Professional Documents
Culture Documents
PART 2
FORM
People 1: Describe someone who is famous in your country and that you admire.
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Experience 15: Describe an interesting trip that you have been on.
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Other 9: A Toy
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OURSOURSING PART 2
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Topic 1: An Advertisment
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An interesting advertisement
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Topic 4: A Book
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Topic 5: A Caf
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Topic 23: A person who became an intimate friend at the first meeting
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Lake
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Useful website
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A memorable event
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An important festival
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A lesson
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Restaurant
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Animal
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Topic 9: A restaurant
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Topic 6: A photo
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PART 2
FORM
1. I guess I could begin by saying something about what the sport is, and I think I would have to
2. Going on to my next point which is how often I play it. I really need to add that if I have enough time I usually play
it about twice a week. In fact...
3. And now with reference to why I like it, the point I want to make here is that...
4. And so finally then, if I have time, in answer to the question of whether it is popular in my country, really I should
mention that...
People 1: Describe someone who is famous in your country and that you admire.
You should say:
Who the person is
Why he/ she is famous
Why you admire this person
What you would do if you met this person.
If I have to describe a well-known person whom I like and admire most, I think that person will be definitely
Barack Obama. I am sure that when I call his name, all of you will think about a person who is the first African
American president, the 44thand current president of the United States. Also, he is known as one of the youngest
president of United States. On 9th October 2009, he was awarded Nobel Peace Prize for international diplomatic
consolidation. Barak Obama is not only a talented lawyer but also an excellent politician. He is famous for the
speech running for the president that mentions about American changes. I really appreciate him because of his
cogent speech. In fact, I usually feel ill at ease when I stand in front of a multitude because of my timorousness. I
want to become a self-confident person and have eloquenceability , so I consider Barack Obama as my idol I hope
that in the future I will become a successful and proficient person like him.
Additional Question
1) So how long have you been interested in this particular celebrity?
For a number of years really. I mean its the way that his style changes and develops that really fascinates me.
People 2: A sport Star
Kaka ( already finish)
to go the extra mile [U10] to help us with our assignments and all the silly questions we have.
She encouraged[U11] us to ask and have curiosity [U12] about everything. I feel very blessed to have met her
and Ive learned so much from her, not just about writing but also the passion, the dedication [U13] for the things
we do.
1) compare the differences between education in ur city with them in 20 years ago?
In the past, many children can't go to school, and educational conditions were very poor. But now, government
provide 9 years compulsory education. Each child who is 7 years old must go to school. And government provide
much better facilities and staff. Also, schoolyards are beautiful than before.
2) compare the differences between university and middle school.
We study basic knowledge in the middle school. But the course of university is practical and special, such as
computer and business courses.
3) compare the differences between students now and past.
At present , it is difficult for student to find job. So, their pressure is he avier than before.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Im going to tell you about my history teacher in secondary school. I guess you could say that he was not only my
teacher, but also my advisor. He was very wise as well as knowledgeable which helped build my confidence. In
many ways, he was a good role model for me and really had a positive impact on my life.
I remember that when I joined his class, my first impression of him was that he seemed quite strict and serious. I
suppose this was because he dressed very formally and had glasses with gray hair. This made me think he was quite
conservative. However, to my surprise, he turned out to be very lively and funny as well as being very articulate. He
showed me that history could be a stimulating and fascinating subject.
I have always looked up to him because he showed me how you could be active, funny and dynamic whilst still
being dedicated and hard-working. I have had a lot of teachers that made their subject seem dry and uninteresting,
so he was really a breath of fresh air.
After taking his class and then leaving secondary school, I have always tried to keep in touch with him. How can I
put thisWhen I come across some kind of problem, I sometimes contact him and ask him for his thoughts. He
lives in my neighbourhood, so we will sometimes have tea together. I always appreciate the time I spend with him
because he is such a good listener and just a nice person in general.
People 7: A neighbor
I have very good relations with my neighbors. Actually my best friend is my neighbor. I spend most of my leisure
time with my neighbors as I know them since my childhood. I can share all my feelings with them and they can also
do the same.
I try to help out my neighbors as much as I can. Last year a child was cycling on the street and suddenly he fell
which caused him a lot of bleeding. I rushed towards the child took and him in my arms. There was nobody around
me so I had to take him to the hospital alone. As I was going towards the hospital I was getting worried and tears
were coming out of my eyes and the child was just like a little brother to me. I reached the hospital on time and my
neighbor got all the medical attention he needed.
I feel that a person should have very good relations with their neighbors because they are living close to us and they
can provide us immediate help; furthermore, my religion has ordered me to keep good relations with the neighbors.
We should try to lessen the grief of our neighbors and try to share our happiness with them.
People 8: A child you know
Describe a child that you know.
You should say:
Who the child is
How you know this child
What you like about this child
What things you do with this child.
Id like to talk about my baby brother. Hes 7 years old now. Ive been spending a lot of time with him since he
was born, and I love him to death. I adore his facial expression, the way he smiles at us, his pinky cheeks are so
kissable, and how He would wrinkle his nose every time my Mom says its time to eat. Hes a sweetest baby Ive
ever known. I couldnt take my eyes off him. I cant be happier playing with my brother and watching him
grow each and every day. Hes in first grade now. I enjoy helping him to read and tell him stories and watch him get
so excited about everything. He loves the rain so much that every time its rain, he just runs outside, trying to catch
the raindrops. With so much energy and wonders about everything, and the simple things he says always put a
smile on my face. I play Lego with him sometimes, we would build different things like houses, train, buses and he
gets very creative that it would surprise
me sometimes. Its not always easy though, sometimes he cried and scream over silly stuff but I guess thats just
typical for every child
together, missed his gentle and righteous smiles. From that time, I became reserved and did not want to talk to
anyone. A long time passed. I realized that I could not continue living like this. I could not be a coward person. I
must be strong despite the tragedy in life as what he had advised me to. I decided to dance to another tune to live
well as my grand father hoped.
People 10: Compare two family members
Compare two members of your family.
You should say:
Who the two people are
How they are similar
How they are different
What you like about these two people
My younger sisters are two identical twins (sinh i). They look exactly the same like two peas on a pod(ging
nhau nh c), yet their personalities (tnh cch) are so different. Their names are Jenny and Jane. Jenny tends
to be very organized (gn gng, c t chc), whereas Jane is quite messy (by ba, khng ngn np). That can
easily be seen by looking at their rooms. Jennys is always clean and polished (sng lng, bng by) while
Janes is just chaotic (ln xn) all the time. Also, jenny is very good at natural science such as math, chemistry
and physics while Jane is into Literature, History and Art. Despite of (mc d) so many differences, they get
along (hon thun) very well though. Theyre always protective of each other, learning, playing together. I
think differences between them help them to be closer since they can complement (b sung) one another so
well.Move on to your last point of the things (lead-in phrase) I like about them, I guess I love them not only
because theyre my sisters but also (ch cch dng not only...but also) because I can learn a lot from them.
They show me how to wear makeup, how to dress up. We also help each other when it comes to studying. We
do everything together so its just a lot of fun to be with them
People 11: Someone you have studied or worked with
Describe someone you studied of worked with.
You should say:
How the person was
When you first met this person
Whether you had a good relationship
Whether other people liked this person
Answer is Friend ( People 12)
People 12: A friend
Describe a close friend.
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Yes. I think we all enjoyed his classes. I think everyone has their favourite subjects, but I think everyone found his
class quite stimulating
People 13: A happy person who you know
Answer: The same as friend
People 14: A successful leader who you admire
Answer: People 1 - A famous person (Obama)
People 15: Someone you know speaks another language
Answer: People 6 - Teacher
Place 1-2-3: Describe an important/famous/historical building in your city.
You should say:
Where the building is located
What it looks like
What it is used for
How often you visit this place.
I am going to talk about the Reunification Palace, formerly known as the Independence Palace. It was built on the
site of the former Norodom Palace and it is a landmark in HCMC. It is located in Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street and
was designed by architect Ngo Viet Thu and was the home and workplace of the President of South Vietnam during
the Vietnam War.
The attractions inside of the airy palace interior are pretty sparse. Roped-off rooms such as the presidential office,
receiving room, and bedroom appear musky and grim with antique furniture and bare walls.
A highlight of the Reunification Palace is found in the basement which includes a command bunker with old radio
equipment and strategy maps on the walls.
After exiting the basement into the courtyard, there is a room filled with historic photos heavily sprinkled with
propaganda portraying the fall of the Independence Palace. On the fourth floor rooftop, there are some nice views
of the palace grounds as well as an old US-UH 1 helicopter. The rooftop was used as a helipad for evacuating staff
just before the palace was overrun.
The palace is interesting to me because marks the end of Viet Nam war during the Fall of Saigon. Also, knowing
clearly about the history of my own country is what I think I can be proud of.
Describe a modern building:
-where it was
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I like the botanical garden [U1] in Binh Quoi a lot. Its a great place to be when you want to have a get away
from the hustle and bustle of the city [U2] and get closer to nature[U3] . Ive been there for so many times now
and I totally love [U4] it. There are 2 main areas: a garden, a river, and food area. The garden is absolutely
stunning[U5] with all kinds of plants and flowers. Also, the river is very beautiful. I always get a sense of
tranquility[U6] whenever Im there.
I love this place because to me, it is a place full of wonderful memories with my family. We usually spend our
Sunday afternoon there after church. We read together walk and talk together. This is where my Dad taught me how
to drive a bike when I was a little boy. I guess its really special because it helps our family to bond and to love each
other better by spending time with one another[U7] . Another reason that makes me fall in love with this place is
that I can go there by myself sometimes to take pictures too since I have great interest[U8] in photography. Its
going be enlarged by April next year by the way and itll have a playground[U9] for kids. Im happy since I know
my younger brothers are going to love that very much.
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That spot was in a corner of the third floor and next to a large window where I had a bird's-eye view of the school
campus. And third, I would go to the library to do research and find sources of information for my research papers.
Although relatively small, I think this library was quite useful for me because I could find all the necessary
materials I needed throughout my school years. I also made use of its writing lab very often because they had
people who could take a look at my work and give me feedback. That was particularly helpful since English was
still a language I wasn't very familiar with.
All in all, this library played an important part in my life as a college student and I wish I can visit it again some
time in the future!
Place 13: Describe a museum you have visited.
You should say:
What type of museum it is
Why you visited this place
What you liked about this place
Whether you would like to go there again.
Id like to talk about the museum of science and technology which is in the northern part of downtown Beijing. As
far as I remember, it was opened to the public in 1988 and has grown to become one of the major museums of the
capital.
I have visited Beijing several times and have seen all the major sites. Ive always been interested in science since I
was a kid so it seemed only natural to go and have a wander around and have a look at what was on display there.
I guess that the thing I really liked most about the place is the different exhibition centres housed in different
buildings. For example, one building shows the history of Chinese technology including the, compass, gunpowder
and of course papermaking. I think these kinds of displays are very educational for all ages actually.
Another building focuses more about environmental science and they had a special exhibit when I was there about
environmental science and of course climate change. There was a short movie showing about what the world could
look like in a few hundred years which was a little scary to tell you the truth.
If I get the chance I will definitely go there again. Occasionally I see an article about what is on show there and it
always seems to change which I think is important. I think its quite a dynamic centre for education really and I
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guess it challenges a lot of our ideas and makes us think about how China and the world has developed and what
could happen in the future.
Place 14: Describe your childhood home.
You should say:
Where this place is located
What type of house it is
How long you have lived there
What you like and dislike about the place
Im going to describe my home which is a reasonably spacious apartment in the Da Nang Province. Actually, I have
recently moved because my old place was quite cramped and a little dingy.
In many ways, I guess Im now not so keen on living right in the heart of the city, so thats why I moved out to a
suburban area to escape the hectic pace of life. The place I live now is quite safe, since it really is more of a closeknit community. I have a few friends here and they have already introduced me to lots of people.
The apartment itself has large windows and is quite bright. Its a two bedroom place with a living room and kitchen.
The living room has nice views from the park on the opposite side of the street. I have only lived there for about
two months, so I am still personalising the place. I recently re-painted the main bedroom sky blue which is my
favourite colour, so it feels a little more like a home now.
I suppose the fact that it is larger than my last place is a big comfort although I also like the fact that it is
conveniently located near a park and a sports centre. This allows me to take a walk and get some fresh air as well,
of course, to keep fit.
I suppose that eventually I might get a little tired of commuting into the city for my work, but for now Im happy to
be in a place with more trees and less air pollution.
Place 15: Your idea of an ideal house
At first when I thought of purchasing a house, I wanted one that was neither too far nor too near a town. If it was
too far, I may feel lonely and then, there was the question of transport. Finally, I chose an elevated, land enabling
easy drainage and firm. The site is spacious allowing ground for the house and a decent big garden. I wanted an
elegant look for the house I intended to build.
The house has four rooms with a well-furnished kitchen and modern bathroom facilities. The living rooms are
comfortable. The furniture has been chosen with great care. The walls have been painted with soft colors to match
the curtains, the materials of which had been bought from the best textile manufacturing company. Each room is
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fitted with a radio so that one can enjoy programs from the bed. The drawing room is elegantly furnished with
sofas, chairs and a central table. The walls are lined with built-in cupboards, a library to house well-chosen volumes
by master novelists. There is a niche for the television and the room can be used for viewing programs. All the
rooms are airy and air-conditioned.
The kitchen is beautifully done up. It is fitted with electric grills and things can be stacked neatly away in specially
designed cabinets. It is provided with modern gadgets for grinding, pulverizing or cutting.
In front of the house there is an artificial pool with a fountain spray. One or two fish tanks are kept in the big porch
to add the beauty of the place. There is a garage at the side of the house for my car, cattle and poultry. There I keep
a few fowls of the high breed like the white leg horn, Black Monorca, and Rhode Island from which I get a supply
of eggs and meat. I have two jersey cows in the shed which supply the milk for the family. In the backyard there are
a few fruit bearing trees. On the margin of the house, there are some coconut trees. In front of the house there are
certain bushes of croton and exotic plants. The well-kept lawn with luscious green grass is very pleasing to the eye.
There is also a small playground for my children with a swing.
I have a couple of chandeliers in the drawing room showing rainbow colored lights whenever light falls on them. I
could specially mention the marble Buddha I got from Sian and a bronze Nataraja from India. There are a few
selected pictures by masters in gilded frames.
Thus I am surrounded by beauty and peace.
Place 16: A Restaurant
One of my familys favorite restaurants is the spaceship restaurant which is located in district 1 in HCM city. The
reason why I chose this restaurant is that I enjoyed my birthday party there in such a posh restaurant with my family.
Last year my parents celebrated my birthday party in that gorgeous restaurant to congratulate my mature age. At first
I went there with the feeling of excitement and everything just happened like my expectation. I fancied everything
there: sumptuous decoration; professional staffs; palatable fresh food. Plus, we didnt have to wait for a long time in
melancholy because they served up the dishes in the appropriate time when we just finished one and was ready for
others. A half of fun was that the waiter could sing through waiting table, which surprised us so much.
The meal was so delicious and I was amazed by everything they served us. I really liked the special beefsteak which
was extremely succulent so I kept eating three dishes though I was not a voracious eater. Besides, my parents were
even thriller when my brother and the only sibling who suffers from anorexia, known as eating disorder, devoured
the chicken rice like he had never done that before. Eventually, we all came to an agreement that this restaurant
could become the most magnificent one in this city.
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Thats why we now come to that restaurant once a month and it has become a part of our familys life.
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Experience 6: A party
Answer: Experience 8: A wedding
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PART 2:
The song which makes a good impression on me is True friend of Miley Cyrus. It belongs to pop music.
Therefore, it is easy to listen to and become popular. I like it because of many reasons. Firstly, it reminds me of my
best friend. About 3 years ago, my chum and I had such a serious dispute that I supposed we could not
become reconciled. On that day, when I checked my e-mail, I inadvertently discovered her e-mail, in which she sent
me only a song named True friend. Notwithstanding the fact that I was very angry with her, my anger flew away
right away when I enjoyed this song. It was like an apology to me. This song was like our reconciler. Secondly, the
lyric of the song is very meaningful. It teaches me that a close friend is a gift that God gives us. Therefore, it
is indispensable for us to respect and protect our permanent friendship. It says that A true friend, you are here to
the end which I like best in the song. And last but not least what I want to say is that if you have already had a best
friend, let upgrade your relationships. Otherwise, you will regret for the rest of your lives.
Media 7: Describe a newspaper or magazine that you have read.
You should say:
What type of newspaper or magazine it is
How often you read it
What you like about it
Whether it is popular in your country.
Id like to talk about a magazine called The Economist which I believe is published in many countries around the
world, but comes from the U.S. I try and read it every week.
I suppose It is a magazine aimed at business people like myself although it also politics, Science and technology
and just world news in general. It doesnt contain any gossip or scandals that are hitting the headlines elsewhere.
Its very factual and informative which is what I like
I suppose you could say its my favourite magazine because it helps give me an overview of what is happening in
different industries around the world. It also occasionally has some exclusive interviews with powerful and
influential figures from around the world.
I guess another thing I really like about it is that the articles are written by a variety of experts across many different
fields of business. This helps me build my knowledge and also gives me ideas as well as helping my English
vocabulary. I mean its very stimulating. I really love to take my time and reread a lot of the articles because they
are educational in many ways.
My wife thinks its boring, but she is only interested in fashion magazines, so I guess we have our own areas of
interest. Anyway, I always recommend it to my friends.
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I dont think it is really that popular in my country because, as far as I know, it isnt translated from English. Its
more popular among expats and English students.
Media 10: Useful website
- what it was
- how you found the address for this website
- what it contained
- why it was useful to you.
Facebook is a social networking website. It's a free website that allows you to keep in contact with friends or find
people you've lost touch with. It's one of the most popular websites in the world, with millions of users in different
countries. All of my friends use Facebook. One of my friends sent me an email inviting me to join. I signed up and
I've been using it ever since. Facebook allows you to keep up to date with what friends are doing. You have a
profile page with information and status updates so that you can tell everyone what you're doing. You can post
messages to other people's pages. You can upload photos and videos. I find Facebook most useful for organising my
life, keeping in touch with friends and storing photos. I think social networking websites have become part of
everyday life.
Media 9: An advertisement
-where you saw it
-what it was about
-why you think it was interesting
I'm going to talk about an advertisement for Coca-Cola, which is one of the biggest brands in the world. I've seen
Coke advertised everywhere, on posters and TV commercials. The advert shows a picture of Santa Claus smiling
and holding a bottle of Coke. I think the aim is to target children and associate (link/connect) the brand with
Christmas time. The advert is interesting because the company is deliberately trying to influence and attract
children. The marketers are trying to capture young customers. They are presenting the drink as something special,
a gift for Christmas. However, Coca-Cola is not necessarily a healthy drink for children; it contains a lot of sugar.
Maybe this kind of advertising manipulates children and encourages them to pester their parents.
Media 10: A photo
You should say:
What the photo is
When it was taken
Why you like it
Whether you have other photos in your home.
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Id like to describe a photo of my uni friends and I together while we were on a trip to Yunnan Province in the
summer several years ago. Ive always been keen on photography, so the mountainous landscape looks really
stunning in the background while I think my friends are also quite photogenic.
I love the photo because I think it captures the moment really well. We were laughing and joking while taking a rest
from hiking along Tiger Leaping gorge near Dali and Lijiang. My friends have very outgoing personalities which I
think comes out in the photos.
The trip was memorable because I think that it is where my former classmates and I really bonded. We really do
have so many funny stories from that holiday, so sometimes I look at the picture and start reminiscing about those
times.
I suppose this picture is special to me because it reminds me of my university life and how the friends I made at that
time have been important in my life. I keep a framed copy of it on my bedside table along with other pics of my
parents to remind me of the importance of friends and family.
Actually, I think that photos play an important role in my life not only because photography is my hobby of course,
but also because they record the most important times of my life. I have many photo albums that I like to flip
through. I think its nice to take a trip down memory lane, but its also good to remember and learn from the past.
Media 11: A Media of art
Describe a painting or work of art that you have seen.
You should say:
when/where you saw this work of art
what it looked like
and explain your impression of it.
Actually, Im not that interested in art, but Ill tell you about a work of art that changed my opinion a little bit. Its a
famous sculpture called David by Michelangelo, and Im pretty sure everyone knows about it. I saw this sculpture
for the first time when I went to Florence with my aunt. She dragged me to all these art museums even though I
really wasnt interested. Anyway, I was quite impressed when I saw Michelangelos David for the first time. The
statue is very realistic and lifelike, even though its made of marble. His face has a serious expression and it seems
like hes looking into the future. I think this sculpture is supposed to represent the perfect man, or the perfect ideal
of humanity. Maybe we dont meet the ideal all the time, but its worth trying for. Thats only my opinion, though.
Hobby/ Activity 1: A free-time activity that you enjoy doing.
You should say:
What the hobby is
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I believe that it is important for everyone to have some kind of hobby that keeps them fit. For me, a lot of solo
sports and going to the gym are all quite boring, but football is fun.
I hope that in the future, our country can develop our league more, so we can produce better plays to improve the
quality of our national team. I hope that one day we can take on teams like Brazil and Italy and have a chance of
beating them.
Hobby/ Activity 5: A sport that you would like to try
Hobby/ Activity 6: An outdoor activity
In my opinion, playing sports is quite an effective way to keep fit and healthy. Therefore, I spend much time
playing sports, especially, swimming. At weekend or summer vacation, my best chums and I usually go to the
swimming pool near my high school. This is a good chance for me to relax and for us to meet each other. At first, I
did not like swimming because I was scared of water. However, when seeing my friends feel happy and healthy
when swimming, I envied them. From that time, I said to myself that I could not socoward and should surmount my
scare. Year in year out, I tried to swim to prove that I could do it although it was not just a piece of cake for me.
Finally, I succeeded and swam well. Firstly, I like swimming because it is a popular method to keep me healthy.
Secondly, when swimming, we can simultaneously move all parts of our body, which helps our bodies fitter and
more flexible. Next, when I swim, I feel very comfortable, fresh and almost forget all my tiredness and sorrow.
They are the reasons why most of youngsters choose swimming.
Hobby/ Activity 7: A game
Hobby/ Activity 8: Something you like to do at weekends
Object 1: Something useful
Answer: Object 4: Something electronic that you often use
Object 9: A Toy
Describe a toy that was important to you in your childhood
You should say
When you got this toy
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Object 13: Something you bought which you were not happy with
Object 14: A handicraft
Object 15: A national product
Answer Other 14: A handicraft
Other 1: Animal
Im going to describe a wild animal which is known as the King of Forest in my country. Thats tiger. The tiger is
the largest cat species, reaching a total body length of up to 3.3 meters and weighing up to 306 kg. It is the third
largest animal in the world. Its most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur
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with lighter underparts. Tiger is a carnivorous predator. They hunt alone and their food mainly herbivores such as
deer, wild boar, buffalo; they simultaneously live in grasslands and forests. You can find them in the Northern
highlands or the Southern tropical mangrove swamps of Viet Nam. Tigers are among the most recognizable and
popular of the world's charismatic megafauna. They have been featured prominently in ancient mythology and
folklore, and continue to be depicted in modern films and literature. Although they have caused significant conflicts
with humans, they still play an important role in nature. The population of tiger in the wild have been decreased
sharply; the major reasons for this problem include habitat destruction, habitat fragmentation, especially hunting
and trade. Tigers have been put in the endangered species list, so every individual and governments need to take
timely measures to protect and preserve tigers.
Other 2: An environmental problem
Other 3: Describe a subject you liked at school.
You should say:
What the subject was
Why you liked it
Whether you were good at this subject
How this subject helped you later in life.
Well, I would have to say that my favourite subject was history. I guess you could say there were a number of
reasons for that really. I guess it was one of my teachers in secondary school who really made the subject fun and
brought it to life. I had always been fascinated with the past, but it had usually just been about memorising
information in school. But my teacher had a way of explaining things that really helped you try and picture what it
was like to live back then. He had an outgoing personality and made the lessons fun as well as always giving
helpful feedback on how I could improve my homework. I really found the classes very stimulating.
I guess that was what kindled my interest in the subject and then I went on to choose it as my major in university,
mainly focusing on ancient history. I have always found this more interesting because in some ways its more
mysterious and you can be creative and come up with your own ideas and theories.
I basically think that history can teach us a lot. We can look back and see the good and bad points about the way
people lived and the decisions they made. I think that can play an important educational role in our lives.
Well, I guess I obviously had some aptitude for the subject because its shaped my career path and I also really
enjoy it. I have a lot to thank my teacher for really. It would be nice to get back in touch with him and thank him.
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Others 5: Food
Others 4: An ideal job
Describe your idea of an ideal job.
You should say:
What the job is
Why you would like to do this job
Whether it would be easy to do this job
Whether it would be easy to find a job like this.
Id love to become a journalist. I think its such an awesome[U1] job. First off[U2] , you could travel to different
places and get to [U3] talk to a lot of interesting people. My aunt is a journalist and she traveled to America last
year to write about an importantconference[U4] happened in New York City. She told me she saw Statue of
Liberty[U5] , Broadway shows and all those cool things[U6] . The people that she interviewed are ambitious,
goal-oriented people who have inspired her to do her job. I suppose another great thing about this job is
that your work schedule is flexible[U7] ; you dont need to work from 9 to 5 like most people. You are paid
based on your performance [U8] and not how long you work which I think is great. My aunt sometimes works all
night, sometimes during the day or whenever she feels inspired. So those are the reasons that I love about being a
journalist.
Other 6: Type of clothes
Other 7: Describe month or season
Well, I love Fall and Winter but Spring is the season I love most from my own experiences. Spring marks a
transition from Winter and Summer, so its normally start from February and last to April, however it might change
a little bit depend on climate on that year.
Spring is really nice to me with temperate weather, not too hot or too cold. The average temperature is about over
20 Celsius, its very ideal in tropical country like Vietnam. Air is very fresh with the smell of grass and new born
trees and flowers.
In my opinion, the rain make Spring become very special, compare to other seasons. Because it rain all the time on
Summer, Fall and Winter, people have to bring raincoat follow. In addition to this, its extremely hot in summer
make me feel that I can not live in places without air-conditioner. However, its dry in Spring and nice weather
allows people enjoy long trip or picnic, outdoor party.
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And the reason why I love Spring. Many people say that Spring is time for re-birth, re-growth and renewal and that
make me feel very comfortable with bird singing and flower everywhere. For me, it gives me hope for a brighter
future. Spring is a time for Tet Holiday, its the most important festival in my country, its also Reunion Festival,
people from city or foreign will back to hometown to visit their family and relatives.
Other 8: Type of weather
Other 11: Your future plans.
You should say:
What kind of plans they are
When you will undertake these plans
Why you have made these plans
What you hope to achieve if your plans are successful.
Im going to talk about my plans to eventually become a software engineer and ultimately open up my own
company, so I want to try and aim high. I guess it will take a while and its very much a long-term plan, but this is
really the direction I see my life going in a professional sense.
I suppose I am already part of the way through this plan in that I have graduated and my major was in that field.
This I suppose was step one. I feel that I have the foundation I need in terms of knowledge and familiarity with
many programming languages.
I know from talking to people in the industry though that a lot of my education will come through experience. Its a
field that is constantly changing and developing and I know I have to react to that.
I think that there is a lot of innovative software out there now that allows people to really be creative even if they
dont have a great deal of experience with computers. Id like to be part of that and design really user friendly
programmes.
Its a big challenge, but Id like to feel that Im helping to make peoples lives easier whilst working towards the
aim of building up a successful business. I really admire people who have succeeded in the industry and who are
very driven like Steve Jobs. They have really inspired me, so Im hoping to emulate their success.
Other 12: An important invention
Other 13: Describe your favourite form of public transportation.
You should say:
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France such as LV and Prada and I'm a girl who is totally passionate about fashion so of course learning French is
not a bad idea. I know that most people in France can also speak English but its not the same.
Im sure that learning French wouldnt be easy. I would have to spend months even years to master this language.
Not only do I have to spend time but also money, the fastest way to learn a language is without a doubt to hire a
teacher who is fluent in the language.
If one day I have the time and the money I would definitely learn French.
Topic 3: A Book or Film About the Future
Describe a book or film about the future you read or watched
You should say
What the name of the book or film is
When you read or watched it
What it was about
And explain how you felt about it
Actually I am a huge movie buff and have watched many films about the future however I guess I would choose to
talk about a blockbuster by the famous James Cameron, Avatar.
This is a film where people have the technology to go out of space in spaceships and travel to other planets. This
movie is about humans going to a planet to mine an expensive mineral however the native inhabitants were
resistanting the humans. The people started cloning the alien species and transferring their minds into the clones in
order to learn about them.
After a while the humans started a war with the aliens however the main character who was a human with his mind
transferred into a clone of the aliens helped the clones and even led the aliens to victory.
This movie is truly a fantastic movie about the possibilities of the future and its even better in 3D.
Topic 4: A Book
Describe a book you enjoyed reading
You should say
What the book was
What the book was about
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Who wrote it
Why you read it
And explain why you liked this book
Although reading books is not my cup of tea, there is a book that I consider priceless in my life. That is Twenty
Forver, a gift given to me by my father on my 18th birthday. It was written by a young student at University of
Hanoi, Nguyen Van Thac who gave up his studying to join the army against US-backed South Vietnamese forces.
The diary is about what he saw, what he felt on the way being moved to the South battlefield as well as in the fierce
combats.
I still remember the time when I read the very first pages of the book. I was so fascinated by his sophisticated and
polished writing style. Not to mention the vivid images about the daily life of young soldiers devoting their youth
for national liberation.
futhermore, what Im quite into this book is its truthfulness. you know, since its a diary, there is neither plot nor
creation. Everything is real and seen under the , the optimistic vision of the student-aged
soldier.
Um, in Vietnam, Twenty Forever has been so popular, so well-known that it became a bestseller in Vietnam and
was adapted into a film in 2009, if my memory serves me right. This diary is a valuable source to stir the patriotism
among the young generation..
Topic 5: A Caf
Describe a cafe that you know in your hometown
You should say
Where it is
How often you go there
What kind of food they serve there
And explain why you like to eat at this place
I have been to many cafs in China including Starbucks and Costa however I would like to talk about a small caf
near my home called Mr Coffee. This coffee shop is one that makes really top notch coffee. The coffee there is so
good that every time I go there I would order at least three cups a cup of mocha, a cup of latte and a cup of
cappuccino.
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Not only is the coffee delicious but the price also isnt too bad. The drinks there are half the price of the drinks in
Starbucks. Furthermore they have a wide range of desserts as well, from puddings to cheese cakes and once again at
an affordable price for students like me.
The one thing that Im most fond of is actually the environment. As soon as you enter the caf there is a strong and
addictive coffee smell. Its a quiet place with a classical style with tables and chairs made of oak.
I normally go to this place every Saturday morning to relax. It has free WI-FI so I could play some online games on
my laptop or surf the web. This coffee shop is one that I normally wouldnt recommend to others because I would
like to keep the place quiet and not be overcrowded like Starbucks.
Topic 6: A Childhood Game
Describe a game you enjoyed when you were a child. You should say:
what the game was
when, where and with whom you usually played it how you played it
and explain what was special about this game.
When I was a kid I played a multitude of games but my all-time-favorite would have to be monopoly, of course it's
the Chinese version. Its a dice game for 2-8 players where players move pieces on a board. In the game you are
able to invest in properties and even gamble basically a game of chance the higher the risk the greater the
reward, of course you could lose everything as well.
I used to play this game with my middle school dorm mates. If we had time after doing our homework we would
play this game secretly at night. This game takes several hours to play so sometimes we would spend a couple of
days to just finish 1 game and usually the losers would have to buy lunch for the winner the next day.
This game was a great time killer and also allowed me to have great relationships with my classmates. The game
involved many skills such as trading, working with money and of course a little luck is needed as well.
Monopoly is a game that is popular world wide. It is not only a game or children but also adults because it actually
needs a lot of strategy. Just talking about this game brings back memories.
Topic 7: A Story You Liked
Describe a story you liked to listen to when you were a child
You Should Say
Whats the name of the story
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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.
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.
Topic 12: A Good Parent
Describe a good parent you know.
You should say:
who the parent is
how you know the parent what the parent looks like
and explain why you think the parent is good.
In this world there are a multitude of different types of relationships parents choose to have with there kids. Some
parents choose to be the servants of there children, willing to do anything for them. Others would rather dominate
there children, meaning they would try their best for their children to comply with them. However the good parent
Im going to talk about is my uncle who chose to be his childs friend.
My uncle is a tall man who has a gentle looking face. He is a little bald and has a good figure, not too thin and not
too chubby.
He has an extremely good relationship with my cousin, his son. They are able to interact freely and even share
secrets. You know, communication is quite important for family members to maintain a good relationship.
I even think my uncle works harder than most parents. Because he is divorced, he tries extra hard to play the role of
both the mother and the father. He has to do all of the parenting such as cook my cousins meals, take him to school
AND bring home the bacon at the same time - Seriously a super dad.
My uncle is a role model for parents everywhere; I wish my father was more like him!
Topic 13: A Good Teacher
Describe a good teacher you had when you were a child
You should say
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You know the current government of China is still quite young. On October the 1st1949, Chairman Mao who was
the first chairman of China announced to the world that China was changing its government and that is the
government we know today. In Chinese we call this The New China
Because of this event there is a 1 week public holiday every year to celebrate national day which is why Im quite
fond of this event. In fact every Chinese person knows about this event because we are taught this in our history
classes. In fact most Im quite a big fan of history especially modern history such as World War 1 and 2. I love my
country and I believe a patriot should know how things began and that is why I chose to talk about this. And yeah
thats sums up a historical event.
Topic 19: An important occasion you were late
Describe an important occasion when you were late You should say When this happened
What occasion you were late for Why you were late
And explain what happened as a result of your lateness
I'm usually quite a punctual person but I was late for a very important job interview. It actually wasn't really my
fault, there was a huge traffic jam because the interview was during peak hour and I was stuck in traffic for over an
hour due to a car crash.
It was an interview for a part-time job for an office worker. When I got there the interviewer clearly wasn't happy
and as you can guess I obviously didn't get the job tried to explain it to him but I guess he didnt believe me or
didnt care. After all, in this world its the results that people care about, no one cares about the process.
When I got home and told my mum about this she just smiled and told me it was ok and I could find a job at
another place. It was not until 2 weeks after that did I find a job. It was quite a memorable experience.
From this experience it was clear to me how important being on time is and I haven't been late to anything again
after this event.
Topic 20: An important plant
Describe an important plant in your country
You should say
What the plant is
How you know it
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Why it is important
And explain how you like the plant
There are many important plants in my country but I guess Ill talk about the apple tree. As you know there is a
saying an apple a day keeps the doctor away so of course you can see how important the apple is to humans. The
tree produces apples which are high in vitamin C and also quite delicious too. Every year billions of apples are
eaten by people world wide so you can imagine how important they are to farmers cuz they need them for money.
Furthermore apple trees have a lot of leaves. My biology teacher says that the world needs more plants with a lot of
leaves because the leaves of plants can turn carbon dioxide in oxygen and without oxygen the human race would be
over I believe this process is called photosynthesis.
In addition animals also eat apples and because this plant is tall and green it can attract many animals - some birds
even make their nests on the apple tree sometimes.
As I just mentioned the apple tree is a really multifunctional plant and that is why I'm really fond of the apple tree. I
even think without the apple tree the world would be a sadder place.
Topic 21: An Interesting Country
Describe an interesting country (not your own) you like
You should say
What the Country is
How you know the Country
What you know about the Country
And explain why you think the Country is Interesting
It has always been my dream to travel around the world so its quite difficult for me to talk about just one
interesting country but I guess I would have to choose Australia. I have never been there but I would be keen on
going there with my parents Im sure it would be a wonderful experience.
I had a friend that went there and told me all about it. The thing Im most fond of in Australia would be the
environment. The air is really clean and you can see the blue skyunlike China, they have very strict rules about
factories that produce pollution the pollution is a very big problem here but the government doesn't seem to care.
Whats more there are many unique animals that are native to Australia which are just absolutely adorable. The
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kangaroo and the koala are 2 animals Im quite keen on seeing. If I could I would even keep a kangaroo as a pet.
There are also many famous attractions in Australia such as the Sydney Opera House and the Gold Coast the
casino is also a place I wouldnt mind visiting.
I have told my dad many times that I would like to go there and that is why Im going to Australia to study.
Topic 22: An Interesting Person
Describe an interesting person you recently met.
You should say
Who the person was
When and where you met this person
What you did together
And explain why you think the person was interesting
I know many interesting people but I would like to talk about a person who often sells snacks at the food stand near
my home. He is called Mister Wang and is about 60 years old and he started selling snacks on my street this year.
He has a long face with a lot of wrinkles and a thin body. One of the first things you will notice when you see him
is his thick beard which kind of makes him look a little like Santa.
We often have brief conversations and I think he is a fun person to talk to. He doesn't really act his age and usually
tells a lot of jokes and has an open mind. I sometimes tell him about my life and he would tell me about his. In fact
he doesn't sell snacks for the money but he does it because he doesn't have to be at home alone.
His snacks are delicious, especially his fried chicken wings and tofu other stores really cannot compare with his. I
guess its because the ingredients he uses are better quality.
I guess that sums up Mister Wang, the person who I believe is quite interesting.
Topic 23: A person who became an intimate friend at the first meeting
Describe a person who became your intimate friend at the first meeting You should say
Who the person was
When you first met the person
What you did together
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computer but this library has a fantastic security system. If people try to play games on the computer an alarm
would go off and security would escort the student out of the library and he or she would be banned from the library
for a month.
This library is truly a wonderful place for students to read and study, I hope I could find a library like that after I go
abroad.
Topic 26: A Mathematics Class
Describe a mathematics class you attended at primary school
You should say
When you attended the class
What the teacher taught
What you did
And explain what you learned from the class
Ever since I was a kid I have always been good at mathematics. Arithmetic is probably the one of the first things I
learnt in primary school and I still remember the lesson when my teacher taught my class how to add.
First we revised what we did last lesson which was learn to count. After that the teacher taught as the rules of
addition such as an odd number plus an odd number must equal an even number. The teacher actually taught it in a
very boring way. All he did was write the rules on the board and told us to copy them down and remember them.
Actually I already knew all this cuz my dad taught me a long time ago. He bought me a pc game which gets kids to
practice addition, subtract, multiplication and division. So when the teacher made gave us a quiz in that class I aced
it and he praised me in front of the entire class.
Now that I think about out it I'm probably so good at maths because of this class
Topic 28: An Occasion Someone Visited Your Home
Describe an occasion when someone visited your home.
You should say
Who visited your home
What the occasion was
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girl from my class that I especially would like to ask if the party is a success Im might ask her out, if it fails ill
ask her out anyway (tough competition).
This plan has been in my head for a while maybe I should really start putting it into motion after I get home.
Topic 31: A Party
Describe a party that you enjoyed
-whose party it was
-what it was celebrating
-where it was held
-who went to it
-what people did during the party
-what you enjoyed about it.
When and where: my friend's birthday party, last Saturday evening, we went for a meal in an Italian
restaurant.Who: there were about 10 of us, he invited some close friends and work colleagues, most of them were
people I've known since university.What happened: we met at the restaurant, I gave my friend a present and a
birthday card, we ordered some food, while we ate dinner everyone chatted, after the main course the waiter
brought out a cake and we sang 'Happy Birthday', everyone went home quite late.Why it made me happy: it was
great to get together with old friends, I had some interesting conversations, it was a good opportunity to catch up
with what my friends had been up to, it was a nice way to wind down after a hard week at work, the food was
delicious, I went home feeling full after a fantastic meal.
Its my birthday next month and I would like to arrange a party to celebrate it. Of course I would only invite my
friends because a party wouldnt be very fun if there are parents or old people there. I guess I could hold the party
in my backyard if it isnt raining maybe a barbeque. Actually Im a pretty good cook so Im sure it would be a
fantastic party, plus meat is my favorite kind of food.
I guess it will take a lot of effort to prepare. I would have to buy a lot of food so people don't go hungry, call all my
friends and make sure they arrive with presents and also cleaning up after the party will be a hassle.
There are many activities which we could do at my place such as sing karaoke in my living room since I have a
huge TV with great speakers. Others can play games such as cards or Mahjong, which is a very famous Chinese
game. We can even play truth or dare but maybe the girls might be a little bit shy you know Chinese girls.
And yeah I guess that sums up a party I would like to have.
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The reason why I guess her job is so important is because she has to socialize with foreigners all day long. She is
representing China and the impression she leaves on those foreigners is very important. In addition to that she has
to educate people about Chinese history and culture so people worldwide can understand more about China and its
people.
Tourist guides like my cousin really have an important job. They would take tourists to the citys attractions and
stores. This helps the countries GDP hence the government would provide the locals with more benefits. Without
people like Liping the country may not make as much money every year
Topic 35: A Picnic or Meal Outdoors
Describe a picnic or meal that you ate outdoors.
You should say
Where you had this meal
Who was with you
What you ate and drank
And explain why you enjoyed this picnic or outdoor meal.
Well actually I dont really eat outdoors much but I had an outdoor barbecue last summer. My dad is a big fan of
American TV dramas and he often sees people go out to have a barbecue on those shows so he planned a barbecue
at the beach. The reason why the barbecue was held at the beach was cuz there was plenty of space and we could
also do some fishing too I actually spent 2 hours that day next to the fishing rod but didnt catch anything.
To prepare for this of course we bought the cooking equipment and meat a lot of meat! My dad also had to
practice making a few burgers at home so that he didnt look like a fool on the actually day we had the barbecue. Of
course we called our friends about a month in advance to tell them to keep their calendars free.
Most people who went this event also brought a plate of food or drinks so we had a variety of food and drinks
including alcohol. In the end the outdoor barbecue was a great success. Most people satisfied with the food and how
my dad organized this barbecue.
As you know summer is coming and since the last outdoor barbecue was such a success I think we maybe have
another one this summer. There is a girl from my class that I especially would like to ask to this party if the party
is a success Im might ask her out, if it fails I'll ask her out anyway (tough competition).
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I guess the reason he is polite is because he has lived over 10 years in Japan and has been influenced by some of
there culture or it may be because he is still only a low level teacher. Some people change once they get power
like my Uncle. He used to be a nice person until he became a big boss of company.
Mr Wang is someone I look up to because he has a good personality and is polite. I hope to be like him one day.
Topic 39: A Positive Change
Describe a positive change in your life. You should say:
when it happened where it happened what the change was
and explain how you have benefited from this change.
A few months ago there was a huge change in my life I was employed by an import/export company as a
secretary. It was actually a recommendation by my college professor. It was quite a challenging experience cuz I
had zero work experience and was also quite unfamiliar with the company software. Luckily my colleagues have all
been quite helpful and would often come to my aid like knights in shining armor.
Since then my life has really turned around. Im now able to do my job independently and even help the newer
employees with their work. It has been a great experience for me and Im quite proud of myself since I don't have to
beg my parents for pocket money anymore.
After getting this job my life has seriously changed a lot and Im quite happy about this cuz I have learnt a great
deal about how to work with others. I have changed a lot and will keep changing in the future after all nothing is
permanent expect for change.
Topic 40: A Radio Program
Describe a radio program you enjoy listening to
You should say
What the program is
When and where you listen to it
How often you listen to it
And explain why you think it is interesting
There are many radio programs in my city but I guess my favorite one would have to be a program called Happy
English on FM 90.4. It is a program that is broadcasted once a week on Sunday from 8pm to 9pm.
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As the name suggests this program is about English - to be more precise teaching English to Chinese people. They
usually talk about interesting things about foreign countries such as the different cultures and of course teach
listeners useful English phrases that a native English speakers would use - in fact many of the words I am using for
this test was learnt from this program.
In my opinion this program is quite useful for English learners like me and I often listen to it. However there is a
big problem with this show - it is broadcasted at a bad time. Not many people would listen to the radio at 8pm on a
Sunday.
And yeah that sums up a radio program.
Topic 41: A Room
Describe a room you spend most of the time in where the rooms is
what the room looks like what you did in that room
and explain why you spent most of your time in that room.
There are many rooms in my home but I honestly don't think you can guess which one I spend most of my time in.
Its the kitchen! My kitchen is very well equipped with the latest and most sophisticated cooking tools such as a
microwave oven that not only heats food but also has the function to barbecue meat or even make stew. It is also
quite big compared with other kitchens about 40 square meters. It is actually divided into 2 sections, 1 area is
designed for making Chinese food and the other, western food. My forte is actually making Italian food because I
once had a neighbor from Italy who worked as a chef in a 5 star hotel and she would often invite me over for
dinner. I normally helped with the cooking so I have learned quite a bit, even how to wash dishes the proper way.
I actually started spending most of my time in the kitchen cuz I lost confidence in the restaurants around my home
the food isnt really tasty and if you read or watch the news you would know that there are a lot of problems with
the oil and hygiene in many restaurants around China. These days I spend a lot of my time in the kitchen
experimenting with recipes that I got from the internet. My parents would return home to a table full of delicious
food. As you know Im from Ningbo therefore I had to eat from restaurants the past few days because of this exam.
I miss my kitchen and my own cooking a little.
Topic 42: A Science Lesson
Describe a Science Lesson that you had in School or University (such as biology, chemistry or physics).
You should say
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When you attend this lesson Where you attend this lesson What you learned
And explain what happened in the lesson.
I have had many science lessons but I guess I will talk to you about a physics class when I was in high school. In
my opinion physics is a really boring subject all you do in physics is learn about boring theories or do long and
meaningless mathematics problems.
One lesson my teacher was using a PPT about Newtons 3 laws and their theories, equations and so on. He actually
made us copy every single word on that PPT into our exercise books. I thought that it was a really useless lesson. In
my opinion he should have just given us the printout of the PPT instead. It would have saved a lot of time and you
know high school students really don't have time to waste.
This class was actually one of the first classes I had with this teacher and after that day I stopped respecting him and
in his class I would just do the homework of other classes because everything he makes us copy into our books is
already in the textbook so I could just read it for myself.
I don't think physics is boring but I wish classes could be more interesting however I guess that's the Chinese
teaching style. Thats why Im going abroad!
Topic 43: A Science Subject
Describe a science subject that you studied in high school You should say:
the name of the subject what you did in this class how the teacher taught it
and explain how you felt about this subject / this class.
It has been a while since I was at high school but I guess the most memorable science subject would have to be
biology. Out of the 3 science subjects it was the most fascinating due to the fact that it was about the study of life
and I have always been an inquisitive child I really like to know how things work or why things happen.
I was a huge fan of this class due to the fact that the class wasn't just learning about theories and doing math
calculations like chemistry and physics. We also were able to do meaningful experiments such as dissecting a cows
eye or a sheeps brain.
I guess my teacher was also one of the mean reasons I was fond of Biology. He always taught in an interesting way
with funny jokes and interesting examples. He wasn't like my history teacher, who was a textbook teacher he only
read from the textbook while teaching and told us to memorize names and dates.
Biology was my favorite class in high school and I would like to continue my further studies in biology when I go
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abroad.
Topic 44: A Rule In School
Describe a rule in school you agree or disagree with
What the rule is
Why it is needed
How the rule is enforced
and explain why you agree of disagree with this rule
Well as you may know there are many school rules in Chinese schools such as, you cant have a boyfriend or
girlfriend or you must wear an ugly uniform but I would like to talk about the rule students cannot bring a mobile
phone to school.
This rule started about 5 years ago because too many students were taking their phones to school. The school is also
quite strict as well; if youre caught with a cell phone the teacher will just take your phone and never give it back.
Im sure my teacher has made a lot of money selling phones in the black market.
I know that mobile phones have many drawbacks such as they can be addictive, hence affect our studies or students
might use them to cheat in a test but I also think they have many benefits.
Not many people in my schools like this rule because mobile phones are just very convenient. I study in a boarding
school and sometimes my parents need to reach me but its a hassle because they have to call the school and then
get my teacher to call me to the phone. Also phones have Chinese/English dictionaries they may be very useful for
our studies.
Although I believe they do have some valid reasons for having this rule I think it should be removed.
Topic 45: A Seaside Place
Describe a seaside place you like to visit
You should say
Where it is
What you like about it
What you do there
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Im a huge movie buff and would watch all the good movies that come out luckily Im a student so my classmates
and I can get a 50 percent discount which is the student price.
When I get back too my hometown the first thing Im gonna do is go to this street cuz I need to buy new clothes for
summer and I hear there is also a new movie out.
Topic 47: A Show or Performance
Describe a show or performance that you enjoyed watching
You should say
What kind of performance it was
When and where you saw it
Who you saw it with
Who the performers were
And explain why you attended this performance
I have seen many performances but I guess magic shows would have to be my all time favorite. Last week I went to
see a magic show by a not-so-famous magician with my girlfriend - he didn't even have an attractive assistant.
Actually I'm a little bit of a magician myself and often go to shows like this one to see new tricks and try to learn
them or at least figure out how it's done.
Anyway most of the tricks he performed where really old fashioned such as cutting a person in half or the flying
daggers with eyes blindfolded. However there was one trick that really amazed me. It was actually a trick that
looked simple but I haven't seen before. The magician got a very long piece of string, about 2 meters long and cut it
in half. Then tied a very strange knot. After that he asked 2 people from the audience to pull on both sides of the
rope and it turned into one piece of string again. There was no way he swapped the string so I'm still dazzled.
Although the rest of the show was lame, I would definitely watch his show again to figure out how that trick is
done.
Topic 49: Something Healthy You Did
Describe something healthy you did recently
You should say
What you did
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was about six thousand yuan I wish I was that rich. After the meal we went and sang at a karaoke place until
midnight.
This was truly one of the most memorable meals. I wish my birthday was has great as Bobs.
Topic 51: A Television Program
Describe a film or TV show that made you laugh a lot.
You should say:
What it was
When it happened
Who was with you
And explain why you laughed/ why you still remember this event
I do not watch TV that much but it is a great electronic media for education and entertainment. Sometimes I watch
TV, mostly in my free time and among the channels I watch, 'Discovery Channel' is my most favorite. Whenever I
held the TV remote control in my hand, I look for either a news channel or Discovery channel. This is the channel I
watch more often than any other channels. I watch it for 4-8 hours per week. On my day off, if I am in front of TV, I
watch the great educational and recreational programs that this channel broadcasts.
It broadcasts mainly documentary programs focusing on popular science, technology and history. But recently they
have started showing some other types of programs like reality show and pseudo technology and entertainment.
There are some unique programs that they present to their audiences like Myth Busters, Unsolved History,
automobiles, and occupations etc. This channel started broadcasting from 1985 and has become one the most
popular TV channels in the world because of their emphasizes on high quality programs.
I like this TV channel because of the programs and documentaries they present. Most of the programs are
thoroughly enjoyable and offers lots of information to the audiences. This is one of the great sources for me to learn
history, technology and other educational knowledge. The picture quality is really nice and this channel is easily
available via the cable service providers. I found this channel really interesting and I can learn many new things
watching it.
Topic 52: A Time You Helped Others
Describe a time when you helped someone. You should say:
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Tony is about 1.75 meters tall which is around the average height for Australians. He has a clean haircut and is very
handsome most girls find his big eyes and fit body attractive. He enjoys outdoor sports so generally he would go
cycling or play soccer a few times a week.
As for his leadership skills I would have to say that not only is he a great athlete, hes also the smartest student in
my grade and has aced every exam. Because of his intelligence he is able to make an excellent strategies and quick
decisions for the soccer team. Whats more is his charisma, not everyone would listen to a person like me whereas
people in Tonys team will obey his instructions without question. The reason I admire him is actually because he
treats everyone with respect I have never seen him impolite or angry at anyone. For these reasons he is my best
friend. I havent seen him for a long time but we still keep in touch via video conferencing using the internet.
Topic 57: A Leader You Admire(2)
Describe a leader who you admire.
You should say:
Who the person is
What this person did or has done that you admire
How you know this person or know about this person
And explain how this leaders qualities impressed you.
There are many famous leaders I look up to in the world but I guess I would have to choose Steve Jobs. In my
opinion he was the best CEO of Apple and of course the most famous. As you know he is no longer alive, however
his accomplishments are still remembered by people worldwide.
In fact Jobs was not an easy person to work for by that I mean he had a temper and many people found it hard to
work with the guy, but they still did! This was because he was an absolute genius and his subordinates knew that he
would make the company thrive. Many people, including me don't really care about his attitude problems since his
inventions are fantastic. He is my hero and without him I would never have been able to play games with the touch
screen, listen to music, take photos and make phone calls on the same device.
There are some leaders who are great because of their charisma while others are famous for their intelligence. Steve
jobs is a perfect example of this It is a shame he died at such a young age, I think he could have helped society
much more with his inventions but I guess that was his fate.
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In my opinion DaVinci painted her almost like St Mary She has a kind and gentle look and is always smiling at
you, even her sitting posture is very elegant with one hand over the other. I think its because Davinci was a
Christian and also painted religious paintings such as the Last Supper.
I personally think the Mona Lisa is truly an impressive painting, after all it was painted by the great Leonardo
DaVinci without it the world just wouldn't be the same.
A memorable event
-when it took place
-where it took place
-what happened exactly
-why it was memorable
The memorable event in my life took place 11 years ago when I passed the university entrance examination. I
remember It was on August 15th 2000. It was so memorable to me because it was the first time I could make my
own decision. I used to be an obedient girl when I was a child. I always listened and followed my parents
instructions since I knew that parents always want the best things for their children. I tried my best to be the cream
of the crop just to please my parents wishes and also to make them proud of me and love me more. However, it
seemed that I became more and more obstinate when I grew up. I was tired and did not want to be a robot any more.
I wanted to listen to my heart, make my own decisions and live my own life. That is why when my parents wanted
me to do things as their wishes, I would do the opposite. Especially when I was about to enter university. My
parents wanted me to become a businesswoman, therefore, they forced me to apply to University of Economics
while my dream was to become a teacher of English and study Linguistics. Finally, I made it my own way. To my
parents greatest disappointment, I applied to University of Social Sciences and Humanities after having a heated
debate with them. I know clearly at that time I drove my parents to despair when I did not follow their advice. Only
when ten years passed did I prove to them that I did make a judicious choice and I am now a very successful
teacher.
An important An interesting historic place
- what it is
- where it is located
- what you can see there now
- why this place is interesting
I am going to talk about the Reunification Palace, formerly known as the Independence Palace. It was built on the
site of the former Norodom Palace and it is a landmark in HCMC. It is located in Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street and
was designed by architect Ngo Viet Thu and was the home and workplace of the President of South Vietnam during
the Vietnam War. The attractions inside of the airy palace interior are pretty sparse. Roped-off rooms such as the
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presidential office, receiving room, and bedroom appear musky and grim with antique furniture and bare walls. A
highlight of the Reunification Palace is found in the basement which includes a command bunker with old radio
equipment and strategy maps on the walls. After exiting the basement into the courtyard, there is a room filled with
historic photos heavily sprinkled with propaganda portraying the fall of the Independence Palace. On the fourth
floor rooftop, there are some nice views of the palace grounds as well as an old US-UH 1 helicopter. The rooftop
was used as a helipad for evacuating staff just before the palace was overrun. The palace is interesting to me
because marks the end of Viet Nam war during the Fall of Saigon. Also, knowing clearly about the history of my
own country is what I think I can be proud of.
A lesson
The interesting lesson which I am going to describe is an English lesson in my English extra class. It happened
about 5 years ago when I was in grade 10. During this lesson, our teacher divided us into groups to perform our
talents in English. My group decided to make a play which was a story of a princess who was looking for a husband
while other groups did Power Point presentations or told stories. Each group performed its outstanding
performances in turn. I found this lesson absorbing in aspects galore. Firstly, I was quite reserved before and it was
the first time that I acted in a play in front of a multitude of people, especially in English. However, after this
lesson, I became more confident in myself, less timorous and danced to another tune to live and study better.
Secondly, this lesson was totally different from other ordinary lessons. During this lesson, our teacher let us be
active, creative and even express our sense of humour, which was a modern and effective way of teaching. And last
but not least, thanks to this lesson, I could upgrade my English skills and practiced it better.
Describe something that was recently reported in the news.
You should say:
what happened
who was involved
and why you found this news interesting
The news which I am going to tell you is the news about the wonderful recovery of Japanese people after doublecatastrophe which means earthquake and tsunami in this March. In the news, they showed two pictures of a street in
Japan. The first was captured right after the disaster and it was almost destroyed by the natural disaster. The other
was captured few days later and I was really surprised that they completed reconstructing the street after a short
time. I was really attracted by the news because of reasons galore. Firstly, I felt sorry for Japanese citizens who
had to face many natural catastrophes, which killed a lot of people and demolished thousands of houses. However,
notwithstanding being in the most difficult situations, Japanese people still united with others and looked it on the
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bright side to rebuild their country. Their strong spirit and great efforts in rebuilding their country are worth to be
followed. And last but not least, it is also a precious lesson which Vietnamese People should learn if we are in
difficult conditions.
Restaurant
One of my familys favorite restaurants is the spaceship restaurant which is located in district 1 in HCM city. The
reason why I chose this restaurant is that I enjoyed my birthday party there in such a posh restaurant with my
family.
Last year my parents celebrated my birthday party in that gorgeous restaurant to congratulate my mature age. At
first I went there with the feeling of excitement and everything just happened like my expectation. I fancied
everything there: sumptuous decoration; professional staffs; palatable fresh food. Plus, we didnt have to wait for a
long time in melancholy because they served up the dishes in the appropriate time when we just finished one and
was ready for others. A half of fun was that the waiter could sing through waiting table, which surprised us so
much.
The meal was so delicious and I was amazed by everything they served us. I really liked the special beefsteak
which was extremely succulent so I kept eating three dishes though I was not a voracious eater. Besides, my parents
were even thriller when my brother and the only sibling who suffers from anorexia, known as eating disorder,
devoured the chicken rice like he had never done that before. Eventually, we all came to an agreement that this
restaurant could become the most magnificent one in this city.
Thats why we now come to that restaurant once a month and it has become a part of our familys life.
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Moving onto the bussiness of how others around you reacted to this change, and what I'd like to add here is our
principal have great faith in my English language ability and expect me to establish bilingual maths classes, while
my colleagues are so envious that they made up their mind to improve their English in spare time.
Progressing to the subject of what the result of this change was, and I suppose it really is an outstanding surprise,
as not only did I have learnt a lot from Wik's various encouraging teaching methods, Hilary's creative ideas on
organising an activity in class, but greatly improved my Spoken English via conversing with native tongue in a 10day training. And most of all, become a friend with these American teachers thereafter. Moreover, when I was back
to school with my experience in the training, our principal asked me whether I could be a volunteer interpretor for
the coming Sep. and Oct. since our Denmark friends would pay a short visit during that period. So proud to accept
it even without any hesitation:)
As a final point, if time permits, I would like to bring in the point of what I felt about this change when it
happened, and what I would have to say it's both an opportunity and a challenge, hope I would live up to the
expectations.
Topic 14: Being late
So to begin with, in reply to the initial point of when this happened, and I'd have to go for the one happened in
this summer vocation when I was given an opportunity to take class on "Bilingual Teaching Program".
Now concerning the matter of what occasion I was late for, and what I would have to say is I was late for Wik's
class. What's frustrating is that I had just told Wik that I am never late or never early, I'm always on the dot. And he
just considered me as a punctual girl. While it turned out to be my lateness for the next morning. So embarrassed
when I was entering the class.
Moving onto the bussiness of why I was late, and I should really mention that I was helping a crying boy who lost
his way on my way to school. I saw an adorable boy crying when he was crossing the road. The first idea came
across my mind was it's so dangerous that the boy would get hit by passing cars or e-scooters. So, I came up to him
and helped him to cross the road. But the boy told me that he lost his way to home and cried heavier than before.
What I had to do is to patiently ask where he lived. Luckily it's not too far away. But when I got to class, I was late.
As a final point, if time permits, I'd like to bring in the point of what lessons I learned from this experience, and
I would have to say perhaps next time I should be earlier to ensure on the dot. Though I guess perhaps Wik was just
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kidding for what I had told him the day before my lateness, yet I do feel sorry for being late.
Topic 13: An email
So to begin with, in reply to the initial point of who the e-mail was from, the one I'd pick is an e-mail from my
old classmate, who I first met in high school and became a friend to me thereafter. She was doing her Ph.D in South
Korea when I got her message.
Now concerning the matter of when I received it, and what I should mention here is it's about one year ago that I
heard from her. And before this, she had been busily engaged in language studies after she reached South Korea.
Moving onto the bussiness of what the contents of the e-mail were, the things that should be highlighted here is
her description of aMAZing experience there, including the local food, busy school life, the apartment where she
lived, and on top of that she even attended a traditional wedding party in South Korea! It's her South Korea
classmate's wedding party. And she got those pictures posted via attachment.
As a final point, if time permits, I'd like to bring in the point of why I like it, what I want to make here is not
only did she account her life in South Korea but also brought with another culture. For me, it's a vision to behold.
Topic 12: A project
So to begin with, in reply to the initial point of the topic of this project, and the one I'd pick is a paper on fuzzy
convex sets, in the area of fuzzy algebra. I had been conscientiously working on this since the third year of my
university studies. Not until the year before did I work out and had my findings communicated in the international
meeting on the theory of computers in Hangzhou.
Now concerning the matter of what research or preparation I did, and what I ought to add here is that I have such
a great interest in fuzzy mathematics, as it's totally different from the normal classic concept in my mind. Usually,
we consider mathematices as an accurate concept. While fuzzy mathematics is dealing with fuzzy concepts, as it's
so prevalent in the universe. My teacher noticed my interest and recomment me to do some further reading on
articles by world-famous scholars and suggested perhaps I could do some work on fuzzy convex sets. Since then, I
had been involved in reading large amount of research papers.
Moving onto the bussiness of how difficult this task was, the things need to be highlighted here is that get your
paper published is always easier said than done, esp. for someone like me who have no experiences of master
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degree study. And it's pretty tough to read through those articles. But finally I get to grips with reading that, at least
I could have a general idea of what the research is about and how it is conducted and what I would benefit from this
article.
As a final point, if time permits, I'd like to bring the point of what I've learned from this experience. Tell you
honestly, my teacher's generous help contributes to the success of this paper. And my persistence leads my to the
final work of this paper. As the saying goes, "You don't fail unless you give up."
Topic 9: A restaurant
So to begin with, in reply to the initial point of where it is, and the one I'd pick is a local cuisine restaurant, which
actually in the Golden Triangle of our city.
Now concerning the matter of how often I go there, and what I would have to add here is when I entertain guests
it's always the first choice. So perhaps once a month I guess.
Moving onto the bussiness of what kind of food they serve there, I suppose I should underline the fact that its
speciality dish is Wuxi-style spareribs. Without question, these are the most popular dish in Wuxi. Spice with
ginger, anise, cloves and pepper, they are cooked in a savory stock of rice wine and soy sauce, served with a
distinctive sweet red sauce. In addition to this, they serve "Three White" from Tai Lake, the silverfish, white shrimp
and whitefish.
As a final point, if time permits, I'd like to bring in the point of whether I would recommend this place to
others, if asked, Iwould most definitely recommend this place on the basis that it serves local cuisine at a reasonable
price and the environment here is pretty pleasant.
Topic 8: A family
So to begin with, in reply to the initial point of where this family lives, and the one I'd like choose is a family
who used to be my neighbour, though they have moved to Australia.
Now concerning the matter of who the members of the family are, and what I ought to stress here is that it's a
traditional Chinese nuclear family, with a young couple and an adorable baby girl. I used to drop in their house after
dinner.
Moving onto the bussiness of what each time in this family does in life, I suppose I should really mention the fact
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that the young man is an engineer in IT, and he used to my family's computer expert. As each time when my
computer didn't work, he always came to solve the problem. And the young woman was an English teacher in No. 1
High School, the best one in our city. The girl is their new-born baby, whoever she meets she smiles.
As a final point, if time permits, I'd like to bring in the point of how I feel about this family. It's really a happy
family, consisting of a hard-working and generous husband, a beautiful and considerate wife and a lovely baby girl.
Sometimes I do miss them, though we still keep in touch via E-mail.
Topic 6: A photo
So to begin with, in reply to the initial point of what the photo is, and the one I'd pick is a photo taken in Pleasure
Garden with foreign teachers.
Regarding the theme of when it was taken, and the thing that needs to be highlighted here is that it was in this
summer vocation that I met and became friends with our foreign teachers, Wik, Hilary, Cindy and Amanda during
the training of Bilingual Teaching Program. And the photo was taken in Pleasure Garden whilst we were visiting
Xihui Park.
Moving onto the bussiness of why I like it, the point I want to make here is it's such a good memory of those
wonderful time with foreign teachers, for one thing, and for another, it's really a good souvenir for my 15-year
English learning. A fulfiling delight as I've given them a tour on my own for one day. Tell you what, right after
entering the park, one even came up to ask me where she could find a tour guide(I told her actually they are my
teachers, and I am a student), while others in the park all consider me as their interpretor. It's the second time I have
taken pictures with foreigners. The first time was in Summer Palace, about 10 years ago, foreigners invited me to
have a picture with them, when I have so-limited vocabulary to communicate with. But it's totally different now. So
proud of that!
As a final point, if time permits, I'd like to bring in the point of whether I have other photos in my home, and
undoubtedly I have loads of photos, including those in my childhood when I think I'm really photogenic, as well as
photos of sight I have ever visited.
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could either be arranged by university or make your own choice of choosing one school. Why be arranged when I
can resit the classroom where I was learning in the past? Familiar learning environment with dear teacher is so
excited to me, and quite coincidentally, her office happened to be a rebuild of our classroom in my shcool year!
And so finally then, if I have time, in answer to the question of whether she has influenced other people, really I
should mention that she is not only popular among her students, but also enjoy great popularity with her colleagues.
Her charming personality with a wide range of interests(excel at both drawing and sports) inspired all people
around.
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