5 BÀI TẬP IELTS READING DẠNG GAP FILL (KÈM PRE-READING VOCABULARY & ĐÁP ÁN CHI TIẾT)

PASSAGE 1: THE URBAN HEAT ISLAND EFFECT

Pre-reading Vocabulary

Reading Passage

The phenomenon known as the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect occurs when metropolitan areas experience significantly warmer temperatures than nearby rural landscapes. This thermal discrepancy is primarily caused by human modifications to the physical environment. In modern cities, natural land cover is largely replaced by dense concentrations of concrete, brick, and asphalt. These artificial materials are dark and impermeable, meaning they absorb vast amounts of solar radiation during daytime hours and gradually release it as heat well into the night.

In contrast, rural regions possess an abundance of natural vegetation and open water bodies. Plants absorb water through their roots and subsequently evaporate it through their leaves, a cooling process scientifically recognized as evapotranspiration. Because cities possess minimal plant life, this natural cooling mechanism is severely restricted. Consequently, elevated urban heat increases energy consumption for domestic air conditioning and contributes to elevated smog levels. To mitigate these adverse outcomes, urban planners are increasingly adopting architectural solutions such as installing green roofs on commercial towers and incorporating reflective white paint on pavements.

Questions 1–4

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

Causes and Solutions for Urban Heat Islands

Cities remain noticeably hotter than the countryside because conventional building materials like concrete and asphalt are dark and 1 ______, allowing them to trap heat. Furthermore, urban environments contain very little 2 ______, which prevents the cooling effect of evapotranspiration from taking place. This constant warmth leads to greater expenditure on 3 ______ in homes, alongside worsened air pollution. To resolve this problem, environmental architects propose introducing 4 ______ onto building surfaces to lower surface temperatures.

PASSAGE 2: THE ORIGINS AND EXPANSION OF TEA

Pre-reading Vocabulary

Reading Passage

According to popular Chinese legend, tea was first discovered around 2737 BCE when stray leaves accidentally drifted into a boiling pot of drinking water prepared for Emperor Shennong. Entranced by its refreshing scent and restorative properties, the emperor promoted the beverage throughout his empire. Archaeological discoveries confirm that during the Han Dynasty, tea was cultivated not as an everyday social beverage, but primarily for its medicinal qualities, often prescribed to treat fatigue and aid digestion.

During the Tang Dynasty, the preparation of tea evolved into an elaborate art form. Buddhist monks traveling to China from Japan were introduced to the soothing infusion and transported tea seeds back home, integrating the drink into sacred Zen meditation practices. Centuries later, Dutch and Portuguese traders introduced tea leaves to Western Europe, where the product was initially considered an exotic, highly expensive commodity accessible solely to royal households. By the mid-19th century, in order to circumvent China’s strict commercial monopoly, the British East India Company initiated extensive commercial cultivation by establishing expansive tea plantations in the fertile highlands of Assam and Darjeeling in India.

Questions 5–8

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

Historical Timeline of Tea

- Early History in China:
- Ancient rulers first used tea owing to its 5 ______ value rather than as a recreational drink.
- Spread to East Asia:
- Japanese 6 ______ adopted tea drinking to assist them during long spiritual rituals.
- Arrival in Europe:
- European aristocrats viewed tea as a luxury 7 ______ because of its extreme scarcity.
- Global Production:
- Britain developed large agricultural 8 ______ across India to challenge the Chinese market dominance.

PASSAGE 3: DEEP-SEA BIOLUMINESCENCE

Pre-reading Vocabulary

Reading Passage

In the oceans' abyssal zones, where sunlight cannot penetrate deeper than 200 meters, organisms have evolved unique survival mechanisms. The most remarkable of these adaptations is bioluminescence—the capacity of living organisms to produce cold visual light. Unlike electrical light bulbs that generate heat, this biological light stems from a specialized chemical reaction involving a light-emitting compound called luciferin and an organic enzyme named luciferase.

Creatures residing in the deep sea deploy bioluminescence for several indispensable tasks. For instance, the female anglerfish possesses a modified spine tip that hangs directly above its jaws like a glowing fishing lure, attracting curious prey in absolute darkness. Other marine creatures, such as deep-water squid, discharge sudden bursts of glowing fluid to temporarily blind an attacking predator, providing adequate time to escape. Furthermore, certain fish utilize an optical camouflage strategy termed counterillumination. By emitting gentle light from photophores located on their undersides, they match the faint downwelling ambient light from the surface, thereby erasing their silhouette from the sight of predators patrolling underneath.

Questions 9–12

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

9 The glowing effect observed in deep-sea species is generated via an internal ______.
10 The anglerfish uses a luminous structure to capture unsuspecting ______ swimming nearby.
11 Some squid release glowing secretions to confuse an oncoming ______ when fleeing.
12 Certain marine creatures prevent detection by using an optical technique known as ______.

PASSAGE 4: DRONE TECHNOLOGY IN PRECISION FARMING

Pre-reading Vocabulary

Reading Passage

Modern agriculture is experiencing a technological revolution spearheaded by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly designated as agricultural drones. Traditionally, inspecting expansive crop fields demanded extensive manual labor, requiring farmworkers to traverse acreage on foot or via heavy tractor machinery. In contrast, autonomous drones equipped with multispectral sensors can survey hundreds of hectares within a single hour, capturing detailed photographic data across diverse light spectra invisible to the human eye.

These aerial scans detect subtle shifts in plant reflection, enabling operators to recognize early signs of fungal infection or insect infestation weeks before symptoms manifest physically on foliage. Once diseased patches or nutrient deficiencies are accurately mapped via GPS coordinates, specialized spraying drones are deployed. Instead of blanketing an entire plantation with chemical substances, these automated units deliver precise droplets of liquid fertilizer or pesticide strictly to afflicted crops. This targeted methodology diminishes the volume of wasted agrochemicals by up to 60 percent, minimizes soil toxicity, lowers operating costs, and substantially improves overall crop yield at harvest time.

Questions 13–17

Complete the summary below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage for each answer.

The Role of Drones in Modern Agriculture

Rather than inspecting farmland on foot, farmers are deploying autonomous aircraft fitted with 13 ______ to scan vast acreage rapidly. These aerial cameras can identify the arrival of an insect 14 ______ well before it becomes visible to human observers. Following identification, farmers utilize spraying drones that discharge specific amounts of 15 ______ or fertilizer only where treatment is required. Research demonstrates that this focused technique can curtail the overuse of agricultural chemicals by 16 ______. In addition to reducing expenses and chemical runoff, the adoption of drone technology ultimately enhances agricultural 17 ______ for farmers.

PASSAGE 5: BILINGUALISM AND COGNITIVE FUNCTION

Pre-reading Vocabulary

Reading Passage

For much of the twentieth century, many educators cautioned that raising children in a bilingual environment would create mental confusion and retard language acquisition. However, contemporary neurological research has fundamentally debunked this misconception. Brain imaging studies indicate that managing two or more linguistic codes simultaneously strengthens the brain’s executive control system—the neurological network responsible for prioritizing tasks, filtering irrelevant distractions, and sustaining goal-directed attention.

Because both languages remain perpetually active in a bilingual individual's mind, the speaker must consistently suppress one language while operating in the other. This demanding mental exercise substantially enhances a cognitive faculty called inhibition. Consequently, bilinguals frequently demonstrate superior capabilities in multitasking and rapid problem-solving compared to their monolingual counterparts. Furthermore, studies conducted by cognitive neuroscientists suggest that lifelong bilingualism fosters a protective biological mechanism termed cognitive reserve. When faced with age-related neurodegenerative conditions, bilingual individuals typically manifest observable symptoms of dementia four to five years later than monolinguals exhibiting identical degrees of physical brain damage.

Questions 18–22

Complete the notes below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage for each answer.

Cognitive Benefits of Bilingualism

- Brain Development:
- Exercising two languages reinforces the neural network known as the 18 ______ system.
- Mental Mechanisms:
- Speaking one language requires blocking out the alternative one, which refines an ability named 19 ______.
- People fluent in two languages tend to excel at solving problems and everyday 20 ______.
- Long-term Health Advantages:
- Prolonged language usage helps establish a phenomenon called 21 ______.
- Clinical signs of severe illnesses like 22 ______ emerge between 4 to 5 years later in bilingual patients.

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HƯỚNG DẪN GIẢI CHI TIẾT & BẢNG TỪ KHÓA

BẢNG ĐÁP ÁN VÀ VỊ TRÍ THÔNG TIN (PASSAGE 1 – 5)