SITUATIONS FOR PART 2

Situation 1: You are going to build your dream house. You are advised to use one of
the following materials: woods, steel and concrete. Which one would you choose?
Give reasons for your choice.

Woods:
The first reason is that I want to live in a house that is made of wood because of its
style. When I am living in that house, I can feel nature around me. It’s very peaceful
and enjoyable. Second, wood is very durable. Actually, you can find many houses
made of wood that have existed for hundreds of years. For example, in Japan, they
have a lot of wooden houses, and a lot of them have existed from the Warring States
period to nowadays. Last but not least, wood also has good insulation. It can keep us
cool in the summer and warm in the winter. In addition, concrete absorbs heat well, so
it makes people feel cold, especially in winter.

Situation 2: You are going to build a new house. You are suggested three locations
for the building: a city, a town, and the countryside. Which one will you choose for
your new house? Explain your choice.

I will build my new house in a city. First, if I live in the city, I will have more job
opportunities. For example, many companies in Ho Chi Minh City require a lot of
human resources each year, so I can find a good job with a high salary if I live there.
Second, I will get better medical service. The medical equipment in the city is very
modern and they have experienced doctors, so I can take care of my health and my
family's health better. If I am sick, the advanced medical equipment in the city will be
the best choice for my health. The last reason is that I love living in a modern place.
I like the crowded and bustling atmosphere of the city, so I want to live there. I also
like living in the countryside, but I like the modern city life more and living in the city
has more benefits.

Situation 3: On the way home, you saw a man who bumped into an old woman on a
crowded bus. He shouted at her loudly. He seemed to be rude to that woman. Do you
say something or try to ignore the man? Discuss the given options and explain your
choice.

I will say something to him. First, I’m a person who cannot ignore bad things because
I want to contribute to building a civilized society. I will feel very uncomfortable if
I ignore this situation. Second, I want to know the reason why he shouted at her so
loudly. Maybe he is facing bad things in life. If that's the case, then I will sympathize
with him. Last but not least, no matter what, this man was wrong when he treated
the woman badly. I want to tell him that what he's doing is not good and that he
should apologize to that woman.

Situation 4: Most young people in Vietnam enjoy playing games including indoor
and outdoor games to relax their mind. Which one do you prefer? Discuss the given
options with your partner and explain your choice.
Outdoor games:
I will choose to play outdoor games to relax my mind because of its benefits. The first
benefit of outdoor games is that they improve my health. For example, I can keep fit
and develop my muscles by playing badminton, swimming, and doing yoga. Second,
outdoor games help me improve my social skills, such as: communication skills,
leadership, problem-solving skills, etc. These skills are very important to my life now
and in the future. And, last but not least, I can enjoy the fresh air when I’m playing
outdoor games. I’m a girl who loves going outside and breathing in the clean air, so I
enjoy playing outdoor games with my family and friends in the weekend or in my free
time.

Situation 5: Traditionally, household chores such as cooking, cleaning and taking

care of children were seen as women’s duties. Do you think this is a good idea? In
your opinion, who should be responsible for the housework in a family?

I think it’s not a good idea when people say that housework is only a woman's
responsibility. First, I think the man also has responsibility for household chores
because they are family. They need to share the work with each other. For example, if
the man wash dishes, the woman will cook for the family. Or, they can take turns
playing with their children so that they receive love from both parents. Second,
nowadays, many women have to be making money, so they cannot do all the
housework; it is too much for them. At that time, the man can help with housework to
reduce the burden on women. Last but not least, sharing household chores can help us
create a happy atmosphere. Women need a lot of support from men, and so do men.
When we help each other, we always feel positive and happy. To summarize,
housework is not only the duty of women, but also the duty of all family members
because they all live under the same roof, they need to share all the chores together.

Situation 6: An object you love is not able to be used like a beautiful ancient Chinese
vase is broken, a nice dress is torn.. You are suggested to:
1. Repair the object
2. Make a new one by yourself
3. Buy a new one with a little sum of money
Which option you choose?
Tell your reasons

 That object has many memories with me.

 Protect the environment, reduce waste.
 Save money
 A new one may not be better than the old one.
 We can not find something else.

From my point of view, I will repair the object that we love and are not able to use.
The first reason is that it has a lot of memories for me. If I love something, I will
respect it very much. Objects have their own value, so it is not good to throw them
away. The second reason is that it will save the money unless I buy a new one. When
I have financial difficulties, it will be the best way for me to save money. Finally, I
cannot find something else like my old object if I buy a new one or make a new one
by myself. For example, if that item was given to me by my grandfather, who passed
away, I will not find the same object. In short, repairing the object is the best choice
for me because of its benefits.

Situation 7: Next summer, you have some free time and you would like to learn a
new skill. Which of the following skills will you choose and why: arts and crafts,
cooking and cupcake baking.

Cooking and cupcake baking:

 If I live alone, I can do it myself.
 Essential skill
 Simple, easy to learn.
 It does not require us to be skillful like arts and crafts.
 Eating is one of my hobbies.

From my point of view, I will learn how to cook and do cupcake baking. The first
reason is that I love cooking and baking. I love making cakes and giving them to my
family and friends to spread my love for them. Second, it is one of the most essential
skills. If I cannot cook, I will have a hard time living alone. I can not always ask
people to cook for me, because they have their own business. Finally, I think it is
simple and easy to learn. I just need to open my phone, type a dish into Google, and
look up its recipe. So, cooking and cupcake baking are the best choices for my next
summer vacation.

Situation 8: Your university is organizing an environment protection campaign and

students are invited to give their opinions. Which of the following ideas will you
support and why: banning plastic bags on campus, planting 1000 more trees on
campus, banning motorcycles on campus and replacing by a bus system?

 Plastic bags take a long time to decompose.

 Students can change into a canvas bag without spending too much money.
 Spend a lot of money and time on planting trees and replacing motorcycles by a
bus system
 It doesn’t take a long time to ban plastic bags, we can require students to
change into canvas bags easily.
 Raise awareness about environment protection in students.

In my opinion, I will choose to ban plastic bags on campus. The first reason is that it
does not waste too much time changing it. The school just needs to require each
student to change into canvas bags, and I think it is very easy. The second reason is
that it does not spend a lot of money. In addition, planting trees and replacing
motorcycles with a bus system must be completed with capital. These plans take a
long time to complete. Furthermore, students can change into a canvas bag without
spending too much money. Finally, plastic bags take a long time to decompose, so
we need to change to canvas bags as quickly as possible. In short, banning plastic bags
on campus does not take a long time and a lot of money to do, so I think it is very
suitable for us to protect the environment on campus.

Situation 9: Your university is developing plans to improve students’ life and

experience on campus. Several plans have been proposed: upgrading the gym on
campus, building two swimming pools and running yoga classes on campus at
weekends. Which of these ideas do you prefer and why?

 Students need to know how to swim to deal with dangerous situations.

 Shows that the university cares about improving students’ life and experience.
 Improve health: good for the heart, keep fit,...
 Attracts both boys and girls ( boys often go to the gym while girls often tend to
do yoga).
 Swimming helps train the whole body, it is also a low-impact activity that has
many physical and mental health benefits.

From my point of view, I will choose to build two swimming pools. The first reason is
that swimming is an important skill. If students improve their swimming skills, they
can deal with dangerous situations and save themselves. Sometimes, they also need to
save someone’s life. Then swimming will help them. The second reason is that
swimming helps students develop their health. For example, if students spend about
twice a week swimming, it will be good for their hearts and keep them fit. Finally,
swimming also attracts both boys and girls. In addition, many girls are not too
interested in the gym, and boys also don’t like doing yoga. In short, I think building
two swimming pools is the most suitable plan to improve students’ lives and
experiences on campus.