Mở Bài
Chủ đề “The Impact Of Social Media On Brand Loyalty” – Ảnh hưởng của mạng xã hội đến lòng trung thành thương hiệu – đã trở thành một trong những chủ đề phổ biến trong IELTS Reading những năm gần đây. Với sự phát triển vượt bậc của công nghệ và truyền thông xã hội, chủ đề này xuất hiện thường xuyên trong các bài thi thực tế, đặc biệt là từ năm 2020 trở lại đây.
Bài viết này cung cấp cho bạn một đề thi IELTS Reading hoàn chỉnh với 3 passages từ dễ đến khó, bao gồm 40 câu hỏi đa dạng giống như thi thật. Bạn sẽ được làm quen với các dạng câu hỏi phổ biến như Multiple Choice, True/False/Not Given, Matching Headings, Summary Completion và nhiều dạng khác. Mỗi câu hỏi đều có đáp án chính xác kèm giải thích chi tiết, giúp bạn hiểu rõ phương pháp làm bài và cải thiện kỹ năng đọc hiểu.
Đề thi này phù hợp cho học viên từ band 5.0 trở lên, với độ khó tăng dần qua từng passage. Bạn cũng sẽ học được hàng chục từ vựng quan trọng về marketing, công nghệ và truyền thông – những chủ đề thường gặp trong IELTS Academic Reading.
1. 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 là 1 điểm, không bị trừ điểm khi trả lời sai.
Phân bổ thời gian khuyến nghị:
- Passage 1: 15-17 phút (độ khó dễ)
- Passage 2: 18-20 phút (độ khó trung bình)
- Passage 3: 23-25 phút (độ khó cao)
Lưu ý quan trọng: Bạn cần tự quản lý thời gian và chuyển đáp án vào answer sheet trong 60 phút. Không có thời gian bổ sung để chép đáp án như IELTS Listening.
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 hay 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
- Matching Features – Nối đặc điểm với danh mục
- Short-answer Questions – Câu hỏi trả lời ngắn
2. IELTS Reading Practice Test
PASSAGE 1 – The Rise of Social Media Marketing
Độ khó: Easy (Band 5.0-6.5)
Thời gian đề xuất: 15-17 phút
In the past two decades, social media platforms have fundamentally transformed the way businesses communicate with their customers. What began as simple networking sites for personal connections has evolved into powerful marketing tools that shape consumer behaviour and influence purchasing decisions on an unprecedented scale. Today, platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok are not just channels for social interaction; they have become essential components of modern marketing strategies.
The shift from traditional advertising to social media marketing represents one of the most significant changes in business history. Before the internet era, companies relied heavily on television commercials, print advertisements, and billboards to reach their target audience. These methods were expensive and offered limited opportunities for direct engagement with customers. Brand loyalty was built primarily through product quality and one-way communication that emphasized the company’s message without much customer feedback.
Social media has revolutionized this dynamic by creating two-way communication channels between brands and consumers. Customers can now interact directly with companies, share their experiences, and influence others through their online presence. This interactive nature of social media has made it possible for brands to build stronger relationships with their customers. According to research conducted by the Digital Marketing Institute in 2021, approximately 73% of marketers believe that their efforts through social media marketing have been “somewhat effective” or “very effective” for their business.
One of the most compelling advantages of social media marketing is its cost-effectiveness. Small businesses and startup companies that previously could not afford expensive advertising campaigns can now reach thousands of potential customers with minimal investment. A well-crafted post on Instagram or a creative video on TikTok can go viral, generating millions of views without requiring a substantial marketing budget. This democratization of marketing has leveled the playing field, allowing smaller brands to compete with established corporations.
Engagement metrics on social media provide businesses with valuable insights into customer preferences and behaviour. Every like, comment, share, and click generates data that companies can analyze to understand what resonates with their audience. This real-time feedback enables brands to adjust their strategies quickly and create more targeted content. For instance, if a particular type of post receives high engagement, companies can produce similar content to maintain customer interest and build brand awareness.
The visual nature of platforms like Instagram and Pinterest has made them particularly effective for certain industries. Fashion brands, restaurants, travel companies, and lifestyle products benefit enormously from image-based marketing. A single attractive photograph of a product can generate more interest than a lengthy text description. Influencer marketing has emerged as a powerful strategy within this context, where individuals with large social media followings promote products to their audiences. Studies show that influencer recommendations can be more trustworthy than traditional advertisements because they come from seemingly independent sources.
However, building genuine brand loyalty through social media requires more than just posting attractive content. Customers today expect brands to be authentic, responsive, and socially responsible. Companies must engage in meaningful conversations with their followers, respond promptly to questions and complaints, and demonstrate values that align with their customers’ beliefs. A single negative experience shared on social media can spread rapidly and damage a brand’s reputation. Conversely, positive interactions can strengthen customer relationships and encourage repeat purchases.
Customer reviews and user-generated content play a crucial role in shaping brand perception. When satisfied customers share their positive experiences online, they essentially become brand ambassadors who influence their networks. This organic promotion is often more effective than paid advertising because people tend to trust recommendations from friends and family more than corporate messages. Many companies now actively encourage customers to share their experiences by creating branded hashtags and running contests that reward user participation.
The algorithm-driven nature of social media platforms means that content must be strategically designed to maximize visibility. Posts that generate quick engagement are more likely to appear in users’ feeds, creating a positive cycle of increased exposure. Understanding these algorithms has become essential for marketers who want to ensure their content reaches the intended audience. Timing, content type, and posting frequency all influence how effectively a message spreads across social networks.
Looking ahead, the relationship between social media and brand loyalty will likely continue to evolve. Emerging technologies like augmented reality and virtual reality are beginning to create new possibilities for immersive brand experiences. Live streaming and interactive video content are becoming increasingly popular, offering even more ways for brands to connect with their audiences in real-time. As platforms develop new features and user preferences shift, businesses must remain adaptable and willing to experiment with innovative approaches to maintain customer loyalty in the digital age.
Sơ đồ chiến lược marketing mạng xã hội và tương tác khách hàng thương hiệu hiện đại
Questions 1-13
Questions 1-5: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C, or D.
1. According to the passage, social media platforms originally served as
- A) marketing tools for businesses
- B) sites for personal networking
- C) platforms for advertising products
- D) channels for customer service
2. Traditional advertising methods were characterized by
- A) high levels of customer interaction
- B) inexpensive implementation costs
- C) limited direct customer engagement
- D) strong two-way communication
3. The Digital Marketing Institute research from 2021 indicated that
- A) all marketers found social media ineffective
- B) most marketers saw some level of effectiveness in social media
- C) only 27% of marketers used social media
- D) social media was less effective than traditional methods
4. Small businesses benefit from social media marketing primarily because
- A) it guarantees viral content
- B) it requires substantial investment
- C) it offers cost-effective reach
- D) it eliminates all competition
5. Influencer marketing is effective because recommendations appear to come from
- A) corporate executives
- B) paid advertisements
- C) independent sources
- D) government agencies
Questions 6-9: True/False/Not Given
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. Social media platforms have existed for more than twenty years.
7. Instagram and Pinterest are particularly suitable for fashion and lifestyle brands.
8. Negative customer experiences on social media spread more slowly than positive ones.
9. All social media platforms use identical algorithms to display content.
Questions 10-13: Sentence Completion
Complete the sentences below. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
10. Companies can analyze engagement metrics to understand what __ with their audience.
11. Satisfied customers who share positive experiences become __ for the brand.
12. Many companies create __ to encourage customers to share their experiences online.
13. Businesses must remain __ as platforms develop new features and preferences change.
PASSAGE 2 – Building Brand Loyalty in the Digital Age
Độ khó: Medium (Band 6.0-7.5)
Thời gian đề xuất: 18-20 phút
Brand loyalty, traditionally defined as a consumer’s commitment to repurchase or continue using a particular brand, has undergone a profound metamorphosis in the age of social media. The conventional wisdom that loyalty was primarily earned through consistent product quality and competitive pricing has been supplemented—and in some cases superseded—by the need for brands to cultivate emotional connections and maintain continuous digital engagement with their customer base. This transformation has compelled marketing professionals to reconceptualize their understanding of what drives customer allegiance in an increasingly interconnected and transparent marketplace.
A. The Psychology of Digital Brand Relationships
The psychological underpinnings of brand loyalty have become considerably more complex with the advent of social media. Research in consumer psychology suggests that social media interactions activate the same neural pathways associated with personal relationships. When customers follow a brand on social media, comment on posts, or receive personalized responses, their brains release oxytocin—often called the “bonding hormone“—which strengthens their emotional attachment to the brand. This neurological response explains why social media engagement can be remarkably effective at fostering loyalty that transcends rational economic calculations.
B. The Transparency Paradox
However, this same connectivity that strengthens relationships also creates what scholars term the “transparency paradox.” Social media has made it virtually impossible for companies to maintain carefully curated public images that diverge from their actual practices. Discrepancies between a brand’s stated values and its actions are quickly exposed and amplified by vigilant consumers who possess unprecedented investigative capabilities. A 2022 study by the Brand Authenticity Research Group found that 86% of consumers consider authenticity important when deciding which brands to support, and 57% have discontinued their relationship with a brand after discovering inconsistencies between its marketing messages and actual behaviour.
C. Community Building and Social Identity
One of the most salient developments in digital brand loyalty is the emergence of brand communities—online groups where customers with shared interests congregate to discuss products, share experiences, and form social bonds. These communities serve a dual function: they provide intrinsic value to members through social connection while simultaneously reinforcing brand affinity. Luxury brands like Apple have successfully leveraged this phenomenon, cultivating communities where product ownership becomes intertwined with personal identity. Members of these communities often exhibit fierce loyalty, defending the brand against criticism and actively recruiting new customers—behaviors that traditional advertising could rarely achieve.
D. The Role of User-Generated Content
User-generated content (UGC) has emerged as a linchpin in contemporary brand loyalty strategies. Unlike brand-generated content, which consumers often view with skepticism, UGC carries inherent credibility because it originates from ostensibly disinterested parties. When customers post photographs of themselves using products, write reviews, or create unboxing videos, they provide social proof that influences potential buyers far more effectively than corporate messaging. A meta-analysis of 134 studies on consumer behavior revealed that UGC increases purchase intention by an average of 29% compared to equivalent professional content. Savvy brands now design products and experiences specifically to be “Instagrammable,” optimizing for shareability rather than merely functionality.
E. Personalization and Algorithmic Engagement
The sophisticated algorithms that power social media platforms have enabled unprecedented levels of personalization in brand communications. Companies can now segment their audiences into micro-categories based on demographics, behavior patterns, and stated preferences, delivering tailored content that resonates with specific individuals. This granular targeting makes customers feel understood and valued, strengthening their connection to the brand. However, this capability also raises ethical considerations regarding data privacy and manipulation. The Cambridge Analytica scandal and subsequent revelations about data harvesting practices have made consumers increasingly wary of how their information is collected and utilized, potentially undermining the trust that personalization seeks to build.
F. Crisis Management and Brand Resilience
The velocity at which information spreads on social media has transformed how brands must approach crisis management. A single controversial post, product defect, or customer service failure can escalate into a viral controversy within hours, potentially eroding years of painstakingly built loyalty. Yet paradoxically, the same platforms that amplify crises also provide opportunities for rapid response and reputation repair. Brands that respond transparently, take accountability, and demonstrate genuine remorse can sometimes emerge from controversies with strengthened loyalty, as customers appreciate the authentic acknowledgment of mistakes. The outdoor clothing company Patagonia, for instance, has built remarkable loyalty partly through its willingness to acknowledge industry environmental impacts and its demonstrable commitment to sustainability initiatives.
G. Measuring Digital Loyalty
Quantifying brand loyalty in the social media era presents methodological challenges. Traditional metrics like repeat purchase rates and customer lifetime value remain relevant, but they provide an incomplete picture of the multifaceted relationships that exist in digital spaces. Marketers now track engagement rates, sentiment analysis, share of voice, and Net Promoter Scores (NPS) to gauge loyalty more holistically. Social listening tools enable companies to monitor brand mentions across platforms, identifying both ardent advocates and potential detractors. However, these metrics can be deceiving—high engagement does not always correlate with purchasing behavior, and negative sentiment sometimes generates more interaction than positive feelings, skewing analysis.
H. The Future Landscape
Looking forward, the relationship between social media and brand loyalty will likely be shaped by several emerging trends. The rise of ephemeral content—posts that disappear after a short time—is creating new dynamics around exclusivity and urgency. Social commerce, which integrates shopping capabilities directly into social platforms, is blurring the lines between discovery, engagement, and transaction. Meanwhile, growing concerns about mental health and screen time are prompting some consumers to reduce their social media usage, forcing brands to develop omnichannel loyalty strategies that extend beyond digital platforms. The most successful companies will be those that can adapt to these shifting dynamics while maintaining the authentic connections that form the foundation of genuine loyalty.
Biểu đồ phân tích tâm lý khách hàng và kết nối cảm xúc với thương hiệu qua mạng xã hội
Questions 14-26
Questions 14-19: Matching Headings
The passage has eight sections, A-H. Choose the correct heading for sections B-G from the list of headings below.
List of Headings:
- i. The challenge of quantifying modern loyalty
- ii. How mistakes can strengthen relationships
- iii. The neurological basis of brand attachment
- iv. Creating products designed for sharing
- v. The problem of maintaining consistent brand image
- vi. Future developments in brand engagement
- vii. Online groups and customer identity
- viii. Tailored marketing and privacy concerns
- ix. Traditional approaches to customer retention
14. Section B
15. Section C
16. Section D
17. Section E
18. Section F
19. Section G
Questions 20-23: Yes/No/Not Given
Write:
- YES if the statement agrees with the claims of the writer
- NO if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer
- NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this
20. Social media interactions can produce the same chemical response in the brain as personal relationships.
21. User-generated content is less effective than professional marketing content.
22. The Cambridge Analytica scandal improved consumer trust in data collection.
23. Patagonia’s honesty about environmental issues has damaged its brand reputation.
Questions 24-26: Summary Completion
Complete the summary below. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
Modern brand loyalty requires more than just product quality and competitive pricing. Companies must now create (24) __ with customers through continuous digital engagement. Social media has created a (25) __ where brands cannot hide inconsistencies between their stated values and actual practices. The most effective loyalty strategies involve building brand communities where product ownership becomes connected to (26) __.
PASSAGE 3 – The Socio-Economic Implications of Social Media-Driven Brand Loyalty
Độ khó: Hard (Band 7.0-9.0)
Thời gian đề xuất: 23-25 phút
The ascendancy of social media as a primary determinant of brand loyalty represents not merely a tactical evolution in marketing practice, but a fundamental reconfiguration of the socio-economic relationships that underpin contemporary consumer capitalism. This transformation extends beyond the dyadic relationship between brand and consumer to encompass broader questions about power dynamics, information asymmetry, cultural production, and the increasingly porous boundaries between commercial and non-commercial spheres of social life. Understanding these ramifications requires a multidisciplinary analytical framework that integrates insights from marketing theory, behavioral economics, media studies, and critical sociology.
At its core, the social media-brand loyalty nexus can be understood through the lens of what sociologist Zygmunt Bauman termed “liquid modernity“—a condition characterized by the dissolution of stable, enduring social structures and their replacement with fluid, ephemeral connections. Traditional brand loyalty, which often persisted across decades and even intergenerational transfers, operated within a relatively stable commercial ecosystem where switching costs—both economic and psychological—created significant barriers to brand migration. The atomized, real-time nature of social media has dramatically reduced these barriers, creating what marketing theorists describe as “perpetual beta loyalty“—a provisional, contingent form of brand allegiance that must be continuously reaffirmed through ongoing engagement and value demonstration.
This fragility of contemporary brand loyalty has paradoxically increased corporate dependency on social media platforms, creating what some scholars characterize as a new form of “platform capitalism.” Companies find themselves subordinate to the algorithmic arbiters that control access to their audiences—Facebook’s EdgeRank, Instagram’s engagement metrics, TikTok’s “For You” algorithm—and must constantly adapt their content strategies to satisfy capricious and opaque algorithmic preferences. This dependency has generated substantial wealth concentration among platform owners while simultaneously commodifying user attention and social relationships. The market capitalization of major social media companies now exceeds that of many traditional consumer goods conglomerates, reflecting a structural shift in where value is captured within the consumer economy.
From a behavioral economics perspective, social media has introduced novel cognitive biases that influence brand loyalty in ways that diverge from traditional rational actor models. The endowment effect—the tendency to overvalue things merely because we own them—extends to digital brand affiliations, as users who follow brands, engage with their content, or publicly endorse products become psychologically invested in justifying those choices. Social proof bias is amplified by the visibility of others’ preferences, creating informational cascades where popularity begets further popularity irrespective of underlying product quality. The mere exposure effect operates at unprecedented scale and frequency, as algorithms ensure that users repeatedly encounter content from brands they have previously engaged with, strengthening familiarity and preference through incidental exposure rather than conscious deliberation.
The democratization narrative that often accompanies discussions of social media marketing—the notion that these platforms have “leveled the playing field” for smaller competitors—warrants critical scrutiny. While it is true that barriers to entry for basic social media presence are low, effectively leveraging these platforms for loyalty-building increasingly requires sophisticated technical capabilities, substantial content production infrastructure, and algorithmic expertise that remain concentrated among well-capitalized firms. Large corporations employ teams of data scientists, consumer psychologists, and content creators who optimize every aspect of their social media presence, from posting cadences to color palettes, based on rigorous A/B testing and predictive analytics. Smaller competitors may create accounts, but they often lack the resources to compete effectively in what has become an arms race for attention and engagement.
Moreover, the commodification of influencer relationships has created market distortions that complicate the authentic peer-to-peer recommendations that initially made social media marketing effective. As influencer marketing has matured into a multi-billion dollar industry, the line between genuine endorsement and paid promotion has become increasingly blurred, notwithstanding regulatory requirements for disclosure. Audiences have grown more skeptical of influencer recommendations, leading to an escalating cycle where brands must employ increasingly sophisticated techniques—micro-influencers, nano-influencers, and virtual influencers—to maintain the appearance of authenticity. This dynamic raises fundamental questions about the epistemic status of social media content: when does a recommendation become advertising, and at what point does the pervasiveness of commercial messaging erode the informational value of social networks?
The data extraction practices that enable personalized social media marketing have generated substantial ethical and regulatory challenges. The surveillance capitalism model, as termed by scholar Shoshana Zuboff, transforms human experience into behavioral data that is then processed into predictive products sold to advertisers. This creates an asymmetric power relationship where companies possess intimate knowledge of consumer preferences, vulnerabilities, and decision-making patterns that individuals themselves may not recognize. The Cambridge Analytica scandal revealed how such data could be weaponized for political manipulation, prompting regulatory responses including the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and California’s Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). However, these regulatory frameworks struggle to keep pace with evolving data collection techniques and the global, borderless nature of digital platforms.
Cultural theorists have observed that social media brand loyalty participates in what Jean Baudrillard called “hyperreality“—a condition where simulations and symbols become more significant than the underlying material reality they supposedly represent. For many consumers, particularly younger demographics, brand relationships cultivated through social media exist primarily at the level of image, narrative, and identity signaling rather than functional product attributes. A luxury handbag’s value derives less from its craftsmanship or durability than from its ability to confer status when photographed and shared on Instagram. This semiotic dimension of brand loyalty creates both opportunities and vulnerabilities: brands that successfully establish themselves as cultural signifiers can command premium pricing and intense loyalty, but they also become targets for counter-cultural movements and ideological contestation.
The environmental and social implications of social media-driven consumption patterns merit serious consideration. The “Instagram aesthetic“—the pressure to continuously acquire and display novel experiences and possessions—has accelerated consumption cycles and contributed to the proliferation of “fast fashion,” single-use products, and resource-intensive experiences valued primarily for their visual documentation rather than intrinsic enjoyment. Conversely, social media has also facilitated the growth of sustainability-focused brands and conscious consumer movements, demonstrating the ideological plasticity of these platforms. The ultimate environmental impact depends on which consumption paradigms become culturally dominant—a question that remains unresolved as competing narratives vie for algorithmic visibility.
Looking toward the emerging technological horizon, developments in artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and blockchain technologies promise to further transform the social media-brand loyalty relationship. AI-powered chatbots and virtual brand ambassadors may provide 24/7 personalized engagement at unprecedented scale, while AR technologies could enable immersive brand experiences that blur the distinction between physical and digital consumption. Blockchain-based loyalty programs and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) might create new mechanisms for tokenizing and trading brand affiliations, potentially financializing loyalty itself. Whether these developments will ultimately strengthen genuine consumer-brand relationships or merely introduce new vectors for manipulation and exploitation remains an open question that will shape the trajectory of consumer culture in the coming decades.
Sơ đồ phân tích kinh tế xã hội về ảnh hưởng mạng xã hội đến hành vi tiêu dùng
Questions 27-40
Questions 27-31: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C, or D.
27. According to the passage, “liquid modernity” refers to
- A) the increased use of fluids in modern manufacturing
- B) the replacement of stable structures with temporary connections
- C) the liquidity of financial markets in the digital age
- D) the flow of information through social networks
28. “Platform capitalism” describes a situation where
- A) all businesses operate on digital platforms
- B) companies become dependent on platform algorithms for market access
- C) platforms replace traditional capitalism entirely
- D) capitalism exists only on social media
29. The passage suggests that the “democratization narrative” of social media marketing is
- A) completely accurate and beneficial
- B) questionable because effective use requires substantial resources
- C) proven by the success of small businesses
- D) rejected by all marketing scholars
30. According to the passage, the Cambridge Analytica scandal demonstrated
- A) the effectiveness of social media marketing
- B) how behavioral data could be used for political manipulation
- C) the superiority of European privacy laws
- D) that consumers prefer personalized advertising
31. Baudrillard’s concept of “hyperreality” suggests that
- A) social media creates better reality than physical experiences
- B) symbols and images become more important than material reality
- C) virtual reality will replace physical products
- D) consumers cannot distinguish reality from simulation
Questions 32-36: Matching Features
Match each concept (Questions 32-36) with the correct description (A-H). You may use any letter more than once.
Concepts:
32. Endowment effect
33. Social proof bias
34. Mere exposure effect
35. Surveillance capitalism
36. Perpetual beta loyalty
Descriptions:
- A) Popularity increases further popularity regardless of quality
- B) Loyalty that must be continuously reaffirmed through engagement
- C) Repeated encounters strengthen preference through familiarity
- D) Overvaluing things because of ownership or affiliation
- E) Using behavioral data to create predictive advertising products
- F) Consumers researching products before purchasing
- G) Traditional loyalty lasting across generations
- H) Brands competing on price rather than quality
Questions 37-40: Short-answer Questions
Answer the questions below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage for each answer.
37. What type of influencers are brands employing to maintain the appearance of authenticity?
38. What two regulatory frameworks are mentioned as responses to data collection concerns?
39. According to the passage, what quality of luxury handbags matters less than their ability to confer status?
40. What three emerging technologies are mentioned as potentially transforming future brand loyalty relationships?
3. Answer Keys – Đáp Án
PASSAGE 1: Questions 1-13
- B
- C
- B
- C
- C
- TRUE
- TRUE
- FALSE
- NOT GIVEN
- resonates
- brand ambassadors
- branded hashtags
- adaptable
PASSAGE 2: Questions 14-26
- v
- vii
- iv
- viii
- ii
- i
- YES
- NO
- NO
- NO
- emotional connections
- transparency paradox
- personal identity
PASSAGE 3: Questions 27-40
- B
- B
- B
- B
- B
- D
- A
- C
- E
- B
- micro/nano/virtual influencers (any combination accepted)
- GDPR and CCPA (or General Data Protection Regulation and Consumer Privacy Act)
- craftsmanship or durability (either accepted)
- artificial intelligence, augmented reality, blockchain (all three required in any order)
4. Giải Thích Đáp Án Chi Tiết
Passage 1 – Giải Thích
Câu 1: B
- Dạng câu hỏi: Multiple Choice
- Từ khóa: social media platforms, originally served
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 1, dòng 1-2
- Giải thích: Câu đầu tiên nói “What began as simple networking sites for personal connections” – điều này được paraphrase thành “sites for personal networking” trong đáp án B. Các đáp án khác không được đề cập như mục đích ban đầu.
Câu 2: C
- Dạng câu hỏi: Multiple Choice
- Từ khóa: traditional advertising, characterized by
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 2, dòng 3-4
- Giải thích: Passage nói “These methods were expensive and offered limited opportunities for direct engagement” – được paraphrase thành “limited direct customer engagement”. Đáp án A và D sai vì passage nói ngược lại (one-way communication). Đáp án B sai vì methods were expensive.
Câu 6: TRUE
- Dạng câu hỏi: True/False/Not Given
- Từ khóa: social media platforms, existed, more than twenty years
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 1, câu đầu
- Giải thích: “In the past two decades” = trong hai thập kỷ qua = hơn 20 năm. Statement đúng với thông tin trong bài.
Câu 8: FALSE
- Dạng câu hỏi: True/False/Not Given
- Từ khóa: negative customer experiences, spread more slowly
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 7, dòng 5-6
- Giải thích: Passage nói “A single negative experience shared on social media can spread rapidly” – điều này mâu thuẫn với statement “spread more slowly”. Thực tế negative experiences spread rapidly (nhanh), không phải slowly (chậm).
Câu 10: resonates
- Dạng câu hỏi: Sentence Completion
- Từ khóa: companies can analyze, understand what, audience
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 5, dòng 3-4
- Giải thích: “This real-time feedback enables brands to adjust their strategies quickly and create more targeted content to understand what resonates with their audience.” Từ “resonates” nghĩa là “có tiếng vang, phù hợp với” khán giả.
Minh họa phương pháp giải thích đáp án IELTS Reading với từ khóa và vị trí trong bài
Passage 2 – Giải Thích
Câu 14: v (The problem of maintaining consistent brand image)
- Dạng câu hỏi: Matching Headings
- Từ khóa: Section B – transparency paradox, carefully curated public images, discrepancies
- Vị trí trong bài: Section B, toàn bộ đoạn
- Giải thích: Section B nói về “transparency paradox” – việc khó duy trì hình ảnh công khai khác với thực tế. Đoạn nhấn mạnh “discrepancies between a brand’s stated values and its actions are quickly exposed” – điều này match với heading v về vấn đề duy trì hình ảnh thương hiệu nhất quán.
Câu 15: vii (Online groups and customer identity)
- Dạng câu hỏi: Matching Headings
- Từ khóa: Section C – brand communities, social identity, personal identity
- Vị trí trong bài: Section C
- Giải thích: Cả section nói về “brand communities” và cách “product ownership becomes intertwined with personal identity” – khớp hoàn hảo với heading vii.
Câu 20: YES
- Dạng câu hỏi: Yes/No/Not Given
- Từ khóa: social media interactions, same chemical response, personal relationships
- Vị trí trong bài: Section A, dòng 2-5
- Giải thích: Passage nói rõ “social media interactions activate the same neural pathways associated with personal relationships” và “their brains release oxytocin” – điều này confirm rằng có cùng chemical response. Writer đồng ý với claim này.
Câu 21: NO
- Dạng câu hỏi: Yes/No/Not Given
- Từ khóa: user-generated content, less effective, professional marketing
- Vị trí trong bài: Section D, dòng 2-6
- Giải thích: Passage nói “UGC carries inherent credibility” và “A meta-analysis…revealed that UGC increases purchase intention by an average of 29% compared to equivalent professional content.” Điều này mâu thuẫn với statement – UGC MORE effective, không phải less effective.
Câu 24: emotional connections
- Dạng câu hỏi: Summary Completion
- Từ khóa: companies must create, with customers
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn đầu, dòng 3-5
- Giải thích: “the need for brands to cultivate emotional connections and maintain continuous digital engagement with their customer base.” Đúng hai từ “emotional connections” fit vào chỗ trống.
Passage 3 – Giải Thích
Câu 27: B
- Dạng câu hỏi: Multiple Choice
- Từ khóa: liquid modernity, refers to
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 2, dòng 1-4
- Giải thích: Passage định nghĩa rõ: “liquid modernity—a condition characterized by the dissolution of stable, enduring social structures and their replacement with fluid, ephemeral connections.” Đây chính là đáp án B được paraphrase (replacement of stable structures with temporary connections).
Câu 28: B
- Dạng câu hỏi: Multiple Choice
- Từ khóa: platform capitalism, describes
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 3, dòng 1-4
- Giải thích: “Companies find themselves subordinate to the algorithmic arbiters that control access to their audiences” – companies depend on platforms for market access, chính xác là đáp án B.
Câu 32: D (Endowment effect)
- Dạng câu hỏi: Matching Features
- Từ khóa: endowment effect, definition
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 4, dòng 2-4
- Giải thích: “The endowment effect—the tendency to overvalue things merely because we own them—extends to digital brand affiliations.” Match với description D: “Overvaluing things because of ownership or affiliation.”
Câu 33: A (Social proof bias)
- Dạng câu hỏi: Matching Features
- Từ khóa: social proof bias, definition
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 4, dòng 5-6
- Giải thích: “Social proof bias is amplified…creating informational cascades where popularity begets further popularity irrespective of underlying product quality.” Đây là đáp án A.
Câu 37: micro/nano/virtual influencers
- Dạng câu hỏi: Short-answer Questions
- Từ khóa: type of influencers, maintain appearance of authenticity
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 6, dòng 5-7
- Giải thích: “brands must employ increasingly sophisticated techniques—micro-influencers, nano-influencers, and virtual influencers—to maintain the appearance of authenticity.” Ba loại influencers này được liệt kê rõ ràng.
Câu 38: GDPR and CCPA
- Dạng câu hỏi: Short-answer Questions
- Từ khóa: two regulatory frameworks, data collection concerns
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 7, dòng 6-8
- Giải thích: “prompting regulatory responses including the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and California’s Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).” Hai frameworks được nêu tên cụ thể.
Câu 39: craftsmanship or durability
- Dạng câu hỏi: Short-answer Questions
- Từ khóa: luxury handbags, matters less than, confer status
- Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 8, dòng 4-5
- Giải thích: “A luxury handbag’s value derives less from its craftsmanship or durability than from its ability to confer status.” Cả hai từ “craftsmanship” hoặc “durability” đều được chấp nhận.
5. Từ Vựng Quan Trọng Theo Passage
Passage 1 – Essential Vocabulary
| Từ vựng | Loại từ | Phiên âm | Nghĩa tiếng Việt | Ví dụ từ bài | Collocation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| fundamentally transformed | adv + v | /ˌfʌndəˈmentəli trænsˈfɔːmd/ | biến đổi căn bản | Social media platforms have fundamentally transformed the way businesses communicate | fundamentally change/alter |
| consumer behaviour | n | /kənˈsjuːmə bɪˈheɪvjə/ | hành vi người tiêu dùng | platforms that shape consumer behaviour | influence/affect consumer behaviour |
| purchasing decisions | n | /ˈpɜːtʃəsɪŋ dɪˈsɪʒənz/ | quyết định mua hàng | influence purchasing decisions on unprecedented scale | make purchasing decisions |
| target audience | n | /ˈtɑːɡɪt ˈɔːdiəns/ | đối tượng khách hàng mục tiêu | reach their target audience | identify/reach target audience |
| brand loyalty | n | /brænd ˈlɔɪəlti/ | lòng trung thành thương hiệu | Brand loyalty was built primarily through product quality | build/maintain brand loyalty |
| revolutionized | v | /ˌrevəˈluːʃənaɪzd/ | cách mạng hóa | Social media has revolutionized this dynamic | revolutionize the industry |
| two-way communication | n | /tuː weɪ kəˌmjuːnɪˈkeɪʃən/ | giao tiếp hai chiều | creating two-way communication channels | enable/facilitate two-way communication |
| cost-effectiveness | n | /kɒst ɪˈfektɪvnəs/ | hiệu quả chi phí | compelling advantages of cost-effectiveness | improve/demonstrate cost-effectiveness |
| go viral | v phrase | /ɡəʊ ˈvaɪrəl/ | lan truyền rộng rãi | A creative video can go viral | content goes viral |
| engagement metrics | n | /ɪnˈɡeɪdʒmənt ˈmetrɪks/ | chỉ số tương tác | Engagement metrics provide valuable insights | track/measure engagement metrics |
| influencer marketing | n | /ˈɪnfluənsə ˈmɑːkɪtɪŋ/ | tiếp thị người có ảnh hưởng | Influencer marketing has emerged as powerful strategy | leverage influencer marketing |
| user-generated content | n | /ˈjuːzə ˈdʒenəreɪtɪd ˈkɒntent/ | nội dung do người dùng tạo | User-generated content plays crucial role | encourage user-generated content |
Passage 2 – Essential Vocabulary
| Từ vựng | Loại từ | Phiên âm | Nghĩa tiếng Việt | Ví dụ từ bài | Collocation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| profound metamorphosis | adj + n | /prəˈfaʊnd ˌmetəˈmɔːfəsɪs/ | sự biến đổi sâu sắc | has undergone a profound metamorphosis | undergo a metamorphosis |
| reconceptualize | v | /ˌriːkənˈseptʃuəlaɪz/ | khái niệm hóa lại | compelled to reconceptualize their understanding | reconceptualize the approach |
| psychological underpinnings | n | /ˌsaɪkəˈlɒdʒɪkəl ˌʌndəˈpɪnɪŋz/ | nền tảng tâm lý | psychological underpinnings of brand loyalty | explore psychological underpinnings |
| neural pathways | n | /ˈnjʊərəl ˈpɑːθweɪz/ | con đường thần kinh | activate the same neural pathways | stimulate neural pathways |
| emotional attachment | n | /ɪˈməʊʃənəl əˈtætʃmənt/ | sự gắn bó cảm xúc | strengthens their emotional attachment | develop emotional attachment |
| transparency paradox | n | /trænsˈpærənsi ˈpærədɒks/ | nghịch lý minh bạch | what scholars term the transparency paradox | face the transparency paradox |
| discrepancies | n | /dɪsˈkrepənsiz/ | sự khác biệt, mâu thuẫn | Discrepancies between stated values and actions | identify/expose discrepancies |
| brand communities | n | /brænd kəˈmjuːnətiz/ | cộng đồng thương hiệu | emergence of brand communities | build/foster brand communities |
| brand affinity | n | /brænd əˈfɪnəti/ | sự ưa thích thương hiệu | reinforcing brand affinity | strengthen brand affinity |
| inherent credibility | n | /ɪnˈhɪərənt ˌkredəˈbɪləti/ | độ tin cậy vốn có | UGC carries inherent credibility | possess inherent credibility |
| social proof | n | /ˈsəʊʃəl pruːf/ | bằng chứng xã hội | they provide social proof | leverage social proof |
| granular targeting | n | /ˈɡrænjʊlə ˈtɑːɡɪtɪŋ/ | nhắm mục tiêu chi tiết | This granular targeting makes customers feel valued | enable granular targeting |
| data privacy | n | /ˈdeɪtə ˈpraɪvəsi/ | quyền riêng tư dữ liệu | ethical considerations regarding data privacy | protect data privacy |
| crisis management | n | /ˈkraɪsɪs ˈmænɪdʒmənt/ | quản lý khủng hoảng | how brands must approach crisis management | effective crisis management |
| sentiment analysis | n | /ˈsentɪmənt əˈnæləsɪs/ | phân tích cảm xúc | track sentiment analysis | conduct sentiment analysis |
Passage 3 – Essential Vocabulary
| Từ vựng | Loại từ | Phiên âm | Nghĩa tiếng Việt | Ví dụ từ bài | Collocation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ascendancy | n | /əˈsendənsi/ | sự vượt trội, thống trị | The ascendancy of social media | gain/achieve ascendancy |
| fundamental reconfiguration | n | /ˌfʌndəˈmentl riːkənˌfɪɡjəˈreɪʃən/ | sự cấu hình lại căn bản | represents a fundamental reconfiguration | undergo reconfiguration |
| socio-economic relationships | n | /ˌsəʊsiəʊ ˌiːkəˈnɒmɪk rɪˈleɪʃənʃɪps/ | mối quan hệ kinh tế xã hội | that underpin socio-economic relationships | analyze socio-economic relationships |
| porous boundaries | n | /ˈpɔːrəs ˈbaʊndəriz/ | ranh giới mỏng manh | increasingly porous boundaries | blur porous boundaries |
| multidisciplinary analytical framework | n | /ˌmʌltiˈdɪsɪplɪnəri ˌænəˈlɪtɪkəl ˈfreɪmwɜːk/ | khung phân tích liên ngành | requires a multidisciplinary analytical framework | develop analytical framework |
| liquid modernity | n | /ˈlɪkwɪd məˈdɜːnəti/ | hiện đại hóa lỏng lẻo | what Bauman termed liquid modernity | concept of liquid modernity |
| switching costs | n | /ˈswɪtʃɪŋ kɒsts/ | chi phí chuyển đổi | switching costs created significant barriers | reduce switching costs |
| platform capitalism | n | /ˈplætfɔːm ˈkæpɪtəlɪzəm/ | chủ nghĩa tư bản nền tảng | a new form of platform capitalism | emergence of platform capitalism |
| algorithmic arbiters | n | /ˌælɡəˈrɪðmɪk ˈɑːbɪtəz/ | trọng tài thuật toán | subordinate to algorithmic arbiters | control by algorithmic arbiters |
| cognitive biases | n | /ˈkɒɡnətɪv ˈbaɪəsɪz/ | thiên kiến nhận thức | introduced novel cognitive biases | exploit cognitive biases |
| endowment effect | n | /ɪnˈdaʊmənt ɪˈfekt/ | hiệu ứng phú quỹ | The endowment effect extends to affiliations | demonstrate endowment effect |
| informational cascades | n | /ˌɪnfəˈmeɪʃənəl kæˈskeɪdz/ | chuỗi thông tin lan truyền | creating informational cascades | trigger informational cascades |
| democratization narrative | n | /dɪˌmɒkrətaɪˈzeɪʃən ˈnærətɪv/ | tường thuật dân chủ hóa | The democratization narrative warrants scrutiny | challenge the narrative |
| barriers to entry | n | /ˈbæriəz tuː ˈentri/ | rào cản gia nhập | barriers to entry for social media | lower barriers to entry |
| surveillance capitalism | n | /səˈveɪləns ˈkæpɪtəlɪzəm/ | chủ nghĩa tư bản giám sát | The surveillance capitalism model | critique surveillance capitalism |
| asymmetric power relationship | n | /ˌeɪsɪˈmetrɪk ˈpaʊə rɪˈleɪʃənʃɪp/ | mối quan hệ quyền lực bất đối xứng | creates asymmetric power relationship | perpetuate asymmetric relationship |
| hyperreality | n | /ˌhaɪpəriˈæləti/ | siêu thực | Baudrillard called hyperreality | concept of hyperreality |
| identity signaling | n | /aɪˈdentəti ˈsɪɡnəlɪŋ/ | tín hiệu nhận dạng | image, narrative and identity signaling | engage in identity signaling |
Kết Bài
Chủ đề “The impact of social media on brand loyalty” là một trong những chủ đề quan trọng và thường xuyên xuất hiện trong kỳ thi IELTS Reading. Qua bài viết này, bạn đã được làm quen với một đề thi hoàn chỉnh gồm 3 passages với độ khó tăng dần từ Easy (Band 5.0-6.5), Medium (Band 6.0-7.5) đến Hard (Band 7.0-9.0).
Ba passages đã cung cấp góc nhìn toàn diện về cách mạng xã hội ảnh hưởng đến lòng trung thành thương hiệu, từ những khái niệm cơ bản về social media marketing, tâm lý khách hàng và chiến lược xây dựng cộng đồng, cho đến những phân tích sâu sắc về kinh tế xã hội, đạo đức và tương lai của mối quan hệ này. Đề thi bao gồm đầy đủ 40 câu hỏi với 7 dạng khác nhau, giúp bạn làm quen với mọi format câu hỏi có thể xuất hiện trong bài thi thực tế.
Đáp án chi tiết kèm giải thích đã chỉ rõ vị trí thông tin trong bài, cách paraphrase giữa câu hỏi và passage, cũng như phương pháp loại trừ các đáp án sai. Điều này giúp bạn không chỉ biết đáp án đúng mà còn hiểu rõ lý do tại sao, từ đó phát triển tư duy phản biện và kỹ năng đọc hiểu học thuật.
Phần từ vựng đã tổng hợp hơn 40 từ và cụm từ quan trọng liên quan đến marketing, công nghệ, tâm lý học và kinh tế – những chủ đề thường gặp trong IELTS Academic Reading. Việc học các từ này không chỉ giúp bạn hiểu bài đọc tốt hơn mà còn nâng cao vốn từ vựng học thuật tổng thể.
Hãy sử dụng đề thi này như một công cụ luyện tập thực chiến. Đặt giới hạn thời gian 60 phút, làm bài trong điều kiện thi thật, sau đó đối chiếu đáp án và đọc kỹ phần giải thích để hiểu sâu hơn về phương pháp làm bài. Chúc bạn ôn tập hiệu quả và đạt band điểm mong muốn trong kỳ thi IELTS sắp tới!
