TOPIC 1: EDUCATION

1. Pursue university education OR get a job straight after school. Discuss both view
University education= tertiary education= higher education= third-level education
Get a job= land/ secure a job = join the workforce
 Receive tertiary education
- The economy has become knowledge-based > require special qualifications and
certificates. Ex: doctors, lawyers, teachers > a relevant degree
- Fiercely competitive job-market: numerous applicants > no certificates, no
degrees > be deprived of a chance to compete
 Join the workforce
- Service professions: require hands-on experiences not heavy-going theories > no
need for degree. Join the workforce > acquire transferable skills
- Starting working early > make a living > be independent, self-reliant >
accumulate wealth
2. Educate boys and girls in separate schools OR let them attend mixed schools.
Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
Separate schools= single-sex school/ education= single-gender school/ education
Mixed school= mixed-gender schools= mixed-sex schools= integrated schools= co-
education

 Single-sex schools
- Boys and girls are taught separately > little chance for early relationships > focus
more on academic performances > high achievements
- Male and female Ss have different learning needs and career orientation > single-
gender schools offer learning programs, subject choices, teaching styles focus on
either boys or girls
 Mixed schools
- Co-education > chance to engage in various activities with opposite-sex
classmates > provides boys and girls with the opportunity to learn from each other
intellectually, as well as socially
- Mixed-gender schools > expresses more diversity and educates Ss about gender
equality.
+Students will be able to express themselves as they wish, being a girl, boy,
transgender, etc.
+students get equal opportunities for learning. Boys and girls and everyone in
between will be taught and treated the same with no sex preference/ regardless of
their gender.
3. The Internet will never replace the traditional textbooks in schools. Do you agree or
disagree?
The Internet= Internet-based materials = Online resources= Web-based materials
Traditional textbooks= conventional manuals
Schools= educational system = institutions= educational setting
 Agree
 Textbooks:
- Textbooks: well-organized, well-designed by leading pedagogical experts in
education > the quality is ensured
- Including testing formats and criteria for assessment > enhance Ss’ academic
performances.
 Internet-based materials:
- Numerous resources available, including incorrect and harmful ones > difficult to
differentiate > time-consuming and ineffective
- Distraction: web-surfing, games-playing > do not focus on studying > low
academic achievement
(-an ideal supplement for the knowledge absorbed via textbooks.
- enable Ss to get access to abundant resources of materials
- form necessary skills : skimming, scanning, sifting redundant info )
4. Many university students live with their families, others live away from home
because their universities are in different places. What are the advantages and
disadvantages of both situations?
 Live with families
- Advantages:
+ More comfortable: no renting fee for accommodation, water and electricity
bills> enjoy the comfort of their own houses> focus more on study
- Disadvantages
+ Be dependent on family’s support, not self-reliant
 Live far away from home
- Advantages:
+ Go through real-life experiences and acquire transferrable skills : make one’s
own decision, problem-solving, situation-handling, etc
+ Becoming more mature, self-reliant
- Dis:
+ Financial burden, especially for students coming from low-income families >
spend time to earn a living > ignored studying

5. For school children, teachers have more influence on their intelligence and social
development than their parents. Do you agree or disagree?

 teacher’s influences
- School teachers are subject specialists and are formally trained in teaching
methodology > help children develop their skills using a modern approach. For
ex: group work, team building activities > help students to gain problem-solving
and communication skills
 - Students spend a large proportion of time with their teachers. Explain: In
many countries, students spend 8 hours/day, 5 days/ week at school > get
knowledge and skills form teachers.
 Parents’ influences
- Parents are a child’s first role model > children imitate their behaviors > learn
skills from their parents
- Parents establish the foundation for cognitive and emotional development.
Explain: First five years in a child’s life > most contact with parents > found
basement for later development
- parents know exactly what their children's personality is => choose a suitable
environment for them to develop their socializing skills
[cha mẹ biết rõ tính cách của con mình => chọn môi trường phù hợp cho con phát
triển kỹ năng giao tiếp xã hội]

TOPIC: SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS

- curb crime rates

- surveillance cameras = security cameras = CCTV= anti-crime devices

Advantages and disadvantages

 Drawbacks
- Law- abiding citizens considers cameras intrusive. Explain: their privacy is
invaded, daily activities are recorded.
- Unlike police officers patrolling the streets, CCTV cannot put a stop to illegal
activities which are in progress > fail to guarantee a sense of security
 Benefits
- Deter potential criminals/ prospective culprits from actualizing their evil
intentions. Explain: presence of cameras > afraid of getting caught red-handed >
discourage them from committing crimes
- Provided footage of crime scenes> arrest the wanted perpetrators. Forensic
evidence > prosecuting the wrongdoers
TOPIC: ONLINE SHOPPING
In some countries, shopping online is replacing shopping at store. Discuss both pros and
cons.

 Pros
- International trade: products can transcend geographical barriers > various brands
compete to win customers’ favors > customers can enjoy much more freedom of
choice.
- Small-scale enterprises + sole traders can conduct business without spending too
much money on rents and staffing > reduction in overheads (tong chi phi)> drop
in products’ prices >stimulate purchasing power.
 Cons
 - Cannot test the quality in person > items that has poor quality > frustration
- Online payment > fail to protect private information > fall victim to high-tech
crimes.
TOPIC: MUSEUM
Many museums and historical sites are mainly visited by tourists but no local people. Why
is this the case and what can be done to attract more local people to visit these places?
(22/6/19) CAUSES AND SOLUTIONS
museum = hall of historical relics and artifacts
historical site = historical places/locations
mainly = primarily = mostly
visit = drop by = stop by = pay a visit to
tourist = visitor = holiday maker = traveller
local people = local residents/inhabitants = local dwellers= the locals
attract = appeal = draw/capture attention from
 2 Reasons
- The entrance fees are beyond local residents’ budget > discourage them from paying a
visit to museums. For ex: a ticket price to Dai Noi in Hue costs 10-15 dollars per head >
quite expensive as compared to the low average income of local dwellers.
Objects on display and activities rarely change > unappealing
- Furthermore, unlike tourists who wants to have a deeper understanding about the culture
and history of the country they are visiting, the locals who have been born and spent their
lifetime in the place are far less curious about such information > pay less attention to
those places.
 2 Solutions
- Free entrance ticket > without financial burdens > attracts more local visitors
- Government > make more investment in refreshing the facilities, the design of museums
+ raise people’s awareness about the importance of these places

TOPIC: VIDEO GAMES

Many doctors are concerned about the high use of computer games by young people. What
problems may arise from this trend? Suggest some possible solutions.
PROBLEM-SOLUTIONS

- High use = excessive use= heavy use of computer games

- Overindulge themselves in
 - Video games= computer games= online games
- Young addicts= avid gamers= avid game players
 2 Problems ( suc khoe + hoc tap)
- Addicted to computer games > lead a sedentary lifestyle (sitting in front of the computer
for hours, overindulging themselves in online games rather than engaging in physically
demanding activities) > be highly vulnerable to a host of chronic conditions
(cardiovascular complaints and obesity)
- Avid gamers run the risk of underperforming academically, to the detriment of their
career prospect.
Explain: indulging in addictive games > allocate a smaller proportion of time to studying
> poor performances at school

 2 Solutions
- Government should launch educational campaigns > promote the importance of outdoor
activities and healthy leisure pursuits > make youngsters be well-informed with the
negative effects of game addiction
- Parents > pay more attention to their children’s lifestyles > encourage them to do
exercises on regular basis
Today many children spend a lot of time playing computer games and little time on
sports. What are the reasons for this and is it a positive or negative development?
(4/5/19)
CAUSES AND PROBLEMS
It is true that nowadays, many youngsters tend to be more captivated by the idea of
overindulging themselves in online games rather than engaging in sports activities. I believe
there are two important reasons for this trend which is in my opinion totally a negative
phenomenon.
There are various reasons why there has been a growing number of youngsters who are
addicted to computer games. First, due to the fast development of the Internet and
technology, most students can get access to computer easily. As a consequence, many online
game companies have been targeting millennials as their main potential customers to
promote their products. This has lead to the excessive use of video games among youngsters.
Secondly, in modern society, parents seem to be too busy with their careers to have time for
their children. In fact, uninvolved parenting could make a child tend to display misbehavior
and turn to the imaginary virtual world of online games as a way to escape from reality.
Game addiction among adolescents is no doubt a negative trend which has severe impacts on
their development. First, teenagers who are addicted to video games are likely to be
vulnerable to a host of chronic conditions such as cardiovascular complaints and obesity. In
fact, most of avid gamers spend most of their time sitting in front of computers without
engaging in any physically demanding activities. Furthermore, avid game players run a high
risk of underperforming academically, to the detriment of their career prospects. When being
overindulged in the video games, children will allocate a smaller proportion of time to
studying, hence, their academic results will likely to suffer.
In conclusion, the reasons behind game addiction among youngsters are varied including the
Internet’s development and uninvolved parenting. Negative effects on children’s health and
academic performances are expected to arise from this alarming trend. (306 words)
TOPIC: AGING POPULATION
In developed world, average life expectancy is increasing. What are some problems arising
from this trend? Suggest some solutions.

- Old people= the elderly= senior citizens= the old= the aged

 2 PROBLEMS
- Longevity increases > exert more pressure on the government. Explain: the elderly are
highly vulnerable to a host of chronic conditions such as heart attack and cardiovascular
complaint > a rise in the demand for healthcare > a drain on government’s budget as the
states have to subsidize costly health care services.
- The growing number of senior citizens > less tax payers > negatively affect national tax
revenues > greater tax burden for working adults

 2 SOLUTIONS
- increase the retirement age for working adults. Explain: people from 55 to 65 tend to be
healthy enough to continue working
- encourage immigration in order to increase the number of working adults who pay taxes

OLD-YOUNG PEOPLE
The older people who need employment have to compete with younger ones. What
problems can this create? What are some solutions?

 2 PROBLEMS
- Old pp have accumulated more hands-on experiences > young applicants fail > unable to
make a living > display anti-social behavior > turn to a career of crime > social unrest
- Old citizens fail > struggle financially > drain on the government’s budget: vulnerable to
chronic conditions > necessitating health care services > gov have to sponsor

 2 SOLUTIONS
- Gov: launch vocational training program for young pp
- Upgrade the existing health care systems and facilities + provide sufficient old-age
pension > old pp live comfortably
 The older generations tend to have very traditional ideas about how people should
live, think and behave. However, some people believe that these ideas are not helpful
in preparing younger generations for modern life. To what extent do you agree or
disagree with this view?

Some people believe that senior citizens’ traditional beliefs play a critical role in
preparing youngsters for their new life. However, others suppose that these ideas are
incompatible with the modern society. Personally, while admitting some conventional
perspectives of the old are outdated, I still believe the others are helpful and should not be
forgotten.
There are several reasons why people think the traditional viewpoints of the grey
generation are outdated. First, there is a significant disparity related to the view of gender
equality between old and modern society. In old society, the men were usually considered
the breadwinner while the women were the housemakers. This conventional belief is now
highly criticized by the public, especially the women who strongly believe the roles of
both genders are equally important. Secondly, older generations tend to assume that
parents have total control over their children, which has been proven to be a wrong
perspective. In fact, children should have the right to express their own opinions and
follow their career paths rather than being over-controlled by adults.

However, there are various traditional values that are still applicable to the modern
society. First, older people always attach great importance to the role of family, which is
applicable to all societies. For example, the belief that children should respect their
parents and take care of other people in the family is proven to have positive impact on
building a strong relationship among family members. Furthermore, the valuable lessons
about good manners and politeness that the grey generation has conveyed to the young
are of no doubt extremely helpful in preparing youngsters for encountering adult life.

In conclusion, even though there are several outdated beliefs of old people that are
unsuitable to the modern world, many others have been proved to have long-lasting and
positive influences on people in all societies.

TOPIC: SPACE EXPLORATION

Space exploration is much too expensive and the money should be spent on more
important things.

What is your opinion?

- Space exploration = out space exploration= space travels= space programs
 Disagree. Space travel should be financially aided by governments.
 Space exploration > help to develop technology, telecommunication > bring tremendous
benefits for human.
Ex: NASA > launch many satellites to the space > used to broadcast signals all over the
globe > weather forecast, satellite TV become possible
 As global warming has become a serious concern for the whole world, scientists have
started to find the alternate planet to live.
Ex; The Earth: water, land, air pollution; the depletion of natural resources, global
warming > pose a serious threat to human beings> find other alternative places for
settlement,