Kỳ Thi Khảo Sát Chất Lượng Lớp 12 Tiếng Anh 2025-2026 Sở GD&ĐT Hà Nội - Lần 3

Cities often feel noticeably hotter than the surrounding countryside, a phenomenon known as the urban heat island (UHI). An urban heat island is a metropolitan area that becomes significantly warmer than nearby rural regions, largely because concrete, asphalt, and buildings absorb and retain heat. In such environments, waste heat, generated by cars, public transport, factories, homes, and even people themselves, (1) ______. When buildings and paved surfaces are constructed close together, they trap heat, and this insulation effect, which slows the release of warmth, causes temperatures in the spaces between structures to remain high even after sunset.

At night, the contrasts becomes especially clear. Surfaces such as roads, sidewalks, and parking lots act like vast reservoirs of heat, preventing warmth from escaping into the cooler night sky. In a dense city core, skyscrapers and narrow streets restrict airflow, (2) ______. The consequences are serious: poorer air quality develops because pollutants released by vehicles and industry cannot disperse easily, while local water systems are harmed when heated runoff enters streams and rivers, damaging aquatic species adapted to cooler conditions. Urban heat islands also place a heavy strain on energy networks, since residents increasingly rely on air conditioning during summer peaks, (3) ______.

To reduce these effects, urban planners, policymakers, and architects are developing both modest and ambitious strategies. Green roofs, essentially gardens on rooftops, help cool buildings by absorbing sunlight and converting it into biomass rather than heat. (4) ______. Expanding urban vegetation and creating more open layouts improve air circulation, allowing heat to dissipate. Though urban heat islands represent a modern challenge, thoughtful design and collective action can lessen their impact, (5) ______.
(Adapted from https://education.nationalgeographic.org)

Becoming a Responsible Digital Citizen

Facts and Figures

A (11) ______ of individuals, especially teenagers, are spending a significant portion of their day navigating the digital world for learning, entertainment, and social interaction on various platforms.
Digital citizenship operates on a core (12) ______, requiring users to behave ethically and legally in online environments while respecting others' rights and responsibilities.

Positive Action! Protect Your Identity:

Stay informed about the risks of cyberbullying, online scams, and identity theft, as well as the importance of safeguarding your private information.
On a regular (13) ______, users should review their privacy settings and update their security (14) ______ to reduce the risk of unauthorized access to personal accounts.
Promote Online Kindness:
(15) ______ spreading unverified news or harmful content, you can (16) ______ positive movements that foster a healthy digital community and encourage respectful communication among users.
(Adapted from aseanvietnam.vn)

Women employed in technology and financial services may be disproportionately exposed to job displacement as artificial intelligence and automation spread, a report by the City of London Corporation warns. [I] While those sectors are often portrayed as “future-proof”, the report argues that the distribution of work within them is uneven: women remain heavily concentrated in clerical and support functions — precisely the tasks most susceptible to automation — while being underrepresented in higher-growth digital roles.

A further concern is the “mid-career cohort”: women with five or more years of experience who might be expected to transition into more technical positions. Instead, many are being sidelined by recruitment systems that reward linear career trajectories and narrowly defined job histories. The report suggests that rigid hiring practices, increasingly reinforced by automated CV screening, can penalize candidates whose profiles do not match predetermined templates. [II] Career breaks linked to caring responsibilities, for instance, may be treated as gaps rather than evidence of resilience or transferable capability; similarly, experience gained outside conventional tech pathways may be discounted even when it signals strong problem-solving and stakeholder-management skills.

To counteract these dynamics, the City of London Corporation urges employers to prioritize reskilling and upskilling, especially for women not currently in technical roles. The report highlights clerical positions as a key risk area, estimating that around 119,000 such roles across tech, financial and professional services—predominantly performed by women—could be displaced over the next decade. [III] Investing in retraining programmes could also reduce organizational costs, with potential savings of up to £757m in redundancy payments, while helping firms redeploy staff into areas where talent shortages persist.

Crucially, the report argues for a shift from credential-based hiring towards capability-based recruitment, where employers assess potential adaptability and learning agility rather than relying solely on past technical experience. It also notes high attrition among women in tech, with estimates suggesting up to 60,000 leave each year due to limited progression, insufficient recognition and inadequate pay—factors that undermine retention just as demand for digital skills intensifies.

The findings sit within a broader climate of workforce anxiety about AI, with surveys indicating that a significant share of UK workers fear job loss within the next five years. [IV] More than 12,000 vacancies remained unfilled in 2024. Finally, it cautions that pay rises alone will not close the gap; without sustained investment in skills, the digital talent shortfall could persist to at least 2035, potentially costing the UK over £10bn in foregone economic growth.
(Adapted from https://www.theguardian.com)

Elon Musk: A Disruptive Force in Modern Innovation

Elon Musk, the billionaire engineer and entrepreneur behind Tesla, SpaceX, and Neuralink, stands as one of the most (35) _______ figures in contemporary technology. His relentless pursuit of ambitious goals has redefined what human ingenuity can achieve in the face of adversity.
From electrifying the automobile industry to launching reusable rockets, Musk has continuously (36) _______ the boundaries of science and commerce. His ventures not only promote sustainable development but also aim to secure humanity’s long-term survival beyond Earth.
Driven by a blend of intellect and audacity, Musk’s (37) _______ have reshaped global perspectives on energy, transportation, and artificial intelligence. Despite skepticism and repeated setbacks, he persists with unwavering conviction, embodying the spirit of innovation.
Over the past two decades, his revolutionary mindset has altered the trajectory of technological progress, (38) _______ him both a visionary leader and a polarizing public figure. Unquestionably, Musk is far (39) _______ his time, daring to imagine solutions that others deem impossible. His journey reminds us that genuine progress often emerges from those who try (40) _______ the limits of possibility.

[Passage text only partially supplied: page 4 begins mid-passage with the final option of Question 17.] D. Though seen as “future-proof,” tech and finance may put women at higher AI job-loss risk because many work in automatable support roles, not growing digital ones.

[Passage text only partially supplied: page 4 begins mid-passage with the final option of Question 17.] D. Though seen as “future-proof,” tech and finance may put women at higher AI job-loss risk because many work in automatable support roles, not growing digital ones.

In recent decades, digital technologies have become a core component of cultural heritage preservation. Museums, libraries, and research institutions increasingly rely on digital archives to store large collections of historical documents, artworks, and artefacts. Access through digital surrogates rather than direct physical handling reduces deterioration from repeated contact, light exposure, and unstable environmental conditions, extending the lifespan of items.

Digital archiving includes technical processes such as high-resolution scanning, object photography, and structured metadata systems. It plays an important role in organising digital collections. It enables institutions to document attributes such as provenance, physical condition, and historical context, allowing materials to be described and retrieved. Once digitised, items can be stored electronically, duplicated accurately, and distributed without affecting the originals. This allows institutions to maintain multiple secure copies and limits the risk of permanent loss resulting from natural disasters, material decay, or accidental damage. Digitisation is valuable for fragile objects that cannot be examined, transported, or displayed.

Beyond preservation, digital archives substantially extend access to cultural resources. Online platforms allow researchers, students, and the public to consult collections across geographical boundaries, supporting academic research, education, and cross-cultural exchange. Advanced search and retrieval tools facilitate the analysis of large datasets, enabling users to identify patterns, compare records, and locate materials with minimal constraints.

Despite these benefits, the long-term sustainability of digital archives presents persistent challenges. Storage infrastructures and software systems require continual updating to maintain compatibility and data integrity, while evolving file formats necessitate periodic migration. Sustained investment and technical oversight are essential to ensure that digital heritage remains accessible as technologies develop.

(Adapted from UNESCO and British Library publications on digital archiving)