15. Nobody is to blame/ responsible for the fact that the meeting was cancelled.
16. Hardly a day passes/ goes by without my writing to him.
17. Because of the proper combination of the chemicals, the prescription has brought about the expected result.
16. It was too late to do anything, (or) It was too late for anything to be done.
17. The water was not warm enough for the children to swim in.
18. We had no difficulty (in) finding the house.
19. She reminded him to phone the office.
20. In case you get hungry on the train, take some sandwiches.
Exercise 23.
1. It is a six-hour drive from here to London.
2. It took us 5 hours to travel to London.
3. It takes me 20 minutes to get to work.
4. He was annoyed with his secretary for coming to work late, (or) He was annoyed that his secretary came to work late.
5. She is not used to life in London.
6. My English friend isn’t used to driving on the right.
7. It was impolite of him to leave without saying a single word.
8. Why don’t we go abroad for our holiday this year?
9. Would you mind not smoking in the ward?
10. He was too tired to watch the whole film, so he fell asleep.
11. After these young men had had six years of training, they became doctors.
12. There is nothing I wouldn’t do to be able to travel to China.
13. My father has difficulty (in) following maps.
14. We were so shocked to hear that an earthquake had occurred.
15. Yoghurt is supposed to do you good. (do you good = cải thiện sức khoẻ hoặc cuộc sống.)
16. In all probability/ likelihood, the whole thing will hove been forgotten by next term, (in all probability/ likelihood = rất có thể.)
17. A heavy shower stopped/prevented them from finishing their game.
18. He is always short of money.
19. Our house has been for sale/ on the market for over six months.
20. Thanks to my uncle's generosity, we were able to go or7 a Mediterranean cruise.
Exercise 24.
1. You mustn’t aren’t allowed to ride a bicycle along the pavement.
2. The excuse for declaration of war was the defence of their territorial rights.
(pretext of something/ doing something = cớ, lí do.)
3. By stretching the rope from one side of the crevasse to the other, they were able to haul their equipment across.
4. The risks of this scheme are too great for my liking.
5. There is no point in trying to get Jim to lend you his car/ in trying lo borrow Jim’s car.
6. There is hardly anything/ very little that he doesn’t know about whales.
7. The operation left Simon weaker feeling than he (had) expected.
8. No parking is allowed here.
9. You must either pay the bill at once or return the goods.
10. I derive a lot of pleasure from collecting stamps, (derive something from = nhận được từ; derive pleasure from = tìm thấy niềm vui thích từ.)
11. You haven't accounted exactly for the disappearance of the money, (account for something = giải thích nguyên nhân gây ra điều gì.)
12. Nothing but an unforeseen problem can stop the scheme now.
13. If you want me to hear you, you will have to speak up.
14. With the exception of Philip, everyone else at the meeting was a party member. (with the exception of = ngoại trừ.)
15. Publicly-maintained school do not charge tuition fees.
16. Would it be possible to speak to someone about my problem?
17. Mrs Wilson sends her apologies for not having attended the meeting yesterday morning.
18. If you want accommodation in Brighton, it is advisable to book in advance.
19. There wasn't much time/ a long time left when the winning goal was scored.
20. To my surprise, Mary got into university despite the fact that/although she hadn't worked hard at school.
Exercise 25.
1. My purpose in holding this meeting is to present the latest sales figures.
2. Urgent action must be taken to solve the problem of homelessness. (or) Urgent measures are necessary to solve the problem of homelessness.
3. No fewer than 2,000 visitors a month must visit/ use the new leisure centre to make a profit.
4. There have been no changes to the team since last Saturday's match.
5. There is no difference in weight between these two boxers.
6. She flatly refused to sleep in that haunted house.
7. The storm surprisingly caused little damage in the area.
8. He is the most likely person to succeed in solving the problem.
9. This will be the first time the group has appeared/ has played in the USA.
10. Le Corbusier had a great influence on the development of architectural styles.
11. Her contributions to class discussions are enthusiastic.
12. Refusal to give a breath sample to the police could lead to your arrest.
13. You are certain/ bound to meet lots of people in your new job.
14. We will still go whether it rains or not.
15. Nobody is to blame/ responsible for the fact that the meeting was cancelled.
16. Hardly a day passes/ goes by without my writing to him.
17. Because of the proper combination of the chemicals, the prescription has brought about the expected result.
18. Throughout his life, the man suffered from great poverty.
19. Why did they turn up so late?
20. There is nothing Iwouldn’t do to prevent him from going there.
Gợi ý viết đoạn văn Theme 1: Family life Topic I.1
In modern society, the roles of men and women are similar. The father takes care of the family by providing all the necessities, and guiding the children. The mother, in most families, also goes to work, looks after the children, and supervises household tasks. The son can assist in household activities such as doing simple home repairs and taking care of his younger brother or sister. The daughter can help the mother with household chores such as grocery shopping, cooking, or keeping the house tidy. Sharing household chores helps the family have a happier atmosphere, and closer relationship. All of them will be more sociable and active in their daily lives at work or at school. All the family members should share the household chores equally in order to have a happy family.
Topic I.2
Of all household chores, I dislike washing up most because it is boring. The chore I enjoy doing is tidying up my own room because it makes my room look more clean and nice. Among his/her household tasks, my brother/sister prefers to helps the mother prepare and cook dinner because the work is interesting. My father also shares in housework. His main responsibilities are repairing the household furniture or appliances especially electric ones. My mother is the manager of the household. She runs the family well to make sure that all members can live under the same roof comfortably.
Topic I.3
Mothers should be greatly encouraged to work outside the home. First, working mothers contribute to household income. They help their husbands pay household expenses and satisfy their children’s growing needs. When life is getting more and more expensive, women’s salaries are becoming important to their household budgets. Second, working mothers are good educators for their children. Experiences at work widen their knowledge.
Through working, they discover their strengths and weaknesses, and find good ways to educate their children. Finally, working mothers set examples for their children. When children see how their parents work hard to support the family and share household chores, they will learn many things from them. Family values such as hard work, responsibilities and love are likely to pass from generation to generation. Clearly, mothers should be strongly supported to work outside the home.
Topic I.4
I live in a family of four: my parents, my younger brother and I. We are all very busy people, for example my parents sometimes work late in the evening or work at the weekend, so we split the household chores equally. My dad is responsible for mending things around the house. My mother does most of the cooking and grocery shopping.
Being the elder child in the family, I take up a large share of housework. I do the laundry, take out the garbage, and clean the fridge once a week. My younger sister helps Mum prepare meals and wash the dishes. My sister and I take turns laying the table for meals, sweeping the house and feeding the pet. We do our share of household chores willingly because we know that if everyone contributes, the burden is less and each family member can have some time to relax: “Many hands make light work”.
Topic I.5
With the development of sciences, people are living longer now. The three most factors enabling the longer life are: the quality of life, good medical services, and regular sports.
We could have not only enough food we want but also the healthy food. With the development of transportation systems, inland people now could enjoy seafood and tropical fruit. Furthermore, governments are paying more and more money on medical services so that citizens can have good medical services easily. Many illnesses that were considered fatal can be cured nowadays. The better prevention and cures enable people’s longer lives.
Finally, people care more for their own health. Regular exercises and sports can resist more diseases. We can see a large number of people doing morning exercises in the parks every morning. To sum up, the development of our society brings the longer life of people.
Topic I.6
It is true that the social, economic changes make the traditional family standards vary.
Many people agree that families are not as close-knit as they used to be for a number of reasons. First, we all seem to have so busy lives and dynamic lifestyles, so we are now so busy working, earning, getting promotions, taking part in social activities. In families, both parents work so they have less time for themselves as well as for other family members.
Second, 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 smart phones, computers, etc. In addition, having different viewpoints is the other cause of the issue. The generation gaps sometimes cause misunderstanding or even arguments. Although changes of traditional families are unavoidable, we can reduce the gaps between family members to be as close-knit as possible.
Topic I.7
Nowadays, more and more people prefer to eat at food stands or restaurants, but I still prefer to prepare and eat food at home for a number of reasons. First, you can save money if you eat at home. In order to get profit, restaurants ask for more money on the same food you cook at home, and that is a waste of money. Second, the food in restaurants is not what you are expecting. You may dislike the way restaurants cook the same dishes in different tastes. Finally, if you prepare food by yourself, you will have a happy mood and pleasure when you eat it, regardless of the savour of the food. You can improve your method of cooking considering your taste on that day. Cooking has become my hobby now, and I prefer to eat food at home.
18. Throughout his life, the man suffered from great poverty.
19. Why did they turn up so late?
20. There is nothing Iwouldn’t do to prevent him from going there.
Gợi ý viết đoạn văn Theme 1: Family life Topic I.1
In modern society, the roles of men and women are similar. The father takes care of the family by providing all the necessities, and guiding the children. The mother, in most families, also goes to work, looks after the children, and supervises household tasks. The son can assist in household activities such as doing simple home repairs and taking care of his younger brother or sister. The daughter can help the mother with household chores such as grocery shopping, cooking, or keeping the house tidy. Sharing household chores helps the family have a happier atmosphere, and closer relationship. All of them will be more sociable and active in their daily lives at work or at school. All the family members should share the household chores equally in order to have a happy family.
Topic I.2
Of all household chores, I dislike washing up most because it is boring. The chore I enjoy doing is tidying up my own room because it makes my room look more clean and nice. Among his/her household tasks, my brother/sister prefers to helps the mother prepare and cook dinner because the work is interesting. My father also shares in housework. His main responsibilities are repairing the household furniture or appliances especially electric ones. My mother is the manager of the household. She runs the family well to make sure that all members can live under the same roof comfortably.
Topic I.3
Mothers should be greatly encouraged to work outside the home. First, working mothers contribute to household income. They help their husbands pay household expenses and satisfy their children’s growing needs. When life is getting more and more expensive, women’s salaries are becoming important to their household budgets. Second, working mothers are good educators for their children. Experiences at work widen their knowledge.
Through working, they discover their strengths and weaknesses, and find good ways to educate their children. Finally, working mothers set examples for their children. When children see how their parents work hard to support the family and share household chores, they will learn many things from them. Family values such as hard work, responsibilities and love are likely to pass from generation to generation. Clearly, mothers should be strongly supported to work outside the home.
Topic I.4
I live in a family of four: my parents, my younger brother and I. We are all very busy people, for example my parents sometimes work late in the evening or work at the weekend, so we split the household chores equally. My dad is responsible for mending things around the house. My mother does most of the cooking and grocery shopping.
Being the elder child in the family, I take up a large share of housework. I do the laundry, take out the garbage, and clean the fridge once a week. My younger sister helps Mum prepare meals and wash the dishes. My sister and I take turns laying the table for meals, sweeping the house and feeding the pet. We do our share of household chores willingly because we know that if everyone contributes, the burden is less and each family member can have some time to relax: “Many hands make light work”.
Topic I.5
With the development of sciences, people are living longer now. The three most factors enabling the longer life are: the quality of life, good medical services, and regular sports.
We could have not only enough food we want but also the healthy food. With the development of transportation systems, inland people now could enjoy seafood and tropical fruit. Furthermore, governments are paying more and more money on medical services so that citizens can have good medical services easily. Many illnesses that were considered fatal can be cured nowadays. The better prevention and cures enable people’s longer lives.
Finally, people care more for their own health. Regular exercises and sports can resist more diseases. We can see a large number of people doing morning exercises in the parks every morning. To sum up, the development of our society brings the longer life of people.
Topic I.6
It is true that the social, economic changes make the traditional family standards vary.
Many people agree that families are not as close-knit as they used to be for a number of reasons. First, we all seem to have so busy lives and dynamic lifestyles, so we are now so busy working, earning, getting promotions, taking part in social activities. In families, both parents work so they have less time for themselves as well as for other family members.
Second, 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 smart phones, computers, etc. In addition, having different viewpoints is the other cause of the issue. The generation gaps sometimes cause misunderstanding or even arguments. Although changes of traditional families are unavoidable, we can reduce the gaps between family members to be as close-knit as possible.
Topic I.7
Nowadays, more and more people prefer to eat at food stands or restaurants, but I still prefer to prepare and eat food at home for a number of reasons. First, you can save money if you eat at home. In order to get profit, restaurants ask for more money on the same food you cook at home, and that is a waste of money. Second, the food in restaurants is not what you are expecting. You may dislike the way restaurants cook the same dishes in different tastes. Finally, if you prepare food by yourself, you will have a happy mood and pleasure when you eat it, regardless of the savour of the food. You can improve your method of cooking considering your taste on that day. Cooking has become my hobby now, and I prefer to eat food at home.
Topic I.8
When children grow up, they need parental support in order to establish good personalities. First, 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. Children are associated with positive long-term outcomes so that they will grow up more independent, emphatic, and socially competent. Secure attachment to parents will give a child support for positive, self-fulfilling expectations about other people that he will take into future relationships.
Second, parents with good jobs will be able to satisfy their children’s needs as an asset to a child’s overall development. The income of parents is directly influential in the quality of care as well as of life a child has. In addition, children need their parents to be affectionate, caring persons who loves them, fosters secure attachments with the child, and understands what the child’s needs.
Theme 2: Education & Employment
Topic II. 1
The formal school system in Vietnam consists of two levels of education: primary and secondary education. Primary school begins when a child gets 6, and lasts for 4 years; that is, he or she finishes the primary education at the age of 10. Then second education opens up. The child starts the lower secondary education with Grade 6 when he or she is 11 years old, and stays on until the age of 14 at Grade 9. At the end of Grade 9, the student moves on to the upper secondary school as long as he or she passes a Grade 10 entrance examination.
Then the student follows the upper secondary education, which is supposed to last three years. In other words, when finishing Grade 12, the student completes his formal education in Vietnam.
Topic II.2
English has become one of the three compulsory subjects in the high school graduation examinations. First, students have to revise basic English grammar, especially sentence structures, vocabulary, and use of English. Second, they should also improve reading skills (understand the main ideas, look for specific or relevant details, and find the closest meaning of the words/ phrases from the passage based on the context); writing skills (make the detailed outlines with the main ideas, supporting ideas, and linking words). In addition, revision of English textbooks with the themes and contents, especially English 12 has proved to be very important. Last but not least, mental preparations are also important: go to bed early the night before the examination day, keep calm and alert while doing the test papers. In short, the preparations you have made will help you have confidence in order to succeed in the important examinations.
Topic II. 3
English has become the language of international communication in many fields including education, especially higher education. English will help you get much more knowledge from reference books written in English. Most science books are written or translated in English, so we can get ready access to mankind knowledge. English is also the
means of communication when we study abroad or take part in international projects with foreign universities or companies. A good command of English is a must when we work for foreign companies in Vietnam. In short, English helps us become more successful in our higher education and future career.
Topic II. 4
I have decided to apply to Ho Chí Minh City University of Technology majoring in Information Technology in order to become an IT engineer. I have had the love of science since my childhood, and at present I am very interested in using computers. I am very good at subjects of natural sciences such as Maths, Physics, Chemistry, and also English. I hope that I will do the exam papers very well so that I will be able to get enough qualifications to pass the college entrance exams to attend the course of my own choice. Up to now, I have reviewed all the basic knowledge and necessary skills in Grade 12 to complete the exam papers.
Topic II. 5
When we choose to attend a Vietnamese university, we can live with our own family during the course of study and get constant support and encouragement from each family member. In addition, students can learn all subjects in Vietnamese, the mother tongue.
Students who do not have a good command of English have no difficulty in following the courses. Most Vietnamese universities offer a variety of courses of high quality for low tuition. It is really necessary for poor students in order to follow higher education.
Nowadays, more and more Vietnamese universities gain the regional and international recognition of the university degrees, in short, attending a domestic university is the best choice for most Vietnamese students and they will have enough qualifications to get good careers.
Topic II. 6
There are several reasons why students would like to study abroad. First, they can gain higher academic qualifications when studying overseas. A large number of prestigious universities in the world have professional lecturers who are experts in their fields and better courses. Therefore, students can have more opportunities to find a well-paid job in their home country or get promoted in their career path after graduation. Second, living and studying in other countries may help students learn foreign languages such as English or French and communicate with native speakers. Finally, if students are sent to foreign countries for their studies, they will be likely to become more mature and independent.
Experiencing new things including customs and cultures would be beneficial to their later lives because they learn many useful things. In short, it seems that studying abroad is a good opportunity to help young learners prepare for their future best.
Topic II. 7
We gain our knowledge about the world and our life mostly from books. 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.