Sample and Vocabs For 16 Ielts Speaking Topics Part 2part 3 PDF

IZONE - IELTS TRAINING ACADEMY SPEAKING CHAMPION (UPDATED 16 TOPICS)
IZONE SPEAKING CHAMPION

Topic 1: Music
Topic 2: Traditional Products
Topic 3: Business
Topic 4: Letters/Emails
Topic 5: Shopping
Topic 6: Furniture
Topic 7: Rules
Topic 8: Health/Healthy Lifestyle
Topic 9: Interesting person/foreigner
Topic 10: Teaching
Topic 11: Places/Garden
Topic 12: Advertisement
Topic 13: Education
Topic 14: Encouragement
Topic 15: The Internet/Websites
Topic 16: Home, Apartment
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TOPIC 1: MUSIC
Part 2:
Describe a place you know where people go to listen to music (such as a theatre or
a music hall).
You should say:

Where it is
What kind of music is performed there
What types of people go there
Why people go there how you know this place
And explain your impressions of this place
I have to say that I am a huge fan of live music performances, and among all the
places that offer great music experiences, I wouldn’t hesitate to go for this special
one in my description. It’s “Tranquil café”, which is only a few minutes’ walk from
my workplace and I drop by this café almost every week.
Well, as the name says it all, it’s quite a cozy and ambient place, which particularly
caters to music lovers. Although this place, located in a small alley in the Old
Quarters, is elusive to many, it still appeals to a huge number of patrons weekdays
and weekends alike. Take Wednesday for example, when the music night is open to
all, hordes of audience go up on stage and perform their favorite songs,
accompanied by one or two guitarists. At the weekends, it usually offers songs
composed by Trinh Cong Son and performed by professional singers. Speaking of
Trinh Cong Son, he is a legendary Vietnamese songwriter, who left in his legacy many
pieces of immortal songs.
I guess the comfortable, intimate atmosphere is what makes every mini concert in
this café so magnetizing to the audiences. You know, it was invariably a full house,
at least for every single time I have been there. Like other people, I dig the feeling of
immersing myself in the dim light with good music. I think it’s a great way of
unwinding after some nerve-racking time at work.
 live music performances: những màn trình diễn nhạc sống

 great music experiences: những trải nghiệm âm nhạc tuyệt vời
 wouldn’t hesitate to go for sth: không ngần ngại chọn cái gì
 a few minutes’ walk from: chỉ một vài phút đi bộ từ
 to drop by: ghé qua

 the name says it all: cái tên nói lên tất cả

 a cozy and ambient place: một nơi ấm cúng và dễ chịu
 cater to sbd: cung cấp, phục vụ cho ai
 a small alley in the Old Quarters: con hẻm, ngõ nhỏ trên phố Cổ
 elusive: khó tìm
 to appeal to sbd: thu hút, hấp dẫn ai
 patrons: khách quen
 hordes of audience: đám đông khán giả
 to go up on stage: lên sân khấu
 to be accompanied by: được đệm đàn, được kèm, hỗ trợ bởi
 legacy: di sản, tài sản để lại
 immortal songs: những bài hát bất tử
 intimate: thân mật
 magnetizing (adj) to sbd: thu hút ai (như nam châm)
 invariably a full house: luôn luôn là một nơi kín chỗ, không còn chỗ trống
 to dig something: rất yêu thích điều gì đó
 to immerse myself in the dim light: đắm chìm trong ánh sáng mờ ảo
 to unwind = to relax
 nerve-racking time: thời gian bận rộn áp lực
Part 3
1. Do you think children should listen to music?
Yes, totally, coming into contact with music from an early age/during formative
years can provide abundant benefits. Indeed, it has been proven that music exerts a
positive effect on the children’s cognitive development, and the impact starts as
early as prenatal phase. I guess that’s why many mothers-to-be listen to Mozart
music during their pregnancy, when the babies they carry are no more than little
fetuses. Also, listening to music is a fun way for children to let off a little stress, all
the while learning about the world around them. This is done through singing along
songs, whose lyrics often carry many layers of meaning, and therefore promotes
subconscious learning in children.
 to come into contact with sth: tiếp xúc với cái gì

 formative years: những năm đầu đời, thường có ảnh hưởng rất quan trọng
 abundant: rất nhiều

 to exert a positive effect on: có ảnh hưởng tích cực lên

 cognitive development: sự phát triển nhận thức
 prenatal phase: giai đoạn người mẹ đang mang thai
 mothers-to-be: người sắp làm mẹ
 during pregnancy: trong thời kỳ mang thai
 fetus: phôi thai
 to let off a little stress: xả stress, thư giãn
 all the while: cùng lúc
 many layers of meaning: nhiều lớp nghĩa
 subconscious: thuộc tiềm thức
2. Should music be a compulsory subject at school for children?

Regardless of the importance of music to children, I don’t think that it should be
made a required subject at school. As a matter of fact, when it comes to educating
children, efforts should be made by educators to assure that lessons are enjoyable,
or better still, absorbing. Subjecting a child to learn the subject without her/his own
free will, on the other hand,, would suck the fun out of it. In some cases, the
involuntary introduction of music may even trigger hatred for the unit in some
children who lack an artistic sense. What school and teachers should do instead, I
think, is to integrate some music into each lesson and make it really captivating. This
will help single out children interested in such musical activities, who can, of their
own volition, choose to register for some extra music classes to learn more about
music theories and the likes.
 regardless of: bất chấp, mặc dù

 when it comes to: khi nói đến
 absorbing (adj): hấp dẫn, thu hút sự chú ý, dễ tiếp thu
 to subject sb to do sth: bắt ai trải qua cái gì
 free will: sự tự nguyện
 to suck the fun out of it: lấy hết, hút hết niềm vui ra khỏi nó
 involuntary: không cố ý, không chủ tâm
 to trigger hatred: gây ra sự thù ghét, chán ghét
 to lack an artistic sense: thiếu cảm nhận nghệ thuật
 to integrate sth into sth: đưa cái gì vào, hòa nhập
 captivating: hấp dẫn

 to single out: chọn ra

 of their own volition [formal]: theo ý muốn, mong muốn
 the likes: những thứ tương tự, cùng loại
3. Is listening to traditional (Vietnamese) music popular in Vietnam today?

Sadly no, the music that is heard on every corner in my country is mostly music for
the young, ranging from pop music to EDM or rock music. What makes them
dominant is that listeners can easily relate to such kinds of music as both their lyrics
and their melody are so catchy and in vogue, even though sometimes the actual
words carry little sense. Despite the general prevalence of modern music over
traditional one, the latter are likely to be found in some cultural exchange festivals
among countries and public holidays like the Independence Day of Vietnam. The
fans for such pieces of music are mostly the older generations and the foreigners
who are keen on discovering Vietnamese culture.
 to range from .... to …: từ... đến

 to relate to: đồng cảm, liên hệ được với bản thân
 catchy and in vogue: bắt tai và hợp mốt
 to carry little sense: gần như không mang nghĩa gì
 cultural exchange festivals: lễ hội giao lưu văn hóa
 public holiday: kỳ nghỉ toàn quốc
 to be keen on sth: thích cái gì
4. Should people be charged a small fee when they access to music in any
websites?
Definitely, music shouldn’t be free commodity or else, just like with every other
public goods, people would take it for granted. At the same time, it raises the
awareness of listeners of the hardworking composers and singers, who deserve to
be given credit to, so that they would give birth to more outstanding pieces (of
music) and performances in the future. After all, the music industry has served
unprecedented purpose of altering their customer’s emotions and nurturing their
soul, which makes it a valuable asset to human beings and we should all appreciate
it.
 free commodity: hàng hóa miễn phí

 or else: nếu không thì
 to take it for granted: coi nhẹ

 to raise the awareness of sbd: nâng cao ý thức của ai
 to deserve to be given credit to: xứng đáng được công nhận công lao, đóng góp
 to serve unprecedented purpose: phục vụ cho mục đích chưa từng có tiền lệ
 to alter: thay đổi (=change)
 to nurture their soul: nuôi dưỡng tâm hồn
 a valuable asset: tài sản giá trị

TOPIC 2: TRADITIONAL PRODUCTS

Part 2
Describe a traditional product in your country.
You should say
What it is
Where you saw it
Why it is traditional
And explain how you feel about this product.
In this age of advanced technology, traditional products seem to be overshadowed

and gradually replaced by advanced technological gadgets that are all the rages
these days. However, a product whose popularity hasn’t faded in the least bit is
“Nón lá”, also known as conical hat, as it is not only an age-old symbol of
Vietnamese culture and lifestyle, but also brings about practical benefits.
Conical hat or “Non la” came into existence hundreds of years ago in Vietnam,
making it one of the domestic products with the longest history. What makes this
hand-made product even more traditional and symbolic is that it is made from
bamboo leaves, a material unique to Vietnam, and requires the work of skillful
craftsmen from handicraft villages. Their work ranges from collecting, drying and
ironing leaves, to making frames and so on.
In the early days, conical hat was commonly seen in farmers, merchants, and
especially women as a means of protection against bad weather. As time went by,
conical hat could also be worn together with Ao Dai, a traditional Vietnamese gown,
to embody the femininity and charm of Vietnamese women.
Nowadays, conical hat ceases to serve as a ’bad weather shelter”, but rather as
souvenirs for visiting tourists. In place of the functionality, the conical hat is now
more of a symbolic item, presenting a cultural feature that is one-of-a-kind. As for
me, whenever I have the chance, I jump at the opportunity to introduce this
traditional craft product to my foreign friends, done in the most prideful way I can
think of.

 In this age of advanced technology: trong thời đại công nghệ phát triển như hiện
nay
 To be overshadowed: bị lu mờ
 All the rage: phổ biến, thịnh hành
 Fade: mờ nhạt, kém phổ biến
 Not in the least bit: không một chút nào cả
 A conical hat: mũ hình nón, cái nón
 As = because
 An age-old symbol: biểu tượng lâu đời
 To bring about: đem lại, gây ra (hậu quả hoặc lợi ích)
 To come into existence: bắt đầu tồn tại
 Hand-made product: sản phẩm làm thủ công bằng tay
 Skillful craftsman: nghệ nhân có tay nghề
 Handicraft village: làng nghề thủ công
 To make frames: tạo khuôn
 Merchant: nhà buôn, thương gia
 A means of protection: đồ bảo vệ
 As time goes by,…: Thời gian trôi qua,…
 To embody the femininity and charm: thể hiện sự nữ tính và duyên dáng
 To cease to do sth: ngừng, không còn làm gì
 In place of sth: instead of sth
 One-of-a-kind (adj): độc nhất
 To jump at the opportunity: tận dụng cơ hội
Part 3
1. What are different types of traditional products?
Being an agricultural country, Vietnam has long been known for various types of
traditional agrarian products such as rice, coffee, pepper and the like. Among these,
I would say that rice is the most typical traditional product in Vietnam – sometimes
known as a ‘rice country’. Thanks to favorable weather patterns, rice is grown
across our country and can be harvested during several seasons per year. Another
product that rivals rice in production and popularity is coffee, with millions of tons of
coffee exported overseas every year.
 Agrarian product: nông sản
 And the/such like: vân vân

 Thanks to: nhờ có

 Favorable weather pattern: thời tiết thuận lợi
 To harvest: thu hoạch
 To rival sth: cạnh tranh với, sánh với cái gì
2. How important are traditions and cultural relics?

It is generally accepted that traditions and cultural heritages have long been an
indispensable part of a society as it says a lot about the development of a
civilization, culture and even legacy that is passed down from one generation to
another. To illustrate, several historical sites, including ancient castles, monuments,
and memorials in Vietnam, can help to educate the young about how our ancestors
had fought bravely against foreign invaders in the past. More importantly,
preservation of traditions also helps to strengthen the bond among citizens of a
nation by encouraging them to practice similar norms such as visiting temples or
pagoda on occasions.
 Cultural relic: di vật
 Cultural heritage: di sản văn hóa
 An indispensable part: phần quan trọng, phần không thể thiếu
 To say a lot about sth: nói lên rất nhiều điều về cái gì
 Legacy that is passed down from one generation to another: di sản được truyền từ
thế hệ này sang thế hệ khác
 Monument: tượng đài, lăng mộ
 Memorial: đài tưởng niệm
 To illustrate: để lấy ví dụ, để minh họa
 Foreign invader: ngoại xâm
 Preservation of tradition: việc bảo tồn truyền thống
 To strengthen the bond: thắt chặt tình đoàn kết
 Norm: chuẩn mực cư xử, hành vi phổ biến
3. Do you think it is important to maintain traditional festivals?

I would definitely agree that preserving traditional festivals is closely associated
with the identity of a country, and therefore it is of vital importance. Festivals go
hand in hand with a country’s culture and it allows people the chance to celebrate
these events together, which can stir up national pride and later translate into a
strong sense of national identity. To take an example, the Hung King Temple festival

that takes place every year raises awareness among the young about famous legend
associated as well as its origin.
 To preserve traditional festival: bảo tồn lễ hội truyền thống
 The identity of a country: bản sắc dân tộc
 To go hand in hand with sth: gắn liền chặt chẽ với cái gì
 To stir up national pride: nâng cao lòng tự hào dân tộc
 To translate into sth: chuyển hóa thành cái gì
 Legend: truyền thuyết
4. Name some youth culture values that you know.

Young people nowadays have highly distinctive set of values, be it their styles,
interests, behaviors or beliefs. The most striking differences lie in the young’s
concept of fashion and attitude towards academic education. Fashion-wise,
adolescents are more likely to customize their clothes or dye their hair, which
indicate a strong sense of individuality. At the same time, a good academic
performance seems less desirable than it was, evidenced by a growing number of
college and high-school dropouts. The main explanation, I guess, is that being a
straight A student doesn’t guarantee one a good job or a hefty paycheck anymore.
 Distinctive set of values: các giá trị khác biệt
 Striking difference: sự khác nhau rõ rệt
 Fashion-wise: về mặt thời trang (N-wise: in terms of sth)
 To dye one’s hair: nhuộm tóc
 Sense of individuality: chủ nghĩa cá nhân
 Dropout: người bỏ học
 A hefty paycheck: lương cao

TOPIC 3: BUSINESS
Part 2
Describe a successful businessman you know/ admire
You should say
Who is the person
How you know this person
How she/he became successful
And explain why you consider him/her as a successful business person
My major at university was Business Administration, but most of my peers seem to

fascinate Entrepreneurship and, in fact, many of them have started their own
businesses. However, to single out one that’d stand out in the crowd, I wouldn’t
hesitate to go for Joe, who has an enviable reputation for his cosmetics
salesmanship.
From his look, one could tell straight away that he’s a brilliant guy, and his
impeccable/flawless academic performance (when we were) at school is a
testament to that impression/belief. And so, his career success came as no surprise
to me. Speaking of our schooling, when we were senior students, he used to confide
to me his cherished dream to be his own boss and his drawing up of a business plan
to realize that dream. And as it turned out, this entrepreneurial friend of mine
eventually succeeds in running his own business in selling cosmetic products for
men.
The primary reason why I consider him (as) a successful businessman is that he has
been one of the pioneers in Vietnam who is bold/audacious enough to take
initiatives in selling cosmetics for men, disregarding the traditional female-oriented
nature of this market. And to top it off, he set up his business from scratch, ranging
from doing product and market research, transforming the notion of men using
cosmetics, to establishing the distribution channels to the whole country. All of these
efforts lead to a resounding/roaring success for his business after three years of
operation, and he is about to persuade well-known actors and singers to endorse his
brand in order to gain credibility and in turns attract more sales.
Indeed, Joe’s exemplary courage has motivated many of our classmates, myself
included, to constantly strive for better career prospects/upward mobility. If Joe

could do it, then so could we. “The sky is the limit” – that’s what Joe’s success has
taught us.
 to start their own businesses: khởi nghiệp, tự kinh doanh

 to stand out in the crowd: nổi bật
 enviable reputation: danh tiếng đáng phải ghen tị, ai cũng muốn có
 cosmetics salesmanship: kỹ năng kinh doanh mĩ phẩm
 straight away: ngay lập tức (=immediately)
 impeccable/flawless academic performance: thành tích học thuật hoàn hảo
 a testament to that impression/belief: bằng chứng cho niềm tin đó
 to come as no surprise to me: không bất ngờ với tôi
 cherished dream: ước mơ ấp ủ
 to draw up a business plan: lên kế hoạch kinh doanh
 to realize the dream: hiện thực hóa ước mơ
 to run one’s own business: tự kinh doanh
 bold/audacious: táo bạo
 from scratch: từ đầu, từ không có gì
 a resounding/roaring success: thành công vang dội
 to endorse the brand: công khai ủng hộ một thương hiệu
 to gain credibility: có được uy tín
 exemplary courage: sự dũng cảm đáng noi theo, tấm gương
 upward mobility: sự cầu tiến
1. Do businessmen have to keep working hard even when they are already
successful?
My answer would be a big Yes. Success in business doesn’t come easy, and contrary
to popular belief, it’s more of a process than a destination. Simply put, it takes
perpetual/continuous efforts to keep one’s business in the pink for complacency
would jeopardize success. As for businessmen, if and only if they never cease to
make endeavors in their everyday business operation can they drum up business
and boost their sales figures, especially in the face of the fierce/cut-throat
competition in this day and age. Otherwise, their companies would risk going under
sooner or later.

 not come easy: không dễ dàng

 contrary to popular belief: khác với những gì nhiều người nghĩ
 it’s more of a process than a destination: đó là một quá trình hơn là một điểm đến
 perpetual/continuous efforts: cố gắng liên tục, không ngừng nghỉ
 to keep one’s business in the pink: giữ cho việc kinh doanh tốt đẹp
 complacency would jeopardize success: sự tự mãn sẽ đe dọa thành công
 never cease to make endeavors: không ngừng cố gắng
 to drum up business: thúc đẩy kinh doanh
 to boost the sales figures: tăng doanh số bán hàng
 fierce/cut-throat competition: cạnh tranh khốc liệt
 to go under: phá sản
2. What are the differences between being your own boss and working for others?
There exist multiple fundamental distinctions between being self-employed and

being hired by others. The most obvious one is that being your own boss is
synonymous with a higher level of commitment and the right to make your own
rules. Meanwhile, being in the employ of someone else involves a lower level of
dedication, but it is expected of you to comply with the company’s regulated rules.
 to be synonymous with: đồng nghĩa với

 the right to make your own rules: quyền lập ra luật của riêng bạn
 in the employ of someone else: làm thuê cho người khác
3. What personal qualities are needed to open and run your own business?
The first thing that comes to my mind is that you must be a risk taker, that is, you
should have the will/nerve to go it alone and to shoulder the blame should things
go wrong. This is exceedingly important as you would be subject to multiple risks in
the course of setting up a business, possibly with no one by your side to ‘weather
the storm’ with you, so to speak. Equally important is the demanding amount of
knowledge associated with business law and marketing, the
understanding/comprehension which is the norm for any aspiring entrepreneur. In
other words, you have to be well aware of the legislation in your line of business
and to have the ability to strategize your business plans to act accordingly.

 to come to my mind: xuất hiện trong đầu tôi

 a risk taker: người chấp nhận rủi ro
 to have the will/nerve to do sth: có đủ bản lĩnh, sẵn sàng làm gì
 to go it alone: làm một mình
 to shoulder the blame: nhận trách nhiệm
 in the course of doing sth: trong quá trình làm cái gì
 no one by your side to ‘weather the storm’ with you: không ai ở bên trải qua khó
khăn cùng bạn
 the norm: điều bình thường, quy phạm, tiêu chuẩn
 aspiring entrepreneur: nhà kinh doanh đầy quyết tâm, mong muốn thành công
 to be well aware of sth: nhận thức rõ, biết rõ về
 line of business: lĩnh vực kinh doanh
 to act accordingly: thực hiện theo
4. What are the advantages and disadvantages of delaying the retirement age in
Vietnam?
Extending the retirement age could be a good policy, as it may add
manpower/human resources to the respective country’s workforce, and thereby
relieving the pressure/strain on insufficient labour to meet the ever-growing needs.
Also, an expanded labour force can contribute a great deal to facilitate a more
abundant welfare system for the pensioners. On the downside though, this policy
may bode ill for the elderly’s physical and mental fitness as they still have to work
past the current retirement age, an age at which strenuous and mentally taxing
labour can take a heavy toll on their well-being.
 manpower/human resources: nguồn nhân lực

 to relieve the pressure/strain: giảm áp lực
 to meet the ever-growing needs: đáp ứng nhu cầu luôn tăng
 bode ill for sth: là dấu hiệu xấu của cái gì
 mentally taxing labour: công việc đòi hỏi nhiều về trí não
 to take a heavy toll on sth: ảnh hưởng nặng nề lên cái gì
 well-being: sức khỏe và hạnh phúc
5. Why do business people need creativity?

Creativity is an essential quality that businessmen have to possess owing to the

difficulty in both penetrating a new market and flourishing in an existing one
demand the ability to think out of the box. This will reward those inventive
businessmen with unique products or innovative business practices that would
translate into a competitive edge (in the field). Take a restaurant serving a special
delicacy that doesn’t exist anywhere else for example, it would most likely stand a
better chance of succeeding in boosting the sales figures than, say, a run-of-the-mill
local eatery.
 owing to: bởi vì

 to penetrate a new market: thâm nhập thị trường mới
 to flourish: phát triển thành công, trở nên thịnh vượng
 to think out of the box: tư duy sáng tạo
 inventive/innovative: sáng tạo
 to translate (sth) into sth: mang lại kết quả gì
 a competitive edge: lợi thế cạnh tranh
 to take sth for example: lấy cái gì làm ví dụ
 to stand a better chance of V-ing: có cơ hội nhiều hơn làm gì
 to boost the sales figures: tăng doanh số bán hàng
 say: ví dụ
 a run-of-the-mill local eatery: nhà hàng ăn địa phương bình thường

TOPIC 4 LETTER/EMAIL
Part 2
Describe an important letter you’ve received.
You should say:
Who wrote this letter
When did he/she write it
What this letter was about
And explain what this letter means to you
The first time I received a letter happened almost 10 years ago, when I was in fourth
grade. On that10th birthday of mine, my mother passed me a long letter with a
delicious box of chocolate attached to it.
When I first came across the letter, I was taken aback by such a meaningful gift filled
with affection. Turned out it was from my mom, who wanted to congratulate me on
entering a new chapter of my life. In my mom’s words, my decade of life with her,
including all of our precious memories together, was what she treasured the most
and she just wanted to let me in on it. The first half of the letter was an account of
the most memorable moments we had together, ranging from the first time when I
said “Mama”, me crying on her shoulder upon receiving poor grades at school, to us
fishing together in the frigid winter. In retrospect, I am so blessed to have an
attentive and caring mother like her at such a tender age.
The other half of the letter was a message that she wanted me to take to heart into
my future journey. It was about staying fearless and being myself no matter what
came in my way, and upholding my integrity and my kind-heartedness even when
the going got tough. A point she highlighted was that I should never lose these
fundamental qualities to anything. Being a ten- year-old kid at the time, I could
already feel the love and the strong belief she reserved for me.
Later on in my life, my mother went on to write me a dozen more letters on my
birthdays, and so far she remains the only one ever doing so. The letter writing part
has become such a tradition for us that every time when my birthday is around the
corner, her letter is what I await the most.
 to be taken aback by sth: bị ngạc nhiên bởi cái gì
 to enter a new chapter: bước sang một chương mới
 to treasure the most: trân trọng nhất
 to let sbd in on sth: (inf) cho ai biết một điều bí mật
 frigid winter: mùa đông lạnh

 In retrospect: Khi nhìn lại

 so blessed to have: may mắn có được
 tender age: lứa tuổi non nớt
 to take to heart: mang theo trong trái tim
 to stay fearless: giữ sự không sợ hãi
 no matter what comes in my way: dù gặp phải bất kỳ khó khăn nào
 to uphold my integrity: duy trì sự chính trực của tôi
 kind-heartedness: sự tốt bụng và hào phóng
 when the going gets tough: khi gặp khó khăn
 never lose these fundamental qualities to anything: không bao giờ
đánh đổi những phẩm chất quý giá đó vì bất kỳ thứ gì
 be around the corner: gần đến, sắp đến
 to await the most: trông chờ nhất
Part 3
1. Do you prefer to write letters or emails?
It depends actually. Emails are what I deal with on a daily basis, and therefore are
what I am much more familiar with. This is due in large part to the convenience that
they have to offer, especially in the context of business. However, for some other
circumstances that are not work-related, written letters can be far more appealing.
A prime example of this is Valentine Day, on which a nicely handwritten letter is
undoubtedly better than an average email, content of the letter aside.
 on a daily basis: hàng ngày
 be due in large part to sth: phần lớn là vì cái gì
 the context of business: bối cảnh kinh doanh, công việc
 work-related: liên quan đến công việc
 appealing: hấp dẫn
 A prime example: Một ví dụ điển hình
 a nicely handwritten letter: bức thư viết bằng tay chữ viết đẹp
 undoubtedly: chắc chắn
2. Why do people write handwritten letters to kids?

There are various reasons why adults favor writing letters to children over emailing
them, one of which is the fact that most kids are not used to emails. That is to say
kids generally don’t have the habit of checking their emails daily. And for that

reason, when parents wish to leave their children a message, it would be a much
better option (for them) to put together a handwritten letter, so that the chance of
the children actually getting the message from the mail would significantly go up.
Furthermore, I am not sure if it’s just me, but emails can bring up the image of
formality, which would be appropriate in a working environment rather than as a
tool to communicate to children.
 to favor doing sth over doing sth: thích làm gì hơn làm gì
 That is to say Nói rõ hơn là
 to have the habit of có thói quen
 to bring up sth mang đến
 as a tool to communicate như một công cụ để giao tiếp
3. Is it still useful for companies to communicate with letters?

Unfortunately, no! I hardly see a company communicate with letters. Letters as a
form of communication make it exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, for
enterprises to keep up with the frantic pace of work, as they can take days to reach
the recipient. By comparison, emails are much superior in terms of speed, taking
only seconds to be sent. What’s more, email writing can make use of computing
tools to support spotting typing mistakes/typos, whereas proofreading for
handwriting letters would render them more prone to spelling mistakes resulting
from human errors.
 the frantic pace of work: tốc độ làm việc điên cuồng
 superior in terms of speed: vượt trội về mặt tốc độ
 to make use of: sử dụng được
 to spot typing mistakes/typos: phát hiện ra lỗi đánh máy, lỗi gõ sai
 proofreading: việc đọc và chỉnh sửa
 to render sb adj: khiến ai bị cái gì
 prone to sth: dễ mắc phải cái gì
4. How do you feel when you receive a handwritten letter?

I would be thrilled for sure. In modern society, it is considerably rare to receive a
handwritten letter. Such letters implicitly illustrate the attentiveness of the writer,
as instead of typing an effortless email, he chose to write a letter. Furthermore,
letters always give receivers the sense of sincerity since they are real handwriting. I
think that people should write letters to their loved ones more often, as I bet they
will be extremely happy when receiving such precious gifts.
 thrilled: kinh ngạc, háo hức

 to implicitly illustrate: ngầm cho thấy
 attentiveness: sự quan tâm
 sincerity: sự chân thành

TOPIC 5: SHOPPING
Part 2:
Describe a product you bought and felt happy.
You should say:
What it was
Where you bought it
What it was for/ how it was used
And explain why it made you happy
Like/similar to many other girls, I also have an endless enthusiasm for shopping. And
among the dozens of items I’ve bought so far, I wouldn’t hesitate to go for the Leave-
in Conditioner as my best buy.
It all happened a few months back when my new styling started taking a toll on my
hair, rendering it coarse. That urged me to look for a special product to restore my
shining smooth hair. When I went online to browse for a suitable treatment, there
were hundreds of different products for damaged hair coming from various
international brands. Yet it came to my attention that a great many of those could
be damaging to my scalp, and so after taking my health benefit into consideration, I
decided to narrow my searching scope down to natural and organic products. That’s
when I saw the rave reviews from tons of online articles for a Leave-in Conditioner
produced and distributed by Artnaturals- a famous company in the USA. Well, you
can probably guess what happened next; I dug into my savings to buy it without a
second thought.
Brown in colour and highlighted with white letters wrapped around the bottle, the
eye-catching packaging of the Hair Conditioner was rather elegant. What adds to my
customer satisfaction even more was the product’s user-friendliness, which came as
a great relief to me as I don’t usually have much time to meticulously work out how
to use new lines of product. All I need to do after rinsing my shampoo and towel-
drying my hair is to pump the conditioner twice on my hand and apply it evenly to
my hair. The argan oil from the product smells so pleasant and appealing to me. But
it doesn’t stop there, what actually makes it my all-time favourite purchase is indeed
its therapeutic formula, which allows my damaged dry hair to be restored and even
transformed into silky smooth brilliance. Until now, I still believe that it’s been one
of my wisest decisions to purchase such an amazing product.
 endless enthusiasm: sự nhiệt huyết, niềm yêu thích vô tận

 Leave-in Conditioner: dầu xả khô (để lại trên tóc mà không xả đi với nước sau khi
dùng)
 best buy: sự lựa chọn tốt nhất
 to take a toll on: gây hại đến
 to urge (v): thúc đẩy
 shining smooth hair: tóc suôn mượt óng ả
 to browse for: tìm kiếm
 damaged hair: tóc hư tổn
 a great many of : rất nhiều
 scalp: da đầu
 to narrow my searching scope down to: thu hẹp phạm vi tìm kiếm xuống còn
 rave reviews: lời khen có cánh
 to dig into my savings (dig – dug – dug): dùng số tiền tiết kiệm được
 without a second thought: (mà) không cần nghĩ ngợi
 to be highlighted with: được tô điểm, nhấn nhá với
 eye-catching packaging: bao bì bắt mắt
 user-friendliness: sự thân thiện, dễ sử dụng
 to come as a great relief to me: làm tôi cảm thấy nhẹ nhõm
 meticulously: một cách tỉ mẩn
 new lines of product: các dòng sản phẩm mới
 to rinse my shampoo: rửa trôi dầu gội đi
 towel-dry: làm khô với khăn
 to pump: ấn ra (từ vòi)
 evenly: đều
 argan oil: dầu argan
 therapeutic formula: công thức trị liệu
 to be restored: được phục hồi
 silky smooth brilliance: óng ả mượt mà
Part 3:
1. What are the differences between online shopping and shopping in the real
malls?
Well, I guess a marked distinction lies in the hands-on experiences that in-store
shopping can offer their customers. That is to say, people would get to see products
on display in their actual size and touch them or even give them a try before making
any purchasing decisions. Products/merchandise displayed in virtual stores, by

contrast, may appear in glamorous images online, but often end up disappointing
the buyers upon delivery because they are not (as) good as advertised. However, on
the upside, online shopping can save purchasers a great deal of commute time and
also offers them much better deals than shopping in a physical store.
 marked distinction: sự khác biệt rõ rệt
 hands-on experiences: những trải nghiệm thực tế
 in-store shopping: mua sắm ở cửa hàng
 to get to do sth: có cơ hội được làm gì
 on display: được trưng bày
 to make any purchasing decisions: đưa ra quyết định mua hàng
 virtual store: cửa hàng trên mạng
 glamorous: hào nhoáng
 to end up V-ing: cuối cùng lại làm sao
 purchaser: người mua hàng
 commute time: thời gian đi lại
 to offer them much better deals: cung cấp nhiều điều kiện mua hàng tốt hơn
 physical store: cửa hàng thực (không phải trên mạng)
2. What are the factors do people pay attention to when they are buying things?
Unlike in the past when most people would look for the most affordable
products that satisfy their most basic/fundamental needs, customers these days, to
whom price presents less of a concern , tend to make the goods’ quality a priority.
This is understandable as the citizens’ much higher standard of living allows them to
afford more expensive stuff. Another desirable factor of sought-after products is
the flashy product presentation. With a great variety of brands and types displayed
on the shelves, the ones with more attractive packages are likely to win over
customers.
 to satisfy the most basic/fundamental needs: thỏa mãn được những nhu cầu cơ
bản nhất
 to make the goods’ quality a priority: đặt chất lượng sản phẩm lên làm ưu tiên
 sought-after products: những sản phẩm được săn đón, đắt hàng
 flashy product presentation: sự trình bày hào nhoáng, đẹp mắt của sản phẩm
 to win over customers: được sự hài lòng, ủng hộ của khách hàng

3. Are there any differences between men and women when they buy things?
Why?
Yes, definitely, there’s a world of difference between them. While women see
shopping as a means of entertainment, men are hardwired to shop only when the
situation calls for it. Indeed, a link has been established between women’s
patronizing stores and their overall sense of satisfaction/gratification. The more
women can acquire luxury stuff, the better off their mental state becomes.
Men, on the other hand, are more realistic as most of them head to a shop only
when they’ve already set their sights on their desired item. Another striking
distinction is males are not as picky as their counterparts in their selection of items.
In other words, women can take hours and hours to cherry-pick the products they
buy by taking a handful of things into consideration like the price, brand and
appearance.
 there’s a world of difference between them: có rất nhiều điều khác biệt
giữa họ·
 when the situation calls for it: khi nào cần
 to patronize sth: là khách quen (của cửa hàng, nhà hàng,…)
 sense of satisfaction/gratification: cảm giác hài lòng
 the better off their mental state becomes: tinh thần sẽ càng tốt hơn, vui vẻ
hơn
 to set their sights on their desired item: nhắm được sản phẩm mong muốn
 picky (adj): kén chọn
 to cherry-pick (v): chọn kỹ lưỡng
 to take a handful of things into consideration: xem xét nhiều thứ
4. What kinds of places are popular for shopping in Vietnam?

In my country, open-air markets, including flea markets and farmers’/wet
market, and supermarkets are two most prevalent venues for shopping/shopping
venues. The former tends to offer their consumers the goods at a much more
affordable price as they get to bargain until both sellers and buyers can reach a
happy medium. The latter, however, is superior in providing a fulfilling shopping
environment with the availability of all the mod cons such as air conditioning and
ventilation system. It is also an ideal option for shoppers who don’t want to be
cheated or overcharged, as the price of the products in supermarkets is non-
negotiable and fixed on a price tag.
 open-air market: chợ ngoài trời
 flea market: chợ ngoài trời bán đồ cũ, giá tốt

 farmers’/wet market: chợ nông sản, bán đồ ướt
 The former: cái thứ nhất (trong số 2 cái vừa liệt kê)
 bargain: mặc cả
 to reach a happy medium: đạt đến 1 mức độ, 1 thỏa thuận làm vừa lòng
các bên
 The latter: cái thứ 2 (trong số 2 cái vừa liệt kê)
 superior (adj): ưu việt
 mod cons (n): những thứ tiện nghi hiện đại (modern convenience)
 air conditioning and ventilation system: hệ thống điều hòa và thông gió
 non-negotiable and fixed price on a price tag: giá không mặc cả được và cố
định trên tag giá

Topic 6: FURNITURE
Part 2: Describe a piece of furniture.
You should say:
What the furniture is
Where it is
What does it look like (What it is made of)
And explain why you are (still) using it.
Honestly, I’m no furniture aficionado, so this question presents a bit of a challenge
for me. But if I have to choose one, then I think it’s going to be the nightstand my
brother gave me as a present for my 18th birthday.
While my brother was on a business trip overseas, he purchased it at IKEA, an
internationally renowned furniture supplier. Coming from IKEA, it comes as no
surprise that it is a fabulous-looking piece, with nicely balanced colors. The
mainstream color is mild black, but in different hues. Specifically, the 3 front
drawers come in 3 different/distinct shades of black, which highlight/bring out the
color of a small yet bright mirror attached to the top edge. All of these manners of
presentation/color mixings make the nightstand a perfect match with my pecan
brown drape and my auburn bed sheet, which altogether give off an elegant and
pleasant vibe for the whole room. Also, it’s one of my favorite items not just for its
appearance but also because of its functionality. The drawers are the perfect place
for me to stuff/store away my bits and bobs in, so that whenever I want to get hold
of something, they save me tons of time rummaging around the room looking for
things. On top of that, the top of the nightstand offers a perfect spot to put the night
light, candles and cups on, so it comes in really handy.
It’s been 4 years now, and although it’s pretty worn out with lots of scratches
around the edges, I’m far from replacing it with a new one. This is because the
nightstand holds a sentimental value for me. It was assembled by my brother
himself, and I can still remember the afternoon chitchat and bickering between me
and my brother about how to put the pieces together.
So all in all, that’s the story of my lovely nightstand, and I’m going to keep using it as
long as I can.
 furniture aficionado: người yêu thích nội thất
 sth presents (a bit of) a challenge: khá khó khăn, thử thách
 nightstand (n): bàn đầu giường
 internationally renowned: nổi tiếng quốc tế
 the mainstream color: màu chủ đạo

 hue: sắc (màu)

 drawer: ngăn kéo
 come in 3 different/distinct shades: có 3 màu khác nhau
 manner of presentation: cách trình bày
 pecan brown: 1 sắc nâu
 drape: rèm
 auburn: 1 sắc đỏ
 to give off an/a …… vibe : tạo ra/ đem lại cảm giác
 functionality: chức năng, công năng
 bits and bobs: các đồ vụn vặt
 to rummage around the room : lục tung phòng
 sth comes in (really) handy: cái gì đó (thực sự) tiện lợi
 it’s (pretty) worn out : đã cũ, đã sờn
 sth holds a sentimental value: cái gì đó chứa đựng giá trị về mặt tình cảm
 to assemble: lắp ráp
 to bicker: cãi nhau (vụn vặt)
Part 3:
1. Which do you think are better? Old things or new things?
Well, call me old-fashioned and all, but I’ve always preferred a little dated items over
new things. I guess it’s because those old things are often associated with specific
memories, so each old object itself tells a story of the time and the context around it.
Take the nightstand my brother gave me years ago for example, it has taken from a
great deal of wear and tear, but I want to hang on to it as long as I can, as it holds
quite a sentimental value to me. And I guess this applies to a bunch of my other
possessions, I mostly keep them for old time’s sake and cherish them more than
other shiny brand new stuff.
 dated items : những đồ cũ
 to be associated with: liên quan tới/ liên hệ tới
 wear and tear: nhiều vết xước, cũ (kết quả của việc sử dụng nhiều)
 to hang on to sth: giữ lấy cái gì, không bán hay cho đi
 sth holds a sentimental value to sbd: cái gì đó chứa đựng giá trị về mặt tình
cảm đối với ai

 possession: vật sở hữu, tài sản, của cải

 for old time’s sake: vì nghĩa tình xưa
 to cherish sth: trân trọng
 brand new stuff: đồ đạc mới tinh
2. How do people decide what furniture to buy for their home or office?
I think most of us would have to take the design as well as the price into
consideration in choosing the most proper piece of furniture. The design of that
particular piece of furniture, be it the color or the size, must go well with other
fixtures and fittings in the room, so that the room as a whole can give off a
harmonious vibe and accommodate its dweller. And as for the cost (as far as the
cost is concerned), determining your price range is a must, because you wouldn’t
want to go for something that your budget can’t quite stretch to.
 To take sth into consideration: xem xét cái gì
 proper: phù hợp, đúng đắn
 to go well with sth: phù hợp với cái gì
 fixtures and fittings: các nội thất nói chung, đồ đạc
 to give off a harmonious vibe: tạo ra không khí hài hòa
 dweller: người ở
 to go for sth: chọn, ở đây dịch là mua
 one’s budget can’t quite stretch to sth: không đủ tiền mua cái gì
3. When do Vietnamese people buy furniture?

You know, furniture doesn’t come cheap, so more often than not, I think most of us
would only consider buying furniture when the old ones are out of service/no longer
function properly or when we move to a new house. But this just applies for the
majority of Vietnamese, though. Some better-off people tend to see furniture
purchasing as a hobby, a way to flaunt their wealth or to show their individualities,
so it’s not out of the ordinary to see these individuals buy furniture whenever they
feel like it.
 sth doesn’t come cheap: cái gì đấy không rẻ
 more often than not: thường thì
 out of service: không sử dụng được nữa, hỏng
 better-off people: những người có nhiều tiền
 to flaunt their wealth: khoe khoang sự giàu có

 out of the ordinary: bất thường, khác thường
4. Are there any differences between furniture women like and those men like?
Why?
I don’t mean to give a catch-all answer, but from what I can see from my mom and
dad, women and men seem to show different tastes when it comes to furniture
shopping. My mom always goes for colorful, intricate designs, so I guess women
tend to care about the presentation more. Men, like my dad, on the other hand, are
generally more practical, so they are more convinced with the utilitarian ones.
 To give a catch-all answer: đưa một câu trả lời chung chung
 intricate design: thiết kế chi tiết, tinh tế
 practical: thực tế
 utilitarian: thuộc về tính ứng dụng, thực tế (hơn là để trang trí)

Topic 7: Rules
Part 2: Describe a rule you agree or disagree with
You should say
What it was
How others thought about this rule
Have you ever violated this rule
And explain why you like this rule
It’s safe to say that Vietnam is a lawful country with its sophisticated system of
legislation, but to single out one that I advocate the most, I wouldn’t hesitate to go
for the one that makes drunk driving illegal/incriminates drunk driving.
According to the law, drivers are not allowed to get behind the wheel when they are
intoxicated. Even when the alcohol concentration of the implicated driver indicates
a merely tipsy level, the person caught in the act would be subject to a heavy fine
and have his driver’s license suspended or completely revoked.
I can’t agree more with this rule as it’s a win-win for everyone/all parties involved.
Being aware that it is illegal to drive under the influence, all drivers would think
twice before getting in a car while intoxicated, and thereby feel disinclined to
jeopardize their own lives. At the same time, it could put a stop to all the collateral
damage resulting from these fatal road accidents, as wasted drivers often drag
passers-by or pedestrians down with them.
In fact, the law has succeeded in saving thousands of lives as the death toll of car
accidents caused by drunk drivers has been proven to plunge soon after the
enforcement of the law.
With regards to/Turning now to the public opinion on the law against drunk driving,
the vast majority seem to be on board with the idea, regardless of the strict
punishments. This is an indication that the public awareness of the dire
consequences associated with DUI is rising, which is a good sign.
It could be that every decent citizen hopes for lower number of traffic-related
casualties, which mean a tragedy for many victims’ families.
 sophisticated system of legislation: hệ thống luật phức tạp, tinh vi
 advocate the most: ủng hộ nhất
 incriminate drunk driving ~ make drunk driving illegal
 get behind the wheel: ngồi vào vị trí, ghế người lái xe
 drive under the influence/ drive while intoxicated/DUI: lái xe khi đang say
 alcohol concentration: nồng độ cồn

 a merely tipsy level: mới ở mức độ ngà ngà say

 be caught in the act: bị bắt quả tang
 be subject to a heavy fine: bị phạt nặng
 have his driver’s license suspended or completely revoked: bị đình chỉ tạm
thời/thu hồi hoàn toàn bằng lái xe
 I can’t agree more with this rule.: Tôi rất đồng ý với luật này
 a win-win for everyone/all parties involved: có lợi cho tất cả các bên
 think twice before doing sth: nghĩ kĩ trước khi làm gì
 feel disinclined to do sth: cảm thấy không có thiên hướng làm gì
 jeopardize their own lives: liều mạng
 put a stop to sth: chấm dứt
 collateral damage: thiệt hại người/tài sản
 fatal road accident: tai nạn giao thông chết người
 wasted driver: người lái xe say
 drag sbd down with sbd: kéo theo người khác cùng chịu
 passers-by: những người qua đường
 save thousands of lives: cứu hàng ngàn tính mạng
 the death toll: số người chết
 plunge (v): giảm mạnh
 the enforcement of the law: việc thi hành luật
 With regards to sth: về cái gì đó
 on board with the idea: ủng hộ ý kiến
 dire consequence: hậu quả nghiêm trọng
 DUI (Drive under the influence): lái xe khi đang say
 traffic-related casualties: người tử vong vì tai nạn giao thông
Part 3:
1. Do you think children should be forced to wear school uniforms?
Definitely yes. The gap in social background between students at school is clearly
demonstrated by the clothes that they put on, which could be an evidence of
differing social classes. And therefore, uniforms as a compulsory regulation would
exert a positive effect on students with an underprivileged background by
empowering them not to shy away from their social conditions, and accordingly
helps them to put more concentration on their study at school. Also, the scene of

students wearing their school uniforms seems to be pleasing to the eye, creating a
wonderful view for school.
 the gap in social background: sự chênh lệch trong gia cảnh, vị thế xã hội
 a compulsory regulation: qui định bắt buộc
 exert a positive effect on sbd: tác động tích cực lên ai
 an underprivileged background: gia cảnh thiếu thốn, khó khăn
 empower them not to shy away from their social conditions: để họ không
phải xấu hổ vì vị thế xã hội của mình
 be pleasing to the eye: đẹp mắt
 create a wonderful view for school: tạo nên một khung cảnh tuyệt vời cho
ngôi trường
2. Why do schools make rules?
At school, rules and regulations are made to regulate students’ behavior, subjecting
them to follow a certain code of conduct, the violations of which would result in the
punishments of their wrongdoings. This would enable them to be aware of the
consequences of their actions, which would deter them from repeatedly breaking
the rule or committing misdemeanors. Since most students are at an
impressionable age at which their personality is shaped, laws and the associated
deterrents are critical in making them law-abiding citizens in the future.
 regulate students’ behavior: điều chỉnh hành vi của học sinh
 follow a certain code of conduct: tuân theo bộ qui tắc ứng xử nhất định
 the punishment of one’s wrongdoing [formal]: hình phạt cho hành vi sai
 deter sb from doing sth: dọa để ai đó không làm gì
 (commit) misdemeanors [formal]: (thực hiện) hành vi sai trái, không chấp
nhận được
 at an impressionable age: ở độ tuổi dễ bị ảnh hưởng
 deterrent: sự đe dọa
 law-abiding citizen: công dân tuân thủ pháp luật
3. What can parents do to help children follow rules?

There exist various actionable measures that parents could take to encourage their
children’s adherence to the rules. Among these, I think the best approach for
parents is to set an example for their kids to follow/to model after. Indeed, it has
been proven that kids at an impressionable age show the tendency to
imitate/mimic their parents’ behaviour. Consequently, should their parents comply
with the rules, kids would feel inclined to follow suit.
 actionable measures: những biện pháp khả thi

 encourage their children’s adherence to the rules: khuyến khích trẻ con tuân
thủ theo luật
 set an example for their kids to follow/to model after: làm gương cho trẻ con
noi theo
 at an impressionable age: ở độ tuổi dễ bị ảnh hưởng
 show the tendency to do sth: có xu hướng làm gì
 imitate/mimic their parents’ behavior: bắt chước hành vi của cha mẹ
 comply with the rules: tuân thủ theo luật
 feel inclined to do sth: cảm thấy có thiên hướng làm gì
 follow suit: làm theo cái người khác làm
4. Are rules suitable for all citizens?

I think rules can hardly be appropriate for all individuals. This is because from my
observation, there always exist a certain number of citizens who feel discontented
with any given rule or regulation. Many of these would then try to exploit loopholes
to get around the letter of the laws and get what they want. This ends up backfiring
on the spirit of the law.
 feel discontented with any given rule or regulation: cảm thấy không hài lòng
với luật hay quy tắc được đưa ra
 exploit loopholes: khai thác lỗ hổng
 get around the letter of the laws: lách luật
 backfire on the spirit of the law: đi ngược lại với tinh thần của luật

Topic 8: Health/ healthy lifestyle

Part 2:
Describe something you do to remain healthy.
You should say
What you do
Where you do it
Who you do it with
And explain why you think doing this is healthy.
Staying healthy and keeping fit is everyone’s concern in this day and age and I am
no exception. To be honest, I have been so caught up in my study since I entered
university that I can hardly put aside any time for anything else. However, since
staying in shape is a priority to me, I have been going out of my way to take up yoga
for about 2 years now, which takes me up to one hour a day.
I have made it a habit (of mine) to do yoga two times in a day. The first thing I do in
the morning is to attend a twenty-minute yoga session. And then again, when I am
back at home in the evening, 30 minutes of yoga training is the norm for me. Owing
to my tight schedule, I’d do yoga on my own at home most of the time, aside from
the weekends, when I am an active member of a local yoga club in the
neighborhood. From the look of it, yoga may seem effortless and straightforward,
but it is actually more demanding than it appears. Perhaps the most challenging part
is that it involves quite a lot of stretching like doing a split for instance. Yet that is the
part I like best about Yoga - it allows me to work on all the parts of my body.
The benefits that yoga brings about are not restricted to physical ones as in the case
with other sports, but stretch to cover mental merits as well. In terms of physical
well-being, it can burn a lot of calories within an hour of training, which helps me to
lose weight and earn a slender figure. Also, it enhances my flexibility and
suppleness in every single daily movement. With regards to mental health, doing
yoga has been proven to be a great help in relieving stress, curing headache and
insomnia.
In short, yoga is helpful to me in numerous ways. Maintaining yoga sections on a
daily basis can do wonders to help me recharge my battery, take things off my mind
and soothe my soul.
 Stay healthy and keep fit: giữ cho khỏe mạnh và cân đối
 In this day and age: trong thời đại ngày nay
 Be caught up in my study: vướng vào việc học
 Stay in shape: giữ dáng

 Go out of my way to do sth: nỗ lực làm gì đấy

 Do yoga (v): tập yoga
 Tight schedule: kín lịch
 Effortless and straightforward (adj): dễ dàng
 Demanding (adj): đòi hỏi cao
 Do a split (v): động tác xoạc chân
 Physical well-being (n): sự khỏe mạnh về thể chất
 Lose weight and earn a slender figure (v): giảm cân và có vóc dáng đẹp
 Enhance my flexibility and suppleness (v): tăng cường sự linh hoạt và dẻo
dai
 Relieve stress, cure headache and insomnia (v): giảm stress, chữa đau đầu
và chứng mất ngủ
 On a daily basis: hàng ngày
 Recharge my battery, take things off my mind and soothe my soul (v): sạc lại
năng lượng, bỏ mọi thứ ra khỏi đầu và thư giãn tâm hồn
Part 3:
1. Do you think there are differences between men and women when they work out?
Well, when it comes to keeping fit and working out, men and women are apples and
oranges/as different as chalk and cheese. The first and also the most stark contrast lies
in the incentive for working out between the sexes. For men in general, working out is
often regarded as a fun yet competitive activity, plus it's something that they’re
naturally inclined to do without questioning why. For women, however, fitness is all
about keeping in shape. They do it for the simple reason that it helps them look better
in the eyes of the opposite sex. The second distinction has to do with their preferable
means of exercising. Most men prefer athletic-based activities that require more brute
force than, say, body coordination and dexterity. Women, on the other hand, tend to
stay away from combat sports and favour more delicate ones, like aerobics or circuit
training.
 Apples and oranges/as different as chalk and cheese : hoàn toàn khác nhau,
kiểu không thể đem ra so sánh được
 The most stark contrast: sự đối lập rõ ràng nhất
 Be naturally inclined to do sth: có thiên hướng tự nhiên làm cái gì
 Keep in shape: giữ dáng
 Have to do with sth: có liên quan đến cái gì
 Athletic-based activities (N): hoạt động thể thao liên quan nhiều đến vận động,
chạy nhảy
 Brute force (n): sức lực, sức mạnh thể chất (thường để đối lập với sức mạnh
tinh thần)
 Dexterity: sự khéo léo
 Tend to do sth: có xu hướng làm gì
 Combat sports (v): những môn thể thao đối kháng
 Circuit training: thể dục liên hoàn
2. What do old people in your country do to stay healthy?

For senior citizens who remain in good shape well into their old age, they are fit
enough to keep up with the younger ones and take part in such physically
demanding sports as soccer or volleyball. But these are the exception, not the norm.
For the most part, old people generally don't strain themselves physically as much.
They'd much rather take a brisk walk or play casual badminton in the park than
climb a mountain or running the full length of a football pitch. Another approach to
staying healthy that is catching on among the elderly lately is doing t’ai chi. This
requires slow and subtle movements, together with moderate breath pacing, which
helps the old augment their suppleness.
 Physically demanding sports: những môn thể thao đòi hỏi thể lực
 The exception, not the norm: là ngoại lệ, không phải phổ biến
 For the most part: phần lớn
 Strain (v) oneself physically: căng cơ, bắt cơ thể làm việc quá sức
 Take a brisk walk: đi bộ nhanh
 Football pitch: sân bóng
 Catch on: trở nên phổ biến
 Moderate breath pacing: nhịp thở vừa phải, điều độ
 Augment [formal] (their suppleness) (v): tăng (sự dẻo dai)
3. How do you deal with pressure?

Personally speaking, I would seek to relieve stress and there are two common ways
to do so. Firstly, doing exercise, especially yoga, goes a long way. As mentioned
above, doing yoga brings me peace of mind, and so whenever I’m faced with
overwhelming stress, turning to yoga would allow me to do away with that sort of
stress. Other sport activities such as riding a bike, playing badminton or simply
strolling around, are sometimes also a truly great stress outlet. As well as sports,
taking a short getaway holiday is also a nice idea for escapism/to escape from daily
stress. What I usually do is traveling with a small group of my close friends during
weekends to some unspoiled or remote areas. Going backpacking to these
untouched regions of the world can help me to unwind, chill out and sometimes find
the solution to troubles I’ve been scrambling to deal with.
 Relieve stress: giảm stress
 Go a long way: rất tốt, rất thành công
 Bring sb peace of mind: mang lại sự thư thái đầu óc
 Overwhelming stress: căng thẳng quá mức
 Do away with sth: loại trừ, loại bỏ
 Stroll (v): đi dạo, đi tản bộ
 Stress outlet (n): sự giải thoát khỏi stress
 Take a short getaway holiday: đi nghỉ ngắn ngày
 Escape from daily stress: giải thoát khỏi stress hàng ngày
 Unspoiled or remote areas (n): những vùng nguyên sơ, xa xôi hẻo lánh
 Unwind, chill out (v): thư giãn
 Scramble to do sth: cố gắng đạt được cái gì một cách khó khăn, vắt chân lên
cổ làm gì đó, tất bật
4. What else people can do to stay healthy besides sports?

Apart from doing sports, maintaining a balanced diet is a good way to keep fit and to
keep the doctor away/to be given a clean bill of health. Foodwise, lots of fresh food
and vegetables can help people to have a really good shape, or even be as fit as a
fiddle. At the same time, though liquor is often advised against by medical
practitioners, it is not necessary to cut out alcohol altogether as a little a day could
actually does a great deal of good to people’s health. This is, however, not the case
with smoking. If people don’t give it up completely, they will put themselves at the
risk of lung cancer and a number of other life-threatening diseases.
 Maintain a balanced diet: duy trì một chế độ ăn cân bằng
 Keep the doctor away/ to be given a clean bill of health: khỏe mạnh, không
phải gặp bác sĩ
 Foodwise [informal]: về mặt thức ăn (in terms of food)
 A really good shape: dáng đẹp
 As fit as a fiddle: khỏe như vâm, rất sung sức

 Liquor (n): rượu

 Medical practitioner (n): bác sĩ
 Cut out sth altogether= give up sth altogether: bỏ hoàn toàn thứ gì đó
(rượu, thuốc,..)
 Do a great deal of good to sth/sb: rất tốt cho cái gì/ai
 Life-threatening diseases: những căn bệnh nguy hiểm tính mạng

Topic 9: Interesting person/foreigner

Part 2:
Describe a foreigner you know well.
You should say
Who is he/she
Where you met him/ her
Why you like him/her
And explain what you learnt from him/her
As a keen ESL student, I always make a point of actively approaching foreigners to

sharpen my English speaking skill, which also offers me the chance to make friends
with lot of people from all around the world. And among these, I would love to tell
you about a very special person who is a friend of my best friend. She is most
commonly known as/most usually referred to as Isabelle, but we usually call her with
a more intimate nickname/pet name, Izzy.
Born and raised in Germany, she came all the way to Vietnam last year for a Student
Exchange Program. That actually marks the first time Izzy set foot in a foreign
country, and so it followed that she found it a little hard to fit in. This prompted my
friend and me to help her to mingle with people here and show her around. Upon
seeing her for the first time, my first impression was her sociable and friendly
personality, coupled with a sporty appearance. Better still, all it took were several
small talks for us to get on like a house on fire as we had so many things in
common. Just like me, Izzy also had a thirst for adventure, so we usually went on
road trips at the weekend to explore beauty spots in Vietnam. The mesmerizing
beauty of these areas overwhelmed her, which was given away with her
expressions.
I learnt a ton of great things from Izzy, the most valuable of which took place around
last Christmas, when she invited me over to her house for a party thrown among
ourselves and a couple of other close friends. It was the first time I got to taste
German’s food made by her, which was so exotic and mouth-watering that I insisted
on her teaching me to cook the soup. While we were at it, we found ourselves using
three languages, namely English, Vietnamese and German, all at the same time to
get the ideas across, which was kind of fascinating. Granted, there were still some
situations when we burst into laughter because of the differences among all
languages and cultures, but our relationship and mutual understanding grew with
each day gone by.

 make a point of: đảm bảo làm điều gì vì nó quan trọng hoặc cần thiết
 offer sb the chance: cho ai đó cơ hội
 intimate nickname/pet name: tên thân mật
 set foot in: đặt chân lên
 fit in: hòa nhập
 prompt sb to do sth: thúc đẩy ai làm gì, gây ra điều gì
 mingle with: hòa nhập, làm thân với mọi người
 get on like a house on fire: rất hợp nhau
 have so many things in common: có nhiều điểm chung
 have a thirst for adventure: có khao khát khám phá
 go on road trips: đi những chuyến đi du lịch xa thường bằng xe ô tô
 mesmerizing beauty: vẻ đẹp quyến rũ, say đắm
 be given away: được tiết lộ bởi
 invite sb over: mời ai đến nhà
 exotic and mouth-watering: lạ và ngon miệng
 insist on: nằng nặc đòi
 get the ideas across: truyền đạt được ý tưởng đến nhau
 Granted,…,but…: phải thừa nhận rằng,…., tuy vậy…
 burst into laughter: phá ra cười
 our relationship and mutual understanding grew with each day gone by:
càng ngày càng hiểu nhau hơn, mối quan hệ của chúng tôi tốt hơn lên khi
mỗi ngày trôi qua
Part 3:
1. Do you see many foreigners in Vietnam?
Yes, as far as I know, Vietnam is quite popular with people of different nationalities,
be it tourists or expatriates. You would easily encounter travelers wandering
around the streets in, say, the Old Quarters in Hanoi, where they could explore the
rich culture and traditions of Hanoians, a term we Vietnamese coin for people who
are native to/who reside in the city. Besides, there has been an increasing number of
local to international businesses run by expats. It is, hence, easier than ever before
to taste an exotic dish cooked by a foreign chef or study with a Western teacher at
an English center.

 be it tourists or expatriates: dù là khách du lịch hay người nước ngoài sinh

sống và làm việc tại đất nước tôi
 encounter: đối mặt, chạm trán
 wander around: đi lang thang
 say: ví dụ
 rich culture and traditions: văn hóa và truyền thống đậm đà bản sắc
 term: thuật ngữ
 coin: sáng tạo ra (thuật ngữ nào đó)
 run by: được điều hành bởi
 exotic dish: món ăn lạ miệng, thường là từ nước ngoài
2. Is experiencing different cultures important?

Being exposed to a mixed diversity of cultures is of great significance. It empowers
people all over the world to broaden their horizon on people from different races
and origins, which helps to build an understanding and empathy between them and
their countries. This could potentially reduce incidents of conflicts and, by extension,
wars. Coming in contact with other cultures is even more vital in the context of/in
light of the ongoing globalization, when international travelling, overseas study and
business have become the norm. The result of this changing economic and
educational landscape is that those with more experiences of cosmopolitan cultures
would certainly gain a competitive edge over the others.
 Be exposed to: được tiếp cận với
 of great significance: rất quan trọng
 empower sb: làm cho ai có sức mạnh, cho ai có điều kiện làm gì
 broaden their horizon: mở mang đầu óc, sự hiểu biết
 different races and origins: những chủng tộc và nguồn gốc khác nhau
 understanding and empathy : sự hiểu biết và thông cảm
 conflict: xung đột
 in the context of/in light of: trong bối cảnh
 ongoing globalization: sự toàn cầu hóa đang diễn ra
 the norm: điều bình thường
 economic and educational landscape: bối cảnh, tình thế kinh tế và giáo dục
 experience of cosmopolitan cultures: trải nghiệm đa văn hóa (trải nghiệm
nhiều nơi, gặp nhiều người ở các nước)
 gain a competitive edge over sbd: có lợi thế cạnh tranh hơn ai

3. Can people learn about foreign culture by communicating with foreigners?

Yes, certainly. Drawing from my own experience, I find conversing with native
English speakers a great way to learn about their cultures. This is far better than
absorbing information from a secondary source like TV programs or magazines,
which may appear biased or arbitrary, because these media aim to entertain their
readers and viewers by feeding them the story they want to hear. So, in order to be
well-informed and impartial, you can verify the authenticity/reliability of these
sources with the ones who are born and bred there. What is even more interesting is
that you can get to know the slight subtle differences in the customs between
regions of a country by talking to people of different origins, which also helps negate
the problem of stereotyping or overgeneralization. From time to time, some
classified and unpublicized information can also come to light straight from the
horse’s mouth, as long as you talk to the right person.
 Draw from one’s experience: rút ra từ kinh nghiệm của ai đó
 converse with: giao tiếp, trò chuyện với
 absorb information: tiếp nhận thông tin
 secondary source: nguồn thứ cấp (nguồn thông tin từ báo chí, ti vi…, so sánh
với “primary source”: nguồn từ kinh nghiệm, nghiên cứu bản thân)
 biased or arbitrary: bị thành kiến hoặc tùy tiện, không công bằng
 be well-informed and impartial: hiểu biết và công bằng, không thiên vị hay
định kiến
 verify the authenticity/reliability: xác minh độ chính xác, tính đáng tin cậy
 be born and bred somewhere: được sinh ra và lớn lên ở đâu đó
 subtle difference: sự khác biệt tinh tế
 negate the problem of: (slightly formal) ngăn chặn vấn đề
 stereotyping or overgeneralization: thành kiến hoặc vơ đũa cả nắm
 unpublicized information: thông tin chưa được công bố
 come to light: đưa ra ngoài ánh sáng (ý là được làm sáng tỏ)
 straight from the horse’s mouth: nghe trực tiếp từ người trong cuộc
4. Are there any problems that people may have when they travel or live in a
foreign country?
Numerous problems or inconveniences can arise that people might have to face
(with), following their visit or migration to/settling down in another country. Of
these, the most ‘universal’ one is usually known as “the culture shock”, which mainly
comes from the striking distinctions in ways of life between nations/across the
world. So you may find, for instance, a perfectly fine gesture in one country alien or
offensive in another. Equally troublesome to visitors or foreign dwellers is the (issue
of) language barrier. No matter how/it doesn’t matter how well you’ve armed
yourself with the country of destination’s language, it’s likely that certain unfamiliar
situations may still cause great misunderstandings and confusion to the new
settlers. However, it is always possible to appear friendly/ approachable and open-
minded to call for help from those around you.
 inconvenience: sự bất tiện, phiền phức
 arise: phát sinh
 settle down in: ổn định tại đâu
 universal: phổ biến, đúng mọi lúc mọi nơi
 culture shock: sốc văn hóa (do sự khác biệt chưa được chuẩn bị trước)
 striking distinction: sự khác biệt rõ nét
 alien: kỳ lạ
 way of life: lối sống
 rude or offensive: thô lỗ hoặc xúc phạm
 dweller: người cư ngụ, sống ở 1 nơi nào đó
 language barrier: rào cản ngôn ngữ
 arm oneself with: trang bị bản thân với
 misunderstanding and confusion: sự hiểu lầm và bối rối
 appear: tỏ ra
 call for help: nhờ giúp đỡ

Topic 10 Teaching
Part 2: Describe an experience you taught somebody something
When and where it happened
Whom you taught
What you taught him/her
And explain how you/the person felt about it
Truth be told, I’m not as intelligible/articulate as I’d like to be, and so I often
struggle with offering instructions to others. This awareness keeps me from
routinely spreading my knowledge to others, but off the top of my head, there came
a time when I successfully guided my father to use Facebook.
My father used to be a technophobe who was not that receptive/open-minded to
the latest technology. But when my sister studied abroad, the desire to stay in touch
with his beloved daughter left my father no choice but to turn to me for instructions
on using Facebook.
As you probably know, the two most commonly used gadgets for Facebook access
these days are the laptop and the smartphone. The former is, in my opinion, more
user-friendly for the digitally illiterate, making it an ideal choice for starters like my
dad. My old man, however, disregarded my advice and insisted on using the
smartphone instead. As expected, he had a hard time figuring out the functions of
the virtual keyboard, which was understandable since it was his first encounter to
such a hi-tech gadget. It took some doing before he could familiarize himself with
the feature well enough to move on to browsing Facebook notifications and
chatting online on Facebook Messenger. While we were at it, I tried my best to give
various demonstrations slowly and accurately so that he could keep up. After a
while, things started to clear up, and my father eventually managed to get the hang
of it. Exhausted as I might be, I felt it was really worth my while upon seeing the
look of happiness/delight on my dad’s face (It had been weeks since he last got
updated on what was going on in my sister’s life). From that point onwards, he has
turned to show a strong preference for newly released technological devices in his
daily life for the range of benefits they offer.
 Truth be told,: Sự thật là,
 intelligible/articulate (adj): dễ hiểu, rõ ràng
 to struggle with doing sth: gặp khó khăn khi làm gì
 off the top of my head: không suy nghĩ trước, không cân nhắc (điều được
nói ra)
 there came a time when…: có một thời điểm khi…

 a technophobe: người sợ, không thích công nghệ (>< a technophile)

 receptive/open-minded (adj): dễ tiếp thu, dễ lĩnh hội cái mới
 to stay in touch with sbd: giữ liên lạc với ai
 to leave sbd no choice but to do sth: để cho ai đó không còn sự lựa chọn nào
khác ngoài làm gì
 to turn to sbd for sth: quay sang ai nhờ làm gì
 gadget: thiết bị
 user-friendly (adj): dễ dùng
 the digitally illiterate: người mù công nghệ, người mù kĩ thuật số
 to disregard one’s advice: bỏ qua, không nghe theo lời khuyên của ai
 to insist on doing sth: khăng khăng làm gì
 to have a hard time doing sth: gặp khó khăn khi làm gì
 to figure out sth: tìm hiểu về cái gì, hiểu ra cái gì
 the virtual keyboard: bàn phím ảo
 a hi-tech gadget: thiết bị công nghệ cao
 to familiarize oneself with sth: làm quen với cái gì
 to browse Facebook notifications: lướt thông báo Facebook
 While we are at it,: Khi chúng tôi đang làm việc đó,
 to give demonstrations slowly and accurately: đưa ra chỉ dẫn một cách chậm
rãi và chính xác
 to keep up: theo kịp
 After a while: sau một hồi
 things start to clear up: mọi thứ bắt đầu sáng tỏ
 to get the hang of sth: hiểu, nắm vững cái gì
 to be worth one’s while: hữu ích, thấy đáng khi làm gì
 to see the look of happiness/delight on one’s face: nhìn thấy sự vui vẻ trên
khuôn mặt ai
 From that point onwards: từ đó trở đi
 to show a strong preference for sth: thể hiện sự yêu thích mạnh mẽ với cái
gì
 newly released technological device: thiết bị công nghệ mới ra
1. What are qualities of a good teacher?

The characteristics of a competent/capable teacher vary, and are subjective to
students’ view on the matter. But one of such caliber, in my description, would

have to be a subject specialist, which means that he/she must be knowledgeable,

especially in the subject he/she teaches. On top of that, having excellent pedagogic
skills is of enormous importance for every educator. That is to say, he/she owns the
ability to deliver things/impart knowledge in an elaborate/articulate and easy-to-
follow/comprehensible manner and masters the methods to keep his students
motivated.
 competent/capable (adj): tốt, có đầy đủ kĩ năng và kiến thức
 to vary: khác nhau, thay đổi tùy vào tình huống hay các yếu tố khác
 to be subjective to students’ view on the matter: dựa vào quan điểm của
học sinh về vấn đề
 caliber (n): trình độ, khả năng của một người
 in my description: theo mô tả của tôi
 a subject specialist: chuyên gia trong lĩnh vực hay môn học
 knowledgeable (adj): hiểu biết nhiều
 pedagogic skill: kĩ năng sư phạm
 of enormous importance: rất quan trọng
 to impart knowledge: truyền tải kiến thức
 elaborate/articulate (adj): trau chuốt, rõ ràng
 comprehensible (adj): dễ hiểu
 to master the method: nắm vững phương pháp
2. Do people in your country like to take online courses?

From my observation, people in Vietnam these days generally show a preference for
online courses in comparison with face-to-face classes, largely owing to the benefits
of the former model (seemingly) eclipsing the latter one. For starters, the prevalence
of distance learning could be attributed to its ability to eliminate/remove the need
for transportation, which means that learners could enjoy the lessons at home and
at their convenience. What makes it even better is that online learning grants
students all over the world an access to quality courses designed and run by
reputable professors from top-notch universities, which would otherwise be
available to those living in the vicinity of these colleges only.
to show a preference for sth: thể hiện sự thích thú với cái gì hơn
 in comparison with: so với
 face-to-face class: lớp học trực tiếp (không phải lớp học từ xa)
 largely owing to sth: chủ yếu là vì cái gì
 to eclipse sth: vượt qua cái gì
 For starters,: Đầu tiên là

 to be attributed to sth: là do cái gì
 to eliminate/remove the need for transportation: loại bỏ nhu cầu phải di
chuyển
 at one’s convenience: ở thời gian và địa điểm phù hợp với ai đó, thuận tiện
cho ai đó
 to grant sbd sth: trao cho ai cái gì
 reputable: có danh tiếng tốt
 top-notch university: trường đại học hàng đầu
 in the vicinity of sth: gần cái gì, ở khu vực xung quanh
3. What are the differences between young and old teachers?

There exist multiple fundamental distinctions between the two generations of
teachers. To begin with, more seasoned teachers have their seniority to thank for,
since they have more hands-on experience in solving students’ problems and would,
in general, amass more practical insights in pedagogy than their younger
counterparts. Having said that, I believe the fresh ones are more likely to deliver
logical yet absorbing/riveting lessons as they themselves have been kept up-to-date
with more modern teaching practices. The fact that younger educators are better at
cooperative teaching is also a plus/bonus.
 fundamental distinction: sự khác nhau cơ bản
 To begin with: Đầu tiên là (để giới thiệu quan điểm đầu tiên bạn đưa ra)
 seasoned teacher: giáo viên có nhiều kinh nghiệm
 seniority: thâm niên
 hands-on experience: kinh nghiệm thực tế
 to amass in sth: tích lũy
 practical insights in pedagogy: hiểu biết thực tế về sư phạm
 Having said that: Mặc dù vậy
 absorbing/riveting (adj): hấp dẫn, thu hút hoàn toàn sự chú ý
 a plus/bonus: điểm cộng
4. Why is it difficult to teach old people?

Contrary to popular belief, the problem in/getting in the way of teaching the elderly
may not be so much their slow acquisition of knowledge (,as we are often led to
believe,) as their ‘senior moments’. Believe it or not, more aged individuals

purportedly devour new concepts at a rate comparable to that of their juniors, but
the core issue lies in their hit-and-miss ability to retrieve those memories. This has
to do with the ageing process of their brain, which poses serious obstacles in
retaining and activating the knowledge acquired. What makes matters worse is that
the senior ones show a tendency to be set in their ways and inflexible in their
thinking, thus many would find the thought of being taught by younger ones hurtful
to their pride. Accordingly, it can be the disinclination to cooperate of the elderly
that makes instructing them a challenging task.
 Contrary to popular belief: Khác với những gì mọi người thường nghĩ
 to get in the way of doing sth: ngăn cản ai làm gì
 not be so much st1 as st2: dùng để nói nghiêng về điều thứ 2 nhiều hơn là
điều thứ 1
 slow acquisition of knowledge: sự tiếp thu kiến thức chậm
 ‘senior moments’: (cách nói hài hước) sự đãng trí ở người già
 Purportedly [Formal]: được cho là đúng(nhưng có thể sai)
 to devour new concepts: tiếp thu những khái niệm mới
 hit-and-miss (adj): chập chờn, không ổn định
 to retrieve the memories: khôi phục trí nhớ
 to have to do with sth: liên quan đến cái gì
 to pose serious obstacles in doing sth: đưa ra thách thức khó khăn khi làm gì
 to retain the knowledge: nhớ được kiến thức
 What makes matters worse is…: Tồi tệ hơn nữa là…
 to be set in one’s ways: cố định không có đổi mới, từ chối bất kì sự thay đổi
nào
 hurtful to one’s pride: tổn thương đến lòng tự ái, tự trọng
 disinclination: sự miễn cưỡng, bất đắc dĩ làm gì, sự không thích, không sẵn
lòng làm gì

Topic 11: Places/garden

Part 2: Describe a park or garden you visited and liked
You should say
Where it was
What it looked like
What you did there
And explain why you liked it there
Growing up in the capital of Vietnam, where concrete jungles and traffic occupy the
streets, I hardly have a chance to see a garden. This experience is exclusively
available on my visits to the countryside, the first and also the most memorable of
which was back in 2005. Being a nine-year-old kid at the time, I insisted on my mom
bringing me along on her trip to visit our grandparents, who owned the largest
garden I had ever seen in my entire life. The garden was so large that my sister and I
could actually play hide and seek in it. Back in the days, my great grandparents were
farmers who used the garden to grow their produce.
On the entry, there stood a huge tree which might have been a hundred years old.
The tree, which towered over everything else, looked like it was guarding the whole
garden. Walking past “guardian tree”, you should see a giant green carpet laid out in
front of you. Made up of vegetables, grass, and other seedlings, this natural carpet
was the highlight of the whole garden, which never failed to mesmerize a nature
lover like me. Running alongside this fabulous-looking carpet were the sophisticated
floral patterns, which were actually formed by rose plants. The fragrance given off
by the rose plants was an addition to my overall experience. Truth be told, the first
thing on my list every single time I pay a visit to my great grandparents is rushing to
this natural wonder, as it gives me a sense of pure peace and cheerful relaxation
after days of hard work at school.
This might sound a bit like an overstatement (to you), but having been in our family
for generations, the garden has become a really sacred place for us. Whenever my
family and I take a walk in the garden, we feel as if our late beloved great
grandparents were there with us to.
 Concrete jungles Nơi có những tòa nhà cao tầng bê tông cốt
thép san sát, ít cây cối
 To occupy Chiếm
 Exclusively Duy nhất
 To insist on sbd doing sth Nài nỉ, nằng nặc đòi ai làm gì

 To bring sb along Đưa ai đi theo

 Back in the days Tại thời điểm đó (trong quá khứ)
 Produce (n) Nông sản
 Entry Lối vào
 To tower over everything Cao hơn mọi thứ khác
else
 Giant green carpet Tấm thảm xanh khổng lồ
 To be made up of sth Được làm từ cái gì
 Seedling Cây nhỏ nảy mầm từ hạt (so với cây chiết,
ghép...)
 Highlight (n) Điểm nổi bật
 To mesmerize Làm mê hoặc
 Floral pattern Họa tiết bằng hoa
 Fragrance Hương thơm, hương nước hoa
 To give off Phát ra, tỏa ra (mùi hương, tiếng động,…)
 Truth be told Nói thật là
 To pay a visit to sb/ Đến thăm ai/ cái gì
somewhere
 To rush to Chạy đến ngay chỗ nào
 Natural wonder Kỳ quan thiên nhiên
 To give a sense of (pure) Mang đến cảm giác bình yên và thư giãn
peace and (cheerful)
relaxation
 Days of hard work Những ngày làm việc/ học tập bận rộn
 Overstatement Sự phóng đại
 Sacred Linh thiêng
 To take a walk Dạo bộ
 Beloved Yêu thương
Part 3:
1. What measures should be taken to deal with noise in public places?
Noise pollution has been all-pervading to city-dwellers, causing policymakers to
devise a number of measures in response. Based on empirical evidence, the most
effective countermeasure (to combat noise pollution) is to impose a fine on making
noise in public places proportional to the volume and damage caused. For example,

many restaurants or boutiques (located in residential areas) that are found to abuse
disruptive noise to attract customers’ attention have abolished the practice in the
presence of a financial penalty. Although many may think that this is too harsh a
countermeasure, it is noteworthy that the damage caused by noise is not to be
taken lightly.
 All-pervading Tràn ngập khắp nơi, quá phổ biến
 City-dweller Cư dân thành phố
 Policymaker Nhà hoạch định chính sách
 To devise a measure Tìm ra giải pháp
 In response Để đối phó
 Empirical evidence Bằng chứng thực nghiệm
 Countermeasure Giải pháp đối phó
 To combat Chiến đấu, giải quyết
 To impose a fine on sth Áp dụng một mức phạt vào cái gì
 Proportional to Tỷ lệ thuận với
 Boutique Cửa hàng nhỏ bán quần áo, giày dép, nữ
trang…
 To abuse Lạm dụng
 Disruptive noise Tiếng ồn gây rối
 To attract customers’ attention Thu hút sự chú ý của khách hàng
 To abolish Bỏ
 Practice Thói quen, hành động được lặp đi lặp lại
 Financial penalty Hình phạt tài chính
 Not to be taken lightly Không nên xem nhẹ
2. Can people make noises in public places?

In Vietnam, noise is not banned/forbidden as long it is kept within a reasonable
range/spectrum, otherwise there would be a fine in place levied on the intrusive
noise makers. But the procedure to measure the acceptable noise level is usually
too troublesome, plus not a lot of people are informed about/aware of this law,
which together keep it from taking any effect so far.
 Within a reasonable range/spectrum Trong một giới hạn hợp lý
 Levy on Đánh vào (tiền, thuế)
 Intrusive Gây khó chịu
 Noise makers Những người gây tiếng ồn
 Procedure Thủ tục

 Acceptable noise level Mức độ chấp nhận được của

tiếng ồn
 Troublesome Khó khăn
 To be informed about/aware of Biết được, có hiể biết về
 To take any effect Có hiệu lực
3. Do you like going to parks and/ or public gardens?

As a nature lover, I love/adore/fascinate all kinds of plants. That is why I often go to
the public garden near my house to enjoy myself/have a good time. Filled with
greenery, the garden offers a place where I can be at one with nature. I also love
going there because scientific research has shown that being close to nature can
actually boost our immune systems and promote our overall health, both physically
and mentally. For this reason, I think that more gardens or parks should be
constructed so that the overall welfare of citizens can go up.
 To enjoy myself/have a good time Thư giãn
 Greenery Cây cỏ
 To be at one with nature Hòa mình với thiên nhiên
 Scientific research Nghiên cứu khoa học
 To promote our overall health Thúc đẩy sức khoẻ toàn diện của chúng
ta
 To boost one’s immune system Tăng cường hệ miễn dịch
 To promote one’s overall health Tăng cường sức khỏe
 To be constructed Được xây dựng
 Overall welfare of citizens Phúc lợi chung của công dân
4. Which do you think is more important, public gardens or private gardens?

Their roles are equally important, and so if we can afford to, we should have both of
them. Gardens, be it public or private, offer wide-ranging benefits, including
relaxation, closeness to nature, you name it. And this role stays the same and
independent of whether it is a public or private property. Despite this/that said,
given the exorbitant real estate price in cities, it is quite hard for the average city
dweller to own a private garden. Therefore, the government should build more
public gardens with a view to granting those in the working classes access to this
natural beauty.
 Wide-ranging benefits Rất nhiều lợi ích, lợi ích đa dạng
 You name it Dùng để nói “và rất nhiều thứ nữa”

 Despite this/that said Mặc dù vậy

 Given Bởi vì, khi tính đến
 Exorbitant real estate price Giá bất động sản quá đắt
 The average city dweller Người bình thường sống ở thành phố
 With a view to V-ing Với mong muốn, dự định là
 Working class Tầng lớp lao động
 Access to sth Sự tiếp cận với cái gì

TOPIC 12: ADVERTISEMENT

Part 2: Describe an advertisement you recently saw or heard
You should say:
When and where you saw it
What was advertised?
What the contents of the advertisements were
And explain how you felt about it
Well, I’ve never been into advertisements really since they are, to me, little more
than a tool to trick customers into buying unnecessary products. But if I have to
choose one for the sake of description, I think I would go for a cosmetic ad I saw
recently on the Internet that has literally changed my mind about commercials.
As a sassy girl in her early twenties, it’s only natural that I am quite interested in
makeup and cosmetics, so I am constantly on the lookout for beauty products to
test out. It so happened that while I was browsing the Web last month, a pop-up
advertisement about a newly released makeup brand caught my eye/attention with
its colorful/flamboyant layout and captivating images. But the best part of the
advertisement was that it featured my all-time favorite beauty creator - Pony, a
world-renowned makeup artist that had just founded her own beauty brand. At first
I thought it was just a scam/fraud since I have serious trust issues with pop-ups, but
it turned out to be a branch of Pony’s makeup brand.
The product advertised was a limited edition lip palette, specially designed for this
year’s Christmas. The lid of the palette was covered in green and red glitters with a
Christmas bell hanging at the center, and the brush inside was beautifully designed
as well. The package box was definitely an eye candy with red and green sparkles
everywhere. Honestly, I would toss every lipstick of mine aside for this one, as the
presentation as well as the manner of advertisement were stunningly attractive.
I personally believe the advertisement did a really good job capitalizing on the
celebrity endorsement strategy to induce impulse buying. Take myself for example,
I recall hitting the “Add to cart” button in a flash/without a second thought upon
seeing Pony put her make up on, transforming an exhausted and dull face into an
elegant and gorgeous one. That was really the first time I had ever seen such a well-
presented advertisement.
 little more than sth: không hơn gì
 to trick sb into doing sth: lừa ai làm gì
 for the sake of description: để miêu tả
 a sassy girl: một cô gái thời trang và tự tin

 to be (constantly) on the lookout for sth: (luôn) tìm kiếm cái gì

 to test out: thử nghiệm
 a pop-up advertisement/ pop- ups: quảng cáo xuất hiện trên màn hình máy
tính (khi bạn đang mở một tài liệu khác trên máy tính)
 to catch one’s eye/attention: thu hút sự chú ý của ai
 colorful/flamboyant layout: trình bày đầy màu sắc, sặc sỡ
 captivating image: hình ảnh bắt mắt
 all-time favorite : yêu thích mọi lúc
 world-renowned: nổi tiếng toàn cầu
 a scam/fraud: lừa đảo
 sth turns out to be st: hóa ra là
 a limited edition: bản sản xuất số lượng hạn chế
 lip palette: bảng môi
 glitter(n): lấp lánh
 an eye candy : một thứ đẹp
 aside for sth: ngoại trừ cái gì
 stunningly attractive: cực kì thu hút
 to capitalize on the celebrity endorsement strategy : tận dụng chiến lược
quảng bá thương hiệu nhờ người nổi tiếng
 to induce impulse buying: gây ra hành động mua ngay tức khắc
 in a flash/without a second thought : nhanh như chớp/ngay lập tức, không
nghĩ nhiều
 dull face: khuôn mặt thiếu sức sống
 a well-presented advertisement: một quảng cáo được trình bày tốt
Part 3:
1. Do you think advertisements on TV should be banned?
A big yes, actually. Nothing presents as much a nuisance as commercial breaks
during a film or drama, because they just spoil the flow of the whole show or series.
To make matters worse, you have no other choice than to sit through them until the
show resumes. For these reasons, it’d make sense for broadcasters to restrict or
even prohibit commercials altogether on TV.
 a nuisance: sự phiền toái
 commercial break: khoảng nghỉ để chiếu quảng cáo

 to spoil the flow : làm hỏng mạch, làm ngắt mạch

 to make matters worse: tồi tệ hơn là
 to sit through sth: phải ngồi xem đến cuối một thứ gì rất chán
 to resume: quay lại/ tiếp tục sau khoảng nghỉ
 make sense: có lí/ hợp lí
 broadcaster: đài truyền hình
2. Do advertisements (ever) influence your choice about what to buy?

I’d have to say that’s true/that’s a valid statement for the most part. Don’t get me
wrong, I can be really rational in my everyday purchases, being able to walk into
boutique stores selling glamorous apparel and attires without being lured into
buying anything unnecessary. But I have a soft spot for commercials, as they are so
captivating/inviting in visuals and so convincing with their promises. And so, much to
my later regrets, I often find myself splashing out on luxury items that do not
address any of my needs after watching advertisements.
 for the most part: phần lớn
 rational: lí trí (>< emotional: cảm xúc)
 apparel and attires: quần áo nói chung
 to be lured into doing sth: bị dụ làm gì
 to have a soft spot for sth : thích cái gì, có niềm yêu thích hay tình cảm đặc
biệt với cái gì
 much to one’s regret: thật thất vọng (khi)
 to splash out on sth: vung tiền vào cái gì
 to address one’s needs: giải quyết được nhu cầu của ai
3. What makes a good advertisement?

Well there exist tons of advertisements bombarding customers every day, but just
like anything else, there are always some that stand out from the rest. And I believe
that those outstanding commercials share one common trait: a relatable story and a
powerful underpinning message revolving around the product on offer. These are
delicately delivered by veteran marketers to appeal to the customers’ emotion,
thereby subconsciously/subliminally encouraging them to make the purchasing
decision. In fact, in this age of cut-throat competition, this subtle approach often
delivers better results than advertising gimmicks that allure customers with colorful
images and exaggerated claims, all of which are hell-bent on getting customers to
buy on impulse.
 to bombard sbd: tấn công ai đó bằng việc đưa quá nhiều thông tin
 trait: đặc tính
 underpinning message: thông điệp tiềm ẩn
 to revolve around sth: xoay quanh cái gì
 sth on offer: cái gì đấy được bày bán
 to be delicately delivered: được truyền tải một cách tinh tế
 veteran marketer: nhà marketer gạo cội (giỏi, nhiều kinh nghiệm trong một
lĩnh vực)
 to appeal to the customers’ emotion: đánh vào tình cảm/cảm xúc người
mua
 subconsciously/subliminally: một cách vô thức
 cut-throat competition: sự cạnh tranh khốc liệt
 subtle approach: cách tiếp cận tinh tế ý nhị
 advertising gimmicks: chiêu trò quảng cáo
 to allure sbd with sth: lôi cuốn, cám dỗ ai bằng cái gì
 exaggerated claim: những lời tuyên bố phóng đại
 to be hell-bent on doing sth: quyết tâm làm gì dù biết kết quả có thể tệ, cố
đấm ăn xôi
4. How do businesses promote their products?

One of the approaches most often employed/utilized is sample giveaways. I think
businesses are going out of their way to prove the quality of their products by
having people experience their products, prior to spreading the words about the
values that these products offer. This form of word-of-mouth advertising can be
quite effective, as instead of pouring a huge amount of money/financial resources
into putting together advertisements, businesses are using the testimonials of their
existing customers to gain a foothold in the market. After all, we all are more
inclined to trust the recommendation of a friend than taking commercials at their
face value.
 sample giveaways: sản phẩm mẫu được phát miễn phí
 to go out of one’s way to do sth: làm mọi cách để làm gì
 to spread the words about sth: truyền miệng về cái gì
 word-of-mouth advertising: phương thức quảng bá bằng truyền miệng

 testimonial: sự kiểm chứng, chứng nhận về chất lượng của một sản phẩm
sau khi sử dụng
 to gain a foothold in the market: tạo một chỗ đứng trên thị trường
 to be more inclined to do sth: có xu hướng làm gì hơn
 to take sth at face value: thừa nhận cái gì theo giá trị bề ngoài của nó

Topic 13 Education
PART 2
Describe an area of subject you studied that you are interested in, such as medicine,
physics or mathematics
You should say
What branch of science it is
When you studied it
How you studied it
And explain why you are interested in it
Well, I started to learn Chemistry in the middle of my junior high school, eighth
grade if I’m not mistaken, and surprising as it may sound, Chemistry was not that
tricky. There were two chemistry sessions running simultaneously each week, which
split equally into one for theory and the other for practice. To be honest, my friends
and I didn’t feel drawn to the former class since we were inundated with a plethora
of abstract theories, not to mention the strictly by-the-book delivery of knowledge
from our teacher that failed to attract our attention. Having to sit through such a
lesson made me space out in class. However, it was a world of difference when it
came to the practice class. In the laboratory, we were grouped together to carry out
experiments to find out the reactions of different chemicals and elements, and it
was these “aha” moments upon figuring out how it worked that really intrigued me.
My flawless performance on this course was the icing on the cake. I guess you could
say that part of my interest in this subject could be attributed to my ability to
constantly end the course with flying colors. That added incentive for me to always
strive for the best, and one testimony was my second-to-none results in three
consecutive semesters.
And I guess that I’ve got off to a good start with science thanks to chemistry.
 Junior high school: Trường cấp 2

 if I’m not mistaken: nếu tôi không nhầm
 (As) surprising as it may sound: nghe có vẻ kỳ lạ
 (Session/course etc.) runs: (khóa học/ kỳ học) diễn ra
 Simultaneously: đồng thời
 To feel drawn to sth: cảm thấy hứng thú với cái gì, bị cuốn vào cái gì

 To be inundated with a plethora of abstract theories: Bị nhồi nhét, bị ngập

trong một đống lý thuyết trừu tượng
 Not to mention: đó là chưa kể
 By-the-book: cứng nhắc, theo lý thuyết
 (Fail to) attract one’s attention: (không) cuốn hút, (không) thu hút sự chú ý
 To sit through (a lesson/ meeting/ speech etc.): ngồi nghe hết cả buổi
dạy/họp/nói chuyện, dù những buổi đó dài và nhàm chán
 To carry out experiment: thực hành thí nghiệm
 To make sb space out: làm ai đó lơ là, sao nhãng
 When it comes to sth: đối với cái gì, về cái gì
 “Aha” moment: khoảnh khắc khi bạn chợt hiểu ra điều gì, nhận ra cái gì
quan trọng, tìm ra ý tưởng hay, tìm ra giải pháp để giải quyết vấn đề
 To intrigue sbd: làm ai thích thú, tò mò
 The icing on the cake: Điểm cộng làm cho cái gì đã tốt còn tốt hơn nữa
 To be attributed to sth: có được là nhờ cái gì
 To end the course with flying colors: kết thúc khóa học với kết quả cao, rực
rỡ
 To add incentive for sbd to do sth: tiếp thêm động lực ai làm gì
 To strive for the best: phấn đấu hết sức, nỗ lực hết mình
 Testimony: bằng chứng
 Second-to-none: không kém gì ai
 three consecutive semesters: ba kì học liên tiếp
 To get off to a good start: có 1 khởi đầu thuận lợi
PART 3
1. Did you like science classes when you were young?
Well, yes and no. The primary aspect that made me grow fond of these mind-
boggling lessons is the relentless attempt to provide an explanation for how
seemingly inexplicable events came to be. To illustrate, in one of my science classes
back in high school, I was enlightened about the so-called “butterfly effect”, which
was based on the phenomenon that the flap of a butterfly’s wing could set off a
typhoon. Such an insight really piqued my curiosity as I am one with an inquisitive
nature. Most of the lessons, however, were carried out in classroom settings and

were heavily theory-based. It followed that chances to apply what we had learned
were hard to come by.
 Mind-boggling [Informal] (adj): quá khó để có thể hiểu được, quá khó để có
thể tưởng tượng ra
 Relentless (adj): không ngừng nghỉ
 seemingly inexplicable events: những sự kiện có vẻ như không thể giải thích
được
 To be enlightened about sth: được khai sáng, được biết đến cái gì
 The so-called + Noun: cái được gọi là
 To set off: gây ra
 To pique sb’s curiosity: khơi gợi trí tò mò
 Inquisitive nature: Bản chất tò mò, ham học hỏi
 To carry out a survey/lesson/research: thực hiện, tổ chức một khảo sát/buổi
dạy/nghiên cứu
 Classroom setting: Bối cảnh lớp học
 Heavily theory-based: nặng tính lý thuyết
 It follows that… : vì thế
2. Do you think science is important to our society?

Yes, absolutely. And I think that the strides that humans have made would be hardly
possible without science. In fact, the various branches within the realm of science
share a convergent point, that is, they all play a part in laying a foundation for
almost all inventions whose functionality has done wonders for human beings. A
prime example of this is our ability to harness a wide variety of power sources such
as wind, solar, and hydropower by means of wind turbines, solar panels and
hydropower plants. This has been made possible by the advances made in the area
of natural science, which goes a long way in improving the general standards of
living.
 To make strides: tiến bộ
 the realm: lĩnh vực
 To share a convergent point: Có 1 điểm chung
 To play a part in doing sth: góp phần vào
 To lay a foundation for st: Đặt nền móng cho cái gì
 To do wonders for: Đem đến lợi ích cho
 A prime example: một ví dụ điển hình

 To harness power source: khai thác nguồn năng lượng

 By means of: bằng phương tiện
 To be made possible: thành hiện thực
 To go a long way: giúp đỡ rất nhiều trong việc đạt được cái gì
3. What are the advantages of studying computing in high school?
In the context of unprecedented advances in information technology, studying
computing at upper-secondary level offers various irrefutable benefits, of which the
most outstanding one is the enhanced efficiency. To be more precise, today’s wide
coverage of the Internet, with its colossal archive of information, implies that those
with a good command of computing could filter and search for information in a
matter of seconds. This eliminates the need to browse through thousands of book, if
not more, to get a hold of the information on demand. Furthermore, armed with
fundamental knowledge of computers at high school, computer-literate students
are highly likely to fare well upon proceeding to tertiary level. As for the reason,
higher education necessitates self-study, which essence lies in the ability to research
and synthesize information independently, which would be out of the question
without the assistance of a computer.
 In the context of: trong bối cảnh của
 Unprecedented: chưa từng có tiền lệ
 Irrefutable benefits: những lợi ích không thể chối cãi
 Colossal archive of information: kho dữ liệu đồ sộ
 With a good command of: có hiểu biết về cái gì
 In a matter of seconds: chỉ trong vài giây
 To get a hold of sth: có được, lấy được cái gì, tìm được cái mà bạn cần
 On demand: bất cứ khi nào được yêu cầu
 To be armed with fundamental knowledge of computers: được trang bị
những kiến thức cơ bản về máy tính
 Computer-literate (adj): biết sử dụng máy tính
 To fare well: làm tốt, thành công trong cái gì
 Tertiary level: Trình độ đại học
 To necessitate self-study: đòi hỏi việc tự học
 To synthesize information: tổng hợp thông tin
 Out of the question: không thể thực hiện được
4. Do you think schoolchildren should learn both art classes and science classes?

I think both classes should be made mandatory for schoolchildren at an early stage.
One possible justification for this is that every child has a flair for a certain thing, be
it the artistic domain or the scientific sphere. Compelling them to try their hands at
both areas would allow children a chance to explore themselves and uncover their
potentials. A better self-awareness would then enable children to know what they
are more cut out for, so that they can have a proper orientation for the future.
Perhaps as significant as this is the fact that a broad spectrum of classes are likely to
contribute to a more well-rounded development of children.
 Mandatory: bắt buộc
 justification for (doing) sth: lý do cho (việc làm) cái gì
 To have a flair for st: có năng kiếu về
 be it… or…: dù là… hay là…
 Sphere: lĩnh vực
 To compel sb to do sth: bắt ai đó làm gì
 To try one’s hands at st: thử, làm cái gì lần đầu tiên
 To explore oneself: khám phá bản thân
 To uncover one’s potentials: khám phá tiềm năng
 To enable sb to do sth: cho phép ai làm gì
 To be cut out for sth: phù hợp với cái gì, có khả năng cần thiết để làm gì
 proper orientation for the future: định hướng đúng đắn cho tương lai
 As significant as this is: điều quan trọng không kém là
 A broad spectrum of sth: sự đa dạng
 A well-rounded development: sự phát triển toàn diện

Topic 14: Encouragement

Part 2: Describe a time when you received congratulations from others.
You should say
What the situation was
Who congratulated you
Why you were congratulated
And explain how you felt
.
Among all the occasions that I’ve been so blessed to be congratulated, I’d say I pride
myself the most on this milestone that has changed my career orientation. It was
when I nailed the IELTS test, which prompted me to turn into a teacher.
Let me begin by telling you a bit about my background. Following my high school
graduation, I was convinced to pursue Banking and Finance by my parents. But as
soon as I took their advice and embarked on the course, I came to the harsh
realization that it was not an area I’d envision myself doing years down the road. At
the same time, it dawned on me that English turned out to be my true calling/an all-
consuming passion, and so I took a leap of faith by putting my name down for the
IELTS test, for which I attained a stunning result and was showered with
congratulations.
Needless to say, I was gloriously happy to the point that my highly sought after test
score came up/was brought up in nearly all of the conversations I had with others. In
response, my friends were awestruck by my English proficiency, and they would
never fail to pay me a compliment at every chance they got. Bur perhaps it was my
family who was taken aback the most, for seeing me improve by leaps and bounds
from a novice English user to an advanced one in a matter of months. To celebrate
this, they even threw me a surprising party, in which they all gave me a toast for my
little achievement and their blessing for my new career orientation.
As for why I’m ecstatic, it wasn’t so much the congratulations I received as the
awareness that my hard work had paid off and that I could achieve the things I want
as long as I keep at it. It is this belief that sets me the path of pursuing a teaching
career, my dream job.
 (to) be blessed (adj): may mắn
 (to) pride oneself the most on sth: tự hào bản thân nhất về điều gì
 Milestone (n): cột mốc
 career orientation: sự định hướng nghề nghiệp
 to nail the test: làm bài kiểm tra tốt

 to prompt sb to do st: hối thúc ai làm gì, khiến ai quyết định làm gì
 (to) embark on: bắt đầu 1 chuyện gì (thường là mới mẻ, khó khăn)
 (to) come to the harsh realization that…: nhận ra một cách cay đắng rằng
 (to) envision myself doing years down the road: mường tượng ra bản thân
mình trong vòng những năm tới
 (to) dawn on sb that…: chợt nhận ra rằng…
 (to) turn out to be sth: hóa ra là
 true calling: nghề nghiệp đích thực dành cho mình
 an all-consuming passion: một niềm đam mê choán hết thời gian và năng lượng
 (to) take a leap of faith: đánh liều tin (thường vào những điều khó tin)
 (to) put one’s name down: đăng ký
 (to) be showered with congratulations: được chúc mừng rất nhiều
 gloriously happy: cực kỳ hạnh phúc
 sought after (adj): đáng mơ ước của nhiều người (vì nó rất tốt hoặc khó đạt
được)
 (to) come up/(to) be brought up in the conversation: được mang ra để nói trong
cuộc hội thoại
 awestruck (adj): bị ấn tượng đặc biệt bởi điều gì
 (to) pay sb a compliment: khen
 (to) be taken aback: bị bất ngờ
 (to) improve by leaps and bounds: cải thiện, tiến bộ nhanh, nhảy vọt
 novice (n): lính mới, người mới, ít kinh nghiệm
 (to) throw sb a surprising party: tổ chức cho ai đó một bữa tiệc bất ngờ
 (to) give sbd a toast: nâng ly chúc mừng ai
 blessing: lời chúc phước lành
 ecstatic (adj): vui sướng
 not so much st1 as st2: dùng để nói nghiêng về điều thứ 2 nhiều hơn là điều thứ
1
 hard work pays off: sự chăm chỉ được đền đáp, thành công
 (to) keep at sth: cố gắng tiếp tục làm việc mình đang làm
 (to) pursue a teaching career: theo đuổi sự nghiệp giảng dạy
 One’s dream job: công việc trong mơ
Part 3:
1. What does encouragement do to help people?

Having uplifting words of encouragement at the right time can boost people’s self-
confidence and empower them to overcome hardships. As a matter of fact,
encouragements, if properly done, are a proven tool to fuel people to believe more
in themselves and hence, be more bound and determined to work towards their
goal. Besides, when people are down in the dumps, then hearing the consolation
and comforting words from a friend can lift them out of the bad mood and,
hopefully, have a more positive outlook on the situation.
 uplifting (adj): làm tâm trạng phấn khởi, đem lại nhiều hi vọng
 to boost people’s self-confidence: giúp mọi người tự tin hơn
 to empower them to overcome hardships: truyền sức mạnh cho họ vượt qua
khó khăn
 to fuel people to do sth: tạo động lực cho mọi người làm gì
 to be bound and determined: rất quyết tâm làm gì
 to be down in the dumps: buồn chán, thất vọng
 consolation: sự an ủi
 lift sb out of the bad mood: giúp ai đó đỡ tâm trạng
 to have a more positive outlook on sth: có cái nhìn lạc quan hơn về...
2. Is giving a lot of encouragement negative?

Yes, I think so. Offering excessive encouraging words may backfire. The recipients of
such repeated emotional support may grow used to making excuses for failing to
do their best/pull their weight. What’s even more dangerous is that instead of
reflecting on themselves for the sake of future improvement, they are more likely to
beat a retreat from difficulties and also blame others for any failures.
 excessive (adj): quá nhiều
 backfire: phản tác dụng
 to grow used to sth/doing sth: dần quen với
 to make excuse: lấy cớ, lí do lí trấu
 to do one’s best: cố gắng hết sức
 to pull one’s weight: cố gắng, nỗ lực, đảm đương phần việc của mình
 to reflect on oneself: tự ngẫm lại bản thân
 for the sake of sth: để đạt được cái gì
 to beat a retreat: rút lui khỏi việc gì đó
 to blame others for sth: trách cứ người khác vì điều gì

3. From a parent’s perspective, is it useful to give children positive feedback?

Yes, absolutely. The formative years of children are vital in the sense that their views
on themselves and the world around them are shaped during this period, (which can
hardly be altered later on in life). Granting them upbeat remarks for good behaviors
is therefore critical in instilling in them a sense of security, and by extension, shaping
their character. That’s why parents should look on the bright side and show kids our
approval when we have the chance. Granted, there are times when criticism is
called for, but even if that’s the case, it should be done in the most constructive way
possible.
 formative years: những năm định hình sự phát triển, tính cách
 (to) be shaped: được hình thành
 (to) alter: thay đổi
 (to) grant them upbeat remarks for sth: cho chúng những lời nhận xét tích cực
cho việc gì
 (to) instill sth in sbd: làm ai thấm nhuần cái gì
 (to) look on the bright side: nhìn vào mặt tích cực
 Granted,…, but…: dù rằng…, nhưng…
 there are times when criticism is called for: có những lúc cần đến sự chỉ trích,
phê bình
 constructive way: (phê bình) có tính xây dựng, với mong muốn làm người nghe
tốt hơn
4. Who needs more encouragement, boys or girls?

I’d say that gender plays no part in the necessity of encouragements. In fact, the
misbelief often has to do with/stem from the assumption that boys are emotionally
stronger than girls, which is ill-founded. From my experience, for example, a lot of
fearless little girls own scary insects as pets while boys might flinch just seeing them.
It follows that encouragements (in the form of praises and compliments) would
therefore be necessary for both genders, so that they are more likely to grow up
becoming emotionally healthy and independent adults.
 gender plays no part in sth: giới tính không đóng vai trò nào trong việc gì
 misbelief (n): niềm tin sai lầm
 (to) have to do with/stem from sth: liên quan tới/bắt nguồn từ
 ill-founded (adj): vô căn cứ
 (to) flinch (v): nhảy cẫng lên, giật mình (do đau, bất ngờ hoặc sợ hãi,...)
 It follows that…: kết quả là

Topic 15: THE INTERNET/WEBSITES

Part 2: Describe a useful website that you often visit
You should say:
What the contents of this website are
How you first found this website
How often you go to visit this website
And explain how this website helps you
Thanks to the emergence and wide coverage of the Internet, tons of websites are
easily accessible to Internet users like me these days. To single out the most useful
one, however, I wouldn’t hesitate to go for tailieuielts.vn, which presents a huge
source of reliable materials for IELTS learners.
This website first came to my attention when I was in preparation for the IELTS test,
for which finding a trustworthy source for self-study was a must. Clueless as I was, I
had to turn to my IELTS high-achiever friends for advice and was referred to
tailieuielts.vn, a website launched by a group of IELTS experts.
I have to say that this website has done me a lot of good in IELTS learning. Unlike
many other commercialized websites or IELTS groups that offer quick fixes and work
mainly as marketing channels, tailieuielts.vn is a non-profit one providing learners
with methodical study approaches and multiple truly useful tips. Also, like the icing
on the cake, it offers online mock tests for the sake of/to aid self-assessment and
progress tracking. As such, it is easy to understand why this website gets so many
glowing testimonials from IELTS learners.
 wide coverage: sự phủ sóng rộng
 easily accessible: có thể dễ dàng tiếp cận
 to single out sth: chọn ra cái gì
 to hesitate to do sth: do dự, lưỡng lự làm gì
 to go for sth: chọn cái gì
 sth comes to one’s attention: cái gì gây được sự chú ý của ai
 in preparation for sth: đang chuẩn bị cho cái gì
 trustworthy (adj): đáng tin cậy
 a must: điều bắt buộc
 clueless: không có gợi ý gì
 high-achiever friends: những người bạn đạt điểm cao
 to turn to sb: nhờ đến sự giúp đỡ, lời khuyên của ai
 to be referred to sth: được gợi ý cái gì
 to do sb a lot of good in sth: giúp ai đó rất nhiều trong cái gì
 commercialized website: trang web được thương mại hóa

 quick fix: phương pháp ăn xổi
 non-profit (adj): phi lợi nhuận
 methodical study approach: phương pháp học có hệ thống, cách học có
phương pháp
 the icing on the cake: một thứ thêm vào một thứ đã tốt sẵn, giúp cho nó tốt
hơn
 for the sake of sth: để đạt được cái gì
 progress tracking: theo dõi sự tiến bộ
 glowing testimonials: những nhận xét tốt về một sản phẩm sau khi sử dụng
1. Is the Internet very important to you?

Definitely yes. The Internet serves an indispensible role in my life, I guess you could
even go as far as saying I can’t live without it. This is due in large part to the chatting
applications it offers, which allows me to stay in touch with my friends as well as
my business partners on a daily basis. On top of that, for non-work related
circumstances, the Internet offers me a huge source of entertainment like music and
movies, which is like a get-away ticket from my stressful work.
 to serve an indispensible role: đóng một vai trò không thể thiếu
 to be due in large part to sth: chủ yếu là vì cái gì
 chatting application: ứng dụng trò chuyện
 to stay in touch with sbd: giữ liên lạc với ai
 business partner: đối tác kinh doanh
 on a daily/weekly/monthly etc. basis: mỗi ngày/tuần/tháng
 On top of that: thêm vào đó
 non-work related circumstance: tình huống không liên quan đến công việc
 get-away (adj): trốn thoát
2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the Internet?

On the upside, it is generally agreed that the Internet offers users an endless pool of
comprehensive and easily accessible knowledge. That is to say, people could do a
search for information on any fields with a simple click of the mouse and in a matter
of seconds. However, on the downside, the Internet these days is also full of
misleading information to grab users’ attention, which can feed fake or unreliable
contents to readers.

 On the upside >< on the downside: về mặt tốt >< về mặt xấu
 an endless pool of knowledge: nguồn kiến thức vô hạn
 comprehensive: toàn diện
 easily accessible: có thể dễ dàng tiếp cận
 That is (to say): nghĩa là
 to do a search for information: tìm kiếm thông tin
 in a matter of seconds: chỉ trong vài giây
 misleading information: thông tin gây nhiễu
 to grab users’ attention: thu hút sự chú ý của người sử dụng
 to feed sth (information) to sbd: cung cấp (thông tin) cho ai
 fake or unreliable content: nội dung thông tin giả hoặc không đáng tin cậy
3. Do you think information on the Internet is very reliable?

Sadly no. Truth being told, the original aim of the Internet is to be a great source of
dependable information that keeps people updated with/posted about facts.
However, it is disappointing to find that many online newspapers are written by
crooked/unethical journalists who are paid a sum under the table to exaggerate,
twist the facts, or even distort the true story. For that reason, online readers run
the risk of being misinformed or fooled by the online media.
 Truth being told,: Sự thật là,
 original aim: mục đích ban đầu
 dependable: có thể tin cậy được
 to keep people updated with/posted about facts: để mọi người luôn cập
nhật tin tức, sự thật
 crooked: không trung thực
 unethical: vô đạo đức
 to be paid a sum under the table: được hối lộ một cách bí mật
 to exaggerate: phóng đại
 to twist the fact: bóp méo sự thật
 to distort the true story: bóp méo câu chuyện thật
 to run the risk of doing sth: có nguy cơ làm sao
 to be misinformed: được báo tin sai
 to be fooled by sth: bị lừa gạt bởi cái gì
4. What does the Internet do to help students in their studies?

It has been a great help (to students) actually. Perhaps the most
noticeable/conspicuous benefit is the easily accessible online courses offered to
students/them. These programs provide students, especially rural ones, with golden
opportunities to get access to sessions that are designed by reputable professors,
disregarding geographical distances or boundaries. Better still, thanks to online
courses, students could now adjust their pace of self-study to suit/match their
current level, which may not be the case in face-to-face classes.
 to be a great help to sbd: giúp đỡ được ai nhiều
 noticeable/conspicuous benefit: lợi ích đáng kể/dễ thấy
 easily accessible: có thể tiếp cận một cách dễ dàng
 golden opportunity: cơ hội vàng, cơ hội quí giá
 to get access to sth: tiếp cận với
 reputable: có danh tiếng tốt
 disregarding geographical distances or boundaries: bất kể khoảng cách hay
ranh giới địa lý
 Better still: tốt hơn nữa
 to adjust the pace of self-study: điều chỉnh tốc độ tự học
 to suit/match one’s current level: hợp với trình độ hiện tại
 face-to-face classes: các lớp học trực tiếp (không phải học từ xa)

TOPIC 16: HOME, APARTMENT

Part 2: Describe the ideal home (flat or house) that you would like to live in.
You should say:
Where it would be
What type of house it would be
How you would decorate it (or, how you would furnish it)
Who you would like to live with
Explain why you would like to live in this kind of home
It might be a bit too early for an undergraduate like me to fancy having a house of
my own, but given that I have to describe an ideal home, I think I would
picture/envisage a small cottage on the outskirts of Hanoi.
A lovely little cottage, ideally with an accompaniment of a small garden, would
make/constitute just the perfect thing/shelter for me. In terms of its layout, the
cottage of my dream would have two bedrooms, with each one decorated and
furnished in a vintage style, just to give off a nice nostalgic vibe. This vibe would be
further brought with a white coating of paint and wooden stick-out balconies to
plant some bonsai trees. Speaking of trees, the aisles leading to the cottage would
be filled with flower bushes to add a colorful touch to the house.
My wish to settle in a suburban cottage has to do with my soft spot for pets, kittens
and puppies specifically/to be exact. Having always wanted to surround myself with
lots/packs of cats and dogs, I find it troublesome to rear/raise them in the city where
my neighbors have little tolerance for my pet companions. Besides, few houses in
the city can offer enough space for cats and dogs to have fun running around, and
my budget wouldn’t stretch to cover those that do (have enough room) anyway. As
such, I would trade it all to realize my dream of owning such an ideal abode in the
years to come.
 an undergraduate: sinh viên đại học (người chưa tốt nghiệp)

 to fancy doing sth: muốn làm gì
 to picture/envisage : tưởng tượng, hình dung
 cottage (n): nhà nhỏ ở vùng quê, nhà tranh
 on the outskirts of: ở ngoại ô
 an accompaniment of: cái đi cùng mà phù hợp với
 to constitute: tạo thành, thiết lập
 shelter: chỗ trú (dịch trong bài sẽ là nơi ở)
 layout: cách bài trí

 a vintage style: phong cách cổ điển
 to give off a nice nostalgic vibe: tạo ra một không khí hoài cổ
 a white coating of paint: một lớp sơn trắng
 stick-out balcony: ban công chìa ra ngoài
 the aisles leading to the cottage: lối đi dẫn đến ngôi nhà tranh
 to add a colorful touch to the house: thêm nét chấm phá đầy màu sắc cho ngôi
nhà
 to have a soft spot for: mềm lòng trước cái gì
 to have (little) tolerance for sth: có (quá ít) sự chịu đựng cho cái gì (không chịu
đựng được)
 one’s budget wouldn’t stretch to sth/ do sth: ngân quỹ không đủ cho cái gì/ để
làm gì
 to trade it all to do sth: đánh đổi tất cả để làm gì
 an ideal abode: một chỗ ở lí tưởng
 in the years to come: trong những năm tới
Part 3:
1. For most Vietnamese people, what is an ideal house?
I don’t mean to overgeneralize, but I suppose the majority of Vietnamese dream of
living in apartments fully equipped/furnished with all the mod cons like
dishwashers, robot vacuum cleaner and the likes. The reason for this might be that
people nowadays are probably too drained after work to come home to piles of dirty
dishes, greasy floors and other trivial concerns that call for manual labor. With the
help of labor-saving facilities, however, they would be able to perform all these
house chores at ease, making sure that there’s some comfort and convenience to
come of it.
 to be fully equipped/furnished with sth: được trang bị đầy đủ bởi cái gì
 all the mod cons: all the modern convenience: mọi tiện nghi
 to be drained: bị kiệt sức
 piles of sth: đống gì đó
 greasy: đầy dầu mỡ
 trivial concerns: những lo lắng nhỏ, không quan trọng
 sth call for sth: cái gì yêu cầu cái gì

 manual labor: lao động chân tay

 labor-saving facility: cơ sở vật chất giúp tiết kiệm sức lao động
 to do sth at ease: làm việc gì đó một cách dễ dàng
2. How has housing changed in Vietnam?

The list of housing changes in Vietnam could stretch for pages, but I think the most
noticeable one in is the convenience it offers residents. This convenience takes the
form of all-in-one apartment buildings. In the past when most residents lived in
sparsely distributed houses, it used to take us hours to reach the local market from
one’s home, which was pretty much of a nuisance. The newly erected all-in-one
apartment buildings, however, have transformed the old way of life by combining
various amenities like indoor swimming pools, supermarkets, and even
entertainment centers together under the same roof. This has made it far more
handy for the dwellers to access the amenities in the neighborhood.
 to stretch for pages: kéo dài hàng trang
 resident: người dân của một khu, cư dân
 to take the form of sth: dưới dạng
 all-in-one (adj): tất cả trong một, tích hợp
 to be sparsely distributed: được phân bổ thưa thớt
 to be pretty much of a nuisance: rất phiền toái, khó chịu
 the newly erected building: tòa nhà mới được dựng lên, xây lên
 amenities: các tiện nghi
 under the same roof: dưới một mái nhà
 far more handy: tiện hơn rất nhiều
 dweller: cư dân
3. How will housing change in the future?

As the population is booming faster than ever before, I suppose houses will become
more compact to serve that sizeable population in a more cost-effective way (in the
next few years/ the years to come). By more compact, I mean we would expect
multi-functional living areas like integrated living-dining room (for example), which
would save a considerable amount of space. At the same time, an ever-growing
population would certainly equate higher real estate/property prices, as the limited
urban area does not grow proportionately to the population.
 compact: nhỏ gọn

 sizeable population: dân số khá lớn
 cost-effective: tiết kiệm chi phí
 multi-functional: đa chức năng
 integrate: kết hợp, tích hợp
 considerable: đáng kể
 an ever-growing population: dân số luôn tăng
 to equate: bằng với (ở đây dịch là tương ứng với)
 real estate: bất động sản
 to grow proportionately to sth: (dịch theo như trong bài là) phát triển tỉ lệ với cái
gì
4. Would you live in a foreign country in the future?

A big yes, actually. I’m very much in love with/fascinated by the architecture and the
design of houses in Western countries, especially Europe’s. Unlike housing in
Vietnam with all-too-common designs, houses and apartments in Europe are truly
original/novel in their concepts and designs, which can be quite a sight to behold.
So should a chance to live abroad ever present itself, I would definitely seize the
moment.
 to be fascinated by: bị cuốn hút bởi
 all-too-common: quá thông thường
 original/novel: độc đáo, mới mẻ
 to be quite a sight to behold: là một cảnh đáng để chiêm ngưỡng
 should a chance to live abroad ever present itself: nếu như cơ hội sống ở nước
ngoài xuất hiện
 to seize the moment: nắm lấy khoảnh khắc


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IZONE - IELTS TRAINING ACADEMY SPEAKING CHAMPION (UPDATED 16 TOPICS)

IZONE SPEAKING CHAMPION

Website: Izone.edu.vn | Fanpage: 1

You should say:

 live music performances: những màn trình diễn nhạc sống

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 the name says it all: cái tên nói lên tất cả

 to come into contact with sth: tiếp xúc với cái gì

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 to exert a positive effect on: có ảnh hưởng tích cực lên

2. Should music be a compulsory subject at school for children?

 regardless of: bất chấp, mặc dù

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 to single out: chọn ra

3. Is listening to traditional (Vietnamese) music popular in Vietnam today?

 to range from .... to …: từ... đến

 free commodity: hàng hóa miễn phí

 to take it for granted: coi nhẹ

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TOPIC 2: TRADITIONAL PRODUCTS

In this age of advanced technology, traditional products seem to be overshadowed

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 Thanks to: nhờ có

2. How important are traditions and cultural relics?

3. Do you think it is important to maintain traditional festivals?

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4. Name some youth culture values that you know.

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My major at university was Business Administration, but most of my peers seem to

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 to start their own businesses: khởi nghiệp, tự kinh doanh

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 not come easy: không dễ dàng

There exist multiple fundamental distinctions between being self-employed and

 to be synonymous with: đồng nghĩa với

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 to come to my mind: xuất hiện trong đầu tôi

 manpower/human resources: nguồn nhân lực

5. Why do business people need creativity?

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Creativity is an essential quality that businessmen have to possess owing to the

 owing to: bởi vì

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 In retrospect: Khi nhìn lại

2. Why do people write handwritten letters to kids?

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3. Is it still useful for companies to communicate with letters?

4. How do you feel when you receive a handwritten letter?

 thrilled: kinh ngạc, háo hức

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4. What kinds of places are popular for shopping in Vietnam?

 flea market: chợ ngoài trời bán đồ cũ, giá tốt

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 hue: sắc (màu)

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 possession: vật sở hữu, tài sản, của cải

3. When do Vietnamese people buy furniture?