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atmosphere in the cinema adds a lot to the experience and you can focus solely on the film itself, instead of having lots of distractions like you might have if you watched the film at home.
8.5. Where do Vietnamese people like to go on weekends?
I don’t know how it was in the past, but nowadays, shopping centres like Vincom, Mipec or Aeon Mall have become the most fashionable places to go on weekends.
Coming to those places, visitors of all ages can have easy access to a variety of goods and amusement facilities, such as a cinema complex or restaurants. Some other popular options are sports centres, green parks and cafes.
8.6. What do old people do to relax?
There is a wide range of entertainment options for the elderly. Speaking of outdoor activities, they often go to green parks to take part in tai chi or yoga classes. There are also organised outings for senior citizens to relax and visit their relatives. For sedentary entertainment, old people tend to read books, play board games and watch TV.
VOCABULARY
ü Decorative [adjective] decorated to look attractive or pretty Example: The bright paintings look very decorative in the hall.
ü Tons of work (1 đống công việc) [expression] a large amount of work Example: We’ve got tons of work to do.
ü Take up (chiếm chỗ) [phrasal verb] to fill a particular amount of space or time Example: These files take up a lot of disk space.
ü Landscape (cải tạo) [verb] to change the appearance of an area of land, especially next to a building or road so that it looks more like natural countryside
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Example: The area in front of the museum was landscaped using trees and sculptures.
ü Tranquility (sự thanh bình, trong lành) [noun] quality or state of being tranquil;
calmness; peacefulness; quiet; serenity.
Example: We ate in his Sukka, surrounded by a tranquility and quiet that I, in my busy life, rarely experience.
ü Pop into [phrasal verb] to go somewhere quickly and suddenly for a short time Example: I popped into the shop to buy some chocolate.
ü Live in harmony (sống hòa thuận) [expression] living together peacefully rather than fighting or arguing
Example: This river has different kinds of fish living in harmony.
ü Movie buff (mọt phim) [expression] when someone is addicted to movies and actively goes to the cinema on a regular basis.
Example: John is a film/movie buff who has always enjoyed watching movies and reading about the industry and his favorite filmmakers.
ü Blockbuster (phim bom tấn) [adjective] a book or film that is very successful Example: A blockbuster film is very popular and achieves enormous sales.
ü Distraction (sự gây gián đoạn) [noun] something that prevents someone from giving their attention to something else.
Example: I can turn the television off if you find it a distraction.
ü Outing [noun] a trip – usually with a group of people
Example: There is a school outing to the zoo tomorrow – I can’t wait ! ü Sedentary [adjective] in which you spend a lot of time sitting down
Example: He has a sedentary job working in an office.
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9. Describe a bicycle/motorbike/car trip that is interesting You should say:
where you would like to go;
how you would like to go there;
who you would like to go with;
and explain why you would like to go there by car, motorbike or bike.
ANWSER
VERSION 1 (Tham khảo từ đề 23 trong sách 2015 “Describe a long car journey that you went on”)
Like many other young people, I don’t have the habit of waking up early every day, only for special occasions. Last weekend, I and a group of my friends decided to go on a trip to the mountainous area of Vietnam called Mu Cang Chai. We had to leave very early in the morning so that we did not get stuck in the traffic. In addition, we
would have more time to spend there.
It wasn’t easy to get up early in the morning, because I had been so excited about the trip that I had barely slept that night. I had never been to Mu Cang Chai before. It is located in the northern part of Vietnam, so I knew that we faced a long drive ahead . We had decided to go by car since, that way, all 5 of us could travel together.
Moreover, everyone reckoned that it would be safer than going by motorbike.
After 5 hours driving, we arrived at our destination. We were amazed to see a vast land filled with the yellow color of terraced rice fields, ready to be harvested. Under the sunlight, these rice fields sparkled like gold.
We stayed for one night with a local host and helped the family with their regular tasks before setting out for home the next day. It was such an amazing trip, and it
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helped us to learn more about the countryside and the way of life of those who live there. I’d love to make more trips
like that in the future.
VOCABULARY
ü get stuck: [verb phrase] to be in an unpleasant situation that you can‟t escape from. Example: I left work early, because I didn‟t want to get stuck in traffic on my way home.
ü barely: [adverb] something that can be achieved, but only with difficulty.
Example: We barely had time to catch the train, so we ran all the way to the station.
ü faced a long drive ahead: [verb phrase] a long car journey. Example: My advice is to sleep well if you face a long drive ahead the next day.
ü reckon: [verb] to think or have an opinion about something. Example: If I want to lose weight, I reckon that I will have to eat less bread.
ü freshen: [verb] to make something cooler and more pleasant.
Example: The rain freshened the air.
ü vast: [adjective] very big.
Example: The Amazon is a vast rainforest.
ü harvest: [verb] to cut and collect a crop, such as rice. Example: Every year, bananas are harvested from the trees on my uncle‟s farm.
ü sparkle: [verb] to shine brightly. Example: The sky sparkled with thousands of stars.
ü setting out: [phrasal verb] leaving a place and beginning a journey. Example: I finished my breakfast and set out for the train station
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VERSION 2
I’d like to describe a travelling idea that I think would make an awesome experience.
It’s a motorbike trip to Tam Dao, a town of Vinh Phu province, which has become an attractive place for Hanoi residents to visit at weekends and during holidays.
Tam Dao, also known as Da Lat of the North due to its cool weather around the year, is not far from Hanoi. It’s just 70 kilometers away from our capital city, so I think it’d be sensible to travel there by motorbike.
I think it’d be an ideal trip if we had a small group of 4 or 5 members, who all knew each other well, as travelling companions. We would need to share a lot of common interests as well as characteristics, you know, so the experience would be more laid-back, fun and memorable, in my opinion.
There are several reasons why I prefer travelling by motorbike rather than by car, but most of all, I wouldn’t want to miss the breathtaking scenery along the way.
Moreover, my travelling timeline would be more flexible if I went there by motorbike, as I wouldn’t have to worry about being stuck in traffic jams. Last but not least, I think it would be a way to make the trip somehow more challenging and interesting, so we would have more things to recall afterwards.
VOCABULARY
ü captital city (thủ đô) [n]
a city which physically includes the offices and meeting places of the seat of government and is usually fixed as the capital by law or by the constitution Example: Hanoi is the capital city of Vietnam and the country’s second largest city.
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ü sensible ( hợp lí) [adj] reasonable and practical.
Example: It’s sensible to keep a note of your passport number
ü Travelling companion ( bạn đồng hành trong chuyến du lịch) [expression]
someone you spend a lot of time with during your trip, who accompanies you.
Example: We should also agree about money when choosing a travelling
companion; it can be pretty uncomfortable when you reach your first destination and find your companion wants to spend on a meal way beyond your budget.
ü common interests (sở thích chung) [expression] similar interests
Example: Studies show that shared common interests between people boost the chances of a lasting relationship, and also bring about a 2% increase in life
satisfaction.
ü laid-back [adj] relaxed, without any worries
Example: I prefer a laid-back holiday, just sunbathing on the beach and listening to the sound of the sea.
ü breathtaking (hấp dẫn, ngoạn mục)[adj] very impressive, exciting or surprising Example: The view from my bedroom window was absolutely breathtaking.
QUESTIONS FOR PART 3