SPEAKING

PART 1:

LESSON 1. FOOD

- Talk about your hometown’s speciality. How do people cook it?

- Tell me about your favorite food!
- Do you ever eat unhealthy food? Why/why not?
Well first of all I must say that this topic really interests me. I have fallen madly in love with Thanh Hoa’s

cuisine for its huge variety of divine dishes. Among these gems, I think it is absolutely impossible not to

mention fermented pork roll, which is also the dish that I am bringing up to today’s topic.

Well, without stating the obvious, fermented pork roll has become the quintessential must-try dish in

Thanh Hoa for any visitors. And also it has become the ultimate comfort food for any residential Thanh

Hoa, I must say. Traditionally, it is a food for snack. It is that popular. Made from rustic ingredients,

namely ground pork thigh, minced pork skin, chili, garlic, fish sauce, sugar, salt, those are mixed, pressed

and then naturally fermented by tender fig or guava leaves, nem chua has a very characteristic sour,

acquired sweet, garlicky and salty taste with a nice crunch of pork rinds.

Just a look is enough for guests to salivate over the thought of savoring each bite of nem chua. More

interestingly, while nem chua of the north in general and of Thanh Hoa province in particular is in favor of

sour taste and has subtle fragrance of fern-leaf aralia.

LESSON 2. SHOPPING
- How often do you go shopping? When?
- What influences your decision for buying clothes?
- Have you bought something online?
I can’t say for sure how often, since it largely depends on personal demand and interest. Women seem to

be more obsessed with fashion and shopping than the rest of the population, but there are exceptions.

Those who love spending time and money on beautiful pieces of clothing pay great attention to their

appearance and take pleasure in the act of shopping, while others consider it a waste of resources. And I

am a person that when I'm happy, I will go. The mood and the demand are the reason which influence my

decision. Sometimes I bought something online because I see that online item is cheaper than direct

purchase.

In conclusion, shopping depends on personal demand and interest, noone could prevent it.
LESSON 3. YOUR HOUSE
- Where do you live?
- What do you like best about the place where you live?
- Do you prefer living in a house or a flat?
I live in a small house near the river with my family. I enjoy my life there, because it's very comfortable.

Definitely my own bedroom.

It’s the personal space that I love the best where I can do whatever I want. Besides, my bedroom is an

ideal place for me to avoid noise, so I tend to lock myself up in my bedroom whenever I need to

concentrate on my study.

Although my current accommodation is perfectly fine, I would love to experience living in a larger house.

Since it was my childhood dream to have a swimming pool and a garden of my own, a larger seems like an

ideal house for me.

LESSON 4. HOLIDAY
- How often do you go on holiday?
- Where did you have your last holiday?
- Do you like package holiday? (tours organized by a travel agency).
I would like to talk about an exciting holiday where I went to the city of Nha Trang. It’s a lovely coastal

city locates in the southern part of Vietnam. Me and mom decided to spend our holiday there because we

wanted to experience a different part of the country.

There are several public transport system to get to Nha Trang. We took a train from Thanh Hoa to Nha

Trang, it was an 28 hours trip so it was a bit hectic and frustrating but the joy and excitement

compensated for it all.

There were so many activities but we were only able to do just a few things on our three day trip. We got

around the islands by cruise which was an amazing experience for use because we all like sightseeing.

We absolutely enjoyed our holiday trip and we actually are planning on another trip so we can try out more

activities in the graceful and charming Nha Trang. Be able to see the vibrant lifestyle of the locals and

aesthetically of the landscape was something we will never forget.

I don't like package holiday because my relatives live there, I want to go anywhere freely.

LESSON 5. FREE TIME ACTIVITIES

- What do you often do in you free/spare time?
- Who do you often spend your free time with?
- Do you watch TV/read book/listen to music? Which TV channel/ book/song…/like best?
I'm glad you asked me that because I've got a whole range of hobbies that I'm really into.

I often have free time, special every evening. The main thing I'll typically do is cooking. I’m super into

cooking so when I’ve got some time, I like to cook and I’ll typically make something newer. Sometimes I

surf web and listen to music. I think listening to music help our brain, and cooking help our intelligence.

LESSON 6. FAVORITE SEASON

- Which season do you like best? Why?
- What do you like to do in this season?
I was born in Northern Vietnam, where there are four clear seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and

Winter. Each season has its own charms and attractions. For example, Spring is the season which offers

beautiful flowers and warm weather; of outdoor activities such as picniking, camping, swimming, fishing

ect… Autumn is so beautiful with its ideal weather while Winter can give us such delight as gathering by a

fire to chat or tell each other funny stories.

During Autumn, which lasts more or less from late July to early October, it is sunny most of the time. The

Autumn sun is often splendid, dying nature yellow. The weather is also ideal because it is not too cold nor

too hot. Then the coldish northwesterly wind, which blows gently, thrills everyone with the breath of

Autumn. The leaves of the trees turning yellow or red put a gorgeous coat of colours on nature. Autumn is

such a wonderful season that many poems an songs have been composed to sing the praises of the season.

Autumn is also a season which reminds me of my first day at school, when my mother took me by the hand

and led me to school for the first time.

Last but not least, Autumn is the time when I can enjoy my favourite fruit and dish.

LESSON 7. FAMILY
- How many people are there in your family?
- Do you have any siblings (brother/sister)?
- How often do your family members spend time together?

LESSON 8. YOUR FAVORITE TEACHER

- Who ? (- My math teacher)
- What does she/he teach?
- Why do you like him/her?
LESSON 9. HOMETOWN
- Where is your hometown?
- How far is It from your hometown to Hanoi?
- What is your hometown famous for?
- What do you like the most about your hometown
- What are some beautiful places there?
- Do you love your hometown? Why/why not?
LESSON 10. YOUR BEST FRIEND
- Who is your best friend?
- How long have you known each other?
- How do you like to spend time with her/him?
LESSON 11. YOUR FAVORITE CITY
- Where is it? Describe it.
- Why do you like this favorite city?
- What do you want to do when you visit that city?
LESSON 12. TRADITIONAL VILLAGE
- Have you ever been to a traditional village?
- Would you like to visit a traditional village?
- What would you like to do there?
- What makes a village traditional? Why?
LESSON 13. PARTY
- Do you often go to the party? Why (not)?
- What would you like to do at parties?
- When you go to a party, do you prefer to go with people or on your own ? Why?
LESSON 14. HABIT OF READING NEWSPAPER
- How often do you read newspapers?
- What time of the day is the best time to read newspapers?
- Do you often read online or offline newspaper ? Why?
LESSON 15. HELPING PEOPLE
- Do you ever help people ? When ?
- How do you help people?
- How do you feel when you help someone ? why?
LESSON 16. LET’S TALK ABOUT CHARITY
- Have you ever taken part in a charity trip? When?
- What are the benefits of taking in charity work?
- Who do you think need charity the most?
LESSON 17. MUSIC
- Have you ever listened to classical music ? Why (not)?
- Which do you prefer :classical or pop music? Why?
- Can you focus on other things when you are listening to music?
LESSON 18. WEEKEND ACTIVITIES
- What do you often do at weekend?
- Who would you prefer to spend your weekend with? Why ?
- What ‘s the most memorable weekend have you had in the past year?
LESSON 19. PHOTOS
- What is your favorite photo? Can you describe it?
- What makes it your favorite photo?
- What are the benefits of taking photo?
LESSON 20. MONTHS OF THE YEAR
- What’s your favorite months of the year? Why?
- What do you often do?
- Who do you like to spend the month with ? Why?
 PART 2: SOLUTION DISCUSSION

TOPIC 1. Your younger brother is about to start college in a different city. His
accommodation is far from the campus. There are 4 common kinds of transportation used by
students. They are by bus, motorbike, and bicycle, or shared taxi. Which do you think will be
the best for your younger brother?

- By motorbike: more convenient in travelling./ faster/ flexible time/ active in time. having a
part time job to earn money like grad driver, shipper. Or Take part in extra classes.
- By bus : (x) : more inconvenient, depend on bus schedules/ bus station is far from the campus.
- By bicycle (x) : the most inconvenient./ Slow – take a lot of time to travel.

TOPIC 2. Your family are organizing a surprising birthday party for your mother. There are 3
places to organize : at home/ a restaurant / at a holiday resort/ at your grandparents’ house.
Which option is the best choice? Why?
- At home (X) : my mother is always at home, so it is difficult to decorate. After the party , take
a lot of time to clean-> tired.
- A restaurant (v) : more convenient/ variety of food choices / beautifully decorated / spend
more time together.
-
TOPIC 3. Your brother/sister and you are planning to do something together on Sunday.
There are 4 activities to do : cleaning the house after a busy week/ going on a one-day picnic/
go the cinema/ visit an orphanage.
- Going on a one-day picnic ( v) : enjoy fresh air/ more excited/ reduce stress
- Cleaning the house after a busy work(x) : boring and tiring/ need time to relax.
- Visiting an orphanage (x): far from home->not enough time to do

TOPIC 4. You plan to study in Australia for few months. The school sent some information of
different types of accommodation. Home staying with a native family / sharing flat with other
students / living in a dormitory/ living alone in a rented flat.
- Home staying with a native family (v) : cheaper/ improve language/ learn more about culture.
- Sharing flat with other students (x): expensive / get troubles because of cutural differences
- Living in a dormitory (x) : boring / less comfortable

TOPIC 6. In summer, you are planning to register a short-term course. There are 4 options : a
swimming course/ an English course / a painting course/ a cooking course.
- A swimming course : (v) summer is hot, it’s great to go swimming. I can’t swim, it’s good to
learn how to swim. Swimming is an important skill,. good for health.
- An English course : (X) : far from my house/ expensive/ study online.
- A painting course (x) : not interested in drawing, prefer out door activities than indoor
activities.

TOPIC 8. You and your family will go shopping this weekend. Three options: mini shop / an
outdoor market / supermarket.
- Mini shop (X) : small, less choices
- An outdoor market (x) : not sure about quality of goods, the weather will be not good – rain /
bargain.
- Super market: (v) : clean, well- organized / variety of good choices/ food court to eat after
shopping time/ not bargain.

TOPIC 9. Your class will do some volunteer work for the community this weekend. Picking
up garbage on the beach/ cooking a meal for the poor / and organizing games for the orphans.
- Picking up garbage on the beach (v) - Easy to do/ make the beach cleaner and prettier.
- Cooking a meal for the poor (X): not good at cooking / a lot of money
- Organizing games for the orphans (x) : lack experience.

TOPIC 10. You and your friend spend this summer holiday together. What sport do you do
together this summer holiday. Swimming / jogging / playing tennis.
- Swimming (v): great for the hot summer, cheap, good for health, compete in swimming
- Jogging (x): boring
- Playing tennis (x): expensive

TOPIC 1:
A: Hi. You look tired, what's wrong?
B: Oh hello. My younger brother is about to start college in another city. and I don't know
what would be best to give him a ride.
A: What types of transport are there?
B: There are 4 types: bus, bicycle, motorbike and shared taxi.
A: I think your brother should not take the bus because it is quite inconvenient for
transportation.
B: I think so, too. I plan to let him ride a bike, both active and healthy.
A: Oh, I don't think so. Cycling takes a lot of time. Your brother may be late for school.
Your brother can join extra classes easily.
B: That's a really good idea. thank you very much

TOPIC 2:
A: Hi. You look tired, what's wrong?
B: Oh hello. My family wanted to organize a surprise birthday party for my mother. But I
don't know where to do it.
A: oh, that sounds great. What do you think if it's held at home? I think it will be a cozy
party for your whole family.
B: My mother is always at home so it is difficult to decorate. Moreover, after the party,
there is also cleaning up.
A: So, I think organizing in a restaurant would be a good choice.
B: why?
A: At the restaurant, the decorations will be more beautiful, and your family will have more
time to spend together.
B: That's a really good idea. thank you very much

TOPIC 3:
A: Hi. You look tired, what's wrong?
B: Oh hello. I just had a busy week. 
A: I think this weekend you should do something to relax
B: In the end, I plan to do something with my sister. I think we will clean the house.
A: Oh. why? You've had a very busy week, and you need to do something to help you relax. I
think you should go on a 1 day picnic with your sister. Picnic will help you enjoy the fresh air
and relieve stress.
B: That's a really good idea. thank you very much

TOPIC 4:
A: Hi. You look tired, what's wrong?
B: Oh hello. I plan to study in Australia for a few months, but I don't know where I should
live right now.
A: I see many students often stay in the dormitory. what do you think?
B: Dormitory is very boring. Moreover, the time in and out is not comfortable.
A: hmmm. What do you think about staying with a host family?
B: I find that option quite interesting, I can easily learn more about Australian culture.
A: Yeah. and you can improve your language by talking with native speakers.
B: That's a really good idea. thank you very much

TOPIC 6:
A: Hi. You look tired, what's wrong?
B: Oh hello. Have you signed up for this summer course yet? haizz, I still don't know what
to sign up for.
A: I signed up for swimming lessons. Or do you sign up with me?
B: oh, that sounds great. But I don’t know how to swim.
A: oh, don't worry. You can learn to swim in swimming class. Swimming is an important skill.
What's more, such a hot summer, going swimming would be great.
B: That's a really good idea. thank you very much

TOPIC 8:
A: Hi. You look tired, what's wrong?
B: Oh hello. I'm thinking. This weekend my family will go shopping. But I still haven't
decided where we're going to buy it.
A: oh, that sounds great. What do you think about the outdoor market?
B: It will be a good choice if the weekend weather is nice. However, it is likely to rain this
weekend.
A: I think a supermarket would be a perfect choice. You won't have to worry about the
weather. The supermarket is also very clean and the products are also very safe.
B: That's a really good idea. Thank you very much.

TOPIC 9:
A: Hi. You look tired, what's wrong?
B: Oh hello. I'm thinking. My class will be doing some volunteer work for the community
this weekend. But I don't know what to do with the class.
A: What do you think about cooking for the poor?
B: That sounds great. But we may not cook well and not to their taste.
A: So I think picking up trash on the beach would be a good choice.
B: Why do you think so?
A: It is very easy to do, anyone can do it. More than that, it also helps to keep the sea
cleaner.
B: That's a really good idea. Thank you very much.

TOPIC 10:
A: Hey, have you figured out what we're going to do for this summer vacation?
B: What do you think if we play tennis this summer?
A: Tennis is a pretty good sport. but the price to pay to enter the field is very expensive.
B: I think so, too. What do you think about swimming?
A: I think swimming will be a great choice for hot summer. In addition, the price of
swimming pool is also very cheap.
B: Yeah. That's a really good idea.