TECHNOLOGY:

=> Speaking part 2: Ghép đề => Who/ Where/ When

*Cách tận dụng 1p chuẩn bị trước khi nói:
=> VD: Describe a piece of technology (Object)
Intro: Comment about the question => KHÓ
 A lot => Single out a particular one => Having said that, I guess I’ll go with the
first one that springs to mind, and it’s …
 Not a lot => It’s a real toughie => Having said that, it’s not like I’ve never …
before => I guess I can get by by telling you about …
Cue 1: [context] => WHEN
First thing first, lemme put some flesh on the bones => It was … years ago
… => (transition) My dad took me to a tech store and he was generous enough to
reward me anything in that store
Cue 2: (transition) Speaking of my dad, lemme briefly tell you about him => [20s]
Cue 3: (device) => not necessarily has to be a major chunk
(transition): Getting back to the main point, …
 Design: a smart design => all the edges are smoothened/ the sides are really neat
(cool and excellent) => it’s bringable/ compact/ portable, so it fits nicely in my
pocket.
 Camera: pictures taken by this device (the lens) are in high resolution, not to
mention the apps by which you can beautify/ prettify your pictures.
 It’s purposeful/ well-functioned/ versatile => it helps me excel in/ at my work
(~ stay on top of my tasks) & Its interface is straightforward/ user-friendly/
intuitive => even the elderly could navigate the system after a few days of
using it (get the hang of it).
 The storage capacity is limitless/ bottomless/ boundless => it can house
lots of data, as well as pictures and videos.
 Its battery is long-lasting/ lasts forever => It’s about three days until it’s
completely out of juice, not to mention you’ll have fast-charging technology.
 Price: it’s a bit out-of-range/ exorbitant/ prohibitively expensive ~
criminially expensive/ off-the-roof/ astronomical => But it’s a bang for your
buck/ worth every penny/ But you know “you get what you pay for”
=> a college student, and I’m still sponging off/ living off/ financially latch on my
parents (latch on sb)
 Durability (hardware): it’s firmly built/ sturdy (~ built like a tank) => It still
survives after many times being dropped from great heights.
=> It’s still well-functioned after being tinkered with many times. (toy with sth)
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*IDEA DEVELOPMENT:
a. Example: specify (context, subject, action) & meaning
b. Factual reasoning: R1 - Reason >< R2 - Result
c. Reality contrast: compare between the past and the present
d. Reversal: (on the contrary)

I. Communication:
Intro: The advent of advanced technology has revolutionized the way people
communicate.
 First, the emergence of communication online platforms (~ methods/ means)
has erased/ dispensed with/ abandoned/ discarded/ disposed of certain
geographical barriers/ limitations (~ obstacles/ obstructions) => While in
the past it would take days to deliver letters, people nowadays, by a mouse click,
could interact with others from great distances => Therefore, the popularity of
online means of communication has brought people closer.
=> For example, the use of conferencing applications such as Zoom or Google
Meetings has allowed people to study and work in the comfort of their own homes,
therefore dispensing with the need to travel.
 Second, the prevalence/ ubiquity/ omni-presence of online communication
mediums has generated significant savings both in terms of time and money:
 Time: As people are freed up/ spared from daily commute requirements, they
would have more access/ be entitled to more free time in which they could
pursue other creative fulfillments.
 Money: finance-wise, most of the online means of communication today are
feeless, free-of-charge, coupled with the fact that travel expenses would be
eliminated, so using these tools would be eminently/ exceedingly money-
saving.
 What’s more, in the light of the Covid-19 pandemic, the application/
utilization/ employment of online communication platforms has been life-
saving/ game-changing (a life savor/ a game-changer), since it has saved
thousands of enterprises from the verge of bankruptcy/ business closure.
Thanks to remote working/ teleworking/ WFH, business flows (workflows) are
still able to sustain.
 The presence of online communication/ internet-connected tools, specifically the
cellphone, in cases of emergency would do wonders/ come in handy for the
ones involved. For example, in the event of a car crash (~ traffic accident), it is
 imperative that the onlookers be able to contact the hospital and police
promptly in the occurrence of injuries/ fatalities.

II. At the workplace: WFH

Intro: Although the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic (The Great Pan-d) are already in
the rearview mirror, its aftermath is here to stay.
 In the wake of social distancing implementation from governments worldwide,
businesses all over the world were facing the risk of going bankrupt. The
advent of online conferencing applications such as Zooms or Google Meets
has salvaged the corporate world because these apps allow workflows to run
swimmingly in the face of travel restrictions/ commute constraints.
=> Development (factual reasoning):
 Work tasks are assigned/ delegated/ outsourced in a convenient fashion:
workflows are streamlined since senior executives/ superiors in a company
could oversee their staff’s work performance without actually having to meet
them.
 As for the subordinates/ inferiors in an organization, WFH allows them to
flexibly schedule their working time: they could opt for working hours of their
choice, and be able to maximize their productivity (idiom: I’m on my A-game
today/ I’m on a roll)
=> Reversal: On the contrary/ Conversely, if one is forced to work during ungodly
hours (night shifts), one would be sluggish (-like) and daunted, and their work
productivity would be substandard/ subpar.
 You could work in the comfort of your own home without having to travel to
work, which would spare travel expenses and inconveniences such as having to
wait through/ sit through traffic jams commonly seen during rush hours.

III. Travel ~ daily commute:

Intro: In today’s digital world/ In the current era of information technology, the
masses’ travel practices have been digitalized (digitized), with the advent of online
ride-hailing applications. Owing to the widespread use of these apps, mutual
benefits have been brought about both for users and app-owners.
 As for the companies behind these apps, thanks to enormous traffic, they are able
to generate handsome earnings, which in turn would be a healthy/ welcome
boost to the local economy, because of the fact that they would have to fulfill
their tax duties.
=> Furthermore, this is a welcome development also because the proliferation of
travel agencies would spawn more job opportunities, which would be socially
beneficial because it helps address/ combat the issue of unemployment. (it lifts
thousands from being jobless).
=> For example, it’s commonly seen among Vietnamese university graduates (fresh
graduates), who are likely to struggle in landing a proper/ decent job after school
because of being inexperienced, when a vast majority of them decide to become
uber-drivers to make ends meet/ get by financially.
 As for users, utilization of these apps would be money-saving/ financially
sensible (practical - pragmatic) because they would be entitled to promotion
codes/ vouchers/ coupons which they could redeem in exchange for free
rides. (users could score free rides) => By contrast, conventional taxi drivers
often demand a steep price for their service, which explains why these forms of
transport services are falling into oblivion/ disuse.
*codes handed out by companies in order to boost sales.

 GPS (a navigation system) has now been widely incorporated into a diverse
range of tech devices => this is game-changing because it first lowers the risk of
being lost, which would do wonders for people in case of emergency. The
introduction of GPS technology is also welcome because it’s time-efficient. This
is because of the fact that by using this technology, people could pinpoint/ find
out the least congested routes.
*because I’m forgetful/ absent-minded; a sense of location; mislocate/ lose my
bearings => a lost cause)

 Electric cars (autonomous cars/ driverless cars) have recently been in use,
with the most prominent manufacturer being Tesla, an automotive giant in the
US. While people in the past would travel in vehicles running on fossil fuels,
which has dampened/ ruined the environment because the combustion of
fossil-based energy sources would release an enormous amount of CO2, people
in today’s world have become more environmentally mindful/ conscious and
gradually been shifting to electricity-run means of transport. This is a welcome
development, because it facilitates a more sustainable environment.

IV. Farming/ Agriculture:

In today’s technological era, technological leaps/ strides have given birth to
automated devices by which farmers’ productivity has been boosted by a great deal.
=> (example-led: meaning): For instance, automated watering/ irrigation systems
are being utilized/ deployed in farming practices, which has rendered the process
of cultivation less labor-intensive. (enjoy the fruits of your labor/ laborious)
=> (example-led): Another telling/ self-explanatory example is the application of
automation technology in spraying pesticides and fertilizers, which is a boon to the
farmer’s health, since it lessens human contact with/ exposure to toxic chemicals.
It’s now not uncommon (~popular) to see produce being genetically engineered/
altered in the lab, introducing superior breeds which could endure/ withstand harsh
weather conditions (~weather severe climatic events), thus ensuring crop yields.

V. Education (The internet)

 Online learning is a boon to one’s studies, because there is always a wealth/
treasure trove of information found easily on the Web, which spans various
fields of study. The availability of online search engines (Google) would help
people become effective learners, because they could employ/ deploy these
tools to troll the Net for information.
 Remote learning / Tele-learning has become prevalent nowadays, thanks to
conferencing applications such as Zoom or Google Meetings, which would equate/
translate into enormous savings: Instead of having to travel abroad to pursue a
foreign education, people nowadays could attend online courses offered by
overseas educational institutions.
 With E-learning, students could opt for a flexible schedule in which they could
easily organize (~ schedule) classes to their liking to maximize their study
productivity.

B. Drawbacks from advanced technology:

I. Over-dependence/ Over-reliance
 Since automation technology has now been incorporated into a wide range of
devices, including household appliances and equipment, many are leading a
sedentary lifestyle.
=> For example, due to the introduction of automated vacuum cleaners, people are
now exempt from sweeping and mopping the floors, which would cause them to be
bone idle/ not lift a finger.
=> This is even more worrying for children: due to being spared from doing
housework/ household chores, they are being couch potatoes, which not only
causes them to gain weight but also renders them less resourceful as they grow up.
As a consequence, they could not be able to live independently in the future.
 (Example-led): It is now not uncommon to see people gluing (glue) their eyes to
the screen of their technological devices in social gatherings, instead of
engaging in direct conversations with others. In other words, the permeation
of advanced technology is actually one of the major culprits behind the fact that
society has increasingly become more distant/ isolated (=> social isolation)
  Advanced technological tools are manipulated/ taken advantage of for certain
personal gains: For example, students are secretly smuggling their internet-
connected mobile phones into the exam room for cheating (miniature
earplugs/ minute earplugs) => The core value of education has been ruined.
=> students’ mental calculation skills have been eroded/ marginalized because of
the widespread use of advanced pocket calculators that could go the whole nine
yards/ handle any mathematical equation.
II. Health:
Prolonged exposure to technological devices would entail certain health-related
risks/ adverse effects both in terms of physical and mental aspects.
a. Bodily physical effects:
 Eyesight: blue lights emitted from the screen of technological devices would hurt
our eyes => Vietnamese children are a telling example: due to excessive
exposure to tablets and cellphones, a vast majority of children there are
vulnerable to short-sightedness/ near-sightedness.
 Obesity: overwhelming time allocation to gaming on technological devices
would render them susceptible to overweightness. Since they would be sitting
for hours on end in front of the computer screen, they may gain excessive
weight.
=> Prolonged use of computers among children would distort/ deform their posture,
causing their back to be hunched.
 Insomnia (sleep-deprivation): using technological devices non-stop, which may
involve game addiction or social media, are depriving people of quality sleep.
Consequently, their biological clock would be turned upside down, thus turning
them into night owls. The lack of sleep would render them sluggish and
energyless throughout the day.
=> Algorithms designed specifically to track/ detect users’ content preferences,
and constantly feed them videos of their liking, which renders them addicted to using
such social networking sites as TikTok, Instagram.

b. Psychological effects (impostor syndrome)

 On social media, everybody tries to present a perfect image of themselves, for
example: KOLS, Public figures are trying to project an extravagant lifestyle
in which they would shower themselves with branded goods/ designer
clothes => their followers who are ordinary people may succumb to a sense of
insecurity/ inferiority complex (self-doubt), which may potentially lead to
depression.

III. Privacy & Misuse

=> user behaviors & content preferences: mental manipulation => an invasion (invade)
of privacy
=> our personal information could be hacked/ mined by anonymous/ nameless
hackers (data loss) => material losses: if one’s banking account is hacked, his
savings would evaporate in a beat.\
=> The internet is dotted with/ fraught with toxic contents such as nudity, vulgarity
and obscenity (depravity), which could corrupt the mind of young users.