Đề trắc nghiệm Reading Unit 8 (Technology) - Life A2-B1

Reading passage 1 (1-10): The "ConnectSphere" App

A new application called 'ConnectSphere' is changing how people plan and share their holidays. It's not just another social media app; it's a tool which is designed specifically for travellers who want to keep their loved ones updated. If you set up a profile, which takes only a few minutes, you can immediately share your travel plans, including flight details and hotel bookings, with a private group of friends and family. The app allows you to upload unlimited photos and write a detailed daily blog about your adventures, complete with maps showing your route. Many users find this integrated approach much easier than sending lots of individual messages or emails. If a friend subscribes to your travel feed, they will get automatic notifications whenever you post an update. The basic version is completely free to download and use. However, if you want extra features like offline maps for areas with no internet, or cloud storage for high-resolution videos, you will need to pay for the premium version. 

The developers are very proud of their customer support. They say, 'If you have a problem with the app, our customer service team, which is available 24/7, will help you immediately.' They believe that if people use ConnectSphere, they will feel closer to their loved ones, even when they are thousands of miles away. The app also has a unique safety feature that many users praise: if you don't log in for 48 hours, it can automatically send a notification with your last known location to a pre-selected emergency contact. This simple but effective feature gives many solo travellers and their families peace of mind. The ultimate goal is to create a trusted global community where travellers can share experiences safely and easily, and even get tips from other users who have visited the same places.

Reading passage 2 (11-20): The SolarKettle

In many parts of the world, access to clean drinking water is a major and persistent problem. A British inventor, James Bentham, is a person who decided to tackle this issue after a trip to a remote village in Africa. He was shocked to see how much time people, especially women and children, spent collecting firewood just to boil water. He created an invention which is called the SolarKettle. This is a simple but brilliant device that uses only the power of sunlight to boil water, making it completely safe to drink by eliminating pathogens. The SolarKettle looks like a modern thermos flask and is very easy to use. It has a special dark surface which is designed to absorb maximum sunlight and convert it efficiently into heat. You just fill the container with water from any source like a river or a well, close the secure lid, and place it in direct sunlight. If the weather is sunny, the water inside will reach boiling point in about two hours. This simple process kills 99.9% of harmful bacteria and viruses that cause diseases. 

The SolarKettle is perfect for communities where electricity is unreliable or non-existent, and it also reduces deforestation because it removes the need for firewood. It's also an item which is very popular with campers and hikers who need a simple, lightweight way to get safe water in the wild. Unlike many modern water purifiers, it doesn't need expensive filters that you have to replace regularly. The main body is made from a strong, durable plastic that doesn't break easily, even if it's dropped. Bentham's company now works closely with international charities in countries across Africa and Asia where clean water is scarce. Their inspiring mission is to provide a SolarKettle to every family who needs one, improving health and changing lives. This simple piece of technology is a great example of an idea that can save lives and protect the environment at the same time.

Reading passage 3 (21-30): Learning from Dragonflies

Biomimetics, the science of copying or taking inspiration from designs found in nature, has given us many incredible inventions, from self-cleaning paint inspired by lotus leaves to strong adhesives based on gecko feet. Engineers who design new technology are often interested in how animals move, and one creature that has fascinated them for years is the dragonfly. Dragonflies are truly amazing flyers. They can hover perfectly in one spot like a helicopter, fly backwards, and change direction with incredible speed and precision, making them highly efficient hunters. A company which is called 'AeroVironment', a leader in unmanned aircraft systems, used the dragonfly as an idea for a revolutionary new type of drone. The result is the 'Nano Hummingbird', a tiny drone that is very similar to the dragonfly in its flight capabilities, right down to the flapping wings. The main problem with creating such a small and agile drone was building wings that could move in the same complex, figure-eight pattern as an insect's. The engineers depended on high-speed cameras and advanced computer simulations to study the dragonfly's wing movements in minute detail. 

After years of dedicated work on the project, they developed a unique and lightweight mechanism to replicate this motion. The drone is exceptionally good at flying in tight, enclosed spaces where larger, propeller-based drones can't go. It's designed for challenging surveillance and reconnaissance missions, meaning it can be used to gather vital information in dangerous situations, like inside a collapsed building, without being easily seen or heard. The project's lead engineer commented, 'We still have a lot to learn from nature. If we continue to study these animals, we will discover even more efficient ways to design machines for the future.' The success of the Nano Hummingbird clearly shows that nature is often the best engineer, having perfected its incredible designs over millions of years of evolution.

Reading passage 4 (31-40): The Smart Home Revolution

The idea of a 'smart home', a house where everyday devices are connected to the internet and can be controlled remotely, is no longer just a concept from science fiction. It is a rapidly growing reality. Many people now have smart speakers, lights, locks, and thermostats in their homes. If you have a smart speaker, you can play music, set timers, or ask for the weather just by using your voice. If you install smart lights, you will save energy because you can schedule them to turn on and off, or control them from your phone, even when you're on holiday. However, setting up a fully integrated smart home isn't always easy and presents some challenges. 

First, you have to make sure all your devices are compatible with each other. A gadget which works with one system, like Amazon's Alexa, might not work with another, like Apple's HomeKit. This can be frustrating for consumers. In addition, there are serious concerns about security and privacy. If a hacker gets access to your home network, they could potentially control your door locks, spy through your cameras, or access your personal data. This is a significant risk that manufacturers are working hard to solve with better encryption. 

To protect yourself, it's important to use strong, unique passwords for each device and to regularly update your devices' software to get the latest security patches. An expert advises, 'If you buy a new smart device, the very first thing you should do is change the default password.' Despite the challenges, the benefits are significant. A smart home can make life more convenient and efficient. It can also help older people live independently and safely for longer. For example, a system can be set up to send an alert to a family member if an elderly person falls or doesn't move from their bed in the morning. As a result, because of this convenience and added safety, smart homes will likely become even more common and sophisticated in the future.

Reading passage 5 (41-50): Technology and Human Connection

In the last twenty years, technology has fundamentally and irreversibly changed the way we interact with each other. We can now connect with people on the other side of the world instantly and at almost no cost. Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram allow us to share our lives with hundreds, or even thousands, of friends, while messaging apps like WhatsApp make it easy to have continuous conversations at any time of day or night. On one hand, this technology has clear and undeniable benefits. For example, families who are separated by geography can stay in close touch, sharing photos and video calls that make the distance feel smaller. Old friends from school can reconnect after many years apart and rediscover their bond. In addition, people with shared niche interests or health conditions can form supportive communities online, finding friendship and advice in a place where they feel completely understood. 

However, some sociologists and psychologists argue that this constant digital connection is ironically making us less social in the 'real' world. They point to the common sight of a group of friends in a restaurant, all silently looking at their phones instead of talking to each other. If you spend all your free time scrolling through online feeds, you might neglect the important relationships with the people who are right in front of you. The quality of online interaction is also a major question. A 'like' on a photo is not the same as a real, heartfelt conversation, and a text message can lack the emotional nuance of a face-to-face chat. In other words, digital connection can sometimes be superficial and lack true depth. 

The challenge for modern society, therefore, is to find a healthy balance. Technology is a powerful tool, and like any tool, its effect depends entirely on how we choose to use it. If we use it to arrange meetings and support our real-world relationships, it will be a positive force. On the other hand, if we let it replace genuine human contact, we will find ourselves feeling more isolated and lonely than ever before. Ultimately, the devices which are supposed to connect us won't make the important decisions about our social lives for us; we have to do that ourselves.