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Contents
I. Describe an object (a gift, something you use etc.) .................................................... 4
1. Describe an item of clothing that someone gave you ....................................................... 4
2. Describe something you received for free........................................................................ 5
3. Describe a toy you liked in your childhood ....................................................................... 6
4. Describe an invention that has changed the world in a positive way ................................ 7
5. Describe a gift you would like to buy for your friend ......................................................... 8
6. Describe a thing you cannot live without except cell phone or computer.......................... 9
7. Describe a special cake you received from others ..........................................................10
8. Describe an item of clothing that someone gave you ......................................................11
II. Describe a person (someone you admire, a family member etc.) .............................12
1. Describe a person who contributes to the society ...........................................................12
2. Describe a person who you follow on social media .........................................................13
3. Describe someone you really like to spend time with ......................................................14
4. Describe a person you only met once and want to know more about .............................15
5. Describe your favourite famous person ..........................................................................16
6. Describe a popular/well-known person in your country ...................................................17
III. Describe an event/ time (a festival, celebration etc.) .................................................18
1. Describe a time when you were preparing for a happy event ..........................................18
2. Describe an occasion that you lost something ................................................................20
3. Describe a time you were very busy ...........................................................................21
4. Describe a time when you received something without having to pay for it .....................22
5. Describe a time when you helped a child........................................................................23
6. Describe a situation when something in your house was broken or stopped working .....24
IV. Describe an activity (e.g. a hobby) ..............................................................................25
1. Describe a long walk you had .........................................................................................25
2. Describe a contest/competition you would like to participate in .......................................26
3. Describe something you do that can help you concentrate on work/study ......................27
V. Describe a place (somewhere you visited, a holiday etc.) .........................................28
1. Describe a house or an apartment you would like to live in.............................................28
2. Describe a city that you think is very interesting .............................................................29
4. Describe a place you visited on vacation ........................................................................31
5. Describe a place in the countryside that you visited .......................................................32
VI. Other topics ..................................................................................................................33

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1. Describe a rule that you don’t like ...................................................................................33
2. Describe an interesting song ..........................................................................................34
3. Describe an ambition that you haven’t achieved .............................................................35
4. Describe an interesting discussion that you had with friends ..........................................37
5. Describe a useful skill you learned from an older person ................................................38
6. Describe a story someone told you and you remember ..................................................39
7. Describe something you did that helped you to learn another language .........................40

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I. Describe an object (a gift, something you use etc.)
1. Describe an item of clothing that someone gave you
You should say:
What the clothing was
Who gave it to you?
When you got it
And explain why this person gave you the clothing

In any situation, clothing is rather easy to find and Waterproof jacket: áo khoác
give to someone. Therefore, it is normal for people chống thấm nước
to receive clothes from others. In my case, I was Puffy: thùng thình (quần áo)
given a water-proof by my aunt which is rather useful Zipper: khóa kéo
as I live in a wet climate. A hood: mũ trùm đầu
As I said before, I was given this water-proof jacket Keeps one’s head from sth: giữ
by my aunt a couple of days ago and it was rather đầu ai đó khỏi 1 thứ gì đó
puffy as it was designed to keep the wearer warm. Wet climate: khí hậu ẩm ướt
It was made from polyester and it was all black, as Nifty: tiện lợi
well as having two large pockets on both sides with Aesthetic design: thiết kế có tính
zippers to close them. Finally, it had a hood on the thẩm mỹ
top which keeps my head from being wet and cold. Protect sb from st: bảo vệ ai khỏi
All in all, it was a particularly nifty jacket that had a cái gì
nice and simple aesthetic design and I quite liked Out of one’s kindness: bằng sự
it. tốt bụng
As for why my aunt gave me that jacket, she was Go out of one’s way: cố gắng hết
concerned that I had to go to school without anything sức để
to protect me from the rain. Therefore, out of her
kindness, she went out of her way to get me a nice
water-proof jacket and best of all, it was rather
inexpensive so anyone could easily buy it.

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2. Describe something you received for free

You should say:

What it was?
Who you received it from?
Where you received it?
And how you felt about it?

A couple of months ago I was at a spring festival Raffle: xổ số

organized by a local charity called Operation Smile An all-expenses trip: chuyến đi
with my friends and there was a raffle where people được bao trọn gói
could win various prizes which included an all- Sought after: mong chờ
expenses trip to Japan, a new 4K TV and a dinner Elated: phấn khích
at a steakhouse, all of which were for free. Wanting Crystal clear image: hình ảnh sắc
to win one of those prizes, I put my name in the raffle nét
and I was given a number. In the afternoon, the raffle Robust sound system: hệ thống
had begun and some of the prizes had been given to âm thanh sống động
various people attending the festival. When the TV Streaming services: các dịch vụ
was about to be awarded, I waited eagerly with truyền phát
anticipation as it was the prize that I sought after the Worn out: đã quá cũ
most because I needed a new TV for my apartment. Turn off: tắt
Then my number was called and I won a free TV, and Itching to: mong muốn
in that moment I was elated. Give one away: đem tặng
As for the TV itself, it was a 4K TV like I said before
and it was made by Samsung, who are known for
making good TVs. Not only does it produce a crystal
clear image but it also has a robust sound system
and it has some streaming services that were pre-
installed such as YouTube and Netflix. In terms of
why I needed a new TV, the one I had at that time
was becoming worn out as it tended to either turn
off at random moments or there would be no sound
coming from the speakers. Hence, I was itching to
get a new TV and luckily enough the spring festival I
went to was giving one away for free.

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3. Describe a toy you liked in your childhood

You should say:

What kind of toy it is
When you received it
How you played it
And how you felt about it

I played with many kinds of toys when I was a kid, Miniature versions: phiên bản thu
from Legos to toy guns. However, my favorite kind nhỏ
of toy from my childhood was Hot Wheels, which Holdvery dearly: giữ gìn trân trọng
were basically miniature versions of real-life cars. A sleek design: thiết kế kiểu dáng
There was one specific Hot Wheels model that I đẹp
held very dearly and that was the 1970 Dodge Masculine traits: các đặc điểm
Challenger. nam tính
I played with that toy a lot back then because firstly, An action movie: phim hành động
it was such a cool model. I first got it when I was 5 Chase after: đuổi theo
years old as a birthday present and at that time I Run away from: chạy trốn khỏi
thought it was the most awesome toy anyone could Emulated: giả như, giả vờ
get. It had a sleek design that projected coolness All in all: nhìn chung
and strength which are traditionally masculine Unlock one’s imagination: giải
traits. It also was painted completely black, which phóng trí tưởng tượng
added to the coolness of the car. Secondly, I played
with that specific Hot Wheels model a lot because I
liked to imagine myself as if I was in an action
movie where I had to drive fast to chase after or
run away from the bad guys. Many of the action
movies I watched as a kid had the hero drive this
kind of car so I basically emulated what the heroes
in driving this miniature Dodge Challenger.
All in all, I really enjoyed playing with Hot Wheels
as a kid because not only did they look cool but they
also unlocked my imagination in more ways than
one.

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4. Describe an invention that has changed the world in a positive way

You should say:

What it is
What benefits it has brought
How it influences people of different ages
And explain how it changed people’s lives

One invention that has changed the world for the

better is the car. It was first invented and patented For the better: một cách tốt hơn
by Carl Benz in the late 1800s. The benefits that the Be patented by sb: được cấp
invention of the car have brought are numerous. bằng sáng chế bởi ai
One of them is travel time has been reduced by a By a large margin: rất nhiều
large margin. Since cars go at a faster average Muspension: bộ giảm xóc
speed than something like a horse carriage, they Mumps on the road: gờ giảm tốc
take less time to travel to a particular place on the A horse carriage: xe ngựa
road. Another benefit is that the journey is generally Modes of transport: phương tiện
more comfortable. Cars are built with tough giao thông
suspension that can absorb bumps on the road, Come along: xuất hiện
which will not be felt by the driver and passengers, Glide smoothly: lướt đi êm ái
thus making the drive more pleasurable. Road-based transport: phương
I like to think that the car positively influenced people tiện giao thông đường bộ
of all ages (barring children of course). Firstly, it has The reserve of power: lượng
allowed people to travel more pleasantly on the năng lượng
road. In the past, people had to travel by either foot Fuel capacity: dung tích nhiên liệu
or horse carriage, neither of which are known for
being cozy modes of transport. But when the car
came along, drivers and passengers were allowed
to just sit and relax and let the car glide smoothly
on the road to their intended destination. Secondly,
the car has changed people’s lives by allowing them
to travel greater distances without stopping than
they did in the past. Cars can drive further than most
other road-based transport since they have more
vast reserves of power in the engines and their fuel
capacity is larger as well.

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5. Describe a gift you would like to buy for your friend

You should say:

When it happened
What gift it was
Who you gave it to
And explain why you chose that gift

Gift-giving has been around for as long as human Gift-giving: tục lệ tặng quà
civilization began developing. When someone gives Human civilization: nền văn minh
a gift, it is usually a sign that person is showing nhân loại
affection or gratitude towards another person for Delighted: vui và thỏa mãn
whatever reason it may be. This is especially true in Show affection or gratitude: thể
my case, where I gave my mother a scarf for hiện tình cảm và sự biết ơn
Christmas last year. Scarf: khăn quàng cổ
As I’ve said in the beginning, last Christmas I went Come across: vô tình gặp/đi ngang
out shopping for gifts and I came across a scarf qua
made from silk. It had a nice color and texture to it so Do st in secret: bí mật làm gì đó
I went ahead and bought it. While it wasn’t Bring out: mang ra
particularly cheap, it wasn’t super expensive either. In need of st: cần gì đó
Afterwards I went home and wrapped it in secret and Sense of style: gu thời trang
by the time the Christmas dinner was finished, I A nifty clothing item: 1 phụ kiện
immediately brought out the wrapped scarf and quần áo tiện lợi
gave it to my mother, who was in need of a scarf to
keep herself warm for the winter. She unwrapped it
and was delighted about how thoughtful I was to buy
a scarf.
As for why I chose a scarf, it is because it is a nifty
item of clothing for the winter and it can define a
person’s sense of style. Would I give a scarf to other
people as a gift? It depends on the person as he/she
may want something different because their needs
are different as well. Therefore, I may sometimes
give a scarf to my other family members and friends
since it is a nifty clothing item after all.

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6. Describe a thing you cannot live without except cell phone or computer

You should say:

What it is
Why you can’t manage without it
How long you have had it for
And explain how you felt when you were without it

Apart from my computer and cell phone, I cannot
live without my wallet. It holds my cash, credit cards
and identification cards and whenever I need them
in a certain situation, I can just get my wallet out and
pull them out to use. The wallet I have right now is
black with two separate pockets for cash, three
slots for my credit and ID cards and a pouch for
coins. I’ve had it for nearly seven years and it’s not
showing its age at all. In short, it is a nifty item with
a simple look and functional design.
I cannot live without my wallet because if I don’t have
it with me, then I would be stuck as to what I can do
when I’m out in the city. I can’t buy anything, I can’t
go into bars and nightclubs without verifying my
age and I can’t keep my receipts. Therefore,
whenever I’m about to go out somewhere, I would
always remember to bring my wallet in case I need
my money or cards to do something. I would feel
lost if I didn’t carry it with me.
Apart from: ngoài (gì đó)
Functional design: thiết kế tiện lợi
Identification cards: chứng minh
nhân dân/ căn cước công dân
Pull them out: rút (cái gì đó) ra
Pockets/pouch: túi/bao/ngăn
Not show its age: vẫn chưa cũ
Nifty item: đồ tốt
Verify one’s age: xác minh độ tuổi
Keep one’s receipts: giữ hóa đơn
Feel lost: cảm thấy thiếu thốn
Bars and nightclubs: quầy rượu và
câu lạc bộ đêm

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7. Describe a special cake you received from others
You should say:
When it happened
Where it happened
Who you got the cake from
And explain why it’s a special cake

Whenever a person receives a cake, it is usually for A particular milestone in work or

a rather special occasion. It can be anything from a life: 1 cột mốc đặc biệt trong công
birthday or a wedding anniversary to a celebration of việc hoặc cuộc sống
a particular milestone in work or life. In my case, Vanilla-flavored: vị vanilla
the cake I got was for my birthday last year and it was Covered in chocolate: được phủ sô
offered to me by my colleagues at work. cô la
On my birthday last year, I got a cake from my Turn out: hóa ra/ trở thành
colleagues in the high-rise office I was working at. It For a while: được 1 thời gian
was a vanilla-flavored ice cream cake covered in Randomly tell sb: vô tình nói với ai
chocolate and on the top it said ‘Happy Birthday’, đó
which was nice. However, the cake was rather small Care about: quan tâm về
as it was only enough for 8 people so not everyone Have good taste: có khẩu vị tốt
was able to have a piece. Nevertheless, my Manage to do st: thành công làm gì
colleagues and I were all there to celebrate,
especially since it was after work. As for why it was a
special cake, it turned out that ever since I told them
when my birthday was, they’ve been planning it for a
while and all of them decided to get me an ice-cream
cake since I randomly told them one time that it was
my favorite kind of cake. Thus, it not only showed that
my colleagues at work cared about me but they also
had good taste in cakes as it was very delicious and
we all managed to finish it with no pieces left.

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8. Describe an item of clothing that someone gave you
You should say:
What the clothing was
Who gave it to you
When you got it

And explain why this person gave you the clothing Waterproof jacket: áo khoác chống
In any situation, clothing is rather easy to find and thấm nước
give to someone. Therefore, it is normal for people Puffy: thùng thình (quần áo)
to receive clothes from others. In my case, I was Zipper: khóa kéo
given a water-proof by my aunt which is rather useful A hood: mũ trùm đầu
as I live in a wet climate. Keeps one’s head from sth: giữ
As I said before, I was given this water-proof jacket đầu ai đó khỏi 1 thứ gì đó
by my aunt a couple of days ago and it was rather Wet climate: khí hậu ẩm ướt
puffy as it was designed to keep the wearer warm. Nifty: tiện lợi
It was made from polyester and it was all black, as Aesthetic design: thiết kế có tính
well as having two large pockets on both sides with thẩm mỹ
zippers to close them. Finally, it had a hood on the Protect sb from st: bảo vệ ai khỏi
top which keeps my head from being wet and cold. cái gì
All in all, it was a particularly nifty jacket that had a Out of one’s kindness: bằng sự tốt
nice and simple aesthetic design and I quite liked bụng
it. Go out of one’s way: cố gắng hết
As for why my aunt gave me that jacket, she was sức để
concerned that I had to go to school without anything
to protect me from the rain. Therefore, out of her
kindness, she went out of her way to get me a nice
water-proof jacket and best of all, it was rather
inexpensive so anyone could easily buy it.

11
 II. Describe a person (someone you admire, a family member etc.)
1. Describe a person who contributes to the society
You should say:
• Who this person is
• How you knew him/her
• What type of work he/she does
• And explain why you think he/she contributes to the
society

In our current society, we tend to value certain jobs A fully licensed doctor: bác sĩ đầy
more than others because we perceive them as more đủ chứng nhận
useful to our society. Some of them include Specialize in respiratory and
engineers, bankers, police officers and lawyers. cardiovascular issues: chuyên về
Today I would like to talk about one of my friends các vấn đề hô hấp và tim mạch
named Dave who is a heart doctor at the city hospital. Diagnose: chẩn đoán
To provide context, Dave became a fully licensed Be tasked with: được giao nhiệm vụ
doctor around ten years ago when he finished Living a long and fulfilling life:
medical school overseas in America. He came back sống 1 cuộc đời dài lâu và trọn vẹn
to my hometown only recently to continue his career Under threat: bị đe dọa
in medicine. Dave specializes in respiratory and Likelihood of death: khả năng tử
cardiovascular issues, meaning he is rather vong
knowledgeable about lung and heart diseases. Every Sanctity of human life: sự thánh
day, he diagnoses about 10 patients who have thiện của cuộc sống
various problems regarding their hearts and lungs.
About 95% of the time he is able to discover the
correct disease. One time, Dave managed to
diagnose a rare lung disease that affects only 2% of
the world’s population. That goes to show how skilled
he is in his profession.
Obviously, my friend Dave has been valuable to
society because he is tasked with safeguarding our
health, which is essential to living a long and
fulfilling life. If our health is under threat by a rather
dangerous disease, especially one that affects our
heart and lungs, our lives could be easily cut short
since the likelihood of death will increase as a
result. Hence, doctors like Dave are well aware of the
sanctity of human life and the value in staying
healthy.

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 2. Describe a person who you follow on social media

You should say:

• Who he/she is
• How you knew him/her
• What he/she posts on social media
• And explain why you follow him/her on social media

Across all of my social media accounts, which Face one’s worst fears: đối mặt
include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube, với nỗi sợ hãi lớn nhất
I follow thousands of different people. However, I will Find it rather interesting: thấy nó
only talk about one person and that person is Joe thú vị
Rogan. Simply put: đơn giản mà nói
To begin with, Joe Rogan is a comedian, actor and Sense of humor: óc hài hước
sports commentator who hosts a very popular Make the right joke: đùa đúng chỗ
podcast on YouTube. I first knew about him through Thought-provoking: gợi lên suy
a TV show he once hosted called Fear Factor where nghĩ
people had to face their worst fears in various An honest and intellectual
ways. Though he started his podcast a long time ago, conversation: các cuộc đối thoại
I only started listening to it fairly recently and I find it chân thật và trí thức
rather interesting. On his YouTube channel, he Softball questions: câu hỏi đơn
posts videos of his podcast where he interviews giản
various people about their work and personal life.
Simply put, it’s a long form conversation that is
filmed for other people to see. Sometimes Joe would
interview celebrities such as Robert Downey Jr. and
Jamie Foxx and they would talk about their work to
him.
In terms of why I follow Joe Rogan on his YouTube
channel, the main reason is that he is entertaining to
watch as his sense of humor and respect for the
interviewee makes his podcast so captivating. He
knows how to make the right joke at the right
moment and his questions are thought-provoking
to the point where the person he is talking to can
have an honest and intellectual conversation with
Joe, as opposed to the softball questions that these
people often get from other interviewers.

13
 3. Describe someone you really like to spend time with

You should say:

• Who this person is

• How you knew him/her
• What you usually do together
• And explain why you like to spend time with him/her
•
• And explain why you like to spend time with him/her Take a liking to sb: bắt đầu có cảm
The one person I like to spend time with is my best tình với ai
friend Doug. I first met him in 2nd grade when I was Be paired up with sb: được bắt cặp
a new student and he was already in school for a với ai
year. I was paired up with him by my teacher for a Meet up together: gặp gỡ nhau
class activity and both of us took a liking to each On end: liên tục
other. That’s how we became friends ever since. Be it: dù là
Whenever we would meet up together, we would Developments in our lives: các tiến
go out for coffee or a drink at a bar and then talk triển trong cuộc sống
about the things that are happening in our lives. We Grumble about: càu nhàu về
would talk for hours on end and complain about the Be saddled with: rơi vào (hoàn
problems we would be facing at work and at home. cảnh nào đó)
Sometimes we would also meet up for dinner with Hang out with: chơi cùng
some of our other friends, be it from our old school Plights in life: các nốt trầm trong
or from our jobs. Over dinner, we would do the same cuộc sống
thing; we would just talk about new developments Supportive presence: nguồn động
in our lives and grumble about whatever issues viên
we would be saddled with.
The main reason why I like to hang out with Doug
is because he is very understanding towards my
many plights in life. Whenever I have problems
regarding work or socializing, he would always be
there to comfort and advise me on what I should do,
which is something that all friends should do. Thus,
I would try to meet up with Doug as much as I can
since he is such a supportive presence in my life.

14
 4. Describe a person you only met once and want to know more about
You should say:

• Who he/she is
• When you met him/her
• Why you want to know more about him/her
• And explain how you feel about him/her

Around two years ago, I met a former veteran of the A former veteran: cựu chiến binh
Iraq War named Chester. It was at a party hosted by An acquaintance: người quan
some of my friends from work and Chester was an Muscular: cơ bắp, đô con, vâm
acquaintance of one of those friends. When I first Presumably: có lẽ
met him, he was somewhat muscular with fair skin A bullet that grazed his face: 1
and short hair. He also had a scar running across his viên đạn sượt qua mặt
cheek, presumably from a bullet that grazed his Curious about: tò mò về
face during battle. I only had a short conversation Resulting carnage: hậu quả của
with him about life in general and his experiences cuộc tàn sát
during the war. After the party was over, I never met Alas: than ôi!
him again. Curiosity will never be satiated:
I wanted to know more about Chester because it sự tò mò không bao giờ được thỏa
seemed like he had an interesting backstory, mãn
especially when it comes to his exploits during the Take the initiative to: chủ động làm
war in Iraq. I was curious about what he had seen, gì đó
how fierce the fighting was with the enemy and how Outward appearance: vẻ bên
bad was the resulting carnage. Alas, I fear that my ngoài
curiosity will never be satiated because I don’t Combat experience: kinh nghiệm
have his contact details and I never took the chiến đấu
initiative to ask for them when I first met Chester.
Nevertheless, I felt that Chester was a good person
in general. He seemed polite, cool and easy to talk to
despite his outward appearance suggesting
otherwise. Moreover, he was a relaxed guy and he
was eager to know about other people, probably
because he was so tired talking about himself and his
combat experience.

15
5. Describe your favourite famous person
You should say:
Who this person is.
How do you know about this person
What this person is famous for.
Why are you interested in this person

A famous person I really enjoy watching is actor

Be known for: được biết đến như
Daniel Craig. While he’s primarily known for playing
James Bond, he can play a wide range of characters
A wide range of: đa dạng
and work in various genres other than action.
Take to sb: thích ai
I first knew about him when he was announced as the
new lead actor for the James Bond series and when Lead actor: diễn viên chính
I watched his first movie for the franchise, I really
took to him because of his intensity. Since then, I Be radically different: hoàn toàn
followed his career closely and he had gone on to do khác
many more films outside of the Bond series.
Find out: tìm ra
One of my favorite performances of his is from the
movie Knives Out, where he plays the main detective All in all: nhìn chung
having to find out who committed the murder of an
old author. The reason why it’s a favorite of mine is Come off as: thành công với
because it is radically different from his image as a
handsome leading man and he gets to use an accent Commit the murder: thực hiện vụ
that is very much different from his typical English ám sát
accent.
Go on: tiếp tục
All in all, I enjoy watching Daniel Craig as an actor
and as a person, since he comes off as rather
charming and humorous like most other English
actors. I look forward to whatever he does next since
he is now done with the James Bond series.

16
6. Describe a popular/well-known person in your country
You should say:

Who this person is

What he/she has done
Why he/she is popular
And explain why you like this person
A celebrated national icon: một
And explain how you feel about this person
hình tượng nổi tiếp trong trước
One of our most celebrated national icons is
A striker: tiền đạo
footballer Nguyen Cong Phuong. He plays for the
Goalscoring: ghi bàn
Vietnam national football team as well as Hoang Anh
Tenure: nhiệm kỳ
Gia Lai Club as a striker, meaning that he is
Physique and style of play: vóc
responsible for the majority of goalscoring.
dáng và lối chơi
However, Vietnamese people mostly know him for
Swiftly cut through: nhanh chóng
his performances for the national team since
băng qua
Vietnamese club football is not particularly popular.
Score a goal: ghi bàn
During his tenure in the national team, he has helped
Elevate the prestige of sb/st: nâng
them win the 2018 AFF Championship as well as
cao uy tín của ai/cái gì
make it to the quarter-finals of the 2019 Asian Cup,
Paying attention to: chú ý tới
which were pretty impressive considering how they
Boost our national pride: tăng
are not the best national team in Asia. Cong Phuong
lòng tự hào dân tộc
is often compared to the legendary Lionel Messi due
Off the field: ngoài sân cỏ
to their similar physique and style of play, where
Take time to do st: dành thời gian
they would swiftly cut through the defense and
làm gì
score a goal.
Financially disadvantaged: khó
Nguyen Cong Phuong is considered a popular figure
khăn về mặt tài chính
in Vietnam because not only his footballing skills are
superlative but also because of how instrumental he
was in elevating the prestige of the national team.
His performances alone have brought the team to a
whole new level on the international stage, so much
so that native non-football fans are now paying
attention to how the team is performing in Asian and
global competitions. As for myself, I quite like seeing
Cong Phuong running on the pitch to clinically score
goals to boost our national pride. I also like how he
is a nice guy off the field, as evidenced by how he
takes the time to greet the fans as well as give
money to various local charities to help those who
are financially disadvantaged.

17
III. Describe an event/ time (a festival, celebration etc.)

1. Describe a time when you were preparing for a happy event

You should say:
What the event was
Where you had it
Who helped you to organize it
And how you feel about it

Most events require some form of preparation,

whatever they might be. Whether they might be
Take place: diễn ra
birthdays, anniversaries or fancy dinners, there must
be some planning involved in making it successful. Be involved in st: tham gia vào/liên
The event I will talk about today is no exception. quan
Before my 13th birthday was about to take place, my
parents and I were scrambling to prepare all of the Scramble to do st : nhanh chóng
necessary things for the party. My mother and father làm gì
were responsible for the decorations, food and
presents whereas I was responsible for the games Be responsible for: chịu trách
and activities. I had prepared some board games to nhiệm cho
play with my friends such as Monopoly and
Candyland as well as arranged for a movie to watch To prepare some board games:
at my local theater. My parents had ordered a bunch chuẩn bị vài trò chơi cờ bàn
of pizza as well as a chocolate cake for the finale.
When the party took place, everyone had a good time A bunch of pizza: 1 đống pizza
from myself and my friends to my family. Everyone
The finale: phần kết thúc
enjoyed playing the board games I arranged as well
as the movie I had organized which was the first Iron
Go swimmingly: diễn ra thuận lợi
Man. Once everyone had their piece of cake, I was
given some nice presents which were the FIFA game
and the new Superman comics.

In the end, it was a happy event since everything

went swimmingly with mine and my parents’
planning.

18
 2. Describe an important event you celebrated

You should say:

• What the event was

• When it happened
• Who attended the event
• And explain how you feel about the event

Over 6 years ago, I had my high school graduation

High school graduation
ceremony. It was in the middle of May and only a
ceremony: lễ tốt nghiệp trung học
couple of weeks after my friends and I finished our final
Auditorium: thính phòng
exams. The ceremony was held in the auditorium of
In attendance: có mặt
our school and over 300 people were attending it,
Forge one’s own path: tạo ra
including our families, teachers and younger students.
con đường cho riêng mình
My parents and sister were also in attendance, who
Touch upon st: nhắc đến cái gì
were seated in the middle of the auditorium.
Valedictorian: thủ khoa
The ceremony began with a speech by the head of
graduation diplomas: bằng tốt
school with the theme being how important it is to forge
nghiệp
your own path in life. It was followed by a speech from
Make short comments: đưa ra
our principal, which touched upon the same theme
các nhận xét ngắn
and then followed by a speech from the valedictorian
Hard work and perseverance:
of our class, who was a friend of mine named Andrew.
sự chăm chỉ và kiên trì
Next, our graduation diplomas were handed to us
Pay off: thành công, có kết quả
one by one by the head of school while our principal
tốt
simultaneously made short comments on where
One of the greatest moments of
each of us will go for university. The ceremony then
euphoria: một trong những
ended with a short performance by a band led by one
khoảnh khắc hạnh phúc nhất
of my friends. They sang ‘Don’t You Forget About Me’
Start a new chapter in our lives:
originally by Simple Minds, which was fitting
bước sang chương mới của cuộc
considering how we were all going to go our separate
đời
ways when we started university.
Maintain close contact with sb:
Looking back at this moment, I felt glad to be a part of
duy trì mối liên hệ mật thiết với ai
it. To know that all of my hard work and perseverance
in trying to do well to get to university had paid off was
one of the greatest moments of euphoria that I ever
had in my life. Also, the ceremony itself was rather
nice. The speeches that were given were very affirming
and encouraging for us who will be starting a new
chapter in our lives; and the performance from the
band was also a sweet reminder to maintain close
contact with each other since it will be the last time we
will see each other ever again.

19
 2. Describe an occasion that you lost something
You should say:

• What you lost

• When and where you lost it
• What you did to find it
• And explain how you felt about it

I once lost a booklet containing valuable stamps from A booklet: cuốn sách nhỏ
the past century issued by the Royal Mail in the UK and valuable stamps: những con
this only happened a couple of months ago. It was a tem có giá trị
Christmas gift from my uncle who is an avid collector of Avid collector: người đam mê
stamps and wanted to pass on that hobby to me since he sưu tập
liked me so much. I kept that booklet on the bookshelf in Pass on to sb: truyền lại cho ai
my room and have not touched it since. However, when Gather dust: bám bụi
the time came to clean my bookshelf because it was Vanish: biến mất
gathering dust, the booklet of stamps somehow Scour far and wide: tìm kiếm
vanished. ở khắp mọi nơi
Naturally, I just had to find it and in doing so I scoured far Dig through: tìm qua
and wide in my apartment. I went to every room, dug In Every nook and cranny:
through every shelf and looked in every nook and khắp mọi ngóc ngách
cranny where it would be possible for my booklet of Elusive: khó thấy
stamps to hide; yet, that elusive booklet was nowhere to Give up: từ bỏ
be found. I asked my parents if they had seen the booklet Be dated back: đã có/tồn tại từ
anywhere and they said no with the last place they saw it
being on my bookshelf. When I told them that I lost my
stamp collection, they immediately started to help me find
it by looking everywhere like I did. However, after 15
minutes of searching, we decided to give up and deem
the booklet as lost forever. I felt sad at that time to lose
that collection because not only was it a really interesting
gift from my uncle but also the stamps themselves were
really cool. Some of them were dated as far back as the
1900s, which goes to show how cool they were. When I
meet my uncle, I’ll actually feel afraid to tell him that I lost
those stamps because they really meant a lot to him.

20
 3. Describe a time you were very busy
You should say:

• When it happened
• Where you were
• What you did
• And explain why you were busy
•
I remember a day where I was busy doing multiple In succession: liên tiếp
tasks in succession at work. This happened 3 years An intern: thực tập sinh
ago when I was an intern for an engineering Be given the opportunity: được
company. This was during the summer holidays after trao cơ hội
I had finished my first year of college and I was given Edit the resumes: chỉnh sửa các
the opportunity to intern for a local engineering bản sơ yếu lý lịch
company by my college. On that day, I was given Write a report: viết bài báo cáo
three tasks to do before the end of it; one was to edit Submit to sb: nộp cho ai
the resumes of all the employees of the company, Storage room: phòng lưu trữ
another was to write a report to submit to a client Comb over: xem qua
and the final task was to carry multiple boxes of old Press on doing st: tiếp tục làm gì
documents into the storage room. Bear in mind: nhớ, xem xét
The first task where I had to edit the CVs of the Manage to: hoàn thành/thành công
company’s employees took me two hours to Needless to say: khỏi phải nói, rõ
complete as there were 30 employees in the firm and ràng
I had to comb over old documents to update their
most recent projects. Nevertheless, I pressed on
and finished it as fast as I could. The second task
where I had to write a report took me an hour to finish
since all I had to write was what project the company
will do for the client and how it will finish. The final
task however took me nearly four hours to do since I
had to carry nearly 70 boxes of documents to the
storage room which was three floors below my office.
Bear in mind that each box weighs nearly 7
kilograms. Still, I managed to carry all of the boxes
down to the storage room and I was tired by the end
of it. Needless to say, it was a busy day that day.

21
4. Describe a time when you received something without having to pay for it
You should say:

What the gift was

When you got this gift
Where you had it
How you felt about it
It goes without saying that: khỏi
I once got a gift for my birthday from a co-worker over phải nói, hiển nhiên
two years ago that was rather nice. It goes without An autobiographical book: sách
saying that I didn’t have to pay for it. The gift in tự truyện
question was an autobiographical book written by A sequel of sorts to: phần tiếp
Frank McCourt about his life as an immigrant teacher theo của (sách, phim)
in New York from the late 1950s to the early 1990s. A second-hand bookstore: hiệu
It is a sequel of sorts to his earlier memoir titled sách cũ
Angela’s Ashes, which was a rather despondent Memoir: hồi ký
account of Frank McCourt’s childhood in Ireland. My A despondent account: sự miêu
colleague told me that she got it at a second-hand tả chán nản
bookstore for rather cheap and that I might like it A mediocre book: quyển sách tầm
because of the topic. I now keep it on my bookshelf thường
in my living room. Storyline: cốt truyện
When I got that gift, I felt rather happy because I’ve Intellectually stimulating
been wanting to read a good book for a while after anecdotes: chuyện vặt kích thích
reading rather mediocre books for many months. trí tuệ
For example, the last book I read was The Electric Struggle to: cố gắng (trong tình
Circus by Chris Farrell and it was rather terrible cảnh khó khăn)
because the storyline was nothing new and the Adapt to: thích ứng/thích nghi
characters were boring. Now that I’ve got one, I can Education system: hệ thống giáo
finally feel satisfied because Teacher Man is full of dục
funny and intellectually stimulating anecdotes
about how an Irish immigrant is struggling to adapt
to the American education system.

22
 5. Describe a time when you helped a child
You should say:

• When it was
• How you helped him/her
• Why you helped him/her
• And how you felt about it
•
Last week I was at a farmer’s market in the town
square. I was just perusing through the many stalls Peruse through st: nhìn vào cái gì
and what they had to sell. Then I came across a kid Transformers action figure: mô
who was standing in the middle of the square sulking hình Transformers
and I went up to him and asked what’s wrong? He Came across sb: tình cờ gặp ai
said he lost his Transformers action figure Brighten one’s day: làm cho ngày
somewhere in the square and he was upset that it của ai bừng sáng, vui vẻ
disappeared. Wanting to brighten his day, I decided Scour all over the market
to help the kid find his action figure. Trash bins: thùng rác
The kid and I had scoured all over the market for Be accidentally thrown away: tình
the missing action figure for over 10 minutes. We had cờ bị ném đi
checked every corner and stall in the market but the Lo and behold: trông lạ chưa kìa,
action figure had eluded us. As the kid was feeling thật lạ là
more and more hopeless, I, not wanting to give up, Happen to do st: tình cờ làm gì
kept trying to find it with him. I then decided to check Overcome with joy: rất vui mừng
the trash bins to see if the action figure was In vain: trong vô vọng
accidentally thrown away. Lo and behold, I Console sb: an ủi ai
happened to find it in one of the trash bins and then Feel despondent: cảm thấy chán
gave it back to him. He was immediately overcome nản
with joy when reunited with the toy and he then
thanked me for finding it.
As for why I wanted to help the kid, he seemed rather
sad when I first came across him and my instincts
told me to help him. Furthermore, I thought that it
would be a nice thing to do to assist the kid in looking
for his missing toy. When I finally found the
Transformers figure, I felt glad that my efforts to help
the child were not in vain and I was also proud to
take it upon myself to console him when he was
feeling despondent.

23
6. Describe a situation when something in your house was broken or stopped working
You should say:

What was it
What happened
When it broke/stopped working
And explain how you felt about it

One time, during a hot summer’s day, the generator Be financially prudent: sự khôn
for my house had suddenly stopped working. It was ngoan về tài chính
a gas-powered generator that required fuel to work Break down: lăn ra hỏng, không
and my family forgot to buy a fuel can the other day hoạt động
so we had no electricity for the next couple of hours. Sweat like pigs: đổ mồ hôi nhễ
As for why we had a gas-powered generator, it was nhại
rather cheap, especially compared to other types of Beam: toả nắng
generators such as portable or inverter which were Gas-powered: chạy bằng khí đốt
usually 3 to 4 times more expensive. Therefore, it A Portable: chiếc máy nhỏ gọn
was more financially prudent for me and my family An Inverter: biến tần
to buy a gas-powered generator. Turn on: bật
It was at noon when the generator broke down and
the sun was beaming that day; so our air
conditioners didn’t work and my family and I were
sweating like pigs. We couldn’t turn on the lights
when we needed them and we couldn’t really cook
anything since the stove was electrically powered by
the generator, so we decided to order sandwiches
for lunch. I was annoyed that day because I couldn’t
do many things without electricity such as using my
computer, watching TV or going to the bathroom
without turning on the lights. Fortunately, that
annoying feeling didn’t last very long as my parents
went out to buy a fuel can and got the generator
working again.

24
IV. Describe an activity (e.g. a hobby)
1. Describe a long walk you had
You should say:

When this happened

Where you walked
Who you were with
And explain how you felt about this long walk

A couple of years ago, I was taking a long morning Take a long morning walk: đi bộ
walk with my brother in a forest near our hometown. đường dài vào buổi sáng
We were camping in that forest for a couple of nights Venture around the forest: thám
and one morning, my brother and I decided to hiểm quanh khu rừng
venture around the forest for a while. The forest Lush: tươi tốt
we walked in was lush and colorful all over with a Wild boars: lợn rừng
variety of beautiful flora on display such as bamboo Flora: thảm thực vật
trees, mango trees and roses. We also spotted a Be immersed in: đắm chìm vào
couple of animals living in the forest such as Going well: đang tốt đẹp
monkeys, wild boars and birds. Feel/be invigorated: tràn trề sinh
The walk itself lasted until lunch time, as we were so lực
immersed in the landscape for almost 4 hours.
During the walk, my brother and I were talking about
how our lives were and what were our plans for the
future. He told me that his life was going well and
he planned to move to a new apartment in our
hometown. As for how I felt about it, I felt tired by the
end as it was such a long walk, but I also felt
invigorated because the air was so fresh and clean
that it felt rather soothing.

25
 2. Describe a contest/competition you would like to participate in
You should say:

• What the contest/competition is about

• Where the contest/competition will take place
• When it will be held
• And explain why you would like to participate in it
•
For once in my life, I would like to partake in the Partake in: tham gia
Global Chicken Wing Eating Contest this year. It is As the name implies: như cái tên
a contest where a competitor must eat as many ám chỉ
chicken wings as they can in one hour. As the name A global competition: một cuộc thi
implies, it is a global competition where the venue toàn cầu
changes between cities around the world every Venue: địa điểm
year. This year it will take place in Bangkok so I can Take place: diễn ra
easily get there by plane and stay there for a week Deem: cho là, tưởng là
during the competition. This contest usually takes A bunch of chicken wings: một
place in the summer, more specifically in the middle ổ/đống cánh gà
of June as that is when the summer holidays start A hilarious competition: một cuộc
and the organizers deem that period to have the thi thích thú
perfect atmosphere for eating a bunch of chicken Munch on st: ăn cái gì
wings. Abstain from: kiêng, nhịn
As for why I want to participate in it, it seems like a Convince me to: thuyết phục ai làm
somewhat hilarious competition so thought it gì
would be fun to munch on buckets upon buckets of Admittedly silly: phải thừa nhận là
chicken wings until I can’t take them anymore and ngớ ngẩn
abstain from them for months. I first heard about
the Global Chicken Wing Eating Contest from a
friend of mine named Jake who once competed in it
last year in Houston. He said that it was a lot of fun
because he had free food and the vibe of it was
energetic and fun. That was enough to convince
me to try participating in this admittedly silly but
entertaining competition.

26
3. Describe something you do that can help you concentrate on work/study
You should say:

What it is
How it helps you concentrate
When you do it
And explain how you feel about it

One strategy I would usually employ to concentrate
on my work is to give myself a deadline to finish it
within a certain timeframe. For example, if I had an
assignment where I had to write a report with 5
paragraphs within 7 days, I would dedicate one day
to each paragraph and then resolve to finish that
paragraph before the day is over. This strategy
helps me a lot to concentrate on my work because it
forces me to not get distracted by other things and
compels me to finish my work on time, which is
valuable when it comes to time management. Once
I finish my work within the timeframe that I have
given myself, I can be afforded enough time to do
other things such as engaging in my hobbies or
going outside for exercise to name a few.
I use this strategy all the time whenever I have work
to do. It can be applied to any kind of assignment
whether it would be something small like sending an
email to a colleague, or something more substantial
like writing a long report that has to be submitted by
the following week. As for how I feel about it, like I
said before it is an effective strategy for me to
concentrate on my work since it urges me to
manage my time efficiently as the deadline looms
closer.
Give one a deadline: ra hạn cho ai
Get distracted by: bị phân tâm bơi
Compel/force sb to do st: bắt buộc
ai làm gì
Time management: quản lý thời
gian
Engage in: tham gia vào
To name a few: ví dụ như, có thể kể
đến 1 vài cái
Be applied to: áp dụng vào cái gì
An effective strategy: chiến lược
hiệu quả
Urge sb to do st: thôi thúc ai làm gì
Loom: xuất hiện, đến
Within the timeframe: trong khoảng
thời gian

27
 V. Describe a place (somewhere you visited, a holiday etc.)
1. Describe a house or an apartment you would like to live in
You should say:

What it is like
Where it would be
Why you would like to live in this house/apartment
And how you feel about this house/apartment

In the near future, I would like to live in a relatively Compact apartment: căn hộ nhỏ gọn
compact apartment that is fully furnished and has Fully furnished: đầy đủ nội thất
modern amenities such as Wi-Fi and a laundry Modern amenities: tiện nghi hiện đại
machine. It would be located on at least the 10th Aesthetic value: giá trị thẩm mỹ
floor of a tower building so that I would have a nice Be by myself: 1 mình
view of the city and it would have a wooden floor just Hang out: đi chơi
for the aesthetic value that it brings to the place. In The outskirts of the city: ven rìa
addition, I would like the kitchen to be near the front thành phố
door so that I can have easy access to food and it Less of a hassle transportation-
would be nice for my dream apartment to have a wise: di chuyển ít phức tạp hơn
study where I can be by myself and read a book. Financially independent:độc lập về
As for where it would be, I would like it to be near tài chính
the city centre because that is where my office is as Have good taste: có khẩu vị tốt, có
well as where all the cool places are to hang out khiếu thẩm mỹ
such as bars, nightclubs and restaurants. In Real estate: bất động sản
comparison to having an apartment on the
outskirts of the city, it would be much more
convenient and less of a hassle transportation-
wise. In terms of why I would like to live in an
apartment like this, one reason is it has everything I
would want in an apartment, like my own bedroom,
my own study and a nice view of the city.
Furthermore, it proves to my friends and family that
not only am I financially independent but also that
I have good taste in real estate and housing
aesthetics. When I move into this apartment, I would
feel cozy and warm like any nice apartment or house
should.

28
 2. Describe a city that you think is very interesting
You should say:

Where it is
What it is famous for
How you knew this city
And explain why you think it is very interesting

One city that I find interesting is the city of Manchester in Be often labeled as: thường
England. It is more specifically located in the northwest of được biết đến như là
England, next to the cities of Liverpool and Sheffield. The epicentre of the british
Manchester is home to over 500,000 people, and it is workers’ movement: tâm chấn
often labeled as the industrial and financial centre of của phong trào công nhân anh
northwestern England since it is where all of the major quốc
companies are based for their operations in that area. Give rise to: phát sinh
Famous for: nổi tiếng vì
Historically, Manchester has been known as the Ideology of socialism: hệ tư
epicentre of the British workers’ movement which tưởng xã hội chủ nghĩa
helped give rise to the ideology of socialism that has The birthplace of: nơi sinh
been officially adopted by a number of countries including Bachelor degree: bằng cử
China and Vietnam. It also was the centre of major nhân
industries in England such as the textile industry since Shape England’s cultural
many factories were built there. In more recent years, identity: hình thành nên bản
Manchester is famous for its music, as the city was the sắc văn hóa anh quốc
birthplace of many great bands such as Oasis and The Long-standing sporting
Smiths. It is also famous for its football teams, those being tradition: môn thể thao truyền
Manchester United and Manchester City, which are two of thống lâu đời
the best football teams in England. Make an impact on: tạo ảnh
hưởng lên
I knew about Manchester from my time studying there for
my bachelor degree. I stayed there for three years and I
got to make many new friends at university, most of whom
are from the city itself and are knowledgeable about the
best places to visit. I find the city to be interesting because
not only do I find its history fascinating to learn about, but
also it is helping to shape England’s cultural identity in
numerous ways, whether it would be its music or its long-
standing sporting tradition. In some ways, it has made
an impact on English culture that is equal to London.

29
3. Describe a quiet place you like to go

You should say:

Where it is
How you knew it
How often you go there
What you do there
And explain how you feel about the place

A quiet place I like to go to every now and then is Every now and then: thi thoảng
a cafe in the center of town called Morning Brew. I Once in a while: thi thoảng
go there at least twice a week but once in a while I By happenstance: tình cờ
may go there around four times if I’m feeling keen. I Pristine: mới, trông như mới
knew about this place when I was one time traveling Neutral colors: màu trung tính
around the city on my bicycle and I came across it Congregate: tụ tập
by happenstance. On the outside the building Browse the internet: duyệt/ lướt
looked rather modern and pristine and the interior internet
looked inviting and cozy with its wooden floor and Have a chat: có 1 cuộc nói chuyện
neutral colors. From what I observed, it seemed In general: nhìn chung
like a place that was popular among young people Drinks and snacks: đồ uống và đồ
since there were so many of them congregating on ăn vặt
the inside of the cafe. Tasty and refreshing: ngon và
When I’m at Morning Brew, what I would usually do sảng khoái
is order cold lemon tea and a snack and sit down to Tranquil: yên tĩnh
do some work. I would work on whatever
assignment I have and when I’m done with it I would
browse the Internet while having my tea and snack
for a while until the middle of the afternoon.
Sometimes I would invite a friend of mine to have
coffee with me at Morning Brew to have a chat. As
for how I feel about the place, I quite like it in general
because the interior is pleasing to look at, the drinks
and snacks are tasty and refreshing, and the
atmosphere is very tranquil as it isn’t very noisy with
all of the people who are talking.

30
 4. Describe a place you visited on vacation
You should say:

Where it is
When you went there
What you did there
And explain why you went there

A vacation is an opportune time for people to either An opportune time: 1 cơ hội

explore new places to satiate their curiosity or to Satiate one’s curiosity: thỏa mãn
return to familiar places for sentimental reasons. In sự tò mò
my case, when I was on summer holiday five years Picturesque: đẹp như tranh vẽ
ago, I went to a new place that I ended up liking Be fascinated by: bị mê hoặc bởi
quite a bit. Sentimental reasons: các lí do tình
cảm
As I’ve said earlier, when I was on summer holiday End up: kết thúc lại là
five years ago, my family and I went to Spain for the Boot: khởi động, bắt đầu
very first time. More specifically, we went to the Breathtaking view: khung cảnh
furthest southern region of Spain called Andalusia tráng lệ
which has a hot climate and beautiful beaches to Landmarks: địa danh
boot. We stayed at a hotel in a mountainous village Showed us around his
near the beach and it had a breathtaking view of hometown: dẫn chúng tôi đi thăm
both the landscape and the nearby coast. As for quan quê nhà anh ấy
what we did in Andalusia, we visited the most Be fascinated by: bị hấp dẫn bởi cái
famous landmarks of the region such as the gì
fortress in Malaga, the Picasso Museum and the Expand one’s horizons: mở rộng
Alhambra. We also got to meet one of my sister’s tầm hiểu biết
friends who is a native of Andalusia and he showed
us around his hometown which was quite
picturesque.

As for why I went to Spain, my family wanted to go

there for a while to know what it’s like as they have
been fascinated by the country’s culture and
history. They also wanted to avoid visiting the same
European countries that we went to before, such as
France and Germany, so they sought to expand
their horizons a bit.

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 5. Describe a place in the countryside that you visited
You should say:
Where it is
When you visited this place
What you did there
And explain how you feel about this place
Whenever I want to get away from the hustle and
bustle of urban life, I go out of my way to plan a
trip to the countryside to unwind. While many of the
rural areas I’ve been to have been nice in their own
way, there was one area that I really took a liking
to which was Cat Cat Village near Sa Pa in
northwestern Vietnam.
As I said before, Cat Cat Village is located on the
outskirts of Sa Pa in northwestern Vietnam. I first
learned about it through an old friend of mine who
owns and operates a small homestay lodge there.
Having heard nothing but good things about it, I
made plans to go there and stay for 2 nights and
upon reflection, it was a very good decision. What
was special about that village was the surrounding
scenery; everywhere I looked the village was
surrounded by lush green mountains and terraced
rice fields, creating a mood of serenity around the
area. Furthermore, the villagers themselves have
been hospitable towards me when I first visited.
They were eager to show me around and have me
visit their humble homes where they lived and
breathed. For those reasons I have mentioned, I
grew to like Cat Cat Village and one day I intend to
come back there to see how much it has developed
over the years.
32
Get away from the hustle and
bustle of urban life: tránh xa sự xô
bồ ồn ào của cuộc sống đô thị
Go out of my way: cố gắng để làm 1
chuyện gì đó
In one’s own way: theo cách riêng
của ai
Unwind: thư giãn
To take a liking to: có sự yêu thích
với
Having heard nothing but good
things about s: được nghe toàn lời
có cánh về cái gì
Live and breathe: sống và sinh hoạt
On the outskirts of: ở ven rìa
Homestay lodge: nhà nghỉ tại gia
Upon reflection: nghĩ kĩ thì
Be surrounded by: được bao bọc
bởi
Terraced rice fields: ruộng lúa
A mood of serenity: không khí
thanhbình
Hospitable: hiếu khách
Have sb visit st: mời ai tham quan
cái gì
 VI. Other topics
1. Describe a rule that you don’t like
You should say:

What it is
Why you don’t like it
How others feel about the rule
And explain whether you’ve followed the rule

In my old high school, there was a rule where Chew gum: nhai kẹo
students weren’t allowed to chew gum at any time Within the school boundaries: trong
or place within the school boundaries. The faculty khuôn viên trường
said that this was intended to keep the school clean Rationale: lý tính
as there were some cases where students were Blame sb for st: trách cứ ai vì cái gì
throwing away their gum in the wrong places such Throw away: Vứt đi
as on the ground or under the desks instead of in Nonsensical: vô nghĩa
the trash bins. While I understood the rationale Staged a small protest: dấy lên 1
behind the chewing gum ban, I still didn’t like it cuộc phản đối
because it seemed to me that the school was Overturn: đảo ngược
blaming all students for the actions of a few who Hold in place: giữ nguyên vị trí
didn’t throw away their gum properly. Break the rule: phá luật
Keep it away from our teachers’
As for what my classmates and other students prying eyes: né tránh khỏi các con
thought of this rule, they believed it was mắt soi mói của giáo viên
nonsensical for the same reason I just mentioned. Get caught: bị bắt gặp
They didn’t like it to the point where they once Be sent to detention: phạt cấm túc
staged a small protest against the ban, but
ultimately it was unsuccessful since it didn’t help
overturn that ban and it was still held in place.
Nevertheless, most students, myself included,
broke the rule and ate chewing gum anyway
because we knew how to hide it well and keep it
away from our teachers’ prying eyes. We hid it so
well that none of us got caught with gum in our
hands and sent to detention for it.

33
 2. Describe an interesting song
You should say:

• What the song is

• What story the song tells
• Whether the song is popular
• And explain why you think it is interesting

One of my favorite songs is Shine On You Crazy
Diamond by Pink Floyd. It is a nine-part song that
altogether lasts 26 minutes and it is a classic for the
rock genre. It is part of the album Wish You Were
Here, which was released in 1975 and is considered
one of Pink Floyd’s best albums.
The song was written as a tribute to former band
member Syd Barrett, who had a history of mental
illness and had to leave the band because of it.
Therefore, the song is about the rest of Pink Floyd
feeling guilty for having to remove Syd yet also
thankful for him because he was a major creative
force in the band’s early days and he contributed
to its early success.
When the song was first released in 1975, it was a
massive hit among Pink Floyd fans since it was in
the style that they always loved from the beginning.
New listeners also enjoyed it immensely since rock
was one of the most popular genres of music during
that decade.
A tribute to: 1 sự tri ân tới
Mental illness: bệnh tinh thần
Feel guilty for: cảm thấy tội lội vì
Major creative force: nguồn cảm
hứng sáng tạo
Contribute to: đóng góp cho cái gì
A massive hit: 1 thành công lớn
Lyrics: lời bài hát
Supremely engaging: cực kì cuốn
hút
Rhythm: nhịp điệu
Incorporate different instruments
and melodies: kết hợp các nhạc cụ
và nhịp điệu khác nhau
Mood and tone of the song: cảm
xúc và tông của ca khúc
Somber: ủ rũ

As for myself, I found the song interesting not only

because the lyrics are profound but also the style
and composition are supremely engaging. The
song often changes rhythm and incorporates
different instruments and melodies to great
effect. I also enjoy the mood and tone of the song
as it is rather relaxing yet also somber due to the
subject matter.

34
 3. Describe an ambition that you haven’t achieved
You should say:
What it is
Why you haven’t achieved it
What you did
And how you felt about it
A couple of years ago, I had the idea of writing my
own book because it was something that I wanted to
try doing. It would be a fictional narrative about a
man in his mid-20s who is struggling to make
meaningful progress in his professional and
personal life. As you can tell, it has an
autobiographical element to it. I started writing it
and for about eight weeks I was a quarter of the
way finished. I had written about 5 chapters which
covered the main character’s internal and external
struggles, especially with his family and closest
friends constantly encouraging him to move on with
his life.
However, for the next ten weeks my work rate
started to slow down as I only wrote one chapter
every four weeks. I was writing at a snail’s pace
and then by the end of those ten weeks I stopped
writing. I left the book unfinished because I was
struggling to find the motivation to keep writing and
there were more pressing responsibilities that got
in the way such as my job and the rent for my
apartment. Needless to say, I felt disappointed in
myself for not pushing to finish the book because it
was my idea in the first place and having it not come
to fruition would be a lasting source of shame on
my part.
35
Fictional narrative: câu chuyện hư
cấu
Struggle to: vật lộn để làm gì
Meaningful progress: sự tiến bộ ý
nghĩa
Autobiographical element: yếu tố
tự truyện
A quarter of the way: ¼ chặng
đường
Internal and external struggles:
các sự đấu tranh bên trong và bên
ngoài
Move on with: tiến lên
Work rate: tốc độ làm việc
At a snail’s pace: chậm như sên
Pressing responsibilities: các trách
nhiệm cấp thiết
Be disappointed in: thất vọng
Come to fruition: đạt được thành
tựu
A lasting source of shame: sự xấu
hổ lâu dài
4. Describe a positive change that you made in your life

You should say:

What it is

Why you did it

Who you did it with

And explain how you feel about the change

Recently, I made a major change to my lifestyle Make a major change: tạo ra sự

where I started to eat less junk food. As good as it thay đổi lớn
is, I slowly moved away from eating it because I Junk food: đồ ăn nhanh
wanted to stay healthy and in good shape. I Move away from: từ bỏ, tránh xa
looked at myself in the mirror one time and I Stay healthy and in good shape:
appeared to be bulging at the stomach which was giữ sức khỏe và vóc dáng
a bad sign for my body shape. Also, I was Be bulging at the stomach: bụng
experiencing more tiredness than before whenever phình ra
I exert myself physically more than I should and I Exert myself physically: cố vận
had some breathing problems to exacerbate the động
situation. Thus, these issues led me to make the Exacerbate the situation: làm tình
decision to eat much less junk food than before. hình trầm trọng them
Make the decision: quyết định
I made this change to my lifestyle by myself with no
Out of hubris: một cách kiêu căng
one else doing the same. However, I will say that I
Deep down: trong thâm tâm
have been encouraged a number of times by my
Take one’s advice: nghe lời khuyên
friends and family to eat less fattening food because
của ai
they were worried about how I looked and how I was
Physical endurance: sức bền thể
physically feeling. I ignored those warnings out of
chất
hubris, where I thought that I would know best
Abate: giảm bớt
about my health and not anyone else; but deep
Savour the fresh air: tận hưởng
down I knew they were right and thus I took their
không khí trong lành
advice more seriously after I had looked at myself
Respiratory system: hệ hô hấp
in the mirror. It has been a couple of weeks since I
started eating less junk food and now I feel a lot
more spry in my body. I feel less tired and my
physical endurance has improved quite a bit. Also,
my breathing problems have largely abated and I
can breathe more deeply than before; now I can
savour the fresh air and not have to struggle when
it comes to my respiratory system.

36
4. Describe an interesting discussion that you had with friends
You should say:

Who you spoke with

Where you were
What the conversation was about
And explain why you think it was interesting

I’ve had many interesting discussions with my friends Inane: vô nghĩa

about various topics, ranging from movies and TV To spark passion: khơi dậy hứng
shows to politics and romance. However, our most thú
recent conversation was not just interesting but also To go on and on and on: cứ tiếp
hilarious because the topic was so inane, yet for tục và tiếp diễn
some reason it sparked passion among my friends. Support one’s arguments:
chứng minh cho lập luận của ai
While on the bus from school to our homes, three of Devolved into nonsense: biến
my closest friends and I were discussing whether or thành vô nghĩa(theo nghĩa xấu)
not a hot dog could be considered a sandwich. One Insulting each other for their
of them argued that a hot dog wasn’t a sandwich opinions: xúc phạm ý kiến của
because it wasn’t closed with a top layer of bread and đối phương
it didn’t have any layers. The other two argue that it Take part in: tham gia
was a sandwich because there are ingredients held To have strong feelings about:
together on both sides by bread. It went on and on có cảm xúc mạnh mẽ về
and on as my friends were struggling to find valid Distinctly remember: nhớ rõ
reasons to support their arguments and by the end ràng
of it the conversation had devolved into nonsense Be thick as cream: ngớ ngẩn,
as they were just basically insulting each other for ngu ngốc
their opinions. Stand out: ấn tượng, nổi bật

While I didn’t take part in it, the conversation

surrounding the topic of whether a hot dog was a
sandwich was rather interesting because the topic
was so silly yet my friends had strong feelings
about it. A funny quote that I distinctly remember
from that conversation was ‘you’re thick as cream
for thinking that hot dogs weren’t sandwiches’, which
was said by the friend who believed otherwise. For
some reason that sentence stood out to me as
rather hilarious.

37
5. Describe a useful skill you learned from an older person
You should say:

What it is
Why the skill can be learned from older people
How you will learn the skill from older people
And explain how you will feel if you master the skill

I used to be neighbors with an older gentleman A car mechanic: thợ sửa xe ô tô

named Mr. Williams who was a car mechanic by On my own: bằng chính mình
trade. When I bought my own car, I wanted to learn Constantly depend on: liên tục phụ
how to fix it on my own so that I wouldn’t have to thuộc vào
constantly depend on a mechanic and pay for the Train one in something: huấn
expensive repairs. I also thought that it would be luyện ai làm gì
valuable to learn such a skill from an older person Check the carburetors: kiểm tra bộ
such as Mr. Williams because he had more wisdom chế hòa khí
and experience in fixing a car than myself. Gauge the oil temperature: đo
One morning, I went up to Mr. Williams’ house and nhiệt độ dầu
asked him if he could train me in fixing a car. He Master a skill: thành thạo 1 kỹ năng
agreed to my request and for the next 6 months he Get the chance to: có cơ hội để
taught me everything that I needed to know about làm gì
fixing a car such as checking the carburetors, End up: cuối cùng, kết thúc là
gauging the oil temperature and lifting the car
with a jack to check the underside. Once I
mastered the skills needed to repair my own car,
I felt more independent and liberated as a person
since I won’t have to depend on paying for
someone else to fix a car. Hopefully, one day I’ll get
the chance to teach my children how to fix their
own cars if they end up buying one.

38
6. Describe a story someone told you and you remember
You should say:

What the story was about

Who told you this story
Why you remember it
And how you feel about it

Stories are an integral part of human An integral part: một phần không
development. We love hearing them as well as thể thiếu
telling them. These stories can be real and based on Fictional characters and settings:
a person’s actual experiences, or made up with nhân vật và bối cảnh viễn tưởng
fictional characters and settings. Also, they must Plot line: cốt truyện
be memorable in some way, whether they have Lodge: nhà nghỉ
interesting characters or an interesting plot line. In Actual experiences: trải nghiệm
my case, I have been told this story that I remember thực tế
vividly by a friend of mine some years ago. Human development: sự phát triển
As I said before, some years ago a few of my friends của con người
and I went on a hiking trip in the mountains. One A hiking trip: chuyến đi bộ việt dã
night, we were resting in a small lodge and during Walking on the trail: đi trên đường
our down time, one of my friends told me a story mòn
about how he met a famous actor while hiking in the By complete coincidence: hoàn
same area a few years prior. He said to me that toàn ngẫu nhiên
while he was walking on the trail, he by complete Have a quick chat: có một cuộc trò
coincidence met Robert Redford who was walking chuyện ngắn
with his family getting some fresh air. While my Bona fide: thật, thật thà
friend didn’t want to bother Mr. Redford, he was nice Jealous of: ghen tị với
enough to say hello to my friend and have a quick
chat about hiking in general.
I remember this story clearly because I was amazed
that my friend got to meet a bona fide celebrity who
has made many popular movies. Furthermore, I felt
slightly jealous of my friend since he got to meet
Robert Redford who is one of my favorite actors.

39
7. Describe something you did that helped you to learn another language
You should say:

What it is
What language you learned
How it helped you learn the language
And how you felt about it

When I was in high school I had to learn a foreign Interactive lessons: các bài học
language in order to successfully graduate. The tương tác
choices at the time were either French or Spanish. I Justification for st: sự biện hộ/lý
chose French because I admire the language and do cho việc gì đó
culture in general. At the beginning of the course, Grasp the basics of: nắm bắt
the class, which included me and some of my những điều cơ bản của
friends, was asked by our teacher to use Duolingo, Bite-sized lessons: những bài học
which is a website that features interactive lessons nhỏ
that teach users almost any language in the world. Conjugation: cách chia động từ
Our teacher’s justification for telling us this was it Typical grammatical structure:
helps us grasp the basics of French more easily. những cấu trúc ngữ pháp tiêu biểu
For the first few weeks, I was enjoying using Process of elimination: quá trình
Duolingo. It helped me a lot in learning French by loại trừ
teaching bite-sized lessons about useful Conjugate a particular verb: chia
vocabulary, conjugation and the typical một động từ
grammatical structure of a sentence in French. All in all: nói chung
Duolingo also has games that utilize repetition and Fundamental rules: những quy
process of elimination in teaching me the right tắc cơ bản
word for something or the right way to conjugate a Boost one’s proficiency: tăng sự
particular verb. All in all, I felt that Duolingo was thành thạo
extremely helpful in teaching me the fundamental
rules of the French language and it has helped me
boost my proficiency in it in a massive way.

40
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