“THÀNH PHẦN VÀ CÁCH SỬ DỤNG

Giữa vô vàn tài liệu học trên mạng, đặc biệt là tài liệu cho Speaking thì nhiều đếm không xuể, việc
chọn được nguồn học đáng tin cậy là rất rất quan trọng. Sau khi chọn lọc không-thể-kĩ-hơn, các
thầy cô và các bạn TA tại HP ACADEMY quyết định chọn tài liệu từ trang https://ieltsmaterial.com/
và bổ sung thêm phần dịch nghĩa tiếng Việt giúp các bạn muốn tự học để nâng cao vốn từ vựng và
ý tưởng dành riêng cho các chủ đề của Speaking Part 2 trong Kì thi IELTS.

Tài liệu này bao gồm mẫu trả lời của 100 đề thi Speaking Part 2, các từ/ cụm từ tốt đều được
highlight ngay trong mẫu câu trả lời. Bên dưới mỗi bài đều có dịch song ngữ Anh- Việt để các bạn
hiểu rõ nhất về ý nghĩa và cách sử dụng.

Tất nhiên tài liệu thì rất dài và không thể nào các bạn nhớ hoặc dùng hết được, nên bên mình
recommend mọi người mỗi ngày in ra 1-2 bài thôi, nhớ là in ra thì có động lực đọc hơn nhé, đọc
2-3 lần, chú ý các cụm từ tốt và cách dùng, nếu mỗi ngày các bạn đọc được 2 bài thì trung bình chỉ
hơn 1 tháng là hoàn thành xong cuốn này rồi. Lúc đó không ít thì nhiều các bạn cũng tích luỹ cho
mình số lượng kiến thức đáng kể, không từ vụng thì cũng có them ideas cho 1 số câu hỏi. Nói
chung chỉ toàn là mặt tốt thôi.

Cuối cùng vấn đề chỉ còn phụ thuộc vào ý chí và độ quyết tâm của bạn đến đâu, đừng đòi hỏi 6.0
hay 7.0 nếu bản thân bạn chưa sẵn sàng mặc dù lúc nào trong thâm tâm cũng nghĩ mình sẽ cố
gắng.

DON’T SAY, JUST DO IT.

HP ACADEMY TEAM
Describe a time you needed to use imagination
You should say:
• what the situation was;
• why you needed to use imagination;
• what the difficulties were; and explain how you felt about it.

BAND 9.0 SAMPLE ANSWER:

I would like to talk about the time I had to get out of my comfort zone to join an
Innovation Challenge Contest which made me think out of the box and work flat out to
become the runner-up.

This annual contest is open to all undergraduates and post-graduates around the world.
Each year this contest draws the attention of more than 30 000 people so it was really
competitive and challenging for me. Therefore, when I was awarded the runner-up prize, I
was deliriously happy and extraordinarily excited.

The goal of the Challenge was to recognize individuals and organizations that were
working on internet-based solutions to promote education and economic empowerment
in countries throughout the world. Therefore, it really required creativity and imagination
from each team joining the contest. I had to buckle down and brainstorm ideas for the
challenge until I came up with the best one to be accepted for 4 consequent rounds.

At the end of the day, my team and I had really gone extra miles to become the runners-up
and it was really an unforgettable experience to me. After all, I can take pride in myself
for all the thing I achieved with my imagination and creativity.

Vocabulary:
Từ/ cụm từ tốt Nghĩa tiếng Anh Nghĩa tiếng Việt

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Get/ Step out of the Do things that you wouldn’t Bước ra khỏi giới hạn
comfort zone normally do của chính mình
Think out of the box Think differently, Tư duy vượt giới hạn
unconventionally or from a new
perspective
Work flat out Work very hard Nỗ lực làm việc
Draw the attention To induce people to look at or Tập trung sự chú ý
focus on oneself, someone, or
something
Runner-up A team/ player/ competitor Á quân
finishing on second place
Deliriously happy Very happy Cực kì vui sướng
[collocation]
Extraordinarily Very excited Phấn khích tội độ
excited [collocation]
Internet-based a means of solving a problem or Giải pháp bằng liên
solution dealing with a difficult situation by mạng
the Internet
Empowerment The giving of an ability, Năng lực, quyền hạn
enablement or permission
Buckle down To begin to work seriously at Bắt đầu làm việc nghiêm
something túc, chăm chỉ
Brainstorm A good idea, an idea that enters Sáng kiến
one’s head suddenly
Come up with To devise or produce something Đưa ra, phát hiện, khám
phá
Go the extra miles To do more than one is required to Làm vượt mức mong
do to reach a goal đợi, vượt mục đích, kế
hoạch

Take pride in To feel pleased about someone or Tự hào về…

what they have done

At the end of the day In the end Cuối cùng

Describe a game or sport that you enjoy playing.

You should say:

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 • what kind of sport that is;
• who you play it with;
• where you play it;
• and explain why you think doing this is healthy.

BAND 9.0 SAMPLE ANSWER

I’m not a great swimmer in any sense but swimming is like my religion. It is truly
refreshing and literally, washes away every disturbing thought I have whenever I dive
into cold water. No matter how tight my schedule may get, I usually pay at least one visit to
a local swimming pool to work myself up and get rejuvenated.

Sometimes, I have a partner or two, who have been my best friends since high school. We
live in the same neighborhood so it’s not too stressful when we have to set a schedule for
our swimming session. We carpool more often than not and it takes us roughly 15
minutes to get to the local recreation center where it provides the locals with a variety of
facilities for training purpose such as gym class, stadium, swimming pool, tennis court and
so on, which is extremely convenient for those who practice more than one activity. The
only thing better then swimming itself is swimming with your besties, which is one of
hundreds of things I love about my weekly ritual. Hardly do we have time to meet each
other during week days as we’re all up to our neck at work and totally stressed out.
Therefore, having such a healthy way to catch up with my friends and recharge battery
after an exhausting week never sounds better. Just like any other sports, swimming helps
maintain your health, keep you fit as well as build your endurance. However, unlike
others, it’s a very relaxing and peaceful form of exercise, you don’t even sweat for hours –
a supreme advantage. Therefore, if you’re looking for a kind of sport that brings you
comfort and relaxation, swimming should be your first choice.

Vocabulary & Useful expression:

Từ/ cụm từ tốt Nghĩa tiếng Anh Nghĩa tiếng Việt

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Refreshing(a) Making you feel less tired or hot Sảng khoái

Literally(adv) In a literal manner or sense, Theo nghĩa đen/ thật

exactly vậy, đúng là
Disturbing(a) Making you feel anxious and upset Đáng lo ngại, lo âu, bối
or shocked rối, muộn phiền
Work up Make yourself or another person Vực dậy tinh thần, gợi
excited or upset cảm xúc
Rejuvenate(v) Make somebody/ something look Làm trẻ lại
or feel younger, more lively or
more modern
More often than not Usually Thường xuyên

Recreation center A building that is open to the Khu giải trí, nhà văn hóa
public where meetings are held,
sport are played, and there are
activities available for young and
old people
Provide…with To give or supply for the benefit or Cung cấp
use of someone
Extremely convenient Very convenient Rất thuận tiện
Ritual(n) Something that is done regularly Lịch trình/ (lễ nghi)
and always in the same way
Be up to neck To be very busy Rất bận rộn
Recharge battery To regain one’s energy, liveliness, Nạp năng lượng
or motivation through a period of
rest or recreation
Maintain health To keep in proper or good Giữ gìn sức khỏe
condition
Keep fit To keep in good physical condition Giữ dáng

Endurance(n) The ability to continue doing Sức chịu đựng

something painful or difficult for a
long period of time without
complaining
Relaxation A pleasant activity that makes Thư giãn
you become calm and less worried

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Describe an old friend you enjoy talking with.
You should say:
• who this person is
• how you knew him/her
• what you usually talk about and explain why you want to talk to this person.

BAND 9.0 SAMPLE ANSWER

I have always been lucky enough to be surrounded by a large circle of friends who are
incredibly supportive, compassionate and open-minded. And everybody knows how
precious it is to have such a gift and I, of all people, know better than taking that for
granted. That is why I always make effort to keep in touch with people I’ve become
close with and one of whom is my ex-boss, aka my mentor – Eli.

Admittedly, it’s far from an ordinary relationship for most people, but to Eli and I, it came
naturally. We first met during the training course we both attended for a luxurious soon-to-
be-open restaurant in town roughly 2 years ago. Eli was our Filipino manager and I was
about to be a hostess for the very first time. Every concept, every rule and every etiquette
when working in hospitality industry just overwhelmed me and if it hadn’t been for Eli, a
patient teacher as well as a dedicated friend, I wouldn’t have managed to complete my
training and achieved high performance at our workplace. However, thanks to those hard
times we’ve been through together, we became closer and our conversations would last
endlessly ranging from family, career, happiness to setbacks in life. As a predecessor, Eli
usually offers me valuable advice and emotional support whenever I confine in him. No
lecturing. No “I told you so”. Just pure compassion. He always tries to bring out the best
in people instead of being Mr. Know-it-all and patronizing, which is one of million things
I admire about him.

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Even though we are no longer working together and hanging out more often than we
should, our strong bond has never got loose. We keep each other in the loop about
everything significant happening around us and provide mutual support if needed. Once
in a while, we would meet over coffee or dinner to catch up if our schedules allow and still,
I truly, deeply treasure every moment together.

Vocabulary & Useful expression

Từ/ cụm từ tốt Nghĩa tiếng Anh Nghĩa tiếng Việt
A large circle of A number of friends who usually Nhóm bạn thân
friends do things together
Incredibly supportive Providing an extreme Vô cùng, luôn ủng hộ
encouragement
Take something/ Fail to appreciate the value of Xem là chuyện đương
someone for granted something/ someone nhiên, không biết quý
trọng
Make effort to do To do something even though you Nỗ lực làm gì
something find it hard to do
Keep/ remain/ stay in Maintain communications with Giữ liên lạc
touch with
Come naturally To be naturally easy to someone Dễ dàng, đến một cách
tự nhiên
Roughly Approximately Khoảng

Achieve high Do an excellent job Đạt được hiệu suất cao

performance
Thanks to due to someone or something Nhờ vào
Hard time Difficulty that can be overcome Thời kì khó khăn
with effort
Offer (valuable/ Give an good opinion that you Đưa ra lời khuyên
practical/ useful…) should do
advice
(offer/ provide) Give encouragement to someone’s Hỗ trợ tinh thần
emotional support feeling
Confide in someone To trust someone with one’s secret Tín nhiệm, tin tưởng vào
or personal problem ai đó

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Bring out the best/ the Cause someone to behave in the khiến cho ai đó cư xử
worst in someone best/ worst manner theo cách tốt nhất hoặc
tệ nhất mà họ có thể làm.
Mr. Know-it-all Someone who acts as if he/she Người tỏ ra biết hết mọi
(informal) know everything thứ
(disapproving)
No longer = not In the past but not now Không… nữa
anymore
Strong bond a close connection joining two or Sự liên kết chặt chẽ
more people
Keep someone in the Keep someone informed about Được thông mọi lúc, mọi
loop something vấn đề
Mutual Feeling the same emotion, or Lẫn nhau
doing the same thing to or for each
other

Describe a bicycle/motorbike/car trip that is interesting

You should say:
• Where you would like to go
• How you would like to go there
• Who you would like to go with
• And explain why you would like to go there by car, motorbike or bike

BAND 9.0 SAMPLE ANSWER

There is a thing that troubles me more often than not when living in [___] is the majority
of people are riding motorbikes rather than cars. As a result, most people don’t know how
to drive a car, I included, which also itches me since I have always wanted to take a road
trip across the country. A road trip by car from the south to the north of my country would
be and adventurous because hundreds of marvelous destinations are awaiting to be
explored. However, it is worth taking risks and stepping out of your comfort zone to
truly experience what life has to offer when your legs can still carry you rather than to
regret in your later life.

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“If you wanna go fast, go alone. If you wanna go far, go together.” It might be fun if you
were a lone traveler and didn’t enjoy getting lagged behind your schedule. Still, the
adventure could be more colorful and unexpected, hopefully in a good way, when you got
company, especially during a long journey like the one I prefer. Hence, picking up a close
friend or two who share the same vision, the same eagerness to capture the beauty of
nature would be my choice. We would start from the south where we are living and move
north on the go, stopping at our favorite beaches a little longer than other places because
there ain’t nobody don’t have time for juicy coconuts and white sand paradise. Traditional
cuisine would also be our utmost priority whenever we reach a new place as the best way
to live like a local is to eat like a local. A car is our best choice because it would give us
room to comfortably converse with each other and shelter from inclement weather during
our journey, if any. It is not only about the destinations but also about the time I would love
to spend with my dear friends as we would share the same space in a four-wheel vehicle
along the road; and at the end of the day, it’s the people that matters.

Vocabulary & Useful Expression

Từ/ cụm từ tốt Nghĩa tiếng Anh Nghĩa tiếng Việt
More often than not
Majority The larger number or part of Phần đông
something
Adventurous Full of new, exciting or dangerous Mạo hiểm
experiences
Marvelous destination The wonderful place where Điểm đến kì diệu
someone is going
Take risks To do something that might be Chịu rủi ro
dangerous
Step out of the comfort Translated
zone
Have to offer Have something available to be Yêu cầu
used or appreciated
A lone traveler Someone who travels alone Người lữ hành
Get lagged behind Get fallen behind Bị tụt lại phía sau

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Eagerness A positive feeling of wanting to Sự háo hức, sự say mê
push ahead with something
Capture the beauty To record or take a picture of Lưu giữ cảnh đẹp
something using a camera
Cuisine (n) Style of cooking Ẩm thực
Utmost (a) Greatest; most extreme Tối đa, tối cao
Give room to Create conditions Tạo điều kiện
Converse with to have a conversation with Trò chuyện
somebody
Shelter (v) protect or shield from something Trú ẩn
harmful, especially bad weather
Inclement (a) (of the weather) not pleasant; cold, (khí hậu) khắc nghiệt
wet, etc.
A four-wheel vehicle something used to transport people Phương tiện 4 bánh
which has 4 wheels
At the end of the day Translated

Describe a family member you are closest to

You should say:
• who this person is;
• describe some things you have done together;
• and explain why you like this person.

BAND 9.0 SAMPLE ANSWER

I’m grateful to have such a supportive and caring family who are always there for me no
matter what. We have 5 members in the house that’s always full of laughter: my parents,
my two sisters and me. Even though I love them all to the moon and back, my younger
sister, Jade, is the one that’s closest to me.

Jade is seven years younger than me, which might create some sense of generation gap,
yet, we still get along well, or at least most of the time. She is in high school now and has a

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dream of becoming a doctor one day. In term of appearance, we have little in common. By
that I mean while I’m kind of tall, she’s relatively short; while I take after my father,
she’s my mom’s spitting image. Same thing with our characteristics. I am people-oriented
and a true free spirit, Jade, on the contrary, is quite introverted and into stability. Hence, it
came as a huge surprise when others acknowledge our strong bond. We’re like 2 sides of
the same coin. No matter how different we are, we have never neglected or abandoned
each other. In fact, we are partners in crime in so many impulsive and silly acts that our
family has lost count. Once, I tried to play the victim with my uncle as I accidentally
broke a crystal vase that my aunt adored, Jade backed me up as we put the blame on our
poor cousin. What a shameful act! But that was years ago and we learnt our lesson the
hard way. Another time when my sister’s teacher asked to meet our parents because Jade
had ditched class. In her defense, that subject was boring and I was the one who talked to
her teacher. In the end, Jade had to serve more time at the library and we kept this from our
parents and so were many other things. We got each other’s back and we always will
because that’s what sisters do and simply because I love her.

Vocabulary & Useful expression

Từ/ cụm từ tốt Nghĩa tiếng Anh Nghĩa tiếng Việt
Supportive Giving help, encouragement or Đem lại sự giúp đỡ,
sympathy to somebody khuyến khích, thông
cảm
Caring Kind and gives emotional support Chu đáo
to others
Full of laughter Filled with laughter Tràn ngập tiếng cười
Love someone/ Love someone/ something more Yêu ai đó/ cái gì rất
something to the moon than anything nhiều, hơn bất cứ thứ gì
and back
Generation gap Differences of outlook or opinion Khoảng cách thế hệ
between people of different
generations.
Get along well Have a harmonious or friendly Hòa hợp
relation ship
Have…in common To share interests or characteristics Có điểm chung

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By that I mean I mean Ý tôi là
Take after resemble (a parent or ancestor) Giống người nào
Spitting image A person who bears a strong Trông rất giống một ai
physical resemblance to another, đó, là hình ảnh của một
esp to a relative ai đó
People-oriented Skilled at or focused on interaction Người hướng ngoại, chú
with people. ý, quan tâm đến những
người xung quanh
Introverted More interested in your own Hướng nội, sống nội tâm
thoughts and feelings than in
spending time with other people
Come as a surprise To make someone feel surprised Đến bất ngờ
2 sides of the same Very closely related although they Khác biệt nhưng có sự
coin seem different liên kết chặt chẽ
Neglect to fail to take care of Bỏ bê, bỏ mặc
somebody/something
Abandon to leave somebody, especially Từ bỏ
somebody you are responsible for,
with no intention of returning
Partners in crime Good friends who get in trouble Đồng phạm
together or get each other in
trouble
Impulsive (a) acting suddenly without thinking Bốc đồng
carefully about what might happen
because of what you are doing
Lose count To fail to able to count someone or Không đếm xuể
something, especially there are so
many
Play the victim The act of pretending to be the one biến mình thành nạn
who has been done wrong to nhân của sự việc và than
manipulate others or seek attention vãn, thương tiếc bản
thân khi làm sai
back someone up = Support or help someone Tiếp tay
have one's back

Put the blame on = Say that someone or something has Đổ lỗi cho ai đó
blame something on done something bad
someone = blame
someone for something

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Shameful That should make you feel Đáng xấu hổ
ashamed
Learn something the Learn something by experience, Học 1 cách khó khăn
hard way especially by an unpleasant
experience
In someone's defense Used at the beginning of a Theo lời biện hộ
sentence to indicate
that the subsequent statement will
justify some action or decision one
made

Describe a language other than English that you would like to learn.
You should say:
• what the language is
• where it is spoken
• what you think would be difficult
• what would be easy about learning the language
• and explain why you would like to learn it.

BAND 9.0 SAMPLE ANSWER

Learning a second language not only adds up your skills but also offers enormous
benefits for your brain and personal growth. Additionally, being bilingual or multilingual
expands your knowledge across the country’s border and provides you easy access to the
understanding of other cultures. Therefore, beside English, Spanish sits high in my must-
learn list due to its wide application and beautiful culture.

Needless to say, Spanish is one of the most spoken languages in the world and one of the
six official languages used in United Nations conferences and statements. Spanish is
spoken in most countries in South and Central America and in the US, over 50 million
people are using Spanish either as their mother tongue or second language. As a result,
knowing Spanish would absolutely widen your horizon, develop your sense of

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appreciation for Hispanic culture as well as transform your travel experience as who
knows when you would bump into some Spanish friends on your adventure. Many have
said that Spanish is one of the easiest languages to learn thanks to its phonetic
pronunciation and its similarity with English, in terms of vocabulary. However, it’s easier
said than done. No matter how simple and intriguing that may sound, without full
commitment and self-discipline, being able to speak Spanish would be a far-fetched idea.
Therefore, in order to meet my goal and not to get demotivated along the way, I would
have to find a learning partner and we would fight this tough war together.

Vocabulary & Useful expression

Từ/ cụm từ tốt Nghĩa tiếng Anh Nghĩa tiếng Việt
Add up To increase gradually until there is Thêm vào, tăng lên, bổ
a large amount sung
Offers (enormous) Give a lot of good effects Đem lại nhiều lợi ích
benefits
Personal growth development as an individual Phát triển bản thân
Expand knowledge Increase information about a Mở rộng kiến thức
subject that you get by experience
or study
Provide someone easy Give the method or possibility of Cung cấp để dễ dàng
access to getting near to a place or person tiếp cận với cái gì
Application (n) Practical use of something Tính ứng dụng
Official languages The language or one of the Ngôn ngữ chính thức
languages that is accepted by a
country's government, is taught in
schools, used in the courts of law,
etc.
Mother tongue (n) The language that you first learn to Tiếng mẹ đẻ
speak when you are a child
Widen horizon Increase the knowledge or interests Mở rộng phạm vi hiểu
biết
Appreciation Pleasure that you have when you Sự nhận thức, sự nâng
recognize and enjoy the good cao giá trị
qualities of somebody/something

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Transform experience Exchange the knowledge or skills Trao đổi kinh nghiệm
Thanks to Translated
Similarity the state of being like Sự tương tự
somebody/something but not
exactly the same
In terms of Used to show what aspect of a Xét về mặt, phương diện
subject you are talking about or nào đó
how you are thinking about it
Easier said than done Talking is easier than doing Nói dễ hơn làm
Commitment (n) The willingness to work hard and Sự tận tụy, tận tâm
give your energy and time to a job
or an activity
Self-discipline (n) The ability to make yourself do Tự kỉ luật
something, especially something
difficult or unpleasant
Far-fetched (a) Very difficult to believe Xa vời
Demotivated (a) Feeling that it is not worth making Không đáng
an effort

Describe a television program that you like to watch.

You should say:
• what program it is
• what the program is about
• how often you watch it
• and explain why you like watching this program.
BAND 8.0 SAMPLE ANSWERS:
Over the course of my life, I have been watching a lot of television programs, ranging from
scientific to reality shows. However, the TV program that I am addicted to is the
Apprentice on NBC channel. The show airs for about 30 minutes, twice a week. The show
is hosted by Donal Trump, one of the richest and most powerful billionaires in the world.

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There are often 10 people in each episode and all the participants are young, dynamic,
enthusiastic and talented people from all walks of life. Despite of different backgrounds,
they all share the same dream of becoming successful people, which is the very reason why
they join this program.

The Apprentice is regarded among one of the most popular educational TV programs.
Watching this program, I can gain a deeper insight into the business world and about
obstacles that people have to encounter and overcome in order to succeed.

This program is useful for not only business people but also young people like me. It
inspires us and motivates us to advance in our career paths.

Vocabulary & Useful expression

Từ/ cụm từ tốt Nghĩa tiếng Anh Nghĩa tiếng Việt
Addicted to Spending all your free time doing Nghiện
something because you are so
interested in it
Air to broadcast something or be Phát sóng
broadcast on radio or television
Host A person who introduces a Tổ chức, dẫn (chương
television or radio show, and talks trình), làm chủ
to guests
Regard to think about somebody/ Đánh giá, xem là
something in a particular way
To gain an insight into To achieve some understanding of Nhận thức được
something how something works and/or the
background and objectives of
something
Encounter To experience something, Gặp phải
especially something unpleasant or
difficult, while you are trying to
do something else

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Overcome To succeed in dealing with or Vượt qua, khắc phục
controlling a problem that has
been preventing you from
achieving something
Advance to go or move something forward, Thúc đẩy, tiến bộ, thăng
or to develop or improve tiến
something
Career path Routes that individuals take from Con đường sự nghiệp
their first foray into the job market
through to their final position
before retirement

Describe A Movie You Recently Watched

• What was the movie?
• When and where did you watch it?
• Did you like it? Why?

BAND 9.0 SAMPLE ANSWER

Lately, I haven’t had much time to go out for a movie since I’ve been up to my eyeballs in
reports and presentations. Hence, to relax and boost my mood, I rented some good old
movies and made myself some healthy snacks for late night treat. “Silver Linings Playbook”
is one of my all-time favorites and I’ve lost count how many times I replayed it.

The last time I watched it was a week ago on Saturday night. Oscar nominated movies were
usually not my taste due to their complexity and lack of entertainment but Silver Linings
Playbook was an exception. I’ve always preferred something a little sentimental, light-
hearted, yet meaningful and this movie had it all. Silver Linings Playbook was an
adaptation from the novel written by Matthew Quick, starring two incredibly talented
actors Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence. This romantic comedy movie was about two
wounded souls who once again found beauty in the most unexpected place. Pat (Bradley),

17
a former teacher, was just released from a mental institution and trying to reconcile with
his cheated wife despite his family’s protest. He met Tiffany (Jennifer), a woman with
problems of her own, and things got complicated. Two people bearing hidden scars with no
hope in the future finally had lights in their lives again. The movie was not heavy at all but
extremely entertaining with some laugh-out-loud moments. No matter how many times
I’ve watched it, I still got emotional every time I replayed it. The underlying message was
also a shout-out to anyone who believes they have hit rock bottom: “When one door
closes, another door opens”. Therefore, keep moving forward and don’t lose hope. If
anyone runs out of movies to watch, I highly recommend “Silver Linings Playbook” as a
change of appetite.

Vocabulary & Useful expression

Từ/ cụm từ tốt Nghĩa tiếng Anh Nghĩa tiếng Việt
Be up to one’s eyeballs To be very busy with something Rất bận rộn
(idiom)

Boost (v) To make something increase, or Tăng lên, nâng đỡ

become better or more successful
Lose count Translated
Complexity the state of being formed of many Phức tạp
parts; the state of being difficult to
understand
Sentimental (a) Producing emotions such as pity, Đa cảm
romantic love or sadness, which
may be too strong or not
appropriate; feeling these emotions
too much
Light-hearted (a) Intended to be amusing or easily Vô tư, thư thái
enjoyable rather than too serious
Adaptation (n) A film/movie, book or play that is Sự phỏng theo, phóng
based on a particular piece of work tác, chuyển thể
but that has been changed for a new
situation

18
Wounded (a) Feeling emotional pain because of Bị tổn thương
something unpleasant that
somebody has said or done
Institution (n) A building where people with Viện, tổ chức
special needs are taken care of, for
example because they are old or
mentally ill
Reconcile (v) To make people become friends Hòa giải
again after an argument or a
disagreement
Entertaining (a) Interesting and amusing Giải trí, thú vị
Underlying (a) Important in a situation but not Tiềm ẩn
always easily noticed or stated
clearly
Shout-out (n) A message of congratulation, Lời chúc, lời ủng hộ
support, or appreciation
Hit rock bottom To reach the lowest possible level Rơi vào trường hợp tồi
(idiom) or be in the worst possible situation tệ, khó khăn

Keep moving forward Persevere, be persistent, refuse to Tiếp tục cố gắng

stop
Run out of be used up Hết thứ gì
(of a supply of
something)

Describe the best experience of your school/university life you have had
You should say:
• What it was,
• when it was,
• why it happened,
• and explain why it was the best of experience

BAND 9.0 SAMPLE ANSWER

19
It was almost 8 years since I competed in an English Speaking Contest, standing on a big
stage in front of a hundred-strong crowd to deliver one of the best speeches I’ve ever
given with the support of my friends. That was something you can never forget in your
whole life and the most magnificent moment, bar none, of my high school highlights.

Never had it crossed my mind that one day I would be on stage talking about the thing I
treasured most in my life – my family and friends or just be qualified enough to represent
the entire school compete at such competition. If it hadn’t been for my English teacher’s
constant encouragement, I wouldn't have participated in the contest in the first place.
Students were free to choose their topics and were asked to present it in front of a panel of
judges and audience. It sounded intimidating for so many reasons but I had managed to
subdue my anxiety and learned to believe in myself. Preparation for D-day was tough for
everyone, both emotionally and physically. We kept practicing nonstop for 4 hours straight,
every single day; me trying to perfect my pronunciation and acquire that American accent,
my friends singing their heart out Miley Cyrus’s song “True Friend” since we wanted to
kick our performance up the notch by featuring some musical element. Our hard work
had finally paid off with us bringing home the Champion Cup as well as Best Performance
Award. It brought me to tears as I realized at that moment it wouldn’t have mattered if we
hadn’t won because we already won when we got over ourselves, stepped out of our
comfort zone and kept going till the end. That was our true victory. Until now, the lesson
I’ve learnt 8 years ago still has its own value and will always be there to remind me of
those good old days.

Vocabulary & Useful Expression

Từ/ cụm từ vựng tốt Nghĩa tiếng Anh Nghĩa tiếng Việt
A hundred-strong crowd A crowd with 100 people Đám đông 100 người
Deliver a speech Give a speech Gửi một thông điệp, diễn
thuyết, phát biểu
Magnificent (a) Extremely attractive and Tuyệt diệu
impressive
Bar none With no exception Không ngoại trừ

20
Cross one’s mind To come into your thoughts as a Chợt nảy ra trong đầu,
possibility nghĩ ra
Qualified Having the practical knowledge Đủ năng lực, đủ tư cách
or skills to do something
Represent (v) Act or speak officially for Đại diện
somebody
Constant encouragement The act of encouraging Lời khuyến khích liên tục
somebody to do something
repeatedly
In the first place In the beginning Ngay từ đầu
Panel of judges A group of persons selected to Ban giám khảo
act as a team to judge a contest
Intimidating (a) Frightening in a way which Hăm dọa, áp lực
makes a person feel less
confident
Subdue(v) Calm or control your feelings Làm dịu đi, nén
Acquire (v) Obtain, to get Có được, thu được
Sing one’s heart out To sing with vigor and intensity Hát với sức mạnh và
cường độ
Kick something up the To do something with vigor or Làm với sức sống và
notch intensity cường độ
Pay off Yield good results, succeed Thành công, được đáp trả
Bring someone to tear To bring someone to the point of Làm ai đó rơi nước mắt
crying
Step out of comfort zone Translated

Describe a sport that you would like to learn.

You should say:
• what sport it is
• how you would learn it
• how difficult you think it would be to learn
• and explain why you would like to learn this sport.

BAND 8.5 SUGGESTED ANSWER

21
There are many kinds of sports which people like learning these days, such as baseball,
basketball, volleyball, and cricket but I would like to learn football which is so-called the
king of sports.
Football is the popular kind of sports in almost all countries in the world. Basically, it is a
collective game with 2 teams and each team has 11 players. The main purpose is that
players try to keep their goal safe and kick the ball to the net of their opponents. Scores are
recorded and the winner is the team having higher scores.

It is the most famous sports in my country and all of my family members favor this sport,
especially my father and my brother. Thus, I had a chance to approach this sport since I
was 7 years old. I really love learning it because of the drama and surprise in each match.

From my perspectives, it is really difficult to learn to play soccer well. A player needs to
be very strong to compete with others, and be skillful in ball controlling, heading as well
as having team spirit. A good football team needs to have solidarity as well as the ability
to control the game. Therefore, normally there is a coach for each team and this person is
not less famous than other players.

Vocabulary & Useful Expression

Từ/ cụm từ vựng tốt Nghĩa tiếng Anh Nghĩa tiếng Việt
So-called Used to show that something or Được biết đến, được gọi
someone is commonly designated là
by the name or term specified
Collective game A game which involves a whole Trò chơi tập thể
group
Approach (v) To come near to somebody/ Tiếp cận
something in distance or time
From one’s perspectives A particular attitude towards Theo quan điểm của ai
something; a way of thinking
about something

22
Compete (v) To try to be more successful or Cạnh tranh
better than somebody else who is
trying to do the same as you
Skillful (a) Good at doing something, Khéo léo
especially something that needs a
particular ability or special training
Ball controlling To order, limit, or rule the ball Kiểm soát bóng
Team spirit The desire and willingness of Tinh thần đồng đội
people to work together and help
each other as part of a team
Solidarity Support by one person or group of Tinh thần đoàn kết
people for another because they
share feelings, opinions, aims, etc

Describe a person who can use or speak a second language.

Please say
• Who this person is?
• What language can he/she use?
• How often does he/she use it?

BAND 8.0+ SAMPLE ANSWER

Initially, I think I can start off by pointing out something about who this person is. Actually,
I know quite a lot people who are bilingual, however I’d like to share about my best friend
who is fluent in Japanese. Her name is Nguyen and she is currently working in a Japanese
corporate. In fact, she is the one who has inspired me a lot to learn the second language.
The factor that makes her unique to me is the fact that despite acquiring Japanese on her
own, she managed to become excellent at it with gorgeous intonation like a native speaker.
The chief reason encouraging her to learn this language is indeed quite simple. When she
was in university, she fell in love with a Japanese person and gradually became addicted to
this country’s culture and language. Therefore, she exerted herself and put a lot of effort in
Japanese with the first target of being able to communicate with her boyfriend in his mother

23
tongue. Time went by and her passion for this language grew so strong that she committed
herself to conquer it, no matter how hard it is when it comes to the matter of self – study.
However, at the end of the day, she achieved it with flying colors and lots of
opportunities come to her after graduation from university. It is my friend who gives me a
precious lesson in life: Do the thing you are truly passionate about and you will rock it.

Vocabulary & Useful Expression

Từ/ cụm từ vựng tốt Nghĩa tiếng Anh Nghĩa tiếng Việt
Bilingual (a) Speaking two language fluently Song ngữ, nói 2 thứ
tiếng
Corporate (n) A company or a group Công ty, đoàn thể
Acquire (v) Translated
Chief (a) Most important Trọng yếu, chủ yếu,
chính
Fall in love with (idiom) To begin to love someone Say mê, rơi vào tình yêu
với ai đó
Exert oneself Put oneself to strenuous effort Cố hết sức mình
(expression)
Conquer (v) Overcome and take control of Chinh phục
something
Come to the matter Become a a subject or situation Trở thành vấn đề
that you must consider or deal
with
At the end of the day Translated
(idiom)
With flying colors Successfully Thành công
(idiom)

Describe something you bought but you were not happy with.
You should say:
• What this thing is?
• When did you buy it?
• Why were you not happy with it?

24
 • How did you react?

BAND 8.0+ SAMPLE ANSWER

Actually in my life, I have performed many different transactions which give me both sense
of satisfaction and discontent. However if I have to pick out one item that really let me
down, I would name the birthday cake that I bought for my sister 2 years ago. Now with
reference to why I were not content with is, I suppose there was a combination of reasons
here. One of them was its exorbitant price. On my sister’s birthday, I had an emergency at
work and it took me almost all day till 11 pm to resolve it. Although it cost me an arm and
a leg to buy the cake, I still decided to take it since it was the only bakery shop stayed open
that late. Everything would be fine if it tasted good but unfortunately the cake was of
terrible quality. It tasted way too sweet and was not appetizing at all. Thus, I was kind of
regretful, choosing to purchase the cake instead of any other present for my sister. Actually
as I had to splash out on the cake and received almost nothing back, I tended be more
careful to make really sensible buying decision from that on.

Vocabulary & Useful Expression

Từ/ cụm từ vựng tốt Nghĩa tiếng Anh Nghĩa tiếng Việt
Transaction (n) An instance of buying or selling Giao dịch
something
Discontent (n) Dissatisfaction, lack of Bất mãn
contentment
Pick out (phrasal verb) To choose Chọn lựa
Let someone down Fail to support or help someone as Làm ai đó thất vọng
(expression) they expected
With reference to About Về (việc gì)
(expression)
Content (a) In a taste of peaceful happiness Hài lòng, mãn nguyện
Exorbitant (a) (Price) unreasonably high Giá cắt cổ
Cost an arm and a leg Be extremely expensive Giá đắt đỏ
(idiom)
Appetizing (a) Delicious Ngon miệng

25
Splash out (phrasal verb) To spend a lot of money on Vung tiền
something
Sensible (a) In accordance with wisdom and Khôn ngoan, nhạy
prudence

Describe a time when you are very busy

• You should say
• When it was
• What you had to do during that time
• How you managed it
• And explain how you felt about being busy

BAND 8.0 SAMPLE ANSWER:

One such busy time I really remember was the time when I had the deadline to submit my
thesis paper which is the ultimate assignment to gain a Master Degree in International
Relations.

This thesis paper is of great importance to me because it will decide whether I can get
through the master course with flying color or not. I had just 1 month to complete my
thesis paper but I had a full-time job which accounted for 8 hours per day so I had hardly
few hours left for this graduation paper. I was also a procrastinator who always waits
until the last minute to do anything which made me fall behind my schedule for my
thesis paper submission.

Moreover, the thesis was really complex and challenging, therefore, I had tons of tasks
waiting for me to be carried out such as collecting data for the report in the thesis, doing
group discussions to brainstorm good ideas for the thesis and surfing high and low to
collect information online as references for the thesis. I even didn’t have time left for my
personal stuff. To be more specific, I did not spend time on visiting my parents for the

26
whole month even though they were in the same town. I couldn’t also visit some close
friends, maintain my social networking profiles and update my blog. I did not feel good
about it so it was particularly stressful to me. However, I knew that I had to stay
motivated and productive to get through this hard time. I worked flat out and put a lot of
time and effort into it to meet tight deadlines and get the best results for the thesis paper.
For the sake of that, I got a straight 'A' in my thesis, continued my job and did well in my
term final. I had to sacrifice a lot and maintain a strict routine and stop lots of my other
activities that I usually do. At the end of the day, it was well worth the effort and time!

Vocabulary & Useful Expression

Từ/ cụm từ vựng tốt Nghĩa tiếng Anh Nghĩa tiếng Việt
Be of great important Very important Cực kì quan trọng
With flying color Translated
Procrastinator (n) Someone who keeps delaying things Người trì hoãn, người hay
that must be done chần chừ
The last minute Doing something just before the Ngay trước hạn chót, phút
deadline. cuối
Fall behind schedule to do less work than you planned to Trễ thời hạn, tụt lùi kế
do by a particular point in time hoạch
To carry out To do and complete a task Thực hiện, tiến hành
Brainstorm (v) Produce an idea or way of solving a Động não. Suy nghĩ
problem by holding a spontaneous
group discussion
High and low In many different places Khắp nơi
Particularly (adv) Especially; more than usual or more Đặc biệt
than others
Motivated (a) very enthusiastic or determined beca Động lực
use you really want to do something
Get through (phrasal verb) To manage to do or complete Vượt qua
something
put something in/put some To spend a lot of time or effort doing Đặt thời gian và công sức
thing into something something vào việc gì
Work flat out Translated
Deadline (n) a point in time by which something Hạn chót

27
 must be done
For the sake of in order to help somebody/something Vì ai/cái gì, vì lợi ích của
somebody/something or because you like somebody/ ai/cái gì
something
Straight-A Getting the best results in Đạt điểm cao
examinations
Routine (n) The normal order and way in which Công việc hằng ngày
you regularly do things
At the end of the day Translated
Worth (a) To be important or interesting Đáng giá, giá trị
enough to receive a particular action

Describe a country you have visited

You should say:
• Where is this country
• When did you visit it?
• What were the interesting things about this country

BAND 8.0 SAMPLE ANSWER

I suppose I should begin by highlighting the point of where this country is. In actual fact,
the countries that I have visited so far can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Among
those, India is the one that truly amazed me by many factors. India has a very long history,
the country is very big and has the second largest population in the world. I guess this is
why there are so much to see. For me, one of the most interesting places in India is The
Ganges River, which is well – known as the longest and holiest river in India. While most
rivers around the world are for recreation or sports, the Ganges has many other functions.
As the Indians believe, that the river is holy, people come here to pray and wash themselves
in its water. In addition, the river also has thousands of people who wash their clothes by
beating them on rocks. The other thing that often impresses tourist is the unique architect of
Hindu temples all over India and visitors can enter at any time. The temples are usually
immense and have antique statutes that are thousands of years old. Visitors are also

28
welcome to eat and sleep in the temples at night if they have no place to go. After all, I
have to say that paying this beautiful country the second visit in future is one of the
prioritized items on my bucket list.

Vocabulary
Từ/ cụm từ vựng tốt Nghĩa tiếng Anh Nghĩa tiếng Việt
Highlight (v) To pick out and emphasize Làm nổi bật
Count on the fingers of To express that ST is very scarce Điều gì đó mà xảy ra rất
one hand (idiom) hiếm hoặc tồn tại với số
lượng rất nhỏ
Amaze (v) Surprise someone strongly Làm kinh ngạc, hết sức
ngạc nhiên
Recreation (n) Entertainment Giải trí
Holy (a) Sacred Linh thiêng
Immense (a) Very large Mênh mông, bao la, rộng
lớn
Antique (a) Old Cổ xưa, cổ kính
Pay a visit (expression) Visit Đến thăm
Prioritize (v) Treat something as more important Ưu tiên
than the other things
Bucket list A number of experiences or Những thứ bạn muốn làm
achievements that a person hopes to trước khi qua đời
have or accomplish during their
lifetime

Describe a vehicle you would like to own or something expensive you would like to buy.
• What it is?
• Why do you want to own it?
• When are you going to buy it?

BAND 8.0+ SAMPLE ANSWER

29
Regarding the fact that I am crazy about exploring the spaces, I have to say if I was a
billionaire and had an enormous amount of money, I would probably buy a spaceship for
my own exploration adventures. The main reason accounting for this intention is that ever
since I was a kid, I have always held a strong yearning for becoming an astronaut.
Therefore, having my own personal spacecraft would give me the opportunity to fulfill my
childhood’s dream. There is a myriad of purposes for my spacecraft, one of them is that I
would use my spacecraft to visit other planets in the outer space and maybe one day I could
find a habitable place for people. This certainly would be a great discovery for human
being especially when The Earth is currently flooded by trash and contaminants. In
addition, since photography is one of my hobbies, it would be fantastic to take pictures of
different celestial bodies from the space. Although this may sound crazy, I think with
remarkable innovations in science, a spacecraft would become affordable for people in
the years to come.

Vocabulary
Từ/ cụm từ vựng tốt Nghĩa tiếng Anh Nghĩa tiếng Việt
Regarding to (exp) About Về
Crazy about (a) Like something very much Say mê
Enormous (a) Huge, very large Khổng lồ
Account for (phrasal verb) Explain Giải thích cho
Yearning (n) A feeling of intense longing for Sự khao khát, sự ao ước
something
Fulfill (v) To complete, to achieve Hoàn thành
A myriad of something A huge number/ amount of Vô số
(exp) something
Habitable (a) Suitable or good enough to live Có thể sống được
Contamination (n) Pollutants Sự ô nhiễm
Celestial (a) Positioned or relating to the sky Thuộc bầu trời
Remarkable (a) Striking, worthy of attention Đáng chú ý, rõ rệt
Affordable (a) Inexpensive, reasonably priced Co khả năng chi trả

30
Describe something you make by yourself.
• What the thing is?
• How do you make it?
• Why do you like it?

BAND 8.0+ SAMPLE ANSWER

I guess I could begin by saying something about what this thing is. In fact, I am not that
meticulous and patient therefore the things that I have created by myself can be counted
on the fingers of one hand. However, one thing that made me really proud of is the kite
that I made when I was 7 years old. In fact, it was also the very first thing that I created all
the parts from scratch. Another part worth mentioning is the making process of this toy.
Well, my kite had the shape of a diamond and was made mainly of paper. Considering the
fact that I had never done anything like this before, it's not astonishing to say that I spent
almost three days in a row to complete just the fundamental parts. The first step was
attaching paper to a bamboo frame. Although this sounds quite simple, it was absolutely
not as easy as a piece of cake since I had to keep the balance for the kite. After that, it
came to the issue of assembling lots of colorful light weight pieces in order to make the tail.
The thorny part was ensuring the flying ability of the kite even when it was attached with
a long tail. Until now, I still remember the gorgeous feeling when I completed the toy
which was considered as a treasure back then. I guess this was mainly because it gave me a
sense on own achievement and pride whenever I played with it or talked about it to my
friends. In my childhood, the whole world was just as simple and funny as a party to be
thrown – like a famous singer said.

Vocabulary:
Từ/ cụm từ vựng tốt Nghĩa tiếng Anh Nghĩa tiếng Việt
Meticulous (a) Showing great attention to detail Tỉ mỉ, kĩ càng
Count something on the Translated
fingers of one hand(idiom)

31
Start from scratch (idiom) Start from the very first part Bắt đầu ngay từ đầu
Fundamental (a) Basic and important Quan trọng
In a row (idiom) Continuously Liên tục
Piece of cake (idiom) Easy and not requires lots of effort Một nhiệm vụ hoặc một
hoạt động rất dễ hoàn
thành
Assemble (v) Put together Nối
Thorny (a) Very difficult Khó khăn
Ensure (v) To make sure Chắc chắn việc gì
Gorgeous (a) Very pleasant, beautiful and Huy hoàng, tuyệt đẹp
attractive
Throw a party (idiom) To hold, to arrange a party Tổ chức bữa tiệc

Describe one of your childhood toys that was special to you.

You should say:
• what it was
• who gave it to you
• how you played with it
• and explain why it was special for you.

BAND 8.5 MODEL ANSWER

I have many toys in my childhood and at different stages, I prefer different toys. However,
among them, a Teddy bear is the most special one to me and I still keep it at my closet until
now.

I guess that all kids love a furry friend and so did I. However, what made the bear really
special to me was that this was a gift from my father on an occasion of my 5th birthday.
Everything about it was so different from other stuffed bears. At that time, my father was
working far away and I missed him so much. I thought that he could not come back to
celebrate my birthday party as he had done before. To my surprise, on my birthday, he

32
suddenly came home and brought with him a lovely Teddy bear. Missing him, I ran into
him and my father gave me big hug, then kissed me. I was so excited about the Teddy bear.
When I squeezed it, it said I LOVE YOU by the most sweet and lovely voice on Earth.

Looking at it made me immediately think about my beloved father. His physical presence
on my birthday was like gold to me. You know, it is really hard to not have one of the most
important people to you in your birthday. I would never forget that special moment and the
Teddy bear means so much to me.

Describe a person who you have met and want to know more about
You should say
• Who this person is
• When and where you met
• What you did or talked about

BAND 8.5 SAMPLE ANSWER:

I'm going to talk about an acquaintance who I’ve recently met at my local English club. His
name's Dave and he’s about the same age as me, I mean... most people would agree that he
looks quite young for his age, I think it's mainly due to his hairstyle.

Dave has recently completed his postgraduate degree at Melbourne University in Australia
and he's currently looking for a job in Vietnam, well, he told me that he would like to
become an IELTS teacher, despite the fact that he holds an MBA, I guess teaching English
has always been one of his passions. I have to say that I don't know him really well,
because we only had a few brief conversations at the local English club, but he seems like
a fascinating person that I would like to get to know better in the future.

33
Anyway, when it comes to his personality.... Honestly, as I've said earlier, we've only had
a few brief conversations, so I don't know him really well...However, I would guess that
he's a very friendly and approachable individual, in fact, he actually made an effort to
break the ice because I was just too shy to strike up a conversation.
Well, in terms of the core reasons why I think we could get along quite well...Firstly,
we are both passionate about English, actually, he had just scored a band 8 in his IELTS
test and it would be great if he could give me all the advice that I need to be at the same
level. Secondly, I'm also planning to study abroad in Australia, so he would be the ideal
person to lead me in the right direction to enroll into the right course, get a part-time job
and so on.

Vocabulary:
Từ/ cụm từ tốt Nghĩa tiếng Anh Nghĩa tiếng Việt
To have a conversation To have an informal talk có một cuộc trò chuyện
involving a small group of
people or only two; the activity
of talking in this way
Get to know To become acquainted with Tìm hiểu
(someone or something)
Approachable (a) Friendly and easy to talk to Dễ tiếp cận
Make effort to do Translated
something
Break the ice Do or say something to relieve Làm cho người chưa gặp
tension or get conversation bao giờ cảm thấy thoải
going at the start of a party or mái và bắt đầu nói
when people meet for the first chuyện với nhau
time.
Strike up something To start a relationship or Bắt chuyện
(phrasal verb) conversation with someone
In terms of Translated
Get along well Translated
Passionate (adv) Having a very strong feelings or Đam mê
emotions

34
Describe a goal that you hope to achieve in the future.
You should say:
• what the goal is
• when you first began to have this goal
• how you would achieve the first step of your goal
• how easy or difficult you think it will be to reach this goal
• and explain why you have this goal.

BAND 8.5 MODEL ANSWER

I have a long desire to learn Chinese as a second foreign language, but even with my
passion, I still have not achieved it yet.

This passion grew in me just few years ago when I watched a very inspiring movie about
Chinese history and culture. Then I decided that I had to learn Chinese in order to explore
more about this incredible nation. Besides, knowing more than one language is very
beneficial to not only my study but also my future career path.

Therefore, in order to achieve my target, I will register for a Chinese course for beginners,
which is held 3 times a week. I also intend to download many apps on my phone with the
aim to study at home by myself. I have drawn my own schedule so that I can make time
for self - study, at least 1 hour per day.

As currently, I have a full – time job, I am so busy that there are days when I have to work
overtime or travel faraway to meet clients. Moreover, after a tiring day, I often feel deadly
tired and find it hard to concentrate on studying at home. However, just thinking about the
moments when I can speak Chinese gives me a sense of satisfaction, which encourages me
to study harder and better. Thus, I always remind myself that I have to keep up with my
schedule at any cost if I want to make my dream come true.

35
Vocabulary
Từ/ cụm từ tốt Nghĩa tiếng Anh Nghĩa tiếng Việt
Passion (n) Translated
Draw… schedule To make a list of planned Vẽ lịch biểu
activities or things to be done
Tiring (a) making you feel the need to Mệt mỏi
sleep or rest
A sense of satisfaction The good feeling that you have Cảm giác hài long, mãn
when you have achieved nguyện
something or when something
that you wanted to happen does
happen

Describe a happy family event from your childhood.

You should say:
• what the event was
• where it happened
• what you saw and did
• and explain why you remember this event so well.

BAND 8.5 MODEL ANSWER

There are numerous happy events in my life that I can recall and among them, I would like
to talk about the time when my family gathered to make X cake for the New Year holiday.

The New Year is a very special traditional holiday in my country. It was probably my most
favorite holiday when I was a small girl as my family had a lot of activities to celebrate this
occasion. Among them, making the X cake made me excited the most. The X cake is made
of glutinous rice, green beans and fat pork, wrapped in banana leaves in the shape of a
square. I often played with my older brother when my parents prepared the ingredients for
the cake. And then, my father lit a small fire to boil the cake overnight.

36
It was perhaps the only time of the year when I was allowed to stay up late. While my
family was sitting around the warm fire, my grandmother would tell the old legendary story
about the X cake to commemorate the filial affection of one prince to his father and remind
us of the long – lasting tradition of our country.

In recent years, my family has not had enough time for making the X cake on our own.
However, to me, a ready-made cake that we buy from a local market can’t bring the special
feeling and replace the taste of a X cake from my childhood. I hope that my family can
continue our tradition in the coming years.

Describe a tall building in your hometown you like or dislike

You should say
• Where this building is
• What it looks like
• What it is used for
• And explain why you like or dislike

BAND 9.0 SAMPLE ANSWER

I’m going to describe a high-rise building in my neighborhood. It’s called Paradise Green
City, located in Canada.

Unlike other modern blocks, which are usually huge glass towers, the building is painted
yellow, although it’s named Green City. The structure of Green City is not dissimilar to that
of most buildings in Canada nowadays, with the bottom half used as a shopping center and
the top half occupied by apartments.

37
One feature that makes the building unique is that its trade center offers Canadian products
only, with a view to promoting domestic products to Hanoi people and also to supporting
national manufacturers. At the entrance of the building, if you look to the right, you can
easily find a store named Master chef bread, which serves traditional bread to people who
just do not have enough time to go inside, so they line up waiting to pay.

In spite of its prime location, however, Paradise Green City offers a reasonable price for its
apartments, which are affordable for many middle-income families. From the building, we
can enjoy the breathtaking scenery. So, if you are planning to find a place with a beautiful
and peaceful view, or simply want to buy something traditional, Paradise Green City may
be a good choice.

(Dislike) What I don’t like about Paradise Green City, however, is that its design is neither
eye-catching nor original. In fact, I personally find that it resembles ABC, a modern
building nearby. Moreover, the paint color doesn’t match its modern structures, which
makes the building somehow old-fashioned. And the quality, as well as diversity of
products on sale do not meet the expectations of most customers. So, I guess it’s the reason
why the building doesn’t attract as much attention from the public as expected.

Describe a useful app or computer program for a smart phone, computer or tablet that
you have used.
You should say:
• what the app is
• how long/how often you have used it (or, been using it)
• what you use it for
• and explain why you think it is useful.

BAND 9.0 MODEL ANSWER

38
Well, I'm really into mobile apps so I set up at least 20 helpful apps on my smartphone like
Meditation, Tripadvisor, Ted, Lumosity, Dulingo, Wunderlist. But maybe Money Lover is
the most useful one and at the top of my list.

Let me tell you about it in more detail. The symbol of the app is a very cute piggy bank
which impresses me a lot at the first sight. There are many expenses for clothes, food,
cosmetics divided so that at the end of the month, I can know exactly what cost me a bomb,
what are within my budget to tighten the belt next month.

It is not an exaggeration to say that this way of saving money changes my life for the
better. Thanks to that, I am better at money management. When talking about money
saving, my friends consider me as a shining model for them to follow. This makes me so
proud of myself.

In addition, my mom always got shirty with me for my wasting money but at the moment,
she hardly loses her temper anymore and we seem to have better relationship than in the
past. If anyone asks what application I like best, “Money Lover” is the first thing that
comes to my mind. Trust me, it is really helpful.

Vocabulary
Từ/ cụm từ tốt Nghĩa tiếng Anh Nghĩa tiếng Việt
Be into something To be interested in something in an say mê điều gì
(idiom) active way
At the top of The highest or most important rank or Đứng đầu
position
Cost a bomb (idiom) Cost a lot of money Tốn kém
Within budget Not spending more money than Không vượt quá ngân
had been planned for sách
Tighten the belt To manage to spend less money Thắt chặt chi tiêu, thắt
lưng buộc đụng

39
Exaggeration (n) The fact of making something seem Sự phóng đại, cường
larger, more important, better or điệu
worse than it really is
A model Someone that is an extremely good Người làm gương,
example of its type, esp. When a copy kiểu mẫu
can be based on it
Get shirty with Angry or annoyed with somebody Nổi giận với ai đó
about something, and acting in a rude
way
Lose one’s temper To fail to control your anger Mất bình tĩnh
Come to mind (idiom) To suddenly or immediately Nghĩ ngay đến điều gì
materialize in one's mind.

Describe a short holiday (vacation) that was special for you.

You should say:
• where you went
• who you spent time with
• what you did and explain
• why it was special for you.

BAND 9.0 MODEL ANSWER

Today I'm going to share with you a short vacation that left me a profound impression. It
was a trip to the hometown of one of my classmates at university.

At the end of the second semester, our group at the university was invited to pay a 5-day
visit to the house of one of the group members, which is located in X. We had 5 people in
total and bought coach tickets to reach our destination.

On arriving at the countryside, which is quite secluded from the hustle and bustle of the
city life, we were greatly impressed by the picturesque landscapes there. The atmosphere
was refreshing and the air is unpolluted unlike in the city where many of us were living in.
My friend acted as a tour guide as he was well accustomed to the local lifestyles and

40
tourist attractions there. We took the motorbikes to tour the city land stopped at some
street vendors to taste the local cuisine, which I personally found tasty and delicate.
After doing the sights, we gathered in the evening for some small games and gossip about
our study and our future career path.

All in all, such a short vacation still fills me with great delight each time I recall it. Hope
that we could make another vacation someday before New Year.

Vocabulary:
Từ/ cụm từ tốt Nghĩa tiếng Anh Nghĩa tiếng Việt
Leave an impression To provide a lasting memory for Để lại ấn tượng
(one someone) = leave someone after one has left
someone with an
impression
Pay a visit Translated
In total As a sum; taken together. Tổng cộng
Secluded (a) (Of a place) not seen or visited Hẻo lánh
by many people; sheltered and
private
Hustle and bustle (idiom) Busy and noisy activity Nhiều hoạt động, tiếng
(+of) ồn
Picturesque (a) (of a place, building, scene, Đẹp, gây ấn tượng mạnh
etc.) pretty, especially in a way
that looks old-fashioned
Refreshing (a) Making you feel less tired or hot Làm tỉnh táo, khỏe
khoắn, dễ chịu
Unpolluted (a) That has not been polluted (= Không bị ô nhiễm
made dirty by harmful
substances)
Act as a tour guide Act as a person who leads others Hành động như một
on a short trip round a place hướng dẫn viên
Be accustomed to Familiar with something and Quen với
accepting it as normal or usual
Street vendors A person who sells something in Người bán hàng trên
the street, sometimes illegally đường

41
Cuisine (n) Translated
Delicate (a) Delicious Ngon
Sight (n) The act of seeing Ngắm cảnh
somebody/something
All in all Considering all the different Nói chung, nhìn chung
parts of the situation together
Fill with To make someone have Làm thỏa mãn
a particular feeling

Describe an antique or some other old thing that your family has kept for a long time.
You should say:
• what it is
• how (or when) your family first got this thing
• how long your family has kept it
• and explain why this thing is important to your family.

BAND 9.0 MODEL ANSWER

When it comes to an old thing I keep in my family, I want to talk about the transformer
that I got from my parents on my 10th birthday.

On that day, my parents bought me a transformer as a birthday gift. When I opened the gift
box, I was really astonished by what I was seeing in front of me. It was an awesome
transformer that I had been dreaming about for ages. The moment I saw this transformer, I
fell in love with it. It was pretty huge and looked like a hip yellow car, and it could be
shifted from a car to a robot action figure and back again. The transformer had a really
nice color scheme and finish. And it came with a nice handgun like the weapon and
different accessories. It was super cool! And with the transformer, there was a card from
my parents saying, "Sweetie, you mean everything in the world to us and you are forever

42
the apple of our eyes. Happy Birthday! Love parents." I am telling you, although I was
pretty young at that time, those words impressed me a lot.

Until today, I still keep this toy. It has been over ten years since I got it. I love it not only
because of the toy itself, but also because of the sentimental value it has for me. The value
is irreplaceable.

Vocabulary:
Từ/ cụm từ tốt Nghĩa tiếng Anh Nghĩa tiếng Việt
Come to To be called to one's mind Nhắc đến, gợi lại
Astonished (a) Very surprised Hết sức ngạc nhiên
For ages For a very long time Trong một thời gian rất
dài
Fall in love with Translated
Shift (v) To move, or move something, Chuyển
from one position or place to
another
Colour scheme The way in which colours are Cách phối trí màu sắc
arranged trong một căn phòng

Accessory (n) An extra piece of equipment that Đồ phụ tùng, đồ thêm

is useful but not essential or that vào
can be added to something else
as a decoration
The apple of one’s eye A person of whom one is Người ai đó yêu quý
(idiom) extremely fond and proud nhất
Sentimental Translated
Irreplaceable Too valuable or special to be Không thể thay thế được
replaced

Describe a creative inventor or musician

You should say:
• Who this person is

43
 • What this person does
• How he knew this person
• And explain why you think this person is creative

BAND 9.0 SAMPLE ANSWER:

I’m going to talk about a musician/songwriter that I admire, called Adam Levine. He’s also
a singer who plays the guitar and writes his own songs. I think he recorded his first album
about 10 years ago with his band called Maroon 5, and he’s released several other CDs
since then.

He became successful after many years of writing songs and performing live in small
venues all over the country. Gradually he built a following of people who liked his music. I
think the key to his success was one of his songs that was used on a TV advertisement. This
meant that more people became aware of his music.

I found out about Adam because one of my friends got tickets to see him in concert. I
hadn’t heard any of his music before, but I went along to the gig and really enjoyed it. After
that I bought the first CD, and now I’ve got all of them.

The reason I'm into Adam is that he has worked hard for his success: it takes years of
practice to become a good singer and guitarist, and he spent several years playing to very
small audiences before he became successful. I also like the fact that he writes his own
music. I admire people who have worked hard to get where they are.

Describe an art or craft activity you did when you were in school
You should say:
• when this happened
• what you did in the activity

44
 • who you did it with
• and explain how you felt about this activity.

BAND 8.0 MODEL ANSWER

Today I'm going to share with you about a craft work that a bunch of high school buddies
and I took part in. It was prior to Mid-Autumn Festival that our form teacher made a
decision to hold a small competition among our classmates. The theme was to design the
most attractive and meaningful lantern.
My group decided on creating a spinning lantern (while other groups chose much simpler
shapes like butterflies, fish and stars. As a matter of fact, ours was a lantern which spins
around when a candle is placed inside, which symbolizes the seasonal spinning of the
earth around the sun. Therefore, it was a bit tricky and time-consuming to make it work.

My assigned duty was to cut the colored plastic papers and draw some exotic pictures
to decorate the exterior of the lantern. I drew great shapes and cut them out neatly, glued
and stuck them onto the shining outer surface of the spinning lantern. A couple of my
friends strategized and positioned the axis so that it could spin properly. And we finished
out product within 3 hours of hard work.

This craft activity had a realty special meaning for me. Actually, our team won the first
prize not only in our class, but the whole school as well. Afterwards, our lantern was
singled out and donated to a local orphanage. I was really moved and blissfully happy
since we did accomplish something for those less fortunate. This actually left a really
profound Mid-Autumn impression on me.

Vocabulary:
Từ/ cụm từ tốt Nghĩa tiếng Anh Nghĩa tiếng Việt
A bunch of A number of things, typically of Nhóm, lũ
the same kind, growing or
fastened together

45
Hold a competition To have a particular position in a Tổ chức một cuộc thi
competition
Decide on To choose something from a Quyết định chọn
number of possibilities
Lantern (n) A lamp in a transparent case, Đèn lồng
often a metal case with glass
sides, that has a handle, so that
you can carry it outside
Symbolize (v) To be a symbol of some thing Tượng trưng cho, là
biểu tượng của
Tricky (a) Difficult to do or deal with Phức tạp, rắc rối, đòi
hỏi khéo léo, tinh tế
Time-consuming (a) Taking or needing a lot of time Tốn thời gian
Duty (n) Tasks that are part of your job Trách nhiệm
Draw a picture To make a picture of something Vẽ hình, vẽ tranh
or someone with a pencil or pen
Exotic (a) Unusual and specially interesting Kì lạ
because of coming from a country
that is far away
Cut something out To remove something or form a Cắt rời
shape by cutting, usually
something made of paper or cloth
Neatly (adv) In a way that is tidy and in order; Gọn gàng, cẩn thận
carefully
Glue (v) In a way that is tidy and in order; Dán lại bằng keo, hồ
carefully
Stick (v) => stuck Attach (translated) Gắn vào
Strategize (v) To think of a detailed plan Xác định kế hoạch,
for achieving success in situations chiến lược
Position (v) To put something or someone in Định vị trí
a particular place
Win a prize To give the award to the person Thắng giải
who wins a competition based on
merit, skill, or excellence in a
particular field
Single out (phrasal verb) To choose somebody/something Chọn lựa
from a group for special attention

46
Blissfully happy Extremely or completely happy Cực kì hạnh phúc
Fortunate (a) Lucky May mắn, có phúc
Leave an impression (on Translated
someone) = leave
someone with an
impression

Describe an activity you do for your health or fitness.

• You should say:
• what you do
• how often you do it
• where you do it
• and explain how you think this activity helps you stay healthy or fit.

BAND 9.0 MODEL ANSWER

Staying in good shape is everyone’s concern and I am no exception. To be honest, I have
been so caught up in my study since I entered university that I have a problem in
organizing my daily routine. However, I have been participating in a yoga class for
about 2 years, which takes me only 1 hour a day, to try to lead a healthy lifestyle.

Unlike dancing or running, yoga definitely involves stretching actions. You might look at
yoga and think that it is light and easy but it is more demanding than it appears. Yoga
allows me to work on all the parts of my body. It can burn a lot of calories in just one
hour of training. Also, it enhances my flexibility and suppleness in every single movement.

What I enjoy the most about yoga is meditation. It is all about regulating your breathing
and helping you take things off your mind easily. Another thing is that doing yoga is

47
supposed to be good for curing headaches and digestion related problems, so it benefits
not only physical well-being but also mental health.

By maintaining a schedule of taking part in the yoga class on a daily basis, I feel extremely
relaxed and full of energy after the class. It helps me to keep fit and refresh my mind
after a long stressful day. And of course, I don’t see myself stopping practicing this
activity any time soon.

Vocabulary
Từ/ cụm từ tốt Nghĩa tiếng Anh Nghĩa tiếng Việt
In good shape The good physical condition of Dáng đẹp
(expression) someone.
Example: For a man of his age,
he is in good shape.
Catch up (phrasal verb) Completely involved in Chú tâm vào việc gì
something
Healthy lifestyle A way of life that is healthy Lối sống lành mạnh
Stretching action (n) Actions which make your Hoạt động giúp căng,
muscles stronger by exercises in giãn cơ
which you extend your arms and
legs
Demanding (a) Needing a lot of effort Đòi hỏi khắt khe
Work on (phrasal verb) Try hard to improve something, Dành thời gian nỗ lực để
or how something functions. cải thiện cái gì đó
Burn a lot of calories Use up a lot of energy [that Đốt cháy năng lượng
(expression) comes from the food we eat].
Flexibility (n) The ability to move and bend Sự dẻo dai
your body easily
Suppleness (n) The ability to move and bend
your body into different
positions – it is a synonym for
flexibility
Meditation (n) Thinking deeply in silence, to Sự suy ngẫm, trầm tư
make you feel calm.

48
Regulating your Controlling the way in which Kiểm soát hơi thở
breathing (expression) you breathe in and out
Take things off one’s Forget things which are causing Quên hết mọi chuyện
mind (expression) people anxiety or stress buồn, áp lực
Cure (v) Make an illness go away Chữ bệnh
Digestion (n) The process of changing the Quá trình tiêu hóa thức
food you eat into substances ăn
that the body can use
Well-being (n) General health and happiness Tình trạng hạnh phúc,
khỏe mạnh
Mental (a) Translated

Extremely relax Very relax Dễ chịu, giảm căng

thẳng
Full of energy Refill the energy Tràn đầy năng lượng
Keep fit Translated
Refresh Translated
I don’t see myself Don’t think that I will stop Không nghĩ là sẽ dừng
stopping (expression) lại
Any time soon In the near future, soon Sớm
(expression)

Describe a skill you would like to learn

You should say:
- What the skill is
- Why you want to learn this skill
- Whether you think it would be difficult
- Whether you think you will learn it in the near future

BAND 9.0 SAMPLE ANSWER

Digital technology has reshaped the world in more than one way during the last decade. As
a result, a new way of living and working has also prevailed among people, especially
Millennials. If you’ve heard about “digital nomad” – a workfrom-anywhere kind of

49
employee, you already know how a specific digital skill set can improve and simplify your
life, which is why I take great interest in and set Photoshop – one of the most powerful
graphic design tool to be my next challenge to conquer.

Being known as an incredible image editing program, Photoshop has earned its
reputation for good reasons. Created and maintained by Adobe, Photoshop provides users
with a complete and advanced tool set to maximize their creativity. It can do anything
regarding online media, for example, creating 3D images, resizing, color correction and
even editing video. Fancy as it sounds, to acquire Photoshop skill would be a painstaking
process. Due to complex features and even more complex applications, Photoshop is not
for those without patience and constant practice. Furthermore, the program usually gets
upgraded with more usages, therefore, you would have to keep learning to avoid being
obsolete. Graphic design is a critical skill in this digital era which affords anyone
flexibility as well as attractive income.

Therefore, it would definitely be on top of my must-learn skill in the near future. Actually, I
have already scheduled my timetable and squeeze in some hours for Photoshop 101 class
next month and I hope it would go as well as it could be.

Vocabulary & Useful Expression

Từ/ cụm từ tốt Nghĩa tiếng Anh Nghĩa tiếng Việt
Digital technology The branch of scientific or engin Công nghệ kĩ thuật số
eering knowledge that deals with
thecreation and practical use of
digital or computerized devices,
methods, systems, etc
Prevail (v) Exist or be very common at a Thịnh hành, phổ biến
particular time or in a particular
place
Millennials (n) People who became adults Những người trưởng
around the year 2000 thành những năm 2000

50
Digital nomad People who use Những người làm việc
telecommunications thông qua công nghệ
technologies to earn a living Internet và máy tính
Simplify (v) Make something easier to do or Đơn giản hóa
understand
Take interest in Become concerned or interested Trở nên quan tâm, thích
in someone or something thú với điều gì
Graphic design tool Objects, media, or computer Công cụ thiết kế đồ họa
programs, which can be used to
create and combine symbols,
images and text to form visual
representations of ideas and
messages
Conquer (a challenge) Succeed in dealing with or Chinh phục
(v) controlling something
Earn reputation/ respect People have of someone or Kiếm được danh tiếng/
(collocation) something, based on past sự tôn trọng
behaviour or character
Provide someone with Translated
something / provide
something for someone
Maximize (v) Increase something as much as Tăng tối đa
possible
Acquire (v) Translated
Painstaking (a) Needing a lot of care, effort and Cần cù, chịu khó, cẩn
attention to detail thận
Feature (n) A distinctive attribute or aspect Nét đặc biệt, đặc trưng
of something
Constant practice Action repeatedly rather than Thực hành liên tục
ideas
Get upgrade To improve something so that Nâng cấp
it works better or is more
effective
Obsolete (a) Out of date Qá hạn, lỗi thời
Afford (v) (formal) Provide Cấp cho, tạo cho
Flexibility (n) The ability to change to suit new Tính linh hoạt, mềm dẻo
conditions or situations

51
Schedule (v) Arrange that an event or activity Đưa vào lịch trình
will happen at a particular time
Squeeze in Manage to make room or time Chen lấn, nhét
for someone or something in a
tight space or schedule

Describe an interesting song you like

You should say:
- What it is
- Which country the song comes from
- What story the song tells
- And explain why you think it is interesting

BAND 9.0 SAMPLE ANSWER

I love listening to music, so I like a multitude of songs. However, one of my favorite songs
that I want to talk about today is “Hall of Fame” by The Script and Will.i.am. This song
was written for the 2012 Olympic Games.

When it came out, it quickly became a hit on every single music chart throughout the
world, not just because of its catchy melody, but also for its meaningful lyrics. The song
talks about how each of us can be a champion or anything we want to be as long as we
dedicate our time and efforts to doing what we are passionate about. The song is played
at big athletic events to pump up the crowd, but you can easily relate to the song at other
times as well, especially when you are about to give up.

I think this song has such a powerful message that whenever I was tired or had decided to
quit, it would lift me up right away. It made me think about why I had started in the first
place and that I needed to finish the job that I was currently doing.

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Vocabulary:
Từ/ cụm từ tốt Nghĩa tiếng Anh Nghĩa tiếng Việt
Become a hit When a song becomes a hit, it Bài hát gây được tiếng
means that it is super popular vang, được nhiều người
and that people are listening to it ưa thích, tạo nên tên tuổi
on the radio and buying it on cho ca sĩ nào đó
itunes or elsewhere.
Catchy melody The melody is the part that you Giai điệu hấp dẫn, dễ
sing along with and if it is nhớ, dễ thuộc
catchy, it means that it is easy to
sing along with and people like
it, you easily remember it and it
sticks in your mind.
Meaningful lyrics Lyrics are the words in a song Lời bài hát ý nghĩa
and if they are meaningful, it
means that they actually mean
something or have some sort of
importance or significance; they
aren’t just silly, meaningless
words.
Champion (n) Someone who wins, a winner Người thắng cuộc
Dedicate (v) To commit your time to doing Dâng hiến, dành cho
something; to make a promise to
yourself to do something
Efford (n) The work that you put into doing Nỗ lực
something
Passionate (a) If you are passionate about Đam mê
something it means you have a
strong desire to do something or
a strong interest in something
Played To play a song at an event means Phát, bật to
to broadcast it over loudspeakers
so everyone can hear it
To pump up (the crowd) To get the people excited about Làm phấn chấn, phấn
the game or event. khích
Relate to To see yourself in something or Liên quan, gắn liền với,
to understand it in a personal có thể hiểu, thông cảm
way. với cái gì
Give up To quit, to stop doing something Từ bỏ

53
Quit To stop doing something, to give Ngừng, bỏ đi
up
Lift me up or lift To make someone feel better Làm ai đó cảm thấy tốt
someone up hơn

Describe an interesting public place in your hometown, or where you are

living now, that you like to go to
You should say:
• where it is
• how often you go there
• what you do there
• and explain why you think it is interesting.

BAND 8.5 MODEL ANSWER:

Today, I’m going to share with you an interesting public place where I really enjoy going to
hang out with my close friends in my spare time, which is a lovely café named X.

It is situated at Y – a small quiet lane near my university in the centre of my hometown.

The coffee house is decorated in an old, traditional French style, with a lot of paintings on
the wall, and it attracts a lot of foreign customers. As a full-time student, I have been so
caught up in my studies; therefore, I just take a day off to go there on weekends after a
long stressful week.

There are many live music events taking place there performed by acoustic guitarists, so I
often check them out on the internet and come with my friends. Because this type of music
is my kind of thing, I am in my element just humming the tune of the songs and relaxing
in a comfy chair to enjoy myself.

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The fast food tastes quite savoury and especially the coffee in X is always irresistibly
delicious. That might be the reason why it was ranked among the top 5 best coffee shops in
2015. What I really love is how cozy the atmosphere is, something which I have not found
in any other coffee shop yet. Whenever things go wrong, I often go there as a hideaway to
escape from all the pressures and order a cup of coffee to relieve my stress. It always
works wonders. I find it extremely therapeutic and soothing. Therefore, it’s more than
likely that I will still keep coming back to it as my favourite place in the near future.

Vocabulary
Từ/ cụm từ tốt Nghĩa tiếng Anh Nghĩa tiếng Việt
Hang out (phrasal verb) Spend time in a particular place Tụ tập
Lane (n) A narrow street in a city, with Đường hẻm, ngõ hẻm
buildings on both sides
Decorate (v) Make something more attractive Trang trí
Caught up (phrasal verb) Involved in a concentrated way, Theo kịp
so that you forget other things
around you
Acoustic (a) designed to make natural sound, Chỉ sử dụng hoặc chủ
not sound produced by electrical yếu sử dụng các nhạc cụ
equipment mộc hoặc cổ điển mà
không sử dụng các nhạc
cụ điện tử
In my element Doing what I enjoy Sở thích
(expression)
Hum (v) Sing a tune with your lips closed Ậm ừ, ngậm miệng ngân
nga
Comfy (a) Making you feel physically Thoải mái
(=comfortable) relaxed; pleasant to wear, sit on,
etc.
Irresistibly (adv) In a way that is so strong that it Không cưỡng lại được
cannot be stopped
Cozy (a) Warm and comfortable and safe, Ấm cúng, thoải mái dễ
often used to refer to something chịu
small
Hideaway (n) A place where you can go to be Nơi ẩn náu
alone

55
Relieve (v) Remove or reduce an unpleasant Làm dịu đi
feeling or pain
Work wonders Have a very good effect on Tác động tốt, hiệu quả
(expression) someone or something
Therapeutic (a) Helping you to relax Thuộc trị liệu, thoải mái
Soothing (a) That makes someone who is Dễ chịu
anxious or stressed, feel better

Describe a website you like to visit

• You should say:
• When you found it
• What it is about
• How often you visit it
• Why you like this website

BAND 8.0 SAMPLE ANSWER:

There is no doubt that online source is essential for everyone nowadays. A vast amount of
information is instantly updated every second to meet our needs. For me, in particular, I’d
like to check the website called food.com almost everyday.

What I love about the website is a wide variation of food stores is introduced in detail,
including the price, the food available, the parking area and the service offered. Posts can
also be varied in terms of food, by which the reviewer recommends their top five stores
selling it; in terms of design concepts, by which people can choose their favorite
surrounding environment or those young photographers can also come to practice and in
terms of specific locations. Of course different person has different taste, I also can to go
through the comments below or save many posts for references. What is more, the website
provides delivery service, which is a huge benefit for those who are living too far away
from the store.
For those reasons listed, food.com is definitely one of the websites I’d love to visit daily.

56
Describe a wedding that you have attended.
You should say:
• whose wedding it was
• who was there
• what happened
• and explain how you felt.

BAND 9.0 MODEL ANSWER

Today, I’m gonna share with you a wedding of my friend that I attended. Last month, I
received a wedding invitation from my old friend from primary school. The wedding was
held at the beginning of April. We have been close to each other for over 15 years;
therefore, I definitely wanted to attend at all costs, due to the fact that we hadn’t had a
chance to get together for ages.

Her wedding ceremony took place at The Sum Villa, located near my home in the heart of
my city. It was decorated impressively with a lot of lights, candles and flowers around the
room. There were three glamorous wedding photo albums, showing tables right at the
centre of the official gate. The principal colours were likely to be white and violet, so all
the guests were requested to wear clothes with one or both of these colours. Personally, I
wore a white dress with small accessories.

It was meant to be a casual wedding, which I had never attended before. It turned out to be
refreshingly informal. One of the best moments that really touched me was when the
bridegroom sang a song for the bride and all the guests sang along with him. Also, he
made a photo clip by himself marking their 4-year romance, to show to everyone in the
room. It was no surprise that everyone clapped their hands and cheered them. Of course,
I was no exception.

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It was also a good chance to catch up with my old friends and we all had a great time. We
definitely made the most of the occasion and took a lot of pictures with the bride and the
bridegroom. I gave my friend a gift to celebrate her wedding day. I had given much thought
to my wedding present when I was choosing it, and I wished her lots of happiness for the
future.

Vocabulary
Từ/ cụm từ tốt Nghĩa tiếng Anh Nghĩa tiếng Việt
Hold (v) Have a meeting/conversation/ Tổ chức
party/wedding/event
Close to (expression) Knowing someone well and Thân quen, gắn bó
liking them very much
At all costs (expression) Whatever is needed to achieve Bằng bất cứ giá nào
something
For ages (expression) Translated
Decorate (v) Translated
Glamorous (a) Especially attractive and exciting Đặc biệt thu hút, đầy
hào hứng
Album (n) A book in which you keep Tập ảnh
photographs
Accessories (n) Things like belts or bags, which Đồ thêm vào, đồ đi kèm
you carry to match your clothes
Bridegroom (n) A man on his wedding day Chú rể
Bride (n) A woman on her wedding day Cô dâu
Romance (n) A relationship between two Mối tình lãng mạng
people who are in love
Clap one’s hand Hit one’s open hands together, to Vỗ tay
(expression) show that they liked or enjoyed
something
Cheer (v) To shout loudly, to show support Hoan hô, tung hô, làm
or to encourage someone vui mừng, phấn khởi

58
Describe a time when you tried a new food for the first time.
You should say:
• what food it was
• where you ate it
• what it tasted like
• and explain whether or not you liked this food

MODEL ANSWER
Well, I’m a great fan of barbecues and I would like to talk about the first time I tried some
typical barbecue food. This happened when I was 10 years old.

My family went out to have dinner to celebrate my younger sister’s birthday. After
putting so much thought into some new savoury food to have for our meal, we decided
to go to a BBQ restaurant on X street.

We ordered four dishes with three different tastes. One of them which really interested
me was grilled-Australian beef, flavoured with something spicy, rich and aromatic. It not
only tasted delicious, but also looked appealing. Also, it went well with two kinds of
dipping sauces and was served with baguettes. There was also a salad, which gave it a
mild taste to contrast with the spicy flavours. The idea of a barbecue originated in
America, and for us it was a novel and sophisticated meal.

What I really enjoyed was that we could watch as it was cooked in front of us. I loved
how juicy it was and the aroma it had. Just mentioning it makes my mouth water. I
mean, the BBQ was out of this world. That was the first time I had tried it, and I would
have liked to have kept on coming back for more, but I was just too full.

Vocabulary
Từ/ cụm từ tốt Nghĩa tiếng Anh Nghĩa tiếng Việt

59
Barbecues (n) A meal, usually eaten outdoors, Đồ nướng
which is cooked over an open
fire
The first time Haven’t do anything before Lần đầu tiên
Typical (a) Having the usual qualities or Đặc trưng, tiêu biểu
features of a particular type of
person, thing or group
Have dinner Eat dinner Ăn tối
Put thought into Considered seriously and Cân nhắc kĩ lưỡng
(expression) carefully
Savoury (a) Having a delicious taste, usually Ngon miệng, có hương
containing salt vị mặn, vị gắt, không dịu
ngọt (về thức ăn)
Dishes (n) The plates, bowls, cups, etc. that Dĩa
have been used for a meal and
need to be washed
Interested (a) Wanting to give your attention to Làm chú ý, quan tâm
something and discover more
about it
Beef (n) Meat that comes from a cow Thịt bò
Flavour (v) Add to food to give it a special Thêm gia vị, làm tăng
taste mùi vị
Spicy (a) Containing strong flavours from Vị cay
spices
Rich (a) Containing a lot of fat, butter, Béo
eggs, etc. And making you feel
full quickly
Aromatic (a) Having a pleasant smell or thơm
aroma
Dipping sauces (n) Different types of sauces in Nước chấm
which you can put your food
quickly, take the food out again
and eat it
Baguettes (n) White bread in the shape of long Bánh mì que
sticks
Mild (a) Not strong or severe Êm dịu. không gắt
Originate (v) Happen or appear for the first Bắt nguồn ở đâu
time in a particular place or
Situation

60
Novel (a) New, and different from Mới lạ
anything known before
Sophisticated (a) Typical of rich or socially Công phu
important people
Juicy (a) Having a lot of juice, so that it is Có nhiều nước (quả, thịt,
good to eat rau)
Aroma (n) A pleasant, noticeable smell Hương thơm
Mention (v) To write or speak about Đề cập đến, nhắc đến
something/ somebody, especially
without giving much information
Make one’s mouth water Make someone feel hungry Thèm nhỏ dãi
(expression)
Out of this world Wonderful and exciting Tuyệt vời
(expression)
Full (a) Having had enough to eat No bụng

Describe a difficult decision that you made.

You should say:
• what decision it was
• what difficulties you faced
• how you made the decision
• and explain why it was a difficult decision.

BAND 8.0 MODEL ANSWER

Well, the most difficult decision I’ve ever made was whether or not I should study abroad
next year. Well, the most important conversation I had so far was with my parents about
whether or not I should study abroad next year.

In the recent couple of years, there’s this growing tendency among high school graduates to
embark on a study abroad program. I’ve always wanted to do the same, because it’s a good
opportunity to see the world, to experience different styles education, and to improve my
language skills. And for a girl who has never been far away from home, studying in a

61
foreign country might bring out my independent nature. But I need to give it some careful
thought before I could make the decision. I told my parents who are both open-minded
about my plan, and they were pretty supportive, but they also pointed out some
disadvantages. My mom told me that being in a new place by myself could be
overwhelming sometimes, and it tests my ability to adapt to diverse situations. And it’s
highly possible that I would feel lonely and helpless every so often, because all of my close
friends and family members are on the other side of the world. I would be completely on
my own, and basically everything I took for granted in the past would then be a challenge,
like paying bills, opening bank accounts, communicating with fellow students, and the list
goes on and on.

All of a sudden, I felt stuck. All those challenges sounded terrifying, but I really didn’t
want to miss this great chance to broaden my horizon and learn more about other cultures
around the world. I weighed up the pros and cons carefully, and after some serious
consideration, I finally made up my mind to seize the opportunity to go abroad for study.

Describe a place you have visited that has been affected by pollution.
You should say:
• what place it was
• why you went there
• how it was affected by pollution
• and explain how you felt about this situation.

MODEL ANSWER
I’d like to talk about the capital city of China, Beijing, which is famous for its places of
interest like the Great wall, and also some modern tourist attractions. But these years, I
believe it has become well known for its heavy air pollution. I don’t remember since when
high levels of air pollution have become commonplace in Beijing, especially during winter

62
months when temperatures drop and more coal is burned when heating systems are
switched on. All I can hear from the news every now and then is Beijing is hit by hazardous
smog again and the municipal government issues yellow smog alerts all the time, and the
number of patients who suffer from respiratory disease is on the rise. I guess that’s why I
don’t have too much affection for this city. But a few months ago, my best friend was
getting married in Beijing and I was asked to be her bridesmaid. So I had to fly there to
attend her wedding. After I landed at the airport, I just had this weird feeling in my throat
and I started to cough. I noticed that most people around me were wearing masks, I just
regret why I didn’t get one before I went there. When I looked out of the window, I could
see the city was covered in a dense layer of smog, and some of the skyscrapers were barely
visible. I remember I was wearing a white blouse, but by the time I got to my hotel, the
collar was dirty, it was only like 4 hours? So you see, the pollution was that serious.
Honestly I’ve no idea why people still flock to this city to make a living at the cost of their
health.

Describe a product you bought that you were (or, are) happy with.
You should say:
• what you bought
• how you bought it
• why you bought it
• and explain why you were (or are) happy with it.

SAMPLE ANSWER
Ok then, well firstly I’d just like to mention that I’m quite lucky because my parents have
always bought stuff for me, so I seldom buy something by myself. But one occasion that I
did save up to buy something myself was when I got my iPad, which really made me happy
and that’s what I’d like to talk about.

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And um, I think it took me about four or five months to save up for it, and I basically did it
by cutting back on other things, you know, like eating out and buying clothes. At that time,
I study in a college, I mean, I don’t have a job, unfortunately, so the only money I receive is
my living allowance which my parents give me every month, and that’s what I had to use to
pay for it.

Anyway, regarding why I wanted an iPad, well I suppose the main reason was that I’m a
big Apple fan. You know, I already had an iPhone and laptop, so the only thing I was
missing was an iPad. I also watched Steve Jobs’ presentation of the iPad when it was
launched, and it looked pretty cool. So I just thought it would be great to have one!

And as for how I felt after buying it, well first of all, I was really excited and happy, you
know, because I couldn’t wait to start using it. And it also felt great because I’d saved up
for it myself instead of simply asking my parents to buy it for me. So for that reason, it just
felt a bit more special to me, if you know what I mean!

Describe a person (you know), much older than you, who you admire.
You should say:
• who this person is
• how you know this person
• how this person has influenced you
• and explain why you admire this person.

MODEL ANSWER
The senior person whom I really respect and like is my grandmother. From my childhood
she has been a caring person for me. Still she is a good friend of mine whom I share many
things. She is a benevolent and good person who possesses a good heart. She tries to help
others with her highest efforts. I know her from my childhood as she lives with us and we

64
have a lot of happy memories together. She is a successful mother of 3 people including my
father. She has devoted all her life for her kids and made them educated. She possesses a
nice and charming personality that illuminate people around her. I love and respect her for
many different reasons. The most important reason is because of her unconditional love and
affection for me. She is a good mentor who can show me positive ways and guide me in my
depressed time. Talking to her is a soothing experience and the story she tells is always
attractive and full of morality. I have learned many positive attitudes and good thinking
from her. For all those reasons and a strong bonding between us, I respect and admire her
very much.

Describe one of your best (= one of your close, or good) friends.

You should say:
• who this person is
• who long you have known them (= him or her)
• Or, How you first met
• what you do together
• and explain why you think this person is a good friend

SAMPLE ANSWER
When it comes to talking about my friends, I’d like to talk about Bess. She is my best
friend. We are the same age and she is only two days older than me. We studied in the same
school, so we had many opportunities to communicate with each other. She is a good
looking and outgoing person. We have many of the same hobbies. We both like reading
books and watching films, then we exchange our own opinions about the books and films.
We had many fun times together. She is good at cooking. Every time I went to her home,
she would cook many tasty dishes for me. She likes to research all kinds of cookbooks and
cook programs, while I don’t like to cook at all. She is patient to play with kids and help
them. She takes part in a charity organization; she regularly goes to the disabled children

65
school to read all kinds of fairy tale books to children. I feel proud of her. Although both of
us are pretty busy with our jobs, we still meet each other once in a while. Whenever I am in
trouble or in hardship, she is always there with a helping hand and encouraging words. I do
appreciate having this friend.

Describe a family (not your own family) that you like.

You should say:
• where this family lives
• who the members of the family are
• how you know them
• what each person in this family does in life (student/work/retired etc.)
• and explain why you like this family.

MODEL ANSWER
When I was a sophomore in college, I made acquaintance with a girl at my age in another
department. We soon became good friends and occasionally she invites me to her place.
Thus, I get the chance to meet her whole family.

Her family is not very rich nor powerful but I like them because they are happy and care for
each other. The father is always going on a business trip around the country but whenever
he returns back home, the mother prepares for dinner, picks him up in the airport while
receives the gifts he brings. Actually, the father is the stepfather of the girl, but as she told
me, he treats her even better than her own dad does.

I like the family also because it is quite democratic. For example, they always take an
annual trip together but unlike most families where father or mother takes the lead, they
pick up the destination through family discussion. And then, they share tasks like booking
hotel and designing routes and planning intended traveling spots.

66
In a word, I like the family because they own happiness and mutual respect.

Vocabulary
Từ/ cụm từ tốt Nghĩa tiếng Anh Nghĩa tiếng Việt
Make acquaintance with To meet someone làm quen với ai
At my age With the same age Cùng tuổi
Business trip A journey taken for business Chuyến đi làm ăn
purposes
Pick someone up (phrasal To go somewhere in your car Đón ai đó
verb) and collect somebody who is
waiting for you
Take the lead To take a position that is ahead Đi đầu trong việc gì, làm
of others chủ
Mutual (a) Translated

Describe a photo of yourself that you like

You should say:
• when the photo was taken
• how this photograph was taken
• where the photo was taken
• who took the photo
• and explain why the photo was taken or why you think it is a good photo

MODEL ANSWER
The photo I would like to describe is a scenic, which was just taken by my phone. Although
this photo is just a normal scenic, it was taken in a special place, which is on helicopter. In
summer holiday last year, my roommate and I decide to go to America for a one-month
travelling. When we arrived there, we heard from local that Grand Canyon is the most
famous attraction in California. People living there suggested us that viewing canyon
scenery from sky was the best choice. And we felt really moved and interested in their

67
words. So we immediately booked tickets for sky tour of Grand Canyon. Originally, I
planned to enjoy the first time of the sky tour, but actually the helicopter shaked heavily
and it was difficult to take any photos during flying. This made me dizzy. You know, I
looked outside the window and enjoyed views by eyes without taking any photos. Luckily,
after we got off from the helicopter, my roommate told me that she used her phone, taking a
photo for me. The photo has splendid background of the whole Grand Canyon and I was
looking at the window. I love this photo and use it as my desktop until now.

Describe a time when you saw an interesting animal.

You should say:
• what animal it was
• where you saw it
• what happened when you saw it *
• how you felt when you saw it
• and explain why you thought it was interesting.

MODEL ANSWER:
I found there was a bat nest in my balcony recently, and one night I happened to see they
flew across the patio under our apartment and hover in the sky. I was shocked, because it
was dark outside but they knew exactly where to go without mistakes. Moreover, they went
out only at night.

I thought bats are interesting not because they can fly in the dark since I know they are
nocturnal animals. I always think the ability which aids bats fly and prey capture is their
unusual eye-sight, like another nocturnal animal, owls. But the truth is because of their
echolocation. Bat echolocation is a perceptual system where ultrasonic sounds are emitted
specifically to produce echoes. By comparing the outgoing pulse with the returning echoes
the brain and auditory nervous system can produce detailed images of the bat's

68
surroundings. This allows bats to detect, localize and even classify their prey in complete
darkness.

Vocabulary
Từ/ cụm từ tốt Nghĩa tiếng Anh Nghĩa tiếng Việt
Prey capture To hunt, catch, or eat as prey Bắt mồi
Nocturnal animal Animals that active during Động vật hoạt động vào
the night ban đêm
Echolocation (n) The use of reflected sound Sự định vị bằng tiếng
waves for finding things vang, tần số âm thanh
Ultrasonic (a) (Of sounds) higher than humans Siêu âm
can hear

Describe a meal you had your friends or family (in someone's home or in a restaurant).
You should say:
• who organized this meal
• where you had it
• what you talked about during the meal
• what you ate and drank
• and explain why you had this meal with your friends.

MODEL ANSWER
The meal I really enjoyed with my friends was the one when we graduated from high
school three years ago.

We had it in July, when we just graduated. One of my best friends Monica organized it. She
reserved our favourite restaurant which was just two blocks away from our school. It served
traditional Chinese food and we all enjoyed it so much.

69
We often had birthday parties together there, so it was the perfect place for us to, you know,
say goodbye to our high school and start a new life.

The food there, like I just said, was very popular. We had a lot of amazing dishes, including
MapoTofu, vegetable soup and fried rice. The yummiest one was Kung Pao Chicken, we
ordered the super spicy one, and it was crazy hot.

During the dinner, we talked about our future, you know, the university we were going to,
the new life we would have in a couple of months. We even came to an agreement that
every July, we would come back to the restaurant and had a dinner together. We all made it
so far. I mean, we’ve already had two dinners together.

Describe an item of clothing that someone (recently) gave to you.

You should say:
• what it was
• who gave it to you
• what it looked like
• why they gave it to you
• and explain how you felt about this gift.

SAMPLE ANSWER:
It just happened on last year of my birthday. My sister bought me a strapless dress as a
present. I felt surprised because this dress is not my taste. My sister said she bought it for
me because she has never seen I wore any this kind of dress. She told me, girls should have
to care your appearance and strapless dress is one of the most vital items in my wardrobe.
The dress comes from a famous luxury brand and I know lots of my friends dream for it.
You know, the dress is black with understated decoration on the hemline. Although I love
this gorgeous dream, it could be worn only on formal occasions. So I wore this dress in my

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graduation ceremony party. A lot of my classmates were fascinated by it and came to ask
me where they could buy it. You know, as I said I had never dressed like that before. But
after that time, I became more confident and changed my dressing style.

Describe a time when the weather caused you to change your plans.
You should say:
• what your plan was (or, plans were)
• what weather you were hoping for (or expecting)
• what happened
• and explain how you felt when you had to change your plans.

MODEL ANSWER
I'd like to talk about the time when my travel plan got shattered by the horrible weather.

Last summer vacation, my parents took me to Sanya, which is a coastal city in the south of
China where there's gorgeous views and exciting entertainment facilities. We planed a
wonderful vacation during which we could try palatable seafood, play exhilarating water
sports, or just lie on the beach doing nothing, so as you can imagine, for a girl who has
been living far away from the sea, I was pretty thrilled about that trip, but to my great
disappointment, there happened to be a typhoon just the day I arrived there, which totally
ruined my plan.

It rained heavily and it was unbelievably windy, I couldn't even step outside, otherwise I
would get completely soaked, plus, it was pretty dangerous, you know, with the gale and
all. The typhoon lasted for many days, and it didn't go away until the day I left.

I bought lots of colorful dresses that are designed to wear on the beach but sadly I didn't
have the chance to put them on. I thought I could take quite a few stunning pictures that I

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could post on the social networking websites where I can get a lot of likes, you know.
However, I just ended up staying in the boring hotel, complaining about the unexpected
weather, which pathetically became my Plan-B.

So I felt that the money I spent on my flight tickets and the hotel just went down the drain.
It was literally the worst travel experience ever.

Vocabulary
Từ/ cụm từ tốt Nghĩa tiếng Anh Nghĩa tiếng Việt
Get shattered by To suddenly break into small Bị tan vỡ
pieces
Gorgeous (a) Very beautiful and attractive; Tráng lệ, rực rỡ, huy
giving pleasure and enjoyment hoàng
Entertainment facility Space or equipment necessary Cơ sở vui chơi giải trí
(n) for entertaining
Palatable (a) (Of food or drink) having a Thơm ngon
pleasant or acceptable taste
Thrill about To make someone feel Hồi hộp về
very excited and pleased
Disappointment (n) Sadness because something has Sự chán ngán, sự thất
not happened or been as good, vọng
successful, etc. As you expected
or hoped
Ruin (v) To damage something so badly Sự tiêu tan, sự phá sản,
that it loses all its value, thất bại
pleasure, etc.
Get soaked To make thoroughly wet or Bị ướt
saturated
Stunning (a) Extremely attractive or Tuyệt vời, lộng lẫy, gây
impressive ấn tượng sâu sắc
Get like (v) To have like from other people Câu like
on social network
End up (v) To find yourself in a place or Cuối cùng kết quả rơi
situation that you did not intend vào tình trạng nào đó
or expect to be in
Go down the drain Be totally wasted Đổ sông đổ biển

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Describe a time when someone apologized to you.
You should say:
• who apologised to you
• why they apologised
• where it happened
• and explain how you felt (or what you said) after this person apologised.

BAND 8.0 MODEL ANSWER:

Today I'm going to share with you an occasion when one tour consultant gave me an
apology for being late for picking us up at the airport.

It just happened in last month. My friends and I decided to go travelling to somewhere

during the vacation. Finally, we chose Korea as our destination. As none of us can speak
Korean and in order to avoid any uncertainties may occur during the trip, we think joining a
travel group may be the best choice for us. So we consulted a local travel agency and made
the payment immediately. The travel agency promised that they would pick us up on time
at Seoul airport when we arrived there. However, when we arrived in Seoul and waited for
over 1 hour, no one showed up. By nature, I'm a forgiving person and hardly take
mistakes seriously because I think anyone can make blunders sometime really. But
waiting for such a long time made me feel helpless and annoyed. I called back to the travel
agency and after an hour of busy signals, I finally got through. The staff who answered
my phone explained to us that it was his fault that he forgot to type our names on this travel
group list and he would try his best to solve the problem.

Finally, the company arranged another car to pick us up and we got part of refund as well
when we came back to HongKong. He also sent us a long email to show the apology to us
for his mistake. My gut instinct told me that the apology seemed genuine and sincere,
and I should try to accept the apology and then I acted on that acceptance by replying his

73
email to show my appreciation for his attempts and my willing to recommend their tours to
other friends who want to visit Korea.

Vocabulary
Từ/ cụm từ tốt Nghĩa tiếng Anh Nghĩa tiếng Việt
Pick…up Translated
Forgiving (a) Willing to forgive Dễ tha thứ, khoan dung,
độ lượng
Take mistake Have an action, decision, Gây lỗi lầm
or judgment that produces an un
wanted or unintentional result
Make blunder (v) Make a serious mistake, Sai lầm, ngớ ngẩn
usually caused by not
taking care or thinking
Busy signals (n) A sound that means that Máy bận
the phone you are calling is
being used
Get through (v) To succeed in talking to Liên hệ, liên lạc
someone on the phone
Show the apology Show a word or statement saying Thể hiện sự tạ lỗi
sorry for something that has
been done wrong
Gut instinct An instinctive feeling, as Một trực giác hoặc cảm
opposed to an opinion or idea giác, trái ngược với một
based on facts ý kiến dựa trên phân tích
Genuine (a) Sincere and honest; that can be Thành thật, chân thật
trusted
Sincere (a) Showing what you really think Thành thật
or feel
Act on/upon something To take action as a result of Để hành động vì một cái
(phrasal verb) advice, information, etc. gì đó giống như thông
tin nhận được

Describe a story or novel you have (recently) read that you found to be particularly
interesting.
You should say:

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 • what the plot of the story or novel was
• who wrote it
• why you read it
• how much time it took to read it
• and explain why you thought it was interesting.

MODEL ANSWER
Admittedly, for the past few months, I haven’t been reading as much as I should because of
my new projects at work. It’s a shame, because reading is, without a doubt, the best way to
learn as well as to relax. The last book that I read, “A still forest pool”, is also the one that
has had the most significant impact on me.

Basically, “A still forest pool” is a book about meditation written by Ajahn Chah, a
Buddhist master in Thailand. Ajahn had spent years meditating in forest monasteries, which
are not as easy to be found as they were several decades ago. Being among the most
influential and respected teacher of Buddhism in his own country, he has been known as a
man of great wisdom who people seek advice from.

“A still forest pool” is such a remarkable book which reflects the author’s simple yet
powerful message about Buddhist practice of “everyday mindfulness”. Not only does it
describe the importance of staying fully awake in everyday life, but it also shows people
how to start living mindfully. The book has profound insights, especially for the West,
where Buddhism has recently become more popular.

This is definitely the most interesting book that I have ever read. It helps me realize how
important it is to live fully in the present instead of the past or the future. I would
recommend it to everyone who is in search for inspiration, motivation or simply a change in
attitude in order to live more meaningfully.

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Describe some local news that people in your locality are interested in.
You should say:
• what the news is
• how you know about this news
• who is involved in this news
• and explain why it is interesting to people.

SAMPLE ANSWER
Last summer I saw a news on the net which is very interesting and encourage. In my
hometown surrounded with some rural area where is very poor.the young man in there are
not satisfied wither living condition, so they move to big city looking for good employment
opportunities, but they don't have any skills to earn money, so they study electrical weld in
a vocational school.After they graduate they came to Australia by labor service export.
They are hard working, energetic, and gradually received faith form their local employer.
Finally they become the Australian Permanent Resident.The salary they earn is enough to
afford their house ownership, and they have extra money monthly send back to china for
their parents.When this news first appear in china,that vocational school become very
popular, and many people want to study in it.Now these guys working and living happily in
Australian.

When the first time I heard this news, I felt very interesting but felt more encouragement
from it, they came from poor family but had changed their life through their effort ,their
spirit deserve all of us to learn it.

Describe the first time you used a foreign language to communicate.

You should say:
• who you communicated with
• what the situation was

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 • what you said (or wrote)
• and explain how you felt during this experience.

MODEL ANSWER 1:
I remember the first time I talk with other people in English happened when I was a middle
school student.

One day, my mom heard from her colleagues that there was an English Corner that would
be held twice a month near our apartment. So she encouraged me to go for practicing
English-speaking skills. Actually, I was not willing to do that. But finally I forced myself
toward it because I know it was a good chance to communicate with foreigners.When I
arrived there, a guy came over me with a warm smile. He started to introduce himself and
showed his friendliness. He spoke English in a fluent and natural way and sounded like a
native English speaker. Needless to say, I was a bundle of nerves because I knew my
English accent, pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary were not good at all. Surprisingly,
he told me that English was not his mother tongue and urged me to speak out. Thus I used
my poor English to chat with him and he listened to me patiently, complimented on my
accent which made me feel much more confident.

Although we just met for a while, that inspirational man really motivated me to learn
English with focus and commitment. I also got to understand that if you want to learn
something new, you must be brave and go towards it.

Model Answer 2:
The first time I used a foreign language was actually pretty funny. When I was in high
school, I attended a summer camp in London, and our school arranged home-stay for us in
order to help us learn the language and customs. We were so thrilled about that trip and
most of us just couldn’t get to sleep on the plane, even though it was an exhausting 15-hour
flight. I remember by the time we arrived at our homestay family, it was early in the

77
morning, but due to the jet lag, everyone was drowsy. And I drank a lot of coffee on the
way, so I needed to use the bathroom badly. It was a three-story house, there’s no way I
could find the bathroom myself. So I asked the mother in the family where the bathroom
was, but she led me to a room with a bathtub but no toilet. I was confused. But I suddenly
remembered there are minor language differences between American English and British
English, so I thought maybe that was one of them. I got out of the “bathroom” and racked
my brains trying to find a word better than “pee”, ‘cause I guess “I want to pee.” is not a
proper thing to say to a stranger. But I really couldn’t think of anything other than that, so I
just went ahead and said “Excuse me, where can I pee?” And she took me to a room on the
second floor. So that was the first time that I communicated with a foreigner, and as you
can see, it was a little embarrassing. But once I got to know the language and their customs
better, everything just went much smoother.

Describe an occasion when you helped someone.

You should say:
• who you helped
• how you helped them
• where it happened
• why you helped them
• and explain how this person reacted to your help
• or/and explain how you felt after helping this person.

SAMPLE ANSWER
Well. There are times when people need other's help and lend a helping hand to others as
well I am no exception. Last year, I helped my roommate to see a doctor as she could
barely walk because of the great pain caused by kidney stone.

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Actually, it was in a snowy morning, I waked up and saw that she was trembling all over
and as white as a sheet in her bed. She thought it would be alright after a while. Without a
second thought, I took all the cash I had and helped her to get dressed, and then we hurried
to the nearest hospital in a taxi. However, after all the difficulties we had in catching a taxi
and all the coldness and pain my roommate suffered, the hospital did not put an
immediate end to it. We had to stand in a long line to pay the registration fee first. What
pissed me off was that there were still more patients before us waiting to see the doctor.
Later, with prescription in hand, I had to do the whole waiting thing again to pay for and
pick up medicine separately. Thankfully, the acute pain of my roommate was greatly
relieved by a shot of painkiller. As we returned to school, I put her to bed and saw her
grateful look.

For my part, I think it is quite natural to help people we care about and expect nothing in
return. And I believe a friend in need is a friend indeed. Besides, I do enjoy the feeling of
being needed.

Vocabulary
Từ/ cụm từ tốt Nghĩa tiếng Anh Nghĩa tiếng Việt
Give/ lend someone a To help someone Giúp đỡ ai đó
helping hand
Tremble (v) To shake slightly, usually Run
because you are cold, frightened,
or very emotional
Without a second Acting immediately, Ngay lập tức, không cần
thought without stopping to think xem xét
Put an end to something To make something stop Kết thúc, chấm dứt
(idiom) happening or existing
Stand in line Stand in a row waiting to Xếp hàng
proceed.
Piss somebody off To greatly anger or irritate some Làm ai đó bực mình
one
Acute pain A very serious or severe pain Đau buốt, cấp tính

79
Relieve (v) Translated
A shot of The amount of a drug that is put Liều thuốc
into the body by a single
injection
Painkiller A drug that is used to produce or Thuốc giảm đau
remove physical pain

Describe what you think would be the perfect job (or "dream job") for you.
You should say:
• what job it would be (or is)
• what you would do in this job
• what skills you would need to learn for this job
• and explain why you think this would be the perfect job for you.

SAMPLE ANSWER
It has always been my dream to be a singer ever since I was a child. When I was a kid I
used to be a singing talent. I would win many singing competitions and represented the
school in the choir. However, because of the pressure of the College Entrance Exam I had
to stop singing and focus on my studies to go to a good university.

The main reason why I'd like to be a singer is cuz it would allow me to inspire the world.
I'm quite fond of the idea that people would be listening to my songs and trying to be more
like me-a nice guy.

These days, the only time I sing is probably in the shower or when I'm at a karaoke bar with
my friends. I even had a plan for how to spend all the money I would make once I became
famous guess I'll have to earn money the old fashioned way now-by starting my own
company.

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If I had a chance I would definitely choose to be a singer but I'm still quite realistic and
that's why I'm going abroad to study business.

Describe a magazine or newspaper that you like to read.

You should say:
• what magazine or newspaper it is
• what the magazine or newspaper is about
• how often you read it
• what kinds of people generally read this magazine or newspaper
• and explain why you like to read it.

SAMPLE ANSWER
Personally, I would like to say that my favorite musician is Michael Jackson. And there are
a couple of reasons to name.
Firstly, throughout his career he received numerous honors and awards. He is the “King of
Pop”, but more and more people think “King of Pop” is not big enough for him; he should
be the best entertainer in the history. Also, Jackson had a notable impact on music and
culture throughout the world. For much of his career, he had an "unparalleled" level of
worldwide influence over the younger generation through his musical and humanitarian
contributions. And he is pretty diligent. When he was a little kid, he practices his voice and
dancing regularly. Admittedly, he is very gifted, but I think his success mostly dues to his
hard-working. Personally, I would like to say that my favorite musician is Michael Jackson.
And there are a couple of reasons to name. Firstly, throughout his career he received
numerous honors and awards. He is the “King of Pop”, but more and more people think
“King of Pop” is not big enough for him; he should be the best entertainer in the history.
Also, Jackson had a notable impact on music and culture throughout the world. For much
of his career, he had an "unparalleled" level of worldwide influence over the younger
generation through his musical and humanitarian contributions. And he is pretty diligent.

81
When he was a little kid, he practices his voice and dancing regularly. Admittedly, he is
very gifted, but I think his success mostly dues to his hard-working.

Describe a place with a lot of water (such as a river, a lake or the ocean) that you enjoyed
visiting.
You should say:
• where this place was
• what people were doing at this place (Or, what you did there)
• why you went there
• who you went there with
• and explain why you liked this place.

MODEL ANSWER
I have visited many places near a river or a sea and I enjoyed the scenic beauty and vast
water very much. I would like to talk about a river I visited 2 years back. I chose to talk
about it because I really enjoyed my visit there.

The name of the river was (...say a river's name...) and it was in (...say a place's name...).
One of our relatives invited us to visit their house and we decide to visit there. I went there
with 4 of my family members including my parents. After we reach there, I was amazed to
notice that our relative's house was near a big river. This was the first time I visited that
relatives and I was very excited about the beauty of the nature there.

After we reach our relative's house, my younger sister told me that she would like to visit
the river. I restrained her by saying that we will all go there in the evening. In the evening
we went near the river and the river was very clam at that moment. A sweet wind was
blowing from the river and the weather was very pleasant. We sat near the river and had our
tea. That was kind of family picnic. I had my younger brother, sister, my parents and 3 of

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our relatives at this place. Since this was the summer season, we felt very comfortable
being at the bank of the river. We noticed many boats were in the river and we planned to
rent a boat for an hour. When we were in the boat, the wind suddenly started blowing
heavily. We quickly came to the high land and left for our relative's house.

Describe a time when you made a mistake.

You should say:
• where you were
• what you were doing
• what mistake you made
• and explain what was the result of your mistake.

BAND 8.5 MODEL ANSWER:

Ok right then, I had a project I was working on, and while I was in the middle of typing up
my documentation, my computer started acting weird. It froze for a while and so I rebooted.
After 10 minutes, the computer showed a blue screen saying that there were problems and
recommended that I reboot the computer again. After another reboot, everything appeared
to be ok. I continued my work and finished for the day. I spent two days on this assignment
and when I went to retrieve my data the next day to double check my work, my computer
wouldn't start up. A technician came and found that my hard drive malfunctioned. I lost all
the data and lost two days of work.

I was disappointed and thought I would never trust a computer again, but therewas a great
lesson to be learned. I had a couple of warnings and I ignored them. From then o, I
practiced being someone who can anticipate problems. I now think of potential problems
ahead of time and pay attention to details along the way. If I applied this sooner, I would
have saved the data on another computer and I wouldn't have lost a couple days of work.

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But I can't say I regret making the mistake because it made me someone who can anticipate
problems better.

Describe a big company that you would like to work in.

You should say:
• the name of this company
• what this company does
• where this company is
• and explain why you would like to work in this company.

SAMPLE ANSWER
The big company that I am interested in must be Apple. Apple is an American
multinational corporation that designs and markets consumer electronics, computer
software, and personal computers. The company's best-known hardware products: the iPod,
the iPhone and the iPad. As of August 2010, the company operates 301 retail stores in ten
countries, and an online store where hardware and software products are sold. As of May
2010, Apple is one of the largest companies in the world and the most valuable technology
company in the world, having surpassed Microsoft. Apple has about 46,600 full time
employees and 2,800 temporary full time employees worldwide and had worldwide annual
sales of $65.23 billion last year. Apple has established a unique reputation in the consumer
electronics industry. This includes a customer base that is devoted to the company and its
brand, particularly in the United States. Fortune magazine named Apple the most admired
company in the United States in 2008, and in the world in 2008, 2009, and 2010.

Describe something that you have shared with others (or another person)
You should say:
• what you shared

84
 • who you shared it with.
• why you shared it
• and explain how you felt about sharing it

SAMPLE ANSWER
I would love to share my depression experience with a stranger.

I had depressed feelings for a number of years. I couldn’t find joy in anything, my energy
level was low and I was struggling to do basic chores like cleaning and washing. I found it
incredible when people would suggest things like getting exercise to make me happier. All
I could think was, I can't drag myself out of bed to take a shower, and how the hell am I
supposed to drag myself to the gym?

A friend of mine realised what was happening, and after one particular outburst of tears
and misery, he suggested I went to the university counselor. Talking things through with
someone who is completely unbiased is a wonderful experience. Even when you think you
have nothing to talk about, they are good at getting you started. Unfortunately, there was a
limited time frame, and I felt those feelings creeping back. I finally went to my doctor, told
them I had tried counselling, and asked if medication was an option. He agreed. I know that
anti-depressants are a controversial topic, but they were truly life-changing. The first type
did not help. The second type was like opening a window. They did not make me happy.
What they did do, however, is give me the strength to start making myself happy. I stopped
crying for no reason. I was able to sleep soundly. The thoughts screaming around my head
ground to a halt so I could focus, and I started enjoying things again. I still have bad days,
but they are days - not weeks, or months.

In short, seek professional help. Friends and family are wonderful, but they can be biased
and I can feel guilty for 'troubling' them with my feelings. Professionals are just that. I was
proud of myself for taking that first step to find support.

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Vocabulary:
Từ/ cụm từ tốt Nghĩa tiếng Anh Nghĩa tiếng Việt
Find joy in To have a feeling of great Tìm thấy niềm vui từ cái
happiness in something gì
Energy level A definite stable energy that a Mức năng lượng
physical system can have
To drag out To make someone Lôi ra, kéo ra
go somewhere they do
not want to go
Outburst (n) A sudden increase in a particular Sự trào dâng, bột phát,
activity or attitude sự bùng nổ
Misery (n) Great suffering of the mind or Sự đau đớn, khổ sở
body

Describe a creative person who you admire (e.g., a scientist, an inventor)

You should say:
• who this person is
• what area of creativity they work in
• how you know about this person
• and explain what work they have created that you particularly admire.

MODEL ANSWER
I’m going to talk about a musician/songwriter that I admire, called Adam Levine. He’s also
a singer who plays the guitar and writes his own songs. I think he recorded his first album
about 10 years ago with his band called Maroon 5, and he’s released several other CDs
since then.

He became successful after many years of writing songs and performing live in small
venues all over the country. Gradually he built a following of people who liked his music. I
think the key to his success was one of his songs that was used on a TV advertisement. This
meant that more people became aware of his music.

86
I found out about Adam because one of my friends got tickets to see him in concert. I
hadn’t heard any of his music before, but I went along to the gig and really enjoyed it. After
that I bought the first CD, and now I’ve got all of them.

The reason I'm into Adam is that he has worked hard for his success: it takes years of
practice to become a good singer and guitarist, and he spent several years playing to very
small audiences before he became successful. I also like the fact that he writes his own
music. I admire people who have worked hard to get where they are.

Describe a positive change that you made to your life.

You should say:
• when it happened
• where it happened
• what the change was
• and explain how you have benefited from this change ( or, explain how you feel
about this change)

SAMPLE ANSWER

The positive change that I would like to talk about is ‘I started playing outdoor games
instead of playing computer games’. After I got my first personal computer when I was
only 9 years old or so, I started learning many things. Besides that I started playing the
computer games. As computer games are addictive I found that I was playing the games
whenever I had spare times. This addiction barred me from playing outdoor games like
cricket, football etc.

I found myself very much attracted to the computer games and I preferred to play the
games at home instead of going to open spaces or fields to participate in outdoor games that
involve physical exercises. Not that computer games are all so bad, but playing them all the

87
time someone has got is not a good thing especially for kids. I found that I was spending
more times at home than being outside. After my parents noticed that, they discussed with
me about that and explained me the importance of outdoor activities. They gave me strict
restriction that I would only be able to play computer games for an hour daily and in the
evening I’d have to go outside to play with my friends.

This was obviously a very positive change for me. I’m not against computer games but I
feel that if there are more important things to do, then we should not spend time on
computer games only.

This change affected me very positively. I became a good cricket player later on, I started
maintaining my times more prudently and I am sure this change has affected me positively
in terms of physical and mental health.

Describe a situation that made you a little angry.

You should say:
• what it was that made you angry
• where you were when this happened
• what you were doing at the time
• who you were with
• and explain how you handled this situation or and explain why you felt angry.

SAMPLE ANSWER
A recent situation that made me angry was getting stuck in a traffic jam on the way to
meet some friends. It was last Sunday lunchtime; and I didn’t expect there to be much
traffic; people don’t work on Sundays, so the roads aren’t usually very busy.

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Everything was going well until suddenly I saw a queue of cars on the road in front of me.
I had no choice but to join the queue and wait to get past whatever was causing the delay. It
turned out that it was caused by some roadworks, and it took me an extra 30 minutes to get
past them.

Getting stuck in traffic congestion doesn’t usually make me angry, but this time it did,
mainly because I wasn’t expecting it and I knew that my friends were waiting to meet me
for lunch. I felt frustrated and powerless because there was nothing I could do to change the
situation; and I had no idea how long I would be sitting there waiting. When I finally saw
the reason for the congestion, I was relieved that I was close to getting past the roadworks,
but I still felt a bit stressed knowing that I was half an hour late.

Vocabulary:
Từ/ cụm từ tốt Nghĩa tiếng Anh Nghĩa tiếng Việt
Get stuck in Unable to move or to be moved Bị mắc kẹt
Queue A line or sequence of people or Hàng (người, xe ô tô...)
vehicles awaiting their turn to be xếp nối đuôi nhau
attended to or to proceed
Turn out To be discovered to be; to prove Chỉ ra, phát hiện ra một
to be cách bất ngờ
Get pass To move around or ahead of Vượt qua
someone or something that is in
the way.

Describe your favourite season or time of the year.

You should say:
• what season (or time of the year) it is
• what the weather is like at this time
• what people usually do at this time
• and explain why you enjoy that season or time of the year or

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 • and explain why you enjoy that season or time of the year more than other seasons
or times of the year.

MODEL ANSWER
My favourite season in England is winter. A typical English winter would last around 4 or 5
months between November and March, but when I say that I like the winter, I’m really
thinking about the coldest month or two each year. During those really wintry months, the
temperature drops below zero and it often snows. Over the last few years we’ve had
periods of quite heavy snowfall, to the extent that roads have been blocked and schools
have had to close. Last winter I remember looking out of the window one morning and
seeing everything covered in a layer of white. Obviously the snow is what differentiates
winter from the other seasons, but when it doesn’t snow there isn’t much difference
between winter, autumn and spring; winter is just a bit colder. The reason I’ve chosen
winter as my favourite season is because I like the snow. I live near the countryside, and the
landscape looks beautiful when everything is covered in white. We also celebrate
Christmas and New Year in the winter, and these are my favourite festivals.

Vocabulary:
Từ/ cụm từ tốt Nghĩa tiếng Anh Nghĩa tiếng Việt
Wintry (a) Typical of winter; cold Lạnh lẽo, lạnh giá
Temperature (n) The measurement in degrees of Nhiệt độ
how hot or cold a thing or place
is
Drop (v) To fall or allow something to fall Giảm, hạ
Periods of A length of time Khoảng thời gian
Snowfall The amount of snow that falls in Lượng tuyết rơi
a particular place in a period of
time
Extent (n) How large, important, serious, Quy mô, mức độ
etc. Something is
A layer of A quantity or thickness of Lớp
something that lies over a

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 surface or between surfaces
Differentiate something To be the particular thing that Phân biệt
(from something) shows that things or people are
not the same

Describe a person who you like to spend time with.

You should say:
• what relationship the two of you have
• how often you are together
• what you usually do together
• and explain why you like to spend time with this person.

MODEL ANSWER
I spend a lot of time with my best friend John. I’ve known him since primary school where
we were in the same class.

We only see each other during our university holidays because we don’t study in the same
city. My university is in London but he lives in Liverpool.

When we are together we always play lots of sports like football and tennis. John loves
Manchester United and he is a very good footballer. I prefer tennis but I am not as good as
my friend. We also both enjoy playing computer games. Our favourite is probably World of
Warcraft which many of my friends play too.

As we live in a small town there aren’t many places to go so we normally hang out at the
sports centre or in the big park near my house. We’re both big film buffs so we go to the
cinema quite often and we get a student discount.

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I really like spending time with John, he’s such a nice person and very friendly. I always
have a good time when we are together and he never fails to make me laugh. In fact, I think
he’s the funniest person I know.

Describe a skill you learned when you were a child.

You should say:
• what skill it was
• who taught you this skill
• how you learned it
• and explain why you learned this skill.

MODEL ANSWER
Typing on a keyboard without looking at that is a special skill and recently I have learnt to
type by not looking at the keyboard.

When I was 10 years old, my father bought me a computer, it was impossible for me to type
without looking at the keys. It took longer hours for me to type a single page by searching
the letters on the keys. It was a troublesome task for me and most of the time I had to type
different topics on computer. But I could not complete the tasks in due time for my lack of
skills in typing. When I started to type, it appeared to me that the letters should be placed
on the keyboard alphabetically for better use. But gradually I learnt that this way is better
than the alphabetical letters.

Basically I learnt the skill at my home using my personal computer. In the very beginning,
it was tougher for me to compose anything on the computer with the keyboard attached
with it and it took longer hours for me to compose a document of three or four pages. So, I
started using internet to get some ways to learn typing. I found some special applications

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that allow the users to get the desired typing skill. Besides, the applications also helped me
to make the typing faster than it was in the beginning.

All of the earned skills are useful in real life but the applications may differ in situations.
When I started learning the skill, I thought that it would be of no use in my practical life
and I am wasting my times. But when I took part in my work, I was surprised by the
applications of typing. I have started serving the office in different ways with the typing
skill. As a result, my fame has increased as a typing expert and accordingly the office has
evaluated my performance. I have been promoted to senior administrative officer after three
months when I applied the skill to my daily works at the workplace. So, it appears to be a
very useful skill for me.

Describe someone you know who recently moved to new accommodation.

You should say:
• who he or she is
• what kind of accommodation they moved to
• and explain why they moved.

SAMPLE ANSWER
Speaking of a person who moves to a new accommodation, I just think of my friend Linda.
Her neighbor frequently played his music excessively loud, which rattles the change off her
coffee table. She spoke to him repeatedly and he always turns it down to merely loud. But
then turns it back up within the hour.She said she couldn't stand her downstairs neighbor
any more so she changed her living place. Now her new neighbors are about 70 years old
and they are very quiet. She stays at college most of the time. They don’t have anything in
common and just say “hi” when they meet.

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The new accommodation she moves to is in a suburb. Linda has to drive 20 minutes to go
to the grocery store. But she doesn't mind it because she can live in a bigger than before.
When she looks out of the window, she can see the flowers and cute birds flying in the sky.
The only thing should be improved of her new accommodation is the blue-color stars all
over the walls. Although they glow in the dark, during the day they make her feel depressed.
Therefore, she plans to add some posters on them.

Describe a leader who you admire.

You should say:
• who this person is
• what this person does (as a leader)
• how he or she became a leader
• how you know about this person (or, how you personally know this person)
• and explain explain why you admire this leader (= explain how (or why) this
leader's qualities impress you)

Describe a dream you have had

You should say:
• When you had this dream
• What you saw in the dream
• What you did or said in the dream
• And explain why you had a dream like that

MODEL ANSWER:
I’d like to talk about the nightmare I had the other night.

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On the way to a mountain in the dead of winter, I dropped behind the group I was traveling
with and got lost. To make matters worse, it began to rain heavily. The wind blew hard, and
the blasted forest groaned as if in pain. And so overcast was the sky that night came several
hours earlier than usual. Cold and frightened, I was trembling all over. All I could do was
shout for help, but no help was forthcoming. The night became darker, the wind blew
harder, and the rain poured down more heavily. I ate my last piece of food, a tiny piece of
cake. Totally despaired, I was waiting not for miracle but for death. Suddenly, a
thunderclap woke me up. A rainstorm was indeed raging outside, but I was grateful to find
that I only had a nightmare.

I still couldn’t figure out why I would have that dream, and I certainly wouldn’t want it to
come true.

Describe a movie you have watched in a cinema or at home

You should say:
• When this movie is
• Who you would want to watch with
• What the movie is about
• And explain why you want to watch this movie

SAMPLE ANSWER:
It’s quite hard to say what my favourite movie is because there are quite a few to choose
from! But I would say that the one that made the strongest impression on me is a German
film called ‘The Lives of Others’. This film is set in communist East Germany, shortly
before the fall of the Berlin Wall. At that time, the Stasi, the East German secret police,
used to spy on all kinds of people. The two main characters in the film are a playwright
called Dreyman and a Stasi spy called Weisler, whose job it is to keep Dreyman under 24
hour surveillance. Weisler is supposed to be reporting back to his superiors at the Stasi in

95
order to discredit the playwright. However, he develops a strong sympathy for the
playwright and his girlfriend, and determines to protect them by not reporting anything
significant. The scenes in the film where it cuts from the colourful and interesting lives of
Dreyman and his friends to the lonely attic where Weisler is sitting really show the contrast
between the two men. The film is shot in such a way that it makes you believe you are also
spying on Dreyman, it even made me feel a bit guilty!

I like this film because it has fascinating, 3-dimensional characters, and also the plothas
plenty of twists. Right up until the end of the film, we are left guessing how it could
possibly end. It is also very thought-provoking because it makes you wonder how many
people working for the Stasi actually did protect the people they were spying on.

As for the message it gives, I would say the main message is that we can find kindness and
humanity in the most unexpected of places. The film makes us realise that nothing is ever
black and white! The film also serves as a warning about the dangers of an oppressive,
paranoid regime and is perhaps quite pertinent in this current age of mass surveillance.

Describe a time you missed an appointment for something

You should say:
• When and where it happened
• What the appointment was for
• What happened when you missed it
• And explain how you felt about missing the appointment

BAND 8.5 SAMPLE ANSWER:

I missed my first job interview two years ago because of my carelessness. Once I lost it, I
feel regret for that late even today.

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At that time, as a fresh graduate, an interview appointment is valuable. I applied for
Unilever as Sale executive, one of the best global companies with dynamic working
environment and good benefits. I waited for about two months after attending at the IQ
written test. I received an email announcing that I was one the tenth applicants who
successfully passed the test. I was overjoyed when they asked me to join at the formal
interview. However, I lost that chance.

The appointment was at sharply 14:00 which I thought would be at 4pm. Thus, I planned to
celebrate my friend’s birthday around 2pm and leave her house around 3pm for the
interview because the journey would take around 45 minutes.

I prepared for the interview carefully and left my friend’s house a little bit early as the city I
live in has several serious problems of traffic jam. Unfortunately, it started to rain and the
bus came late around 3.15pm. The traffic was very bad so the bus was moving very slowly
due to the unavoidable traffic jam under heavy rain. At that time, I received a call from the
company. With an angry voice, the authority informed that I missed the appointment and
lost the opportunity to work at Unilever. Initially, I felt that my luck is not favoring me and
felt a deep sense of anger because I thought it was not my fault but the traffic congestion.
However, when I checked email again, I felt pity for me as I could not go to the
appointment in time.

It becomes my invaluable experience. Since then, I always read emails and note down
carefully the schedule.

Describe an area of subject that you are interested in

You should say:
• What it is
• When it started to become interested in it

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 • What we have learned from it
• And explain why you have interest in it

BAND 8.5 SAMPLE ANSWER:

Biology is my favorite subject. Thanks for learning biology, I have a deep insight about
living life around me from a tiny baterium to a complex human. Among different
organisms, I love to elucidate the intricate mechanisms in plants.

Why am I interested in plant biology? Well, it’s hard to explain. Plants, even though they
are unable to move and speak, they are living things. They have their own language and
have a wonderful life. Have you ever asked yourself that why plants are the only organism
that have upground part and ground part? It is because carbon dioxide, light and water are
the main sources for plants to grow. Water is obtained from soil through a complex root
system. Roots keep a plant anchored tightly to the soil as well. Water moves up the plant’s
stem to the leaves. Sunlight and carbon dioxide are taken by leaves. Therefore, plants use
water, light energy and carbon dioxide to make glucose, a kind of sugar and this is the food
for plant to grow.

You see? Just a very simple example, plants are worth to study about. That’s also a reason
why I choose Plant Biotechnology as my major. By using molecular technology, I can learn
more inside of plant cells and discover the mechanisms in plants. Thanks for understanding
of plant biology, it is applicable to manipulate and improve crop yield. It pours more and
more passion to me for my future career.

Describe an interesting or unusual thing you did recently (in your free time)
You should say
• What you did
• When and where you did it

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 • Who you did it with
• And explain why you think it was interesting or unusual

BAND 8.5 SAMPLE ANSWER:

In all seriousness, between school and the office where I am working as an intern, I barely
have time for entertainment. Though, when I do, I take it seriously. Once or twice, I
managed to get out of the city and indulged myself in secluded areas where Internet
service and its distracting minions like social media and advertising emails ceased to exist.
My latest sweet escape was my trip to ABC island last summer.

ABC was one of the four deserted, yet beautiful islands located in X due to little exposure
to tourism. This, however, would change drastically within the next few years since ABC
had been drawing lots of attention thanks to positive feedbacks from those who had
wandered there. I went to Binh Ba alone just to take a break from the fast-paced city life
and to have time to contemplate myself, which I rarely did with people around. It had
been an intriguing 2-day journey full of surprises. That was the first time I traveled alone,
first time riding on a speedboat, first time scuba diving and first time having dinner with a
life jacket on my back and crystal clear water as my dining room. Additionally, seafood
here was a bomb which came in different kinds and varieties. People I met during my
stay at a villager’s house were ultra-friendly and helpful, both locals and visitors whom
shared their stories as though you were their long-lost friend stopping by to catch up. And
there was nothing better than enjoying great company over a nice meal and bonfire.

X left an unforgettable impression on me where I learnt to appreciate precious moments

with those I cared about and be grateful for whatever life had to offer. Life is tough but it
would be lifeless without it toughness.

Vocabulary & Useful Expression

Từ/ cụm từ tốt Nghĩa tiếng Anh Nghĩa tiếng Việt

99
In all seriousness Very serious vô cùng nghiêm trọng
Barely= rarely Almost not Hiếm khi
Take someone/ Regard someone or something as Làm nghiêm trọng
something seriously Important and worthy of
attention
Manage to do something Succeed in doing something, Thành công làm gì, đạt
especially something difficult được
Get out of something Used for telling someone to Rời đi, thoát khỏi
leave
Indulge oneself in To allow yourself to have or do Thỏa mãn
something that you like,
especially something that is
considered bad for you
Secluded (a) = deserted Quiet and private; not used or Hẻo lánh
disturbed by other people
Cease (+to) Bring to an end Dừng, ngừng
Escape (n) To get free from something, or Sự trốn thoát
to avoid something
(little) exposure to The state of being in a place or Tình thế dễ bị nguy
situation where there is no hiểm, tai nạn
protection from something
harmful or unpleasant
Drastically (adv) Extremely Cực kì
Draw someone’s Attract someone to notice Thu hút sự chú ý
attention
(positive/ constructive/ Advice, criticism or information Ý kiến phản hồi
negative) feedback (n) about how good or useful
something or somebody’s work
is
Take a break To rest or cease temporarily Nghỉ ngơi, nghỉ giải lao
from something
Fast-paced (life) Happening very quickly Nhịp sống hối hả
Contemplate (v) To think deeply about something Suy ngẫm
for a long time
Intriguing (a) Interesting Thú vị
Come in To become involved in Có trong
something
Ultra-friendly Extremely friendly Cực kì thân thiện

100
Long-lost friend Friend you haven’t met for a Bạn cũ
long time
Good/great company Someone who people enjoy Một người bạn dễ gần,
spending time with hòa đồng
Unforgettable A feeling/ opinion one gets Ấn tượng khó quên
impression which is hard to forget
Appreciate (v) To be grateful for something that Đánh giá đúng, hiểu rõ,
somebody has done; to welcome sâu sắc
something
Grateful for (a) Showing or expressing thanks Biết ơn

Describe an advertisement you have seen/heard recently

You should say:
• When and where you saw it
• What was advertised
• What the contents of the advertisements were
• And explain how you felt about it

BAND 8.5 SAMPLE ANSWER:

We have been bombarded with an array of information every single day. Whether it is
newspaper, television or social media like Facebook or LinkedIn, news always has their
own way to reach us. One of the most frequent pieces of news I have encountered these
past few days was about Echelon Vietnam 2016 – Discover Asia’s Next Dragon.

As an avid Facebook user, I scroll down my newsfeeds board practically every 30 minutes
to stay abreast of every latest action within my social network. Admittedly, there are some
better things I can do but I just can’t help myself. Therefore, the fact that Echelon Vietnam
2016 repeatedly popped up on my newsfeed really caught my attention. Some of my
friends were already “interested” in Echelon official page, others were even “going”. It
piqued my interest so much that I paid a visit to their website to figure out what their gig
was. As far as I am concerned, Echelon Vietnam 2016 this November is a 2-day

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international technology and investment event for entrepreneurs and business leaders within
and outside Vietnam. It is appealing not only to big tech companies but tech savvy
individuals as well. The event aims to reach out to foreign investors, raising funding
opportunities and developing the tech and startup community in Vietnam in the era
where tech disruptions are leading almost very industry. With some of the most brilliant
and world-class speakers, attendees are going to get some food for thought and inspiration
during and after the event.

I personally believe that this could be a golden opportunity for Vietnam to shine as a
promising land where young and talented engineers, developers and entrepreneurs are
thriving non-stop toward a better future, a better life within Vietnam and beyond. If I am
able to schedule my time and afford the tickets, I will definitely be there to enjoy the vibe
and explore many potentials in this rising industry.

Vocabulary & Useful Expression:

Từ/ cụm từ tốt Nghĩa tiếng Anh Nghĩa tiếng Việt
Be bombarded with To be attacked (with too much Dồn dập, tới tấp
information, criticism…)
Pieces of news An amout of news that has been Mẩu tin
cut or separated from the rest of
it
Scroll (v) (Computing) to move text on a Cuộn (lên hoặc xuống)
computer screen up or down so
that you can read different parts
of it
Stay abreast of Keep up-to-date Cập nhật thông tin
Pop up (phrasal verb) To appear or happen, especially Cửa sổ quảng cáo tự mở,
suddenly or unexpectedly tự hiện lên
Catch attention Attract or to capture someone's Gây chú ý
attention
Pique someone’s interest To arouse interest; to arouse Khêu gợi sự chú ý, sự tò
curiosity mò
Pay a visit Translated

102
What one’s gig is What is special, interesting... Sản phẩm, dịch vụ gì
(informal) about something
As far as To the extent that Theo như
Appealing (a) Attractive or interesting Hấp dẫn
Tech savvy (a) Well informed about or Tính am hiểu công nghệ
proficient in the use of modern
technology
Funding opportunity A not for profit organization that Cơ hội tài trợ
strives to improve financial
stability of working class people
who are earning below the
poverty line through assistance
Startup community Places that attract and support Cộng đồng khỏi nghiệp
innovative entrepreneurs
Tech disruption (n) Newest innovations in Cải tiến mới nhất trong
technology công nghệ
World-class (a) As good as the best in the world Đẳng cấp quốc tế
Food for thought Issues to be considered Điều đáng suy xét
Promising land A place that offers a lot of good Vùng đất hứa
opportunities
Schedule (v) Translated
Afford (v) Translated
Vibe (n) A mood or an atmosphere Rung cảm
produced by a particular person,
thing or place
Explore (v) To examine something Khảo sát tỉ mỉ
completely or carefully in order
to find out more about it
Potential (n) Qualities that exist and can be Tiềm năng
developed

Describe someone who has a great influence on you

You should say:
• Who this person is
• How she knew this person

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 • What influence this person has on you
• And how you think of the influence

BAND 8.0 SAMPLE ANSWER:

For this topic, I would definitely talk about my best guy friend. Probably it’s his
personalities that not only makes me feel so proud to be a friend of his, but also inspires me
to improve myself.

The first characteristic that makes my friend special is that he’s a typical perfectionist. In
almost any situation that he can come up with the best solution and reasons why it’s the
best. Sometimes I get a bit lost, his amazing analyzing skill indeed helps get me through.
Another characteristic that I’ve found super inspiring is his determination. Well, I suppose
that most men are born determined, however, my friend is a different story. He never gives
up on things he’s really passionate about. For example, last semester, he slept only 30
minutes a day, 5 days a week continuously to get his group project done. In addition, it’s
not a big surprise that his name is always in top-student list. That passion, that
determination have encouraged me to keep moving forward.

Generally, for a great shift that he brought to my life, I am thankful for having this friend.

Describe a person/something that made you laugh

You should say:
• What made you laugh
• Where you were when it happened
• Who you were with
• And explain why it made you laugh

SAMPLE ANSWER:

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One of my best friends has a 3-year-old baby girl; so every time we went out, she would
take her with us. Her little girl is such a witty kid, and she is always full of energy. As she
begins to be aware of the outside world, she asks a lot of questions just to satisfy her
curiosity. It happened one day when we went out shopping. While her mother and I took
turns trying clothes on, she was sitting quietly on the bench. Then she looked at me and
her mother and started to express her opinions on our clothes. The way she talked was so
funny that we couldn’t stop laughing. She was so used to playing with her Barbie doll that
she suggested we should dress like one of her dolls. She even taught us how to walk like
models because she thought that was pretty. All the customers who walked in the store
noticed her, even the store owner couldn‟t stop laughing at her since she was still a baby
girl, but she talked and acted like a grown-up.That was probably the best part of the
shopping trip that I will never forget.

Vocabulary:
Từ/ cụm từ tốt Nghĩa tiếng Anh Nghĩa tiếng Việt
Baby girl a female baby Bé gái
Go out (v) To leave your house to go to a Đi ra ngoài
social event
Witty (a) Able to say or write clever, Hóm hỉnh, dí dỏm
amusing things
Full of energy Translated
World (n) Everything that exists of a Thế giới bên ngoài
particular kind; a particular kind
of life or existence
Curiosity (n) A strong desire to know about Tính tò mò, tính hiếu kì
something
Go shopping (v) The activity of going to Mua sắm
shops/stores and buying things
Try cloth on (v) To put on a piece of clothing to Thử đồ
see if it fits and how it looks
Express (opinion) To show or make known a Thể hiện quan điểm
feeling, an opinion, etc. By
words, looks or actions

105
Funny (a) Making you laugh; amusing Khôi hài
Barbie doll A doll that looks like an Búp bê Barbie
attractive young woman
Model (n) A person whose job is to wear Người mẫu
and show new styles of clothes
and be photographed wearing
them
Pretty (a) (Especially of a woman, or a Xinh đẹp, đẹp mắt
girl) attractive without being
very beautiful
Notice (v) Pay attention Chú ý đến
Owner (n) A person who owns something Người chủ
Act (v) Do something Làm
A grown-up (n) (Used especially by and to Người lớn, người trưởng
children) an adult person thành
Forget (v) To be unable to remember a fact, Quên
something that happened, or how
to do something

Describe your favorite movie

You should say
• When and where you saw it
• What type of film it was
• What the film was about
• And explain why it is your favorite film

BAND 9.0 SAMPLE ANSWER

As a frequent moviegoer, I watch a multitude of films. One of the movies I’m much into is
“One day”, an American romantic drama movie. It is directed by Lone Scherfig based on a
novel of the same name. I watched this movie at least three times yet still love to watch
again and again.

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The movie opens with a short scene of the day after their graduation on 14 July 1988 of two
main characters, Dexter Mayhew (Jim Surgess) and Emma Morley (Anne Hathaway). They
spent the night together but came up with an agreement to be just friends, and spent the
following day together, the 15th, St. Swithin’s day. However, they couldn’t keep the
promise. They went through different circumstances, troubles, got marriage and lived
apart from each other until 2004, Emma and Dexter finally realized they were a perfect
match and got engaged and married. Unfortunately, despite many efforts, they have not yet
had kids. On 15th July 2006, Emma had a car accident when she was crossing the street.
Dexter became inconsolable and was particularly desolated each year on that day. The
movie ends up with the scene back to 1988 when they first met and promised to always be
best friends.

This movie usually gets me burst into tears no matter how many times I’ve watched it.
Not only was the story itself so miserable but also the actor and actress outperformed the
ordinary. This movie also aimed to encourage people to appreciate the happiness and true
love from the ones who have always been there for them.

Vocabulary
Từ/ cụm từ tốt Nghĩa tiếng Anh Nghĩa tiếng Việt
Moviegoer (n) A person who goes to the cinema Người đi rạp chiếu phim
To do something again To love constantly repeating Thích làm đi làm lại cái
and again (v) something gì
To spend the night (v) To sleep over Ngủ lại ở một nơi khác
To come up with (Phrasal To think of something Đưa ra, giải đáp
verb)
Keep the promise (v) To do what you said you would Giữ lời hứa
do
Go through something To experience a difficult or Trải qua (hoàn cảnh khó
(phrasal verb) unpleasant situation khăn)
Circumstance (n) Situations and events that affect Hoàn cảnh, tình huống
and influence your life and that

107
 are not in your control
A perfect match (n) To perfectly fit with another Cặp đôi hoàn hảo
Inconsolable (a) So unhappy or disappointed that Không thể nguôi, không
no one can make you feel better thể an ủi được
Desolate (a) Very lonely and unhappy Cô độc, đau buồn
Burst into tear (idiom) To begin to cry suddenly Bật khóc
To outperform the To perform significantly well Diễn xuất tuyệt vời
ordinary (v)

Describe a piece of (electrical or electronic) equipment in your home

You should say:
• What it is
• How often you use it
• Who you usually use it with
• And explain why this item is important to you

BAND 9.0 SAMPLE ANSWER:

Since I was very small, I have had a special interest in cooking. So, it is no surprise that,
now that I have grown up, I dream of having an oven with rings for cooking on top, which
is in very popular use overseas. In my country, this kind of oven is only sold at big
electronic and appliance centers. Different from the normal oven, this one provides more
stable and exact temperatures, which is one of the critical factors in baking. Besides, it
has four oven top elements, which is highly convenient because it allows you to cook and
bake at the same time. It also saves a lot of space in your kitchen because it is free-
standing. Another feature that I would like the oven to have is a self-leaning system. If
you cook frequently, you will definitely appreciate this facility. It is inevitable that when
you cook, your oven/cooker will get dirty. As a result, with the self-cleaning feature, it is
much easier for us to clean.

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Vocabulary:
Từ/ cụm từ tốt Nghĩa tiếng Anh Nghĩa tiếng Việt
Very small Still be a kid Còn nhỏ
Cooking (n) The process of preparing food Nấu ăn
Grow up(phrasal verb) To develop into an adult Lớn lên
On top On the highest point or surface ở phía trên
Overseas (adv) In, from, or connected with Chỉ cái gì ở nước ngoài
another country or countries,
especially across the sea
Appliances (n) A machine which is designed to Thiết bị, đồ gia dụng
do a particular job in the home,
such as cleaning or preparing
food
Stable (a) Firmly fixed; not likely to move, Ổn định
change or fail
Exact (a) Correct in every detail Chính xác
Baking (n) The process of cooking Nướng
something in the oven using dry
heat.
Space (n) An amount of an area or of a Chỗ trống
place that is empty or that is
available for use
Free-standing (a) Not a part of or attached to Độc lập, riêng lẻ
something else
Feature (n) Something important, interesting Đặc điểm
or typical of a place or thing
Self-cleaning (a) Able to be cleaned without a Tự động làm sạch
person having to clean it
Frequently (adv) Often Thường xuyên
Facility (n) A special feature of a machine Điều kiện thuận lợi, dễ
that enables it to do something dàng
extra

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Describe a garden you have visited and liked
You should say:
• Where it was
• What it looked like
• What you did there
• And explain why you liked it there

BAND 9.0 SAMPLE ANSWER:

I would like to share with you my impressions of a garden that I visited last summer, which
was full of colour and interest: Claude Monet‟s house and garden in Giverny, France.

As a big fan of Monet‟s paintings, especially the famous „Water Lilies‟, I had always
dreamed of seeing his scene in real life. So, when some friends suggested a visit last year, I
jumped at the chance. After a journey of about an hour by train from our hotel, we arrived
at Giverny. The garden was exactly as he had painted it – it was a riot of colour, from the
peaceful white of the water lilies to the striking reds and oranges which filled some of the
flowerbeds. The two parts of the garden complemented each other perfectly. We first
admired the array of bright flowers and fruit trees in the Clos Normand, but my favourite
part was the water garden, and we enjoyed a leisurely stroll, taking in all the colours,
perfumes and bird songs. Monet avidly collected prints of Japanese gardens, and these
inspired the Japanese bridges covered with wisterias, the water lilies in the pond, and the
bamboo and weeping willows which he planted.

For me, it was like a wonderland of colours and a dream come true after so many years.

Describe something you did with a group of people

You should say:
• What the activity was

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 • When and where you did it
• Who you were with
• And explain how you felt about being part of this group

BAND 9.0 SAMPLE ANSWER:

I would like to describe a person who I had to be friendly to, although I did not really like
her. I think this situation is quite common in our lives, especially when we have to act as
part of a team.

A couple of months ago, I was assigned to a team at my workplace in order to tackle a big
project. As part of the team, I had to cooperate closely with this person. However, we had
never really liked each other for several reasons. Firstly, she is much older than I am, so she
always thinks she is right and disregards the opinions of others. I would describe her as
both bossy and officious, although she did not have a more senior position than I did in the
company. Secondly, I considered her irresponsible because she did not appear to me to pay
serious attention to the project. So, although it was supposedly a group project, I ended up
working all on my own as much as possible in order to see the task through.

As the work was vital for our company, we had to be successful. I therefore had no choice
except to collaborate with her in order to finish the job. I would rather have done all the
work alone, but if I had refused to work with her as part of the team, then the evaluation of
my job performance would have been affected at the end of the year. So, knowing her
personality as I did, I swallowed my pride and tried to be patient. Despite our many
arguments, we completed the task on time. I learned that sometimes people can work
together, even though they don‟t get on with each other. It just needs a little bit of time and
patience to work things out, and each person has to compromise to achieve a common
goal.

Vocabulary:

111
Từ/ cụm từ tốt Nghĩa tiếng Anh Nghĩa tiếng Việt
Disregard (v) To pay no attention to something Xem thường, bỏ qua
or someone
Bossy (a) A bossy person is someone who Hống hách
is always telling people what to
do
Officious (a) An officious person is someone Lăng xăng, nhiễu sự,
who uses their authority or cơm nhà vác ngà voi
position to give orders to others-
another word would be
domineering
Irresponsible (a) An irresponsible person has no Thiếu tinh thần trách
feeling of responsibility for nhiệm, vô trách nhiệm
something
Supposedly (adv) According to what most people Cho là, giả sử là, được
think cho là
End up To find yourself in a situation Cuối cùng rơi vào tình
that you did not expect to be in trạng nào dó
On my own Alone Một mình, tự mình
See…through If we see something through, we Làm đến cùng, làm cho
do not give up until it is finished xong
Collaborate (v) To work together with others to Hợp tác
achieve something
Swallow my pride To hide the feeling, eventhough I Nén tự ái để công nhận
(idiom) want to express what I am là mình mắc lỗi hay thua
thinking kém người khác
Get on with To have a friendly relationship Hòa hợp, hòa thuận vs ai
with them đó
Work things out To find a solution Sửa, giải quyết cái gì đó
Compromise To give up some of your ideas in Dàn xếp, thỏa hiệp
order to come to an agreement
with someone

Describe a place where you go to relax

You should say
• Where it is

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 • How often you go there
• What you usually do there
• And explain why it relaxes you

BAND 9.0 SAMPLE ANSWER:

Today, I’m going to share with you a place where I usually/often go to relax, which is a
small café/restaurant near my company/my house named “ABC”.

As a full-time employee/student, I have to go to work/ school 5 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. 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 a garden of my own.

Separated from the hustle and bustle of the city life, 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. It serves great
coffee, tea, and cakes, thus, the place always smells very nice. In addition, the employees
are also friendly and helpful. 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.

Describe a small business you want to have in the future

You should say:
• What it would be
• What you need to prepare for it
• Where you would have this business
• And explain why you would like to do this business

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BAND 9.0 SAMPLE ANSWER:
I’ve always been interested in different kinds of handcrafted jewelry, such as macrame,
beading, and other kinds of knotting and stitching with cord or wire. So I’m thinking I’d
like to go into business selling and making that kind of jewelry.

It wouldn’t even have to be a big production, just a few people making and selling bracelets,
necklaces, and other accessories. Maybe if we become popular and more people start
buying our products we could even open a small shop and take special orders. We could
also have classes, where we teach people how to make their own jewelry. I was thinking
that my cousin could help me since she is quite good with her hands; I think she has some
friends who are good at macrame so they could help also. We could put an ad in the
newspaper or on the Internet and sell our wares that way. During holidays we’d travel
around China and sell our jewelry at famous parks and places that tourists frequent. We’d
each just make the things that we’re best at so that we get a bunch of quality products in as
short an amount of time as possible.

The main reason I’d start a business like this is because it’s something that I enjoy doing,
and I don’t think I could work at a job that I don’t like.

Describe a wild animal

You should say:
• What it looks like
• Where you can see it
• What it likes to eat or do
• And explain why you like it

BAND 9.0 SAMPLE ANSWER:

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I would like to tell you about an opportunity that I had to see a white tiger, which is one of
the star attractions in Singapore Zoo, during my last summer vacation.

I was recommended to see this white tiger first due to its rarity and uncommon beauty. Its
habitat in the zoo is landscaped to resemble a dense jungle. I was truly overawed and felt
excited at first sight by its gorgeous appearance. This giant cat has blue eyes, a pink nose,
and creamy white fur covered with brown stripes. In the wild, this animal's diet consists of
monkeys, birds and other animals as it is a carnivore. It also prefers killing young, weak or
old animals because they cannot run as fast and are often abandoned by their herd. In the
zoo, it is fed on animal flesh, even including imported kangaroo meat.

At the beginning I felt a little bit apprehensive because tigers are well - known as a
dangerous species as well as the king of animals. However after encountering this white
tiger, I changed my mind since it was very cute and friendly to humans. As tigers in general
and white tigers in particular are endangered species, I believe that people should make a
great effort to preserve them from extinction.

Describe an interesting photo

You should say:
• Who look it
• Who was in the photo
• When the photo was taken
• And explain why it was interesting

BAND 9.0 SAMPLE ANSWER:

As I am interested in photography, I have taken thousands of photos. However, the most
meaningful photograph to me is the big one of my family. The picture is hung on the wall

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of my living room and it is the first thing that everyone notices since the moment they walk
into my house.

The photograph was taken one year ago on an occasion of summer holiday. It was the first
time that my family enjoyed the summer vacation together. We decided to go on a trip to
Sam Son beach which is one of the most popular destinations for summer holiday in my
country.

The photo was probably the first picture of my whole family with my parents, my older
brother, my little sister and me. It is such a brilliant photo, with every one standing on the
beach and smiling. The one behind the camera was a professional photographer who has a
great eye for photography. You can even see the crystal clear water sparkling under the
sunlight and the seashore in the background. It was a scorching hot day, and the sky was
blue with no clouds, making it a perfect scene to take a photo.

The photo is very special to me. Whenever I feel unhappy, just looking at the picture cheers
me up right away. I believe that no matter what happens, my parents and my siblings will
always stand by me and support me.

Describe a special meal you would like to have

You should say:
• Where you would like to have it
• Who you would like to have it with
• What you would like to ca
• And explain how you would feel about the meal

BAND 9.0 SAMPLE ANSWER:

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I would like to invite my friends to a hot pot meal. I would invite my closest friends, the
ones that I hang out with and have the most in common with. I would of course invite my
girlfriend so that she could meet my friends. That is important to me. I think my girlfriend
should know what I am like when I am with my friends.

I would find a nice restaurant with a good atmosphere where the waiters are friendly and
the owners are working to give you the best experience you can have. I would not choose a
big monstrous place where everything would seem so impersonal, but instead a restaurant
that has a family ambiance.

I would order hot pot with lots of meal, lamb, pork, beef, fish, tofu...mmm...I’m getting
hungry just thinking about it. I would also order some nice vegetables and noodles, and to
top it off, some ice cold beer to wash it down.

I really like hot pot because of the atmosphere it creates of everyone eating together and
pulling things from the pot and dipping it in their favorite sauce, just relaxing and enjoying
the food and the friendship.

Vocabulary:
Từ/ cụm từ tốt Nghĩa tiếng Anh Nghĩa tiếng Việt
Hot pot (n) A hot dish of meat, potato, Lẩu
onion, etc. Cooked slowly in
liquid in the oven
Hang out (v) To spend a lot of time in a place Đi chơi
or with someone
In common with In the same way as Có điểm giống
Monstrous (a) Very large Rộng lớn
Family ambiance An family atmosphere of a place Bầu không khí gia đình
Top something off (with To complete something Hoàn thành, lấp đầy
something) (phrasal verb) successfully by doing or adding
one final thing

117
Wash something down To drink something after, or at Uống nước sau, trong
(with something) (phrasal the same time as, eating khi ăn hoặc sau khi dùng
verb) something thuốc

Describe an item that you received and made you happy

You should say
• When you received it
• What the item was
• Who gave it to you
• And explain why you felt happy

BAND 8.5 SAMPLE ANSWER:

I would like to describe a coat my parents gave me as a present on my 18th birthday. I must
say that it is really smart and exactly to my liking.

The coat is made of cotton only and by a famous clothes brand. It is a knee-length black
coat, which was in fashion at that time. What I like the most is that there are two deep side
pockets, so in winter, I always put my hands into those pockets to avoid the cold. Besides, I
can button the coat from top to bottom and it’s also got a decorative waist belt.

I am so fond of this coat that I usually wear it every winter. It fits me perfectly and makes
me feel comfortable and warm, no matter how cold the weather is. I keep myself warm by
wearing the coat with jeans and boots, which match it well.

In fact, I have never thought whether it will be out of fashion. As this coat is a gift from my
parents, I treasure it a lot and – for sure - I will keep wearing this coat in the future.

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Describe a person who once moved to live with you
You should say:
• When and where this person moved in
• How you know this person
• How you got along with this person
• And how you feel about living with this person
MODEL ANSWER
Well, I’m going to talk about a person who is one of my flatmate in Australia. Her name is
Linda. Possibly, she is one of the best friends of mine who lived with me.

First, I would love to talk a little bit about the time and the place where she lived in. It was
in a very freezing Sunday night around 2 or 3 degree Celsius. In the very heart of the winter,
I mean in July, there was a girl struggling with loads of luggage knocking at the door of my
house. She said hi to everyone in a very humble way. This is a sort of the scenario of how I
got to know her.

There should be a fate between us, I reckon. What I mean fate here is by accident we got to
know each other and we are at the same hometown back in India and we used to live in the
same area in India when both of us were going to a university in Mumbai. But we just run
across with each other only in Australia.

Moving onto the next point, I would like to approach the idea of our relationship. To be
honest, we were not in a very good harmony initially because of some misunderstandings
and conflicts during the time we lived in under the same roof, shared the rent, bills and time
clash. But gradually, we discovered out that we have a lot of common interests and
characteristics.

Living with her is quite enjoyable because we could share lots of things together, but did
not have to worry about bothering each other in the daily life.

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Describe an interesting tradition in your country
You should say:
• What the tradition is
• When do you celebrate it
• How do you celebrate it
• And explain why it is interesting

MODEL ANSWER
India is rich in culture and tradition. The tradition I'm going to talk about today is saying
'namastey”. We celebrate this tradition every day, in fact several times a day.

This is our way of greeting each other. We do it by folding our hands, palms facing each
other, fingers pointing towards the ceiling, thumbs pointing towards the chest and this is
accompanied by a slight bow.

This tradition is interesting because this is the biggest export of our traditions to the western
culture. When I say namastey, I mean to say that I am your humble servant. It creates an
aura of respect which is far more than saying hello or shaking hands.

It is said that the human body is composed of immense energy. We can turn it into a
positive or negative energy. When we shake hands we transfer positive as well as negative
energy. But when we fold hands, we transfer only positive energy. When we greet another
person with namastey we have no physical contact because of this the other person can’t be
affected negatively. Whenerver anyone comes to our house, we always say Namastey, no
wonder this word has been adopted by all the English language dictionaries.

Describe an activity that you do in your school after school

You should say:
• When and where you do

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 • What you like to do
• Who you do it with
• And how you feel about it

BAND 8.0 SAMPLE ANSWER:

An activity that I like to do in my school after finishing school is playing badminton which
I started to do since I was in 6th grade.

It is actually a badminton class, so we have teachers and other students too. We practice
badminton here for an hour. Sometimes, we even stay there for another half an hour. Just
like tennis, you can play badminton as a singles match or doubles match. The rules are
pretty much the same as tennis. The only difference is that the badminton shuttlecock is
lighter than the tennis ball, thus, it requires less strength.

Due to my short-sightedness, I am not very good at playing this game but I enjoy it
anyway. Firstly, it helps keep me fit. In addition, I can train my eyes to look further and
faster, and it quickens my reflexes. Last but not least, it helps me a lot in improving my
teamwork skills.

Vocabulary:
Từ/ cụm từ tốt Nghĩa tiếng Anh Nghĩa tiếng Việt
Badminton(n) An indoor game. Players hit a Cầu lông
small light ball, with feathers
round it, across a high net, using
a racket, like tennis
Singles match (n) A game in which one player Đấu đơn
plays against one opponent
Doubles match (n) A game in which two player Đấu đôi
plays against two opponents

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Shuttlecock (n) Badminton uses a shuttlecock, Quả cầu lông
not a tennis ball. It is very light
and it has feathers round the
edge
Short- sightedness (n) A person who can only see Tầm nhìn ngắn
things if they are very close, is
short-sighted
Train my eyes (verb A person who can only see Luyện đôi mắt
phrase) things if they are very close, is
short-sighted
Quicken my reflexes A person who can only see Tang tốc độ phản xạ
things if they are very close, is
short-sighted
Teamwork skill The ability to work on team well Kĩ năng làm việc theo
nhóm

Describe a method that helps you save money

You should say:
• What the method is
• When you started to use it
• How you knew it
• and explain why it is helpful

BAND 8.0 MODEL ANSWER

Well, I have to admit that It has been so difficult for me to figure out simple ways to save
money and use my savings effective to pursue my financial goals before. But it's so lucky
for me when I complained about it to my friend, she suggested me using Money Lover, a
useful mobile application to most useful one. Thanks to that, I am better at money
management.

Let me tell you about it in more detail. The symbol of the app is a very cute piggy bank
which impresses me a lot at the first sight. There are many expenses for clothes, food,

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cosmetics divided so that at the end of the month, I can know exactly what cost me a bomb,
what are within my budget to tighten the belt next month.

It is not an exaggeration to say that this way of saving money changes my life for the
better. I have used this app for 3 months and up to now, I have a considerable savings in
my banking account. To my surpise, my friends consider me as a shining model for them
to follow when it comes to talking about money saving. This makes me so proud of
myself. In addition, my mom always got shirty with me for my wasting money but at the
moment, she hardly loses her temper anymore and we seem to have better relationship
than in the past.

If anyone asks which the most effective way to save money is, “Money Lover” is definitely
the first thing that comes to my mind. Trust me, it is really helpful.

Vocabulary:
Từ/ cụm từ tốt Nghĩa tiếng Anh Nghĩa tiếng Việt
Figure out (phrasal verb) To think about somebody/ Tìm ra, tính toán
something until you understand
them/it
Pursue (v) To do something or try to Theo đuổi
achieve something over a period
of time
Financial goal (n) Something that you hope to Mục tiêu tài chính
achieve that realate to the money
Complain about/ of To say that you are annoyed, Phàn nàn về
something unhappy or not satisfied about
somebody/something
Be good at (phrasal verb) You can do something well Giỏi về
Cost a bomb (idiom) Cost a lot of money Tốn kém
Within budget Not spending more money than Không vượt quá ngân
had been planned for sách
Tighten the belt To manage to spend less money Thắt chặt chi tiêu, thắt
lung buộc bụng

123
Exaggeration (n) The fact of making something Sự phóng đại, cường
seem larger, more important, điệu
better or worse than it really is
Considerable (a) Great in amount, size, Đáng kể
importance, etc
A model Someone that is an extremely Người làm gương, kiểu
good example of its type, esp. mẫu
When a copy can be based on it
Proud Feeling pleased and satisfied Tự hào về
about something that you own or
have done, or are connected with
Get shirty with Angry or annoyed with Nổi giận với ai đó
somebody about something, and
acting in a rude way
Lose one’s temper To fail to control your anger Mất bình tĩnh
Come to mind (idiom) To suddenly or immediately Nghĩ ngay đến điều gì
materialize in one's mind.

Describe a (short) journey that you disliked

You should say:
• Where you went
• Who you went with
• What you did
• And explain why you disliked this journey

BAND 8.5 SAMPLE ANSWER:

I recently had a journey I wish I hadn’t bothered with. I decided to do some shopping in
the capital city. But I had lent my car to a friend for a couple of days and so I thought it
would be quite fun to hop on a bus for a change because it’s something I haven’t done for a
long time. So I thought that I would set off early and get it done in a couple of hours and be
back in time for lunch. The shopping wasn’t anything urgent, it was just that I had some
free time that particular morning and thought it would be nice to do something different.

124
However, the journey did not go as planned. It was a really hot day and when the bus
finally arrived and I got on, it was clear that the air conditioner wasn’t working. What’s
more, the bus was packed with people, so within minutes I began to feel hot and sticky and
extremely uncomfortable. But what happened next was even worse. After about twenty
minutes of traveling the bus started to make some really weird noises and eventually the
driver pulled over and told us that there was a problem and that we couldn’t continue. We
had to wait for another twenty five minutes or so for the next bus to arrive behind us and
then we all got off the first bus and got on the second bus. The second bus already had
some passengers on it, and with all of us from the first bus as well there was only room to
stand. The whole experience was rapidly turning into something I was beginning to
seriously regret. What had started out as something supposedly fun and different was
quickly becoming one of the worst trips ever. Eventually, we arrived in the city and I
wasn’t really in a good mood to go shopping so I stopped at a café to drink something and
just relax a moment before heading to the shops.

It really has to be one of the worst trips I’ve ever made on a bus and now I wish I had just
waited until I had my car back; it would have been so much easier.

Vocabulary:
Từ/ cụm từ tốt Nghĩa tiếng Anh Nghĩa tiếng Việt
Bother with/ about To spend time and/or energy Dành thời gian làm gì
something doing something
Hop a plane, bus, train, To get on a plane, bus, etc… Nhảy lên (xe buýt)
etc.
Set off To begin a journey Khởi hành
In time Early enough Vừa đúng lúc, kịp lúc
Pack something (with To fill something with a lot of Làm đầy, nhồi nhét
something) people or things
Pull over To move to the side of the road Ghé vào lề
in order to stop or let something
pass
Get off (something) To leave a train, bus or aircraft Xuống xe

125
Get on (something) To go onto a bus, train, aircraft Lên xe
or boat
Start out To begin to do something Khởi hành
Be in a mood for To want to do or have something Có tâm trạng làm gì
something/ to do
something

Describe a character or personality of yours

You should say:
• What it is
• How it affects your life
• Where you get it from
• And how you feel about it

BAND 8.0 SAMPLE ANSWER:

It’s fairly tough to talk about someone’s own personality for I firmly believe that the way
we judge ourselves fundamentally differs from other people do. Nonetheless, we all have
our own idea about our own characteristics and I would like to talk about my honesty which
is also one of the characters I find important and proud of.

Honesty is a great virtue and I am in favor of the viewpoint that if people could remain
honest during the lifetime, they will be rewarded in the long run. To be honest, honesty
inside me leads me to do everything with genuine sincerity. Therefore, I am respected and
adored by everyone and especially by my friends and colleagues.

I think that I inherited this personal trait from my mother. In daily life, he also reminds me
to be honest in every aspect of my life and I would get through all ups and downs and
succeed in life.

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Honesty never fails to make me feel better at work and my daily living. In other words,
Honesty has made everything for me. I earned the high-paid job because my boss and
colleagues always have faith in me. I have a happy family with beloved parents and
brother.

Thereby, honesty is truly the personal trait I take pride in myself and want to share with
you today.

Vocabulary:
Từ/ cụm từ tốt Nghĩa tiếng Anh Nghĩa tiếng Việt
In favor (of somebody/ You support and agree with Ủng hộ
something) them/it
In the long run Concerning a longer period in Về lâu dài
the future
Get through To manage to deal with a Vượt qua
difficult situation or to stay alive
until it is over
Ups and downs The mixture of good and bad Thăng trầm
things in life or in a particular
situation or relationship
High-paid job A job with high salary Công việc lương cao
Faith (in somebody/ Trust in somebody/ something Tin tưởng
something)
Take pride in To feel very pleased about Tự hào về
something or someone you
areclosely connected with

Describe a piece of work you did quickly.

You should say:
• what work it was
• why you did it quickly
• how easy or difficult it was
• and explain what the result was.

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SAMPLE ANSWER:
I would like to talk about a piece of work that I had to do quickly, which was the
preparation for a two-minute talk in the IELTS Speaking test, the one that I am taking at the
moment.

I just finished this preparation a few seconds ago. When the second part of the Speaking
test began, I was given a topic which required me to describe something I had done quickly.
Personally I think that was a really difficult topic, and it was even more challenging since I
had only one minute to prepare for the talk. I had to think really fast. The first thing I
needed to do was to choose a piece of work to talk about, and this was the hardest part. At
first I thought about a university project that I had to finish in five days, but then I wasn't
sure whether five days is considered "quick" enough for this topic. And then an idea came
to my mind. Why not talk about the very difficult work I was doing at that moment, which
was to think of an appropriate topic? Then I quickly decided to choose it and made a plan
for a talk about it. I had to do everything quickly because I was given only one minute for
the preparation. So, I needed to think very fast and to write down all the ideas very quickly.
In my opinion, preparing for a talk in just one minute is really challenging, and it's partly
because I had to think in English, which isn't my first language. Luckily I managed to finish
the preparation on time, and I finally had enough ideas to talk about this topic.

The result of this, um, I don't know yet because I will have to wait 13 days to see the result
of this Speaking test. However, I think I have already done everything I could, and let's
hope that I will get a satisfying result.

Describe a famous person that you admire

• Who is this person
• What is their specialty
• Why do you admire him

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SAMPLE ANSWERS
In my to-meet list, there are so many well – respected celebrities whom I am desired to
meet and spend time with. However, I would like to share about Pele, who is nicknamed as
the greatest soccer player around the Globe.
Initially, I really need to kick off with the point that Pele was just seventeen when he first
played in World Cup in Sweden of 1958 for Brazil. Despite his very young age, he was
selected for the national team participating one of the biggest sport competition on the
planet. Back then, he was not the star player but when his teammate was hurt, Pele went
into the game. He immediately scored goal and Brazil won the World Cup. By his amazing
aptitudes and skills, Pele was feared by other teams. The Brazilian government even
named him as a national treasure. It is not doubtful to say that Pele is one of the biggest
factors making Brazil’s soccer so well – known. His last World Cup was in Mexico in 1970.
Brazil scored 4 goals against Italy to win the World Cup for the third time. Another point
that I would like to share is that Pele owns an admirable career that every soccer players
crave for. Pele holds many soccer records such as having over 1000 goals in his career.
He was nominated athlete of the Century in 1980 and became a member of a soccer Hall of
Fame in 1993.

Although he’s now retired from professional competition, Pele is still considered as a great
inspiration for soccer players and lovers.

Vocabulary:
Từ/ cụm từ tốt Nghĩa tiếng Anh Nghĩa tiếng Việt
Well- respected (a) A good feeling of admiration for Đáng ngưỡng mộ
somebody/something
Aptitude (n) Natural ability or skill at doing Năng khiếu, năng lực
something
National treasure A person who is much loved or Báu vật quốc gia
valued of the whole country

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Record (n) The best result or the highest or (thể dục, thể thao) thành
lowest level that has ever been tích, kỉ lục
reached, especially in sport

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