penetration |
| unprecedented | adjective | /ʌnˈpresɪdentɪd/ | chưa từng có | “creating an unprecedented opportunity” | unprecedented opportunity/growth |
| capitalize on | phrasal verb | /ˈkæpɪtəlaɪz ɒn/ | tận dụng, khai thác | “have capitalized on this trend” | capitalize on opportunities/trends |
| compelling advantages | noun phrase | /kəmˈpelɪŋ ədˈvɑːntɪdʒɪz/ | lợi thế hấp dẫn | “stems from several compelling advantages” | compelling advantages/reasons |
| infrastructure limitations | noun phrase | /ˈɪnfrəˌstrʌktʃə ˌlɪmɪˈteɪʃənz/ | hạn chế về cơ sở hạ tầng | “Infrastructure limitations present persistent obstacles” | infrastructure limitations/challenges |
| digital literacy | noun phrase | /ˈdɪdʒɪtl ˈlɪtərəsi/ | kiến thức số | “Digital literacy remains another barrier” | improve/promote digital literacy |
| conducive environment | noun phrase | /kənˈdjuːsɪv ɪnˈvaɪrənmənt/ | môi trường thuận lợi | “creating a more conducive environment” | conducive environment for growth |
| bypass intermediaries | verb phrase | /ˈbaɪpɑːs ˌɪntəˈmiːdiəriz/ | bỏ qua trung gian | “bypassing traditional intermediaries” | bypass intermediaries/middlemen |
| robust expansion | noun phrase | /rəʊˈbʌst ɪkˈspænʃən/ | sự mở rộng mạnh mẽ | “continue its robust expansion” | robust expansion/growth |
| accelerate further | verb phrase | /əkˈseləreɪt ˈfɜːðə/ | tăng tốc thêm | “expected to accelerate further” | accelerate growth/development |
Passage 2 – Essential Vocabulary
| Từ vựng | Loại từ | Phiên âm | Nghĩa tiếng Việt | Ví dụ từ bài | Collocation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| meteoric rise | noun phrase | /ˌmiːtiˈɒrɪk raɪz/ | sự tăng trưởng vượt bậc | “The meteoric rise of online retail” | meteoric rise/growth |
| interrelated pillars | noun phrase | /ˌɪntərɪˈleɪtɪd ˈpɪləz/ | các trụ cột liên quan | “two interrelated pillars” | interrelated pillars/factors |
| sophisticated interplay | noun phrase | /səˈfɪstɪkeɪtɪd ˌɪntəˈpleɪ/ | sự tương tác phức tạp | “sophisticated interplay between logistics networks” | sophisticated interplay/interaction |
| scale effectively | verb phrase | /skeɪl ɪˈfektɪvli/ | mở rộng quy mô hiệu quả | “e-commerce can scale effectively” | scale effectively/efficiently |
| proprietary delivery networks | noun phrase | /prəˈpraɪətəri dɪˈlɪvəri ˈnetwɜːks/ | mạng lưới giao hàng độc quyền | “creation of proprietary delivery networks” | proprietary networks/systems |
| vertical integration | noun phrase | /ˈvɜːtɪkl ˌɪntɪˈɡreɪʃən/ | tích hợp theo chiều dọc | “This model of vertical integration” | vertical/horizontal integration |
| tailored to local contexts | phrase | /ˈteɪləd tuː ˈləʊkl ˈkɒnteksts/ | được điều chỉnh theo bối cảnh địa phương | “innovations tailored to local contexts” | tailored to specific needs/contexts |
| crowdsourced delivery | noun phrase | /ˈkraʊdsɔːst dɪˈlɪvəri/ | giao hàng huy động cộng đồng | “This crowdsourced delivery model” | crowdsourced solutions/delivery |
| pervasive challenge | noun phrase | /pəˈveɪsɪv ˈtʃælɪndʒ/ | thách thức lan rộng | “addressing the pervasive challenge” | pervasive challenge/problem |
| bypass conventional intermediaries | verb phrase | /ˈbaɪpɑːs kənˈvenʃənl ˌɪntəˈmiːdiəriz/ | bỏ qua trung gian thông thường | “bypass conventional banking intermediaries” | bypass conventional/traditional systems |
| self-reinforcing cycle | noun phrase | /self ˌriːɪnˈfɔːsɪŋ ˈsaɪkl/ | vòng tự củng cố | “creating a self-reinforcing cycle of growth” | self-reinforcing cycle/pattern |
| digital inequality | noun phrase | /ˈdɪdʒɪtl ˌɪnɪˈkwɒləti/ | bất bình đẳng số | “questions about digital inequality” | digital inequality/divide |
| two-tier economy | noun phrase | /tuː tɪər iˈkɒnəmi/ | nền kinh tế hai tầng | “create a two-tier digital economy” | two-tier system/structure |
| reverse innovation | noun phrase | /rɪˈvɜːs ˌɪnəˈveɪʃən/ | đổi mới ngược | “This pattern of reverse innovation” | reverse innovation/engineering |
| forge distinctive paths | verb phrase | /fɔːdʒ dɪˈstɪŋktɪv pɑːðz/ | tạo ra con đường riêng biệt | “forging distinctive paths” | forge paths/relationships |
Passage 3 – Essential Vocabulary
| Từ vựng | Loại từ | Phiên âm | Nghĩa tiếng Việt | Ví dụ từ bài | Collocation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| proliferation | noun | /prəˌlɪfəˈreɪʃən/ | sự gia tăng nhanh chóng | “The proliferation of online retail platforms” | proliferation of technologies/platforms |
| profound restructuring | noun phrase | /prəˈfaʊnd ˌriːˈstrʌktʃərɪŋ/ | sự tái cấu trúc sâu sắc | “constitutes a profound restructuring” | profound restructuring/change |
| enduring consequences | noun phrase | /ɪnˈdjʊərɪŋ ˈkɒnsɪkwənsɪz/ | hậu quả lâu dài | “will have enduring consequences” | enduring consequences/impact |
| ostensible benefits | noun phrase | /ɒˈstensəbl ˈbenɪfɪts/ | lợi ích có vẻ như | “focused on the ostensible benefits” | ostensible benefits/purposes |
| nuanced analysis | noun phrase | /ˈnjuːɑːnst əˈnæləsɪs/ | phân tích tinh tế | “a more nuanced analysis” | nuanced analysis/understanding |
| emancipatory potential | noun phrase | /ɪˈmænsɪpətəri pəˈtenʃl/ | tiềm năng giải phóng | “both emancipatory potential and nascent risks” | emancipatory potential/power |
| socioeconomic ramifications | noun phrase | /ˌsəʊsiəʊˌiːkəˈnɒmɪk ˌræmɪfɪˈkeɪʃənz/ | hậu quả kinh tế xã hội | “The socioeconomic ramifications” | socioeconomic ramifications/impacts |
| profound ambivalence | noun phrase | /prəˈfaʊnd æmˈbɪvələns/ | sự mâu thuẫn sâu sắc | “exhibit profound ambivalence” | profound ambivalence/uncertainty |
| chronic underemployment | noun phrase | /ˈkrɒnɪk ˌʌndərɪmˈplɔɪmənt/ | tình trạng thiếu việc làm kinh niên | “regions characterized by chronic underemployment” | chronic underemployment/unemployment |
| labor precariousness | noun phrase | /ˈleɪbə prɪˈkeəriəsnəs/ | tình trạng không ổn định lao động | “broader patterns of labor precariousness” | labor precariousness/insecurity |
| algorithmic control | noun phrase | /ˌælɡəˈrɪðmɪk kənˈtrəʊl/ | kiểm soát bằng thuật toán | “maintaining tight algorithmic control” | algorithmic control/management |
| strategic misclassification | noun phrase | /strəˈtiːdʒɪk ˌmɪsˌklæsɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/ | phân loại sai có chủ đích | “This strategic misclassification” | strategic misclassification/positioning |
| punitive rating mechanisms | noun phrase | /ˈpjuːnətɪv ˈreɪtɪŋ ˈmekənɪzəmz/ | cơ chế đánh giá trừng phạt | “Workers face punitive rating mechanisms” | punitive measures/mechanisms |
| household bargaining power | noun phrase | /ˈhaʊshəʊld ˈbɑːɡənɪŋ ˈpaʊə/ | quyền lực thương lượng trong gia đình | “conferring greater household bargaining power” | bargaining power/position |
| adaptive patriarchy | noun phrase | /əˈdæptɪv ˌpeɪtriˈɑːki/ | chế độ phụ quyền thích nghi | “feminist economists term adaptive patriarchy” | adaptive patriarchy/systems |
| spatial concentration | noun phrase | /ˈspeɪʃl ˌkɒnsnˈtreɪʃn/ | sự tập trung không gian | “exhibit strong spatial concentration” | spatial concentration/distribution |
| ecological footprint | noun phrase | /ˌiːkəˈlɒdʒɪkl ˈfʊtprɪnt/ | dấu chân sinh thái | “overall environmental footprint” | ecological/carbon footprint |
| path dependencies | noun phrase | /pɑːθ dɪˈpendənsiz/ | sự phụ thuộc vào con đường đã chọn | “before path dependencies become entrenched” | path dependencies/trajectories |
| Janus-faced character | noun phrase | /ˈdʒeɪnəs feɪst ˈkærəktə/ | bản chất hai mặt | “exemplifies the Janus-faced character” | Janus-faced nature/character |
| distributive benefits | noun phrase | /dɪˈstrɪbjʊtɪv ˈbenɪfɪts/ | lợi ích phân phối | “maximize the distributive benefits” | distributive benefits/justice |
Kết Bài
Chủ đề “The rise of online retail in emerging markets” là một trong những topic quan trọng và thời sự nhất trong IELTS Reading hiện nay, phản ánh xu hướng chuyển đổi số toàn cầu đang diễn ra mạnh mẽ. Qua bộ đề thi mẫu này, bạn đã được trải nghiệm đầy đủ ba passages với độ khó tăng dần từ Easy đến Hard, bao gồm 40 câu hỏi đa dạng thuộc 8 dạng khác nhau – hoàn toàn giống như một bài thi IELTS Reading thực tế.
Passage 1 đã giới thiệu bức tranh tổng quan về sự phát triển của bán lẻ trực tuyến, giúp bạn làm quen với từ vựng cơ bản và cấu trúc câu đơn giản. Passage 2 đi sâu vào phân tích về cơ sở hạ tầng và đổi mới công nghệ, nâng cao khả năng đọc hiểu các văn bản học thuật phức tạp hơn. Passage 3 thách thức bạn với nội dung cao cấp về tác động kinh tế xã hội, yêu cầu kỹ năng suy luận và phân tích ở mức độ chuyên sâu.
Đáp án chi tiết kèm giải thích đã chỉ ra rõ vị trí thông tin trong bài, cách paraphrase giữa câu hỏi và passage, cũng như lý do tại sao các đáp án khác không phù hợp. Đây là tài liệu quý giá giúp bạn tự đánh giá chính xác năng lực của mình và học hỏi từ những sai lầm.
Bảng từ vựng theo từng passage cung cấp hơn 40 từ và cụm từ quan trọng nhất, kèm phiên âm, nghĩa tiếng Việt, ví dụ thực tế và collocations – tất cả đều là những công cụ thiết yếu giúp bạn không chỉ hiểu bài đọc mà còn nâng cao vốn từ vựng học thuật cho cả phần thi Writing và Speaking.
Hãy thực hành đề thi này nhiều lần, phân tích kỹ từng câu trả lời sai, và ghi nhớ các từ vựng cũng như kỹ thuật làm bài. Với sự kiên trì và phương pháp đúng đắn, band điểm IELTS Reading mục tiêu của bạn hoàn toàn có thể đạt được. Chúc bạn ôn tập hiệu quả và thành công rực rỡ trong kỳ thi IELTS sắp tới!
