TOPIC CARD 1

My favorite book is “The Rainbow Troops”.

Published in Indonesia in 2005, The Rainbow Troops, Andrea Hirata's closely
autobiographical debut novel, sold more than five million copies. Now it
promises to captivate audiences around the globe.
The book’s story follows Hirata’s own childhood very closely. Ikal is a student
at the poorest village school on the Indonesian island of Belitong, where
graduating from sixth grade is considered remarkable. This school lacked even a
toilet, and its roof had leaks so large that students studied under umbrellas on
rainy days. His school is under constant threat of closure. Ikal and his friends―a
group nicknamed the Rainbow Troops― also face threats from every angle:
government officials, greedy corporations, deepening poverty, crumbling
infrastructure, and their own low self-confidence.
“The Rainbow Troops” is such an inspiring and moving bestseller. It provides
me a clear view of harsh reality, where not all dreams come true. And the book
also helps me to relax after studying. It’s truly a worth-reading one.

TOPIC CARD 2
Watching or reading news is the best way to keep myself updated with the latest
happenings across the world. I watch the news on television and read online
newspapers every day.
When I was browsing vietnamnet.com, a news story titled – “Seoul Halloween
stampede” attracted me. I clicked twice on that shocking headline and began
reading.
There was a Halloween party on one of the most popular walking streets in
Seoul – Itaewon and about 100,000 revelers had surged into that narrow alley.
The stampede, which broke out on the night of October 29, took the lives of 154
people, and injured 133 others, as crowds were celebrating Halloween on
Itaewon street. Many foreigners, including a student from Vietnam, are among
the dead. Unfortunately, they were mostly in their teens and 20s.
After reading it, I was really sad and angry at how South Korean police reacted
to the catastrophe, they couldn’t control the crowd. The police chief was even
sleeping while the disaster was happening. Some experts predict that Halloween
will no longer appear on social media after this deadly Halloween crush in
Seoul.
 TOPIC CARD 3
Making decisions by myself has always been the most difficult part of growing
up. One of the most important decisions I’ve ever made was choosing which
secondary school in Hanoi I would enroll in after finishing primary school. At
that time, I was almost on my own to decide on this matter. My parents, unlike
most Vietnamese parents, wanted me to make my own decision, and they let me
decide what I truly wanted to pursue. And it was really a tough time for me, I
had to go through all the different options and try to decide what was the best.
Finally, I took a competitive entrance exam with more than 4,000 other students
to attend NTT lower and upper secondary school. I had to study a lot in a year to
revise for the exam. I was a little bit nervous at first and worried about my test
results. But one thing was for sure – I did my best. Fortunately, I passed it.
So, I think it was a big decision, but I made a good choice. Of course, it was an
important one as it changed everything for me, from where I studied, to who my
teachers and friends are. All in all, I would say that I would never regret my
decision to study at this school, and I am enjoying every single moment here.

TOPIC CARD 4
I have loads of unforgettable school memories which make my childhood so
memorable. And today I would like to describe a stressful day in my life briefly.
It just happened a couple of weeks ago. I still remember it was Tuesday and I
had bad luck throughout the day.
In the morning, I got up late at 6.55. Because of being late, I had to take
punishment from my teacher and stand outside of the class. It was such an
embarrassing situation that I just wanted to forget.
After lunchtime, I realized that I forgot to revise for the mini-Chemistry test. I
felt so annoyed because it happened for the first time that I forgot about the test.
As a result, I got just 7.5 out of 10 and then I was complained by my parents.
After that, my Literature returned the mid-term tests to us, and the test result
made me disappointed one more time. I cried a lot because the teacher who
marked me was so strict. Luckily, I had good friends and good teachers, they
cheered me up and gave me some useful advice.
I was exhausted after facing all these problems in one day. That day, life seemed
so difficult for me. Of course, I don’t want to experience that type of day again.