Thời gian khuyến nghị: 15 phút | Độ khó: B2-C1 | 10 câu hỏi trắc nghiệm
Passage: Global Migration Trends in the 21st Century
International migration has become one of the defining phenomena of the 21st century. According to the United Nations, the number of international migrants reached approximately 281 million in 2020, representing 3.6% of the global population. While this figure might seem modest in percentage terms, it obscures the concentrated impact of migration flows on specific corridors, countries, and communities. The drivers of migration are multifarious — encompassing economic opportunity, political instability, armed conflict, environmental degradation, and family reunification — and the consequences, both for sending and receiving societies, are profound and often contentious.
Economic migration remains the predominant category of international movement. Labor migrants constitute the majority of cross-border flows, drawn by wage differentials that can be staggering: a construction worker in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states may earn five to ten times what the same work would pay in South Asia or sub-Saharan Africa. The remittances sent home by these workers are economically significant at both household and national levels. In 2022, global remittance flows to low- and middle-income countries exceeded $626 billion, surpassing both foreign direct investment and official development assistance. For countries such as Tonga, Lebanon, and Nepal, remittances constitute over 20% of GDP, serving as a critical lifeline for families and a stabilizing macroeconomic force.
Forced displacement, however, has reached historically unprecedented levels. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported that by mid-2023, over 110 million people worldwide had been forcibly displaced — including refugees, asylum seekers, and internally displaced persons. The Syrian civil war, the conflicts in Afghanistan and Ukraine, and instability in the Sahel region of Africa have produced the largest displacement crises in recent history. The vast majority of these displaced populations are hosted by neighboring developing countries — Turkey, Iran, Colombia, Uganda, and Pakistan collectively host more refugees than all European nations combined — placing disproportionate strain on countries with limited resources.
Climate change is increasingly recognized as a powerful, if often indirect, driver of migration. Rising sea levels threaten the very existence of low-lying island nations such as Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands, while desertification, water scarcity, and the increased frequency of extreme weather events are displacing communities across South Asia, Central America, and East Africa. The World Bank has estimated that by 2050, climate change could produce up to 216 million internal climate migrants across six regions. Notably, the existing international legal framework — including the 1951 Refugee Convention — does not recognize "climate refugees" as a legal category, leaving millions in a state of juridical limbo.
The politics of migration have become increasingly polarized in receiving countries, particularly in Europe and North America. Anti-immigration sentiment, fueled by concerns over cultural identity, economic competition, and security, has bolstered populist movements and reshaped electoral landscapes. Yet the demographic realities facing many developed nations — aging populations, declining birth rates, and labor shortages in critical sectors — suggest that immigration will remain an economic necessity. Reconciling the political resistance to immigration with the structural demand for immigrant labor constitutes one of the most consequential policy challenges of the coming decades. Finding this balance will require not only pragmatic policy design but also a willingness to engage with the complex human dimensions of mobility in an interconnected world.
Câu hỏi trắc nghiệm
Câu 1. What is the main purpose of this passage?
A. To argue that all immigration should be restricted
B. To provide a comprehensive overview of global migration trends, drivers, and challenges
C. To prove that migration is declining worldwide
D. To compare the immigration policies of two specific countries
Câu 2. How many international migrants were there globally in 2020, according to the UN?
A. About 110 million
B. About 216 million
C. About 281 million
D. About 626 million
Câu 3. The word "multifarious" in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to:
A. Simple and straightforward
B. Diverse and varied
C. Controversial
D. Declining
Câu 4. According to the passage, how much did global remittance flows to developing countries exceed in 2022?
A. $216 billion
B. $281 billion
C. $626 billion
D. $110 billion
Câu 5. Which of the following countries is NOT mentioned as hosting large numbers of refugees?
A. Turkey
B. Colombia
C. Japan
D. Uganda
Câu 6. What problem does the passage identify regarding climate migrants and international law?
A. Climate migrants receive too much legal protection
B. The 1951 Refugee Convention does not recognize "climate refugees" as a legal category
C. All countries have already adopted climate migration laws
D. Climate change has no effect on migration patterns
Câu 7. The phrase "juridical limbo" in paragraph 4 most likely means:
A. A state of legal uncertainty with no clear protection or status
B. A type of international court
C. A well-defined legal category for refugees
D. A government agency handling migration
Câu 8. What demographic challenge do many developed nations face?
A. Overpopulation and youth unemployment
B. Aging populations, declining birth rates, and labor shortages
C. Excessive immigration causing population decline
D. A surplus of workers in all economic sectors
Câu 9. What has fueled anti-immigration sentiment in receiving countries?
A. Declining wages in developing countries
B. Concerns over cultural identity, economic competition, and security
C. The high cost of international plane tickets
D. The success of integration programs
Câu 10. What paradox does the author highlight regarding immigration in developed countries?
A. Immigrants want to leave but cannot afford to
B. Political resistance to immigration conflicts with the structural economic need for immigrant labor
C. Developed countries have too many workers and do not need immigrants
D. All developed countries fully support open immigration policies
Đáp án và giải thích
| Câu | Đáp án | Giải thích |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | B | Bài đọc đưa ra cái nhìn toàn diện về xu hướng di cư: nguyên nhân, quy mô, tác động và thách thức chính sách. |
| 2 | C | Đoạn 1: "the number of international migrants reached approximately 281 million in 2020." |
| 3 | B | "Multifarious" = đa dạng, nhiều loại. Ngữ cảnh: nguyên nhân di cư rất đa dạng. |
| 4 | C | Đoạn 2: "global remittance flows... exceeded $626 billion." |
| 5 | C | Nhật Bản không được nhắc đến trong danh sách (Turkey, Iran, Colombia, Uganda, Pakistan). |
| 6 | B | Đoạn 4: "the existing international legal framework... does not recognize 'climate refugees' as a legal category." |
| 7 | A | "Juridical limbo" = tình trạng lấp lửng về pháp lý — không có quy chế bảo vệ rõ ràng. |
| 8 | B | Đoạn 5: "aging populations, declining birth rates, and labor shortages in critical sectors." |
| 9 | B | Đoạn 5: "concerns over cultural identity, economic competition, and security." |
| 10 | B | Đoạn 5: nghịch lý giữa phản đối chính trị với nhu cầu kinh tế cần lao động nhập cư. |
Từ vựng khó
| Từ/Cụm từ | Phiên âm | Nghĩa tiếng Việt |
|---|---|---|
| multifarious | /ˌmʌltɪˈfeəriəs/ | Đa dạng, nhiều loại |
| contentious | /kənˈtenʃəs/ | Gây tranh cãi |
| remittance | /rɪˈmɪtəns/ | Kiều hối (tiền gửi về nước) |
| displacement | /dɪsˈpleɪsmənt/ | Sự di dời, bị buộc phải rời đi |
| desertification | /dɪˌzɜːrtɪfɪˈkeɪʃn/ | Sa mạc hóa |
| juridical | /dʒʊˈrɪdɪkl/ | Thuộc về pháp lý, tư pháp |
| polarized | /ˈpoʊləraɪzd/ | Phân cực, chia rẽ sâu sắc |
| bolstered | /ˈboʊlstərd/ | Củng cố, hỗ trợ mạnh mẽ |
| populist | /ˈpɒpjʊlɪst/ | Dân túy |
| reconciling | /ˈrekənsaɪlɪŋ/ | Hòa giải, dung hòa |
| consequential | /ˌkɒnsɪˈkwenʃəl/ | Hệ trọng, có hậu quả lớn |