A1 Speaking Book FINAL

SPEAKING A1
STUDENT’S WORKBOOK
Edited by
Sofia Bacasen
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
Lesson
1. Personal Information 04
2. Family & Friends 08
3. Free Time & Preferences 11
4. Places 14
5. Special Occasions & Public Holidays 17
6. Emotions & Feelings 21
7. TV Programmes 24
8. Photography 28
9. Weather 31
10. Foreign Languages 35
11. Jobs & Work 38
12. Gifts 42
13. Towns & Cities 46
14. Health 49
15. Possessions 52
16. Technology & the Internet 56
3
LESSON 1: PERSONAL INFORMATION
Target Structures: Making and understanding basic questions

What Who When Do you (+ verb) ?
Where Why How Yes/ No, because …. (reason).
Target Questions: Part 1 Common Questions Do you work or study?

What’s your full name? Are you a student?
What is the meaning of your name? (What does Where do you study?
your name mean?) What do you study?
Do you like your studies? (Why? / Why
Where are you from? not?)
Where is your hometown?
Do you like your hometown? What is your job? (What do you do?)
Where do you work?
Where is your home? (Where do you live?) Do you like your job? (Why? / Why not?)
Do you live in a house or a flat?
Who do you live with? What is your contact number?
What is your neighborhood (xung quanh) like? What is your address?
(Describe your neighborhood.) What is your e-mail address?
Do you have a best friend? (Who is

your best friend?)
Who is your teacher?
NOTE:
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A1 Target Speaking
4 Student’s Workbook
TOPIC: NAME
What’s your full name?
What is the meaning of your name? (What does your name mean?)
My full name is ___________________________________________________.

My parents and friends call me __________________________________.
My name was given by ___________________________________________.
(*because)___________________________________________________________________________.
It means _____________________________________________________________________________.
(or : It has no special meaning. It is just a common name chosen in my country.)
Sample Answer
My parents gave me my name, my grandmother to be exact (chính xác). Sofia means wisdom. So I guess
my parents wanted me to grow up a wise girl.
I love my name, because it is part of my identity (who I am, nhân dạng),
and it is meaningful (đầy ý nghĩa) to me.
TOPIC: HOMETOWN
Where are you from?
Where is your hometown?
Do you like your hometown?
I come from ____________________________. (I am from ________________________________.)

It is ___________________________________________________________________________________.
I like/love/appreciate (đánh giá cao) my hometown because ______________________ __________________
______________________________________________________________________.
Sample Answer
My hometown is the city of Hai Phong, which is an industrial city - thuộc về công nghiệp (coastal
city - thuộc bờ biển). It was a seaport province and now is the third largest city in my country.
I was born and raised there. I only moved out when I went to university in 2002. So I had lived
there for about 19 years. I like my hometown because I grew up here and the locals (chổ địa
phương) are very warm-hearted and helpful. (tốt bụng, giúp đỡ; có ích)
TOPIC: HOME/ACCOMMODATION (CHỖ Ở)
Where is your home? (Where do you live?)

Do you live in a house or a flat?
(What kind of housing/accommodation do you live in?)
Who do you live with?
What is your neighborhood like? (Describe your neighborhood.)
5
Sample Answer
I live in a pretty spacious (khá + rộng rãi, có nhiều chỗ) house in the city center. It is a fairly nice place. Our
house has six rooms - one living room, one kitchen, two bathrooms and another two bedrooms. All of
them are well-decorated (được trang trí tốt) and furnished (có sẵn đồ đạc; được trang bị đồ đạc). We also
have a big balcony beside the dining table so that we can enjoy eating dinner and have tea there.
I live with my parents and my older brother. Our house is pretty big so there is enough space for everyone.
We rented the house four years ago. (We have lived here for four years.) Our neighborhood is quite busy
because it is near the business district of our city.
Prepare (chuẩn bị) your own answer/s.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Now, try to give a detailed (chi tiết) answer to the following questions.
Do you work or study?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
What do you like about your studies/job?

What I like most about my studies/job is (that)________________________________________.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________
Interview (cuộc phỏng vấn) your classmate.
1. What’s your first name? ( ) My email is ______________________.

2. What’s your last name? ( ) I was born in _____________________.
What’s your surname? ( ) My nationality is ___________________.
3. What’s your full name? ( ) I live in __________________________.
4. Where do you live? ( ) I am ____________________________.
5. What’s your phone number? ( ) My full name is ___________________.
6. Where are you from? ( ) I am ____________________________.
7. How old are you? ( ) My phone number is _______________
8. What grade are you in? ( ) I am a __________________________.
9. What do you do? ( ) My last name is ___________________.
10. When is your birthday? ( ) I am in _________________ grade.
11. What’s your nationality? ( ) I am from ____________________.
12. Where were your born? ( ) I like _________________________.
13. What’s your email? ( ) My birthday is on ______________.
14. Where do you go to school? ( ) My first name is _______________.
15. What’s your marital status (tình trạng hôn nhân)? ( ) I go to _______________________.
16. What are your hobbies? ( ) ____________________________.
17. _____________________?_______________________________
A1 Target Speaking
IELTS PRACTICE
Prepare your own answer/s and submit (đệ trình, đưa ra để xem xét) to teacher.
Introduce yourself.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Checkpoint
o I can understand basic (mức độ đơn giản nhất) WH questions.
o I can ask about someone’s personal information.
o I can answer questions about personal information.
o I can introduce myself.
7
LESSON 2
FAMILY AND FRIENDS
Target Structures: Describing people

Description + Example
My sister is smart. She gets high scores in school tests and easily understands things.
My mother is _____________________. I look like my ___________________________.

She ________________________________________________. I have the same __________________________
My father is _____________________. with _____________________.
He _________________________________________________. In my family, I am most similar to
My sister is _____________________. _____________________.
She _________________________________________________. My ________________________ is also like me.
My brother is _____________________.
He ________________________________________________.
My ______________ is ____________________.
He/She ______________________________________.
A1 Target Speaking
Target Questiaons + Sample Answers
TOPIC: FAMILY
Could you tell me something about your family?
My family is quite small and most people live far away from each other. Some are at the top of the country
and some at the bottom. More distant relatives (không gần gũi, họ hàng) live in the North of the country
and others live abroad (ở nước ngoài), so we don’t see them very often.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Do you think it is good to live with grandparents?

In my opinion, living with your grandparents may (có lẽ) be a way (cách) to save money and also to help to
care for them. Perhaps (có thể) they can’t do things they used to, like housework or cooking, so being able
to help them would be a positive.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Do you think it is good to be the only child in the family?

On the one hand (mặt này…mặt khác), it could be a lonely existence (sự tồn tại cô đơn) when you are a
small child but as you become older, you would start to enjoy having that space. On the other hand (mặt
này…mặt khác), they are missing out (bỏ lỡ) on the connection that you see between siblings.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Who among your family members are you most similar to?
There are six of us in the family. I have the same characteristics (đặc tính) with all of them but I am most
similar to my elder sister. Her eyes are almost the same as mine. I am very fond of playing music and
she is also like me. We both love to play the guitar during family events.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
How often do you like to hang out with (dành thời gian cho nhau) friends?
I hang out with my friends from time to time. Normally (như thường lệ) if we have lots of time on the
weekends, we will go to the cinema to watch movies and relax; but if we don’t have plenty of time, we’ll
just have dinner together in a restaurant.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Who do you usually like to hang out with?

Usually I’d like to hang out with one of my close friends. Actually (thực tế) we live in the same neighborhood
so we can meet frequently.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
IELTS PRACTICE
Prepare your own answer/s and submit to teacher.
Describe someone in your family who you really admire (khâm phục).
You should say:
• What relation (họ hàng thân thuộc) this person has to you
• What are your memories of this person
• How often you see this person
• And explain why you really admire this person
9
I really admire my cousin. He’s two years older than me so I have known him all my life. When I was very
young, my mum and my aunt spent a lot of time together and so my cousin and I would play together in
the garden. Mostly we played football, but we did other things too. We were very close at that time, but
now we see each other less and less. I live in another city now, but whenever (bất kỳ khi nào) I go home, I
try to meet him and we hang out for a while. We maybe see each other once every year.
I think I look up to him because he is a very honest (trung thực) person. He’s a really great guy – very
generous (hào phóng) and compassionate (động lòng thương). Most people love his sense of humour,
actually. He’s very funny and also quite optimistic (lạc quan). It’s for all of those reasons and more that I
admire him.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________
Checkpoint
o I can talk about my family.
o I can talk about my friends.
o I can basically describe people.
o I can talk about a family member that I admire.
A1 Target Speaking
LESSON 3
FREE TIME & PREFERENCES
TARGET STRUCTURES: EXPRESSING PREFERENCES
EXPRESSING LIKES: EXPRESSING DISLIKES:

• I like… • I don’t like…
• I love... • I dislike...
• I adore… • I hate…
• I ‘m crazy about… • I abhor…
• I’m mad about… • I can’t bear...
• I enjoy… • I can’t stand…
TEST TIP
• I’m keen on… • I detest...
If you didn’t hear
property, you can say:
- Sorry, i didn’t catch that
Could you repeat the question, please?
If there’s a word that you don’t

understand, you can say:
- Could you repeat the question,
please?
- What does Mean?
11
Target Questions
Personal Questions
What do you enjoy doing in your free time/spare time?
How much time do you have each week for doing these things?
Why do you like doing these activities?
How did you start doing this activity at first?
Is there some other hobby or sport you would like to try? Why?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
General (toàn bộ; chung) Question
How has the way people spend their free time changed over the years?
(Làm thế nào có cách mọi người dành thời gian rảnh của họ thay đổi trong những năm qua?)
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Sample Answers
Read the following answers and try to compare (so sánh) them with your own answers.
Model answer 1
________________________________________
Well, I do quite a lot of sport actually. I go swimming twice a week. There’s a very good pool just around the
corner from my office. I swim for an hour and do about 40 lengths. I also cycle to work when I can. Apart
from that, I do a lot of reading and photography.
Model answer 2
________________________________________
When I was younger, I did a lot of surfing. I used to go snowboarding quite often too in the winter. But I
haven’t gone for a long time, although I might go this year with some friends. These days I go cycling when
I can. At the weekends, I like to cook and invite friends around for dinner. I’m a big fan of cooking programs
and often try to copy the recipes, but they don’t always turn out very well.
Model answer 3
________________________________________
I don’t have a lot of time to myself now that I’m married with two young children. So, a lot of my free time
is spent taking my kids to their activities. For example, on Saturday morning, I have to take my son to
his football games, and my daughter to piano classes. Then I have to ship them off to parties or friends’
houses. Two or three times a month, my wife and I go for a meal with friends, and once a month, we go to
the cinema together. There’s a great little cinema just near where we live.
A1 Target Speaking
IELTS PRACTICE
Talk about an activity you like doing.
You should say:
• what is it
• who you do it with/ how you do it
• why you enjoy doing it
• and explain why it is a good activity.
STEP 1
I enjoy __________________________________________________________________________________.
Give details (chi tiết) about it. (With who do you do it with, how do you do it, how often, is there
any equipment (trang thiết bị) you need to do it, where do you do it, etc.)
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________.
STEP 2
This is an activity I choose to do because ______________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________.
Talk about the benefits (lợi ích) of this activity and/or how you feel (cảm thấy) when you do it.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Checkpoint
o I can talk about my free time.

o I can talk about what I like and dislike doing.
o I can talk about a certain (riêng biệt) activity that I like doing.
13
LESSON 4: PLACES
Target Structures
It is located/ situated (nằm ở) at / on / in ….
Target Questions (Pair Work)
STUDENT A
1. What is your favorite park? Why do you like it? Where is it located?
2. What is your favorite place to go shopping? Why do you like it? Where is it located?
3. What are three good things about your town or city?
4. What are some fun things to do in your town or city?
5. Compare your town or city with another town or city in your country.
STUDENT B
At vero
1. What is your favorite movie theater? Why do you like it? Where is it located? eos et accusamus et iusto odio
dignissimos
2. What is your favorite restaurant? Why do you like it? Where is it located? ducimus qui blanditiis
3. What are three bad things about your town or city? 4. Do you prefer living in a small town or a big city? Why?
praesentium voluptatum.
5. Describe the area around your school or college.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
A1 Target Speaking
Vocabulary
Complete the sentences by choosing from the words given.
A. art gallery 1. I can see a movie at a __________________.

B. bakery 2. I can borrow books from a __________________.
C. clinic 3. I can play outside in a __________________.
D. crosswalk 4. I can buy bread at a __________________.
E. gym 5. I can wash my clothes at a __________________.
F. hotel 6. I can buy medicine at a __________________.
G. laundromat 7. I can see many beautiful pictures at an _________________.
H. library 8. I can exercise at a __________________.
I. movie theater 9. I can mail a letter at a __________________.
J. museum 10. I can cross the street at a __________________.
K. park 11. I can see a doctor at a __________________.
L. pharmacy 12. I can go to another city or town and stay a few nights in a _____________.
M. post office 13. I can buy some meat, fruits, and vegetables at a _________________.
N. sidewalk 14. I can walk outside on a __________________.
O. supermarket 15. I can see many old things at a __________________.
IELTS PRACTICE
Describe a place where you (usually / often) go to relax. (Not your home)
You should say:
where this place is
when you go there
what you do there
who is usually there with you
and explain why you choose to go to this place to relax.
WHERE Today, I’m going to share with you a place where I usually/often go to relax/read and
write/ hang out with my friends, which is a small café/restaurant near my company/my house named
“ABC”.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Summary of the company

during the past years
15
HOW OFTEN As a full-time employee/student, I have to go to work/ school 6 days a week; therefore,
the only time that I can visit this place is on weekends. I always try to make time for my little trip to
“ABC” café every Saturday or Sunday.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
DESCRIBE IT / DETAILS The coffee house is located on a quiet street with a lot of trees planted on
both sides. Additionally, it has a patio with hanging gardens which I like very much; it makes me feel
like I’m sitting in my own garden.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
WHAT DO YOU DO THERE Separated from the hustle and bustle of the city life in Hanoi, this place
allows me to sit quietly and reflect, relaxing after a week of hard work. I can concentrate on a personal
project such as reading or writing in my journal without being interrupted by other people.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
WHAT CAN YOU DO/GET THERE It serves great coffee, tea, and cakes, thus, the place always smells
very nice. In addition, the employees are also friendly and helpful.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
WHO DO YOU GO WITH Sometimes, I go there with my friends. Over a nice cup of coffee/tea, we
share our stories and smell the beautiful scent of the flowers. At that moment, we can escape from
reality for a little while and enjoy ourselves even more.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Checkpoint
o I can talk about the places in my hometown.
o I can talk about a certain (riêng biệt) place that I like going to/visiting.
A1 Target Speaking
LESSON 5:
SPECIAL OCCASIONS & PUBLIC
HOLIDAYS (DỊP ĐẶC BIỆT)
Target Structures
There is/are…
People usually/often ……(verb)..... during this time.
The importance of (noun) is that (clause).
(X) is important for / excellent for / good for (verb-ing). Vocabulary

Gardening is important for helping people relax. Special Occasions
Working out in a gym is important for keeping fit.
(X) is a good way to (verb). Birthday
Listening to music is a good way to help people calm down. Graduation day
Doing exercise is a good way to keep fit and healthy. Engagement
(X) helps us / helps people / can help us + (to-verb)/(verb). Wedding
Spending weekends on the countryside helps us (to) wind Anniversary
down. Holiday / Public Holiday
Vacation
Retirement
17
Target Questions and Sample Answers
What public holidays do you have in your country?
We celebrate a lot of public festivals in my country. You might have heard about the Tet Festival
which is the most important one. In addition, we get together with our families for the Mid- Autumn
Festival.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Do people in your country celebrate Christmas?
Yes, there are many people in my country, it’s really hard to say , probably most people tend to
(có khuynh hướng) go shopping with families or friends to take advantage of (tận dụng cơ hội)
the sales the shops are offering, but personally speaking, I am afraid (lấy làm tiếc) we don’t
celebrate Christmas like in Western countries.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________
Do you like public holidays?
Yes, I am fond of holidays. The main factor is that on these days, I don’t have to work and have
plenty of time travelling around to unwind (nghỉ ngơi, thư giãn) myself and also I will have more
quality time (thời gian chất lượng) with my family.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________
Which public holidays do you like the most?
I believe my favourite public holiday would be the Tet Holidays because I will have at least seven days
to go travelling and also it’s the best time to go around, the weather is neither too cold nor too hot,
and the foliage (tán, cành lá) of trees have turned yellow or red, which will give you picturesque
(sinh động) views.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________
What do other people in your country usually do on public holidays?
It’s kind of hard to say but people that I know around me tend to go shopping with families or
friends to take advantage of the sales the shops are offering, but maybe for others, they probably
A1 Target Speaking
stay at home for resting.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
*Do you think public holidays are important?
**Do you think there should be more public holidays in your country?
Personally speaking,___________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
IELTS PRACTICE
Describe a special occasion in your life.
You should say:
Where this occasion took place.
When it took place.
Who was there.
And explain how you felt on this occasion.
STEP 1
There have been many special events in my life but I would like to talk about ________________________
__________________________________________________________.
I chose this because __________________________________________________________________.
Give details (chi tiết) about it. _________________________________________________________________________

________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
STEP 2
During this time, I had this feeling of (noun)/ I felt (adjective) ________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
19
Describe an important festival in your country.
You should say:
What it is
When and where it takes place
Why it is important
And explain your favorite part(s) of this festival.
STEP 1
There are many significant holidays in my country but I would like to talk about ___________________
_______________________________________________________________.
I chose this because __________________________________________________________________.
Give details (chi tiết) about it. ________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________.
STEP 2
This festival is an important one for everyone in my country because ________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________.
What I like most about this festival is that… _______________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Checkpoint
o I can talk about public holidays in my country.

o I can talk about a special occasion in my life.
o I can talk about an important holiday in my country.
A1 Target Speaking
LESSON 6:
EMOTIONS & FEELINGS
Target Structures
I can remember vividly (sinh động) that day.
This was truly a blissful moment for me.
It was such a pleasant event that I still remember every bit of it.
Vocabulary Negative Feelings

Positive Feelings • aggressive • disappointed
• agonized • disbelieving
• blissful • honest • angry • disgusted
• brave • innocent • annoyed • enraged
• careful • interested • arrogant • exhausted
• cautious • joyful • awful • frightened
• clever • nice • bad • frustrated
• concentrated • optimistic • bored • grieving
• confident • pleasant • confused • guilty
• curious • quiet • crazy • hangover
• ecstatic • satisfied • helpless • puzzled
• excited • sensible • horrified • sad
• fair • serious • hurt • sheepish
• fantastic • surprised • hysterical • shocked
• friendly • to be in love, lovestruck • idiotic • silly
• glad • to be pleased • indifferent • smug
• good • to be proud of • lonely • sorry
• great • wonderful • lovesick • strange
• happy • mad • stupid
• mischievous • suspicious
• miserable • terrible
• nasty • to be jealous of sb
• nervous • upset
21
What do you think of happiness?
In my humble opinion, happiness is not achieving certain goals. Surely it’s important to accomplish
(hoàn thành) what you yearn for (mong mỏi) but that’s not eternal happiness for me. Happiness is
a journey that I undertake (đảm nhận) in the pursuit (sự theo đuổi) of my goals.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________
What do you like to do when you are happy?
I’d like to share my success and feelings with my family or friends when I’m happy. I believe that my
happiness can’t go without them.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________
What kinds of things make you happy?
There are many things that can make me happy, for example, taking a 30-minute walk outside can
help me let off steam (thông tục) xả hơi and I won’t feel depressed (chán nản), or buying lots of
things online can deliver me even more happiness because it enables (cho phép) me to feel that I
have saved a great amount of money.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________
What kinds of things do Vietnamese people feel happy about?

It’s kind of hard to say but people that I know around me tend to feel happy about earning
more money, but maybe for others, they would feel happy when their children get into the good
universities.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________
*Kind of = Kinda (Phó từ - Thuộc loại - Phần nào)
e.g. You kinda saved my life - Anh phần nào đã cứu sống tôi.
Is it easy to be happy for you?

Well, I’m afraid that (lấy làm tiếc) as an adult, I’m too stressed (bị căng thẳng) to be happy. I have
to find a good job and get a decent (đáng hài long) pay to feed myself and family, so I have to admit
(thừa nhận) that there are few things that make me really happy.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
A1 Target Speaking
IELTS PRACTICE
Sample Answer:
A couple of (hai) months ago, I graduated (tốt nghiệp) from university – it was a really happy
time for me, and although my family and I had already celebrated (kỷ niệm) finishing my degree
successfully, the official ceremony (lễ chính thức) was really special, and a very happy day, for me
and my friends. It was one of the last times that all of us were together because after that, two from
our group left to go abroad (ở nước ngoài) and they’ll be there for about two years.
So, the graduation ceremony was in the main auditorium (khán phòng) of the university and
everyone was there, all the students, teachers and of course, family and other invited guests. There
were the usual speeches (bài diễn thuyết), presentation of degrees (bằng cấp) to graduates and
a few other things which the faculty had organized (tổ chức), and then after we had a big lunch.
There was my own family and three of my friends and their families as well, so it was a special
occasion. We had this family lunch at a local restaurant which we had booked (đặt chỗ trước) for
the afternoon. It was a really special time having all the most important people in my life together
at the same time.
Later on, when the family members had left, my friends and I went out to a bar and had a few beers
together. Looking back on it now, it was one of the happiest days of my life I think – we all felt like
we had really achieved something graduating and that particular (riêng biệt, cá biệt) day was really
good for all of us. I hope that maybe in a couple of years we can organize a reunion (cuộc hội ngộ)
– so that we can all get together again and catch up with (đuổi kịp) each other.
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Checkpoint
o I can talk about positive and negative feelings.
o I can talk about happiness.
o I can talk about a happy event in my life.
23
LESSON 7:
TV PROGRAMMES
Vocabulary
well-known (adj): nổi tiếng, được nhiều người biết đến (known widely or thoroughly)
broadcasted (v) phát thanh, truyền hình/ to send out a programme on television or radio
air = broadcasted to broadcast something or be broadcast on radio or television
up-to-date (adj) cập nhật, mới nhất (modern, recent, or containing the latest information)
incident (n) sự cố
take place: xảy ra, diễn ra (to happen)
a wide variety of = a wide range of: trong phạm vi rộng lớn , sự đa dạng
celebrated (adj) nổi tiếng, nổi danh (famous for some special quality or ability)
culinary (adj) [thuộc] cách nấu nướng (connected with cooking or kitchens)
genius thiên tài
be engrossed in: bị thu hút sự chú ý (giving all your attention to something)
Do you often watch TV?

Yes, perhaps for an hour or two most nights, depending on my schedule. I like to catch up on TV
shows I am watching or I might watch a movie before going to sleep.
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What types of TV programmes are popular in your country?

I think that soap operas (vở kịch nhiều kì trên đài, ti vi) are very popular, with a central love story.
There are often betrayals (phản bội) and deceit (sự lừa dối) as the main obstacles (trở ngại) in the
way of the main characters (nhân vật) coming together.
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What (types of) programmes did you watch when you were a child?
I used to watch teen dramas, like Beverly Hills 90210, Baywatch and Heartbreak High. I also like
watching some local soap operas also that were popular, for example, Neighbours and Home and
Away.
A1 Target Speaking
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What’s your favourite TV program?

I have so many! One of my favourites though is the British drama Peaky Blinders, about a family in
Birmingham in the 1920’s. It has excellent actors, good writing and lots of action. I also like the TV
shows Vikings, Game of Thrones and Reign. Period dramas (giai đoạn lịch sử) are the best!
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___________________________________
When do you usually watch TV?

Late at night in the summer months maybe for an hour, but in the winter months I watch a few
hours because I am in the house more often.
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___________________________________
Do you think TV has changed in the past few decades?

Yes, I think that it has become more accessible (có thể tới được) due to Smart TV’s being connected
to Netflix, Amazon Prime and other providers. Netflix can be connected to any device, so watching
your favourite shows is easy. There are so many TV shows now that have good actors and are well-
written.
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__________________________________
Has television changed your life in any way?
It is something that I enjoy, but I couldn’t say it has changed my life. It is something that is there to
pass the time (dùng thời gian để tiêu khiển), like reading. I like to watch TV to relax and sometimes
as background (nền) noise if I am cooking.
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25
CONVERSATION CARDS
IELTS PRACTICE
Describe a TV program that you enjoy.
You should say:
What the TV program is
How you know it
What it is like
Why you like it
I’m going to talk about “Who wants to be a millionaire”, one of my favorite TV shows ever. As far as I
can remember, it was originally a UK TV Game Show, and it made its first debut (lần trình diễn đầu
tiên) in Vietnam around 10 years ago.
A1 Target Speaking
This was kind of a quiz show in which contestants (thí sinh) have to go through a set of 15
questions with increasing difficulty (tăng độ khó). The first 5 questions are pretty silly, and they
always give me and my family a good laugh. Contestants are given 4 “lifelines” to aid them with
difficult questions, and most of them are usually used up when the contestant reaches around
question 7 or 8. The entire show is a sea of knowledge. Many questions from different fields
are asked, ranging from trivial (chuyện vặt) things like ingredients (thành phần) needed to make
cookies to academic (thuộc trường đại học) stuff like physics and archeology.
You know, I’m quite a curious (ham hiểu biết) man, so back when I was a high school kid, I hardly
missed an episode. When the Internet became available in Vietnam, I started to watch the UK and
US version as well, and knowledge acquired (thu được ; học được) from those shows were really
helpful to me in many of my high school quizzes.
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Checkpoint
o I can talk about different television programmes.

o I can talk about television.
o I can talk about a TV program that I like.
27
LESSON 8:
PHOTOGRAPHY
Vocabulary
Capture: nắm giữ Mind-purifying: thanh lọc tâm hồn

Come flooding back: ùa về Artificial: nhân tạo
Portable: dễ mang đi Take a selfie: chụp ảnh tự sướng
Cost an arm and a leg: đắt đỏ Crystal-clear: rất rõ rang
Afford: có thể mua Run in my family: truyền thống gia đình
Online danger: hiểm họa từ mạng Have a good sense of: có năng khiếu
Beauty of nature: vẻ đẹp tự nhiên
Do you like to take photographs?

Yes, I love taking photographs. I think it is a great way to capture my most amazing experiences, so
whenever I look back, all the memories seem to come flooding back.
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______________________________________
Do you prefer to take photos using a camera or a mobile phone?

I would say a mobile phone is better. The reason is that the mobile phone is much more portable
than a camera, and it also doesn’t cost you an arm and a leg to purchase, so you can use it and buy
it more easily.
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Do you share your photos with other people on the Internet?

Many people do, but I don’t. I prefer to keep those memories to myself rather than share them
with others, especially with people on the Internet that I don’t really know to avoid online dangers
sometimes.
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A1 Target Speaking
Do you prefer to take pictures of people or of scenery?
I think I’m gonna go for (chọn cái gì đó) taking scenery photos. I can’t really make the person in my
photo become lively (rất; sống động) as I do with scenery. Besides, looking at the beauty of nature
and capturing it is kind of mind-purifying to me and is a good way to escape (trốn thoát) from the
artificial world.
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______________________________________
Do you prefer to take photos yourself or to have other people take your photos?
Honestly taking a selfie is my cup of tea (sự ưa thích) because I feel more comfortable seeing my
face and hair through crystal-clear glass. It is much more difficult and ridiculous when I stand in
front of somebody’s camera and take a photo of myself.
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______________________________________
How (why) did you become interested in photograph?

The dream of becoming a photographer has run in my family for a long time, that’s the reason why
I have a good sense of taking photographs. My father is the one who taught me how to use the
camera to capture the pictures and handle (xử lý; quản lý) them with some specific software (phần
mềm) later.
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______________________________________
IELTS PRACTICE
Describe a photo you have taken.
You should say:
Where you took it.
When you took the photo.
What/who is in the photo.
And explain how you felt about the photo.
29
I am going to talk about a photo that I took some years ago when my family went on holiday in
Phan Thiet beach. The picture captured the memory of a very happy family. This is a priceless
possession (sở hữu vô giá) to me and I would like to keep it with me for the rest of my life.
I have seen it thousands times and still I look at it with an indescribable delight (niềm vui không
thể tả). In the picture, everyone was smiling cheerfully. My father’s eyes were sparkling and the
corners of his eyes crinkled. To tell the truth, it was very rare to see my father’s smile as he always
kept a serious facial expression. Needless to say, my mother was sitting next to him with warm
happiness glowing in her face. My younger brothers and sisters were not really photogenic (ăn
ảnh) because they were bursting out laughing for a reason I could not remember clearly.
In the background, the sun looked like it was gradually receding (lùi xa) into the waters below.
The sky consisted of an assortment of (đủ loại) shades, a blend of reds, oranges and yellows. The
water below was mirroring (phản chiếu) this effect. The scene was beautiful.
I have to admit that I know very little about the technical (kỹ thuật) aspects (khía cạnh) of a
camera and to be honest, I take photos from my own preference rather than maintaining aspects
a professional photographer would do. Though the photo was not professionally shot, it is still the
most treasured (quý) photo I could have.
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Checkpoint
o I can talk about photography.

o I can talk about me taking photographs.
o I can talk about a memorable (đáng nhớ) photograph.
A1 Target Speaking
LESSON 9
WEATHER
Vocabulary
1) What is the word for when a loud noise occurs with lightning?
A) Thunder sấm, tiếng sấm, tiếng sét
B) Weather forecast dự đoán; đoán trước
C) Rain
D) Shower trận mưa rào
2) What is the word for when ice, snow or hail turns to water?
A) Humid ẩm
B) Melt tan chảy
C) Puddle vũng nước
D) Overcast trời u ám
3) What is the word for frozen balls of water that fall instead of rain?
A) Fog sương mù
B) Frost sự đông giá
C) Hail trận mưa đá
D) Overcast
4) What is the word for when there is too much water so it covers the
land?
A) Cool
B) Dull đục; mờ
C) Freezing đóng bang / lạnh đến mức nước đóng băng; cực kỳ lạnh
D) Flood cơn lũ lụt
5) What is the word for a gentle and slow movement of air?

A) Drizzle mưa phùn
B) Degrees độ C
C) Breeze gió nhẹ
D) Autumn mùa thu
31
What’s the weather like in your hometown?
In my hometown, as it is surrounded by mountains, the weather is quite pleasant, neither too hot nor too
cold. Even in winter, the temperature is still quite mild. The weather is good almost all year round as my
hometown is a tourist area and there is no industrial pollution out there.
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Are there any bad points about the weather in your city?
The bad points about the weather in my hometown are that it doesn’t snow as heavily as up north where
it snows just a little bit. Every time I saw children having a snowball fight or making a snowman on TV, I
really envied them.
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______________
Which months have the best weather in your country?
I guess it depends on the personal taste of each person. For me, I see the weather around July and August
best because I can both enjoy a flash flood (một trận lũ từ một cơn mưa đột ngột) at the end of summer
and a blustery spell (thời kỳ có gió mạnh). It makes me feel comfortable and focus on my duty.
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______________
Does it bother you much when it rains?
It depends on different circumstances… You know, if I am going to school or hanging out with my friends,
and I get caught in the rain (đang ở ngoài đường thì trời mưa), and then I get drenched (bị ẩm ướt vì
dính mưa), of course I will really detest it. However, if there is a boiling hot spell (thời kỳ rất nắng) lasting
for several days, heavy rains (trời mưa rất to) makes me feel much better and more comfortable.
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______________
Do you always pay attention to the weather forecast?
Yes, because Viet Nam has changeable weather. I always keep a watchful eye on the weather forecast. I
spend an hour in the evening watching it every day because it enables my timetable not to be rained off
(việc bị hủy vì thời tiết xấu). Sometimes, if I am too busy in the evening, I will watch long – range forecast
(chương trình dự báo thời tiết cho nhiều ngày liền) to save my time. It is really useful.
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A1 Target Speaking
IELTS PRACTICE
Part 2
Describe something you do to help the environment.
***What do you do to prevent environmental pollution?
A lot of things… First of all, I don’t litter (xả rác). Also, my family and I try to buy only environmentally
friendly (thân thiện với môi trường) goods whenever we can… And finally, I try to save trees… I print on
both sides of every sheet of paper I use and use any left over (thừa, bỏ đi) white space to scribble notes.
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33
Part 3-style questions
Give examples: How (In what ways) do people damage our planet?
(Main Idea) In my point of view, we damage the Earth in many ways. Just take a look at all those factories
that empty toxic waste (chất thải độc hại) into rivers and lakes… (Examples/Details) People also destroy a
great deal of natural areas in search of fossil fuels (nhiên liệu hóa thạch). Not to mention poaching (săn
bắn trái phép) and endangering of wild animals.
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Predict: Do you think that the environmental situation will improve in the nearest future?
Yes, I would like to believe so… People are getting more and more aware of the major environmental
issues (vấn đề về môi trường) that we’re dealing with nowadays… I hope that we will get back to nature
and start caring about our planet more.
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Give examples: In which ways do we respond well to environmental problems?
Many years ago, people were talking about the ozone layer (tầng ozon). There was a hole in it that was
expanding in the 1990s and everyone was really worried about it. However, after many laws (pháp luật)
were passed to prohibit (cấm) the use of certain chemicals (chất hóa học), the damage (sự hư hại) has
begun to be repaired. This gives us a clear message – we must continue to take care of our environment
before it is too late.
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______________
Checkpoint
o I can talk about the weather in general.

o I can talk about the weather in my hometown and country.
o I can talk about what I do to help the environment.
o I am familiar with some Part 3 kinds of questions.
A1 Target Speaking
LESSON 10
FOREIGN LANGUAGES
Useful Nouns
Native tongue: tiếng mẹ đẻ
Dialect: tiếng địa phương
Verbal communication: giao tiếp bằng lời
Useful Verbs
Be fluent in: nói lưu loát tiếng gì đó
Converse: một từ formal hơn cho speak
Chat: tán dóc
Useful Adjectives
Understandable: có thể hiểu được
Unintelligible: lời nói dễ hiểu
Meaningless: vô nghĩa
Useful Idiomatic Expressions

Have a chinwag = have a conversation: nói chuyện đối thoại
All Greek: dùng để nói một ngôn ngữ mà bạn hoàn toàn không hiểu
Do you like learning languages?

Yes, I do like learning languages. I like English as a second language more than my native tongue and
spend a lot of time practicing on it. I have also started to learn French recently.
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How did you learn the languages that you know?

I think the most effective way to learn a language is to practice more with a foreigner. By doing this, you
can improve both listening and oral skills simultaneously (đồng thời, cùng một lúc); you will be fluent in
this language. Besides, I also do general readings in my spare time and keep a journal (nhật ký) in English.
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35
Why do people learn more than one language?
I think people learn as many languages as they can because language is a necessary tool to have
conversations with foreign people and learn their cultures. Understanding many languages helps us to
open the door of many more opportunities in this world.
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Do you think that all children should learn foreign languages at school?
Yes, I think that kids are better at learning a second language or even more at school. They learn things fast
at a young age, and I’m certain that a mastery (ưu thế) of other languages pays (có ích) well for kids when
they go into the adult world in the future.
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Do you think that English is difficult to learn?
In my opinion, every single language is difficult to learn, and English is not an exception (biệt lệ). I mean,
it might be easy to learn grammar and vocabulary, but it takes quite a long time to practice using the
language fluently.
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Do you think learning languages is important?
Absolutely. Learning languages, especially English, allows (cho phép) us to be able to communicate with
others. It also helps us study more effectively, since we can search for almost everything on the Internet
in English.
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A1 Target Speaking
IELTS PRACTICE
Talk about a language that you would like to learn apart from English.
You should say:
– What is it?
– Why do you want to learn it?
– What benefits will you have from learning it?
Sample Answer(s)
(What is it?)
I don’t know why the Japanese language attracts me so much, maybe because my ancestors (tổ tiên) are
from Japan. So, I have set my mind to learn the language. Though it would be difficult for me to learn it, I
will give it a try.
I love learning new languages and have already gained proficiency in four languages. Given an opportunity,
I would like to learn the French language.
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(Why do you want to learn it?)

I wish to learn this language for several reasons. The primary reason is that this is a very soft and sweet
language. I have a few friends who speak this language and I love listening to them every time they interact
in this language. Even though I do not understand a word, I love this experience.
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(Benefits.)
I plan to learn this language for migrating to Canada. French is the second official language of Canada. If
I can gain advanced level proficiency in this language, I will acquire a few additional points that will make
my case (tình hình) stronger for migration. Moreover, once I’m in Canada, it will help me secure (đảm bảo)
employment since more than 15 percent of Canadians speak French language only and businesses prefer
employees who can speak both languages.
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Checkpoint
o I can talk about learning languages.

o I can talk about learning English.
o I can talk about a language I would like to learn.
37
LESSON 11: WORK
Vocabulary
Lucrative income: thu nhập sinh lời
High-end: the most sophisticated, and typically the most expensive
product in a line: tinh vi nhất và thường đắt nhất, hiểu nghĩa cao cấp.
Splurge on something: to spend a lot of money on someone or
something: ý hiểu để chi tiêu rất nhiều tiền vào một ai đó hoặc một
cái gì đó.
Dead tired: exhausted (mệt mỏi, kiệt sức)
All day long: during the entire day (cả ngày dài, suốt cả ngày)
Overwhelming: very intense (Áp đảo, rất mãnh liệt)
Sedentary lifestyle: a type of lifestyle with little or no physical activity
(Lối sống ít vận động, chỉ một loại lối sống với ít hoặc không có hoạt
động thể chất)
Hectic: busy (ý chỉ bận rộn)
Up to my ears in something: busy doing something (ý chỉ bận rộn
để làm điều gì)
Down the road: in the future (thành ngữ ý chỉ trong tương lai)
Yearn for: to feel a powerful desire for something (để cảm thấy một
mong muốn mạnh mẽ cho một cái gì đó)
A1 Target Speaking
38 Summary
Student’s of the company
Workbook
during the past years
Target Questions + Sample Answers
Why did you choose your job?
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What do you like about your job?/ Why did you choose to do that type of work?
(A) I guess it’s mainly because of the job flexibility & my passion for journalism. To be more
specific, this job offers me alternatives to the typical nine-to-five work schedule, enabling me to
find a better balance between work and life. Besides, this job gives me opportunities to pursue my
dream to become a journalist down the road.
(B) Well I guess the thing I like most about this job is the salary. I make what I’d consider is a
lucrative income, which means not only is it enough to cover my bills, but there’s also some extra
to spend on whatever I want. So on payday, I often treat myself to a meal at a high-end restaurant
or splurge on a nice shirt.
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What do you dislike about your job?

Sometimes I feel dead tired when sitting in front of a computer screen all day long to deal with
overwhelming workload (khối lượng công việc). I mean, I’ve led a sedentary lifestyle which really
affects my physical & mental health & I have had a very hectic schedule, which always keeps me
up to my ears in deadlines (hạn cuối). Down the road, I am yearning for a job that involves dealing
with people & makes me feel less stressful.
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Is there some other kind of work you would rather do?

Where do you want to see yourself in 10 years?
Do you prefer working alone or with others? Why?
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39
IELTS PRACTICE
Part 2
Describe an interesting job
You should say:
What job it is
What people do in that job
Where you heard or read about it
And explain why you think it would be interesting work to do.
I’m going to talk about a fascinating job that inspires me a lot in pursuing my dream. It is an interpreter.
To my knowledge, an interpreter is someone who is fluent in at least two languages. It is their job to help
people communicate with one another, even though they do not have a common language by translating
from one language into another. My aunt told me about her job which is an interpreter and I extremely
admired her, and so I deeply desire to step into her shoes in the future.
To me, an interpreter is an amazing job for several reasons. Initially, it is quite a well-paid job because
the salary would be enough to support myself and my family on a daily basis. Moreover, this job brings
me an immense amount of job satisfaction which makes me happy all day. I can get out of being stuck
in a rut (mắc kẹt trong một lối sống nhàm chán mà không bao giờ thay đổi) and the dead-end job as an
office worker. Finally, the quality is the one to explain why this job is attracting. As long as I have a degree
and experience, I would have a chance of being called for an interview, then get a full-time job with a
competitive salary and promotion (thăng tiến). I would be my own boss when I’m at work.
All in all, this is an ideal job that I always think about and I know I need to burn the midnight oil (làm việc
muộn buổi đêm) to achieve my goal.
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Part 3
Give examples: Which jobs would you say are most respected in your country?
Well, I have never thought about this, but I reckon that professional careers such as the fields of law,
education, and medicine may be the most highly-acclaimed (được đánh giá cao) ones. It is mainly because
of the fact that people working in these fields can easily earn lucrative income compared to others.
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A1 Target Speaking
Some people say it’s better to work for yourself than be employed by a company. What’s your
opinion?
Well, I used to be a full time employee & felt stressed. To be specific (rõ ràng , cụ thể), most of the time,
I had a hectic schedule & was up to ears in heavy workloads to meet deadlines. Therefore, although
running my own business is really challenging, I do feel far more comfortable with it.
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__________________
Comparing to the past:

What changes in employment have there been in recent years in your country?
As far as I know, more and more people, especially the young generation is involved in setting up their own
businesses. Thus, the “start-up” community is now more alive than ever, especially tech startups.
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__________________
Give examples/details: What are some of the important things a candidate should find out
before accepting a job?
Well, this is an interesting question. If I were offered a job, I would definitely go through the company’s
compensation package (khoản bồi thường) such as salary, allowances, maternity or paternity leave,
insurance (bảo hiểm), pension (lương hưu) plans, vacations, etc. Also, I’d need to know about my area of
responsibilities so that I can make sure that I will not be overwhelmed with heavy workload.
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__________________
Checkpoint
o I can talk about work and employment.
o I can talk about an interesting job to me.
o I am familiar with some Part 3 kinds of questions.
41
LESSON 12: GIFTS
Vocabulary
Tight-fisted: hà tiện
Hard-and-fast: cứng nhắc
When it comes to: khi nói đến vấn đề
Under no circumstances: trong bất cứ
trường hợp nào cũng không
Thankful: biết ơn
To count even more: thậm chí quan
trọng hơn
To cause offence:
gây xúc phạm
Thoughtfulness:
sự chu đáo
To correspond to:
tương ứng với
Tricky: khó
Thoughtful: chu đáo
A recipient: người nhận
Cutting edge:
tiên tiến nhất
Corny:cổ lỗ
Ambiguous: mơ hồ
Symbolic: tượng trưng
Burden:gánh nặng
To compel:bắt buộc
A1 Target Speaking
Do you like giving or receiving gifts?
(A) I like being given something. It’s exciting to unwrap a present and see what it is. Also it shows that
someone cares about you. Or maybe it just means that they want something in return!
(B) I prefer to give rather than receive. I love the look on someone’s face when they open a present. I also
like to make things for people. I think it’s more meaningful than just buying something in a store.
(C) I like both. It’s nice to get something, especially something that you want, or if the gift is from someone
that you like. But, I really like to give people things as well. It doesn’t have to be anything big or cost a lot of
money. I just really like to see their reaction when they open it.
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Do you often give gifts to people?
(A) I’m afraid not. I’m not as generous as I should be, and I’m rather tight-fisted when it comes to gifts.
I usually give gifts only on birthdays.
(B) Yes, I really love giving people gifts as I feel happy when they are thankful and it is such a good feeling.
Even something small pleases the one to whom I give.
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Do you ever take a gift when you visit someone in their home? [Why? Why not?]
Yes, sometimes, but it’s a little different, maybe I would take something like some flowers for my grandmother
or if it’s a friend’s house then maybe a bottle of wine or something like that. I think it’s nice to show your
appreciation for the invitation. The type of gift would depend a lot on why I was visiting.
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What was the last gift you received?
(A) My girlfriend gave me a watch a few weeks ago because she thought I’d like it. It’s a lovely watch, but the
thought counts even more. I was very touched by her thoughtfulness.
(B) Ok, this is funny; just a couple of days ago I received a bag of potatoes from the owner of the store at
the corner of my street. Not exactly your usual ‘gift’ and I still don’t know why he did it, but he just gave them
to me and said not to worry about paying for them. It was a complete surprise, but a really nice gesture
by him.
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43
What kind of gifts do you prefer?
(A) I like to get things that I can use – I mean things that are practical. It might be kind of boring, but I like to
get things like socks and underwear because I always need those and I don’t like shopping for those things!
(B) I really appreciate something that I know the person giving it to me has put in a lot of thought into
it. Maybe they remembered something that I mentioned liking and then a long time after that they see
something like it and buy it for me. The cost doesn’t matter. It’s the thought that counts.
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IELTS PRACTICE
Describe a gift that you gave.
You should say:
What the gift was
What the occasion was
Whom you gave it to
Why this gift was very special.
Sample Answer
My youngest brother was getting married and I wanted to give him a special gift. A couple of days
before the wedding, my wife and I went to the mall for some shopping. As we were about to return, we
went to my favourite store________________. In fact, this particular shop has the trendiest (thời trang, tức
thời) and the most fashionable clothes for both men and women. I had the gift in my mind when I went
into the shop. After spending a few minutes in the store, I spotted an off-white linen (vải lanh) casual shirt.
It was a designer wear and I put it on, to see how it looked. My wife said, it was one of the best shirts that
I had ever bought. I was very happy. It was an expensive shirt but it gave me a great sense of satisfaction.
On the eve of the wedding, we had a party and my brother put this shirt on. Everybody was very
appreciative (tán thưởng) of the shirt and my brother was very happy about it.
This gift was very special to me because I really liked the colour, material and the design of the shirt.
Apart from that, it was the first gift that I ever presented to my youngest brother. I was extremely happy
that he really liked the shirt. It was the right occasion to give him this present.
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Part 3
Compare the gifts which people were receiving 10 years ago to the presents that people are
receiving now? What’s the difference between them?
To answer this question we have to go back to the past and think of the types of presents we gave and
received. Despite my young age, I have some memories of such presents that my family and relatives
gave me. I would say that in the past, specifically 10 years ago, the types of gifts exchanged were primarily
clothes, toys, household appliances and books. Apart from the fact that they weren’t related to technology,
they were also significantly important, educational and in most cases really expensive. Nowadays, presents
are more symbolic (tượng trưng) rather than substantial (chắc chắn, chắc nịch) or useful. People these
A1 Target Speaking
days often give and receive gadgets and other devices which were quite rare in the past. To illustrate, the
important presents that I received on my last birthday were perfumes and a laptop. Of course, gift items
in all decades do not remain the same. It will change for sure after ten years. The love and good wishes
behind a gift are more important that the item itself.
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**rather
1. (thà; thích hơn, chứ không) I’d rather do it now than later
Can we do it now rather than tomorrow?
2. (đúng ra) He agreed, or rather he didn’t disagree
One could say he was foolish rather than evil.
3. (khá) He’s rather nice.
That’s a rather silly question / rather a silly question.
Comparing: What are the positive/negative aspects of giving and receiving gifts?
Giving and receiving gifts have both advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, it is an expression of
one’s love or appreciation for someone. It can strengthen relationships. It can also create a good feeling
in the minds of people.
On the other hand, giving and receiving today has become a commercial (thương mại hóa) activity.
Sometimes we are forced to give and receive gifts. A lot of time and money is involved in buying gifts. For
example, if someone calls you for a birthday, you are compelled (ép buộc) to give a gift. Sometimes, it can
become a burden (gánh nặng (thuế)) on your budget.
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Give examples: What kinds of gifts do people often give each other in your country?
In my country, most people usually choose to give each other money as a gift because of its practicality
(tính thực tế). It is not always easy to guess what people want so sometimes you may spend lots of money
on something that is not going to be used at all. In order to avoid this from happening, Vietnamese prefer
giving each other money so that the receivers can get themselves whatever they want.
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Checkpoint
o I can talk about gifts / presents.
o I can talk about a gift that I gave to someone.
o I can basically talk about gift-giving in Part 3.
45
LESSON 13 TOWNS & CITIES
Sample of an IELTS Writing Task 1 Question

Vocabulary to Describe Changes
Change into
Expanding Removing Additions Something
Enlarged Demolished Constructed Converted

Expanded Knocked down Built Redeveloped
Extended Pulled down Erected Replaced
Made bigger Removed Introduced Made into
Developed Torn down Added Modernized
Cut down (trees) Planted Renovated
(forests, trees)
Opened up (facilities)
Passive Sentences: Choose from the words above and fill in the blanks below.
• The offices were ___________________ and the surrounding area was _________________________ with a new
leisure centre opening up.
• The shopping centre was _______________ and the parking area was ________________ to accommodate
(cung cấp chỗ ở cho ai) more cars.
• The trees were _______________ and a new office block was _____________.
• A railway was ¬¬_____________________ with the introduction of a new train station.
• The industrial area was _______________ and made bigger with lots of new factories being built.
• The local government had the sports facilities ______________ and the small park was _____________________
a children’s playground
• The park was ______________________ a new housing complex.

A1 Target Speaking
Try to write a description comparing the two maps.
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Do you like living in the city?

Yes I do … I like going out with my friends and there are lots of lively bars and restaurants within walking
distance of my apartment … I’m a bit of a culture vulture (người ao ước có được văn hoá) as well so it’s
great to have access to art exhibitions and that kind of thing.
Do you get many tourists visiting your area?
Not really no … I live in the inner-city and the area is a little run-down (xuống cấp) … it’s basically a lot of
high-rise flats (căn hộ cao tầng) and many of the shops are boarded up (cửa hàng cũ không còn kinh
doanh)… so nothing to interest tourists really …
IELTS PRACTICE
Describe an interesting town or city in your country that visitors might enjoy.
You should say:
what the place is called
where the place is
what the facilities are like
and say why visitors might enjoy going there.
Anyone who comes to my country really should spend some time in Barcelona … it’s a beautiful place …
it’s not what you would call a sprawling city (thành phố đang phát triển) … it’s quite compact really and
you could walk across the city in a couple of hours … but there’s no need to do that as we have a fantastic
public transport system so it’s easy to get around … there are various districts all with their own
character … you have the upmarket shops (cửa hàng hạng sang) in the centre … you’ll find lots of chain
stores (chuỗi cửa hàng nổi tiếng) you’ll recognise from your own country but also local brands as well …
we have the narrow streets in the Gothic district with lots of fashionable boutiques (cửa hàng thời trang)
and tourist attractions … there’s
the Olympic area and the beaches along the coast … and dotted around the city are some lovely public
spaces … parks and squares in the city centre and on the outskirts of Barcelona where people relax
with their friends and family … and of course pavement cafes (cà phê vỉa hè) everywhere … all that and
some great historical places of interest (Địa điểm thu hút người tham quan) … so a great destination for
tourists …
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47
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What are the advantages of living in a city or big town?
I think it’s having access to local facilities really … local shops as well as access to larger shopping malls in
the city centre … and if you’re well-off, you can afford to live in the suburbs away from the busy traffic …
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_________________________________
In your experience are city centres usually attractive places?

Some can be yes … especially those with a historical interest … but sometimes they’re full of ugly office
blocks … multi-story car parks … and residents living in poor housing (ngôi nhà cũ nát) … it depends on
the city doesn’t it?
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_________________________________
What are some of the challenges facing towns and cities?

I suppose traffic congestion (Ùn tắc giao thong) is a major problem … and the growth in out-of-town
supermarkets and retail parks (trung tâm mua sắm/ khu buôn bán lẻ ngoài thành phố) mean lots of town
centre shops are closing down … plus a shortage of (sự thiếu, số lượng thiếu) good quality housing … I
think these are the major challenges …
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__________________________________
Checkpoint
o I can talk about cities and towns.

o I can talk about an interesting place in my country.
o I can basically talk about developments in Part 3.
A1 Target Speaking
LESSON 14: HEALTH
Vocabulary
Reduce your stress levels:

giảm bớt stress
Do plenty of exercises:
tập nhiều bài thể dục
Gentle exercise:
bài tập đơn giản
Build up resistance to disease:
tăng sức đề kháng chống lại bệnh
tật
Go on a diet: chế độ ăn kiêng
Make a full recovery: bình
phục hoàn toàn
A course of medication:
một khóa học dược
Side effects: tác dụng phụ
Adverse reactions:
ảnh hưởng ngược lại
Consult your doctor:
hỏi ý kiến bác sĩ
Eating fresh fruit and
vegetables: ăn rau quả tươi
Eating organic foods:
ăn thực phẩm hữu cơ
Drinking water: uống nước
Having a balanced diet:
chế độ ăn kiêng cân bằng
Part 1
Have you got a relation you’re particularly fond of?
Yes … my granddad … he’s 94 years old but generally he’s as fit as a fiddle (cực kì khỏe mạnh) … we’re very
close and see each other a lot … whenever he goes down with a cold or is under the weather (cảm thấy hơi
mệt) I make a point of visiting him …
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49
Do you do any sport?
Yes … I’m keen on skateboarding … but I haven’t done it for a while … I had a bad fall recently and pulled
a muscle and had a few cuts and bruises … but I’m on the mend (ốm dậy) and hope to be doing it again
soon …
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Is there anything you’re particularly afraid of?

The dentist … I hate going to the dentist … I only ever go if I have a toothache so it usually means I have to
have a filling (chữa răng) or even have a tooth out (nhổ răng) … I really don’t like it …
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IELTS PRACTICE
Describe a time when you were ill.
You should say:
when this was
what your symptoms were
how long the illness lasted
and say how it affected your life at the time.
This is a tricky one really as I’m usually quite healthy … I’ve never been seriously ill … like everyone else
I sometimes get a few aches and pains or catch a cold … I can remember a few months ago I had to
have time off work with a heavy cold … I had the usual symptoms … a blocked nose … sore throat … it
lasted quite a while … about 2 weeks I think though I didn’t have that much time off work … for a few days
I remember feeling poorly but I was over the worst of it (qua cơn nguy kịch, qua quãng thời gian mệt
mỏi nhất của cơn ốm) after a few days and went back to work … I always find it’s better to be active when
you feel ill as it keeps your mind off your symptoms … I think my family gets a little fed up (chán nản; mệt
mỏi) with me when I’m ill though … I tend to feel sorry for myself and lie on the sofa all day as if (cứ như là)
I’m at death’s door (cực kì ốm)… but as I said earlier … on this occasion it was nothing serious and didn’t
really cause me any problems …
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A1 Target Speaking
What costs are involved when you are ill in your country?
Well … people have to pay prescription charges (tiền thuốc thang) which can be quite expensive … but
fortunately general healthcare is free … unless you want to go private of course and then you can pay a
fortune for your treatment …
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__________________________________
In your experience are people too quick to take time off work when they’re ill?
Yes .. I’ve got friends who have a day off work if they wake up with a runny nose … and in most cases they
seem to make a speedy recovery (hồi phục rất nhanh) after they’ve phoned in sick (gọi điện xin nghỉ
làm vì bị ốm) …
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_________________________________
Do women pay more attention to their health than men?

I think so yes … women are more likely to see their GP (bác sĩ cá nhân, bác sĩ của gia đinh) for a check-up
(khám bệnh) if they’re concerned about something … men tend to avoid facing up to any health problems
they have … my dad always seems to have a very chesty cough (một cơn ho tức ngực) but refuses to go
to make an appointment (hẹn lịch khám) to see the doctor …
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__________________________________
Additional Part 2 question
Describe something you do to keep healthy.

You should say:
What the activity is
When you do it
How often you do it
And explain why it is a good way to look after your health.
Checkpoint
o I can talk about healthy habits.

o I can talk about a time that I was ill.
o I can basically talk about health in Part 3.
51
LESSON 15: POSSESSIONS
Brainstorming
A1 Target Speaking
Vocabulary + Expressions
find something useful

get/receive a present
reward somebody for something
get/be offered a place at university
be in luck
at that time
a good discount
at the shopping mall
buy something for someone
convenient for someone/something
switch between apps | switch from one app to another
use something to do something | use something for doing something
extremely fast | incredibly fast
in seconds | within seconds
IELTS PRACTICE
Describe your favourite possession.
You should say:
What this is
When you obtained it
What you like about it
And explain why this item is important to you.
Notes:
A possession I couldn’t live without
What it is:
• iPhone Xs Max
• widescreen multi-touch display
How I got it:

• my mother bought it
• my graduation
• good/reputable university
When/How often I use it:

• every day; multitasking
• reading, listening to music
Why it is special:
• fast search
• convenient
53
’m going to talk about a possession I have which I find extremely useful and that’s my iPhone Xs max.
To begin with, it has a widescreen multi-touch display that is very clear. What I like about this model is
how beautifully designed it is.
I’ve always been a fan of Apple’s smartphones and I really wanted to have this one. I was lucky enough
to receive it as a present from my mother because she wanted to reward me for my efforts after I
graduated from high school, and was offered a place at a reputable university. I was in luck because
at that time there was a very good discount at the shopping mall I often go to. That was the perfect
opportunity for me to have it and my mother actually bought it for me.
I’ve been using my phone ever since. I use it from the moment I wake up and I take it anywhere with me.
I find it extremely convenient for reading some novels and listening to music because of its multi-touch
screen. I can easily switch from one app to another and this makes the phone perfect for multitasking.
And why it is so special? Well, I love using my phone to search online and this specific model is extremely
fast and I can easily access online content within seconds.
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Part 3
Let’s consider values (nguyên tắc đạo đức) and the way they change.
What kinds of possessions give status (cấp bậc, địa vị xã hội cao) to people in your country?
That’s a good question. Let me think…I’d say it depends on where you are and who you are with. If you are
out in public, it’s things like the car you are driving. If you have the latest Mercedes Benz model, then in my
country that is a status symbol (vật sở hữu thể hiện địa vị trong xã hội), as most people can’t even afford
a car at all. Property (bất động sản), or the house you own, and the possessions you have in it are also a
sign of status. If you have a nice house in a nice area, then this shows you have money and are someone
important.
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Comparing: Has it always been the same or were different possessions thought of as valuable
in the past?
I’m too young to remember exactly what it was like a long time ago, but yes, I think it was different. For
example, cars as I mentioned before only really came to our country in the last ten years or so. That kind
of consumerism (chủ nghĩa tiêu dung) is a fairly recent thing so this couldn’t have been used as a
A1 Target Speaking
representation of something valuable (có giá trị). I think it was things like gold and jewelry that were seen
as valuable. Of course these are still seen as valuable today, but a lot of the modern-day possessions
were not available before.
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Why do you think people need to show their status in society?

I believe that this is because it’s important in society to show you have money or are successful – it is nature,
or the way we are brought up, that makes us feel like this, but also the pressure (áp lực ; sức ép) that
society puts on everyone to be successful. And showing status is basically showing that you have money
and you have success, so this is what people want to do. Going back to the example of the car, driving
around in a Mercedes is a very conspicuous (dễ thấy) show of status – it basically says to people, “Look, I
am successful and I have money.” Another reason is possibly for respect. In many cultures, if someone has
high status, then they will be respected by others and they may receive preferential treatment (chế độ
ưu đãi, sự đối xử ưu tiên).
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Checkpoint
o I can talk about possessions.
o I can talk about an important ítem of mine.
o I can basically talk about status symbols in Part 3.

55
LESSON 16
TECHNOLOGY & THE INTERNET
Do you enjoy using technology?

Well … I wouldn’t call myself a techie or a computer buff but I enjoy using computers … I’d like to find out
more about how they work … when my computer crashes I never know what to do.
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______________
Do you use the Internet for your studies?
Yes … I’d be lost without it … I do lots of video conferencing to practice speaking and social media like
Facebook is a good way to meet up with other students … and I download podcasts that teach English
vocabulary and grammar.
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______________
Do you have your own computer?
Yes … I have a Macbook Pro … I use it all the time … for word processing … browsing websites and
catching up with TV programmes I’ve missed.
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______________
A1 Target Speaking
Social Networks
What kinds of social networking websites do you like to use?
It’s undeniable that social networking sites have become a huge part in our lives, especially young people’s.
And I am no exception. I am addicted to (nghiện) Facebook and Google Plus.
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_____________
Are you a social person?

I suppose I am outgoing (thoải mái) and kind of sociable (dễ chan hòa). I have many friends on Facebook
and can easily get along well with others (ăn ý).
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______________
What kinds of people do you like to make friends with on those websites?
I would love to make friends with people who have the same interests as me in music, travelling and
learning English.
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______________
Is it possible to find real friends on social network?

I think no, most friends I have on Facebook are casual (thất thường) friends or acquaintances (người
quen sơ), it is common that people just make friends for fun and do not really interact (tương tác) in real
life or share things a lot on social websites.
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______________
57
IELTS PRACTICE
Describe an item of technology you have that is very important.

You should say:
what the technology is
when you got it
how often you use it
and say how different your daily life would be without it.
Sample Answer
I don’t have many gadgets … just a computer … a laptop and my mobile phone … but I’ll talk about my
computer as it’s so useful … it’s funny really … 2 years ago I was still learning to use computers … how to
use email … send attachments how to access websites … then I decided to do a digital editing course
for video and photography … and so I bought the laptop when I started the course … my husband had a
desktop PC but it was very slow so I decided to upgrade to a powerful one because we do a lot of video
editing on the course … it’s a high-spec laptop … very fast … the latest operating system … it boots up
really quickly and it’s fun to use so it makes working a pleasure … I’ve become a competent computer user
now … if I didn’t have it I daresay I’d have to spend more time at college using their computers … but on
the positive side I suppose I’d read a lot more if I didn’t have it … I probably waste a lot of time surfing the
web … but hopefully I won’t have to be without it …
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______________
A1 Target Speaking
Part 3
Would robots change our society significantly? (Rô-bốt sẽ thay đổi xã hội của chúng ta một cách
đáng kể chứ?)
(Answer) Well, I do think that our society will experience dramatic changes owing to robots’ presence.
(Reason) A large proportion of human labor (nhân lực lao động) would be replaced by artificial intelligence
in the workplace, especially in manufacturing zones (các khu chế xuất). (Reason) Labor-intensive (Chỉ
công việc) Cần nhiều lao động)) work could be done precisely by robots which would save a lot of money.
Beside, automatons (Rô-bốt) can replace humans in dangerous working sites, such as underground
mines or outer space.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________
Checkpoint
o I can talk about basic technological things.

o I can talk about social networks.
o I can talk about a device (thiết bị; dụng cụ) / gadget (đồ dùng) that I have.
59

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A1 Speaking Book FINAL

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SPEAKING A1

2. Family & Friends 08

3. Free Time & Preferences 11

5. Special Occasions & Public Holidays 17

6. Emotions & Feelings 21

10. Foreign Languages 35

11. Jobs & Work 38

13. Towns & Cities 46

16. Technology & the Internet 56

Target Structures: Making and understanding basic questions

Target Questions: Part 1 Common Questions Do you work or study?

Do you have a best friend? (Who is

My full name is ___________________________________________________.

I come from ____________________________. (I am from ________________________________.)

TOPIC: HOME/ACCOMMODATION (CHỖ Ở)

Where is your home? (Where do you live?)

Prepare (chuẩn bị) your own answer/s.

What do you like about your studies/job?

Interview (cuộc phỏng vấn) your classmate.

1. What’s your first name? ( ) My email is ______________________.

o I can understand basic (mức độ đơn giản nhất) WH questions.

o I can ask about someone’s personal information.

o I can answer questions about personal information.

o I can introduce myself.

Target Structures: Describing people

My mother is _____________________. I look like my ___________________________.

Do you think it is good to live with grandparents?

Do you think it is good to be the only child in the family?

Who do you usually like to hang out with?

o I can talk about my family.

o I can talk about my friends.

o I can basically describe people.

o I can talk about a family member that I admire.

TARGET STRUCTURES: EXPRESSING PREFERENCES

EXPRESSING LIKES: EXPRESSING DISLIKES:

If there’s a word that you don’t

o I can talk about my free time.

Target Questions (Pair Work)

3. What are three good things about your town or city?

4. What are some fun things to do in your town or city?

A. art gallery 1. I can see a movie at a __________________.

Summary of the company

(X) is important for / excellent for / good for (verb-ing). Vocabulary

Give details (chi tiết) about it. _________________________________________________________________________

Give details (chi tiết) about it. ________________________________________________________________________

What I like most about this festival is that… _______________________________________________________

o I can talk about public holidays in my country.

Vocabulary Negative Feelings

What kinds of things do Vietnamese people feel happy about?

Is it easy to be happy for you?

Do you often watch TV?

What types of TV programmes are popular in your country?

What’s your favourite TV program?

When do you usually watch TV?

Do you think TV has changed in the past few decades?

o I can talk about different television programmes.

Capture: nắm giữ Mind-purifying: thanh lọc tâm hồn

Do you like to take photographs?

Do you prefer to take photos using a camera or a mobile phone?

Do you share your photos with other people on the Internet?

How (why) did you become interested in photograph?

o I can talk about photography.

5) What is the word for a gentle and slow movement of air?

I come from . (I am from ____.)

My mother is _. I look like my _______.