Mở bài
Chủ đề về sự phát triển của thương mại điện tử và ảnh hưởng của nó đến ngành bán lẻ truyền thống là một trong những đề tài xuất hiện ngày càng thường xuyên trong các kỳ thi IELTS Reading gần đây. Với sự chuyển mình mạnh mẽ của nền kinh tế số, các giám khảo IELTS đặc biệt quan tâm đến khả năng hiểu biết của thí sinh về những thay đổi trong hành vi tiêu dùng, mô hình kinh doanh và cảnh quan bán lẻ hiện đại.
Bài viết này cung cấp cho bạn một bộ đề thi IELTS Reading hoàn chỉnh với 3 passages theo đúng chuẩn Cambridge IELTS, bao gồm 40 câu hỏi đa dạng từ dễ đến khó. Bạn sẽ được thực hành với các dạng câu hỏi phổ biến nhất như Multiple Choice, True/False/Not Given, Matching Headings, Summary Completion và nhiều dạng khác. Mỗi câu hỏi đều có đáp án chi tiết kèm giải thích cụ thể về vị trí thông tin trong bài và kỹ thuật paraphrase.
Đặc biệt, bộ từ vựng được tuyển chọn kỹ lưỡng từ các passages sẽ giúp bạn nâng cao vốn từ học thuật trong lĩnh vực kinh tế, thương mại và công nghệ – những chủ đề then chốt trong IELTS. Đề thi này phù hợp cho học viên từ band 5.0 trở lên và giúp bạn làm quen với áp lực thời gian cũng như độ khó thực tế của bài thi.
Hướng dẫn làm bài IELTS Reading
Tổng Quan Về IELTS Reading Test
IELTS Reading Test là phần thi kéo dài 60 phút với 3 passages và tổng cộng 40 câu hỏi. Mỗi câu trả lời đúng tương ứng với 1 điểm, và thang điểm được quy đổi thành band score từ 0 đến 9.0.
Phân bổ thời gian khuyến nghị:
- Passage 1: 15-17 phút (độ khó thấp nhất)
- Passage 2: 18-20 phút (độ khó trung bình)
- Passage 3: 23-25 phút (độ khó cao nhất)
Lưu ý quan trọng: Không có thời gian bổ sung để chép đáp án sang phiếu trả lời, vì vậy bạn cần quản lý thời gian chặt chẽ và ghi đáp án trực tiếp trong quá trình làm bài.
Các Dạng Câu Hỏi Trong Đề Này
Bộ đề thi này bao gồm 8 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 được đề cập
- Matching Information – Nối thông tin với đoạn văn tương ứng
- Matching Headings – Chọn tiêu đề phù hợp cho các đoạn văn
- Summary Completion – Hoàn thành đoạn tóm tắt
- Sentence Completion – Hoàn thành câu
- Matching Features – Nối đặc điểm với danh mục
- Short-answer Questions – Câu hỏi trả lời ngắn
IELTS Reading Practice Test
PASSAGE 1 – The Digital Shopping Revolution
Độ khó: Easy (Band 5.0-6.5)
Thời gian đề xuất: 15-17 phút
The way people shop has changed dramatically over the past two decades. The emergence of e-commerce platforms has fundamentally altered consumer behavior and created new challenges for traditional brick-and-mortar stores. While physical retail stores were once the dominant force in the shopping landscape, online retailers have now captured a significant portion of the market, forcing traditional retailers to rethink their business strategies.
E-commerce first gained traction in the late 1990s when companies like Amazon and eBay began offering products online. Initially, consumers were hesitant to purchase items without seeing them in person, and concerns about payment security made many people reluctant to share their credit card information online. However, as technology improved and secure payment systems were developed, these concerns gradually diminished. By the mid-2000s, online shopping had become increasingly popular, particularly for books, electronics, and other standardized products.
The convenience factor is perhaps the most significant advantage that e-commerce offers over traditional retail. Online shoppers can browse thousands of products from the comfort of their homes, compare prices instantly across multiple retailers, and make purchases at any time of day or night. There is no need to travel to physical stores, search for parking, or wait in long checkout lines. This time-saving aspect has proven especially appealing to busy professionals and parents with young children.
Competitive pricing represents another major draw for online shopping. E-commerce retailers typically have lower overhead costs than traditional stores because they do not need to maintain expensive showrooms or employ large numbers of sales staff. These savings can be passed on to consumers in the form of lower prices. Additionally, the ease of price comparison online means that retailers must keep their prices competitive to attract customers. Many websites and apps now allow shoppers to scan barcodes in physical stores and instantly see if the same product is available for less money online.
The product variety available through e-commerce far exceeds what most physical stores can offer. A traditional bookstore might stock several thousand titles, but online retailers like Amazon offer millions of books, often including obscure or out-of-print titles that would be impossible to find in physical stores. This vast selection is made possible by centralized warehouses and sophisticated inventory management systems that allow online retailers to stock enormous quantities of products without the space constraints that limit traditional stores.
Customer reviews have become a crucial component of the online shopping experience. Before making a purchase, shoppers can read detailed reviews from other customers who have already bought and used the product. These reviews often include photographs, videos, and specific information about product quality, size, and performance. This peer-generated content provides a level of transparency that traditional retail cannot easily match, where customers must rely primarily on sales staff or their own judgment.
However, traditional retail stores still maintain certain advantages. The ability to physically examine products before buying remains important for many categories of goods, particularly clothing, furniture, and fresh food. Trying on clothes to check the fit, feeling the texture of fabrics, or inspecting the quality of fruits and vegetables are experiences that cannot be replicated online. Many consumers also value the immediate gratification of taking a product home right away rather than waiting for delivery.
Social interaction is another aspect of traditional shopping that some consumers find valuable. Shopping can be a leisure activity and a way to spend time with friends or family. The experience of browsing through stores, receiving personalized advice from knowledgeable sales staff, and encountering products serendipitously can be enjoyable in ways that online shopping cannot duplicate.
Cửa hàng bán lẻ truyền thống đông đúc với khách hàng đang mua sắm và tương tác trực tiếp
Traditional retailers have begun to respond to the e-commerce challenge by developing omnichannel strategies that integrate their physical and online presence. Many stores now offer services like “click and collect,” where customers order online and pick up their purchases at a nearby store, combining the convenience of online browsing with the immediacy of physical retail. Some retailers have also created mobile apps that enhance the in-store experience by providing additional product information, personalized recommendations, and special offers to customers who visit their physical locations.
The relationship between e-commerce and traditional retail continues to evolve. Rather than one completely replacing the other, the future likely involves a hybrid model where both coexist and complement each other. Successful retailers will be those who understand their customers’ needs and offer the right combination of online convenience and physical shopping experiences.
Questions 1-5: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C, or D.
1. What was the main initial concern that prevented people from shopping online?
A. The limited product selection available
B. Worries about payment security
C. The high cost of internet access
D. Difficulty using website interfaces
2. According to the passage, why can online retailers offer lower prices?
A. They purchase products in larger quantities
B. They have fewer operational expenses
C. They pay lower taxes than physical stores
D. They manufacture their own products
3. What advantage does the passage mention regarding product variety online?
A. Online stores can stock unlimited quantities
B. Products are cheaper when bought in bulk
C. Rare and unusual items are more readily available
D. All products come with customer reviews
4. The “click and collect” service mentioned in the passage:
A. Requires customers to pay extra fees
B. Is only available in large cities
C. Combines online and physical retail benefits
D. Has replaced traditional delivery methods
5. What does the passage suggest about the future of retail?
A. E-commerce will completely replace physical stores
B. Traditional retail will return to dominance
C. Both forms of retail will continue to exist together
D. Shopping will become entirely automated
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. Amazon and eBay were the first companies to sell products on the internet.
7. Online shopping is particularly popular with people who have limited free time.
8. Physical stores always employ more staff than online retailers.
9. Customer reviews on e-commerce websites sometimes include photos and videos.
Questions 10-13: Sentence Completion
Complete the sentences below. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
10. Traditional bookstores cannot compete with the __ available through online retailers.
11. For certain products like clothing and furniture, customers want to __ items before purchasing.
12. Some people enjoy traditional shopping as a __ and way to socialize.
13. Modern retailers are developing __ that connect their online and offline operations.
PASSAGE 2 – Economic Implications of the E-commerce Boom
Độ khó: Medium (Band 6.0-7.5)
Thời gian đề xuất: 18-20 phút
The exponential growth of e-commerce has sent ripples throughout the entire retail economy, creating winners and losers while fundamentally reshaping employment patterns, urban planning, and supply chain logistics. Understanding these broader economic implications is essential for policymakers, business leaders, and communities seeking to navigate this transformative period.
A. Employment Transformation
The shift from traditional retail to e-commerce has created a complex employment picture. While physical stores have shed jobs, particularly in sales and cashier positions, e-commerce has generated new employment opportunities in warehousing, logistics, technology development, and customer service. However, the nature and quality of these jobs differ significantly. Traditional retail positions, though often low-paid, typically offered flexible schedules suitable for students and parents, along with opportunities for customer interaction and advancement to management positions. In contrast, warehouse work tends to be more physically demanding, involves repetitive tasks, and offers fewer opportunities for interpersonal engagement.
Research by labor economists suggests that the net effect on employment is nuanced. A study by the University of California found that while each new e-commerce fulfillment center creates approximately 1,000 direct jobs, it may indirectly lead to the loss of 1,500 retail positions in the surrounding area. Moreover, the geographic distribution of these jobs has changed. Warehouses are typically located in suburban or rural areas with lower land costs and good highway access, whereas retail jobs were concentrated in urban centers and shopping malls where displaced workers actually live.
B. Commercial Real Estate Impacts
The decline of traditional retail has had profound consequences for commercial real estate. Shopping malls, once the cornerstone of suburban development, are facing unprecedented challenges. In the United States alone, analysts predict that 25% of shopping malls will close by 2025. This trend has given rise to the term “retail apocalypse,” though some experts argue this characterization is overly dramatic.
The impact extends beyond the malls themselves. These large retail centers were typically anchor tenants that drove traffic to surrounding businesses, including restaurants, entertainment venues, and service providers. When major retailers close, the entire commercial ecosystem suffers. Property values decline, tax revenues decrease, and communities lose important gathering spaces. Some forward-thinking municipalities and developers are repurposing dying malls into mixed-use developments featuring housing, offices, medical facilities, and community centers, but such transformations require significant investment and planning.
C. Supply Chain Revolution
E-commerce has necessitated a complete rethinking of supply chain and logistics operations. Traditional retail operated on a model where products moved from manufacturers to distribution centers to stores in relatively predictable patterns. E-commerce, however, requires the ability to deliver individual items to millions of different addresses quickly and efficiently. This has driven enormous investment in logistics infrastructure, automation technology, and last-mile delivery solutions.
The “last mile” – the final leg of delivery from a local facility to the customer’s door – represents both the most expensive and most challenging aspect of e-commerce logistics. It accounts for 53% of total shipping costs according to industry research. Companies are experimenting with various solutions, including drone deliveries, autonomous vehicles, parcel lockers, and crowdsourced delivery using independent contractors. The environmental impact of all this delivery activity, with numerous vehicles making individual deliveries rather than customers traveling to centralized stores, has also become a growing concern, though some studies suggest e-commerce may actually reduce overall transportation emissions when considering the full picture.
D. Market Concentration Concerns
The e-commerce landscape has become increasingly dominated by a few large players, particularly Amazon, which controls approximately 40% of online retail sales in the United States. This market concentration raises important economic questions about competition, pricing power, and the treatment of third-party sellers who depend on these platforms to reach customers.
Critics argue that dominant e-commerce platforms can leverage their position to disadvantage competitors, favor their own products, and collect valuable data about consumer behavior and market trends that provides them with insurmountable advantages. Small and medium-sized businesses often find themselves in a difficult position: they need access to large e-commerce platforms to reach customers, but in doing so, they must pay substantial fees and operate according to rules set by their competitors. Regulatory authorities in multiple countries are examining whether existing antitrust laws are adequate to address these new forms of market power.
E. Effects on Local Communities
The shift toward e-commerce has disparate effects on different communities. Urban areas with diverse economies and strong service sectors have generally adapted better than smaller towns that relied heavily on retail employment. Rural communities face particular challenges, as they often lack the infrastructure and population density to attract replacement industries.
The loss of retail establishments also affects community cohesion. Main Street shops and local malls historically served as gathering places where people from different backgrounds interacted. As these spaces disappear, communities lose important social infrastructure. Some sociologists worry that increasing reliance on e-commerce contributes to social isolation and the fragmentation of community life.
Kho hàng thương mại điện tử hiện đại với hệ thống tự động hóa và robot vận chuyển sản phẩm
However, e-commerce also creates opportunities for small businesses to reach customers far beyond their local markets. Artisans, craftspeople, and niche producers can now find customers worldwide through platforms like Etsy or their own websites. This democratization of market access has enabled some rural and small-town entrepreneurs to build successful businesses that would have been impossible in a purely local retail environment.
F. Consumer Welfare Considerations
From a consumer perspective, e-commerce has delivered undeniable benefits: lower prices, greater selection, and enhanced convenience. Economic research generally finds that increased price competition and efficiency gains from e-commerce have produced substantial consumer surplus – meaning consumers are better off than they would be in a world with only traditional retail.
However, these gains are not uniformly distributed. E-commerce benefits are greater for consumers with reliable internet access, digital literacy, and the ability to receive deliveries at home or work. Elderly individuals, those with disabilities, and people in underserved areas may find e-commerce less accessible. The closure of nearby physical stores can actually reduce their shopping options rather than expand them, creating a form of digital divide in retail access.
Questions 14-19: Matching Headings
The passage has six sections, A-F. Choose the correct heading for each section from the list of headings below.
List of Headings:
i. Unequal distribution of e-commerce benefits
ii. The challenge of final-stage product delivery
iii. Changing job markets in the retail sector
iv. Dominance of major online retailers
v. Environmental benefits of online shopping
vi. Impact on shopping centers and property values
vii. Success stories of traditional retail adaptation
viii. Effects on towns and social connections
ix. Innovations in payment processing
14. Section A
15. Section B
16. Section C
17. Section D
18. Section E
19. Section F
Questions 20-23: 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
20. The term “retail apocalypse” accurately describes the current situation in retail.
21. E-commerce has created more jobs overall than it has eliminated.
22. Dominant e-commerce platforms have unfair advantages over smaller competitors.
23. Rural communities have benefited more from e-commerce than urban areas.
Questions 24-26: Summary Completion
Complete the summary below. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
E-commerce requires delivering individual items to many locations, which has led to major investments in 24 __. The most costly part of this process is the 25 __, which represents over half of shipping expenses. Companies are testing different approaches including drones and 26 __ to solve this challenge.
PASSAGE 3 – Psychological and Sociological Dimensions of Digital Commerce
Độ khó: Hard (Band 7.0-9.0)
Thời gian đề xuất: 23-25 phút
The ascendancy of e-commerce over traditional retail represents far more than a mere technological substitution or economic reallocation; it embodies a profound transformation in the psychological relationship between consumers and the act of purchasing, as well as a reconfiguration of the social rituals and spatial contexts that have historically accompanied commerce. Contemporary scholarship in consumer psychology, sociology, and behavioral economics has begun to illuminate the multifaceted ways in which digital shopping modalities differ from their brick-and-mortar predecessors, with implications that extend into domains of identity formation, social interaction, impulse control, and even subjective well-being.
The Paradox of Choice and Decision Fatigue
One of the most theoretically intriguing aspects of e-commerce is the paradoxical relationship between product selection and consumer satisfaction. Classical economic theory, grounded in assumptions of rational utility maximization, would predict that expanded choice sets invariably enhance consumer welfare. However, empirical research by psychologists such as Barry Schwartz has demonstrated that excessive choice can actually produce anxiety, decision paralysis, and post-purchase regret – a phenomenon termed the “tyranny of choice.”
In traditional retail environments, physical and spatial constraints naturally limited the number of products any individual store could offer, effectively curating the choice set for consumers. A typical supermarket might stock 40,000 items, while a specialty clothing boutique might offer several hundred garments. These limitations, though seemingly restrictive, actually facilitated decision-making by narrowing the universe of possibilities to a manageable subset.
E-commerce platforms, by contrast, can present consumers with virtually unlimited options. Amazon’s inventory contains over 350 million distinct products. This unprecedented abundance creates what psychologists call “choice overload” – a state in which the cognitive burden of evaluating alternatives becomes so overwhelming that decision quality actually deteriorates. Consumers may experience analysis paralysis, become dissatisfied with their ultimate selections wondering if something better was available, or simply abandon the purchase process entirely. Research has shown that conversion rates – the percentage of browsers who complete a purchase – often decrease as the number of product options increases beyond a certain threshold.
Moreover, the infinite scroll design pattern employed by many e-commerce sites can induce a form of hypnotic engagement that distorts time perception and undermines intentional decision-making. The intermittent reinforcement provided by occasionally encountering appealing products while scrolling mirrors the psychological mechanisms that make slot machines addictive, activating dopaminergic reward pathways in ways that traditional shopping rarely did.
Algorithmic Curation and Filter Bubbles
To address choice overload, e-commerce platforms increasingly employ sophisticated recommendation algorithms that use machine learning to predict which products individual consumers are most likely to purchase. These systems analyze vast datasets encompassing previous purchases, browsing history, demographic information, and the behavior of similar users to generate personalized recommendations.
While such algorithmic curation can enhance convenience and help consumers discover products aligned with their preferences, it also raises subtle psychological concerns. Recommendation systems tend to reinforce existing preferences rather than exposing consumers to novel or challenging options. This creates “filter bubbles” – informational environments where individuals are primarily presented with content that confirms their existing tastes and assumptions.
In the context of traditional retail, consumers regularly encountered products and ideas outside their anticipated scope through serendipitous discovery – noticing an interesting book while browsing a bookstore, overhearing a conversation about a new product, or being exposed to diverse merchandise in a department store. Such chance encounters played an important role in broadening perspectives and stimulating intellectual curiosity. The algorithmic narrowing of e-commerce may inadvertently impoverish these exploratory dimensions of consumer experience, even as it optimizes for immediate transactional efficiency.
The Attenuation of Social Commerce
Shopping has historically been a fundamentally social activity. Across cultures and throughout history, marketplaces served not merely as venues for economic exchange but as crucial social spaces where people gathered, conversed, and maintained community bonds. The experience of shopping with companions – seeking their opinions, engaging in collaborative decision-making, or simply enjoying shared leisure time – provided important relational benefits that transcended the mere acquisition of goods.
Traditional retail environments facilitated both planned social interaction (shopping with friends or family) and incidental contact with strangers (conversations with other customers, interactions with sales staff). Research in environmental psychology has demonstrated that such “weak social ties” and casual interactions with acquaintances and strangers play an underappreciated role in psychological well-being and community cohesion.
E-commerce, being a primarily solitary activity conducted through screen interfaces, largely eliminates these social dimensions of shopping. While platforms have attempted to reintroduce social elements through features like user reviews, product ratings, and social media integration, these mediated forms of interaction differ qualitatively from face-to-face engagement. Reading text reviews from anonymous strangers lacks the nuance, emotional resonance, and trust that characterizes in-person recommendations from friends or knowledgeable salespeople.
Người tiêu dùng mua sắm trực tuyến đơn độc tại nhà với máy tính và điện thoại thông minh
The shift toward e-commerce may thus contribute to what sociologist Robert Putnam has termed the decline of social capital – the erosion of community connections and civic engagement that has characterized many developed societies in recent decades. While no single factor can account for such broad sociological trends, the replacement of communal shopping spaces with individualized online transactions represents one element of this larger transformation.
Impulse Control and the Psychology of Digital Payment
The mechanisms of payment in e-commerce differ significantly from traditional retail in ways that affect consumer behavior and financial decision-making. Traditional shopping required either counting out physical cash or presenting a credit card and often signing a receipt – processes that created psychological friction and maintained awareness of spending.
E-commerce platforms have progressively minimized these friction points through innovations like stored payment information, one-click purchasing, and digital wallets. While undeniably convenient, these features also reduce the “pain of paying” – a psychological phenomenon whereby the act of parting with money creates emotional discomfort that naturally regulates spending behavior.
Research in behavioral economics has demonstrated that payment method significantly influences spending patterns. Studies consistently show that people spend more when using credit cards than cash, and spending increases further with abstract payment systems that create even greater psychological distance from the transaction. The seamless, frictionless nature of e-commerce payments may thus undermine self-regulation and contribute to excessive consumption and consumer debt.
Furthermore, e-commerce platforms employ increasingly sophisticated “dark patterns” – interface design choices that subtly manipulate users toward purchasing decisions they might not otherwise make. These include false scarcity messages (e.g., “only 2 items left in stock”), pressure tactics (“5 other people are viewing this item”), default selections that enroll customers in subscriptions, and deliberately confusing cancellation processes. While traditional retail certainly employed sales techniques and persuasive strategies, the data-driven precision and psychological sophistication of digital manipulation operates at an entirely different level.
Identity, Status, and the Transformation of Conspicuous Consumption
Sociologist Thorstein Veblen introduced the concept of “conspicuous consumption” to describe how people purchase and display goods as a means of demonstrating status and constructing social identity. In traditional society, this required physical possession and display of status symbols – expensive clothing, luxury vehicles, or elegant homes – that others could observe.
E-commerce complicates this dynamic in interesting ways. On one hand, the private nature of online shopping removes the public performance aspect of luxury purchases – no one sees you entering a high-end boutique or driving an expensive car out of a dealership. This might suggest that the status signaling function of consumption would diminish.
However, social media has created new venues for displaying purchases and curating aspirational identities. The practice of “unboxing” products in videos or photos shared online has become a significant phenomenon, effectively transposing the conspicuous consumption impulse into digital spaces. Interestingly, this mediated form of status display may be even more potent than traditional face-to-face demonstrations of wealth, as social media allows individuals to broadcast their consumption choices to much larger audiences than would ever observe them in physical spaces.
The intersection of e-commerce with social media has thus created a feedback loop where online shopping feeds content creation, which in turn drives further consumption. Influencer marketing – where individuals with large social media followings promote products – represents a novel hybrid of advertising and peer recommendation that blurs traditional boundaries between authentic relationships and commercial transactions. The psychological impact of this transformation on self-concept, authentic preference formation, and materialistic values remains an active area of research.
Temporal Dimension: Instant Gratification Versus Anticipation
Traditional shopping provided immediate possession of purchased items, while e-commerce typically involves a temporal gap between purchase and delivery. This delay has contradictory psychological effects. On one hand, waiting for packages can create pleasurable anticipation – research suggests that looking forward to future positive events contributes significantly to happiness, sometimes more than the events themselves. The arrival of packages provides small but frequent moments of positive surprise that may enhance well-being.
Conversely, modern consumers have become increasingly oriented toward instant gratification, and even short delivery delays can produce frustration and impatience. The success of Amazon Prime, with its promise of two-day or same-day delivery, demonstrates consumers’ willingness to pay premium prices to minimize waiting time. This cultural acceleration of expected fulfillment may have broader implications for patience, delayed gratification, and tolerance for waiting that extend beyond shopping into other life domains.
Questions 27-31: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C, or D.
27. According to the passage, the “tyranny of choice” refers to:
A. Government restrictions on product availability
B. The negative effects of having too many options
C. Unfair business practices by large retailers
D. Consumer preference for limited selection
28. The passage suggests that recommendation algorithms:
A. Always improve the shopping experience
B. Expose consumers to diverse viewpoints
C. May limit exposure to unexpected products
D. Are more effective than human salespeople
29. What does the passage indicate about “weak social ties”?
A. They are unimportant for psychological health
B. They can be fully replaced by online interactions
C. They contribute positively to well-being
D. They occur only in shopping environments
30. According to the passage, compared to cash, e-commerce payment methods:
A. Create more awareness of spending
B. Reduce the psychological discomfort of paying
C. Are preferred by older consumers
D. Lead to more careful financial decisions
31. The concept of “conspicuous consumption” in e-commerce is:
A. No longer relevant in modern society
B. Transferred to social media platforms
C. Limited to physical luxury goods
D. Declining among younger generations
Questions 32-36: Matching Features
Match each characteristic (32-36) with the correct shopping environment (A, B, or C). You may use any letter more than once.
A. Traditional retail
B. E-commerce
C. Both traditional retail and e-commerce
32. Creates filter bubbles that reinforce existing preferences
33. Facilitates face-to-face social interactions with other shoppers
34. Uses psychological techniques to encourage purchases
35. Provides opportunities for serendipitous product discovery
36. Allows consumers to construct and display social identity
Questions 37-40: Short-answer Questions
Answer the questions below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.
37. What design feature of e-commerce websites is compared to slot machines in terms of psychological effect?
38. What term describes interface designs that manipulate users into unwanted purchasing decisions?
39. What practice involves sharing videos or photos of newly purchased products online?
40. What psychological phenomenon contributes to happiness by looking forward to future positive events?
Answer Keys – Đáp Án
PASSAGE 1: Questions 1-13
- B
- B
- C
- C
- C
- NOT GIVEN
- TRUE
- NOT GIVEN
- TRUE
- product variety / vast selection
- physically examine
- leisure activity
- omnichannel strategies
PASSAGE 2: Questions 14-26
- iii
- vi
- ii
- iv
- viii
- i
- NO
- NOT GIVEN
- YES
- NO
- logistics infrastructure
- last mile
- autonomous vehicles
PASSAGE 3: Questions 27-40
- B
- C
- C
- B
- B
- B
- A
- C
- A
- C
- infinite scroll
- dark patterns
- unboxing
- pleasurable anticipation
Giải Thích Đáp Án Chi Tiết
Passage 1 – Giải Thích
Câu 1: B
- Dạng câu hỏi: Multiple Choice
- Từ khóa: initial concern, prevented, shopping online
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 2, dòng 2-4
- Giải thích: Bài đọc nói rõ “concerns about payment security made many people reluctant to share their credit card information online” – mối lo ngại về bảo mật thanh toán làm nhiều người ngần ngại chia sẻ thông tin thẻ tín dụng trực tuyến. Đây là paraphrase của đáp án B “Worries about payment security”.
Câu 2: B
- Dạng câu hỏi: Multiple Choice
- Từ khóa: why, lower prices
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 4, dòng 2-4
- Giải thích: Đoạn văn giải thích “E-commerce retailers typically have lower overhead costs than traditional stores because they do not need to maintain expensive showrooms or employ large numbers of sales staff” – chi phí vận hành thấp hơn vì không cần duy trì showroom đắt tiền hay thuê nhiều nhân viên. Điều này được paraphrase thành “fewer operational expenses”.
Câu 5: C
- Dạng câu hỏi: Multiple Choice
- Từ khóa: future of retail
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn cuối, dòng 1-3
- Giải thích: Câu “Rather than one completely replacing the other, the future likely involves a hybrid model where both coexist and complement each other” thể hiện rõ cả hai hình thức sẽ tồn tại cùng nhau, tương ứng với đáp án C.
Câu 7: TRUE
- Dạng câu hỏi: True/False/Not Given
- Từ khóa: popular, limited free time
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 3, dòng cuối
- Giải thích: Bài đọc nói “This time-saving aspect has proven especially appealing to busy professionals and parents” – phần tiết kiệm thời gian đặc biệt hấp dẫn với những người bận rộn, điều này khớp với “people who have limited free time”.
Câu 9: TRUE
- Dạng câu hỏi: True/False/Not Given
- Từ khóa: customer reviews, photos, videos
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 6, dòng 2-3
- Giải thích: Đoạn văn nói rõ “These reviews often include photographs, videos, and specific information” – các đánh giá thường bao gồm ảnh và video.
Câu 10: product variety / vast selection
- Dạng câu hỏi: Sentence Completion
- Từ khóa: bookstores, cannot compete
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 5, tiêu đề và dòng đầu
- Giải thích: Tiêu đề đoạn là “product variety” và câu đầu nói về việc lựa chọn sản phẩm trực tuyến vượt xa cửa hàng truyền thống.
Câu 12: leisure activity
- Dạng câu hỏi: Sentence Completion
- Từ khóa: enjoy, socialize
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 8, dòng 1-2
- Giải thích: Bài viết nói “Shopping can be a leisure activity and a way to spend time with friends or family” – mua sắm có thể là hoạt động giải trí.
Passage 2 – Giải Thích
Câu 14: iii (Changing job markets in the retail sector)
- Dạng câu hỏi: Matching Headings
- Từ khóa: employment, jobs
- Vị trí: Section A
- Giải thích: Toàn bộ Section A tập trung vào “Employment Transformation” và thảo luận về việc mất việc làm ở cửa hàng truyền thống và việc tạo ra công việc mới trong thương mại điện tử, với các từ khóa như “shed jobs”, “new employment opportunities”, “warehousing”, “logistics”.
Câu 16: ii (The challenge of final-stage product delivery)
- Dạng câu hỏi: Matching Headings
- Từ khóa: last mile, delivery
- Vị trí: Section C
- Giải thích: Section C có tiêu đề phụ về “Supply Chain Revolution” và tập trung vào thách thức “last mile” – giai đoạn cuối của giao hàng, chiếm 53% chi phí vận chuyển.
Câu 18: viii (Effects on towns and social connections)
- Dạng câu hỏi: Matching Headings
- Từ khóa: communities, social infrastructure
- Vị trí: Section E
- Giải thích: Section E thảo luận về “Effects on Local Communities” và ảnh hưởng đến “community cohesion”, “social infrastructure”, “social isolation”.
Câu 20: NO
- Dạng câu hỏi: Yes/No/Not Given
- Từ khóa: retail apocalypse, accurately describes
- Vị trí: Section B, dòng 2-3
- Giải thích: Bài viết nói “This trend has given rise to the term ‘retail apocalypse,’ though some experts argue this characterization is overly dramatic” – một số chuyên gia cho rằng việc mô tả này quá kịch tính, ngụ ý không chính xác.
Câu 22: YES
- Dạng câu hỏi: Yes/No/Not Given
- Từ khóa: unfair advantages
- Vị trí: Section D, đoạn 2
- Giải thích: Đoạn văn nói “Critics argue that dominant e-commerce platforms can leverage their position to disadvantage competitors… provides them with insurmountable advantages” – lợi thế không thể vượt qua, thể hiện quan điểm về lợi thế không công bằng.
Câu 24: logistics infrastructure
- Dạng câu hỏi: Summary Completion
- Từ khóa: investments
- Vị trí: Section C, đoạn 1, câu cuối
- Giải thích: “This has driven enormous investment in logistics infrastructure, automation technology…”
Câu 25: last mile
- Dạng câu hỏi: Summary Completion
- Từ khóa: most costly part
- Vị trí: Section C, đoạn 2
- Giải thích: “The ‘last mile’… represents both the most expensive and most challenging aspect”
Passage 3 – Giải Thích
Câu 27: B
- Dạng câu hỏi: Multiple Choice
- Từ khóa: tyranny of choice
- Vị trí: Đoạn 2, dòng 3-5
- Giải thích: Bài viết giải thích “excessive choice can actually produce anxiety, decision paralysis, and post-purchase regret – a phenomenon termed the ‘tyranny of choice'” – quá nhiều lựa chọn gây lo lắng và bế tắc quyết định, tương ứng với đáp án B về tác động tiêu cực của việc có quá nhiều lựa chọn.
Câu 28: C
- Dạng câu hỏi: Multiple Choice
- Từ khóa: recommendation algorithms
- Vị trí: Đoạn “Algorithmic Curation”, đoạn 2
- Giải thích: “Recommendation systems tend to reinforce existing preferences rather than exposing consumers to novel or challenging options” – thuật toán có xu hướng củng cố sở thích hiện tại thay vì mở rộng cho người tiêu dùng, tức là hạn chế tiếp xúc với sản phẩm bất ngờ.
Câu 29: C
- Dạng câu hỏi: Multiple Choice
- Từ khóa: weak social ties
- Vị trí: Đoạn “The Attenuation of Social Commerce”, đoạn 2
- Giải thích: “Research in environmental psychology has demonstrated that such ‘weak social ties’ and casual interactions… play an underappreciated role in psychological well-being” – đóng góp tích cực cho sức khỏe tinh thần.
Câu 30: B
- Dạng câu hỏi: Multiple Choice
- Từ khóa: payment methods, compared to cash
- Vị trí: Đoạn “Impulse Control”, đoạn 2-3
- Giải thích: “these features also reduce the ‘pain of paying’ – a psychological phenomenon whereby the act of parting with money creates emotional discomfort” – giảm cảm giác khó chịu khi chi tiền, tương ứng với việc giảm sự khó chịu tâm lý khi thanh toán.
Câu 32: B
- Dạng câu hỏi: Matching Features
- Từ khóa: filter bubbles, reinforce preferences
- Vị trí: Đoạn “Algorithmic Curation”
- Giải thích: Filter bubbles được đề cập cụ thể là đặc điểm của e-commerce với hệ thống thuật toán gợi ý.
Câu 33: A
- Dạng câu hỏi: Matching Features
- Từ khóa: face-to-face social interactions
- Vị trí: Đoạn “The Attenuation of Social Commerce”
- Giải thích: Tương tác trực tiếp được đề cập là đặc điểm của traditional retail, trong khi e-commerce “largely eliminates these social dimensions”.
Câu 37: infinite scroll
- Dạng câu hỏi: Short-answer Questions
- Từ khóa: design feature, slot machines
- Vị trí: Đoạn “The Paradox of Choice”, đoạn cuối
- Giải thích: “Moreover, the infinite scroll design pattern… mirrors the psychological mechanisms that make slot machines addictive”
Câu 38: dark patterns
- Dạng câu hỏi: Short-answer Questions
- Từ khóa: interface designs, manipulate users
- Vị trí: Đoạn “Impulse Control”, đoạn cuối
- Giải thích: “e-commerce platforms employ increasingly sophisticated ‘dark patterns’ – interface design choices that subtly manipulate users”
Câu 39: unboxing
- Dạng câu hỏi: Short-answer Questions
- Từ khóa: videos, photos, newly purchased products
- Vị trí: Đoạn “Identity, Status”, đoạn 2
- Giải thích: “The practice of ‘unboxing’ products in videos or photos shared online has become a significant phenomenon”
Câu 40: pleasurable anticipation
- Dạng câu hỏi: Short-answer Questions
- Từ khóa: looking forward, future positive events, happiness
- Vị trí: Đoạn “Temporal Dimension”, đoạn 1
- Giải thích: “waiting for packages can create pleasurable anticipation – research suggests that looking forward to future positive events contributes significantly to happiness”
Từ Vựng Quan Trọng Theo Passage
Passage 1 – Essential Vocabulary
| Từ vựng | Loại từ | Phiên âm | Nghĩa tiếng Việt | Ví dụ từ bài | Collocation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| dramatically | adv | /drəˈmætɪkli/ | một cách đáng kể, mạnh mẽ | The way people shop has changed dramatically | change dramatically, increase dramatically |
| emergence | n | /ɪˈmɜːdʒəns/ | sự xuất hiện, sự nổi lên | The emergence of e-commerce platforms | the emergence of, witness the emergence |
| fundamentally | adv | /ˌfʌndəˈmentəli/ | về cơ bản, về căn bản | has fundamentally altered consumer behavior | fundamentally different, fundamentally change |
| traction | n | /ˈtrækʃn/ | sự chấp nhận, sự phổ biến | E-commerce first gained traction | gain traction, lose traction |
| hesitant | adj | /ˈhezɪtənt/ | do dự, ngập ngừng | consumers were hesitant to purchase | hesitant to do, remain hesitant |
| overhead costs | n phrase | /ˈəʊvəhed kɒsts/ | chi phí hoạt động, chi phí chung | lower overhead costs than traditional stores | reduce overhead costs, high overhead costs |
| obscure | adj | /əbˈskjʊə(r)/ | tối nghĩa, không rõ ràng, hiếm | obscure or out-of-print titles | relatively obscure, remain obscure |
| inventory management | n phrase | /ˈɪnvəntri ˈmænɪdʒmənt/ | quản lý hàng tồn kho | sophisticated inventory management systems | efficient inventory management, inventory management system |
| crucial component | n phrase | /ˈkruːʃl kəmˈpəʊnənt/ | thành phần thiết yếu | Customer reviews have become a crucial component | a crucial component of, play a crucial component |
| replicated | v | /ˈreplɪkeɪtɪd/ | sao chép, tái tạo | experiences that cannot be replicated online | easily replicated, difficult to replicate |
| serendipitously | adv | /ˌserənˈdɪpɪtəsli/ | một cách tình cờ, bất ngờ | encountering products serendipitously | discover serendipitously, happen serendipitously |
| omnichannel | adj | /ˈɒmnɪtʃænl/ | đa kênh (tích hợp nhiều kênh) | developing omnichannel strategies | omnichannel strategy, omnichannel approach |
Passage 2 – Essential Vocabulary
| Từ vựng | Loại từ | Phiên âm | Nghĩa tiếng Việt | Ví dụ từ bài | Collocation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| exponential growth | n phrase | /ˌekspəˈnenʃl ɡrəʊθ/ | tăng trưởng theo cấp số nhân | The exponential growth of e-commerce | experience exponential growth, exponential growth rate |
| ripples throughout | v phrase | /ˈrɪplz θruːˈaʊt/ | lan tỏa khắp, gợn sóng khắp | has sent ripples throughout the entire retail economy | send ripples throughout, create ripples |
| transformative | adj | /trænsˈfɔːmətɪv/ | mang tính chuyển đổi | this transformative period | transformative change, transformative impact |
| shed jobs | v phrase | /ʃed dʒɒbz/ | cắt giảm việc làm | physical stores have shed jobs | shed thousands of jobs, continue to shed jobs |
| fulfillment center | n phrase | /fʊlˈfɪlmənt ˈsentə(r)/ | trung tâm thực hiện đơn hàng | each new e-commerce fulfillment center | operate fulfillment centers, build fulfillment centers |
| cornerstone | n | /ˈkɔːnəstəʊn/ | nền tảng, nền móng | once the cornerstone of suburban development | the cornerstone of, form the cornerstone |
| unprecedented | adj | /ʌnˈpresɪdentɪd/ | chưa từng có | facing unprecedented challenges | unprecedented level, unprecedented scale |
| anchor tenants | n phrase | /ˈæŋkə(r) ˈtenənts/ | thuê chính, người thuê neo | were typically anchor tenants | major anchor tenants, attract anchor tenants |
| repurposing | v | /ˌriːˈpɜːpəsɪŋ/ | tái sử dụng, chuyển mục đích | repurposing dying malls | repurposing existing, repurposing buildings |
| last mile | n phrase | /lɑːst maɪl/ | dặm cuối (giai đoạn cuối của giao hàng) | The “last mile” delivery | last-mile delivery, last-mile logistics |
| leverage | v | /ˈliːvərɪdʒ/ | tận dụng, lợi dụng | can leverage their position | leverage their advantage, leverage technology |
| disparate effects | n phrase | /ˈdɪspərət ɪˈfekts/ | ảnh hưởng khác nhau | has disparate effects on different communities | have disparate effects, create disparate effects |
| cohesion | n | /kəʊˈhiːʒn/ | sự gắn kết, sự liên kết | affects community cohesion | social cohesion, promote cohesion |
| democratization | n | /dɪˌmɒkrətaɪˈzeɪʃn/ | sự dân chủ hóa | democratization of market access | democratization of information, lead to democratization |
| consumer surplus | n phrase | /kənˈsjuːmə(r) ˈsɜːpləs/ | thặng dư tiêu dùng | produced substantial consumer surplus | generate consumer surplus, increase consumer surplus |
Passage 3 – Essential Vocabulary
| Từ vựng | Loại từ | Phiên âm | Nghĩa tiếng Việt | Ví dụ từ bài | Collocation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ascendancy | n | /əˈsendənsi/ | sự thống trị, địa vị ưu thế | The ascendancy of e-commerce | achieve ascendancy, rise to ascendancy |
| reconfiguration | n | /ˌriːkənˌfɪɡəˈreɪʃn/ | sự tái cấu hình | a reconfiguration of social rituals | require reconfiguration, undergo reconfiguration |
| multifaceted | adj | /ˌmʌltiˈfæsɪtɪd/ | nhiều mặt, đa diện | the multifaceted ways | multifaceted approach, multifaceted problem |
| paradoxical | adj | /ˌpærəˈdɒksɪkl/ | nghịch lý | the paradoxical relationship | paradoxical nature, seem paradoxical |
| tyranny of choice | n phrase | /ˈtɪrəni əv tʃɔɪs/ | chế độ chuyên chế của sự lựa chọn | termed the “tyranny of choice” | suffer from tyranny of choice, escape the tyranny |
| choice overload | n phrase | /tʃɔɪs ˈəʊvələʊd/ | quá tải lựa chọn | creates what psychologists call “choice overload” | experience choice overload, avoid choice overload |
| analysis paralysis | n phrase | /əˈnæləsɪs pəˈræləsɪs/ | tê liệt phân tích | Consumers may experience analysis paralysis | suffer from analysis paralysis, overcome analysis paralysis |
| intermittent reinforcement | n phrase | /ˌɪntəˈmɪtənt ˌriːɪnˈfɔːsmənt/ | củng cố ngắt quãng | The intermittent reinforcement provided | use intermittent reinforcement, intermittent reinforcement schedule |
| dopaminergic | adj | /ˌdəʊpəmɪˈnɜːdʒɪk/ | liên quan đến dopamine | activating dopaminergic reward pathways | dopaminergic neurons, dopaminergic system |
| algorithmic curation | n phrase | /ˌælɡəˈrɪðmɪk kjʊəˈreɪʃn/ | sự tuyển chọn bằng thuật toán | To address choice overload through algorithmic curation | rely on algorithmic curation, improve algorithmic curation |
| filter bubbles | n phrase | /ˈfɪltə(r) ˈbʌblz/ | bong bóng lọc (thông tin) | This creates “filter bubbles” | trapped in filter bubbles, burst filter bubbles |
| serendipitous discovery | n phrase | /ˌserənˈdɪpɪtəs dɪˈskʌvəri/ | khám phá tình cờ | through serendipitous discovery | enable serendipitous discovery, value serendipitous discovery |
| attenuation | n | /əˌtenjuˈeɪʃn/ | sự suy giảm, làm yếu đi | The Attenuation of Social Commerce | attenuation of signals, result in attenuation |
| weak social ties | n phrase | /wiːk ˈsəʊʃl taɪz/ | mối quan hệ xã hội yếu | such “weak social ties” play an important role | maintain weak social ties, strengthen weak ties |
| pain of paying | n phrase | /peɪn əv ˈpeɪɪŋ/ | nỗi đau khi chi tiền | reduce the “pain of paying” | minimize pain of paying, increase pain of paying |
| dark patterns | n phrase | /dɑːk ˈpætənz/ | mẫu tối (thiết kế lừa dối) | employ increasingly sophisticated “dark patterns” | use dark patterns, identify dark patterns |
| conspicuous consumption | n phrase | /kənˈspɪkjuəs kənˈsʌmpʃn/ | tiêu dùng phô trương | introduced the concept of “conspicuous consumption” | engage in conspicuous consumption, display conspicuous consumption |
| status signaling | n phrase | /ˈsteɪtəs ˈsɪɡnəlɪŋ/ | phát tín hiệu địa vị | the status signaling function | serve as status signaling, importance of status signaling |
Kết bài
Chủ đề về tác động của thương mái điện tử đến bán lẻ truyền thống không chỉ phổ biến trong kỳ thi IELTS Reading mà còn phản ánh một xu hướng toàn cầu đang định hình lại cách chúng ta mua sắm và tiêu dùng. Bộ đề thi mẫu này đã cung cấp cho bạn trải nghiệm hoàn chỉnh với ba passages ở các mức độ khó tăng dần, từ giới thiệu cơ bản về sự phát triển của e-commerce, đến phân tích sâu về tác động kinh tế, và cuối cùng là khảo sát các khía cạnh tâm lý xã hội phức tạp.
Với 40 câu hỏi đa dạng bao gồm 8 dạng câu hỏi khác nhau, bạn đã có cơ hội thực hành toàn diện các kỹ năng cần thiết để đạt band điểm cao trong IELTS Reading. Đáp án chi tiết kèm giải thích cụ thể không chỉ giúp bạn kiểm tra kết quả mà còn hiểu rõ cách định vị thông tin, nhận diện paraphrase và áp dụng chiến lược làm bài hiệu quả.
Bộ từ vựng được tuyển chọn từ ba passages cung cấp hơn 40 từ và cụm từ học thuật quan trọng trong lĩnh vực thương mại, công nghệ và kinh tế. Hãy dành thời gian ghi nhớ những từ vựng này cùng với các collocations đi kèm, vì chúng không chỉ hữu ích cho phần Reading mà còn có thể áp dụng trong Writing và Speaking.
Để tối ưu hóa việc luyện tập, hãy làm lại bài test này sau một tuần với điều kiện tương tự như thi thật: 60 phút không gián đoạn, không tra từ điển. Hãy nhớ rằng, việc hiểu sâu về cách thức các câu hỏi được xây dựng và thông tin được paraphrase quan trọng hơn việc chỉ biết đáp án đúng. Tương tự như sự gia tăng của bán lẻ trực tuyến trong các thị trường truyền thống, hiểu được xu hướng và cách thức vận hành của từng dạng câu hỏi sẽ giúp bạn tự tin hơn trong kỳ thi thực tế. Đối với những ai quan tâm đến cách chuyển đổi số ảnh hưởng đến kỳ vọng của người tiêu dùng, những kiến thức và kỹ năng được rèn luyện qua bài test này sẽ là nền tảng vững chắc cho hành trình chinh phục IELTS của bạn.
Chúc bạn học tập hiệu quả và đạt được band điểm như mong muốn trong kỳ thi IELTS sắp tới!
