42 TOPICS

1. NAME
1. Who gave you your name?
Well, if memory serves me right, when I was born my parents were racking their
brains trying to think of a unique name for me, but they couldn’t come up with
anything to their liking, so they turned to my great grandma ‘cuz she was a woman
of great wisdom. So yeah it was she who gave me my name and I love it to bits
2. Does your name have any particular ( or, special) meaning?
Most Vietnamese names do, I suppose, and mine is not an exception. My name
can be interpreted as a river in Autumn. In my country, anything related to
Autumn is considered beautiful and calm, since this season is the most
comfortable one out of the four. So, I assume my parents did have somewhat an
expectation when they named me that
3. Do you like your name?
Yes, of course, I do like the name my parents gave me. It’s not only a part of my
identity but also symbolizes the love from my beloved parents
4. In your country, do people feel that their name is very important?
There’s no doubt about it. In Vietnam, names are not only a means of
identification. They also deliver parents hopes and expectations when a new child
is born. Besides, many Vietnamese believe that names are blessings for newborns,
so most people would consider their names a lucky charm for them
5. Would you like to change your name?
No, I wouldn’t do that, because there are tons of things I would have to do and all
kinds of forms to fill in to get a new name. Besides, this thing makes no sense to
me. Unless somebody’s a criminal and wants to change their whole identity,
there’s no point getting a whole new name
6. Is it easy to change your name in your country?
I would say you can change it, but I’m not very sure if the procedures are easy
because I’ve never known anyone who tried to do such a thing. However, I do
think the paperwork required would be quite complicated and the whole process
may cost you a lot of time
7. Who usually names babies in your country?
 As I’ve mentioned earlier, in most cases, grandparents would name their
children’s babies. Sometimes, a name is also given by a person who’s done a
special favor for the baby’s family, or a close relative
8. Do you have any special traditions about naming children?
Well, I can’t come up with anything, honestly. Maybe there were some in my
grandparents’ generation, but we millennials don’t seem to acknowledge any of
these traditions
9. What names are most common in your hometown?
I’m definitely not an anthropologist, so I have no statistics on names. But I would
say names that start with an M are, for sure, very popular. It’s easy to explain. The
first word a baby can make is, in most cases, ‘momma’, so I bet the M sound is
very easy to pronounce. That’s why people tend to unintentionally name their
babies like that
2. STUDY / MAJOR / WORK
1. What is your major?
My major at school/ university/ college is ….
2. Why do you choose that major?
The biggest reason is that my father is a successful businessman, and I plan to
follow in his footsteps after graduation.
3. What do you think about student life?
It is the period of pure joy and happiness, because the mind of a student is free
from cares and worries of a grown-up life
4. What kind of job do you want to do when you finish your study?
I wish I will undertake a vice of a board room with work related to the creation, as
the Chief of plans for example
5. Why do you want to do that job?
I feel I will succeed in the role because I have experience in softs skills that
demonstrate
6. Where do you want to work after your graduation?
I want to work in …. after I graduation
7. How can English help you in your job?
 It makes my skill-set more attractive to companies who conduct business
internationally meaning employees who speak English can often command higher
salaries.
8. What are your favourite subjects in university?
English is my favourite subject. English is not difficult to learn, you just need to
work hard to gain good results
3. HOMETOWN
1. What’s (the name of) your hometown (again)?
is my hometown. It is a province located in the west of my country
2. Is that a big city or a small town?
t is a small province with slightly more than 1 million people.
3. Please describe your hometown a little.
It has a breathtaking view of picturesque landscapes with rolling mountains and
greenish lakes. However, due to the increasing economy, a number of businesses,
especially in sugarcane, are invested in my hometown making it very promising
4. How long have you been living there?
I had lived there for around 15 years. It’s been more than ten years since I left my
hometown
5. Do you like your hometown?
Yes, I do like my hometown! I like the hospitality of people in my hometown.
Also, everyone was willing to give others a hand when they needed help
6. Do you like living there?
Trả lời giống câu 5
7. What do you like (most) about your hometown?
I like the hospitality of people in my hometown. Also, everyone was willing to
give others a hand when they needed help
8. Is there anything you dislike about it?
Personally, it’s a bit boring for me because as a small town, there isn’t a shopping
mall or any other means of entertainment. The streets don’t get very crowded as
well. However, I believe that it is improving day by day and turning into a
potential hotspot due to the increasing number of annual visitors
9. Do you think you will continue living there for a long time?
 To be honest, I hope I could go there to visit my relatives and friends, but settling
down is not part of my plan. I am now getting familiar with city life as there are
more job opportunities here
4. ACCOMADATION
1. Do you live in a house or a flat?
I live in a flat in a 25-storey apartment building with my family. I enjoy my life
there, because all facilities and services are available within walking distance,
which means I can easily grab anything I need in just a few minutes
2. Who do you live with?
I live with my family. There are 5 of us and we all have our own room
3. How long have you lived there?
Although during my childhood my family had to move a lot, I’ve lived in the most
recent house for almost ten years
4. Do you plan to live there for a long time?
My answer would be yes. I have nothing to complain about with my current
accommodation
5. Can you describe the place where you live?
Briefly, my humble house is located in a small and quiet street, so coming home to
me is like all the craziness happened outside is left behind
6. Which room does your family spend most of the time in?
It’s the dining room where my family spends our time together. Not only lunch or
dinner but all our family reunions take place in the dining room where we can
enjoy a harmonious atmosphere
7. What do you usually do in your house / flat / room?
Well, definitely I’ll spend some me-time there. I study, I chill out by reading,
drawing and dancing all by myself
8. Are the transport facilities to your home very good?
Not even slightly! The bus stations are always crowded with people who are really
inappropriate and always talking out loud
9. Do you prefer living in the house or a flat?
Each type has some things to offer me but I would have to go for a house. There’s
usually more space, and the water supply is much more reliable
10. Please describe the room you live in?
I have my own room with walls painted violet, which is kind of a peaceful colour.
The air outside is fresh. I usually open the window to enjoy the wind and sunshine
11. What part of your home do you like the most?
It’s the dining room where my family spends our time together. Not only lunch or
dinner but all our family reunions take place in the dining room where we can
enjoy a harmonious atmosphere
5. Travel and Holidays
1. Do you like traveling?
Yes, I do. I am keen on broading my horizons and there is nothing that helps to do
it more comprehensively than travelling
2. Which places did you travel to?
Sadly, I didn’t get to see many destinations inside and outside of my native
country. I have traveled a bit. I visited Vinpearl Land and Diep Son island.
3. What do you often do in your trips?
I often go to hot springs to detoxify myself.
4. When do you often travel?
I usually travel in the summer and winter.
5. Whom do you like traveling with?
I prefer travel with my friends here and there and have a chit-chat.
6. What holidays do you like most in a year?
Holidays are a great way to take time off from work or studies and just enjoy time
with your loved ones. I especially like Tet Holiday
7. In your holidays, where do you often travel?
I go to France, where I can taste delicious croissants and contemplate the sunset
from the Eiffel Tower
8. Why do you choose those places?
Because I can taste delicious croissants and contemplate the sunset from the Eiffel
Tower
9. How much money you do often spend in each trip?
It’s about 10 milion VND dong for each trip
6. Traffic and Transportation
1. Have you got a motorbike?
Yes, I have
2. How do you travel in your daily life?
I always ride my motorbike to go to work.
3. How much money do you often spend on your traveling in a month?
I think it’s about 300 thousand VND.
4. What means of transportation do you like most?
Without any doubt I would say motorbikes. You can see people driving a
motorbike all over the place in my country
5. Why do you like that means of transportation?
The reason why motorbike is so popular I think is due to their reasonable price and
convenience
6. Have you had any traffic accident?
I was a passenger in a car accident. When I was about 17, my boyfriend at the time
was driving too fast on a country road with a national speed limit
7. Could you tell me about that traffic accident?
My boyfriend at the time was driving too fast on a country road with a national
speed limit. So he was going pretty fast and then we were pulling into a small
village, so he had to slow right down. The roads were very, very wet. It was dark.
He came up over a small hill and there was a big jeep suddenly waiting to turn
right and he stomped on the brakes and skidded right into the back of it
8. What do you think about the traffic situation in our country?
I live in Vietnam and there are a lot of traffic problems in big cities in my country.
9. In your view, what should we do to solve traffic problems in our country?
The government should encourage people to use the puplic transport by discouring
the price for someone who always uses public transport
10. What should we do to avoid traffic accidents?
First, they should drive or ride more carefully. Second, people should obey traffic
rules and always wear helmets when they drive motorbike
7. City vs Countryside
1. Where are you from?
I’m from Hanoi.
2. What do you think about your homeland?
I love the hospitality of people in my hometown. Also, everyone was willing to
give others a hand when they needed help
3. Where do you like living, a city or the countryside?
I prefer to live in a city
4. Why do you like living there?
because i think that life in a city is always more exciting and more comfortable
than life in a country or in a small town
5. According to you, what are advantages of living in a city?
Living in the city is beneficial for us because if we live there, we can gain more
understanding of the outside world and learn to communicate with foreigners
6. What are disadvantages of living in a city?
Busy towns or cities can feel crowded and may mean you feel more stress or
pressure. You may also not be able to form such tight knit communities in urban
areas
7. What should we do to overcome disadvantages of life in a city?
Government can tackle these issues by many steps. The government should
control the prices of the daily commodities and build more high rising building to
reduce the house rent
8. What are advantages of living in the coutryside?
Studies show that those who live a rural area are less stressed due to the close
proximity to nature, reduced noise, cheaper cost of living, cleaner air and more
room to breathe
9. What are disadvantages of living in the countryside?
Living in the country is slower. People don't need to hurry and have a lot of time.
People in the country don't have to work so many hours as they do in the city
10. What should we do to overcome disadvantages of life in the countryside?
Buy in Bulk or Grow Your Own. You are probably used to driving down the street
to buy groceries, but in the country you may have to drive to the next town
8. Health
1. Have you got any healthy problems?
No, I haven’t
2. What sicknesses do you often have?
I sometimes get a few aches and pains or catch a cold
3. What do you often do when you get sick?
I’m usually quite healthy. I’ve never been seriously ill like everyone else I
sometimes get a few aches and pains or catch a cold
4. In your view, why do we get sick?
because the weather is constantly changing
5. What should we do to be healthy?
We stay healthy by eating a well-balanced, low-fat diet with lots of fruits,
vegetables, and whole grains
6. What kinds of food are good for health?
vegetables and fruits
7. What kinds of food are bad for health?
Red meat, snack, fast food.
8. What kinds of drink should we drink to keep our health?
Water and juice
9. Do you often do body exercises in the morning?
Yes, I often do yoga in the morning
10. What kinds of sports do you like playing to keep your health?
I often play badminton to keep my health
9. Weather
1. What’s the weather like today?
The weather is rainy and cold today
2. What kind of weather do you like (best)? Why?
I like hot weather because in this weather I feel very comfortable
3. What’s your favourite weather?why?
My favourite weather is hot weather because in this weather I feel very
comfortable
4. What do you usually do during your favourite weather (or season)?
I usually go to swim in the pool during my favourite weather
5. Have there been any changes in the weather over the past few years?
The weather has been getting warmer over the past few years.
6. Can you give any examples of unusual weather?
Tornado, hurricane, cyclone are examples of unsual weather.
10. Punctual
1. Do you think it’s important to be on time?
Yes, I do. Being on time helps you be cool, calm, and collected
2. How do you feel when others are late?
I would definitely complain about it, and I would tell them to be punctual next
time
3. Are you, yourself, late very often?
Well, I am pretty good at being on the dot for things because I respect both my
time and the time of other people
4. How do you feel when you are late?
I feel awkward and feel like I'm mad. I feel regreted that why i was so late
5. What could you do to be on time?
Plan Ahead by Creating a To-Do List
11. Television
1. How much TV do you (usually) watch?
I usually watch TV everyday
2. What’s your favorite TV programme?
My favorite TV programme is Fox Movie
3. Did you watch much TV when you were a child? (How much?)
Yes, I watched TV so much when I was a child
4. What (types of) programmes did you watch when you were a child?
I watched cartoon when I was a child
5. Do you think television has changed in the past few decades?
Yes I do. Television has had a major overhaul in the past decade
6. Has television changed your life in any way?
I think watching TV has become a habit that I would hardly change
12. Reading
1. Do you like reading books? Why or why not?
Yes, I like reading a lot. I read all sorts of things, including novels, newspapers,
magazines, and online articles.
2. What (kinds of) books do you like to read?
Yes, I like reading a lot. I read all sorts of things, including novels, newspapers,
magazines, and online articles.
3. Did you read much when you were a child?
Yes, I read a lot when I was a child
4. What (kinds of) books did you like reading when you were a child?
Just like other kids, comic books were my favorite when I was a little girl.
5. Do (young) children like reading books?
6. For children, what do you think are the benefits of reading?
7. What do you think are the benefits of reading to children?