Monetary abundance = material stuffs = worldly possessions: của cải vật chất trần tục = earthly stuffs /

personal growth

Face some sort of predicament

Insoluble (adj) cannot be solved

I am literally floating accidentally throughout space, then all my problems suddenly seem to be too small
to be worried about

Abstract notion => Happiness can often be associated with monetary abundance while for some other,
achieving their goals in life is what brings them the most joy. To me, I think happiness is all about a sense
of personal autonomy .

A nice weather could really bring a smile to my face. You know, just another day, when I was walking
outside and I saw a beautiful and sunny sky and In the air, I felt some benign autumn breezes gently
touching my face and at that moment, I was just ecstatic. At that exact moment, I needed nothing more,
nothing less.

A great sense of contentment

Is there anything that makes you happy lately?

What do you do to stay happy?

Can you stay happy all the time?

Happiness comes from within. People who are the happiest in the world are the ones who feel no
attachment to all the earthly stuff. Do not care about how superior they are intellectually, physically or
financially superior over other people.

Is it important to stay happy?

Contented, satisfied, exhilarated, pleased, joyful/ overjoyed, cheerful, be in high spirits, delightful

In high spirits, euphoria: vui suong mien man, exhileration: tot do, jubilation: han hoan

A great sense of…

Be filled with …

Be overwhelmed with…

Be immersed in …

Be soaked in happiness

In a state of
Do you think you can be happy all the time?
Oh yes. As I’m all grown up now, I’ve figured out how life really works. While I often try to plan
everything in advance, I’m always willing to take life as it comes. It’s crucial to look on the bright
side and keep a positive attitude. I believe we can be happy even in times of hardship or adversity.
Is happiness important?
Absolutely. Without a sense of satisfaction, life wouldn’t be worth living anymore. A positive mood can
make us feel more secure and energetic, which in turn boosts our productivity and accomplishments at work
or study. However, life is not a bed of roses and I believe it’s crucial for us to go through some pain, loss
or frustration to appreciate our happy moments more.
Idioms

Feel over the moon

Be hung up on doing sth: ban tam ve viec gi

To guilt trip someone into doing st: lam ai cam thay co loi de phai lam 1 viec gi do

Cope with anything life throws at you

Govern our level of contentment.

Having a sense of purpose

Be too consumed with our own pursuit of happiness, bring joy to others as week. That, for me, is the
utopian image of society

Creatively fulfilled

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
Would you like to work in a company related to environmental protection?

ethical

How can we protect the environment?

Practice recycling, save electricity, avoid wasting water, minimize the use of cars

Do you think you’ve done enough to protect the environment ?

Is there any education about environmental protection at school?

Study curriculum

Yes, Schools do have Environment as part of their study curriculum which is largely based on

theoretical framework.

An environmental conscious person

Awareness raising campaigns

Take a heavy toll on

Speak volumes

Some of means

I’m not at a loose end

Adopt a green lifestyle

At the expense of

Purify the air

Periodically

Passionate about – environment advocate

Abide by/ comply with. Adhere to/ Stand by/ conform to

Protect = preserve= defend = safeguard

(be) a laggard in my efforts

ANSWER 1
We only have one planet on which we live. So its our moral obligation to adopt following practices and
safeguard our mother earth:
☑️Stop using bottled water
☑️Conserving electricity or finding alternative energy sources
☑️Using less petroleum products
☑️Buying fresh organic produce such as vegetables etc.
☑️Replacing plastic bags with reusable bags
☑️Saving every drop of water
We should remember that a baby step from all of us can make a sea change in the environment.

ANSWER 2
There are many ways we can help the help environment and reduce our carbon footprint, such as:
✅ Use reusable cloth bags instead of single-use plastics.
✅ Recycle and compost.
✅ Unplug household appliances when you are not using them.
✅ Plant trees.
✅ Take local transportation instead of driving cars.
✅ Bike to work/college if possible.
✅ Use eco-friendly products.

IDIOMS

- To cut back on – to reduce

- To go green – to start doing things that are more environmentally friendly
- Have a green thumb

As much as I care about the environment and stuff, I don’t think I’d be willing to work for a business
related to it. It’s not the field that I’m passionate about so I’m afraid I’m not going to do a good job.
Besides, it’s not suitable for my major at university which is

Just so you know, I do care about,…. , to tell you the truth,

Take a keen interest in

To make a huge difference in something

Q2

I guess we can start with a little adjustment in our daily routine like cutting down on single-use plastic
products and replace them with eco-friendly ones. Things like water bottles and disposable bags hurt the
environment by polluting the earth’s land and water as they usually take thousands of years to
decompose, so if we all do our bits to reduce our independence on them, the environment will benefit
from it.

Q4: for the sake ò the environment

IDIOMS (Illustrations)

http://blog.sproutenglish.com/environmental-idioms-for-earth-day/

HOBBY

- I am a fan of
- Hobby = leisure pursuit = pastime
- Take on new challenges

- leisure pursuit (n) thú vui theo đuổi

- to unwind: thư giãn
- nerve-racking (adj) căng thẳng
- to blow off some steam (idiom) giải tỏa căng thẳng (lưu ý: không dùng blow off
her/his/my/… steam)
 - up to the ears (idiom) bận ngập đầu
- to take on new challenges: đón nhận những thử thách mới
- sky-diving (n) nhảy dù
- to have a crack at (= to try/ to give something a try) thử cái gì
- to be out of one’s comfort zone: ra khỏi vùng an toàn (cái gì đó hoàn toàn mới mẻ)
- hectic (adj)
- to be a fan of something
- is of great importance (quan trong, nhan manh)
- acrophobia (so do cao)
- as crazy as It may seem,

COUNTRYSIDE

 bucolic (adj) thuộc vùng nông thôn ( = rural)

 laid back (adj) thoải mái
 to pare down: tối giản, làm đơn giản
 serene (adj) thanh bình
 to be (not) the case: không đúng, không chính xác
 go on a walk: đi dạo
 unplug (v) rời xa khỏi các thiết bị công nghệ/ mạng xã hội
 pace of life: nhịp sống
 swell (adj) tuyệt vời (=great)
 to be a sucker for sth: rất thích cái gì
 to see myself doing sth = tưởng tượng mình làm gì (=  imagine myself doing sth)
 1.Have you ever live in the countryside?
 As a matter of fact, I have. I used to stay with my grandparents every summer in the
countryside. I gotta say I was quite font of the bucolic sceneries and lifestyle there,
which is very laid back, pared down and serene.
 2. What you usually do in the countryside?
 People usually think there’s not much to do in the countryside, but that’s not the
case at all. If anything, there’s a lot more to do there than in the city. Some of the things
I quite enjoy doing whenever I find myself in the countryside are feeding the animals,
going long walk and stargazing. But honestly, I think the best thing to do in the
countryside is to do nothing at all; just unplug, relax and enjoy the leisurely pace of
life.
 3. Will you live in the countryside in the future?
 Now that’s a swell idea. But I would say no. For now, I am sucker for the convenient of
big cities, like eating out, easy transport and nightlife, so I can’t really see myself living
without them permanently. But maybe someday I’ll change my mind.
CITY LIFE

1. What kind of city do you like?

I’m not a picky person so I don’t really have any specific preferences. But if I have to choose
one, I guess my top pick would be places that are a bit vibrant or a little bit lively. I love the
feeling of hustling through crowds of people, the energy of metropolitan city. That would be
so crazy and fun.

2. Do you like the city you are living now?

Well, yes and no. The fact that this city is choking on the fumes of a ton of motocycles is really
making me worried. You can really feel the effect of smog when you are driving through the
traffic. With that being said, there are still many good aspect of this place that I adore. Such as
the people, the tradition, the culture, especially the cuisine. Everything is so diverse
and enthrailling.

3. Do you prefer the city or the countryside?

I gotta say that each has its own perks. But personally, I kind of lean towards residing in an
urban area. Despite all the hustle and bustle that so many people dislike, I believe that living
in a metropolis gives you ready access to entertainment, education and services. The living
standard will, apparently be generally better, and the same can be said about job prospects.

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4. Which city have you been to recently?

Actually, I just paid a visit to Singapore last month, and I gotta say my mind is blown away.
Although it’s not a massive city, Singapore is light-years ahead of Hanoi in terms of
infrastructures. It’s also very culturally rich. There’s a lot to do, a lot to see and a lot to eat.

Từ vựng và cấu trúc topic City Life (Vocabulary

highlight)
 picky (adj) kén chọn
 top pick (n) lựa chọn hàng đầu
 vibrant (adj) rực rỡ, sống động
 lively (adj) sôi động
 hustling (n) sự nhộn nhịp
 crowd of people (n) đám đông
  metropolitan city (n) khu đô thị
 fume (n) hơi, khói
 smog (n) khói, sương
 enthrailling (adj) thu hút
 hustle and bustle (phrase) sự nhộn nhịp, sầm uất
 metropolis (n) đô thị lớn, vùng trung tâm
 living standard (n) chất lượng sống
 infrastructure (n) cơ sở hạ tầng
 to pay a visit to somewhere/someone: đến thăm nơi đâu/thăm ai
Một số cấu trúc khác:

 to choke on: nghẹn (nghĩa bóng: ngập tràn)

 with that being said (=however) mặc dù, dù vậy
 each has its own perks (phrase) cái gì cũng có ưu điểm
 to lean towards: nghiêng về, ủng hộ
 to give access to: (cho phép) được tiếp cận đến
 the same can be said about (phrase) (điều gì) tương tự
 blown away (adj) bị làm cho bất ngờ

HANDWRITING

- Using computers for composition

- Typing is much faster than writing longhand. Also spelling and grammar check software greatly
help to reduce mistakes
- Both for prominence and portability
- One hand with fluid motion, two hands are used

Do you usually write by hand?

Write by hand = handwrite = jot sth down = note = scribble = fill in/out a form

Handwriting – handwrite - handwritten

Adj: legible/ neat/ clear/ readable illegible/ awful/ unintelligible

Today mist people don’t really ____ anymore but I still believe that there are things that are better
______. With that said, having a legible _____ is still necessary.

Every so often, I only handwrite when I need to jot down a shopping list and fill in a form. I still prefer to
type on my computer or text on my phone as my handwriting is pretty awful.
Do you think handwriting will be completely replaced by computers?

Completely = entirely = totally

Replace => active

Computer = modern gadgets/ devices

Well I don’t think computers and other modern gadgets might one day entirely replace some handwriting
because handwriting is still indispensable in some situations when people need to write a signature,
scribble down a note or simply write a birthday card.

What impression does a person’s handwriting have on other people??

Reveal/ unveil - Forensic graphology

Personally, I think personality traits can be revealed by the way people handwrite. For example, people
with small handwriting tend to be reserved, meticulous whereas those who have larger handwriting are
thought to be more confident and open minded

- Speak volumes: noi nhieu dieu ve gi do, boc lo, phan anh nhieu dieu
-

1. Do you recycle now?

Embarrasingly enough, I do not recycle as much as I think I should. But everybody, myself
included, is becoming environmentally – minded. Since the number of environment – related
news covered on media is increasing, we consume more responsibly….

 environmentally minded (adj) có ý thức bảo vệ môi trường

 to consume responsibly: tiêu dùng có trách nhiệm

2. Did you recycle when you were a child?

To Vietnamese people, I think 10 – 20 years ago, recycling was a foreign concept. Back then,
even though the environment was in a precarious state, we were not aware of how bad the
situation was. So we did/ not really care about recycling….

 a strange concept = a foreign concept: điều xa lạ

 be aware of: có ý thức về vấn đề gì
 in a precarious state = in a dangerous state

3. Will you recycle in the future?

I think sustainability is the buzzword. Obviously I will find new ways to recycle in the future.
For example, classifying garbages, or not throwing things to quickly…

 sustainability (n) sự bền vững

 buzzword (n) ám chỉ chủ đề đang được nhắc đến nhiều dạo gần đây

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4. What kinds of things do you recycle?

When you think about recycling, we usually think of something a little difficult to do for an
average person who is not really good with their hands. Recycling is actually really simple.
You know, such as turning leftovers into organic fertilizer. Urban gardening is one of the way.
You just basically dump things onto the plants…

 be good with one’s hands = be skilled at sth: khéo léo, có khả năng làm gì
ham khảo cách xây dựng một bài nói topic IELTS Speaking Part 2 từ giáo viên TIW

Describe the painting

 stunning (adj) thu hút

 to stand out: nổi bật
 reproduction (n) bản làm lại
 replica (n) bản sao
 the real McCoy: bản gốc
 genuine (adj) thật
 immaculate (adj) nguyên chất, nguyên vẹn
 focal point (n) tiêu điểm
Describe the artist

 internationally acclaimed (adj) được biết đến rộng rãi

 to become synonymous with something: (tên tuổi) gắn liền với cái gì
 one’s signature work of art: tác phẩm tiêu biểu của ai
Describe the feeling

 hands down (phrase) chắc chắn (= definitely)

 to do justice to: đại diện cho, thể hiện rõ ràng cho
 to be struck by: bị làm cho bất ngờ
  transfixed (adj) sững người, sửng sốt
 to give off a ____ vibe: đem lại cảm giác gì
 sombre (adj) u buồn, u tối
 to decipher: phân tích
 to contemplate: thưởng ngoạn, lặng ngắm
Các topic khác:

 A historical event in Vietnam

 A well-paid job you want to do

Bài mẫu chủ đề Describe a work of art

I would consider myself as an art person, I have seen so many stunning paintings. But
the stand out for me is Mona Lisa, which is an immaculate painting by Leonardo Da Vinci
who is an internationally acclaimed painter. He became synonymous with many paintings
that perfectly capture the essence of the Renaissance. But his signature work of
art is, hands down, Mona Lisa.

I first saw the painting a couple of months ago at a local art gallery in the vicinity of my house. It
was just a reproduction of Mona Lisa. It couldn’t possibly do justice to the Real McCoy. But
still I was really struck by the painting.

The painting looks amazing. The color are predominantly dark tones which give off a a sombre
vibe. And the focal point is a lady with a mysterious smile. For thousand of years, many
scientists have been trying to decipher the meaning behind that smile.

And when it comes to my feeling to the paintings, as I was saying, I haven’t seen the original
version by myself. But seeing its replica, I was completely transfixed. And I wish that in the
future, I could contemplate the genuine Mona Lisa.

SLEEP

1. How many hours do you sleep at night?

2. Do you think sleep is important?
3. How to have a good sleep?

It really depends. On weekdays, I usually sleep for 4 – 5 hours as I have a very hectic schedule and
always have to work to a tight deadline. However, on weekends, I normally sleep in. I sleep like a log,
so nothing can wake me up.

2. Obviously, getting enough quality sleep is key to maintaining a good health. A good night’s sleep
can do wonders for out immune system, our mood and our ability to concentrate and solve problems.
3. Exercise daily, use relaxation techniques: practice meditation, listen to soft music, avoid alcoholic
beverages and heavy meals

- send someone to sleep easily, deeply

When it comes to improving the quality of sleep, I personally think that we should avoid alcoholic
beverages or a heavy meal before going to bed. Apart from that, using relaxation techniques like
listening to soft background music and practicing meditation could help send us to sleep easily and
deeply

1. How many hours a day do you sleep?

Not nearly as many as I want to, to tell you the truth. Ideally you should get about 8 hours of sleep every
day, but I can manage maybe 5 or 6 at best. I know it’s unhealthy but there’s no way around it – my
work is just overwhelming. So, my New Year’s solution is, believe it or not, to get more sleep in every
day.

2. Is it necessary to take a nap eAbsvery day?

Absolutely. After a nap I always feel rested and ready to take on the rest of the day. So, every day after
lunch I try to squeeze in a power nap. If I do not nap, I usually get sluggish and cranky.

3. Do old people sleep a lot?

Well, I think it depends on each person. For some, sleep comes quite readily, but for some people
sleeping is a truly a struggle. I know some of the old people in my family are light sleepers – they get
woken up by the slightest sound. Some of us develop insomnia as we get older. I just hope I don’t fall
into this category.

Từ vựng IELTS Speaking Part 1 chủ đề SLEEP

 at best: đang ở tình hình tốt nhất
 there’s no way around it (phrase) không có cách nào khác
 overwhelming (adj) choáng ngợp
 nap (n) giấc ngủ ngắn
 to take on something: chống lại cái gì
 to squeeze in something: thành công thực hiện điều gì đó trong thời gian ngắn, hoặc khi bạn
đang bậng
 sluggish (adj) trì trệ
 cranky (adj) khó chịu
 to come readily: có sẵn (nghĩa bóng: điều gì đến 1 cách dễ dàng)
  to struggle: vật lộn
 light sleeper (n) người ngủ thính, dễ bị đánh thức
 insomnia (n) chứng mất ngủ
 to fall into (a category) thuộc về 1 nhóm nào đó

Structures:

YES… but

YES…otherwise

I do think it’s a good idea to have a small sleep during the day, but if you sleep too long, you can end up
feeling groggy and tired for the rest of the day.

Yes, it is a good idea to have a nap, otherwise you’re going to feel really tired for the rest of the day.

ADVANCED CONNECTORS AND PHRASES – CHOP UP, MIX UP AND MASH UP THE
CONNECTORS

What do you think about …?

How can we solve this problem ….?

Should we …?

Why do you think..?

Tell me more

VD:

Why do you think some people eat a lot of fast food?

- They are addicted to it because it’s just so tasty, even though they know it’s bad for their health.
Simple connectors: CHUNK YOUR ANSWERs

Well,…

Well, I guess / I suppose / I reckon

++

Well, to be honest, I think they’re addicted to it BECAUSE

Between you and me, I think….BECAUSE : sharing opinion

Well, it could be that they .. BECAUSE

HOW TO GIVE 2 IDEAS:

How can we solve problem of pollution in big cities:

I think we can solve this issue by introducing regulations limiting noise in certain parts of town

- I have got mixed feelings about this, I suppose we can solve this issue by introducing
regulations, but then again it might be better to….
- I have got mixed feelings about this, I suppose we can solve this issue by introducing
regulations, but on the other hand it might be better to….
- I am in two minds about this, I suppose , but on the other hand/ but then again…
- => I am in 2 minds about this actually, I reckon we can solve this issue by introducing
regulations, but then again..
- First of all, we can …
- Well, to be honest, first of all,..
- Well, for starters, we can (more natural)

TECHNOLOGY

Should children be allowed to use a mobile phone at school?

It’s a bad idea because they will just use it for playing games
- That’s quite a controversial question. I think..

- I was mulling this (= thinking about/ pondering) over recently and I think it’s a bad idea ...
- I’ve been thinking about this quite a lot recently and I think it’s…
- The way I see it, it’s = in my opinion/ From my pov
- What I reckon is, it’s a bad idea
- By and (inh-) large, I think… (Overall, In general)
- At first sight/glance, it’s a bad idea because they will use it for playing games, mind you/ that
said (sign to the examiner that a contrast is coming = but – more texture, feeling), it could be
good because it can help them learn more. (2 ideas)

SUMMARISING OPINIONS
Should we encourage children to participate in team?

Yes, they need to get ready to live in a competitive society.

- All in all, I’d say yes …

- At the end of the day, I’d say yes
- Yes, we might as well because they need = there is no harm in doing this so it’s a good idea

To be honest, at the end of they day, I think they can be really useful for you. The way I see it actually, is
that they can help you be more fluent. So you might as well, start using them right now. I reckon, it’s a
great way to build your flexibility. By and large, it will improve your fluency.

To play be ear = to improvise = make it up while going along

NATURAL WAY FOR AGREE/ DISAGREE

Do you think…?

Do you agree that ….?

Would you agree that…?

Some people say… what do you think?

INDIRECT

Is reading important?

Should..?

AGREE/ HOW TO AGREE

Do you think children should have a mobile phone?

Would you agree that children should have a mobile phone?

Yes, I do/ Yes, I would.

Yes, I think so. NEVER: I think yes

STRONG

Yes, I totally/ completely agree, it seems to me that they should have a mobile phone in case they need
to call their parents in an emergency.

For sure, I couldn’t agree more, I mean I think it’s important they have …

STRONG WITH CHUNKS

Do you think children can make decisions on their own?

Absolutely, they are very capable of doing that!

Without a doubt, they can, not only they can, but they should make decisions on their own

For sure,

For sure, the way I see it, they can make decisions on their own, and they need to make decisions on their
own, to learn how to be independent

Yes, I think that’s absolutely right

AGREE A LITTLE BIT

IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS/ VOCABS

To pull the plug on sth: to prevent st from happening

"in my films I've always tried to artfully mash up genres"

Flake on/ flake out/ a flake

Innocuous: not harmful, dangerous, not likely to offend or upset anyone

Phan van: to be wavering between ..and… = undecided = of two minds

WEATHER

Precipitation

4 distinct seasons

Temperate can dio

Cold/ hot weather person

Crisp morning in the fall

Bundle up

Run my errands

Scorching

Breeze: gio nhe

Blizzard: bao Tuyet

Chilly: lanh

Heatstroke: soc nhiet

When asked to express Opinions

• My take on this (pronunciation stress is on MY) Eg, my take on this is it’s a good idea.

• What is your take on this? = what is your opinion on this?

• To my way of thinking.

• I am in two minds

• I think I am on the fence

• It boils down to = the most important thing is. Eg, It boils down to money, do we have enough
money?

When asked if you like xx?

• It’s the bee's knees = it’s the best

• I can take it or leave it = I don’t mind

• It’s not my cup of tea. = I don’t like it.

Something confusing

• I can’t make head or tail of it.

• I can’t get my head around.

Introducing people

None other than

. Eg. The person I am going to talk about is none other than my father. (use as a surprise)

Things that are good

• xx is hands down the best.

• xx is second to none.

• xx is a cut above the rest.

• I think the world of xx

Things that are normal

It’s a run-of-the-mill restaurant.

Things that are not good

• It’s not a patch on. Eg, the film is okay, but it’s not a patch on the book.

• It cannot hold a candle to Eg. Spiderman can’t hold a handle to batman.