Thời gian khuyến nghị: 15 phút | Độ khó: B2-C1 | 10 câu hỏi trắc nghiệm
Passage: Quantum Computing — From Theoretical Promise to Practical Applications
For decades, quantum computing existed primarily in the realm of theoretical physics, a tantalizing but seemingly distant prospect that promised to revolutionize computation. In recent years, however, significant advances by corporations such as IBM, Google, and several well-funded startups have brought quantum computing closer to practical viability than ever before. While universal, fault-tolerant quantum computers remain years — perhaps decades — away, the current generation of noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) devices is already demonstrating capabilities that merit serious attention from scientists, policymakers, and industry leaders.
At its core, quantum computing exploits the principles of quantum mechanics — specifically superposition, entanglement, and interference — to perform calculations in fundamentally different ways from classical computers. A classical computer processes information in bits, each of which exists as either a 0 or a 1. A quantum computer, by contrast, uses quantum bits, or qubits, which can exist in a superposition of both states simultaneously. When multiple qubits are entangled, the computational space grows exponentially: a system of 300 qubits can theoretically represent more states than there are atoms in the observable universe. This parallelism enables quantum computers to tackle certain classes of problems — such as factoring large prime numbers, simulating molecular interactions, and optimizing complex systems — with a speed that is fundamentally unattainable for classical machines.
One of the most promising near-term applications lies in drug discovery and materials science. Simulating the behavior of molecules at the quantum level is extraordinarily computationally expensive for classical computers; even relatively simple molecules can require prohibitive amounts of processing power to model accurately. Quantum computers, by their very nature, are well-suited to this task, as they can directly simulate quantum mechanical systems. Pharmaceutical companies including Roche and Merck have established partnerships with quantum computing firms to explore the accelerated identification of drug candidates, potentially reducing the development timeline from over a decade to a few years.
Cryptography represents another domain where quantum computing could have transformative — and potentially disruptive — consequences. The RSA encryption algorithm, which underpins much of modern internet security, relies on the computational difficulty of factoring large numbers. A sufficiently powerful quantum computer running Shor's algorithm could, in theory, break RSA encryption in hours rather than the billions of years it would take a classical supercomputer. This prospect has spurred the development of post-quantum cryptography — new encryption methods designed to be resistant to quantum attacks — and governments worldwide have begun mandating transitions to quantum-safe standards.
Despite these remarkable possibilities, significant technical obstacles persist. Qubits are extraordinarily fragile; they are susceptible to decoherence caused by environmental noise, temperature fluctuations, and electromagnetic interference. Current quantum processors must be cooled to temperatures approaching absolute zero (-273°C) and isolated within elaborate shielding systems. Error rates remain high compared to classical computing, and the development of effective quantum error correction protocols is widely regarded as the central engineering challenge of the field. Nevertheless, the pace of progress has been sufficiently rapid that many experts now consider it a question of when, not whether, quantum computers will achieve practical supremacy across a range of critical applications.
Câu hỏi trắc nghiệm
Câu 1. What is the main idea of this passage?
A. Quantum computers have already replaced classical computers in all industries
B. Quantum computing is advancing toward practical applications despite significant technical challenges
C. Classical computers are more powerful than quantum computers in every scenario
D. Quantum computing is purely theoretical and has no real-world relevance
Câu 2. What distinguishes qubits from classical bits?
A. Qubits can only represent the value 1
B. Qubits can exist in a superposition of both 0 and 1 simultaneously
C. Qubits are larger and more durable than classical bits
D. Qubits operate at room temperature without any special equipment
Câu 3. The word "prohibitive" in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to:
A. Affordable
B. Excessively high, making something impractical
C. Encouraging
D. Moderate
Câu 4. Why are quantum computers well-suited for drug discovery?
A. They can directly simulate quantum mechanical systems at the molecular level
B. They are cheaper to operate than classical computers
C. They have been specifically designed for medical research only
D. They can replace laboratory experiments entirely
Câu 5. What threat does quantum computing pose to modern internet security?
A. It could make the internet too fast to use safely
B. A powerful quantum computer could break RSA encryption using Shor's algorithm
C. It will eliminate the need for passwords entirely
D. It makes all websites vulnerable to power outages
Câu 6. The word "decoherence" in paragraph 5 most likely refers to:
A. The process of making qubits more stable
B. The loss of quantum properties due to environmental interference
C. A method of error correction in quantum computing
D. The cooling process required for quantum processors
Câu 7. What does the phrase "noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ)" suggest about current quantum devices?
A. They are perfect and fully operational
B. They are medium-sized systems with significant error rates
C. They produce excessive sound during operation
D. They are designed exclusively for entertainment purposes
Câu 8. What is "post-quantum cryptography"?
A. Encryption methods used before quantum computing was invented
B. New encryption designed to resist attacks from quantum computers
C. A type of quantum computer optimized for security
D. Software that makes quantum computers run faster
Câu 9. Why must current quantum processors be cooled to near absolute zero?
A. To make them run faster than classical computers
B. To prevent qubits from losing their quantum properties due to environmental noise
C. To reduce electricity consumption
D. To make them compatible with classical software
Câu 10. What conclusion can be drawn from the passage?
A. Quantum computing will never be practical for real-world use
B. Technical challenges remain, but experts are increasingly confident that practical quantum computing is inevitable
C. Only governments, not private companies, are working on quantum computing
D. Quantum computers are already widely available to the general public
Đáp án và giải thích
| Câu | Đáp án | Giải thích |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | B | Bài đọc trình bày cả tiềm năng ứng dụng lẫn thách thức kỹ thuật của máy tính lượng tử — đang tiến gần hơn đến thực tế. |
| 2 | B | Đoạn 2: "qubits... can exist in a superposition of both states simultaneously." |
| 3 | B | "Prohibitive" = quá cao đến mức không thực tế. Ngữ cảnh: chi phí tính toán quá lớn cho máy tính cổ điển. |
| 4 | A | Đoạn 3: "they can directly simulate quantum mechanical systems" — phù hợp tự nhiên với mô phỏng phân tử. |
| 5 | B | Đoạn 4: "quantum computer running Shor's algorithm could... break RSA encryption." |
| 6 | B | "Decoherence" = mất tính liên kết lượng tử do nhiễu môi trường. Ngữ cảnh: qubit rất dễ bị ảnh hưởng bởi nhiệt độ và sóng điện từ. |
| 7 | B | "Noisy" chỉ tỉ lệ lỗi cao, "intermediate-scale" chỉ quy mô trung bình — thiết bị lượng tử thế hệ hiện tại chưa hoàn hảo. |
| 8 | B | Đoạn 4: "new encryption methods designed to be resistant to quantum attacks." |
| 9 | B | Đoạn 5: qubit rất dễ bị decoherence do nhiễu môi trường, nên cần làm lạnh gần 0 tuyệt đối. |
| 10 | B | Đoạn cuối: "many experts now consider it a question of when, not whether" — tự tin rằng máy tính lượng tử sẽ đạt ưu thế thực tế. |
Từ vựng khó
| Từ/Cụm từ | Phiên âm | Nghĩa tiếng Việt |
|---|---|---|
| tantalizing | /ˈtæntəlaɪzɪŋ/ | Hấp dẫn, khiến thèm muốn |
| fault-tolerant | /fɔːlt ˈtɒlərənt/ | Chịu lỗi (hệ thống vẫn hoạt động khi có lỗi) |
| superposition | /ˌsuːpərpəˈzɪʃn/ | Chồng chất (trạng thái lượng tử) |
| entanglement | /ɪnˈtæŋɡlmənt/ | Vướng víu lượng tử |
| exponentially | /ˌekspəˈnenʃəli/ | Theo cấp số nhân |
| unattainable | /ˌʌnəˈteɪnəbl/ | Không thể đạt được |
| transformative | /trænsˈfɔːrmətɪv/ | Mang tính biến đổi, chuyển đổi |
| susceptible | /səˈseptɪbl/ | Dễ bị ảnh hưởng, nhạy cảm |
| decoherence | /diːkoʊˈhɪrəns/ | Mất liên kết lượng tử |
| supremacy | /suːˈpreməsi/ | Ưu thế tuyệt đối |