47 PHAN TU LUAN CHO GCSE

MATERIALS FOR THE GCSE PREPARATION – WRITING SKILLS - 2015 PHẦN TỰ LUẬN: (2 điểm) I Rewrite the following sentences using the words given so that it means exactly the same as the first sentence It’s a pity I can’t go to the game next Saturday (wish)  I _ Do I have to fill in any forms? (necessary)  Is _ I only found out the truth because I heard the two of them talking (found)  If I _ It is necessary that I post this letter tonight (need)  I _ This food is so good that I’m going to have some more (such)  This _ II Topic: Do we really need to have a good boss? Even though job situations can be very different, there are several qualities that all good supervisors have in common A good boss treats all her employees fairly She doesn't single out one employee for better (or worse) treatment than the others A poor supervisor has favorites Sometimes she'll even use her favorites to spy on other employees She expects them to tell her what the others are saying about her This can cause a lot of bad feelings among employees A good supervisor gives clear and understandable directions, She doesn't constantly change her mind about what she wants employees to She also doesn't get angry with an employee who is confused and needs her to explain the directions again or more fully Delegating authority well is another quality of a good supervisor She knows how to use the skills of her employees to best advantage A poor supervisor insists on doing everything herself She is unwilling to give any authority to others A good boss evaluates her employees on a reasonable set of criteria, not on how she feels about them personally And she lets the employees know what those criteria are, so they have a fair chance of meeting them She gives both praise and criticism in a straightforward manner She also offers guidance when needed A poor supervisor will criticize without giving any suggestions on how to improve Most importantly, a good supervisor sets the standards for her employees by her own behavior She works hard and treats employees like valuable assets to the company This promotes good morale among her workers, and this is of great benefit to her business PHẦN TỰ LUẬN: (2 điểm) I Rewrite the following sentences using the words given so that it means exactly the same as the first sentence Could you give me some advice? (like)  I _ “Please don’t smoke in the house.” she said to us (to)  She _ “Why didn’t you mention the problem before?” I asked them (had)  I asked them _ You are unfit because you don’t enough exercise (would)  If _ I bought myself some good new clothes I need them for my new job ( which)  I bought _ II Topic: Is a child better brought up in the countryside or in the city? There are advantages and disadvantages to a childhood in either the country or a city It's hard to say which is better Growing up in the country means a certain amount of isolation You're in a small town or on PREPARED BY ĐỖ BÌNH – THPT LIỄN SƠN, HUYỆN LẬP THẠCH, TỈNH VĨNH PHÚC TRANG 1/15 MATERIALS FOR THE GCSE PREPARATION – WRITING SKILLS - 2015 a farm and not with a lot of people Even more important, the people you meet every day tend to be just like you Most will be the same race as you, have the same background as you, and will have gone to the same schools as you In the city, the people you meet are all different There are different races and different cultures You get a more interesting mix City people tend to come from a lot of different places and move around a lot So, there isn't the sense of community in the city that you have in the country People in the city can live in the same apartment building for twenty years and never get to know their neighbors In the country, everybody knows everybody For a child, this means the country is more secure A child can get lost or hurt in the city and have no one to turn to In the country, everyone's a neighbor People in the country feel connected to each other A child growing up in the city has the advantage of a lot of interesting and exciting places to visit He or she can go to the zoo, museums, art galleries and concerts There are a lot of restaurants with different kinds of food It's easy to see every new movie that comes out Children in the country don't have a lot of these activities nearby All in all, I think a childhood in the city is better because it prepares you more for what real life is like PHẦN TỰ LUẬN: (2 điểm) I Rewrite the following sentences using the words given so that it means exactly the same as the first sentence People all over the country have helped the poor people in the flood region → The poor people _ It’s cold in the morning, so the children go to school in heavy clothes → Because of _ David has read a lot of books, however, he cannot find a good solution → Although _ It isn't necessary to finish the work today → You don't _ Hai finally managed to get a job → Hai finally succeeded II Topic: What are the factors to enable a longer life? With the development of human society, people are living longer now Many factors interacting together enable the longer life There are three most important causes: the quality of food has been greatly improved; people could have medical services; more and more people realize that regular sports benefit their health The improving quality of our food is the most important factor of the longer life We could have not only enough food as we want, but also the healthier food When we preparing food, we no longer consider the cost, but pay more attention to the nutritions of the food With the development of transportation systems, inland people now could also enjoy seafood and tropical fruit Furthermore, governments are paying more and more money on medical establishments Citizens could have medical services more easily Because of the convenient medical service more illnesses could be detected at an earlier stage Also, many illnesses that had been considered fatal could be cured today The better detection and cures enable people's longer life Last but not least important is that people care more for their own health Every morning you could see people doing sports outside More and more people have realized the saying "life is locomotion" Regular sports build up a strong body Naturally, people with stronger body could resist more diseases To sum up, the development of our society causes the longer life of people People have better food and better medical services And people spend more time on sports to build up stronger bodies As we could predict, people are going to live even longer PREPARED BY ĐỖ BÌNH – THPT LIỄN SƠN, HUYỆN LẬP THẠCH, TỈNH VĨNH PHÚC TRANG 2/15 MATERIALS FOR THE GCSE PREPARATION – WRITING SKILLS - 2015 PHẦN TỰ LUẬN: (2 điểm) I Rewrite the following sentences using the words given so that it means exactly the same as the first sentence Although he had a good salary, he was unhappy in his job → In spite I'm sorry that I didn't finish my homework last night → I wish _ Reading scientific books is one of my interests → I'm _ I’ve never seen a girl as beautiful as that girl → That is _ I don’t have any hats as cheap as this hat → This hat is _ II Topic: Do we really need to be good at team-working? We all work with many different kinds of people Different co-workers have different personality To me, my co-workers should have some important characteristics such as independence, optimism, and teamwork spirit I think a good co-worker must have his own opinions A co-worker should dare to propose his own opinions He should not say the same as others and hide his opinions Only everyone tries his best to analyze every aspect of a thing, it can be done best So independence of thinking is important for a co-worker Another important characteristic is optimism If we have some difficult problems, he must be brave and should not fear them He should encourage others to find methods to solve problems This point is very important because one’s mood can influence others easily Once a co-worker shows a little fear of difficulties, others may become discouraged soon So a good co-worker should be optimistic In addition, teamwork spirit is an important characteristic of a co-worker Although a co-worker should be independent to analyze a thing, he should be tolerant to the different people and their ways of working He should be willing to dedicate his energy, time and knowledge to reach the goal of whole team Independence, optimism and teamwork spirit are important characteristics of a co-worker If everyone in a work group has these characteristics, the group can overcome difficulties and reach its goals PHẦN TỰ LUẬN: (2 điểm) I Rewrite the following sentences using the words given so that it means exactly the same as the first sentence She never seems to succeed, even though she works hard →However _ A new flu vaccine has been on trial since the beginning of the year →They have _ Mary knew what the answer was after reading the book →By the time _ I took little notice of the girl standing at the gate →I didn’t _ It was easy for us to find the house →We had _ II Topic: Media are said to affect us different ways Discuss the matter in a composition I think the media pay too much attention to the private lives of famous people Television, newspapers, magazines and web sites dig up all kinds of past bad actions They say that these are true reflections of a person's character This may be true if they occurred only a few years before, but some of these are things PREPARED BY ĐỖ BÌNH – THPT LIỄN SƠN, HUYỆN LẬP THẠCH, TỈNH VĨNH PHÚC TRANG 3/15 MATERIALS FOR THE GCSE PREPARATION – WRITING SKILLS - 2015 people did as teenagers People in their forties are expected to explain something they did when they were fifteen If they killed someone, obviously that's more than a youthful mistake Usually, though, these incidents involve experiments with drugs or being reckless in a car They're not something that the public needs to know The media love to say that the public has a right to know That's not true We don't need to know if a movie star or politician has had an extramarital affair That is something of concern only to the people involved We need to know if someone we're electing to public office has been involved in shady business deals, but we don't need to know if he or she defaulted on a loan twenty years ago It seems the media dig up these facts without giving thoughtful consideration to what might happen It has an effect on the celebrity's family, especially the children A celebrity's good name and credibility may be ruined before he or she can prove that rumors are false If a case goes to court, paying a lawyer can use up all their money Even if it doesn't come to that, they may find their career ruined When are we, the public, going to make it clear to the media that we're tired of having to watch this kind of thing on the news? Wouldn't it be better if they would concentrate on more important issues? PHẦN TỰ LUẬN: (2 điểm) I Rewrite the following sentences using the words given so that it means exactly the same as the first sentence These young men became doctors after six years training →After these young men _ People believe that the Chinese invented paper in 105 A.D →Paper _ A man I don’t know told me about that →I was _ It takes six hours to drive from here to London →It is _ It was the goalkeeper that saved the match for us →Had _ II Topic: Man is the main factor to worsen the Earth People have been living on the Earth for thousands of years Human activity influences the Earth Some people believe that the Earth is being harmed by human activity Others feel that human activity makes the Earth a better place to live In my opinion, the earth is being damaged by human activity There are many statements supporting my opinion Human activity has damaged natural environment and almost exhausted natural resources Modern industry needs more and more resources, including minerals, fuels and water So we confront of the serious problems such as the lack of fuels and water Ecological balance is damaged because factories occupy many places where animals and plants live More and more buildings are constructed and forests become less and less If we cannot recognize these problems and solve them soon, we would finally lose the environment suitable for our living Another serious problem is "the green-house effect." Human activity decreases forests and increases the usage of fuels so that the gas of carbon dioxide is output more and more and there are not enough plants to absorb it The green-house effect is more obvious and more sensible these years Due to the effect, icebergs in the south polar and north polar melt and the sea level becomes higher than before I am worried about the cities nearby the sea and hope scientists find an effective method to eliminate the green-house effect Although we have advanced machines and our life seems more comfortable than before, we have less chances to approach natures and less spaces to act The cities become bigger and if we want to have a picnic with our friends, we have to drive a long distance to find a natural place In fact, the spaces of human activity are being damaged by the skyscrapers and factories PREPARED BY ĐỖ BÌNH – THPT LIỄN SƠN, HUYỆN LẬP THẠCH, TỈNH VĨNH PHÚC TRANG 4/15 MATERIALS FOR THE GCSE PREPARATION – WRITING SKILLS - 2015 From the above statements, we can conclude that human activity brings the Earth many damages Fortunately people have recognized the point and I believe that the Earth will become a better place to live with our ceaseless efforts PHẦN TỰ LUẬN: (2 điểm) I Rewrite each of the following sentences in such a way that the original meaning is exactly the same as the provided one I simply fail to understand some of my friends’ attitudes to work → I have some friends _ He didn't study his lessons very carefully, so he gets bad marks now → If he _ Although Judy was severely disabled, she took part in many sports → Despite _ The film was so interesting that I couldn’t go to bed → It was such _ “Why didn’t you go to the club last night?” the girl said to Jim → The girl asked _ II Topic: Human are said to greatly benefit from destroying their environment Do you really think so? The quality of human life has improved greatly over the past few centuries, but Earth is being harmed more and more by human activity As we develop our technology, we demand more from our planet Eventually, this will harm people as well Our planet gives us everything we need, but natural resources are not endless Strip mining devastates whole regions, leaving bare and useless ground Deforestation removes old growth trees that can't be replaced Too much fishing may harm fish populations to the point where they can't recover We are too careless in taking what we want without giving anything back There are more people than ever, living longer than ever So is it any surprise that many areas suffer from too much development? Anyone living in or near a city has experienced "urban sprawl." There is a new shopping area on every corner and new houses, townhouses and apartments everywhere Traffic gets worse and worse because planners can't keep up with growth Keeping up with human demand is hard enough Environmental concerns come in last With growth comes pollution Companies and communities dump waste into water Landfills are full of trash Emissions from factories pollute the air Barrels of industrial waste and worse, radioactive waste, have no safe place to go If we're not careful, we can harm our planet beyond repair People need to respect the Earth and try to preserve it If we don't, what kind of future will we have? PHẦN TỰ LUẬN: (2 điểm) I Rewrite the following sentences using the words given so that it means exactly the same as the first sentence He drove so badly that he kept having accidents (A)  He was _ Jim does not intend to give up his hobby.(INTENTION)  Jim has _ You didn’t come home early so the house was broken into and things were stolen (WOULD)  Had you _ How much are your shoes? (PRICE)  What is _? I’d prefer you not to drink tea at night.(RATHER)  I’d rather _ PREPARED BY ĐỖ BÌNH – THPT LIỄN SƠN, HUYỆN LẬP THẠCH, TỈNH VĨNH PHÚC TRANG 5/15 MATERIALS FOR THE GCSE PREPARATION – WRITING SKILLS - 2015 II Topic: Saving energy is saving our earning When faced with the decision of saving your money for some time in the future or enjoying your money when you earn it, quite a few would claim to enjoy their money, but others, in contrast, deem to save their money as the premier choice and that is also my point This quite different view is based on the every possible reason For most reason for saving the money for future use is when you need a lot of money to deal with some emergent things that happen to you, you should not worry about the fund or lend some money everywhere at that time For example, two years ago, I spend my summer holiday in a famous scenery pot, after a wonderful trip of the first day, I lost my wallet unconsciously, then I took out some money in the bank to finish the trip If you did not have some deposit, you can imagine how embarrassed you are Second, I have finished my college study, and I am going to go abroad to get a master degree to enhance the ability to face the challenge in the society Plenty of money is very important to me, so I have to save all the money that I economized for future use Third, the economy condition of my family is not so good that I decide to earn enough money to buy a big house for my deeply loving parents This is arbitrary to judge saving money for future use according only to the excuse I mentioned in the above paragraph But I not deny that enjoying the life is also important to everyone because of brief life That is to say, I will enjoy my money if I deposit enough PHẦN TỰ LUẬN: (2 điểm) I Rewrite the following sentences using the words given so that it means exactly the same as the first sentence Mary is so young that she can’t join our club (TOO)  Mary is _ The owners of the restaurants are usually very rich.(WHO)  The people _ It was easy for us to get tickets for the concert (NO)  We had _ They think the burglar got in through the bathroom (THOUGHT)  The burglar _ George failed the final exam because he was lazy.(BECAUSE OF)  Because of _ II Topic: Your thing to in free time Watching TV Do you like watching TV? Do you watch it regularly? If a living performance is available what, you think, will you choose, watching TV or attending the performance? But if I were you I will prefer the latter Watching TV is boring and exhaustive Just sitting before the grey box will make you sleepy You cannot feel the atmosphere in the auditorium which makes the audiences feel refreshed and excited You can appreciate all the programs through your own eyes not though the square glass screen There are many other audiences as well as you sitting there and watching the performance which makes you feel accompanied And you can communicate with others about what you have just seen or thought This gives you an opportunity to express your opinion And you know you are not alone then Going to see the performance out of your house is also good to your body For you may have a walk after the activity even go to a good bar and find something to drink You can also see some friends after the show Though I am not very sure about others I will commonly such things after a concert It makes me feel great So, to take part in a living show is my favorite choice Instead of watching TV I would like to have some performance publically It is better than the program in TV I think PREPARED BY ĐỖ BÌNH – THPT LIỄN SƠN, HUYỆN LẬP THẠCH, TỈNH VĨNH PHÚC TRANG 6/15 MATERIALS FOR THE GCSE PREPARATION – WRITING SKILLS - 2015 10 PHẦN TỰ LUẬN: (2 điểm) I Rewrite each of the following sentences in such a way that the original meaning is exactly the same as the provided one The keepers feed the lions at pm every day → The lions _ We got lost because we didn't have a map → If we _ I would prefer you to deliver the sofa on Friday → I would rather _ The bridge was so low that the bus couldn't go under it → It was _ That was a silly thing to say → What _ II Topic: Airlines have changed the ways we travel Do you think so? An airplane is a form of transportation that has changed people's lives Thanks to the plane, our lives are now faster, more exciting, and more convenient that before You cannot deny that a plane is fast For example, the Concorde flies at supersonic speed A businessman can leave Paris at 11 a.m in the morning and arrive in New York at a.m the same morning in time for a day's work Many business people in Europe will fly to London for a noon meeting and then return home to Rome or Madrid for dinner It is always exciting to take a plane trip When you take a trip by plane, you know that you might cross many time zones, many oceans, and many countries When you get off the plane, you could be in a place that speaks a different language A plane is like a magician's trick You get in a box and you come out somewhere totally different Nothing can beat the convenience of a plane In the old days, it might take you days to what the plane can it an hour Boats, for example, only leave on certain days of the week and take a long time to get to their destination Planes give you the option to leave several times a day and get you to your destination quickly Although other forms of transportation may be more comfortable, none has changed the way we business and live our lives more than the plane Thanks to the speed, excitement, and convenience of the planes, our lives are richer 11 PHẦN TỰ LUẬN: (2 điểm) I Rewrite each of the following sentences in such a way that the original meaning is exactly the same as the provided one Mr Holton only operated because he knew the rumour was malignant → Mr Holton wouldn't _ All that stood between John and a gold medal was Jim's greater speed → But for _ Immediately after their arrival, things went wrong → No sooner _ He was so tired that he fell asleep before the end of the film → He was too _ Hearing that an earthquake had occurred was a great shock to us → We were _ PREPARED BY ĐỖ BÌNH – THPT LIỄN SƠN, HUYỆN LẬP THẠCH, TỈNH VĨNH PHÚC TRANG 7/15 MATERIALS FOR THE GCSE PREPARATION – WRITING SKILLS - 2015 II Topic: Discuss the role of teachers in one’s life Most of us can learn how to something simple on our own with just a set of instructions However, to learn about something more complex, it's always best to have a teacher Teachers bring with them varied and useful backgrounds They've been trained to teach individuals in different ways depending on their style For instance, some students learn better by discussing a topic Others learn more by writing about it Teachers can help students learn in the way that's best for each student A textbook or a manual can only give you one way of learning something Plus they're only as helpful as your ability to understand them A good teacher can adapt her teaching to your needs Teachers help you focus on what you're learning If you're learning something by yourself, it's easy to become distracted and go on to other activities Teachers keep your attention on the subject They also approach a subject logically, taking it one step at a time On your own, it's tempting to skip parts of the learning process you think you don't need That can hinder your ability to really understand the subject Learning a subject on your own is a very narrow way of learning You can only use the information you get from the textbook With a teacher, you get the information in the written materials as well as the teacher's own knowledge of the topic Teachers can also provide extra materials to broaden the scope of what you're learning There's nothing wrong with studying on your own, and a learner can always benefit from some quiet study For the best possible learning, though, a good teacher is the biggest help you can have 12 PHẦN TỰ LUẬN: (2 điểm) I Rewrite each of the following sentences in such a way that the original meaning is exactly the same as the provided one The decorators have finished our first floor → We have _ Her hobby is one thing that she does not intend to give up → She has _ That is the best meal I have ever eaten → I have never _ Home computers used to be much more expensive → Home computers aren’t _ It was a mistake of mine to park outside the police station → I shouldn’t _ II Topic: Good neighbors are as good as relatives What you think about this? Neighbors are the people who live near us, and their behavior influence our daily life Good neighbors can make us feel comfortable and give us many help, and everyone will benefit from a good relationship among neighbors In my point of view, these are three conspicuous aspects of the qualities of a good neighbors One of the most important characteristic of good neighbors is that they have a good living habit and are friendly to others A person with bad habit will affect your daily life For example, children are most likely to be influenced by bad neighbors and carry on bad habits On the other hand, being friendly is also an important nature of good neighbors If neighbors are unfriendly, they are hard to approach and difficult to get along with Another important aspect of good neighbors is that they should be willing to help others In our daily life, emergency situations may happen, and we may encounter difficulties which cannot be resolved by ourselves At this time, the quickest help we can get is probably from our neighbors To some degree, neighbors are as important as relatives to us, because they could provide the immediate help In the same PREPARED BY ĐỖ BÌNH – THPT LIỄN SƠN, HUYỆN LẬP THẠCH, TỈNH VĨNH PHÚC TRANG 8/15 MATERIALS FOR THE GCSE PREPARATION – WRITING SKILLS - 2015 way, a neighbor who likes to help others will get help in return Help each others can form a friendly and harmonious relationship among the neighbors All in all, a good neighbor is someone who have a good living habit, is friendly and is willing to help others Taking into account of all these factors, we may reach the conclusion that a good relationship among neighbors need the maintenance from us 13 PHẦN TỰ LUẬN: (2 điểm) I Rewrite each of the following sentences in such a way that the original meaning is exactly the same as the provided one She knows a lot more about it than I → I don't know _ Let's go abroad for our holiday this year → Why _ During dinner, the phone rang → While I _ Your hair needs cutting → It's time you _ If you run a lot, you'll become healthy → The _ II Topic: Classes are really good for ones who attend? Discuss your opinion about this matter Nowadays, it becomes a heatedly debated topic whether a student should be required to attend classes or not Some people hold the opinion that the university students should be required to go to classes However, others have a negative attitude If I were forced to agree with one of the two positions, I would stand behind the latter My Arguments for this point are listed as follows I agree with the statement that going to classes should be optional for university students without reservation since I believe a student is supposed to attend those classes he or she is interested in Naturally, interest is the mother of study When attracted by a wonderful class, you will attend it unforcedly and immediately Nevertheless, not all classes are so popular in reality and no one has interest in every class Consequently, you should select the classes you like to attend for a higher efficiency of studying It can be given a good example, in current universities, many excellent students almost have the record of skipping some boring and undesirable classes Another reason that can be seen by everyone is that it contributes to build a university student's ability of learning by himself or herself Obviously, by choosing good and meaningful classes, giving up those undesirable, or studying these classes you cannot attend somehow by yourself, you will learn how to distribute your study time and acquire the capability of learning by yourself, which is tremendously important to modern university students Many celebrities, such as Bill Gates, have such powerful ability by not attending some classes when they were in university Admittedly, being required to attend classes has advantages of disciplining the student, however, considering most university students can discipline themselves on their own, I believe it is sagacious to agree with that going to classes should be optional for college or university students 14 PHẦN TỰ LUẬN: (2 điểm) I Rewrite each of the following sentences in such a way that the original meaning is exactly the same as the provided one They regret ever doing business with him → They wish _ We didn’t finish the work because of his carelessness → If _ PREPARED BY ĐỖ BÌNH – THPT LIỄN SƠN, HUYỆN LẬP THẠCH, TỈNH VĨNH PHÚC TRANG 9/15 MATERIALS FOR THE GCSE PREPARATION – WRITING SKILLS - 2015 If you followed my advice, you’d be successful → Were _ He left without saying a single word, which is very impolite → It was impolite _ Working for this travel agency will not be possible without a good command of English → Unless _ II Topic: Cooking for yourself is not only good for your health but also your pleasure Do you agree with this? In the modern life now, more and more people prefer to eat at food stands or restaurants They think that will save time so that they can have enough time to their jobs But I still prefer to prepare and eat food at home There several reasons First of all, you can save money if you eat at home In general, to get profit, the restaurants ask for more money on the same food you cook at home That is the waste of money To save money, you may prefer to prepare you food at home with less money The second, usually, the food in the restaurants is not what you are expecting you may dislike the way the restaurant cook the same dishes as you at home For example, the other day, I asked for potato in a restaurant After the first bite, I thought it was so awful My mom never cooked such potato for me! The bad lunch even destroyed my mood in that day The third, if you prepare food by yourself, you will have a happy mood when you eat it, regardless of the real savor of the food It goes a saying well "labor brings happiness" In addition, you can change your method of cooking considering your taste on that day The reasons above may can answer why I prefer to eat food at home Cooking even has become my hobby now Come back and have your delicious food, I'm sure you will like it! 15 PHẦN TỰ LUẬN: (2 điểm) I Rewrite each of the following sentences in such a way that the original meaning is exactly the same as the provided one “Why don’t you put better lock on the door, Barbara”? said John => John suggested _ Although his both legs were broken in the crash, he managed to get out of the car before it exploded => Despite his _ I haven’t eaten this kind of food before => This is the first _ The architect has drawn plans for an extension to the house => Plans _ It isn’t necessary for you to finish by Saturday => You _ II Topic: Living in city or countryside makes differences to anyone What you think about this? I grew up in a small town and then moved to a big city, so I have experienced the good and bad sides of both I never thought that I would like living in a big city, but I was wrong After ten years of living in one, I can't imagine ever living in a small town again Small towns and big cities both have some problems in terms of transportation In a small town, you have to own a car to ensure a comfortable living You can't get around without one because there isn't any kind of public transportation Big cities generally have heavy traffic and expensive parking, but there you have a choice of taking public transportation It's not free, but it's often cheaper than driving when you consider gas and time Especially if you don't have a car, you're better off in the city I love the excitement of big cities Small towns have a slow pace Large cities mean you have to adapt to a variety of situations, like finding a new route to work or trying a new restaurant I enjoy that challenge very much Another pan of the excitement of city living is the variety of cultural activities available There is a PREPARED BY ĐỖ BÌNH – THPT LIỄN SƠN, HUYỆN LẬP THẠCH, TỈNH VĨNH PHÚC TRANG 10/15 MATERIALS FOR THE GCSE PREPARATION – WRITING SKILLS - 2015 The train _ II TOPIC: Write an essay to discuss the opinion that arts should or shouldn’t be taught in high schools There have existed debates whether arts be taught in high schools People who support the ideals find it necessary that high school students know as much about arts as possible In contrast, the protestors think teaching arts to high school students is really a waste of time and money It is generally said by the supporters that studying arts benefits high school students several ways The first good thing is that arts help students have background knowledge of not only the nation but the world cultures and history Another benefit is that arts equip students with many necessary skills such as; creative thinking, observing, problem solving, and critical thinking People who want arts to be taught to high school students also agree that arts are very fun and interesting to learn We can say in other words arts are attractive to any learners The other advantage of arts is that learning arts help students to build team spirit and community as art activities can be done in groups Moreover, arts enable students to socialize and students become more and more civilized and responsible In contrast, protestors believe that there is not enough time for teachers to cover all kinds of subjects at school So they should focus on core subjects like Maths, foreign languages and physics, etc to save time and money arts should only be elective, not compulsory subjects Furthermore, students can learn more about arts via media and arts are then their leisure activities Additionally, arts, in the protestors’ opinion, should be taught by parents as they may understand their children’s ability and talents better To conclude, there are different opinions that arts should or shouldn’t be taught in high schools Each side has reasonable explanations to convince and prove the points of view For me, we can hardly be civilized without knowledge of arts Sooner or later, in my opinion, arts should be taught to students to help them enrich their knowledge, to discover their talents to better their own lives 28 PHẦN TỰ LUẬN: (2 điểm) I Rewrite each of the following sentences in such a way that the original meaning is exactly the same as the provided one John has not had his hair cut for over six months It is _ Maria says she’d like to have been put in a higher class Maria wishes _ Would you like me to finish the work tonight? I’ll _ You may get hungry on the train, so take some sandwiches In _ My husband didn’t leave the car keys, so I couldn’t pick him up at the station If my husband _ II TOPIC: Write about the causes of the fact that families now are not as close-knit as they were in the past It is widely believed that home is where love dwells and that east or west home is the best That means family is so important to any of us that we hardly grow up without the care from family members It is also true that the social, economic changes make the traditional family formulas vary Although different people have different points of view on the matters, we all agree that families now are not as close-knit as they used to be The causes are various, but we can count for the three main points below The first cause is that in our modern life we all seem to have so busy lives and dynamic lifestyles People now are so busy with working, earning, getting promotions, taking part in social activities, etc People are likely to have longer working hours because of their demand of earning more and more People seem to be never satisfied with what they have In families, under the economic pressure, both parents work so they have less time for themselves as well as for other family members PREPARED BY ĐỖ BÌNH – THPT LIỄN SƠN, HUYỆN LẬP THẠCH, TỈNH VĨNH PHÚC TRANG 19/15 MATERIALS FOR THE GCSE PREPARATION – WRITING SKILLS - 2015 Another cause is that due to the explosion of modern technologies people are more interested in their online lives than interacting with other family members It is sometimes thought that people seem to isolate themselves with their mobile-phones, tablets, personal computers, and other information technological devices Having different viewpoints is the other cause of course The generation gaps sometimes cause misunderstandings or even debates Information technology also brings opportunities to diverse viewpoints within family members Having different opinions pulls people far from one another Above all, though changes of traditional families are unavoidable, we are to shorten the gaps among family members to be as close-knit as possible Because family life is very important to any individual, each member must be responsible for bringing all family members closer together 29 PHẦN TỰ LUẬN: (2 điểm) I Rewrite each of the following sentences in such a way that the original meaning is exactly the same as the provided one “I don’t think John will come”, said Bill Bill doubted _ The postman was bitten by our dog Our dog _ We couldn’t drive because of the fog The fog prevented _ Although his leg was broken he managed to get out of the car In spite _ The cake was so hard so I couldn’t cat it It was _ II TOPIC: Write to suggest measures governments and individuals can take to reduce the global warming It was reported recently by the U.S scientists that the volume of ice on the North Pole is now the smallest within 36 last years That is caused by the global warming process Various other bad things human beings are now facing are also related to the warming of the Earth climate The fact is that we are the main agents who are responsible for the worsening of the nature So, individuals and governments throughout the world should co-operate to stop the natural environment worsening process Each individual first must be more aware of the need to protect our environment for not only our own lives but also the next generations The first easy thing one can is to save the energy by using less heat and air-conditioning, using energy-efficient products, or even driving less Another way is to recycle paper, plastic, newspaper, glass, etc When the recycling is practiced, it helps to reduce the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere The other thing is to plant more trees because as we know, trees can absorb carbon dioxide and give off oxygen The fact is that the mission is not done by one or a group of persons so we should educate the community and encourage everyone to join hands to recycle and conserve energy Countries all over the world, rich or poor, developed, developing or underdeveloped should cooperate to better the situation First of all, governments are better to inform their citizens about the global warming facts and the mishaps that people may face if the process goes on Then, in order to reduce the emissions, governments should impose heavier taxes on the produce of greenhouse gas emissions Factories and companies that over-emit may not be allowed to operate or even be closed Moreover, bigger sums of money must be spent on researches discovering the alternative sources of energy Additionally, stricter laws on environmental problems should be passed and enforced to better the surroundings for people to live After all, the work to recover the environment and to stop the global warming process cannot be done overnight or completed by one person or one nation, we, human beings all over the world, must co-act to share the missions Though this is the international millennium goals, each individual can something now to help to realize man’s purpose PREPARED BY ĐỖ BÌNH – THPT LIỄN SƠN, HUYỆN LẬP THẠCH, TỈNH VĨNH PHÚC TRANG 20/15 MATERIALS FOR THE GCSE PREPARATION – WRITING SKILLS - 2015 30 PHẦN TỰ LUẬN: (2 điểm) I Rewrite each of the following sentences in such a way that the original meaning is exactly the same as the provided one We didn’t go because it rained If it hadn’t _ I can’t cook as well as my mother does My mother _ I don’t suppose you have change for a pound, you? Do you happen _ He failed to win the race He didn’t _ Mary rang hours and hours ago It’s hours _ II TOPIC: Write to describe your all-time favorite movie In life, although I have several hobbies, watching movies is the one I am more interested in I have watched countless films so far, but BẾN KHÔNG CHỒNG, a product of VFC (Vietnam Film Corporation) in 2001, is the one that has created the biggest impression on me ever since The film is set in the time of our war against the American troops in the South to unify the country and the construction to build a communist country in the North The ground of the story is in a tranquil poor farming village in the North The main characters are Mr Van, a veteran, a secretary of the village’s Communist Youth Union named Hanh, the two widows and the villagers The story happens right inside the village to the bank of a no-name-river having a namely Khong Chong river five-step-wharf After serving in the army Van came back to his village in which there were only old villagers together with almost widows, girls and very few disabled men When Van returned, he was appointed head of the village armed group which consisted of around six armed girls including Hanh – Van’s former sweetheart’s daughter Van lived under the same roof with a land-lord widow and her 16 year-old son Van was then admired by all the villagers, so he tried his best to meet the residents’ expectations Though sometimes the mid-forties man felt lonely, he tried not to wrong thing especially on sex Time passed, peace was then established with the unification declaration, the village was still under the misery of the war unhappiness Hanh married to an Army captain, but had no child for long Debates and conflicts occurred, which made Hanh left her husband So disappointed, and hopeless, she entered Van’s hut by a showery night The two thirsty unhappy persons met, and then Hanh was pregnant Unable to live with the villagers’ prejudice, Van and Hanh left the homeland, and finally Van killed himself by the river wharf Ben Khong Chong The scenes in the movie are colorful and interesting, typical for a North Vietnam’s rural village The story is touching and rather mournful The acting of the main characters is excellent as they are all famous actors and actresses The film leaves us valuable lessons in life, and helps us know more about the rural life courtesy I must say that it is one of the best movies I have ever watched in my life 31 PHẦN TỰ LUẬN: (2 điểm) I Rewrite each of the following sentences in such a way that the original meaning is exactly the same as the provided one I’m sorry that I didn’t finish my homework last night I wish _ She asked Michael how she liked her new dress “How _ PREPARED BY ĐỖ BÌNH – THPT LIỄN SƠN, HUYỆN LẬP THẠCH, TỈNH VĨNH PHÚC TRANG 21/15 MATERIALS FOR THE GCSE PREPARATION – WRITING SKILLS - 2015 A train leaves at o’clock every morning There is _ Nobody can deny that she has a beautiful voice It _ I would like you to help me to put the chairs away Do you mind _ II TOPIC: Write to discuss the opinion that women make better women than men Women for long are said to be more suited for being mothers and housewives That means the natural roles of women for many people are child-bearing and home-making only That is why there exists the opinion that women make better parents than men Naturally, many people agree that women have better intuitive intelligence than men Women are better at reading the children’s signals, so they can easily satisfy children’s needs They also have better emotional understanding of what the kids are going through In addition, women have a closer bond with their children They create that during the nine months pregnancy and the early period of child rearing It is true that on average women spend more time than men on child rearing and care taking Commonly, men tend to be out to work a lot and they seem to spend little time with their children Significantly, breeding makes the relation between women and their children more close-knit On the contrary, there are many single fathers who can totally dedicate their lives to their children And, according to some researches, children of single mothers tend to have more chance of crime It is also true that no one come to parenthood and immediately knows everything Learning and practicing can help fathers perform as well as mothers Moreover, men and women bring different benefits to their children People believe that fathers can teach their children better than mothers in many ways Commonly, children regard their fathers as more energetic, strong-willed, and ambitious whereas mothers as more kind-hearted, sensitive, and emotional To sum up, there are different good things women and men can for their children It is obvious that parents who love their children can their tasks well, and both fathers and mothers give their children good things to some extent It will be lucky and far better for a child to be brought up by both good father and mother Parents should join hands to give their children good life and education 32 PHẦN TỰ LUẬN: (2 điểm) I Rewrite each of the following sentences in such a way that the original meaning is exactly the same as the provided one The child will die if nobody sends for a doctor Unless _ He would prefer you to pay him immediately He’d rather _ The water was so cold that the children couldn’t swim in it The water was not _ Somebody repaired her car yesterday She _ You must see the manager tomorrow morning You’ve _ II TOPIC: Write about the changes that information technology brings to your life We are now living in the Era of the Information technology, and we feel happy to be supported by modern technologies which make our lives more comfortable and convenient For me, information technology brings me so many positive changes though sometimes it does cause some troubles It is undeniable that information technology helps bring my family members closer together as we always keep in touch with help of telephones, internet, and other conveniences Beside, information PREPARED BY ĐỖ BÌNH – THPT LIỄN SƠN, HUYỆN LẬP THẠCH, TỈNH VĨNH PHÚC TRANG 22/15 MATERIALS FOR THE GCSE PREPARATION – WRITING SKILLS - 2015 technology helps us stay in touch with the world around Every day, we are well-informed by reading news, watching videos, browsing websites We can also learn much about the entire world from our own tables or even beds Information technology provides us more choices of how, where, when and what to things Beneficially, we have more chances to earn because there are always numerous jobs available in the IT field that helps us make money and shop Moreover, information technology helps us to broaden our knowledge as we can learn or take various online and offline courses Socially, we seem to have more and more friends both at home and overseas, we can also share opinions, date with the help of information technology On the other hand, modern technology can also make us more isolated when we are absorbed in technological devices We sometimes feel annoyed by bad and poisonous information, images, or websites We are also afraid of losing confidential documents and files Seriously, spywares are now so popular that they make us very much worried and we have to spend more to protect our technological products Good or bad, I really think I am lucky enough to live in this information age I cannot imagine my life without the help of information technology The most important thing I need to is to take full advantages of the information technology to better my life and try hard to reduce the bad effects that may bring to my life 33 PHẦN TỰ LUẬN: (2 điểm) I Rewrite each of the following sentences in such a way that the original meaning is exactly the same as the provided one There was never any answer when we rang Every _ That’s an insulting name to use for him Don’t call _ John asked if it was the blue one or the green she wanted Which _ She liked Paris very little, and Rome less She thought Rome _ I can meet you if you arrive before eleven So _ II TOPIC: Write to describe your life in the 20 years’ time It is obvious that no one knows for sure what his tomorrow will be like, but he can make guesses For me, it is likely that my 20 years’ time life will be very different from what it is now Take work first for example, I think I will get a good job which I very much want to There is a tendency that I will start up my own business then I may invest in stock market and make a great fortune I will at that time be satisfied with what I earn, and never worry about financial matters Studying will change, too In 20 years’ time, it is likely that I will take various professional courses, and I tend to have several MA or PhD degrees in some different fields such as economy, education, and culture I will probably enroll in different courses to get higher and higher diplomas For lifestyle, I hope I will have balanced diets, live healthily and actively I may get married to the one I love and we plan to have one or two kids I will spend as much time for my family as possible We will travel to different countries in the world on our yearly holiday of course We will also afford weekly or monthly trips to beauty spots throughout the country In the future, I will live in a big house with modernly-equipped living rooms, bedrooms, kitchen, toilets and an open air space garden in front of a four-car garage As I love animals very much, I will raise some pets in my house including some different kinds of dogs, cats, parrots, doves, and others Transportation means are also my concern I will then own some most fashionable hybrid luxurious cars to use in different occasions I will travel by air whenever travelling in distances In my dream, I am likely to keep in touch with all high school and university friends There will always be available most up-to-date means of communications for me to have good relationships with relatives, friends, colleagues, partners, or even acquaintances PREPARED BY ĐỖ BÌNH – THPT LIỄN SƠN, HUYỆN LẬP THẠCH, TỈNH VĨNH PHÚC TRANG 23/15 MATERIALS FOR THE GCSE PREPARATION – WRITING SKILLS - 2015 Naturally, the future is not ours to see, but we have rights lo lead our own life, to shape our thinking, to build up our future As I am an optimistic and dynamic man, I will try my best to realize my dreams to make our wishes become true someday 34 PHẦN TỰ LUẬN: (2 điểm) I Rewrite each of the following sentences in such a way that the original meaning is exactly the same as the provided one They will catch all the prisoners again by tonight All the prisoners _ I’ve warned you not go to near that dog I’ve warned you about _ No, please don’t tell him I’d rather _ Why don’t ask her yourself? I suggest _ An up-to-date visa is necessary for Andorra You’ll _ II TOPIC: Write a letter to pen-pal to talk about your family rules ……………, September 21st, 2014 Dear Jim, I am writing to talk about my family rules It is an interesting topic, isn’t it? It may br obvious that every family has its own rules Mine has a few, apart from the traditional ones, especially for this school year as I am in the final year First, I am not allowed to watch much TV, except when there is a good or very interesting film or an academic game show, or when I have finished all my homework and exercises And hardly my parents let me stay up so late at night Next, my parents rarely permit me to go out with friends without necessary reasons for example birthdays or funerals Besides, I have to take the balanced diets to keep fit for my coming examinations And one more thing I have to keep up is talking on the phone That is why I have to set a limit to my using of the phone Furthermore, I don’t have to much housework though we share that all together Do you think I have a lot of rules to abide? Or I have no rights or freedom to what I want or like? Tell me about your family rules, will you? It is much fun to hear about then Write to me as soon as you can I look forward to hearing from you Best wishes, Mai 35 PHẦN TỰ LUẬN: (2 điểm) I Rewrite each of the following sentences in such a way that the original meaning is exactly the same as the provided one “ Why don’t you put better lock on the door, Barbara”? said John => John suggested _ Although his both legs were broken in the crash, he managed to get out of the car before it exploded => Despite his _ I haven’t eaten this kind of food before => This is the first _ The architect has drawn plans for an extension to the house => Plans _ It isn’t necessary for you to finish by Saturday PREPARED BY ĐỖ BÌNH – THPT LIỄN SƠN, HUYỆN LẬP THẠCH, TỈNH VĨNH PHÚC TRANG 24/15 MATERIALS FOR THE GCSE PREPARATION – WRITING SKILLS - 2015 => You _ II TOPIC: Write a letter to pen-pal to talk about your family ……………, September 26th, 2014 Dear Michael, I am writing to talk about my family as requested in your last letter There are four members in my family; my parents, my elder brother and I My dad is now at his fortyfive and my mom is two years younger My elder brother is twenty-two of age My dad is a teacher at a local high school, and he has to work nearly weekdays Very often he has extra classes on weekends, sometimes he has evening classes My mom is a farmer and she has to work hard in the fields nearly daily from early morning till dark My elder brother is now a final year university student, so he has very little time to be at home with other family members Although my parents are very busy, they try hard to spare as much time to take care of their children as possible My mom is a really caring woman who is always the first to get up to prepare for other family members things to start a new day, and the last to go to bed to make sure that everything is under control My dad is always willing to join hands to make us a nice house and a happy home My brother and I love helping my parents in all sort of work whenever we have chance In my family, members care as much for others as possible to make a close-knit family We are admired so much by the neighboring residents Whenever problems come up, we discuss the matters all together frankly to find out solutions quickly We also share all happiness and worries, so we all feel happy, safe and secure at home just as the saying we love “Home is where love dwells and thrives” As you know, I am now in my final secondary year, preparing for the coming examinations with so much pressure Therefore, all members in my family encourage and give me the best to help me realize my dreams That is some about my family, and I would very much like to hear about yours in turn I hope you will share with me your family life I look forward to hearing from you soon Yours sincerely, Lan 36 PHẦN TỰ LUẬN: (2 điểm) I Rewrite each of the following sentences in such a way that the original meaning is exactly the same as the provided one “ How many survivors are there?”, asked the journalist => The journalist wanted to know _ It was such rotten meat that it had to be thrown away => The meat was _ It is essential that Profesor Van Helsing is met at the airport => Profesor Van Helsing _ You can’t visit the USA unless you have a visa => If you _ “ Can I borrow your typewriter, Janet”? asked Peter => Peter asked if _ II TOPIC: Write about the formal school education system in Vietnam The current formal school education system in Vietnam, as we all know, consists of three levels; preschool, primary and secondary educations Secondary education is divided into lower and upper stage Now, in some provinces especially in cities, there are two parallel school systems in pre-school, primary or even secondary education; state and private schools Tuition fees are different very much from state to private schools In both systems, the academic year, from early September to late May, is divided into two semesters consisting of four to five months each PREPARED BY ĐỖ BÌNH – THPT LIỄN SƠN, HUYỆN LẬP THẠCH, TỈNH VĨNH PHÚC TRANG 25/15 MATERIALS FOR THE GCSE PREPARATION – WRITING SKILLS - 2015 Children usually start their pre-school at the age of three, when they go to the nurseries but this stage is not compulsory When children reach the age of six, they must go to primary schools The primary education lasts five years with grades; from grade to grade After having finished primary education, children can go to lower secondary schools from grade to grade Children who complete lower secondary may be accepted to upper secondary schools which last three years with grades; ten to twelve It depends on the locality that children have to take the entrance examination to be upper secondary students Children finish the school education when they finish grade 12 Often, at the end of upper secondary education, student have to take the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE), the requirement to go to university or college, The GCSE used to take place in early June, but this year in early July 37 PHẦN TỰ LUẬN: (2 điểm) I Rewrite each of the following sentences in such a way that the original meaning is exactly the same as the provided one She started working as a secretary five years ago => She has _ She knows a lot more about it than I => I don’t know _ My French friend finds driving on the left difficult => My French friend isn’t _ They think the owner of the house is abroad => The owner _ We didn’t go on holiday because we did not have enough money => If we _ II TOPIC: Write a letter of request to UCAS to ask for information about the admission requirements to the university 475/57 Le Thanh Ton St District Ho Chi Minh City March 15th, 2008 Dear Sir/Madam, I’ve read a lot about tertiary study in the UK and very impressed by the reputation of many famous universities there I am writing now to apply for the course and to ask for the admission requirements to the university Now, I am in the last year of the high school and will finish secondary education in months I am very much interested in an undergraduate course in economics in Birmingham University At school I have learnt English for years now, and my English is good enough to communicate with English speaking residents Moreover, I am rather good at natural science subjects, and I am also very much interested in social activities My family income is absolutely good enough to pay for my life and study abroad, too I have good health and am willing to live on my own What my family and I want to know now is the detailed admission requirements to the university and the degrees I will be granted after finishing the course Could you please send me some information about the admission requirements, tuitions fees, accommodation and details of the course? I am ready to supply any information about myself if necessary I look forward to hearing from you soon Yours faithfully, Hoang Thanh Nam 38 PHẦN TỰ LUẬN: (2 điểm) I Rewrite each of the following sentences in such a way that the original meaning is exactly the same as the provided one PREPARED BY ĐỖ BÌNH – THPT LIỄN SƠN, HUYỆN LẬP THẠCH, TỈNH VĨNH PHÚC TRANG 26/15 MATERIALS FOR THE GCSE PREPARATION – WRITING SKILLS - 2015 The children couldn’t go swimming because the sea was rough => The sea was too _ The mechanic serviced my car last week => I _ I’m always nervous when I travel by air => Travelling _ He couldn’t afford to buy the car, => The car _ “Why don’t you put your luggage under the seat?” he asked => He suggested _ II TOPIC: Write a letter to Vinatour, applying for the job mentioned in the advertisement in a newspaper Flat 3,324, Ly Thuong Kiet Street, Hanoi October 16th, 2014 Hanoi Vinatour 250, Nguyen Du Street, Hanoi Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing in reply to your advertisement in the Vietnam News for experienced English-speaking local guides to accompany foreign visitors on trips throughout Vietnam To tell the truth, I am very much interested in the post and hope to get it After reading the requirement for applicants, I can say by sure that I meet all of the qualifications that you specify I was awarded High School Certificate two years ago with flying colors After leaving high school, I worked as an accountant in a small travel agency for one year, where I was given a training course on tourism Then I had one year of experience as a tour guide so I know many tourist areas in Vietnam arid have a basic knowledge of Vietnamese culture, history, geography and the people Moreover, I was a good student at English at school and achieved some prizes for English-speaking and English-in-use contests, so I can say that I speak English fluently and be able to communicate effectively with English speaking partners In addition, I am a sociable and confident person and can work hard for long hours I would like to work for you and would appreciate the opportunity to discuss this position with you in person I am looking forward to hearing from you at your convenience Yours faithfully, Nguyen Quoc Anh 39 PHẦN TỰ LUẬN: (2 điểm) I Rewrite each of the following sentences in such a way that the original meaning is exactly the same as the provided one Although he had a good salary, he was unhappy in his job In spite of _ I’m sorry I missed your birthday party I wish _ They haven’t cleaned the streets this week The streets _ Apples are usually cheaper than oranges Apples are not _ I advice you to put your money in the bank You’d _ II TOPIC: Write about measures to take to protect endangered animals We now all know clearly that our environment is worsening day by day Although countless efforts have been made to better the situations, the matter seems not to be much improved Thousands of species have been vanishing, many other thousands are being threatened to be extinct To solve the problems, or even PREPARED BY ĐỖ BÌNH – THPT LIỄN SƠN, HUYỆN LẬP THẠCH, TỈNH VĨNH PHÚC TRANG 27/15 MATERIALS FOR THE GCSE PREPARATION – WRITING SKILLS - 2015 to slower the process of extinction, there are a number of measures that should be taken to protect endangered animals The first problem is that people not know much about the need to rare and endangered animals Therefore, people should be taught about the importance of the wildlife and rare animals in the ecosystem It also seems that projects to save endangered animals not have sufficient funds, and that our mission is to raise enough funds to run these plans efficiently Another bad thing is that the habitats for wild animals are being seriously damaged or polluted To better homes for the wildlife we should protect their habitats from being degraded and then help build up good habitats for all species to live in Sometimes, people who live in or near the endangered species’ habitats have poor living conditions and rely mostly on wildlife products for their livelihood Urgently, governments should raise these people’s living standards by providing them with jobs, and help them to live well with the nature The other reasons are that some countries not have laws to protect the vulnerable animals, people keep buying fashionable wildlife products, and there are not enough wildlife habitat reserves To deal with these challenges, governments all over the world had better soon pass and enforce laws to protect the nature, to make the purchasing products related to wild species and to build up more and more natural reserves for endangered ones to survive and develop Protecting the environment today is offering us and the next generations more prosperous future To save the endangered species means to save the earth and to save ourselves 40 PHẦN TỰ LUẬN: (2 điểm) I Rewrite each of the following sentences in such a way that the original meaning is exactly the same as the provided one That restaurant is so dirty that no one wants to eat there It is such _ I’ll pick the children up if you like Would you _ He objected to the fact that his secretary came to work late He was annoyed _ Tom is the most industrious pupil No other pupil _ She isn’t accustomed to life in London She’s not used to _ II TOPIC: Write to describe your all-time favorite book In life, although I have several hobbies, reading books is the one I am more interested in I have read countless books so far, but THỜI XA VẮNG (THE FARAWAY TIME), a romance novel written by one of the most Vietnamese 20 century famous and beloved novelists LÊ LỰU, is the one that has created the greatest impression on me ever since The story is set in the time of our war against the American troops in the South to unify the country and the construction to build a communist country in the North The ground of the story is in a tranquil poor farming village in the North The main characters are GIANG MINH SAI, a village schoolboy a veteran then a brick-works manager, a schoolgirl then a city dweller named HUONG, and some other characters When still school students of about grade (the first year high school at that time), SAI and HUONG had fallen in love with each other They harbored and norished a very romantic love, but modern at the time being, though the two families did not want them to be Growing up together in that poor village SAI and HUONG then chose the two different paths though their soul seemed to belong to each other HUONG furthered her study in a city bearing her sweetheart’s image and love, wishing to reunite one day SAI joined the army, devoted his life, and love to the national ideal targets, he even got married to the girl he could not PREPARED BY ĐỖ BÌNH – THPT LIỄN SƠN, HUYỆN LẬP THẠCH, TỈNH VĨNH PHÚC TRANG 28/15 MATERIALS FOR THE GCSE PREPARATION – WRITING SKILLS - 2015 share his bed Then came their old age, the two lovers bitterly realized that they had forgot their precious emotion for their day-dream goals The scenes in the book are interesting poetic and romantic, typical for a young couple’s enthusiastic truthful, deep love The story is touching and rather sad The story leaves us valuable lessons in life, and helps us know more about the lifestyle of our ancestors I must say that it is one of the best and most moving novels I have ever read in my life 41 PHẦN TỰ LUẬN: (2 điểm) I Rewrite each of the following sentences in such a way that the original meaning is exactly the same as the provided one My boyfriend is very short-tempered My boyfriend loses _ You can use it as long as you like, and it won’t wear out No matter _ If the work is finished by lunchtime you can go home Get _ How have you been getting on with your enquiries? How much _ I gave Ted the massage, but he already knew about it I needn’t _ II TOPIC: Write an essay to express you wish to work for an international organization, giving the reasons why you choose the organization When still a little boy, I read an article about the World Health Organization (WHO), I realized that health is of the most important factor affecting one’s quality of life, and that helping to improve people’s health is a noble profession Since then, I have harbored the dream to work for the Organization for a number of reasons as following First, working for the World Health Organization (WHO) gives me opportunities to live abroad, to use English at work, and to have high salary I am an active and dynamic person so I think it will be an interesting life to have chance to travel far and wide to meet different people of different personalities and nationalities Second, I will be able to further my biology knowledge by doing numerous medical researches I can also understand more about life mechanism, the reactions of the bodies to the changes of the surroundings Of course, working for the World Health Organization (WHO) will offer me occasions to meet, to have talks with well-known people worldwide As far as I can say, taking care of other people’s health is always a respectful job Working as an official of the World Health Organization (WHO) helps me to be more aware of the value of life Looking after the ones who struggle to survive will give me strength and hope, help me think more optimistically and more positive things Living is sacrificing I for long have considered this proverb as one of my life approaches I will try my best to realize my dream some day in the future 42 PHẦN TỰ LUẬN: (2 điểm) I Rewrite each of the following sentences in such a way that the original meaning is exactly the same as the provided one I get to work in 20 minutes It _ It is necessary that this work be finished by Monday This work _ It’s a pity I didn’t take my doctor’s advice PREPARED BY ĐỖ BÌNH – THPT LIỄN SƠN, HUYỆN LẬP THẠCH, TỈNH VĨNH PHÚC TRANG 29/15 MATERIALS FOR THE GCSE PREPARATION – WRITING SKILLS - 2015 I wish _ The bread is so tale we can’t eat it The bread isn’t _ Who does this bag belong to? Whose _ II TOPIC: In today’s competitive world, many families find it necessary for both parents to go out to work While some say the children in these families benefit from the traditional income, others feel they lack support because of their parents’ absence Discuss both these views and give your own opinions In the business-driven culture nowadays, in order to adopt all of the so-called symbols of advanced life, in many families; both parents have to work hard all day long for their children to enjoy the best It’s true that those children benefit from the joint income and the same, those grew up lacking parental support, and this practice is creating a negative feedback loop On the first note, one of the external influences on a child’s development is economic status; children in impoverished or low-income families are, often times, more prone to emotional difficulties than other children because parents have limited resources to address the children’s needs as an asset to a child’s overall development Therein, the income of parents is directly influential in the quality of care as well as of life a child has So out of the love for their children, willy-nilly, both parents have no choice but work outside However, gaining higher economic status does not guarantee better child development, in return to this, something must be lost Parents with the help of close emotional bonds with children will be able to enhance a child’s motivation to comply with rules and requests and is associated with positive long termoutcomes so that they will grow up more independent, emphatic, and socially competent Secure attachments to parents will underpin a child for positive, self-fulfilling expectations about other people which he will take into future relationships In an evolving culture where parents spend more time working and less time with their child, the child’s overall development is the one to suffer- the long-term implications of which not yet fully realized Yet, it is important to step back and consider the quality of the current cultural environment and the ill-developed children it may produce, obviously this leads to the disability to handle relationships and the child fail to function better both socially and professionally, and this may impact generation after generation Children need their parents to be affectionate, caring beings, whether working parent or stay-home parent; it doesn’t matter much What really counts is that the parent loves the child, fosters secure attachments with her child and fathoms of what the child’s needs are Otherwise, it is society that bears the consequences; its citizens are all ill- developed ones 43 PHẦN TỰ LUẬN: (2 điểm) I Rewrite each of the following sentences in such a way that the original meaning is exactly the same as the provided one “Don’t forget to phone the office,” she told him She reminded _ I’m afraid I haven’t got time to listen to you I wish _ The police has just released John John _ I couldn’t hear them because they were speaking too softly They were speaking _ We spent hours getting to London It took _ II TOPIC: Write a letter to recommend a significant place to visit in Vietnam to your foreign friend Vietnam, in worldwide people’s eyes, is the countries of landscapes, beauty spots, tourist attractions, and of course historical addresses That means one can easily choose a destination for his journey to this very PREPARED BY ĐỖ BÌNH – THPT LIỄN SƠN, HUYỆN LẬP THẠCH, TỈNH VĨNH PHÚC TRANG 30/15 MATERIALS FOR THE GCSE PREPARATION – WRITING SKILLS - 2015 beautiful country Of all the sights, I would very like to recommend visitors a tourist destination of HUONG PAGODA Located in the North, about 30 kilometers south-west of Hanoi capital, Huong Pagoda has long been known as one of the most beautiful sights, the most important religious place to visit It was once named “NAM THIEN DE NHAT DONG- THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CAVE IN VIETNAM” by one of the Nguyen Dynasty Emperors After about 40 minutes driving or riding from the centre of Hanoi Capital city, we will then arrive at a large stream (namely SUOI DUC) water wharf Catching one of numerous waiting boats, we can travel as far as kilometers to meet with the hillside ramps While on boat, we have chance to enjoy the very beautiful sights of hills, caves and enjoy the pure environment of water reflecting sky Climbing up thousands of stone ramps on foot or taking cable-cars uphill, we then face the main pagoda building Along the hillside path to the top, we absolutely forget all tiredness to be deeply stimulated by the natural beauty and fresh surroundings Stood on the top of upfolded hills the primary pagoda is together with supporting temples and other religious constructions Millions of home and foreign visitors come to HUONG PAGODA yearly to make it one of the most beloved tourist attractions not only in Vietnam, but the continent as well With the country’s promising economic development, the explosion of science and technology, the great attention to care for by the governments and people, HUONG PAGODA is more and more attractive to both Vietnamese and overseas tourists 44 PHẦN TỰ LUẬN: (2 điểm) I Rewrite each of the following sentences in such a way that the original meaning is exactly the same as the provided one Her grief was so great that she almost fainted –> So great was her grief that she almost fainted He got down to writing the letter as soon as he returned from his walk –> No sooner had he returned from his walk than he got down to writing the letter She had hardly begun to speak before people started interrupting her –> Hardly had she begun to speak when people started interrupting her I only realized what I had missed when they told me about it later –> Only when they told me about it later did I realize what I had missed You won’t find a more dedicated worker anywhere than Mrs John –> Nowhere will you find a more dedicated worker than Mrs John II Topic: Write a paragraph of about 140 words to tell about your family There are four people in my family: my parents, my younger sister and I My dad is forty-nine and my mom is four years younger My younger sister is ten years old My dad works for a local company and my mom is a doctor My younger sister is in grade Both my parents work from 7:30am to 5pm everyday except Saturday and Sunday Sometimes they have to work at night and go away home for a few days Although my parents are very busy with their work, they always try to spend much time for the family My mother is a caring person She always gets up early in the morning to prepare breakfast for everyone My dad is always happy to give a hand with the housework such as cooking meals or cleaning the floor Because I am in grade 12 and I will have taken the national exam by the end of June, my parents let me have a lot of time for my study However, I always try to help my mom and dad with the household chores My main responsibility is taking out the garbage, washing the dishes after meals and helping my younger sister with her study when I have time We are a close-knit family and we always share our feeling, happiness, or sadness with each other I love my family so much 45 PHẦN TỰ LUẬN: (2 điểm) PREPARED BY ĐỖ BÌNH – THPT LIỄN SƠN, HUYỆN LẬP THẠCH, TỈNH VĨNH PHÚC TRANG 31/15 MATERIALS FOR THE GCSE PREPARATION – WRITING SKILLS - 2015 I Rewrite each of the following sentences in such a way that the original meaning is exactly the same as the provided one “ Why don’t you put better lock on the door, Barbara”? said John => John suggested Although his both legs were broken in the crash, he managed to get out of the car before it exploded => Despite his I haven’t eaten this kind of food before => This is the first The architect has drawn plans for an extention to the house => Plans It isn’t necessary for you to finish by Saturday => You II Topic: Write a letter of request (about 120 words) to ask for the information about the admission requirements to the university you want to apply Bao Son street, Lien Bao district, Vinh Yen city Dear Sir/ Madam, I have read the advertisement of your university in our local paper, and I am very much impressed by its reputation, especially the Department of Accountant I will have finished my secondary education by the end of May and taken the national exam and I am very interested in an undergraduate course in your university Would you please let me know the admission requirements to it and will you send me the information about the course: tuition fee, its details and accommodation as well? I would be happy to supply further information about myself if necessary I look forward to hearing from you soon Yours faithfully, Nguyen Van A 46 PHẦN TỰ LUẬN: (2 điểm) I Rewrite each of the following sentences in such a way that the original meaning is exactly the same as the provided one “ How many survivors are there?”, asked the journalist => The journalist wanted to know It was such rotten meat that it had to be thrown away => The meat was It is essential that Profesor Van Helsing is met at the airport => Profesor Van Helsing You can’t visit the USA unless you have a visa => If you “ Can I borrow your typewriter,Janet”? asked Peter => Peter asked if II Topic: Write a paragraph (120 words) about measures to protect endangered species Nowadays, a lot of species in the world are in danger of extinction Therefore, we should take some measures to protect them from becoming extinct First, we should organize different activities such as international seminars or forums to raise people’s awareness of the need to protect rare and endangered animals Second, we should raise sufficient funds for projects to save endangered animals Third, we should keep water, air, and land clean to preserve natural habitats for wild and endangered animals Next, we should have a good policy to improve the life of people who live in or near endangered animals’ habitats have poor living conditions and rely mostly on wildlife products for their livelihood Furthermore, we should build more wildlife habitat reserves to protect endangered animals Finally, we should enact laws requiring PREPARED BY ĐỖ BÌNH – THPT LIỄN SƠN, HUYỆN LẬP THẠCH, TỈNH VĨNH PHÚC TRANG 32/15 MATERIALS FOR THE GCSE PREPARATION – WRITING SKILLS - 2015 some countries to protect endangered animals and ban people to exploit and sell fashionable wildlife products 47 PHẦN TỰ LUẬN: (2 điểm) I Rewrite each of the following sentences in such a way that the original meaning is exactly the same as the provided one She started working as a secretary five years ago => She has She knows a lot more about it than I => I don’t know My French friend finds driving on the left difficult => My French friend isn’t They think the owner of the house is abroad => The owner We didn’t go on holiday because we did not have enough money => If we II Topic: In about 140 words, write a paragraph about the kind of job you would like to after you finish your education Having a job nowadays is very important to everyone By the end of this month, I will have left my high school, so I also would like to choose a suitable job for myself Unlike other students, I live in a poor village in the remote and mountainous area where there is always the lack of everything such as schools, teachers, electricity and water, the living conditions are low and children not go to school regularly Now I am a student and I am going to leave my school to attend a university, so I hope to make my home village more developed and bring knowledge to the children Besides, I love teaching and I love children and want to give comfort and care to them Therefore, I would like to work as a teacher Working as a teacher would be a fascinating and challenging job because I would have a chance to bring education to difficult places with poor children and living conditions That’s the reason why I have applied to Hanoi National University of Education to meet my dream PREPARED BY ĐỖ BÌNH – THPT LIỄN SƠN, HUYỆN LẬP THẠCH, TỈNH VĨNH PHÚC TRANG 33/15 [...]... protestors think teaching arts to high school students is really a waste of time and money It is generally said by the supporters that studying arts benefits high school students several ways The first good thing is that arts help students have background knowledge of not only the nation but the world cultures and history Another benefit is that arts equip students with many necessary skills such as;... formal school education system in Vietnam The current formal school education system in Vietnam, as we all know, consists of three levels; preschool, primary and secondary educations Secondary education is divided into lower and upper stage Now, in some provinces especially in cities, there are two parallel school systems in pre-school, primary or even secondary education; state and private schools Tuition... have left my high school, so I also would like to choose a suitable job for myself Unlike other students, I live in a poor village in the remote and mountainous area where there is always the lack of everything such as schools, teachers, electricity and water, the living conditions are low and children do not go to school regularly Now I am a student and I am going to leave my school to attend a university,... saw recently Last Sunday at our school football field, a friendly football match was held Our school Female Students’ Football Team played against the neighboring school’s one It was a really nice Sunday morning then The football field where the match took place was previously well-decorated Red flags could be seen along the roads from our school gate passing the school play-ground to the gym then... People who want arts to be taught to high school students also agree that arts are very fun and interesting to learn We can say in other words arts are attractive to any learners The other advantage of arts is that learning arts help students to build team spirit and community as art activities can be done in groups Moreover, arts enable students to socialize and students become more and more civilized... THẠCH, TỈNH VĨNH PHÚC TRANG 18/15 MATERIALS FOR THE GCSE PREPARATION – WRITING SKILLS - 2015 The train _ II TOPIC: Write an essay to discuss the opinion that arts should or shouldn’t be taught in high schools There have existed debates whether arts be taught in high schools People who support the ideals find it necessary that high school students know as much about arts as possible In... locality that children have to take the entrance examination to be upper secondary students Children finish the school education when they finish grade 12 Often, at the end of upper secondary education, student have to take the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) , the requirement to go to university or college, The GCSE used to take place in early June, but this year in early July 37 PHẦN TỰ... story is in a tranquil poor farming village in the North The main characters are GIANG MINH SAI, a village schoolboy a veteran then a brick-works manager, a schoolgirl then a city dweller named HUONG, and some other characters When still school students of about grade 8 (the first year high school at that time), SAI and HUONG had fallen in love with each other They harbored and norished a very romantic... but which of them is more important? Knowledge from books forms a very important part of our knowledge structure In schools and colleges, we learn knowledge which is fundamental to our future career We learn knowledge from books in order to make our contributions to this society in the future A student learns mathematic equations and other scientific knowledge and become a scientist or engineer We will... High School Certificate two years ago with flying colors After leaving high school, I worked as an accountant in a small travel agency for one year, where I was given a training course on tourism Then I had one year of experience as a tour guide so I know many tourist areas in Vietnam arid have a basic knowledge of Vietnamese culture, history, geography and the people Moreover, I was a good student ... structure In schools and colleges, we learn knowledge which is fundamental to our future career We learn knowledge from books in order to make our contributions to this society in the future A student... high schools People who support the ideals find it necessary that high school students know as much about arts as possible In contrast, the protestors think teaching arts to high school students... supporters that studying arts benefits high school students several ways The first good thing is that arts help students have background knowledge of not only the nation but the world cultures and history