The escalating frequency and intensity of heat waves globally represent one of the most palpable

manifestations of anthropogenic climate change. From North America to Europe and Asia, regions are
experiencing unprecedented temperatures, threatening daily life, public health, and economic stability.
These extreme heat events are not merely natural fluctuations; rather, they bear the unequivocal hallmarks
of a warming planet, driven primarily by the accumulation of greenhouse gases from human activities,
particularly the combustion of fossil fuels. The scientific community has reached a strong consensus,
asserting that every contemporary heat wave is significantly hotter and more probable due to human
influence.
A key characteristic distinguishing modern heat waves is their amplified intensity and duration, often
accompanied by higher overnight low temperatures. While daytime highs grab headlines, the failure of
temperatures to drop significantly at night prevents the human body from recovering, exacerbating the
health consequences for vulnerable populations, including the elderly and those with pre-existing
conditions. This phenomenon is particularly acute in urban areas, where the "urban heat island effect" traps
heat, making cities notably hotter than surrounding rural landscapes. Furthermore, climate attribution
science has advanced considerably, allowing researchers to reliably quantify how much more likely and
intense specific heat waves have become due to global warming, a level of certainty often greater than for
other extreme weather phenomena like floods or droughts. [I]
The immediate impacts of these prolonged heat spells are dire. Infrastructure buckles under the strain, from
buckling roads to overwhelmed power grids. Agricultural yields suffer, leading to food security concerns. The
economic toll is substantial, with lost productivity and increased healthcare costs. Beyond the present, the
trajectory indicates a future with even more severe heat events. Current global warming stands at
approximately 1.2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, yet this relatively modest increase has already
led to heat waves once considered impossible or exceedingly rare. [II] Projections suggest that without
drastic global mitigation efforts, the frequency, intensity, and geographical spread of these events will
continue to escalate, hitting earlier and later in the warm season and becoming increasingly humid and
dangerous.
The simultaneous occurrence of severe heat waves across different continents, such as those recently
observed in the United States and Western Europe, further underscores the systemic nature of this
crisis. [III] Such synchronized events strain global resources and hinder international relief
efforts. Addressing this pressing challenge necessitates a concerted global effort to drastically reduce
greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the unavoidable impacts already locked in. [IV] Only through
transformative policy changes, investment in renewable energy, and enhanced urban planning can societies
hope to build resilience against the relentless march of extreme heat.
Question 20. What is identified as the primary driver of the increasingly intense global heat waves?
A. Increased solar radiation. B. Natural climatic fluctuations.
C. Overuse of air conditioning in urban areas.D. Accumulation of greenhouse gases from human activities.
Question 21. Which of the following best summarizes paragraph 2?
A. Urban heat islands are the sole cause of increased nighttime temperatures during heat waves.
B. Vulnerable populations are disproportionately affected by heat waves, leading to a focus on public health
interventions.
C. Modern heat waves are characterized by amplified intensity, longer duration, and significant health risks
due to elevated nighttime temperatures, which can be reliably linked to climate change.
D. Climate attribution science is primarily used to study floods and droughts rather than heat waves.
Question 22. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a direct impact or characteristic of extreme heat
waves in the passage?
A. Reduced agricultural yields. B. Higher overnight low temperatures.
C. Increased volcanic activity. D. Strain on infrastructure.
Question 23 The word "__exacerbating__" in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to _______.
A. simplifying B. alleviating C. worsening D. mitigating
Question 24 The word "__they__" in paragraph 1 refers to _______.
A. extreme heat events B. greenhouse gases C. human activities D. natural fluctuations
Question 25 Which of the following best paraphrases the underlined sentence in paragraph 1? __they bear
the unequivocal hallmarks of a warming planet__
A. They are caused by unclear signs of global warming.
B. They are responsible for the planet's warming trends.
C. They carry the undeniable signs of a planet getting hotter.
D. They barely show any indication of planetary warming.
Question 26 The passage mentions "buckling roads" and "overwhelmed power grids" in paragraph 3
primarily to _______.
A. provide evidence of the economic benefits of climate adaptation.
B. suggest that current infrastructure is poorly designed for any weather conditions.
C. illustrate the specific types of infrastructure most vulnerable to heat.
D. emphasize the widespread and tangible impacts of prolonged heat spells.
Question 27 What can be inferred about the "urban heat island effect" based on the information in
paragraph 2?
A. It exacerbates the health risks of heat waves by preventing nighttime cooling.
B. It is a phenomenon exclusive to cities in developing countries.
C. It is a natural process unrelated to human activity.
D. It is the primary reason why daytime temperatures are increasing globally.
Question 28 Where in the passage would the following sentence best fit? "This global synchronization adds
another layer of complexity to the climate crisis."
A. [II] B. [I] C. [III] D. [IV]
Question 29. Which of the following best summarizes the main idea of the passage?
A. The urban heat island effect is the most critical factor contributing to rising temperatures, especially in
the Northern Hemisphere.
B. Heat waves are becoming more frequent, intense, and globally synchronized due to human-induced
climate change, posing significant challenges that demand urgent global mitigation and adaptation efforts.
C. While heat waves are intensifying globally, their primary impacts are limited to infrastructure damage and
agricultural losses.
D. Scientific advancements in climate attribution have made it possible to predict all future heat waves with
high accuracy.
Question 20.
What is identified as the primary driver of the increasingly intense global heat waves?
A. Increased solar radiation.
B. Natural climatic fluctuations.
C. Overuse of air conditioning in urban areas.
D. Accumulation of greenhouse gases from human activities.
Explanation: The passage explicitly states in paragraph 1 that extreme heat events are 'driven primarily by
the accumulation of greenhouse gases from human activities, particularly the combustion of fossil fuels.'
Giải thích:Đoạn 1 nêu rõ rằng các sự kiện nắng nóng cực đoan 'chủ yếu do sự tích tụ khí nhà kính từ các
hoạt động của con người, đặc biệt là việc đốt nhiên liệu hóa thạch'.
Question 21. Paragraph summary
Which of the following best summarizes paragraph 2?
A. Urban heat islands are the sole cause of increased nighttime temperatures during heat waves.
B. Vulnerable populations are disproportionately affected by heat waves, leading to a focus on public health
interventions.
C. Modern heat waves are characterized by amplified intensity, longer duration, and significant health risks
due to elevated nighttime temperatures, which can be reliably linked to climate change.
D. Climate attribution science is primarily used to study floods and droughts rather than heat waves.
Explanation: Paragraph 2 details the characteristics of modern heat waves (intensity, duration, nighttime
temperatures, health impacts) and the role of climate attribution science in linking them to global warming.
Giải thích:Đoạn 2 mô tả chi tiết các đặc điểm của sóng nhiệt hiện đại (cường độ, thời gian, nhiệt độ ban
đêm, tác động đến sức khỏe) và vai trò của khoa học quy kết khí hậu trong việc liên kết chúng với sự nóng
lên toàn cầu.
Question 22.
Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a direct impact or characteristic of extreme heat waves in the
passage?
A. Reduced agricultural yields.
B. Higher overnight low temperatures.
C. Increased volcanic activity.
D. Strain on infrastructure.
Explanation: The passage mentions 'strain on infrastructure' and 'agricultural yields suffer' in paragraph 3,
and 'higher overnight low temperatures' in paragraph 2. Increased volcanic activity is not mentioned.
Giải thích:Bài đọc đề cập đến 'căng thẳng lên cơ sở hạ tầng' và 'năng suất nông nghiệp giảm' trong đoạn 3,
và 'nhiệt độ thấp nhất ban đêm cao hơn' trong đoạn 2. Hoạt động núi lửa gia tăng không được đề cập.
Question 23
The word "__exacerbating__" in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to _______.
A. simplifying
B. alleviating
C. worsening
D. mitigating
Explanation: In the context of health consequences, 'exacerbating' means making a bad situation worse.
'Worsening' is the closest synonym.
Giải thích:Trong ngữ cảnh về hậu quả sức khỏe, 'exacerbating' có nghĩa là làm cho tình hình tồi tệ hơn.
'Worsening' là từ đồng nghĩa gần nhất.
Question 24
The word "__they__" in paragraph 1 refers to _______.
A. extreme heat events
B. greenhouse gases
C. human activities
D. natural fluctuations
Explanation: The sentence states, 'These extreme heat events are not merely natural fluctuations; rather,
they bear the unequivocal hallmarks...' The pronoun 'they' refers back to 'These extreme heat events'.
Giải thích:Câu văn nói rằng 'Những sự kiện nắng nóng cực đoan này không chỉ là những biến động tự nhiên;
thay vào đó, chúng mang những dấu hiệu không thể chối cãi...'. Đại từ 'they' (chúng) ở đây đề cập đến
'Những sự kiện nắng nóng cực đoan này'.
Question 25
Which of the following best paraphrases the underlined sentence in paragraph 1? __they bear the
unequivocal hallmarks of a warming planet__
A. They are caused by unclear signs of global warming.
B. They are responsible for the planet's warming trends.
C. They carry the undeniable signs of a planet getting hotter.
D. They barely show any indication of planetary warming.
Explanation: 'Unequivocal hallmarks' means clear, undeniable signs or characteristics. 'A warming planet'
means a planet getting hotter. Option A accurately captures this meaning.
Giải thích:'Unequivocal hallmarks' có nghĩa là những dấu hiệu hoặc đặc điểm rõ ràng, không thể chối cãi. 'A
warming planet' nghĩa là một hành tinh đang nóng lên. Lựa chọn A diễn đạt chính xác ý nghĩa này.
Question 26
The passage mentions "buckling roads" and "overwhelmed power grids" in paragraph 3 primarily to
_______.
A. provide evidence of the economic benefits of climate adaptation.
B. suggest that current infrastructure is poorly designed for any weather conditions.
C. illustrate the specific types of infrastructure most vulnerable to heat.
D. emphasize the widespread and tangible impacts of prolonged heat spells.
Explanation: These examples are given to demonstrate how 'Infrastructure buckles under the strain' as part
of the 'dire' and 'immediate impacts of these prolonged heat spells,' emphasizing their tangible and
widespread nature.
Giải thích:Các ví dụ này được đưa ra để minh họa cách 'Cơ sở hạ tầng bị ảnh hưởng nghiêm trọng' như một
phần của 'những tác động tức thời' và 'nghiêm trọng của các đợt nắng nóng kéo dài', nhấn mạnh tính chất
rõ ràng và phổ biến của chúng.
Question 27
What can be inferred about the "urban heat island effect" based on the information in paragraph 2?
A. It exacerbates the health risks of heat waves by preventing nighttime cooling.
B. It is a phenomenon exclusive to cities in developing countries.
C. It is a natural process unrelated to human activity.
D. It is the primary reason why daytime temperatures are increasing globally.
Explanation: Paragraph 2 states that the urban heat island effect 'traps heat, making cities notably hotter'
and that 'the failure of temperatures to drop significantly at night prevents the human body from
recovering, exacerbating the health consequences.' This implies the effect worsens health risks by
preventing cooling.
Giải thích:Đoạn 2 nói rằng hiệu ứng đảo nhiệt đô thị 'giữ nhiệt, làm cho các thành phố nóng hơn đáng kể' và
'việc nhiệt độ không giảm đáng kể vào ban đêm ngăn cản cơ thể con người phục hồi, làm trầm trọng thêm
hậu quả sức khỏe'. Điều này ngụ ý rằng hiệu ứng này làm tăng rủi ro sức khỏe bằng cách ngăn chặn sự mát
mẻ vào ban đêm.
Question 28
Where in the passage would the following sentence best fit? "This global synchronization adds another layer
of complexity to the climate crisis."
A. [II]
B. [I]
C. [III]
D. [IV]
Explanation: The sentence introduces the idea that simultaneous heat waves create more complexity. It
logically fits after the mention of 'The simultaneous occurrence of severe heat waves across different
continents' and before explaining how such events 'strain global resources and hinder international relief
efforts.'
Giải thích:Câu này giới thiệu ý tưởng rằng các đợt nắng nóng đồng thời tạo ra sự phức tạp hơn. Nó hợp lý
khi đặt sau câu 'Sự xuất hiện đồng thời của các đợt nắng nóng nghiêm trọng trên các lục địa khác nhau' và
trước khi giải thích cách các sự kiện đó 'gây căng thẳng cho nguồn lực toàn cầu và cản trở nỗ lực cứu trợ
quốc tế'.
Question 29.
Which of the following best summarizes the main idea of the passage?
A. The urban heat island effect is the most critical factor contributing to rising temperatures, especially in
the Northern Hemisphere.
B. Heat waves are becoming more frequent, intense, and globally synchronized due to human-induced
climate change, posing significant challenges that demand urgent global mitigation and adaptation efforts.
C. While heat waves are intensifying globally, their primary impacts are limited to infrastructure damage and
agricultural losses.
D. Scientific advancements in climate attribution have made it possible to predict all future heat waves with
high accuracy.
Explanation: The passage's main idea is to explain how heat waves are escalating due to human-caused
climate change, their specific characteristics and impacts, and the urgent need for global action to address
this crisis.
Giải thích:Ý chính của bài đọc là giải thích cách các đợt nắng nóng đang gia tăng do biến đổi khí hậu do con
người gây ra, các đặc điểm và tác động cụ thể của chúng, và sự cần thiết cấp bách của hành động toàn cầu
để giải quyết cuộc khủng hoảng này.