Uae ree LUE kad Describe a quiet place you like to spend your time in. You should say: = Where it is * How you knew it = How often you go there = What you do there And explain why you like the place.TRS ar ee Oe DER ‘TOPIC: DESCRIBE A QUIET PLACE YOU LIKE TO SPEND YOUR TIME IN BRAINSTORMING WHAT PLACE IS IT? © My university library/ WHERE IS IT LOCATED? © Ws located in. » Which is a bit far/ not so far from where | live. It usually takes me around. inutes to get there by motorbike. WHEN WAS THE FIRST TIME YOU WENT THERE? ©. If 'm not mistaken, the first time | set foot in this place WaS.m.m DESCRIBE IT © On the outside, it.nnnnn WHY DO YOU LIKE IT? © There're several reasons why I really enjoy spending time in another,. Besides, HOW OFTEN DO YOU GO THERE? © Lusually go there when I need to. WOULD YOU SUGGEST THIS PLACE? © If you're looking for a place that gives some peace and qi sme BOOKStOFE/sersees-ens€afé, Which is a really quiet place that | love to be in. mnnn@BO. AE THE TIME, serene som the inside... For and, s-nmeeSometimes, | also visit it to... highly recommend thiTR a ee OE Rog TOPIC: DESCRIBE A QUIET PLACE YOU LIKE TO SPEND YOUR TIME IN This topic immediately reminds me of my university library, which is a really quiet place that I love to be in. It's located in district 10, ‘hich is not far from my house. It usually takes me only § minutes to get there by motorbike. If 'm not mistaken, the first time | set foot in this building was 2 years ago. At the time, | was still a first year student and was preparing for my final exams. Since | couldn’t concentrate on studying when I stayed at home, some of my classmates asked me to go there. Since then, it has become my haven of peace and tranquility. On the outside, it looks just like other typical libraries but on the inside, itis pretty airy and spacious with lots of tables and chairs neatly arranged in rows. Each table has an electrical socket right next to it, which students can use to charge their laptops or their phones in case these devices run out of battery. There're also many big bookshelves on which you can find @ wide range of books for your study. Besides, some parts of the walls are made of glass so you can enjoy a good view of the streets down below asthe library ison the fifth floor of my university. The thing like the most about it is that the librarians always try to make sure that nobody is making any loud noises which may affect other people while they’re sitting in the building. As a person who is sensitive to noise, that’s the best | could ask for. | usually go to this place when | need to do my homework assignments or review for an exam. Sometimes, | also visit it when I find a good book and want to immerse myself in it. Generally speaking, this library is my go-to place whenever I need some peace and quiet to focus on my important work. KEY VOCABULARY: © Haven /‘herun/ (n) a safe or peaceful place © Tranquility /treen'kwaati/ (n) the state of being quiet and peaceful > Socket (n) a device in a wall that you put a plug into in order to connect electrical equipment to the power supply of a building © Librarian (n) a person whois in charge of or works in a library © Immerse yourself in something: to become or make somebody completely involved in something © Go+to (adi) [only before noun} used to describe the best person, thing, or place for a particular purpose or needTR ree LOR Describe a perfect job you would like to have in the future You should say: = What it is = How you knew it = What it is like And explain why you think it is perfect.TR GU ee LOD ‘TOPIC: DESCRIBE A PERFECT JOB YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE IN THE FUTURE BRAINSTORMING WHAT JOB IS IT? © Being a flight attendant/ a youtuber/ an actor/ a chef, which is a job that I've always dreamed of having in the future. WHAT THIS JOB IS ALL ABOUT 2 JUSt SO YOU KNOWynsnnesnnnnnns@f@ thOSE WHO vrnnsnense HOW YOU KNEW THIS JOB © If I'm not mistaken, | first knew this job about.. ‘ago. At the time, WHY IT IS A PERFECT JOB IN YOUR OPINION © There’re several reasons why | think being a. another,.. Besides,.. {an ideal job for me. For one thing, WHAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING TO PREPARE FOR IT AND HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF YOU COULD TAKE IT? © As a matter of fact, I've been trying my best over the past few years to improve myself and sharpen some skills related to this job in order to make sure that | will be a perfect fit for it. It would definitely be one of the best days of my life if | could take it.TR CUP eee LOD Es ag TOPIC: DESCRIBE A PERFECT JOB YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE IN THE FUTURE 1'm going to talk about being a travel Youtuber, which is a job that I've always dreamed of having in the future. As a matter of fact, this job is relatively new and just appeared about 10 years back. Just so you know, travel youtubers are those who pay a visit to different places of interests within or out of their countries and then share their experiences in a video format on YouTube to make money from it. From their videos, people can learn loads of fascinating things about a place like its culture, cuisine or lifestyle. The viewers are also given some insider tips so that they can have a better preparation in case they want to have a trip to that place. If'm not mistaken, | first knew this job about 2 years ago. At the time, | was at home browsing Youtube to chill and I came across a video ‘alled “800 days around Vietnam” from Khoai Lang Thang who is a young Vietnamese youtuber. In his video, he recorded his journeys to different destinations across our country and showed some breath-taking scenery of all the places that he'd set foot in. He also shared some intriguing stories about his personal experiences at each place. | was quite inspired by the fact that he quit his 9-to-5 job to make his adventure and that’s when | decided | wanted to pursue this job. There’re several reasons why | think being a travel youtuber is an ideal job for me. For one thing, I'm an avid traveler and I'm really interested in discovering new things about other places so doing this job would give me a real sense of pleasure. For another, | love editing and making videos so 1 wouldn't feel bored if | did it. And the best thing is, | wouldn't have to work for anyone, or in other words, I would be my own boss. KEY VOCABULARY: (© Insider tips (n) advice from people who have lived in a place © Browse /bravz/ (v) to look through a book, newspaper, website, etc. without reading everything © Come across (phrasal verb) to meet or find somebody/something by chance © 9-to-5 job (n} a job that you do during normal office hours, for example a job in a factory or an office © Avid (adi) [usually before noun] very enthusiastic about something (often a hobby)CTU tLU Dy Describe a time you bought something from a street (or outdoor) market You should say: = When it was = Where the market was = What you bought And how you felt about itTOPIC: DESCRIBE A TIME YOU BOUGHT SOMETHING FROM A STREET (OR OUTDOOR) MARKET BRAINSTORMING WHAT YOU BOUGHT? > I'm going to talk about the time | bought a souvenir for MY... market called. in, WHEN YOU WENT THERE? > If 'm not mistaken, it took place. DESCRIBE THE MARKET © It's located in. which i > It is a huge open-air market which. HOW YOU CAME ACROSS THIS THING? © As Iwas taking a stroll around the place, | came across DESCRIBE IT > Its color/ its material/ its design/ its price. HOW YOU FELT AFTER YOU BOUGHT IT? Melt. WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THIS MARKET? > fone day you travel to. ighly suggest you visit this market. “when | was shopping at an outdoor has.Paes Gil DESCRIBE ATI Dea Ds [OR OUTDOOR) MARKET OU BOUGHT SO! Ascarf An outdoor food stall Astreet vendor Aclothing boothRSC Cur ee LOD Ekg TOPIC: DESCRIBE A TIME YOU BOUGHT SOMETHING FROM A STREET (OR OUTDOOR) MARKET \'m going to talk about the time | bought a souvenir for my mom when | was shopping at an outdoor market in a tourist city. If 'm not mistaken, it took place about 2 years ago. At the time, | was still a first-year student and ’d just finished all the final exams at university. Having several weeks off, my best friends and | decided to have a trip together to let our hair down after a stressful semester and we chose Da Lat. Just so you know, Da Lat is one of the most beautiful cities in Vietnam. It has lots of wonderful tourist attractions with breathtaking scenery and comfortably cold weather all year round. We stayed there for 3 days and spent most of our time trying local food and visiting all the must-see sites. The last night before we left, we wanted to buy some souvenirs for our family members back home so we went to Da Lat night market, a huge open-air market which usually attracts lots of tourists when the sun is down. It has numerous outdoor food stalls, street vendors, souvenir shops and clothing booths so it’s an ideal destination. to get to at the end of the trip. As we were taking a stroll around the place, | came across a pretty elegant scarf which | thought would be perfect for my mom. it was purple, her favorite color, and it was made of wool so it's great for keeping warm on some cold days. The best thing was it came at a very affordable price so | went for it without any hesitation. Needless to say, my mom was thrilled to bits with the gift and she even took a picture with it to show her friends. It felt so great when | could do something ‘meaningful for her. If one day you travel to Da Lat, highly suggest you visit this market. key VocaBuLarY: > Breathtaking (adi) very exciting or impressive (usually in a pleasant way) > Must-see sites (n) all places you must visit when you travel to anew place © Take a stroll: have a slow relaxed walk Come across something: find something by chance Elegant (adj) attractive and designed well; stylish © Go for something: to choose something > To be thrilled to bits: extremely pleasedeee UP ee Ra Describe an ai school/work You should say: = What itis = When and where you do it = Who you do it with And explain how you feel about it ity that you do afterTe Gr ee LOE ‘TOPIC: DESCRIBE AN ACTIVITY THAT YOU DO AFTER SCHOOL/WORK BRAINSTORMING WHAT ACTIVITY? © Reading/ Playing football/ Playing video games/ Watching movies, which is one of my favorite things to do after getting back from work/school. WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED IT? © If 'm not mistaken, | first started doing it about. HOW OFTEN YOU DO IT NOW AND WHO YOU DO IT WITH? © loften. with. WHEN YOU OFTEN DO IT NOW? © lusually spend around. WHY YOU LIKE THIS ACVITITY? © There're several reasons why 1 really enjoy doing it. For one thi another, --Also,.. > It’'sa great way to unwind and reduce stress after a tiring day at work/school. © Ithelps me broaden my knowledge about different things in life. | can gain a deeper understanding of some fields that I'm interested in. ‘ARE YOU GOING TO KEEP DOING IT IN THE FUTURE? © Generally speaking, this activity is super good for me so I'm going to try my best to keep doing it as often as I can. .ago. At the tims hours doing it, especially before/after.Tae eee a aE Rg ‘TOPIC: DESCRIBE AN ACTIVITY THAT YOU DO AFTER SCHOOL/WORK INTEREST, HOBBY OR PASTIME? These are all words for activities that you do for pleasure in your spare time. A hobby is often more active than an interest: © His main hobby is football (= he plays football) © His main interest is football (= he watches and reads about football, and may or may not play it). Pastime is used when talking about people in general When you are talking about yourself or an individual person it is more usual to use interest or hobby: ©-De-you-have any pastimes? SOURCE: Oxfordlearnersdictionaries.comRy CUP ee OER ‘TOPIC: DESCRIBE AN ACTIVITY THAT YOU DO AFTER SCHOOL/WORK V'm going to talk about watching movies and TV series, which is one of my favorite things to do after getting back home from school/work. For me, it’s a great pastime even though sometimes it may be a bit time-consuming. | don’t remember exactly when I first started it but I've been doing it for 2 while now. | usually watch different types of movies and TV series ranging from action, horror to comedy ones. Most of the time, I stay at home and watch them on Netflix which is a popular streaming service that offers a wide variety of movies and TV shows from all over the world. Sometimes, | also go to the cinema with friends to see some blockbusters that have just come out. During the week, | spend around 1-2 hours every day, usually before bed, on this recreational activity. On weekends, | don’t have to go to school/work so | often binge-watch some of my favorite TV series. There're several reasons why | really enjoy doing it. For one thing, it’s a great way to let my hair down and reduce stress after a tiring day at school/work. For another, it helps me to improve my English, especially my listening skills since | usually opt for English movies and TV series. Also, | can learn a lot of common English phrases and idioms in these movies and TV series, which is extremely crucial in ‘making my speaking sound more natural. In fact, my vocabulary has increased significantly ever since | got into the habit of doing it. ‘As an English lover, | feel super excited and happy every time | come across some useful words and phrases. | believe watching movies and TV series is one of the most effective ways to learn a new language so I'm going to keep doing it as long as | can, KEY VOCABULARY: © Pastime (n) an activity that people do for pleasure in their spare time > Blockbuster (n) something very successful, especially a very successful book or film ‘©. Recreational activities: leisure activities; activities that people do for pleasure when they are not working, © Binge-watch (v) to watch several episodes (= separate parts) of a television series or programme, one after another © Op for something: choose something,Reeds Pee LOE Rg Describe an item on which you spent more than you expected You should say: What it is = How much you spent on it = Why you bought it And explain why you think you spent more than expectedRee ee UDR TOPIC: DESCRIBE AN ITEM ON WHICH YOU SPENT MORE THAN YOU EXPECTED BRAINSTORMING WHAT DID YOU BUY? ©. Fm going to talk about my current handbag/ pair of shoes/ smartphone, which I didn’t plan on buying in the first place. WHEN AND WHERE DID YOU BUY IT? © If I'm not mistaken, | bought it... Benner MoS What City> soon, At the WHAT MADE YOU CHANGE YOUR MIND? ......ag0 at..........ago. At the time, WHAT HAS HE ACHIEVED SO FAR? © So far, he’s achieved pretty much all the coveted/prestigious trophies and titles and has broken many records in. history. WHY IS HE FAMOUS? © There’re several reasons why he is a well-known. another, -Also/On top of that/Besides, © His dedication and devotion to his career is absolutely admirable. > Off the pitch, he’s a kind person with a heart of gold. He has donated lots of money to charity and financially ‘supported many cancer patients. DO YOU WANT To MEET HIM ONE DAY? © Hopefully one day I can meet him in person and ask for his autograph. It would be one of the best days of my life if that happened. ForREST ee ee TOPIC: DESCRIBE A FAMOUS ATHLETE YOU KNOW \'m going to talk about Cristiano Ronaldo, who is one of the most eminent footballers in the world and probably one of the greatest of all time. He is 36 years old now but still in very good form. Currently, he’s playing for Manchester United which is also my favorite football club. Just so you know, he was once a Man United player but then he moved to Real Madrid and then Juventus to play before he made his comeback this year. If I'm not mistaken, | first knew him in 2003 when he had his debut match for Manchester United. | was strongly impressed with his footwork and his confidence on the pitch that day, given the fact that he was a very young player, and have become a big fan of him since then. So far, he has achieved pretty much all the coveted trophies and titles that every football,player dreams to have, and has broken many records in football history. There're several reasons why he is a world- renowned football player. For one thing, he is the definition of an all-round attacking player with ideal height, devastating finishing skills, incredible heading ability, and a crazy speed. In his prime, he was a nightmare for any defenders and it was extremely tough to tackle him. At the moment, some of his skills have gotten a bit worse than before but they are still sharp enough to help him play at a world-class level. For another, his dedication and determination to be the best player ever is absolutely admirable. He's been playing for more than 18 years and has gained numerous outstanding achievements yet he never stops trying to improve himself every day. Hopefully | can meet him one day in person and ask for his autograph. It would be one of the best days of my life if that happened, KEY VOCABULARY: © Tobe in good form: to be full of confidence and energy, so that you do something well © Coveted (adj) strongly designed by many (© Trophy (n) an object such asa silver cup that is given as a prize for winning a competition ‘© Title (n) the position of being the winner of a competition, especially a sports competition © All-round (adj) to be unable to decide what you think about somebody/something, or whether to do something or not ‘© Inyour prime: at the peak of skill or physical ability; in the most successful or productive period © Tackle someone (v) (in football (soccer), hockey, ete.) to try and take the ball from an opponentREC Pe aL Describe a person who solved a problem in a smart way You should say: * Who this person is = What the problem was = How he/she solved it And explain why you think he/she did it ina smart wayTTR ar ee LUD ER TOPIC: DESCRIBE A PERSON WHO SOLVED A PROBLEM IN A SMART WAY fm going to talk about Taylor Swift whose problem-solving skills are quite impressive in my opinion. As you probably know, she is a famous American singer and song writer. he’s gorgeous with big blue eyes, red lips and blond hair. She has written and performed lots of hit songs. Some of her music videos have reached more than 1 billion views on Youtube. However, apart from her singing talent, she's also notorious for her love life. She’s been in many relationships and every time she got over a breakup, she wrote songs about it. Coincidentally, most of her greatest hits are about her ex-boyfriend. That’s why some people hate her and even spread rumors about her that she didn’t actually love those men, she just took advantage of them in order to find ideas for her songs. In the face of scandals and harsh criticisms from her anti-fans, she did something that | believe was a pretty smart move. She made use of her own strength which is writing music and composed a song about her haters called “Shake it off”. It then became a massive hit and, believe itor not, this song.is now one of her most viewed music videos on Youtube. instead of being crushed down by those hate comments, she made a killing from them. | don't know what other people think but for me, the way she dealt with her crities was just so brilliant. couldn't think of a better solution myself. Besides, | did learn a valuable lesson from her song. In the past, | used to be super sad ‘when someone disiked me for no reason, and | usually tried to please everyone. After listening to her song, | realized that was one of ‘the most stupid things I'd ever done because haters are going to hate and no matter how much I try | just can’t make them love me. KEY VOCABULARY: To be notorious for something: well known for being bad © Coincidentally (adv) in a way that is not planned, but happens by chance © Inthe face of something/someone: despite problems, difficulties, ete. © Harsh (adj) cruel, severe and unkind \ Massive (ad) very successful or important; very large © Make use of something/someone: to use something/somebody, especially in order to get an advantage © Crush (v) to destroy somebody's confidence or happiness © Make a killing (idiom) to make alot of money quickly © Critic (n) a person who expresses dislike of somebody/something and talks about their bad qualities, especially publiclyeI ae Ue Rg Describe a good service you received You should say: = What the service was = When you received it * Who you were with And how you felt about itRSC ee USO Eg ‘TOPIC: DESCRIBE A GOOD SERVICE YOU RECEIVED BRAINSTORMING WHEN WAS THE OCCASION? ‘©. I'm going to talk about the time I stayed in a... ieee = WHEN DID YOU GO THERE AND WITH WHO? © Iftfmnot mistaken, | went there with my.. HOW THEY TREATED YOU? . went out for dinner at. hhad my hai CUt inn Which ‘ago. At the time, WHY DO YOU THINK THE SERVICE THERE WAS EXCELLENT? © There're several reasons why | think the service there was excellent. For one thing, another -Also/On top of that/Besides,. HOW DID YOU FEEL WHEN YOU LEFT? © I felt extremely satisfied when | left. WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THEIR SERVICE? ©. I you're looking for a. swith amazing service, | highly recommend.TRC ur eC O Ea TOPIC: DESCRIBE A GOOD SERVICE YOU RECEIVED '’m going to talk about the time | ate at King’s Barbecue which is a popular sit-down barbecue restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City. t's located in district 10, which is a bit far from where | live, about a 20-minute ride. As its name suggests, this dining establishment offers a wide range of grilled meat and fish dishes. If I'm not mistaken, | went there almost 2 years ago. At the time, it was one of my best friends’ 20" birthday so she invited me and some friends there to celebrate. We got there in the evening so the place was packed ‘with customers. However, the staff members there were still really friendly and attentive, They greeted us politely and showed us to the table right away. One thing I really enjoyed about this place was the menu. It was great with lots of choices and pictures of the food were vividly illustrated so we could imagine what our orders would look lke. The server who waited on us was also really helpful He explained the menu carefully and sometimes helped us grill the food during our meal. We had a fantastic time eating and chatting with each other. For me, the service there was excellent for a lot of reasons. For one thing, our food took only a short time to come so we didn’t have to waste much time waiting like at other restaurants and the food was super yummy. For another, all dining tables ‘were equipped with built-in grills so it was really convenient for us to grill the meat. Plus, the restaurant had lots of servers and they usually came and changed the grill plate at our table very often so we felt extremely satisfied when we left. If you're looking for a barbeque restaurant with amazing service in this city, | highly recommend King’s Barbecue. KEY VOCABULARY: Grill plateDescribe a time when you waited for something special that would happen You should say: = What you waited for = Where you waited = Why it was special And explain how you felt while you were waitingRe eee Ad TOPIC: DESCRIBE A TIME WHEN YOU WAITED FOR SOMETHING SPECIAL THAT WOULD HAPPEN BRAINSTORMING WHEN WAS THE OCCASION? > V'm going to talk about the time | waited for WHEN AND WHERE DID IT HAPPEN? ©. Ift'm not mistaken, it took place about... .ago. At the time,, HOW YOU FELT DURING THAT TIME? > Melt really WHAT DID YOU DO WHILE WAITING? © To. while waiting for it, WHY WAS IT SPECIAL TO YOU? | to me for several reasons. For one thing,. HOW DID YOU FEEL AFTER IT HAPPENED? ©. I can't tell you how stoked I was at that time.PR CUP ee OS LOD ag TOPIC: DESCRIBE A TIME WHEN YOU WAITED FOR SOMETHING SPECIAL THAT WOULD HAPPEN. ¥'m going to talk about the time I waited for the first COVID-19 outbreak in Ho Chi Minh City to be over. If 'm not mistaken, it took place almost 2 years ago in 2019. At the time, a group of people who live in the city were found contracted the virus and before they knew they had it, they'd been to different places and interacted with lots of other individuals so our government had to take action. To nip it in the bud, they Introduced a policy that said the whole city would have a 2-week lockdown and no one should leave their home unless they had a sound reason. As a result, | was cooped up all day in my room and was only allowed to go out for food. | also had to switch to online studying, which is pretty dull and boring to me. As you may have guessed, it was a really depressing period so to keep myself positive while waiting for the lockdown to end, | decided to make use of that time to improve myself. | drew up a plan on what | should do on a daily basis and committed myself to it. started cutting down on my screen time and catching up on some books that | had bought but never read before. | also set aside 30 minutes a day to work out following some tutorial videos on Youtube. On top of that, | tried to adjust my sleep schedule by going to bed and getting up early day in day out. Besides, after Id finished all important tasks for the day, | watched an episode from my favorite English TV series to practice my listening skills and learn new vocabulary. Fortunately, after the lockdown, no new cases were added so the city went back to normal. cart tell ou how stoked | was at that time. Now that the pandemic has evolved and become more complicated, | once again hope that'll end soon and we all can live a normal lf lke we used to. KEY VOCABULARY: © Contract something (formal or medical) to get an illness © Nip something in the bud (idiom) to stop something when it has just begun because you can see that problems will come from it © Be coped up: in a small closed space from which you cannot escape, or you feel as if you are: © Dull (adj): not interesting or exciting, © Catch up on something (phrasal verb) to spend extra time doing something because you have not done it earlier © Commit yourself to something: to promise sincerely that you will defintely do something, keep to an agreement or arrangement, et. © Set something aside (phrasal verb) to save or keep money, time, land, etc. for a particular purpose © Dayiin day out: every day © Evolve /s'verlv/ (v) to develop gradually, especially from a simple to a more complicated form; to develop something in this wayRe eC ee ee Ue Rd Describe a difficult decision that you once made You should say: = What the decision was = When you made your decision * How long it took to make the decision And explain why it was difficult to makeRee TN eee ele Le ‘TOPIC: DESCRIBE A DIFFICULT DECISION THAT YOU ONCE MADE BRAINSTORMING WHAT WAS YOUR DECISION? > Vm going to talk about the time | decided to. made. WHEN DID IT HAPPEN? © If fm not mistaken, it took place about. », which Is one of the most difficult decisions that I've ever At the time,. WHY WAS IT DIFFICULT? © | was in two minds about weather | should, a) .On the other han: nnne . Ittook me almost. {to make up my mind. WERE YOU HAPPY WITH YOUR DECISION? © Now looking back, I think I've made the right decision. 've become. WOULD YOU STILL DO THE SAME IF YOU COULD CHOOSE AGAIN? > If had a chance to choose again, | would still do the same.Pan GU ee LER TOPIC: DESCRIBE A DIFFICULT DECISION THAT YOU ONCE MADE I'm going to talk about the time | decided to move to Ho Chi Minh City to study, which is one of the biggest decisions that I've ever made. At the time, | was still in grade 12 and | was in two minds about whether ! was going to enter university in a big city or stay in my hometown and study there. It may sound like a trivial matter for many people but for me, it was a serious one because | had never been away from my family before that time. | knew that studying in the city would ensure a greater future for me but if I did that, | ‘wouldn't be able to see my parents as much as | wanted. Plus, living away from them meant that | had to get out of my comfort zone and learn to do everything on my own, and | was kind of nervous about that. Later, | asked my parents for their opinions and they ‘encouraged me to move to Ho Chi Minh City for higher education even though they knew that they could no longer see me every day {and they would miss me a lot. They told me that it would be an important milestone in my life and it would help me to develop myself to the fullest. Eventually, | took their advice and chose to study at a university here. Now looking back, | think I've made the right decision. I've changed a lot since the first time | set foot in here. I've become more independent and a lot more mature compared to ‘who | was a few years ago. Apparently, it was really tough in the first few months here. | didn't have many friends and | often felt terribly homesick. But over time, | got used to the city life and now | can proudly say that | have no trouble living away from home. | still keep in touch with my parents really often via mobile phone and always try to visit them every 2 months. KEY VOCABULARY: © Tobe in two minds about something: to be unable to decide whether to do something or not © Trivial (adj) not important or serious; not worth considering © Matter (n) a subject or situation that you must consider or deal with © Tothe fullest: to the greatest possible degree © Milestone (n) a very important stage or event in the development of something,TTR ir ee Ly Describe a time you were friendly to someone you didn't like You should say: = When and where it happened = Who he/she was = Why you didn't like this person And explain why you were friendly to him/her on that occasionTROT a ee DES TOPIC: DESCRIBE A TIME YOU WERE FRIENDLY TO SOMEONE YOU DIDN'T LIKE BRAINSTORMING WHEN? © This topic reminds me of/about the time | did a pair assignment with/ did a group project with.. who was a person that ! hated a lot. WHEN DID IT TAKE PLACE? (©. If fm not mistaken, it took place about... HOW DID IT HAPPEN? (© Unfortunately ! was paired up with WHY DIDN'T YOU LIKE HER? © There're several reasons why | couldn't stand this girl/boy. For one thing, top of that/Besides, WHY DID YOU HAVE TO BE FRIENDLY TO HER? > For the sake of my... », Thad to bite the bullet and found a way t HOW DID THINGS TURN OUT IN THE END? ©. Luckily/ Fortunately in the end, HOW DID YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT? > That was a huge sigh of relief and | couldn't be happier. Hopefully in the future, I'll never have to work with a person like her ever again. At the time. .chow many years>a...ago when | was. ho was the last person | wanted to work with.TRS ar ee Oe Deg TOPIC: DESCRIBE A TIME YOU WERE FRIENDLY TO SOMEONE YOU DIDN'T LIKE This topic reminds me of the time I did a pair assignment with one of my classmates at university. If I'm not mistaken, it took place about 1 year ago when | was still a second-year student. At the time, | was studying a subject called Public Speaking and as a requirement of the lecturer, had to work with another person to prepare for a presentation. Normally we could choose our partner, but somehow that time, my lecturer decided to pick 2 names randomly from a list and unfortunately, ! was paired up with Kim, the last person | wanted to work with. Wel first of al, let me tell you why I really hated this girl. For one thing, she was super lazy and irresponsible. Some of my classmates had worked with her and they all told me that she was the weakest ink in their team, When she couldn't finish a task on time, she always came up with excuses and never took responsibility. As @ person who cares alot about my study, I can’t bear the thought of having a bad mark because of someone else’s fault. For another, she was kind of mean. She had a habit of talking behind someone's back and that’s something | extremely loathe. Generally speaking, it was a real pain working with her, but for the sake of my academic success, | had to bite the bullet and found a way to cooperate with her. | tried to play nice and be as friendly to her as possible. Whenever she showed a sign of laziness, | encouraged her and gave her some compliment on her ‘work. | was also pretty selective in my choice of words whenever | had a discussion with her ast dida’t want to hurt her ego. Luckily in the end, everything turned out fine. We received a fairly good mark for our presentation and that was a huge sigh of relief for me. KEY VOCABULARY: © Can't bear the thought of doing something: to be so upset about something that you feel unable to accept itor lt it happen © Leathe (v) hate something very much © Bite the bullet (idiom) (informal) to start to deal with an unpleasant or dificult situation which cannot be avoided © Play nice: pretend to be nice © Selective about/in something (adj) tending to be careful about what or who you choose © Ego /‘i:gav/ (n) your sense of your own value and importance © Asigh of relief: a feeling of comfort after worrying about somethingTTR ree CU ER Describe a person who impressed you most when you were in primary school You should say: = Who he/she is ® How you knew him/her = Why he/she impressed you most And how you feel about him/herRES I ree eng ‘TOPIC: DESCRIBE A PERSON WHO IMPRESSED YOU MOST WHEN YOU WERE IN PRIMARY SCHOOL BRAINSTORMING WHO THIS PERSON IS? > Fm going to talk about my. elementary school student. WHAT IS THIS PERSON’S NAME/ HOW OLD IS THIS PERSON NOW AND HOW OLD WHEN SHE MET HIM/HER? Her name ‘and she's 30-something now but she was. nen I met her. » who was a person that left a strong impression on me when | was an WHAT WAS YOUR IMPRESSION WHEN YOU FIRST SAW HER? > Istill remember when | first saw her, | was deeply impressed with her.. WHAT MADE HER DIFFERENT FROM OTHER PEOPLE? > What really set her apart from other people was her. DO YOU STILL KEEP IN TOUCH WITH HER NOW? > Every year, especially on Vietnamese teacher's day, | usually pay her a visit and have a catchup with her. DO YOU HAVE ANY MESSAGE FOR HER? © Hopefully, she will always be happy and healthy.Ree TN eee en TOPIC: DESCRIBE A PERSON WHO IMPRESSED YOU MOST WHEN YOU WERE IN PRIMARY SCHOOL I'm going to talk about my literature teacher who was a person that left a strong impression on me when | was an elementary school student. Her name is Anh and she is 30-something now but she was in her twenties when | met her. | still remember when | first saw her, | was deeply impressed with her gorgeous appearance and her sweet voice. She was average height and slim. She had a round face with big brown eyes and a lovely smile. | bet many male teachers in the school had a crush on her back then. She taught me literature in grade 5 and as far as | know, at the time, she was a new teacher and had just been teaching for more than 2 years. However, her teaching method was great. She always encouraged new creative ideas from the students and never forced us to follow her viewpoint. She usually came up with different activities to make sure that her lessons were as interesting as possible. Her ‘exuberant personality really set her apart from the other teachers of the school. Even though she taught literature, a dry subject to many students, she was always full of positive energy and her class was often filled with joy. | felt like she was pretty passionate ‘about teaching and she put her heart and soul into every lesson plan she made. | never felt sleepy or bored during her class. For me, she is the epitome of an excellent teacher. | had never been interested in literature before sitting in her class. She was the one who motivated me and inspired me to take this subject seriously. So far 've been under the guidance of many great teachers but she's still the best one in my opinion. Hopefully, she will always be healthy and happy. KEY VOCABULARY: ©. Have a crush on someone: have a romantic infatuation with someone, especially unbeknownst to that person © Exuberant /1g'zu:barant/ (adi) full of energy, excitement and happiness © Set someone/something apart from someone/something: to make somebody/something different from or better than others ©. Dry (adj) boring © Put your heart and soul into something: to make a lot of effort to do something © The epitome of something (n) a perfect example of somethingake Tureen Lag Describe a café you like to visit You should say: = Where itis = What kinds of food and drinks it serves = What you do there And explain why you like to go thereRE I Ce ea ne ‘TOPIC: DESCRIBE A CAFE YOU LIKE TO VISIT BRAINSTORMING WHAT'S THE NAME OF THE CAFE? > Vim going to talk about WHERE IS IT? > W's located in... there BY. which is one of my favorite coffee shops i .which is not really far from where | live. It usually takes me around. .aminutes to get WHEN DID YOU FIRST COME HERE? © If'm not mistaken, | first set foot in this building about. DESCRIBE THE PLACE On the outside,.. On the inside,. HOW OFTEN DO YOU COME HERE, WHAT YOU DO AND WITH WHO? > Voften come here with my... ‘Sometimes, | also head to this place on my own to.. nomen On WHY DO YOU LIKE THIS CAFE? » There're several reasons why. another Iso/Besides/ Plus, my go-to spot for coffee. For one thing, WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THIS PLACE? © If you're looking for a great coffee place to go te highly recommend.IELTS SPEAKING PART 2 - MODEL ANSWER BAND 8.0+ TOPIC: DESCRIBE A CAFE YOU LIKE TO VISIT fm going to talk about La farm which is one of my favorite coffee shops in Ho Chi Minh City. I’ located in Phu Nhuan district which is ‘not so far from where | lve. It usually takes me around 10 minutes to get there by motorbike. I'm not mistaken, | first set foot in this building about a year ago. At the time, it was on the weekend so my bestfriend and | decided to go out for coffee to unwind and he suggested this café. One special thing about itis that it offers both indoor and outdoor seating so customers can choose where to sit based on their preferences. On the outside, it has a large patio where the owner puts some wooden coffee table sets and green potted plants, giving it an eco-friendly look. On the inside, i's also airy and spacious with 2 floors and lots of seating. There're several reasons why La Farm is my go-to spot for coffee. For one thing, the menu is great with a lot of choices and most of the drinks are super tasty. | especially enjoy the ice-blended coconut coffee here and | think it’s a must-try. For anather, they only play soft and gentle music in the background and each table is equipped with an electrical socket right next to it so I's suitable for a wide range of activities like reading, studying or working. Besides, they also serve different baked goods like muffins, cheesecakes or tarts in addition to their beverages so sometimes if | crave sugar, I can buy one to fulfill my craving. | usually come here with my best friends for a catch-up, mostly on weekends as we don't have to go to school on such days. Every once in a while, ! head to this café on my ‘own to do my homework assignments at university or immerse myself in a good book. i you're looking for a great coffee place to go to in this city, | highly recommend La Farm. KEY VOCABULARY: © Patio /'paetiau/ (n) a flat hard area outside, and usualy behind, a house where people can sit ©. Go-to (adj) [only before noun] used to describe the best person, thing, or place fora particular purpose or need © Spot (n) a particular area or place Beverages (n) any type of drink except water Crave something (v) to have a very strong desire for something > Catch-up (n) an occasion when two or more people meet to discuss what has happened since the last time they met © Immerse yourself in something: to become or make somebody completely involved in somethingRee ee ad Describe a habit your friend has and you want to develop You should say: * Who your friend is = What habit he/she has = When you noticed this habit And explain why you want to develop this habit.eee C ree SEs TOPIC: DESCRIBE A HABIT YOUR FRIEND HAS AND YOU WANT TO DEVELOP BRAINSTORMING WHAT HABIT AND WHOSE HABIT IS IT? © I'm going to talk about my best friend’s......teading/fitness. DESCRIBE THIS PERSON (HER NAME/ HER APPEARANCE) ind we've been friends for more than. habit, which is a great habit that | wish to acquire. .years. She's cute with. WHEN DID SHE ADOPT THIS HABIT AND WHY? (WHAT WAS SHE LIKE BEFORE SHE HAD THIS HABIT?) ©. Ifi'm not mistaken, she first adopted this habit about. ago. At the time, WHAT DOES SHE DO EVERY DAY TO MAKE IT A HABIT? ©. She usually spends at least. -hours V_ing. She also... HOW MUCH HAS SHE CHANGED AFTER SHE HAD THIS HABIT? WHY DO YOU WANT TO GET INTO THIS HABIT? © There're several reasons why | would like to get into this habit. For one thing, another, ‘Also/Besides/ Plus, For DO YOU BELIEVE YOU CAN DO IT? ©. know it’s a long and hard journey to make it become my habit but | believe I can dTTR UP eee LOD eR TOPIC: DESCRIBE A HABIT YOUR FRIEND HAS AND YOU WANT TO DEVELOP I'm going to talk about my best friend’s fitness habit, which is 2 great habit that | wish to acquire. Her name is An and we have been friends for more than 3 years. She's a pretty adorable gil with big black eyes and a lovely smile. She used to be heavier than me but now it’s the complete opposite. It all changed ever since she started going to the gym. If I'm not mistaken, she first adopted this healthy habit about a year ago. At the time, she told me that she looked too fat and it made her unconfident about herself when she ‘went out and met other people. She wanted to have a better body shape so she decided to make a change. At first, | thought she just said it for fun but turned out she was pretty serious and committed to it. She hits the gym almost every day and always manages to spend at least 1 hour there, come hell or high water. She even signed up for a fitness program with a Personal Trainer to speed up the process of losing weight. In addition to that, she’s been going on a low-carb diet and paying careful attention to her daily intake. And her hard work did pay off. She lost 15 kilograms after just 3 months, which was absolutely incredible. Now she looks like a completely different person with a beautiful figure and great confidence. There’re several reasons why | would like to get into this habit. For one thing, I've gained lots of weight over the past few months so I need to get rid of my body fat as soon as possible. For another, what she has achieved gives me a strong motivation to work out. I've seen how much she has changed and I would love to be like her, If she can do it, so can I. Besides, this habit offers numerous health benefits, both physically and mentally, so it’s a good thing to do. KEY VOCABULARY: © Come hell or high water (idiom) despite any difficulties Sign up for something: to arrange to do a course of study by adding your name to the list of people doing it Intake (n) the amount of food, drink, etc. that you take into your body Pay off (phrasal verb) (of a plan or an action, especially one that involves risk) to be successful and bring good results Figure (n) the shape of the human body, especially a woman’s body that is attractiveTREE Oa aaa ead Describe a time when you felt proud of a family member You should say = When it happened * Who is this person = What the person did And explain why you felt proud of him/her.PRE Uae Rg TOPIC: DESCRIBE A TIME WHEN YOU FELT PROUD OF A FAMILY MEMBER BRAINSTORMING WHEN WAS THE OCCASION? (©. Vim going to talk about the time | received the news that my. which made me feel extremely proud. WHEN DID IT TOOK PLACE AND HOW? © I'm not mistaken, it took place about... .ago when | was stil, At the time,.. HOW DID YOU FEEL WHEN YOU KNEW ABOUT IT? ° Hel. bbecaus WHAT DID HE DO TO ACHIEVE THIS WONDERFUL SUCCESS? © Toachieve this wonderful success, he had... WHAT DO YOU THINK OF HIM? © Ireally admire him and he’s like my role model. DID WHAT HE DID HAVE AN IMPACT ON YOU? ‘©. What he did gave me a strong motivation to. DO YOU WANT To BE AS GOOD AS HIM ONE DAY? Hopefully one day, I can be as excellent as him.aR Pee Es TOPIC: DESCRIBE A TIME WHEN YOU FELT PROUD OF A FAMILY MEMBER ''m going to talk about the time | received the news that my big brother got accepted into 2 universities at the same time, which made me feel extremely proud. His name is Tim and he's 2 years older than me. If I'm not mistaken, it took place almost 4 years ago when I was still a high school student. At the time, he'd finished his national entrance exam and was waiting for the result. At first, he didn’t talk much about how he did in the exam, he just said it was okay. | guess he already knew that his result was going to be great so he wanted to give us a surprise. Needless to say, the day he got the result and informed everyone in my family about it, we all exploded with joy and pride. My parents couldn't hide their happiness and they immediately told my relatives about that. We threw a party later that night and it was a blast. As for me, | not only took great pride in him but also felt super happy for him. That’s a well- deserved award for his years of blood, sweat and tears. You know what? To achieve this wonderful success, he had put a lot of effort In his studying. When he was at secondary school, he was only an average student but it all changed after he entered high school. He spent at least 4 hours a day on self-study, and apart from sitting in class, he also took some extra classes to improve his knowledge. On top of that, he steered himself clear of playing video games, which is an activity that many students are addicted to at that age. His hard work is an inspiring example for me. | really admire him and he is like my role model. As a matter of fact, what he did gave me a strong motivation to study hard and thanks to it, | also made it to university with good grades. Hopefully one day, I can be as excellent as him. KEY VOCABULARY: © Explode with something: to suddenly express an emotion © Blast (n) [singular] (informal) a very happy experience that is a lot of fun © As for someone/something: used to start talking about somebody/something © Blood, sweat and tears (n) very hard work; alot of effort > Steer clear of something: to avoid a person or thing because they may cause problems (©. Thanks to someone/something: used to say that something has happened because of somebody/somethingRee hee ee Ed Describe a time when you moved to a new house/school You should say = When you moved = Why you moved = Where you moved And how you felt about it.IELTS SPEAKING PART 2 - MODEL ANSWER BAND 8.0+ ‘TOPIC: DESCRIBE A TIME WHEN YOU MOVED TO A NEW HOUSE/SCHOOL BRAINSTORMING WHEN WAS THE OCCASION? I'm going to talk about the time I moved to.. v» which was a pretty exciting event to me. WHEN DID IT TAKE PLACE AND HOW? © If'mnot mistaken, it took place about. DESCRIBE THE HOUSE/SCHOOL On the outsidej nn HOW DID YOU FEEL WHEN YOU FIRST MOVED THERE? © For the first few weeks, I felt. MAKE COMPARISONS BETWEEN THE NEW HOUSE/SCHOOL AND THE OLD ONE Unlike my old school/house, the new one. = HOW DO YOU FEEL NOW? V’ve been living in this house for quite a few years now and everything is getting older but I'l never forget the feeling ‘when [first set foot in it. (FOR A HOUSE) DO YOU HOPE TO HAVE A HOUSE LIKE THIS ONE DAY? (FOR A HOUSE) Hopefully one day, I can make a lot of money to be able to build a wonderful house like my.Ue CUP eee DE sg ‘TOPIC: DESCRIBE A TIME WHEN YOU MOVED TO A NEW HOUSE/SCHOOL MopeL 1 I'm going to talk about the time | moved to my current house, which was a pretty exciting event to me, If I'm not mistaken, it took place about 4 years ago when | was stil a high school student. Before that time, my parents had bought a good piece of land which ‘was quite near from our old house. And after they had saved up enough money for 2 new house, they decided to have it built. It took 6 months for the house to be completed and the moment I received the news that we were about to move to the new house, | couldn't hide my excitement. When | first entered the gate, | was strongly impressed by its size. It was a day and night difference from our old house. On the outside, it was a 2-story building with a big front yard where we could park our motorbikes and grow some potted plants to add some greenery to the house. On the inside, it was pretty airy and spacious with a large living room, 1 kitchen, 2 bathrooms and 3 bedrooms. The house followed the Scandinavian design with white walls, wooden floors, minimalist décor land modern furniture. | don’t know about other people but for me, this architectural style is extremely beautiful. | was super happy for my parents as this house was the fruit of years of their hard work. They had gone through blood, sweat and tears to have it. I've been living in this house for a quite a few years now and everything is getting older but | will never forget the feeling when | first set foot in it Hopefully, one day, | can make a lot of money to be able to bulld a wonderful house like my parents: KEY VOCABULARY: > Story (US}/ Storey (UK): a level of a building; a floor > The fruit/fruits of something: the good results of an activity or a situation Blood, sweat and tears (n) very hard work; alot of effortRES ee aa ‘TOPIC: DESCRIBE A TIME WHEN YOU MOVED TO A NEW HOUSE/SCHOOL MopéL2 I’m going to talk about the time when | transferred to HUFLIT, which is my current university. Just so you know, HUFLIT stands for Ho CChi Minh City University of Foreign Language and Information Technology and it’s one of the best private universities in this city. It’s @ large 8-story building and is located in district 10. If I'm not mistaken, | first went to this school about a year ago. At the time, | had finished high school so it was time for me to go on to higher education. | wanted to be a business administration major but didn’t know what university | should apply for. Fortunately my older brother had been living in the city for a few years so he recommended HUFLIT to me. | took his advice and that’s how | ended up being a student of this school. Studying at university is a night and day difference from studying in high school so for the first few months, | felt like a fish out of water. | had to learn to manage my own time and take responsibility for my academic performance. | also had to do a lot pair and group work activities, which was something 1 rarely did in high school. However, time gradually went by and step by step | learned to adapt to a new environment. And now, things are getting so much better. | have made lots of new friends here and same have become my best friends. Most of my lecturers are also quite friendly and easy to talk to. The best thing is, my university has a lot of clubs and they usually hold fascinating events for students, ranging from entertainment to education. Via these events, | can meet and make friends with students from other departments and broaden my knowledge. Generally speaking, | love my new school and I'm enjoying every minute of studying here. KEY VOCABULARY: (© Stand for something: to be an abbreviation or symbol of something, © Story (US)/ Storey (UK): a level of a building: a floor © A fish out of water (idiom) a person who feels uncomfortable because he or she is in an environment that is not familiar