MULTI LEVEL PRACTICE TEST 2

PART 1
1. Transportation

1.1. What’s the most popular means of transportation in your

hometown? Without any doubt I would say motorbikes. Almost
everyone travels by motorbike. The reason why motorbike is so
popular I think is due to their reasonable price and convenience.
They also extremely varied in terms of size, color and quality, thus a
wide variety of choices is available for everyone. Vocabulary
Without any doubt/There is no doubt that (expression) a phrase
expressing certainty or agreement; yes
A wide variety of (collocation) a number or range of things of the
same general class that is distinct in character or quality.
1.2. How often do you take buses?

Almost every day. Since my house is so far away from my university,

it’s impossible for me to travel by motorbike. In addition, the air is
heavily polluted by exhaust fumes and traffic jams always take
place, especially during peak hours. Thus, I’d prefer to take the bus,
to save time, save gasoline and causing less pollution.
Vocabulary

Exhaust fumes (n) waste gasses or air expelled from an engine,

turbine, or another machine in the course of its operation.
Traffic jam (n) a line or lines of stationary or very slow-moving
traffic, caused by roadworks, an accident, or heavy congestion.
Peak hours/Rush hours (n) the busiest hours

1.3. Can you compare the advantages of planes and trains?

Planes and trains regularly depart and arrive on time. Plus, there are
many convenient facilities catering particularly to certain groups of
passengers. However, traveling by plane is clearly time-saving and
enjoyable in terms of on- board services like meals or comfortable
seats, while traveling by train offers you a chance to see the world
outside, admire the views from their seats. It’s totally a great
experience for most train-travelers.
Vocabulary

On-board services (n) provided on or within a vehicle

Cater (v) provide with what is needed or required

1.4. Is driving to work popular in your country?

Although cars themselves and gasoline are expensive, a lot of people

prefer driving, possibly because driving is more comfortable in such
weather, with such polluted and noisy surroundings.
1.5. Do you think people will drive more in the future?

If you’re talking about India, no, I don’t think it’s possible, even in the
future. Cars and gasoline are becoming unaffordable for many people
these days. Plus, the transport infrastructure in various regions in
India is not appropriate for cars.
Vocabulary

Transport infrastructure (n) the framework that supports our

transport system

1.6. Would you ride bikes to work in the future?

Definitely not. Riding a bike means you’re exposing yourself to the

unpredictable weather and to air pollution. What is worse, I’m
afraid the main streets or the highway are too dangerous for cyclists,
as cars, motorbikes and

buses will travel at a very high speed. Thus I’d rather ride a motorbike
or take the bus instead.
 PART 2
Describe an impressive advertisement you
remember well.

You should say:

when and where you saw it; what was advertised;

what the contents of the advertisements
were; and explain why you remember it well.

So I’m going to talk about an advertisement for Blue Electronics,

which is one of the biggest electronic brands in Vietnam. I’ve seen its
advertisements everywhere, on TV commercials and even on social
media networks like Facebook and Instagram.

The advertisement shows a video of people dressed as blue household

appliances, smiling and staring creepily (strangely) at the screen
and dancing spontaneously (unplanned) to a really annoying, yet
catchy (memorable) tune.

I think the aim of this ad was to leave a big impression on the audience
and to make the products seem more appealing (desirable) to
them. I also think they are trying to traumatize (scare) the audience
so that whenever they hear that tune, they will think of Blue
Electronics.

I think the advert is impressive because the company is deliberately

(intentionally) trying to influence and attract people’s attention, and
they do so by trying to present the household appliances as something
special, and kind of like a useful friend for everyone I guess.
 I think older people probably won’t enjoy these kinds of advertisements
because they tend to prefer more informative, serious kind of ads,
whereas the younger generation seems to be amused about this kind
of advertisement. Since I’m young, I’ll always remember this ad
because it made me laugh a lot.

PART 3

1. What makes an advertisement effective?

Answer: There are a number of facts that makes an advertisement effective.

To begin with, the advertisement on a particular product has to be absolutely
relevant and specific on its message while also describing at the same time
what exactly set the product apart from others in terms of its benefits.
Besides, for an advertisement to be effective, the language or the wording has
to be unique to the target audience, based on their age, gender, race, culture,
religion and geographic location. Finally, the advertisement should include a
clear “call for action” such as asking to buy the product or contact.

2. What is the purpose of advertising?

Answer: For a given market segment, there are six main purposes of an
advertisement, which include informing the consumers about a certain product
and convince customers, changing the belief about a certain brand, enhance
the image of the company, point out and create a need for products or
services, generating new direct sales and announce new products and
programs. Some advertisements may also want to demonstrate new uses for
established products and send a reminder to use an existing product.

3. How have advertisements changed since you were a child?

Answer: Advertisements have changed significantly over the years since I
was a child. For a starter, when I was a child, if I remember correctly, there
were only radio, TV and print media to show us the advertisements, but today
there are computers, smartphones, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram also on
which advertisements are being displayed continuously. We can also see
billboards, neon signs, and other vibrant and visually captivating printed
designs, that are placed at strategic locations with high volumes of human
traffic, which were not seen when I was a child.

4. What are the advantages and disadvantages of advertising?

Answer: The main advantage of advertising is that they allow us to learn

about new products and services that we may need badly. Advertising also
helps us compare among different kinds of products, in terms of their costs
and qualities, so that we can make an informed decision when making a
purchase.

The main disadvantage of advertising that I think of is that they increase the
cost of the products because it costs to advertise and the companies pass
those advertising cost to be picked up by the customers. They sometimes
mislead the customers because not all the products, that are advertised, are
good for them.

5. Do you think that advertisements should be strictly regulated?

Answer: Yes, I do think that advertisement should be strictly regulated

because, without it, misleading information on the products will keep
deceiving the customers into buying wrong and defected products. Besides,
without strict regulation, bigger companies will always have undue
advantages, because of their higher budget for advertisements, over the
smaller and local manufacturers/companies even though the products of
“bigger” companies are of inferior quality to those of smaller companies. In
other words, advertisement kills competition and gives larger companies an
unfair advantage over smaller companies.