SPEAKING

1. Study.
Do you work or study? What is your major?
Well, iam a junior student at BKU which is one of the best universities in VN. Iam
majoring in industrial management beacause iam dream of becoming a businesswoman
and enrolling in my university is the first step to make my dream is come true.
Why did you choose that university?
I chose my university because it is the most famous universities with many proficient
teachers and professors, so I would have the chance to learn valuable knowledge from
them. Therefore, it is easier for me to look for a well-paid job.
Do you learn many subjects at university?
Actually, we get to leatn a variety of subjects such as philosophy, economics, math and
so on. However, I have to say that my university teachers place great inportance on
scores, so I try my best to cram for knowledge unless I won’t graduate from my
university.
Do you have any favorite subjects?
I like learning economic management the most because my teachers pass on valuable
knowledge about how to manage a company to me. I think it is very important for me to
make my dream of becoming a business woman come true.
Why did you choose to study those subjects?
I wish I would become an entrepreneur, so learning these above subjects is a must for
me because I can take advantage of my knowledge to manage my company in the future
properly.
Do you have any plans after graduation?
If I graduate from university, I will try my hand at different jobs to accumulate
experience, because the more companies I work for, the more colleagues I meet and the
more knowledge I learn from them. However, in the long term, I want to take advantage
of my time to take care of them.
2. Home.
3. Window view.
What scenery can you see from the window of your room?
Yes, but I don't consider it as extra-ordinary scenery, It just a typical view of countryside.
I have garden in front of our house, it is so refreshing to look the flowers in it. I can also
notice the street in front of house and can see people who walk on street. Furthermore,
I can also see field, moutains and my neighborhood.
 Do you like to watch the scenery from your window?
Yes, Whenever I see the scenery from my window, I make sure to be close to nature. I
especially love looking out the window in the morning because Just looking at the
tranquility of trees, witnessing the sunset, makes me feel rejuvenated.
Do you want to live in a house with beautiful views?
Humans have always been dreaming of living in a luxurious house and accordingly my
dream is also similar to the other human beings. I want to live in a large and luxurious
house with outstanding views. I would like to have a balcony with my bedroom from
where I could smell the fragrance from the garden. At the night times, I will place a chair
on the balcony to enjoy the night views, especially the moonlit nights.
How do you feel when you can't see any beautiful view from your window?
As I am a nature lover person so I really feel awful when I can't see any kind of beautiful
view from my window. Sometimes I feel depressed if all I can see from my window are
concrete buildings and roads.
4. Math.
Are you good at math?
Not really. I tend to have a more abstract (illogical) brain, so I am more apt (able) to
subjects like art, literature, or music. Math was always the class I would dread (not look
forward to) all day. Actually, I even failed Geometry in high school.
Do you like math?
To be honest, I was not really into Math when I was young because I found it extremely
tedious. But when I got into high school, I gradually found myself more comfortable
when studying Math and usually got high marks in this subject and this just made me
keen on learning Math even more.
Do you think females are good at maths?
Hmm, I can’t say. I haven’t noticed whether one gender is better than the other at
Maths. However, I’ve heard the stereotype that women don’t tend to think as logically
as men, so maybe this affects their mathematical abilities.
At what age did you start studying mathematics?
Well, I can’t exactly remember, but Math is a compulsory subject in primary school. All
children have to learn this complex subject from the first grade. So I probably learnt
simple addition at that age.
Do you like to use a calculator?
Yes, I do love using a calculator to make everything simpler! It allows me to calculate
numbers more quickly without having to thinking much. I just need to input the figures
into the calculator, then the right answers are displayed on the screen.

Who taught you math?

 My teachers, with my parents’ help at home. It all started with very basic equations like
“If I take away one of these jelly beans, how many are there?”, which my parents
practiced with me at home, also. But, first and foremost, it started at school.
When did you start learning math?
I started learning basic arithmetic in the first grade, geometry in the third grade and
algebra in the fifth grade. Then we did statistics in middle school and studied calculus in
high school.

5. Morning routine.
Do you like to get up early in the morning?
Well, I don’t really like waking up early in the morning because I’m a night owl and I
work at night.
What do you do in the morning? What is your morning routine?
I start my day with tidying myself up and then have breakfast and a cup of coffee. After
that, I rush to the bus station to go to school. My morning routine is almost always the
same but I sometimes do yoga if it’s the weekend.
Is breakfast important?
Yes, I believe that breakfast plays an important role in our daily routines since it
provides us with nutrition to work and lifts up our spirits.
6. Remembering name.

Is it easy for you to remember people’s names? 

Generally, yes. I take great pride in my excellent memory…  However, if I meet someone who has
a long, unusual name, it may take me a while to remember it.
Can you remember the names of your childhood friends?
(Interesting question… it’s straightforward to recall the names of my close friends. With long-
lost contacts, it may be harder but if I see their face again, I believe I would still be able to call
them by their first name or the nick name we used to give each other…
Have you forgotten the name of someone you know?
 (Yes, + quá khứ + kể 1 example story: The other day, I ran into one of my high school friend I
rarely hanged out with. I recognised his face but couldn’t utter a proper greeting because I failed
to recall his name. It was so embarrassing.
How would you feel if someone forgot your name?
Well, I’ve never been in such situations but probably I would feel a little bit upset. I’ve read
somewhere that a person’s name is the sweetest and most important sound in any language. 
However, I would never make a fuss over such a trivial matter because in our modern hectic life,
things tend to slip our mind easily.
How to remember other people’s names?
(Câ u khó , ít ra: First/ Besides / Another way …: Pay close attention when they introduce their
name /  associating their name with something amusing such as a rhyming word will do the
trick / link their name with a distinctive feature of their appearance ….
7. Place to read.
Where do you usually read?
 There are various locations that I’ve spent time reading in such as cafés, my
university’s library, or the parks in the morning. However, nowhere beats the
comfort of my bedroom. I’m a private person, so to me not having strangers
staring at me while I’m reading makes the experience so much better.
Vocab
to beat (v): đánh bại
private (adj): mang tính cá nhân, hướng nội. Private person: người có lối sống kín đáo
Do you prefer to read individually or as a group?
As I just stated, I’m an introverted person. Therefore, I like it better when I read
alone. I’m satisfied if there’re only me, the books and, perhaps, a cup of coffee or tea.
Vocab
introverted (adj): có tính nôi tâm
satisfied (adj): cảm thấy hài lòng
What makes a perfect place to read?
In my opinion, the qualities of a good place to read is silence, lighting and air
conditioning. First, I don’t want my concentration to be disrupted by strange
noises. Second, I want to protect my precious eyes from overworking to
compensate for the lack of lighting. And finally, reading at the right temperature is
pleasant and also good for the preservation of the books.
Vocab
concentration (n): sự tập trung
precious (adj): quý báu
to compensate (v): bù vào
preservation (n): sự bảo quản
8. Museum.
Have you been to many museums?
Well, I was born and raised in the countryside so I had never set foot in a museum
until I moved to Ho Chi Minh for higher education. If my memory serves me right,
the first one I visited was the National Museum of Vietnamese History. Then, I also
checked out the Museum of Ethnology, which I found truly intriguing.
What kinds of museum do you think are most interesting?
It’s hard to tell coz I haven’t been to many. Since I’m a nature enthusiast, I suppose a
museum dedicated to the natural history with an amazingly diverse collection of
fossils would capture my heart. Additionally, I’m really into culture so cultural
museums might also be equally fascinating.
Is it better to visit museums alone or in a group?
Well, I don’t have strong feelings one way or the other. Probably, it would be more
rewarding to visit an art museum alone as I can enjoy some serenity and
appreciate the artists’ creativity in my own way. However, for other types of
 museum, I prefer to go with friends or family so that we can discuss about the
artefacts on display and obtain more insightful knowledge.
Would you like to work in a museum?
That’s an interesting one! It sounds tempting but I’d rather not. I guess working
in a museum is quite a tedious job. I would have to spend most of the day in an
enclosed building, showing people around, setting up some displays or exhibition.
This isn’t for me as I love flexibility and outdoor activities.

45.Describe something you bought recently and you are happy with it.

I would like to talk about an item that I purchased two weeks ago. It was a motorbike which,
you know, is the most popular means of transport in my country.

I used to go to school by bus and it typically took me an hour to travel from my house to my
university. It was cheap but not convenient for me to get around and sometimes I had to end
up having no seat on a crowded bus, so my mom suggested that I should buy a motorbike.
That was what I did.

When it comes to stuff like this, I’m just a big kid, so I asked my brother to accompany me. We
went to a pretty big dealer near my house and the staff took me around to have a look at the
latest models for girls with different color options.

After giving it some thought, I decided to go for a blue Honda motorbike because blue has
always been my favorite color. I fell in love with it at first sight because it looks really cool and
it’s not too big so I wouldn’t have any problem handling it. Taking the price into consideration,
I also thought it was the best option for me at that time. After waiting for two hours, I had the
motorbike ready to use. And then I had to wait one more week for the paperwork to be
delivered to me before being allowed to actually use it on the road.

44.Describe the first time when you used a foreign language to communicate.

I have been learning English for a long time, but I haven’t had many chances to practice
speaking English with native speakers. To the best of my recollection, the first time I used it was
on Christmas Eve three years ago.

At that time, I was hanging out with my friends. Suddenly, a foreigner came up to me and asked
for directions to a supermarket. Honestly, he spoke too quickly for me to catch everything. But
after he repeated his words, I finally understood and showed him the way to the nearest
supermarket. I used body language a lot to explain the directions to him, since I didn’t speak
English well then. After that, he said “Thank you” to me and headed for the supermarket.

I realize that English plays an important role in our life, despite the fact that we don’t live in
English-speaking countries. It is spoken globally and it’s becoming the dominant language.
Therefore, I have been trying to practice speaking English daily so that I can have a good
command of this language, and I can talk confidently with foreigners, whatever the topic of
conversation.

43.Describe an interesting tradition in your country.

Well, to start off, I would like to describe Tet, which is the most crucial national festival of
Vietnam. In Vietnamese culture, Tết marks the beginning of the Lunar New Year. It usually lasts
three days but celebrations continue for at least the first week of the New Year.

In my opinion, the primary reason for its appearance is that Tết is a special occasion for family
reunions as well as for celebrating the arrival of spring.

To celebrate the New Year, we do lots of things together. Before New Year’s Eve, we prepare
some local specialties, such as Chưng cake, Vietnamese sausage and dried candied fruits to
worship our ancestors and then enjoy during Tet. Houses are thoroughly cleaned out and then
nicely furnished in the hopes of getting rid of the past year’s bad lucks. Additionally, many
families usually decorate their houses with Kumquat trees, Apricot or Peach blossom and
parallel sentences that are believed to bring luckiness, happiness and prosperity to them in the
New Year.

All members in a family gather together and have parties to ring in the New Year. During Tết,
there are a lot of customs practiced, such as giving lucky money to children, visiting friends’
houses and going to churches, temples or pagodas to make good prays for their family.

If there’s time left, I would like to explain its importance to our culture and me. With
Vietnamese, Tết is vital as it’s a very meaningful tradition to welcome the New Year. And it’s
more important because Tet is the time for families and relatives to gather under the same roof
for rekindling love and bonding. For me, I always long for Tet as it’s the longest holiday, which
can help me recover my battery after a long working year.

BURNING FAKE MONEY

Vietnam is well-known for having rich tradition so there are numerous interesting traditions
that I can think of off the top of my head. There’s one particular tradition that I think is really
intriguing and strange at the same time which is “burning fake money tradition” and I can’t wait
to share with you more details.
From my knowledge, the tradition of burning fake money is deeply rooted in East Asian culture
especially China and Vietnam for thousands of years. It often occurs on the first and 15th of
every month based on the lunar calendar. These rituals are also performed at funerals and on
dead anniversaris of loved ones throughout the yeasrs and it is especially grand during the Tet
holiday.

I am sure all Asian people, especially Vietnamese people follow this tradition in a very serious
way. They believe this is an essential way of showing respect to the dead and wishhing for their
ancestors to star their new year with plenty of money in their spiritual bank.

Alongside burning fake money, Vietnamese people also buy various types of paper models
such as multi-storied houses, motobikes, servants and other valuable items. They all burn them
on the sidewalks for the death anniversary because they believe their beloved ones can receive
these gifts and have a happy afterlife.

Interestingly, most families spend a lot of money burning paper money on special occasions
with the belief that it will bring more prosperity, luck and good health in return for their
generosity.

For Western people, this is a bit of a superstition because they don’t share the same belief.
They even think that it will damage the environment because the burning of large quantities of
this paper emits harmfull substances into the air.

All in all, this tradition has become an important part of our culture and I am sure it will never
disappear. That being said, I think we should treat our close family wholeheartedly when they
are alive rather than burning lots of fake things after they have passed away.

42.Describe a time when you changed your opinion.

Well, it's not uncommon to see people changing their views as with changed circumstances we
have to change accordingly.I always prefer to take the advice of elders before making any
decision so that I can save my self from getting into trouble. However, there are some incidents
when I had to change my opinion despite taking advice from elders.Here, I would like to talk
about one such incident when I had to change my opinion.

When I was in school, I always dreamt to study in a foreign nation as many of my cousins have
settled in different nations after studying there. Actually, after completing my graduation I was
planning to continue my further study in Canada.

My parents were not ready to send me Canada for higher education because I am their only
child. It is obvious for parents to worry about their children. However, somehow I talked them
around and convinced them to send me Canada for higher studies. Most students apply for
September intake and I was also planning for the same. Unfortunately, due to the Corona
pandemic, the situation changed dramatically. Since Vietnam was observing lockdown from
March 2020, immigration offices got shut down and there were no international flights.
Moreover, Canada has also restricted all non-essential until further notice.

In fact, I have few friends in Canada and they recommended me that it is not the right time to
come to Canada because due to Lockdown they have lost their jobs and they have to study
online. They suggested me to drop the idea until the situation gets normalized.

I evaluated the situation thoroughly and also discussed the matter with my parents and finally,
changed my opinion and I decided to postpone my plan and now I will try for January 2021
Intake.

Overall, it was the time when I changed my opinion.

41.Describe a time when you saw a child behave badly in public.

Well, young children are innocent, energetic and enjoy their time at fullest. Some children are
quite difficult to handle because their mischievous habits create a nuisance. Even, I have a 5
years old niece and I feel lucky that I never faced any embarrassment in the public.

A fortnight ago, I went to the supermarket to buy grocery for my home. It took a bit long at the
store to buy all things. When I reached the billing counter, I saw a boy and a girl who might be
of age between 6-10 years old. They were shouting at their mother. They were forcing their
mother to buy some toys for them. However, the woman refused to buy anything for them.
They were yelling at their mother and attracted the attention of all people in the store. That
woman was doing all efforts to calm them down and promised to buy toys on her next visit. It
seemed that she did not have enough money in her purse. But children created a total chaotic
scene at the store. Everyone was looking at them and feeling sorry for the woman. Even the
woman tried to scare them that she would tell their father about this incident. However,
children did not listen. Their mother was feeling helpless and angry. In the end, she slapped
both of them and they started crying loudly. After making payment, all went to the parking lot.

All in all, parents must teach their children how to behave in public so that they do not become
a mockery for the public.

40.Describe an intelligent person you know.

I always feel lucky when there are many kind, warm-hearted and highly smart people around
me. I actually learn a lot of precious things from them. The very first person popping into my
mind is Hoang Viet – my close friend since we studied in high school. It’s the person that
influences positively on me in every way.
I met my beloved friend on the first day of high school years. While I was quite reserved with
everything new around, his sociability soon made me comfort and we became good friends
quickly. During that time and up to now is nearly 6 years, we have been still best friend. Even
though we spend the hardships, we also share a whale of a time together.

If you meet him one day, I am sure that you will have same feeling as me. His incredibly
intelligence is at both appearance and personalities. He is little tall and have a healthy body. His
hair is always tidy and the eyes seem like talking. Mai Hoang is the person who is not only
sociable but also calm, speak and stops at the right time. After getting a scholarship to study
abroad his major at Information Technology, he continues to achieve an MBA. However, our
friendship seems never been separated by the physical distance.

I found in Mai Hoang some attributes that helps me complete myself. He always believes that
everything has two sides: positive one and negative one. That he will treat everyone and
everything he meets in life with justice. On the other hand, he is intelligent both in wide
knowledge and in manner that he manages to lead to his goals in every fields from society to
his carrier without making anyone feel uncomfortable. He prepares many situations to handle,
use his negotiation skill with optimism, patience, honesty and goodness. If he fails, he thinks
“The failure is the mother of success.” In some my big decisions, I always look at him as a bright
mirror and receive his helpful advices.

Mai Hoang is not just a best-friend but the inspirer. Everything in him is exuding the intelligence
from kindness that shines above the rest and is worthy learning. Thanks to him, I complete
myself better, achieve some certain successes and our friendship become closer and mature.

39.Describe an occasion when you forgot something important.

To be honest, my memory is not something I’m proud of. Sometimes I find myself struggling to
remember things, especially things that I’m not supposed to forget.

Last week, my friends and I planned to go to a music concert. We had purchased the tickets
weeks earlier because our favorite artist would perform in the show. They weren’t cheap at all!

Unfortunately, on the night right before the concert, I realized that I didn’t remember where I
had put my ticket. I went through all of my bags and pockets in a desperate attempt to find it. I
even called friends to check if, by any chance, one of them was having the ticket. Apparently
they had as little clue as I did.

Since I couldn’t afford another ticket, I had to spend the night at home doing homework while
my friends were having a great time at the concert. The worst part, however, was to listen to
them bragging about it the next day.
38.Describe an activity you enjoy doing occasionally that is a bit expensive.

Well, I love traveling especially with my family. Although, I am not a globe trotter; but, still I
make trips locally. Now and then, I plan to visit a hilly area that is although quite expensive; but
it gives me a chance to explore life. So, by expending more, I am alive and kicking.

I usually go to Manali, once in a blue moon, and expenditure on this trip is around thirty
thousand per person including accommodation, full board meals and if your family is with you,
it is more costly.

But one can enjoy more with a family rather than visiting individually. Whenever I go, I am fond
of shopping and collecting souvenirs of that place and it normally enhances my budget. I love to
do photography there and doing paragliding is ice on the cake. In this way, I relish delicious
meals of the place along with its traditional meal. Thus, it doesn’t only satisfy my appetite but
also broadens the horizon of my knowledge. Thus I would like to do such things again and
again.

37.Describe an area of science that interest you.

Well, my favourite science area is chemistry ever since I was a middle school student. Though I
just learned some basic part of chemistry at the high school level, it was a really eye-opener
because it gave me a fuller understanding of the natural world by teaching me about the
periodic table, the mole concept, types of chemical reactions, atomic theory and etc.

Chemistry is very difficult to learn, but it also tells me about chemicals and their interactions
and it can help you to understand the world around you, since everything is comprised of
chemicals. Cooking, for instance, often employs chemical reactions to achieve different types of
cooked foods. Baking is a prime example of this type of use, as it often employs ingredients like
baking soda that react with acids in the recipe and help the cake or cookies to rise when
heated. This process is a chemical reaction. Additionally, taking a chemistry class will allow you
to better understand other sciences, like biology or anatomy and physiology, as all life is uses
chemical reactions. Besides, chemistry allows me to stay in the lab to take lots of different
engaging experiments, such as making smoke bombs. I believe that experimenting is best part
of taking a chemistry class.

36.Describe a prize that you want to win.

I’m going to talk about a prize that I would like to win, which is the ‘employee of the year’
award at the company where I work. At the end of December each year, the company directors
give this award to a member of staff who has made an outstanding contribution to the business
over the previous twelve months.
I first heard about this prize during my training and orientation period just after I got the job
three years ago. It was early December and some of my colleagues were discussing who might
be awarded ‘employee of the year’ later that month. I was intrigued, and asked them to tell me
more about the award.

As I said, the prize is given for ‘outstanding contribution to the business’. We don’t have an
exact definition of what this means, but we assume that you have to achieve certain standards,
such as 100% attendance, good punctuality, meeting targets and deadlines, good teamwork,
and so on. I think the winner also needs to have done something especially creative. For
example, last year’s winner created a completely new service for our clients.

I’d like to win ‘employee of the year’ because it would mean that my work had been recognised
by the company directors, and this would definitely help me to progress in my career. It would
also give me a great sense of personal achievement.

1. What rewards can children get from school?

Gợi ý: give incentives for children (những phương pháp động viên khích lệ khác nhau), have a
lasting impact (tạo ra ảnh hưởng lâu dài), an aquarium (thuỷ cung), study more about their
surroundings (hiểu biết hơn về các thứ xung quanh).

There are so many different ways to give incentives for children at school. And I think that
rewards should be something which can create meaningful moments and that have a lasting
impact on a child. That’s why for me, a short trip during the day is an ideal choice. A child
always has a favorite place that they wish to go to. For example, it can be a trip to a museum, a
zoo or an aquarium. By doing this, our kids not only feel excited and happy, but they also have a
chance to study more about their surroundings.

2. Should parents push their children to get prizes?

Gợi ý: No: develop intrinsic motivation (phát triển động lực học bên trong), study with ease
(học thoải mái, không căng thẳng), have a negative effect on children’s mental health (có ảnh
hưởng tiêu cực tới sức khoẻ tinh thân của trẻ nhỏ).

Definitely not. I don’t like the idea of kids thinking that they will only study hard if there is a
prize. What parents should do is to let their children develop their intrinsic motvation. That’s
why children themselves should find fun and excitement in exploring the world and learning
new things. And parents need to stop raising their children with the principle that they must
beat everyone else in the class. If parents try to push their children too hard, this will have a
negative effect on children’s mental health. I mean, they may feel stressed and cannot study
with ease.
3. Is it good for children to compete for prizes at school?

Gợi ý: improve self-esteem (lòng tự tôn), realize their strengths and weaknesses (nhận ra điểm
mạnh và điểm yếu), self-reflection (tự nhìn nhận bản thân), failure (thất bại), push them ahead
(thúc đấy trẻ nhỏ tến về phía trước)

As I told you before, I don’t like the idea of studying just for prizes. However, competitions can
actually bring about certain benefits for children. They will gradually realize their strengths and
weaknesses so that they can work hard to improve themselves and prepare to perform better
in the next competition, which helps them build up “self-esteem”. Besides, a lesson will be
learnt that competition is not just about winning but it’s also about failure. And you know,
losing will teach children to self-reflect and push them ahead for improvement in the future.

4. What kinds of rewards can companies offer to their outstanding employees?

Gợi ý: bonus (tiền thưởng): monetary reward (phần thưởng bằng tiền). Employees will strive
(cố gắng, phấn đấu), meet their needs in life (đáp ứng như cầu trong cuộc sống), achieve the
company’s goals (đạt được mục tiêu công việc).

That should be giving bonuses. This is definitely the most practical way to reward excellent
employees. We cannot deny the fact that people are working extremely hard to earn as much
money as possible to meet their needs in life. That is to say, monetary rewards can motivate
employees to perform their best at work and strive to achieve the company’s goals.

34.Describe a book you read that you found useful.

As an avid reader, it is hard to pick just one book talk about. However, in terms of a book that is
useful and exciting, there is one particular example that springs to mind which is called “Why
we sleep” by Matthew Walker.

This book was recommended to me by a friend because they found the content truly
fascinating. I bought the book about one year ago and it has taken me a while to read it
because some of the content is quite challenging. They use a lot of scientific terminology which
is hard to get your head around.

The book is a scientific and psychological explanation about sleeping and explains about the
importance of sleep, and also how we can get a better night of sleep. Back then, I have
sometimes struggle with sleeping because I found it difficult to turn off at night, so this book
gave me some really helpful tips and tricks.

The power of sleep is massively underrated as it helps us to memorise, recover, make decisions
and function the next day. Without sleep, we really are useless. In this book there is a thorough
account about the mechanisms tht allow us to sleep, as well as some sleeping pattern
differences in different species.

Actually, the most fascinating thing this book taught me is that human function best when they
take a nap in the daytime, due to the sleepy chemical in our brain making us tired at t that time.

This is great news because, since living in Vietnam, naps have become part of my daily routine,
so it’s good to know that my body and brain really benefits from them

All in all, this is my absolute favourite book and I highly recommend anyone who has trouble
sleeping to give it a go to boost your overall productivity.

33.Describe a family (not your own) that you like.

I would like to talk about a fictional family from a newly released movie called Bố Già. The
movie tells the tale about a 3-person family residing in an impoverished community in Ho Chi
Minh city. The head of the house, Mr. Sang, is an aged man. He has a thick and unkempt
mustache while his outfit is always dishevelled. He’s an honest and hardworking man who does
physical work to make ends meet. Towards his sibling’s families, he’s affectionate to a fault. At
times, they have exploited him for his kindness. On the other hand, his son Quắn is his polar
opposite. Quắn is well-groomed and stylistic as he is an up-and-coming social media
influencer. Aside from his plan to climb the social ladder with an unconventional career path,
he also values individuality and personal freedom even at the cost of falling out with his distant
relatives. Mr. Sang and Quắn sometimes clash over different points of view. In these tense
situations, Bù Tọt, the mischievous 6-year-old daughter, is often there to defuse.

This family isn’t perfect and their story isn’t glamorous. Yet that is precisely why I’m so fond of
them. They’re depicted realistically. Personally, I empathize a lot with the son, since we’re of
the same age and I share his individualistic lifestyle. I also like the fact that even when he has
heated disagreements with his dad, he still loves his father to the core. As an avid moviegoer,
this is the first time I’ve seen a faithful portrayal of a Vietnamese family on the big screen. I am
sure they will continue to touch the hearts of millions of their audience.

impoverished (adj): nghèo túng

unkempt (adj): bù xù (khi tả râu tóc)

dishevelled (adj): xốc xếch (khi tả cách ăn mặc)

physical work (expression): lao động chân tay

to make ends meet (expression): kiếm thu nhập vừa đủ sống

be adj + to a fault (expression): một cách vô cùng, thái quá (thường đi sau tính từ). Affectionate to a
fault: thể hiện tình thương một cách thái quá

polar opposite (expression): người/ý kiến đối nghịch (nghĩa bóng)

well-groomed (adj): ăn mặc đẹp, chải chuốt

unconventional (adj): trái với truyền thống

individuality (n): tính cá nhân.

mischievous (adj): tinh nghịch (khi miêu tả trẻ em)

defuse (v): làm giảm nhẹ gỡ rối

glamorous (adj): hào nhoáng

be fond of (expression): có cảm tình

to the/someone’s core (expression): bằng tất cả tấm lòng

faithful (adj): trung thực (tả cách khắc họa nhân vật). Faithful portrayal: cách khắc họa trung thực

the big screen (expression): màn ảnh rộng

PART 3
1. Who do you think should be responsible for the care of the elderly, the family or the government?

In my opinion, taking care of the senior citizen should be the responsibility of both the family and the
government. The family should be the first line of support, whereas the government should provide the
infrastructure to assist the old people in the community. Close relatives understand most clearly the
wants and needs of their elderly family members and they can instantly fulfil these needs. They live
together so the younger relatives can also monitor the physical and mental health of their older
relatives. On the other hand, the governmental authority has the ability to collect taxes to build roads,
hospitals and execute social programs. These facilities enable swift and quick responses in cases of
emergency. For the seniors who live alone, the social programs such as volunteers coming to their house
to talk and help them with housework help them avoid solitude.

Vocab:

infrastructure (n): cơ sở hạ tầng

to monitor (v): theo dõi

governmental authority (expression): chính quyền

solitude (n): tình trạng lẻ loi

2. Why is the number of joint families decreasing in modern time?

I think the reasons are purely economical. In the past, at least in Vietnam, most places were not
urbanized and most people were involved in farming. Having extended family members living together
could help with labor division. For example, the adults in a family did all the labor-intensive work, while
the younger ones would safeguard their crops from other animals. Besides, living together also helped
them save cost. In the modern days, the economy has shifted from agriculturally centric to service
oriented. Coupled with the fact that people can travel anywhere to settle down and get a job, large
families tend to break apart and become smaller units.

Vocab:

labor division (n): sự phân chia lao động

labor-intensive work (expression): công việc nặng nhọc

coupled with (expression): cộng với

3. What characteristics do elder siblings often have?

There are both positives and negatives traits that an older sibling usually possesses. One the positive
side, older sisters and brothers can be very protective of their younger siblings. This helps the younger
ones avoid being bullied, especially if they go to the same school. Other times, older siblings may also
share their life experience to help their younger brothers and sisters navigate better in life. On the other
hand, there might be subtle jealousy coming from the older siblings. Studies have shown that parents
are often more stringent towards their first child, while being more relaxed when it comes to disciplining
their younger children. The oldest child may perceive this as unfair treatments, and later harbor
contempt towards their younger siblings.

Vocab:

trait (n): nét, đặc điểm

navigate (v): lèo lái, xoay trở (trong cuộc sống, nghĩa bóng)

subtle (adj): không dễ phát hiện

harbour (v): nuôi dưỡng (ý niệm xấu). Harbour contempt: nuôi dưỡng sự coi thường

4. What do you think about single parent families?

I guess this family model is becoming more mainstream where I live. This could be the result of other
social changes. In the past, the Vietnamese families were under extreme societal pressure to preserve
the perceived marriage fidelity. A broken family would be subjected to cruel rumours and
maltreatments even from their relatives and neighbors. Today, the same norm is still present. The
severity of it, though, is becoming lesser and lesser. The newer generation has latched onto this trend
and has been more straightforward in escaping unhappy marriages. As a result, divorces happen more
and thereby increase the number of single parent households.

Vocab:

fidelity (n): lòng chung thủy

maltreatment (n): sự ngược đãi

norm (n): quy chuẩn

severity (n): độ nghiêm trọng

to latch onto something (expression): bám vào cái gì đó

straightforward (adj): cởi mở (cách nhìn)

32.Describe a time when you received good news.

I am an avid news reader and I browse the major newspapers almost every day. Although the
news we hear from the newspapers of Television is mostly negative, there is some good news
tucked away as well. A piece of good news I heard recently was when Moderna announced that
their phase I trial for the Coronavirus vaccine has been completed and it showed positive
results in the subjects.

Currently, the world is going through the coronavirus pandemic which originated in China in
November of 2019. This virus jumped from bats to Humans and is very infectious. It is mainly
transmitted through respiratory droplets and can cause a disease known as COVID-19.

I read about the news on the front page of the New York Times. At the time it was good news to
know that some progress has been made towards a vaccine. Because without it, putting up a
good fight against coronavirus seemed difficult. At this time, there are no clinically proven
treatments for this virus. That is why even the news of a successful trial sounded very much like
success at this stage of the pandemic.

In conclusion, if I was to describe a time when I received good news, it would be when I read
about the successful completion of phase I trial of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine in the year
2020.

PART 3
1. Is it important to read the news?

Yes, it is. News keep us connected with the outside world. We come to know what is happening
around us. They tell us what our government is doing for us and also update us with the
weather conditions. We also come to know about the lives of the people we follow, such as
celebs in the field of entertainment and sports. We also come to know what is happening in our
whole country and even the world.

2. What kind of news do people in your country like to read?

People like to read all sorts of news. They read sports news, political news, weather updates,
employment news, and so on.
3. Are young people and old people interested in the same kind of news?

Their tastes are different, but then there are individual variations among the people of the
same age group too. Generally, youngsters are more into sports news and Bollywood news,
whereas the elderly are more into political news.

4. Is it important to keep reading up to date news?

Yes, it is important to be abreast of the latest happenings around us. We can be prepared to
face any problems if we are aware of the situation outside.

5. How do people in your country get news?

People get news through various sources, such as TV, the Internet, newspapers and radio.

6. Do you think children should start watching the news from a young age?

Yes, the habit of watching news should be inculcated from a very early age. They would be
aware of the outside world through the news. Otherwise, they will have a very narrow outlook
of life.

7. Why do some people like to share news on social media?

Social media such as Facebook and Whatsapp and Twitter has become very powerful. Sharing
news helps keep more people abreast of the happenings around them, even those who don’t
normally watch the news.

31.Describe a short-term job you’d like to do in a foreign country.

17.Describe a time you made a promise to someone (đề mới)

18.Describe a time when you had to wait in a long queue/line. (đề mới)