Part 1

1. What do you usually do in the morning?

Well, that depends on the day, but nothing terribly out of the ordinary. I mean, on the
average weekday, if we're talking about the average weekday, then I get up, I work out, and I
study languages for a few minutes, fire off some emails and then get stuck in with the main
parts of the day.
2. Do you prefer to go to bed early or late? (Why/Why not?)
Actually it depends. If I have nothing much to do, I would go to bed earlier to protect my
health. However, in case I have a tight deadline, I need to work my ass off to complete it, so
I tend to go to sleep later. But I like going to bed earlier so in the morning the energy levels
are at their peak and also less distraction/disturbance early in the morning.
I like going to bed early so I can get enough sleep because obviously, sleeping plays an
important part in shaping people’s health. It helps us recharge our energy after a nerve-
racking day, avoiding being overloaded.
3. Do you like to do the same things every weekend? (Why/Why not?)
No. (As I mentioned above) I don’t like to have a fixed schedule. I want to keep an open
mind and always strive to upgrade my life from the tiniest things. (There is
a significant difference. Instead of getting up at dawn, I spend my Sunday on my warm
bed.) Besides, I always try new interests like eating out, reading a book or learning a new
sport. New hobby gives me inspiration to work and study more productively.
4. Is your daily routine going to change in the future? (Why/Why not?)
I imagine they will. But how they will change I have absolutely no idea. I am hoping that
they'll remain calm because I like calm daily routine now.
5. Do you prefer studying in the morning or the afternoon?
Generally speaking, I think I prefer the feeling of being more productive in the morning and
having the whole day to do everything so I’d definitely say that I’m a early riser. I love to
study in the morning as the surroundings is quite calm and peaceful. Also our mind and body
gets fresh after 7–8 hours of sleep which helps in better retention of facts and information.
6. What do you usually do in the evening?
Oh, I think I'm very boring. So I work until about 8:30. In the evening that is. Before getting
ready for bed, and then I'll read until about half nine, so that I can fall asleep early and wake
up early. That's on the weekday evenings at least.
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7. What did you do in the evening when you were little? Why?
I don't think I used to stay up ridiculously late when I was much younger. Even when I was a
child, I'd be up until 10 or 11 in the evening due to my parent's curfew. I think what exactly I
was doing changed over the years from watching cartoons to reading, to staying out late with
friends. It's all coming back to bite me now, though, I think I'd definitely prefer my early
bedtimes.
8. Are there any differences between what you do in the evening/morning now and
what you did in the past?
- Oh, absolutely. I mean, I get up earlier, I actually have breakfast now. And I do exercise in
the morning. So I think altogether, I'm much more active than I used to be for sure.
- Other than the ones I just described? I suppose it's a little more fixed now. Since I'd become
something of a creature of habit. This sort of wild teenage and student days of staying up
late getting into mischief and falling asleep in class are long over now.
9. What do you usually do on weekends?
On weekends I don’t work or study, I think weekend is the time for people to relax, and I
would just do things to help me recharge my batteries so on Monday morning I can be full
of beans again. But having said that, when I have to cram for my tests, staying at the library
to study is my only option.
10. Did you do anything special last weekend?
I went to an internet-famous restaurant/coffee shop named tao tao ju. It is strongly
recommended by some social media influencers, so I went there with my friends. But it left
a bad taste in my mouth, there were so many people and I just waited for near one hours and
the food is not as good as I expected. Total a waste of weekend.
11. What will you do next weekend?
- I’m planning to take a break from my usual routine and do something fun. I’m thinking of
going to the beach with some friends and having a picnic. We’ll probably play some beach
volleyball and take a dip in the ocean. I’m also looking forward to trying out some new
restaurants in the area and maybe even going to a movie. It’s been a while since I’ve had a
chance to relax and enjoy some quality time with friends, so I’m really looking forward to it.
- I've nothing in mind yet. I dunno, I might treat myself to eating something special or going
to the cinema, just to reward myself for staying up late (to remain awake past one's usual
bedtime) preparing for this IELTS exam. I think I deserve something lovely this weekend, but
honestly, I can't decide yet on what to do this upcoming weekend at the moment as my mind
is preoccupied (engrossed in thought) with this IELTS exam.
- Well, I've already planned to visit my grandparents since I haven't seen them for several
months now. And my grandpa will turn (become) 80 next month so I'd like to celebrate his
birthday in advance as I don't know if my schedule will be available on his birthday. I don't
want him to be disappointed so I better see him while my schedule is not tight (when the
schedule is tight, it means busy) yet.
12. How do you usually spend your weekends? [Why?]
I usually spend my weekends by mostly doing the outdoors like enjoying swimming (on
summer days), fishing and gardening. I enjoy these outdoor activities mainly because I spend
too much of a time indoor at my work. Oh, by the way, I also like to go to my favourite
restaurant with my friends in order to enjoy some “relaxing and fun” time. I enjoy doing all
these outdoor activities because they make me strong, positive and rejuvenated to deal with
“all-so-familiar-struggles” of our modern, tough and complicate world.
13. Which is your favourite part of the weekend? [Why?]
My favourite part of the weekend is certainly the “morning” when I don’t have to worry
about waking up early and getting ready quickly to get to work. Then, of course, I also like
the part when I don’t really have to worry about going to bed “early” or staying up late at
night. Even more special are the Friday nights when my mind is pretty much “occupied” with
the very thoughts of enjoying a long weekend, waiting ahead of me.
14. Do you think your weekends are long enough? [Why/Why not?]
Yes, I do think that my weekends are long enough because it helps me to rejuvenate for the
challenges of the next week by allowing me to do the things that I really enjoy. Of course, an
extra weekend day would certainly be welcome by many people like me, but I don’t see it
happening in the near future. So, essentially, whether our weekend is long enough or not
depends on how we plan to spend the time.
15. How important do you think it is to have free time on the weekends? [Why?]
There is no doubt that work is important, but so is the recreation, families and friends. But,
without enough free time, be it on the weekends or some other times, we just won’t be able to
“recharge” ourselves, nor will we be able to interact with our families and friends enough in
order to show them that they really matter in our lives. Therefore, it is absolutely important
that we have enough free time in order to ensure a “balanced” life so that not only we can
succeed in our professional life but also in personal life.
Part 2
1. Describe a positive change that you made in your life
You should say:
What it is
Why you did it
Whom you did it with
And explain how you feel about the change
So I deem myself a forward-thinking person and I constantly find one way or another to
change my life in a constructive way to enhance my abilities and I think it will be a waste of
time to indulge myself with some negative habits so recently, I have implemented one habit
and it turns out to be a good decision so I will tell you more about it. In the past I regularly
burned the midnight oil to accomplish my assignments or surf the internet to unwind myself.
At that time, I was not aware of some detrimental influences of that habit to my mental and
physical conditions so I kept doing it for an extended period of time. One day, I came across a
video demonstrating some benefits of waking up early in the morning so I realized that this
can do wonders for my enhancement and help me to stay lean which was tremendously
beneficial for me at the moment. I started to force myself to go to bed at around 10pm so I
would have sufficient sleep. In the morning, I frequently woke up at 6am to finish my
personal chores like doing some skincare. After that I would go for a run or walk around my
residential area to release my stress as well as enhance body stamina. This habit helps me to
boost myself esteem and confidence in my outer look so after a month I lost 2kg and I felt
more confident in my appearance so I suppose that this habit is immensely useful for me to
live my fullest life and become a beter version of myself.
Part 3
1. Is it easier for young people to change?
- Children and adolescents still have developing brains and bodies that are yet to meet
maturity. This means their neural pathways aren’t as hardened and fixed as people over the
age of 30. The higher levels of neuron afford a greater ability to adapt to new environments
and learn new skills. It’s often commented on that kids pick up new languages easier than
adults, and research definitely backs this up.
- Young people have the ideas, the creativity and great energy to shape a better world. Young
people are full of hope and through innovation and imagination.
They are problem solvers and have a great potential to generate a positive social change in the
world. Young people have nothing to lose. They have no mortgage or credit card debts to
repay, no family to support, and no career to leave. They have no reason not to risk
‘everything’ they have on an ambitious campaign or dream up organization.
- I would say it is easier for young people to change because at their age they are still learning
about the world around them and they have yet to become their own person with their own
opinions and routines. A young person’s mindset is not yet set in the stone and it can only be
that way through more life experience. Such experience can be gained through getting older
and going through enough challenges that test their mind and spirit.
2. What are the disadvantages when people keep making changes?
- One disadvantage to constantly making changes is that a person can never feel truly satisfied
with them. The reason a person keeps making changes in the first place is that he or she
wasn’t happy with the previous changes. As such, that unsatisfactory feeling will remain as
changes continue to be made. Another disadvantage is that these changes may not always
produce the intended result you are looking for. This goes back to what I said earlier about
not feeling satisfied as these unintended results can add to that feeling.
- Anyone who easily changes their ideas will probably lack solid opinions and be easily
swayed by others’ perspectives. I also believe that frequent changes will result in a waste of
money and time. If a person changes jobs too often, for example, it might not be the best
thing for their career prospects. And many skilled jobs take years to become proficient in.
3. Is it easy for old people to change?
- No. the elderly are often unable to adjust to new surroundings because of the deterioration
of a brain circuit which plays a critical role in goal-directing learning. Flexibility issues in
ageing have long been described in other navigation and spatial memory tasks. As you get
older, your social circles will probably be more limited and stable than when you were
younger. Therefore, you'll probably be exposed less often to ideas that might be radically
different and that would challenge your own. Older people tend to have more routines, and
stray less from those routines
- As I briefly mentioned before, older people’s mindsets and routines become more fixed as
they age since their life experiences have affirmed them to that point. For example, if an old
person’s routine to wake up at 7am has worked out for him in the past in terms of time
management and productivity then it is basically guaranteed that he will continue to wake up
at 7am and not change his routine at all. As such. Old people are less likely to change.
4. How can people change their daily routine if they want to?
I think that people can change their daily routine by trying out new things they can do. If they
seem to like these new things then they should be incorporated into the routine. For example,
if someone likes to play volleyball with friends instead of going to the gym every afternoon
after work then by all means that person should play volleyball everyday. Such small changes
can make a large difference to a person’s well-being.
2. Describe a time when you were very busy
You should say:
When it happened
Where you were
What you did
And explain why you were busy
As a matter of fact, I can describe myself as a person who leads a hectic lifestyle and
everyday I have to immerse myself in my school stuff. The time when I was as busy as a bee
was when I prepared for the entrance exam into university. This was the most memorable
experience in my life. When I prepared for the entrance exam to university, I remember being
extremely busy. It was of a very stressful time for me because these exams were very
important for my future studies. Besides, my parents put lots of their expectations on me.
Hence, I put my heart and soul into raising my academic performance. I was in my
hometown, where I lived with my family. I spent most of my time studying in my room,
which I had turned into a mini library. I had books, notes and practice papers all over the
place. My family was very supportive and they understood that I needed to concentrate so
they helped me by not disturbing me too much. During that time, my schedule was very tight.
I woke up early in the morning, had breakfast, and then started studying. I had breaks in
between but I tried to keep them as short as possible so that I could cover all my subjects. I
had tuition classes in the evening, which took up more of my time. I had been preparing for
them for the past two years, and I knew that they would determine which college I would get
admission into. I wanted to get into a good college and pursue my dream of becoming an
engineer so I knew that I had to do well in these exams. Over all, it I was a very challenging
time for me, but I was able to manage my time and complete my studies. In the end, I did well
in my exams and got admission into a good college. Looking back, I realize that being busy
was worth it because it helped me achieve my goals.
Vocabulary:
– Extremely: (adv) an intensifier, like very, highly, to a high degree or extent
Example: She behaved extremely badly.
– Absent from (adj): not in the place, not present
Example: I was absent from work yesterday, because I had to see my doctor.
– A fortnight (noun) two weeks.
Example: We will spend a fortnight in Thailand next month.
– Overloaded with work: having an excessive amount of work, the amount of work to be
done is too heavy
Example: He complained that he was overloaded with work because his boss had given him
a lot of extra jobs to do.
– On my own: alone, by myself, without any help or support
Example: She lives alone, so she always has to do many things on her own.
– Pick them up (home): take somebody home after work or school
Example: Can you pick me up at 6? Because I leave work at 6 and have no motorbike.
– Do the washing-up: to wash, clean the dishes, saucepans, knives, or anything related to the
meal preparation.
Example: After a very delicious dinner, she helped her mother to do the washing-up.
– Look after: to keep an eye on something/somebody, pay attention to somebody/something
with care
Example: She asked her husband to look after the kids in the garden.
– Unconditional (adj)/: without condition, not limited by condition. Unconditional love
means that you will love someone no matter what he does, or no matter what happens, your
love will continue.
Example: The mother’s love for her child is unconditional.
– Home help (noun) a person whose job it is to help with housework.
Example: When I started to work full-time, I employed a home help to keep the house clean
and tidy.
– Trustworthy (adj): reliable, honest. A trustworthy person is someone you can trust, and
who never tells lies.
Example: My assistant is a trustworthy person and so he looks after my business when I am
away.
– Exhausted (adj) extremely tired, having no energy or strength to do something
Example: Because he had worked without a break for 12 hours, he was finally exhausted.
- (Be) Snowed under (with something)
Dịch nghĩa: Nhấn mạnh rằng một người đang có quá nhiều việc phải làm hơn là khả năng họ
có thể giải quyết và vì vậy mà không biết bắt đầu từ đâu
Ví dụ: My mom has just been so snowed under at work lately that she has barely had any
time to herself.
- Occupied
Dịch nghĩa: Bận rộn
Ví dụ: At that time I was fully occupied taking care of my newborn baby.
- (Be) Up to my neck (in something)
Dịch nghĩa: Ai đó thực sự rất bận rộn vì chuyện gì đó (bận ngập đầu ngập cổ) hoặc có tham
gia, dính líu vào chuyện gì đó (ngập đầu ngập cổ).
Ví dụ: My brother was up to his neck in revision for the final exams.
- With flying colors
Dịch nghĩa: làm điều gì rất thành công.
Ví dụ: With all that practice, Maria passes her test with flying colors.
Part 3
1. Do you like to be always busy?
I think busy all the time not suitable for me. Although Busy people can increase motivation
and reduce task completion time, they may become more productive. But if it too much this
can reduce our spare time, feel exhausted after staying in the front of computer for many
hours and lead to eyes diseases
2. What are the advantages and disadvantages when people keep busy?
- The most common merit of staying busy is that we can stay fit and active by keeping
ourselves busy with something. Negative thoughts stay away, and we remain stress-free. We
achieve financial growth in our business and can increase our creativity and productivity. For
demerits, the disconnection with the family is the most common disadvantage, and staying
busy compromises our social life also.
- On the one hand, it can be super stressful because you might feel like you don't have time
for other things you also might love. When we’re planning out our weeks, it is vital to always
try to stay mindful about what we have to make time for, like eating, sleeping, and staying
sane. On the other hand, having a compact schedule can feel great because you're doing so
much of what you love. Busyness allows our brain to be stimulated and lets our creativity
flow, whereas being bored breaks us down internally. After crushing a solid day of work,
school, and exercise we usually feel great.
3. Do you think children should learn through playing games or under
pressure?
Yes, they must learn through playing games with other children. Because of the bad effect of
pressure on their mental health, they must learn through playing games and remaining stress-
free.
4. What kind of pressure people may experience at work?
Different kinds of situations are very stressful at a private job or business. As far as I am
concerned, I feel two types of pressure at the job. The first one is from superiors. It is about
achieving weekly targets. The second one is from juniors. It is quite stressful to get work
done by juniors (subordinates) who are incompetent and lazy.
5. How a person keeps himself more concentrated and healthy during his busy
schedule?
A break is necessary for a person to keep himself concentrated and healthy during his busy
schedule. For this purpose, a person should take some holidays to spend time with his family
and must reserve some time to do exercise. This would definitely help him solve this matter.
6. Are you often busy?
Yes, I am. I’ve been preparing for the test and am in training for a driving license. I have a
training lesson once in three days and have to get up at 6 o’clock so I can have more time to
practice in the morning when it’s not so hot. I feel exhausted after staying in the car for three
hours. Later, I return home and prepare my own breakfast and meal, completing some
household chores. I start my work at 11, which goes up to 9 pm. My weekdays are very busy
and hectic. I look forward to the weekend for relaxing and chilling.
7. Why are people so busy these days?
With the advent of technology and science, people’s lives have become so busy that no one
has spare time. This is because people want to earn huge amounts of money to make their life
luxurious.
8. Is it good for a person to remain busy all the time?
It is true that being busy can increase motivation and reduce task completion time. Busy
people are more inclined to have a schedule, set goals, and prioritize their workload, so they
become more productive.