Đề thi thử VSTEP Reading số 16
Thời gian: 60 phút | Tổng số câu: 40 câu trắc nghiệm
Hướng dẫn: Đọc kỹ các đoạn văn và chọn đáp án đúng nhất (A, B, C hoặc D) cho mỗi câu hỏi.
PASSAGE 1 (Câu 1–10)
Earth's biodiversity is facing a crisis of historic proportions. Scientists have warned that we are in the midst of the sixth mass extinction event in the planet's 4.5-billion-year history—a dramatic acceleration in the rate at which species are disappearing, driven primarily by human activities. The previous five mass extinctions, including the one that wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago, were caused by natural events such as asteroid impacts, volcanic eruptions, and climate shifts. This one is different: it is happening at a pace 100 to 1,000 times faster than natural background rates, and humans are the cause.
The drivers of this crisis are well documented. Habitat destruction—clearing forests, draining wetlands, converting wild areas to agriculture and urban development—is the single largest cause of biodiversity loss. Overharvesting of wild species for food, medicine, and the illegal wildlife trade puts enormous pressure on vulnerable populations. Pollution, including pesticides, plastic, and industrial chemicals, contaminates ecosystems and harms wildlife. Invasive species, introduced by human activity to new environments, often outcompete native species. Climate change is increasingly altering habitats faster than many species can adapt or migrate.
The consequences of biodiversity loss extend far beyond the species themselves. Ecosystems provide essential services that humans depend on—pollination of crops, purification of water, regulation of the climate, decomposition of waste, and production of oxygen, to name just a few. The loss of species can disrupt these services in ways that are difficult or impossible to reverse. For example, the decline of bee populations threatens the pollination of many food crops, with serious implications for global food security. The destruction of forests reduces the planet's capacity to absorb carbon dioxide, accelerating climate change. The collapse of fisheries can devastate coastal communities that depend on them for food and livelihoods.
Despite the gravity of the situation, there is reason for cautious hope. Conservation efforts have had notable successes, from the recovery of certain whale populations to the rebound of species like the gray wolf in various regions. Protected areas now cover approximately 17 percent of land and 8 percent of oceans worldwide. New technologies, including satellite monitoring, DNA analysis, and artificial intelligence, are revolutionizing our ability to track and protect species. International agreements like the Convention on Biological Diversity provide frameworks for global cooperation. Ultimately, however, the crisis will be solved or worsened by individual and collective choices—what we eat, how we use energy, what we buy, and how we treat the natural world that sustains us.
Câu 1. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. Mass extinctions are normal
B. Earth is undergoing a human-caused sixth mass extinction with severe consequences, but conservation efforts offer hope
C. Extinction does not matter
D. Only scientists care about biodiversity
Câu 2. How does the current rate of species extinction compare to natural background rates, according to the passage?
A. About the same
B. 100 to 1,000 times faster
C. Slower than natural
D. Exactly twice as fast
Câu 3. The word "proportions" in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to:
A. Small size
B. Scale or magnitude
C. Colors
D. Tastes
Câu 4. According to paragraph 2, what is the largest cause of biodiversity loss?
A. Climate change
B. Habitat destruction
C. Pollution
D. Invasive species
Câu 5. How does the loss of bee populations affect humans, according to paragraph 3?
A. It has no effect
B. It threatens the pollination of many food crops with serious implications for food security
C. It improves air quality
D. It reduces noise pollution
Câu 6. The word "essential" in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to:
A. Unnecessary
B. Absolutely necessary
C. Optional
D. Harmful
Câu 7. What percentage of land is covered by protected areas, according to paragraph 4?
A. About 5 percent
B. Around 17 percent
C. Half
D. 90 percent
Câu 8. According to the passage, what new technologies are helping conservation?
A. None
B. Satellite monitoring, DNA analysis, and artificial intelligence
C. Only cameras
D. Only social media
Câu 9. The word "ultimately" in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to:
A. In the beginning
B. In the end or finally
C. Never
D. Sometimes
Câu 10. What is the author's overall view on the biodiversity crisis?
A. It is hopeless
B. It is serious but there is reason for cautious hope through conservation efforts and individual choices
C. It is exaggerated
D. It will solve itself
PASSAGE 2 (Câu 11–20)
When most people think of wildlife, they imagine remote forests, savannas, or coral reefs—not the bustling cities where more than half of the world's population now lives. Yet cities are far from being biological deserts. From peregrine falcons nesting on skyscraper ledges to foxes roaming suburban backyards, from rooftop bees to street-tree songbirds, urban environments support a surprising diversity of wildlife. In fact, some species have adapted so successfully to urban life that their populations are now larger in cities than in many rural areas.
Urban wildlife faces unique challenges. Cities are characterized by impervious surfaces—concrete, asphalt, and buildings—that replace natural habitats. Light, noise, and chemical pollution create constant stress for many species. Roads pose collision risks and fragment habitats. Windows can be deadly for birds, which often cannot distinguish reflections from open sky. Domestic cats, kept as pets but allowed to roam outdoors, kill billions of birds and small mammals each year in the United States alone. Despite these challenges, many species have proven remarkably adaptable, finding new food sources, nesting sites, and migration routes in the urban landscape.
Cities can also offer surprising advantages for some wildlife. Urban heat islands—city areas that are warmer than surrounding rural areas due to human activities and infrastructure—can provide warmer microclimates that help some species survive cold winters. Streetlights, while disruptive for many nocturnal animals, can extend the foraging time for species that benefit from artificial light. The abundance of food waste in cities, while problematic, supports populations of rats, pigeons, raccoons, and other adaptable species. Conservation biologists increasingly recognize that protecting biodiversity requires thinking about cities, not just remote wilderness areas.
Efforts to make cities more wildlife-friendly are growing. Green roofs, planted with vegetation, provide habitat and help with stormwater management. Pollinator gardens in public spaces support bees and butterflies. Wildlife crossings, such as green bridges over highways, help animals move safely through fragmented landscapes. Citizen science programs, like bird counts and butterfly surveys, engage urban residents in monitoring local biodiversity. As cities continue to grow, designing them with wildlife in mind is not just beneficial for animals—it is essential for the well-being of urban humans who depend on the ecosystem services that healthy urban nature provides.
Câu 11. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. Cities have no wildlife
B. Cities support surprising wildlife diversity, despite challenges, and urban conservation is increasingly important
C. Wildlife should be kept out of cities
D. Cities are biological deserts
Câu 12. According to paragraph 1, what percentage of the world's population lives in cities?
A. Less than 25 percent
B. About a third
C. More than half
D. Almost 100 percent
Câu 13. The word "bustling" in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to:
A. Quiet and empty
B. Busy and active
C. Small
D. Dark
Câu 14. According to paragraph 2, what is one challenge urban wildlife faces?
A. Too much food
B. Impervious surfaces like concrete and asphalt replacing natural habitats
C. Too many parks
D. Excessive rainfall
Câu 15. How many birds and small mammals do domestic cats kill each year in the US, according to the passage?
A. A few thousand
B. Hundreds of thousands
C. Billions
D. None
Câu 16. The word "abundance" in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to:
A. Scarcity
B. Plentiful supply
C. Lack
D. Expensive
Câu 17. What is an urban heat island?
A. A cold area in the city
B. A city area that is warmer than surrounding rural areas due to human activities and infrastructure
C. A type of building
D. A new park
Câu 18. What are green roofs, according to paragraph 4?
A. Standard roofs
B. Roofs planted with vegetation that provide habitat and help with stormwater management
C. Solar panels
D. Glass roofs
Câu 19. The word "essential" in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to:
A. Optional
B. Absolutely necessary
C. Harmful
D. Unimportant
Câu 20. Why is designing cities with wildlife in mind important for humans, according to the passage?
A. It is not important
B. Urban humans depend on the ecosystem services that healthy urban nature provides
C. Only for aesthetic reasons
D. It is just a trend
PASSAGE 3 (Câu 21–30)
Citizen science, the involvement of non-professional volunteers in scientific research, has emerged as a powerful tool for biodiversity monitoring worldwide. By engaging millions of people who contribute observations of plants, animals, and other organisms, citizen science projects generate datasets on a scale that no team of professional scientists could achieve alone. This approach has proven particularly valuable for tracking biodiversity, identifying range shifts due to climate change, and detecting new invasive species before they become established.
One of the most successful examples of citizen science in biodiversity monitoring is the Christmas Bird Count, organized by the National Audubon Society in the United States since 1900. Each year, tens of thousands of volunteers across the Americas count birds in their local areas during a designated three-week period, generating data that has been used to track long-term changes in bird populations and inform conservation policy. Similar programs exist around the world, including the Big Garden Birdwatch in the UK, the Australian Bird Census, and many others. These counts have documented declines in many common species, range expansions of others, and provided early warnings of emerging conservation issues.
Advances in technology have dramatically expanded what citizen science can accomplish. Smartphone apps like iNaturalist, eBird, and Pl@ntNet allow volunteers to easily record and share observations, including photographs, location data, and species identifications. Artificial intelligence helps identify species from photos, while online communities help confirm identifications and provide feedback. Some apps even gamify the experience, with users earning badges and competing on leaderboards. These tools have made biodiversity monitoring accessible to people with no formal scientific training, dramatically expanding the pool of potential contributors.
However, citizen science is not without limitations and challenges. Data quality can vary depending on volunteer expertise, and species misidentifications can introduce errors. Coverage is often uneven, with some areas heavily monitored and others neglected. Professional scientists must carefully design protocols and validate data to ensure reliability. There are also concerns about equity and inclusion, as participation in citizen science often skews toward wealthier, more educated, and more urban populations. Addressing these challenges requires ongoing investment in training, technology, and outreach to ensure that citizen science fulfills its potential as a transformative force in biodiversity research and conservation.
Câu 21. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. Citizen science is unreliable
B. Citizen science has become a powerful tool for biodiversity monitoring, with both benefits and challenges
C. Only professional scientists can monitor biodiversity
D. Citizen science is just a hobby
Câu 22. When was the Christmas Bird Count first organized, according to the passage?
A. In 1900
B. In 1950
C. In 2000
D. In 2020
Câu 23. The word "designated" in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to:
A. Random
B. Officially chosen or assigned
C. Forgotten
D. Lengthy
Câu 24. According to paragraph 3, what do apps like iNaturalist and eBird allow volunteers to do?
A. Buy products online
B. Easily record and share observations, including photos, location, and species identifications
C. Order food delivery
D. Play games only
Câu 25. How does AI help citizen science, according to the passage?
A. It replaces scientists
B. It helps identify species from photos
C. It bans citizen scientists
D. It slows down research
Câu 26. The word "limitations" in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to:
A. Strengths
B. Constraints or weaknesses
C. Possibilities
D. Improvements
Câu 27. According to paragraph 4, what is one challenge with citizen science data?
A. Too much data
B. Quality can vary and species misidentifications can introduce errors
C. It is too expensive
D. It is too slow
Câu 28. What concern about equity and inclusion does the passage mention?
A. Everyone participates equally
B. Participation often skews toward wealthier, more educated, and more urban populations
C. Only poor people participate
D. It excludes professionals
Câu 29. The word "ongoing" in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to:
A. Finished
B. Continuous
C. Rare
D. Forgotten
Câu 30. What is the author's overall view of citizen science?
A. It is useless
B. It is a powerful tool with limitations, but worth investing in for biodiversity research
C. It is perfect
D. It is a waste of time
PASSAGE 4 (Câu 31–40)
The economic value of biodiversity is enormous, even if often invisible in traditional economic calculations. The ecosystems that support life on Earth—forests, wetlands, oceans, grasslands, and others—provide services that underpin human well-being and economic activity. Pollination of crops by insects is worth hundreds of billions of dollars annually. Forests and oceans absorb carbon dioxide, helping to regulate the climate. Wetlands filter water, reducing the cost of water treatment. Mangroves protect coastlines from storms, saving billions in damages. Yet these services, often called "ecosystem services," have historically been treated as free and unlimited, leading to their overexploitation and degradation.
Recognizing the economic value of biodiversity is changing how governments, businesses, and individuals make decisions. The concept of "natural capital" treats ecosystems as assets that provide flows of valuable services, much like financial capital produces interest. Some countries have begun incorporating natural capital accounting into their national economic statistics. Costa Rica, for example, has invested heavily in reforestation and payments for ecosystem services, recognizing that the long-term economic benefits of healthy ecosystems outweigh the short-term gains from deforestation. Similar programs exist in many other countries, though they remain far from universal.
However, putting a price on nature is not without controversy. Critics argue that many aspects of biodiversity have values that cannot be captured in monetary terms—the existence value of a species that may never be commercially useful, the cultural and spiritual significance of certain ecosystems, or the ethical obligation to protect other living beings. Reducing nature to a set of economic services risks commodifying it in ways that could undermine conservation. There is also the practical concern that economic valuations can be manipulated or used to justify environmental destruction when the short-term financial benefits appear larger than the long-term ecological costs.
Despite these debates, the integration of economic thinking into biodiversity conservation is likely to continue. Innovative financial mechanisms, such as biodiversity offset markets, debt-for-nature swaps, and green bonds, are creating new ways to fund conservation. Some companies are recognizing that their long-term profitability depends on healthy ecosystems and are investing accordingly. The challenge for the coming decades will be to find approaches that recognize the economic value of nature while honoring its intrinsic, cultural, and ethical values. Getting this balance right is essential not just for biodiversity, but for the future of human civilization, which depends on a healthy natural world.
Câu 31. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. Biodiversity has no economic value
B. Biodiversity has significant economic value that is increasingly being recognized, though putting a price on nature raises complex issues
C. Only forests matter
D. Ecosystem services are free
Câu 32. According to paragraph 1, what is one ecosystem service provided by wetlands?
A. Generating electricity
B. Filtering water, reducing the cost of water treatment
C. Building houses
D. Manufacturing plastic
Câu 33. The word "underpin" in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to:
A. Destroy
B. Support or form the basis of
C. Ignore
D. Replace
Câu 34. What is "natural capital" according to paragraph 2?
A. Money in banks
B. A concept that treats ecosystems as assets that provide flows of valuable services, much like financial capital produces interest
C. A type of cryptocurrency
D. Government bonds
Câu 35. What has Costa Rica done, according to paragraph 2?
A. Cut down all its forests
B. Invested in reforestation and payments for ecosystem services
C. Banned all conservation
D. Stopped economic growth
Câu 36. The word "controversy" in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to:
A. Agreement
B. Public disagreement or debate
C. Silence
D. Celebration
Câu 37. What concern do critics have about putting a price on nature, according to paragraph 3?
A. It is too simple
B. Many aspects of biodiversity have values that cannot be captured in monetary terms
C. It is too expensive
D. It is too accurate
Câu 38. According to the passage, what are biodiversity offset markets?
A. Markets for endangered species
B. Innovative financial mechanisms for funding conservation
C. Trading in endangered species
D. Markets for petroleum
Câu 39. The word "intrinsic" in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to:
A. Artificial
B. Inherent or belonging naturally
C. External
D. Temporary
Câu 40. What is the author's overall view on putting a price on nature?
A. It is the perfect solution
B. It has value but also raises complex issues that require balancing economic, intrinsic, cultural, and ethical values
C. It should be banned
D. It is impossible