IELTS Reading: Cashless Societies – Đề thi mẫu có đáp án chi tiết

Xã hội không tiền mặt đang trở thành xu hướng toàn cầu, thay đổi căn bản cách con người mua sắm và quản lý tài chính. Chủ đề “What Are The Impacts Of Cashless Societies On Consumer Behavior?” xuất hiện với tần suất ngày càng tăng trong IELTS Reading, đặc biệt từ năm 2020 trở đi, phản ánh sự quan tâm của giới học thuật về chuyển đổi số trong thanh toán.

Bài viết này cung cấp một đề thi IELTS Reading hoàn chỉnh với 3 passages theo đúng chuẩn Cambridge, từ độ khó Easy đến Hard. Bạn sẽ được luyện tập với 40 câu hỏi đa dạng – bao gồm True/False/Not Given, Matching Headings, Summary Completion và nhiều dạng khác – giống như kỳ thi thật. Mỗi câu hỏi đều có đáp án chi tiết kèm giải thích cụ thể về vị trí thông tin và kỹ thuật paraphrase. Bên cạnh đó, bạn sẽ học được hơn 40 từ vựng quan trọng với collocations thực tế.

Đề thi này phù hợp cho học viên từ band 5.0 trở lên, giúp bạn làm quen với văn phong học thuật và rèn luyện kỹ năng quản lý thời gian hiệu quả.

Hướng dẫn làm bài IELTS Reading

Tổng Quan Về IELTS Reading Test

IELTS Reading Test kéo dài 60 phút với 3 passages và tổng cộng 40 câu hỏi. Mỗi câu trả lời đúng được 1 điểm, không bị trừ điểm khi sai. Độ khó của các passages tăng dần, do đó bạn cần phân bổ thời gian hợp lý:

Phân bổ thời gian khuyến nghị:

• Passage 1: 15-17 phút (câu 1-13)
• Passage 2: 18-20 phút (câu 14-26)
• Passage 3: 23-25 phút (câu 27-40)

Lưu ý dành 2-3 phút cuối để chuyển đáp án vào Answer Sheet. Không có thời gian bổ sung cho việc này.

Các Dạng Câu Hỏi Trong Đề Này

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

1. True/False/Not Given – Xác định thông tin đúng, sai hoặc không đề cập
2. Multiple Choice – Chọn đáp án đúng từ các phương án cho sẵn
3. Matching Headings – Ghép tiêu đề phù hợp với từng đoạn văn
4. Summary Completion – Hoàn thành đoạn tóm tắt với từ trong bài
5. Matching Features – Ghép thông tin với nhân vật/tổ chức tương ứng
6. Short-answer Questions – Trả lời ngắn dựa trên thông tin trong bài

IELTS Reading Practice Test

PASSAGE 1 – The Rise of Digital Payments

Độ khó: Easy (Band 5.0-6.5)

Thời gian đề xuất: 15-17 phút

Over the past decade, the world has witnessed a remarkable transformation in how people handle money. From bustling shopping districts in Tokyo to local markets in Stockholm, cash is gradually disappearing from wallets and purses. This shift towards cashless transactions is not merely a technological novelty but represents a fundamental change in consumer behavior and economic interactions.

Sweden leads the global movement towards becoming a cashless society. By 2023, cash transactions accounted for less than 10% of all payments in the country. Many Swedish banks no longer handle cash at their branches, and some shops display signs stating “We don’t accept cash.” The convenience of digital payments through mobile apps and contactless cards has made traditional currency almost obsolete for everyday purchases. Young Swedes, in particular, rarely carry physical money, relying instead on payment platforms like Swish, which allows instant money transfers between individuals using just a phone number.

The adoption of cashless systems offers numerous tangible benefits for consumers. First and foremost is convenience. Digital wallets eliminate the need to carry bulky coins or worry about having exact change. Consumers can make purchases with a simple tap of their smartphone or card, completing transactions in seconds. This speed is particularly valuable in busy urban environments where time is precious. Transaction records are automatically generated, helping people track their spending more effectively than keeping paper receipts.

Security represents another significant advantage. While physical cash can be lost or stolen without any possibility of recovery, digital payments offer multiple layers of protection. If a card is stolen, it can be immediately blocked through a mobile app. Many digital payment systems incorporate biometric authentication such as fingerprint or facial recognition, making unauthorized access extremely difficult. Furthermore, consumers are typically protected against fraudulent transactions through chargeback mechanisms offered by financial institutions.

However, the transition to cashless systems is not without challenges. Digital literacy remains a significant barrier, particularly for elderly populations who grew up in an era dominated by cash. Many older consumers feel uncomfortable or intimidated by smartphone apps and digital banking interfaces. This technological divide can lead to financial exclusion, preventing certain demographic groups from accessing goods and services that only accept digital payments.

The infrastructure requirements for cashless systems also present obstacles. Reliable internet connectivity and access to smartphones or card readers are prerequisites for digital transactions. In rural areas or developing regions, where internet penetration may be limited, cash remains essential. Small businesses, especially family-owned establishments, may struggle with the costs of implementing point-of-sale systems that accept digital payments. The transaction fees charged by payment processors can also cut into already thin profit margins.

Privacy concerns add another dimension to the debate. Every digital transaction creates a data trail that reveals detailed information about consumer behavior – where people shop, what they buy, and when they make purchases. This comprehensive tracking raises questions about data security and personal privacy. While financial institutions assure customers that their information is protected, high-profile data breaches in recent years have eroded public confidence. Some consumers deliberately use cash for certain purchases to maintain anonymity.

Despite these challenges, the momentum towards cashless societies continues to accelerate, driven by pandemic-related hygiene concerns and the relentless advance of financial technology. The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically accelerated the adoption of contactless payments, as consumers sought to minimize physical contact with cash and payment terminals. This behavioral shift, once formed out of necessity, has proven remarkably persistent even as pandemic restrictions eased.

The impact on consumer spending patterns has been notable. Research suggests that people tend to spend more when using digital payment methods compared to cash. The psychological pain of parting with physical money is absent in digital transactions, where purchases feel more abstract. This “cashless effect” can lead to increased impulse buying and reduced financial discipline, particularly among younger consumers who have never developed cash-management habits.

Looking ahead, the trajectory seems clear: digital payments will continue to expand their dominance. However, most experts predict that cash will not disappear entirely. Instead, societies will likely maintain hybrid systems where both cash and digital options coexist, ensuring that no one is left behind in the financial evolution. The challenge for policymakers and businesses is to manage this transition in a way that maximizes benefits while addressing legitimate concerns about exclusion, privacy, and security.

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. Cash transactions in Sweden represent less than one-tenth of all payments.
2. All Swedish banks have completely stopped handling cash at their branches.
3. Digital payment systems provide better security than physical cash for consumers.
4. Elderly people find it easier to adapt to digital payment systems than younger generations.
5. Small businesses benefit financially from implementing digital payment systems.
6. The COVID-19 pandemic permanently changed consumer payment preferences.

Questions 7-10

Complete the sentences below.

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

7. In Sweden, people can transfer money instantly to others using only a __.
8. Digital wallets help consumers track spending better than keeping __.
9. Many digital payment apps use __ such as fingerprint scanning for security.
10. Every cashless transaction creates a __ that shows detailed consumer information.

Questions 11-13

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

11. According to the passage, what is the main advantage of digital payments in urban areas?

    • A) Lower transaction costs
    • B) Speed of transactions
    • C) Better security features
    • D) Easier record keeping

12. The “cashless effect” refers to:

    • A) reduced use of physical money
    • B) increased security in transactions
    • C) people spending more with digital payments
    • D) better financial management

13. What does the passage suggest about the future of cash?

    • A) It will disappear completely within a decade
    • B) It will only exist in developing countries
    • C) It will coexist with digital payment systems
    • D) It will become more popular again

PASSAGE 2 – Psychological and Behavioral Shifts in Cashless Economies

Độ khó: Medium (Band 6.0-7.5)

Thời gian đề xuất: 18-20 phút

The transition from cash-based to cashless economies represents far more than a simple change in payment methodology; it constitutes a profound psychological shift in how consumers perceive, evaluate, and engage with their financial resources. As societies move toward predominantly digital financial ecosystems, researchers have identified several cognitive mechanisms that fundamentally alter spending behavior, saving patterns, and overall financial decision-making.

A. The Pain of Paying Phenomenon

Neuroscientific research has revealed that parting with physical cash activates pain-related neural pathways in the brain. This phenomenon, termed the “pain of paying,” creates a natural brake on spending behavior. When consumers hand over tangible currency, they experience immediate, visceral feedback about the transaction’s cost. The tactile experience of counting bills and receiving change reinforces the economic sacrifice being made. In contrast, digital transactions lack this somatic marker. Swiping a card or tapping a phone produces no comparable psychological discomfort, effectively decoupling the pleasure of acquisition from the pain of payment. Consequently, consumers in cashless environments demonstrate measurably higher spending levels, with some studies indicating increases of 12-18% compared to cash-only scenarios.

B. Budget Management Complexity

The intangibility of digital money introduces significant challenges to effective budget monitoring. Traditional cash-envelope budgeting systems – where individuals allocate physical money to different spending categories – provided intuitive visual feedback about remaining resources. When an envelope emptied, spending in that category necessarily stopped. Digital transactions eliminate this concrete constraint. Money exists as abstract numbers in accounts, disconnected from physical reality. While banking apps offer transaction histories and spending analytics, these tools require active engagement and interpretive effort that many consumers fail to consistently provide. The result is what behavioral economists call “expenditure opacity” – a reduced awareness of cumulative spending that can lead to budget overruns and financial stress.

C. The Frictionless Transaction Paradigm

Financial technology companies deliberately design payment systems to minimize transaction friction – any impediment that might cause consumers to reconsider purchases. One-click ordering, stored payment credentials, and subscription models exemplify this approach. While reducing friction enhances user experience and commercial efficiency, it simultaneously undermines deliberative decision-making. The temporal gap between purchase desire and transaction completion shrinks to seconds or disappears entirely. This compressed decision timeline leaves little room for the cognitive reflection that might prevent impulsive purchases or encourage comparison shopping. The phenomenon is particularly pronounced in mobile commerce, where purchasing can occur anywhere, anytime, often during low-engagement moments such as commuting or waiting.

D. Social Dynamics and Spending Visibility

Cash transactions possess an inherent social dimension that influences spending behavior. The visibility of payment – physically handing money to a cashier, receiving change, observing wallet contents – creates subtle social accountability. Additionally, splitting bills with companions becomes more concrete with cash, as each person’s contribution is tangible. Digital payments, conversely, occur privately through invisible electronic channels. This reduced social visibility can diminish informal spending constraints that arise from peer observation. Interestingly, the rise of payment-sharing apps like Venmo introduces a new form of social visibility, where transaction descriptions become semi-public social media posts. This creates novel social pressures and spending displays, with users crafting transaction narratives for peer consumption rather than purely financial record-keeping.

E. Temporal Perception and Payment Timing

The temporal relationship between consumption and payment significantly affects financial psychology. Cash transactions represent immediate settlement – goods and payment exchange simultaneously. Credit-based digital payments, however, introduce temporal separation, with consumption occurring weeks or months before payment. This deferred payment structure creates what psychologists call “hyperbolic discounting” – the tendency to undervalue future costs compared to immediate benefits. Consumers focus on current desires while psychologically minimizing the eventual payment obligation. The proliferation of “buy now, pay later” services further extends this temporal gap, fragmenting large purchases into seemingly manageable installments that obscure the true financial burden. Research indicates that such payment structures can increase spending by 20-30% compared to immediate payment requirements.

F. Data-Driven Personalization and Consumer Autonomy

Cashless systems generate vast quantities of transaction data that enable sophisticated consumer profiling and targeted marketing. Financial institutions and retailers analyze spending patterns to predict consumer behavior and deliver personalized offers designed to stimulate additional purchases. While such personalization can provide genuine value – alerting consumers to relevant products or advantageous deals – it also raises concerns about manipulative marketing practices and diminished consumer autonomy. The asymmetric information relationship, where companies know far more about consumers than consumers know about company strategies, potentially shifts power dynamics unfavorably. Some consumer advocates argue that the comprehensive surveillance enabled by cashless systems transforms shopping from an autonomous activity into a guided experience shaped by algorithmic recommendations optimized for commercial rather than consumer benefit.

The psychological transformation accompanying cashless economies presents both opportunities and challenges. While digital payments offer undeniable convenience and efficiency, they also introduce cognitive vulnerabilities that can undermine financial wellbeing. Understanding these psychological mechanisms empowers consumers to develop compensatory strategies – such as self-imposed spending limits, manual budget tracking, or deliberate purchase delays – that preserve financial discipline in increasingly frictionless commercial environments. As cashless systems continue to evolve, the challenge lies in designing financial technologies that balance commercial objectives with consumer protection, ensuring that convenience does not come at the cost of financial health.

Questions 14-20

Passage 2 has six sections, A-F.

Choose the correct heading for each section from the list of headings below.

Write the correct number, i-ix, next to Questions 14-20.

List of Headings:

• i. The role of physical currency in creating spending awareness
• ii. How companies use payment information to influence buying decisions
• iii. The disappearance of natural spending limitations
• iv. Social influences on payment choices and behaviors
• v. The effect of payment delays on purchasing decisions
• vi. Traditional methods of financial planning
• vii. The neurological response to spending money
• viii. How easy transactions encourage more spending
• ix. Digital solutions for budget tracking

14. Section A __

15. Section B __

16. Section C __

17. Section D __

18. Section E __

19. Section F __

20. Which section discusses how payment apps create new forms of social pressure?

Questions 21-23

Complete the summary below.

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

Digital payments reduce what researchers call the 21__, which normally discourages excessive spending. Without the 22__ of handling physical money, consumers spend significantly more. The design of payment systems intentionally minimizes 23__, making it easier for people to buy things without careful consideration.

Questions 24-26

Choose THREE letters, A-G.

Which THREE of the following are mentioned as consequences of cashless payment systems?

• A) Improved mathematical abilities among consumers
• B) Difficulty in monitoring spending against budgets
• C) Increased savings rates among young people
• D) Higher levels of impulsive purchasing
• E) Better relationships between retailers and customers
• F) Reduced awareness of total spending amounts
• G) More frequent visits to physical bank branches

PASSAGE 3 – Societal Implications and Future Trajectories of Cashless Economies

Độ khó: Hard (Band 7.0-9.0)

Thời gian đề xuất: 23-25 phút

The inexorable march toward cashless societies represents a multifaceted transformation that transcends individual consumer behavior, encompassing systemic alterations to economic structures, social equity, governance paradigms, and the fundamental relationship between citizens and financial institutions. While proponents emphasize efficiency gains and technological modernization, critics highlight insidious risks of exclusion, surveillance, and the concentration of economic power. A comprehensive evaluation requires examining these developments through multiple analytical lenses, recognizing that the implications extend far beyond the transactional mechanics of payment systems.

From a macroeconomic perspective, the elimination of cash fundamentally alters monetary policy transmission mechanisms. Central banks traditionally influence economic activity through interest rate adjustments, but the effectiveness of such policies depends partly on the existence of a zero lower bound – the inability to impose significantly negative interest rates when cash provides an alternative store of value. In fully cashless systems, this constraint disappears. Monetary authorities could theoretically implement deeply negative interest rates, effectively charging holders for maintaining deposits, thereby incentivizing consumption and disincentivizing hoarding during economic downturns. The European Central Bank and Bank of Japan have tentatively explored this territory, though political and social resistance remains substantial. The distributional consequences of such policies – essentially a tax on savings that disproportionately affects middle-class households attempting to build financial buffers – raise ethical questions about the appropriate bounds of monetary intervention.

The transition to cashless systems also represents a profound shift in the locus of economic surveillance and data control. Every digital transaction generates granular data about consumer behavior – not merely aggregate spending levels, but detailed information about specific purchases, merchant relationships, temporal patterns, and geographic movements. This data constitutes an extraordinarily valuable resource for both commercial and governmental entities. Technology companies like Ant Financial (operating Alipay) have leveraged transaction data to create comprehensive credit scoring systems that assess individuals’ creditworthiness based not on traditional financial metrics alone, but on behavioral indicators derived from payment patterns, social connections, and purchasing choices. While such systems can extend credit access to previously underserved populations, they also introduce opaque algorithmic judgments that may perpetuate biases or unfairly categorize individuals based on correlational rather than causal relationships.

Government access to transaction data raises even more consequential concerns about privacy and civil liberties. In cashless systems, financial surveillance becomes comprehensive and essentially inescapable. Authorities can potentially track all economic activity in real-time, identifying not only tax evasion and criminal enterprises but also political donations, religious affiliations, and associational memberships revealed through payment patterns. China’s integration of payment data with its social credit system demonstrates how financial information can serve broader governance objectives extending well beyond economic regulation. While democratic societies maintain stronger privacy protections, the technical capability for extensive surveillance exists, and the temptation for authorities to utilize such capabilities during perceived emergencies – whether security threats, pandemic responses, or economic crises – presents ongoing risks to civil liberties that may prove difficult to constrain once established.

The digital divide constitutes perhaps the most immediate equity concern surrounding cashless transitions. Despite expanding internet penetration and smartphone adoption, significant populations remain technologically marginalized. In developed economies, elderly citizens, individuals with disabilities, homeless populations, and economically disadvantaged communities often lack consistent access to the digital infrastructure required for cashless participation. The exclusionary impact extends beyond mere inconvenience; as more merchants refuse cash, these populations face genuine barriers to obtaining goods and services. Sweden’s aggressive cashless transition has provoked legislative responses, with proposed laws requiring certain essential services to maintain cash acceptance to prevent de facto exclusion of vulnerable groups. The situation in developing economies proves even more problematic, where large segments of the population lack formal identification, bank accounts, or reliable electricity – prerequisites for participating in digital financial systems. The premature abandonment of cash in such contexts risks exacerbating inequality and entrenching poverty rather than advancing financial inclusion.

The concentration of payment infrastructure among a small number of technology companies introduces oligopolistic concerns with far-reaching implications. Visa, Mastercard, Alipay, WeChat Pay, and a handful of other platforms increasingly mediate global commerce, occupying chokepoint positions in the economic architecture. This concentration creates several risks: market power allowing the extraction of excessive fees, barriers to entry preventing competition, vulnerability to system-wide failures, and the potential for political weaponization of payment infrastructure. The latter concern has materialized in numerous contexts, from coordinated payment processor withdrawals from controversial businesses to government-directed financial sanctions that bypass traditional regulatory processes. The deplatforming of certain political movements and individuals from payment systems, regardless of one’s views on the specific instances, establishes a troubling precedent where access to commercial infrastructure – increasingly essential for modern life – can be revoked based on subjective determinations rather than legal adjudication.

Cybersecurity vulnerabilities represent another systemic risk amplified in cashless environments. Where cash systems distribute risk across countless individual transactions – each theft affecting only the parties involved – digital systems concentrate risk in centralized infrastructure that presents attractive targets for sophisticated attackers. The economic damage from successful attacks on payment networks could prove catastrophic, potentially freezing commerce across entire regions or nations. The 2017 WannaCry ransomware attack, though not specifically targeting payment systems, demonstrated how rapidly propagating cyber threats can disrupt essential services globally. As payment systems become more interconnected and algorithmically complex, the potential for cascading failures increases, while the attribution of attacks and effective deterrence remains challenging in the current international security environment.

Looking toward future trajectories, several developments appear likely to shape the evolution of cashless economies. Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) represent governments’ attempts to maintain monetary sovereignty in increasingly digitized financial landscapes. Unlike private cryptocurrencies or commercial payment platforms, CBDCs would constitute direct central bank liabilities, potentially offering the efficiency of digital payments while preserving state control over monetary systems. However, CBDCs introduce their own complications: the potential disintermediation of commercial banks, privacy implications of government-issued digital currency, and technical challenges of scaling such systems to handle billions of transactions. China’s pilot program for a digital yuan provides early evidence of both possibilities and challenges.

The emergence of decentralized finance (DeFi) and blockchain-based payment systems offers an alternative vision – peer-to-peer transactions without intermediary institutions. While such systems promise to democratize finance and reduce institutional control, they also face scalability limitations, regulatory uncertainty, and environmental concerns related to energy consumption. The eventual architecture of future payment systems will likely reflect ongoing tensions between efficiency and resilience, convenience and privacy, innovation and stability, centralization and decentralization.

Optimal policy responses require nuanced balancing of competing objectives. Reasonable approaches might include: maintaining cash as a backup payment infrastructure and inclusion mechanism; establishing robust privacy protections and data governance frameworks for digital transactions; ensuring competitive payment markets through appropriate regulation; mandating transparency in algorithmic decision-making affecting financial access; and investing in digital literacy and infrastructure to minimize exclusion. The challenge lies not in preventing cashless transitions – such shifts appear largely inevitable given their efficiency advantages and consumer preferences – but in managing these transitions deliberately and equitably, ensuring that technological progress serves broad social welfare rather than merely commercial interests or state surveillance capabilities. The societies that navigate this transition most successfully will be those that remain vigilant about unintended consequences, committed to inclusive access, and willing to impose appropriate constraints on both governmental and corporate power in the digital financial realm.

Questions 27-31

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

27. According to the passage, negative interest rates in cashless systems would:

    • A) benefit middle-class savers primarily
    • B) encourage people to spend rather than save
    • C) increase the value of physical currency
    • D) eliminate economic downturns completely

28. The passage suggests that credit scoring systems based on payment data:

    • A) are completely objective and fair
    • B) only use traditional financial information
    • C) may help some people access credit
    • D) are prohibited in most countries

29. The main concern about government access to payment data is:

    • A) the cost of storing information
    • B) the potential for extensive surveillance
    • C) the difficulty of analyzing data
    • D) the lack of technological capability

30. According to the passage, the concentration of payment systems among few companies:

    • A) improves security for all users
    • B) reduces transaction costs significantly
    • C) creates vulnerability in the economic system
    • D) eliminates the need for government regulation

31. Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) are intended to:

    • A) replace commercial banks completely
    • B) maintain government control over money systems
    • C) eliminate all privacy in transactions
    • D) stop people from using private cryptocurrencies

Questions 32-36

Complete the summary using the list of words, A-L, below.

The transition to cashless societies creates several 32__ for vulnerable populations. Many people lack access to the 33__ needed for digital payments, including elderly citizens and 34__ communities. This exclusion becomes more serious as more businesses refuse to accept 35__. In response, some countries have proposed laws requiring essential services to accept traditional payment methods to prevent 36__ of disadvantaged groups.

A) opportunities B) cash C) challenges D) credit cards
E) discrimination F) economically disadvantaged G) infrastructure H) wealthy
I) exclusion J) banks K) technology companies L) inclusion

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. The shift toward cashless societies is impossible to prevent due to technological momentum.
38. China’s social credit system demonstrates positive uses of payment data for society.
39. Cybersecurity risks are greater in cashless systems than in cash-based economies.
40. The best approach is to maintain cash alongside digital payment options.

Answer Keys – Đáp Án

PASSAGE 1: Questions 1-13

1. TRUE
2. FALSE
3. TRUE
4. FALSE
5. FALSE
6. NOT GIVEN
7. phone number
8. paper receipts
9. biometric authentication
10. data trail
11. B
12. C
13. C

PASSAGE 2: Questions 14-26

14. vii
15. i
16. viii
17. iv
18. v
19. ii
20. D (Section D)
21. pain of paying
22. tactile experience
23. transaction friction
    24-26. B, D, F (in any order)

PASSAGE 3: Questions 27-40

27. B
28. C
29. B
30. C
31. B
32. C
33. G
34. F
35. B
36. I
37. NOT GIVEN
38. NO
39. YES
40. YES

Giải Thích Đáp Án Chi Tiết

Passage 1 – Giải Thích

Câu 1: TRUE

• Dạng câu hỏi: True/False/Not Given
• Từ khóa: Sweden, cash transactions, less than one-tenth
• Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 2, dòng 2-3
• Giải thích: Bài đọc nói “cash transactions accounted for less than 10% of all payments” – paraphrase của “less than one-tenth” (10% = 1/10). Thông tin khớp chính xác.

Câu 2: FALSE

• Dạng câu hỏi: True/False/Not Given
• Từ khóa: Swedish banks, completely stopped, handling cash
• Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 2, dòng 3-4
• Giải thích: Bài viết nói “Many Swedish banks no longer handle cash” – từ “many” cho thấy không phải tất cả, mà câu hỏi dùng “all Swedish banks”, nên câu này sai.

Câu 3: TRUE

• Dạng câu hỏi: True/False/Not Given
• Từ khóa: digital payment systems, better security, physical cash
• Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 4, toàn đoạn
• Giải thích: Đoạn 4 giải thích chi tiết: cash “can be lost or stolen without any possibility of recovery” trong khi digital payments có “multiple layers of protection”, có thể block ngay lập tức, có biometric authentication. Điều này chứng minh digital payments an toàn hơn.

Câu 4: FALSE

• Dạng câu hỏi: True/False/Not Given
• Từ khóa: elderly people, easier to adapt, digital payment systems
• Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 5, dòng 2-4
• Giải thích: Bài viết nói người già “feel uncomfortable or intimidated by smartphone apps” và có “technological divide”, chứng tỏ họ khó thích nghi hơn, ngược với câu hỏi.

Câu 5: FALSE

• Dạng câu hỏi: True/False/Not Given
• Từ khóa: small businesses, benefit financially, digital payment systems
• Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 6, dòng 4-6
• Giải thích: Bài đọc nói small businesses “may struggle with the costs” và “transaction fees…can cut into…profit margins” – điều này cho thấy họ không được lợi về tài chính, mà bị thiệt.

Câu 11: B

• Dạng câu hỏi: Multiple Choice
• Từ khóa: main advantage, digital payments, urban areas
• Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 3, dòng 4-5
• Giải thích: Bài viết nói rõ “This speed is particularly valuable in busy urban environments where time is precious.” Speed (tốc độ) chính là lợi thế chính ở đô thị.

Câu 12: C

• Dạng câu hỏi: Multiple Choice
• Từ khóa: cashless effect, refers to
• Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 9, dòng 3-5
• Giải thích: Câu “This ‘cashless effect’ can lead to increased impulse buying” giải thích rõ ràng rằng cashless effect là việc người ta chi tiêu nhiều hơn khi dùng digital payment.

Câu 13: C

• Dạng câu hỏi: Multiple Choice
• Từ khóa: future of cash
• Vị trí trong bài: Đoạn 10, dòng 2-4
• Giải thích: Câu “societies will likely maintain hybrid systems where both cash and digital options coexist” chỉ rõ tương lai là hệ thống kết hợp, không phải tiền mặt biến mất hoàn toàn.

Passage 2 – Giải Thích

Câu 14: vii (The neurological response to spending money)

• Vị trí: Section A
• Giải thích: Section A nói về “pain-related neural pathways in the brain” và hiện tượng “pain of paying” – đây là phản ứng thần kinh học (neurological response) khi chi tiêu.

Câu 15: i (The role of physical currency in creating spending awareness)

• Vị trí: Section B
• Giải thích: Section B nói về cash-envelope budgeting và “intuitive visual feedback” của tiền mặt giúp theo dõi chi tiêu – vai trò của tiền vật lý trong tạo nhận thức chi tiêu.

Câu 16: viii (How easy transactions encourage more spending)

• Vị trí: Section C
• Giải thích: Section C thảo luận về “minimize transaction friction” và “compressed decision timeline” khiến giao dịch dễ dàng hơn, dẫn đến chi tiêu nhiều hơn.

Câu 17: iv (Social influences on payment choices and behaviors)

• Vị trí: Section D
• Giải thích: Section D nói về “social dimension”, “social accountability”, và “social visibility” của các phương thức thanh toán – ảnh hưởng xã hội.

Câu 18: v (The effect of payment delays on purchasing decisions)

• Vị trí: Section E
• Giải thích: Section E thảo luận về “temporal separation”, “deferred payment structure” và “buy now, pay later” – tác động của việc trì hoãn thanh toán.

Câu 19: ii (How companies use payment information to influence buying decisions)

• Vị trí: Section F
• Giải thích: Section F nói về “transaction data”, “consumer profiling”, “targeted marketing” và “personalized offers” – cách công ty dùng dữ liệu để tác động quyết định mua.

Câu 21: pain of paying

• Vị trí: Section A, dòng 2-3
• Giải thích: Thuật ngữ “pain of paying” được giải thích là cơ chế tự nhiên ngăn chi tiêu quá mức.

Câu 22: tactile experience

• Vị trí: Section A, dòng 4-5
• Giải thích: “The tactile experience of counting bills” là điều mà digital transactions thiếu, khiến người ta chi tiêu nhiều hơn.

Câu 23: transaction friction

• Vị trí: Section C, dòng 1-2
• Giải thích: Companies “deliberately design payment systems to minimize transaction friction” – giảm ma sát giao dịch.

Câu 24-26: B, D, F

• B (Difficulty in monitoring spending): Section B nói về “expenditure opacity” và khó khăn trong budget monitoring
• D (Higher levels of impulsive purchasing): Section C và A đều đề cập impulse buying tăng
• F (Reduced awareness of spending): Section B nói về “reduced awareness of cumulative spending”

Passage 3 – Giải Thích

Câu 27: B

• Từ khóa: negative interest rates, cashless systems
• Vị trí: Đoạn 2, dòng 5-7
• Giải thích: “effectively charging holders for maintaining deposits, thereby incentivizing consumption and disincentivizing hoarding” – lãi suất âm khuyến khích chi tiêu thay vì tiết kiệm.

Câu 28: C

• Từ khóa: credit scoring systems, payment data
• Vị trí: Đoạn 3, dòng 6-8
• Giải thích: “such systems can extend credit access to previously underserved populations” – có thể giúp một số người tiếp cận tín dụng, nhưng cũng có vấn đề về bias.

Câu 29: B

• Từ khóa: government access, payment data, concern
• Vị trí: Đoạn 4, toàn đoạn
• Giải thích: Đoạn này tập trung vào “financial surveillance becomes comprehensive and essentially inescapable” – lo ngại chính là giám sát toàn diện.

Câu 30: C

• Từ khóa: concentration of payment systems, few companies
• Vị trí: Đoạn 6, dòng 1-4
• Giải thích: “This concentration creates several risks” bao gồm “vulnerability to system-wide failures” – tạo điểm yếu trong hệ thống kinh tế.

Câu 31: B

• Từ khóa: Central Bank Digital Currencies, intended to
• Vị trí: Đoạn 8, dòng 2-3
• Giải thích: “CBDCs represent governments’ attempts to maintain monetary sovereignty” – duy trì quyền kiểm soát của chính phủ.

Câu 32-36:

• 32: C (challenges) – “digital divide constitutes…the most immediate equity concern”
• 33: G (infrastructure) – “lack consistent access to the digital infrastructure”
• 34: F (economically disadvantaged) – “economically disadvantaged communities”
• 35: B (cash) – “as more merchants refuse cash”
• 36: I (exclusion) – “to prevent de facto exclusion of vulnerable groups”

Câu 37: NOT GIVEN

• Giải thích: Tác giả nói cashless transitions “appear largely inevitable” nhưng không nói là “impossible to prevent”. Điều này khác nhau về mức độ tuyệt đối.

Câu 38: NO

• Vị trí: Đoạn 4, dòng 7-9
• Giải thích: Tác giả đề cập China’s social credit system như một ví dụ về mối lo ngại (“demonstrates how financial information can serve broader governance objectives”), không phải tích cực.

Câu 39: YES

• Vị trí: Đoạn 7, dòng 2-5
• Giải thích: “Where cash systems distribute risk…digital systems concentrate risk” và “economic damage…could prove catastrophic” – cybersecurity risks lớn hơn.

Câu 40: YES

• Vị trí: Đoạn cuối, dòng 2-4
• Giải thích: “Reasonable approaches might include: maintaining cash as a backup payment infrastructure and inclusion mechanism” – tác giả ủng hộ việc duy trì cả hai.

Từ Vựng Quan Trọng Theo Passage

Passage 1 – Essential Vocabulary

Từ vựng	Loại từ	Phiên âm	Nghĩa tiếng Việt	Ví dụ từ bài	Collocation
remarkable transformation	n phrase	/rɪˈmɑːkəbl trænsˈfɔːmeɪʃən/	sự chuyển đổi đáng chú ý	witnessed a remarkable transformation in how people handle money	undergo/experience a remarkable transformation
cashless transaction	n phrase	/ˈkæʃləs trænˈzækʃən/	giao dịch không tiền mặt	the shift towards cashless transactions	make/conduct a cashless transaction
fundamental change	n phrase	/ˌfʌndəˈmentl tʃeɪndʒ/	thay đổi căn bản	represents a fundamental change in consumer behavior	bring about/undergo a fundamental change
mobile app	n	/ˈmoʊbaɪl æp/	ứng dụng di động	convenience of digital payments through mobile apps	download/use a mobile app
tangible benefits	n phrase	/ˈtændʒəbl ˈbenɪfɪts/	lợi ích hữu hình, cụ thể	offers numerous tangible benefits for consumers	provide/deliver tangible benefits
transaction record	n phrase	/trænˈzækʃən ˈrekɔːd/	hồ sơ giao dịch	transaction records are automatically generated	keep/maintain transaction records
biometric authentication	n phrase	/ˌbaɪəʊˈmetrɪk ɔːˌθentɪˈkeɪʃən/	xác thực sinh trắc học	incorporate biometric authentication such as fingerprint	use/enable biometric authentication
chargeback mechanism	n phrase	/ˈtʃɑːdʒbæk ˈmekənɪzəm/	cơ chế hoàn tiền	protected through chargeback mechanisms offered by financial institutions	provide/trigger a chargeback mechanism
digital literacy	n phrase	/ˈdɪdʒɪtl ˈlɪtərəsi/	kiến thức kỹ thuật số	digital literacy remains a significant barrier	improve/enhance digital literacy
financial exclusion	n phrase	/faɪˈnænʃl ɪkˈskluːʒən/	loại trừ tài chính	can lead to financial exclusion	prevent/address financial exclusion
data trail	n phrase	/ˈdeɪtə treɪl/	dấu vết dữ liệu	creates a data trail that reveals detailed information	leave/track a data trail
impulse buying	n phrase	/ˈɪmpʌls ˈbaɪɪŋ/	mua hàng bốc đồng	can lead to increased impulse buying	encourage/trigger impulse buying

Passage 2 – Essential Vocabulary

Từ vựng	Loại từ	Phiên âm	Nghĩa tiếng Việt	Ví dụ từ bài	Collocation
profound psychological shift	n phrase	/prəˈfaʊnd ˌsaɪkəˈlɒdʒɪkl ʃɪft/	sự thay đổi tâm lý sâu sắc	represents far more than…it constitutes a profound psychological shift	undergo/experience a profound shift
cognitive mechanism	n phrase	/ˈkɒɡnətɪv ˈmekənɪzəm/	cơ chế nhận thức	researchers have identified several cognitive mechanisms	understand/study cognitive mechanisms
neural pathway	n phrase	/ˈnjʊərəl ˈpɑːθweɪ/	đường dẫn truyền thần kinh	activates pain-related neural pathways in the brain	stimulate/activate neural pathways
pain of paying	n phrase	/peɪn əv ˈpeɪɪŋ/	nỗi đau của việc chi tiêu	This phenomenon, termed the pain of paying	experience/reduce the pain of paying
economic sacrifice	n phrase	/ˌiːkəˈnɒmɪk ˈsækrɪfaɪs/	hy sinh kinh tế	reinforces the economic sacrifice being made	make/understand an economic sacrifice
expenditure opacity	n phrase	/ɪkˈspendɪtʃə əʊˈpæsəti/	sự mơ hồ trong chi tiêu	what behavioral economists call expenditure opacity	create/increase expenditure opacity
transaction friction	n phrase	/trænˈzækʃən ˈfrɪkʃən/	ma sát giao dịch	deliberately design payment systems to minimize transaction friction	reduce/eliminate transaction friction
deliberative decision-making	n phrase	/dɪˈlɪbərətɪv dɪˈsɪʒən ˈmeɪkɪŋ/	ra quyết định có cân nhắc	simultaneously undermines deliberative decision-making	encourage/support deliberative decision-making
compressed decision timeline	n phrase	/kəmˈprest dɪˈsɪʒən ˈtaɪmlaɪn/	thời gian quyết định bị nén lại	This compressed decision timeline leaves little room	create/experience a compressed timeline
social accountability	n phrase	/ˈsoʊʃl əˌkaʊntəˈbɪləti/	trách nhiệm xã hội	creates subtle social accountability	promote/maintain social accountability
hyperbolic discounting	n phrase	/ˌhaɪpəˈbɒlɪk ˈdɪskaʊntɪŋ/	chiết khấu theo đường hyperbol	creates what psychologists call hyperbolic discounting	exhibit/demonstrate hyperbolic discounting
consumer profiling	n phrase	/kənˈsjuːmə ˈproʊfaɪlɪŋ/	lập hồ sơ người tiêu dùng	enable sophisticated consumer profiling and targeted marketing	conduct/use consumer profiling
asymmetric information	n phrase	/ˌeɪsɪˈmetrɪk ˌɪnfəˈmeɪʃən/	thông tin bất cân xứng	The asymmetric information relationship	address/reduce asymmetric information
compensatory strategy	n phrase	/kəmˈpensətəri ˈstrætədʒi/	chiến lược bù đắp	empowers consumers to develop compensatory strategies	develop/implement compensatory strategies

Passage 3 – Essential Vocabulary

Từ vựng	Loại từ	Phiên âm	Nghĩa tiếng Việt	Ví dụ từ bài	Collocation
inexorable march	n phrase	/ɪnˈeksərəbl mɑːtʃ/	sự tiến triển không thể cưỡng lại	The inexorable march toward cashless societies	continue/halt an inexorable march
multifaceted transformation	n phrase	/ˌmʌltiˈfæsɪtɪd ˌtrænsfəˈmeɪʃən/	sự chuyển đổi đa diện	represents a multifaceted transformation	undergo/experience a multifaceted transformation
systemic alteration	n phrase	/sɪˈstemɪk ˌɔːltəˈreɪʃən/	thay đổi hệ thống	encompassing systemic alterations to economic structures	cause/require systemic alterations
insidious risk	n phrase	/ɪnˈsɪdiəs rɪsk/	rủi ro tiềm ẩn nguy hiểm	critics highlight insidious risks of exclusion	pose/identify insidious risks
monetary policy	n phrase	/ˈmʌnɪtəri ˈpɒləsi/	chính sách tiền tệ	alters monetary policy transmission mechanisms	implement/conduct monetary policy
zero lower bound	n phrase	/ˈzɪəroʊ ˈloʊər baʊnd/	giới hạn dưới bằng không	the existence of a zero lower bound	approach/breach the zero lower bound
distributional consequence	n phrase	/ˌdɪstrɪˈbjuːʃənl ˈkɒnsɪkwəns/	hậu quả phân phối	The distributional consequences of such policies	consider/analyze distributional consequences
granular data	n phrase	/ˈɡrænjələ ˈdeɪtə/	dữ liệu chi tiết	generates granular data about consumer behavior	collect/analyze granular data
creditworthiness	n	/ˈkredɪtˌwɜːðinəs/	độ tín nhiệm tín dụng	assess individuals’ creditworthiness	evaluate/determine creditworthiness
opaque algorithmic judgment	n phrase	/əʊˈpeɪk ˌælɡəˈrɪðmɪk ˈdʒʌdʒmənt/	phán quyết thuật toán mờ đục	introduce opaque algorithmic judgments	create/rely on opaque judgments
civil liberties	n phrase	/ˈsɪvl ˈlɪbətiz/	quyền tự do dân sự	concerns about privacy and civil liberties	protect/violate civil liberties
digital divide	n phrase	/ˈdɪdʒɪtl dɪˈvaɪd/	khoảng cách số	The digital divide constitutes…the most immediate equity concern	bridge/widen the digital divide
technologically marginalized	adj phrase	/ˌteknəˈlɒdʒɪkli ˈmɑːdʒɪnəlaɪzd/	bị gạt ra ngoài về công nghệ	significant populations remain technologically marginalized	become/remain technologically marginalized
exclusionary impact	n phrase	/ɪkˈskluːʒənəri ˈɪmpækt/	tác động loại trừ	The exclusionary impact extends beyond mere inconvenience	have/reduce exclusionary impact
oligopolistic concern	n phrase	/ˌɒlɪɡəpəˈlɪstɪk kənˈsɜːn/	mối lo ngại độc quyền nhóm	introduces oligopolistic concerns	raise/address oligopolistic concerns
chokepoint position	n phrase	/ˈtʃoʊkpɔɪnt pəˈzɪʃən/	vị trí điểm nghẽn then chốt	occupying chokepoint positions in the economic architecture	control/occupy chokepoint positions
cascading failure	n phrase	/kæsˈkeɪdɪŋ ˈfeɪljə/	sự cố lan truyền	the potential for cascading failures increases	prevent/trigger cascading failures
disintermediation	n	/ˌdɪsɪntəˌmiːdiˈeɪʃən/	loại bỏ trung gian	the potential disintermediation of commercial banks	cause/result in disintermediation
decentralized finance	n phrase	/diːˈsentrəlaɪzd ˈfaɪnæns/	tài chính phi tập trung	The emergence of decentralized finance (DeFi)	promote/develop decentralized finance

Kết bài

Chủ đề “What are the impacts of cashless societies on consumer behavior?” không chỉ phản ánh xu hướng toàn cầu mà còn thể hiện sự giao thoa giữa công nghệ, tâm lý học và kinh tế – những lĩnh vực thường xuyên xuất hiện trong IELTS Reading. Qua bài viết này, bạn đã được trải nghiệm một đề thi hoàn chỉnh với 3 passages ở các mức độ khác nhau.

Passage 1 giới thiệu khái niệm cơ bản về xã hội không tiền mặt với từ vựng và cấu trúc dễ tiếp cận, phù hợp để khởi động. Passage 2 đi sâu vào các cơ chế tâm lý phức tạp, yêu cầu kỹ năng suy luận và hiểu paraphrase ở mức cao hơn. Passage 3 thách thức bạn với nội dung học thuật về hệ quả xã hội, kiểm tra khả năng phân tích thông tin trừu tượng và quan điểm tác giả.

40 câu hỏi đa dạng trong đề thi này – từ True/False/Not Given, Matching Headings đến Summary Completion – giúp bạn làm quen với hầu hết các dạng bài phổ biến. Đáp án chi tiết với giải thích cụ thể về vị trí thông tin và kỹ thuật paraphrase sẽ giúp bạn tự đánh giá chính xác và học hỏi từ sai lầm.

Hơn 40 từ vựng được tổng hợp theo từng passage, kèm phiên âm, nghĩa và collocations thực tế, sẽ là kho tài nguyên quý giá cho việc nâng cao vốn từ vựng học thuật của bạn. Hãy ghi nhớ những từ này vì chúng thường xuyên xuất hiện không chỉ trong Reading mà còn trong Writing và Speaking.

Hãy luyện tập đề thi này trong điều kiện thi thật – đặt hẹn giờ 60 phút, không tra từ điển, và làm liên tục cả 3 passages. Sau đó, dành thời gian xem lại đáp án và phân tích kỹ những câu sai để hiểu rõ lý do. Đây là cách hiệu quả nhất để cải thiện band điểm Reading của bạn.

Chúc bạn luyện tập tốt và đạt kết quả cao trong kỳ thi IELTS sắp tới!