VSTEP speaking part 1 sample answers

VSTEP là một kỳ thi đánh giá năng lực tiếng Anh mới theo khung năng lực Ngoại ngữ 6 bậc, bắt đầu áp dụng tại đại học Ngoại Ngữ từ ngày 16 tháng 5 và hiện nay 710 đơn vị được Bộ cấp phép đã tổ chức thi chứng chỉ tiếng Anh B1, B2, C1 theo định dạng Vstep.

VSTEP SPEAKING PART 1 SAMPLE ANSWERS

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1 HOBBIES

- What do you do in your spare time?

Whenever I have free time, I usually listen to music I am a big fan of pop music: Britney Spears- Come On Over Baby, Micheal Jackson- Thriller It brings me simple sounds which help me to relax after hard- working days I also have an interest in reading books In past time, I usually read some comics to amuse myself Well, my favorite comic book is Doreamon I have a collection

of these comics

- Do you prefer spending your time alone or with others?

Well, instead of staying alone, I really like spending my time hanging out with

my family and friends They can give me much useful help in my work as well

as interesting ideas to enjoy life Beside them, I never feel alone with terrible mood Sharing time with others makes my brain energetic and it works effectively latter

- What are good hobbies and bad hobbies?

Oh, this is an interesting question From my point of view Good hobbies are those that give us the opportunity to develop new skills For example, reading books or travelling helps us to broaden our knowledge Bad hobbies, on the other hand, may result in our acquiring bad habits For example, playing computer games can make us neglect our studies and work

2 PETS

- What is your favourite pet?

Keeping pets is one of my hobbies and the one I like best is dogs, especially Bull dogs It is believed to be the most royal pet Besides, dog is very intelligent

so that it can understand our mood Its voice and activities can help me to relax after hours of working

- Do you have a pet at home?

Of course, I have a Bull dog at home I have had him for almost one year and I call him Bin There are many wrinkle in his face which make him look so cute

My Bull is gentle and not too difficult to look after Whenever I returned home,

he come to me and acted so fondly It seemed that he can understand my thoughts and gestures I love him so much

- What are the benefits of keeping pets?

As far as I know, keeping pets can bring us many advantages Firstly, they may

be our good friends We can sharing time with them in watching TV, walking

Oh, when you walking in the park with your pet, you can have chance to make friends with others Besides, playing with a pet, we can increase the brain activity and enhance pleasure and tranquility

3 FRUITS

- Do you like fruits? Why?

I enjoy eating fruits so much Each of them has it own smell and taste but to me, they are all delicious Eating a lot fruits provides us with necessary vitamins which are very good for our health

- What is your favourite fruits?

Well, I would say that I’m quite passionate about all types of tropical fruits, especially orange This is mainly because orange is cheap to buy, easy to eat As it’s very popular in Vietnam, I can buy orange in almost markets or supermakets, even though from some pedlars in streets It’s so tasty!

- How important is fruit to your health?

Certainly, fruits is considered as a natural sources of vitamin They are not only good for our health but also help us to take care our beauty, especially our skin It’d better for us to choose seasonal fruits for daily diet

4 MEALS OF THE DAY

- What is your favourite meal of the day?

Among meals of the day, I usually spend much time for breakfast It’s considered as the most important one As breakfast supplies necessary nutrients

for the day long, I have a diverse menu for this meal including bread, eggs, noodles, salads and some types of drink such as milk, soya and fruit juices

- Do you cook it or someone else does it for you?

My mother usually prepares meals for me I love all dishes made by her However, when I live far from home, I have to cook by myself At the beginning, it seemed to be difficult and out of my ability However, I’ve become a big fan of cook day by day Although I have to get up ealier and go to the kitchen, I find it interesting to cook and enjoy my favorite food

- What time are good to have meals?

As far as I am concerned, the optimum time to have breakfast is shortly after 6

am, with 6:30am picked as ideal Lunch is best enjoyed earlier rather than later with the key time between 12.30pm and 1pm And the best time to eat dinner is

6 pm to 6:30 pm

5 PARKS

- Do you like to go to the park?

Certainly, I usually walk in the park with my pet or my friends Sometimes, I go the the park with my family at the weekends The atmosphere there is very fresh with many big trees and immense greens

- Do people go to parks in your area?

Yes As you may see, there many people who walk in the park every morning and late afternoon Public parks provide people in my area wit[h the opportunity to be physically active

- What make a good park?

From my point of view, an idea park is one which has a lot of trees and ponds to look at, lots of grass to walk on and fresh air A good park should have lots od walking path that people can meander along Well, it should be centrally located and accessible to people of all generations and walk of life

6 NEIGHBORS

- Do you know the people who live next door to you?

I know my neighbors quite well There are 3 people in their family, including a young couple and a cute son They're really nice people They are also very polite so that there are seldom arguments between us

- Do you get on well with your neighbors?

Certainly, it's important to get on well with the people who live next door I always stop to talk whenever I see them Sometimes, I help them to take care of their baby or pick him up from kindergarten And of course, so do they

- In what way are neighbors helpful?

We all want good neighbors because they are closet people whom we share the daily life with Therefore, I would like to live near friendly and helpful people who can at least smile and say hello whenever we meet each other Even neighbors can helps each other in some necessary case

7 HOUSE

- Do you live in a house or a flat?

Currently, I live in a small house with family, which is located in a small town

It has got a living room, 3 bed rooms with attached washroom and a kitchen I have been living there since I was born

- What are some disadvantages of living in an apartment?

I had lived in an apartment for 4 year when I study at university Hence, I found some drawbacks of apartment living such as noise from neighbors (especially if walls are thin), sharing spaces as yard, balcony or flat roof You may also get trouble with your roommate or neighbors

- Can you describe your dream house?

If I would be given a chance, I would like to live in a house that is neither too big nor too small, but with just the right size, where there are a living room, just one or maybe two bedrooms with attached washroom and a kitchen To me, decorating is very important, I want to do it by myself, follow my own style

8 TRAVELLING

- Do you like traveling?

Of course, I have a strong preferences for journey Not only is travelling best way to relax, but it also help me to widen my knowledge I usually go with my friend or my family Sometimes, I also choose going alone in a strange city It gives me the feeling of adventure

- Do you like traveling alone or with others?

Well, I would prefer to travel with other Firstly, traveling with a companion is safer because we can support and help each other if something happened It is more exciting and interesting as we can share all beautiful moments and new experiences Finally, it helps to save some money because companions can share all expenses on gas, hotels, etc

- What do you often do on your holiday?

I usually spend my holidays in the mountains I am a big fan of climbing Standing in the top of mountain, I can inhale fresh air as well as see the beautiful picture of landscape below Sometimes, I also go to the sea to change atmosphere

9 MOVIES

- Do you like watching movies?

I have to say I am really mad of watching film, especially those are about love It’s so fantastic to find myself in some characters Sometimes, I also like to see comedies in order to cheer me up

- What kind of movies do you like? Why?

As a great film lover, I like all sorts of film However, if I had to choose 1, it would be Romantic, because they are sentimental and sometimes provides me moral story about love and life

- Do you prefer watching films on TV at home or at the cinema?

I prefer watching film at cinema It can provide me more exciting atmosphere Besides, the surround sound system at the cinema brings the characters to life and enhances the special effects Even I can enjoy a night out with my friends

10 LEARNING LANGUAGES

- What foreign language(s) do you study?

I have studied English for more than 10 years Besides, I also learn a bit Chinese I found that learning foreign languages is one of the shortest ways to approach culture of countries all over the world

- Do you think that English is the most important language/ international language?

Yes, English is seemed to be common language which is used all over the worlds Because of having high application, English is a certain subject in education program in almost countries It is used not only daily life but also in international meetings or conferences

- What do you find difficult about studying languages?

I find it interesting However, I sometimes have some troubles As you may

realize, my voice is influenced by the mother tongue and especially my dialect Although I tried my best to limit them, it’s still slowly improved

Test 1

A Let’s talk about going out

1 How often do you go out? Why that much/little?

Frankly, I go out once in a blue moon because I am busy with my tight schedule

at the university I attend classes almost days in a week and I have to finish lots

of assignments before deadlines I’m also up to my nose in the position of an English teaching assistant, thus, twice a month for going-out is enough for me

2 Who did you often go out with? Why?

I often arrange the time and go out with my close friends I am in group of 5 girls who pursuit an interest of back-packaged tours and we are also close mates, so we date out to share with others about amusing attractions and plan for new journeys I find it entertained when chatting with them which is funny although sometimes it does not make sense

3 Where do you often go to when you go out? Why there?

Café’ Book Store is my choice for my group meeting It is spacious, clean and well-organized It is famous for fruit drinks and Korean foods which are appealing to teenagers The variety of books also attracts readers like me and the hilarious waiters make me feel relaxed The reasonable prices with a fresh menu, perhaps, put impression on customers from their first visit

B Let’s talk about favorite foreign country

1 What is your favorite country in the world? Why?

I am a great lover of Japan - a symbol of patience and intelligence Located in the area of active volcanoes, Japan has suffered from a lot of natural catastrophes annually However, their economic growth is on the first rank in the world with numerous advancements in every aspects of life I admire Japanese spirit and their genius wisdom They set a good example of law obedience and customers’ rights protection

2 Have you ever been there? If yes, could you describe your visit to that country? If no, do you wish to visit that country? Why/Why not?

I have not ever been Japan before because the finance is a barrier Yet, I embraced a dream of setting my feet on this country when I was a small girl and

I am planning for a soon coming journey to Japan I want to contemplate Japan’s sceneries when cherry flowers bloom in the spring and I would like to purchase conventional dress of Japanese women - a Kimono I desire to see in what way they make Sushi and Sashimi, as well as talk to friendly Japanese

3 Do you want to live the rest of your life in that country? Why/Why not?

Honestly, Japan or whatever international countries is for visiting and they are not able to replace my motherland –Viet Nam From bottom of my heart, I love

my country very much, where I was born and was brought up It is the place of ancestors and traditional unique beauty is preserved and developed

Test 2

A Let’s talk about musical instruments

1 What is your favorite musical instrument? Why?

When I was small, I could play the organ and I was passionate for this kind of instrument However, now when I am a student in the university, I find it more interesting when playing the guitar It appears to me that the sound of guitar eases my burden and it connects me to others I can perform well with the guitar and I often play it in parties

2 Do you play any musical instrument? If yes, what kind of musical instrument do you play? If no, do you wish you could play any musical instrument?

As I have mentioned, I am able to play guitar and there were several times I had

a performance with guitar on the stages I am keen on myself making videos whilst I am playing guitar and covering famous songs The new melody inspires

me and the themes I recreate would exclusively different from its first version

3 Which musical instrument is the most popular? Why do you think so?

As far as I am concerned, amongst students, the guitar has gained its popularity more than other instruments The guitar is not too cumbersome to hold everywhere and the players can perform with it wherever because it does not require electricity or sub-devices Moreover, the price of guitars is reasonable and the sound is as attractive as such modern musical instruments as the piano

B Let’s talk about computer games

1 Do you enjoy playing computer games? Why/why not?

I am not a big fan of computer games because my eyesight is not good enough

to sit in front of computer screen for long hours to play games Additionally, I dislike the imaginary characters and the unreal world in the computer games which do harm to the mental health of players

2 What kinds of games have you ever played? Why do you play these games?

I rarely play games but when I play games, I often choose quiz games with numerous questionnaire When being a player in these games, I can practice how to response quickly, how to deal with obstacles under time pressure and how to logically think about a matter Possibly, it would rather be helpful than violent ones

3 Do you think computer games are good for small children? Why/why not?

Computer games is not believed to be beneficial for the growth of kids, in terms

of both physical and mental health Concerning health problems, their eyesight will be negatively affected if they are addicted to play computer games Moreover, they may get mental disorder when playing computer games too much Most importantly, game players become more aggressive and violent, causing conflicts and more crime in the community

Test 3

A Let’s talk about jogging

1 Do you like jogging? Why/why not?

I have passion for jogging because it is a suggested way to keep fit I am in habit of waking up early in the morning and walking around the lake in the local park Jogging helps me stay in shape and burn energy by sweating At the dawn,

I can inhale the fresh air when going jogging and I also can enjoy the beauty of

my city Actually, it is an energetic start of a new day

2 Do you prefer to go jogging alone or in groups? Why?

I find it preferable to go jogging in groups because of funny moments and safety When spending time walking with others, I can chat with them and laugh out loud to entertain It also closes me to neighbors besides working hours at the offices all day What’s more, jogging in group is safer than walking alone, especially at the dawn in secluded areas The security is taken on priority, hence, it had better walk in group

3 Is jogging a popular daily exercise in your country?

Never than nowadays has health protection been taken on priority Sporty activities are favored by everyone and jogging is not the exception In my country, not only the old but the teenagers also take part in going jogging They are excited when walking because it costs no money to do exercise and they can have great moment with others

B Let’s talk about emails

1 Do you often write emails? Why/why not?

Thanks to technological advancements, Internet availability enables us to surfing web and sending email conveniently Due to its comforts, I find it enjoyable to contact through emails Moreover, by virtue of emails, information

is well-stored and it is supportive when finding materials attached with emails

It is time-saving and modern

2 Which do you prefer: letters or emails?

Of course, I am much fond of emails The information is speedily delivered and the replies are in minute In comparison to letters, the typed words are more visible than written ones, thus, the content would be effectively conveyed The