Describe your favorite sport

Talk about your favorite sport

You should say:

What is the sport?

 How did you first know about it?
 How often do you practise it?
=> And explain why it is your favourite sport.

EX1

I would like to talk about a sport that I particularly enjoy and have been
practising for a few years. It is basketball. For me, this is not only a sport
or a physical exercise but also an ideal way for me to relieve of stress
and to make new friends.

I first knew about basketball when I was a little kid through a video game
called NBA 2k8. However, at that time I did not play badminton at all,
partly because I was not an active kid who was aware of the critical
importance of physical exercises. When I went to high school, a lot of my
friends were a big fan of basketball and my high school offered big
playgrounds for sports activities, therefore I practised basketball much
more often.

I usually play basketball in the weekends and watch NBA on the nights
when my favorite team, the Los Angeles Lakers play. I often go to sports
centres with a number of my classmates for basketball matches.
Sometimes we even participate in local league, didn’t accomplish
anything big but it was extremely fun.

For me, basketball is a good way to help me pursue a healthy lifestyle. It

is also an affordable type of sport as you do not have to buy a lot of
specialised sports materials. Finally, playing basketball enables me to
develop a number of important and non-academic skills such as
discipline, team-work, problem-solving and co-operation.
EX2

I would like to talk about a sport that I particularly enjoy and have been
practising for a few years. It is basketball. For me, this is not only a sport
or a physical exercise but also an ideal way for me to relieve of stress
and to make new friends.

I first knew about basketball when I was a little kid through a video game
called NBA 2k8. However, at that time I did not play badminton at all,
partly because I was not an active kid who was aware of the critical
importance of physical exercises. When I went to high school, a lot of my
friends were a big fan of basketball and my high school offered big
playgrounds for sports activities, therefore I practised basketball much
more often.

I usually play basketball in the weekends and watch NBA on the nights
when my favorite team, the Los Angeles Lakers play. I often go to sports
centres with a number of my classmates for basketball matches.
Sometimes we even participate in local league, didn’t accomplish
anything big but it was extremely fun.

For me, basketball is a good way to help me pursue a healthy lifestyle. It

is also an affordable type of sport as you do not have to buy a lot of
specialised sports materials. Finally, playing basketball enables me to
develop a number of important and non-academic skills such as
discipline, team-work, problem-solving and co-operation.

TALK ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE FOOD

Describe a special meal you have had
You should say:

 Where you had it

 Who you had it with
 What you ate
 And explain why it was special for you
EX1
One of the most memorable meals that I have ever eaten was a couple
of years ago when I was sick, well actually, just recovered from sickness.
I had digestive disorder so I could not eat anything but bland
porridge for a week; otherwise I would have vomited constantly. The
first couple of days staying at home went just fine, I had enough to
entertain me. In fact, I felt relax because I had time to binge watch my
favorite drama. However, by the end of that week, I could not stand that
meal. I could not even think about it. Fortunately, I was getting better so I
could eat other dishes.
My mother made me spaghetti with beef and mushroom which she knew
was my favourite. It was a basic Italian dish that instantly made my
mood improve. It did not take much time and energy to cook though;
basically, there were ground beef, sliced
fresh mushrooms, chopped garlic and onions served with tomato sauce
and topped with Parmesan cheese. It tasted like heaven to me. The
ground beef was savoury mixed with a little cheesy flavor. My
mom homemade meal was not only appetizing but
also nutritious because I was not consuming protein and fat for a
whole week.
My mom and dad ate it too but I knew they did not enjoy it as much as I
did. I tucked into it and even craved for more. This was a memorable
meal thanks to the caring and loving of my mother and
her eagerness to lift my spirits while I was trapped in my house.

 digestive disorder: bệnh rối loạn tiêu hóa

 bland (a): nhạt nhẽo
 porridge (n): cháo
 vomit (v): nôn mửa
 binge watch (v): cày phim
 stand: chịu đựng
 made my mood improve: làm tâm trạng tôi tốt lên
 ground beef: thịt bò xay
 top with (v) : phủ lên trên
 protein (n): chất đạm
 fat (n): chất béo
 crave for (v): thèm thuồng
TALK ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE SUBJECT
You should say:
 what is it
 why you like/liked it
 your experience of this subject
and explain why it is/was your favourite subject.

EX1
History was my favourite subject in my academic life. I have learned so
many things from history books and started realising how important it is
for us to know our past to build the future. I learned a lot from my history
teachers and they were excellent tutors who always motivates us. I was
so fascinated about my experience of reading and learning the history
that it was my major in my university.

Learning about the past is something that gives us essential knowledge

about our country, heritage, the world we live in and about the human
race as a whole. It also warns us about past catastrophic events and
motivates us to build a better world. I took history seriously for the first
time when I was in grade 7 and I found it intriguing.

I learned about the ancient world, how the social and economic
conditions were then and how the world has been shaped by the
different events throughout the time. I liked it more than any other
subject in my school. I could actually relate things I learned from my
history textbooks, and this was not the case for a few other subjects that
we were taught at that time. So I really liked history as a subject. I
developed an uncanny attraction towards it and tried to read as many
history books as possible back then. 

After that, I become so interested in this subject that I started reading

books on History by different writers. There is a famous saying that “To
shape the future you must know the past”, and history teaches us that. I
had been lucky to have some great teachers who have a tremendous
way of explaining the topics of history. To me, other subjects like
literature and math were also interesting but I felt a different passion for
history as a subject.

After I finished school, I took history as my major and that has greatly
influenced me the way I look at the world and to the past and the future.
Reading and learning history was like travelling through time and
generations and that excited me so much. To be honest it still does. I fell
in love with this subject and it became my favourite subject soon.

EX2
Being a student of science, I have always wondered what would have
happened if “Physics” as a faculty of science didn’t exist. Well, one thing
for sure is that we wouldn’t have got the theory of relativity and Gravity,
to name only two out of many, which have practically changed our views
of the world as well as our “lives” itself. But, as I took my educational
journey to a university and got the opportunity to learn “the subject” of
Einstein and Newton in more details, I didn’t really need to wonder
anymore.  I liked physics during my student life probably more than any
other subjects.

I liked it not only because I was good at it, but also because of my fond
memories and experiences of this subject. Spending many, many hours
of learning fundamental theories of physics in the classrooms together
with even more hours at a physics lab, I have learnt to understand that
physics probably and potentially is the most satisfying of all the main
science subjects as this difficult subject tends to explain why and how
things happen in this material world.

Having learnt about circular motion, waves, gravity, energy, force,

electricity and much more, as a student, I could certainly feel myself as
being little “smarter” than others, who were not the students of
“science”.  Whether I was experimenting with Newton’s “law of motion”
or “law of gravitation” in a lab, I always felt like I was a “scientist” in my
own little lab.

 I enjoyed learning this interesting subject mainly because I could

actually engage myself on an intellectual level with not only the teachers
but also with my fellow students. Besides, in a physics class, more often
than not, I would be one of the few lucky students to be requested to the
class board in order to explain some of the difficult topics of physics
whether they were related to the laws of thermodynamics or quantum
physics.

And I loved being challenged by a very interesting branch of science that

represented a complete purity of thoughts without having to worry about
any religion, politics, human psychology or any other ambiguous human
variables for that matter.

TALK ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE MUSIC

Do you like listening to music

Actually, I have never seen anyone who dislike listening to music. I’m a
big fan of music. Some people said that music becomes a huge
distraction when they need to stay highly focused. It’s not the case for
me, I usually listen to instrumental songs or podcast when I need to
focus on doing something.

What kind of music do you listen to

I’m not completely into any type of music specifically, I listen to the music
that fit my mood. If I’m happy, I will listen to pop or ballad. When I learn,
I will listen to instrument songs or podcasts. And if I’m sad, I will just
listen to music with a sad melody.

When and how often do you listen to music

I pretty much listen to music all the time except for when I’m taking
shower, eating or sleeping. To put it simply, music keeps
me energetic throughout the day.
(I often listen to music all the time, especially doing homework or
housework. To put it simply, music keeps me energetic throughout the
day and relieves stress.)

Have you ever been to a concert before

Of course, when I was studying in 12 grade, I attended a Ha Anh Tuan
concert. It was held at Da Lat Pedagogical College. The concert takes
place on 2 and 3 April. That night was an unforgettable night in my life.

What kinds of music are (most) popular in your

country
I believed most people in Vietnam are listening to Pop music, especially
Kpop. You can hear Korean songs in pretty much every corner of this
city.

DESCRIBE YOUR FAVORITE MUSIC BAND

You should say:
 what music band it is
 how do people react to the music of this band
 when you first heard their songs/music
and explain why this is your favourite music band.

There are many music bands that I like very much but Pink Floyd is my
most favourite music band. This music band is a famous music band for
their music which falls under the genre progressive rock, psychedelic
rock and art-rock. Though the band is not active anymore yet they are
heard by millions of music lovers.

They are basically English rock band that was founded in 1965 and
remained active till 1995 and reunited in 2005. I have become a big fan
of this band mostly because of their distinguished philosophical lyrics,
sonic experiment and mind-blowing music quality.

Pink Floyd is considered to be one of the most musically influential and

commercially successful bands of all time. Their albums have been sold
well over 250 million records worldwide.

Regarding the question of how people react to their music; it depends on

the listener and their choice of music but people good music choice and
quality lyrics choice are bound to love the songs of this band. Each of
their albums got a high appraisal from the music critic and their album
“The Wall” is widely known all over the world.  

I have first listened to their music (most probably, songs from the album
‘Atom hearted mother’) when I was in my 10th grade in school and after
that, I have listened to almost all of their songs countless times.

There are many reasons we should listen to music. It is considered to be

the food of the soul. Music is refreshing and washes away the tiredness,
boredom and monotonousness. Good lyrics help us brainstorm,
understand things more deeply and from different perspectives, and help
grow positive inspiration and motivation.

Music inspires us deeply and eliminates our boredom and narrowness in

life. It is one of the best entertainments and inspirational sources for
human beings.

TALK ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE BOOK

Describe a book you have recently read
 What kind of book it is
 What it is about
 What sort of people would enjoy it
 And explain why you liked it.

I consider myself as a bookworm so when it comes to describing a book

I read, I am really confused since I don’t know which one to choose, but I
will tell you about the book that I have just finished most recently
– Angels and Demons – a bestselling mystery-thriller novel written by
Dan Brown. 

The whole story revolves around the protagonist named Robert Langdon
who is on a quest to rescue the Pope and discover the underlying
mysteries of the Catholic church. Though the book involves a lot of
religious issues, it can cater to all kinds of readers as there aren’t many
technical terms. From my point of view, it is a true masterpiece,
enchanting and captivating, filled with conspiracies and plot twists that
really send shivers down my spine. I was so fascinated by the book that I
had to find the film adaptation online to watch afterwards, and it did not
let me down at all. The movie was so action-packed that it kept me on
the edge of my seat.

What I especially like about the book is that it is very thought-provoking

and it kept me thinking for a very long time after I had finished reading. I
appreciate the moral lessons of the book. The story, though may sound
distant to our lives, conveys meanings that are relatable to readers, and I
am grateful that I learnt something from the book.

All in all, it is an outstanding book that I would definitely recommend to

my friends.

Describe a book that you would like ro read again

 What the book was about

 Why you read it the first place
 What you learned from this book
 And explain why you would like to read it again.

Okay so I would like to tell you about the book called Harry Potter ,
which is a fantasy novel, written by the British author J. K. Rowling. It’s
one that I can reread time and time again.

The book describes the life of a young wizard named Harry Potter and
his two best friends, Ron and Hermione. Harry has to struggle to kill the
Dark wizard Lord Voldemort, whose aim is to become immortal and
destroy all those who stand in his way of ruling the world.

The reason why this book comes to mind is that it is a reminder of my

childhood. It was a gift for my birthday from my parents to reward my
high score in an exam at school. Up until now, I can still remember
clearly how fascinated I was when I received it.

Thanks to this book, I realized that determination and effort play

essential roles in achieving my goals. Since then, I have always worked
hard to overcome all obstacles and challenges in my life.

Harry Potter will always be on my to-read list for a number of reasons.

Firstly, I have always been a great admirer of science fiction books so I
love the way that the author describes the whole magical world with the
magic school, Hogwarts, and the flying brooms. Secondly, reading this
book not only helps me to relax after a long day of work or study but also
cheers me up whenever I am feeling blue.

TALK ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE ANIMAL

What’s your favorite animal ? why?

Dogs, definitely. I am actually raising two dogs at present. Whenever I

head back home from work, they are waiting to welcome me at the door.
Also, they make me feel better when I’m down in the dumps. That’s why
I love dogs.

Do you think cities are suitable places for keeping a

pet?
I don’t think so. Because in this city there are too many transports, which
causes harm to pets’ health, and they are likely to face road accidents.

Do children in your country like animal

Of course. Vietnamese children are keen on playing with Animals,
especially dogs and cats, which are so friendly and have soft fur. They
can hug and stroke these pets.
Did you have any pets hen you were a child?
Unfortunately, no. My parents didn’t allow me to keep a pet as they were
worried that I could be bitten by them.

Do you like to see animals in the zoo?

To be honest, I have to say “no’” because I always feel sorry for Animals
that are kept in the cages. Although they are well looked after and are
provided with food, they don’t have the freedom like living in their natural
habitat.

What is the most popular animal in VN?

Well, it is dogs, perhaps. In the cities, many people, especially the
young, do not hesitate to spend money on buying a dog and take care of
them like babies.

TALK ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE SINGER

Describe a BAND or a SINGER that you like. You should say:
 What kind of music do they play?
 Where and when did you hear them for the first time?
 Why do you like their music?

EX1
There are so many talented artists nowadays that it isn’t an easy task to
pick one of them as my favorite. But I’d like to talk about Sam Smith, a
recent world’s phenomenon.

Sam Smith is a young English pop singer – songwriter who rose to fame
back in 2012 with single “Latch”, which peaked at number 7 on US
Billboard Hot 100 and that’s how I found out about him. Since then, he
has released several other hit songs, one of which, “Stay with me” won
him 4 Grammy Awards last month.
Most of Sam Smith’s songs are sad break-up songs which, according to
him, tell about the story between him and his ex-boyfriend.

Besides the fact that Sam Smith is an extremely talented singer who has
a great voice, I find his music very touching and inspirational. He’s a gay
man and he’s not afraid to show who he is through his music. I think
that’s the reason why his music is popular. He stays true to himself and
inspires others to do the same.

EX2
One of my favorite songs is “Bonjour Vietnam”, a song composed and
sung by Pham Quynh Anh – A French woman with Vietnamese origins.
Though this song was released years ago, I still keep it in my “favorite”
playlist on my phone.
I first came across this song when it was discussed all over the media
during my secondary school years. You see, it’s really rare for such a
beautiful song to be written about Vietnam, or the Vietnamese identity for
that matter. It’s about a Vietnamese expat desperately wanting to learn
more about her Vietnamese roots. She also wanted to go to Vietnam
someday to know for herself whether it was like what her parents and
the media portrayed or not.
To be honest, the first time I heard this song, I didn’t understand a word
but I was hooked by the gentle melody and the silky voice of the singer.
I was later motivated to learn French to know the exact meaning of the
lyrics. When I understood, it was all the more beautiful. I realized there
was still so much more to discover and love about my country. You could
say my love for the beauty of Vietnam was rekindled.
I really wish more quality songs like this can be produced in the future
instead of the meaningless ones that young generations are so
obsessed with.
TALK ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE TV PROGRAM
Describe a TV program which has made a strong impression on
you.

You should say:

 what kind of TV program it was (e.g. comedy, romantic etc.);
 when you watched this program;
 what the TV program was about.
=> And explain why this TV program made such a strong impression on
you.

Among many programs and channels available on TV these days such

as the current news programs, sport programs, entertaining programs,
educational programs and movie programs, etc., I like the program “the
World of Animals” most.
This program is usually shown on VTV2 everyday at 8.30 in the evening.
It often lasts about 45 minutes. In this program, stories of the life of many
animals in the world are told in a very lively way.

For example, people can watch films about monkeys, snakes, tigers,
insects, birds, sea turtles, sharks etc. … and even the penguins and the
polar bears in the far North. While watching these films, I find the
everyday life activities and habits of these animals very interesting and
full mysteries.

In addition, I also learn that it is very important to protect these animals

and their living environments became they are part of our valuable
natural world. Watching this program makes me very well informed and
relaxed after a day of work.
TALK ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE FILM

Talk about your favorite movie character.

You should say:
 Describe the character ;
 Say why you like him/her ;
 And how this character has affected your personality.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe introduces a lot of

amazing characters but when it’s all said and done (sau tất cả), I think
Iron Man is my all-time favorite (yêu thích mọi thời đại)superhero in
the Marvel films. Iron Man appears in every Avengers movies and I
believe he shines the most in the most recent one: Avengers: Endgame.
To put it simply (nói cho dễ hiểu), Iron Man is a rich billionaire who
was an arrogant and entitled person until he went through a lot
of hardship and started using his resources to protect Earth and to
become a better person. He is extremely intelligent . He built an armor
suit (áo giáp)to combat with superhuman or aliens with superpower
fairly! Can you believe it, he’s just a human!
One of the reasons I love this character is that he’s probably the only
one whose characteristics changed for the better over the course of
time. Other superheroes are basically just good guys from the start. Iron
Man was selfish (ích kỷ) and nobody liked him but going through all the
ups and downs, he turned into a lovable and kind person who
ultimately sacrificed himself using the 6 infinity stones and the infinity
gauntlet to save the entire universe from the edge of extinction (bờ
vực của sự tuyệt chủng) . Another reason is that he has a sarcastic
humor which I enjoy a lot.
The character of Iron Man has influenced me in many ways. He shows
me that everyone can become a better person by putting aside their ego
to strive for (hướng tới) a greater good. He also teaches us all the
value of patriotism (lòng yêu nước) and the importance of standing up
for one’s own country. And of course, Iron man proves that there will
always be light at the end of the tunnel if you keep on pushing (cố
gắng).
Describe your favorite movie
You should say:

 What it was about ;

 When and where you watched it ;
 Who you watched it with .
=> And explain why it is your favorite movie

My favorite movie and also the one I’d like to check out again is The
Avengers: Endgame. It’s an Superhero fictional movie starring Robert
Downey Jr, Scarlett Johansson and many more. It was actually a final
movie which conclude the whole journey full of joy and sorrow .
I remember watching it for the first time in 2019, shortly after it hit the
big screen (rạp chiếu phim) . My girlfriend was also my movie
buddy on that day. She was not a big fan of superhero movies but since
The Avengers: Endgame was the biggest Marvel movie so far and
everyone was watching and talking about it, she decided to give it a try.
This movie far exceeded our expectations . The plot was about a
group of superhero trying to protect not only the Earth but also other
planets from the brink of destruction from the evil antagonist (vai
phản diện) Thanos and his army. It was a happy ending, but there were
so many heart-breaking (đau lòng) scenes particularly the death of
some of my favorite characters. It also has stunning cinematography
and catchy soundtrack
About why I like it and want to re-watch it, I guess the main reason is
the witty(thông minh) screenwriting (viết kịch bản). It kept me on the
edge of my seat the entire 3 hours watching it, the shortest 3 hours of
my life!. There isn’t any unforgivable p lot holes and
the actors and actresses played their roles masterfully (1 cách thành
thực) . That is all I want to san sẻ about this movie, thanks for listening.

TALK ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE FILM HARRY

POTTER
Harry Potter is one of my favourite movie. This movie becoming my
favourite since it has been held on theatre eight years ago. In my
opinion, the story is totally awesome. Based on the best seller novel by
JK.Rowling, this movie becomes real. I mean that the story is fiction, but
it looks real when we see the movie.

This movie story tells about Harry Potter, he is a wizard child since he
was a baby, but his parents died by the hand of The Dark
wizard,Voldemort. So, he had to struggled on his whole life. When he
turned to a young boy, Hogwart school of wizard and wizardry sent him a
message that he is a student of that school. In there, he learned
everything about magic, and also he found his true friendship, Hermione
Granger and Ron Weasley. They always helped Harry Potter in
everything, whether is right or wrong. They do this all together,
happiness or sorrow. Harry Potter also learned how to love his parents,
friends, teachers, and everything. 

When Voldemort comes to kill Harry Potter, Harry against hard to be win.
His bestfriend helped him until they comes to chaotic, but they still hold
out. With his witchcraft power, his friends help, and their corageous,
voldemort got lost.

From the story, i learn something about love, friendship, against

everything bad, with our courageous and our heart and soul. That’s why
this movie becoming my favourite ever, because the story is touching,
even it’s just a fiction story. But it doesn’t mind, because we get
everything in this movie, the great adventure, and the philosophy of this
movie, definitely Harry Potter is my favourite.

TALK ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE LEISURE

ACTIVITY
EX1

You know, I go to school during the weekday, so I have little leisure
time.Therefore, I usually watch films on the weekend. I really enjoy
watching many types of films, but my favourite is dramas. Twice a week,
I go to the cinema to watch there. I sometimes watch films online if I
cannot find the films I want in the cinema. I had more experience in life
when I watching films which help me less stressful and more self-
confident after days of hard study.Thanks to the film, I can broaden my
knowledge and I learn new things.

EX2

You know, I go to school during the weekday, so I have little leisure
time.Therefore, I usually watch films on the weekend. On the other hand,
I somethings hang out with my friend to take street photos or cinema. To
sum up, it helps me less stressed and more comfortable after days of
hard study.

TALK ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE HOOBY

Travelling
Travelling is one of those few activities that has a kind of reset button in
our lives. You go away for a few days or weeks and come back fresh
and ready to take on challenges of life head on. Travelling to many
people is a matter of convenience, rather than a recreation activity. They
only travel when they have an issue to attend to. Travelling is also not for
escapists, as many people tend to believe. I used the word ‘escapists’
not in the literary sense of the word, but rather to mean people who run
away from their problems. Travelling is a hobby like any other.

Most people do not understand how moving from one place to another
can be categorized together with fun activities like watching movies,
swimming, dancing or drawing. While it has more challenges than other
hobbies, it is more adventurous and brings the same level of satisfaction
or more for those who love it.

Travelling has always been part of our family tradition. My parents taught
us from an early age the value of taking vacations at least once a year.
Though they wished we could go for many trips annually, we were not
well off financially and my parents had to work creatively with the little
they had, sometimes saving the whole year for a single trip.

We could have used credit cards, but that would have only plunged us
into more financial woes. My father was very strict when it came to
finances and he cautioned us against using debt to purchase luxuries. If
we wanted something, then it was up to us to find creative and legal
ways of making money to purchase it.

Although we didn’t have much, money was never an excuse for him. My
parents found creative ways to work within the budget. For instance, we
would drive to our destination instead of flying and we would carry my
mom’s homemade meals. Rarely did we use credit cards and if we did, it
was a matter of life and death. Therefore, most of our vacations were
during the December holidays. Those were the best days of my life.
They were also the days that our family bonds were strengthened. We
would fight and quarrel, but in the end we always came back together
and worked things out.

From those trips, we learnt more about life than the years we spent at
home. What I have just stated may seem farfetched to a person who
does not travel much, considering the brevity of vacations, but the reality
is vacations never go as planned. Vacations are far from the normal life
routines of waking up in the morning, going to work/school and coming
back home in the evening. In vacations, there are many risks involved.
You are in a foreign land with new people and culture. You have to work
with the little funds you have to make the trip as entertaining as possible,
but with some level of constraint, so that your family is not stranded.

The beauty of travelling is that you can never really outgrow it. I still do
vacations as an adult, although my reasons may be slightly different
from my parents. Apart from the obvious reason of having a good time
and distracting my mind from the daily hassles, vacations release
‘creative juices’ in me. Working as a writer, I tend to feel burnt out living
in the same environment for too long. Sometimes, I need a change of
scenery for my artistry to see the light of day. It is a known fact in the
literary world that most of the best writers had their best ideas in foreign
lands.
I occasionally go for vacations for the sole reason of learning different
cultures and interacting with different people to get ideas for my literary
work. Furthermore, being away from home really makes you appreciate
it even more. The feeling you get after a vacation when you settle down
on your couch and just relax is priceless. Travelling makes you
appreciate people, their cultures and above all, it makes you appreciate
your life and the little you have.

TALK ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE RESTAURANT

Thank you very much for giving me the chance to talk about my favourite
restaurant. The name of my favourite restaurant is (say the name of the
restaurant you are going to talk about) and it’s situated in the centre
place of the city I am currently living in. Not only I like the spacious,
serene environment, tasty menus that the restaurant serves, but I have
lots of memories related to this restaurant. I remember that my parents
celebrated some of my birthday parties there, our college friends
arranged the get-together parties, one of my cousins’ marriage
ceremony was celebrated there and similarly I attended lots of other
parties at this very restaurant

The restaurant has 3 floors and the sitting arrangement is quite nice.
Paintings of famous artists have been hanging on the walls and the
place is quite neat and clean. The interior decoration is charming and
gorgeous feeling. The ground floor is spacious and can accommodate
more than 50 cars’ parking. The front view of the restaurant is different
as the place gives the impression of an urban garden

The restaurant offers several dishes including exotic desserts, ice-

creams and also offers a separate place for the kids to play and have
fun. The prices are reasonable and the foods are served quickly as
opposed to some other restaurants where you will have to wait for a long
for your foods to appear on your table. The waiters and other staffs are
friendly and welcoming. The restaurant offers Chinese, Italian, Indian,
Thai, Pakistani and local menus that give you a wide range of options to
pick from.

The soft background music and instrumentals make the environment

more enjoyable and soothing. The tables are not congested and people
can chat over their personal topics without interruption. The long glass
made windows offer the city view which makes the place worth visiting
besides the delicious foods. The place must be a good place to be as I
often found the foreign tourists visiting the restaurant. The authority lets
the customers provide their feedbacks and comments on foods and the
place and as I have noticed they take prompt action on a customer
complaint

In short, this is a really nice restaurant to go and enjoy the delicious meal

TALK ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE SEASON

Describe your favourite season in your country.
You should say:
 When that season is
 What the weather is like at that time of year
 How that season is different from other seasons
=> And why it is your favourite season

Ho Chi Minh city only has two distinctive seasons which are the rainy
and the dry season. I would say the former is my favorite one. The rainy
season in Saigon usually starts in May and ends in late November every
year.

During this period, although it will rain heavily almost every afternoon,
the rain is short and clear quickly. Sometimes, you can experience
sunshine and rain at the same time while the sky is still blue. Because of
the rain, the temperature is a lot cooler and the air is clean and clear.
The street is a bit slippery and dangerous because of that so everyone
has to be cautious. Also, people has to bring their own raincoat during
their commute.
This season is far different from the the dry season. Usually, dry season
in Saigon is extremely scorching with temperature rises up to 40 °C and
almost has no rain whatsoever. That’s the reason why I’ve chosen rainy
season as my favorite one compare to the dry season.

I become very restless during the dry season due to the heat, moist air
and skin problems. However, as soon as rainy season comes,
everything’s relaxed because of the fresh air and rainy water while plants
and trees look more lively. It’s also the season of a lot of my favorite
fruits such as durian, avocado, mango and longan. Thank you for
listening!

TALK ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE SPORT FOOTBALL

There are many sports, which are good for our health and popular over
the world. Soccer is one of my favorite sports. It is played by two teams
consisting of 11 people each team. The general rule is that the ball is
kicked by leg and the players get score when having the ball in their goal
post.

Football is known as “king” among other sports. First, it improves

integrity when applying several techniques to create strong power.
Second, it not only reduces stress and bad cholesterol of body but also
relaxes out spirit after a hard working day. My brother usually plays
football every afternoon after work as he is in a local sport club.
Moreover, football is not simply one kind of sport, it is an art because of
the popularity.

Since there is an increasing number of football team over the world such
as: Manchester United, Barcelona, Arsenal with professional players.
Although I am not able to play well, I love watching football matches as
they are interesting and we can also learn from their technique.
Furthermore, football is public concern as well as heated debate.
Football is now popular through women, who are thought not able to play
this kind of sport.

DESCRIBE A NATIONAL FESTIVAL IN YOUR

COUNTRY
You should say:
 when it takes place
 why it takes place
 what the people do during this festival 
 and explain why this festival is important to you

If you ask me about a famous festival in Vietnam, I will definitely talk

about Tet Holiday, which is also known as Lunar New Year holiday in
Vietnam.

It usually occurs at the end of January and lasts for 3 days. Tet holiday
in Vietnam is usually in honor of the departure of the previous year and
an occasion to welcome the new year with many blessings. On Tet
holiday, we will have family unions to catch up with each other. Besides,
some families enjoy this festival by preparing traditional food such as
Vietnamese square cake, dried candied fruit, braised pork and eggs, etc.
and decorating the house with parallel sentences and peach or apricot
blossoms.

Especially, for children, I think they look forward to Tet holiday because
they can receive lucky money from adults as a way to give them wishes
for the new year. For adults, it is an occasion on which they are able to
do the spring cleaning and make appetizing food to worship the
ancestors.

I would say in this days and age, Tet has lost its original spirit and most
adults treat it as a normal holiday in which they can have 2 weeks off to
blow off some steam and release stress.
However, to me, Tet holiday is still a distinct festival of Vietnam.
Whenever this holiday comes, I feel a strong sense of belonging
because it reminds me of how diverse our culture can be with different
rituals and food. Moreover, I think if Tet holiday didn’t exist, many family
members would drift apart due to the hustle and bustle of life. However,
since we have Tet, everyone will have at least one or two days to have
family gatherings and tighten the bonds with other members.

So I guess that’s all I want to chia sẻ about Tet in Vietnam.

TALK ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE MEANS OF

TRANSPORT

What means of transport do you usually use?

“I don’t have a car so I usually use public transport, you know, like trains,
buses, trams, Actually back in Vietnam, I had a motorbike by which I
always commute to work but I can’t afford one here so yeah, public
transport, but anyway, I find it convenient for me coz I live right next to
the train station.”

What’s your favorite means of transport

“My favorite way to travel is by train because it’s quick, convenient,

reliable and especially punctual. What I like most about this types of
transport is that I can totally forget about traffic congestion as therefore
pollution. Plus, the rail fare is quite reasonable, I mean, quite affordable
for a student like me.

How do you like to travel for long trip

By plane, of course, coz it doesn’t take me too long to get to my
destination. It’s kind of exhausted andunpleasant to me to travel by other
types, you know, I don’t want to waste my valuable time just getting
there while I can use that time to enjoy and do lots of more important
things.
You should say:
1. What it is
2. When and how you often use it
3. Why you use it
4. Explain why it is your favorite means of transportation.

My favorite means of transportation is motorcycle. I usually call it is an

iron horse. Nowadays, traffic is very disorderly. The roads are narrow
and have many potholes. So I think that motorcycle is a good choice in
the current situation. This kind of vehicle is more flexible than cars. In
addition, the price of a motorbike is suitable to my salary.

The motorcycle is very useful for my life ad my job because it helps me

save a lot of time, when I go to school, as well as working. I can control
the time easily when riding a motorbike to my student’s houses for
tutoring. In the past, I used to ride my motorbike from HCMC to my
hometown in HauGiang province and return. Now, it is still necessary to
me. I have been driving it for more than 10 years. Although there is
dangerous when I attend in traffic, I still love riding a motorcycle.

I know that because infrastructure in our country is not very good, traffic

jams or accidents often happen when many kinds of transportation
means attend on narrow streets at the same time. Anyway, I think that
not only me but also a lot of people like to ride motorbikes like me. In
short, motorcycle is the most popular transportation means vehicle in our
country. 

DESCRIBE YOUR HOUSE

Who do you live with

I live with my family. There are 5 of us and we all have our own room,
which is way more comfortable as the older we grow, the more privacy
we need for ourselves. I think our house is big enough for us yet still
a warm and cosy place that I call home.
Do you plan to live there for a long time
The answer would be yes. My parents have been living there for a long
time and moving in and out is too time-consuming and exhausting.
Cleaning and arranging everything all over again would be
like torture to them. For me, on the other hand, as I’m thinking of
moving out to start my adult life, hopefully soon I’ll be able to afford to
live in a flat or an apartment.

Can you describe the place where you live

Briefly, my humble house locates in a small and quiet street, so coming
home to me is like all the craziness happened outside is left behind. Just
beside my house stands a big old tree.
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, which will help cool my room without an air
conditioner.

Since I spend most of my time staying at home, my room means the

whole world to me. It’s like a friend who is always there to share ups
and downs with me. So yeah, I would always miss my house, my room
whenever I’m away.

Which 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. We always try to keep
the family dinner as something we cannot go a day without, since for
us it’s the family bonding that lies behind.

TALK ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE FOOD

You should say:

 What the food is;

 What it is made of;
 Why you like it.
=> And explain why it is your favorite food.

Well, I’m a food lover so this question is extremely difficult, I cannot pick
just one! But if I have to, I’d say Bánh Cuốn or steamed rolled
pancakes is my favorite food that I would like to talk about today.
Bánh Cuốn is a popular option for diners in Viet Nam. As the matter of
fact, among the well-known offerings of Saigon street food, Bánh Cuốn
is consistently ranked a top choice. I believe this dish originates from the
Northern region of Vietnam, the exact date and time it was first made are
unknown but it seems hard to deny that Bánh Cuốn has been made for
years.

Basically, Bánh Cuốn looks like a soft spring roll filled with meat.
However, the recipe is much more complicated than that. You start with
a steamed rice roll cooked on a pot which is covered by a thin fabric.
Until the rice roll is very thin, it will then be scrapped off the pot with a
bamboo stick. After that, the roll is filled with a mixture of pork, wood ear
mushrooms, onions, and fish sauce.
This is my favorite dish among thousands of amazing food
in Vietnamese cuisine because it is perfectly enough. From the smell to
the taste, everything is just enough to make your mouth watering . This
is my favorite breakfast and maybe even dinner for many Vietnamese. It
is a quick and delicious day starter.

DESCRIBE YOUR FAVORITE SPORT

You should say:

What is the sport?

 How did you first know about it?
 How often do you practise it?
=> And explain why it is your favourite sport.

EX1
I would like to talk about a sport that I particularly enjoy and have been
practising for a few years. It is basketball. For me, this is not only a sport
or a physical exercise but also an ideal way for me to relieve of stress
and to make new friends.

I first knew about basketball when I was a little kid through a video game
called NBA 2k8. However, at that time I did not play badminton at all,
partly because I was not an active kid who was aware of the critical
importance of physical exercises. When I went to high school, a lot of my
friends were a big fan of basketball and my high school offered big
playgrounds for sports activities, therefore I practised basketball much
more often.

I usually play basketball in the weekends and watch NBA on the nights
when my favorite team, the Los Angeles Lakers play. I often go to sports
centres with a number of my classmates for basketball matches.
Sometimes we even participate in local league, didn’t accomplish
anything big but it was extremely fun.

For me, basketball is a good way to help me pursue a healthy lifestyle. It

is also an affordable type of sport as you do not have to buy a lot of
specialised sports materials. Finally, playing basketball enables me to
develop a number of important and non-academic skills such as
discipline, team-work, problem-solving and co-operation.

EX2
Playing badminton is really my cup of tea in leisure time, because it
improves my health, helps me be more and more confident, and is
entertaining.

First and foremost, by playing badminton about two hours a day, I feel
full of beans for the entire day. For instance, I can finish my homework
and housework efficiently; hence my mother always encourages me to
play it everyday. The second point is that playing badminton brings me
out of my self.
I can make friends with many people. After competitive matches, we
often chat with one another about hobbies or plans in future. Last but not
least, playing badminton is entertaining. It helps me relax after working
hours, and relieve stress.. All in all, I consider playing badminton as my
favourite pastime for it brings both physical and mental benefits.

TALK ABOUT YOUR HOMETOWN

Where is your hometown

I was born and raised in Ho Chi Minh city which is located in the
Southern part of Vietnam. It is a metropolitan area with millions of
dwellers. As a matter of fact, I believe it is the most populated city in
Vietnam.

Can you describe a little bit about your hometown

Ho Chi Minh City is your typical metropolitan city. The traffic is dizzying
and life happens at full-speed. It has all the entertainment services
young people look for.  Entertainment centers as well as beautiful
landscapes in this city could be easily be found.

IELTS SAMPLE TEST

PART 1

Are you a student or do you work?

I’ve just finished high school. I’m now anxiously waiting for the results of my
graduation exams, which were a little more challenging than expected.

How often do you look at the sky?

Well, being a city-dweller, I don’t think I often look at the sky at night, but probably
in the daytime, especially when there are dark clouds signaling it’s gonna rain. I
would say… nearly every day in the rainy season.

Is there a good place to look at the sky where you live?

It sounds kinda weird. Actually, I’ve never thought of that. Perhaps… on a cruise ship
traveling along the Saigon River. I did it twice.

Can you see stars at night where you live?

Sure, but… it’s not really easy with all the nighttime light pollution we have today in
a big city like this.

Did you have anything to share with others recently?

Like many friends of mine, I’ve got the habit of sharing whatever I find interesting or
useful on social media, and for the past two weeks, I’ve shared some meaningful e-
books with my Facebook friends.

Did your parents teach you to share when you were

young?
Of course they did. They knew sharing is an important skill in life, so they taught me
to share dolls or other toys with my little sister, who was born when I just finished
primary school.
PART 2

Describe a time that someone did not tell you the whole
truth about something
You should say:
  When this happened
 What the situation was
 Who you were with
 And why the person did not tell the whole truth

OK, I’m now gonna tell you a story about a time when I was told a white lie
about my uncle’s health problem. As far as I can remember, that was around
7 years ago – when I was in primary school… in grade 5, to be more exact. I
was very close to an uncle of mine, who often bought me eye-opening books
and told me mind-blowing stories.

One day, after school, I returned home but didn’t see my uncle, who visited us
every single day cuz he lived just a few houses away. I was a bit surprised,
and disappointed, not to see him, but my mom told me that he was busy with
his job in another city and would soon come back. Somehow I felt there was
something wrong cuz my mom’s voice was kinda unnatural. It was a little
trembling at the time, but I thought she had a cold that day, which affected her
voice one way or another. I didn’t really know the harsh truth until 3 weeks
later: my uncle was in the terminal stage of an incurable brain disease, which
was kinda a malignant brain tumor or something, and the doctor’s prognosis
was extremely pessimistic. The moment I knew the truth was the afternoon
when my uncle passed away. Being a girl, and a pre-teen girl, at the time, I
burst into tears when my mom told me the sad news. After all these years, I’ve
realized why my mom told me that white lie: she didn’t want me to feel
shocked or be distracted from my semester exam focus. Thanks, mom…

That’s all I can remember. Thank you.

PART 3
What are the advantages and disadvantages of telling lies?

It’s obvious that telling lies normally has many problems, such as forming a
bad, or morally bad, habit of trying to avoid letting others know about our
wrongdoings. For example, a kid steals some money from his parents to buy a
toy, but he doesn’t admit doing so, or a student doesn’t do his homework cuz
he’s lazy, but he tells his teacher he’s busy doing a lot of household chores.
But sometimes telling a lie is beneficial, like telling a cancer patient that she’s
got a health problem because of old age rather than cancer, and that the
doctor’s prognosis is not serious. A lie like that is sometimes called a white lie.
Have your parents ever told lies?

I think they have, but not to do me, my sister, or others any harm, as far as I
know. Like, you know, they told me and my sister that Santa Claus was real,
he came to visit us every year all the way from the North Pole and he would
give us presents we wished if we were good girls. Funny things like that. As
for other lies for other purposes, I’m not really sure if they have told any.

Should adults share with their children how to avoid being lied to by others?

This question is a little tricky. The point here is parents should always teach
their children some basic techniques in how to tell whether someone is telling
the truth or a lie based on things like facial expressions. Sometimes an adult
may be telling a child a small lie for fun, together with an eye wink, so the child
needs to know that in order not to be fooled by such a funny lie. But actually,
this issue is really complicated cuz even adults may not be able to distinguish
which is which.

What do listeners benefit from telling lies?

When it comes to how lies benefit listeners, I can only think of white lies where
the teller is trying to conceal the truth for fear that the listener, who is a patient
or an old family member, may be seriously affected by the sad truth. Ah, there
are also white lies where the listener is a woman and the teller is a man who
doesn’t wanna hurt her because of a certain brutal truth about her age or
beauty. The main purpose of telling white lies in these situations is to comfort
the listener rather than to deceive them, so it’s kinda good for them.

Telling lies is sometimes seen as a way to justify a wrongdoing. Do you think

so?

I guess it’s not really a morally good way, but it’s so common these days.
Often times, people tend to make up a story, or an excuse to be exact, when
they do something wrong, or illegal, or against a certain policy. This is
normally used to explain why something bad happens and to make the
relevant situation more acceptable. A typical case is to blame heavy traffic, or
traffic congestion, for causing an employee to be late for work. This type of
excuse is so commonly used that nearly everyone today knows that it’s
actually not working very well anymore.