SPEAKING (Tham khảo)

Tham Khảo Speaking

Topic 1
(Personal Identification)

My full name is_____. I’m a (worker). I was born in _____ (year) in ________________ (place). I’m single / marrieD. I’ve got — children. I’m Vietnamese. I live with my family in HCM City. My address is at ___ (number) _____ street, ______ ward _____, district ____. My phone number is ____. I finished Secondary High School in ____. I graduated from (university, college) in ___. I’m Catholic / Buddhist.

My hobbies are playing tennis, dancing, cooking, drinking, listening to music, making cakes, and playing badminton. That’s something about my topiC. Thank you.
Questions and answers
1. What’s your full name? Surname? Last name? Middle name?
    - My full name is Tran Thi Ai Lan,
2. How do you spell your name? - L. A. N.
3. What’s your initial? - It’s A.L.
4. What’s your job (profession, occupation, career). What are you? What do you do?
    - I’m a worker (a student).
5. When’s your birthday? - It’s on May the third.
6. Where are you living? - I’m living in district 2.
7. What’s your nationality? - I’m Vietnamese
8. What’s your telephone number? - It’s ________.
9. What’s your religion?
    - I’m a Catholic (a Buddhist)
10. What’s your hobby?
    - My hobby is reading books
11. When did you graduate from high school (from university)?
    - I graduated from high school 2 years ago.
12. What would you like to be in the future?
    -I would like to be a doctor.
13. Where were you born?
    - I was born in Nha Trang.
14. What do you usually do in your spare time / freetime?                                                                                                                                    - I usually go out with my friends, but I sometimes stay at home reading books.
15. How long have you lived here? — I have lived here for _____ years.
16. Do you live with your parents? – Yes, I do. I’m living with my parents for the time being.
17. How long have you been studying English? - I’ve been studying English for _____ years.

TOPIC 2

(House and Home)

My family consists of _____ people. I’m living with my family in HCM City in a small and comfortable house. It was built when I was born and built with bricks and stones.
It stands in the middle of district 5. It is 4 metres wide and 15 metres long. In the living room, there are two armchairs, a sofa and a table with four chairs; on top of the cupboard, there is a cassette recorder and a television; on the wall, there are some family pictures and a calendar and a big clock; on the ceiling, there are two fans and two neon lights. Next to the living room, there is a small bedroom for my parents, one for my sister and me, and one for my brothers.

In the kitchen, there are two gas stoves, a cupboard, a sink, a fridge and so on.
At the end of the house there are two rooms, one for a washing machine, and one for the toilet with a shower where we wash or have a bath. I love my house very much because it always makes me recall a lot of happiest memories, and this is the place where I was born and grew up.

Note: to consist of: gồm có, bao gồm; consist + in : cốt ở, ở tại, ở chỗ. Happiness consists in trying one’s best to fulfill one’s duty. consist + with: phù hợp = to consist with sth.

Questions and answers
1. What is the difference between house and home?
    - A house is where we live in. A home is where we live in with our family.
2. How many people (persons, members) are there in your family?
    - My family consists of _____ people.
3. How is your house? -- My house is large, spacious, and comfortable.
4. When was it built? --- It was built many years ago.
5. What was it made from?
    - It was made with stones, bricks and cement.
6. Where does it stand?
    - It stands in the middle of district 5. 
7. How wide and how long is it?
    - It is 4 metres wide and 20 metres long.
8. How many rooms are there in your house?
    - There are 7 rooms in my house.
9. Do you love your house? Why?
    - I love my house very much, partly because that is where I live with my family, and      partly because I’ve got many memories there.
10. How far is it from your house to your office (your school)?
    - It is about ten kilometres from my house to my office (my school).
11. How long does it take you to come / go / travel / get to school?
- It takes me thirty minutes to come to my school.

TOPIC 3

(Life at home)

There are four people in my family. I’m living with my family in HCM City.
My parents usually get up at five thirty. My father always does his physical exercise for fifteen minutes, and then takes a bath. My mother usually makes a glass of orange juice for him and breakfast for my family. My father was retired, so he usually stays at home, but he sometimes goes out for playing chess and badminton with his friends. Playing badminton is his favourite sport. My mother is a very good housewife. She usually goes to market every morning, and she sometimes goes to the supermarket with me to get the food for my family. She usually helps us with needlework and washing. At weekends, she cooks some traditional dishes, the dishes popular in her native-village, and we enjoy them, while she’s telling us some old stories. In the evening, my family usually gets together, talking about our work, planning for something, and sometimes making a decision for an important matter.

My brothers and sisters are factory workers and officials. They usually get up early, leave for work, and come back home at five. They always have lunch at work.
When we have leisure time we usually do some odd things to help our parents, and to express our deep gratitude to our parents.

Questions and answers
1. Tell me about your daily activities.
- Every morning, I usually get up at 6 o’clock, do my physical exercises for fifteen minutes, then I do personal hygiene, and put on my clothes. I have breakfast, and go to work (to school). I usually go to work by motorbike. I usually have lunch at work. After lunch, I have a short rest. I stop working at five.
In the evening, three times a week, I go to evening classes to study English, on every other day. I usually stay at home reading books or watching television, but I sometimes go out with my friends.
2. What do you usually do to help your parents?
- When I have free time, I usually help my mother with housework, my father with odd things;
3. How much is your monthly income?
- It is about one million dong. (I’m a pupil, so I’ve got some pocket money)
4. What do your parents do in their free time?
- They usually sit chatting, reading books or magazines, watching television.
5. •What do all members in your family usually do in the evening?
- Most of people in my family usually get together in the living room, talking, reading books, magazines, newspapers or watching television.
6. How do you come here?
- I come here by motorcycle.
7. What do you think of a home?
- To me, I think that a home is not only a place where people can live or dine together, but also a shelter where all the members in the family can share difficulties or feelings, can console one another in despair, and can come to solutions in carrying out a plan. 

TOPIC 4

(Education and future career)

I began schooling when I was six. I spent five years at Primary School, four at Junior and three at Senior High School. There are many different subjects for us to learn and in the coming time, we will take every examination with all the subjects we have learnt, due to the policy of reforming educational system of our government.

I like English the best. I did not like Maths because it was a difficult subject. I resumed studying English for my coming joB. We take part in two examinations, one in the ninth form and one in the twelfth form. At school, there are some other subjects — they are not only the subjects for us to practice, but also the games for us to enjoy ourselves, such as: badminton, volley ball, basketball, or table tennis....

Perhaps each of you has a respective definition (conception) for career. To me, career is what you devote all your life, your energy to, what you long for, what you want to get at any prices. Sometimes your career is not clear, because you can’t identify it at once. A person should know exactly what he wants to get, to obtain, to reach in his life. Then he should make his plans to reach his aim, and devote all his life to it.
After graduation from High School, we have to choose one of two ways — whether studying at college, or studying at vocational (technical) school for our coming joB. We also have to study some other subjects (accounting, -marketing, information technology) to meet the requirements of some companies.

Questions and answers
1. When did you begin schooling? - I began schooling when I was six.
2. How many years did you spend at the Primary school (Elementary school)?
    - I spent 5 years at the Elementary school, 4 at the Junior High school, and 3 at Senior High school.
    - I spent 4 years at Junior High school, and 3 years at Senior High school.
4. Are there any boarding schools in your city?
    - Most of private schools (tröôøng tư) in our city are boarding schools.
5. Which subjects did you like when you were at school
    - I loved all the subjects when I was at school.
6. Which subjects were you good at?
    - I was good at Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and Literature.
7. What would you like to become in the future?
    - I would like to be a doctor (an engineer, an accountant…) in the future.
8. Have you got any plans for your future career?
    - I try my best to study not only natural sciences (khoa học xã hội), but social sciences and humanities (khoa học nhân văn) as well.

TOPIC 5

(Free time and entertainment)

I am an employee. I work eight hours a day, and after work I go to evening classes to study English and Information Technology, so I only have free time on Sundays.
Reading books is one of my pastimes, and it is very useful to me. When reading a book, I can learn about other countries’ culture, customs, ways of labour and some scientific achievements. It can help me to upgrade my knowledge.

The time on Sundays is very precious to me, sometimes we get together with friends, and sometimes I can do some charitable activities. Vietnam, my country, is a developing one. The standard of living is not very high, and lots of people in my country are in neeD. My friends and I contribute our small shares in helping our fellow-citizens. We share our bread, clothes with them. Sometimes, the Hoà Chi Minh Communist Youth League launches an operation to collect gifts to help disaster victims, and we are eager to take part in. We all want a change. The civilized society, in which we are living, requires a dynamic life. Such a life makes us quickly tired and depresseD. Therefore, all of us have the tendency to “escape from town” sometimes and come to nature to quiet our nerves. We go out for picnicking, camping, swimming or fishing to relax.

Questions and answers
1. How often do you go out?
    - I often go out once or twice a week.
2. Which books do you usually read?
    - I sometimes read romantic novels, and I sometimes read science fiction stories.
3. What benefit can you get from reading books?
    - Reading books can help me to know about my surroundings.
4. Besides reading books which means do you usually use to get information?
    - I can use a computer with CD-drive, or with a modem and a telephone line to get    information from other people.                                                                                                                   
5. Which programs on television do you like best?                                                                                             - I like films and game shows.                                                                                                                              6. Do you listen to music?                                                                                                                                      - I like listening to pop music.                                                                                                                 
7. Where do you usually go on your holiday?                                                                                                - I sometimes take a trip to Vuõng Taøu, sometimes I go to Nha Trang or Đà Lạt.                           
8. Where did you visit in Đà Lạt?                                                                                                                     - I visited the Love valley, the Bảo Đại Palace II, the Chinese Pagoda, the two-tomb pine-tree hill …

TOPIC 6

(Travel)

It is said that, “He who walks a distance can get a bucketful of wisdom.” In our life, we travel from place to place for many reasons. We travel on business, on holiday, or in studying. Nowadays there are many ways of travelling. We can travel by air, by train, by car, by bus, or by boat. 

Some people travel because they want to admire the Beauties of the nature or wonderful man-made works. Others travel because they want to learn ‘human nature’, that is, the society of men with its traditions, culture, ways of living, material conditions of labour, the expression of feelings — and ideas. Some people travel for relaxation.
To me, travelling is for relaxation, for escaping away from daily drudgeries, rather than for information and study. Like Somerset Maugham, I travel “because I like to move from place to place, to enjoy the sense of freedom it gives me, it pleases me to be rid of ties, responsibilities and duties.” In order to learn those above mentioned I can stay at home by myself in the library and meet all kinds of people: poets, writers, educators, philosophers... to study their ideas about many subjects hidden in the pages of books or web-sites.

Questions and answers
1. Where do people usually travel every day?
    - They usually travel from place to place to work, to school, they sometimes travel on business or on holiday.
2. Where do you usually spend your holiday?
    - I sometimes spend my holiday in Vũng Tàu or Đà Lạt.
3. Why do people usually go to Vũng Tàu? - They usually go to Vũng Tàu because they want to enjoy fresh air, sunshine, and swimming after long hard-working days.
4. What is the fastest way of travelling?
    - The fastest way is travelling by air.
5. Do you like to travel? Why?
    - Yes, I like travelling very much because I want to develop my knowledge and to know more about the world around me.
6. What is Ha Long Bay famous for? - It’s famous for its impressing scene and caves.

TOPIC 7

(Shopping)

When we want to buy something we go shopping. Shopping is a necessary thing in our life, so there are a lot of markets where we can buy food, vegetables ..., and home utensi1s or even odd- things for needlework.

When we want to relax, sometimes we go window-shopping, that means we go to a shopping centre - looking at the goods and buying nothing. With our small budget, we should have a plan for our expenditure; and every time we go shopping we make a want-list in advance to examine what are the most important things we need, in order not to buy unnecessary things because of their attraction at the moment. Nowadays, with advantages of advertising, promotion, and competition among companies and enterprises, we sometimes buy something with the spur of the moment. We should make a habit of going shopping — buy anything with careful examination; when we are uncertain about something we need the help of experts or experienced persons. The trouble we have in a city is that the sellers sometimes do not have fixed-price, so we usually buy something with wrong price if we do not bargain. In foreign countries, there are many kinds of shops, stores and supermarkets where various goods and products are displayed with fixed- prices given on the price-tags.

Questions and answers
1. How often do you go shopping?
    - I usually go shopping once a month.
2. How much money do you usually spend when you go shopping?
    - It depends on the goods I buy.
3. What should you do when you want to buy a valuable thing?
    - When I want to buy a valuable thing I usually ask for help from experienced persons or I will buy it at an authorized agent.

TOPIC 8

(Food and drinks)

An English proverb goes on, “One man’s meat is another man’s poison.” Eating habits differ from country to country.

Vietnam is a developing country and our standard of living is rather low. Our main food is rice. In our daily meals, we usually have boiling-rice with some other kinds of cereals, vegetables, or fish. We rarely eat meat, partly because we are poor, and partly because fish• contains more protein than meat. Many illnesses and infections lead to an increased loss of nitrogen from the body, which needs to be replaced by a higher consumption of dietary protein.

The people in Asian countries always count from negative to positive effect of each food. They balance not only the effects but also the calories of some food to find out the best dietary regime. With such kinds of dietary regime we can avoid some illnesses because overeating may cause a variety of illnesses. For example, a person should eat a variety of foods; maintain ideal weight; avoid too much fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol; avoid too much sugar and too much sodium.

A lot of people not only in our country but also in the world are undernourishing, or eve in poverty. So we should choose nourishing food and drinks, and be moderate in eating and drinking as a saying goes on, “We eat so that we may live, we do not live so that we may eat.” the rest of food can prevent those people from poverty and famine.
                                                                 

                                                                      TOPIC 9

(Foreign languages)

When a child becomes part of the home, the interacting parents become models for the chilD. Actions do speak louder than words. When the young child is unable to understand the words being spoken, he still gets a feeling about the tone of the situation through the emotions of the speaker. Language, which is a major part of communication, is first learned in the home. It is with this language that he will relate to others outside the home. Body language (gestures, facial expressions) is also originally learned in the home, and much of this is learned by the child imitating his parents. So communication is not only a dialogue between two people, but it can be any mode of expression as well.
There are many advantages of knowing foreign languages:

1.       From intellectual point of view:
- To complete our higher education: Because of the shortage of textbooks written in Vietnamese in some fields such as: sciences, politics, economics, medicine, law etc: so we have to know at least one foreign language.
- To understand better other literatures and culture.
- To improve our knowledge and widen our views.
                                                                                                                                                                                            2. From commercial point of view:
- To transact business with foreign businessmen.
- To obtain markets for our national products.
- To co-operate with foreign companies.
                                                                                                                                                                          3. From political point of view:
- To strengthen the mutual and sincere understanding between nations.
- To avoid misunderstanding.

TOPIC 10

(Weather)

Vietnam is a tropical country. Climate: Three basic climate types are found in Vietnam. In the north, especially in the interior, the temperatures are subtropical. Shifting seasonal wind patterns result in dry winters and wet summers. The central and southeastern areas typify the tropical monsoon climate, with high temperatures and abundant precipitation. In the southwest, distinct wet and dry periods are evident, but temperatures are higher than in the north.

Tropical in south, monsoonal climate in north with hot, rainy season (mid-May to mid-
September) and warm, dry season (mid-October to mid-March). The weather is hot and humid, occasional typhoons (May to January) with extensive flooding. In North Vietnam there are four seasons — Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter, but in South Vietnam there are only two seasons — The sunny season (The hot season) and the rainy season (The wet season). Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta experience a year round the tropical climate with rains heaviest in summer. The central lowlands and mountains are cool from- October to March. The north - has hot, wet summers and relatively warm, dry winters.  Vietnam suffers from a lot of disasters such as storms, floods, and drought. Apart from storms and drought, floods are caused by human beings. They exploit and destroy the forests immoderately so that many floods take place every year.

Topic 11
RELATIONS WITH OTHER PEOPLE

There are two kinds of relationships with other people: The first one is — the relationship in

a family, the second one is — in society.

In all trust relationships, it is necessary to accept the other person as he or she is. In a husband - wife relationship, love is the foundation, but acceptance and mutual respect are also demanded. Marriage is a partnership where each member is important. There is an expected sense of sharing and participation in each other’s lives. When marriage is viewed as a companionship, there is an emphasis on doing things together, talking with each other. When children become part of the home, they are a recognized extension of the relationship between the man and the woman. This sharing between the couple is extended to the children. All members, for example, would share in a family decision, and each would participate at the level of his own ability.

Children are now being recognized more as individuals with different abilities and potentials. If parents are aware of these differences and can treat each child individually, a closer parent-child relationship may develop. When children are encouraged to use their minds and express their own opinions and feelings, they will also be more willing to “hear out” what their parents have to say. This acceptance on the part of both sides of what may be called the “generation gap” will avoid many problems in the family. Parents and children must be willing to listen honestly to each other if there is to be trusted in their relationship. God made each individual with different ability, potential, and personality, all of which can be more fully developed in the trusting family relationship. In society now, the public relations are very important. There are some kinds of consulting companies. They provide some services belonging to public relations. With public relations we can do business easier.

                                                                 Topic 12  

                                                    HEALTH AND WELFARE

It is said that “A clear mind in a healthy body.” Good health contributes so much to happiness that many people think that, without it, a person can seldom be happy.
A person in poor health can seldom be happy, that is a psycho-physiological (taâm sinh lyù) truth. A clear mind is in a healthy body. A weak body often generates bad ideas and thus easily leads to pessimism. Poor health prevents us from doing our daily work. A saying goes on “Is life worth living? It all depends on our health.”

How can we better our health? The best way of getting it is regular and methodical, bodily training, especially sports and games. Those who work mentally, are general weak. Working hours by hours in a stuffy room, we need the open air and movement. Sports will harden our muscles, purify our lungs and facilitate the blood circulation, and the practice of sports is very necessary for intellectual people not only to maintain health but also to relax.

Topic 13
SERVICES

In the era of industrialization and modernization of our country, we can get much benefit on many kinds of services. First of all, we can get a lot of benefit from educational services because there are many good schools, universities and vocational or job-training schools with experienced teachers and professors in every field of knowledge in our country. Thus, after graduation, we can find a good job easily. Secondly, medical cares or services can help us when we are sick. Nowadays there are two kinds of medical services, that is those of state-running and private ones. Thirdly, the services on transport, on business and entertainment make our material life comfortable thanks to electricity and running waters.

Lastly, the services, on information, one of the most important fields in our life. Among them, there are three old multi-media services (radio, television, press), and two new ones (telephone, computer). From the twentieth century the “bang of information” is one of the significant achievements, and it helps us a lot in our daily activities. We can sit by a computer and can do everything (if we have a modem, an account, and a telephone line), for example, we can get information from Internet; we can send or receive E-mail, and in the future we can do some other things with it.

Topic 14

PLACES

There are many places which affect lots on one’s living. First of all, the place where he was born and grew up. There have been a lot of memories of which he tends to remember that place. Then, the schools where he used to attend when he was young. Some people think that the school days are the most beautiful and interesting time of one’s life. Sometimes he looks back to the past and recalls all things, all things appear in his mind like a moving film, one scene after one lets him remember his behaviours or his mistakes, at that time a smile may appears on his lips. Next, the place where he met or dated with his first lover. It is said that, “first love is as young and lively as a young tree, which is full of vitality” so that remembrance lasts forever. And when he is mature, many new places affect: some changes in his daily activities. The place where he works, the places of entertainment, his home etc.

When he travels to other city or country, it is not easy for him to find the way to a place. In order to know where a place located he usually uses a map, or asks somebody about its directions. In the wood, forest or a mountain he must use a map and a pair of compasses to find the right direction which leads him to a place that he wants to come.

BONUS:

Education is not an end, but a means to an end. We learn how to adapt ourselves to future life. There are three main advantages of education — for individual life, for professional life, and for social life.

What are we thinking of getting a higher education? The human nature in everybody is quite good. It becomes a bad one because of our surroundings. Each of us wants to upgrade our knowledge because we know that with knowledge we may do a lot of useful things. We would like a happy life in the future. We have a dream, an ambition, so we should be in preparation for our aim. We study in a diligent way. We spare no effort in self-taught to become a good man, and then a good citizen. We adorn our souls with good quality that we may do good to ourselves, to our family, and to our country. We get a higher education so that we may find a good job to earn our living, and we may convey our knowledge to the coming generation.
It is said that career what you devote all your life, your energy to what you desire, what you want to get at any price, it is a lifetime aim. We should know what we want to get, to obtain, to reach in our life. Then, we should make our plans carefully to reach our aim. It is said that, “Grass is greener on the other side of the hill.” When we choose a career, we try our best to do well. We should think of our future career in order we can examine carefully the subjects we have to learn, and develop our skills to succeed in life.
Most Vietnamese young people are good, enthusiastic and they are willing to do good for their future career. They devote their time, their energy to find out what is their true career.

We are human beings, so we have to die. The lifetime of men is very short. In that very short time we have lots of thing to do. A happy man not only does good to his own life, his own family, but to his fellow-citizens, his country as well. At home, we do our best to fulfill our duties as a father/mother with loving cares. In society, we have got some other duties as a worker, an official, and a citizen, so we should help one another to fulfill our duties. Some social activities will make us happier. We take part in some charitable activities if we have some free time. If we do not have time for them, we can share our bread and clothes with disaster victims.

BONUS:

Have you ever asked yourself why children go to school? You will probably say that they go to learn their own language and other languages, arithmetic, geography, geometry, history, science and all the other subjects. That is quite true; but why do they learn all those studies at school.
We send our children to school to prepare them for time when they are grown-up and work for themselves. They learn their language so that they will be able to tell others clearly what they want and what they know and understand what the others tell them. They learn foreign languages in order to be able to benefit from what people from other countries have written and said, and in order to make people from other countries understand what they themselves mean. They learn arithmetic in order to be able to measure and count things in their daily life, geography in order to know something about the world around them and history to know something about the human beings they meet every day, nearly everything they study at school has some practical use in their life, but is that the only reason why they go to school?
No. There is more in education than just learning facts. We go to school to learn how to learn, so that, when we have left school, we can continue to learn. A man who really knows how to learn (self-taught) will always be successful, because whenever he has to do something new which he has never to do before, he will rapidly teach himself how to do it in the best way. ‘The uneducated person, on the other hand, is either unable to do something new, or does it badly. The purpose of school, therefore, is not just to teach languages, arithmetic, geography etc... but to teach pupils the way to learn.

BONUS:

1. English is the most international of languages; it is spoken all over the world. In our country English is taught in schools and widely used in business. If we know English, we can read various kinds of English books to widen our knowledge, communicate with most foreigners easily, and above all, find a good job in a company.

In brief, it is necessary for us to learn English. If we know English well we may have more chance of improving our lives.

2. While many old people want to live in the peaceful countryside and pure air, most young ones prefer life in towns, especially in big cities. The town can provide them with all comforts and conveniences such as electricity, drinking water, good means of transportation, and various kinds of entertainment. They can buy everything they need and get all services quickly and easily. Moreover, they can expect to find jobs that are both interesting and well-paid. There are good reasons to believe that young people prefer to live in towns and cities because they hope to enjoy the benefits of modern life.

3. I am very fond of books. I enjoy reading books at weekends and whenever I have free time. I read simple English books which help to improve my English: I also read serious Vietnamese books on general sciences to widen my knowledge. Through these good books, I can learn a great deal more about human civilization, the wonders of nature, and amazing inventions and discoveries of great men in the world. In addition, I sometimes read humorous stories to relax my mind and even to remove my trouble. I wonder if there are people who can ever deny that good books are really good teachers and friends.

4. Many young people dislike a rainy evening because they cannot go out and 
have fun. To me, it is not so boring. I can find lots of things to spend an
evening when it rains. First of all, there are assignments that have to finish and lessons that I need to review for the next day’s classes. Then, I can amuse myself by playing my guitar for a while. If I am not in the mood for music, I can still join my family in the living-room for a play on television or a video film.

5. Many people think that sports and physical exercises are unimportant things. Some even consider them mere amusements. But in actual fact, sports and physical exercises are very helpful. Sports such as running, swimming and boxing make our body strong, prevent us from getting too fat and keep us healthy. They also prove to be effective treatment for some illnesses such as rheumatism, stomachache, mental sickness and heart trouble. Physical activities in the form of good games are particularly valuable for character training. They can help to improve our intelligence, patience, self-discipline and unselfishness. Because of their great benefits, sports and physical exercises are enjoyed by millions of people all over the world.

6. There are many kinds of families: The extended family; the nuclear family; single-parent family; the bicultural family. Advantages: to be loved and get lots of loving cares, to get close-knit; to get his/her own privacy, to be in quietness, … Disadvantages: to be very sad; to feel lonely; not to get sympathetic and social relation; to be in difficulty of getting acquainted with other people…