(Zim academy) Ielts speaking review vol 7 actual tests in 2022 suggested ideas band 7 sample answers topic vocabulary

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Mục lục
IELTS Speaking Part 1
1.

Art...................................................................................10

38. Puzzles.........................................................................47

2.

Advertisement...........................................................11

39. Sweets & Cakes........................................................48

3.

App.................................................................................12

40. Shoes............................................................................49

4.

Boring things..............................................................13

41. Science........................................................................50

5.

Book and reading habit........................................14

42. Shopping at street markets..............................51

6.

Birthday........................................................................15

43. Spending time with others...............................52

7.

Cinemas........................................................................16

44. Sitting down..............................................................53

8.

Colours..........................................................................17

45. Social media..............................................................54

9.

Computer.....................................................................18

46. Snacks..........................................................................55

10. Cars.................................................................................19

47. Taking photos...........................................................56

11. Collecting things.....................................................20

48. TV Program................................................................57

12. Concentration............................................................21

49. Talents..........................................................................58

13. Drawing and Art galleries.....................................22

50. Time management..................................................59

14. Daily Routine..............................................................23

51. The area you live in.................................................60

15. Dreams..........................................................................24

52. Technology.................................................................61

16. Doing sports.............................................................25

53. Meeting places.........................................................62

17. Email..............................................................................26

54. Work or study............................................................63

18. Evening time..............................................................27

55. Weekend.....................................................................65

19. Getting Lost................................................................28

56. Weather.......................................................................66

20. Geography...................................................................29

57. Websites.....................................................................67

21. Home/ accommodation..........................................30

58. Watching sports.......................................................68

22. History...........................................................................31

59. Watch...........................................................................69

23. Housework and Cooking........................................32

60. Writing.........................................................................70

24. Handwriting................................................................33

61. Travelling on Public Transport............................71

25. Headphones and Microphones...........................34
26. Hair salon.....................................................................35
27. Lost and found..........................................................36
28. Mirrors...........................................................................37
29. Math..............................................................................38
30. Mobile/ Cell phones................................................39
31. New places..................................................................40
32. Neighbors....................................................................41
33. Noise.............................................................................42
34. Names...........................................................................43
35. Old building..............................................................44
36. Pets and Animals......................................................45
37. Public gardens and Parks......................................46
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IELTS Speaking Part 2, 3
1.

Describe your favourite famous person .........................................................................................................................................73

2.

Describe a time when you felt proud of a family member .....................................................................................................76

3.

Describe a time when you gave some helpful advice to someone ..................................................................................79

4. Describe a historical event from your country ...........................................................................................................................82
5. Describe a place in the countryside that you visited ................................................................................................................85
6.

Describe a situation when something in your house was broken or stopped working ..........................................88

7.

Describe a time when you were preparing for a happy event ...................................................................................92

8.

Describe an interesting discussion that you had with friends .............................................................................................95

9.

Describe a lesson that you remember well ..................................................................................................................................98

10. Describe an item of clothing that someone gave you ....................................................................................................101
11. Describe a selfie which you took on your mobile phone on your favourite occasion .................................104
12. Describe a gift you would like to buy for your friend ...............................................................................................................107
13. Describe a special cake you received from others ...............................................................................................................110
14. Describe a story someone told you that you remember ................................................................................................113
15. Describe a thing you cannot live without except a cell phone or computer .......................................................116
16. Describe a long walk you had .......................................................................................................................................................119
17. Describe a useful skill you learned from an older person .............................................................................................122
18. Describe something you did that helped you to learn another language ............................................................125
19. Describe an apartment or a house that you would like to live in, in the near future .................................128
20. Describe a time you visited a new place ...............................................................................................................................131
21. Describe a rule (in school or work) that you don’t like ................................................................................................134
22. Describe a person that you enjoy spending time with .....................................................................................................137
23. Describe a toy that you often played with as a child ......................................................................................................140
24. Describe a song that you think is interesting ........................................................................................................................143
25. Describe a time when you received something without having to pay for it ................................................146
26. Describe a skill that was difficult for you to learn ................................................................................................................150
27. Describe a time when you got up early ....................................................................................................................................153
28. Describe a person who solved a problem in a smart way .............................................................................................156
29. Describe a habit your friend has that you would like to develop ..............................................................................159
30. Describe a time when you waited for something special that would happen ....................................................162
31. Describe an athlete that you admire .........................................................................................................................................165
32. Describe a café you’d like to visit ..............................................................................................................................................168
33. Describe an activity you usually do that wastes your time ..........................................................................................171
34. Describe a time you were friendly to someone you didn’t like ...............................................................................174
35. Describe an exciting book you have read ............................................................................................................................177
36. Describe a creative person (an artist/musician/...) whose work you admire ......................................................180
37. Describe a bicycle/motorcycle/car trip you would like to go .......................................................................................183

38. Describe a difficult decision that you once made ...........................................................................................................186
39. Describe a foreign person who you have heard or known that you think is interesting ...........................189
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40. Describe a businessman you admire ...........................................................................................................................................192
41. Describe a place you visited on vacation .................................................................................................................................195
42. Describe some good service you received (company or store/shop) .........................................................................198
43. Describe an expensive item that you bought and regretted .........................................................................................201
44. Describe a person who impressed you most when you were in primary school ....................................................204
45. Describe something you think would be interesting to learn more about ...............................................................207
46. Describe a person you know who does a job which is useful to society ..............................................................210
47. Describe a person you follow regularly on social media .................................................................................................213
48. Describe a famous city that you think is interesting ........................................................................................................216
49. Describe a time when you moved to a new home or school ...................................................................................219
50. Describe an occasion that you lost something ........................................................................................................................222
51. Describe a traditional product in your country .....................................................................................................................225
52. Describe something you do to keep fit and healthy ..........................................................................................................228
53. Describe a time when you helped a child .............................................................................................................................231
54. Describe a quite place you like to go ..........................................................................................................................................234
55. Describe an ambition that you haven’t achieved .................................................................................................................237
56. Describe a course that impressed you a lot ............................................................................................................................240
57. Describe a person you only met once and want to know more....................................................................................243
58. Describe an important river/lake in your country .................................................................................................................246
59. Describe an interesting neighbor ...................................................................................................................................................249
60. Describe a time you were very busy .................................................................................................................................................252
61. Describe a family member who you want to work with in the future ....................................................................255
62. Describe a contest/competition you would like to participate in .................................................................................258
63. Describe something you do that can help you concentrate on work/study ............................................................261

64. Describe something that surprised you .....................................................................................................................................264
65. Describe an important event you celebrated ..........................................................................................................................267
66. Describe a positive change that you made in your life ...................................................................................................270
67. Describe a special day out that cost you little money/didn’t cost you much .........................................................273
68. Describe an invention that has changed the world in a positive way ........................................................................276
69. Describe a disagreement you had with someone .........................................................................................................................279
70. Describe a time when someone asked you for your opinion ...............................................................................................282
71. Describe a place you have visited that you would recommend as a good place to live ..............................................285
72. Describe an occasion when somebody said something positive about some work that you did .............................288
73. Describe a time when you received money as a gift (birthday, wedding) .............................................................291
74. Describe a person you from know who is from a different cultures background ............................................................294
75. Describe an outdoor activity you did in a new place recently ...............................................................................................297
76. Describe a programme that you enjoyed very much (e.g. on TV or the internet) ............................................................300
77. Describe a photo you took that you are proud of ......................................................................................................................303
78. Describe a movie you watched recently and would like to watch again ......................................,................................... 306
79. Describe a friend from childhood who you remember very well ........................................................................................309
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80. Describe a home of someone you know well that you often visit ..............................................................................312
81. Describe a time when you saw a lot of plastic waste (e.g. in a park) .......................................................................315
82. Describe a time when you needed to search for information ........................................................................................318
83. Describe an object that you think is beautiful .......................................................................................................................321
84. Describe something you had to share with others ................................................................................................................324
85. Describe a person you know who loves to grow plants(e.g.vegetables/fruit/flowers,etc.) .......................................327
86. Describe a time when you forgot/missed an appointment ..................................................................................................330
87. Describe an English lesson you had and enjoyed ........................................................................................................................333
88. Describe a time when you succeeded in doing something that was difficult ........................................................336
89. Describe a person who inspired you to do something interesting ......................................................................339

90. Describe a time you made a decision to wait for something ........................................................................................342
91. Describe a situation when you had to spend a long time in a traffic jam .......................................................................345
92. Describe a time you used your mobile phone for something important...................................................................348
93. Describe a popular/well known person in your country ...................................................................................................351
94. Describe a friend that you enjoy talking with ........................................................................................................................354
95. Describe a person who likes to dress fashionably ................................................................................................................358
96. Describe an important thing that you learned (not at school or in college) ..........................................................361
97. Describe a problem you had while shopping online or while shopping in a store ............................................364
98. Describe a place popular for sports .............................................................................................................................................367

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IELTS

Speaking Part 1

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9 | ZIM


Arts
1. Do you like drawing?
1.1

→ Yes, I have taken a keen interest in drawing since I was a kid,
and at one point I even attended an art class for beginners. These

days though, I rarely draw due to a lack of time, however, I still
spend some time occasionally on the weekend to visit an art
gallery in the city.

• take an interest in / ˈteɪkən ən ˈɪntrəst ɪn /: hứng
thú với..

Ex: I wish John would take an interest in his
schoolwork.

• spend time doing sth / spend ˈtaɪm ˈduːɪŋ ˈsʌmθɪŋ /
: dành thời gian cho hoạt động

Ex: On the weekends I usually spend my time with
my family and friends.

2. Do you like to go to the gallery?
→ Absolutely yes. I’m a big fan of fine art, so I often spend time
on the weekends visiting different galleries and exhibitions.
Aesthetic quality can vary from different art styles, so I enjoy
both historical-themed masterpieces in local galleries and
modern artwork in certain art showcases.

• Aesthetic quality / iːsˈθetɪk ˈkwɒlɪti /: giá trị
nghệ thuật

Ex: Aesthetic quality is considered one of the
most significant factors when judging artwork.

• Historical-themed / hɪˈstɒrɪkl̩ ðəmd /: mang

chủ đề lịch sử

Ex: Historical-themed artworks appear to be
quite boring to some people.

3. Do you want to learn more about art?
→ Though I don’t see myself as being gifted, I’d still like to attend
art classes to fulfill my passion for painting. Personally speaking,
learning to paint or draw not only helps to promote creativity
but also significantly reduces my stress levels.

4. Did you learn how to draw when you were a kid?
→ Yes, I enrolled in my first art class when I was 7 years old. My old
teacher used to speak highly of my random scribbles, though
I’ve never seen myself as being very artsy.

• gifted (adj) /ˈɡɪf.tɪd/: có năng khiếu

Ex: She is a gifted dancer who won numerous
awards.

• creativity (n) /ˌkriː.eɪˈt̬ɪv.ə.t̬i/: khả năng sáng tạo
Ex: Too many rules will kill your creativity.

• scribbles (n) /ˈskrɪb.əl/: nét vẽ nguệch ngoạc

Ex: The kids have caused many scribbles on the
wallpaper.

• artsy (adj) /ˈɑːrt.si/: khéo tay, liên quan đến

nghệ thuật

Ex: She is a typical artsy person who spends most
of her time creating beautiful artwork.

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10 | ZIM


Advertisements
1.2

1. Are you interested in watching advertisements on
the television or internet?
→ Neither are very appealing to me. Don’t get me wrong;
I don’t completely hate advertisements. Some of them are

• appealing /əˈpiːlɪŋ/ (adj): hấp dẫn

Ex: The large salary made their offer even more
appealing to him.

very creative and unique. However, I would rather watch
the things that I want to watch and not the adverts.

2. Are there any kinds of advertisements you dislike?
→ Celebrity endorsements. I’m not too fond of the way
that those famous people influence other people’s choices.

Some of them haven’t even used the product before
encouraging their fans to buy it.

3. Do you share advertisements with others?
→ To be honest, yes. I know it sounds crazy to share ads with
other people, but there are many hilarious ads, especially

• Celebrity endorsements /səˈlebrəti

ɪnˈdɔːrsmənt/: quảng cáo thương hiệu bằng
người nổi tiếng

Ex: Celebrity endorsement is a very old marketing
communication strategy.

• Laugh one’s head off (idiom): cười nhiều, lớn
Ex: You laughed your head off when I fell!
• Sense of humor (n): khiếu hài hước

those from Thailand. I always laugh my head off when

Ex: He has a great sense of humor because he

watching those funny ads, and so I like to share them with

makes me laugh every time we meet.

some of my friends who have the same sense of humor
as me.

4. Would you like to work in the advertising industry in the
future?
→ There are numerous reasons why certain meeting
places are better than others, but it usually would depend
on who the people are, why they are meeting, and their
whereabouts. For example, due to their popularity, cafes

• whereabouts (n) /ˈwer.ə.baʊts/: vị trí địa lí

Ex: Trupin is thought to be in the Caribbean,
although his exact whereabouts is a mystery.

• popularity (n) /ˌpɑː.pjəˈler.ə.t̬i/: độ yêu thích

Ex: Organic food has gained increasing popularity.

tend to be quite noisy places so if you wanted a private
conversation about something serious then you might be
better off in a park or somewhere quiet and more private.

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11 | ZIM


Apps
1. What apps have you recently used?
1.3

→ I use a wide range of mobile apps. I think they have become an
integral part of our daily life because they help to transform our
phone into a multifunctional device. Recently, I’ve been using
Skype, an app that allows me to connect with my coworkers.

2. What kinds of apps are you usually interested in?
→ Any app that makes my life easier. Social media apps allow
me to share more about my day-to-day life with my friends and

• integral /ɪnˈteɡrəl/: khơng thể thiếu

Ex: Music is an integral part of the school’s curriculum.

• multifunctional /ˌmʌltiˈfʌŋkʃənl/: đa chức năng
Ex: This phone is a multifunctional devic.

• Day-to-day /ˌdeɪ tə ˈdeɪ/: hàng ngày
Ex:

She has been looking after the day-to-day

running of the school.

family, while entertainment apps, such as online games, help me
relax after a stressful day at work.

3. What was the first app used?

• the in thing (idiom): thứ thịnh hành nhất

→ Facebook, I guess. It was the in thing a few years ago. All of my

Ex:

friends were on Facebook. I didn’t want to miss out, so I pestered

wedding dresses lately.

my parents to buy me a smartphone so that I could be on that
social networking site.

Deep V-necks are becoming the in thing for

• Pester /ˈpes.tɚ/: làm phiền, nằng nặc

Ex: John has been pestering her to go out with him
all month.

4. What kinds of apps would you like to use in the future?

• out of shape (idiom): không khỏe mạnh
Ex: I’m so out of shape that I get out of breath climbing

→ There is a trend towards fitness apps as they help to define
your lifestyle. As I’m getting out of shape, I guess I can turn to
those apps for advice on my health.

the stairs.
• turn to (phr.v): dựa vào, tin tưởng vào
Ex: You should choose carefully who you turn to for

advice.

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12 | ZIM


Boring things
1. What kinds of things are boring to you?
1.4

→ Repetitive tasks. I just can’t stand doing the same thing
day in, day out. Unfortunately, there are lots of repetitive
things that you have to do on a daily basis.

• Repetitive / /rɪˈpetətɪv/ (adj): lặp lại

Ex: I really dislike the music young people
listen to nowadays, it all sounds so repetitive.

• day in, day out / deɪ ɪn, deɪ aʊt/ (idiom):
hàng ngày

Ex: Living on junk food day in day out is not
good for you.

2. What do you do when you feel bored?
→ Anything that would help relieve the boredom. If I’m
at work, I will stand up and walk around for a couple of

• Boredom /ˈbɔːrdəm/ (n) sự chán chường

Ex: I started to eat too much out of sheer boredom.

minutes. After that, I can return to my work and have a
better chance of staying focused on it.

3. What was the most boring thing you did when you
were young?
→ Doing homework, of course. I think every kid has to
experience such dull things when they are young. But it was
compulsory, you know, so I still had to complete everything

• Dull /dʌl/ (adj): chán, khơng thú vị

Ex: Life in a small town can be very dull.

• Compulsory/kəmˈpʌlsəri/ (adj): bắt buộc
Ex: English is a compulsory subject at school

even though it really annoyed me.

4. Do you think school is boring?
→ Some parts of it are. Like when we had to stand in the
schoolyard and listen to a meaningless speech from the
headmaster every Monday. Things like that were absolutely
mind-numbing.

• Headmaster /ˌhedˈmỉstər/(n) hiệu trưởng

Ex: He is a retired headmaster, living in
Edinburgh.

• Mind-numbing /ˈmaɪndˌnʌm.ɪŋ/ (adj): đầu óc
tê liệt

Ex: I find subjects like history and philosophy to
be so mind-numbing.

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13 | ZIM


Books and Reading Habits
1. Do you often read books?
1.5

→ Unfortunately I spend far less time reading books than I
would like. So much of my time is spent involved with my
studies, and while I guess that counts in the context of
reading textbooks, I don’t think that is what you mean. The
only times I really get to sit down and read a book is when
traveling. Being on a bus or an airplane is a great time to
really delve into a good book.

2. Do you read differently now than you did before?
→ I hadn’t thought about it, but now that I do, I definitely

read very differently than I used to. I used to get very
absorbed into books and not look up from the pages for
hours. Now when I read, I do so quite differently, I can still
get just as caught up in the books, but when I see a new

• count in the context of /kaʊnt ɪn ðə ˈkɒntɛkst
ɒv/: Được tính vào bối cảnh/ việc nào đó.

Ex: I think reading comics doesn’t count in the
context of reading books.

• delve into /dɛlv ˈɪntuː/ : Tìm hiểu sâu

Ex: It’s not always a good idea to delve too deeply
into someone’s past.

• absorbed /əbˈzɔːbd/: thích thú, say đắm

Ex: She was completely absorbed in the task.

• curious /ˈkjʊəriəs/: tò mò

Ex: He is such a curious boy, always asking
questions.

word I don’t know, or something is referenced that I am
curious about, I cannot help but whip out my phone and
search the word or concept on the internet to learn more,
then, back to the book.

3. Have you ever read a novel that has been adapted
into a film? Which do you prefer, reading the books, or
watching the movies?
→ I have on many occasions either read a book then seen a
movie adaptation, or watched a movie then been inspired
to read the book. I have to say, in almost all cases, the books
have been better than the movies, though I cannot say I
completely prefer that to the other. Some things just work
better as a book, and some things work better as a movie.
Books also tend to take a significantly longer time to finish,
and this means that many people just don’t have the time

• a movie adaptation /ə ˈmuːvi ˌædæpˈteɪʃ(ə)n/ :
bộ phim chuyển thể

Ex: There have been more than 60 film adaptations
of his literary works.

• inspire (v) /ɪnˈspaɪə/: Truyền cảm hứng

Ex: The actors inspired the kids with their
enthusiasm.

• dedicate (a) /ˈdedɪkeɪt/: dành thời gian làm gì /
cống hiến

Ex: She dedicates herself to her work.

to dedicate to a single story, whereas if it is a movie, they
can get the enjoyment of the story in one evening.

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14 | ZIM


Birthday
1. What do you usually do on your birthday?
1.6

→ Well usually, on my birthday I prefer to spend the day
and most of the evening at home. I tend to spend that
time celebrating with my family, and catching up with
any relatives who have come to wish me a happy birthday.

• Catch up with / ˈkỉtʃ ˈʌp wɪð /: hỏi thăm tình hình
Ex: I should catch up with you some time.

• Meet up with / miːt ˈʌp wɪð /: gặp mặt

Ex: They met up with each other for drinks.

Then, later at night I like to meet up with my friends and
go visit street markets for snacks and fresh juices. That is
my favourite way to spend my birthday, and so how I try to
do it every year.

2. What did you do on your birthday when you were young?
→ Well, when I was younger it was much more conventional.

The way we celebrated, I mean. It was mostly planned by
my parents, of course, so most activities like games were
chosen by them. I always got to pick what food was served
though, and have for as long as I can remember. Most years

• Conventional (a) /kənˈven.ʃən.əl/: truyền thống,
đơn giản

Ex: I find his art dull and conventional.

• Plan (v) /plæn/: tổ chức, lên kế hoạch

Ex: She is already planning what to do on her weekend.

we had pizza.

3. Do you think it is important for you to celebrate your
birthday?
→ I don’t think that it is particularly special, but on the other
hand I kind of do. For myself, I don’t really care, because for
years I have thought that in a world of almost eight billion

people, there are only 365 days in a year! We can’t have a

• special day / ˈspeʃl̩ ˈdeɪ /: ngày trọng đại

Ex: Today is your special day Ellie, it’s your birthday!

• take out some time / ˈteɪk aʊt səm ˈtaɪm /: rảnh
thời gian làm việc gì đó khác

Ex: She took out some time from her career to raise
her children.

special day for everyone. Although, for the same reason,
there are a lot of people in the world and it is easy to feel
small, so it is important for everyone to take out some
time in their lives to celebrate themselves.

3. Whose birthday do you think is the most important to
celebrate in Viet Nam?
→ I think that would depend on who you ask, but for most
people I think the most important birthdays to celebrate
are those of the very young and also those of the very

• Tie to / ˈtaɪ tuː /: gắn liền với

Ex: His allergy is tied to dairy products.

• Aging (n) /ˈeɪ.dʒɪŋ/: sự già hóa

Ex: Our bodies will change due to aging.

old. The young because it is more special to them and it
is important to build positive memories tied to aging. For
the older people it is also important because we should
celebrate that they have lived so long and are still with us.

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15 | ZIM


Cinemas
1. Did you usually go to the cinema when you were a kid?
1.7

→ Not often. Movie tickets were costly back then and most

• costly (adj) /ˈkɑːst.li/: đắt đỏ

Ex: Because this necklace is so costly, I have to be so
careful with it.

cinemas were in the city center, which were far from my house.
My parents only took me to the movie theaters on special
occasions like my birthday or Tet holiday.

2. Do you usually go to the cinema with your friends?
→ We only go to see the latest blockbusters when they are
released. We’d rather hang at a cafe because my friends and I
like gossiping and talking loudly, and it is just rude to do so at
a movie theater.

3. Do you still like watching movies that you liked when you
were a kid?
→ Definitely. I used to spend hours watching Doraemon. There is
no doubt that Doraemon is a classic that is loved by audiences of
all ages. In fact, I recently just binge-watched every episode of

Doraemon on Youtube.

• blockbuster (n) /ˈblɒkˌbʌs.tər/: bom tấn

Ex: He thinks that this novel has the potential to
become a blockbuster movie.

• gossip (v) /ˈɡɒs.ɪp/: buôn chuyện

Ex: My bestie and I love to gossip about celebrities’
private lives.

• binge-watch (v) /ˈbɪndʒ ˌwɒtʃ/: cày phim

Ex: We binge-watched 6 seasons of “Once upon a
time” last summer.

• episode (n) /ˈɛpɪsəʊd/: tập phim

Ex: Have you watched the final episode of Penthouse?
It is very emotional.

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16 | ZIM


Colours
1. What’s your favourite colour?

1.8

→ Well, I don’t have any particular favorite colours. But I guess
red is among my favorite ones. It represents happiness in
Vietnamese culture. Besides, it is a powerful colour that can
evoke strong emotions.

2. What’s the colour you dislike most? Why?
→ I don’t know why but I’m not a fan of blue. For many, it is a
soothing colour, helping them to calm themselves, but I always

• represent /reprɪzent/: đại điện, tượng trưng

Ex: We believe you represent everything British racing
needs.

• evoke /ɪˈvəʊk/: gợi lên

Ex: The music evoked memories of her youth.

• soothing /ˈsuːðɪŋ/: dễ chịu

Ex: She has a soothing voice.

feel sad when I look at something blue, dark blue, in particular.

3. What colours do your friends like most?
→ I’m not sure. Some like grey, others like yellow. But I guess they
all like green because that is the colour of our school uniform. I
think green is also a great color. Instead of straining your eyes like

other colours do, it creates a sense of calmness and reassurance.

• Strain /streɪn/: làm mệt mỏi

Ex: You’ll strain your back carrying those heavy
suitcases.

• Reassurance /ˌriːəˈʃɔːrəns/: Tái đảm bảo

Ex: Teenagers need love, encouragement and
reassurance from their parents.

4. What colour makes you uncomfortable in your room?

• garish /ˈɡeərɪʃ/: quá sặc sỡ

Ex: It’s a little too garish for my taste.

→ Probably yellow. I think it is a little too garish for my taste. I
can’t stand waking up and looking at this gaudy color. Instead,
I want to paint my room grey, it gives me a more relaxing and

• gaudy /ˈɡɔːdi/: lòe loẹt

Ex: I don’t like gaudy clothes.

peaceful feeling.

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17 | ZIM


Computers
1. In what situations would you use a computer?
1.9

→ Well, I use my computer for many reasons. My computer
is usually put to use to access the internet for studying
purposes. Also, I often play several online games on my
computer to reduce my stress levels.

• access the internet /ˈỉkses ði ˈɪntənet/: truy
cập vào mạng internet

Ex: Nowadays, many people can’t live a single
day without accessing the internet.

• reduce stress level /rɪˈdjuːs ˈstres ˈlevl̩/ : giảm
căng thẳng

Ex: Jogging is a good way to reduce my stress
levels.

2. When was the first time you used a computer?
→ When I was 6 years old, my dad brought home a computer
and that was the very first time I learnt about the basic
functions of a computer. My dad taught me how to start
up and shut down the computer, and how to open some

basic programs to access the internet. I was really amazed

• basic functions / ˌbeɪsɪk ˈfʌŋkʃn̩ z /: chức năng
cơ bản

Ex: This phone only has basic functions, like
making calls and text messaging. It doesn’t have
all the fancy apps like new smartphones do.

at the time.

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18 | ZIM


Cars
1. Did you enjoy traveling by car when you were a kid?
1.10

→ To be honest, I was not a big fan of traveling by car. I was a
particularly frail kid and experienced a lot of car sickness
when we traveled somewhere, which left an unforgettably bad
impression of car travel in my mind. Consequently, I now prefer
traveling by motorbike when I go somewhere.

2. What types of cars do you like?
→ As a young person, I guess I fancy sports cars the most. Tesla
electric cars seem to be really in vogue these days, and I guess

their sleek design and minimal environmental impact seems to
win many people’s hearts. Personally, I’d prefer a gas-guzzling
V12 Lamborghini, but they’re a little bit out of my budget for now

• frail (adj) /freɪl/: có sức khỏe yếu

Ex: My grandmother has become a frail old lady.

• car sickness /kɑ:rˈsɪknəs/: say xe

Ex: He had a bad case of car sickness on his trip
through the mountainous area.

• in vogue / ɪn vəʊɡ /: hiện đại, hợp thời
Ex: Bowling has come back in vogue.

• win someone’s heart / wɪn sʌmwʌnz hɑːt /:
chiếm được cảm tình

Ex: His smile won my heart.

I guess.

3. Do you prefer to be a driver or a passenger?
→ To be honest, I am not a confident driver at all, and at some
point I think I would have a serious accident. So, to ensure the
safety of other people in the car I think I would have a preference
for being a passenger.

• at some point / ət səm pɔɪnt /: ở một thời điểm

trong tương lai

Ex: If you keep eating too much sugar, at some
point you will get diabetes.

• preference for / ˈprefrəns fɔː / : ưu tiên

Ex: She has a preference for expensive things.

4. What do you usually do when there is a traffic jam?
→ Traffic jams are one of the most common problems people
have to face on their daily commute when living in a city.
Undoubtedly, all you can do is wait. After zoning out for a while,
I sometimes get a little anxious and try to take a shortcut so as
to escape from the crowd, but it never usually works, so I end up

• take a shortcut / ˈteɪk ə ˈʃɔːtˌkət /: đi đường tắt

Ex: The kids take a shortcut through the parking
lot to get to school.

• commute (v) /kəˈmjuːt/: di chuyển

Ex: She commutes to the city by car every day.

just having to wait it out.

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19 | ZIM


Collecting things
1.Do you collect things?
1.11

→ No, I just don’t have the time or money for such a hobby.
But a good friend of mine has an extensive collection of
war photographs, which is actually very impressive, to be
honest.

2. Are there any things you have kept from childhood?
→ My mother keeps a stack of pictures taken when I was
very young. Those photos remind me of my beautiful
childhood, so I occasionally look at them when I have time.
There is also a few old toys of mine from when I was young,

• Extensive /ɪkˈstensɪv/ (adj) nhiều, lớn
Ex: The fire caused extensive damage.

• Impressive /ɪmˈpresɪv/(adj): ấn tượng

Ex: He has an impressive record of 63 wins from
71 fights.

• Stack /stỉk/ (n): xấp
Ex: She added her tray to the stack.
• Remind of /rɪˈmaɪnd ɒv / (p.v): gợi nhớ
Ex: That smell reminds me of France.

but I haven’t really kept them for any special reason, they
are just sitting in the cupboard still.

3. Would you ever keep an old thing for a long time?

• Cramped /krỉmpt/(adj): ngột ngạt

→ I would say no. My house is a bit cramped, so I always try

Ex: He lived for six months in a cold, cramped

to get rid of unnecessary things so that I can have a more

attic room.

spacious place to live.

• get rid of /gɛt rɪd ɒv/ (idiom): loại bỏ
Ex: I can’t get rid of this headache.

4. Where do you usually keep things you need?
→ Well I usually keep all the things I need in convenient
places so that I can access them easily and quickly. I like
to keep my place neat and tidy, that way I don’t misplace
things very often. I just hate when I can’t find my keys when
I am running late for work. That’s why I always keep them
hanging behind the front door for safekeeping.

• Neat and tidy /niːt ənd tʌɪdi/ (idiom): sạch sẽ,

gọn gàng

Ex: He always keeps his room neat and tidy.

• Safekeeping /ˌseɪf ˈkiːpɪŋ/ (n): bảo quản an
toàn

Ex: I always keep my money in the bank for
safekeeping

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20 | ZIM


Concentration
1. Is it difficult for you to stay focused on something?
1.12

→ Yes, I am easily distracted by my surroundings. Paying full
attention to one thing for a long time is a Herculean task for
me. My mind starts to wander whenever I need to focus on
something.

• Distract /dɪˈstrỉkt/: gây xao lãng

Ex: You’re distracting me from my work.

• a Herculean task (idiom): cơng việc khó khăn

Ex: She faces the Herculean task of bringing up four
children single-handedly.
• wander /ˈwɒndə(r)/: lang thang

Ex: It’s easy to be distracted and let your attention
wander.

2. What do you do to help you concentrate?
→ When working, I’ll block out distracting websites and track
how much time I’ve spent on surfing the web. This helps me to

• Block out (p.v): khơng nghĩ đến
Ex: Over the years she had tried to block out that part
of her life.

realize how much time I actually spend working. Besides that, I
try to keep fit by hitting the gym every afternoon. You know, a
healthy body leads to a healthy mind.

3. What may distract you when you’re trying to stay focused?
→ Probably my phone. There are so many notifications on my
phone and it is very tempting to check your phone every once in
a while. Background noise can also be a source of distraction. It
is hard for you to focus on something if there are people arguing

• tempting /ˈtemp·tɪŋ/: cám dỗ

Ex: Any free offer is always tempting.

• Background noise: tiếng ồn xung quanh

• Background /ˈbỉkɡraʊnd/: xung quanh
• Noise /nɔɪz/: tiếng ồn

Ex: Suddenly, the background noise bursts into life.

or there are dogs barking.

4. When do you need to be focused?
→ I think you need to focus on whatever you are doing, from
simple tasks like doing housework to difficult ones like taking an

• alert /əˈlɝːt/: chú ý

Ex: When you’re driving, you must stay alert.

exam. The more alert you are, the more productive you can be.
So I try to concentrate on everything that I do.

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21 | ZIM


Drawing and Art galleries
1. Do you like drawing?
1.13

→ I must admit I have no interest in drawing whatsoever. It was a
challenge for me to learn how to draw at school and I kept falling

behind. My mom had to pull an all-nighter with me every time I
had a drawing assignment.

• fall behind (phr.v) /fɔːl bɪˈhaɪnd/: thua kém

Ex: Despite being sick for 6 weeks, he didn’t fall behind
with his assignments at school.

• pull an all-nighter (idiom) /pʊl ən ˈɔːlnaɪtə/: thức
trắng đêm

Ex: We always pull an all-nighter on Christmas Eve.

2. Do you like to go to art galleries?
→ I am not a big fan but I love photography and the art gallery
is my go-to place whenever I need some inspiration. There are
very few galleries in HCMC so I’m hoping there will be more
spaces for artists to display their work.

• my go-to place /maɪ gəʊ-tuː pleɪs/ (phrase): địa
điểm u thích của tơi

Ex: The art gallery is my go-to place when I have free
time.

• display /dɪˈspleɪ/ (v): trưng bày

Ex: The gallery displays works from young artists.

3. Do you like to learn artistic things?

→ Not really. When I was younger, I soon realized that I didn’t
have a knack for art so it would really be a waste of time to learn
such things. But, learning art subjects can nurture one’s creativity
and is a great way to destress.

• have a knack for (idiom) /hỉv ə nỉk fɔː/: có khả
năng đặc biệt, giỏi một thứ gì đó

Ex: Children have a knack for learning languages.

• destress /ˌdiːˈstres/: giảm stress

Ex: Listening to music is a common way to destress.

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22 | ZIM


Daily Routine
1. Do you have a study routine?
1.14

→ I don’t think so. I am spontaneous and only study whenever
there is a big test coming up. Probably because my parents

• spontaneous (adj) /spɑːnˈteɪ.ni.əs/: tự ý, tự nhiên

Ex: His working schedule seems spontaneous, he

doesn’t have any fixed timetable.

neither forced me to study after school nor formed any study
routine for me as a kid. But I think people with study routines can
perform better at school.

2. What’s your routine like in your everyday studies?

• get up at the crack of dawn (idiom): dậy rất sớm

→ Like I’ve mentioned, I don’t actually set any specific time to

Ex: My mom is an early bird, so she always gets up at

study. However, I will get up at the crack of dawn on the day of a

the crack of dawn.

test to review, and usually spend about 2 hours on the weekends
preparing learning materials for the next week.

3. Would you like to change your daily routine in the future?
→ Of course. I must admit that I have an unhealthy lifestyle,
staying up all night and sleeping in regularly. So I hope I can
change my daily routine and practice a healthier lifestyle, like
getting up early and doing morning exercise. If I am determined

• sleep in (phr.v) /sliːp ɪn/: ngủ nướng

Ex: I can only sleep in on Sunday morning.

• self-discipline (n) /ˌselfˈdɪs.ə.plɪn/: tính tự kỷ luật

Ex: Unless you have self-discipline, you will never be
able to finish anything.

enough, changing will also help me train my self-discipline and
time management skills.

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23 | ZIM


Dreams
1. Do you often remember your dreams?
1.15

→ I don’t think so. I usually sleep like a log and wake up
remembering nothing. Sometimes, I can recall my dreams

• sleep like a log (idiom) /sliːp laɪk ə lɒg/: ngủ
như chết

Ex: She sleeps like a log, no one can wake her up.

if they were a happy dream or a nightmare, but I definitely
couldn’t describe precisely what happened in the dream.

2. Do you want to make your dreams come true?
→ Yes, everyone does. Even though I’m aware that some
dreams are impossible, there is always a part of me that

• desire (n) /dɪˈzaɪə/: khao khát, ham muốn

Ex: At the moment, they have no desire to have
more children.

wishes for them to come true. If you want your dreams to
happen, you have to be specific about your dreams and
goals, and turn them into desires that strongly motivate
you.

3. Do you share your dreams with others? Or are you interested in others’ dreams?
→ I never share mine with anyone because I can never recall what actually happened in any of my dreams. But it’d be interesting
to listen to others share their dreams because some are just funny to listen to and some can reflect people’s true desires in their
daily life.

4. Do you think dreams have special meanings?
→ I do, to some extent. I think dreams can reveal what is
bothering you the most when you are awake, but in a
twisted and unexpected way, speaking from my experience.
I’m not into “deciphering” dreams but you can always look
for an expert to interpret them.

• decipher (v) /dɪˈsaɪ.fər/: giải mã

Ex: This is such a difficult game, it took me 4 hours
to decipher the clue.

• interpret (v) /ɪnˈtɜː.prɪt/: diễn giải

Ex: It is impossible for you to interpret this
coding because you don’t know anything about
programming languages.

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24 | ZIM


Doing Sports
1. What sports do you like?
1.16

→ I have been into sports ever since my childhood, so
the sports at the top of my list change frequently, though
topping my list at the moment would probably be cycling,
basketball, and dacau. If you are unaware of that last one,
it is a game traditionally played in many South East Asian

• Top (v) /tɑːp/: đóng vai trò quan trọng nhất
Ex: The song topped the chart for 2 months.

• Hacky sack /ˈhỉk.i ˌsỉk/: bóng cầu vải

Ex: The two teenagers were kicking around a Hacky
Sack in the school parking lot.

countries, similar to hacky sack in the west.

2. Where did you learn to do it?
→ While I learned dacau from my father, basketball was
taught to me in school and that is the only place I ever play
it. Finally with cycling, that is something that my mother
and I have recently gotten into. Luckily, there are many
beautiful places in my neighborhood that are great for
taking a trip by bicycle.

• Get into / ˈget ˈɪntə /: trở nên hứng thú hoặc bắt đầu
tham gia vào một hoạt động

Ex: She’s been getting into yoga recently.

• Take a trip / ˈteɪk ə trɪp /: bắt đầu một chuyến đi

Ex: I also want to take a trip somewhere without my
cell phone.

3. Did you do some sports when you were young?
→ Yes I did, mostly football. I played football for the majority
of my childhood. While other sports came and went into

• In favour of / ɪn ˈfeɪvər ɒv /: có thiện cảm, ủng hộ
Ex: I am in favour of a higher tax on cigarettes.

and out of my life, I played football for probably a decade

and a half before I stopped playing regularly in favour of
other sports and school work.

4. Do you think students need more exercise?
→ While this is certainly a blanket statement, I would

say for the most part, yes. Many students are perfectly
healthy but I think that our generation as a whole is much

less healthy than the generation previous. This is almost
certainly due to the fact that most people my age choose
to sit around and play on their phones, while that wasn’t

• blanket statement / ˈblæŋkɪt ˈsteɪtmənt /: đánh
giá quy chụp

Ex: This blanket statement is made without a proper
examination of the rent arrears situation.

• as a whole / əz ə həʊl /: nói chung, nhìn chung

Ex: The population as a whole is getting healthier.

an option for people born before us. They had nothing to
do but go outside and find a way to entertain themselves.

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25 | ZIM