IELTS Writing Task 2: Practice Test
Time: 40 minutes Word Count: Minimum 250 words
In many countries, economic growth is seen as the primary measure of national success. However, some people argue that other factors, such as the happiness and well-being of citizens, are more important.
Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Essential Vocabulary List (Economic Development)
Category 1: Key Economic Indicators & Concepts
| # | Word/Phrase | IPA | Vietnamese Meaning | Example |
| 1 | Gross Domestic Product (GDP) | /ˌɡrəʊs dəˈmes.tɪk ˈprɒd.ʌkt/ | Tổng sản phẩm quốc nội | GDP is the standard measure of the value added created through the production of goods and services. |
| 2 | Economic stagnation | /ˌiː.kəˈnɒm.ɪk stæɡˈneɪ.ʃən/ | Sự trì trệ kinh tế | The war led to a long period of economic stagnation. |
| 3 | Inflation | /ɪnˈfleɪ.ʃən/ | Lạm phát | High inflation reduces the purchasing power of the average citizen. |
| 4 | Recession | /rɪˈseʃ.ən/ | Suy thoái kinh tế | Many businesses went bankrupt during the global recession. |
| 5 | Per capita income | /pɜː ˈkæp.ɪ.tə ˈɪn.kʌm/ | Thu nhập bình quân đầu người | Luxembourg has one of the highest per capita incomes in the world. |
| 6 | Fiscal policy | /ˈfɪs.kəl ˈpɒl.ə.si/ | Chính sách tài khóa | The government adopted a tight fiscal policy to control spending. |
| 7 | Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) | /ˌfɒr.ən daɪˈrekt ɪnˈvest.mənt/ | Đầu tư trực tiếp nước ngoài | Attracting FDI is crucial for developing nations to build infrastructure. |
| 8 | Trade deficit | /treɪd ˈdef.ɪ.sɪt/ | Thâm hụt thương mại | The country is suffering from a massive trade deficit because it imports more than it exports. |
| 9 | Tax revenue | /tæks ˈrev.ən.juː/ | Doanh thu từ thuế | Tax revenue is used to fund public services like healthcare and education. |
| 10 | Interest rate | /ˈɪn.trəst reɪt/ | Lãi suất | The central bank raised the interest rate to curb inflation. |
Category 2: Growth & Development (Positive)
| # | Word/Phrase | IPA | Vietnamese Meaning | Example |
| 11 | Prosperity | /prɒsˈper.ə.ti/ | Sự thịnh vượng | Political stability is the foundation of economic prosperity. |
| 12 | Thrive / Flourish | /θraɪv/ – /ˈflʌr.ɪʃ/ | Phát triển mạnh mẽ, hưng thịnh | The tourism industry continues to thrive despite the global downturn. |
| 13 | Standard of living | /ˈstæn.dəd əv ˈlɪv.ɪŋ/ | Mức sống (vật chất) | Technology has significantly improved our standard of living. |
| 14 | Quality of life | /ˈkwɒl.ə.ti əv laɪf/ | Chất lượng cuộc sống (tinh thần & vật chất) | A high salary does not guarantee a good quality of life if you are always stressed. |
| 15 | Sustainable development | /səˈsteɪ.nə.bəl dɪˈvel.əp.mənt/ | Phát triển bền vững | Sustainable development meets the needs of the present without compromising the future. |
| 16 | Emerging economy | /ɪˈmɜː.dʒɪŋ iˈkɒn.ə.mi/ | Nền kinh tế mới nổi | Vietnam is considered a dynamic emerging economy in Southeast Asia. |
| 17 | Entrepreneurship | /ˌɒn.trə.prəˈnɜː.ʃɪp/ | Tinh thần khởi nghiệp | The government is encouraging entrepreneurship among young people. |
| 18 | Innovation | /ˌɪn.əˈveɪ.ʃən/ | Sự đổi mới, sáng tạo | Innovation in technology drives economic efficiency. |
| 19 | Infrastructure | /ˈɪn.frəˌstrʌk.tʃər/ | Cơ sở hạ tầng | Poor infrastructure, such as bad roads, hinders economic growth. |
| 20 | Booming | /ˈbuː.mɪŋ/ | Bùng nổ (phát triển nhanh) | The real estate market is booming due to low interest rates. |
Category 3: Inequality & Problems (Negative)
| # | Word/Phrase | IPA | Vietnamese Meaning | Example |
| 21 | Wealth gap / Disparity | /welθ ɡæp/ | Khoảng cách giàu nghèo | The wealth gap between the elite and the working class is widening. |
| 22 | Income inequality | /ˈɪn.kʌm ˌɪn.ɪˈkwɒl.ə.ti/ | Bất bình đẳng thu nhập | Taxation is one way to address income inequality. |
| 23 | Poverty alleviation | /ˈpɒv.ə.ti əˌliː.viˈeɪ.ʃən/ | Xóa đói giảm nghèo | Poverty alleviation remains a primary goal for the United Nations. |
| 24 | Brain drain | /ˈbreɪn ˌdreɪn/ | Chảy máu chất xám | Developing countries suffer from brain drain as skilled workers move abroad. |
| 25 | Unemployment rate | /ˌʌn.ɪmˈplɔɪ.mənt reɪt/ | Tỷ lệ thất nghiệp | A high unemployment rate can lead to social unrest. |
| 26 | Exploitation | /ˌek.splɔɪˈteɪ.ʃən/ | Sự bóc lột | Economic growth should not come at the cost of the exploitation of workers. |
| 27 | Consumerism | /kənˈsjuː.mə.rɪ.zəm/ | Chủ nghĩa tiêu dùng | Excessive consumerism creates massive amounts of waste. |
| 28 | Austerity measures | /ɔːˈster.ə.ti ˈmeʒ.əz/ | Chính sách “thắt lưng buộc bụng” | The government introduced austerity measures to reduce public debt. |
| 29 | Market saturation | /ˈmɑː.kɪt ˌsætʃ.ərˈeɪ.ʃən/ | Bão hòa thị trường | The smartphone market is reaching market saturation. |
| 30 | Depletion of resources | /dɪˈpliː.ʃən əv rɪˈzɔː.sɪz/ | Cạn kiệt tài nguyên | Rapid industrialization leads to the depletion of natural resources. |
Category 4: Verbs & Collocations for Essay Writing
| # | Word/Phrase | IPA | Vietnamese Meaning | Example |
| 31 | Stimulate / Boost | /ˈstɪm.jə.leɪt/ | Kích cầu, thúc đẩy | Lowering taxes can stimulate the economy. |
| 32 | Hinder / Impede | /ˈhɪn.dər/ | Cản trở, kìm hãm | Bureaucracy can hinder business development. |
| 33 | Generate revenue | /ˈdʒen.ə.reɪt ˈrev.ən.juː/ | Tạo ra doanh thu | Tourism generates revenue for local communities. |
| 34 | Subsidize | /ˈsʌb.sɪ.daɪz/ | Trợ cấp | The government plans to subsidize renewable energy projects. |
| 35 | Allocate resources | /ˈæl.ə.keɪt rɪˈzɔː.sɪz/ | Phân bổ nguồn lực | We must allocate resources efficiently to maximize output. |
| 36 | Bridge the gap | /brɪdʒ ðə ɡæp/ | Thu hẹp khoảng cách | Education helps bridge the gap between the rich and the poor. |
| 37 | Implement policies | /ˈɪm.plɪ.ment ˈpɒl.ə.siz/ | Thi hành chính sách | It takes time to implement policies that support small businesses. |
| 38 | Skyrocket | /ˈskaɪˌrɒk.ɪt/ | Tăng vọt | Housing prices have skyrocketed in the capital city. |
| 39 | Plummet | /ˈplʌm.ɪt/ | Lao dốc, giảm mạnh | Stock prices plummeted after the announcement. |
| 40 | Foster | /ˈfɒs.tər/ | Nuôi dưỡng, thúc đẩy | We need to foster an environment of innovation. |
Category 5: Advanced Phrases & Idioms
| # | Word/Phrase | IPA | Vietnamese Meaning | Example |
| 41 | The backbone of the economy | /ˈbæk.bəʊn/ | Xương sống của nền kinh tế | Agriculture is the backbone of the economy in this region. |
| 42 | A double-edged sword | /ˌdʌb.əl.edʒd ˈsɔːd/ | Con dao hai lưỡi | Globalization is a double-edged sword; it brings wealth but also inequality. |
| 43 | Economic downturn | /iː.kəˈnɒm.ɪk ˈdaʊn.tɜːn/ | Sự suy thoái kinh tế (nhẹ) | Businesses are preparing for a potential economic downturn. |
| 44 | Make ends meet | /meɪk endz miːt/ | Kiếm đủ sống | With rising prices, many families struggle to make ends meet. |
| 45 | Cost of living | /kɒst əv ˈlɪv.ɪŋ/ | Chi phí sinh hoạt | The high cost of living in cities forces people to move to the suburbs. |
| 46 | Social safety net | /ˈsəʊ.ʃəl ˈseɪf.ti net/ | Mạng lưới an sinh xã hội | A strong social safety net protects citizens during unemployment. |
| 47 | Vicious cycle | /ˈvɪʃ.əs ˈsaɪ.kəl/ | Vòng luẩn quẩn (tiêu cực) | Poverty often creates a vicious cycle that is hard to escape. |
| 48 | Economic disparity | /iː.kəˈnɒm.ɪk dɪˈspær.ə.ti/ | Sự chênh lệch kinh tế | Regional economic disparity causes migration to big cities. |
| 49 | State-owned enterprise | /steɪt əʊnd ˈen.tə.praɪz/ | Doanh nghiệp nhà nước | Reform of state-owned enterprises is necessary for efficiency. |
| 50 | Privatization | /ˌpraɪ.və.taɪˈzeɪ.ʃən/ | Tư nhân hóa | Privatization of the railway system led to better service but higher tickets. |
