QUESTIONS FOR ORAL PRACTICE1.. QUESTIONS FOR ORAL PRACTICE... QUESTIONS FOR ORAL PRACTICE 1.. QUESTIONS FOR ORAL PRACTICE 1.. Topic 8A TALKING ABOUT SPORTSA m ericans like sports very mu
Trang 1• Mỗi câ'p độ có 60 đề tài.
THU VIEN DAI HOC THUY SAN
viên luyện thi chứng chỉ ABC môn Nói lớp luyện nói trình độ Cao đẳng và Đại học câu lạc bộ tiếng Anh.
Trang 3LỜI NÓI ĐẰU
Các bạn học viên thân mến,
Làm thế nào để luyện nói tiếng Anh một cách bài bản, có hiệu quả, phù hợp trình độ từ thấp lẽn cao là điều mà những người
Theo kinh nghiệm bản thân của người viết, chúng ta nền bắt đầu học nói tiếng Anh theo những mẫu cảu cơ bản với lượng từ vừa phải (sách loại này sẽ được xuất bản một ngày gần đây) Kế tiếp, luyện nói theo đề tài có nội dung và từ vựng nâng cao dần Từ đó chúng ta sẽ tích lũy được ý tưởng, vận dụng dược các cấu trúc cần thiết cũng như có đủ vốn từ để ứng dụng vào thực tế giao tiếp khi cần thiết.
Trong chiều hướng dó, chúng tôi biên soạn và cho ra mắt tập
c Số lượng đề tài phong phú, dựa trên cơ sở những bài đọc được
chọn lọc kỹ, có nội dung thiết thực, đáp ứng ba tiêu chí: nội dung, cấu trúc và từ vựng Theo sau bài đọc là những câu hỏi để luyện trả lời miệng.
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Hi vọng tập sách sẽ là một tài liệu bổ ích, cung cấp dồi dào ngữ liệu luyện nói và là thước đo rõ nét sự tiến bộ về kĩ năng nói tiếng Anh của các bạn.
LÊ VẢN S ựPhó Giám Đôc Trung Tâm Tin Học
Ngoại Ngữ Đồng Nai
Trang 4MUC LUC
O RA L T O P IC S L E V E L A 13
1A: Talking about daily activities ( 1 ) 14
2A: Talking about what you eat 15
3A: Talking about clothes fa girls 16
4A: Talking about a trip to the zoo 18
5A: Talking about daily activités (2) ; 19
6A: Talking about meals • 20
7A: Talking about s c h o o l d a y s 21
8A: Talking about sports j 1 23
9A: Talking about shopping 24
10A: Talking about leisure time 25
11A: Talking about travels 26
12A: Talking about schools (1) Y 28
13A: Talking about schools (2) Y, 29
14A: Talking about the postal system 30
15A: Talking about American football (1) 32
16A: Talking about American football (2) 33
17A: Talking about Thanksgiving Day 34
18Â: Talking about high school activities—yl 35
19A: Talking about winter sports 36
20A: Talking about university life 37
21A: Talking about spring gardening 38
22A: Talking about countries and nationalities 40
23A: Talking about school and education ^ 41
24A: Talking about work and careers & 43
25A: Talking about hobbies and interests 44
Trang 526A: Talking about recreation and sports 45
27A: Talking about newspapers and magazines 47
28A: Talking about radio and television 48
29A: Talking about spring cleaning 50
30A: Talking about riding to work 51
31A^Talking about summer and winter) 52
32A: Talking about the human body 53
33A: Talking about gent’s footwear 54
34A: Talking about men’s clothes 55
35A: Talking about trains 56
36A: Talking about the family (1) 57
37A: Talking about means of communication 58
38A: Talking about books 60
39A: Talking about stamp collecting 61
40A: Talking about going shopping 62
41A: Talking about my favourite month 64
42A: Talking about pets 65
43A: Talking about myself 67
44A: Talking about people and jobs 68
45A: Talking about English A 70
46A: Talking about my English class 1 72
47A: Talking about my house (1) 73
48A: Talking about my house (2) 74
49A: Talking about my favourite film .76
50A: Talking about my family (2), 77 51A: Talking about months and seasons 78
52A: Talking about daily activities (3) 80
53A: Talking about daily life (4) 81
Trang 6* 54A: Talking about daily life (5) 83
55A: Talking about daily activities (6) 84
V56A: Talking about daily activities (7) 85
57A: Talking about a typical day (8) 86
58A: Talking about going swimming 87
59A: Talking about staying at home on Sunday 88
60A: Talking about a library 90
O R A L T O P IC S L E V E L B 92
IB: Talking about jobs in the future 93
2B: Talking about gray power 94
3B: Talking about English 94
4B: Talking about Jack London 96
5B: Talking about the younger world 97
6B: Talking about the health check-up 98
7B: Talking about a new kind of teaching 99
8B: Talking about children and dogs 100
9B: Talking about world of words 101
10B: Talking about blood 102
1 IB: Talking about the riches of the sea 103
12B: Talking about atomic power 104
13B: Talking about English money 105
14B: Talking about cheques/checks 106
15B: Talking about games 108
16B: Talking about the post office (1) 109
17B: Talking about modern offices 110
18B: Talking about shops 111
19B: Talking about hobbies and games 112
-20B: Talking about education 114
Trang 7about town streets
about means of communicationabout street sights about about town pleasures.about theatres about museums and galleries.about the zoo
about house building, about an English villageabout village trades
about village entertainmentsabout birds
about restaurants
about travelling
about travelling by train about hunting and shooting, aboufsiimmerw e a th e r
Trang 8( 49B;!Talking about holidays at the seaside 151
50R: Talking about Bill Gate 153
51B: Talking about diet and exercise 154
52B: Talking about a healthful lifestyle 156
53B: Talking about reading novels 157
54B: Talking about television (1) 158
55B: Talking about living with an English family 160
56B: Talking about television (2) 161
57B: Talking about television (3) 163
58B: Talking about the weekend 164
59B: Talking about the twentieth century 166
60B: Talking about learning by heart 167
ORAL TOPICS LEVEL C 169
1C: Talking about recycling 170
2C: Talking about smoking 171
3C: Talking about watching TV (1) 173
4C: Talking about phone calls 174
5C: Talking about getting around 175
6C: Talking about places to stay 176
7C: Talking about handling your money 177
8C: Talking about getting something to eat 179
9C: Talking about getting sick 180
10C: Talking about your free tim e ^ 182
11C: Talking about being a welcome guest 183
12C: Talking about the best age to be 184
13C: Talking about trees 186
I4C: Talking about taxation 187
• 15C: Talking about sports and games 189
Trang 916C: Talking about the value of education 190
17C: Talking about women’s rights (1) 192
18C: Talking about freedom 193
19C: Talking about equal pay for equal work 195
20C: Talking about amusements 197
' 21C: Talking about my hobby 198
22C: Talking about teachers and actors 200
23C: Talking about money 201
24C: Talking about women’s role (2) 203
25C: Talking about reading 205
26C: Talking about single sex schools 206
27C: Talking about the power of music 208
28C: Talking about advertising 210
29C: Talking about wearing a cycle helmet 212
30C: Talking about the harm of sports 214
31C: Talking about horoscopes 215
32C: Talking about pop 218
33C: Talking about television (2) 219
34C: Talking about tourism 221
35C: Talking about better parents 222
36C: Talking about mass media 224
37C: Talking about telecommunication 225
38C: Talking about the increasing number of cars 227
(39Cj/Talking about studying English in an English speaking country V 228
t40C: Talking about the world population 230
41C: Talking about youth drug abuse 232
42C: Talking about nuclear technology 233
( 43C: Talking about road accidents (1) 235
Trang 1044C: Talking about sedentary life 236
45C: Talking about the misuse of computers (1) 238
1 46C: Talking about living in cities 239
47C: Talking about road accidents (2) 241
48C: Talking about computers (2) 242
49C: Talking about new technologies 244
50C: Talking about strikes 245
51C: Talking about health care 247
52C: Talking about compulsory schooling 248
53C: Talking about women’s rights (3) : 250
54C: Talking about life without computer 252
^550: Talking about unemployment 254
56C: Talking about a good parent 255
57C: Talking about the use of pesticides 257
58C: Talking about dangerous sports 259
59C: Talking about high school and university 260
^OC: Talking about the major problems of the world today 262
Trang 11ORAL TOPICS
LEVEL
Trang 12Topic 1A TALKING ABOUT DAILY ACTIVITIES (1)
Every, w eekday we do th e sam e thing We get up and wash Then we cfress and study our lessons before school We help our
m other We m ak e,o u r beds and clean th e floors N ext we help our
m other in th e kifefien In our house everyone helps Do you help a t home? W hat work do you do a t home?
A fter b reak fast we w alk to school We do our lessons a t school We like our lessons We study m any things We study reading, w riting, a rith m e tic and English Our arith m etic lessons are easy Our reading lessons are easy, too But our w riting lessons are not very easy T hey’re h ard Our E nglish lessons are hard , too Are your lessons h a rd or easy?
At four o’clock we leave school We w alk home We see people
in the stores We see people in th e street They are w alking and riding They are h u rry in g home We hurry, too At home we study our lesson and help our m o th er again Do you h u rry home?
QUESTIONS FOR ORAL PRACTICE
1 W hat do th e children do first?
2 W here do th e children go after breakfast?
3 Do th e children ride to school?
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4 W hat do they study?
5 W hich lessons are hard?
6 W hat do th e children do after four o’clock?
7 W here are th e people going?
8 W hat do th e children do a t home?
Trang 139 Give a sh o rt talk telling w hat you do a t home and at school everyday.
10 Tell w hat you do and see on the way home from school
Topic 2A TALKING ABOUT WHAT YOU EAT
Ja c k : We eat th re e meals a day We e a t b reakfast, lunch and
dinner
Bill: We do, too I like breakfast and d inner But I don’t like
lunch
D oris: A t home we eat three meals, too: I don’t eat much for
b reakfast But I eat a big dinner
Bill: Doris, w hat do you eat for b reak fast a t your house?
D oris: We have eggs and toast for breakfast My m other and fa th e r
d rin k coffee I drink milk
Jack : We have th e sam e things for break fast I d rink milk I don’t
like tea or coffee
D oris: Now, le t’s ta lk about lunch Bill, w h at do you eat for lunch a t
your house?
Bill: I have my lunch at school At hom e my m other and fa th e r
have soup and sandwiches
Jack : My m other and father eat m eet, vegetables and fruit for
lunch They d rin k coffee Now le t’s ta lk about dinner Doris,
w h at do you eat for dinner?
Doris: We eat m eat and salad for dinner We eat d essert, too But
we don’t eat d essert for lunch
Bill: A t our house dinner is our big meal We eat meal, two
vegetables, bread and salad We have dessert, too
Trang 14QUESTIONS FOR ORAL PRACTICE
1 W hich m eals does Bill like?
2 W hat does Doris have for b reak fast?
3 W here does Bill e a t lunch?
4 Who eats d e sse rt for dinner?
5 Who d rin k s milk?
6 W hat tim e do you usually e a t each meal?
7 W hat do you have for b reak fast?
8 W hat do you have for lunch?
9 W hat do you have for dinner?
10 W hat do you like to eat?
11 W hat don’t you like?
12 Does everyone in your fam ily like th e sam e food?
Topic 3A TALKING ABOUT CLOTHES FOR GIRLS
J a n e is going to tell about clothes for girls
In my country th ere are four seasons in th e year They are
w inter, spring, sum m er and fall T he girls w ear different clothes for every season
In th e w in ter it is very cold We need heavy sw eaters and
w arm blouses We need wool s k irts an d wool stockings In the snow
we need heavy coats, too
We like spring We tak e off th e heavy sw eaters and w arm blouses th en We tak e off our heavy coats, too In th e spring we
Trang 15w ear cotton blouses and light sk irts The w eath er often changes in
th e sp rin g I t’s not hot and it’s not c^1rl
In th e sum m er we put on/ n g n t ciotnm g w e neea cool clothing/ We w ear light stockings, cool blouses, and cotton sk irts The w e a th e r does not change very much I t ’s hot
It is cool in th e fall The w eath er often changes The wind blows, an d th e trees are bare G irls w ear lig h t coats and sw eaters
We vyear wool stockings again Fall w eath er is nice
E very season is nice I like th e m all
1 W ho tells about clothes for girls?
2 W h a t do girls w ear in the w inter?
3 W hen do the girls take off th e ir heavy coats and put on cotton blouses and light skirts?
4: W hich season is th e hottest?
5 W hich season is th e coldest?
6 W h a t do girls w ear in the fall?
7 W h a t are the four seasons in J a n e ’s and B ill’s country?
8 W hich season do you like?
QUESTIONS FOR ORAL PRACTICE
Trang 16Topic 4A TALKING ABOUT A TRIP TO THE ZOO
Our class w ent to th e zoo y esterday m orning We were very early, and th e zoo was closed We w aited a t th e gate for ten
m inutes T hen a m an opened th e zoo, and we h u rried inside
W hat did we see? We saw a lot of anim als F irs t we looked a t
th e m onkeys They were h an g in g by th e ir ta ils and ta lk in g to each other
T hen we saw a little bear He was two feet tall and very fat
He looked like a little black ball
N ext we looked a t a camel He had one hum p Our teacher said, “The camel is a useful anim al It carries heavy loads, and som etim es goes w ithout w ater for th re e days”
T hen we looked a t th e tiger He was eatin g his breakfast Was
th e tiger yellow w ith black strip es? Or was he black w ith yellow strip es? Everyone w ondered Do you know?
QUESTIONS FOR ORAL PRACTICE
1 W here did th e class go yesterd ay m orning?
2 W hat were th e m onkeys doing?
3 W hat did th e b ear look like?
4 How m any hum ps did th e cam els have?
5 Are cam els useful? Why?
6 W hat was th e tig e r doing?
7 W hat did everyone w onder?
8 Retell th e story in your own words
Trang 17Topic 5 A TALKING ABOUT DAILY ACTIVITIES (2)
Mr D awson works for a big in su ran ce com pany in th e city
H e likes his work The com pany sells life insurance, fire insurance,
a n d automobile insurance He h as to be a t work a t nine o'clock in
t h e m orning He alw ays tries to be on tim e, and h e ’s seldom late.
He gets up a t seven, get dressed, and has his breakfast He
t r i e s to read th e m orning p ap er during b reak fast T hen he drives dow ntow n He doesn’t w alk because he lives very far from the office
H e som etim es ta k es a bus or a stre e tc a r because his wife w ants to
u s e th e car during th e day
Mr Dawson never goes home for lunch He has to eat
d o w n to w n because he has only an hour Som etim es he needs to ta lk
w ith o th e r businessm en, too H is office closes a t five, but he seldom
le a v e s before five-fifteen T hen he goes home and re sts a little
b efo re d inner The fam ily alw ays eat to g e th er a t six-thirty
QUESTIONS FOR ORAL PRACTICE
1 W h at does Mr Dawson do?
2 W h at does his com pany sell?
3 Does he alw ays drive downtown?
4 W hen does he read th e m orning paper?
5 W hy doesn’t he go home for lunch?
6 Do th e Dawsons have d in n e r together?
7 Do you go to work?
8 How m any hours do you w ork every week?
9 Do people in your country have a long lunch hour?
Trang 18Topic 6A TALKING ABOUT MEALS
Mr D aw son’s lunch hour is from tw elve to one He can’t go
hom e for lunch because he doesn’t have m uch tim e H e goes to a
re s ta u ra n t or a cafeteria n e a r th e office He usually goes w ith one or two friends W hat does he have for lunch? He often has some soup,
a sandw ich or a ham burger, and a piece of pie or some ice cream
He d rin k s a cup of coffee or a glass of m ilk w ith his lunch Does he
d rin k w ater, too? Yes, he often d rin k s a glass of w ater because h e ’s
th irsty How much is his lunch? I t’s usually n in e ty cents or a dollar,
M rs D awson alw ays gets d in n e r for th e fam ily at n ig h t
T hey’re often tired and hungry They usually have some meal or fish, two vegetables, a salad, and a d essert A nn d rin k s milk; Mr and M rs D awson d rin k coffee T h ere’s alw ays some w ater on th e table, too
QUESTIONS FOR ORAL PRACTICE
1 W h at tim e does Mr Dawson have lunch?
2 W here does he go for lunch?
3 W h at does he often have for lunch?
4 W h at do th e D aw sons eat for d inner?
5 Do you have th re e m eals a day?
6 Do you e a t all your m eals a t home?
7 W hat tim e do you have breakfast?
8 Do you eat much for breakfast?
9 Do you like to e a t a t a restau ran t?
10 W h at are th e nam es of some re s ta u ra n ts here?
Trang 1911 Are th e re any cafeterias in your country?
12 Do you d rin k much coffee / tea / m ilk?
13 Do you like eggs / m eat / vegetables / fruit?
14 Can you cook? Are you a good cook?
15 W h at can you m ake? (Tea, coffee, pies, cakes, bread, to ast, soup, pancakes, sandw iches, salads, d e sse rts, ice cream )
Topic 7A TALKING ABOUT SCHOOL DAYS
A m erican schools begin in S ep tem b er afte r a long sum m er vacation T h ere are two sem esters in a school year The first
se m e ste r is from Septem ber to Jan u ary ; an d th e second sem ester is from F eb ru ary to June The m ajority of A m erican children go to public schools T h ere are good public schools in every p a rt of th ecountry, an d th e y ’re free from k in d e rg a rte n through h ig h school
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H igh school stu d en ts take only four or five subjects a t a tim e They usually go to th e same classes every day, and th ey have an assig n m e n t for every class They often have one or two study periods in school, but they have to study a t home, too They also enjoy m any school activities during th e year, including band,
o rch estra, chorus, clubs, games, assem blies, plays and dances
A fter h ig h school, many stu d en ts go to college They can choose a sm all school or a large school, in th e ir own sta te or in
an other T hey generally have to pay for a college education But
th e re are som e scholarships for good stu d en ts, and m any college stu d en ts w ork p art-tim e because they need the money for th e ir education
Trang 20QUESTIONS FOR ORAL PRACTICE
1 W hen does th e school y ear begin in th e U nited S tates?
2 How m any sem esters are th ere?
3 W here do th e m ajority of ch ild ren go to school?
4 W hat activities are th e re in A m erican schools?
5 Do m any A m ericans go to college?
6 Is a college education free?
7 W hy do m any college stu d en ts w ork part-tim e?
8 In your country, how m any y ears do ch ild ren go to elementary' school / high school?
9 How m any subjects do they ta k e a t a tim e?
10 Do they have th e sam e classes everyday?
11 Do they have to do some hom ew ork for every class?
12 W h at are th e ir school hours?
13 Do they have school on S aturdays?
14 Do they usually go home for lunch?
15 Do you like h isto ry / ch em istry / m ath em atics?
16 Are you ever late for class? Are you ever absent?
Trang 21Topic 8A TALKING ABOUT SPORTS
A m ericans like sports very much In th e fall th e popular sport
is football All the high schools and u n iv ersities have th e ir team s The boys on th e team s practice a fte r school every day The gam es
w ith o th e r schools are usually on S atu rd ay afternoons Thousands of people, young and old, w atch these football gam es in Septem ber,
O ctober, an d November
In th e w inter, the popular sp o rt is basketball T h e re ’s usually
a gam e every Friday n ig h t in one school gym nasium or another Some p a r ts of the U nited S tates have a lot of snow and ice during
th e w in te r M any people th e re like to ski or skate
In th e o th er seasons, sping an d sum m er, m illions of
A m erican s enjoy baseball The schools have th e ir gam es in the
sp rin g , but th e im p o rtan t professional team s play during the sum m er Some people go to these big gam es The m ajority, however, liste n to th e m on th e radio, watch th e m on television, or read about
th e m in th e new spapers Of course, a lot of people go sw im m ing in
th e sum m er, too Some also play te n n is or golf, and others go fishing T hey like to be outdoors because it ’s w arm during the
m o n th s of Ju n e, July, and August
QUESTIONS FOR ORAL PRACTICE
o
1 W h a t’s th e season for football in th e U nited S tates?
2 A re th e gam es usually on Saturdays?
3 W h en is th e basketball season in th e U nited States?
4 Do A m ericans like baseball, too?
5 Do th e y often go to th e professional gam es?
6 W h a t o th e r sum m er sports do they enjoy?
Trang 227 W hat are th e popular sp o rts in your country?
8 W hich sp o rt or sports do you like?
9 Do you like to play gam es or do you like to w atch them ?
10 Do you ever go fishing? W hen do you often go fishing? Where
do you often go fishing?
11 Do you often go sw im m ing? W hen? W here?
Topic 9 A TALKING ABOUT SHOPPING
Some A m ericans m ake th e ir own dresses, and m any ma:e clothes for th e ir children T he m ajority of A m ericans, however, biy
th e ir clothes ready-m ade M rs.D aw son is alw ays w ell-dressed Sie says th a t sh e usually buys h e r clothes She also tells me th a t sie doesn’t spend a lot of money for them
T here are several larg e d e p a rtm e n t sto res in m ost America! cities T here are o th er sm all sto res, too; b u t people like th e t g stores because th ey can usually do all th e ir shopping in one plae
M any d e p a rtm e n t stores also h av e a re s ta u ra n t for lunch T h y open a t n in e -th irty or te n in th e m orning, an d they close a t fiv>
th irty or six in th e afternoon
In a d e p a rtm e n t store, th e re are generally m any coas, dresses, an d suits alike T hey come in all sizes In sor.e
d ep artm en ts th e clothes are expenssive and in others th e y ’re chea>
Of course, th e price depends on th e quality an d th e style
QUESTIONS FOR ORAL PRACTICE
1 Why do people like to shop in a d e p a rtm e n t store?
2 Are th e re often m any coats an d suits alike?
Trang 233 I)o th e y come in all sizes?
4 W h at does the price depend on?
5 Do A m erican women make th e ir own clothes?
6 Do you like to go shopping / window shopping?
7 A re th e re m any dep artm en t sto res in your country?
8 Do you have any stores like A m erican drugstores?
9 W h a t tim e do th e stores open?
10 W h a t tim e do th ey close?
11 Did you w ear a coat / a h a t/ gloves?
Topic 10A TALKING ABOUT LEISURE TIME
W e’ve had a very cold w in ter here M r.D aw son says th a t it’s been colder th is y ear th a n it was la s t year But th e houses and public buildings are always w arm because th ey have cen tral
h eatin g F o r th is reason, th ere are m any activities indoors during
th e w in ter
T he D aw sons usually spend th e w in te r evenings a t home They like to read, liste n to th e radio, an d look a t television T here have been a lot of good program s th is w inter Som etim es they go to
a movie, b u t they prefer a concert or a play now and then
O f course, th e re ’s more to do in New York th a n in any o th er city in th e U nited S tates However, it is n ’t th e only place for good plays a n d good music Many sm aller cities, too, have th e a te rs , a rt galleries, a n d sym phony o rchestras In fact, th e m ajority of
A m ericans live in o th e r p arts of th e country, often very far from New York A lot of them have nev er been to New York The
D aw sons h av e been th e re only once, and th a t was several years ago
Trang 24QUESTIONS FOR ORAL PRACTICE
1 W hat do th e D aw sons do in th e ir leisure tim e?
2 Do you have four seaso n s in your country?
3 Is it cold in th e w in ter?
4 Do you ever have snow in your country?
5 W hat do you do in your leisure tim e?
6 Do you like to read? H ave you read a good book recently?
7 Do you like movies? H ave you seen a good movie recently?
8 Do you like plays? H ave you seen a play recently?
9 Do you like opera? H ave you ever been to an opera?
10 Do you like ballet? H ave you ever seen a ballet?
11 Do you like music? H ave you h e a rd a good sym phony orchestra?
12 Do you like art? H ave you gone to an a r t gallery recently?
13 Do you like to look a t television?
14 Is television popular in your country?
Topic 11A TALKING ABOUT TRAVELS
A m ericans like to travel T h eir country is very large They
w an t to see th e in te re s tin g places in th e E a s t and th e W est, the
N o rth and th e South Some go by plane or by tra in , o thers take boat trip s or bus trip s, but th e m ajority trav e l in th e ir own cars M any fam ilies tak e an autom obile trip during th e sum m er The to u rist business is a big business in th e U n ited S tates
Trang 25T h ere are about fifty million (50,000,000) cars in th e country
In fact, m ore th a n seventy percent (70%) of th e fam ilies own one A
car is expensive, but it’s very im p o rtan t in th e life of an A m erican
He uses it for business and for pleasure A m erican cities have wide
s tre e ts, and th e re are good roads in all p a rts of th e country T h ere’s
a lot of traffic on th ese roads during th e sum m er because th a t’s
vacation tim e for th e m ajority of A m ericans
QUESTIONS FOR ORAL PRACTICE
1 Do A m ericans like to travel?
2 Are th e re m any cars in th e U nited S tates?
3 How do A m ericans often travel?
4 W hy is a car im p o rtan t in the life of an A m erican?
5 Do you like to travel?
6 How do you like to travel?
7 H ave you ta k e n a trip recently?
8 W here did you go?
9 How did you go?
10 How long did you stay?
11 Have you ever talked to a foreign tourist?
12 Do you like to travel by car? Why or why not?
Trang 26Topic 12A TALKING ABOUT SCHOOLS (1)
The young people of th e U n ited S ta te s are fortunate because
in nearly all p a rts of th e country th e re are very fine public schools
To a tte n d th e se schools, they do not have to pay tuition T hese schools are supported and m a in ta in e d by funds received from taxes
w hich th e ir p a re n ts pay in th e d is tric t in w hich they live In m ost sta te s, th e governm ent of th a t s ta te gives m oney to th e school
d istricts to help th em m a in ta in a high level of education
In each city, sm all tow n, or school d istrict, th e o rg an isatio n
w hich governs th e school of th a t region is called th e Board of' Education The m em bers of th is board are elected by th e people a
th e district The m an or w om an who is h ired by th e Board of Education to direct th e activities of th e schools w ith in th e d is tric t is called th e S u p erin ten d en t of schools T he S u p erin ten d en t carries out
th e general policies of th e B oard of Education and has som eone in each school in th e d istric t help w ith th e a d m in istra tio n of th e school itself T his m an or w om an is th e principal of th e school The duties of th e principal are to supervise th e course of study, to
a rra n g e th e hours of th e classes, to keep records, to direct the activities of th e teach ers, and in general to be responsible for the success of th a t p articu lar school
QUESTIONS FOR ORAL PRACTICE
1 W hy are young people in th e U n ited S tates fortunate?
2 W hat do we call a school w hich all young people may atten d ?
3 How are th ese schools supported and m aintained?
4 Does th e s ta te governm ent help th e schools? How?
5 W h at is th e nam e of th e orgainization th a t governs each school system ?
Trang 276 W hat do we call the m an or w om an who directs th e activities of each school system ?
7 W hat are th e duties of a school principal?
8 Talk about th e schools and education in your country
Topic 13A TALKING ABOUT SCHOOLS (2)
G rade schools and high schools in th e U nited S ta te s begin th e school y e a r th e first week in S eptem ber The first M onday in
S eptem ber is called Labor Day and is a natio n al holiday M ost schools s ta r t on th e Tuesday or W ednesday a fte r Labor Day
A N o rth A m erican boy and girl usually begins school a t th e age of five, w hen he or she en ters k in d e rg a rte n A fter a y ear in
k in d e rg a rte n , th e child en ters th e firs t grade W hen he reaches th e sev en th grade, he begins junior h ig h school, w hich is usually composed of th e sev en th and eig h th grades W hen he e n te rs th e
n in th grade, usually at th e age of fourteen, he is in his firs t y ear of senior high school and is called a fresh m an In th e te n th grade, he
is called a sophomore W hen he begins th e eleventh grade, he is a junior In h is la s t year in high school, h e is a senior
W hen a stu d en t finishes his senior year, he receives a diplom a or a certificate which shows th a t he has successfully com pleted his high school studies He may th e n a tte n d a college or
a university
QUESTIONS FOR ORAL PRACTICE
1 W hen do grad e schools and high schools in th e U nited S tates begin th e school year?
2 W hat is th e first M onday in S eptem ber called?
Trang 283 How old is a N orth A m erican boy or girl w hen he or she begins school?
4 Of w hat two grades is junior high school usually composed?
5 W hat do we call a stu d en t who is in th e n in th grade?
6 W hen a stu d en t is in th e te n th grade, w h a t is he called?
7 In w hat grade is he a junior?
8 W hat do we call a stu d e n t in his la s t y e a r of high school?
9 W hat does a stu d en t receive w hen he h as finished his la s t y ear
of high school?
10 W hen may he a tte n d a college or a university?
Topic 14A TALKING ABOUT THE POSTAL SYSTEM
The U nited S tates h as one of th e b e st postal system s in the world H istory tells us th a t th e beginning of mail service in the
U n ited S tates dates back to th e year 1639 Since th e n th e serwice
h as been developed and im proved until today it is second to non*e in efficiency
More th a n tw enty billion postage stam p s are sold in the
U nited S tates in one year T here are m ore th a n forty tho u san d post- offices in th e country The postal service h an d les m ore th a n ffour
m illion pieces of m ail evey hour The financial receipts of th e pojstal system are enormous, but th e system gives such excellent serwice
th a t it operates a t a deficit and C ongress has to nouake appropriations to cover th e loss
The system has more th a n th re e hundred th o u sa n d
em ployees, m ost of whom work e ith e r w ithin th e post-office buildings or as mail carriers The m ailm an whose job it is to deli ver
Trang 29the le tte rs, postcards, and packages to your house is one of th e m ost faithful m en in any occupation, and it is a s tric t rule th a t he m ust always be p leasan t and courteous Cost of th e postage usually includes delivery to th e home in the U n ited S tates.
Special delivery service is available to those who w an t a le tte r
or package delivered im m ediately upon arriv al a t th e tow n or city to
w hich it is addressed
QUESTIONS FOR ORAL PRACTICE
1 Does th e U nited S tates have a good postal system ?
2 In w h a t year did the service begin?
3 About how m any postage stam ps are sold in a year?
4 How m any post offices are th ere in th e U nited S tates?
5 How m any pieces of mail are handled every hour?
6 Does th e postal system receive much m oney for its services?
7 W hat does Congress do to make up th e deficit?
8 How m any people work for th e U nited S ta te s postal system ?
9 Does it cost an y th in g extra to have th e m ail delivered a t th e house?
10 E xplain w h at is m eant by “special delivery”
Trang 30Topic 15A TALKING ABOUT AMERICAN FOOTBALL ( I )
Football is one of th e m ost popular gam es in th e U nited
S tates It ra n k s n ext to baseball in popularity The football game played in th e U nited S tates is really an ad ap tatio n of rugby, and
th e gam e is therefore different from th e one played in m any other countries
The field on w hich th e gam e is played is called a GRIDIRON
It consists of a space of ground th re e hundred feet, or one hundred yards, long C rossing th is field from side to side at five-yard
in terv als are w hite lines At each end of th is hundred-yard space
th e re are spaces of th irty feet called th e END ZONNES This field
is one hundred n in ety feet wide
At each end of th e football field th e re are goal posts These are upright posts of wood or m etal w ith a horizontal crossbar ten feet above th e ground
The football h as a le a th e r cover and is about a foot long It
h as a d iam eter of about seven inches It is not round but ovalshaped
T here are eleven players on each football team Seven of the players m ake up w h at is called th e line, and th e o th er four aro the backfield
QUESTIONS FOR ORAL PRACTICE
1 Is football a popular game in th e U nited S tates?
2 W hat is th e m ost popular game?
3 W hat is th e correct nam e of th e football gam e played in th e
U nited S tates?
4 Is it th e sam e game as th a t played in o th er countries?
Trang 315 W hat is th e football field called?
6 How long is the field?
7 W hat do th e w hite lines mark?
8 W hat do we call the thirty-foot spaces a t th e ends of th e field?
9 W hat are th e goal posts?
10 D escribe th e ball used
11 How m any players are th ere on each team ?
12 How m any players m ake up th e line? th e backfield?
Topic 16A TALKING ABOUT AMERICAN FOOTBALL (2)
At th e beginning of a football gam e, one team kicks th e ball from its forty-yard line to the opposing team A m em ber of th e
o th e r team catches the ball and runs tow ard his opponents’ goal until he is tackled, or throw n to th e ground As soon as he is tackled, th e team s line up opposite each other, and th e team w hich
h a s th e ball is given four opportunities to advance th e ball a distan ce of te n yards The four plays are called DOWNS The ball
m ay be advanced e ith e r by running w ith it or by passing it W hen a
te am fails to m ake th e required gain in four a ttem p ts, th e ball is usually kicked, or punted, to the opposing team , w hich th e n trie s to
m ake th e required ten-yard advance in th e opposite direction
Six points are given to a team for m aking a TOUCHDOWN by crossing th e ir opponents’ goal w ith th e ball One point is given for kicking th e ball through th e goal posts afte r a touchdown
A field goal, made by kicking th e ball through th e goal posts from th e playing field, counts three points
Trang 32QUESTIONS FOR ORAL PRACTICE
1 How does a football game begin?
2 How m any y ards does a te a m have to m ake in four downs?
3 How m any points are given a team th a t m akes a touchdown?
4 How can th a t team get one p o in t more?
5 W hat is a Field goal?
6 Say w hy you would or would not like to play football
Topic 17A TALKING ABOUT THANKSGIVING DAY
T hanksgiving Day is usually th e la st T hursday in November The day is a n atio n al holiday in th e U nited S tates
According to history, th e first people to celebrate
T hanksgiving w ere th e P ilg rim s who founded Plymouth,
M assachusetts in 1620 The P ilg rim s gave th a n k s to God th a t they had arriv ed safely and th a t th e re w ere lots of good th in g s for them
to eat
For th is reason, T h an k sg iv in g Day h as come to m ean not only
a day on w hich th e people give th a n k s to God because th e y are well and happy, but also a day on w hich a m agnificent d inner is prepared It is custom ary for th is d in n e r to include turkey, cran b erry sauce, and pum pkin pie
QUESTIONS FOR ORAL PRACTICE
1 W hen is T hanksgiving Day?
2 Do you rem em ber w hen L abor Day is? (See Topic 13A)
3 Who w ere th e firs t people to celebrate T hanksgiving?
Trang 334 W hat is th e date of the founding of Plym outh, M assachusetts?
5 W hy did th e Pilgrim s give th a n k s to God?
6 W hat does T hanksgiving Day m ean today?
7 W h at th in g s is it custom ary to e a t for T hanksgiving dinner?
Topic 18A TALKING ABOUT HIGH SCHOOL ACTIVITIES
N early every high school in th e U n ited S tates, no m a tte r how
sm all, has a wide variety of activities in w hich the stu d en ts can
ta k e p a rt T hese activities are called extracu rricu lar because they
a re provided in addition to the regular course of study
A lm ost all th e high schools have a com plete program of sports
w hich includes football, basketball, baseball, track, te n n is, and volley ball G irls as well as boys p articip ate in th ese sports, w ith
t he exception of football and track
D ram atic activities include a senior play and a junior play,
p re s e n te d each y ear to the public The m oney ta k en in by th e class
in projects of th is kind forms p art of a fund which is often used to pay th e expenses of a trip th e seniors tak e after graduation from
h ig h school It is usual for seniors to v isit such places as N iagara
P alls, New York, and W ashington, D.C
M any high schools sponsor school new spapers w hich are
w ritte n and published by the students them selves T here are also clubs of various kinds, such as a cam era club, a language club, a glee club (singing for both boys and girls), and a science club
QUESTIONS FOR ORAL PRACTICE
1 W h at do we call activities which are provided in addition to th e reg u lar course of study?
Trang 342 W hat sports are usually included in th e high school program ?
3 W hat dram atic activities are th ere?
4 W hat do th e seniors often do w ith the money th e ir class has earned during th e year?
5 W hat places are often visited by seniors on th e ir trip after graduation?
6 W hat kind of club is a glee club?
7 Do girls tak e p a rt in th e school sports?
8 W hat sports don’t they p articip ate in?
9 W hen are plays p resen ted to th e public?
10 By whom are school new spapers w ritte n and published?
Topic 19A TALKING ABOUT WINTER SPORTS
The season called w in te r s ta rts D ecem ber 21 In the n o rth e rn sta te s of th e U nited S tates, how ever, except Alaska, the snow and ice come about th e la s t of N ovem ber or th e first of December The snow and ice are a sh a rp co n tra st to th e h e a t of summer
In cold w eath er sum m er activities are changed for w in te r sports Skiing, ice skating, tobogganing, and sleigh riding are some
of th e more popular sports The m ountainous country in th e W est is
a veritable sk ie rs’ paradise M ost cities provide sk atin g rin k s for
th e young people by flooding large spaces w ith w ater It is not wise
to skate on lakes and rivers because of th e danger of th in ice In some p arts of th e country w here th e re are hills, children like to coast down th e hills on sleds and toboggans A popular activity is
th e sleigh-ride party, in w hich a group of people go riding in a large sleigh draw n by horses W hen th e w eath er is not too cold, the snow
Trang 35som etim es becomes sticky and children m ake snow m en from large balls of snow.
The w in ter sports usually la s t through the m onths of
D ecem ber, Ja n u a ry , February, and p a rt of M arch
QUESTIONS FOR ORAL PRACTICE
1 W hen does w in te r s ta rt according to th e above selection?
2 W hen does snow begin to fall in th e n o rth e rn states?
3 W h at are some of th e popular w in te r sports?
4 W h at do th e cities provide for ice sk a te rs?
5 W hy is it dangerous to skate on riv ers and lakes?
6 How do you m ake a snowman?
7 How long do th e w in ter sports last?
8 W h at kind of w in te r sports do you like best?
9 W h at in th e W est is a paradise for skiers?
10 How do ch ild ren coast down the hills?
11 W h at is a popular activity?
12 W h at is th e snow like w hen the w e a th e r is not too cold?
Topic 20A TALKING ABOUT UNIVERSITY LIFE
N early all of th e colleges and universities in th e U nited
S ta te s a re coeducational This means th a t both m en and women
a tte n d th e sam e university Students may live e ith e r on th e
u n iv e rsity cam pus in one of the dorm itories or in private homes in
th e city in w hich th e university is located
Trang 36U niversity life provides a wide variety of activities Although
a g reat deal of tim e m ust necessarily be devoted to study, students find tim e for recreation T here are football, basketball, and baseball gam es, teas and dances, band and o rch estra concerts, debates, club program s and plays, to m ention only a few of th e m any activities
M ost recreational activities are not expensive for the student
QUESTIONS FOR ORAL PRACTICE
1 W hat is a coeducational university?
2 W here do college stu d en ts live?
3 N am e some of the activities in w hich stu d en ts can tak e part
4 Are recreational activities expensive for th e student?
5 W hich recreational activity would you like to tak e p a rt in?
6 W hat university do you study at?
7 How is your life a t th e university?
8 W hat kind of activity do you take p a rt in?
9 As a student, do you like to live in th e dorm itory or in a private home?
10 How can you find tim e for recreation?
Topic 21A TALKING ABOUT SPRING GARDENING
M any people in the U nited S ta te s have a sm all vegetable and flower garden in th e back yard M ost houses in th e residentkil sections of th e cities and towns are separated, not joined to the houses on each side of them Each house has a yard The front yard
is usually a law n and may have flower beds P a rt of th e back yard is often used for a vegetable garden
Trang 37D uring World War II, nearly every family in th e U nited
S ta te s had a Victory G arden Because of the scarcity of canned goods, it w as necessary for each family to provide as much of th e ir own food as they could
In p a rts of th e country w here th e re is snow during th e w inter,
th e season for planting a garden begins in th e m onth of May or
Ju n e P opular vegetables for cultivation in home gardens are:
ra d ish e s, peas, beans, beets, cucumbers, onions, tom atoes, corn,
p o tatoes, lettuce, and carrots
T he U nited S tates G overnm ent encourages home g ardening
by publishing pam phlets of inform ation about the p la n tin g and care
of g ard en s T hese can be obtained from W ashington free of charge
QUESTIONS FOR ORAL PRACTICE
1 W h at do we call the ground around a house?
2 W h at do people usualily have in the fro n t yard?
3 W h at did the fam ilies in the U nited S tates do during W orld
W ar II? Why?
4 In w hich m onth of the year do th ey s ta r t p lan tin g th e ir
g ard en s?
5 W h at vegetables are p lanted in m ost gardens?
6 W here can a person in th e U nited S tates secure inform ation about th e p lan tin g and care of a garden?
7 How much does th is inform ation cost?
8 W h at would you p lan t in your garden?
9 Do you like gardening?
10 If you have a piece of land, w hat will you do w ith it?
Trang 38Topic 22A TALKING ABOUT COUNTRIES AND
NATIONALITIES
The U nited S tates covers a large p a rt of th e N orth A m erican continent Its neighbors are C anada to th e n o rth , and Mexico to th e south A lthough th e U nited S tates is a big country, it is not th e
la rg e st in th e world In 1964, its population w as over 185,000,000
W hen th is land firs t becam e a nation, after w inning its independence from E ngland, it h ad th irte e n states Each of th e
s ta te s was rep resen te d on th e A m erican flag by a sta r All th e se
s ta te s were in th e e a s te rn p a rt of th e continent As the n atio n grew tow ard th e w est, new s ta te s were added and new sta rs appeared on
th e flag For a long tim e, th e re w ere 48 sta te s In 1959, however, two more sta rs w ere added to th e flag, re p re se n tin g th e new sta te s
of A laska and H awaii
Indians w ere th e firs t in h a b ita n ts of th e land w hich is now
th e U nited S tates T here are still m any thousands of th e descendants of th e se original in h a b ita n ts living in all p a rts of th e country Som etim es it is said th a t th e In d ian s are “th e only real
A m ericans” M ost A m ericans, how ever, are descendants of people who came from all over th e world to find a new life in a new land Those who came first an d in g re a te st num bers to m ake th e ir homes
on th e e a ste rn coast of N o rth A m erica w ere m ostly from E ngland It
is for th a t reason th a t th e language of th e U n ited S tates is E nglish and th a t its culture an d customs are m ore like those of E ngland
th a n of any o th er country in th e world
QUESTIONS FOR ORAL PRACTICE
1 W hat country covers a large p a rt of th e N orth A m erican continent?
Trang 392 W h at countries are neighbors of th e U nited S tates?
3 Is th e U.S the la rg e st country in th e world?
4 W h a t was its population in 1964?
5 How m any sta te s were th ere a t th e beginning?
6 How m any sta te s are th e re now?
7 How are th e sta te s rep resented on th e A m erican flag?
8 W ho w ere th e firs t in h a b itan ts of America?
9 W hy are th e custom s and culture of th e U nited S tates more like
th o se of E n g lan d th a n of any o th er country?
10 W hy is E nglish th e language of th e U nited S tates?
Topic 23A TALKING ABOUT SCHOOLS AND
EDUCATION
Life in th e tw e n tie th century dem ands preparation Today, all
in d iv id u als in a country m ust have adequate schooling to prepare
th e m for th e ir work as well as for th e ir responsibilities as citizens
W ith th is in m ind, n ational leaders everyw here are placing more
e m p h a sis on th e education of the young
In th e U nited S tates, governm ent officials, p aren ts, and
te a c h e rs a re w orking h ard to give th e children—tom orrow ’s decision
m a k e rs — th e b est p rep aratio n available
T h e re is no n atio n al school policy in th e U nited S tates Each
of th e fifty s ta te s m akes its own rules and regulations for its schools, but th e re are m any sim ilarities among th e fifty school
sy ste m s Public schools in all states are supported by taxes paid by
Trang 40the citizens of th e individual sta te In m ost sta te s the children are required to atte n d school until they reach th e age of sixteen.
W hen they become six y ears old, children begin elem entary school A fter six years in elem en tary school, they go into junior high school and rem ain th e re for th re e years The la st th re e years of
th e ir public school education are sp e n t in senior high school, from
w hich they graduate a t th e age of eighteen
A g reat num ber of high school graduates continue th e ir education in one of th e m any colleges or universities in th e country
A fter four years, they receive a bachelor’s degree Some continue studying for a m a ste r’s degree and p erh ap s a doctor’s degree
QUESTIONS FOR ORAL PRACTICE
1 Why m ust all individuals have adequate schooling?
2 Who are tom orrow ’s decision m akers?
3 W hat is special about th e school policy in th e U.S?
4 By w hat are public schools in all sta te s supported?
5 At w hat age does a child in th e U.S e n te r elem entary school?
6 Are public schools in th e U n ited S tates free to th e students? Why?
7 How long does th e law require th a t a stu d en t go to school in
m ost states?
8 At w hat age do m ost stu d e n ts graduate from high school?
9 W hat are some kinds of u n iversity degrees?
10 Why is education so im p o rta n t today?