GHEP DE SPEAKING QUÝ 2 BY NGOCBACH

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GHÉP ĐỀ SPEAKING QUÝ 2 (THÁNG 6,7,8,9)

BY NGOCBACH

Combo 1

1 Describe an experience that you had with your friends and had a good time

2 Describe a special day that you remember well

5 Describe something exciting you did

Sample Answer:

I will never forget the day my friend and I went to Abington Park together We lived in a small

town in the Midlands in the United Kingdom, where there are many beautiful parks to visit during

the weekends My friend and I searched for some of the most interesting amusement parks in

our town and we found Abington Park in Northamptonshire, England The park is located in the

suburban area of Northampton and took only 15 minutes on the bus We arrived there in the

morning and were so excited to see one of the most exciting places in England At the entrance

of the park there was a parade with colorful characters going around meeting people and

greeting them Then there was a lake with beautiful swans and a bird house My friend and I

love animals so we were very enthusiastic when we saw these and we played with the animals all morning by feeding them and imitating their actions We visited all places and took tons of pictures before heading out to the food court, where many types of fastfood were on display

The food there included fried chicken, potato chips, French fries, tuna salad, buttered buns and drinks These were all the food that we love So we spent some time there to eat and then went

to the outdoor activity area We went on the roller coaster and the pirate ships where my friends

screamed and I laughed hysterically because of her We also took pictures on the ship where

we put on playful pirate clothes We had a blast that day and then we came home with a lot great memories and photos to look back on later I love the memories we have from that day and I will remember it forever

1 small town (n): thị trấn nhỏ

Eg: I grew up in a small town

2 search for (v): tìm kiếm

Eg: She is searching for an apartment on the Upper East Sides

3 amusement park (n): công viên giải trí

Eg: Linda takes her children to the biggest amusement park in the city

4 parade (n): đoàn diễu hành

Eg: The parade attracts people from all over the world

5 suburban area (n): khu vực ngoại ô

Eg: Real estate in the suburban area is cheaper than in downtown

6 greet (v): chào hỏi

Eg: She went to the hotel lobby to greet the guests

7 swan (n): thiên nga

Eg: The Swan Lake is a famous ballet written by Tchaikovski

8 enthusiastic (a): nhiệt huyết, tâm huyết

Eg: She is enthusiastic about the upcoming trip

9 feed (v): cho ăn

Eg: They went to the park to feed the pigeons

10 imitate (v): học theo, làm theo, bắt chước

Eg: Linda imitates the movement of the birds

11 head out (v): đi đến

Eg: They headed out to school from the office

12 display (v): trưng bày

Eg: She displays the disks where it can be seen

13 hysterically (adv): phấn khích tột độ

Eg: They shouted and laughed hysterically all night long

Combo 2

14 Describe an advertisement you remember well

15 Describe the information that was incorrect that you got

Sample answer:

I’d like to talk about ‘the one time that I got incorrect information that I still remember very well/ an advertisement that I remember well due to its inaccuracy’ In my case, the incident of receiving

false information caused humongous inconvenience for me

When I was in high school, I came across an advertisement about a contest for students, which encouraged the younger generations to come up with an initiative to protect the environment

As an enthusiastic teenager, I immediately found that information appealing I spent time

perusing the terms and conditions of the contest and checked out the website for the application

deadline The organisers stated that all eligible initiatives must be submitted by the last day of

November I remember it was in October that I received such information Therefore, I believed

that I had some time to kill to do more research for my environment-friendly ideas

Horribly, when I opened their website to apply in November, it was showing that time was up as

the deadline had been in late October Needless to say, I was so upset that the portal was unable

to accept my application It turned out that they had typo errors in the advertisement The

misrepresentation of the information had tremendously troubled me since I had spent my enthusiasm and time on nothing at all

In summary, any small mistakes could turn anyone’s plan upside down Hence, people should

be impeccable in their work to avoid all the unfortunate mishaps as much as possible Personally, this is also a lesson for me that I should double check all the information carefully

1 inaccuracy (n): sự không chính xác

Eg: Her inaccuracy in the report caused trouble for the company

2 humongous (adj): khổng lồ, to lớn

Eg: The building is so humongous that it blocks out the sunshine

3 to come across: tình cờ gặp gỡ, tìm thấy

Eg: Mary came across Peter when she was hitting the gym yesterday

4 to come up with: nảy ra (ý tưởng…)

Eg: We need to sit together to come up with new solution for the problem

5 initiative (n): sáng kiến

Eg: The competition aims at encouraging people to demonstrate initiative

6 enthusiastic (adj)/ enthusiasm (n): nhiệt tình/ sự nhiệt tình

Eg: He could ‘be wildly enthusiastic/ have wide enthusiasm’ about a project

7 appealing (adj): hấp dẫn, thu hút

Eg: Village life is somehow more appealing

8 to peruse (v): đọc kỹ càng

Eg: Lana perused several online reviews

9 eligible (adj): đủ tư cách, thích hợp

Eg: The staff are given a list of customers who are eligible for discounts

10 environment-friendly (adj): thân thiện với môi trường

Eg: Bringing your own bags when shopping is environment-friendly

11 upset (adj): buồn bực, tức giận

Eg: The accusation upset her terribly

12 portal (n): cổng chính, cổng thông tin website

Eg: Sometimes, the portal doesn’t work well if many people access it at the same time

13 to turn out: hoá ra lại là

Eg: Josh was hesitant about going to the party, but it turned out to be a blast

14 misrepresentation (n): việc trình bày sai

Eg: Janice’s misrepresentation of her boss’s ideas is unacceptable

15 tremendously (adv): một cách ghê gớm, kinh khủng, cực kỳ

Eg: The opera was tremendously magnificent

16 to turn sth upside down: làm đảo ngược điều gì

Eg: Michael’s last decision turned the team’s plan upside down

17 impeccable (adj): hoàn hảo, không có chỗ chê

Eg: The service at this resort is impeccable

18 unfortunate (adj): không may mắn, rủi ro

Eg: The delay at the airport was an unfortunate start to our holiday

19 mishap (n): tai nạn, việc rủi ro

Eg: The event passed without any mishaps

20 to double check (v): kiểm tra 2 lần, kiểm tra kỹ

Eg: Please double check your personal information before handing in the paper

Combo 3

4 Describe a family member you spend a lot of time with

22 Describe a person who taught you something (knowledge or principles)

Sample answer:

I have learnt many important things from people around me Among all the influential teachers in my life is my father because he has been a major inspiration for almost everything I do Moreover, my father is a family member that I spend a lot of time with

My father has always been a good role model for me since I was a kid He's industrious, knowledgeable and understanding My biggest impression about my dad is that he can answer almost every question I have, ranging from daily life situations to technical, scientific wonders Moreover, my father’s got a good sense of humour and seems to get

on well with everybody He brings smiles and happiness anywhere he goes Hopefully, I'll inherit some of these traits

I admire my father because I think he brought me (and my brothers/sisters) up well Honestly, he is quite strict but always fair When I was little, I found it difficult to ask for permission to hang out with my friends, or even with my cousins However, if I had achieved something great, daddy wouldn’t have hesitated to compliment or reward me with small but lovely gifts Especially, he has always been someone I can turn to for advice

I think my father has set a good example by working hard and having a positive outlook

on life I remember that he used to leave work early and come home quite late, but he always made time for me (and my brothers/sisters)

To sum up, my father is indeed my role model and true inspiration in life He has taught me so

much knowledge and principles for being a good person I wish to become a source of

inspiration like him some day

1 a major inspiration/ a source of inspiration (n): nguồn cảm hứng lớn

Eg: Daniel got a major inspiration for arts from Picasso

2 a good role model (n): tấm gương tốt để noi theo

Eg: President Ho Chi Minh is a good role model for people in every aspect

3 industrious (adj): chăm chỉ, cần cù

Eg: Rachel is one of the most industrious employees you’ll ever have

4 wonders (n): kỳ quan, điều kỳ diệu

Eg: There are many wonders in the world that I would love to see

5 a good sense of humour: sự vui tính

Eg: People with a good sense of humour always lift up the mood everywhere they go

6 to get on well with: hoà đồng với ai

Eg: Phoebe doesn’t really get on well with her sisters

7 to inherit the traits: được kế thừa những đặc điểm

Eg: Pete was fortunate enough to inherit the good traits from his mother

8 to bring sb up well: nuôi dạy ai tốt

Eg: It shows that Zoey’s father has brought her up very well

9 to ask for permission: xin phép

Eg: Lizzie had to ask for permission to go to Brussels

10 to hesitate (v): chần chừ

Eg: Don’t hesitate to enjoy your life as you only live once!

11 to turn to for advice: xin ai lời khuyên

Eg: Ben has been the one who I turn to for advice all these years

12 to set a good example: là một ví dụ/ tấm gương tốt

Eg: William is always under the pressure to set a good example for his brother

13 a positive outlook on life: cách nhìn nhận cuộc sống tích cực

Eg: Diana always amazes people on her positive outlook on life

14 to make time for: dành thời gian cho

Eg: Even though daddy is super busy, he always tries to make time for his kids

Combo 4

8 Describe a challenging thing you have done

9 Describe a goal you set that you tried your best to achieve

52 Describe a difficult challenge you met

Sample answer:

I would like to share ‘a goal I set that I tried my best to achieve/ a challenging thing I have done’, which is losing weight Specifically, I tried to lose 3 kg in a month

I set this goal right after the Lunar New Year celebration earlier this year It was a time of the year

when I was exposed to a diversity of delicious food More remarkably, the traditional food of my country is primarily made up of rice and flour, which easily causes obesity Actually, I was only a

bit overweight according to my country’s obesity standard of slim and petite girls But, my situation

got worse after I overly enjoyed some tasty food continuously over the two weeks of the festival Therefore, I had the determination to lose 3 kg in the next month, which was not an easy task

for myself

To achieve my goal on time, I had done some research and approached different methods I remember the most important one was doing fasting, which was horribly painful for a sweet

tooth who usually craves for snacks like me However, I could only eat one main meal per day

and allow myself to have just one apple or banana if I couldn’t stand the hunger Plus, my

sleeping time was only 6 to 7 hours a day because the more I was awake, the more energy I

would consume Also, I maintained to do physical exercises for 20 to 30 minutes every day But

to be honest, I felt so tired sometimes that I had a cheat meal or skipped the exercise for a day

It was extremely tough during the process Although I only lost 2.5 kg afterwards, I could still feel

a sense of achievement eventually I actually didn’t truly believe that I would make it at the beginning So, I was thrilled at the result and even rewarded myself with a piece of tiramisu, my favourite cake! Well, that’s really an unforgettable experience that I’ve challenged myself with

1 to be exposed to: bị phơi bày ra, được tiếp cận với

Eg: When studying abroad, you will be exposed to different cultures and customs

2 a diversity of sth: sự đa dạng, phong phú về thứ gì

Eg: This supermarket displays a diversity of goods from Asian to European products

3 obesity (n): béo phì

Eg: The obesity among children is relatively problematic nowadays

4 overly (adv): quá mức

Eg: Kristin was a jealous and overly possessive woman

5 to have the determination to do sth: có quyết tâm làm gì

Eg: Conor had the determination to get promoted next year

6 to approach different methods: tiếp cận các phương pháp khác nhau

Eg: In order to solve this problem, my team had to approach different methods

7 to do fasting: nhịn ăn uống

Eg: To do fasting is one of the most popular methods to lose weight

8 a sweet tooth: người thèm đồ ăn ngọt

Eg: Bella is such a sweet tooth that she always brings candies with her everytime

9 to crave for: thèm thuồng

Eg: We are craving for the sea during these scorching hot summer days

10 couldn’t/ can’t stand sth: không thể chịu được điều gì

Eg: Thomas couldn’t stand his boss anymore that he decided to quit his job

11 to consume energy: tiêu hao năng lượng

Eg: Cycling can consume a lot of energy if you do it fast

12 a cheat meal: bữa ăn thả phanh không kiêng khem, thường xen kẽ những lúc giảm ăn để

giảm cân

Eg: Nancy is waiting for her cheat meal this weekend for some pizzas

13 a sense of achievement: cảm giác hoàn thành mục tiêu

Eg: One of the best feelings a person can have in their career is a sense of achievement

Combo 5

12 Describe a time when you gave advice to someone

13 Describe an occasion when you invited your family or friends to dinner

57 Describe a time when a family member asked you for help

Sample answer:

Let me tell you about a dinner which I invited my secondary school friends to couple of months ago The interesting part is that I chose a place where all of us used to hang out when we were

students, because we wanted to reminisce about the good old memories of around 10 years ago

So, 7 of us went to a KFC restaurant near our secondary school

The restaurant hadn’t changed much It was still a three-storey building, decorated in red and white, which were the symbolic colours of the brand KFC We chose to sit on the corner looking out onto the street through a broad window, where we used to gather years ago It took me by

no surprise that the menu still served a variety of fried chicken

After ordering all the food, we chatted with one another while waiting for the dishes Some of my friends were studying at the same high school or university This is one of the reasons why we

still stay connected after all this time Some of them were planning to study abroad after graduation, while some had started looking for a job What made me immensely impressed was that one of our classmates had decided to get married Of course, we were all happy for her as

long as she felt confident with her decision

After a while, our orders were served It was only simple chicken dishes but somehow it felt special

for us since a lot of memories had been brought back We realized that we have been grown up

a lot from the 13 or 14 year-old students we were We had our own plans to pursue but we promised to keep in touch and have a get-together regularly

1 to reminisce (v): hồi tưởng, nhớ lại

Eg: They reminisced about their summer trip last year

2 a three-storey building: toà nhà cao 3 tầng

Eg: John’s house is that three-storey building on the right

3 symbolic (adj): mang tính biểu tượng

Eg: Few buildings can be as symbolic of the Roman Empire as the mighty Colosseum

4 to take sb by (no) surprise: làm cho ai (không) bất ngờ

Eg: It took Dany by surprise to see her boyfriend standing outside of her house at night

5 to study abroad: đi du học nước ngoài

Eg: My all-time desire is to study abroad in the UK

6 immensely (adv): mạnh mẽ, cực kỳ, rất lớn

Eg: The pop star was immensely popular all over the world

7 as long as: miễn là, trong trường hợp là

Eg: I don’t care who you are, where you’re from as long as you love me

8 to bring back: đem trở lại

Eg: This house brings back a lot of childhood memories

9 to pursue (v): theo đuổi, đuổi bắt, mưu cầu

Eg: The officer has pursued the van for hours

10 to keep in touch: giữ liên lạc

Eg: Please give me your phone number so we can keep in touch

11 a get-together (n): buổi tụ họp, gặp mặt

Eg: We usually have a get-together during the New Year celebration

Combo 6

16 Describe a historical building

46 Describe a school you went in your childhood

Sample answer:

I would like to tell you about a school I went to in my childhood During my high school years, I attended the XYZ school from grade 10 to grade 12 I was around 16 years old then and was there until I turned 18

My high school was not very far from my house, but it wasn’t near, either It took me

approximately 30 minutes to get to school by bus, including the time needed to walk to the bus

station My school was a four-storey building in a rectangle shape with over 1000 students and

more than 50 awesome teachers What we loved most about our campus was the brick

playground, where all the students could sit down on the floor to take a break between classes

or hang out a little more before going home My friends and I usually got together there and

gossiped with one another about all the things we cared at that time

Behind the main building for study was the canteen This was our favourite place where I could have instant noodles with sausages for breakfast, snacks and drinks during the breaks All of them were not made professionally, but for us, they were super delicious In front of the main building was a sand pitch for physical exercises I still remember that having physical education

classes on hot, sunny days there made us all sick of it However, the boys enjoyed the pitch very

much as they played football after class everyday

I was really impressed with how our teachers expanded our horizons through interesting lessons Moreover, some of them even acted as our close friends, who we could turn to for

advice Besides the academic classes, our school was popular for a variety of student clubs

where we could socialize and sharpen many skills So, I could say that going to my high school

not only taught me knowledge from text books, but also important skills for real life

In summary, even though the workload of my high school was extremely heavy, I still enjoyed

my time there very much I made a lot of good friends, some of whom have stayed as my close

ones until today Also, I am thankful for all the lessons my teachers gave me during those 3

years

1 approximately (adv): khoảng, xấp xỉ

Eg: This journey will last for approximately 2 hours

2 a four-storey building: toà nhà cao 4 tầng

Eg: Her neighbourhood has many four-storey buildings

3 to take a break: nghỉ giải lao

Eg: The students are longing for 10 o’clock, when they can take a break

4 to get together: tụ tập, tụ họp

Eg: Let’s get together to update about our lives recently

5 gossip (v, n): tán gẫu, trò chuyện

Eg: They would start gossiping about Jennie as soon as she left

6 to make sb sick of sth: làm ai phát ốm/ chán nản về cái gì

Eg: Listening to her complaints made me sick of it

7 to expand one’s horizons: mở rộng tầm mắt, đầu óc

Eg: Lucy wants to study abroad to expand her horizons

8 to turn to for advice: tìm đến xin lời khuyên

Eg: Conor is the one who Minnie often turns to for advice

9 to socialize (v): giao lưu xã hội, trò chuyện hỏi han

Eg: Our boss doesn’t mind socializing with his staff

10 to sharpen skills: nâng cao, cải thiện các kỹ năng

Eg: Harry enrolled on this course to sharpen his technical skills

11 workload (n): khối lượng công việc

Eg: Since the workload was too heavy, Matt couldn’t finish his task in time

12 to be thankful for (adj): biết ơn, cảm ơn về điều gì

Eg: You should be thankful that the dog days are finally over

Combo 7

17 Describe a performance you watched recently

18 Describe an interesting animal you have ever seen

Sample answer:

If I were to tell you about ‘a performance I watched recently/ an interesting animal I have ever

seen’, it would definitely be the dolphins that performed at an entertainment centre in Bangkok,

Thailand

It was just last summer when I had the chance to see the dolphins directly The show took place inside an enormous zoo, which had a variety of wildlife such as tigers, giraffes, elephants and

so on The hosts of the show were three trainers who were playing with three dolphins They

instructed the animals to do actions by voice The cute dolphins were following the trainers’ order

They were swaying around, wiggling their tails and playing with balls More interestingly, one of the dolphins could almost balance on his tail!

To interact with the audience, the trainer invited a little boy to come up to the stage and sit on a small boat The dolphins gave him a ride in the water, which made that boy feel over the moon After that, the trainers initiated some kinds of melody for the dolphins to ‘sing along’ To be

honest, I didn’t really feel the rhythm then However, I still enjoyed the show massively

So far, dolphins must be one of the loveliest animals I have ever seen They were adorable and

talented in that show I truly wish that the trainers would always take good care of them

1 definitely (adv): ch ắc chắn, đương nhiên

Eg: I shall definitely be at the airport to meet you

2 enormous (adj): kh ổng lồ, to lớn

Eg: This palace costs an enormous sum of money

3 wildlife (n): động vật hoang dã, thực vật tự nhiên

Eg: This zoo has a variety of wildlife

4 a trainer (n): hu ấn luyện viên

Eg: Tom is working as a personal fitness trainer

5 to sway (v): l ắc lư, đu đưa

Eg: The wind rattled and swayed the trees

6 to wiggle (v): l ắc lư, ngọ nguậy

Eg: My dog wiggles his tail whenever I come home

7 to keep balance: gi ữ thăng bằng, cân bằng

Eg: People should try to manage their time to keep the balance between work and personal life

8 to interact (v): tương tác, giao lưu

Eg: The user can interact directly with the library

9 to be/feel over the moon: c ảm thấy cực kỳ sung sướng, hạnh phúc

Eg: Joana felt over the moon to receive her final results

10 to initiate (v): kh ởi nguồn, bắt đầu

Eg: He proposes to initiate discussions on the new plan

11 melody (n): giai điệu, âm điệu

Eg: Louis picked out an intricate melody on his guitar

12 rhythm (n): nh ịp điệu (trong thơ, nhạc), sự nhịp nhàng

Eg: Ruth listened to the rhythm of the rain

13 massively (adv): c ực kỳ, to lớn, rất nhiều

Eg: Biotechnology is expected to contribute massively to the global economy

14 adorable (adj): d ễ thương, đáng mến

Eg: Liam has four adorable kittens

Combo 8

25 Describe a person on the news that you’d like to meet

27 Describe a piece of important news you got through a text message

Sample answer:

I will talk about a piece of important news that I got through a text message It was from my best friend from high school – Yui, who has been living in Singapore for 2 years now We were

inseparable during high school and shared with each other all the joy and sorrow we went

through back then Yui moved to Singapore after she graduated from university At that time, she

was offered a job in a marketing agency Of course, I was over the moon for her achievement However, deep down inside, I was a little blue, as I would have to live far away from my best

friend

Even though we are apart now, Yui and I still keep in touch and update each other on our lives

once in a while Then on one fine day last year, I received a long text from Yui early in the

morning To be honest, it took me by surprise because we normally had video calls It turned

out that she had been offered to work for Google corporate in Singapore! Unfortunately, her

Internet connection had been terrible during the day that she couldn’t make any calls

Nevertheless, Yui couldn’t hold it in longer and wanted to share this with me as soon as possible

I knew all the hard work she had put in all her jobs to achieve more and more Immediately, I called Yui and congratulated her We shrieked and I jumped around in excitement

It was a very special day that I received an important piece of news through a text message from

my best friend I’ve always been proud of Yui’s independence and success I truly believe that she will do great in her career and wish her the best

1 inseparable (adj): không thể chia lìa

Eg: They met 18 months ago and have been inseparable ever since

2 sorrow (n): nỗi buồn rầu, đau đớn

Eg: It was a great sorrow to her when they separated

3 to feel/be over the moon: vui sướng cực kỳ

Eg: Kitty was over the moon to receive a Barbie doll on her birthday

4 deep down inside: ẩn sâu bên trong

Eg: Ella seems happy but deep down inside, she has been grieving this whole week

5 to feel/be blue: cảm thấy buồn bã

Eg: Nate felt blue when he had to say goodbye to Serena

6 to be apart (adj): xa cách, riêng ra

Eg: Isabel stepped away from Mitch and stood apart

7 once in a while: thi thoảng, đôi khi

Eg: Since 2017, Chang only visits his hometown once in a while

8 to take sb by surprise: làm ai ngạc nhiên

Eg: It took Romi by surprise that her baby could eat a whole banana

9 to turn out: hoá ra là

Eg: It turned out that Noah had left this town before anybody realized

10 unfortunately (adv): không may

Eg: Christine loves dogs but unfortunately, her apartment’s manager doesn’t allow pets inside

11 as soon as possible: sớm nhất có thể

Eg: Please submit your form now so that your request will be processed as soon as possible

12 immediately (adv): ngay lập tức

Eg: Don’t wait any longer We should start immediately

13 to shriek (v): rít lên, thét

Eg: The show was so hilarious that the audience shrieked with laughter

Combo 9

6 Describe a beautiful sky you enjoyed seeing

7 Describe a trip you made by public transportation

39 Describe a special day that made you happy

Sample answer:

I am fortunate that there have been several happy days in my life To be honest, I can find happiness in tiny little things For example, when mom and dad praise the new dishes I cook, I feel very elated

Today, I would like to talk about one of the special days that happened to me recently It was my

birthday last year, which was organized by my parents We had a family gathering on that day when all my close relatives could join It was a lunch celebration on a weekend Remarkably, my mother has a gifted hand at cooking so I was looking forward to the delicious dishes I felt so

proud when my cousins enjoyed my mommy’s food immensely After having lunch, they

congratulated me by singing ‘Happy birthday’ then I blew out the candles on my birthday cake

We played many genres of music on that day, and swayed and danced to the rhythm of the

music

The entire atmosphere of my home was certainly joyful But the best was yet to come Gift time!

Everybody brought me magnificent presents I got a silver ring from mom, a new laptop from

dad, a coat from my uncle and other beautiful stuff from my family Those were all the things I had

dreamt of I hugged my family and thanked them truthfully It was indeed one of the best days of

my life so far I was on cloud nine and would never forget that day

1 fortunate (adj): may mắn, có phúc

Eg: She had been fortunate to escape serious injuries

2 praise (v, n): khen ngợi

Eg: The audience was full of praise for the whole production

3 elated (adj): phấn chấn, hân hoan

Eg: The fact that Sue turned up at the party made Mark extremely elated

4 a gathering (n): buổi tụ tập, tụ họp

Eg: It will be a major gathering that hundreds of members show up

5 remarkably (adv): đáng chú ý, đặc biệt là

Eg: Her condition has improved remarkably

6 to have a gifted hand: có năng khiếu/ tài năng trong việc gì

Eg: Leo has a gifted hand in painting

7 immensely (adv): cực kỳ, rất nhiều

Eg: It was an immensely difficult decision

8 genre (n): thể loại

Eg: Tracy loves science fiction genre

9 to sway (v): đu đưa, lắc lư

Eg: Come to the dance floor and sway with me!

10 rhythm (n): giai điệu, nhịp điệu

Eg: He made her count beats and clap the rhythm

11 magnificent (adj): tuyệt vời, nguy nga, tráng lệ

Eg: This castle is incredibly magnificent

12 truthfully (adv): thật lòng, chân thành

Eg: Stories should be reported truthfully and accurately

13 be on cloud nine: vui như ở trên 9 tầng mây

Eg: Jen was on cloud nine when Patrick proposed to her

Combo 10

29 Describe a photograph you like in your room

33 Describe a place you remember well that full of color

23 Describe an ideal house or apartment you would like to live in the future

Sample answer:

Since the development of smart phones with amazing camera lenses, not many people print out the photos they have taken anymore The same situation happened to me However, there is one

photograph in my room that I dearly love, which features my mom, dad and myself

That photo was taken about 4 years ago on our traditional Lunar New Year I still remember that day when we visited my auntie’s on the New Year Her house was near the West Lake, one of

the most gorgeous destinations in Hanoi Interestingly, my other aunts and uncles also visited

my oldest aunt then So, after chatting in her house, we decided to go to the West Lake for a

family photo shoot

We approached the bank of the lake where there were many flowers as it was springtime The trees looked greener and fresher than ever From a far distance, we could see a Ferries wheel from the water theme park nearby It made a fun and colourful background for our photos There were 5 families on my mother’s side We took turn in having separate family photos and then

gathered together for a big group shot

In my own family’s photo, my dad stood in the middle; my mom and I were on his two sides,

clutching his arms Mom and dad were grinning from ear to ear, while I posed by blowing my dad a kiss The photo looked beautiful, which made us all jubilant

My father loved the photo so much that he has had it set as his phone background for years now

I myself decided to print out that photo and display it in my room

1 dearly (adv): cực kỳ, thân mến, yêu quý

Eg: Edward loves his parents dearly

2 to feature (v): có ai đóng vai chính trong phim, có ai trong bức hình

Eg: The film featured Emma Watson and Logan Lerman

3 gorgeous (adj): xinh đẹp, mỹ miều, lộng lẫy

Eg: Julie looked absolutely gorgeous in that yellow dress

4 a photo shoot (n): buổi chụp hình

Eg: Couples usually have a pre-wedding photo shoot to keep beautiful memories

5 to approach (v): tiếp cận, tiến đến

Eg: You should approach the matter with caution

6 from a far distant: ở khoảng cách xa

Eg: That huge statue can be seen from a far distant

7 a ferries wheel (n): vòng đu quay lớn

Eg: Jimmy loves going on a ferries wheel ride at the park

8 a theme park (n): công viên theo chủ đề

Eg: I’ve been dreaming of going the the Harry Potter theme park for years

9 to take turn: lần lượt

Eg: Please stand in the queue and take turn to receive your drinks

10 separate (adj): riêng rẽ, tách rời

Eg: He promised that we would never go our separate ways

11 to clutch (v): nắm, giữ, chộp lấy

Eg: Quinn stood on the stage and clutched the microphone tightly

12 to grin from ear to ear: cười nhe răng, cười rộng đến mang tai

Eg: I’ve never seen my sister grinning from ear to ear like that

13 to blow a kiss: hôn gió

Eg: The little girl blew a kiss to her friend

14 jubilant (adj): vui sướng, mừng rỡ, hân hoan

Eg: A large number of jubilant fans ran on to the pitch

Combo 11

44 Describe a time you were sleepy but had to stay awake

10 Describe a job you would not like to do in the future

36 Describe an experience when you got bored when you were with others

Sample answer:

Actually, it is a very rare chance when I get bored, especially if I hang out with my friends or

family However, I had an experience in which ‘I got bored with others/ I was sleepy but had to stay awake’ It was quite many years ago when I visited my close cousin’s

Summer came, which meant that we didn’t have to go to school and could stay home all day and play with each other It would have been a happy day like other summer days if she hadn’t invited her friends to come over on the day that I visited her My cousin was 3 years older than me It

was not a huge gap, so we normally got along very well When we were smaller, we used to

play with dolls and teddy bears Later, we played Lego together and then computer games Our favourite game of all time was The Sims, in which we could build houses and control the

characters to do stuff and grow the way we wanted them to I was so longing for ‘our day’

all-day together

Nevertheless, since she had her friends coming over on that summer day, I was totally ignored because they just chatted with one another No matter how hard I tried to draw her attention, she told me to play by myself and leave them alone As a little kid who wanted to hang out with friends, I was extremely bored although I was surrounded by my cousin and her friends Worse

still, as a playful kid, I hated sleeping Therefore, even though I had no one to play with, I told myself not to sleep I had to stay awake because I didn’t want to sleep at all

Fortunately, her friends went home in the afternoon But, I was so exhausted forcing myself to

stay awake the whole day that I was sleepy then Eventually, I ended up sleeping after having

a boring day at my cousin’s

1 a (very) rare chance: cơ hội/ trường hợp (rất) hiếm

Eg: It’s a very rare chance that you can see a full eclipse

2 to hang out with: đi chơi với

Eg: During my spare time, I’d love to hang out with my friends

3 a gap (n): khoảng cách, chỗ hở

Eg: Hellen’s reactions to her mom showed a hug generation gap

4 to get along (very) well: hợp tính, thân thiết

Eg: Ken gets along very well with his colleagues

5 be longing for: trông chờ, mong mỏi

Eg: Dakota is longing for the summer holiday

6 to ignore (v): phớt lờ, mặc kệ

Eg: He ignored the customers and began counting money

7 to draw one’s attention: thu hút sự chú ý của ai

Eg: Wendy drew everyone’s attention when she entered the building

8 to leave sb alone: để ai yên một mình

Eg: Brad asked his parents to leave him alone

9 be surrounded by/with: được bao quanh bởi

Eg: Even surrounded by a million people, I still feel alone; I want to come home

10 fortunately (adv): thật may mắn, may thay

Eg: Fortunately, no shots were fired and no one was hurt

11 to force (v): ép buộc, bắt buộc

Eg: The universities were forced to cut staff

12 eventually (adv): đến cuối cùng

Eg: Eventually, after midnight, Alice arrived at the hotel

13 to end up doing sth: cuối cùng lại làm điều gì

Eg: Amy ended up working at the restaurant near her house

milestone That was a very challenging moment in my life when I had to work so hard to get high

enough scores to pass the university entrance exam I was very hard working and determined

to get exactly what I wanted and my parents were really glad I did it So that’s why they invited

many of my relatives and friends to attend my party They wanted to tell everyone that I got in to one of the top universities in Vietnam and they enjoyed my success tremendously The party

took place at a restaurant near West Lake in Hanoi Those who showed up were very happy for

me A three course meal was served with soup, shrimp cake with rice and dessert The atmosphere was very celebratory and warm since everybody was proud of my success, but none

of them were as proud as my parents I was happy too, since I could achieve a great success

and make my parents proud at the same time Aside from that, this achievement was my way of showing my gratitude for their unconditional love and support I could see that my family and friends were pleased that I had finally become a grown-up person with so much potential and

opportunities to explore at university

1 milestone (n): dấu mốc quan trọng

Eg: Going to university is an important milestone

2 entrance exam (n): kì thi tuyển sinh

Eg: Passing the entrance exam is complusory to study at the institution

3 determined (a): quyết tâm

Eg: Tom is very determined to get what he wants

4 relatives (n): họ hàng

Eg: We are relatives because his granfather is my grandfather

5 tremendously (adv): rất nhiều, rất nồng nhiệt

Eg: I enjoy his company tremendously

6 three course meal (n): 1 bữa ăn 3 món

Eg: This restaurant only serves three course meals

7 celebratory (a): rất vui mừng, mang không khí ăn mừng

Eg: The feeling is celebratory because everyone was happy

8 achieve (v): đạt được

Eg: She achieves the prize because of hard work

9 achievement (n): thành tựu

Eg: His lifetime acheivement changed the world

10 gratitude (n): lòng biết ơn

Eg: Everyone shows their gratitude to the president

11 unconditional (a): vô điều kiện

Eg: she got an unconditional offer from her university

12 potential (a): tiềm năng

Eg: He is a student with a lot of potentials

13 opportunities (n): cơ hội

Eg: A lot of opotunities will come to those who work hard

14 explore (v): khám phá

Eg: I want to explore all countries around the world

Combo 13

48 Describe a dinner that you really enjoyed

38 Describe an interesting conversation with a stranger

42 Describe a time when you first met someone

Sample answers:

I’ve had multiple intriguing conversations over the years with many fascinating people It’s quite difficult to choose which one to recall However, there’s this one conversation with a stranger that

I found truly captivating It was several years ago when I was waiting at the bus stop, a girl

approached me to ask for direction Then naturally, we talked with each other and realized we

had a number of common interests That was how I first met Lynn, one of my schoolmates that

I still stay connected with

It turned out that we were going to the same high school We didn’t realize it at first, as the bus

stop where we met was a random one quite far from our school Lynn had recently moved to high

school, while I was about to graduate that year She seemed to be over the moon to learn that

we were schoolmates Lynn quickly shared with me her worries and shyness in a brand-new environment Coincidentally, I was on the same page just two years before Hence, I gave her some advice on how to make new friends, let loose and take part in some extra-curricular

activities to break the ice Soon, we instantly hit it off once we knew that our favourite subject

was English Immediately, I encouraged Lynn to join our school’s English club, where she could

improve her English by speaking with other members, playing English games and even acting a bit

I didn’t know if it was fortunate or not that the bus I had been waiting for arrived 15 minutes late

By then, Lynn and I had already befriended on Facebook Until now, we still are connected on social media It was one of the most engaging random conversations I’ve ever had

1 intriguing/ fascinating/ engaging/ captivating (adj): hấp dẫn, tuyệt vời, thu hút

Eg: The food is an intriguing combination of French and Japanese

2 to recall (v): gợi lại, nhớ về, triệu hồi

Eg: Emily can still vaguely recall being taken to the hospital

3 to approach (v): tới gần, tiếp cận

Eg: Lena is trying to approach Kim to ask for a favor

4 common interest: sở thích, quan tâm chung

Eg: Although Beth and Oliver don’t have many common interests, they still get along quite well

5 to stay connected: giữ liên lạc

Eg: These days, it’s easy to stay connected with one another via the Internet

6 to turn out: hoá ra là

Eg: It turned out that the meeting had been moved to the next day

7 to be over the moon: vui sướng tột cùng

Eg: Jerry was over the moon to see his dog come back home

8 brand-new (adj): mới tinh

Eg: This is a brand-new episode that hasn’t been aired anywhere else

9 coincidentally (adv): tình cờ là

Eg: Her dad coincidentally happens to be the accountant at the bank

10 on the same page: cùng trong tình huống, trạng thái đó

Eg: Being the middle kids in the family, Gina and Will are on the same page

11 to let loose: thả lỏng

Eg: Don’t stress yourself Let loose and you’ll be fine

12 to take part in: tham gia vào

Eg: Marilyn took part in this competition to prove her worth

13 extra-curricular activities: các hoạt động ngoại khoá

Eg: Students should join extra-curricular activities to develop other soft skills

14 to break the ice: nói hay hành động gì làm không khí không căng thẳng, những người lạ làm quen dần với nhau

Eg: First, we need to break the ice so that everybody will feel comfortable and be ready for the next activities

15 instantly/ immediately (adv): ngay lập tức

Eg: Quinn fell asleep almost instantly

16 to hit it off: thân thiết, hợp nhau một cách tự nhiên

Eg: Even though we hadn’t met before, we hit it off rapidly over the same taste of music

17 fortunate (adj): may mắn, số hên

Eg: It was fortunate that the weather was beautiful

18 to befriend (v): kết bạn

Eg: Violet decided to befriend the newcomer

Combo 14

3 Describe an occasion when you lost something and then got it back

Describe a time when someone apologized to you

Sample answers:

To be honest, I am quite an absent-minded person, so sometimes I lose things that never come

back to me However, there is one time that I lost my student ID and personal ID card and then

miraculously got them back

When I was studying in grade 12, I travelled to school by bus every day You know, people have

to be very cautious to go by bus in Vietnam in terms of pickpocketing Unfortunately, some of

my friends had lost their purses on the bus, and I was almost on the same boat

One day, while I was standing on the bus to go home after school, I felt something peculiar behind my back Instantly, I turned around to catch a glimpse of a hand withdrawing from my

backpack’s zipper A strange man standing right behind me looked in another direction,

pretending that there was nothing But I knew that he was trying to open my bag After that, the

bus was getting more and more crowded Passengers had to squeeze in to have enough space

It was so tight that I could only stand still and couldn’t even turn my body

Four or five stops later, I got off the bus and felt relieved to have some fresh air again Upon walking home, a passer-by told me that my bag was open Feeling startled, I checked it out to learn that my pencil pouch had disappeared It turned out that the pickpocket had mistaken my

pencil pouch for a wallet So, I didn’t lose any money, but even more important, my student ID and personal ID card were stolen

After a week, I decided to claim the lost student ID at my school’s student office Remarkably, an officer told me that someone had brought my ID cards to the school’s security guard I told her

my story and we believed that when they pickpocket realized that he had got nothing valuable; he must have thrown my pencil pouch on the pavement Then somehow a passer-by picked it up,

saw my student ID and returned it to my school I felt so blessed because it would take ages to

get a new personal ID card After this incident, I’ve been more careful on public transportation in

protecting my belongings

1 absent-minded (adj): đãng trí, hay quên

Eg: My grandmother is not adsent-minded at all; she still remembers everything

2 miraculously (adv): k ỳ diệu thay, thật thần kỳ

Eg: The two drivers miraculously escaped with only minor injuries

3 cautious (adj): thận trọng, cẩn thận

Eg: Teddy is a very cautious driver

4 pickpocket (n, v): kẻ móc túi, đi móc túi

Eg: A pickpocket is a person who steals from people’s pockets

5 unfortunately (adv): không may là, đen đủi thay

Eg: Unfortunately: we don’t have the time to interview every applicant

6 on the same boat: trong cùng một hoàn cảnh, tình huống

Eg: Being in debt, Holly and Joanna are on the same boat

7 peculiar (adj): kỳ quặc, lạ lùng

Eg: He gave her some very peculiar looks

8 instantly (adv): ngay lập tức

Eg: Edward approached the door instantly when he heard the bell ring

9 to catch a glimpse of: bắt được cái nhìn lướt qua, thoáng qua

Eg: Fiona caught a glimpse of the ocean through the train window

10 to withdraw (v): rút lại, thu về

Eg: Ruth tried to withdraw her hand from his

11 to pretend (v): trả vờ

Eg: I closed my eyes and pretended I was asleep

12 to squeeze (v): ép, siết chặt, vắt

Eg: Paula squeezed herself into her tightest pair of jeans

13 relieved (adj): nhẹ nhõm, thở phào

Eg: I’ll be relieved when all this bad news is over

14 startled (adj): giật mình, hoảng hốt

Eg: She was startled at a sudden sound in the doorway

15 a pouch (n): cái túi nhỏ

Eg: Ivy usually brings a pouch with her make-up stuff inside

16 to turn out: hoá ra là

Eg: Andrew turns out to be a lawyer

17 to mistake (v): nhầm lẫn

Eg: Because of the inexperience, Brad mistook the nature of the partnership

18 blessed (adj): may mắn, hân hoan, thiêng liêng

Eg: The fresh air made a blessed change from the polluted city atmosphere

19 to take ages: mất một thời gian dài

Eg: It takes ages to travel from the north to the south by coach

20 belongings (n): đồ đạc, hành lý của ai

Eg: She carried a suitcase containing all her belongings

Combo 15

31 Describe an unusual experience of travelling/vacation/holiday

47 Describe something special you took home from a tourist attraction

Sample answers:

First of all, I want to state that I love travelling Going to new places always excites me and urges

me to discover more and more Actually, there are different kinds of travel, which depends on the

purposes and personalities of the holidaymakers Personally, I love exploring new lands and being exposed to new cultures So, to talk about an unusual experience of travelling to me, it

must be the first time that I went to a 5-star resort with a group of friends, just to relax

To be fair, this is nothing peculiar to many people, but for me, it was It is clear that I couldn’t

make any complaints about the destination we stayed The resort was massive, which included

a hotel, dozens of villas, swimming pools, sauna, a golf court and tennis court To be honest, our

group gasped in excitement when we first arrived The decoration of the resort was so

marvellous that my friends immediately thought of some photo shoot concepts We enjoyed

our first day there walking around, eating and sleeping

The point is, for an active person like me, it’s not in my nature to lie around all day and indulge

myself in luxury Interestingly, I was not alone One of my friends was on the same boat with

me as she wondered: “What would we do the next few days?” I burst into laughter because it was like she could read my mind It was the first time in my life that I felt puzzled about what to

do on a holiday Fortunately, my other friends came up with different ideas of how we would

spend our days at the resort They included having photo shoots at different corners of the resort, going swimming, taking a sauna and playing some board games

In the end, the trip was not as ‘boring’ as I was initially afraid of Even though it was unusual to

me, it didn’t mean that it was not memorable

1 to urge (v): thúc giục, thôi thúc, nài

Eg: Martin urged Mimi to come and stay with us

2 holidaymaker (n): người đi du lịch

Eg: Summer is usually the time that holidaymakers spend their days off

3 be exposed to: được tiếp xúc với, tiếp cận với

Eg: You will be exposed to different cultures when travelling abroad