BỘ ĐỀ DỰ ĐOÁN SPEAKING PART 1 - THÁNG 6,7,8/2019

Sample answer: University student

Currently I am a third-year student at Hoa Sen University and my major is English linguistics and literature.

Sample answer: High school student

Currently I am in grade .... at ..... specialized high school/ high school. Also, I'm studying in a Math/English class 

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 Currently I am working as an administrative assistant for a U.S company providing consulting services.

Sample answer: English

I have a great interest in English. Learning a foreign language is always appealing to me. Also, since English has become a global language, being able to communicate in this language can help me travel around the world and develop my job opportunities. 

Sample answer: Math

My favourite subject in school is Math. I love math because it is challenging, thereby making it intriguing. Also, we can sharpen our logic by the process of learning Math. Another reason is that I never have difficulty with it and always get good marks on Math tests.

Sample answer: History

I'm really into reading about the past so definitely History is my favourite subject. I believe by looking at what happened in the past, especially the mistakes and success of previous generations, we can gain precious experience and knowledge.  

Sample answer: Chemistry

I'm always into studying chemistry. Most students think it's boring, but, as for me, experiments, colors and chemicals are really fun and exciting - unlike calculations. 

Sample answer: Art

I would answer without reluctance that it is art. Honestly, this subject gives me an opportunity to express myself in an artistic way by using colors. It also allows me to be imaginative and creative, which is impossible in any other subjects.

Sample answer: English

It is English that I don't like at all. I always struggle with learning new words. Also, English pronunciation is very challenging. 

Sample answer: Math

There aren't any subjects that I particularly dislike, but if I have to pick one, it will be Math. I don't think I was born to study Math. It's difficult for me to understand Math concepts and I will be bored to death if I have to do Math exercise all day.

Sample answer: History

I cannot see the meaning of learning History. I mean, why we should learn about what happened in the past when the present and the future are more important. Also, I find learning subjects which can help to extend job prospects, like math or english, more necessary. 

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It is my dream to become a doctor, especially a doctor for children. I love working kids and I want to help people overcome diseases and live a healthy life. That's why I wish to become a doctor for kids. 

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I chose this course because I love English. Also, English has become a global language recently, so I think learning this language can extend my job opportunities after graduation.

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Well, this course explores ways that theoretical tools from linguistics can be applied to understand how literary texts are interpreted, and, conversely, ways in which literary texts provide interesting data and problems for theories of language and its use. 

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As I just said, I love English language so this course is really to my interest. Besides, I believe I would have more job opportunities after I graduated. I can work for foreign companies in Vietnam or work abroad.

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The only thing I really don’t like about my course is that it is really theoretical which is not suitable for practical work. The linguistic knowledge I have learned is for scholarly writing rather than business communication.

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I prefer studying in the mornings. I’m a morning person. I feel more energetic and fully awake after a good night’s sleep.

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I prefer studying alone rather than studying with others. It would be less distractive and I can completely focus on my assignments. A group study can easily turn into a group chat which will lead my study to nowhere.

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No, I’m not ready for the world of employment. I’m enjoying my student life. I don’t have to do to work every day and have lots of free time to hang out with my friends.

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Honestly, I don’t think much about who I will be in the future. But I would say that I may become a successful business woman 10 years later, working for my own company, having my own car and house. I may also save up enough money to travel around the world.

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Honestly, at the time I made the decision to work for that company, I was jobless and really needed money. Therefore, when the employer offered me this job, I accepted without reluctance.

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1) Sadly, the answer is no. It is not a great workplace. Even though this company has a pleasant working environment with comfortable furniture and quiet atmosphere, there is a lack of support and encouragement from managers, as well as poor interactions among internal staff.

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2) Yes, I really like my job because it's interesting and I work with a great team and I can learn a lot from them. Honestly, I feel that I can improve myself every day.

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Of course, yes. I realize that there's something inside me which has not been the same ever since I worked for this company. I have become more self-reliant, taken actions more proactively and solved problems more quickly.

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Definitely yes. Right after I save enough money to start my own English center, I will send in a resignation letter and have a whole new beginning. 

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Well, for the most part, I prefer to work alone since I can completely control the task outcomes. It would be a great nightmare if the teammates performed poorly and ineffectively.  

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I spend around 10-12 hours every day working. In addition to a nine-to-five job, after work I teach English to secondary students. I also manage an English self-study website. 

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In general, I work around 40 to 48 hours per week. I have a typical nine-to-five job and this is the average amount of time of a white-collar worker like me.

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Well, there are several ways that I usually do to make the most of my time at work, but I would say the most effective way to boost productivity is standing to work. To specify, standing helps me to stay focus and complete tasks more efficiently than sitting around.

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This is a question I’ve been thinking about a lot recently. In ten years, I can see myself as a director of my own company, working on exciting new projects and developing business strategies. Also, I will be writing part-time and may earn enough money from the sales of my supernatural fiction novels.

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I surely will miss my student life once I get involve in the workplace. For me I think when I’m a student, at least I have someone guide me, whereas at work mostly you must guide yourself.

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I normally cook dinner, relax and walk my dog. Depending on my schedule, I might have plans with friends to meet for a coffee or shopping. In summer I go to the beach for a couple of hours then return home to cook dinner.

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I don’t really like to smile. I just smile for some particular reasons, such as greeting someone, saying thank you or someone taking photos of me. I used to be a smiley person but not anymore now.

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I do like smiling because smiling can bring about positive feelings to not only me but also other people. Also, when I smile, I feel that my moods have been improved.

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I think people give others a smile when they feel the person they are interacting with is friendly, funny or hilarious. In short, if there is a transfer of positive chemistry among people, they will smile.

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Yes, of course. I smile instinctively when there are any cameras pointing towards me. They are capturing a moment of my life, so at least I should look happy or smiley in that photo.

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Yes. I’m an empath so to some extent I can tell when people are faking their smile. It is the the eyes and mouth that are most participated in the expression of smiling. So if people are giving a genuine smile, there will be a lot of wrinkles and lines around their eyes and mouth.

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Yes. Smiling is crucial. It can bring several certain benefits to our mental health, such as lifting up our spirits, improving our moods, creating positive feelings. Besides, just a simple act of smiling can somehow help us to deal with stress and anxiety by changing the way our brains view the situations.

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The last time I saw people smiled the most is when I attended a conference introducing new products of American ginseng. In the conference, people exchanged business cards and tried to extended their social contacts to find new clients for their companies. Diplomatic smiles were what I saw the most in that event.

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No. Indeed, I don’t have the habit of making plans every day. I did try to plan out my day in advance. But it just left me frustrated when the plan fell apart within the first few hours. And trying to stick to the plan made you feel super stressed.

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No. I don’t think I can manage my time properly. That’s my big weakness. I always feel there isn’t enough time in the day. I usually let difficult and challenging tasks sit until the last minute and then feel a lot of stress when playing the catch up.

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Oh…That is the revision plan for this IELTS Test. I planned out a one-month learning path and things went quite well in the first 4 days, but then urgent tasks from my full-time job came up and I had to spend the next 5 days to deal with them. When I was kinda done with those urgent tasks, I resumed the IELTS revision and felt very overloaded when trying to catch up with the plan.  

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Well, it is time estimation that is the most challenging part. I usually underestimate the amount of time it will take to complete a task. Some tasks which I first expected to last only 2 hours to complete turn out to take 4 hours or more to get them done. That’s why my plan usually falls apart.

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Yes. I borrowed a book from a friend of mine when I was in high school. I knew about that book by reading a review on the internet but was not sure of myself whether I should buy it or not because the book was quite expensive to a highschool student. Luckily one of my classmate had it and I asked to borrow the book from him.

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Yes. I have borrowed money from my best friend. There was a time when I was so penniless and really in debt. Therefore I asked to borrow money from my friend to pay off the debt.

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Not really. I prefer giving things to people rather than lending them something. You know, I have terrible memory so I will forget that I have lent people things.

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I feel disrespected and even betrayed. I also don’t want to have any connection with people like that. They are so poor-mannered and impolite.

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Yes, of course. The knowledge of maths plays a crucial role in all aspects, from science and technology to social science areas. Learning maths also helps to improve the logic and reason in one’s thinking.

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No. It isn’t hard to learn maths well. All it takes is just enough practice and train yourself to become familiar with its logical, yet intuitive style of thinking.  

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Yes. Maths is somewhat a challenging subject to many students, and I'm no difference. The reason is that it takes time and efforts to understand maths concepts. Also, I don't see the point in learning algebra or geometry since answers can easily be found by using a calculator or a computer.

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Not really. There are girls who are not interested in Math so their math performance is also poor, but there are girls who perform really well in this subject since they have great passion in learning maths.

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Yes. I'm working as an admin assistant and I use the calculator often to convert currency or to make monthly expense reports.

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Yes. I do love travelling. It is truly the best therapy to relax and refresh yourself.

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I have been to Singapore, Bangkok, Phnom Penh and Melbourne. They are all popular tourist destinations but I love Singapore and Melbourne the most.

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I’d love to visit modern cities like Singapore and Melbourne. But I’m also interested in cities with captivating natural scenery and distinct cultural features, such as Kyoto City in Japan or Istanbul in Turkey.

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It is Melbourne that left the most unforgettable memories in my mind. There are a lot of great day trips, drives, dives and spots to take in the city, such as the State Library of Victoria or the royal botanic gardens of Victoria or the Phillip Island.

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Obviously, there are manifold drawbacks when travelling but the biggest drawback that I can think of is the expenses. Travelling may be costly because of spendings on airfares, transportation, lodging, food, entertainment and other additional costs.

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No. Occupations which involve heavy travel, like flight attendants, pilots, tour guides or travel bloggers, are not appealing to me at all. High frequency of travelling will definitely bring about the feelings of tiredness and exhaustion.

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I reckon that travelling to unusual destinations is not the good idea on account of safety and inconvenience. Obviously, the local tourism services in those places are not developed enough to bring about pleasant experiences. Although paying a visit to unusual places may be exciting and intriguing, it will inevitably be uncomfortable, inconvenient and even dangerous. 

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I’m a white-collar worker so writing emails is part of my job. I write about 10-20 emails every day.  

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I send emails to the company’s partners in the US and China and in Vietnam. I also correspond by email with service providers and other agencies working with my company.

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I feel happy when I receive emails about my pay slip or emails informing good news. For example, my company has got a deal with a new customer.

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Yes. Responding instantly to emails is a small but crucial thing to do. By sending a quick acknowledgement email, you are being polite, well-mannered, and respectful.

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I prefer sending text messages rather than emails since it is faster and more convenient in using with smartphones. However, I have limited use of this means of communication at work, because it is improper to correspond with company's partners and clients via text messages.

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I don’t write frequently nowadays, the world is getting “digital” you know, so I’m more into “typing” as compared to writing. Still i do write some times, for example when I attend a seminar or conference.

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Yes. Even though my handwriting letters are not really beautiful, they are neat, clear and readable.

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Yes, I do love handwritten cards or letters. Somewhat they show the honesty and sincere feelings of the writers. But this doesn’t mean I underestimate the value of digital cards or letters. They are just in different means of expression.

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Yes, obviously. I believe there is a link between someone’s personality traits to how that person writes. This has been shown in a research by the National Pen company. People with small handwriting tend to be shy, studious and meticulous, whereas extrovert people will have larger handwriting.

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Well, basically the most remarkable difference between handwriting and typewriting is related to speed. Definitely typing is much faster than writing if a person already gets familiar with using keyboards.

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Yes, I do love reading. It is my all-time favourite leisure activity. Reading never fails to offer me new insights into things.

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I'm a huge fan of detective fiction, especially Agatha Christie's novels. Besides, I really admire Lee Kwang Yew - the founding father of Singapore - so I like reading books about him. Fictional novels about children or animals are also to my taste.

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I don't often read digital books, since I still prefer physical books. I just read an electronic version of a book when that book hasn't been published in Vietnam. I usually bought e-books through Kindle.

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No. I'm an administrative assistant so I don't think there are books related to my occupation. Indeed, there are books about organizational management and administrative, but mostly they are for big companies and international cooperates rather than a small company like mine.

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I was born and grew up in HCMC, like my parents. This city is located in the southern area of Vietnam,

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My hometown is Tien Giang province which is located in the North of Mekong Delta.

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HCMC is the biggest city in Southern Vietnam with its population of over 8 million. This city is also the financial centre of Vietnam.

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Tien Giang is just a small province. More precisely, it is a rural area with vast paddy fields and open spaces.

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I have been living here since I was born, for over 25 years.

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Yes, I love my hometown. Saigon is a fascinating, vibrant and youthful city. Living here in a big city is very convenient with many modern facilities and various services.

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Yes. I do love living in my hometown on account of a fact that there are many kinds of fruit grown there, such as watermelon, longan, mango and grape fruit. Thanks to that I have a various choices of fruit. Also, the air quality in rural areas is much better than big cities with fresh air and peaceful atmosphere.

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Yes. Of course. There are some drawbacks of living in a big city. The first thing is traffic congestion caused by terrible traffic system and civil infrastructure in HCMC. The second disadvantage is serious air pollution resulting from motor vehicle exhaust emissions.

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Yes. Of course. There are many drawbacks of living in a rural area like my hometown, but the biggest downside that I can think of is the lack of modern facilities and various services, such as banking, F&B, entertainments. For that reason, I find living in my hometown sometimes inconvenient.

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Major metro areas are popular among millennials and I’m no different. There is a variety of entertainment options which means I never have a shortage of things to see and do. Also, career opportunities in the city is always greater as compared to smaller regional areas.

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The thing I like most about my hometown is that everything is sold at very reasonable prices, especially food and grocery, because of a reduction in transportation and distribution costs. There are many kinds of food grown locally in my hometown so we don't have to buy imported food. 

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Ho Chi Minh city has a former name called “Saigon” and our Vietnamese people in the South usually use this name in daily conversations. Saigon is one of the biggest cities in Vietnam and it is the most active economic and industrial zone across the country.

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Yes, I have no intention to migrate to anywhere else because I love the urban life in this city. Also, my family, relatives and friends are all here and I’d love to live close to them.

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I drink a lot of water every day, especially after suffering from serious health problems and a doctor advised me to drink water more to improve my overall health. I drink around 2 liters of water per day.

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I prefer to drink bottled water, especially ionized water because I read that this kind of water would help to prevent headaches and cancer.

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I drink bottled water more often when working at the company. When I am at home, I drink boiled water like many other Vietnamese people do. I rarely drink water from the water machines.

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I have never thought about the frequency of buying shoes, but I assume that would probably be once every three or four months, or when there is a good sale or when my shoes were worn out and I need a new pair for replacement.

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No. I have never done that and also have no intention to do that. One of the major issues in buying shoes online is being ensured or confident that what you are buying will fit you comfortably. It is better to buy them at the store where you exactly know what you are going for.

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Yes, it is my young sister who owns around 15-20 pairs of shoes even though she has only two feet. She buys a lot of shoes because she really loves footwear, and also  her work requires a lot of walking and running so her shoes are quickly worn out.

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For formal events, such as attending a conference or important meetings, I prefer wearing court shoes or wedges because they work well for business attire. For casual footwear, I’d love wearing mules since they are more comfortable than closed shoes, but give more support than flip flops.

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Currently I’m living with my family including my father, my mother and my younger sister.

Sample answer: dành cho bạn nào ở nhà riêng với gia đình mình

I’m living in a small one-storey house, which is located deep inside an alley area in District 6, HCMC. I have been living in this house for 15 years.

Sample answer: dành cho bạn nào thuê phòng trọ ở

I'm living in a rented bed-sitting room/ a studio room alone/with a friend of mine. This bedsit is part of a boarding house located in District 10, HCMC.

+ Vocab: a bed-sitting room / a bedsit (UK) hoặc a studio room (US) là từ để chỉ phòng trọ mà sinh viên hay người độc thân hay thuê ở. Bạn thực hiện toàn bộ các hoạt động sinh hoạt như nấu ăn, học tập, ngủ nghỉ trong duy nhất 1 phòng. Có nhiều chỗ trọ chủ nhà không cho phép nấu trong phòng, và cũng có nhiều chỗ trọ bạn sẽ không có toilet riêng trong phòng mà dùng chung toilet.

+ Vocab: a boarding house: là nguyên căn nhà lớn mà chủ nhà ngăn ra thành nhiều phỏng bedsit/ studio room để cho thuê. 

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I used to live in my grandparents’ house when I was 8. The most remarkable difference between that house and the house I’m currently living in is the space. My current house is more spacious and has more rooms, whereas my grandparents’ is quite small and narrow.

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Currently, I'm living in a one-storey house/ a rented bedsit located in an alleyway in District __. The house/room is (not) very spacious with a lot of furniture/ just some basic furniture. There is a small/big balcony where I put a drying rack and grow some flowers and herbs for decoration. 

+ Vocab: drying rack - sào phơi quần áo

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Each member of my family has his or her own private room in the house. My father spends most of his time in his bedroom working on the computer or watching TV, my mother loves being in the living room with the comfortable sofa and another TV, as well as a kitchen. My younger sister and I like staying in our own bedroom. My family only gather in the living room to have dinner or lunch but that doesn’t happen often as we are all busy with our own schedule.

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I frequently spend time in my room working, or entertaining like reading, or listening to music and have a good sleep on my comfortable bed.

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No, I don't think so. Even though the house is spacious enough for 4 people in my family, I still want to live independently from my parents and have my own space. Therefore, I will move to somewhere else right after I save up enough money to buy a new accommodation.

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Yes. The area where I live is quite accessible. I can easily catch a bus or a taxi or riding my own motorcycle.

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My younger sister and I stay together in a bedroom. Our bedroom is quite big but there is a lot of furniture in the room, thereby making it not very spacious. Even though there are only two of us but we have three big closets to store clothes and another closet for cosmetics and skin care products. There is a big bed for two people at the corner and next to it is my working table together with a huge bookshelf. On the wall, there is a big window to get natural lighting and ventilation.

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My preferred accommodation option is a modern apartment rather than a house. I’m still single and I don’t have an intention to get married so a flat would be better because I want to downsize my property. Also, the great thing about an apartment complex is that they often come with convenient amenities, such as a swimming pool, gym, and even shopping mall. Security is another factor to be counted. I feel safer when living in a flat with the availability of several layers of security.

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My bedroom is the part which I like the most. That is the place where I can let my hair down and at least have less worry about my stressful work. Also, there are a lot of books in my bedroom which I can lose myself in the world of imagination.

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Oh. The answer is no. I have no interest in taking photos, simply because I am a terrible photographer and I find taking pictures unnecessary to me. I prefer capturing the moments of life through my senses and memories, rather than immortalizing them on film or data.

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I like neither option, but if I have to pick one, then getting a selfie myself would be better. At least I know how I look at the moment the photo is captured and somehow I can modify the angle or my facial expression.

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I take photos once in a while or on some certain occasions, for example when I witness an amazingly stunning nature scene, but that doesn’t happen regularly.

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Only when going on a travel I take photos. I love capturing the beauty the places I visit, especially nature scenes with trees or flowers. But I rarely do that.

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I save them in my Google Drive. But the free storage within Google Drive is limited to only 15Gb to I save only some photos which I really like.

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Yes. A few months ago I gathered my old clothing and donated them to people with disadvantages living in rural areas. I made that donation through a charity group. 

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Yes, ever since I was a kid, my parents have taught me about sharing. They want me to remember that sharing is caring and I should show my kindness and sympathy to others, especially people with disadvantages.

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I want to share everything I have learned with others, as well as the way I practice to master language learning skills. Learning a foreign language is not an easy task. People mostly do not know the proper methods so they find learning languages discouraging and difficult.

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I think we shouldn’t share when it comes to personal hygiene. There are some products that should remain private, such as undergarments, toothbrushes, nail clippers or water bottles. Sharing personal items can transfer germs and bacteria.

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I would say that an invention of bike/car sharing system is truly the best way to protect the environment by reducing private vehicle ownership and carbon dioxide emissions. I wish the municipal authorities in my city could think about adopting the system. 

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I’m really into Eddie Redmayne – an English actor. I first knew about him by watching the movie “Fantastic Beast and Where to find them”, in which he portrayed Newt Scamander – the main character.

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Yes. Many international celebrities are popular with young people in Vietnam, such as Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Rihanna, or BTS K-pop boy band.

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No, I have never had a chance to meet any famous people, but I wish I could meet Taylor Swift. She is my favourite idol.

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No. Too much would be lost as a result of being well-known. If I were a famous person, I could not live a normal life like ordinary people. Also, stalkers or paparazzis might intrude into my privacy. I still love being a normal person.

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I would describe myself as a person who cannot tolerate lateness and I feel disappointed at people who are not often on time.  

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Yes. Punctuality is extremely crucial, especially at workplace. This is because it is a sign of professionalism and helps you stand out as a reliable and trustworthy person.

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Yes, I always try my best to be on time, meet deadlines and not to let other people wait for me. I respect other people's time. 

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I think patience is a situational quality. There are certain circumstances under which I am patient and other circumstances under which I am impatient. But in general I find myself a person of patience. Somewhat I have the ability to keep calm when dealing with disappointment, distress or suffering.

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I have never thought I could become a patient person like I’m now. When I was young, I usually jumped from thought to thought when having several tasks in my head. I lived an interrupted life as I tried to multitask. But that is no longer the case at the present time. I’m more mindful of my own thoughts. I slow down myself and focus on one task at a time.

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Being around an impatient person makes me feel like I’m walking in a field of landmines. People with little patience are more likely to inspire others to lose themselves, but luckily I know how to cope with impatient people so I am not affected by them easily.

The first way to deal with impatient people is avoiding saying “take it easy” or “calm down”. Those sayings will trigger a bigger reaction. Second, ignore their behaviours and continue as you were. It is better not to take their impatience personally, just accept it. Lastly, strive for empathy, which means trying to step into the other person’s shoes to see how they might view the situation.

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That is a newly-discovered personality trait about myself that I have just realized recently. The angrier I get, the more patient and silent I become. Two years ago I experienced something terrible that made me angrily burst into tears. At the present time, I am also subject to something stressful and terrible but I find myself more relaxed and content, which is really a big change.

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It is very essential to practice to be patient at work. Regularly becoming impatient with your colleagues or yourself at work is not only counterproductive, it can also be bad for your health. Stress and anxiety in the workplace can lead to heart disease or high blood pressure, so it's important to keep a lid on things.