“To be inspired is great, to inspire is incredible.

” (Được truyền cảm hứng là một điều tốt, và có thể truyền cảm hứng là một điều tuyệt vời.)

TEST 3
Part 1
What you do
- Are you a student?
Yes. I am now a full-time student majoring in Business English. I'm in my third year and
though it's tough going at times I'm really enjoying my course.

- Where do you study?

I'm currently studying at Ho Chi Minh University of Pedagogy. It's a prestigious1 school
and it has a really nice campus with lots of great facilities for students.

- What do you like most about your college?

To be honest, the thing I like most about my university is its location. While other
national universities are located in Go Vap District, which is more than half an hour of
commuting from where I live, my university is within walking distance from my house.
This is really convenient as it means I can pop home during breaks from lectures and make
lunch so I don't waste money on the food in the school canteen.

- What subjects would you like to study in future?

Hmmm... that's an interesting question and one that I haven't actually thought much
about as I'm always so focused on my current studies. I'm interested in lots of things but at
the moment want to study things that will result in a good job that can pay my bills. Maybe
when I'm financially secure2 I'd like to study French or maybe History.

Clothes
- How do you prefer to buy your clothes (e.g. shops, large stores, and the Internet)?
Hmm... it depends on my mood to be honest but I generally prefer shops over the
Internet. When you buy things online you can never tell how they'll actually look from the

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TRẦN ANH VĂN (Mr. English Tran) – A silent and special person in Vietnam, who enjoys seeking out new experiences and never stops learning.
 “To be inspired is great, to inspire is incredible.” (Được truyền cảm hứng là một điều tốt, và có thể truyền cảm hứng là một điều tuyệt vời.)

small pictures and when they arrive the size or the style can be wrong for you. I like to be
able to try things on before I commit to buying.

- How important is fashion to you?

Fashion is the mantra3 that I live by. I'm always clued in on4 fashion trends and I like to
look stylish all the tone. I think it helps me show my personality and I always feel confident
in a good outfit. We only have one life so it is important to be happy and be beautiful.

- How much do you think we can judge people by the clothes they wear?
Even though fashion is really important to me, it's not something I judge others on.
Sometimes they have problems in their life so they may not look that well at that moment or
maybe fashion just isn't as important to them as it is to me. Sadly though. I think in modern
society there can be a lot of judgement of people based on how they look, but I try not to be
a part of that.

Hobbies
- What hobbies do you do regularly?
In my free time. I like to do handmade crafts, such as knitting toys and making cards. I
think handmade things are much nicer than mass produced stuff as they're unique and
individual and usually a lot of thought went into them. Many of my friends tell me all the
time that I'm very creative and have a gifted5 hand for making those things.

- What benefits can people get from their hobbies?

Well... to me, it is a part of you. It helps to define and create who you are. By doing that,
you connect more to your core - the real you. It is important because this world is already
crazy and I don't want to gain the whole world but lose my soul.

- Which new hobby would you like to try?

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TRẦN ANH VĂN (Mr. English Tran) – A silent and special person in Vietnam, who enjoys seeking out new experiences and never stops learning.
 “To be inspired is great, to inspire is incredible.” (Được truyền cảm hứng là một điều tốt, và có thể truyền cảm hứng là một điều tuyệt vời.)

I could give you a really long list for this but if I had to just choose one thing to try
maybe I will go for something musical, like learning to play the guitar or some other
instrument. It's something I've never tried but would love to be able to do.

Part 2
Describe a country that you would like to go to
You should say:
- Where you would like to go
- What you would like to do there
- How long you would like to spend there
- And explain why you would particularly like to go to that country
There are lots of countries I'd love to visit but the one on top of my list is definitely
Korea. There are various activities that I could do while I'm in Korea, such as eating Korean
specialties6 like kimchi and bibimbap and going sightseeing around Seoul. To be honest, I
don't have any specific plan for the trip yet but I think I'd like to stay for 1 week! It might
sound like a long time but people said that time flies when we're travelling and I can't agree
more with that statement. I also hate feeling like I have to rush around7 on holidays as I
like to take my time. There are 2 main reasons why I chose Korea to be my next holiday
destination. Firstly, I happen to have a very close Korean friend. She was studying with me
in Vietnam for over a year and sadly, she will be going back to Korea this February. We've
made a promise that we'll keep in touch with each other so I'd love to make it over and visit
her! It will also be great to have my own personal tour guide while I'm there! Secondly,
since I was a high school girl, I've always had this strong passion for the Korean
entertainment industry - the singers, the TV dramas, and the movies. Everything is so
fascinating to me and I would love to discover them all if I ever had a chance to visit Korea.

Rounding-off question(s)
- Have any of your friends visited that country?

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TRẦN ANH VĂN (Mr. English Tran) – A silent and special person in Vietnam, who enjoys seeking out new experiences and never stops learning.
 “To be inspired is great, to inspire is incredible.” (Được truyền cảm hứng là một điều tốt, và có thể truyền cảm hứng là một điều tuyệt vời.)

Actually yes. There are a few of my friends who have already been to Korea so I got to hear
their stories and see their photos, which only made me more eafer to go. They were very
kind to bring back a lot of goodies from Korea and my favourites were the ginseng candies!
Their herbal taste is quite distinct from the candies that I've had in Vietnam.

Part 3
The effects of travel
- Why do you think it is important for young people to travel?
To me, as a young person myself, travelling has always been something that is really
meaningful and has various benefits, not just for pleasure. It's important for young people to
travel around the world to discover different countries as well as their people and distinct8
cultures. Travelling can be a really eye - opening experience9 as you see how other people
live. And maybe, in the process of exploring the world, the young may be able to explore
themselves and the things that they want to pursue in the future.

- How have people's attitudes to travel changed since your grandparents were young?
Looking back to my grandparents' time, travelling was not for everyone. It was a luxury
that only the high class people of the society could afford. The lower class never dared to
dream of travelling to other countries because of its costs. This has changed massively now
with cheap airfare. Travelling is much more accessible for everyone, regardless of their
social class.

- How can increased tourism have a negative effect on the countries visited?
No one can deny the fact that tourism has brought a number of positive effects on the
countries visited. However, there are also some negative effects that it will bring to these
countries. One of the biggest problems is the degradation10 of certain tourist places,
specifically older historical ones. Besides the wear and tea11 of thousands of people visiting
them there can also be worse damage like graffiti or people breaking off bits of the sites.
Increased tourism can also lead to more environmental concerns like higher pollution or lots
PAGE \* MERGEFORMAT 5
TRẦN ANH VĂN (Mr. English Tran) – A silent and special person in Vietnam, who enjoys seeking out new experiences and never stops learning.
 “To be inspired is great, to inspire is incredible.” (Được truyền cảm hứng là một điều tốt, và có thể truyền cảm hứng là một điều tuyệt vời.)

of litter being left at the tourist sites

USEFUL VOCABULARY

1. prestigious (adjective): uy tin

2. financially secure, ổn định về tài chính
3. mantra (noun): lời niệm cầu - lập đi lập lại
4. be clued in on quen thuộc với, nhận biết được
5. gifted (adjective): tài năng, khéo léo
6. specialty (noun), đặc sản, chuyên ngành
7. rush around (phrasal verb): di chuyển vội và
8. distinct (adjective): khác biệt
9. eyes opening experience: trải nghiệm mới lạ, thủ vị
10. degradation (noun): sự suy thoái, xuống cấp
11. wear and team hư hại, hao mòn

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TRẦN ANH VĂN (Mr. English Tran) – A silent and special person in Vietnam, who enjoys seeking out new experiences and never stops learning.