Boost your comprehension cambridge IELTS 11 dinh thang 19082019

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TÁC GIẢ & NHÓM THỰC HIỆN
Đinh Thắng
Giáo viên dạy IELTS tại Hà Nội từ năm 2012.
Chứng chỉ ngành ngôn ngữ Anh, đại học Brighton,
Anh Quốc, 2016. Từng làm việc tại tổ chức giáo dục
quốc tế Language Link Việt Nam (2011-2012). Đạt
học bổng bán phần (75%) của khóa học thạc sỹ
nằm trong chương trình Erasmus Mundus.
Facebook: dinhthangielts
Website: www. ielts-dinhthang.com

Cùng các bạn Luyện Linh, Thu Anh, Đức Duy, Quốc Anh.

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HƯỚNG DẪN HỌC SÁCH BOOST YOUR COMPREHENSION
Phần 1. Hiểu bố cục đoạn văn
Trong cuốn sách này, nhóm làm sách giới thiệu 3 cách bố cục thông tin trong đoạn văn
mà bất kỳ ai học cũng nên biết để có thể nắm được cách triển khai nội dung của một
bài đọc trong các văn bản học thuật.
Đó là
1- Discursive passage

2- Descriptive passage
3- Argumentative passage.

Phần 2. Luyện tập phân tích để hiểu nghĩa các câu dài và khó
Nhóm làm sách khuyên bạn nên thực hiện 04 bước để hiểu một câu dài.
Bước 1: Xác định SVO Chính và Phụ của câu. Đặc biệt là V - động từ chính.
Đối với SVO chính, bạn sẽ khó mà hiểu được ý nghĩa của câu nếu SVO chính
bị lược bỏ. Để tìm được SVO chính thì bạn nên tìm động từ chính trước, vì
động từ thường là thành phần ngắn nhất trong khi các chủ ngữ và tân ngữ có
thể rất dài. Bạn cũng cần chú ý rằng một câu có thể có số động từ chính là 2,3
hoặc nhiều hơn.
Đối với SVO phụ, khi bị lược bỏ, người đọc vẫn có thể hiểu dụng ý của người
viết. (SVO phụ thường là Mệnh đề quan hệ, MĐQH rút gọn, Ving O...)
Bước 2: Xác định các phần bị lược, chuyển đổi về cấu trúc đơn giản
Một số câu người viết sử dụng cấu trúc câu phức tạp như Đảo ngữ, hay rút
gọn câu sẽ khiến người đọc hiểu nhầm hoặc cảm thấy khó hiểu. Việc chuyển
đổi câu về cấu trúc thông thường, hoặc tách câu dài thành nhiều câu đơn giúp
câu trở nên sáng tỏ hơn.
Bước 3: Tóm lược ý chính của câu
Sau bước 2, bạn đã phần nào hiểu được dụng ý của người viết. Tuy nhiên,
câu vẫn khá dài. Việc tóm gọn lại ý chính với cách dùng từ và cấu trúc đơn
giản hơn sẽ giúp bạn nhớ được ý chính của câu dễ dàng hơn.
Bước 4: Dịch nghĩa tiếng Việt
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Phần dịch nghĩa tiếng Việt được đưa vào để giúp bạn hiểu triệt để hơn về hơn một số
câu phức tạp. Nhóm không khuyến khích các bạn quá lệ thuộc vào phần này. Phần này
chỉ nên tham khảo sau khi các bạn đã thực hiện 3 bước đầu tiên.
Đối với cuốn sách này, các bạn hãy tìm câu tương ứng trong bài đọc và thử xác định
SVO trước khi đối chiếu với sách. Sau khi học xong, các bạn hãy áp dụng cách làm này
với những câu có cấu trúc phức tạp khác mà bạn gặp phải khi làm bất kỳ bài đọc nào.
Khi bạn đã làm nhuần nhuyễn, thì không cần phải qua 3 bước, chỉ cần lướt qua là bạn
đã nắm được ý chính của câu rồi. Hãy nhớ “Practice makes perfect”!
Nếu có câu nào khiến bạn cảm thấy khó hiểu, hãy chia sẻ trong nhóm: Hội chia sẻ sách
Boost your vocabulary

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PHẦN 01
BỐ CỤC THÔNG TIN
TRONG ĐOẠN VĂN

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DISCURSIVE PASSAGE
In a discursive paragraph:
+ They may present contrasting points in an argument or explain a complex theory.
+ The writer may use cohesive devices to explain how the ideas are connected. i.e: furthermore,
as a result, such as, although, however,...
+ The passage contains the theories or views of different people or experts. (including
quotations)
+ Matching features & matching names are typical types of questions in a discursive
paragraph.

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READING PASSAGE 01 - Crop-growing skyscrapers
DISCURSIVE PASSAGE
CONTENT

PURPOSE

STAGE OF
ESSAY

By the year 2050, nearly 80% of the Earth’s population

will live in urban centres. Applying the most conservative
estimates to current demographic trends, the human
population will increase by about three billion people by
then. An estimated 109 hectares of new land (about 20%
larger than Brazil) will be needed to grow enough food to
feed them, if traditional farming methods continue as they
are practised today. At present, throughout the world, over
80% of the land that is suitable for raising crops is in use.
Historically, some 15% of that has been laid waste by
poor management practices. What can be done to
ensure enough food for the world’s population to live
on?

+ Hook readers’ attention
by giving surprising facts
and statistics

The concept of indoor farming is not new, since hothouse
production of tomatoes and other produce has been in
vogue for some time. What is new is the urgent need to
scale up this technology to accommodate another three
billion people. Many believe an entirely new approach to
indoor farming is required, employing cutting-edge
technologies. One such proposal is for the ‘Vertical
Farm’. The concept is of multi-storey buildings in which
food crops are grown in environmentally controlled
conditions. Situated in the heart of urban centres, they
would drastically reduce the amount of transportation
required to bring food to consumers. Vertical farms would
need to be efficient, cheap to construct and safe to

operate. If successfully implemented, proponents claim,
vertical farms offer the promise of urban renewal,

+ Answer the question in
the introductory
paragraph. It is also the
topic that will be
discussed in this essay:

+ Introduce readers to

INTRODUCTION

the topic that will be
discussed by a question
(thesis statement)

BODY 1
DESCRIPTION

“One such proposal is for
the ‘Vertical Farm”.

+ Describe the concept of
“Vertical Farm”
(The concept of....is.....)

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sustainable production of a safe and varied food supply
(through year-round production of all crops), and the
eventual repair of ecosystems that have been sacrificed
for horizontal farming.

+ Explain the pros of
“vertical farm”:
(would reduce...., If
successfully
implemented,......offer the
promise of....)

It took humans 10,000 years to learn how to grow most of
the crops we now take for granted. Along the way, we
despoiled most of the land we worked, often turning
verdant, natural ecozones into semi-arid deserts. Within
that same time frame, we evolved into an urban species,
in which 60% of the human population now lives vertically
in cities. This means that, for the majority, we humans
have shelter from the elements, yet we subject our foodbearing plants to the rigours of the great outdoors and can
do no more than hope for a good weather year. However,
more often than not now, due to a rapidly changing
climate, that is not what happens. Massive floods, long
droughts, hurricanes and severe monsoons take their toll

each year, destroying millions of tons of valuable crops.

- Provide evidence and
facts to support the
argument that “Vertical
Farm” is an effective
solution.

BODY 2
EXPLANATION

- Cohesive devices:
Along the way,....
Within that same time
frame........
This mean that..........
However,............

The supporters of vertical farming claim many
potential advantages for the system. For instance,
crops would be produced all year round, as they would be
kept in artificially controlled, optimum growing conditions.
There would be no weather-related crop failures due to
droughts, floods or pests. All the food could be grown
organically, eliminating the need for herbicides, pesticides
and fertilisers. The system would greatly reduce the
incidence of many infectious diseases that are acquired at
the agricultural interface. Although the system would
consume energy, it would return energy to the grid via
methane generation from composting non edible parts of

plants. It would also dramatically reduce fossil fuel use, by

+ Topic sentence:
“The supporter
of.....claim that.....”
+ Supporting idea 01:
For instance,....

BODY 03
ARGUMENT
“FOR”

+ Explanation (by
giving results):
There would be....

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cutting out the need for tractors, ploughs and shipping.

......could be........
This system would.....
+ Supporting idea 02:
Although......, it would.....

+ Explanation (by
giving reason):
.....by...........

A major drawback of vertical farming, however, is that

+ Topic sentence:

the plants would require artificial light. Without it, those

A major drawback of.....is
that....

plants nearest the windows would be exposed to more
sunlight and grow more quickly, reducing the efficiency of
the system. Single-storey greenhouses have the benefit of

+ Explanation (by
giving reason):

natural overhead light; even so, many still need artificial

Without it.........

lighting. A multi-storey facility with no natural overhead

+ Explanation (by
giving results):

light would require far more. Generating enough light

could be prohibitively expensive, unless cheap,
renewable energy is available, and this appears to be
rather a future aspiration than a likelihood for the near
future.
One variation on vertical farming that has been
developed is to grow plants in stacked trays that move on
rails. Moving the trays allows the plants to get enough
sunlight. This system is already in operation, and works
well within a single-storey greenhouse with light reaching
it from above: it is not certain, however, that it can be
made to work without that overhead natural light.

BODY 04

ARGUMENT
“AGAINST”

Generating enough light
could be...............
This appears to
be..............

A counter argument to
address the concern
over the drawbacks of
Vertical Farm in the
previous paragraph 
The writer wishes to
prove his/her point that
‘vertical farming’ is a

good option.

BODY 05

COUNTERARGUMENT

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+ One variation on
vertical farming that has
been developed is to....
+ Moving on.....allow....to
+ This system is
already......
+ It is not certain,
however, that can be
made to....without........

Vertical farming is an attempt to address the undoubted
problems that we face in producing enough food for a
growing population. At the moment, though, more needs
to be done to reduce the detrimental impact it would have
on the environment, particularly as regards the use of
energy. While it is possible that much of our food will

be grown in skyscrapers in future, most experts
currently believe it is far more likely that we will
simply use the space available on urban rooftops.

+ Summary the main idea
of the passage.
+ Restate the writer’s
opinion.
While it is possible
that......., most experts
currently believe it is far
more likely that............

CONCLUSION

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DESCRIPTIVE PASSAGE
Signs of a descriptive passage
+ Specific numbers, date, time, year...
+ Notes/flow-chart/diagrams completion tasks (You may have to look at the
questions; there is a diagram/flow-chart/note completion task. This means that you
should expect to read a description of the stages of a process somewhere in the
passage).

Structures of a descriptive passage
In a descriptive passage, you may expect to find a Chronological Order (it arranges
events according to a time frame):
+ When/What/Who/How: including processes, steps of an event in a certain order......
(Take the structure of this passage as an example)

19 July, 1545
The myth
of Mary
Rose

16 June
16 June
1836
How Mary Rose
was first
discovered

1965- 1982
The challenge
of finding &
raising Mary
Rose

January- October, 1982
The successful process
of raising Mary Rose

For example, Chronological order refers to ordering events in accordance with the

time sequence in which they occurred

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TEST 2 - READING PASSAGE 1 - RAISING THE MARY ROSE

DESCRIPTIVE PASSAGE
CONTENT

EXPLANATION

How a sixteenth-century warship was recovered from the
seabed.

Introduce the topic of the
passage

On 19 July 1545, English and French fleets were
engaged in a sea battle off the coast of southern England
in the area of water called the Solent, between
Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight. Among the English
vessels was a warship by the name of Mary Rose. Built
in Portsmouth some 35 years earlier, she had had a
long and successful fighting career, and was a

favourite of King Henry VIII. Accounts of what happened
to the ship vary: while witnesses agree that she was not
hit by the French, some maintain that she was outdated,
overladen and sailing too low in the water, others that
she was mishandled by undisciplined crew. What is
undisputed, however, is that the Mary Rose sank into
the Solent that day, taking at least 500 men with her. After
the battle, attempts were made to recover the ship, but
these failed.

19 July 1545: The myth of
Mary Rose:

STAGE
OF
ESSAY

INTRODUCTION

What is it?
Stage 01

By the name of, built in.., a
long successful fighting
career, a favorite of......
What happened to it?
+ While witnesses agree
that...
+ Some maintain that......
+ Others that.....

+ What is undisputed is
that....
+ After.....
+ As a result...........

The Mary Rose came to rest on the seabed, lying on her
starboard (right) side at an angle of approximately 60
degrees. The hull (the body of the ship) acted as a trap for
the sand and mud carried by Solent currents. As a result,
the starboard side filled rapidly, leaving the exposed port
(left) side to be eroded by marine organisms and
mechanical degradation. Because of the way the ship
sank, nearly all of the starboard half survived intact.
During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries,10the
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+ Because of............

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entire site became covered with a layer of hard grey clay,
which minimised further erosion.

Then, on 16 June 1836, some fishermen in the Solent
found that their equipment was caught on an underwater
obstruction, which turned out to be the Mary Rose. Diver
John Deane happened to be exploring another sunken

ship nearby, and the fishermen approached him, asking
him to free their gear. Deane dived down, and found the
equipment caught on a timber protruding slightly from the
seabed. Exploring further, he uncovered several other
timbers and a bronze gun. Deane continued diving on the
site intermittently until 1840, recovering several more
guns, two bows, various timbers, part of a pump and
various other small finds.

16 June 1836: How Mary
Rose was first
discovered

The Mary Rose then faded into obscurity for another
hundred years. But in 1965, military historian and
amateur diver Alexander McKee, in conjunction with the
British Sub-Aqua Club, initiated a project called ‘Solent
Ships’. While on paper this was a plan to examine a
number of known wrecks in the Solent, what McKee really
hoped for was to find the Mary Rose. Ordinary search
techniques proved unsatisfactory, so McKee entered into
collaboration with Harold E. Edgerton, professor of
electrical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology. In 1967, Edgerton’s side-scan sonar systems
revealed a large, unusually shaped object, which McKee
believed was the Mary Rose.

1965- 1982: The
challenges of finding and
raising Mary Rose:

Further excavations revealed stray pieces of timber and
an iron gun. But the climax to the operation came when,
on 5 May 1971, part of the ship’s frame was uncovered.
McKee and his team now knew for certain that they had

+” knew for certain that...”

Stage 02

+ Some....found that......
+ ....which turned out to be
the Mary Rose....
+ Exploring further, he
uncovered....

+ “initiated a project
called...”
+ “hoped for was to find the
Mary Rose...”

Stage 3

+” believed was the Mary
Rose...”
+” Further excavations
revealed ...”

+” as yet unaware that”

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found the wreck, but were as yet unaware that it also
housed a treasure trove of beautifully preserved artefacts.
Interest in the project grew, and in 1979, The Mary Rose
Trust was formed, with Prince Charles as its President
and Dr Margaret Rule its Archaeological Director. The
decision whether or not to salvage the wreck was not an
easy one, although an excavation in 1978 had shown that
it might be possible to raise the hull. While the original
aim was to raise the hull if at all feasible, the operation
was not given the go-ahead until January 1982, when
all the necessary information was available.
An important factor in trying to salvage the Mary Rose was
that the remaining hull was an open shell. This led to an
important decision being taken: namely to carry out the
lifting operation in three very distinct stages. The hull
was attached to a lifting frame via a network of bolts and
lifting wires. The problem of the hull being sucked back
downwards into the mud was overcome by using 12
hydraulic jacks. These raised it a few centimetres over a
period of several days, as the lifting frame rose slowly up
its four legs. It was only when the hull was hanging freely
from the lifting frame, clear of the seabed and the suction

effect of the surrounding mud, that the salvage
operation progressed to the second stage. In this
stage, the lifting frame was fixed to a hook attached to a
crane, and the hull was lifted completely clear of the
seabed and transferred underwater into the lifting cradle.
This required precise positioning to locate the legs into the
stabbing guides’ of the lifting cradle. The lifting cradle was
designed to fit the hull using archaeological survey
drawings, and was fitted with air bags to provide additional
cushioning for the hull’s delicate timber framework. The
third and final stage was to lift the entire structure into
the air, by which time the hull was also supported from
below. Finally, on 11 October 1982, millions of people
around the world held their breath as the timber skeleton
of the Mary Rose was lifted clear of the water, ready to be
returned home to Portsmouth.

+ “it might be possible to
raise the hull...”
+ “the operation was not
given the go-ahead until....”

January 19821- October
1982: The processes of
raising Mary Rose.

Final
Stage

+ “three very distinct

stages...”
+”that the salvage
operation progressed to the
second stage....”
+ “In this stage,...”
+ “The third and final stage
was to...”
+”Finally,...”

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ARGUMENTATIVE PASSAGE
In an argumentative passage, the writer agrees or disagrees with an issue by using
reasons, evidence to convince readers that his/her opinion is right.

Signs of an argumentative passage in IELTS Reading:
- Argumentative texts: The writer usually chooses words which indicate their attitude
towards a topic. (Example: confusing, harsh, catastrophic, realistic...)
- Yes/No/Not Given Tasks: You may expect to find a Y/N/NG task in an
argumentative text. You will be asked whether or not the statements in the questions
match the view of the writer.
- Multiple choice questions: In this task, you may be asked to specify the writer’s
opinions.
Outlines of an argumentative essay

Block Pattern

Point-by-point Pattern
I. Introduction
-Explanation of the issue, including
a summary of the other side's
arguments
-Thesis statement

I. Introduction
-Explanation of the issue
-Thesis statement
II.
II. Body

II. Body

Block 1
A. Summary of other side's arguments
B. Rebuttal to the first argument
C. Rebuttal to the second argument
D. Rebuttal to the third argument

A. Statement of the other side's first
argument and rebuttal with your
own counterargument
B. Statement of the other side's second
argument and rebuttal with your own
counterargument
C. Statement of the other side's third

argument and rebuttal with your own
counterargument
III. Conclusion-may include a summary
of your point of view

Block 2
E. Your first argument
F. Your second argument
G. Your third argument

III. Conclusion-may include a summary
of your point of view

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TEST 2: READING PASSAGE 3

Neuroaesthetics
CONTENT

EXPLANATION

An emerging discipline called neuroaesthetics is
seeking to bring scientific objectivity to the study of

art, and has already given us a better
understanding of many masterpieces. The
blurred imagery of Impressionist paintings seems to
stimulate the brain's amygdala, for instance. Since
the amygdala plays a crucial role in our
feelings, that finding might explain why many
people find these pieces so moving.
Could the same approach also shed light on
abstract twentieth-century pieces, from
Mondrian's geometrical blocks of colour, to
Pollock's seemingly haphazard arrangements of
splashed paint on canvas? Sceptics believe that
people claim to like such works simply because
they are famous. We certainly do have an
inclination to follow the crowd. When asked to
make simple perceptual decisions such as
matching a shape to its rotated image, for
example, people often choose a definitively wrong
answer if they see others doing the same. It is easy
to imagine that this mentality would have even
more impact on a fuzzy concept like art
appreciation, where there is no right or wrong
answer.

STAGE
OF
ESSAY

+ Introduce the term
‘neuroaethtics’ and its

applications in the study of art.

+ Thesis statement:
Neuroaeshetic plays an
important role in the study of art.

INTROD
UCTION

Topic sentence: Could the
same approach also shed light
on abstract twentieth-century
pieces,..... to Pollock's seemingly
haphazard arrangements of
splashed paint on canvas?
BODY 1
- Statement of the other side's
first argument:
Sceptics believe that people
claim to like such works simply
because they are famous.
Explanation : We certainly do
have an inclination to follow the
crowd
Example: When asked to make

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simple perceptual decisions....
-Conclusion: “It is easy to
imagine that.............”
Angelina Hawley-Dolan, of Boston College,
Massachusetts, responded to this debate by
asking volunteers to view pairs of paintings - either
the creations of famous abstract artists or the
doodles of infants, chimps and elephants. They
then had to judge which they preferred. A third of
the paintings were given no captions, while many
were labelled incorrectly -volunteers might think
they were viewing a chimp's messy brushstrokes
when they were actually seeing an acclaimed
masterpiece. In each set of trials, volunteers
generally preferred the work of renowned artists,
even when they believed it was by an animal or a
child. It seems that the viewer can sense the
artist's vision in paintings, even if they can't explain
why.

+ The writer’s counter
arguments against the
argument of sceptics

BODY 2

-Giving evidence and
experiments of an expert.
+ Angelina Hawley-Dolan, of
Boston College, Massachusetts,
responded to this debate
by......
+ They then had to judge
which....
+ In each set of trials.....
+ It seems that.......
-The results is that people can
sense the artist’s vision, even if
they did not know who created it.

Robert Pepperell, an artist based at Cardiff
University, creates ambiguous works that are
neither entirely abstract nor clearly representational.
In one study, Pepperell and his collaborators
asked volunteers to decide how' powerful' they
considered an artwork to be, and whether they saw
anything familiar in the piece. The longer they
took to answer these questions, the more highly
they rated the piece under scrutiny, and the greater
their neural activity. It would seem that the brain
sees these images as puzzles, and the harder it is
to decipher the meaning, the more rewarding is the
moment of recognition.

+ The writer gives a series of
experiments to answer the question in

the 1st body paragraph: “Could the same
approach also shed light on abstract
twentieth-century pieces from Mondrian's
geometrical blocks of colour, to Pollock's
seemingly haphazard arrangements of
splashed paint on canvas?”

BODY
3

*Useful words to describe an
experiment:
- In one study,....
- The longer they took...., the more
highly they rated,....
- It would seem that.....

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And what about artists such as Mondrian, whose
paintings consist exclusively of horizontal and
vertical lines encasing blocks of colour? Mondrian's
works are deceptively simple, but eye-tracking
studies confirm that they are meticulously

composed, and that simpily rotating a piece
radically changes the way we view it. With the
originals, volunteers' eyes tended to stay longer on
certain places in the image, but with the altered
versions they would flit across a piece more rapidly.
As a result, the volunteers considered the altered
versions less pleasurable when they later rated the
work.

-........studies confirm that......
-As a result,......
- In a similar study,.....
- He found that......
- In another experiments,....analyzed.....
- Her results suggest that...
- According to....
- What’s more,....
- It is possible that.........

In a similar study, Oshin Vartanian of Toronto
University asked volunteers to compare original
paintings with ones which he had altered by moving
objects around within the frame. He found that
almost everyone preferred the original, whether it
was a Van Gogh still life or an abstract by Miro.
Vartanian also found that changing the
composition of the paintings reduced activation in
those brain areas linked with meaning and
interpretation.

In another experiment, Alex Forsythe of the
University of Liverpool analysed the visual intricacy
of different pieces of art, and her results suggest
that many artists use a key level of detail to please
the brain. Too little and the work is boring, but too
much results in a kind of 'perceptual overload',
according to Forsythe. What's more, appealing
pieces both abstract and representational, show
signs of 'fractals' - repeated motifs recurring in
different scales, fractals are common throughout
nature, for example in the shapes of mountain
peaks or the branches of trees. It is possible that
our visual system, which evolved in the great
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outdoors, finds it easier to process such patterns.

It is also intriguing that the brain appears to process
movement when we see a handwritten letter, as if
we are replaying the writer's moment of creation.
This has led some to wonder whether Pollock's
works feel so dynamic because the brain
reconstructs the energetic actions the artist used as
he painted. This may be down to our brain's 'mirror

neurons', which are known to mimic others'
actions. The hypothesis will need to be thoroughly
tested, however. It might even be the case that
we could use neuroaesthetic studies to
understand the longevity of some pieces of
artwork. While the fashions of the time might shape
what is currently popular, works that are best
adapted to our visual system may be the most
likely to linger once the trends of previous
generations have been forgotten.
It's still early days for the field of neuroaesthetics and these studies are probably only a taste of what
is to come. It would, however, be foolish to reduce
art appreciation to a set of scientific laws. We
shouldn't underestimate the importance of the style
of a particular artist, their place in history and the
artistic environment of their time. Abstract art offers
both a challenge and the freedom to play with
different interpretations. In some ways, it's not so
different to science, where we are constantly
looking for systems and decoding meaning so that
we can view and appreciate the world in a new way.

The writer’s counter
arguments against the idea of
the argument in the 1st body
paragraph (We certainly do have
an inclination to follow the crowd)
 It might even be the case
that we could use
neuroaesthetic studies to

understand the longevity of
some pieces of artwork.

BODY 4

Summary the writer’s point of
view
+ “these studies are probably only a
taste of what is to come”
+” It would, however, be foolish to
reduce art appreciation....”
+ “We shouldn't underestimate the
importance of the style of a
particular artist,...”

CONCLUSION

+” In some ways, it's not so different
to science,...and decoding meaning
so that we can view and appreciate
the world in a new way”.

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PHẦN 02
PHÂN TÍCH VÀ ĐỌC HIỂU CÁC
CÂU DÀI VÀ KHÓ
CAMBRIDGE IELTS 11

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TEST 1
READING PASSAGE 01

CROP-GROWING SKYSCRAPERS
Sentence 01
1. Original sentence = Câu gốc được nhóm làm sách chọn lựa trong bài đọc để phân tích và giải nghĩa
By the year 2050, nearly 80% of the Earth’s population(chủ ngữ) will live (động từ chính) in
urban centres. Applying (động từ phụ) the most conservative estimates to current demographic
trends, the human population(chủ ngữ) will increase (động từ chính) by about three billion
people by then.

By (time), S V. Ving O, S V.
Trạng từ
chỉ thời gian

Mệnh đề chính
(màu đỏ)

Mệnh đề phụ
(màu xám)

2. Complete sentence

=Diễn giải lại câu đầy đủ nhất bao gồm những phần đã được người viết lược đi nhằm giúp
người đọc hiểu đầy đủ nhất dụng ý của người viết hay chủ thể được nói đến trong câu

Nearly 80% of the Earth’s population will live in urban centres by the year 2050. The
human population will increase by about three billion people by then (if we) apply the
most conservative estimates to current demographic trends.

3. Summary =Tóm lược ý chính của câu sao cho ngắn gọn nhất với cấu trúc và từ ngữ đơn giản, dễ hiểu)
Nearly 80% of people on Earth will live in urban centres by the year 2050. The human
population will at least increase by about three billion people by then according to the
study of population.

4. Explanation in Vietnamese =Dịch nghĩa câu gốc sang tiếng Việt
Tính đến năm 2050, gần 80% dân số Trái Đất sẽ sinh sống ở những trung tâm đô thị.
Nếu áp dụng cách ước tính thận trọng nhất vào xu hướng nhân khẩu học hiện tại, dân
số thế giới sẽ tăng khoảng 3 tỷ người cho đến lúc đó.

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Sentence 02
1. Original sentence
If successfully implemented (động từ phụ), proponents claim (động từ chính), vertical
farms offer (động từ phụ) the promise of urban renewal, sustainable production of a
safe and varied food supply (through year-round production of all crops), and the
eventual repair of ecosystems that have been sacrificed (động từ phụ) for horizontal
farming.
If V-PII, S V (that), S V O1, O2, and O3 that VO
Từ (that) thứ nhất nằm trong câu đầy đủ, còn câu gốc thì đã được rút gọn từ that này.
Xem phần 2.complete sentence ở ngay bên dưới.
2. Complete sentence
Proponents claim (that) if (vertical farms are) successfully implemented, vertical farms
offer the promise of urban renewal, (vertical farms offer) sustainable production of a
safe and varied food supply (through year-round production of all crops), and eventually
(vertical farms offer) the repair of ecosystems that have been sacrificed for horizontal
farming.
Ở đây S=proponents V= claim được chuyển lên đầu câu để thuận tiện việc đọc hiểu.
3. Summary
People believe that if this model is successful, vertical farms will help to renew urban
areas, make sustainable food products of many kinds, and eventually repair the
ecosystems that have been damaged by horizontal farming.
4. Explanation in Vietnamese
Những người ủng hộ ý tưởng này khẳng định rằng nếu được áp dụng thành công, các
nông trại theo chiều dọc hứa hẹn sẽ làm mới đô thị, đem lại sự sản xuất bền vững
nguồn thực phẩm an toàn và đa dạng (thông qua việc sản xuất quanh năm mọi cây
lương thực), và cuối cùng là sự khôi phục lại hệ thống sinh thái trước kia đã phải hy sinh
cho mô hình canh tác theo chiều ngang truyền thống.
Sentence 03
1. Original sentence

It took humans 10,000 years to learn how to grow most of the crops we now take for
granted. Along the way, we despoiled most of the land we worked, often turning
verdant, natural ecozones into semi-arid deserts.
S V O (that) SV. Along the way, S V O (that) SV, Ving O
2. Complete sentence
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It took humans 10,000 years to learn how to grow most of the crops (that) we now take
for granted. Along the way, we despoiled most of the land (that) we worked. This action
often turns verdant, natural ecozones into semi-arid deserts.
3. Summary
Humans spent 10,000 years learning how to grow most of the crops that we now do not
value. Along the way, we damaged most of the land we worked, thus making natural
ecozones deserts.
4. Explanation in Vietnamese
Con người đã phải mất 10000 năm để học cách trồng hầu hết các giống cây trồng lương
thực mà hiện nay chúng ta coi là hiển nhiên. Trong quá trình đó, chúng ta đã làm thoái
hóa hầu hết vùng đất chúng ta đã canh tác và vì thế thường biến chúng từ những khu
sinh thái tự nhiên xanh tươi trở thành những sa mạc bán khô cằn.
Sentence 04
1. Original sentence
This means that, for the majority, we humans have shelter from the elements, yet we
subject our food-bearing plants to the rigours of the great outdoors and can do no
more than hope for a good weather year. However, more often than not now, due to a

rapidly changing climate, that is not what happens.
S V that SVO, yet S V O and V O. However, due to smth, S V what V.
2. Complete sentence
This means that, for the majority, we (as) humans have shelter from the elements, yet
we subject our food-bearing plants to the rigours of the great outdoors and (we) can do
no more than hope for a good weather year. However, more often than not now, due to
a rapidly changing climate, that (a good weather year) is not what happens.
3. Summary
The majority of humans are protected from the bad weather, but we make our foodbearing plants experience the bad weather conditions and hope for a good weather
year. However, that now cannot happen because the climate is changing quickly.
4. Explanation in Vietnamese
Điều này có nghĩa là, hầu hết loài người chúng ta được che chở khỏi những yếu tố thời
tiết xấu, nhưng chúng ta lại để mặc cho những loài cây sản xuất lương thực chống chọi
với điều kiện khắc nghiệt bên ngoài và chúng ta chẳng thể làm được gì ngoài hy vọng
cho một năm mưa thuận gió hòa. Tuy nhiên, điều đó bây giờ càng khó xảy ra vì thời tiết
thay đổi nhanh chóng

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Sentence 05
1. Original sentence
A major drawback of vertical farming, however, is that the plants would require artificial
light. Without it, those plants nearest the windows would be exposed to more sunlight
and grow more quickly, reducing the efficiency of the system.

However, S V that SVO.Without it, S V O and V, Ving O
2. Complete sentence
However, a major drawback of vertical farming is that the plants would require artificial
light. Without (artificial light), those plants nearest the windows would be exposed to
more sunlight and (those plants) grow more quickly. This reduces the efficiency of the
system.
3. Summary
However, a big disadvantage of vertical farming is that the plants need artificial light.
Without it, those plants nearest the windows would get more sunlight and grow more
quickly, so the system becomes less effective.
4. Explanation in Vietnamese
Tuynhiên, một nhược điểm lớn của mô hình canh tác theo chiều dọc là những loài cây
cần ánh sáng nhân tạo. Không có ánh sáng này, những cây gần những cửa sổ nhất sẽ
tiếp xúc với nhiều ánh sáng hơn và phát triển nhanh hơn, làm giảm hiệu quả của cả hệ
thống.
Sentence 06
1. Original sentence
Generating enough light could be prohibitively expensive, unless cheap, renewable
energy is available, and this appears to be rather a future aspiration than a likelihood
for the near future.
S V O unless SV, and S V O
*cheap, renewable energy = Noun Phrase = [Adjective 1, Adjective 2 Noun]
2. Complete sentence
Generating enough light could be prohibitively expensive, unless cheap, renewable
energy is available, and this appears to be rather a future aspiration than a likelihood for
the near future.
3. Summary
Producing enough light could be very expensive unless we have cheap and renewable
energy to use, and this seems to be a hope for future, not a possible thing in the near
future.

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4. Explanation in Vietnamese
Việc tạo ra đủ ánh sáng có thể quá đắt đỏ, trừ khi chúng ta có sẵn nguồn năng lượng
có thể tái tạo được và giá rẻ; và điều này có vẻ như là một mong muốn cho tương lai
hơn là một khả năng trong tương lai gần.
Sentence 07
1. Original sentence
At the moment, though, more needs to be done to reduce the detrimental impact it
would have on the environment, particularly as regards the use of energy.
At the moment, S V ...the detrimental impact (that) SVO, particulary as regards O.
2. Complete sentence
However, at the moment, more (attempt) needs to be done to reduce the detrimental
impact that it (=vertical farming) would have on the environment, particularly as regards
the use of energy.
3. Summary
However, at the moment, we need to do more things to reduce the bad impact of
vertical farming on the environment, particularly impacts related to the use of energy.
4. Explanation in Vietnamese
Tuy nhiên, hiện tại chúng ta cần làm nhiều việc hơn để giảm thiểu ảnh hưởng có hại
của mô hình canh tác theo chiều dọc đến môi trường, đặc biệt là liên quan đến việc sử
dụng năng lượng.
Sentence 08
1. Original sentence

While it is possible that much of our food will be grown in skyscrapers in future, most
experts currently believe it is far more likely that we will simply use the space available
on urban rooftops.
While SV (that) SV, S V (that) S V that SVO.
2. Complete sentence
While it is possible that much of our food will be grown in skyscrapers in future, currently
most experts believe (that) it is far more likely that we will simply use the space
available on urban rooftops.
3. Summary
Although much of our food will be able to be grown in tall buildings in future, most
experts now believe that we will possibly use the space on urban rooftops.
4. Explanation in Vietnamese
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