PRE-TEST B COURSE

SPEAKING LESSON 4
Lesson focus Part 1: Markets, Accommodation.
Part 2: Describing Places and Buildings.(Cont)

PART 1: MARKETS

1. Are there many street markets in your country?

 Everywhere. Village, small towns, even major cities have them. In the smaller towns
and villages, they tend to be more focused on fruit and veg, and the larger ones have
a wider range of things.
 In most towns. You can find both the traditional outdoor markets up to the more
recent hypermarkets, which sell all sorts of things in life, ranging from fruit and veg
to furniture and electrical items.
 It depends on the size of the town as to what types of markets they have. Big cities
have all kinds, from supermarkets down to small street stalls, whereas small villages
only tend to have farmer’s markets or small flea markets.
 It’s a traditional feature in VN, so there are a large number of indoor and outdoor
markets throughout VN. For example, Ben Thanh Market has become a must-visit
destination not only for the local people but also for the tourists.

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 2. Do you often go to the supermarket?
 I go food shopping on a weekly basis at a supermarket simply because going from
shop to shop to get different things is not really my cup of tea. The supermarkets
have pretty much everything under one roof and also have free parking.
 I budget for once a month. This will be the major shop which will include most of the
food and household items, such as cleaning products and washing powder. In-
between times, I pick up things as needed.
 Regularly, but not a set time. When we run out of things then we will go and replace
them. So there is no one-time which is on the calendar, life is not that simple.
 Never. I take advantage of the Internet and order the majority of my stuff online and
have them delivered at my doorsteps. It saves a lot of hassle. I just pop to the local
store/grocery store if I need anything else.
 Actually, no. There’s a local flea market near my house, so I do grocery shopping
there on a weekly basis. I only hit the supermarket about once or twice a year to
prepare for some special occasions like Tet Holiday or Christmas.

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 3. What are the differences between street markets and supermarkets?
 There are many. For a start, street markets do not have fridges or freezers so they
cannot sell that much food, only fresh food though. Also street markets are based on
cash whereas supermarkets use checkouts or tills, which use credit cards, cash and
now payment apps.
 Only a few. The main ones are about what you can buy and what you can see. In a
supermarket you can see so many more goods, and the choice is vast. Compared to a
street market which is governed by size, which limits both options.
 The main ones are: the size, the presentation, the choice, and the service. The
service is different, but not better. The street market is more personal. The stall
holders tend to treat you as friends, while in the bigger stores, the relationship is
more workmanlike. You also tend to be able to barter for the price in a street
market.
 They are worlds apart. At the street markets, everything doesn’t cost you an arm and
a leg, and you have the freedom to bargain with the seller for the best deal while in
the supermarkets, there is a price tag for every single product. Another difference I
would say is that shopping in air-conditioned and well-ventilated supermarkets is a
far more comfortable experience than making your purchases at the flea markets,
since it can be too hot or too cold outside.

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 4. What do street markets sell?
 A mixture of things. One of the main things is second-hand stuff. People love trading
things and street markets are the best place to find them. Clothes, household tools,
ornaments, you name it and it is there.
 Mainly older things which are not often sold in regular markets. They even sell
counterfeit or fake goods, which are also very popular with some tourists.
 All sorts of things really, ranging from fresh produce, fabrics to some electrical items.
Besides, people can buy some souvenirs or even street foods.
 I guess it depends on the particular market – every one is different, but on the whole
they sell everything, for instance, food, clothes, cleaning products and suchlike.

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 PART 1: ACCOMMODATION

1. Tell me about the kind of accommodation you live in?

 Currently, I’m living in a 4-story detached house, which is located on the outskirts of
HCM city. So, my house has 2 big bedrooms, 1 master bedroom for my parents and
the other one is mine, a kitchen, a living room which is beautifully decorated and a
lovely small garden.

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2. How long have you lived here?

 Well, I moved here just before I started my university studies, so I’ve been living here
for roughly 3 years now. Actually, I used to live in a bungalow in Nha Trang city,
which is my hometown.

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 3. Which room/part in your house do you like best/most?
 My favorite room is definitely my bedroom since this is the only place where I can
have some privacy. On top of that, it’s quite spacious and has a wonderful view of
the garden below.

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4. Would you want to change your living place in the future?

 I have no intention of changing my house in the future simply because I love living
here and the most important thing is that this house has so many beautiful
memories of my family. So yeah, I want to live here for the rest of my life.

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5. Do you want to change anything in your house?

 I haven’t thought about this before, but if I had a chance, I would love to change the
furniture. I mean they are quite old, especially the sofa – I’d rather sit on the floor
than on this couch.

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PART 2 TOPIC

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Describe an ideal home that you would like to live in.

You should say:

Where it would be

What it would look like

Who you would like to live with

And explain why you like to live there.

 READING FOR IDEAS

SAMPLE 1:

I’m so pleased I’ve got this topic because I’m fascinated by architecture and houses. If I had a dream
house, it would be located near Lake Garda in northern Italy. This is one of my favourite places in the
world because of the cuisine, climate and beautiful scenery.

In terms of size, I wouldn’t want a massive house, but just big enough to accommodate me and my
family and a few guests. Obviously, it would have a swimming pool. Ideally, I’d love an infinity pool.
That is a pool that looks like it is falling off the edge and is merging
with the sky. I would love a view of the stunningly beautiful lake from
the property so I could sit out on the patio and look at the water. I find
looking at water incredibly relaxing so this patio with tables, chairs and
sun beds would be a place where I could chill out.

In addition, there would be a lawn with lots of mature trees. I’m not
green-fingered so I wouldn’t want lots of flowers, a low-
maintenance garden would be perfect. I would like the outdoor
space to be filled with lights so that at night we could use it for
entertaining. Oh, yes, I nearly forgot, it absolutely must have a pizza
oven. I would love to be able to make my own pizzas and serve
them to my guests.

Finally, I would like the house to have a homely feel. That means that everyone who visits feels at
home because it would be welcoming and comfortable. To be honest, I don’t know how I’m going to
get it, I think the only way is to marry a millionaire!

SAMPLE 2:

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If I could choose my ideal house, it would be in a small village in a European country with a
mild climate, somewhere not too hot and not too cold, because I’m not really one for hot
weather.
I’d rather live in a fairly large village to escape the hustle and bustle of the city, and to be
close to nature. That way, I can live in a community where I can really get to know the
people, but without having to live in each other’s pockets.
When it comes to the style of house, I think I’d go for a traditional cottage, but I would
renovate the inside, so it has all the mod cons.
First of all, outside, I’d like a good size garden so I can grow my own fruit and vegetables.
The house would have a patio too, with an outdoor kitchen so I could cook, eat and
entertain guests outside, weather permitting.
As far as the interior décor goes, I’d opt for wooden floor in most rooms, carpets in the
bedrooms for extra comfort, and tiles in the indoor kitchen. I’d like a spacious, open-plan
kitchen that merges into the main living area.
And then there’s the facilities. I don’t care too much for high-tech amenities, like automatic
curtains, but I would need a good internet connection so I can work and browse the internet
at home.
I guess it goes without saying, I’d want a big, smart TV, but the icing on the cake for me
would be to have an indoor swimming pool and gym, so I can work out and keep in shape
from the comfort of my own home.

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  GUIDED ANSWER
Today, I would like to talk about my dream home, which is ___________________________
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Regarding where it would be, it’d be nice if -
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Moving on to its structure and style,
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In terms of who I would like to live with,
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As for why I would love to live in this wonderful house,

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That’s all I want to share with you!

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