Topic 1: Describe an important conversation that you had with someone.

Part 1
I want to share with you one of the most memorable conversations I had with my dad about my
college choice. Honestly, that time 2 years ago, I was bewildered with so many choices that I
was exhausted. It was a difficult decision for me as university was the turning point for my future
career prospects. If I choose wrong, I will waste a lot of time and effort. I have chosen a famous
university, but I wonder if I am good enough to apply. After listening to my explanation
carefully, he asked me why I chose that university. I told him that I chose the university because
I was impressed with their teaching methods. He then asked me what scared me about this
choice, to which I replied that I doubted if I was good enough to be accepted. My dad just smiled
and said that I shouldn't worry too much about failure, instead, I should give my best to achieve
the goal that I have set, so there will be no regrets in the end. His words inspired me so much, it
released all my fears. This conversation is very necessary for me because in addition to the
positive advice, he also helps me calm down, makes me more focused on studying to achieve my
goals. After that, I received a satisfying result for my application and had a great college life. To
this day, I am very grateful to my father for that conversation.
Part 2 : To have a successful conversation, it is important that the two speakers share the
same opinions on what they are discussing. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Give
reasons and examples to support your point of view.
 Hello, would you mind discussing some point of views with me? I have confused a little
bit
 OK! What’s wrong with you?
 Do you think two speakers share the same opinions play an essential role on having a
successful conversation?
 Hmmm, i think it’s quite reasonable. It’s easy to deal with if we have the same thinking.
We don’t waste too much time arguing with partners, so the problem can be solve more
quickly and effectively.
 Oh, it sounds good. But…
 Wait! Let me talk! For example, I and my best friend are in a group, we’ll have
presentation next week. Our thinking is quite matching, so the topic was found out 10
minutes later. And now, we just focus on finding the information. On our conversation,
we understand the partner and always share the same opinions. It makes me seem to be
friendly and the conversation is comfortable.
 I understand what you mean. But in some cases, we can’t agree with the opinions of our
speaker. If we always say the same things as them, the conversation will be boring. I
think the arguments make us more understand about our partners. Just sharing what you
think. The conversation is happier and more interesting.
 I’m totally convinced. But I think we should flexible in the situation.
 Uhm huh! I got it. Thank you guy!
Topic 2: a time when you felt very unlucky
Part 1
Today I’d like to tell you about my trip which was an unforgettable trip for me. This happened 3
years ago, I and my friends went to Vũng Tàu for a summer vacation. Thanks to Google map,
everything was great at the first part of the trip. But we had a problem when we realized that
instead of taking a shortcut, we took a detour, the worst thing is our motorbike was gonna out of
gas. Fortunately, we found a gas station after that, then we had brunch at restaurant. But as soon
as we got back onto the road, we had another problem that I had forgotten my phone at restaurant
and we had to turn around and go back. Luckily, my phone was still there. Nevertheless,
although the beginning of our trip was terrible, we had a wonderful vacation and an exciting
experience!
Part 2: When people succeed, it is entirely because of hard work. Luck has nothing to do
with their success. To what extend do you agree or disagree with the statement? Give
reasons and examples to support your point of view.
 what do you think about this opinion: when people succeed, it is entirely because of hard
work. Luck has nothing to do with their success?
 I think it's right. Hard work is definitely crucial when it comes to success. Without any
hard work, it is highly unlikely that someone would succeed. For instance, there might be a
good opportunity for someone to establish a cyber-security company given the current
demand in that field, but if he is unwilling to work hard on developing the firm, it might
not flourish.
 I don't think so. Sometimes people feel very confident and they just focus on their effort.
They are too busy trying their best to achieve something so they forget that there is an
important thing besides an effort: that is luck. I do not want to say that hard work is not
important, but I believe that luck influences the result of our effort. For instance,
occasionally people have tried their best for doing something but in the end, they do not get
what they want.
 but success is always the result of hard work over a long period of time.  Success happens
gradually, and only after a series of correct decisions and small victories.  A stroke of luck,
in contrast, is generally perceived to be a one-time event
 without luck people won't be able to get even a job. For example, when people looking
for a job, they are searching them on newspapers and magazines and they don't know what
expects them there, they only rely on luck and try to find a suitable job for themselves.
Furthermore, even at school sometimes kids are getting their marks by luck, It's also a clear
example of luck.
 I see, but if you want to be good at something, you must prepare hard and regularly. For
example, when you have a test and you want to have good results, you have to do hard
exam preparation. Moreover, if you want to have a good job, you must have a lot of
knowledge and experience to work better.
 yes, luck will come to those who always try their best.
 absolutely.
Topic 3 an occasion that you or your acquaintance had a serious illness
It’s always been an unpleasant experience when getting sick, at least for me personally. Then it'd
be even more unpleasant if you got sick right before an important exam, and it happened to me
once.
It happened last year when I was about to take an speaking test that I caught severe flu. It was so
serious that I had to cancel and reschedule the test.
Even though flu is not a really serious disease and can go away on its own, it’s still quite
troublesome when it occurs. I got some symptoms about two days before the exam, but they
were so mild and unnoticeable that I didn't pay much attention and bother to take any medicine.
On the first day, I just felt my throat a bit sore, like something was blocking it. There was
nothing more serious than that for the next day. Then the night before the exam, I felt fatigued,
and around midnight, I got a fever. That was the last thing I expected to happen right before such
a big day. I took an aspirin to reduce the fever and tried to get back to sleep in the hope that
everything would be alright in the morning. But it was not.

When I woke up in the morning, my head was pounding. What was worse was that my throat
was so painful that I couldn't say a word. That was when I realised I couldn't make it to the exam
and had no choice but to stay home.

After that incident, I became more attentive to health problems and would take immediate action
when I sense anything wrong happens, minor or not.
Part 2: : Some people claim “prevention is better than cure”. To what extent do you agree
or disagree with this saying? Give reasons and examples to support your point of view.
 Have you ever heard that ‘prevention is better than cure’? This saying means it is better
to stop something bad from happening than it is to deal with it after it has happened.
 of course, I have heard that many times since I was just a child. My grandmother always
talks about that to remind me to pay attention to my own health.
 Good, so how do you think about that? Do you agree with this saying? 
 Actually, I don't agree with this point of view cause I don’t want to always spend too
much time worrying about what would happen and then finding solutions for that problem.
It's a waste of time and I can’t concentrate on doing other work. 
 really?  In contrast, I  agree with the saying “Prevention is better than cure”. for example,
after Sai Gon has broken out for the Covide-19 epidemic, I think this opinion is true more
than ever. if we know how to protect ourselves, without being subjective, maybe the situation
wouldn't be so bad. 
  I see, but we only live once, and time waits for no one, while engrossed in worries, we
may have missed a lot of things, and then we feel regret for it. so I think we just live
comfortably, what will be will be, and we will instinctively reflect and deal with it.
Everythings gonna be alright in the end. all we need is to be positive.
 being positive in every situation is good. We have only one precious life to live, and we
should not destroy it by problems and difficulties. Life can be happy and if we lead a
disciplined life.
 absolutely, life is very short and we should enjoy it completely. however, it is only
possible when we are stress-free, disease-free, and disciplined in our whole life. our
preventive efforts should be able to prevent trouble and difficulties, it can happen if the
principles of this proverb are followed strictly and faithfully to every aspect of life.

Topic 4 an old and wise person that you know

Today I want to tell you about my grandmother, in my opinion she is a wise person.
My grandmother is over 80 years old. She is quite pretty with a round face and rosy
cheeks. She is quite young for her age as she has a balanced diet and a regular sleep
schedule.
I used to see her very regularly, say two or three times a week.
She has a sense of humour. Every time I stop by, she often tells me funny stories that
make me laugh. I enjoy spending time with her because I feel very comfortable.
She is also a good listener. I always turn to her so I can relax from work or
relationship stress. She just listened and rarely advised me what to do. That's why I
love her so much.
There are two main reasons why I think my grandmother is a person of wisdom.
Her composure always amazes me. She remains calm under any circumstances.
There was once a misunderstanding between her and her friend, the woman kept
cursing at my grandmother and finally overcame her by slapping my grandmother
but she was not angry. She was just trying to calm her friend down, and make
peace.
She rarely makes any judgments about other people's thoughts or decisions. If
someone slanders a secret or just talks behind someone's back, she just listens and
never makes any comments.
That's all I want to say.
Part 2: Nowadays, young people often send their parents who get old to nursing homes. Do
you think this is a positive or negative trend? Give examples to clarify your viewpoint.
   Nowadays, young people often send their parents who get old to nursing homes. Do you
think this is a positive or negative trend?
 I think it's quite good. the elderly could receive personal care from doctors and trained
nurses with medical equipment. This care is very useful for older people because they
often have aging diseases such as high blood pressure. 
 Really?  I don’t think it is right when you send parents to nursing homes. It shows that
you don’t have responsibility with your parents.
  But the generation gap now will be huge. Living in nursing homes, the elderly can live in
the quiet places with same age persons. This helps them to make friends easily and have
partnerships and pleasant surroundings. 
 They mostly live in an environment surrounded by sick people. This leads to increased
chances of contracting infectious diseases
 Of course, the nursing home must have rules to limit the spread of disease in the area.
Furthermore, sending them to care homes may be beneficial for young couples. Because
they could have enough time to directly take care of aged parents, they may have time
for work and focus care for their babies.
 But living in nursing homes, they start feeling depressed and left out by their families.
because they are rarely visited by their family members and often miss out on family
functions. 
 if you are a dutiful person, you will often visit them, maybe also take them home on
weekends. On weekends, time will be freer and it's about time to spend more time with
them. I think if we can't give them the most comprehensive attention, we should try by
all means to give it to them. We have no professional knowledge, while in nursing
homes they have experts.
 so it could be not cheap for everyone. 
 yes. and I think this decision must be prepared in advance. and of course, need their own
consent. we can't force them to do this. 
 Anyway, I think we both have our own opinions.

Topic 5:
Part 1 Today I’d like to tell you about my trip which was an unforgettable trip for me. This
happened 3 years ago, I and my friends went to Vũng Tàu for a summer vacation. Thanks to
Google map, everything was great at the first part of the trip. But we had a problem when we
realized that instead of taking a shortcut, we took a detour, the worst thing is our motorbike was
gonna out of gas. Fortunately, we found a gas station after that, then we had brunch at restaurant.
But as soon as we got back onto the road, we had another problem that I had forgotten my phone
at restaurant and we had to turn around and go back. Luckily, my phone was still there.
Nevertheless, although the beginning of our trip was terrible, we had a wonderful vacation and
an exciting experience!
Part 2 Recently, while young people often consider backpacking as a thrilling way to travel,
parents only see dangers out of this trend. Do you think the advantages of this outweigh the
disadvantages?
 - Do you know there is a trend that young people consider backpacking as a thrilling way to
travel?
- Yes, I have just heard that. 
- How do you think about that? Is it dangerous? Do their parents only see the dangers of this
trend? 
- In my way, I can give you some advantages. It’s a risky decision to travel by backpacking but
you can learn to be more flexible. Backpackers live day to day basic, we don’t have a strict
timetable. Your day is not planned out, you plan by how you’re feeling.
- I can't lack a timetable. In contrast, I only see the disadvantages of this trend. It’s too
inconvenient for me to arrange to do many things during my travels like what time I should eat,
where I can go, who I will meet,... I’m forgetful so I can’t plan a day by my feelings. 
- Ok I know. But you also can be more confident. Backpacking lets you experience the culture
and your surroundings in a more intense way. First, you might have a problem with the language
in the country or you are not used to the smell, food, and culture. Then, you can get used to it
soon and be confident to talk with the local people.
- It’s a good idea but there are too many scammers, robbers, and crimes on the road you travel. It
becomes more dangerous when you travel alone. Nobody can know what you are going and
doing and help you in an emergency. 
- Don’t worry. You can use positioning devices that are connected with your parents, relatives, or
friends on the iPhone. They can know about your journey, exactly what you are doing and when
you are being. It has become more convenient for backpackers nowadays thanks to technological
development. 
- sounds good. I think I may try it in the future.

Topic 6 Describe an environmental problem in your city.

Part 1
I live in Ho Chi Minh city and this city has some problems related to environmental pollution.
The main environmental pollution that this city suffers from is water pollution, air pollution and
sound pollution. I will talk about sound pollution because I hate things that bother me.
Sound pollution is created by a lot of loud sirens of cars and motorbikes. Not only that, Airplanes
flying over residential areas also make a very loud noise. Air pollution is a silent killer causing
many dangerous diseases including hearing and brain cancer. Air pollution also directly affects
the natural balance

The most important thing to reduce pollution in our city is to create public awareness. Most of us
are creating that pollution and endangering ourselves, Without the sense and strict determination
to stop the pollution of our city, we cannot reduce or stop it.
Part 2: Plastic bags should be banned completely to help protect the environment. To what
extend do you agree or disagree? Give examples to support your point of view.
L: Plastic bags cause environment problems, their destruction also leads to global warming.
There is an argument that plastic bags should be banned completely. Do you agree with this?
H: No one would deny that the plastic bags used in supermarkets and shops harm the
environment. However, the replacements for plastic bags also carry significant environmental
risks. That’s why I think plastic bags should not be banned. A level around 50% is possible.
L: I don’t think restrictions on plastic bags would have the positive effect. Rather than
thoughtlessly banning them, policymakers should come up with a policy that balances the
materials we use for bags to produce an overall positive impact on the environment
.H: Despite the advantages of banning plastic bags, the solutions for them are worse than the
original problem. Most people suggest paper bags or reusable bags. Both of these replacements
are flawed. Paper bags require us to continue clearing forests and also carry a large carbon
footprint. Reusable bags are plagued by similar problems. Independent studies have shown that
the production of them causes more harm to the environment than disposable plastic bags. Their
overall effect on the environment is worse.
L: The second issue is economic, we all know that producing paper bags and reusable bags cost
more than plastic bags, so their cost also be more expensive. Vietnam is a developing country,
there are still many households and people with limited income. So, we can only limit the use of
plastic bags.
H: Yeah, I hope there will be a better solution in the future

Topic7:

Part 1 Describe an activity you have done to keep fit. 

I do a lot of things to stay healthy such as morning walk, yoga, cycling and so on but here I
would like to talk about the morning walk. Every day I get up early in the morning and go for
morning walk. I go with my grandfather ,who is 75.He has never missed this routine in his life.
In fact his secret of good health is the morning walk. I have done exercise since 4 years in the
park near my house. My grandfather and I both wear our track suits and walking shoes. Morning
walk has a lot of benefits. First of all, walking make me lose my weigh. I used to be very fat, but
now I am quite fit . Furthermore, morning walk also improves the blood circulation. It is a good
exercise for all age groups. Although sometimes I’m quite busy, I still decide to maintain this
routine. It releases my stress and gives me full of energy to start a new day.

Part 2: : Some people think that working out at the gym is more effective than working out
at home.
To what extent do you agree or disagree? Give examples to support your point of view.
A: HEY, I’m doing a survey. Can you help me?
B: Yes of course. Im very pleasant
A: Some people give the opinion that working out at the gym ís more effective than working out
at home. What do u think?
B: I totally agree. Nowadays, due to the strong development of healthy life, people have a
tendency to go to the gym for many reason: lose weight or build muscle etc. It is the best way to
save money instead of buying equipment.
A: uhm huh, i think so. Moreover, we have a motivation to do exercise more than at home. But
sometimes, I think going to the gym is quite waste time. Instead we can walking or do exercise
in the park or at home
B: you know, some exercises need professional trainer if you want to achieve the goal faster.
Furthermore, you can make more friends who have the same target. Doing exercise at home
makes you fell boring and it is easy to quit, right?
A: generally, people choose to work out at the gym because they’re lazy and lack of willpower.
B: no, it is just a place. With different targets, we’ll choose different ways. For example, I need
to lose my weight around 3-4 kg in the next month. I tried walking or playing badminton at the
park but unaffected. When I worked out in the gym combining a balanced diet, I could lose to 5
kg.
A: it is seem to be convinced. I got it . Thank you guy!

Topic 8 a teacher who has had an important influence on your education

Part1
I met Trung in my high school. Actually, I am a student of Viet Anh High School. He is my
instructor and with his direct support and suggestions, So I am truly grateful to him and
have been greatly inspired by his teaching techniques. If he hadn't guided me in my
education, I don't think I would be where I am today.

Mr. Trung is the school's math teacher. He is a really great teacher and has taught in some
unique ways. He hardly uses books or other teaching materials to teach in class. He also has
a number of other techniques to impress his students. And most importantly, he knows all
the names of his students which I have never seen before and he is very friendly with all his
students, sometimes we play badminton together after school learn.
He has some special ways to solve many troubles. Whenever I encountered him with some
kind of trouble, he guided me on how to get out of them. So I like him a lot.

Part 2: Should schools teach subjects like art and music? Give examples to support
your point of view.
L: Going to university has so many new things and deadlines make me feel so pressured.
H: Yeah me too. I remember when I was in high school so much, even though I was tired, I felt
happier.
L: My favorite subjects are art and music, those lessons make me feel relaxed after stressful
classes.
H: Really? I was not interested in those subjects at all, instead of studying them should give
students more time to rest.
L: In my opinion, schools should let students study art and music, not only creating opportunities
for students to relax, but also promote student’s talents in the learning process, everyone wants to
have more skills and know many things.
H: That’s just with some students, the rest don’t think so. I agree they are probably fine, but they
are only good to just study without the tests. Although they are not compulsory subjects, there
are still scheduled tests, I think it will make students feel more tired when they have to take care
of the main subjects but also have to prepare for these minor subjects.
L: But we all know that the tests are not difficult. Moreover, these two subjects bring many
benefits to students. Although they are just minor subjects, they are the foundation on which to
build skills that will serve us in the future.
H: But they are not the only factors that help improve skills, if schools do not add these subjects
to the schedule, students will have more time to be able to learn more things. For example,
playing sport is not only good for health but also helps with observation skills and teamwork. Or
if we want to learn about music and art, we can sign up for extra classes, the effect will be better
than those in school, without the pressure of exams.
L: I know what you mean. But not everyone has the conditions to be able to attend those private
lessons, so school sessions are both cheaper and can help all students to experience
H: We all have our own opinions, a class or two is indeed, but hopefully the school can review
the tests later, they should reduce it so that students don’t get tired of them
L: Yes, you’re right.
Topic 9

Part 1 Describe a cultural event that you are interested in.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is an important traditional holiday in my country. Mid-Autumn
festival is celebrated not only in Vietnam but also in some other parts of Asia as well,
such as China, Japan or Korea. And it is often celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th
month of the lunar calendar with full moon at night. In the past, on this day the moon
was brightest and roundest which represented the family reunion or gatherings.
Therefore, families and friends often came together or harvested crops for the festival.
But Nowadays, Mid Autumn Festival is mainly for young children in Vietnam to enjoy the
best time of the year. But not only can children celebrate this day but also adults can,
adults who wish to have a chance to remind their childhood and feel young again.

Part 2: Do you think foreign cultures threaten the identity of the nation? Give examples to
support your point of view.
A: How do you think about foreign cultures threatening the identity of the nation? When there
are too many people, celebrities,… imitate to foreign people while they were born and living in
Vietnam?
B: I see. Im really scared that they lost the identity of the nation. They makeup, dress, talk, and
behave like overseas people. For example, Vietnamese men and women are having liberal
attitudes and behaviors, which are not consistent with the traditional point of VN or there are
songs, videos with inappropriate content and melody, and really dangerous for children who can
watch them on the Internet.
A: I feel you but it depends on how to receive other cultures selectively, how not to be shaken
cultural identity. For example, living apart from parents does not mean abandoning or forgetting
them, students being able to respond to their teachers does not mean disrespecting them.

B: Vietnamese fashion has changed a lot. For instance, luxury brands like Louis Vuitton,
Channel, Gucci,...appeared while Vietnamese income is not suitable. Maybe some celebrities or
businessmen can afford it but not too many. Instead, we can use domestic brands to help our
country develop more.

A: In my opinion, our country is a developing country and is in the process of international

integration, in the process of cultural exchange. For example, many foreign students choose to
come to Vietnam to study and learn about our culture. A well-received benefit of cultural
diversity is that we can enjoy dishes from countries around the world.

B: I completely agree with you with this opinion. Instead of coming to another nation to enjoy it,
we can try it in our country thanks to coming to the mall like Aeon, Crescent Mall in HCM city,
etc. Maybe foreign cultures have some disadvantages, but the benefits it brings are undeniable.
A: True. It not only doesn’t threaten but also gives the diversity of cuisine, fashion, art,… Ok
and thank you for exchanging with me.

Topic 10 project

Part 1
During my student life, I participated in numerous projects, and having disagreements with other
team members was unavoidable. I would like to talk about a team project that I was involved in
during the freshman year at the university. There were 6 people in my team. We had to
researched about some reasons of environmental pollution. For the beginning, we don’t have the
same point of view, so we argued a lot. Deadline was coming, we had to present the project 3
days later but we messed up everything. We decided to have someone who can led us. And
surprisingly, I became a leader. Despite our arguments, we completed the task on time and had
an excellent group presentation. From this experience, I learned that it is very hard to be a good
team member. You would have to know how to present yourself while fitting in the group and
each person has to compromise to achieve a common goal.

Part2: Are social skills more important than education when looking for a job? Give
examples to support your point of view.
L: Hang, do you have any plans for the job in the future?
H: Not yet. But for now, I think I need to have more practical experience
L: Do you? We have the same idea, a lot of people say that just doing well what is taught in
school is fine, but I don’t think so.
H: Yeah. School cannot teach us everything. Companies now prefer to hire people with good
social skills as well as good academic qualifications. They need people with social skills and
good deeds to help them.
L: Hmm…I know the importance of having social skills, but the knowledge learned in university
is also very essential. Even though we have the skills but don’t have the education to base it on,
that’s also a problem. So I think both are equally important.
H: Of course education is essential, otherwise why do we need to go to university? Nowadays,
having a degree of knowledge is the first basic thing for us to find a stable job, in addition to
needing other skills.
L: There needs to be a balance between them. If we have an education as well as a degree, our
CV will be more attractive when applying for a job. For example, when you have an IELTS
degree, you will have many opportunities to be accepted in a good position. Besides that, I don’t
know why so many people think that social skills are not useful.
H: It is because they are not aware of its benefits. Those skills are a must-have in the job,
sometimes sudden problems arise, then those skills will help us come up with the best solution.
For example, while studying, teachers emphasize teamwork and communication, but how to best
show them, we must have outside experiences. And these are always necessary when going to
work.
L: Social skills and education have a close relationship with each other, relying on each other to
develop, without one of them, you cannot complete yourself. That’s why since we were in
school, we have to take the opportunity to cultivate both, I think it’s will be a bit difficult but
that’s okay.
H: Don’t worry, it’s only difficult at first, it’s important to have a specific plan to achieve good
results at university and absorb many new things outside.
L: Sounds great, thanks for sharing your comments.