DESCRIBE THINGS/ ACTIVITIES/ PLACES (22 đề)

Describe a good law in your country.

It is a fact that the development of Vietnam economy has been hindered for a long time due to burdensome, bulky and non-transparent administrative activities. Because of that, the Vietnam government did issue a legal decision to simplify the procedures and to create a transparent and efficient administrative system. The government called this is “the administrative reform” because of it significance to Vietnam. The reform has been actively implemented for over 3 years and has gained remarkable achievements in various areas.

Recently, the Vietnam have worked to cut down thousands of procedures required for imports and exports, saving millions of working days, equivalent to more than 200 million US dollars. They also removed many business conditions to bring a more favourable business environment to the private sector.

This reform also leads to the transformation of administrative procedures from paper to electronic system in order to increase efficiency. The most typical example for this is the launch of Vietnam national Single Window system. This is an electric mechanism connecting Vietnam to the ASEAN regional network. It helps to promote trade facilitation in Vietnam by cutting goods release time by 80%.

In general, the governmental decision on simplifying administrative procedures is very beneficial to the developments of Vietnam. 

Describe a book you have read recently 

This is a work of detective fiction by British novelist Agatha Christie, and it was elected as the best crime novel ever by the British Crime Writers’ Association. I’m a huge fan of Miss Christie so definitely I have to read it.

The lead detective in this book is Hercule Poirot. He is one of Christie’s most famous and long-running characters. In the story, Poirot retires to a village near the home of his friend – Mr Roger Ackroyd to pursue his retirement project of planting vegetables. However, he is not long at this pursuit when his friend is murdered, and he takes this case to find the truth.

This book is considered as Christie’s best known yet most controversial masterpiece. After finishing reading it, I understand why. The innovative twist ending of the story is so incredible and unbelievable. I still can recall the goose bumps I had, how shiver run down my spine and my jaw dropped in shock when reading the final chapter in which the mystery murder comes to light. 

This book has shown Christie’s talents as an expert technician and a remarkably good story-teller by creating a story with amazing coherence, reasonableness, and characters living and having their being.

I’m so glad that I have read such a great book. It truly builds up my love for reading.

Describe your ideal accommodation

Talking about the location, I have my preference for living in a big city over a rural area so that’s where my ideal home should be. A spacious apartment, not a townhouse, in a residential area will suit me best. I also would like it to be comfy and tranquil so my apartment should be in the top floors of the apartment building where I can enjoy a quiet and peaceful atmosphere, as well as fresh air.

Turning to the interior design, I will design my apartment in a modern and warm style and paint it with undertone colors, such as beige or tan. There should be an effective window system to receive natural lighting and ventilation throughout the day. The accommodation would be equipped with modern appliances and air-conditioning for comfort and convenience. It will also have a big balcony where I can plant some flowers or vegetables for decoration. I have come up with the idea of putting a couple of chairs and a coffee table in my baclony garden so that I can enjoy tea outdoors. Additionally, aromatherapy is a significant factor of my life, especially when I am in need of relaxation, and a quick escape from the stressful world of work. Therefore, I definitely will set up scented oil diffusers around my apartment to make my living space wrapped in pleasant and relaxing fragrance.

To be honest, having the chance to live in such an accommodation would be a dream come true for me, feeling like I’m in my own world. 

Describe a place you want to travel to

Describe an interesting place in your country

Hoi An is a small old town nearby Da Nang and located in central Vietnam. This place has preserved its incredible legacy of Japanese merchant houses, Chinese temples and French colonial buidlings – though, of course, residents and rice fields have been gradually replaced by tourist businesses. Hoi An is more touristy, but not unreasonably like many other popular tourist destinations in Vietnam which have experienced great modernisation and urbanisation and lost their own original values. Some of central Vietnam’s most beautiful scenery and beaches are within easy reach in Hoi An.

Hoi An is beautiful and colorful to look at, and it is well known for its yellow Ancient Town, the lanterns that adorn the streets, the great food, the pedestrian streets, and the river. Everything in Hoi An is amazing in its own way. Call me romantic but Hoi An is a city that I love, and this hasn’t changed since I was there 5 years ago. It is something about its appearance,  atmosphere and friendliness that draws me back again and again.

To me, Hoi An is a place worth travelling to and I would recommend this town to anybody who asks me where in Vietnam they should visit.

Describe a sport you want to try that you have watched before

I did watch a video clip of people going snorkelling in Phuket, Thailand by chance on Youtube. In the video, a tourist shows the underwater scenery with blue sea, many sea creatures and especially the amazingly stunning coral gardens and the beautifully alien underwater landscape.
This video intrigued me to read about this water sport. I always want to get in the water, see how it seems underneath the surface and experience the underwater world, and snorkelling is the best and fairly easy way to do that. I find it more approachable compared to scuba diving. I already know how to swim so maybe it won’t take long to get ready for the snorkelling adventure.

The snorkelling equipment is not as complicated and heavy as scuba diving. All you need is a set of mask and snorkel that fits your face well, a pair of fins and a wetsuit if you intend to dive deep into the sea. 

I have learned that snorkelling would bring many health benefits to the human body. To be more specific, it improves your breathing, makes your lungs healthier, boosts your overall fitness and creates stronger muscle. The best part of snorkelling is connecting our human with nature. We’ll be encountering colorful creatures and enjoying the underwater formations of the ocean. This is truly the best way to relax and escape the human world.

Describe an outdoor sport you played for the first time

Indeed, it is a water sport. I gave it a try when I travelled to Phuket, Thailand. I always want to get in the water, see how it seems underneath the surface and experience the underwater world, and snorkelling is the best and fairly easy way to do that. I was so excited to try this sport that I was so worried if there was an issue with the weather. I started my snorkelling adventure on a slightly rainy day but it was still amazing. I saw the underwater scenery with blue sea, many sea creatures, such as colorful fish, eels, and rays, and especially the amazingly stunning coral gardens and the beautifully alien underwater landscape.

I already know how to swim so it didn’t take long to get ready for the snorkelling adventure. However, in the first attempt, I had problems with my snorkel mask fogging up while diving. It was so uncomfortable, but the tour guide helped me to fix that. He explained that the heat from my face reacts with the cold from the water and creates fog on the glass, and the tip to solve it is to have my face wet and cool before getting in the water. His instruction did work and I was so excited about it as I have learned something new and useful.

The first experience with snorkelling is so fanstatic. I really want to play it again in the future, this time I will try it somewhere in Vietnam, maybe Nha Trang or Phu Quoc.

Describe a job that your grandparent used to do

My maternal grandmother pursued a career of nursing specialization dealing with prenancy and labour. She worked at one of the two biggest public maternity hospital in HCMC. As a nurse midwifery, she involved in helping women give birth to babies, as well as providing prenatal and postnatal cares for them. She devoted most of her life to this job by working for almost 30 years after graduating medical college until she retired at the age of 55.

My grandmother is genuinely a kind and considerate person. My mom told me that my grandmother did try to persuade many pregnant women who came to the hospital for abortion to stop their intention and encourage them to keep their babies. She is somewhat a pro-life person and she really had feelings for unborn babies. When my mom realized that she got pregnant my younger sister, she was reluctant to keep her because the financial status of my parents was not good at that time. It was my grandmother who told my mom that she would take care and raise my younger sister if my parents found nurturing her financially difficult.

In general, my grandmother was a great nurse, as well as the kindest person that I’ve ever known.

Describe an important plant in your country

While I have been familiar with rice grains ever since I was a PRESCHOOLER, only when I reached fourth grade did I learn about the rice plant in general science.

It is unforgettable how fascinated I was to discover how such a slender plant could produce so many rice grains that PROVIDE our population WITH A HEALTHY DIET. Rice is considered the most popular and important national food, therefore, it can be spotted over almost all the deltas of the country.

The rice plant is crucial to Vietnamese communities in various ways. Rice has become an INDISPENSABLE staple food  in Vietnamese meals. It can be said that once you are Vietnamese, you will eat rice for most of your life, and it seems that we are so used to eating rice that our DIGESTIVE SYSTEMS would not cope without it. The cultivation of the rice plant also has an enormous influence on our culture. As rice has long been grown since ancient times, there are various traditions and worshiping ceremonies connected to people’s wish for a plentiful rice harvest, and these still exist till the present day.

The country farming life is also responsible for shaping our simplicity and calmness in our personalities and lifestyle. TAKING ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTION INTO CONSIDERATION, rice is even more important as millions of Vietnamese citizens EARN THEIR LIVING by means of rice cultivation. As a matter of fact, rice is Vietnam’s leading export, which brings about huge annual REVENUES for the government. This stems from the fact that by MAKING THE MOST OF THE abundant cheap labour force as well as the favourable climate, our rice always GAINS A COMPETITIVE EDGE over other nations. It cannot be denied that the rice plant plays an integral part in our county’s development. 

Describe an activity you do when you are alone in your free time

Whenever I’m in need of relaxation or a quick escape from the stressful world of work, reading books is the best way to do that.

If I read detective fiction by Agatha Christie or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, I will lose myself in 19th century England accompanying the detective to solve mystery murders.

If I read fictional books about children or animals, a completely different world of innocence and surprise will open in front of me.

In general, I find reading books relaxing and inspirational. I can completely withdraw from the real world and become immersed in the imagination world created by the book I read. I remember spending 4 hours in a row to enjoying a detective novel called “the murder of Roger Ackroyd” and I really got overwhelmed and shocked because of the innovative twist ending. I still can recall the goose bumps I had, how shiver run down my spine and my jaw dropped in shock when reading the final chapter in which the mystery murder comes to light. 

I also cannot forget the time I bursted to tears and trembled unstopably when I finished reading a book called “The Rainbow Troops”. No matter how hard the main characters have tried to overcome difficulties and challenges, a sad ending full of regret still happens with them. The story is so meaningful and touching that I keep re-reading it several times later.

To sum up, I prefer reading a book when I have free time because I find it relaxing yet inspirational.

Describe a free day off study or work

Reading books is my all-time favourite leisure activity. I will spend 4-8 hours on reading to get myself immersed in the imagination world created by the book I read. A detective story or a fictional book about children will suit me best. If I read detective fiction by Agatha Christie or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, I will lose myself in 19th century England accompanying a detective to solve mystery murders. If I read fictional books about children or animals, a completely different world of innocence and surprise will open in front of me.

In the evening, I will spend my time with my closet family member – my younger sister. We may visit a mall to do some shopping for clothes or cosmetics, then have a drink at a nice coffee shop. Having tea and doing the gossip with your closet friend can be the best therapy to refresh. I will talk to her about the book I read in the morning, then we move to latest news regarding celebrities or anything interesting on the social networking sites. 

In general, I’d like get myself relaxed and comfortable by something gentle and easy like reading books and going out with my younger sister, and that’s all about an ideal free day of mine. 

Describe an impressive advertisement you watched before 

I  watched this advertisement by chance on youtube years ago, but I still can recall vividly every scene and the beautiful music in the advertisement because of its impression.

This 4-minute video clip shows a moving story about a deaf girl with a strong passion for playing the violin. However, there is a mean and unfriendly classmate who is a pianist and always looks down on the poor girl. Regardless of being bullied, mistreated, discouraged, our main character is still resilient with her music thanks to the motivation from a special friend of hers who is an old deaf street musician. The story reaches its climax when the poor girl decides to join a classical music contest and is deterred by an evil plan of the mean girl. Even her violin is cracked, the main character is still determined to be on stage and show her best performance. Finally, she successfully surprises and persuades all examiners and audiences of her talent.

I love this TVC because of its beautiful music and touching story which is delivered in the very gentle but impressive way. Also, unlike many other TVCs, this advertisement shows the brand name only once at the closing scene with a meaningful phrase “You can shine”. I can tell that this brand has done a really good job regarding brand reminder.

Describe a piece of good news that you have read recently

A month ago, I read some articles on the internet about the decision of Thailand national authorities to protect the environment in Maya Bay’s shores. To be more specific, this popular tourist destination has been closed since June 2018 and it will remain tourist-free for another two years until 2021. 

A sharp growth in visitors has severely damaged the ecosystem there, especially causing the corals to die as a result. Thailand government did replant new corals but the increasingly high sea temperature has hindered this rejuvenation. Therefore, they decided to extend the ban on visitors to give the coral and the ecology in Maya Bay more time to recover. In the meantime, they also expand the island’s visitor facilities. This has shown the active and radical actions taken by Thai people to achieve sustainable tourism. This is every different from what is happening in Vietnam concerning tourism operation. Many natural wonders are constantly destroyed or threatened across the country where local leaders are too preoccupied with short- sighted economic performance.

In general  I’m so glad to know that Thai people are doing a great job in protecting the ecosystem. Only by doing so, people can pass on the natural heritage to the next generations.

Describe a game that you played when you were a kid

This game is composed of two teams: werewolf and villager. The aim of the werewolves is to hunt all of the villagers at nighttime without themselves being killed. On the other hand, the objective of the villagers is to find out who the werewolves are and kill them off before the whole village becomes food for the beasts. Because werewolves are able to kill people at the nighttime, therefore, among the group of villagers, besides ordinary people, there are some who have superpower. The villagers win if all the beasts are eliminated. Meanwhile, the werewolves win if there is an equal number between werewolves and humans.

I remember that it was a classmate of mine at high school who first taught me to play this game. Because this is the team game so we had to gather other friends whenever we want to play. When I was in high school, my friends and I enjoyed this game at lunch and break times in our classroom or outside on the school playground. Now we usually play at a spacious coffee shop whenever we go out for a drink. 

I like this game because I enjoyed the challenge of analyzing and being analyzed, deceiving and being deceived, controlling and being controlled, and thinking creatively. This is an intriguing and intellectual game which requires various wise strategies involved for each particular role. As for me, there is nothing better than this game for groups of people to have fun.

Describe a foreign language that you would like to learn besides English

Personally I really love Chinese historical TV series, especially ones about The imperial Harem of Chinese emperors during Qing dynasty. I find watching dramas about the life of ancient concubines which is sorrowful and painful so sensational. There are a lot of meaningful and inspirational quotes from the series that move me to tears, motivating me to study Mandarin.

There are many things in common between Mandarin and Vietnamese so somehow I find Mandarin Chinese much easier to learn than European languages, especially no tenses, no plurals, no subject/verb agreement and simple numbering system.

There is no doubt that written Chinese is challenging because this is a logographic language. Despite its difficulty, learning to read and write Chinese will give you a lifetime of intellectual stimulation. Each Chinese character carries itself a dictinct meaning, and only by learning the patterns and ideas hidden inside the characters, we can understand this language thoroughly and systematically. The real beauty of Chinese language is revealed in the writing.   

As for me, even though the study of Chinese language opens the way to different areas such as Chinese politics, history, or economy, studying this language finally means to study its culture, its people. Chinese language reflects the values, the struggles, the sensibility, the joys and sorrows of this people, and often offer insights even into the most intimate feelings of people in the past.

Describe a quiz program or game show on TV

Running Man is a fun-to-watch variety show where the MCs and guests will strive to complete clever games and missions at a landmark to win the race. All of the participants of the show are celebrities, such as famous MCs, singers, actors, actresses, models, comedians, thereby making it capture the public’s attention.

There are countless funny moments in the show which make me laugh to tears. I remember in one episode, the contestants played a telepathy game. Two players from one team must wear headphones with loud music so that it is impossible to hear what the other person says. The one giving questions must choose one question out of ten, while the other person answering it must choose one answer out of ten. If the question and answer didn’t match, they could not earn points. I bursted into laugh from the beginning of this episode till the end. The contents of the questions and answers were so creative and funny, and the mismatching of the players made everything so hilarious. Watching this show is really amusing and entertaining.

This game show was created originally in Korea and has become extremely popular in the community of K-pop fans. Because of its enormous popularity, Vietnam, as well as many other countries like China or Thailand, bought the copy rights of this game from its producer and made the local version. Even though Running Man Vietnamese version is not as good as the original Korean version, I still love and enjoy this game show.

Describe a subject you used to dislike but now have interest in

When I was a student in secondary school, I really hate literature for several reasons. First, the teaching and assessment method in literature of Vietnam education system made this subject so tedious, limited and uncreative. Generally, I was asked to follow writing guidance to make teachers or examiners happy, so that I could get good grades. This really killed my positive feelings and interests for this subject. Second, I was usually stressed when it came to the literature classes. My mother was a well-known literature high school teacher and everyone, from my classmates to teachers at school, knew about this. So as a common sense, they thought and expected me to be excellent in literature. Somehow I was perceived to be in a more advantageous position compared to other classmates. But they didn’t understand I was also in a more stressful and unpleasant position as being the target for other classmates to make comparison in performance levels of literature.

But things have changed since I entered high school and then university. No one there knew who I am, or who my mother is so they treated me as a normal student, especially teachers. Fortunately I was given an opportunity to study literature with some excellent and inspiring literature teachers in high school. They allowed me write things I really had in mind and gave space for my creativity. They realized that I am a self-taught student with strong characteristics, so they played a role of a facilitator rather than a supervisor in teaching. This is such a bless to me and thanks to that I have become more motivated and interested in Vietnam literature, as well as writing. I decided to enter a course at university related to social science and requiring lots of writing because of my love for literature. 

Describe a skill that took you a long time to learn

In terms of language learning, there is no doubt that writing is the most difficult skill for students to master, even for students studying their native language. Writing requires a different kind of organization as compared to speaking. When you speak, you can still make mistakes in pronunciation or grammar in speaking, but it’s acceptable as long as it doesn’t impede communication. However, there is a completely different story in writing. There are so many factors that people have to care about when practicing writing, such as grammar rules, lexical resource, coherence and task achievement if you are writing an essay at university.

I luckily haven’t really struggled with writing like many other students, but I still find completing a good and error-free essay so challenging. To perform writing well in Vietnamese language is hard, in English language is even harder. Although I have been an English advanced learner since I was in university, I have felt so stuck trying to make a progress with writing skill so I left it aside and entered the world of employment right after graduation. I started practicing writing again when I wanted to write a good and polite email responding to my company’s clients. I kept regularly using some words and sentence structures in emails and they have become parts of my writing. I also asked my colleague who is an English native speaker to help correct my writing. Slowly but surely my writing has improved and it doesn’t take to much time to write as it used to be. I made the most remarkable progress in writing skill when becoming an english tutor for my cousins who are students in high school. I am given an opportunity to review the common mistakes in writing of Vietnamese people. Also I study and read more about english grammar rules so that I can give clear and detailed explanation for the mistakes of my cousins. Thanks to this teaching job, I have realized that I haven’t learned English well enough and this somewhat explained why I was stuck with writing when I was a university student.

At the present time, I find myself fine with writing though I still keep practicing it everyday.

Describe something you bought but rarely use now

6 months ago I fell in love and bought an edgy and expensive pair of high-heeled boots decorated with golden studs. At the time my eyes fell upon the boots, they were like speaking to my inner rocker soul and I just have to have them. But when I get them home, I realize that my serious corporate job and busy home life helping my mom with household chores means that I really have no chance to wear my beloved boots.

I’m guilty of this myself. Not only this pair of boots, I also have a few things sitting in my closet that I’m saving for the special and important occassions but that isn’t about to happen anytime soon. Those items will unfortunately languish there for some time.

There are plenty of crazy reasons why I, and many other women, buy clothes but don’t wear them, but it seems to me that one of the most common is that we have a fantasy about who we are and how we would like to dress or live. We buy for the fantasy instead of buying for our real lives.

This is a truly sad ending for that pair of boots, but honestly I don’t think I will have any chances in the future to wear it. 

Describe a kind of food people eat during a special event

I believe not only in Vietnam, but also in many Western countries, lobster is usually reserved for special occassions, like weddings or celebrations. Lobster isn't cheap, so you can't eat it on the regular like you would with pork, beef or chicken. Prices are tied directly to the supply of the animal and how much of it lobstermen are able to catch. But all of that high price and raremess just makes it feel even more special -- and makes it taste much more delicious.

I have read an article saying that back when the early 20th century, lobster was seen a kind of food for the poor. It was considered embarrassing for children to have to go to school with sandwiches made of lobster meat. Also, they were fed to prisoners, apprentices, and slaves as a way to save money. However, things have changed oppositely at the present time. Nowadays, losbter is firmly perceived as a delicacy indicating the luxury lifestyle. It has become something movie stars eat when they go out for dinner or the sort of thing girls from new-rich families would order for their weddings.

There are many health benefits of this sea creature. Lobster is a kind of seafood rich in protein, that’s why in the past, the working class normally ate it to increase energy for work. Eating lobster also can help your cholesterol balance in moderate amounts.

Describe a historical building in your local area

This museum is located in District 1, the central area of our city, opposite Ben Thanh market. It is a popular tourist attraction even though not as famous as other sites such as the War Remnants Museum or the Notre Dame Cathedral.

This place attracts visitors by many unique features related to arts. First, it is set inside an old yellow villa designed in French colonial style. Second, all corners of the museum, from rooms to corridors, are full of valuable and amazing artworks, such as sketches, paintings, or statues of Vietnamese and foreign artists, artefacts by Cham, Indian and Khmer peoples, or handicrafts by ethnic groups. Finally, to be placed in the middle of the main hall is an antique elevator gliding up and down the floors. This is the most popular item which visitors usually take a photo with whenever they stop by the museum.

I find a visit to this building very educational. Particularly, there are many paintings and posters illustrating Vietnamese resistance to French colonialism. I have learned more about history thanks to these artworks. They help me to approach a different aspect of the Vietnamese war in a more exciting and inspiring way, unlike boring information in textbooks.

In general, I think this museum is good for not only tourists but also students because of its historic value regarding arts.

Describe a prize that you want to get

Maybe this is something superstitious, but I had a vision of digits popped in my dream years ago. Normally I forget almost all of my dreams soon after waking up, but at that time, the digits were like marking in my head so that I could remember it clearly. I wrote it down and a friend persuaded me to play the lottery. So I did, every month, without fail. I have been doing so for two years and I hope it will happen one day that I win billions of VND.

I always want to have a tremendous fortune to make some other dreams of mine come true. If I won a lottery ticket, I would immediately start meeting with bankers to set up a trust fund that will help people with disadvantages around the world. Also, I would donate to all public hospitals in Vietnam so that they can improve healthcare facilities and equipment to treat patients better. I used to suffer from the terrible hospital conditions a year ago when I had a serious illness, so I never forget the experience. A new house for my parents is also in the top of my to-do-list since our current house is in poor conditions. I plan to have fun too. I would travel to many popular tourist destinations around the world, like Kyoto City in japan or Istanbul in Turkey or Europe countries.

In general, there are many things I can do if I win the lottery prize, and I believe there are many people having the same wish like mine. 

Describe an item of clothing that you want to wear

Personally I really love Chinese historical TV series, especially ones about The imperial Harem of Chinese emperors. I find watching dramas about the life of ancient concubines which is sorrowful and painful so sensational. There are a lot of meaningful and inspirational quotes from the series that move me to tears. Because of my deep impression to Chinese historical dramas, I really want to try out Chinese traditional clothing, particularly Han clothing.

That kind of clothing is called ‘Hanfu’ which means the national clothing of the Han people. They are are the predominant ethnic group of China. Hanfu appeared in China more than three thousand years ago and it was clothing of the legendary Yellow Emperor, a greatest king of ancient China. It also had a far-reaching influence on neighboring Asian countries, such as Korea, Japan, and Vietnam.

A complete Hanfu garment was made of silk and generally in red and green. It has wide sleeves, crossed collars and long robes. I cannot tell exactly the pieces of clothing that make up Hanfu but a complete Hanfu garment has multiple layers. Hanfu is also decorated with tassels and jade pendants or various ornaments hung from the belt or sash. Hats for men and hairpieces for women are also normally worn in combination with Hanfu. This headwear also marked profession or social rank.

Wearing Hanfu can truly transform a person. I can feel a strong sense of affection just by watching people wearing it and I like the traditional culture behind it. There is a serious Hanfu fashion revival in China at the present time with many young people wearing this traditional clothing every day.