Giải đề IELTS Reading – The English canal system

Nếu bạn đang luyện IELTS Reading thì những đề dạng “lịch sử – công nghệ” như The English canal system là “món ăn quen thuộc”: nhiều thông tin, nhiều mốc thời gian, từ vựng hơi khô nhưng rất dễ ra bẫy.

Bài viết hướng tới người mới bắt đầu hoặc band 5.0 – 6.5 đang cần một bản giải chi tiết nhưng dễ hiểu, không quá học thuật.

Giải đề IELTS Reading: The English canal system

The English canal system

The development of a large inland water-transport network of rivers and canals in England in the 18th century was a direct result of the industrial revolution, which needed the support of an effective transport system. The use of inland water transport in England, where rivers are not large compared to elsewhere in Europe, may seem unexpected because no location in England is further than about 150 kilometres from the sea. Thus road transport would seem to have been more viable. However, the small size of rivers may have been an advantage. In the early 18th century, hydraulic technology was still in its infancy and the smaller scale of works necessary for canal and river navigations in England would certainly have made it easier for the engineers of the time to organise them and carry them out.

Another factor in favour of the development of water transport in England is that the roads of the period were insufficient in number and badly maintained, particularly in the steep hills and valleys of the north, and in general they were incapable of carrying the vast quantities of heavy materials needed to supply the growing demands of industry. Merchants who owned factories or who sold the goods produced needed cheap transport for raw materials and for finished products. It was the English merchants who paid for the construction of the first highly successful English canals, unlike many of the European canals, which were financed by the aristocracy.

By the second half of the 18th century, most of England’s canal system had been completed. Civil engineering had improved, and a few early canals which had had long, winding routes were made more direct, thus reducing the overall length of the canal. An additional engineering task was the building of locks, which enabled canals to be built in areas where there were hills. Locks basically acted as steps or lifts to raise or lower a boat from one canal level to another. When a boat was in the central chamber and both sets of lock gates were shut no water could enter or escape through the gates as they were totally waterproof. However, water could enter or leave the lock through the sluice gates. Sluice gates were located below the lock gates and could be opened to allow water to flood into the lock to raise a boat or to flood out of the lock to lower a boat. When the water levels both inside and outside the lock were equal, the lock gates in front of the boat could be opened and it could continue on its journey.

However, there were factors associated with the development of late-18th-century canals which were to cause continual problems for the entire system. To keep down costs, many canals and locks in industrial areas were constructed to small dimensions; often locks were as narrow as 2.15 metres wide. A consequence of this was that boats also had to be narrow. That there would be rapid growth in the amount of produce transported on canals was not appreciated by canal builders of the time. In contrast, canals leading to coastal rivers and ports were wider and had larger boats and locks (around 4.3 metres wide) than the canals in industrial areas. This lack of uniformity of size resulted in a fragmented transport system.

Many of the new canals planned in the 1790s were looked upon just as a means of making money by speculators. These people were not involved with local industries and sometimes lived in other parts of the country. They expected that canals would continue to be successful irrespective of where they were built. However, only a few of them were profitable. Those that were, were usually wide canals in northern England, where they provided a vital link between industry and transport. Many canals of this period were built in agricultural regions, but canals depend on industry for their supply of cargo and so these canals barely repaid their construction costs. By the early 19th century, most were unable to compete with the new railways. To reduce competition, railway companies purchased many of the canals but did not maintain them properly, so several were abandoned.

Inland water transport is no longer widely used in England, with most goods being carried by road. During the latter half of the 20th century, the GDI campaigned to increase national recognition of canals and the role they could play in recreation. It was a difficult task as many influential people in the community thought most canals were already virtually derelict and often parents tried to have them drained because they considered canals a danger to children. However, the increasing publicity which was being given to canals brought them to the attention of a wider and wider audience. Some people were interested in the historic aspects of canals. Because there had been so little investment in them, many canals had remained virtually unchanged from the days, 200 years previously, when they were built. Today, as a result of canal conservation and restoration, they are seen as places of both historical and environmental interest.

Questions 1 – 5

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1?

Write:

• • TRUE – if the statement agrees with the information
  • FALSE – if the statement contradicts the information
  • NOT GIVEN – if there is no information on this

1. 1. Larger rivers would have made the work of 18th-century hydraulic engineers more difficult.
   2. Merchants refused to pay the high costs associated with road transport.
   3. 18th-century European and English canals were funded differently.
   4. Canals were narrower in some places than in others.
   5. The GDI tried to get support for canal closures.

Questions 6 – 9

Complete the notes below. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.

Canal locks

Reasons for:
• locks allowed canal boats had 6 ________

How locks operate:
• a boat is shut in the 7 ________ of the lock
• 8 ________ open or close to raise or lower the level of the water
• water levels have to be 9 ________ before the boat can exit

Questions 10 – 13

Answer the questions below. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.

1. 1. Which group of people from outside the local community saw canals as a way of getting rich?
   2. In which geographical area did the canals make more money?
   3. What were the wrong kinds of areas to build profitable canals in?
   4. Who bought the canals that were not making a profit?

Giải chi tiết Questions 1 – 5 (True / False / Not Given)

Q1. Larger rivers would have made the work of 18th-century hydraulic engineers more difficult.
Đáp án: TRUE

• • Passage nói small rivers là một lợi thế, vì “the smaller scale of works… made it easier for the engineers”.
  • Nếu nhỏ hơn → dễ hơn, thì ngược lại lớn hơn → khó hơn → cùng logic với câu hỏi.
    Câu khẳng định đúng với ý trong bài → TRUE.

Q2. Merchants refused to pay the high costs associated with road transport.
Đáp án: NOT GIVEN

• • Bài chỉ nói:
    • Đường bộ “badly maintained” và “incapable of carrying” lượng hàng lớn.
    • Thương nhân “needed cheap transport” và đã bỏ tiền xây kênh.
  • Không hề nhắc đến việc họ từ chối trả chi phí đường bộ, cũng không nói rõ đường bộ đắt hay rẻ.
    Không đủ thông tin để khẳng định đúng/sai → NOT GIVEN.

Q3. 18th-century European and English canals were funded differently.
Đáp án: TRUE

• • Passage: English canals: merchants bỏ tiền.
  • European canals: được aristocracy (giới quý tộc) tài trợ.
  • Hai nguồn vốn khác nhau → đúng như câu khẳng định → TRUE.

Q4. Canals were narrower in some places than in others.
Đáp án: TRUE

• • Ở vùng công nghiệp: locks “as narrow as 2.15 metres”.
  • Kênh dẫn ra vùng cảng / coastal rivers: locks khoảng 4.3 metres – rộng hơn.
  • Rõ ràng có nơi hẹp, có nơi rộng hơn.
    Khẳng định “narrower in some places than in others” là đúng → TRUE.

Q5. The GDI tried to get support for canal closures.
Đáp án: FALSE

• • GDI được nhắc tới là tổ chức vận động để tăng nhận thức, quảng bá vai trò kênh đào trong giải trí.
  • Họ muốn bảo tồn, phục hồi, không phải đóng kênh.
  • Trái nghĩa hoàn toàn với “tried to get support for canal closures” (vận động để đóng kênh).
    FALSE.

Giải chi tiết Questions 6 – 9 (Note Completion – Canal locks)

Đây là đoạn mô tả quy trình – cực kỳ “điển hình” cho dạng Note / Diagram Completion.

Q6–9: Hoàn thành ghi chú – chọn NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS

1. 6. locks allowed canal boats had ________
      Đáp án: hills

Bài: “locks… enabled canals to be built in areas where there were hills.”
→ Ý: khóa nước (locks) cho phép kênh/thuyền vượt qua địa hình có đồi.
Điền: hills.

1. 7. a boat is shut in the ________ of the lock
      Đáp án: central chamber

Bài: “When a boat was in the central chamber and both sets of lock gates were shut…”
→ Boat được “nhốt” trong central chamber.
Điền: central chamber.

1. 8. ________ open or close to raise or lower the level of the water
      Đáp án: sluice gates

Bài: “water could enter or leave the lock through the sluice gates… could be opened to allow water to flood in / out.”
→ Chính sluice gates điều chỉnh mực nước.
Điền: sluice gates.

1. 9. water levels have to be ________ before the boat can exit
      Đáp án: equal

Bài: “When the water levels… were equal, the lock gates… could be opened.”
→ Mực nước phải bằng nhau thuyền mới đi tiếp.
Điền: equal.

Mini-tip Note Completion:

• • Đọc nhanh phần note → đoán loại từ (noun/adj/number).
  • Dò lại passage vùng mô tả process/steps – thông tin thường đi theo thứ tự.
  • Nhìn kỹ yêu cầu “NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS” để tránh điền thừa.

Giải chi tiết Questions 10 – 13 (Short-answer questions)

Dạng này kiểm tra khả năng tìm thông tin cụ thể (who/where/what). Giới hạn từ: NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS.

1. 10. Which group of people from outside the local community saw canals as a way of getting rich?
       Đáp án: speculators

Bài: “Many of the new canals… were looked upon just as a means of making money by speculators… not involved with local industries and sometimes lived in other parts of the country.”
→ “people from outside the local community” chính là speculators.
Đáp án: speculators.

1. 11. In which geographical area did the canals make more money?
       Đáp án: northern England

Bài: “Those that were [profitable], were usually wide canals in northern England…”
→ Vùng kiếm được nhiều tiền: northern England.
Đáp án: northern England.

1. 12. What were the wrong kinds of areas to build profitable canals in?
       Đáp án: agricultural regions

Bài: “Many canals… were built in agricultural regions, but canals depend on industry… these canals barely repaid their construction costs.”
→ Nơi không phù hợp để có lợi nhuận: agricultural regions.
Đáp án: agricultural regions.

1. 13. Who bought the canals that were not making a profit?
       Đáp án: railway companies

Bài: “To reduce competition, railway companies purchased many of the canals…”
→ Người mua kênh: railway companies.
Đáp án: railway companies.

The English canal system không chỉ là một bài đọc “khó nhằn” về lịch sử giao thông ở Anh, mà còn là một “bài mẫu” rất tốt để bạn rèn gần như đầy đủ các dạng câu hỏi IELTS Reading. Hãy coi mỗi lần giải đề là một lần “mổ xẻ” kỹ năng của mình: sai ở đâu, thiếu từ vựng chỗ nào, vướng dạng câu hỏi nào… Từ đó, bạn sẽ thấy điểm Reading tăng dần một cách chắc chắn và hoàn toàn nằm trong tầm kiểm soát, thay vì chỉ “làm đề cho xong”.

Luyện IELTS Reading qua báo: World’s oceans losing their greenness through global heating, study finds (2025)

LIST TỪ VỰNG TỪ BÀI IELTS READING

• Industrial revolution /ɪnˌdʌstriəl ˌrevəˈluːʃn/ – cuộc cách mạng công nghiệp
• Viable /ˈvaɪəbl/ – khả thi
• Hydraulic technology /haɪˈdrɒlɪk/ – công nghệ thủy lực
• In its infancy /ˈɪnfənsi/ – trong giai đoạn sơ khai
• Insufficient /ˌɪnsəˈfɪʃnt/ – không đủ, thiếu
• Vast quantities /vɑːst ˈkwɒntətiz/ – số lượng lớn
• Raw materials /rɔː məˈtɪəriəlz/ – nguyên liệu thô
• Financed by /ˈfaɪnænst/ – được tài trợ bởi
• Civil engineering /ˌsɪvl ˌendʒɪˈnɪərɪŋ/ – kỹ thuật xây dựng dân dụng
• Winding routes /ˈwaɪndɪŋ ruːts/ – tuyến đường quanh co
• Overall length /ˌəʊvərˈɔːl leŋθ/ – tổng chiều dài
• Locks (n.) /lɒks/ – âu tàu
• Sluice gate /ˈsluːs ɡeɪt/ – van xả nước
• Consequence /ˈkɒnsɪkwəns/ – hệ quả
• Uniformity /ˌjuːnɪˈfɔːməti/ – tính đồng nhất
• Fragmented system /fræɡˈmentɪd/ – hệ thống rời rạc
• Speculator /ˈspekjuleɪtə/ – nhà đầu cơ
• Irrespective of /ɪrɪˈspektɪv əv/ – bất kể
• Vital link /ˈvaɪtl lɪŋk/ – mối liên kết quan trọng
• Barely repaid /ˈbeəli rɪˈpeɪd/ – gần như không hoàn vốn
• Abandoned /əˈbændənd/ – bị bỏ hoang
• National recognition /ˈnæʃnəl ˌrekəɡˈnɪʃn/ – sự công nhận toàn quốc
• Virtually derelict /ˈvɜːtʃuəli ˈderəlɪkt/ – hầu như bị bỏ hoang
• Conservation /ˌkɒnsəˈveɪʃn/ – bảo tồn
• Restoration /ˌrestəˈreɪʃn/ – khôi phục
• Environmental interest /ɪnˌvaɪrənˈmentl ˈɪntrəst/ – giá trị môi trường
• Publicity /pʌbˈlɪsəti/ – sự chú ý từ công chúng
• Recreation /ˌrekriˈeɪʃn/ – hoạt động giải trí
• Influential people /ˌɪnfluˈenʃl/ – người có ảnh hưởng
• Cargo /ˈkɑːɡəʊ/ – hàng hóa (vận chuyển)