Part 2: Solution Discussion (4')

TASK 1

Situation: A group of people is planning a trip from Danang to Hanoi. Three

means of transport are suggested: by train, by plane, and by coach. Which
means of transport do you think is the best choice?

Template:
My situation is (Đọc lại situation, thay thế "you" thành "I", "your" thành
"my")
In my opinion, (Option 1) is the best option because of the following
reasons.
Firstly, (Option 1) is good and suitable.
Besides, it is convenient and useful.
There are several reasons why I don't choose other options.
Firstly, they are not useful.
Moreover, they are inconvenient.
Finally, they are uncomfortable.
To sum up, if I were in that situation, I would choose [Option 1] due to the
above reasons.

Sample answer 1:
My situation is a group of people is planning a trip from Danang to Hanoi.
Three means of transport are suggested: by train, by plane, and by coach.
Which means of transport do I think is the best choice?
In my opinion, traveling by plane is the best option because of the following
reasons.
Firstly, traveling by plane is good and suitable.
Besides, it is convenient and useful.
There are several reasons why I don't choose other options.
Firstly, they are not useful.
Moreover, they are inconvenient.
Finally, they are uncomfortable.
To sum up, if I were in that situation, I would choose to travel by plane due to
the above reasons.

Sample answer 2:

My situation is a group of people is planning a trip from Danang to Hanoi.

Three means of transport are suggested: by train, by plane, and by coach.
Which means of transport do I think is the best choice?

In my opinion, traveling by plane is the best option because of the following

reasons.

Firstly, traveling by plane is good and suitable. It saves me a lot of time and
allows me to observe the sky through the windows.

Besides, it is convenient and useful. I can sleep, listen to music or watch

movies on the flight.

There are several reasons why I don't choose other options.

Firstly, they are not useful. Their journeys take longer than journeys by plane.

Moreover, they are inconvenient. There are so many stops for bathroom
breaks, fuel top-ups, or leg stretching during the trip.

Finally, they are uncomfortable. They are often overcrowded and dirty.

To sum up, if I were in that situation, I would choose traveling by plane due
to the above reasons.

TASK 2
 SOME SAMPLE ANSWER FOR SPEAKING PART 2
(13 familiar topics)

Learning English

I'm thinking about a way to improve my English speaking skills among

three options. Joining an English class at centre, joining an English club or
talking to foreigners in public places. In my opinion, taking an English course is
the best choice for some reasons.
Firstly, I can study with experienced teachers. They can correct my mistakes or
give me useful materials. Secondly, I can practice speaking English with many
different topics. For example, each lesson I often learn about one topic. As a
result, at the end of the course, I'm able to speak to others about different things.
However, there are several reasons why I don't choose the other options.
I don't choose to join an English club because it's too noisy, I can't hear
what other people are saying. Besides, talking to foreigners in public places isn't
my choice since I can only speak about very common topics like name, food or
weather.
In short, I believe that going to an English class is the best way for me to
improve my English speaking skills.

Family

I am thinking about an activity for my parents' wedding anniversary

among three options: a party at a restaurant, going on holiday and a party at
home.
I suppose that a party at home would be the best choice because of some
following reasons.
Firstly, a party at home can create a cozy and comfortable atmosphere.
familiar environment helps people become closer to each other.
Secondly, my family can save a lot of money. We can use this amount of
money for other things like food, drinks and so on. Finally, I have the freedom
to choose the food and decorate the party according to what i like.
There are some reasons why I don't choose the other options. Organizing
a party at restaurant or going on holiday may be expensive. Besides, a holiday is
not my choice because I have to take a lot of time to make a plan about where to
go and what to do.
 In short, I think that a home party is the most ideal to celebrate my
parents" wedding anniversary.

House

If I were in this situation, I would believe that buying a flat near the city
center is the best choice among three options: living with parents, buying a flat
and buying a house 10kms far away due to some reasons.
Firstly, buying an apartment tends to be cheaper than a house. Besides, it
is safe live there because there is security guard 24 hours a day. The second
reason that living in a flat give me a good chance to make friends with other
people because there are many families living on the same floor.
Finally, as the flat is located near the city center, it is convenient to travel
to many places, especially the workplace. Therefore, I can save time and money
of travelling. There are some reasons why I don't choose the other options.
Living with parents is not my choice because my husband and I may not
have private space or have the freedom to do what we want. I don't choose to
buy a house 10 kms far away because it is not convenient to go to work.
Moreover, buying a house is expensive.
In short, for all reasons I put above, I'll choose to buy an apartment near
the city center is the most ideal choice.

Hobby

I am thinking about an activity to do with my friends on a Sunday

evening among three options: seeing a movie, doing shopping or singing
karaoke.
In my opinion, watching a movie is the best choice for several reasons.
First of all, my friends and I are big fans of watching movies so it is very
interesting to go to the cinema and enjoy our favourite films at the weekend.
Moreover, seeing movies is a good way for me to reduce stress after
school.
When watching comedy or romantic films, I feel very relaxed and comfortable.
Finally, it is a great chance to spend time with friends. For example, we
can chat with each other before and after the film.
 I don't choose the other options because of some reasons. About
shopping, I personally think that it is often a hobby for women, not for men so it
is not suitable for my friends including both boys and girls. Besides, going
shopping is a waste of time. Singing karaoke is not my choice since it is very
noisy and cannot chat with each other. Moreover, noise is bad for our health.
To sum up, from my point of view, seeing a movie is the best choice for
me and my friends on a Sunday evening.

Job

If I had to choose among 3 types of jobs: a telephone operator, a hotel

receptionist and a tourism agent, I suppose that a tourism agent would be the
most ideal part time job because of some reasons.
First of all, I have a lot of chances to communicate with foreigners from
different countries directly. This helps me learn more skills such as
communication skills land English skills. Besides, I can broaden my
relationship by making more new friends. Moreover, I can gain more
knowledge when going to many beautiful places in Vietnam and around the
world.
Therefore, I know more about languages and cultures of these places.
Finally, a tourist agent is an interesting job because I can explore many new
things when travelling to new places.
There are some reasons why I don't choose the other options. Firstly,
becoming a telephone operator or a hotel receptionist is a boring job because I
have to do the same thing every day. About a telephone operator, it's boring to
just answer the phone and transfer calls. Besides, 1 will not have a chance to
communicate with customers directly.
In short, for all reasons I put above, a tourism agent is my best choice for
a part-time job

Travel

If I were in this situation, I would believe that a seaside resort is the most
ideal choice among three options: a seaside resort, a lakeside hotel and a
countryside cottage because of the following reasons.
First of all, it is easy and fun to organize different activities in a resort
with a large space. There are many activities for my family to do on the beach
such as laying team sports, going swimming and so on. Taking part in these
activities helps my family members become closer to each other.
Secondly, as it is getting hot, it is suitable for us to have a trip to the
beach. It is great to play water sports in hot weather; for example, windsurfing,
swimming and diving. When playing these sports, my family will feel more
relaxed and become healthier.
There are some reasons why I don't choose the other options. Firstly, it is
difficult to organize different activities in places with small spaces like a hotel
and a cottage.
Besides, there are not many interesting activities to do or beautiful views
to see in these places.
In short, with all reasons above, a beach resort is the best choice for my
family to enjoy the trip.

Hometown

If I had to decide among three options: Da Nang, Hanoi and Hue for a 3-
day holiday, I would choose Da Nang as the best choice because of the
following reasons.
First of all, I can visit beautiful beaches in Da Nang. It is great to walk
along the beach and have the fresh air. Besides, I have a chance to enjoy
beautiful views on the beach such as watching the sunset and sunrise.
Moreover, I can eat lot of local seafood such as crabs, lobsters and so on.
The seafood here is fresh, delicious and cheap.
Finally, there are many activities to do on the beach such as playing team
sports, going swimming and so on. When playing these sports, I will feel more
relaxed and become healthier.
There are some reasons why I don't choose the other options.
Firstly, it is boring to go on holiday in Hanoi because I have visited
famous places here many times.
Besides, it is difficult to move around in Hanoi during rush hours because
traffic jams are serious.
Moreover, Hue is not my choice because I do not like to visit historical
places there.
In short, with all reasons I put above, Da Nang is my best choice for a 3-
day holiday.
Food

I am thinking about a place to organize my sister's birthday party among

three options: at home, in a restaurant and in the park. I believe that holding a
party at home is the best choice because of some following reasons

Firstly, a party at home can create a cozy and comfortable atmosphere. A

familiar environment helps everyone become closer to each other. Secondly, my
family an save a lot of money. We can use this amount of money for other
things like food, drinks and so on. Finally, my family have the freedom to
choose the food and decorate the party according to what we like.
There are some reasons why I don't choose the other options. Organizing
the party in a restaurant is not my choice because it may be very expensive.
About holding the party in the park, it is very noisy so we cannot talk with each
other comfortably.
In short, for all the reasons above, I think that a home party is the most
ideal to hold my sister's birthday party.

Health

My friend is thinking of an activity to improve her health among three

options: jogging in the park, going to the gym or doing yoga in a yoga club. If I
were her, I would choose to go to the gym as the best choice because of some
following reasons.
The first reason is that doing gym is cheaper than doing yoga in a club.
Therefore, she can save an amount of money. Secondly, she can take part in
different activities such as dancing, swimming, doing squats and so on. It means
that she has many choices to do what she wants. It is more interesting than just
doing yoga or jogging. The final cause is that she can use good equipment. In
the gym, there are a lot of modern facilities with high quality, so she can feel
very comfortable and excited when doing exercise.
There are some reasons why I don't choose the other options. Firstly, it is
boring to go jogging in the park or do yoga instead of doing many activities in
the gym. Besides, the fee to join a yoga club is expensive so doing yoga is not
my choice.
To sum up, I think going to the gym is the best activity for my friend to
improve her health.
Transport

If I had to decide a form of transport for a group of people going on a trip

from Danang to Hanoi among three options: by train, by plane and by coach, I
suppose that going by plane would be the best choice because of some
following reasons.
First of all, going by air is the safest among three types of transport.
People don't have to worry about road accidents. Secondly, going by plane is
very fast; therefore, they can save a lot of time. It only takes them one hour to
fly from Danang to Hanoi. Finally, people can enjoy good services on the plane.
Flight attendants will serve them food and drinks, so they can feel very
comfortable during the journey.
I don't choose the other options due to some reasons. Firstly, going by
train is too slow so it wastes people a lot of time. Moreover, going by coach is
not my choice because it may be very dangerous. Besides, there are not good
services on a coach, so this may make people uncomfortable.

To sum up, I think that plane is the most convenient means of transport
for people to travel from Danang to Hanoi.

Communication

I am thinking about a way to contact my close friend among three

options: an email, a post mail or a postcard. In my opinion, an email is the most
ideal choice because of some following reasons.
First of all, it is a quick way to keep in touch with my friend. It only takes
few seconds or minutes to send and reply an email. Besides, I don't have to
spend any money on contacting my friend because it is free. Moreover, using
emails is a convenient way to send videos and photos. It is difficult or
impossible to do that when I use a post mail. The final reason is that it is able to
send information to a lot of people.
There are some reasons why the other options are not my choices. Firstly,
a post mail is not a good idea because it takes a long time to write and send the
letter. Besides, the letter may be lost. In addition, I don't choose a postcard
because it is not popular in Vietnam and it cannot show long messages.

In short, for all reasons above, writing an email is my best choice to contact my friend.
The Internet

I am thinking about a way to look for a job. Among three options: the
person who is doing that job, the Internet or newspaper, I think that asking the
person who is doing that job is the best choice because of some following
reasons.

In the first place, this person can provide exact information about the
position I want to get. For example, he can help me know about the salary, the
working environment and So on. Therefore, I can consider these things to see
whether it is suitable for me or not. Secondly, he can share with me about his
experience or give me good advice about the job. As a result, I can easily get the
job, even get promotion after I am accepted.
There are some reasons why I don't choose the other options. First of all,
the Internet is not a good choice because the information about some jobs might
not be correct. Secondly, I don't choose newspaper because it is not updated
quickly. Besides, it takes lots of time to find a suitable job in a newspaper.
To sum up, for all reasons above, I think that finding information about
the job from the person who is doing it is the most ideal option.

Festival

Among three options: a clothing item, a book, a pair of movie tickets, I think
that a book is the best birthday present for my friend because of some following
reasons.
First of all, my friend is keen on reading books. Therefore, if I give her a
book that she likes, she will be very excited and happy. The second reason is
that reading a book helps her relax after hard-working hours. Finally, a book is a
great present for her to improve her knowledge. I can choose to buy a book that
is useful for her work. It is both relaxing and informative.
There are some reasons why I don't choose the other options. About a
clothing item, it is difficult to choose a suitable one because I don't know her
size or what kind of clothes she likes. Moreover, a pair of movie tickets is not
my choice because she doesn't like watching movies.
In short, for all reasons above, I believe that a book is my best choice as a
birthday gift for my friend.

Example question for VSTEP speaking part II

1. You are going to invite your friends to your birthday party, but you are
wondering where to hold your party: at your house? At a restaurant? or at a
karaoke?
2. Your family is planning on a holiday. There are three options that are
reasonable to your family time and financial budget: three – day trip to a
foreign country, four-day trip to a mountainous area, and a two-day trip at a
beach resort. What do you think is the best choice?
3. One of your classmates is having a trouble choosing another foreign
language to study for some credits at university and asks you for your
opinion. Between Spanish, Japanese and Thai, which one would be the best?
4. Your family is planning on overseas trip this Christmas. However, you and
your family are still concerning about how long the trip would last. Between
3 days, 5 days and one week. Which one might be the best selection?
5. An older couple is going away for their 40th wedding anniversary. They
are considering three options: a day hike in the mountains, a luxurious cruise
around the Mediterranean, a spa gets away at a beach? Which do you think
would be the most suitable?
6. The youth club in your neighbourhood intends to introduce a new activity
for teenager in the area. They are considering three options: drama, chess
and photography. Which do you think would be the most suitable for
teenager in your area.
7. In order to raise student’s awareness of would affairs, the principle of a
high school in your neighbourhood wants teacher to design a project on one
of the following themes: climate change, terrorism and discrimination.
Which do you think would be suitable for the project?
8. The local council having extra funds wants to improve the area. Here are
some suggestions on how the money can be spent: a sports center, a library
and a park. Which do you think would be suitable for your area?
9. This summer you and your friends are planning to go on a trip through
Vietnam. Here are three means of transport you are considering: car, train
and plane. Which would be best option in your opinion?
10. You are planning on buying a house, there are three options that need
consideration; well-equipped apartment on the 30th floor of a condominium
in the city center; a three-floor house in the suburbs without any furniture,
and a single-floor with full furniture. What do you think is the best choice?
11. A group of friends is discussing ways to improve listening skill. Three
possible options are watching movie on movie star, listening to radio
programs and conversing with foreigners. Which way do you think is the
best option?
12. A group of people are discussing ways to protect the environment. Three
possible options are go to school or work by bicycle, recycle all bottles, cans
and paper and buy locally made goods whenever possible. What way do you
think is the best choice?
13. Your class is going to get together and celebrate when exams are over.
You and your friends have been asked to decide to have a picnic, a party at
someone’s house or a meal at a restaurant. Which options do you think is the
best choice?
14. Some of your friends are thinking about a place to go on holiday. Which
of three places do you think is the best options: sandy beach for sunbathing,
picturesque mountainous area for picnic or recreational center for risky
sports?
15. One of your friends has problem with his/ her sleep. What would you
recommend him/ her to do to better sleep: counting sheep, reading before
bed, listening to classical music?
16. Your friends are discussing ways to makes donations for charitable
organizations. Three options are donating old clothes, produce hand- made
crafts and sell for money, giving food. Which do you think is the best
option?
17. You and your friends are going to go out tonight. Which places would
you like to go to: the cinema, shopping center, recreation center?
18. You and your friends are making hand-made crafts for charitable fund-
raising. You are thinking how to advertise your products: using Facebook,
distributing leaflets, sending emails/ text messages. Which options do you
think is the best choice.
19. You feel sorry for the mistake you’ve made with a friend. You want to
make apology but don’t know if a telephone call, a text message or handing
writing letter can do best.
20. Your school is making a poll among students what to build next: a new
canteen, a sports center or a new library. Which facility do you think will be
of benefit for your school.