Chủ đề về sự ảnh hưởng của công nghệ đến nghệ thuật là một trong những đề tài xuất hiện thường xuyên trong IELTS Reading, đặc biệt trong các bài thi Academic. Đây là chủ đề đa chiều, yêu cầu người học hiểu biết về cả khía cạnh kỹ thuật lẫn văn hóa, rất phù hợp để đánh giá khả năng đọc hiểu học thuật.
Trong bài viết này, bạn sẽ được trải nghiệm một bộ đề thi IELTS Reading hoàn chỉnh với ba passages có độ khó tăng dần từ Easy đến Hard. Đề thi bao gồm 40 câu hỏi đa dạng về dạng thức, giống như trong bài thi thực tế. Bạn cũng sẽ nhận được đáp án chi tiết kèm giải thích, từ vựng quan trọng và các kỹ thuật làm bài hiệu quả.
Bộ đề này phù hợp cho học viên từ band 5.0 trở lên, giúp bạn làm quen với format thi thật, cải thiện kỹ năng quản lý thời gian và nâng cao vốn từ vựng học thuật. Hãy chuẩn bị đồng hồ bấm giờ và bắt đầu thực hành như bạn đang trong phòng thi thực sự.
Hướng Dẫn Làm Bài IELTS Reading
Tổng Quan Về IELTS Reading Test
IELTS Reading Test kéo dài 60 phút và bao gồm 3 passages với tổng cộng 40 câu hỏi. Mỗi câu trả lời đúng được tính 1 điểm, không có điểm âm cho câu sai. Điểm số sau đó được chuyển đổi thành band điểm từ 1-9.
Phân bổ thời gian khuyến nghị:
- Passage 1: 15-17 phút (độ khó thấp)
- Passage 2: 18-20 phút (độ khó trung bình)
- Passage 3: 23-25 phút (độ khó cao)
Lưu ý rằng bạn cần tự quản lý thời gian vì đề thi không chia nhỏ từng phần. Nhiều thí sinh mắc lỗi dành quá nhiều thời gian cho Passage 1 và 2, dẫn đến thiếu thời gian cho phần khó nhất.
Các Dạng Câu Hỏi Trong Đề Này
Đề thi mẫu này bao gồm 7 dạng câu hỏi phổ biến nhất trong IELTS Reading:
- Multiple Choice – Câu hỏi trắc nghiệm nhiều lựa chọn
- True/False/Not Given – Xác định thông tin đúng/sai/không đề cập
- Matching Headings – Nối tiêu đề với đoạn văn
- Sentence Completion – Hoàn thành câu
- Summary Completion – Hoàn thành tóm tắt
- Matching Features – Nối thông tin với đặc điểm
- Short-answer Questions – Câu hỏi trả lời ngắn
IELTS Reading Practice Test
PASSAGE 1 – Digital Revolution in Visual Arts
Độ khó: Easy (Band 5.0-6.5)
Thời gian đề xuất: 15-17 phút
The relationship between technology and art has undergone a dramatic transformation over the past few decades, particularly in the realm of visual arts. What was once a field dominated by traditional mediums such as oil paints, charcoal, and marble has now embraced digital tools that have fundamentally altered how artists create, share, and monetize their work.
In the early 1990s, the introduction of affordable personal computers marked a turning point for visual artists. Software programs like Adobe Photoshop, released in 1990, provided artists with unprecedented control over image manipulation. Unlike traditional painting, where mistakes could be costly and time-consuming to correct, digital art allowed for infinite experimentation without wasting physical materials. Artists could now layer images, adjust colors with precision, and undo errors with a simple keyboard command. This technological leap democratized art creation, enabling individuals without formal training to produce professional-looking artwork.
The rise of digital tablets in the 2000s further revolutionized the creative process. Devices such as Wacom tablets provided artists with a more natural drawing experience, combining the tactile sensation of traditional drawing with digital flexibility. Artists could now sketch directly onto a screen using a stylus that mimicked the pressure sensitivity of real pencils and brushes. This technology particularly benefited illustrators and concept artists in industries like animation, video games, and film production, where quick iterations and modifications were essential.
Social media platforms have also dramatically reshaped how artists share their work and build audiences. Instagram, Pinterest, and DeviantArt have become virtual galleries where millions of people can view artwork without visiting physical exhibition spaces. This global accessibility has created opportunities for artists in remote locations to gain international recognition. A talented digital artist in a small town can now attract commissions from clients worldwide, something that would have been nearly impossible in the pre-internet era. However, this accessibility has also led to concerns about copyright infringement and the unauthorized reproduction of digital artworks.
Three-dimensional printing technology represents another frontier in artistic expression. Artists can now design sculptures using computer-aided design (CAD) software and then produce physical objects through additive manufacturing processes. This technology has made sculpture more accessible by eliminating the need for expensive foundry work or extensive manual carving. Museums like the Smithsonian have even begun creating 3D-printed replicas of valuable artifacts, allowing visitors to handle reproductions while preserving the originals.
Artificial intelligence has emerged as perhaps the most controversial technological influence on art. Programs using machine learning algorithms can now generate original images based on textual descriptions or stylistic parameters. In 2018, an AI-generated portrait sold at Christie’s auction house for $432,500, sparking debates about authorship and creativity. Critics argue that AI-generated art lacks the human emotion and intentionality that define true artistic expression, while supporters contend that these tools are simply new instruments in the artist’s toolkit, no different from the camera or computer before them.
Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies are creating entirely new artistic mediums. Artists can now design immersive environments that viewers can explore using VR headsets, transforming the traditionally passive experience of viewing art into an interactive journey. AR applications allow artists to overlay digital content onto physical spaces, creating site-specific installations that blur the boundaries between the digital and physical worlds. These technologies are particularly popular in public art installations and museum exhibitions, where they enhance visitor engagement.
Despite these advances, many artists maintain that technology serves as a complement rather than a replacement for traditional skills. The most successful digital artists often possess strong foundational knowledge of classical techniques such as perspective, anatomy, and color theory. Technology provides powerful tools, but artistic vision, creativity, and aesthetic judgment remain fundamentally human qualities. As artist David Hockney observed, “The computer is just a tool; it doesn’t make art by itself.”
The economic landscape for artists has also been transformed by technology. Online marketplaces like Etsy and Saatchi Art enable artists to sell directly to consumers without gallery representation, though this also means artists must now manage marketing, shipping, and customer service themselves. Crowdfunding platforms such as Patreon allow artists to receive ongoing financial support from fans, creating a sustainable income stream that doesn’t depend on occasional sales.
Looking forward, the relationship between technology and art will likely continue to evolve in unpredictable ways. Blockchain technology and NFTs (non-fungible tokens) have introduced new methods for artists to authenticate and sell digital works, though the environmental impact and speculative nature of these technologies remain contentious issues. What remains certain is that technology will continue to expand the possibilities of artistic expression while raising important questions about creativity, authenticity, and value in the digital age.
Questions 1-13
Questions 1-5: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C, or D.
1. According to the passage, what was a major advantage of digital art over traditional art in the 1990s?
A. It was more expensive to produce
B. It allowed artists to correct mistakes easily
C. It required more formal training
D. It used better quality materials
2. Digital tablets in the 2000s were particularly useful for:
A. museum curators
B. art collectors
C. illustrators and concept artists
D. art historians
3. The passage suggests that social media platforms have:
A. replaced physical galleries completely
B. made art less accessible to the public
C. helped artists in remote areas gain recognition
D. eliminated copyright concerns
4. The AI-generated portrait mentioned in the passage:
A. was rejected by Christie’s auction house
B. sold for over $400,000
C. was universally praised by critics
D. proved AI is better than human artists
5. According to David Hockney’s observation:
A. computers can create art independently
B. technology is merely a tool for artists
C. traditional art is superior to digital art
D. all artists should abandon digital tools
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. Adobe Photoshop was first released before 1990.
7. All successful digital artists have formal training in classical art techniques.
8. 3D printing has made sculpture creation less expensive for some artists.
9. Virtual reality art is more popular than traditional painting among young people.
Questions 10-13: Sentence Completion
Complete the sentences below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
10. Museums have used 3D printing to create __ of valuable artifacts.
11. Artists can use AR applications to overlay digital content onto __.
12. Online marketplaces allow artists to sell directly without needing __.
13. NFTs have introduced new ways for artists to __ digital works.
PASSAGE 2 – The Metamorphosis of Musical Composition
Độ khó: Medium (Band 6.0-7.5)
Thời gian đề xuất: 18-20 phút
The symbiotic relationship between technology and music has been instrumental in shaping the sonic landscape of contemporary culture. From the invention of the phonograph in 1877 to today’s sophisticated digital audio workstations, technological innovations have not merely facilitated musical production but have fundamentally redefined the very essence of composition, performance, and consumption. This evolutionary trajectory reveals both the emancipatory potential and the inherent tensions that arise when artistic tradition confronts technological disruption.
The mechanization of music began in earnest during the Industrial Revolution, when automated instruments such as the player piano challenged prevailing notions of musical authenticity. These devices, which reproduced performances through perforated paper rolls, sparked fierce debates about whether mechanical reproduction could capture the nuanced expressiveness of live performance. Composer Igor Stravinsky, however, recognized the artistic possibilities inherent in these technologies, creating compositions specifically designed for player piano that exceeded the technical limitations of human performers. This early example illustrates a pattern that would repeat throughout the twentieth century: technology initially perceived as a threat to artistic integrity eventually becomes an accepted medium for creative expression.
Tác động của công nghệ đến sáng tác âm nhạc hiện đại và quá trình chuyển đổi số trong nghệ thuật
The advent of magnetic tape recording in the 1940s precipitated a paradigm shift in compositional methodology. Musique concrète, pioneered by French composer Pierre Schaeffer, utilized tape manipulation techniques—including splicing, reversing, and speed alteration—to transform recorded environmental sounds into musical compositions. This approach challenged the Western musical tradition’s emphasis on melodic and harmonic structures, instead prioritizing timbre and texture as primary compositional elements. Schaeffer’s work demonstrated that technology could expand the palette of musical sounds beyond the constraints of acoustic instruments, incorporating any audible phenomenon into the compositional framework.
Electronic synthesis emerged as another transformative force in the mid-twentieth century. The development of the Moog synthesizer in the 1960s provided composers with unprecedented control over sound generation, enabling the creation of timbres impossible to produce through traditional means. Progressive rock bands like Emerson, Lake & Palmer and electronic music pioneers such as Wendy Carlos demonstrated the instrument’s versatility, from avant-garde experimentation to commercial viability. Synthesizers democratized orchestral textures, allowing solo performers to access sounds previously requiring entire ensembles. This technological capability had profound economic implications for the music industry, as smaller production teams could achieve sonic complexity that once demanded substantial financial resources.
The digitization of music production in the 1980s and 1990s marked another watershed moment. MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) standardization enabled different electronic instruments and computers to communicate, creating integrated production environments. Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) like Pro Tools and Logic Pro transformed personal computers into comprehensive recording studios, obliterating traditional barriers to music production. An artist with a laptop could now access professional-grade production tools that would have required expensive studio time just decades earlier. This technological democratization contributed to the proliferation of independent artists and the diversification of musical genres, as creators no longer needed record label backing to produce commercially competitive recordings.
Algorithmic composition and artificial intelligence represent the contemporary frontier of technology’s influence on music. Programs employing machine learning techniques can analyze vast musical corpora and generate new compositions that emulate specific stylistic characteristics. Google’s Magenta project and OpenAI’s MuseNet have produced compositions that blur the distinction between human and machine creativity. The British composer Emily Howard has collaborated with artificial intelligence systems to create works that combine computational processes with human aesthetic judgment, suggesting a collaborative model where technology augments rather than replaces human creativity.
Streaming platforms and recommendation algorithms have profoundly affected not only how music is consumed but also how it is created. The dominance of Spotify, Apple Music, and similar services has created new compositional considerations: songs are increasingly structured to capture listener attention within the first few seconds to avoid being skipped, and track lengths have shortened to maximize streaming revenue. Some analysts argue this has led to homogenization in popular music, as algorithms favor certain sonic characteristics that maximize engagement metrics. However, these platforms have also enabled niche genres and independent artists to find audiences that would be commercially unviable in the traditional album-and-radio model.
The concept of musical authorship has become increasingly complex in the technological age. When a producer uses pre-made loops from a sample library, arranges them using AI-assisted tools, and processes the result through automated mastering algorithms, questions arise about the locus of creativity. Is the producer the sole author, or should credit be distributed among software developers, original sample creators, and the artificial intelligence systems? These questions have legal and philosophical implications that the music industry continues to grapple with. Copyright frameworks developed for the analog era struggle to address the collaborative and iterative nature of digital music production.
Spatial audio and immersive sound technologies are creating new compositional dimensions. Dolby Atmos and similar formats enable composers to position sounds in three-dimensional space, creating enveloping sonic experiences that transcend traditional stereo imaging. Artists like Björk and The Weeknd have released albums specifically mixed for these formats, treating spatial positioning as an integral compositional parameter rather than a mere post-production enhancement. This development suggests that our conception of music may continue to evolve beyond purely auditory phenomena toward multisensory artistic experiences.
Despite these technological advances, fundamental questions about musical value and meaning persist. Technology can facilitate composition, expand sonic possibilities, and democratize production, but it cannot determine what makes music emotionally resonant or culturally significant. The most successful contemporary artists typically combine technological proficiency with deep musical knowledge, cultural awareness, and the ineffable quality often termed “artistic voice.” As musicologist Simon Emmerson notes, technology changes the “how” of music creation but not the “why”—the human impulses toward expression, communication, and meaning-making that have driven musical creation across cultures and millennia.
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. Player pianos were initially welcomed by all musicians as an advancement.
15. Technology that was once seen as threatening to art can eventually become accepted.
16. Magnetic tape recording led to a fundamental change in how music was composed.
17. All electronic music producers should have formal training in classical composition.
18. Streaming platforms have influenced how contemporary music is structured.
Questions 19-23: Matching Headings
The passage has ten paragraphs (labeled in the analysis).
Choose the correct heading for paragraphs B-F from the list of headings below.
List of Headings:
i. The economic impact of synthesizer technology
ii. Early mechanical devices and debates about authenticity
iii. The challenge of defining authorship in digital music
iv. How tape recording changed compositional thinking
v. The role of algorithms in music consumption
vi. Spatial audio as a new compositional element
vii. The democratization of music production through computers
viii. AI collaboration in contemporary composition
19. Paragraph B (starts with “The mechanization of music…”)
20. Paragraph C (starts with “The advent of magnetic tape…”)
21. Paragraph D (starts with “Electronic synthesis emerged…”)
22. Paragraph E (starts with “The digitization of music production…”)
23. Paragraph F (starts with “Algorithmic composition…”)
Questions 24-26: Summary Completion
Complete the summary below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
Technology has transformed music in multiple ways. In the mid-twentieth century, 24. __ gave composers control over sound creation that was impossible with acoustic instruments. Later, the 25. __ standardization allowed different electronic devices to communicate effectively. Today, questions about 26. __ have become more complex as multiple parties contribute to digital music production through various technological means.
PASSAGE 3 – Phenomenology of Digital Art: Ontological Transformations in Creative Praxis
Độ khó: Hard (Band 7.0-9.0)
Thời gian đề xuất: 23-25 phút
The ontological status of art in the digital epoch presents a constellation of philosophical paradoxes that challenge fundamental assumptions about materiality, originality, and aesthetic experience. As computational technologies increasingly mediate artistic production and reception, the traditional Cartesian separation between creator and creation, observer and observed, has dissolved into a more fluid and participatory model. This transformation necessitates a reconceptualization of artistic value that accounts for the dematerialized, networked, and algorithmically-inflected nature of contemporary creative practice, while interrogating whether technological instrumentalization enhances or diminishes art’s capacity for existential meaning-making.
Hiện tượng học của nghệ thuật số và sự chuyển đổi bản thể trong thực hành sáng tạo
The Walter Benjamin paradigm—articulated in his seminal 1935 essay “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction”—identified the erosion of “aura” (the authentic presence and temporal singularity of the original artwork) as the defining consequence of reproductive technologies. Benjamin’s analysis, though prescient, could not anticipate the exponential intensification of this phenomenon in the digital realm, where the very distinction between original and copy becomes theoretically untenable. A digital artwork exists as infinitely reproducible code, each instantiation identical at the bit level, challenging the scarcity-based value systems that have traditionally undergirded art markets. The recent emergence of NFTs (non-fungible tokens) represents a paradoxical response: attempting to impose artificial scarcity onto inherently abundant digital objects through cryptographic verification, thereby reintroducing aura through technological rather than material means.
The phenomenological dimensions of digital art consumption diverge significantly from traditional aesthetic encounters. Philosopher Martin Heidegger’s concept of “enframing” (Gestell)—the technological mode of revealing that transforms all entities into “standing reserve” available for optimization and exploitation—provides a critical lens for examining how digital interfaces mediate artistic experience. When viewers encounter art through screens, the embodied, spatial, and temporal aspects of aesthetic engagement are fundamentally reconfigured. The haptic dimensions of viewing texture, the perspectival shifts enabled by physical movement, and the communal experience of shared space are supplanted by the algorithmic presentation, variable resolution, and individuated consumption characteristic of digital platforms. Art historian Claire Bishop has argued that this shift produces a “digital divide” in aesthetic experience, where the immediacy and sensuousness traditionally central to art appreciation are attenuated by technological mediation.
Generative art—artwork created through autonomous systems employing algorithmic processes and computational randomness—represents a particularly salient manifestation of technology’s conceptual impact on artistic creation. Artists such as Vera Molnár and Manfred Mohr, pioneers of computer-generated art since the 1960s, developed procedural systems that produced visual outputs beyond their complete conscious control, effectively positioning the artist as a meta-creator who designs generative frameworks rather than discrete aesthetic objects. This approach resonates with John Cage’s aleatory techniques in music, introducing indeterminacy and stochastic processes into creative methodology. However, the computational scale of digital generative systems enables explorations of aesthetic space that would be practically impossible through manual means, raising questions about whether such works represent genuine artistic innovation or merely sophisticated pattern generation.
The participatory affordances of digital technologies have catalyzed new artistic paradigms that destabilize conventional artist-audience relationships. Interactive installations, net art, and collaborative online projects transform viewers from passive recipients into active co-creators, whose inputs dynamically shape the artwork’s manifestation. Rafael Lozano-Hemmer’s “relational architecture” projects, which use biometric sensors and responsive environments to create artworks that adapt to audience presence, exemplify this distributed authorship model. Such works challenge Romantic notions of the artist as solitary genius, instead proposing art as an emergent phenomenon arising from complex interactions between creator, system, audience, and context. This democratization of creative agency aligns with poststructuralist critiques of authorship articulated by theorists like Roland Barthes and Michel Foucault, who argued that meaning is co-constructed through interpretive practices rather than unilaterally determined by authorial intention.
Artificial intelligence systems employing deep learning architectures represent the most conceptually provocative technological influence on contemporary art. When Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) produce images that exhibit stylistic coherence, compositional balance, and aesthetic appeal without human intervention, fundamental questions arise about the necessary and sufficient conditions for artistic creation. Does art require intentionality, subjective experience, or phenomenal consciousness? If a neural network trained on thousands of Renaissance paintings produces a visually compelling new work, can it be considered genuinely creative, or is it merely sophisticated pattern matching and interpolation? Philosopher Margaret Boden’s distinction between “exploratory creativity” (operating within established conceptual spaces) and “transformational creativity” (fundamentally altering those spaces) provides a useful framework: current AI systems excel at the former but lack capacity for the latter, as they operate within parameters defined by human programmers and training data distributions.
The commodification dynamics of digital art reveal tensions between art’s critical and commercial functions. Blockchain-based markets for crypto art and NFTs have created unprecedented speculative economies around digital works, with some pieces selling for tens of millions of dollars despite their unlimited reproducibility. Critics such as Ben Davis argue this represents the ultimate subsumption of art into financial capitalism, where aesthetic value becomes entirely subordinated to investment potential and status signaling. The environmental costs of blockchain technologies—which consume enormous energy for cryptographic validation—add an ethical dimension: digital art enabled by these systems may contribute to ecological degradation, contradicting art’s potential role as a vehicle for environmental consciousness and sustainable practices.
Virtual and augmented reality technologies introduce phenomenological complexities that challenge established aesthetic categories. When a viewer wearing a VR headset experiences a fully immersive digital environment, the traditional subject-object dichotomy of art appreciation collapses into what phenomenologist Maurice Merleau-Ponty termed “embodied perception”—a pre-reflective engagement where consciousness and world are inextricably entangled. These technologies enable artistic experiences that are simultaneously intensely immediate (occupying the viewer’s entire perceptual field) and radically mediated (existing only through technological apparatus). Artists like Laurie Anderson and Marina Abramović have created VR works that explore this ontological ambiguity, positioning viewers in scenarios that blur boundaries between representation and presence, fiction and reality.
The preservation and archival challenges posed by digital art illuminate its precarious ontological status. Unlike paintings or sculptures with relatively stable material substrates, digital artworks depend on software, hardware, and file formats that become obsolete with technological evolution. Born-digital works from the 1990s are already at risk of becoming inaccessible as the systems required to display them cease functioning. This inherent ephemerality contradicts Western cultural assumptions about art as a durable cultural record, instead positioning digital works as fundamentally time-bound and contingent on ongoing maintenance. The paradox is striking: technologies promising unlimited reproducibility simultaneously create unprecedented fragility and impermanence.
Critical theory’s engagement with digital art remains contested and evolving. While some theorists, following Donna Haraway’s cyborg manifesto, celebrate technology’s potential to transcend essentialist categories and enable liberatory new subjectivities, others, influenced by the Frankfurt School, warn of technology’s instrumentalizing logic that reduces art to calculable data and optimizable content. Philosopher Bernard Stiegler proposed a nuanced position: technology is inherently pharmakon—simultaneously poison and cure—with its effects determined by the sociotechnical arrangements through which it is deployed. From this perspective, digital art’s capacity for critical insight or aesthetic transcendence depends not on technology itself but on how artists, institutions, and audiences negotiate its affordances in specific cultural contexts.
Ultimately, the question “How Does Technology Influence The Arts?” admits no monolithic answer. Technology has expanded creative possibilities, democratized access to production tools, enabled new aesthetic experiences, and challenged foundational concepts of authorship, originality, and value. Simultaneously, it has introduced commercial pressures, environmental costs, questions of authenticity, and the potential for aesthetic homogenization through algorithmic curation. The most generative approach recognizes technology neither as neutral tool nor determining force, but as a complex cultural practice that refracts existing power relations, aesthetic traditions, and philosophical questions through new mediums. As art continues evolving in technological contexts, sustained critical attention to both the emancipatory potentials and constraining logics of digital systems remains essential for cultivating artistic practices that enhance rather than diminish human expressive capacity and existential meaning-making.
Questions 27-40
Questions 27-31: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C, or D.
27. According to the passage, Walter Benjamin’s concept of “aura” refers to:
A. the technical quality of reproduced artwork
B. the authentic presence and uniqueness of original art
C. the market value of paintings
D. the emotional response of viewers
28. NFTs are described as paradoxical because they:
A. make digital art completely free
B. eliminate all forms of reproduction
C. create artificial scarcity for inherently abundant objects
D. return art to traditional material forms
29. Martin Heidegger’s concept of “enframing” is used in the passage to explain:
A. how picture frames affect art appreciation
B. how technology transforms everything into resources
C. why digital art is superior to traditional art
D. how museums should display artwork
30. Generative art challenges traditional notions of artistic creation because:
A. it requires no artistic skill whatsoever
B. the artist designs systems rather than individual works
C. computers are more creative than humans
D. it eliminates the need for aesthetic judgment
31. Margaret Boden’s distinction between “exploratory” and “transformational” creativity suggests that current AI systems:
A. can completely replace human artists
B. excel at working within existing conceptual frameworks
C. are incapable of producing any valuable art
D. have surpassed human creative abilities
Questions 32-36: Matching Features
Match each theorist/artist (32-36) with their correct contribution (A-H).
Theorists/Artists:
32. Walter Benjamin
33. Martin Heidegger
34. Claire Bishop
35. Rafael Lozano-Hemmer
36. Bernard Stiegler
Contributions:
A. Created interactive installations that respond to audience biometrics
B. Argued that technology is simultaneously beneficial and harmful
C. Developed theories about mechanical reproduction and aura
D. Criticized the digital divide in aesthetic experience
E. Founded the first digital art museum
F. Proposed the concept of “enframing” in technology
G. Invented the first computer art software
H. Rejected all forms of digital art
Questions 37-40: Short-answer Questions
Answer the questions below.
Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.
37. What term describes digital artworks that depend on software and hardware that eventually become outdated?
38. According to the passage, what type of networks can produce images with aesthetic appeal without human intervention?
39. What concept did Maurice Merleau-Ponty use to describe the experience where consciousness and world are inextricably connected?
40. What major issue with blockchain technologies adds an ethical dimension to digital art criticism?
Answer Keys – Đáp Án
PASSAGE 1: Questions 1-13
- B
- C
- C
- B
- B
- FALSE
- NOT GIVEN
- TRUE
- NOT GIVEN
- replicas
- physical spaces
- gallery representation
- authenticate
PASSAGE 2: Questions 14-26
- NO
- YES
- YES
- NOT GIVEN
- YES
- ii
- iv
- i
- vii
- viii
- electronic synthesis
- MIDI
- musical authorship
PASSAGE 3: Questions 27-40
- B
- C
- B
- B
- B
- C
- F
- D
- A
- B
- born-digital works
- Generative Adversarial Networks / GANs
- embodied perception
- environmental costs / energy consumption
Giải Thích Đáp Án Chi Tiết
Passage 1 – Giải Thích
Câu 1: B
- Dạng câu hỏi: Multiple Choice
- Từ khóa: major advantage, digital art, 1990s
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 2, dòng 4-6
- Giải thích: Bài viết nói rõ “Unlike traditional painting, where mistakes could be costly and time-consuming to correct, digital art allowed for infinite experimentation without wasting physical materials.” Đây là paraphrase của việc sửa lỗi dễ dàng (correct mistakes easily).
Câu 2: C
- Dạng câu hỏi: Multiple Choice
- Từ khóa: digital tablets, 2000s, particularly useful
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 3, dòng 5-6
- Giải thích: Câu “This technology particularly benefited illustrators and concept artists in industries like animation, video games, and film production” chỉ rõ nhóm hưởng lợi chính là illustrators và concept artists.
Câu 3: C
- Dạng câu hỏi: Multiple Choice
- Từ khóa: social media platforms, suggests
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 4, dòng 4-6
- Giải thích: “This global accessibility has created opportunities for artists in remote locations to gain international recognition” là paraphrase của đáp án C.
Câu 6: FALSE
- Dạng câu hỏi: True/False/Not Given
- Từ khóa: Adobe Photoshop, released, before 1990
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 2, dòng 2
- Giải thích: Bài viết nói “Adobe Photoshop, released in 1990”, nghĩa là được phát hành VÀO năm 1990, không phải TRƯỚC 1990, do đó câu này FALSE.
Câu 8: TRUE
- Dạng câu hỏi: True/False/Not Given
- Từ khóa: 3D printing, sculpture, less expensive
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 5, dòng 3-4
- Giải thích: “This technology has made sculpture more accessible by eliminating the need for expensive foundry work” xác nhận rằng công nghệ này đã làm giảm chi phí.
Câu 10: replicas
- Dạng câu hỏi: Sentence Completion
- Từ khóa: Museums, 3D printing, valuable artifacts
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 5, dòng 4-5
- Giải thích: “Museums like the Smithsonian have even begun creating 3D-printed replicas of valuable artifacts” cung cấp trực tiếp từ cần điền.
Câu 13: authenticate
- Dạng câu hỏi: Sentence Completion
- Từ khóa: NFTs, new ways, digital works
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn cuối, dòng 2-3
- Giải thích: “Blockchain technology and NFTs have introduced new methods for artists to authenticate and sell digital works” cho thấy NFTs giúp authenticate (xác thực) tác phẩm số.
Passage 2 – Giải Thích
Câu 14: NO
- Dạng câu hỏi: Yes/No/Not Given
- Từ khóa: player pianos, initially welcomed, all musicians
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 2, dòng 2-3
- Giải thích: Bài viết nói “sparked fierce debates about whether mechanical reproduction could capture the nuanced expressiveness” chứng tỏ có tranh cãi, không phải tất cả nhạc sĩ đều chào đón, do đó câu này NO (trái với quan điểm tác giả).
Câu 15: YES
- Dạng câu hỏi: Yes/No/Not Given
- Từ khóa: technology, threatening to art, eventually accepted
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 2, dòng cuối
- Giải thích: “This early example illustrates a pattern that would repeat throughout the twentieth century: technology initially perceived as a threat to artistic integrity eventually becomes an accepted medium” khớp hoàn toàn với phát biểu.
Câu 16: YES
- Dạng câu hỏi: Yes/No/Not Given
- Từ khóa: magnetic tape recording, fundamental change, composed
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 3, dòng 1
- Giải thích: “precipitated a paradigm shift in compositional methodology” là paraphrase mạnh của “fundamental change”.
Câu 19: ii
- Dạng câu hỏi: Matching Headings
- Từ khóa: Paragraph B – mechanization, player piano, debates
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn B (đoạn 2)
- Giải thích: Đoạn này nói về “automated instruments such as the player piano challenged prevailing notions” và “sparked fierce debates about whether mechanical reproduction” – khớp với heading “Early mechanical devices and debates about authenticity”.
Câu 22: vii
- Dạng câu hỏi: Matching Headings
- Từ khóa: Paragraph E – digitization, computers, personal computers
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn E (đoạn 5)
- Giải thích: “Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) transformed personal computers into comprehensive recording studios” và “technological democratization” khớp với heading “The democratization of music production through computers”.
Câu 24: electronic synthesis
- Dạng câu hỏi: Summary Completion
- Từ khóa: mid-twentieth century, composers, control over sound
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 4, câu đầu
- Giải thích: “Electronic synthesis emerged as another transformative force in the mid-twentieth century” và “provided composers with unprecedented control over sound generation”.
Câu 26: musical authorship
- Dạng câu hỏi: Summary Completion
- Từ khóa: questions about, complex, multiple parties
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 8, câu đầu
- Giải thích: “The concept of musical authorship has become increasingly complex in the technological age” chỉ rõ khái niệm này đã trở nên phức tạp.
Passage 3 – Giải Thích
Câu 27: B
- Dạng câu hỏi: Multiple Choice
- Từ khóa: Walter Benjamin, “aura”
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 2, dòng 2-3
- Giải thích: Bài viết định nghĩa aura là “the authentic presence and temporal singularity of the original artwork” – sự hiện diện xác thực và tính độc nhất của tác phẩm gốc.
Câu 28: C
- Dạng câu hỏi: Multiple Choice
- Từ khóa: NFTs, paradoxical
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 2, dòng 6-8
- Giải thích: “The recent emergence of NFTs represents a paradoxical response: attempting to impose artificial scarcity onto inherently abundant digital objects” giải thích rõ nghịch lý này.
Câu 30: B
- Dạng câu hỏi: Multiple Choice
- Từ khóa: generative art, challenges, traditional notions
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 4, dòng 3-5
- Giải thích: “effectively positioning the artist as a meta-creator who designs generative frameworks rather than discrete aesthetic objects” chỉ ra rằng nghệ sĩ thiết kế hệ thống chứ không phải từng tác phẩm riêng lẻ.
Câu 31: B
- Dạng câu hỏi: Multiple Choice
- Từ khóa: Margaret Boden, exploratory, transformational, AI systems
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 6, câu cuối
- Giải thích: “current AI systems excel at the former [exploratory creativity] but lack capacity for the latter [transformational creativity]” – các hệ thống AI hiện tại xuất sắc trong việc làm việc trong khuôn khổ hiện có.
Câu 32: C
- Dạng câu hỏi: Matching Features
- Từ khóa: Walter Benjamin
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 2
- Giải thích: “The Walter Benjamin paradigm—articulated in his seminal 1935 essay ‘The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction'” khớp với contribution C về mechanical reproduction và aura.
Câu 35: A
- Dạng câu hỏi: Matching Features
- Từ khóa: Rafael Lozano-Hemmer
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 5, giữa đoạn
- Giải thích: “Rafael Lozano-Hemmer’s ‘relational architecture’ projects, which use biometric sensors and responsive environments” khớp với contribution A.
Câu 37: born-digital works
- Dạng câu hỏi: Short-answer Questions
- Từ khóa: digital artworks, depend on, software and hardware, outdated
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 9, dòng 3-4
- Giải thích: “Born-digital works from the 1990s are already at risk of becoming inaccessible as the systems required to display them cease functioning.”
Câu 40: environmental costs / energy consumption
- Dạng câu hỏi: Short-answer Questions
- Từ khóa: blockchain technologies, ethical dimension
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 7, dòng 4-5
- Giải thích: “The environmental costs of blockchain technologies—which consume enormous energy for cryptographic validation—add an ethical dimension” chỉ rõ environmental costs là vấn đề đạo đức.
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 | has undergone a dramatic transformation | undergo a dramatic transformation |
| embrace | verb | /ɪmˈbreɪs/ | đón nhận, chấp nhận | has now embraced digital tools | embrace technology/innovation |
| turning point | noun phrase | /ˈtɜːrnɪŋ pɔɪnt/ | điểm chuyển mình | marked a turning point for visual artists | mark/reach a turning point |
| affordable | adj | /əˈfɔːrdəbl/ | có thể chi trả được | affordable personal computers | affordable prices/housing |
| unprecedented | adj | /ʌnˈpresɪdentɪd/ | chưa từng có | unprecedented control over image manipulation | unprecedented levels/access |
| revolutionize | verb | /ˌrevəˈluːʃənaɪz/ | cách mạng hóa | further revolutionized the creative process | revolutionize the industry |
| tactile sensation | noun phrase | /ˈtæktaɪl senˈseɪʃən/ | cảm giác xúc giác | the tactile sensation of traditional drawing | tactile experience/feedback |
| mimic | verb | /ˈmɪmɪk/ | bắt chước | mimicked the pressure sensitivity | mimic behavior/movements |
| commission | noun | /kəˈmɪʃən/ | đơn đặt hàng (nghệ thuật) | attract commissions from clients | receive/accept a commission |
| copyright infringement | noun phrase | /ˈkɒpiraɪt ɪnˈfrɪndʒmənt/ | vi phạm bản quyền | concerns about copyright infringement | copyright infringement issues |
| foundry work | noun phrase | /ˈfaʊndri wɜːrk/ | công việc đúc (điêu khắc) | eliminating the need for expensive foundry work | traditional foundry work |
| aesthetic judgment | noun phrase | /esˈθetɪk ˈdʒʌdʒmənt/ | phán đoán thẩm mỹ | aesthetic judgment remain fundamentally human | exercise aesthetic judgment |
Passage 2 – Essential Vocabulary
| Từ vựng | Loại từ | Phiên âm | Nghĩa tiếng Việt | Ví dụ từ bài | Collocation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| symbiotic relationship | noun phrase | /ˌsɪmbaɪˈɒtɪk rɪˈleɪʃənʃɪp/ | mối quan hệ cộng sinh | The symbiotic relationship between technology and music | symbiotic relationship between |
| instrumental | adj | /ˌɪnstrəˈmentl/ | quan trọng, có vai trò then chốt | has been instrumental in shaping | be instrumental in/to |
| sonic landscape | noun phrase | /ˈsɒnɪk ˈlændskeɪp/ | cảnh quan âm thanh | the sonic landscape of contemporary culture | shape the sonic landscape |
| evolutionary trajectory | noun phrase | /ˌiːvəˈluːʃənəri trəˈdʒektəri/ | quỹ đạo tiến hóa | This evolutionary trajectory reveals | follow an evolutionary trajectory |
| mechanization | noun | /ˌmekənaɪˈzeɪʃən/ | sự cơ khí hóa | The mechanization of music began | mechanization of production |
| nuanced expressiveness | noun phrase | /ˈnjuːɑːnst ɪkˈspresɪvnəs/ | sự biểu đạt tinh tế | capture the nuanced expressiveness | nuanced understanding/approach |
| precipitate | verb | /prɪˈsɪpɪteɪt/ | gây ra đột ngột | precipitated a paradigm shift | precipitate a crisis/change |
| paradigm shift | noun phrase | /ˈpærədaɪm ʃɪft/ | sự chuyển đổi mô hình tư duy | precipitated a paradigm shift | undergo a paradigm shift |
| timbre | noun | /ˈtæmbər/ | âm sắc | prioritizing timbre and texture | rich/distinctive timbre |
| democratize | verb | /dɪˈmɒkrətaɪz/ | dân chủ hóa | Synthesizers democratized orchestral textures | democratize access/information |
| watershed moment | noun phrase | /ˈwɔːtərʃed ˈməʊmənt/ | thời điểm quan trọng | marked another watershed moment | represent a watershed moment |
| proliferation | noun | /prəˌlɪfəˈreɪʃən/ | sự gia tăng nhanh chóng | contributed to the proliferation of independent artists | nuclear proliferation, proliferation of |
| algorithmic composition | noun phrase | /ˌælɡəˈrɪðmɪk ˌkɒmpəˈzɪʃən/ | sáng tác bằng thuật toán | Algorithmic composition represents the contemporary frontier | algorithmic trading/processing |
| emulate | verb | /ˈemjuleɪt/ | bắt chước, mô phỏng | emulate specific stylistic characteristics | emulate success/behavior |
| homogenization | noun | /həˌmɒdʒənaɪˈzeɪʃən/ | sự đồng nhất hóa | has led to homogenization in popular music | cultural homogenization |
Passage 3 – Essential Vocabulary
| Từ vựng | Loại từ | Phiên âm | Nghĩa tiếng Việt | Nghĩa tiếng Việt | Ví dụ từ bài | Collocation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ontological status | noun phrase | /ˌɒntəˈlɒdʒɪkəl ˈsteɪtəs/ | địa vị bản thể | The ontological status of art | ontological questions/debates | |
| constellation | noun | /ˌkɒnstəˈleɪʃən/ | chùm, tập hợp | a constellation of philosophical paradoxes | constellation of factors/issues | |
| mediate | verb | /ˈmiːdieɪt/ | trung gian, làm môi giới | increasingly mediate artistic production | mediate disputes/conflicts | |
| dematerialized | adj | /ˌdiːməˈtɪəriəlaɪzd/ | phi vật chất hóa | the dematerialized, networked nature | dematerialized economy | |
| instrumentalization | noun | /ˌɪnstrəmentəlaɪˈzeɪʃən/ | sự công cụ hóa | whether technological instrumentalization | instrumentalization of reason | |
| erosion | noun | /ɪˈrəʊʒən/ | sự xói mòn | identified the erosion of “aura” | soil erosion, erosion of trust | |
| temporal singularity | noun phrase | /ˈtempərəl ˌsɪŋɡjuˈlærəti/ | tính độc nhất về thời gian | temporal singularity of the original artwork | temporal patterns/dimension | |
| exponential intensification | noun phrase | /ˌekspəˈnenʃəl ɪnˌtensɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/ | sự tăng cường theo cấp số nhân | the exponential intensification of this phenomenon | exponential growth/increase | |
| untenable | adj | /ʌnˈtenəbl/ | không thể bảo vệ được | becomes theoretically untenable | untenable position/situation | |
| undergird | verb | /ˌʌndərˈɡɜːrd/ | làm nền tảng, hỗ trợ | that have traditionally undergirded art markets | undergird the economy/system | |
| cryptographic verification | noun phrase | /ˌkrɪptəˈɡræfɪk ˌverɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/ | xác minh mật mã | through cryptographic verification | cryptographic security/algorithms | |
| phenomenological dimensions | noun phrase | /fɪˌnɒmɪnəˈlɒdʒɪkəl daɪˈmenʃənz/ | các chiều kích hiện tượng học | The phenomenological dimensions of digital art | phenomenological approach/analysis | |
| enframing | noun | /ɪnˈfreɪmɪŋ/ | sự đóng khung (triết học) | Heidegger’s concept of “enframing” | technological enframing | |
| haptic dimensions | noun phrase | /ˈhæptɪk daɪˈmenʃənz/ | các chiều kích xúc giác | The haptic dimensions of viewing texture | haptic feedback/technology | |
| attenuate | verb | /əˈtenjueɪt/ | làm giảm bớt, suy yếu | are attenuated by technological mediation | attenuate the signal/effect | |
| salient manifestation | noun phrase | /ˈseɪliənt ˌmænɪfeˈsteɪʃən/ | biểu hiện nổi bật | a particularly salient manifestation | salient features/points | |
| stochastic processes | noun phrase | /stəˈkæstɪk ˈprəʊsesɪz/ | quá trình ngẫu nhiên | introducing stochastic processes | stochastic models/variables | |
| destabilize | verb | /diːˈsteɪbəlaɪz/ | làm mất ổn định | destabilize conventional artist-audience relationships | destabilize the region/system | |
| emergent phenomenon | noun phrase | /ɪˈmɜːrdʒənt fəˈnɒmɪnən/ | hiện tượng nổi lên | art as an emergent phenomenon | emergent properties/behavior |
Kết Luận
Chủ đề về sự ảnh hưởng của công nghệ đến nghệ thuật là một trong những đề tài phức tạp và đa chiều thường xuất hiện trong IELTS Reading. Qua bộ đề thi mẫu này, bạn đã được trải nghiệm đầy đủ ba mức độ khó từ Easy đến Hard, với 40 câu hỏi đa dạng về dạng thức – chính xác như trong kỳ thi thực tế.
Ba passages đã cung cấp cho bạn góc nhìn toàn diện về chủ đề này: từ những thay đổi cơ bản trong nghệ thuật thị giác (Passage 1), đến sự biến đổi trong sáng tác âm nhạc (Passage 2), và cuối cùng là những vấn đề triết học sâu sắc về bản chất nghệ thuật số (Passage 3). Mỗi passage không chỉ là bài tập luyện đọc mà còn mở rộng kiến thức của bạn về một chủ đề quan trọng trong thế giới đương đại.
Đáp án chi tiết kèm giải thích đã giúp bạn hiểu rõ cách định vị thông tin, nhận biết paraphrase, và áp dụng các kỹ thuật làm bài cho từng dạng câu hỏi. Bảng từ vựng với hơn 40 từ và cụm từ quan trọng sẽ là tài liệu tham khảo quý giá cho việc nâng cao vốn từ học thuật của bạn.
Hãy nhớ rằng, thành công trong IELTS Reading không chỉ đến từ việc hiểu nội dung mà còn từ khả năng quản lý thời gian, nhận diện dạng câu hỏi nhanh chóng, và áp dụng chiến lược phù hợp. Tiếp tục luyện tập với các đề thi đa dạng, phân tích kỹ càng các lỗi sai, và xây dựng vốn từ vựng theo chủ đề để đạt được band điểm mục tiêu của bạn.
Chúc bạn ôn tập hiệu quả và tự tin bước vào phòng thi IELTS!
