IELTS Reading: Thách Thức Quy Hoạch Đô Thị – Đề Thi Mẫu Có Đáp Án Chi Tiết

Mở Bài

Quy hoạch đô thị trong bối cảnh các thành phố phát triển nhanh chóng là một trong những chủ đề phổ biến nhất trong kỳ thi IELTS Reading. Với tốc độ đô thị hóa ngày càng tăng trên toàn cầu, đặc biệt tại các quốc gia đang phát triển, những thách thức về hạ tầng, giao thông, nhà ở và môi trường trở thành mối quan tâm hàng đầu. Chủ đề Challenges Of Urban Planning In Growing Cities thường xuyên xuất hiện trong các đề thi IELTS chính thức với nhiều góc độ tiếp cận khác nhau.

Bài viết này cung cấp cho bạn một bộ đề thi IELTS Reading hoàn chỉnh gồm 3 passages với độ khó tăng dần, từ Easy đến Hard. Bạn sẽ được trải nghiệm đầy đủ 40 câu hỏi với đa dạng dạng bài giống như trong kỳ thi thật, kèm theo đáp án chi tiết và giải thích cụ thể cho từng câu. Ngoài ra, bộ từ vựng quan trọng được tổng hợp theo từng passage sẽ giúp bạn nâng cao vốn từ học thuật một cách hiệu quả.

Đề thi này phù hợp cho học viên có trình độ từ band 5.0 trở lên, giúp bạn làm quen với format thi chuẩn, rèn luyện kỹ năng skimming, scanning và phát triển chiến lược làm bài bài bản để đạt điểm số mong muốn.

1. Hướng Dẫn Làm Bài IELTS Reading

Tổng Quan Về IELTS Reading Test

IELTS Reading Test kéo dài trong 60 phút và bao gồm 3 passages với tổng cộng 40 câu hỏi. Đây là bài kiểm tra khả năng đọc hiểu của bạn thông qua các văn bản học thuật với độ phức tạp tăng dần.

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 chép đáp án, vì vậy bạn cần ghi đáp án trực tiếp vào phiếu trả lời trong khi làm bài.

Các Dạng Câu Hỏi Trong Đề Này

Đề thi mẫu này bao gồm các dạng câu hỏi phổ biến nhất trong IELTS Reading:

1. Multiple Choice – Trắc nghiệm nhiều lựa chọn
2. True/False/Not Given – Đúng/Sai/Không được đề cập
3. Yes/No/Not Given – Có/Không/Không được đề cập
4. Matching Headings – Nối tiêu đề với đoạn văn
5. Sentence Completion – Hoàn thành câu
6. Summary Completion – Hoàn thành đoạn tóm tắt
7. Matching Features – Nối thông tin
8. Short-answer Questions – Câu hỏi trả lời ngắn

2. IELTS Reading Practice Test

PASSAGE 1 – The Evolution of Urban Planning in Developing Nations

Độ khó: Easy (Band 5.0-6.5)

Thời gian đề xuất: 15-17 phút

Urban planning has become increasingly important as cities around the world experience unprecedented growth. In many developing countries, the population influx into urban areas has created numerous challenges that city planners must address. Understanding how these cities have evolved and what strategies they are implementing can provide valuable insights into the future of urban development.

Historically, cities grew organically without much formal planning. Streets developed along natural pathways, and buildings were constructed wherever space was available. This haphazard approach worked when populations were smaller, but as cities expanded, problems began to emerge. Traffic congestion, inadequate housing, and poor sanitation became common issues that affected the quality of life for urban residents.

The modern concept of urban planning emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in response to these challenges. Pioneering planners recognized that cities needed systematic approaches to manage growth effectively. They introduced concepts such as zoning regulations, which designated specific areas for residential, commercial, and industrial use. This separation helped reduce conflicts between different types of land use and improved living conditions for many residents.

In developing nations today, urban planning faces unique challenges. The rate of urbanization often exceeds the capacity of city governments to provide adequate infrastructure and services. In cities like Lagos, Nigeria, and Dhaka, Bangladesh, millions of people live in informal settlements without access to basic amenities such as clean water, electricity, or proper roads. These unplanned communities develop on the outskirts of cities, where land is cheaper but services are minimal.

Transportation is another critical concern. As cities grow, the demand for efficient public transport systems increases dramatically. However, many developing cities lack the financial resources to build comprehensive metro or bus rapid transit systems. Instead, residents rely on a mix of private vehicles, minibuses, and motorcycles, leading to severe traffic congestion and air pollution. The lack of integrated transport planning means that different modes of transport often compete rather than complement each other.

Housing affordability represents one of the most pressing challenges. Rapid urbanization drives up land prices, making it difficult for low-income families to afford adequate housing. Many cities have responded by building high-density residential complexes on the periphery, but these developments often lack proper connections to job centers and essential services. The result is that residents face long commutes and limited access to opportunities.

Environmental concerns have also become central to urban planning discussions. Cities in developing nations are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, including flooding, heat waves, and water shortages. Sustainable urban planning must address these risks by incorporating green spaces, improving drainage systems, and promoting energy-efficient buildings. Some progressive cities have begun implementing green infrastructure projects, such as rooftop gardens and permeable pavements, to help manage stormwater and reduce urban heat island effects.

Community participation in planning processes has gained recognition as an essential element of successful urban development. When residents are involved in decision-making, the resulting plans are more likely to meet their actual needs. Participatory planning approaches have been successfully implemented in cities like Porto Alegre, Brazil, where citizens vote on budget priorities for their neighborhoods. This model has inspired similar initiatives in other developing cities, demonstrating that inclusive governance can lead to better outcomes.

Technology is playing an increasingly important role in addressing urban planning challenges. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) allow planners to analyze spatial data and make more informed decisions about land use and infrastructure development. Mobile applications help city governments collect data on traffic patterns, service delivery, and citizen complaints in real-time. This data-driven approach enables more responsive and adaptive planning strategies.

Despite these advances, many obstacles remain. Institutional capacity is often limited, with planning departments lacking the staff, training, and resources needed to handle complex urban challenges. Corruption can undermine well-intentioned plans, as valuable land is sometimes allocated based on political connections rather than public interest. Regulatory frameworks may be outdated or poorly enforced, allowing unauthorized construction and land use changes.

Looking forward, experts emphasize the need for integrated approaches that consider economic, social, and environmental factors together. Successful urban planning in developing cities will require strong political will, adequate funding, technical expertise, and genuine commitment to serving all residents, particularly the most vulnerable populations. As cities continue to grow, the decisions made today will shape urban life for generations to come.

Questions 1-13

Questions 1-5: Multiple Choice

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C, or D.

1. According to the passage, how did cities traditionally develop?
   A. Through careful government planning
   B. Following natural patterns without formal planning
   C. Based on strict zoning regulations
   D. According to modern planning principles

2. What was the main purpose of introducing zoning regulations?
   A. To increase city revenue
   B. To separate different types of land use
   C. To reduce the city population
   D. To promote industrial development

3. The passage suggests that informal settlements in developing cities typically:
   A. Have excellent infrastructure
   B. Are located in city centers
   C. Lack basic amenities
   D. Are carefully planned communities

4. What does the passage say about transportation in developing cities?
   A. Metro systems are widely available
   B. Different transport modes work well together
   C. There is severe traffic congestion
   D. Public transport is well-funded

5. According to the text, participatory planning in Porto Alegre involved:
   A. Professional planners making all decisions
   B. Citizens voting on neighborhood budget priorities
   C. International experts designing the city
   D. Private companies controlling development

Questions 6-9: True/False/Not Given

Write TRUE if the statement agrees with the information, FALSE if the statement contradicts the information, or NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this.

6. Urban planning as a formal discipline began in the ancient world.
7. High-density housing developments on city outskirts always have good transport connections.
8. Climate change poses particular risks to cities in developing nations.
9. All developing cities have adopted GIS technology for planning purposes.

Questions 10-13: Sentence Completion

Complete the sentences below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.

10. Many residents of informal settlements do not have access to __, electricity, or proper roads.
11. Green infrastructure projects include rooftop gardens and __ to help manage stormwater.
12. Mobile applications help city governments collect data on traffic patterns and __ in real-time.
13. Corruption can lead to land being allocated based on __ rather than public interest.

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PASSAGE 2 – Smart Cities and the Digital Transformation of Urban Governance

Độ khó: Medium (Band 6.0-7.5)

Thời gian đề xuất: 18-20 phút

The concept of “smart cities” has emerged as a paradigmatic response to the multifaceted challenges confronting contemporary urban environments. By leveraging cutting-edge digital technologies, municipalities worldwide are attempting to enhance service delivery, optimize resource allocation, and improve residents’ quality of life. However, the implementation of smart city initiatives in rapidly growing urban areas presents a complex set of opportunities and obstacles that merit careful examination.

At its core, a smart city utilizes an interconnected network of sensors, devices, and data analytics platforms to collect and process information about various urban systems. This Internet of Things (IoT) infrastructure enables real-time monitoring of everything from traffic flow and air quality to energy consumption and waste management. The data gathered feeds into centralized management systems where algorithms can identify patterns, predict problems, and recommend solutions. Proponents argue that this data-centric approach allows for more efficient urban operations and better-informed policy decisions.

Transportation management represents one of the most visible applications of smart city technology. Intelligent traffic systems use sensors embedded in roads and cameras at intersections to monitor vehicle movements continuously. This data enables dynamic traffic signal timing that adjusts to actual conditions rather than following fixed schedules. In cities like Singapore, such systems have reduced average commute times by up to 15 percent during peak hours. Additionally, mobile applications provide commuters with real-time information about public transit schedules, delays, and alternative routes, empowering them to make more informed travel decisions.

The environmental benefits of smart city technologies are particularly significant for growing urban areas struggling with pollution and resource constraints. Smart grids optimize electricity distribution by balancing supply and demand across the network, reducing waste and accommodating renewable energy sources more effectively. Similarly, intelligent water management systems can detect leaks in distribution networks almost immediately, preventing the loss of millions of liters of water annually. Some cities have implemented smart waste collection where sensors in bins signal when they need emptying, allowing collection routes to be optimized and reducing both fuel consumption and operational costs.

However, the transition to smart city systems is not without complications. The initial capital investment required for installing sensors, upgrading infrastructure, and developing data platforms can be prohibitively expensive, particularly for municipalities in developing nations with limited budgets. A comprehensive smart city transformation might require hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars, funds that could alternatively be invested in more traditional infrastructure improvements. This raises important questions about prioritization and whether digital solutions should take precedence over fundamental needs like housing, water supply, and basic road networks.

Data privacy and security concerns present another significant challenge. Smart city systems collect vast amounts of information about residents’ movements, behaviors, and consumption patterns. While this data enables better service delivery, it also creates opportunities for surveillance and potential misuse. Citizens in several cities have expressed discomfort with the extent of monitoring, fearing that governments or private companies might exploit this information for purposes beyond urban management. The 2019 controversy surrounding the Sidewalk Labs project in Toronto highlighted these tensions, with privacy advocates ultimately contributing to the project’s cancellation.

The digital divide poses yet another obstacle to equitable smart city development. If access to digital services and information requires smartphones or reliable internet connectivity, residents who lack these resources may be excluded from benefits that other citizens enjoy. This could exacerbate existing inequalities, with affluent, tech-savvy populations gaining advantages while marginalized communities fall further behind. Ensuring that smart city initiatives enhance rather than undermine social equity requires deliberate policies and programs to bridge these gaps.

Moreover, the technological complexity of smart city systems creates dependencies on specialized knowledge and equipment. Many developing cities lack the technical expertise needed to maintain and troubleshoot sophisticated digital infrastructure. When systems fail or require updates, municipalities may find themselves reliant on external contractors, often foreign technology companies, raising concerns about long-term sustainability and local capacity building. Critics argue that resources might be better spent developing human capital and strengthening institutions rather than importing expensive technologies.

The governance of smart city initiatives also raises important questions about accountability and transparency. When decisions about traffic management, resource allocation, or service delivery are made by algorithms rather than elected officials, traditional mechanisms of democratic oversight may become less effective. How can citizens challenge decisions made by opaque computer systems? Who takes responsibility when algorithmic errors cause problems? Establishing clear governance frameworks that maintain democratic principles while embracing technological innovation remains an ongoing challenge.

Despite these concerns, many experts believe that thoughtfully implemented smart city technologies can contribute positively to urban development, particularly when adapted to local contexts rather than imposed as one-size-fits-all solutions. The role of electric vehicles in reducing air pollution demonstrates how technology integration can address specific urban challenges. Successful approaches typically involve pilot projects that test technologies on a small scale before city-wide implementation, allowing for adjustments based on actual results and community feedback. They also prioritize open data standards that prevent vendor lock-in and facilitate public scrutiny of how information is collected and used.

Furthermore, the most effective smart city initiatives recognize that technology is a tool rather than an end in itself. Human-centered design principles ensure that digital solutions address genuine needs identified by residents rather than being driven purely by technological possibilities. This approach emphasizes co-creation with communities, particularly those most affected by urban challenges, to develop solutions that are culturally appropriate and practically useful.

As cities continue to grow, the integration of digital technologies into urban planning and management appears inevitable. The key challenge lies in harnessing these tools in ways that are economically viable, socially equitable, and respectful of privacy and democratic values. Success will require not just technical innovation but also careful consideration of the broader implications for urban society and governance.

Công nghệ thành phố thông minh với hệ thống quản lý giao thông thông qua cảm biến và phân tích dữ liệu thời gian thực

Questions 14-26

Questions 14-18: Yes/No/Not Given

Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in the passage? Write:

• YES if the statement agrees with the views of the writer
• NO if the statement contradicts the views of the writer
• NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

14. Smart city technology has proven to be the most effective solution for all urban problems.
15. The cost of implementing comprehensive smart city systems can be extremely high for developing nations.
16. Citizens in some cities have raised concerns about privacy issues related to smart city monitoring.
17. All residents benefit equally from smart city technologies regardless of their economic status.
18. International technology companies always provide better solutions than local developers.

Questions 19-23: Matching Headings

The passage has eleven paragraphs, A-K. Choose the correct heading for paragraphs D-H from the list of headings below.

List of Headings:
i. Financial barriers to smart city implementation
ii. The role of artificial intelligence in cities
iii. Environmental advantages of digital urban systems
iv. Technical maintenance challenges
v. Privacy and surveillance concerns
vi. Transportation improvements through technology
vii. The problem of unequal access to digital services
viii. Historical development of urban technology

19. Paragraph D
20. Paragraph E
21. Paragraph F
22. Paragraph G
23. Paragraph H

Questions 24-26: Summary Completion

Complete the summary below. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.

Successful smart city projects often begin with (24) __ that allow testing on a limited scale before broader implementation. They should also adopt (25) __ that prevent cities from being locked into specific vendors. Most importantly, effective initiatives use (26) __ principles to ensure that technology addresses real community needs rather than being driven purely by what is technically possible.

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PASSAGE 3 – The Socio-Spatial Dimensions of Urban Resilience in the Anthropocene

Độ khó: Hard (Band 7.0-9.0)

Thời gian đề xuất: 23-25 phút

Contemporary discourse on urban planning has increasingly gravitated toward the concept of resilience, particularly as cities confront the cascading consequences of climate change, economic volatility, and social fragmentation. This theoretical shift represents a fundamental reconceptualization of how urban systems should be designed, moving away from traditional optimization models toward more adaptive, flexible frameworks capable of withstanding and recovering from various forms of disruption. However, the operationalization of urban resilience in rapidly growing cities of the Global South presents formidable conceptual and practical challenges that expose tensions between competing visions of urban futures.

The notion of resilience, borrowed from ecological systems theory, refers to the capacity of a system to absorb disturbance while maintaining its fundamental functions and structure. When applied to urban contexts, this translates into a city’s ability to continue providing essential services and maintaining social cohesion in the face of shocks such as natural disasters, economic crises, or pandemics. Proponents of resilience thinking argue that traditional urban planning, with its emphasis on controlling and predicting urban processes, has created inflexible systems vulnerable to catastrophic failure when confronted with unprecedented events. Instead, they advocate for polycentric governance structures, redundancy in critical systems, and diversity in economic and social networks that can buffer against various forms of disruption.

Yet critics contend that the resilience framework, despite its intuitive appeal, often obscures more than it reveals about urban challenges. Geographer Kevin Grove argues that resilience discourse tends to naturalize existing power relations and inequalities by framing urban problems as technical challenges requiring managerial solutions rather than as outcomes of structural injustices that demand political transformation. When resilience becomes the primary goal, attention shifts toward helping communities and infrastructure “bounce back” from disasters rather than questioning why certain populations were vulnerable in the first place. This depoliticization can reinforce patterns whereby marginalized communities repeatedly suffer disproportionate impacts from urban crises while systemic causes remain unaddressed.

How does climate change impact water scarcity in developing countries? highlights related resource challenges that intersect with urban resilience concerns. The spatial dimension of urban resilience warrants particular scrutiny. Cities are not homogeneous entities but rather differentiated landscapes where resilience capacities are unevenly distributed across neighborhoods and social groups. Wealthy districts typically possess greater resilience due to superior infrastructure, stronger social networks, and better access to resources and information. When Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005, the divergent recovery trajectories of different neighborhoods starkly illustrated these disparities. Affluent areas rebuilt relatively quickly, while low-income communities, particularly those with predominantly African American populations, remained devastated years later, with many former residents permanently displaced.

This socio-spatial differentiation is even more pronounced in rapidly growing cities of developing nations, where formal and informal urban areas exist in stark juxtaposition. Informal settlements, home to billions of urban residents worldwide, typically lack the infrastructure and institutional support that resilience frameworks assume as prerequisites. When floods, fires, or other disasters strike these communities, residents often rely on indigenous coping mechanisms and social solidarity networks rather than government assistance. Some scholars argue that these communities demonstrate remarkable resilience through their adaptive informality, while others counter that romanticizing such precarious survival strategies diverts attention from the fundamental rights and resources that residents should enjoy.

The temporal aspects of resilience also merit examination. Much resilience planning focuses on returning systems to pre-disturbance equilibrium, but this “bounce back” mentality may be inappropriate when the original state was itself problematic. Furthermore, in contexts of rapid urban growth and transformation, identifying what constitutes the system’s “normal” functioning becomes philosophically and practically challenging. Cities in regions like Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia are simultaneously dealing with multiple ongoing transformations—demographic growth, economic restructuring, infrastructure development, and environmental change—that make the concept of a stable equilibrium increasingly illusory.

Climate change fundamentally complicates urban resilience planning by introducing non-stationary conditions where historical patterns no longer reliably predict future challenges. Traditional infrastructure design relied on historical climate data to determine appropriate specifications—how high to build flood walls, how large to make drainage systems, what temperature ranges buildings should withstand. However, as climate patterns shift, these historical baselines become increasingly unreliable guides. Cities must now plan for conditions that have never previously occurred, introducing profound epistemic uncertainties that challenge conventional planning methodologies.

The concept of transformative resilience has emerged partly in response to these critiques, emphasizing fundamental changes to urban systems rather than merely strengthening existing configurations. This approach recognizes that truly effective adaptation may require radical reimagining of urban form, governance, and social relations. Top strategies for reducing plastic use exemplifies the kind of systemic thinking required for transformative approaches. For instance, rather than building higher flood defenses to protect low-lying coastal areas, transformative resilience might involve planned retreat from vulnerable zones, nature-based solutions like mangrove restoration, and fundamental restructuring of land tenure systems that currently incentivize development in high-risk areas.

However, implementing transformative approaches faces substantial obstacles. Existing institutional structures, regulatory frameworks, and economic incentives are typically designed to perpetuate current urban development patterns rather than facilitate fundamental change. Path dependency—the tendency of systems to continue along established trajectories—makes deviation difficult even when current paths lead toward increased vulnerability. Real estate markets, for example, continue to drive development in flood-prone coastal areas because property values reflect current desirability rather than long-term climate risks that may materialize decades hence.

Furthermore, questions of justice and equity become particularly acute in discussions of transformative change. Who decides which aspects of urban systems should be preserved and which should be transformed? Whose visions of desirable urban futures should guide transformation? History demonstrates that urban transformations, even those justified by public benefit, often disproportionately harm marginalized populations. Urban renewal programs in mid-20th century American cities, for instance, demolished vibrant working-class neighborhoods in the name of progress, displacing hundreds of thousands of residents. Ensuring that contemporary transformations toward resilience do not replicate such injustices requires explicit attention to procedural justice—meaningful participation by affected communities in decision-making—and distributional justice—fair allocation of both benefits and burdens.

Recent scholarship has begun exploring the concept of differential resilience, acknowledging that different communities may legitimately pursue different resilience strategies based on their values, circumstances, and priorities. Rather than seeking universal blueprints, this approach emphasizes localized knowledge, community-driven processes, and plural pathways toward resilience. Such pluralistic frameworks better accommodate the heterogeneity of urban contexts and populations, though they also complicate efforts to scale successful innovations and establish clear policy guidance.

As urban populations continue expanding, particularly in regions most vulnerable to climate impacts and with least capacity to invest in expensive resilience infrastructure, the stakes of these debates intensify. The challenge facing urban planners, policymakers, and communities is to develop approaches that genuinely enhance cities’ capacities to navigate uncertain futures while addressing rather than perpetuating existing inequalities. This requires moving beyond technocratic framings to engage with the fundamentally political questions about what kinds of cities we want to create and for whom. Sustainability challenges in transportation and How is the rise of electric vehicles affecting the oil industry? demonstrate interconnected challenges that must be addressed holistically. Only through such critical, reflexive engagement can urban resilience become a meaningful framework for building more just and sustainable cities.

Khu ổ chuột đô thị đối mặt với nguy cơ lũ lụt và tác động biến đổi khí hậu thiếu hạ tầng phục hồi

Questions 27-40

Questions 27-31: Multiple Choice

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C, or D.

27. According to the passage, traditional urban planning emphasized:
    A. Flexible and adaptive systems
    B. Controlling and predicting urban processes
    C. Social cohesion above all else
    D. Decentralized governance structures

28. Kevin Grove’s criticism of resilience discourse focuses on:
    A. Its technical complexity
    B. Its high implementation costs
    C. Its tendency to depoliticize urban problems
    D. Its focus on natural disasters

29. The passage suggests that informal settlements demonstrate resilience through:
    A. Superior infrastructure
    B. Government support programs
    C. Adaptive informality and social networks
    D. Advanced technological systems

30. Climate change complicates urban planning because:
    A. It makes all cities equally vulnerable
    B. Historical data no longer reliably predicts future conditions
    C. It only affects coastal cities
    D. Planners lack any relevant data

31. The concept of transformative resilience emphasizes:
    A. Returning to pre-disaster conditions
    B. Building higher flood defenses
    C. Fundamental changes to urban systems
    D. Maintaining current development patterns

Questions 32-36: Matching Features

Match the following concepts (32-36) with the correct characteristics (A-H). You may use any letter more than once.

Concepts:
32. Resilience framework
33. Socio-spatial differentiation
34. Transformative resilience
35. Path dependency
36. Differential resilience

Characteristics:
A. Recognizes different communities may pursue different strategies
B. Tendency of systems to continue along established trajectories
C. Uneven distribution of capacities across neighborhoods
D. Borrowed from ecological systems theory
E. Requires radical reimagining of urban form
F. Focuses solely on technological solutions
G. Guarantees equal outcomes for all residents
H. Emphasizes complete government control

Questions 37-40: Short-answer Questions

Answer the questions below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.

37. What type of governance structures do proponents of resilience thinking advocate for?
38. Which natural disaster in 2005 illustrated resilience disparities between different neighborhoods?
39. What two types of justice does the passage mention as important for urban transformation?
40. What kind of engagement does the passage suggest is necessary for meaningful urban resilience?

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3. Answer Keys – Đáp Án

PASSAGE 1: Questions 1-13

1. B
2. B
3. C
4. C
5. B
6. FALSE
7. FALSE
8. TRUE
9. NOT GIVEN
10. clean water
11. permeable pavements
12. citizen complaints
13. political connections

PASSAGE 2: Questions 14-26

14. NO
15. YES
16. YES
17. NO
18. NOT GIVEN
19. iii
20. i
21. v
22. vii
23. iv
24. pilot projects
25. open data (standards)
26. human-centered design

PASSAGE 3: Questions 27-40

27. B
28. C
29. C
30. B
31. C
32. D
33. C
34. E
35. B
36. A
37. polycentric governance (structures)
38. Hurricane Katrina
39. procedural and distributional / distributional and procedural
40. critical, reflexive engagement

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4. Giải Thích Đáp Án Chi Tiết

Passage 1 – Giải Thích

Câu 1: B

• Dạng câu hỏi: Multiple Choice
• Từ khóa: cities traditionally develop, how
• Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 2, dòng 1-2
• Giải thích: Câu “Historically, cities grew organically without much formal planning” được paraphrase thành “Following natural patterns without formal planning”. Đáp án B chính xác mô tả cách thành phố phát triển truyền thống. Các đáp án khác mâu thuẫn với thông tin trong bài.

Câu 2: B

• Dạng câu hỏi: Multiple Choice
• Từ khóa: zoning regulations, main purpose
• Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 3, dòng 3-5
• Giải thích: Bài văn nói “zoning regulations, which designated specific areas for residential, commercial, and industrial use. This separation helped reduce conflicts between different types of land use”. Đáp án B (To separate different types of land use) là paraphrase chính xác của mục đích này.

Câu 3: C

• Dạng câu hỏi: Multiple Choice
• Từ khóa: informal settlements, typically
• Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 4, dòng 3-5
• Giải thích: Câu “millions of people live in informal settlements without access to basic amenities such as clean water, electricity, or proper roads” khẳng định rằng các khu định cư không chính thức thiếu các tiện nghi cơ bản, khớp với đáp án C.

Câu 6: FALSE

• Dạng câu hỏi: True/False/Not Given
• Từ khóa: Urban planning, formal discipline, ancient world
• Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 3, dòng 1
• Giải thích: Bài văn nói “The modern concept of urban planning emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries” – vậy quy hoạch đô thị hiện đại bắt đầu vào cuối thế kỷ 19 chứ không phải thời cổ đại, nên câu này là FALSE.

Câu 7: FALSE

• Dạng câu hỏi: True/False/Not Given
• Từ khóa: High-density housing, outskirts, good transport connections
• Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 6, dòng 3-5
• Giải thích: Đoạn văn nói “these developments often lack proper connections to job centers and essential services” – tức là thiếu kết nối giao thông tốt, mâu thuẫn với câu khẳng định “always have good transport connections”, nên đáp án là FALSE.

Câu 8: TRUE

• Dạng câu hỏi: True/False/Not Given
• Từ khóa: Climate change, risks, developing nations
• Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 7, dòng 2-3
• Giải thích: Câu “Cities in developing nations are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change” khớp hoàn toàn với ý nghĩa của câu hỏi, nên đáp án là TRUE.

Câu 10: clean water

• Dạng câu hỏi: Sentence Completion
• Từ khóa: informal settlements, not have access
• Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 4, dòng 4
• Giải thích: Cụm “without access to basic amenities such as clean water, electricity, or proper roads” cung cấp đáp án chính xác là “clean water”.

Câu 13: political connections

• Dạng câu hỏi: Sentence Completion
• Từ khóa: Corruption, land allocated
• Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 10, dòng 2-3
• Giải thích: Câu “valuable land is sometimes allocated based on political connections rather than public interest” cho thấy đất được phân bổ dựa trên “political connections”.

Passage 2 – Giải Thích

Câu 14: NO

• Dạng câu hỏi: Yes/No/Not Given
• Từ khóa: Smart city technology, most effective solution, all urban problems
• Vị trí trong bài: Xuyên suốt cả bài, đặc biệt đoạn 5-8
• Giải thích: Bài văn liên tục chỉ ra các thách thức và hạn chế của công nghệ thành phố thông minh (chi phí cao, vấn đề riêng tư, bất bình đẳng kỹ thuật số), không khẳng định nó là giải pháp hiệu quả nhất cho TẤT CẢ vấn đề đô thị. Đáp án là NO.

Câu 15: YES

• Dạng câu hỏi: Yes/No/Not Given
• Từ khóa: cost, comprehensive smart city systems, extremely high, developing nations
• Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 5, dòng 1-3
• Giải thích: Câu “The initial capital investment required… can be prohibitively expensive, particularly for municipalities in developing nations with limited budgets” và “might require hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars” khẳng định chi phí rất cao. Đáp án YES.

Câu 16: YES

• Dạng câu hỏi: Yes/No/Not Given
• Từ khóa: Citizens, concerns, privacy issues, smart city monitoring
• Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 6, dòng 3-5
• Giải thích: “Citizens in several cities have expressed discomfort with the extent of monitoring, fearing that governments or private companies might exploit this information” xác nhận lo ngại về quyền riêng tư. Đáp án YES.

Câu 19: iii (Environmental advantages of digital urban systems)

• Dạng câu hỏi: Matching Headings
• Từ khóa: smart grids, water management, waste collection
• Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn D (đoạn 4)
• Giải thích: Toàn bộ đoạn này thảo luận về lợi ích môi trường: “environmental benefits”, “smart grids”, “intelligent water management systems”, “smart waste collection”.

Câu 24: pilot projects

• Dạng câu hỏi: Summary Completion
• Từ khóa: begin with, testing, limited scale
• Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 10, dòng 3-4
• Giải thích: “Successful approaches typically involve pilot projects that test technologies on a small scale before city-wide implementation” cung cấp đáp án chính xác.

Passage 3 – Giải Thích

Câu 27: B

• Dạng câu hỏi: Multiple Choice
• Từ khóa: traditional urban planning, emphasized
• Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 2, dòng 4-5
• Giải thích: “traditional urban planning, with its emphasis on controlling and predicting urban processes” cho thấy quy hoạch truyền thống tập trung vào kiểm soát và dự đoán các quá trình đô thị.

Câu 28: C

• Dạng câu hỏi: Multiple Choice
• Từ khóa: Kevin Grove, criticism, resilience discourse
• Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 3, dòng 2-6
• Giải thích: Kevin Grove cho rằng “resilience discourse tends to naturalize existing power relations… framing urban problems as technical challenges… rather than as outcomes of structural injustices” và “This depoliticization can reinforce patterns” – tức là khuynh hướng phi chính trị hóa các vấn đề đô thị.

Câu 30: B

• Dạng câu hỏi: Multiple Choice
• Từ khóa: Climate change, complicates, urban planning
• Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 7, dòng 1-4
• Giải thích: “Climate change fundamentally complicates urban resilience planning by introducing non-stationary conditions where historical patterns no longer reliably predict future challenges” và “historical baselines become increasingly unreliable guides” cho thấy dữ liệu lịch sử không còn dự đoán được điều kiện tương lai.

Câu 37: polycentric governance (structures)

• Dạng câu hỏi: Short-answer Questions
• Từ khóa: governance structures, proponents, resilience thinking, advocate
• Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 2, dòng 6-7
• Giải thích: “they advocate for polycentric governance structures” cung cấp đáp án trực tiếp.

Câu 38: Hurricane Katrina

• Dạng câu hỏi: Short-answer Questions
• Từ khóa: natural disaster, 2005, illustrated, resilience disparities
• Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 4, dòng 6-7
• Giải thích: “When Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005, the divergent recovery trajectories of different neighborhoods starkly illustrated these disparities” cho câu trả lời rõ ràng.

Câu 40: critical, reflexive engagement

• Dạng câu hỏi: Short-answer Questions
• Từ khóa: engagement, necessary, meaningful urban resilience
• Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn cuối, dòng cuối cùng
• Giải thích: “Only through such critical, reflexive engagement can urban resilience become a meaningful framework” là câu kết luận cung cấp đáp án.

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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
unprecedented	adj	/ʌnˈpresɪdentɪd/	chưa từng có, chưa có tiền lệ	unprecedented growth	unprecedented levels, unprecedented challenges
population influx	n	/ˌpɒpjuˈleɪʃən ˈɪnflʌks/	dòng người di cư đến	the population influx into urban areas	massive influx, sudden influx
haphazard	adj	/hæpˈhæzəd/	tùy tiện, bừa bãi	haphazard approach	haphazard manner, haphazard way
zoning regulations	n	/ˈzəʊnɪŋ ˌreɡjuˈleɪʃənz/	quy định phân vùng	introduced zoning regulations	strict regulations, zoning laws
informal settlements	n	/ɪnˈfɔːməl ˈsetlmənts/	khu định cư tự phát	live in informal settlements	urban settlements, makeshift settlements
unplanned communities	n	/ʌnˈplænd kəˈmjuːnətiz/	cộng đồng không có quy hoạch	unplanned communities develop	spontaneous communities
integrated transport	n	/ˈɪntɪɡreɪtɪd ˈtrænspɔːt/	giao thông tích hợp	integrated transport planning	integrated system, integrated network
high-density residential	adj	/haɪ ˈdensəti ˌrezɪˈdenʃəl/	khu dân cư mật độ cao	high-density residential complexes	high-density housing, high-density areas
sustainable planning	n	/səˈsteɪnəbl ˈplænɪŋ/	quy hoạch bền vững	sustainable urban planning	sustainable development, sustainable practices
green infrastructure	n	/ɡriːn ˈɪnfrəstrʌktʃə/	hạ tầng xanh	green infrastructure projects	urban infrastructure, ecological infrastructure
permeable pavements	n	/ˈpɜːmiəbl ˈpeɪvmənts/	vỉa hè thấm nước	permeable pavements help manage stormwater	porous pavements, permeable surfaces
participatory planning	n	/pɑːˈtɪsɪpətəri ˈplænɪŋ/	quy hoạch có sự tham gia	participatory planning approaches	community participation, participatory processes

Passage 2 – Essential Vocabulary

Từ vựng	Loại từ	Phiên âm	Nghĩa tiếng Việt	Ví dụ từ bài	Collocation
paradigmatic response	n	/ˌpærədɪɡˈmætɪk rɪˈspɒns/	phản ứng có tính mô hình	paradigmatic response to challenges	paradigm shift, paradigmatic change
cutting-edge	adj	/ˌkʌtɪŋ ˈedʒ/	tiên tiến, tối tân	cutting-edge digital technologies	cutting-edge technology, cutting-edge research
interconnected network	n	/ˌɪntəkəˈnektɪd ˈnetwɜːk/	mạng lưới kết nối	interconnected network of sensors	interconnected systems, global network
Internet of Things (IoT)	n	/ˈɪntənet əv θɪŋz/	Internet vạn vật	IoT infrastructure	IoT devices, IoT applications
data-centric	adj	/ˈdeɪtə ˈsentrɪk/	lấy dữ liệu làm trung tâm	data-centric approach	data-driven, data-focused
intelligent traffic systems	n	/ɪnˈtelɪdʒənt ˈtræfɪk ˈsɪstəmz/	hệ thống giao thông thông minh	intelligent traffic systems use sensors	smart traffic, intelligent transportation
dynamic traffic signal	n	/daɪˈnæmɪk ˈtræfɪk ˈsɪɡnəl/	đèn tín hiệu giao thông linh hoạt	dynamic traffic signal timing	adaptive signals, responsive signals
smart grids	n	/smɑːt ɡrɪdz/	lưới điện thông minh	smart grids optimize electricity	power grids, energy grids
renewable energy sources	n	/rɪˈnjuːəbl ˈenədʒi ˈsɔːsɪz/	nguồn năng lượng tái tạo	accommodating renewable energy sources	clean energy, sustainable energy
prohibitively expensive	adj	/prəˈhɪbɪtɪvli ɪkˈspensɪv/	đắt đến mức không thể chấp nhận	prohibitively expensive for municipalities	extremely expensive, exorbitantly priced
digital divide	n	/ˈdɪdʒɪtl dɪˈvaɪd/	khoảng cách số	digital divide poses obstacles	bridge the divide, digital inequality
exacerbate inequalities	v	/ɪɡˈzæsəbeɪt ˌɪnɪˈkwɒlətiz/	làm trầm trọng thêm bất bình đẳng	exacerbate existing inequalities	worsen inequalities, deepen disparities
technical expertise	n	/ˈteknɪkl ˌekspɜːˈtiːz/	chuyên môn kỹ thuật	lack technical expertise	specialized knowledge, professional expertise
one-size-fits-all	adj	/wʌn saɪz fɪts ɔːl/	một kích cỡ cho tất cả (không phù hợp với mọi trường hợp)	one-size-fits-all solutions	universal approach, standard solution
human-centered design	n	/ˈhjuːmən ˈsentəd dɪˈzaɪn/	thiết kế lấy con người làm trung tâm	human-centered design principles	user-centered, people-focused design

Passage 3 – Essential Vocabulary

Từ vựng	Loại từ	Phiên âm	Nghĩa tiếng Việt	Ví dụ từ bài	Collocation
cascading consequences	n	/kæsˈkeɪdɪŋ ˈkɒnsɪkwənsɪz/	hậu quả dây chuyền	cascading consequences of climate change	cascading effects, cascading failures
fundamental reconceptualization	n	/ˌfʌndəˈmentl ˌriːkənˌseptʃuəlaɪˈzeɪʃən/	sự tái khái niệm hóa cơ bản	fundamental reconceptualization of urban systems	radical rethinking, paradigm shift
adaptive frameworks	n	/əˈdæptɪv ˈfreɪmwɜːks/	khung làm việc thích ứng	adaptive, flexible frameworks	flexible systems, resilient frameworks
formidable challenges	n	/ˈfɔːmɪdəbl ˈtʃælɪndʒɪz/	thách thức ghê gớm	formidable conceptual and practical challenges	significant challenges, major obstacles
ecological systems theory	n	/ˌiːkəˈlɒdʒɪkl ˈsɪstəmz ˈθɪəri/	lý thuyết hệ sinh thái	borrowed from ecological systems theory	ecosystem theory, biological systems
catastrophic failure	n	/ˌkætəˈstrɒfɪk ˈfeɪljə/	sự thất bại thảm khốc	vulnerable to catastrophic failure	total failure, system collapse
polycentric governance	n	/ˌpɒliˈsentrɪk ˈɡʌvənəns/	quản trị đa trung tâm	polycentric governance structures	decentralized governance, multi-level governance
structural injustices	n	/ˈstrʌktʃərəl ɪnˈdʒʌstɪsɪz/	bất công cấu trúc	outcomes of structural injustices	systemic inequalities, institutional discrimination
depoliticization	n	/diːpəˌlɪtɪsaɪˈzeɪʃən/	sự phi chính trị hóa	depoliticization can reinforce patterns	neutralization, removing from politics
differentiated landscapes	n	/ˌdɪfəˈrenʃieɪtɪd ˈlændskeɪps/	cảnh quan phân biệt	differentiated landscapes of resilience	diverse environments, varied terrains
divergent trajectories	n	/daɪˈvɜːdʒənt trəˈdʒektəriz/	quỹ đạo phân kỳ	divergent recovery trajectories	different paths, contrasting directions
indigenous coping mechanisms	n	/ɪnˈdɪdʒənəs ˈkəʊpɪŋ ˈmekənɪzəmz/	cơ chế đối phó bản địa	indigenous coping mechanisms and social networks	traditional strategies, local adaptations
precarious survival	adj	/prɪˈkeəriəs səˈvaɪvəl/	sự sống còn bấp bênh	precarious survival strategies	unstable existence, vulnerable conditions
non-stationary conditions	n	/nɒn ˈsteɪʃənəri kənˈdɪʃənz/	điều kiện không ổn định	non-stationary conditions of climate	changing conditions, dynamic environments
epistemic uncertainties	n	/ˌepɪˈstemɪk ʌnˈsɜːtəntiz/	sự không chắc chắn nhận thức	epistemic uncertainties challenge planning	knowledge gaps, fundamental unknowns
transformative resilience	n	/trænsˈfɔːmətɪv rɪˈzɪliəns/	khả năng phục hồi biến đổi	transformative resilience emphasizes change	radical adaptation, systemic transformation
path dependency	n	/pɑːθ dɪˈpendənsi/	sự phụ thuộc vào quỹ đạo	path dependency makes change difficult	historical trajectory, locked-in patterns
procedural justice	n	/prəˈsiːdʒərəl ˈdʒʌstɪs/	công bằng thủ tục	procedural justice in decision-making	fair processes, due process
differential resilience	n	/ˌdɪfəˈrenʃəl rɪˈzɪliəns/	khả năng phục hồi khác biệt	concept of differential resilience	varied resilience, diverse capacities

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Kết Bài

Chủ đề Challenges of urban planning in growing cities là một trong những đề tài quan trọng và thường xuyên xuất hiện trong IELTS Reading, phản ánh những vấn đề thực tiễn mà các thành phố trên toàn cầu đang đối mặt. Qua bộ đề thi mẫu này, bạn đã được trải nghiệm đầy đủ ba mức độ khó với những góc nhìn đa chiều về quy hoạch đô thị.

Passage 1 giới thiệu nền tảng cơ bản về sự phát triển của quy hoạch đô thị, từ các phương pháp truyền thống đến những thách thức hiện đại. Passage 2 đi sâu vào ứng dụng công nghệ thành phố thông minh với những lợi ích cũng như hạn chế đáng kể. Passage 3 nâng cao lên tầm khái niệm học thuật về khả năng phục hồi đô thị, những tranh luận về công bằng xã hội và tương lai của quy hoạch trong bối cảnh biến đổi khí hậu.

Các đáp án chi tiết kèm giải thích đã chỉ ra vị trí cụ thể trong bài, cách paraphrase giữa câu hỏi và passage, cũng như những kỹ thuật scan và skim hiệu quả. Bộ từ vựng được phân loại theo từng passage không chỉ giúp bạn mở rộng vốn từ mà còn hiểu được cách sử dụng các collocations học thuật trong ngữ cảnh thực tế.

Hãy luyện tập thường xuyên với các đề thi đa dạng, phân tích kỹ cấu trúc câu hỏi và rèn luyện khả năng quản lý thời gian. Với sự chuẩn bị bài bản và chiến lược đúng đắn, bạn hoàn toàn có thể chinh phục IELTS Reading và đạt được band điểm mục tiêu của mình. Chúc các bạn ôn tập hiệu quả và thành công trong kỳ thi sắp tới!