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Okay so I would like to tell you about the book called Harry Potter, which is a fantasy novel, written by the British author J K Rowling It’s one that I can reread time and time again The book describes the life of a young wizard named Harry Potter and his two best friends, Ron and Hermione Harry has to struggle to kill the Dark wizard Lord Voldemort, whose aim is to become immortal and destroy all those who stand in his way of ruling the world The reason why this book comes to mind is that it is a reminder of my childhood It was a gift for my birthday from my parents to reward my high score in an exam at school Up until now, I can still remember clearly how fascinated I was when I received it Thanks to this book, I realized that determination and effort play essential roles in achieving my goals Since then, I have always worked hard to overcome all obstacles and challenges in my life Harry Potter will always be on my to-read list for a number of reasons Firstly, I have always been a great admirer of science fiction books so I love the way that the author describes the whole magical world with the magic school, Hogwarts, and the flying brooms Secondly, reading this book not only helps me to relax after a long day of work or study but also cheers me up whenever I am feeling blue Từ vựng  fantasy novel: a book that involves magic or imaginary worlds  author:someone who writes a book, story or article  time and time again: on many occasions, many times  immortal: to never die  comes to mind: an idea or thought that appears in your mind  fascinated: to be very interested  determination and effort: to focus your attention and use a lot of energy to something  play essential roles: are important parts of something  overcome all obstacles: to get through any problems  to-read list: a list of books that you want to read  admirer: to like something  cheers me up: makes me feel better or happier  feeling blue: feeling down or sad I am going to talk about a book that l’ve read recently It is a Vietnamese coming-ofage novel called “Mắt Biếc”, which can be literally translated into Vietnamese as “Blue Eyes” The novel revolves around an unrequited love story between Ngạn, a country boy, and Hà Lan, his neighbor, childhood friend and lifelong crush Ngạn and Hà Lan grow up together in a remote village in the Central region of Vietnam Ngạn develops a strong love, which later becomes obsession, towards Hà Lan, the girl whose eyes he adores since the very first time they meet Although they spend their childhood and adolescence together, they later lead a very different life during their adulthood While Ngạn still cherishes the slow-paced life of his village, Hà Lan fails to resist the allure and glamour of the city life She ends up falling in love with a playboy named Dũng, has a baby with him and leaves the child under the protection of her grandmom and, guess what, his lifelong crush Ngạn Ngạn raises her daughter like his own child just to realise at the end of the story that he is just trying to create another version of his beloved Hà Lan I really love this novel since I can see parts of younger self in it The author’s depiction of the 1990’s Vietnamese life is just brilliant The movie adapted from the book is going to be released this December           Coming-of-age: tuổi lớn Revolve around: xoay quanh Unrequited love: tình đơn phương Obsession: ám ảnh Lead a different life: sống khác Cherish: trân quý, quý trọng Allure: hấp dẫn Glamour: nhộn nhịp hào nhoáng Depiction: khắc họa Adapted from: chuyển thể từ Contents 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Describe a change that you think would improve your local area Describe a place you have visited that has been affected by pollution Describe a time when you tried a new food for the first time Describe an occasion when you got up very early Described a success you have had in your life Describe a family (not your own family) that you like Describe a photo of yourself that you had taken Describe a long car journey you went on Describe a good part of your personality or character Describe a short trip that you frequently make (or, take) but dislike Describe a free-time activity that you like to after you have finished your study or work .10 Describe a time when you waited for (or, had to wait for) something (or someone) 11 Describe someone or something that made a lot of noise 12 Describe an important holiday (or festival) that is celebrated in your country 13 Describe a (recent) time when you looked at the sky (either day or night) 13 Describe a difficult decision that you made 14 Describe a street that you like to visit 15 Describe an article you read in a magazine or on the internet about healthy living 16 Describe a short holiday (vacation) that was special for you 17 Describe a wedding that you have attended 19 Describe a useful app or computer program for a smart phone, computer or tablet that you have used 20 22 20 Describe an activity you for your health or fitness 21 23 Describe a big company that you would like to work in 22 24 Describe an occasion when you helped someone 22 25 Describe a course you would like to study (or, do) 23 26 Describe a positive change that you made to your life 24 27 Describe a time when you forgot something important 25 28 Describe a product you bought that you were happy with 26 29 Describe a special toy you had in your childhood 26 30 Describe an item of clothing that was bought for u 27 31 Describe a time when the weather caused you to change your plan 28 32 Describe a gift that you recently gave to others 29 33 Describe an advertisement you have seen 29 34 Describe a website that you like to visit 30 35 A time you needed to use imagination 31 36 Describe a wild animal 32 37 Describe a small business that you would like to open, (or, start or run or own or have) if you had the chance 33 38 Describe a time you missed an important appointment for something 35 39 Describe a talk or a speech 36 40 Describe an experience that when you spent time with a child 38 41 Describe a time when you made a mistake 40 42 Describe a time when you got lost 41 43 Describe a successful small business that you know 42 44 Describe a tourist site in your country that you enjoyed visiting 44 45 Describe a book that you want to read again 46 46 Describe a decision made by others that you disagreed with 48 47 Describe a time you had good experience in the countryside 50 48 Describe an experience in which the use of a mobile phone was not allowed 52 49 Describe a holiday you want to go on in the future 54 50 Describe an unforgettable experience you have had 56 51 Describe an experience of good service in a shop or a restaurant 57 52 57 53 Describe an outdoor activity you like to 58 54 My favorite outdoor activity is jogging It’s a kind of running at a slow or leisurely pace that helps to build up your physical fitness I much prefer to go jogging in open spaces like parks or lakesides There, you can 58 55 Describe an item of electronic equipment that you would like to have 60 56 61 57 Describe a sport that you prefer to and is a little expensive 61 58 62 59 Describe an activity that makes you feel excited 62 60 Describe a piece of equipment in your home 64 61 Describe an ambition that you have not yet achieved 66 62 Describe a photograph in your home 67 63 67 64 Describe the stage of life that you have enjoyed the most 68 65 70 66 Describe a time when you did something to help someone you didn't know 70 67 Describe a subject you didn't like before but are interested in now 71 68 71 69 Describe situation when a child made you laugh 72 70 Describe a bicycle/motorbike/car trip that is interesting 73 Describe a change that you think would improve your local area I was born and raised in Hanoi and have been here for 27 years I have watched the city develop from a small town and grow into a modern metropolitan area in the new era With the skyrocketing population of recent years, the city’s environment has become significantly polluted As a result, I think environmental laws should be enacted immediately to solve this problem First of all, Hanoi’s mayor should consider putting more trash bins out in the streets so that people won’t throw rubbish anywhere anytime In addition, the city police should heavily fine those who are caught littering the streets By doing so, not only could we save a lot of money on cleaning costs but we could also improve the surrounding public scenery Secondly, the city should run a campaign to educate people on how to classify and separate garbage before throwing it out This is necessary because unsorted garbage contributes to the pollution of underground water and the earth In my opinion, although these above actions are minor, they would contribute to diminishing the impacts of pollution in our local area if they were done on a collective level Describe a place you have visited that has been affected by pollution It is regrettable that Hanoi, where I’m living, is negatively affected by pollution and the major environmental problems it is facing are water pollution, air pollution and noise pollution There are various reasons why this city is badly polluted Firstly, due to modernization, more and more vehicles such as cars and motorbikes are used This leads to an increase in exhaust emissions which contaminate the atmosphere, not to mention the rising level of noise pollution Secondly, factories and industrial zones in the city have discharged a huge amount of untreated waste into rivers, causing death to many fish and other aquatic animals In fact, pollution makes people here less healthy, and some even suffer from life-threatening diseases such as lung cancer, skin cancer, and so on Therefore, the government must deal with this problem right away Cutting down on vehicle use is the best way to reduce air pollution and noise pollution We can this by encouraging people to use public transportation Besides, those who litter should pay a heavy fine Finally, I think the best solution is to raise awareness and educate people to protect the environment Describe a time when you tried a new food for the first time 23 1.One of my favorite types of foreign foods is tteokbokki, or spicy sticky rice cake This is a popular Korean food made from rice cake dipped in hot and sweet chili sauce, and some people may add spring onions, sesame seeds or fish cakes according to their own tastes I think this is a perfect dish for the winter, especially for those freezing cold days The first time I had a chance to eat tteokbokki was when I was in grade 11 It was a typical winter day and my friends asked me if I would like to try some Korean food that could “warm me up” right away I was kind of free and also a bit curious as the only type of Korean food that I’d ever tried was kimbap – you know, the Korean sushi Anyway I said yes, and they took me to a newly-opened Korean food stall near my school I was awestruck once I saw the dish – it was full of chili sauce and I myself was not a big fan of very spicy foods I seriously struggled a lot to eat that dish It took me quite a long time to clean my plate and I had to drink lots of water while I was eating But something strange happened: I kind of missed the taste of that dish some weeks later And you know what, the more I ate it, the better it tasted to me! It was like I grew quite addicted to tteokbokki in a sense And well, it’s been several years and I still like this dish very much I still eat it now and then, and I seriously would highly recommend it to everyone who can eat spicy foods Dip [verb] (nhúng) To put something quickly into a liquid and take it out again e.g Dip these strawberries into chocolate sauce – they will taste delicious Sesame [noun] (vừng) A tall annual herbaceous plant of tropical and subtropical areas of the Old World, cultivated for its oil-rich seeds e.g I bought some bread today, covered with sesame seeds Newly [adverb] (mới/gần đây) Only just; recently e.g If I continue with this newly acquired skill of holding my breath, I may still survive In a/one sense [expression] (theo cách đó) By a particular interpretation of a statement or situation e.g In one sense, his death was a relief, because he was suffering with a lot of pain throughout his long illness 2.Well, I’m a great fan of barbecues and I would like to talk about the first time I tried some typical barbecue food This happened when I was 10 years old My familiy went out to have dinner to celebrate my younger sister’s birthday After putting so much thought into some new savoury food to have for our meal, we decided to go to a BBQ restautant on Ba Trieu street We ordered four dishes with three different tastes One of them which really interested me was grilled-Australian beef, flavoured with something spicy, rich and aromatic It not only tasted delicious, but also looked appealing Also, it went well with two kinds of dipping sauces and was served with baguettes There was also a salad, which gave it a mild taste to contrast with the spicy flavours The idea of a barbecue originated in America, and for us it was a novel and sophisticated meal What I really enjoyed was that we could watch as it was cooked in front of us I loved how juicy it was and the aroma it had Just mentioning it makes my mouth water I mean, the BBQ was out of this world That was the first time I had tried it, and I would have liked to have kept on coming back for more, but I was just too full put thought into: [expression] considered seriously and carefully Example: I put so much thought into my school project that I received a very high score savoury: [adjective] having a delicious taste, usually containing salt Example: We ate some tasty savoury biscuits with cheese to finish our meal flavour: [verb] add to food to give it a special taste Example: The fish was flavoured with spices and it tasted delicious aromatic: [adjective] having a pleasant smell or aroma Example: She grows a number of aromatic plants in her garden dipping sauces: [noun] different types of sauces in which you can put your food quickly, take the food out again and eat it Example: The chef flavours his dipping sauces with different spices – some sweet spices and some hot ones baguettes: [noun] white bread in the shape of long sticks Example: The cheese baguettes which we ordered were hard on the outside and soft on the inside mild: [adjective] not strong or severe Example: I prefer cheese that is mild rather than cheese with a strong flavour originate: [verb] happen or appear for the first time in a particular place or situation Example: Tobacco originated in America and was later brought to Europe novel: [adjective] new, and different from anything known before Example: Drive-in restaurants are a novel idea which originated in America sophisticated: [adjective] typical of rich or socially important people Example: They like to dress in very sophisticated clothes, although they don’t have a lot of money makes my mouth water: [expression] makes me feel hungry Example: Thinking about Thai cuisine makes my mouth water out of this world: [expression] wonderful and exciting Example: The new James Bond film is out of this world Describe an occasion when you got up very early Well, I am going to share with you a story of one time when I got up very early To be honest, getting up early was not really my sort of thing on a regular basis, only on some very special occasions One such time was during the summer holiday last year It was our trip to Da Nang with my whole family, which lasted for days There were lots of things planned ahead, so I did the homework carefully Because we wanted to avoid rush hours that would probably ruin our whole trip, we had to wake up at 5am to allow time for our careful preparations It took us hours to get to the airport and fly to Da Nang in the morning I felt a little bit sleepy because this was the first time I had had to deal with such an early start However, it promised to be a great time for my extended family to get together, so I was really excited about it There were 10 of us altogether, and of course we were chatting to each other all the way there When we arrived, what really attracted me was the fresh air at Da Nang beach At once, the incredible view totally banished all thoughts of sleep This amazing trip included many fun times to look back on and it gave all of us a chance to bond with each other I learnt the hard way that getting up early was as not challenging as I had thought If I tried my best, I knew that I could it without too much trouble For sure, I will make more trips like that in the near future 23 my sort of thing: [expression] something which interests me or something which I like to Example: Rock music is not my sort of thing, so I always listen to classical music 5888 banished: [verb] made someone or something go away Example: The confidence of the driving instructor banished all my fears of learning to drive 5889 look back: [phrasal verb] think about something in your past 5890 learnt the hard way: [expression] did something in a way which was more difficult than necessary Example: He learnt the hard way not to drink and drive He is now recovering in hospital after the car accident 5891 without too much trouble: [expression] with no great difficulty Example: He has a natural talent for music, so he learnt to play the piano without too much trouble Described a success you have had in your life The biggest success I have ever had was passing the university entrance examination As you know, this exam is very challenging and requires careful preparation over a long period of time Therefore, since the very beginning of high school, I always tried my best to study well Every day, I paid attention to every lesson at school and wrote down important points carefully Besides the required classes, I attended some extra ones to broaden my knowledge as well as review what I had learned before Moreover, at the weekends, I joined a few study groups where I could discuss and solve difficult exercises with my friends I must say that I worked my fingers to the bone in order to get into my dream university Finally, my efforts paid off I passed the university entrance exam and became a student at my favorite school Of course, my parents and relatives were very proud of me And this success has motivated me to set and achieve other goals in my life 23 to work your fingers to the bone [expression]: to work really hard at something, to the point of exhaustion Example: She worked her fingers to the bone and still wasn’t able to complete the project by the deadline Describe a family (not your own family) that you like I would like to talk about a family that I am very close to, it’s my uncle’s family His family has daughters who are around the same age as me; therefore, I usually drop in to his house to chat with them At times, we bake some cakes and take them to our grandparents’ house; then we have an overnight sleep there Besides, we often hang out together, especially at the weekends just to take it easy and enjoy ourselves so as to get ready for a new week Their parents, I mean my uncle and aunt, are very warm-hearted, and they both work as college teachers So, whenever I run into difficulties with my homework, I usually turn to them for help I remember when I was small, I used to live in my uncle’s house and they looked after me as if I had been their daughter Hence, our relationships are out-of-this-world, although we don’t have much time together like before But on special occasions such as the Tet holiday, we will gather at my grandparents’ house to make Chung cake, enjoy a firework performance as well as wish New year’s greetings to each other As a final point, I hope that we can maintain this close relationship for ever Describe a photo of yourself that you had taken Today, I would like to describe a photo of myself that I had taken by a friend Honestly, I kind of not like posing for pictures and I only so on very special occasions That photo was taken at my university with my extended family last year during the graduation ceremony, you know, and it was special because it was one of the best family moments in our lives When I graduated from university, my whole family – that is my grandparents, my parents and a lot of my siblings – brothers and sisters - came to celebrate the day with me Everyone was extremely cheerful and really proud of me I remembered that we had not had a family get-together for ages, so I came up with the idea of taking a photo together in order to save our memorable day on film The House of Culture in my university was the place that we chose to take this photo I asked one of my classmates to help us to capture that moment He was really good at photography and so I had total confidence in him He put everyone at their ease, so it was really a wonderful photo because there were brilliant smiles from all the members of our whole family group Whenever I look back at that photo, I feel very emotional and happy because it not only marked a major turning-point in my life, but it was also a valuable opportunity for my extended family to strengthen our relationship I think sometimes it is necessary for us to capture moments and save them as notable memories in our lives 0.0for ages: [expression] for a long time Example: How are you? I haven’t seen you for ages 0.1put at their ease: [expression] make someone relaxed, so they not feel nervous or embarrassed Example: Our friendly host at the party soon put everyone at their ease 0.2look back: [phrasal verb] think about something in your past Example: When I look back at my schooldays, I realise that I was not happy at that time strengthen: [verb] make stronger Example: The President said that he was determined to strengthen his country’s relations with China notable: [adjective] important and deserving to receive attention Example: She achieved notable success as a famous writer of books for children (It is located in the northern part of Vietnam, so I knew that we faced a long drive ahead We had decided to go by car) Describe a long car journey you went on 0Like many other young people, I don’t have the habit of waking up early every day, only for special occasions Last weekend, I and a group of my friends decided to go on a trip to the mountainous area of Vietnam called Mu Cang Chai We had to leave very early in the morning so that we did not get stuck in the traffic In addition, we would have more time to spend there It wasn’t easy to get up early in the morning, because I had been so excited about the trip that I had barely slept that night I had never been to Mu Cang Chai before It is located in the northern part of Vietnam, so I knew that we faced a long drive ahead We had decided to go by car since, that way, all of us could travel together Moreover, everyone reckoned that it would be safer than going by motorbike / Waking up early did not feel that bad at all, even though it was the first time I had done so for many months To begin with, I felt a bit sleepy, but then the pure morning air freshened me completely After hours driving, we arrived at our destination We were amazed to see a vast land filled with the yellow color of terraced rice fields, ready to be harvested Under the sunlight, these rice fields sparkled like gold We stayed for one night with a local host and helped the family with their regular tasks before setting out for home the next day It was such an amazing trip, and it helped us to learn more about the countryside and the way of life of those who live there I’d love to make more trips like that in the future sparkle: [verb] to shine brightly Example: The sky sparkled with thousands of stars