1 Describe the village in the morning (ta mot ngoi lang vao buoi sang) The village has always been known to be a place of peace and quiet The scattered houses among hundreds of plants and trees indicate the lack of activities in the village The workers in the village leave their homes early in the morning to work in the plantations or towns near by Some have their own plantations, and some make certain articles in their homes to sell them in the towns A few of the villagers, including women, go out to catch fish in the streams and river found in the village Though the people of the village not usually earn much, they seem to be contented Your last summer holiday (Kỳ nghỉ hè vừa qua bạn) Last June I went on an excursion to Hanoi with my family It is the capital of our country, the centre of economics, politics and culture of our country which is famous for many places of interest We went by train and it took us sixteen hours to travel to Hanoi We stayed at my aunt’s near Hoan Kiem Lake During our visit, we visited some places of interest such as Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, the History Museum, Ngoc Son Temple, the Temple of Literature, One-pillar Pagoda, as well as some beautiful parks and lakes and the old streets We also went shopping in Dong Xuan Market There was so much to and see in Hanoi and I took a lot of photographs while we were there We enjoyed our holidays very much The advantages and disadvantages of living in a big city (Thuận tiện bất tiện việc sống thành phố lớn) For centuries city and country have been regarded as being in opposition to each other However, every kind of life has its advantages and disadvantages Living in a city, especially a big city has many advantages People are always in good conditions such as education, medical care, communication, transportation, opportunities for jobs Besides high standard of living, people in the city can enjoy all kinds of leisure activities They can go to the parks, sports clubs, cinemas, theatres, etc for entertainment However, city life has some disadvantages Every big city is always crowded, busy, and noisy This leads to pollution, especially air pollution and water pollution, which are bad for people’s health Despite the disadvantages of city life, I prefer living in a big city because in my opinion the advantages overweigh the disadvantages Write about your childhood (Viết thời thơ ấu bạn) Now I live in a town but I was born and grew up in a small village which is 10 kilometres away When a girl, I went to a village school where I had many friends We used to go to school together and play “hide and seek”, skipping rope after school The teachers in my school were very strict, but I was never punished because I did very well at school I am very happy about my school days In free time or at weekends my friends and I used to go swimming or sightseeing We used to spend nights playing in the moonlight I will never forget my childhood because it was the time I had a lot of good memories Describe your hometown (Tả quê hương bạn) I live in a small town called Nui Thanh It is about 25 km south of Tam Ky In my town there are two markets, a railway station, and a bus stop but there aren’t any parks There is a beautiful beach where people often swim in summer The roads are not very wide but clean The air is fresh enough There are some beautiful sights such as Bai Rang Beach, Giang Thom Waterfall, where you can spend your weekends I love my hometown very much because it is the place where I was born and grew up Wherever I go, I will Describe a village you like best (ta mot ngoi lang ma ban thich nhat) The village I live in is known as Kampung Java It is about ten miles from a large town There are many people in my village Most of them are farmers They grow paddy in the large fields around my village These paddy fields look very beautiful when the paddy plants are growing The mountains in the distance and the palm trees all around, add to the beauty of these fields The shops in my village are very old There are few brick buildings Most of the shops are along the main road in the village As the people in my village live a simple life, their needs are not many So, many of the things found in the shops in the towns are not found in the shops in my village The people in my village are good They go not like to quarrel or fight with others Every evening they meet one another and talk about many things If they need any help or advice, they go to the village chief The chief is a wise man He gives good advice and keeps the people happy Indeed, I like my village very much Write a letter to thank your friend for his / her special gift on Christmas Day (Viết thư cảm ơn bạn bạn gởi quà đặc biệt Giáng sinh) Dear ……, Thank you very much for the present you sent me on Christmas Day I was very pleased with it I had always dreamt of an alarm clock for a long time How did you guess it? Your present arrived exactly on Christmas Day When the postman came and delivered the parcel, I decided to open it immediately I was extremely happy when I found it was an alarm clock because I wished to have one I believe it will be very helpful to me and I will never oversleep By the way, how are you? I hope you are fine Give my love to your family With love, Do you like living in the big city? Why or why not? (Bạn có thích sống thành phố lớn khơng? Tại thích hay khơng thích?) For centuries city and country have been regarded as being in opposition to each other Living in a city, especially a big city has many advantages People are always in good conditions such as education, medical care, communication, transportation, opportunities for jobs Besides high standard of living, people in the city can enjoy all kinds of leisure activities They can go to the parks, sports clubs, cinemas, theatres, etc for entertainment I like living in a big city because of its advantages In the city, the system of communication is well-organized It is easy to move from place to place Material life is more comfortable People can enjoy the pleasure of education and all kinds of leisure activities Can you tell me some advantages of travelling by train? (Hãy kể số thuận lợi việc tàu.) Travelling by train is now quite fast and comfortable The first thing that impresses me is that I can see the beauty of the landscapes clearly There are green valleys and tropical plants and trees which can be seen everywhere The second thing I want to tell is that everything is interesting on the train Passengers can sleep well They can read books, talk and many things on the train Besides, you will feel comfortable when travelling by train because of the fresh air always remember my hometown 10 Why you learn English? (Tại bạn học tiếng Anh?) Nowadays people are learning English, French, Chinese, Japanese, etc, but English is learned by more people because it is the most international language It is used all over the world English is the language of business, aviation, international conferences and sports, etc Learning English helps you find a good job after graduating from college or university Moreover, it is easy to communicate with foreigners and it also brings people from every part of the world closer For these reasons, English is taught in schools and universities So I think it’s very necessary to learn English because it is widely used and I want to communicate with people from other countries as well as I need it for my future job 11 Some advantages of watching television (Một số thuận lợi xem truyền hình.) Nowadays there are many ways of entertainment, but television is the most popular (form) Television helps us get a great deal of useful information It helps us know more about cultures, people, events in many countries and scientific achievements in the world In general, it helps widen our knowledge about the world Today there are many interesting programs on TV So we don’t have to go anywhere for entertainment We can sit at home, in front of the television to see our favorite programs We can enjoy many interesting programs such as: sports, music, films, games shows, etc In a word, television not only helps us learn a lot about the world but also entertains us 12 Your future plans (kế hoach tương lai) Now I am working for a construction company in Duy Xuyên District But I always want to change another job and where I really want to work for is Ho Chi Minh city In Duy Xuyen district, maybe it is a stable job, but I can’t feel sastified with my work as an engineer here Working with senior colleagues, I can’t show/ express creativeness and even they always send me on small erands I extremely hate things like that After getting Master, I will be sure to find another job I always desire to work for foreign companies So, now I try my best to learn English I have an evening English class at Ho Chi Minh foreign languages center At home I myself exercises and listen to Voice of America (VOA) I hope that I will step by step improve my English skills and get a good future job 13 Things I like to (Hobbies)(nhung dieu toi thich lam/ thu vui) I have many interests The activities I spend most of my leisure on, however, are reading, jogging and painting I enjoy reading very much I read widely, ranging from fairytales to nonfiction books on outer space and nature Reading helps to widen my general knowledge and improve my writing skill Therefore, my parents think well of my hobby and often buy me books that I cannot find in the library When my eyes get tired from reading too much, I would go for a slow jog with my dog in the park near my house Jogging regularly makes one healthier I have also made a few friends among the regular joggers in the park Sometimes, instead of jogging, I would stroll in the park, carrying with me my painting equipment I love to capture beautiful things on paper I have taken art lessons since I was nine and I am especially good in water-color painting Besides painting pictures of the park, I also like to draw portraits of my family members All my interests are fun and useful pastimes I believe that everyone should spend their time on some useful hobby rather than laze precious time away 14 Which is your favourite season of the year? And why? (Bạn thích mùa nhất? Tại sao?) Viet Nam is a tropical country, so there are only two seasons in a year They are the dry season and the rainy season The weather is naturally varied in each season As for me I like the dry season best The dry season begins from May to October In this season it’s often hot but not always hot It is in the dry season that we can a lot of things outdoors It is also the season for holidays and festivals I often have my holidays in the dry season so that I can travel round everywhere easily In addition to this, the food in this season is often good and cheap The weather is convenient for leisure activities 15 Describe your house / flat (Tả nhà hộ bạn) I live in a house in a town My house is situated on a busy street My house has a small yard In my house there is a living room, three bedrooms, a dining room and a kitchen In the living room, there is a TV, a sofa, a table and some pictures on the wall Although the house was built many years ago, it is still in good condition My house is near the bus stop, so it is convenient to travel everywhere I like my house very much because it is the place where I spent my childhood and witnessed many changes in my life 16 MUSIC AND LIFE (am nhac va cuoc song) After a hard working day, you listen to music, you will feel better and happier Music is a language which speaks to everyone Listening to music make people feel relax, especially after long hours of working Music is a good friend when you are very sad or happy Music plays an important role in our life Because music helps us express what we can’t express in words Music helps us understand the other people’s culture Music is a great source in our life We listen to music as listen to a reliable friend, for example, when you are shocked, music may help you to forget your sadness Our life will be dull if we don’t have music 17 Daily Routine/ habits (Thói quen ngày) I often get up at a.m I wash my face, brush my teeth and then morning exercises I get dressed and leave home at half past six , then I go to work I work an eight-hour day My work starts at a.m and finishes at 11 a.m After ending my work at the office, I come home at half past eleven and have luch with my family I take a rest in 30 minutes then I go to work again Before starting my work, I often drink a cup of coffee to prevent me from nodding At p.m, I go to the health club to play sports with my friends Training sport is very good for my health and it helps me healthier and healthier In the evening, I have dinner with my family, then I watch newsreel on television Before sleeping, I often listen to some songs on radio and I go to bed at 10 p.m 18 My favorite TV programs (chưong trình ti vi yêu thich) As a senior high school student, I am very busy with my studies Although I am very fond of watching television, I can only spend an hour after dinner on my hobby Of all the TV programs, I like the news and documentaries best The news programs shown on all TV channels at 7:00 p.m help me to know almost everything about different places in our country and important events happening all over the world Through these programs, I can also know about the main national and international sporting events The documentary programs at weekends are my favorites By watching them, I can learn a great deal about human civilizations, the wonders of nature and the amazing inventions and discoveries of great people in the world Watching television is my hobby I cannot imagine a day in my life without watching it 19 Sports (the thao) For many young people, sport is a popular part of their lives There are many kinds of sports, but I like football best After a hard-working day , I go to the health club to play football with my friends I often watch international football matches on TV in my free-time, especially world cup – the international football tournament , is held every four years It is consider the most popular sporting event in the world So I like it very much Playing football helps me brisker and stronger I think that everyone had better practice any sport to have a good health 20 The person you love best/ your mother (Nguoi ban yeu thuong nhat) Of all the people in the world, I love my dear mother the best Everyone knows that mother’s love is the greatest in the world When I see how my mother behaves towards my father, brother, sister and me, I am filled with pride In everything that she does, there is a touch of love My mother is small She has got a round face, a small nose, brown eyes and short black hair She is kind and hospitable She always takes good care of every member in the family She always wakes up before all the others and goes to bed last so that everyone in the family can receive her care If anyone in the family is fill She is the one who is the most worried Such care and love no one in the world can give to me For these reasons, my mother will always the dearest person to me 21 Free-time ( thời gian rãnh) From Monday to Friday I have to work hard all during the day So at weekends, I often read the news on the daily newspaper, watch newsreel on the television in the morning I usually go to the club to play table-tennis or badminton with my friends in the afternoon At p.m, after gathering with my dear family, I go into my room and open wide all the windows I turn the lights off and turn the bedside light on and lie on the bed I turn the tape recorder on and listen to music Music often gives me the wonderful minutes after mental stress With the fresh air I sleep a sound sleep untill next morning I love my spare-time very much It helps me feel that: Life is so beautiful! 22 Your English teacher (GV tieng Anh cua ban) My favourite teacher is Nga She has been my English teacher for two years She is short and she has medium straight brown hair She has beautiful dark eyes She likes to wear jeans, blouses, dresses and high heels She lives in a town She likes sushi, books, her students, music and cinema She has one son and one twin sister She dislikes smoking She’s always quick to make a joke and if you are late for class, you have to eirther sing or dance foolishly in font of the entire class She’s also very intelliegent and can teach you more then you’ve bargained for When she teaches you a lesson, she will use the class as an example I like my English teacher because she is funny, nice, modest, beautiful and teaches very well She is an excellent teacher 23 Describe your best friend and tell why you like him or her (mieu ta nguoi ban thân) In our daily activities we often get in touch with the others and from these relations we meet some people whose interests, characteristics and behaviors are similar to ours and we choose them as our friends To me, one of my best friends is Nam Nam is only over eighteen but he is well developed; so he is thought to be twenty or more He has black hair, a broad forehead, a straight nose and bright eyes He is very good-looking He has a kind heart and is easy to get on with everybody We have been friends for a very long time The deeper our mutual understanding becomes the more we feel closely attached to each other “Birds of a feather flock together”, Nam and I are keen on learning We are the best pupils in our class Nam is always at the top He is good at every subject, but he never shows pride in his abilities and always tries to learn harder I like Nam very much because of his honesty and straight forwardness He is always ready to help his weak friends in their study; as a result, lots of friends, thanks to his whole-hearted help, have become good ones In my relation with Nam, I have got precious experience: thirst for learning, , helpfulness and filial piety 24 Your family(gia đình bạn) There are five people in my family They are: My parents, my elder brother, my younger brother and I My father is 55 years old He is a teacher of high school My mother is 50 years old She is a nurse of general hospital My elder brother is 35 years old He is an architect My younger brother and I are engineers I am 31 years old I am working for a construction company in Duy Xuyên district I am always pleased with my job My family often have dinner at hafl past six Then all members gather to watch television and share weal and woe to each other What is a friendly and warm atmosphere we have ever spent! My parents always help us out with food and money to overcome dificuties in the life Whatever I and wherever I go , I always think of my family 25 Write about Tet Holiday/ New Year Celebration (Viet ve ki nghi Tet/ viec to chuc nam moi) Lunar New Year, or Tet, is Vietnam’s main holiday It is the biggest and most important occasion in the year Tet marks the beginning of spring and the start of a new year Tet’s preparations and celebrations used to be spread over months, but nowadays the holiday is much shorter When Tet is coming near, spring fairs are organized, streets and public buildings are decorated with coloured lights and red banners Shops are full of goods and crowed with people shopping for Tet People are busy buying gifts, cleaning and decorating their houses and cooking traditional foods Homes are often decorated with plants and flowers at this time One the days of Tet everyone tries to be nice and polite to each other People visit other family members or friends, and they exchange New Year’s wishes Children receive their “lucky money” inside red envelops Many people go to the pagoda to pray for a happy year for themselves and their family Both children and adults take part in games and various forms of entertainment Tet is really a time of fun and festivals throughout the country