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Speaking: Part 2
Hometown
Where is your hometown?
My hometown's in Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam. It's located in the north
of the country, not very far from the southern Chinese border.
Is there much to do in your hometown?
Oh yes, there's a lot to do there and it’s a big city. If you like going out in the
evening, there are a lot of good restaurants and bars. If you prefer cultural
activities, there are museums and art galleries. But if you like nature, there
are lots of other things you can try.
What are the people like in your hometown?
They are quite friendly, but as with most big cities everyone is often busy so
it may seem that they are not interested in speaking or having a chat. But if
you live there you know that most people are quite happy to have a chat if
they have time and will help you if you need it.
Studies
What are you studying at the moment?
I'm studying history at university. It's a four-year course, and I started it
three years ago, so I have just one year left. I'm enjoying it a lot so it will be
sad to finish.
What do you like most about your studies?
We learn about many things from the past,for example: politics and wars,
but I like learning about how people lived in the past the most. It's amazing
to see how our lives have changed so much from the past up to now. In some
ways our lives are much easier now, but in other ways the simplicity of life
in the past made people much happier. Learning about all that is fascinating.
What do you hope to do in the future when you have finished?
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I'm not sure at the moment, but I may go into teaching.
Work
What is your job?
I work as an office manager at a large marketing company. I've been in the
job for about five years now. I usually have to work with a specific business
in order to improve their sales through various marketing strategies.
Do you have to work with other people?
Oh yes, all the time. It's a big office and we all have to work as a team if we
want to achieve results.
Do you think you will change jobs in the future?
Well, that's not something I'm thinking about at the moment because I really
enjoy what I do and it's a really good company to work for. The pay is good
and they have other good benefits such as flexi-time and end of year
bonuses. But that said, change is always a good thing, so I can't see me being
there forever. I'm sure I will change one day.
Leisure time
What do you like to do in your free time?
I do a lot of sport. I play football mostly - on Wednesday nights and Sunday
afternoon with a local team. I also play tennis when I can but I don't really
have the time to do them every week. I work quite hard at the moment, so I
don't get a lot of free time unfortunately.
Have your leisure activities changed since you were a child?
Not much. I used to love playing football when I was young as well - I played
a lot at school. I also did other things kids loved to do such as: bike rides
after school and things.
Do you prefer to spend your free time alone or with other people?
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It depends on my mood really. I think most people need some time on their
own. Sometimes my work is quite stressful and I spend a lot of time there
with others, so it's good to get home and relax and read a book or
something. But I get bored if I am alone too much so I like to go out and meet
friends in the evening or play football.
Trains
Do you like to travel by train?
Yes, I quite like them. If you are on a train you can relax and look out the
window, read, use your lap top - it's all quite comfortable. On the bus it's
more difficult to do those things because there is less space and the
movement can make you travel sick too. The only problem with trains in my
country is that they are often delayed or late. That can ruin your journey.
Where do you usually go by train?
When I take long trips across the country if I want to visit friends or I have
an appointment somewhere. For short journeys around where I live or to
work it's much easier to drive or take the bus.
When was the last time you travelled by train?
Er....I'm not sure, let me think. It was a while ago now. I think the last time
was last year when I went up to see some friends I had not seen for a while
in the north of the country. Yes, that was it. It was a journey of about 3 hours
and I had to change trains once during the journey. The first train was a bit
crowded and noisy because I think there were people on there going to a
football match, but it was an ok trip most of the way..
Time
Are you good at managing your time?
I'd say I'm not too good! I don't really have a system in place to organize
things. I know some people have an electronic organizer or use some device
to plan what they are doing but I don't do that. But I always make sure I am
on time for appointments and things like that, and I meet deadlines and get
things done.
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How do you manage your time?
I don't have any specific system in place to manage my time. For example, if I
am at work and I have a lot of cases, I just go through them each day and
decide which I need to tackle first. At work we do have an online diary which
I guess I use, so in that sense I do manage my time to an extent.
When is it most important for you to manage your time?
I think it is probably when you are at work. When out of work, it's not really
going to affect things too much, or at least only yourself, if you are late to
meet friends or for an appointment, or if you are getting things done in your
house. But at work, it will cause problems if you don't manage your time
effectively because you could miss deadlines or miss appointments. You
could lose your job. So at work is when it is most important to manage your
time.
Swimming
Can you swim?
Yes I can. I learnt at school when I was about 7 years old. Swimming lessons
were compulsory at our school, like most schools I think.
Are there many places to swim near you?
Yes, there are a few public swimming pools. There is the main indoor one at
a big sports complex in the center of town. There are also a couple of
outdoor ones, but you can only use them in summer as it is too cold in
winter. One is a big one in a park, the other is a much smaller one.
Do you think everyone should learn to swim?
Of course, I think it's very important. Firstly, you spend much of your life on
holiday by water, for example, when you go to the beach on holiday, so you
won't be able to enjoy yourself with your friends if you can't swim. Also, for
safety reasons it's very important. You often hear about sad accidents
involving young children so it's very important.
