Speaking task 2

Describe a person who helps others in his/her spare time./Describe a person who
is good at his/ her job/Describe a family member that you really admire/make
you proud of.
I’m going to tell you about my mom as a person who makes me proud the most/ as
a person who usually spends time helping other people/ as a person who is
excellent at her job/ as my role model that I want to be similar.
I’m going to tell you about Ms Hanh Nguyen as a female leader that I really admire
and want to meet in real life.
My mom/ Ms Hanh is the chairlady of the women and children’s union in the
hometown where my family lives (I first knew about her by reading an article
about her contribution to the construction of many new primary schools in my
living area). Due to her position and responsibilities, she has engaged in a lot of
activities and events to help other people with disadvantages, including raising funds
for charity, giving books, school supplies and bicycles to poor children to encourage
them to go to school, as well as providing job training for uneducated middle-aged
people so that they can earn more money.
(nếu là đề "a person helps others in his/her spare time")
Whenever my mom has free time, she doesn’t stay at home for relaxation or
recreation like many people usually do. Instead, she joins many charity trips to rural
areas to help the poor. Also, she always collects old clothes and reusable items to
donate to people who are in need.
She is loved and respected by family members, neighbours and many other people for
her selfless devotion to help the poor. And that’s why I’m full of admiration for my
mother and very proud of her.
(nếu là các đề còn lại)
My mom/ Ms Hanh is really good at her job as a leader because she a typical
example of a person with a warm heart and a cold mind. In other words, she helps
people with all of her heart, but also keeps her mind calm because she is a leader.
I can tell that my mom/ Ms Hanh has great leadership. First of all, she has
significant influence and inspiration on others. That’s why she can call for support
and donation effectively and raise a lot of money for charity. Second, she can truly
connect with people by showing kindness, attention and encouragement to them. This
explains why a lot of people trust and respect her. Last but not least, she leads by
example. To be more specific, she takes responsibilities for her saying and her

actions. (For the reasons mentioned above, I desire to meet Ms Hanh in real life
to listen to her advice to become a successful leader like her/ I am full of
admiration for my mom and want to become a successful leader like her in the
future).
Describe an intelligent person/Describe a person who usually has interesting
ideas/Describe someone you would like to study or work with?
It is a friend of mine whose name is Hai that I would like to talk about as the person
who is very smart and always comes up with new ideas, so that I really like working
with him.
Hai is very special. He is a student at HCMC Conservatory of Music majoring in
music composition, yet he is also a part-time mobile game developer. I remember
how I was astonished when I knew about this. He is both left-brained and
right-brained, which means that his style of thinking is analytical and methodical, yet
intuitive and artistic. I think because the two brain hemispheres of this guy function
equally, he can come up with fresh and reasonable ideas and also very humorous and
interesting.
I have known him since I joined a Youth Club for university students. We worked
together in the Communication Group of that Club. In order to raise fund for the
Group, we did create a game called “An Amazing Race – Saigon version”. I
remember in an internal meeting of our Group to finalize the games and missions in
each landmark of the race, the atmosphere of the meeting was so intense because the
opinions the Group leader were so different from mine – as a vice leader. At that time,
the meeting was on the verge of a terrible argument.
At that moment, Hai played an excellent role of a neutral third party coming up with a
whole new plan which was a combination of the leader’s ideas, my ideas and of
course his ideas as well. It was truly a balanced solution merging all the plus points of
everyone’s ideas, making all relevant parties feel that their contributions were
recognized. In addition, he presented his plan in a very logical yet humourous way so
everything was very understandable and persuasive. Eventually we went with his
proposal and the Race took place successfully. Not many people can become a smart
moderator like him. Therefore, it is very obvious that he is my favourite teammate.
Describe a person who is very good at a foreign language
You should say:
➔ Who this person is
➔ What kind of foreign language he/she speaks
➔ Why he/she learns this foreign language
And explain why you think he/she speaks this foreign language well.

It is a friend of mine whose name is Huy Lam that I would like to talk about as a
person who is very good at English.
I know this guy since we are classmate in university. Huy Lam is very special, he is
always outstanding in English classes because of his excellence in this language. All
lecturers in the faculty know about his ability so he was usually asked to solve tough
questions or give explanation to the rest of the class. His English pronunciation is
impeccable and sounds no different from native speakers. His reading skill is really
excellent with the impressive reading speed. Furthermore, most of his essays are
delivered in an elegant and brilliant writing style. Huy Lam once told me that he had
studied English since he was a little kid and he learned this language mostly from the
Bible. This is not very surprising to me because Huy Lam has been long famous in
my class for being a practicing Protestant, like all members in his family. He said that
his capacity in English was a present from God.
Even though Huy Lam’s talent in English is in recognition, he never pumps himself
up or has an attitude because of that. Huy Lam is loved by not only his excellence but
also his characteristics. He is super friendly and always comes up with a bright smile
on his face which can warm your heart just by looking at his face.
At the present time, I don’t see him anymore since he is studying psychology in the
US. He wants to become a psychologist to help people with mental illness through
psychological treatments.
Describe a famous person (still living), not from your country, who you would
like to meet./Describe your favourite singer/Describe a beautiful or handsome
person you have met in your life?
It is Taylor Swift that I’m going to talk about as my favourite singer/ a foreign star I
really want to meet.
The very first song of hers that I listened was “Love Story”. Taylor amazes me
musically. She is a singer as well as a song writer. All of her narrative songs are
inspired by her life experiences and observations. I find lyrics written by Taylor
always refreshing, surprising and really relevant to my thoughts and feelings. One of
the lyrics of hers that I impressed the most is “All the best people in life are free”.
In addition to the fact that I’m interested in this female singer because of her music, I
also admire her personality traits. She is one of the few remaining celebrities that
doesn't take drugs, doesn't cuss in her music, doesn't strip, smoke, or use any foul
language, and she's just a genuinely kind person.
Talking about her appearance, Taylor Swift possesses the beauty beyond compare
with flowing golden locks of hair, ivory skin and eyes of emerald green. The beauty
I've seen in her was the perfect silence in her lips and a little sharpness in her eyes.
Honestly speaking, other people cannot take their eyes off Kristina, or at least they
will secretly make a glimpse over her.
If I had a chance to meet her, I would say thank you for everything she’s done. Not
only her music but her actions are so inspirational and inspire me with courage.
Describe a friend or a person who encouraged you to achieve a goal.

You should say:  
– What this person is 
– What this person encourage you to do 
– What this person have help 
And explain why this encouragement help you to achieve the goal
I'm going to describe my father as a person who encouraged me to overcome
difficulties and enter a good university.
My father is the one who has always given motivational support to me on my
education and encouraged me to pursue vital targets in life. As a father, he has done
great things to raise my sister and I and he has dedicated his life to the family.
Every time I face difficulties, he always stands by my side and supports me as much
as he can. I still remember the time before the university entrance exam, I felt anxious
all the time and was not confident in my abilities. My father gave me encouraging
words by saying that: “Oh, my dearest. Courage is the price that life exacts for
granting peace or success”. It means that I can only attain what I deserve if I try my
best to overcome my fear. He also taught me not to be afraid of making mistakes
because failure is the mother of success and no matter what happens, he was still
proud of me. Thanks to him, I passed the exam with a high grade.
His love and encouragement are always a significant motivation in my life. Every
time I am discouraged by challenges or difficulties, I recall what he has told me and
all of his hard work to raise the whole family in order to regain my mental energy and
build up my resilience. Thanks for him now I have become a self-motivated person.
Describe a famous athlete you know
You should say:
- Who that person is and what sport that person plays
- How you learned about the person
- What about the person made you impressed
I’m going to tell you about Nguyen Quang Hai as a football player that I’m full of
admiration for.
He is a Vietnamese professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for
Ha Noi FC. I first knew about him by watching a football match between Vietnam
and Thailand, he amazes me by his ball controlling skills and eye for goal.
He became popular during the AFC U-23 Championship in 2018. During the
tournament, he scored five goals, and his goal in the final match under heavy snow
was voted as the best goal of the tournament. Because of this, he has been praised as a
newly-discovered talent of Vietnam football.
In addition to the fact that I’m a fan of Quang Hai because of his performance, I also
admire his personal qualities. Even though this man has gained enormous popularity

at a young age, he has never had an attitude or pumped himself up. A lot of
Vietnamese football fans love him because of his humbleness and friendliness.
And that’s all I want to talk about Quang Hai as my favourite sport player.
Describe a person who often travels by plane
You should say:
- Who he/ she is
- Where he or she goes
- Why he or she often travels by plane
And how he/ she feels about it
It is a friend of mine who is a flight attendant that I'm going to talk about as a person
who regularly travels by airplane.
Quincy is my friend from university and she has pursued the career of a cabin crew
for almost three years. Needless to say, her job involves a lot of travel to all over the
world, especially from Vietnam to the U.S and Taiwan. In general, she flies around 60
to 85 hours every month, depending on the assignment of the airline that she is
working for. Because she is employed by an overseas airline so she flies international
trips most of the time.
My friend does enjoy her job since she is given opportunities to travel around the
world economically. Thanks to the benefits of a flight attendant, she doesn't have to
pay for airfare and accommodation whenever she travels. Also, she usually takes
advantage of a layover to enjoy the places she flies to, for example going shopping,
relaxing, getting her hair and nails done and her back massaged, or visiting popular
tourist destinations.
Having said that, long-haul trips sometimes do affect her negatively. She is pretty beat
up by the time she gets home and all she can do is going to sleep as long as she can.
Since she has to travel through different time zones frequently, jet lag is an inevitable
problem and her body’s internal clock usually gets out of sync with local time. In
addition, heavy travel by airplane and changing temperatures are not good for her
facial skin at all since it becomes really dry.
And that's all I want to talk about my friend who is a cabin crew.
Describe a person who works on to protect the environment
It is a colleague of mine that I’m going to talk about as a person working on
environmental protection.
His first name is Brian and he is a Canadian expert in international trade, especially
Canada customs procedure. I work with him in a project sponsored by an international
organization regarding promoting trade facilitation in Vietnam. Among all experts
from Canada and the US coming to Vietnam to work on this project, Brian is my
favourite colleague.

Brian is loved by not only his warm and friendly characteristics, but also by his strong
advocacy towards environmental protection. To be more specific, Brian always
carries himself reusable bags whether he is shopping for food, clothes or books. He
tries his best to avoid using plastic bags to cut down on litter. He showed me a video
clip of a poor whale having more than 88 pounds of plastic in its stomach and said
that this was the reason for his hatred towards littering behaviour, as well as plastic
products. Brian always reminds me to save electricity by turning off the
air-conditioning in the office when the weather is not very hot. He prefers opening
windows to get natural lighting and ventilation. His wife told me that he always
turned off the faucet when brushing his teeth and never turned the shower on until
he’s ready to get in. He believes that changing old habits would be good for both the
environment and our wallet.
Brian also grows some plants in the balcony of his apartment. He did successfully
save a small dying rose bush, then he put it in a plant pot and placed it in his office for
decoration. He perceives his success in reviving the plant can be as significant as his
achievements in economic area. He is genuinely a nature lover.
Describe an interesting neighbour that you have/had?
Today I’m going to tell you about about my lovely neighbor, whom I really adore and
respect.
I live in a beautiful and peaceful street and most of my neighbors are kind, benevolent
and well-mannered. Among them, I would pick Mrs. Cam Nhung as the loveliest
neighbor I have ever met. She is a retired English teacher and she has acquired a
reputation as a very profound and dedicated teacher. Despite her advanced years, she
looks really young and is always full of energy. She lives with her family next to our
house. She moved into our neighborhood 5-6 years ago and since then she has
endeared herself to everybody living in the community.
What I find most appealing about her is her great personality. Although she is not
very wealthy, she always shows compassion for others, especially the poor and the
underprivileged. She has opened a free English class for orphans in the hope of giving
them more opportunities to follow academic education. Another of her lovely traits is
definitely her positivity. She always looks on the bright side of the problem even
when it comes to her own misfortunes. Therefore, whenever I feel discouraged, I go
to her house and seek her advice. She usually greets me with an irresistible
home-baked cake or an encouraging piano song, from which I derive a great deal of
pleasure. I have learnt many useful things from her, not only in everyday things, but
also in attitudes to life. To me, she is not just a normal neighbor, but a person for
whom I feel a sense of empathy, despite the gap between our ages. Being with her
gives me a sense of security and I really owe a lot of gratitude to this person.
# It is Ms Mai that I’m going to talk about as an interesting neighbour I used to have.

Actuyally, she was not my next-door neighbour because her house was not very close
to mine. She lived 2-3 alleys away from me, but it was still within the neighbourhood.
Ms Mai was an owner of a small food stall serving nothing else but some particular
Vietnamese breakfast dishes. Therefore, her food stall was open only in the morning.
It is family business, actually, with Ms Mai cooking the food, her husband and her
only son helping out and delivering food to customers.
All of Ms Mai’s dishes are made with ricee noodles, such as bun rieu, banh canh, hu
tieu mi. Her dishes are very tasty with a distinct flavour of the soup. I have enjoyed
breakfast made by her since I was a kid. I would admit that my day will not be
complete without sitting down to Ms Mai’s steaming bowl of banh canh for
breakfast.
In addition to the fact that I’m interested in this woman because of her excellent food,
I also like her personality traits. She is a kind, hard-working and frank person. To be
more specific, she shows her kindness through not taking money of people with
disadvantages who have breakfast at her food stall. Besides, she always works hard to
prepare the food as she gets up at around 4 AM everyday to get the cooking materials
ready. Another thing about her is that is kinda straightforward and will let you know
what she's thinking. She also has a good sense of humour so I find talking to her
amusing and comfortable.
It is a pity that Ms Mai and her family did sell their house, stop their business and
move back to their hometown 2 months ago because she wants to take good care of
her husband who is getting really sick.
Honestly speaking, I really miss her. I miss her food and also the small talks I had
with her when I visited her food stall.
Describe the most polite person you know
Describe a person who you would like to work with
It is a colleague of mine that I’m going to talk about as the most well-mannered
person I know/ as the person I always want to work with.
His first name is Brian and he is a Canadian expert in international trade, especially
Canada customs procedure. I work with him in a project sponsored by an international
organization regarding promoting trade facilitation in Vietnam. Among all experts
from Canada and the US coming to Vietnam to work on this project, Brian is my
favourite colleague.
I would admit that his manners are impeccable because he show his politeness and
kindness all the time. He is very nice and gentle to others and treats me with respect
rather than as someone inferior to him. I prefer working with Brian. He is truly an
easy-going and supportive person by trying to handle things himself rather than giving
demands and requests to me despite the fact that I’m a project assistant and he serves
all the rights to do that. He is also a patient listener by being all ears to what I say no

matter how boring or trivial it is. Brian is also loved because of his humbleness since
he said that he couldn’t do his job without the help and support from other members
in the project team.
Brian always shows up with positive facial expressions, especially a big smile is
something available all the time on his face.
The way Brian shows his politeness is very natural and friendly, therefore making me
feel comfortable in interacting with him. / Being with Brian is so fun and I feel like
we are truly working as a team.
Part 3
Should people show politeness to friends?
Why not? It is really insufficient to believe that politeness should be saved for and
given to certain groups of people. Even to friends, politeness is welcomed as it is one
of the factors that strengthen the friendship. Friends can then see each other as a good
example and contribute together to the development of a civilized society.
What would you do when this happens?
Well, it may depend on who they are. To young people or those the same age as me, a
friendly reminder with a smile may be effective to stop their irritating behavior in
peace. But for other people who look rather aggressive, to be honest, being quiet and
suffering can be the only way to prevent me from further troubles.
Are Vietnamese people becoming politer?
Back a few decades ago I would say “yes”, but now it is different. In my observations,
people seem to only care about themselves and do not often show their politeness
toward others. I have been very surprised, you know, to realize that men are no longer
courteous enough to pull out a chair for a woman in a restaurant; young people
queuing at the cashier desk at the supermarket are no longer willing to save the turn
for elderly people. So, it is the bitter truth.
In what ways do Vietnamese people show politeness?
Like I mentioned, it is hard to see polite behavior in public places
nowadays. However, in certain environments, the politeness is well preserved. For
example, in school students usually save the elevator for their teachers or friends who
are disabled. In the hospital, visitors have been more aware of their noise and try to
walk and talk quietly when passing through the area where there are patients. These
are behaviors that should be encouraged.
What are the uncivilized manners on public transportation?
There are numerous of them I have to say. Some may eat and drink on the bus
regardless of the smell that may annoy other passengers, or on the train some may talk
too loudly and bother those who need some rest. So, to better improve the situation, I
think regulations should be posted on these means of public transport so that people
know how to behave appropriately.

Describe a historical figure in your country.
The famous historical person I would like to talk about is General Vo Nguyen
Giap. He is well-known in Vietnam because of his great historic contribution as a
military commander.
His greatest achievement would be to defeat France at the battle of Dien Bien Phu.
This was a big military event, in which he used his skills and talents to transform a
small group of Vietnamese soldiers into a well-organized troop to fight against the
French army. In addition, he established a military belt and logistics to provide strong
supplies of food and weapons for the battles in the northern region of Vietnam.
I respect this man because he is a role model of courage and determination. I still
remember one of General Giap’s famous saying: “don’t be overwhelmed or panicked
by modern weapons, it is the value of human beings that will decide history”. Another
thing that makes me admire this man is that although he is a great historical figure, he
didn’t try to pump himself up. General Giap has been lauded for his humbleness
despite the fact that he is a legendary man leading Vietnamese forces to victory over
the US and French.
He has great influence on not only Vietnamese but also the people of three
Indochinese countries. Therefore, when he passed away in 2013, millions of
Vietnamese citizens and people from other countries mourned for this great loss.
Describe a person who you really admire.
I would like to describe one of my teachers who taught me in high school. She had a
great influence on me and was a role model whom I look up to.
Her name is Yen and she taught me Math for 3 years of high school. She was in her
50s, and so she had a lot of teaching experience. Actually, we met each other almost
every day as she was also my form teacher. She cared about us as if we had been her
sons and daughters. For example, she always brought some kinds of medicines so that
whenever her students got a cold, coughed or something like that, she would give
them the medicines immediately.
Above all, I was most influenced by the way she taught us in class. Her thoroughness
in teaching inspired me to study Math, even though I had not been interested in the
subject before. Thanks to her effective teaching method, I was able to pass the
university entrance exam with a high Math grade. Besides, I was also influenced by
her lifestyle, which was so simple and worthy of respect that I really wanted to copy
her. As she is a warm-hearted person, she always gave us advice about any problems
we faced. At times, I felt that she was like my friend who I could share everything
with.
Although we have now all graduated from high school, my friends and I often visit
her at the weekends to tell her about our daily life at university.
VOCABULARY
✓ role model: [noun phrase] a person that you admire and try to copy.

Example: Parents are usually the most important role models for a child.
✓ in her 50s: [expression] between the ages of 50 and 59.
Example: My mother retired from her job as a teacher when she was in her 50s.
✓ cared about: [phrasal verb] felt that we were important and worth worrying about.
Example: Everybody had a good opinion of the hospital – the doctors and nurses
really cared about the health of the patients.
✓ thoroughness: [noun] the quality of doing things very carefully and with great
attention to detail.
Example: The report was perfectly organised and included every important detail,
and I had to admire his thoroughness.
✓ lifestyle: [noun] the way in which a person or group of people live and work.
Example: When I moved to the countryside from Hanoi, I had to change my lifestyle
completely.
✓ warm-hearted: [adjective] kind and generous
Example: He often gave money and chatted in the street to poor people that he knew –
he was a very warm-hearted person.
Describe an activity you do for your health or fitness.
You should say:
The activity that I’m going to talk about today is jogging, a simple and easy form of
exercise that anybody can do with little money.
As you might know, undergraduates are apparently very busy with their study so they
barely do any exercise. However, that is not the case for me since I still spend at least
30 minutes a day going jogging to stay healthy.
Unlike going to the gym, jogging is definitely way much easier for beginners and
doesn't expensive at all. Usually, after a three-mile jogging in the morning, I feel
extremely stronger and full of energy. Sometimes I do jogging in the evening and it is
also fantastic.
This type of exercise helps me to keep fit and refresh my mind after a stressful day.
This is certainly another best benefit of jogging which improves my mental health and
balances my moods. Also, doing jogging regularly like this can prevent numerous
unwanted diseases, I have experienced the positive effects of jogging after
three-month practice. It is clear that my body gets stronger and more flexible.
Somehow I have been more resilient to stress and able to concentrate longer.
Because of these benefits, I will continue with jogging and definitely will recommend
other people to do the same.

# Staying in good shape is everyone’s concern and I am no exception. To be honest, I
have been so caught up in my study since I entered university that I have a problem in
organizing my daily routine. However, I have been participating in a yoga class for
about 2 years, which takes me only 1 hour a day, to try to lead a healthy lifestyle.
Unlike dancing or running, yoga definitely involves stretching actions. You might
look at yoga and think that it is light and easy but it is more demanding than it appears.
Yoga allows me to work on all the parts of my body. It can burn a lot of calories in
just one hour of training. Also, it enhances my flexibility and suppleness in every
single movement.
What I enjoy the most about yoga is meditation. It is all about regulating your
breathing and helping you take things off your mind easily. Another thing is that
doing yoga is supposed to be good for curing headaches and digestion-related
problems, so it benefits not only physical well-being but also mental health.
By maintaining a schedule of taking part in the yoga class on a daily basis, I feel
extremely relaxed and full of energy after the class. It helps me to keep fit and refresh
my mind after a long stressful day. And of course, I don’t see myself stopping
practising this activity any time soon.
Describe an indoor game that you played when you were a child
I am going to talk about The Werewolf as one of my favourite indoor games. I think
The Werewolf is probably the most popular group role-playing game in HCMC.
This game is composed of two teams: werewolf and villager. The aim of the
werewolves is to hunt all of the villagers at nighttime without themselves being killed.
On the other hand, the objective of the villagers is to find out who the werewolves are
and kill them off before the whole village becomes food for the beasts. Because
werewolves are able to kill people at the nighttime, therefore, among the group of
villagers, besides ordinary people, there are some who have superpower. The villagers
win if all the beasts are eliminated. Meanwhile, the werewolves win if there is an
equal number between werewolves and humans.
I remember that it was a classmate of mine at high school who first taught me to play
this game. Because this is the team game so we had to gather other friends whenever
we want to play. When I was in high school, my friends and I enjoyed this game at
lunch and break times in our classroom or outside on the school playground. Now we
usually play at a spacious coffee shop whenever we go out for a drink.
I like this game because I enjoyed the challenge of analyzing and being analyzed,
deceiving and being deceived, controlling and being controlled, and thinking
creatively. This is an intriguing and intellectual game which requires various wise
strategies involved for each particular role. As for me, there is nothing better than this
game for groups of people to have fun.
As a child, I enjoyed playing chess. I think chess is probably the best-known board
game in the world. It’s a game for two players, and the aim is to defeat the other

player by taking his or her pieces and eventually trapping his King. This final move is
called checkmate.
I remember that it was a classmate of mine at primary school who first taught me to
play chess. He had a small, portable chess set, and once I knew how each piece
moved, we started playing at break and lunch times; we played in our classroom or
outside on the school playground. Later my parents bought me my own chess set as a
birthday present so that I could play at home.
I taught my younger brother to play, and at some point, I joined the school chess club.
There I had the chance to hone my skills against some of the older pupils, and in my
final year of primary school, I made it onto the school team. There were five of us on
the team, and we competed against children from other primary schools in the same
town.
I liked playing chess because I enjoyed the challenge of thinking ahead and trying to
outwit my opponent. I was probably seven or eight years old when I started playing,
and it seemed like a very mysterious and intellectual game at that time. Also, although
I loved winning, chess taught me to learn from my losses and to congratulate the
person who had beaten me.
PART 3 - COMPETITIVENESS IN PLAYING GAMES
What indoor games are popular to children in your country? Why they are
popular?
Children in Vietnam play a lot of indoor games but I would tell you about a
boardgame called the Werewolf. This is not a traditional game but it has gained
enormous popularity among teenagers and children. The group of players is divided
into two teams - the werewolves and the villagers. Werewolves win when there are an
equal number of Villagers and Werewolves. Villagers win when they have killed all
Werewolves. Youngsters enjoy this game because this is an intriguing and intellectual
game which requires various wise strategies involved for each particular role.
Werewolf is a social game suitable for any large group of people and requiring no
equipment to play.
Do children in your country care about winning or losing in a game?
Yes, children in Vietnam do pay attention to competitiveness and this is mainly due to
the teaching of their parents. For the most part, many parents have taught their
children that winning is the sign of success and a child can only make their parents
proud by becoming a winner. Consequently, children in Vietnam do strive for
winning since they don't want to make their parents and families lose faces in front of
others. This competitiveness can be seen not only in a game, but also in academic
performance at school.
Do parents in your country teach their children to enjoy the game rather than
paying attention to winning or losing?

Sad to say, Asian parents are more likely to teach their children to become a winner,
rather than focus on sportmanship, and Vietnamese parents are no different. Many
adults in my country have a terrible behaviour of bragging about the achievements of
their children. It's like they want to tell the whole world about any success of their
kids. Consequently, those parents would teach their children that losing is
unacceptable and only winning can bring glory to families and make parents proud.
Describe a family member whom you spend the most time with.?
It is my younger sister that I usually spend my time with and I’m going to talk about
her.
When we were kids, there were arguments and fights just like what normally happens
between siblings. However, that is no longer the case at the present time because the
more we grow up, the stronger the bond we have.
We frequently enjoy our free time in the evening by hanging out at a shopping centre
to do window shopping or going out for a drink at a nice coffee shop to have girl’s
talks. What we mainly do is just gossip. Generally, we share what we have done
during a day, people we have met or talk about problems we are facing. Latest news
about celebrities or something interesting on social networking sites is also our
favourite topic.
I find having her in my life a blessing because she’s like the other missing half of
mine who I can have comfortable silence. Like many people, I’m kinda afraid of the
awkwardness that arises when there’s nothing left to say. But being with her, the
silence between conversations, or after a burst of laughter becomes something so
enjoyable. I can talk whatever I want and stay silent whenever I like without feeling
awkward or uneasy. Also, we understand each other very well, just by making eye
contact, we can tell what the other person is having in mind, or just by listening to
each other’s voice, we can feel the emotions hidden inside.
To sum up, my beloved younger sister is the one that makes every moment count so
that’s why I really like spending time with her.
Describe a politician that you admire?
Mr Lee Kuan Yew – the founding father of Singapore – is the politician that has my
admiration.
I have learnt about this man since I was in my junior year in university while studying
about the political situation in South East Asia. He was the one who mainly
contributed to the incredible story of Singapore, transforming it from a third-world
country to a first-world nation in just one generation of national leaders.
I think there are two major personal qualities making him a successful prime minister.
First, he was an empirical man who had an inclination towards practical actions and
hands-on experience rather than theories. Mr Lee was not guided by any doctrine or
philosophy, unlike the Vietnamese government. Another thing about him is that he
believed good behaviours of citizens will lead to the development of one nation.

Therefore, he took strict discipline as a core value of many regulations and laws in
Singapore. He was famous for applying caning as the punishment for several offences,
such as vandalism, robbery, sexual abuse, and the death penalty for drug dealers. He
received lots of criticism from other countries and international organisations because
of this, but he proved to the world that he was right when Singapore now is known as
the safest country in the world. He has many successors who follow his actions to
maintain the prosperity of Singapore.
Because of the reasons just mentioned, Lee Kuan Yew was my most admirable
political figure.
Describe a famous actor/ actress in your country.
- Who this actor/ actress is
- What kinds of movies he/she acts in
- What do you know about this actor’s life
And explain why this actor is so popular.
Sample answer
I would like to talk about Thanh Loc as my favourite actor. He is a talented theatre
artist, as well as movie actor who has gained enormous popularity and admiration of
people of all ages.
The actor has devoted most of his life to entertain the public with his natural acting
skills. He has played more than 600 character roles throughout his acting career,
ranging from comedy characters to historical figures. Besides, he’s also gained other
remarkable achievement in other works, such as an MC, film actor, or stage director.
Thanh Loc has my admiration and respect because, unlike many celebrities in the
showbiz nowadays who try to capture public attention by shocking scandals, dramatic
news or nonsense commercial amusing shows, Thanh Loc is a true artist who only
provides serious works for the public. His comedy plays for children and adults are
created and considered carefully during the process of making so there is nothing like
dirty jokes or nonsense plots.
Thanh Loc is also famous for his humbleness. Despite the fact that he is the main
factor that attracts audiences, he said that he would be nothing without his colleagues
and it was a blessing because he had such a great team, including supporting artists,
sound and effects specialists, as well as backstage workers.
So, that’s all I want to talk about Thanh Loc – my favourite actor.
Describe a toy that was special to you when you were a child.?

One special toy that I remember getting was a Lego car. It was a birthday present
from my parents. I can't remember exactly how old I was, but I was probably about 10
or 11.
The special thing about this car was that I had to build it myself out of hundreds of
pieces of Lego. The pieces came in a box with a picture of the finished car on the
front, and I had to follow step-by-step instructions to put all the pieces together in the
correct way. This wasn't an easy task because the car even had an engine, movable
seats and gears. It took me a day or two to make, and required a lot of concentration.
When the car was finished it looked great, and I felt a sense of accomplishment. I
seem to remember that I didn't play with the car very much; the fun part had been the
process of building it.
 a picture of the finished car: bức ảnh về chiếc xe hoàn thiện
 to put all the pieces together in the correct way: đặt tất cả những mảnh
ghép lại theo đúng cách
 an engine, movable seats and gears: động cơ, các ghế di chuyển và hộp số
 required a lot of concentration: cần nhiều sự tập trung
 felt a sense of accomplishment: cảm giác hoàn thành nhiệm vụ
 the process of building it: quá trình lắp ráp chiếc xe
Place
Describe a place you remember well that is full of colors/Describe a place you
plan to travel to that is far away from your home/Describe a special day that
made you happy/escribe an impressive advertisement you remember well?
It is Hoi An that I would like to talk about as the colourful place which I vividly
remember/ the place that my family and I visited last year/ the place that I desire
to visit.
I'm going to tell you about the day I visited Hoi An. That day was so special that
I still vividly remember.
It is an advertisement about Hoi An that I'm going to tell you. That advert was
so impressive that I still vividly remember.
(Nếu là đề về tả nơi chốn)
Hoi An is a small ancient town, around 40 km away from Da Nang city, and located
in central Vietnam. This place is extremely famous for its distinct cultural and
historical characters and it left the deepest impression on me when I paid a visit
there last year/ that's why my family decided to visit there on our summer
holiday/ that's why I am eager to pay to visit there. The local authorities has
preserved the town's incredible legacy of Japanese merchant houses, Chinese temples
and French colonial buildings. Hoi An is very touristy, but not unreasonably like

many other popular tourist destinations in Vietnam, which have experienced great
modernisation and urbanisation and lost their own original values. Some of central
Vietnam’s most beautiful scenery, for example paddy fields, fishing villages, and
beaches are within easy reach in Hoi An.
This ancient town is beautiful and colourful to look at. Most houses in Hoi An are
painted in yellow and a lot of visitors, including me, come to Hoi An to admire
the beauty of sparkling lanterns which adorn the streets. The lanterns are in different
shapes and vibrant colors, making the whole town bright and impressive, especially at
night. The local food, the pedestrian streets, and the river are also great. Everything in
Hoi An is amazing in its own way. Call me romantic but Hoi An is the place that I
love, and this hasn’t changed since I first was there 5 years ago. It is something about
its appearance, atmosphere and friendliness that draws me back again and again.
(Nếu là đề về tả 1 ngày đặc biệt)
in central Vietnam. This place is extremely famous for its distinct cultural and
historical characters, so I decided to have a 2-day trip there last month. I remember on
the day I was in Hoi An, the weather was so nice with the blue sky, the sunshine and
gentle winds. I visited a lot of historical sites, including Japanese merchant houses,
Chinese temples and French colonial buildings. Hoi An is very touristy, but not
unreasonably like many other popular tourist destinations in Vietnam, which have
experienced great modernisation and urbanisation and lost their own original values. I
also visited and took a lot of nice photos in paddy fields, fishing villages, and beaches.
These amazing scenery are within easy reach in Hoi An.
In the evening, I had a small walk around the town to admire its beauty of
sparkling lanterns which adorn the streets. The lanterns were in different shapes
and vibrant colors, making the whole town bright and impressive. I enjoyed a lot of
local dishes and took a boat trip along Han river. Everything in Hoi An was amazing
in its own way. Call me romantic but Hoi An is the place that I love the most, and this
hasn’t changed since I first was there 5 years ago. It is something about its appearance,
atmosphere and friendliness that draws me back again and again.
(Nếu là đề về tả 1 quảng cáo ấn tượng)
I remember I watched that advertisement by chance at Incheon International Airport
in Korea last month. The relation between Vietnam and Korea has been developed
positively in recent years and Vietnam is a popular tourist destination to Koreans.
Therefore, it is easy to understand why there are a lot of advertisements about
Vietnam's destinations shown in Korea.

in central Vietnam. I can tell that the advertisement has done a really good job in
describing the most beautiful and distinct cultural and historical characters of Hoi An.
The 4-minute advert shows the town's incredible legacy, like Japanese merchant
houses, Chinese temples and French colonial buildings, as well as some of central
Vietnam’s most beautiful scenery, for example paddy fields, fishing villages, and
beaches. The ancient yellow houses and the sparkling lanterns are showed repeatedly
in the advert, making Hoi An so memorable and impressive. There are some scenes
about the local dishes, pedestrian streets, and people taking a boat trip along Han river.
The theme music of the advert is another plus point as it is Vietnamese traditional
music.
In general, I believe the advert is impressive enough to draw the viewers' attention,
thereby making them want to visit Hoi An once in their lifetime.
Describe a school you went to in your childhood
You should say: - Where it was?- What it was like?- What you learned
there?And how you felt about it?
(…say your elementary/ primary school name…) was the first school I went to and
this is the school I will always remember. The school was in the central area of my
hometown just behind the city hall. I started studying at this school when I was 6
years old and at that time, the school was like a whole new world to me. Fortunately, I
had a very positive impression about teachers, friends and everything on my first that
at school and I felt I was very lucky to be in this school.
I studied in this school for about 3 years and I enjoyed my time there a lot. The school
was a nice place with a suitable environment for the kids. It was a 4 storied building
of U shape and there were almost 200 students there. The teachers were very helpful
and very friendly. I never found them in a rough mode with students. Managing and
taking care of 200 students is not an easy task and to my surprise, the teachers were
very dedicated and caring to do that perfectly.They always treated us like their own
children and there were numerous times we got gifts from them. They have helped us
a lot to prepare for our study and also taught us about the values and ethics of life.
I enjoyed the environment of our school, especially the big garden, playground and
canteen. I also enjoyed having such great teachers who were caring and good humans.
In the break time, I used to play with my classmates and that’s something I will never
forget. The childhood is magical and pleasant and for me, this became even happier
because of the school I went to.
Describe a place where you read and write (not your home)
You should say:- Where it is?- How often you go there?- Who you go there with?

And explain how you feel about it?
I’m going to describe a café that I go to maybe once a week. It’s just down the road
from where I live, near Manchester, so it’s really convenient for me to walk down
there for a coffee or a bite to eat and to use the wifi.
The last time I went to this local café was on Friday afternoon. I was trying to do
some work at home, but I found myself getting distracted by little jobs around the
house. So I decided to have a change of scenery; I put my laptop in its bag and made
the short walk to the café, where I spent the next few hours getting all of my work
done. With a nice cup of coffee and just the right level of background noise, I found it
much easier to concentrate.
Over the course of the afternoon, I drank two cups of coffee and a glass or two of
water. The café owner takes a lot of pride in making the best ‘flat white’ coffee in the
area, so that’s what I tend to drink. If I remember correctly, the second coffee that I
ordered was a decaf, because I try to avoid drinking too much caffeine in the
afternoon. I didn’t have anything to eat on that occasion, but I do sometimes have one
of the home-made cakes that they sell.
There are a few reasons why I like going to my local café. I suppose the main reasons
are the coffee, the free wifi and the friendly staff. However, on Friday I also managed
to sit at my favourite table near one of the windows, and the café wasn’t very busy. So
the atmosphere and noise level were just right, and I was able to focus on my work
without distractions for most of the afternoon.
Describe a historical building in your area/Describe an open-air or street market
which you enjoyed visiting.
I’m going to tell you about Ben Thanh Market as a historical building in my living
area/ as a market that I usually visit.
Ben Thanh market is located in District 1 and is one of the earliest surviving
structures in Saigon, making it become an important symbol of this City. Because of
the historical values, this place has become a popular tourist destination.
Ben Thanh market is the largest market in Ho Chi Minh City which offers a variety of
merchandise. It is a great place for local people to buy grocery, food, flowers,
vegetables, or home appliances, and for tourists to buy handicrafts, branded goods,
Vietnamese art and souvenirs. Even though the market is very big from the outside,
the narrow corridors are packed with goods and people, making visitors struggle to
move around the market.
I often go to the market every two weeks because this market is in the walking
distance from my university. My friends and I usually visit the market during
lunchtime to satisfy our hunger for food. Many excellent local dishes can be easily
found at the food stalls in the market and I always order for myself a dish of Banh
beo.
And that’s all I want to talk about Ben Thanh market.
Describe a historic building in your local area.

It is the HCMC Fine Arts Museum that I would like to talk about as my favourite
historic structure.
This museum is located in District 1, the central area of our city, opposite Ben Thanh
market. It is a popular tourist attraction even though not as famous as other sites such
as the War Remnants Museum or the Notre Dame Cathedral.
This place attracts visitors by many unique features related to arts. First, it is set inside
an old yellow villa designed in French colonial style. Second, all corners of the
museum, from rooms to corridors, are full of valuable and amazing artworks, such as
sketches, paintings, or statues of Vietnamese and foreign artists, artefacts by Cham,
Indian and Khmer peoples, or handicrafts by ethnic groups. Finally, to be placed in
the middle of the main hall is an antique elevator gliding up and down the floors. This
is the most popular item which visitors usually take a photo with whenever they stop
by the museum.
I find a visit to this building very educational. Particularly, there are many paintings
and posters illustrating Vietnamese resistance to French colonialism. I have learned
more about history thanks to these artworks. They help me to approach a different
aspect of the Vietnamese war in a more exciting and inspiring way, unlike boring
information in textbooks.
In general, I think this museum is good for not only tourists but also students because
of its historic value regarding arts.
Describe your ideal accommodation
I’m going to talk about the perfect accommodation that I would like to live in.
Talking about the location, I have my preference for living in a big city over a rural
area so that’s where my ideal home should be. A spacious apartment, not a townhouse,
in a residential area will suit me best. I also would like it to be comfy and tranquil so
my apartment should be in the top floors of the apartment building where I can enjoy
a quiet and peaceful atmosphere, as well as fresh air.
Turning to the interior design, I will design my apartment in a modern and warm style
and paint it with undertone colors, such as beige or tan. There should be an effective
window system to receive natural lighting and ventilation throughout the day. The
accommodation would be equipped with modern appliances and air-conditioning for
comfort and convenience. It will also have a big balcony where I can plant some
flowers or vegetables for decoration. I have come up with the idea of putting a couple
of chairs and a coffee table in my balcony garden so that I can enjoy tea outdoors.
Additionally, aromatherapy is a significant factor of my life, especially when I am in
need of relaxation, and a quick escape from the stressful world of work. Therefore, I
definitely will set up scented oil diffusers around my apartment to make my living
space wrapped in pleasant and relaxing fragrance.
To be honest, having the chance to live in such an accommodation would be a dream
come true for me, feeling like I’m in my own world.
 #Interior (noun, adjective): thiết kế bên trong, phần bên trong

 House chores: công việc nhà
 To minimize the clean-up: giảm tối đa việc dọn dẹp
 Multi-functional furniture: đồ nội thất đa chức năng, dùng được cho nhiều
mục đích
 Convertible sofa bed: giường sofa có thể chuyển đổi qua lại được
 Fold-out desk: bàn gập, xếp lại được
 Wall-mounted TV (mount là verb nghĩa là ốp tường) à wall-mounnted là cụm
tính từ ghép nghĩa là TV ốp tường
What are the differences between living in the city and living in the countryside?
What are the disadvantages of living in the city?
Sample answer
It is a fact that people living in big towns and cities are facing numerous
problems. First, the more urban citizen number increases, the higher the demands in
transportation. Consequently, this brings about serious traffic congestion all over the
cities as civil infrastructure cannot develop at the same pace with the growing number
of vehicles. Second, the rapid growth of citizens would definitely weigh more burdens
on health care and education sectors, causing heavy shortages in medical services for
sick people and schools for children. Finally, densely-populated cities would have to
deal with environmental issues related to an increasingly high amount of garbage
disposed of every day.
Describe a place you want to travel to
Describe an interesting place in your country
Describe a hometown of your friend that you have visited
It is Hoi An – an accient town in Vietnam– that I would like to talk about as the place
I want to visit the most/ as an interesting place of my country/ as a hometown of a
friend of mine which I visited last summer.
Hoi An is a small old town nearby Da Nang and located in central Vietnam. This
place has preserved its incredible legacy of Japanese merchant houses, Chinese
temples and French colonial buidlings – though, of course, residents and rice fields
have been gradually replaced by tourist businesses. Hoi An is more touristy, but not
unreasonably like many other popular tourist destinations in Vietnam which have
experienced great modernisation and urbanisation and lost their own original values.
Some of central Vietnam’s most beautiful scenery and beaches are within easy reach
in Hoi An.
Hoi An is beautiful and colorful to look at, and it is well known for its yellow Ancient
Town, the lanterns that adorn the streets, the great food, the pedestrian streets, and the
river. Everything in Hoi An is amazing in its own way. Call me romantic but Hoi An
is a city that I love, and this hasn’t changed since I was there 5 years ago. It is
something about its appearance, atmosphere and friendliness that draws me back
again and again.

To me, Hoi An is a place worth travelling to and I would recommend this town to
anybody who asks me where in Vietnam they should visit.
PART 3 - TRAVEL HOLIDAYS
Who likes to travel more, older people or younger people?
I would say that young generations are more interested in travelling than older
generations. This is because young people are more in need of travel because they are
young and have strong desire of exploring the world. They visit different places not
only for pleasure but also to gain work, or educational and cultural experiences.
How has travelling changed as compared with a few decades ago?
Several decades ago, travelling, especially travelling abroad is not popular because of
the high prices of air tickets and other costly spendings. However, at the present time,
due to the development of airway transportation and the emergence of low-cost
airlines, more and more people travel around the world, and the number of air
travellers is dramatically rising.
Do you think travel can change people's ways of thinking?
Yes, to some extent, travelling can be an eye opener as it takes people to new places,
making them meet new people and having new experiences. By travelling abroad,
people will learn about other cultures and peoples, so they will be aware of false
stereotypes or casual racism. If people have a journey to mountains or go camping,
they will have better connection with mother nature.
Part 2 :Describe a public park or a garden that you usually visit.?
Describe a place in other countries where you would like to work
Today, I would like to talk about a place in foreign countries where I would like to
work. It is Melbourne, the second largest city in Australia which has become home for
millions of people from various countries around the world.
In Melbourne, I would like to work for an environmental NGO, as my major at/in
university is Environmental Resources. So, right after I finish my studies in Vietnam,
I will go to Melbourne to apply for a job there.
Well, the reasons why I would like to work in Melbourne are quite simple. First, I
have a lot of friends and relatives who live and work in Melbourne. They can help me
whenever I need. They also tell me that the community of Vietnamese overseas is
very large in Melbourne. So, the multi-cultural challenge won’t be a big problem for
me. And what's more, like Sydney, Tokyo or some other cities in the world,
Melbourne is a 'liveable city' due to/because of its high ranking in education, research
and healthy lifestyle/ way of life. So I think that to live, study or work there will be an
interesting experience.
Describe a school that you went to when you were a child.
I’m going to talk about my primary school. The school was called ______ and it was
in the town of ______. The location of the school was great because it was within

walking distance of our family home at the time. The route to school was all downhill,
which made it an easy walk in the morning, but a tiring journey on the way home in
the afternoon!
I was a pupil at ______ school between the ages of 5 and 11 - the full 6 years of
primary education. From age 11 onwards, I went to a nearby secondary school.
My primary school seemed like a big place at the time, but it was actually quite a
small school, with only six classes. I remember there being a large room called the
assembly hall, where the whole school gathered every morning to hear messages from
the headmaster. I also remember spending a lot of time on the playground and on the
sports field. I liked all of my teachers; they were caring but strict at the same time,
and I think they fostered a positive and fun atmosphere in the school.
I have really fond memories of my primary school years, mainly because of the
friends I made and the fun I had. One of my most vivid memories is of performing in
the school play in my final year. I had to learn lines and play the part of a character in
a traditional children’s story. It was a nerve-racking experience, but it felt like my first
real achievement
Object
Child hood toy
I'm going to tell you about a stuffed bear named Winnie the Pooh as a special toy
that I had when I was a child.
I remember that when I was young, I was keen on watching the cartoon called “The
adventures of Winnie the Pooh” so much that I kept pestering my father to buy me the
stuffed bear Winnie the Pooh. Finally, my father gave me one as a present for my 6th
birthday. When I got this toy, I jumped for joy and even paid no attention to my other
presents.
To describe briefly about the toy, that stuffed bear Winnie the Pooh was extremely
special. It was made from high-end materials, including cotton velvet and soft plush,
so it can last a long time. The bear had a cute face and a chubby body which can melt
any hearts. He also had a short red shirt and was holding a jar of honey which was his
favorite food. Another special thing about the toy is that this fluffy friend also plays a
children's song when you wind the plastic key in back. This made people delighted to
hear the tune and happy to hug the toy.
Since I got the stuffed bear, I considered him my closest friend and I couldn’t go
anywhere without him, even when I went to sleep. Every day, I talked with the bear
and told him about my daily routine. Unfortunately, I lost the bear a year later when
visiting an amusement center, which made me cry for almost a week. At that time, I
felt like I had lost a good friend who I could share everything with. At present,
whenever I watch this cartoon or see any photos of Winnie the Pooh, all the
wonderful memories about him are brought back. Thanks to the bear, I experienced a
happy childhood.
Sourvenir ( qua luu niem)

I'm going to tell you about a stuffed bear named Winnie the Pooh as a lovely
souvenir that I brought back from a trip to Hongkong.
On the holiday to Hong Kong two years ago with my family, I visited the Disney land
amusement park there and was really amazed by a wide range of adorable and even
exclusive souvenirs. I couldn't stop myself from snagging home a lot of Disneyland's
merchandise and my favourite one is the exclusive version of the stuffed bear called
Winnie the Pooh.
This souvenir is truly an outstanding merchandise of Disneyland and I find it worth
my money. I put the bear and some other beautiful Disney land souvenir I bought on a
cupboard in my living for display and they have done a very good job in decoration.
Gift took long time to prepare?
I'm going to tell you about a stuffed bear named Winnie the Pooh as a gift for my
little sister that I spent a lot of time preparing.
My little sister has been keen on watching the cartoon called “The adventures of
Winnie the Pooh”. Therefore, on her 6th birthday, I decided to buy her an exclusive
version of the stuffed bear Winnie the Pooh, which is only available in Hong Kong.
Therefore, I had to order the shipment of this stuffed toy overseas and deal with a lot
of procedures of international payment in order to buy it.
Since my little sister got the stuffed bear, she considered him as her closest friend and
she couldn’t go anywhere without him, even when she went to sleep. Every day, she
talked with the bear and told him about my daily routine. Unfortunately, she lost the
bear a year later when visiting an amusement center, which made her cry for almost a
week.
Describe a picture or a photograph in your home.
You should say:
- Where you took it.

- When you took the photo.
- What/who is in the photo.
And explain how you felt about the photo.
Sample answer
It is a picture of me and my favourite childhood toy that I'm going to tell you.
That picture was taken on the Tet holiday when I was 6. It was the first day of the
Lunar New Year and my parents wanted to take a nice photo of me. In order to
capture my attention and make me smile, my parents let me take a photo with my
favourite toy, which was a stuffed bear called Winnie the Pooh.
In the photo, I was siting nicely, holding the bear tightly in my arms and smiling
happily while looking at it. I was wearing a red ao dai - Vietnamese traditional
clothing - for children as it was Tet holiday.
I took the picture with the bear because I considered him as my closest friend when I
was 6. I remember I couldn’t go anywhere without him, even when I went to sleep.
Every day, I talked with the bear and told him about my daily routine. Unfortunately,
I lost the bear a year later when visiting an amusement park, which made me cry for
almost a week. At present, whenever I see the photo, all the wonderful memories
about the bear and my happy childhood are brought back.
Describe an important technological product you bought./Describe a time you
spent a lot of money on something.?
It is the Samsung Note 10 smartphone that I'm going to talk about as a technological
item I have spent a fortune to buy.
A month ago I planned to buy for myself a new smartphone as my current one started
acting up. At that time, I was considering between an Iphone and a Samsung
smartphone. After a careful research, reading user reviews and browsing some
websites to make comparisons between the two phones, I came to the decision to buy
the latest Samsung Note 10 smartphone, which costs more than 1,000 US dollars.
There are numerous reasons why I have interest in this product. First, it functions very
well as a portable smart device, which I can use it for entertainment and work
purposes. To be more specific, I could refresh myself after a hard day’s work by
enjoying music or watching reality shows on the Internet. Or, I am able to keep in
touch with my old friends whom I could not meet in person regularly. Besides, this
mobile phone helps me to handle my workload effectively. For example, I could
check emails when waiting for the bus, and this saves a lot of time.
Another feature of this phone which makes me prefer it over an Iphone is the Google
Assistant. Ot is an artificial intelligence-powered assistant developed by Google that

is mainly available on android devices. Thanks to Google Assistant, my daily tasks
have become easier than ever. The Assistant helps me to find information online,
from restaurant bookings to directions, weather and news, schedule events and alarms,
run timers and reminders, make appointments and send messages. More important,
what I am immensely interested in this application is the real-time spoken translation.
This function is very helpful for me every time I travel to non-English speaking
countries, like Japan, China or Korea.
Despite the high price, I can tell that the Samsung Note 10 smartphone is truly worth
the money.
Describe a product or application which is based on artificial
intelligence/Describe a piece of software you often use?
It is the Google Assistant that I'm going to talk about as an interesting application
based on artificial intelligence which I use on a daily basis.
I'm currently using a Samsung smartphone which has the Google Assistant
feature. Google Assistant is an artificial intelligence-powered assistant developed
by Google that is mainly available on mobile and smart home devices. What special
about Google Assistant is that it can engage in two-way conversations, in which users
can primarily interact with the Google Assistant through natural voice.
My daily life involves the use of Google Assistant. The Assistant helps me to find
information online, from restaurant bookings to directions, weather and news,
schedule events and alarms, run timers and reminders, make appointments and send
messages. More important, what I am immensely interested in this application is the
real-time spoken translation. This function is very helpful for me every time I travel to
non-English speaking countries, like Japan, China or Korea. I can tell that the Google
Assistant application is extremely user-friendly since it is operated through voice
control. All I have to do is giving requests to it by my voice and the application will
take care the rest.
Describe a useful home appliance
You should say:- What it is?- What it is like?- How often you use it?Explain why you
think it is useful
I’m going to tell you about a refrigerator as a useful home appliance that I often use.
The fridge I’m currently owning has a medium size which completely fits its space in
my small kitchen. It is a classic refrigerator with the freezer section on the top and the
cooling section at the bottom. Another feature of the fridge which I really like is that
it is energy-saving so that it doesn’t consume too much electricity. I use the fridge to
keep food and water cold. Cold temperatures help food and vegetables stay fresh
longer by slowing down the activity of bacteria so that it takes longer for the bacteria
to spoil the food.
I can tell that refrigerator is very essential in my daily life. I believe that I will
definitely face a lot of problems if it does not work properly. I’m a university student

living away from my parent’s home, so my mom always sends me food enough for a
week or even a month. If the refrigerator is broken, the food, especially perishable
food, like leftovers, raw meat and vegetables, will be at the edge of decay. And, this is
very wasteful.
escribe a piece of clothing that you like wearing/ you usually wear
You should say what the item of clothing is?- where and when you bought it?- when
you wear it?And explain why you like wearing it.?
It is a polo shirt that I'm going to give a brief description about since I wear it on a
regular basis.
The polo shirt is white and blue in colour with a collar, a placket neckline with three
buttons and a small pocket to the left. It is short sleeved and made from 100% cotton.
This makes the shirt comfortable and perfect for wearing at any time of year here in
Vietnam due to the hot and humid weather. The polo shirt is machine washable so it is
extremely convenient.
I bought the polo shirt last year when I was in need of a piece of top clothing which
can be worn in different situations, from going to work, going out shopping or
hanging out with friends. It was easy to buy because this clothing item is common and
I knew exactly which size I needed. Therefore, I simply went online and found the
best offer; I bought it through a commercial website of a clothing retailer, and it was
delivered to my house a few days later.
The reason why I like this coat is that it’s so practical and comfortable to wear. It can
be combined with both casual and formal clothing. I believe plain polos are essentials
for any wardrobe.
# I’m going to describe a coat that I often wear at the moment. The coat is dark blue
in colour, and it’s made out of a lightweight, waterproof material, which makes it
perfect for wearing at this time of year here in the UK. It also has a detachable hood,
which I used yesterday when it was raining, and various pockets on the outside and on
the inside.
I bought the coat last year at the beginning of autumn when the weather started to get
colder. It was easy to buy because I had had the exact same coat before; my old coat
was starting to look a bit worn out, so I decided to buy a new version. As I knew
which size I needed, I simply went online and found the best offer; I bought it through
a shopping website, and it was delivered to my house a few days later.
As I said, I’m wearing this coat a lot at the moment. It’s my everyday coat for going
to work or for when I go out shopping or for any other reason.
The reason why I like this coat is that it’s so practical and functional. It’s waterproof
and it keeps me warm, but it also comes in handy for carrying things like my phone,
wallet, loose change, a pen, and even a notebook; I tend to fill my pockets with
whatever I can. It even folds up small enough to fit in my bag when I don’t need it.
Describe a piece of furniture that you own.
I'm going to talk about my favourite chair. It's a big, leather armchair that sits in my
living room at home, just under my living room window.

I didn't actually buy the armchair. One of my friends was moving house and was
going to buy some new furniture. I had always liked his leather armchair, so he said I
could have it if I managed to move it. The chair wouldn't fit in my car, and it was
tricky to get it out of my friend's apartment. I had to hire a small van to take the
armchair home.
Obviously, I use the armchair for sitting! It's my favourite place in the house to relax,
read a book, watch TV or even do some work; the chair's arms are quite wide and flat,
so my laptop fits nicely on either of them. Last night I fell asleep in my armchair
while I was watching a film.
The main reasons why I like this piece of furniture are that it's comfortable and it's in
the perfect position in my living room. The only drawback might be that I enjoy
sitting in the armchair too much, and sometimes I think it makes me lazy!
Describe something you bought but rarely use now
It is a pair of boots that I’m going to talk about as the item I’ve bought but rarely use
now.
6 months ago I fell in love and bought an edgy and expensive pair of high-heeled
boots decorated with golden studs. At the time my eyes fell upon the boots, they were
like speaking to my inner rocker soul and I just had to have them. But when I got
them home, I realized that my serious corporate job and busy home life helping my
mom with household chores means that I really have no chance to wear my beloved
boots.
I’m guilty of this myself. Not only this pair of boots, I also have a few things sitting in
my closet that I’m saving for the special and important occasions but that isn’t about
to happen anytime soon. Those items will unfortunately languish there for some time.
There are plenty of crazy reasons why I, and many other women, buy clothes but
don’t wear them, but it seems to me that one of the most common is that we have a
fantasy about who we are and how we would like to dress or live. We buy for the
fantasy instead of buying for our real lives.
This is a truly sad ending for that pair of boots, but honestly I don’t think I will have
any chances in the future to wear it.
PART 2
Describe a book you have read recently
It is a novel called “the murder of Roger Ackroyd” that I’m going to talk about as the
book I’ve just read.
This is a work of detective fiction by British novelist Agatha Christie, and it was
elected as the best crime novel ever by the British Crime Writers’ Association. I’m a
huge fan of Miss Christie so definitely I have to read it.

The lead detective in this book is Hercule Poirot. He is one of Christie’s most famous
and long-running characters. In the story, Poirot retires to a village near the home of
his friend – Mr Roger Ackroyd to pursue his retirement project of planting vegetables.
However, he is not long at this pursuit when his friend is murdered, and he takes this
case to find the truth.
This book is considered as Christie’s best known yet most controversial masterpiece.
After finishing reading it, I understand why. The innovative twist ending of the story
is so incredible and unbelievable. I still can recall the goose bumps I had, how shiver
run down my spine and my jaw dropped in shock when reading the final chapter in
which the mystery murder comes to light.
This book has shown Christie’s talents as an expert technician and a remarkably good
story-teller by creating a story with amazing coherence, reasonableness, and
characters living and having their being.
I’m so glad that I have read such a great book. It truly builds up my love for reading.
Describe a device that is useful to you
Last summer, I bought a Nokia smartphone that I was really satisfied with.
My cell phone was the latest product from Nokia, so there were various useful
applications such as video calling, emails, games, music players, and so on. I intended
to use this smartphone to listen to music, make phone calls, send messages and check
emails. I must say that this portable device helps me a lot no matter where I am.
There were numerous reasons why I took an interest in this product. Firstly, I wanted
to use it for entertainment purposes. I could refresh myself after a hard day’s work by
enjoying music or watching reality shows on the Internet. Moreover, thanks to this
smartphone, I was able to keep in touch with my old friends whom I could not meet in
person regularly. Besides, this mobile phone helped me to handle my workload
effectively. For example, I could check emails when waiting for the bus, which saved
a lot of time.
As a final point, I would emphasize that I chose the mobile phone myself. That was
the main reason why I felt so happy with this product.
portable device: [noun] an object that is easy to carry or to move.
Example: A lot of people on my flight were using portable devices, such as their
laptops, during the journey.
✓ took an interest in: [expression] wanted to know more about the product.
Example: My parents took an interest in my grades at school because they wanted me
to go to university.
✓ entertainment: [noun] for interest and amusement.
Example: The local newspaper gives news about entertainment, with information on
all the latest films, music, shows and events in our city.
✓ refresh myself: [verb] make myself feel less tired and stressed.
Example: After work, I usually refresh myself with a shower and a hot drink.

✓ reality shows: [noun] shows that use real people [not actors] in real situations, in
order to provide entertainment.
Example: Reality shows like ‘Big Brother’ are very cheap to make, because there are
no actors to pay.
✓ handle my workload: [expression] manage the amount of work that I have to do.
Example: The company has paid me for some extra hours to handle my increased
workload.
I'm going to describe my mobile phone. I bought it online / in a mobile phone shop / it
was a present from...
I use the phone to keep in touch with friends and family, for communication by voice,
text and email. It has various features like video, MP3 player, wireless Internet, digital
camera and games. It's easy to share photos and music. I use it for almost everything,
it even has a calendar that reminds me about appointments.
My phone is an essential part of my life. It holds my contacts, my photos, my music
collection. I've got instant access to my favourite websites. It's like having my whole
life in my pocket. I couldn't live without it.
Describe a vehicle you would like to buy in the future.
If I had the money, I’d like to buy my own helicopter. I recently saw a TV programme
about someone who flew around in his own helicopter, and I remember thinking that
it would be great to have one. The helicopter on the programme was a small, blue,
two-seater and it seemed quite easy to fly - that's the kind of thing I'd like to buy.
Ideally, I’d use my helicopter instead of a car. First, I’d need to learn to fly it, but then
I’d use it to go on short trips or holidays. It would be fantastic to be able to avoid
traffic jams and get everywhere in a fraction of the time it normally takes. I’d take
friends and family sightseeing, over cities or mountain tops, and maybe I could even
use it to do the shopping!
The reason I’d like to buy a helicopter is that you can park one almost anywhere. You
don’t need to find a runway or an airport like you would for a plane. So I’d be able to
park my helicopter in my garden - if I had a bigger garden. Also, I’ve always been
intrigued by those helipads on the tops of tall buildings - I think it would be fun to
land on top of a building. A helicopter probably isn’t a realistic choice of vehicle, but
you never know - I might win the lottery!
Others
Describe an activity you do when you are alone in your free time
It is reading books that I’m going to talk about as my favourite leisure activity.
Whenever I’m in need of relaxation or a quick escape from the stressful world of
work, reading books is the best way to do that.

If I read detective fiction by Agatha Christie or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, I will lose
myself in 19th century England accompanying the detective to solve mystery murders.
If I read fictional books about children or animals, a completely different world of
innocence and surprise will open in front of me.
In general, I find reading books relaxing and inspirational. I can completely withdraw
from the real world and become immersed in the imagination world created by the
book I read. I remember spending 4 hours in a row to enjoying a detective novel
called “the murder of Roger Ackroyd” and I really got overwhelmed and shocked
because of the innovative twist ending. I still can recall the goose bumps I had, how
shiver run down my spine and my jaw dropped in shock when reading the final
chapter in which the mystery murder comes to light.
I also cannot forget the time I bursted to tears and trembled unstopably when I
finished reading a book called “The Rainbow Troops”. No matter how hard the main
characters have tried to overcome difficulties and challenges, a sad ending full of
regret still happens with them. The story is so meaningful and touching that I keep
re-reading it several times later.
To sum up, I prefer reading a book when I have free time because I find it relaxing yet
inspirational.
I've got a long list of different things that I like to do in my leisure time but I would
say that simply listening to music alone is my regular recreational activity after I
finish my assignments.
Normally, people look at me like I'm an outgoing and sociable person but there are
times the introvert side of me shows up. When that happens, all I wanna do is just to
have my alone time to enjoy my own world which is opened by music.
In some particular cases, for example, when I am so stressed or feeling down, I will
go to a coffee shop, find a nice seat, enjoy myself with a tasty drink and listen to my
favourite songs. At first, it was just for fun without any intention and I keep doing this
until one day I realize that listening to music has become an essential part of my life.
I am really interested in foreign songs, especially Korean music. Even though I can't
understand their language but to some extent, I can feel the emotions of the singer
expressed through the melody and lyrics of the song. Listening to music can
positively impact my mood especially when I face some problems in life. It can make
me smile, feel happier, thereby reducing my depression and helping me to concentrate
on what I am doing. I can sleep better thanks to music and become full of energy the
next morning.
That is all I wanna say about my free-time activity.
Describe a free day off study or work
If I have a day free from work or study, I will enjoy a good book in the morning and
the afternoon, then hang out with my younger sister in the evening.
Reading books is my all-time favourite leisure activity. I will spend 4-8 hours on
reading to get myself immersed in the imagination world created by the book I read.

A detective story or a fictional book about children will suit me best. If I read
detective fiction by Agatha Christie or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, I will lose myself in
19th century England accompanying a detective to solve mystery murders. If I read
fictional books about children or animals, a completely different world of innocence
and surprise will open in front of me.
In the evening, I will spend my time with my closet family member – my younger
sister. We may visit a mall to do some shopping for clothes or cosmetics, then have a
drink at a nice coffee shop. Having tea and doing the gossip with your closet friend
can be the best therapy to refresh. I will talk to her about the book I read in the
morning, then we move to latest news regarding celebrities or anything interesting on
the social networking sites.
In general, I’d like get myself relaxed and comfortable by something gentle and easy
like reading books and going out with my younger sister, and that’s all about an
ideal free day of mine.
Describe an impressive advertisement you watched before ? ( DIEN MAY
XANH)
It is a TVC of shampoo brand called Pantene from Thailand that I’m going to talk
about as the most impressive advertisement I’ve ever seen.
I watched this advertisement by chance on youtube years ago, but I still can recall
vividly every scene and the beautiful music in the advertisement because of its
impression.
This 4-minute video clip shows a moving story about a deaf girl with a strong passion
for playing the violin. However, there is a mean and unfriendly classmate who is a
pianist and always looks down on the poor girl. Regardless of being bullied,
mistreated, discouraged, our main character is still resilient with her music thanks to
the motivation from a special friend of hers who is an old deaf street musician. The
story reaches its climax when the poor girl decides to join a classical music contest
and is deterred by an evil plan of the mean girl. Even her violin is cracked, the main
character is still determined to be on stage and show her best performance. Finally,
she successfully surprises and persuades all examiners and audiences of her talent.
I love this TVC because of its beautiful music and touching story which is delivered
in the very gentle but impressive way. Also, unlike many other TVCs,
this advertisement shows the brand name only once at the closing scene with a
meaningful phrase “You can shine”. I can tell that this brand has done a really good
job regarding brand reminder.
Describe a (water) sport that you have watched before and want to try in the
future?
It is snorkelling that I would like to talk about as the water sport I have watched
before and want to give it a try in the future.
I did watch a video clip of people going snorkelling in Phuket, Thailand by chance on
Youtube. In the video, a tourist shows the underwater scenery with blue sea, many sea

creatures and especially the amazingly stunning coral gardens and the beautifully
alien underwater landscape.
This video intrigued me to read about this water sport. I always want to get in the
water, see how it seems underneath the surface and experience the underwater world,
and snorkelling is the best and fairly easy way to do that. I find it more approachable
compared to scuba diving. I already know how to swim so maybe it won’t take long
to get ready for the snorkelling adventure.
The snorkelling equipment is not as complicated and heavy as scuba diving. All you
need is a set of mask and snorkel that fits your face well, a pair of fins and a wetsuit if
you intend to dive deep into the sea.
I have learned that snorkelling would bring many health benefits to the human body.
To be more specific, it improves your breathing, makes your lungs healthier, boosts
your overall fitness and creates stronger muscle. The best part of snorkelling is
connecting our human with nature. We’ll be encountering colorful creatures and
enjoying the underwater formations of the ocean. This is truly the best way to relax
and escape the human world.
Describe an outdoor sport you played for the first time
It is snorkelling that I would like to talk about as the outdoor sport I did try for the
very first time.
Indeed, it is a water sport. I gave it a try when I travelled to Phuket, Thailand. I
always want to get in the water, see how it seems underneath the surface and
experience the underwater world, and snorkelling is the best and fairly easy way to do
that. I was so excited to try this sport that I was so worried if there was an issue with
the weather. I started my snorkelling adventure on a slightly rainy day but it was still
amazing. I saw the underwater scenery with blue sea, many sea creatures, such as
colorful fish, eels, and rays, and especially the amazingly stunning coral gardens and
the beautifully alien underwater landscape.
I already know how to swim so it didn’t take long to get ready for the snorkelling
adventure. However, in the first attempt, I had problems with my snorkel mask
fogging up while diving. It was so uncomfortable, but the tour guide helped me to fix
that. He explained that the heat from my face reacts with the cold from the water and
creates fog on the glass, and the tip to solve it is to have my face wet and cool before
getting in the water. His instruction did work and I was so excited about it as I have
learned something new and useful.
The first experience with snorkelling is so fanstatic. I really want to play it again in
the future, this time I will try it somewhere in Vietnam, maybe Nha Trang or Phu
Quoc.
Describe an important plant in your country
It is the rice plant that I’m going to talk about as the most crucial plant in Vietnam.
While I have been familiar with rice grains ever since I was a PRESCHOOLER, only
when I reached fourth grade did I learn about the rice plant in general science.

It is unforgettable how fascinated I was to discover how such a slender plant could
produce so many rice grains that PROVIDE our population WITH A HEALTHY
DIET. Rice is considered the most popular and important national food, therefore, it
can be spotted over almost all the deltas of the country.
The rice plant is crucial to Vietnamese communities in various ways. Rice has
become an INDISPENSABLE staple food in Vietnamese meals. It can be said that
once you are Vietnamese, you will eat rice for most of your life, and it seems that we
are so used to eating rice that our DIGESTIVE SYSTEMS would not cope without it.
The cultivation of the rice plant also has an enormous influence on our culture. As
rice has long been grown since ancient times, there are various traditions and
worshiping ceremonies connected to people’s wish for a plentiful rice harvest, and
these still exist till the present day.
The country farming life is also responsible for shaping our simplicity and calmness
in our personalities and lifestyle. TAKING ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTION INTO
CONSIDERATION, rice is even more important as millions of Vietnamese citizens
EARN THEIR LIVING by means of rice cultivation. As a matter of fact, rice is
Vietnam’s leading export, which brings about huge annual REVENUES for the
government. This stems from the fact that by MAKING THE MOST OF THE
abundant cheap labour force as well as the favourable climate, our rice always GAINS
A COMPETITIVE EDGE over other nations. It cannot be denied that the rice plant
plays an integral part in our county’s development.
Describe a good law in your country
The good law in my country that I’m going to talk about is the governmental decision
related to the simplification of administrative procedures in Vietnam.
Talking about why I get to know this law, I am working in the import-export area,
which is directly under impacts of this governmental decision, so I have learned about
it pretty well.
Turning to the primary points of this governmental decision, it is a fact that the
development of Vietnam economy has been hindered for a long time due to
burdensome, bulky and non-transparent administrative activities. Because of that, the
Vietnam government did issue a legal decision to simplify the procedures and to
create a transparent and efficient administrative system. The government called this is
“the administrative reform” because of it significance to Vietnam.
The reform has been actively implemented for over 3 years and has gained
remarkable achievements in various areas. For more details, recently the Vietnam
government have worked on to cut down thousands of procedures required for
imports and exports, saving millions of working days. They also removed many
business conditions to bring a more favourable business environment to the private
sector. This reform also leads to the transformation of administrative procedures from
paper to electronic system in order to increase efficiency. The most typical example
for this is the launch of Vietnam national Single Window system. This is an electric
mechanism connecting Vietnam to the ASEAN regional network. It helps to promote
trade facilitation in Vietnam by cutting goods release time by 80%.

In general, I think that the governmental decision on simplifying administrative
procedures is very beneficial to the development of Vietnam.
Describe a subject that you think should be removed from school education
programmes.
I’m going to suggest that art could be taken out of the school curriculum. In my
experience, art lessons at school tend to include drawing, painting, and the making of
collages using paper, fabric and other household materials.
There are a few reasons why I think that school art lessons are unnecessary. Firstly, I
don’t believe that drawing and painting are essential skills that children will need
when they leave school. Children might find these activities enjoyable, but it’s
unlikely that they will need them in the working world. Secondly, children can draw,
paint and make collages in their own time at home; parents can encourage this, and
they can even join in. Finally, remembering my own art lessons at school, I don’t
think we learnt any real art skills; the teachers left us to draw or create things, but
they didn’t provide much technical instruction.
Instead of art lessons, children could do more work on core subjects like maths,
science or language. These subjects are more likely to help children in later life when
they enter the job market, and I think both children and their teachers would benefit if
more time were devoted to them.
Describe your favourite season in your country
I'm going to talk about my favourite season in Ho Chi Minh city which is the dry
season. This season normally lasts from December to April and is hotter than the
rainy season.
The average temperature during the dry season is around 35 degrees Celcius with less
humidity. In the past, it barely has no rains in this season. However, due to the effect
of climate changes in recent years, some unexpected short downpours may arise in
dry season and in just several particular areas. It suddenly rains in one district, sunny
in a different district and rains again in another district. Saigonese is always in a
dilemma whether or not to put on their raincoat whenever it rains.
Having said that, I find the dry season of Ho Chi Minh City more bearable compared
to the rainy season. First, regardless of the strong sunlight and heat, your schedule and
clothes would not be ruined by heavy rains. Second, there would be no street floods,
traffic jams and many other same kinds of inconvenience in the dry season. Finally,
Vietnamese people have a habit of drying clothes outdoor, so wet laundry would dry
faster on sunny days.
Based on the reasons just mentioned, I can tell the dry season in Ho Chi Minh City is
my favourable one.
Describe a subject that you are interested in at school (such as physics,
mathematics)
I’d like to describe a subject that I was particularly keen on when I was at school. It
was History.

I have to admit that I didn’t like History at first, as there were so many numbers,
events and dates to remember that it used to take me hours to learn all of them by
heart to be well- prepared for the exam. However, Mrs Huong, my history teacher
when I was at grade 10, breathed new life into this subject and it started to grow on
me.
I‘ve learned a lot from the subject. Apart from historical events which help me know
what the world was like and how it worked, learning history has also brought me
closer to the culture of my country. Above all, I think, History has taught me to
appreciate the present while drawing lessons from the past.
Nevertheless, I wouldn’t have been so much in love with this subject without my
teacher, Mrs Huong. The way she delivered the lessons was so enthusiastic and
passionate that it inspired me to catch her every word / absorb all information given
by her, and somehow, I fell in love with History. Now, even though History is neither
my major nor even taught at University, I still have the habit of reading historical
books whenever having free time.
Câu trả lời của Mr Ngọc Bách,
nguồn: https://ngocbach.com/chuyen_muc/view/70000306/Thu-vien-tai-lieu-IELTS-2
018.html
VOCABULARY:
✓ learn by heart (học thuộc lòng) [idiom]: to learn something so well that it can be
written or recited without thinking
Example: There were well-known definitions which we had to learn by heart and two
of them have remained in my memory for nearly 60 years.
✓ well-prepared (chu n b tốt) [adj] suitably prepared in advance
Example: 17-18-year-old school leavers should be well-prepared for work.
✓ breathe new life into ( mang lại nguồn năng lượng m i, cuộc sống m i ) [idiom]
bring ideas and energy (to something)
Example: Changes in the performance have breathed new life into a show that
seemed ready to close.
✓ grow on sb ( dần được ai đó yêu thích, chấp nhận) [v] become increasingly liked
or appreciated
Example: At first the show seemed kind of weird, but it grew on us
✓ draw the lesson (from something) (rút ra bài học từ cái gì)[idiom] learn something
from past mistakes
Example: After the loss in the previous game, the team draw the lesson.
✓ deliver (truyền đạt, truyền tải) [v] to express in word
Example: Whether students are captivated from the beginning or not depends
much on the way the lecture is delivered.

✓ passionate (đam mê, say mê) [adj] arising from passion.
Example: She is a teacher who is passionate about her subject
✓ have the habit of ( có thói quen làm gì) [idiom] do something usually or often
Example: I don’t have the habit of getting involved in other people’s arguments.
Describe an aim or goal that you hope to achieve in the future.
I’m going to describe a future aim of mine, which is to write a book. I’d like to write a
novel, so the story or plot would be fictional, but it would probably be influenced by
some of my own experiences, ideas and views.
Unfortunately, I have no idea where to start or what my novel would be about, so I
can’t imagine achieving this aim until later in my life. Maybe it will be something that
I do as a hobby when I retire, or I might suddenly be inspired to start writing much
sooner. It’s just a vague objective at the moment.
I think it must be extremely difficult to find the motivation to write a novel, so more
than anything I would need time, commitment and the passion to keep working until I
finished. I would probably need to set a goal of writing for a certain amount of time
each day, and of course, I’d need a good idea for a story in the first place.
This goal interests me because I’ve always wondered how people manage to create a
work of fiction from nothing; I’ve always wondered whether I could do the same and
whether I’d be capable of bringing a story to life. I’ve always enjoyed reading, and I’d
like to follow in the footsteps of my favourite authors.
Describe a future plan which is not related to work or study
I’m going to talk about a future plan that I have, which is to buy a good camera and to
become a better photographer. At the moment I’m just using the camera on my
mobile phone, but I’ve realised that it has its limitations.
I thought of this plan when I was at a friend’s wedding a few weeks ago. I got some
great pictures of the bride and groom and their guests celebrating, but I did notice that
with my phone camera I wasn’t able to capture longer range photos or photos in
darker conditions; the phone’s zoom and flash aren’t very good. Next time I’d like to
be able to capture a special occasion in higher quality images.
Obviously, this plan depends on whether I can save enough money to buy the camera
I’d like. Also, before making a decision about which camera to get, I’ll probably talk
to a friend who knows more about photography than I do.
In terms of buying a camera, I’ll achieve this plan if I can save some money! In terms
of becoming a better photographer, I think I’ll achieve that goal by experimenting
with my new camera and by learning as I go along.
Describe a change that you think would improve your local area.
The change that I’d like to see in my local neighbourhood is the pedestrianisation of
the main shopping streets in the town centre.

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Speaking task 2