Updated 2026-08-28upper

Duolingo English Test Interactive Reading Practice #10 — Upper Level

Free DET (Duolingo English Test) Interactive Reading practice #10 — Upper level. Just DET Reading & Vocabulary questions, no grading — solve it yourself and check the answer or model response.

How to practice: This set collects only the Interactive Reading question type from the real DET (Duolingo English Test) — DET Reading & Vocabulary questions. No grading, no timer — solve it yourself, then tap each question to reveal the answer or model response.

Globalization — the process by which goods, capital, information, and people flow across national borders with increasing ease — has reshaped local economies in profound and often contradictory ways. For much of the late twentieth century, economists argued that global economic integration would generate widespread prosperity by allowing countries to specialize in activities where they held comparative advantages. To a significant degree, this prediction has been borne out: extreme poverty rates have fallen substantially across much of Asia and Latin America, and global living standards have improved on numerous measures.

Yet the benefits of globalization have not been distributed evenly, and its disruptive effects on particular communities and sectors have generated a significant political backlash. In many advanced economies, manufacturing industries that once formed the foundation of working-class prosperity were hollowed out as production moved to lower-cost locations. Workers displaced from these industries frequently found that the new service-sector jobs available to them paid less, offered fewer benefits, and provided less job security than the manufacturing roles they had lost. Economists have debated vigorously whether the aggregate gains from trade liberalization are sufficient to compensate for these concentrated, localized losses — and whether existing policy tools are adequate to facilitate that compensation in practice.

Globalization has also transformed local economies through foreign direct investment. Multinational corporations seeking access to new markets or lower production costs have established operations in countries across the developing world, often bringing capital, technology, and management expertise that local firms lack. However, critics argue that the benefits of such investment can be limited by profit repatriation to parent companies, the use of tax havens to minimize local tax obligations, and the tendency of multinationals to hire primarily low-wage workers rather than investing in local skill development.

At the same time, globalization has created significant opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises in emerging markets. E-commerce platforms now allow artisans and producers in remote regions to sell directly to customers on the other side of the world, bypassing traditional distributors and middlemen. This democratization of access to global markets has enabled new forms of entrepreneurship that would have been impossible a generation ago.

Ultimately, the impact of globalization on local economies depends heavily on institutional quality, policy choices, and the degree to which governments invest in education, retraining, and social protection. Countries that have successfully managed the transition tend to be those that combined openness to trade and investment with robust domestic institutions capable of ensuring that the gains are broadly shared.

Q1 · Multiple Choice
According to the passage, what was the central economic argument in favor of globalization during the late twentieth century?
  1. A. That global trade would eliminate all forms of poverty within two decades
  2. B. That countries could specialize in areas of comparative advantage, generating widespread prosperity
  3. C. That multinational corporations would invest heavily in local workforce development
  4. D. That manufacturing jobs would be replaced by higher-paying service-sector employment
Show Answer
Correct: That countries could specialize in areas of comparative advantage, generating widespread prosperity
Q2 · Multiple Choice
What does the passage identify as a primary criticism of foreign direct investment in developing countries?
  1. A. That it always leads to the destruction of local cultural traditions
  2. B. That multinational corporations tend to pay wages that are too high, distorting local labor markets
  3. C. That profits are frequently repatriated and companies use tax havens to minimize local tax obligations
  4. D. That foreign investment consistently fails to transfer any technology to the host country
Show Answer
Correct: That profits are frequently repatriated and companies use tax havens to minimize local tax obligations
Q3 · Multiple Choice
How does the passage characterize the effect of e-commerce on small producers in emerging markets?
  1. A. As largely negative, because it exposes small producers to overwhelming competition from larger firms
  2. B. As an enabling force that allows small producers to access global markets directly, bypassing traditional intermediaries
  3. C. As irrelevant to producers outside major urban centers
  4. D. As beneficial primarily to distributors and middlemen rather than to producers themselves
Show Answer
Correct: As an enabling force that allows small producers to access global markets directly, bypassing traditional intermediaries
Q4 · True / False
The passage argues that globalization has generated uniformly positive outcomes for all segments of society in both developed and developing countries.
Show Answer
Correct: False
Q5 · Highlight
Highlight the sentence that describes what distinguishes countries that have successfully managed the transition brought about by globalization.
Show Answer
Correct: Countries that have successfully managed the transition tend to be those that combined openness to trade and investment with robust domestic institutions capable of ensuring that the gains are broadly shared.

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