IELTS Reading: Tác động của mạng xã hội đến sự phát triển thanh thiếu niên – Đề thi mẫu có đáp án chi tiết

Mở bài

Chủ đề về tác động của mạng xã hội đến sự phát triển thanh thiếu niên (The Impact Of Social Media On Youth Development) đang trở thành một trong những đề tài xuất hiện thường xuyên nhất trong IELTS Reading, đặc biệt từ năm 2018 đến nay. Với sự phát triển vũ bão của các nền tảng như Facebook, Instagram, TikTok và Twitter, vấn đề này không chỉ mang tính thời sự mà còn ảnh hưởng sâu rộng đến mọi khía cạnh của đời sống xã hội hiện đại.

Trong bài viết này, bạn sẽ được trải nghiệm một đề thi IELTS Reading hoàn chỉnh với 3 passages có độ khó tăng dần từ band 5.0 đến 9.0. Bài thi bao gồm 40 câu hỏi với đa dạng dạng bài từ True/False/Not Given, Multiple Choice, Matching đến Summary Completion – đúng như format thi thật. Sau mỗi passage, bạn sẽ nhận được đáp án chi tiết kèm giải thích cụ thể về vị trí thông tin, kỹ thuật paraphrase và cách làm bài hiệu quả nhất.

Đề thi này phù hợp cho học viên từ band 5.0 trở lên, giúp bạn làm quen với cấu trúc đề thi chuẩn quốc tế, nâng cao vốn từ vựng học thuật và rèn luyện kỹ năng quản lý thời gian – những yếu tố then chốt để đạt điểm cao trong IELTS Reading.

1. Hướng dẫn làm bài IELTS Reading

Tổng Quan Về IELTS Reading Test

Bài thi IELTS Reading kéo dài 60 phút với 3 passages và tổng cộng 40 câu hỏi. Mỗi câu trả lời đúng được tính 1 điểm, không trừ điểm cho câu sai. Điều quan trọng là bạn cần biết phân bổ thời gian hợp lý:

• Passage 1: 15-17 phút (độ khó dễ, band 5.0-6.5)
• Passage 2: 18-20 phút (độ khó trung bình, band 6.0-7.5)
• Passage 3: 23-25 phút (độ khó cao, band 7.0-9.0)

Lưu ý dành 2-3 phút cuối để chuyển đáp án vào Answer Sheet. Không có thời gian bổ sung nên việc quản lý thời gian là yếu tố sống còn.

Các Dạng Câu Hỏi Trong Đề Này

Đề thi mẫu này bao gồm 7 dạng câu hỏi phổ biến nhất:

1. True/False/Not Given – Kiểm tra khả năng phân tích thông tin chi tiết
2. Multiple Choice – Đánh giá khả năng hiểu ý chính và suy luận
3. Matching Headings – Xác định ý chính của đoạn văn
4. Sentence Completion – Kiểm tra khả năng nắm bắt thông tin cụ thể
5. Summary Completion – Đánh giá hiểu tổng thể nội dung
6. Matching Features – Kết nối thông tin từ nhiều nguồn
7. Short-answer Questions – Trả lời ngắn gọn với giới hạn từ

2. IELTS Reading Practice Test

PASSAGE 1 – The Digital Generation: How Social Media Reshapes Teenage Life

Độ khó: Easy (Band 5.0-6.5)

Thời gian đề xuất: 15-17 phút

The rise of social media platforms has fundamentally transformed the way young people communicate, learn, and develop their identities. Over the past decade, platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok have become integral parts of teenage life, with recent studies showing that adolescents aged 13-17 spend an average of seven hours per day on various social media channels. This dramatic shift in how young people spend their time has sparked intense debate among parents, educators, and psychologists about both the benefits and risks of this digital revolution.

Social connectivity represents one of the most significant advantages of social media for youth development. Teenagers can now maintain friendships across geographical boundaries, reconnecting with old friends and forming new relationships based on shared interests rather than physical proximity. For young people living in remote or rural areas, social media provides vital access to diverse perspectives and communities that would otherwise be unavailable. Additionally, these platforms offer unprecedented opportunities for self-expression and creativity, allowing teenagers to share their artwork, music, writing, and other creative endeavors with global audiences.

The educational potential of social media cannot be overlooked. Many teenagers use platforms like YouTube and Instagram to access educational content, from language lessons to science experiments. Online study groups and educational communities help students collaborate on homework, share study resources, and support each other’s learning. During the COVID-19 pandemic, social media became even more crucial as traditional education systems moved online, demonstrating how these platforms can facilitate learning in challenging circumstances.

However, concerns about the negative impacts of social media on youth development continue to grow. Cyberbullying has emerged as a serious problem, with studies indicating that approximately 36% of teenagers have experienced some form of online harassment. Unlike traditional bullying, cyberbullying can occur 24/7, following victims into their homes and making it difficult to find safe spaces. The anonymous nature of some platforms can embolden bullies, while the permanent digital record of cruel messages and images can cause lasting psychological harm.

Mental health issues linked to social media use have become increasingly prevalent among young people. The constant exposure to carefully curated images of others’ lives can lead to unrealistic comparisons and feelings of inadequacy. Research has found correlations between heavy social media use and increased rates of anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem among teenagers. The pressure to accumulate likes, comments, and followers can create validation-seeking behaviors that may undermine authentic self-development. Furthermore, the addictive design features of many platforms, such as infinite scrolling and notification systems, can make it difficult for young people to regulate their usage.

Sleep disruption represents another significant concern. Many teenagers report checking their phones late at night or being woken by notifications, leading to insufficient sleep that can negatively affect academic performance, mood, and physical health. The blue light emitted by screens can also interfere with natural sleep patterns by suppressing melatonin production, making it harder to fall asleep even after putting devices away.

Privacy and safety issues pose additional risks for young social media users. Teenagers may not fully understand the long-term implications of sharing personal information online or realize how their digital footprints could affect future opportunities. Data collection practices by social media companies raise concerns about how young people’s information is being used and potentially exploited. There are also risks of exposure to inappropriate content and contact with predatory adults who may use these platforms to target vulnerable young people.

Despite these concerns, completely banning social media use is neither practical nor necessarily beneficial. Instead, experts recommend a balanced approach that emphasizes digital literacy and responsible usage. Parents and educators should help young people develop critical thinking skills to evaluate online content, understand privacy settings, and recognize manipulative design features. Establishing healthy boundaries around social media use, such as designated phone-free times and spaces, can help teenagers maintain balance in their lives.

Schools are increasingly incorporating digital citizenship education into their curricula, teaching students about online etiquette, the permanence of digital content, and strategies for maintaining wellbeing in digital spaces. Some experts advocate for age-appropriate regulations that would restrict certain features, such as infinite scrolling or autoplay, on platforms primarily used by minors. Others emphasize the importance of redesigning social media platforms to prioritize user wellbeing over engagement metrics.

Looking forward, the relationship between social media and youth development will likely continue to evolve as both technology and our understanding of its impacts advance. What remains clear is that social media is not inherently good or bad for young people – rather, its impact depends on how it is used, the quality of online interactions, and the support structures in place to help teenagers navigate digital spaces safely and productively. By fostering open conversations about social media use and equipping young people with the tools to use these platforms wisely, society can help ensure that social media contributes positively to youth development rather than hindering it.

Questions 1-6

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Passage 1?

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

1. Teenagers aged 13-17 spend more time on social media than any other age group.
2. Social media helps young people in remote areas connect with diverse communities.
3. During the COVID-19 pandemic, social media played an important role in education.
4. Approximately one-third of teenagers have experienced cyberbullying.
5. All social media platforms have anonymous features that enable bullying.
6. Blue light from screens helps teenagers fall asleep faster.

Questions 7-10

Complete the sentences below.

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

7. Social media allows teenagers to form friendships based on __ rather than location.
8. Heavy social media use has been linked to increased rates of anxiety, depression, and __.
9. The __ of many platforms make it difficult for young people to control their usage.
10. Experts recommend teaching young people __ to help them evaluate online content.

Questions 11-13

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

11. According to the passage, educational content on social media includes:
    A. Only language lessons
    B. Science experiments and language lessons
    C. Exclusively homework help
    D. Entertainment videos

12. The main problem with cyberbullying compared to traditional bullying is:
    A. It affects more students
    B. It only happens at school
    C. It can occur continuously, even at home
    D. It is less serious

13. What approach do experts suggest for managing teenage social media use?
    A. Complete prohibition of all platforms
    B. Unlimited access without restrictions
    C. Balanced usage with digital literacy education
    D. Only allowing educational platforms

Thanh thiếu niên sử dụng mạng xã hội và tác động đến sự phát triển tâm lý xã hội

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PASSAGE 2 – The Psychological Mechanisms: Understanding Social Media’s Influence on Adolescent Development

Độ khó: Medium (Band 6.0-7.5)

Thời gian đề xuất: 18-20 phút

The neurological and psychological development occurring during adolescence makes this period particularly susceptible to the influences of social media. Between the ages of 10 and 25, the human brain undergoes significant reorganization, especially in regions responsible for reward processing, impulse control, and social cognition. This developmental window coincides precisely with the period when most young people become active social media users, creating a complex interplay between biological maturation and digital engagement that researchers are only beginning to understand.

The dopaminergic reward system, which plays a crucial role in learning and motivation, is particularly active during adolescence. Social media platforms have been engineered to exploit this neurological vulnerability through features that provide intermittent variable rewards – the same psychological principle that makes gambling addictive. When a teenager posts content and receives likes or positive comments, their brain experiences a dopamine surge similar to that produced by other rewarding stimuli. This neurochemical response reinforces the behavior, encouraging repeated checking and posting. However, because the rewards are unpredictable – users never know exactly how many likes they’ll receive or when positive feedback will arrive – the compulsive checking behavior becomes particularly difficult to resist.

Identity formation, a central developmental task of adolescence, has been profoundly affected by social media. Traditionally, teenagers explored different aspects of their identity through face-to-face interactions within relatively limited social circles, receiving feedback that helped shape their sense of self. Social media has expanded this process exponentially, allowing young people to curate multiple versions of themselves for different audiences and receive feedback from hundreds or thousands of peers simultaneously. While this can provide valuable opportunities for self-exploration and expression, it also introduces new complications.

The quantification of social approval through likes, followers, and comments creates what psychologists call “metrics-based self-worth”. Rather than developing an internal sense of value based on personal beliefs and achievements, teenagers may begin to measure their worth through these external, numerical validations. Research by Dr. Lauren Sherman at UCLA demonstrated that when teenagers viewed photos with more likes, the reward centers in their brains showed increased activity, regardless of the photo’s actual content. This suggests that the social validation signals themselves become primary drivers of behavior and self-perception.

Social comparison theory, first proposed by psychologist Leon Festinger in 1954, helps explain why social media can be particularly damaging to adolescent self-esteem. The theory posits that humans have an innate drive to evaluate themselves by comparing their abilities and attributes to those of others. On social media, teenagers are constantly exposed to carefully curated highlight reels of their peers’ lives – vacation photos, achievements, attractive selfies, and celebrations. What they rarely see are the mundane moments, failures, and insecurities that constitute the majority of human experience. This asymmetrical comparison – judging one’s complete, unfiltered reality against others’ selectively presented best moments – can lead to persistent feelings of inadequacy and lowered self-esteem.

The phenomenon of “FOMO” (Fear of Missing Out) represents another psychological mechanism through which social media affects youth development. FOMO is defined as a pervasive apprehension that others might be having rewarding experiences from which one is absent, accompanied by a desire to stay continually connected with what others are doing. For adolescents, whose social belonging needs are particularly acute, the constant stream of information about peers’ activities can trigger significant anxiety. Studies have found that higher levels of FOMO are associated with lower mood, life satisfaction, and overall wellbeing, as well as increased social media engagement – creating a self-perpetuating cycle.

Attention and cognitive development also warrant serious consideration. The rapid, fragmented nature of social media content – short videos, brief text posts, endless scrolling – may be reshaping young people’s cognitive patterns. Neuroscientists worry that constant exposure to bite-sized information and frequent task-switching could impair the development of sustained attention and deep thinking capabilities. Dr. Maryanne Wolf, a cognitive neuroscientist, argues that the “skim reading” patterns developed through digital consumption may interfere with the deeper, more reflective reading necessary for complex learning and critical analysis.

Interestingly, the relationship between social media use and psychological outcomes is not uniformly negative. Recent research suggests that the quality of social media interactions matters more than quantity. Active engagement – creating content, having meaningful conversations, using platforms to organize real-world activities – tends to be associated with positive outcomes. Conversely, passive consumption – mindlessly scrolling, comparing oneself to others, witnessing others’ activities without participating – correlates with negative mental health outcomes. This distinction suggests that social media itself is not necessarily harmful; rather, the manner and context of use determine its effects.

The concept of “networked individualism” describes how social media has transformed social relationships. Rather than belonging to tightly bounded groups, teenagers now maintain large, loosely connected networks where relationships exist along a spectrum of intimacy and commitment. While this can provide access to diverse perspectives and support systems, it may also lead to more superficial connections and a sense of social fragmentation. Some researchers worry that the ease of maintaining online-only relationships might allow young people to avoid the challenging but developmentally important face-to-face interactions that build emotional intelligence and conflict resolution skills.

Gender differences in social media’s psychological impact have emerged as an important consideration. Studies consistently find that girls and young women report higher rates of social media-related distress than their male counterparts, possibly because they face greater pressure regarding appearance and receive more appearance-focused feedback. Platforms emphasizing visual content and appearance-based validation, such as Instagram, show particularly strong correlations with body dissatisfaction and eating disorder symptoms among female users. Boys, meanwhile, may experience different pressures related to status, achievement, and dominant masculinity norms.

Understanding these psychological mechanisms is essential for developing effective interventions and policies. Rather than viewing teenagers as passive victims of social media, researchers increasingly recognize young people’s capacity for agency in shaping their digital experiences. Media literacy programs that help adolescents understand how platforms are designed to capture attention and how images are manipulated can reduce negative impacts. Teaching metacognitive strategies – encouraging young people to reflect on how social media makes them feel and to make conscious choices about their usage – shows promise in promoting healthier relationships with technology.

The challenge moving forward lies in harnessing social media’s benefits while mitigating its risks during this crucial developmental period. This requires collaborative efforts among platform designers, policymakers, educators, parents, and teenagers themselves to create digital environments that support rather than undermine healthy adolescent development.

Questions 14-18

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

14. According to the passage, the adolescent brain is particularly vulnerable to social media because:
    A. Teenagers spend too much time online
    B. Brain regions for reward and social cognition are developing
    C. Parents don’t monitor usage enough
    D. Schools don’t teach digital literacy

15. The dopaminergic reward system is compared to gambling because:
    A. Both involve money
    B. Both provide unpredictable rewards
    C. Both are illegal for teenagers
    D. Both happen online

16. “Metrics-based self-worth” refers to:
    A. Using math to calculate confidence
    B. Measuring worth through likes and followers
    C. Traditional methods of self-evaluation
    D. Professional psychological assessments

17. Dr. Lauren Sherman’s research at UCLA showed that:
    A. Content quality determines brain activity
    B. Teenagers prefer certain types of photos
    C. Social validation signals activate reward centers
    D. Likes have no effect on the brain

18. According to social comparison theory on social media:
    A. People compare complete realities fairly
    B. Everyone shares their problems equally
    C. Teenagers judge their reality against others’ best moments
    D. Comparison helps build self-esteem

Questions 19-23

Complete the summary below.

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

Social media affects adolescent psychology through multiple mechanisms. The phenomenon known as 19. __ causes teenagers to feel anxious about missing rewarding experiences. The rapid, fragmented content on social media may interfere with the development of 20. __ and deep thinking abilities. Research shows that 21. __, such as creating content and having conversations, leads to positive outcomes, while 22. __, like mindless scrolling, correlates with negative mental health. The concept of 23. __ describes how teenagers now maintain large, loosely connected networks instead of tightly bounded groups.

Questions 24-26

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Passage 2?

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

24. Social media has entirely negative effects on all teenagers regardless of how they use it.
25. Girls experience more social media-related distress than boys, particularly regarding appearance.
26. Teaching teenagers about platform design can reduce negative impacts of social media.

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PASSAGE 3 – Sociocultural Dimensions and Policy Implications of Youth Social Media Engagement

Độ khó: Hard (Band 7.0-9.0)

Thời gian đề xuất: 23-25 phút

The pervasive integration of social media into adolescent life cannot be understood merely through psychological or neurological frameworks; it represents a fundamental sociocultural transformation that intersects with broader questions of civic participation, digital citizenship, economic stratification, and collective wellbeing. As these platforms become increasingly embedded in the social fabric, policymakers, educators, and technology companies face the formidable challenge of balancing innovation and connectivity against the imperative to protect developing minds during a critical developmental juncture. This balancing act is further complicated by the rapid pace of technological change, which often outstrips our capacity to comprehensively assess long-term impacts, and by the inherently global nature of digital platforms, which transcends traditional jurisdictional boundaries and regulatory frameworks.

The political economy of social media platforms fundamentally shapes their impact on youth development. These companies operate under a business model predicated on capturing and monetizing user attention through sophisticated algorithmic curation of content designed to maximize engagement metrics. This attention economy creates what media scholar Siva Vaidhyanathan terms “surveillance capitalism” – a system in which user data becomes the primary commodity, and platforms are incentivized to promote whatever content, regardless of its veracity or social value, that keeps users engaged longest. For adolescents, whose neurobiological susceptibility to reward-based stimuli we have already discussed, this presents a particularly insidious challenge: the platforms they use are specifically engineered to exploit their developmental vulnerabilities for profit maximization.

The algorithmic mediation of social experience introduces what legal scholar Cass Sunstein describes as the “filter bubble” phenomenon – the tendency for personalized algorithms to selectively present information that confirms existing beliefs and preferences while systematically excluding contradictory perspectives. For young people in the process of forming political beliefs, cultural identities, and worldviews, this algorithmic isolation can have profound implications. Rather than exposing adolescents to the diverse viewpoints essential for developing critical thinking and democratic citizenship, personalized feeds may reinforce cognitive biases, polarize opinions, and contribute to what social psychologists call “epistemic closure” – a state in which individuals become impervious to evidence that contradicts their preexisting beliefs.

Misinformation and disinformation campaigns targeting young people through social media platforms represent an emerging threat to both individual development and democratic institutions. Research conducted by the Stanford History Education Group revealed that a majority of middle and high school students demonstrated an alarming inability to distinguish between legitimate news sources and sponsored content, or to critically evaluate the credibility of information encountered online. This digital naivety makes adolescents particularly vulnerable to manipulation by bad actors – whether commercial entities seeking to influence consumer behavior, political operatives attempting to shape electoral outcomes, or extremist groups using sophisticated recruitment techniques on mainstream platforms.

The intersection of social media with socioeconomic inequality merits careful consideration. While digital technology is often romanticized as a democratizing force, evidence suggests that social media may actually exacerbate existing disparities. Danah Boyd’s ethnographic research documented how social media usage patterns and platform preferences often reflect and reinforce class divisions, with teenagers from different socioeconomic backgrounds engaging with these technologies in markedly different ways that reproduce existing social hierarchies. Furthermore, the digital divide persists not merely as a question of access, but increasingly as a matter of digital literacy and critical competence – advantaged young people often receive more sophisticated guidance in using technology productively, while their less privileged peers may lack the mentorship and resources necessary to navigate digital spaces effectively.

Cultural contextualization is essential when considering social media’s global impact on youth. The overwhelming majority of research on this topic has been conducted in Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic (WEIRD) societies, to use psychologist Joseph Henrich’s terminology. However, social media’s role in adolescent development may manifest quite differently across cultural contexts. In collectivist societies, for instance, where family and community obligations traditionally supersede individual preferences, social media’s emphasis on personal expression and individual identity curation may create generational tensions and identity conflicts distinct from those observed in more individualistic cultures. Similarly, in nations with authoritarian governance, social media platforms can serve as crucial spaces for youth activism and political expression, even as they simultaneously subject young users to state surveillance and potential repression.

The question of appropriate regulatory intervention remains deeply contentious and multifaceted. Some jurisdictions have implemented age verification systems and usage time restrictions, most notably China’s regulations limiting minors to 40 minutes of daily TikTok use during specified hours. The United Kingdom’s Age Appropriate Design Code mandates that platforms likely to be accessed by children incorporate privacy protections and design features that prioritize young users’ wellbeing over engagement metrics. However, critics argue that such regulations may prove technologically unenforceable, could compromise user privacy through invasive verification systems, or might simply prompt teenagers to migrate to less regulated platforms or employ circumvention strategies.

An alternative approach emphasizes structural reforms to the platforms themselves. The Center for Humane Technology advocates for realigning incentive structures by holding companies accountable not merely for illegal content but for the broader social impacts of their algorithmic design choices. Proposals include eliminating autoplay features, restricting infinite scroll mechanisms, defaulting to chronological rather than algorithmic feeds, and increasing transparency around content curation processes. Legal scholar Jack Balkin has proposed treating major platforms as “information fiduciaries” with legal obligations to act in users’ best interests, analogous to the fiduciary duties doctors and lawyers owe their patients and clients. Such an approach would fundamentally reconceptualize the platform-user relationship and create grounds for legal accountability when algorithmic systems harm young users.

Educational interventions focusing on comprehensive digital citizenship curricula represent another promising avenue. Finland’s education system, frequently cited as a model, integrates media literacy throughout schooling, teaching students not merely how to use technology but how to critically evaluate sources, recognize manipulation techniques, understand data privacy implications, and reflect metacognitively on their own digital practices. Research suggests that such educational approaches, when implemented with sufficient depth and consistency, can meaningfully reduce susceptibility to misinformation and promote healthier technology relationships.

However, some scholars caution against placing disproportionate responsibility on individual teenagers and families to navigate problems that are fundamentally structural. danah boyd argues that focusing exclusively on teaching resilience and individual coping strategies – while ignoring the intentionally addictive design and extractive business models of platforms – represents a form of “victim-blaming” that absolves technology companies of accountability for the foreseeable harms their products create. This perspective suggests that meaningful progress requires simultaneous interventions at multiple levels: individual education, family support, institutional reform, corporate accountability, and government regulation.

The emerging body of longitudinal research tracking cohorts of young people over time will provide crucial evidence for policy development. Current understanding remains hampered by methodological limitations – much existing research is correlational rather than causal, cross-sectional rather than longitudinal, and unable to account for the rapidl evolving nature of both platforms and usage patterns. As more rigorous longitudinal studies reach maturity, they will offer clearer insights into questions that currently remain frustratingly ambiguous: Do certain usage patterns during adolescence predict long-term mental health outcomes? Are there critical periods of vulnerability or resilience? How do effects vary across different demographic groups and cultural contexts?

The COVID-19 pandemic has added new urgency to these questions, as lockdown measures dramatically increased adolescent social media usage while simultaneously eliminating alternative social outlets. This natural experiment – as tragic as its circumstances were – provides researchers with unprecedented data about the effects of heavily mediated social life on young people. Early analyses suggest a complex picture: while increased connectivity helped many teenagers maintain social bonds during isolation, it also corresponded with marked increases in anxiety, depression, and body image concerns, particularly among girls and young women. Whether these effects represent temporary responses to extraordinary circumstances or harbingers of more persistent changes remains an open question with profound implications for how society approaches adolescent social media use.

Looking toward the future, the relationship between social media and youth development will likely continue to evolve in ways we cannot fully anticipate. Emerging technologies – virtual reality, augmented reality, increasingly sophisticated AI – promise to make digital experiences even more immersive and potentially impactful. The crucial task for researchers, policymakers, educators, and families is to remain vigilantly attentive to both opportunities and risks, to privilege evidence over ideology, and to recognize that protecting adolescent wellbeing in an increasingly digital world requires sustained, collaborative effort across all sectors of society. The goal should not be to eliminate youth social media use – an unrealistic and potentially counterproductive objective – but rather to shape technological and social environments in which digital tools genuinely serve human flourishing rather than undermining it.

Questions 27-31

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

27. According to the passage, “surveillance capitalism” refers to:
    A. Government monitoring of social media users
    B. A business model where user data is the primary commodity
    C. Police surveillance of criminal activity online
    D. Parents monitoring their children’s online activity

28. The “filter bubble” phenomenon described by Cass Sunstein means:
    A. Algorithms show diverse viewpoints to all users
    B. Teenagers see all available information equally
    C. Personalized algorithms present information confirming existing beliefs
    D. Social media platforms have no effect on beliefs

29. Research by the Stanford History Education Group found that:
    A. Most students could easily identify fake news
    B. Middle and high school students struggled to distinguish legitimate news from sponsored content
    C. Teenagers are better than adults at evaluating sources
    D. Digital literacy is universally high among young people

30. According to Danah Boyd’s ethnographic research:
    A. Social media eliminates class divisions
    B. All teenagers use social media identically
    C. Usage patterns reflect and reinforce socioeconomic hierarchies
    D. Only wealthy teenagers use social media

31. The term “WEIRD” societies refers to cultures that are:
    A. Strange and unusual
    B. Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic
    C. Technologically backward
    D. Resistant to social media

Questions 32-36

Complete the sentences below.

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

32. China’s regulations limit minors to __ of daily TikTok use during specified hours.
33. The Center for Humane Technology proposes eliminating autoplay features and restricting __ mechanisms.
34. Legal scholar Jack Balkin suggests treating major platforms as __ with legal obligations to users.
35. Finland’s education system integrates __ throughout schooling to help students critically evaluate sources.
36. Some scholars warn against placing __ on teenagers to navigate problems that are fundamentally structural.

Questions 37-40

Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in Passage 3?

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

37. Focusing only on teaching individual coping strategies while ignoring platform design represents a form of victim-blaming.
38. All current research on social media and youth is methodologically perfect and conclusive.
39. The COVID-19 pandemic provided researchers with valuable data about heavily mediated social life.
40. Eliminating youth social media use entirely is a realistic and productive goal for society.

Các yếu tố đa chiều ảnh hưởng của mạng xã hội đến phát triển thanh thiếu niên

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3. Answer Keys – Đáp Án

PASSAGE 1: Questions 1-13

1. NOT GIVEN
2. TRUE
3. TRUE
4. TRUE (approximately 36%, roughly one-third)
5. NOT GIVEN
6. FALSE
7. shared interests
8. low self-esteem
9. addictive design features
10. critical thinking skills
11. B
12. C
13. C

PASSAGE 2: Questions 14-26

14. B
15. B
16. B
17. C
18. C
19. FOMO
20. sustained attention
21. Active engagement
22. passive consumption
23. networked individualism
24. NO
25. YES
26. YES

PASSAGE 3: Questions 27-40

27. B
28. C
29. B
30. C
31. B
32. 40 minutes
33. infinite scroll
34. information fiduciaries
35. media literacy
36. disproportionate responsibility
37. YES
38. NO
39. YES
40. NO

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4. Giải Thích Đáp Án Chi Tiết

Passage 1 – Giải Thích

Câu 1: NOT GIVEN

• Dạng câu hỏi: True/False/Not Given
• Từ khóa: teenagers aged 13-17, more time, any other age group
• Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 1, dòng 3-5
• Giải thích: Bài đọc chỉ đề cập rằng thanh thiếu niên 13-17 tuổi dành trung bình 7 giờ mỗi ngày trên mạng xã hội, nhưng không so sánh với các nhóm tuổi khác. Không có thông tin về việc nhóm này dành nhiều thời gian hơn các nhóm tuổi khác, nên đáp án là NOT GIVEN.

Câu 2: TRUE

• Dạng câu hỏi: True/False/Not Given
• Từ khóa: remote or rural areas, diverse communities
• Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 2, dòng 4-6
• Giải thích: Câu trong bài: “For young people living in remote or rural areas, social media provides vital access to diverse perspectives and communities…” – paraphrase trực tiếp của câu hỏi. Đáp án: TRUE.

Câu 3: TRUE

• Dạng câu hỏi: True/False/Not Given
• Từ khóa: COVID-19 pandemic, important role, education
• Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 3, dòng 4-6
• Giải thích: “During the COVID-19 pandemic, social media became even more crucial as traditional education systems moved online…” – xác nhận vai trò quan trọng của mạng xã hội trong giáo dục. Đáp án: TRUE.

Câu 4: TRUE

• Dạng câu hỏi: True/False/Not Given
• Từ khóa: approximately 36%, cyberbullying
• Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 4, dòng 2-3
• Giải thích: “studies indicating that approximately 36% of teenagers have experienced some form of online harassment” – 36% tương đương khoảng một phần ba. Đáp án: TRUE.

Câu 6: FALSE

• Dạng câu hỏi: True/False/Not Given
• Từ khóa: blue light, fall asleep faster
• Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 6, dòng 3-5
• Giải thích: Bài văn nói “The blue light emitted by screens can also interfere with natural sleep patterns by suppressing melatonin production, making it harder to fall asleep” – ánh sáng xanh làm KHÓ đi ngủ hơn, trái ngược với câu hỏi. Đáp án: FALSE.

Câu 7: shared interests

• Dạng câu hỏi: Sentence Completion
• Từ khóa: form friendships, rather than location
• Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 2, dòng 2-3
• Giải thích: “forming new relationships based on shared interests rather than physical proximity” – physical proximity được paraphrase thành location.

Câu 10: critical thinking skills

• Dạng câu hỏi: Sentence Completion
• Từ khóa: evaluate online content
• Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 8, dòng 3-4
• Giải thích: “Parents and educators should help young people develop critical thinking skills to evaluate online content…”

Câu 13: C

• Dạng câu hỏi: Multiple Choice
• Từ khóa: experts suggest, managing teenage social media
• Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 8, dòng 1-2
• Giải thích: “experts recommend a balanced approach that emphasizes digital literacy and responsible usage” – tương ứng với đáp án C. Đáp án A (complete prohibition) và B (unlimited access) đều bị bác bỏ trong bài.

Passage 2 – Giải Thích

Câu 14: B

• Dạng câu hỏi: Multiple Choice
• Từ khóa: adolescent brain, vulnerable to social media
• Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 1, dòng 2-5
• Giải thích: “the human brain undergoes significant reorganization, especially in regions responsible for reward processing, impulse control, and social cognition” – não bộ đang phát triển các vùng liên quan đến phần thưởng và nhận thức xã hội, tạo ra tính dễ bị tổn thương. Đáp án: B.

Câu 17: C

• Dạng câu hỏi: Multiple Choice
• Từ khóa: Dr. Lauren Sherman, UCLA, research showed
• Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 4, dòng 5-7
• Giải thích: “when teenagers viewed photos with more likes, the reward centers in their brains showed increased activity, regardless of the photo’s actual content. This suggests that the social validation signals themselves become primary drivers…” – tín hiệu xác nhận xã hội kích hoạt trung tâm phần thưởng. Đáp án: C.

Câu 19: FOMO

• Dạng câu hỏi: Summary Completion
• Từ khóa: anxious about missing rewarding experiences
• Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 6, dòng 1-3
• Giải thích: “The phenomenon of ‘FOMO’ (Fear of Missing Out) represents another psychological mechanism… a pervasive apprehension that others might be having rewarding experiences…”

Câu 24: NO

• Dạng câu hỏi: Yes/No/Not Given
• Từ khóa: entirely negative effects, all teenagers
• Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 8, dòng 1-3
• Giải thích: “the relationship between social media use and psychological outcomes is not uniformly negative… the quality of social media interactions matters more than quantity” – tác giả phủ nhận quan điểm tác động hoàn toàn tiêu cực. Đáp án: NO.

Câu 25: YES

• Dạng câu hỏi: Yes/No/Not Given
• Từ khóa: girls, more distress, appearance
• Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 10, dòng 2-5
• Giải thích: “girls and young women report higher rates of social media-related distress than their male counterparts, possibly because they face greater pressure regarding appearance and receive more appearance-focused feedback” – phù hợp với quan điểm của tác giả. Đáp án: YES.

Passage 3 – Giải Thích

Câu 27: B

• Dạng câu hỏi: Multiple Choice
• Từ khóa: surveillance capitalism
• Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 2, dòng 4-6
• Giải thích: “surveillance capitalism – a system in which user data becomes the primary commodity” – dữ liệu người dùng trở thành hàng hóa chính. Đáp án: B.

Câu 29: B

• Dạng câu hỏi: Multiple Choice
• Từ khóa: Stanford History Education Group
• Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 4, dòng 2-4
• Giải thích: “Research conducted by the Stanford History Education Group revealed that a majority of middle and high school students demonstrated an alarming inability to distinguish between legitimate news sources and sponsored content…” Đáp án: B.

Câu 32: 40 minutes

• Dạng câu hỏi: Sentence Completion
• Từ khóa: China’s regulations, minors, daily TikTok use
• Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 7, dòng 2-3
• Giải thích: “most notably China’s regulations limiting minors to 40 minutes of daily TikTok use during specified hours”

Câu 37: YES

• Dạng câu hỏi: Yes/No/Not Given
• Từ khóa: individual coping strategies, platform design, victim-blaming
• Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 10, dòng 2-5
• Giải thích: “danah boyd argues that focusing exclusively on teaching resilience and individual coping strategies – while ignoring the intentionally addictive design and extractive business models of platforms – represents a form of ‘victim-blaming’…” – tác giả trích dẫn quan điểm này một cách đồng tình. Đáp án: YES.

Câu 38: NO

• Dạng câu hỏi: Yes/No/Not Given
• Từ khóa: all current research, methodologically perfect, conclusive
• Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 11, dòng 2-4
• Giải thích: “Current understanding remains hampered by methodological limitations – much existing research is correlational rather than causal, cross-sectional rather than longitudinal…” – tác giả chỉ ra nghiên cứu hiện tại có nhiều hạn chế, phủ nhận quan điểm hoàn hảo. Đáp án: NO.

Câu 40: NO

• Dạng câu hỏi: Yes/No/Not Given
• Từ khóa: eliminating youth social media, realistic, productive goal
• Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 13, dòng 6-7
• Giải thích: “The goal should not be to eliminate youth social media use – an unrealistic and potentially counterproductive objective…” – tác giả rõ ràng phủ nhận quan điểm này. Đáp án: NO.

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5. Từ Vựng Quan Trọng Theo Passage

Passage 1 – Essential Vocabulary

Từ vựng	Loại từ	Phiên âm	Nghĩa tiếng Việt	Ví dụ từ bài	Collocation
integral	adj	/ˈɪntɪɡrəl/	không thể thiếu, thiết yếu	platforms have become integral parts of teenage life	integral part/component of
unprecedented	adj	/ʌnˈpresɪdentɪd/	chưa từng có	unprecedented opportunities for self-expression	unprecedented access/opportunity
facilitate	v	/fəˈsɪlɪteɪt/	tạo điều kiện, hỗ trợ	platforms can facilitate learning	facilitate communication/understanding
cyberbullying	n	/ˈsaɪbəbʊliɪŋ/	bắt nạt qua mạng	Cyberbullying has emerged as a serious problem	experience/suffer from cyberbullying
correlation	n	/ˌkɒrəˈleɪʃn/	mối tương quan	correlations between heavy social media use and anxiety	correlation between/with
inadequacy	n	/ɪnˈædɪkwəsi/	sự thiếu sót, không đủ tốt	feelings of inadequacy	sense/feeling of inadequacy
validation	n	/ˌvælɪˈdeɪʃn/	sự xác nhận, công nhận	validation-seeking behaviors	seek/need validation
suppress	v	/səˈpres/	kìm nén, ngăn chặn	suppressing melatonin production	suppress appetite/emotions
predatory	adj	/ˈpredətri/	có tính săn mồi, bóc lột	contact with predatory adults	predatory behavior/practices
digital literacy	n phrase	/ˈdɪdʒɪtl ˈlɪtərəsi/	hiểu biết kỹ thuật số	emphasizes digital literacy	digital literacy skills/education
curated	adj	/kjʊəˈreɪtɪd/	được chọn lọc cẩn thận	carefully curated images	curated content/collection
etiquette	n	/ˈetɪket/	quy tắc ứng xử	teaching students about online etiquette	social/professional etiquette

Passage 2 – Essential Vocabulary

Từ vựng	Loại từ	Phiên âm	Nghĩa tiếng Việt	Ví dụ từ bài	Collocation
neurological	adj	/ˌnjʊərəˈlɒdʒɪkl/	thuộc về thần kinh	neurological and psychological development	neurological disorder/condition
susceptible	adj	/səˈseptəbl/	dễ bị ảnh hưởng	particularly susceptible to influences	susceptible to infection/influence
reorganization	n	/riːˌɔːɡənaɪˈzeɪʃn/	sự tổ chức lại	brain undergoes significant reorganization	undergo reorganization
dopaminergic	adj	/ˌdoʊpəmɪˈnɜːrdʒɪk/	liên quan đến dopamine	dopaminergic reward system	dopaminergic pathway/neuron
exploit	v	/ɪkˈsplɔɪt/	lợi dụng, khai thác	exploit this neurological vulnerability	exploit weakness/opportunity
intermittent	adj	/ˌɪntəˈmɪtənt/	không liên tục, ngắt quãng	intermittent variable rewards	intermittent fasting/rainfall
compulsive	adj	/kəmˈpʌlsɪv/	không kiểm soát được	compulsive checking behavior	compulsive behavior/disorder
curate	v	/kjʊəˈreɪt/	tuyển chọn, sắp xếp	curate multiple versions of themselves	curate content/exhibition
quantification	n	/ˌkwɒntɪfɪˈkeɪʃn/	sự lượng hóa	quantification of social approval	quantification of data/results
asymmetrical	adj	/ˌeɪsɪˈmetrɪkl/	bất đối xứng	asymmetrical comparison	asymmetrical relationship/distribution
pervasive	adj	/pəˈveɪsɪv/	lan tràn, phổ biến	pervasive apprehension	pervasive influence/problem
fragmented	adj	/ˈfræɡmentɪd/	phân mảnh, rời rạc	rapid, fragmented nature of content	fragmented sleep/society
metacognitive	adj	/ˌmetəˈkɒɡnətɪv/	liên quan đến siêu nhận thức	teaching metacognitive strategies	metacognitive awareness/skills
superficial	adj	/ˌsuːpəˈfɪʃl/	hời hợt, nông cạn	more superficial connections	superficial knowledge/relationship
emotional intelligence	n phrase	/ɪˈmoʊʃənl ɪnˈtelɪdʒəns/	trí tuệ cảm xúc	build emotional intelligence	develop emotional intelligence

Passage 3 – Essential Vocabulary

Từ vựng	Loại từ	Phiên âm	Nghĩa tiếng Việt	Ví dụ từ bài	Collocation
pervasive	adj	/pəˈveɪsɪv/	lan tỏa, phổ biến	pervasive integration of social media	pervasive influence/problem
sociocultural	adj	/ˌsoʊsioʊˈkʌltʃərəl/	thuộc về văn hóa xã hội	fundamental sociocultural transformation	sociocultural context/factors
formidable	adj	/ˈfɔːmɪdəbl/	đáng gờm, khó khăn	formidable challenge	formidable opponent/task
imperative	n	/ɪmˈperətɪv/	điều cấp thiết, bắt buộc	imperative to protect developing minds	moral/strategic imperative
jurisdictional	adj	/ˌdʒʊərɪsˈdɪkʃənl/	thuộc quyền tài phán	transcends jurisdictional boundaries	jurisdictional dispute/authority
predicated on	phrase	/ˈpredɪkeɪtɪd ɒn/	dựa trên	business model predicated on capturing attention	predicated on the assumption
algorithmic	adj	/ˌælɡəˈrɪðmɪk/	thuộc về thuật toán	algorithmic curation of content	algorithmic trading/bias
insidious	adj	/ɪnˈsɪdiəs/	ngấm ngầm, tiềm ẩn	particularly insidious challenge	insidious disease/influence
mediation	n	/ˌmiːdiˈeɪʃn/	sự trung gian, dàn xếp	algorithmic mediation of social experience	mediation process/service
epistemic	adj	/ˌepɪˈstiːmɪk/	thuộc về nhận thức luận	epistemic closure	epistemic authority/justification
impervious	adj	/ɪmˈpɜːviəs/	không thấm, không bị ảnh hưởng	impervious to evidence	impervious to criticism/water
disinformation	n	/ˌdɪsɪnfəˈmeɪʃn/	thông tin sai lệch có chủ đích	disinformation campaigns	spread disinformation
exacerbate	v	/ɪɡˈzæsəbeɪt/	làm trầm trọng thêm	exacerbate existing disparities	exacerbate problems/tensions
ethnographic	adj	/ˌeθnəˈɡræfɪk/	thuộc về dân tộc học	ethnographic research	ethnographic study/approach
contentious	adj	/kənˈtenʃəs/	gây tranh cãi	deeply contentious and multifaceted	contentious issue/debate
fiduciary	n/adj	/fɪˈduːʃieri/	người được ủy thác, có tính ủy thác	information fiduciaries	fiduciary duty/responsibility
disproportionate	adj	/ˌdɪsprəˈpɔːʃənət/	không cân xứng, quá mức	disproportionate responsibility	disproportionate impact/response
longitudinal	adj	/ˌlɒndʒɪˈtjuːdɪnl/	theo chiều dọc, dài hạn	longitudinal research	longitudinal study/data
vigilantly	adv	/ˈvɪdʒɪləntli/	một cách cảnh giác	remain vigilantly attentive	vigilantly monitor/guard

Chiến lược làm bài IELTS Reading về chủ đề mạng xã hội thanh thiếu niên hiệu quả

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Kết bài

Chủ đề về tác động của mạng xã hội đến sự phát triển thanh thiếu niên không chỉ phản ánh xu hướng xã hội đương đại mà còn thường xuyên xuất hiện trong các đề thi IELTS Reading thực tế. Qua bài thi mẫu này, bạn đã được trải nghiệm đầy đủ 3 passages với độ khó tăng dần từ band 5.0 đến 9.0, phản ánh chính xác cấu trúc và yêu cầu của kỳ thi chính thức.

Bộ đề thi bao gồm 40 câu hỏi đa dạng với 7 dạng bài khác nhau – từ True/False/Not Given, Multiple Choice đến Summary Completion và Matching Features. Mỗi dạng câu hỏi đều yêu cầu kỹ năng đọc hiểu riêng biệt: khả năng xác định thông tin chi tiết, phân tích ý chính, nhận diện paraphrase, và suy luận logic. Đáp án chi tiết kèm giải thích đã chỉ ra chính xác vị trí thông tin trong bài, cách paraphrase giữa câu hỏi và passage, cũng như chiến lược làm bài hiệu quả cho từng dạng câu hỏi.

Phần từ vựng được tổng hợp theo từng passage cung cấp hơn 40 từ và cụm từ học thuật quan trọng, kèm phiên âm, nghĩa tiếng Việt, ví dụ thực tế và collocations phổ biến. Những từ vựng này không chỉ hữu ích cho bài thi này mà còn xuất hiện thường xuyên trong các chủ đề liên quan đến công nghệ, giáo dục và xã hội – những lĩnh vực chiếm tỷ trọng lớn trong IELTS Reading. Tương tự như Importance of vocational training in education, chủ đề về mạng xã hội cũng đòi hỏi vốn từ vựng học thuật đa dạng và khả năng phân tích các khía cạnh xã hội phức tạp.

Để tận dụng tối đa đề thi mẫu này, hãy làm bài trong điều kiện thi thật (60 phút, không tra từ điển), sau đó đối chiếu đáp án và đọc kỹ phần giải thích để hiểu rõ logic của từng câu. Khi nghiên cứu Social impacts of aging populations, bạn cũng sẽ thấy các kỹ thuật làm bài tương tự áp dụng hiệu quả cho các chủ đề xã hội khác. Ghi chép lại những từ vựng mới vào sổ tay học tập và thực hành sử dụng chúng trong các ngữ cảnh khác nhau. Đặc biệt chú ý đến các paraphrase trong bài – đây là kỹ năng then chốt giúp bạn nhận diện đáp án nhanh chóng và chính xác.

Đối với các chủ đề môi trường như Impact of climate change on rural farming communities, mặc dù nội dung khác biệt nhưng cấu trúc câu hỏi và chiến lược làm bài vẫn tương tự. Hãy luyện tập thường xuyên với nhiều chủ đề đa dạng để nâng cao khả năng xử lý thông tin nhanh chóng. Đừng quên rằng IELTS Reading không chỉ kiểm tra hiểu biết về nội dung mà còn đánh giá kỹ năng đọc lướt (skimming), đọc kỹ (scanning), và quản lý thời gian hiệu quả.

Với sự chuẩn bị bài bản, thực hành đều đặn và áp dụng đúng kỹ thuật, bạn hoàn toàn có thể đạt được band điểm mục tiêu trong IELTS Reading. Những chủ đề thời sự như How does renewable energy impact economic stability in small island nations? và The role of education in promoting sustainable practices cũng đáng để bạn khám phá thêm, giúp mở rộng kiến thức và vốn từ vựng cho kỳ thi. Chúc bạn học tập hiệu quả và đạt kết quả cao trong kỳ thi IELTS sắp tới!