Speaking test 1

Time: 12-15 minutes

PART 1: PERSONAL INTERVIEW

The examiner asks the candidate about himself/herself, his/her home, work or studies and other
familiar topics

Travel
1. How do you travel every day?
2. Have you ever travelled abroad?
3. If you have a chance to go abroad, which country would you like to visit the most?
4. Are you afraid of going abroad alone?
Keep in contact
1. How do you keep contact with your friends?
2. Do you keep contact with different people in different ways?
3. Do you prefer sending a text message to telephoning?

Du lịch
1. Bạn đi du lịch như thế nào mỗi ngày?
2. Bạn đã từng đi du lịch nước ngoài chưa?
-tôi chưa đi du lịch nước ngoài
3. Nếu có cơ hội ra nước ngoài, bạn muốn đến thăm đất nước nào nhất?
- Tôi muốn đến nhật bản. bởi vì tôi muốn ngắm hoa anh đào và uống rượu sake
4. Bạn có sợ đi nước ngoài một mình không?
- Có, tôi rất sợ đi nước ngoài một mình
Giữ liên lạc
1. Làm thế nào để bạn giữ liên lạc với bạn bè của bạn?
- Tôi dùng facebook, zalo, điện thoại để liên lạc với bạn bè
2. Bạn có giữ liên lạc với những người khác nhau theo những cách khác nhau không?
- Một số bạn thân chúng tôi gặp nhau đi ăn, đi mua sắm
3. Bạn có thích gửi tin nhắn văn bản hơn gọi điện không?
- tôi thích gọi điện hơn vì không phải chờ phản hồi

Travel
1. How do you travel every day?
2. Have you ever traveled abroad?
-I have not traveled abroad yet
3. If you have a chance to go abroad, which
country would you like to visit the most?
- I want to go to Japan. because I want to
see cherry blossoms and drink sake
4. Are you afraid of going abroad alone?
- Yes, I'm scared to go abroad alone
Keep contact
1. How do you keep in touch with your
friends?
- I use facebook, zalo, phone to contact my
friends
2. Do you keep in touch with different
people in different ways?
- Some of our close friends meet to eat, go
shopping
3. Do you prefer sending text messages to
calling?
- I prefer calling because I don't have to
wait for a response

PART 2: SOLUTION DISCUSSION

Nowadays, there are many ways to entertain. People can watch TV programs on TV or use social
networks like Facebook or Twitter. Which do you prefer and why? What are the advantages and
disadvantages of each way?

PART 3: TOPIC DEVELOPMENT

You will have to talk about the topic for one or two minutes. You have one minute to think about
what you are going to say. You can make some notes to help you if you wish.

Describe your favourite TV programme/film

You should say:

What kind of program it is

How often do you watch it

What the program is about

And explain why you like it

Sample answer 1:
Among many programs and channels available on TV these days such as the current news
programs, sport programs, entertaining programs, educational programs and movie programs,
etc, I like the program “the World of Animals” most. This program is usually shown on VTV2
everyday at 8.30 in the evening. It often lasts about 45 minutes. In this program, stories of the
life of many animals in the world are told in a very lively way. For example, people can watch
films about monkeys, snakes, tigers, insects, birds, sea turtles, sharks etc and even the penguins
and the polar bears in the far North. While watching these films, I find the everyday life
activities and habits of these animals very interesting and full mysteries. In addition, I also learn
that it is very important to protect these animals and their living environments because they are
part of our valuable natural world. Watching this program makes me very well informed and
relaxed after a day of work.

Sample answer 2:
I’m going to talk about “The Suite life of Zack and Cody”. Well, unlike kids nowadays who have
tons of ways to entertain themselves, back in 2005, we were totally glued to the Disney Channel,
a popular channel for kids which is loved by adults as well. Not only me, but also my siblings
love this channel and we often watch it together in family gatherings.
This channel has several programs. And one of our favorite comedy shows back then was “The
Suite Life of Zack and Cody”, which starred the lovable twins Dylan and Cole Sprouse living in
an exclusive hotel. Lasting three seasons, the show even had a spin-off. In the 4 parts, Zack was
the funny character and Cody was the smart one. Apart from the two main characters, this
program had lots of other supporting characters and each had their own distinctive personality,
which gave the program a wide audience appeal. I have to admit that the main reason I was a big
fan of this program was not because of Zack and Cody but a side character - London Tipton,
who was an obvious parody of the socialite Paris Hilton. She appeared in almost every episode
of “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody” and was presented as a ditzy, privileged girl with hidden
depth. Another reason is that I learnt countless new things by watching this show. At the age of
13, I learned about how some Western people bring up their offspring. I was impressed by the
way they treat and talk to their children as a friend, which helps a lot to bridge the generation
gap and make family relationships much more intimate.
2.1. Do you think (watching) films have (has) any educational benefits?
Personally, I agree with the idea that films bring a lot meaningful lessons to the audience. For
example, romantic films can educate people about the value of love, honesty, and faithfulness.
They can make the audience sympathize with other people and respect what they have. Indeed,
films can teach people good virtues in order to be better citizens through stories.
2.2. How are movies and real life different ?
Movies are not the same as reality in a number of ways.
Firstly, movies contain dramatic sceneswhich can make audiences experience various emotions,
through happiness to sorrow or excitement just in a few seconds. In real life, this rarely happens.
Secondly, films will often dramatize and invent scenarios for the convenience of moving a
story along or making the audience feel sympathy or some other emotion for a character.
However, these scenarios contrast sharply with what would happen if these situations were
encountered in real life.
2.3. Do men and women like to watch the same kinds of films?
Personally, I think men and women have different preferences when it comes to films.
In general, men tend to watch action films with fast and dangerous scenes like car chases, or
science fiction films which relate to unrealistic stories with imaginative, futuristic plots.
On the other hand, a large number of women prefer romantic films or comedies which bring
worthy messages.
2.4. Do different age groups like the same kinds of films?
It is obvious that different generations prefer different kinds of films. For example, youngsters
are usually fond of funny cartoons or comedies. Adults tend to watch various types of films such
as action films, romantic films or films based on real events, depending on their interests.
2.5. Do you like any particular film star? Why?
Yes. My favorite film star is Emma Watson, who was the actress in the Harry Porter film series
which I have followed since I was a child. I particularly like her due to her superb performance
and admirable personal qualities.
In terms of performance, I have been really impressed by her acting ability, playing convincing
roles in all the films she has starred in. Moreover, she has also received various important
awards for the best actress.
In terms of her personality, she is a kind-hearted, generous person who is always willing to help
disadvantaged people.
Every time I see her on TV, I remember my childhood and that makes me happy. I think I will
continue to follow her career in the long run.

VOCABULARY
 Sympathize (verb): (thông cảm, đồng cảm)to feel sorry for somebody; to show that you
understand and feel sorry about somebody’s problems
 Ex: I know what it's like to have migraines, so I really sympathize (with you).
 Storyline (noun): the basic story in a film/movie
Ex: Some of Shakespeare’s plays have a very sad and tragic storyline.
 Scriptwriter (noun): a person who writes the words for films/movies
Ex: Every good actor needs an expert scriptwriter in order to play their
role well in a film.
 Come up with (phrasal verb): find or produce an answer or idea
Ex: He came up with an idea for a movie about dinosaurs.
 Dialogue (noun): conversations in a film/movie
Ex: The dialogues in romantic films are usually longer than the dialogues in action films.
 Harsh realities (expression): the difficulties [of daily life]
Ex: For many elderly people, coping with poor health is one of the harsh realities of life.
 Dramatize (verb): (soạn thành kịch)to present a book, an event, etc. as a
play or a film/movie
Ex: Jane Austen’s ‘Emma’ was dramatized on television recently.
 Scenario(s) (noun): (viễn cảnh có thể xảy ra)a description of how things might happen
in the future
Ex: The worst-case scenario (= the worst possible thing that could happen) would be for
the factory to be closed down.
 Superb (adjective): (tuyệt vời, xuất sắc)excellent; of very good quality
Ex: Taylor scored a superb goal at the end of the first half.
 Admirable (adjective): having qualities that you respect
Ex: The dedication of the doctors and nurses in this hospital is admirable.
 Convincing (adjective): that makes somebody believe that something is true
Ex: The dinosaurs in the film are very convincing – in fact, children are quite scared of them!
 Star (verb): have one of the main parts in a film/movie
Ex: Next year, she plans to star in a new romantic movie filmed in Paris.
 Kind – hearted (adjective): (tốt tính)A kind-hearted person is one
who likes other people a lot and always wants to help them.
Ex: She is also a kind-hearted, generous person who is always willing to help
disadvantaged people.
 Disadvantaged (adjective): not having enough money or skills to succeed in life
Ex: The free meals sservice is designed to help disadvantaged people in the local community.