DAY 2: SPEAKING

STUDY
1. Describe your education
I started school when I was 7. I finished my primary education 5 years later and I went to secondary
school at 12. Then at 16, I made it to a high school for gifted pupils in my hometown. In my country,
highschool education lasts 3 years, then I went onto higher education at the Foreign Trade University
where I’m currently studying economics.
2. What kind of school did you go to as a child?
I have studied in a public school from pre-school till 6 th grade. It used to be the most popular and the best
elementary school during my time.
3. What was your favorite subject as a child?
I liked Maths a lot when I was a kid. Solving word problems were very interesting for me. I’d always get
high scores in exams.

WEATHER
1.What's the weather like where you live?
My Personal Answer:
The weather varies, depending on the season. There has definitely been an impact from climate
change recently, however, we still have four distinct seasons - spring, summer, autumn, and winter.
The temperature can go as low as minus 5 in the winter and as high as 35 or even at times 40 in the
summer. My city has a nice, comfortable climate, suitable for living.
2.Do you prefer cold weather or hot weather?
Answer 1:
I prefer the warm and sunny weather of the summer. This is my favorite time of the year when I
can enjoy a nice walk in the park, absorb some sunshine and feel warm and comfortable. I don't like
cold, at all.
3. Do you prefer dry weather or wet weather?
Answer 1:
I'm not sure. I've tried both and I think a little bit of both is the best. Too humid makes
everything wet and sweaty, and too dry... well the opposite. So I like a balanced weather the most.
4. Are you in the habit of checking the weather forecast? When? How often?
Answer 1:
Well, as we all have smartphones these days, I receive it directly on my screen. Every time I turn my
phone on, I see a notification and an icon of the weather forecast. Now If I want to learn
more information, I could click on it and get a detailed forecast. I don't do that so often though. I
think the icon is more than enough for me to know the temperature and the type of weather I have
to expect.

WRITING
1. Did you like writing things when you were a child?
Yes, when I was in school, I preferred writing because, in my opinion, it was the best way to remember
anything.
2. What kinds of things do you write during a typical day? Why/Why not?
Sample 1: Yeah, kind of. You know, as a student, I take notes in class, and I’ve got a lot of written
homework to do after that. Then during the exam, it takes me hours to fill in the answer sheet using my
gel pen. I guess that’s the reason why I’m a regular customer of the stationer’s.
3. Do you think the things you write would change in the future?
Yeah, everything’s changing and the things I wanna write is not the exception. Well actually, I used
to write articles after school, dreaming of being a writer in the future, but what I actually write about
now has nothing to do with it at all. Perhaps I’m gonna regain the passion for writing novels someday,
or become curious about something new. Who knows?
4. Which do you prefer, handwriting or typing?
I usually prefer typing. I like handwriting, but for the most part, using a computer is way faster and more
convenient. For example, if I’m writing an essay for school, it would take me away too long to try and
write it out. My hand gets cramps when I try to write for that long. Typing is a lot easier.

PUZZLES
1. Did you do puzzles in your childhood?
I’m pretty sure I did but I can’t remember specifically which ones. Oh, I used to do jigsaws, but I’m not
entirely sure they are classed as puzzles.
2. When do you do puzzles -during a trip or when you feel bored?
Neither really, I tend to use them to pass the time when I’m waiting for something. For example, last
week I had a dentist’s appointment and I was playing scrabble in the waiting room.
3. Do you like doing word puzzles or number puzzles?
I don’t really mind, but I’ve recently got into scrabble and I’m playing that a lot at the moment. I play it
with a couple of mates and we’re quite competitive, to say the least.
4. Do you think it is good for old people to do puzzles?
There is a great deal of scientific evidence that doing them improves cognitive abilities. They can help
with short-term memory and reduce the risk of dementia.
NAME
1. Does your name have a special meaning?
NẾU CÂU TRẢ LỜI LÀ YES
Main idea: It turns out to be a meaningful message under the story of my name. (IELTS TUTOR gợi ý
cách diễn đạt khác: Most Vietnamese names do, I suppose, and mine is not an exception)
Supporting idea:
….. means …., and …. means ….., so I guess it was my parents’ expectation that I’m always their
essential and beloved present from God. (IELTS TUTOR gợi ý cách diễn đạt khác: I suppose my mom
and dad really want me to become such a person so they sent all the expectation into my name)
Example:
NẾU CÂU TRẢ LỜI LÀ NO:
It might do, but I don't know what that meaning is; I've never looked it up. Maybe I'll google it later
today; you've made me curious to find out!
I don’t think there is any special meaning for my name. My grandpa picked this character from an
ancient dictionary based on the time I was born.
2. How would you choose names for your next generation?
Sample answer 1: I’m not sure. Maybe I will name my child after someone I admire. For example, I
think Henry Ford is a great man, so I might name my son Henry. But I still need inputs from
my significant other before making the final decision.
Sample answer 2: I haven’t thought about that yet. Well, if I had a child, I might think of
something unconventional to name him or her. I wouldn’t go so far as to name my child like what Elon
musk did, but I want my baby to have something unusual.
3.Are there any differences between how VietNamese name their children now and in the past?
Main idea: In the past, the most popular middle names in Vietnam were "Van" for men and "Thi" for
women.
Supporting idea:
Now, it is quite possible to have two or more, or even no middle names at all
It is chosen by parents and usually has a literal meaning in the Vietnamese language.
Example:
Girls are often given names that embody beauty, like types of flowers, birds, rivers or precious objects.
Boys typically get an abstract name representing a personal quality, such as Duc (virtue) or Tai (talent).
Main idea: In the past, there were many rules to choose name for a new born in a (big) family.
Supporting idea:
The bigger the family were, the more difficult they could choose the name.
The name of the child must not be similar to any elder in the family, and must not be similar to the
Emperor’s name or name of close people in Emperor’s family.
This kind of similarity was considered as disrespectful manor and could be punished by law
Nowadays, it is much easier.
People choose the name with lucky and meaningful idea for their kids. "
For nickname, recently, people prefer cute names or names of cute animals (chipmunk, kitty, …) or
foods they love (chouquettes (Su Kem in Vietnames - a French pastry), sushi,…)
Example:
4. Does anyone in your family have the same name as you?
I think no because, in the past, the name of the child must not be similar to any elder in the
family and must not be similar to the emperor’s name or the name of close people in the
Emperor’s family. Therefore, my name is unique in my family.