READING PASSAGE 2
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 14-26, which are based on Reading Passage 2 on pages 6 and 7.

Why do we need the arts?

Sometimes people question why we need 'the arts'; what functions do art, music, dance, and literature serve?

A.
Imagine a world in which people spend hours working in offices or factories, and then go home in the evening to sit down to dinner, after which they sleep until it's time to get up and work again. In this world, people do not read or watch TV, listen to music, play computer games, or have pictures to decorate their homes. In fact, there are no pictures in this world—not even advertisements are illustrated, but all are words, and very plain ones at that, with no playfulness left in them. The buildings are completely functional, without a single decorative feature anywhere, and there is no music to dance to and enjoy. Such a world is a world without the arts in any form.

B.
To ask what the arts are good for is not exactly the same as asking what their purpose is. The arts do not have to have a purpose—they do not exist in order to teach, to make a moral point, to entertain, to distract, to arouse, to support a revolution, to disgust, to challenge, to stimulate, or to cheer. They exist chiefly for their own sake. It is artists, not the arts as such, that may have an aim in mind, and their aim may be to do any of the things just listed. But equally, artists may just make a work of art because they feel compelled to. Because the work is its own justification, no aim or goal is necessarily required to explain or, still less, to justify its existence.>> Form đăng kí giải đề thi thật IELTS 4 kĩ năng kèm bài giải bộ đề 100 đề PART 2 IELTS SPEAKING quý đang thi (update hàng tuần) từ IELTS TUTOR

C.
But to say that the arts do not have to serve an aim beyond themselves, even though they may sometimes do so, is not to say that they are good for nothing. On the contrary, as such an important part of human experience, they are good for many things. The distinction here lies between things that are instrumental and things that are ends in themselves. An instrument exists for something beyond itself—namely, for what it can be used to do. We know that pictures are used as instruments in advertising, and the objective is always to persuade us to buy something. Similarly, music can be written chiefly to accompany dancing, or as a soundtrack to a movie. A play can be written to point out to the theatre audience a social injustice or other problems that should be dealt with. But even though the arts can sometimes be instrumental, that fact is not essential to their nature. What the arts are 'good for' arises from their being an end in themselves, or more accurately, representing many different things that are valuable for their own sakes—such as, for instance, the creation of beauty.

D.
The phrase "the arts" includes painting, sculpture, music, literature, dance, and theatre performance, and whatever else (to quote the famous US artist Andy Warhol) anyone can get away with in calling their creation a contribution to "the arts." But the generalisation that the arts, whatever else they are, are always an end in themselves, applies to them all. The arts are one major form of response to the world. They are often an attempt to capture an aspect of the world, to draw attention to something about it, to comment on it, to present a surprising or fresh angle on it, to represent it for the sake of exploring something about it, or enjoying or celebrating it. They can help people to focus on, for example, the colour or shape of an object, its eccentricity or typicality, and the interest or perhaps disgust it provokes in them.

E.
For a loose comparison, think of laughing at a joke. We do not laugh so that we can achieve a further goal—in order to be healthy or relaxed, say, even if we thereby succeed in being healthier or more relaxed—but simply because the joke has elicited that reaction. But although it is merely a reaction, laughing is, in fact, good for something nevertheless; it does make people feel better. The arts are a reaction in the same way. French artist Cézanne painted Mont Sainte-Victoire repeatedly because he was fascinated by it, not because he thought that painting it would say something about politics or society or human hopes. Being fascinated by something, attracted to it, repelled by it, or keen to reveal an unusual aspect of it are all responses to that thing. The making of the arts is one outstanding way of expressing such responses.

F.
But the arts are a response not only to things in the world but also to experiences of the world, which lie inside the artist himself. And they are also often an expression of what presses from within the artist without being elicited by externals. Music is a prime example. A symphony, unless it is devised to represent bird song, rain, the sea, and the like, is an abstract expression of a composer’s conception. We may be able to describe what the Russian composer Tchaikovsky is doing in his ballet music, but how can we describe what he is expressing in his piano concertos? Composers may experiment with melody and rhythm in very abstract, sometimes mathematical, ways.

G.
When artists get to work responding to and expressing ideas, whether or not they also want to make a point, entertain, distract, support a revolution, and the rest, they are producing something that someone else will react to in some way. They seek to connect with their audience and express an idea or emotion which has the capacity to enrich our experience of life itself.

Questions 14-18

Reading Passage 2 has seven paragraphs, A-G.
Which paragraph contains the following information?
Write the correct letter, A-G, in boxes 14-18 on your answer sheet.

14. A claim that artists may have no clear objective when creating a piece of art
15. A description of how artists hope to benefit other people
16. A comparison between the arts and things made to perform a particular function
17. A claim that it's possible to convince the world that anything you have is a work of art
18. An example of something that has an unintentional benefit

Questions 19-22
Complete the sentences below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.

1. Some people argue that the arts serve no useful purpose and lack any __________ benefits.
2. While some art is created with a specific __________ in mind, this is not true of all art.
3. The arts can be considered a __________ to the world or to personal experiences.
4. Music, unlike other forms of art, is often described as __________ because it does not necessarily represent anything tangible.

Questions 23-24
Choose TWO letters, A-L.
Write the correct letters in boxes 23 and 24 on your answer sheet.

Which TWO of the following does the writer say the arts can have?

A. The power to address social problems.
B. The ability to convey beauty for its own sake.
C. A deliberate aim to entertain audiences.
D. A way to express an artist's unique vision.
E. A role in encouraging relaxation.
F. The capacity to make everyday life more meaningful.
G. The potential to serve a practical purpose.
H. An opportunity to celebrate political events.
I. The ability to challenge traditional beliefs.
J. A focus on depicting personal emotions.
K. A purpose related to advertising.
L. A means of influencing opinions on current affairs.

Questions 25-26
Choose TWO letters, A-E.
Write the correct letters in boxes 25 and 26 on your answer sheet.

Which TWO of the following statements about composers and music does the writer make?

A. Music is influenced by external elements, such as nature.
B. Composers use mathematical techniques to create their works.
C. Musical works are often a reflection of personal experiences.
D. Music does not always have a clear meaning or message.
E. Composers aim to evoke specific emotions in their audiences.

A. Vocabulary and Explanations

1. Illustrated

   • Definition: Decorated with pictures or visual images.
   • Vietnamese: Minh họa.
   • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "In fact, there are no pictures in this world—not even advertisements are illustrated."
   • Translation: Thực tế, không có hình ảnh nào trong thế giới này, ngay cả quảng cáo cũng không được minh họa.

2. Playfulness

   • Definition: The quality of being fun, lively, or humorous.
   • Vietnamese: Sự vui tươi.
   • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "...all are words, and very plain ones at that, with no playfulness left in them."
   • Translation: ...tất cả đều là chữ viết, và rất đơn giản, không còn sự vui tươi nào trong đó.

3. Functional

   • Definition: Designed to be practical and useful rather than decorative.
   • Vietnamese: Chỉ mang tính chức năng, thực dụng.
   • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "The buildings are completely functional without a single decorative feature anywhere."
   • Translation: Các tòa nhà hoàn toàn chỉ mang tính chức năng mà không có bất kỳ chi tiết trang trí nào.

4. Compelled

   • Definition: Forced or driven to do something.
   • Vietnamese: Bị bắt buộc, thôi thúc.
   • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "But equally artists may just make a work of art because they feel compelled to."
   • Translation: Nhưng các nghệ sĩ cũng có thể tạo ra một tác phẩm nghệ thuật vì họ cảm thấy bị thôi thúc.

5. Justification

   • Definition: A reason or explanation for something.
   • Vietnamese: Sự biện minh, lý do chính đáng.
   • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "Because the work is its own justification, no aim or goal is necessarily required..."
   • Translation: Vì tác phẩm tự thân là sự biện minh, không cần mục đích hay lý do nào.

6. Instrumental

   • Definition: Serving as a means to an end; useful or helpful.
   • Vietnamese: Mang tính công cụ, phương tiện.
   • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "The distinction here lies between things that are instrumental and things that are ends in themselves."
   • Translation: Sự khác biệt nằm ở giữa những thứ mang tính công cụ và những thứ là mục đích tự thân.

7. Eccentricity

   • Definition: The quality of being unconventional or slightly strange.
   • Vietnamese: Sự kỳ quặc, khác thường.
   • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "They can help people to focus on...its eccentricity or typicality."
   • Translation: Chúng có thể giúp mọi người tập trung vào... sự kỳ quặc hoặc tính điển hình của nó.

8. Provokes

   • Definition: Causes a reaction or emotion, often strong or negative.
   • Vietnamese: Kích thích, gây ra (cảm xúc).
   • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "...and the interest or perhaps disgust it provokes in them."
   • Translation: ...và sự thích thú hoặc có thể là ghê tởm mà nó kích thích ở họ.

9. Elicited

   • Definition: Drawn out or brought forth (a reaction, response, or feeling).
   • Vietnamese: Khơi gợi.
   • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "...but simply because the joke has elicited that reaction."
   • Translation: ...nhưng chỉ vì trò đùa đó đã khơi gợi phản ứng đó.

10. Abstract

    • Definition: Existing in thought or as an idea but not having a physical form.
    • Vietnamese: Trừu tượng.
    • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "Music is a prime example...it is an abstract expression of a composer’s conception."
    • Translation: Âm nhạc là một ví dụ điển hình...nó là biểu hiện trừu tượng của ý niệm từ một nhà soạn nhạc.

11. Depicting

    • Definition: Representing or illustrating something in words, images, or art.
    • Vietnamese: Mô tả, khắc họa.
    • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "Composers are good at depicting the world around."
    • Translation: Các nhà soạn nhạc giỏi trong việc mô tả thế giới xung quanh.

12. Conception

    • Definition: An idea, belief, or mental image.
    • Vietnamese: Ý niệm, quan niệm.
    • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "...an abstract expression of a composer’s conception."
    • Translation: ...một biểu hiện trừu tượng của ý niệm từ nhà soạn nhạc.

13. Enrich

    • Definition: To make something more meaningful or rewarding.
    • Vietnamese: Làm phong phú thêm.
    • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "...an idea or emotion which has the capacity to enrich our experience of life itself."
    • Translation: ...một ý tưởng hoặc cảm xúc có khả năng làm phong phú trải nghiệm cuộc sống của chúng ta.

B. Examples from the Text

• "In this world, people do not read or watch TV, listen to music, play computer games or have pictures to decorate their homes."

  • Key Vocabulary: Decorate (Trang trí).

• "The buildings are completely functional without a single decorative feature anywhere."

  • Key Vocabulary: Functional (Chỉ mang tính chức năng).

• "What the arts are 'good for' arises from their being an end in themselves..."

  • Key Vocabulary: Arises (Phát sinh, xuất phát).

• B
• G
• C
• D
• E
• movie
• advertising
• play
• beauty
• B
• D
• A
• C