REVISION FOR FINAL TEST

SPEAKING PART 2

A. TECHNIQUES TO DEVELOP IDEAS FOR PART 2

1. Give a full introduction

Instead of saying You should say

“Today I’m gonna talk about an essential technological “When I read the topic card what springs to my mind is my
item…” iphone – an essential technological item to me…”

- Giving a full introduction can give you more time to think and help you start your talk smoothly.
2. Tell a story

Question: When you met that person

Instead of saying You should say
“I met her in primary school” “I met her a long time ago when I was in primary school. I was
a new student in the class and the teacher asked me to sit
right next to her…”

- Telling a story can help you speak at length and give a chance to show your skillful use of vocabulary and grammar.
3. Give more than one reason and structure your talk

Question: Why you like that place

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 Instead of saying You should say
“I like that place because it is beautiful and it is also full of “There are several reasons why I love Da Lat. The first reason is
memory.” that Da Lat has beautiful mountainous scenery and
picturesque roads. I can take tons of photos there and post on
my Instagram. Second, Da Lat is the place where I spent the
first trip with my husband. We held hands for the first time
there and we shared our first stories there. It is such a
memorable place to me.”

- Giving more than one reason can help you speak more when two-minute speaking time is not over yet. You can also
give your talk a better structure by using cohesive devices like “There are several reasons why…/ The first reason is
that…/ Second,…”

B. SAMPLE ANSWERS

TOPIC CARD SAMPLE ANSWER

SAMPLE 1 Describe a film or a TV programme
which has made a strong
impression on you
You should say:
- What kind of film or TV
programme it was, e.g. comedy
When you saw the film or TV
programme
- What the film or TV programme
was about
At the moment, I don't actually watch much TV as I'm away from home
studying but one of my close friends introduced me to a reality show called
The Amazing Race when we were roommates in 2014. I got hooked and now
watch each new episode on YouTube.
The Amazing Race is a reality show that shows ostensibly unscripted real-life
situations. The show is literally a racing competition among a number of
teams around Vietnam. With two people to a team, they have to cooperate
to carry out various tasks and deal with lots of obstacles during their trip to
the final destination in each episode.
What strikes me the most is the extraordinarily picturesque scenery? in a
variety of places that the racers go through in each stage. Thanks to the

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 - And explain why that film or TV
programme made such an
impression on you.
SAMPLE 2 Describe an interesting story that
you heard or read about in the
news.
You should say:
- When you heard or read about
the story
- What the story was about
- Why the story was in the news
- And explain why you thought the
story was interesting.
show, I am now aware of how beautiful our country is and I plan to travel to
several destinations featured in the show such as Sa Pa, Nha Trang or Da Lat.
In addition, in this program, not only do I get to know many wonderful sites
but I also leam a lot about the distinct culture and characteristics of each
region in the country. Last but not least there are a variety of barriers in each
stage, so it is crucial for the two members to stay focused and have good
teamwork learn a lot of lessons about persistence, patience and
determination throughout the game show. Without them, we definitely
cannot complete our goals.
Last week when I was browsing through The New York Times, I came across
an intriguing headline stating Women Go Topless for Equal Rights. My
attention was caught at once and I devoured every single line of the article.
It was about a new trend in the United States where some women decided
to be topless in public in the same way men are. This trend is becoming
prevalent among feminists in several parts of America and even in some
Asian countries such as China. Basically, women see it as unfair that it is
socially acceptable for men to be out and about without a shirt on when if a
woman were to do the same thing it could result in people shaming her or
telling her to stop or even in her being verbally or physically abused. These
women are trying to make it acceptable for both genders to be topless in
public. The story also provided a picture of six female student activists in
Guangzhou, China going topless to protest® for gender inequality.
Because this matter is now of great controversy throughout the world, it is
normal to see it in major newspapers like The NY Times. I was quite intrigued
by this topic as I had been regarding myself as a supporter of feminism. I
thought it was quite a daring move that might trigger debates between
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SAMPLE 3 Describe a television programme
that you watch.
You should say:
- Which kind of television
programme it is
- What usually happens in the
television programme
- Why you enjoy watching the
television programme
- And explain why you would
recommend the television
programme to other people.
SAMPLE 4 Describe something you own
which is very important to
you.
feminists and those opposing them. As far as I'm concerned, this trend is a
little inappropriate because going topless should not be seen as a sign of
inequality between males and females.
Recently I watched a trial TV programme on VTV7 called 8IELTS and my
attention was caught immediately. It's a weekly talk show and fully
interactive with the audience. The first episode will not be officially
broadcast until May but it has already got positive feedback from many
people. 8IELTS is hosted by Phoebe Tran, an overseas Vietnamese with a
confident hosting manner® as well as a natural English speaking voice that I
love. The show starts with a short talk between the host and a guest speaker
who achieved high scores in the IELTS exam. It continues with a celebrity
showing up as an IELTS taker, conducting' a mock speaking test with an IELTS
examiner at British Council. Another IELTS expert is invited to the studio and
gives detailed comments on his or her performance. The last part is for the
audience who want their speaking to be corrected. They are encouraged to
record their voice on videos and send them to the show, then it will be
thoroughly corrected by the examiners.
This show is really worth watching as it contains a great deal of useful
information about IELTS-related topics. I highly recommend it to those who
are about to take the IELTS exam. It's quite a helpful educational programme
and, at the same time, is an entertaining way to learn authentic English and
have fun.
I have this one toy submarine that is extremely important to me. And
there is a big stony
behind it.
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 You should say: When I was around 8, I got this idea in my head that I needed to own a
- How long you have had it toy submarine. I looked in loads of shops but couldn't find one anywhere.
- What you use it for Not giving up on the idea, I decided to build myself one instead! At first
- And explain why it is so it seemed like it would be an impossible task because finding the
important to you necessary parts was an absolute nightmare. As I remember, I had to
spend a day or two to find a small aluminium box, which I could use as
the hull of the toy submarine. I also managed to find a small turbine, a
couple of electric wires and a pair of batteries. But then I really struggled
to find a miniature motor engine, which was just nowhere to be found.
Then in an "eureka" moment, I realised that there was one motor engine
that would fit my toy submarine perfectly. That was the one inside my
toy car. Sadly, this meant I had to sacrifice my toy car. To me that was
the biggest trade-off I made in my childhood, and I'm happy that it was
for a "greater purpose".
Then finally assembled all the spare parts and I had a complete toy
submarine that cold actually work to everyone's surprise, including my
own. My brother was astounded' when it first saw my work.
Today I still keep the toy submarine in a special corner of my room
because of its significance in my childhood and my whole life. it's a great
source of inspiration for me to be always creative and determined in
doing everything.
SAMPLE 5 Describe something you Recently, I have taken up writing blogs as one of my pastimes. I do it on
did that was new or Wordpress.com which is one of most popular blogging sites nowadays.
exciting. I only started it a few weeks ago so there are only a couple of entries so
You should say: far.
- What you did After finishing the initial design, I now focus on writing new posts. I
- When and where you did started this blog to add posts that will work as a reference for me as

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 - Who you shared the activity
with
- And explain why that activity
was new or exciting for you
SAMPLE 6 Describe a competition (or
contest) that you have
entered.
You should say:
- When the competition took
place
- What you had to do
- How well you find it
- Describe how you felt about
the competition.
well as other viewers. For instance, I have visited most of the major
tourist attractions in my hometown and I know them quite well. So I
have written some entries on these places with vivid illustrations and
descriptions that may help other people who are planning on a tour of
my hometown. I've already gotten a few comments on some of my
entries from people who read it and found it useful.
To me, creating something new that grabs people's attention while
helping them is always
exciting and motivating. I also write several blogs in English so it's a
great way to improve my writing and get me using English in a
productive way. Watching the blog and the number of page visitors
rising every day inspires me to continue contributing useful posts for
other people. The whole thing is quite exhilarating and I'm sure I will
keep it up for a long time.
I have taken part in many competitions throughout my life and have
even won some prizes as well. One such contest that I would like to talk
about is a cycling competition that I participated in when I was in my
first year at university.
One day I noticed an advertisement in our local newspaper that an
inter-university cycling competition would be held the following week.
The entry fee was 3 million VND and prizes would be given to the first
three cyclists. I have a passion for cycling and love to challenge myself,
so l decided to give it a go.
On the day of the contest I went to the starting point and registered my
name. I took my bicycle and wore my cycling gear. I noticed there were
around 30 competitors and I was asked to stand at my start point. After
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 the sound of the whistle, I started cycling. I wasn't that bothered about
winning, I just wanted to focus on my cycling. The total distance was
around 5 miles and that required a great deal of energy and time. After
I finished the race, I heard some of my classmates shouting and
cheering and I was really surprised to hear that I had won the third
prize.
I felt really delighted and proud that I did well in that competition.
Actually, I never took my cycling habit seriously and after I did well in
that competition, I started participating in other cycling competitions as
well.

SAMPLE 7 Describe one of your I think my laptop is the thing I would struggle to live without the most,
possessions which you couldn’t even more than my
live without. cell phones. Two years ago, right after graduating from college, I started
You should say: teaching English and I was desperately in need of a laptop to assist* me
- What it is with preparing learning materials as my old one had been stolen when I
- Why you first bought it/ how was in college. I really wanted an Apple Mac but it was a bit out of my
you got it budget so I ended up getting a Dell on my friends' advice. Since I've had
- When and how often you use it, it's been used every day.
it It is so special to me because I bought it with my own savings, I was so
- And explain why it is so proud of being able to buy something without asking for money from my
special. parents. It has done its job very well. At a rather reasonable price of
$500, the laptop has a variety of features that satisfy my job
requirements mainly involving Microsoft suites and business software. It
is also extra lightweight, so | can carry it around easily.
I know that it won't be a treasured possession forever but for now it's
the one thing I really

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 couldn't live without.

C. QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER PRACTICE

Describe an article about health or a healthy lifestyle that 1. What kind of news do teenagers like to read? How
you have read in a newspaper or a magazine. about the old?
2. What’s the difference between news on TV and
You should say: news in magazines?
3. What’s the difference between news on TV and
• what the article explained
news in magazines?
• when you have read it
4. Why is it important to read the news?
• how important you think it was
5. Do you prefer to receive yours by reading it, or by
And explain how you felt about it.
listening to the news on the radio, TV or the
internet?
6. Do you think newspapers and magazines might one
day disappear?
7. What qualifications should a person have to work in
a news corporation?

Describe good news that you recently heard 1. Would you say the media presents us with more
You should say: good news than bad news, or vice-versa?
- What the good news was 2. Should the government control what is in our
- How you received the news newspapers?
- Who the news was about
And explain your reaction on hearing the news.

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 3. Which news medium, TV, the internet, or mobile
devices, do you think is best for broadcasting the
news?
4. What kind of person can become a good journalist?
5. Is it easier to share news today than it was in the
past?
6. In general, how do people share or communicate
(good) news with others?
7. Which do you think is better for communicating
(good) news, telling someone face-to-face or telling
them on the telephone?
8. How has modern technology affected the way
people share information with others?

Describe a time when you spoke with someone on a foreign 1. What kind of quality should a language teacher have?
language for the first time.
- When it was 2. Why do people want to learn a foreign language?
- With whom you spoke
- What language you used 3. Why are some people seemingly better at studying
And explain how you felt about it. languages than others?

4. Why is language an important aspect of culture?

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Describe a language that you want to learn (not English)
- What it is 1. Do you think grammar is important when you learn a
- How you would learn it foreign language?
- Where would you learn it 2. In your opinion, what is the best way to learn a
And explain why you want to learn this language. foreign language?
3. How do people in your country feel about English
being the world language?
4. Do you think the culture of English – speaking
countries, as well as the English language dominate
the world?
5. Why do you think people feel it is important to
continues speaking their local language?
6. How can technology help people learn foreign
languages?

Describe a teacher of English 1. What role should a teacher of English have in a

- What this teacher looks like classroom?
- What sort of person this teacher is 2. Do you think computers will one day replace
- Where this teacher is teaching teachers in the classroom?
And explain how this teacher helps you learn English. 3. How can a foreign language teacher make lessons
more interesting?
4. What qualities should a foreign language teacher
have?
5. What method of language learning works best for
you?

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 6. How beneficial do you think it is to group students
according to their level of English?
Describe your dream job. You should say: 1. What are the most difficult jobs that people do?
- What the job would involve 2. Why do you think some people choose to do difficult
- What qualification or experience you would need for jobs?
this job 3. Do you agree or disagree that all jobs are difficult
- What do you think the most difficult thing about the sometimes?
job would be 4. Is it always necessary to work hard in order to
And explain why it is your dream job. achieve career success?
5. In your opinion, is it better to choose a job you like
or a job with great security?
Describe a job that you consider highly important. You 1. What factors influence people choice of job?
should say: 2. Do you think fun is important in a job?
- What the job is 3. In what way can a person learn in their job?
- What the job involves 4. What should a person prepare to get a good job?
- Why it is important 5. Is work – life balance important?
And explain if people who do this job are appreciated
enough by society.
Describe a piece of art you like. You should say: 1. What is the general purpose of art?
- What the work of art is 2. Why do people enjoy art?
- When you first saw it 3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of art
- What you know about it education?
And explain why you like it. 4. Why do you think some people enjoy looking at
paintings and sculptures while others do not?
5. Do you think that some people are naturally better
artists than others?
6. Do you think children should study art at school?

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7. How can children benefit from learning art?

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