Atitide

Describe a change in your life. You should say: What the change was When it happened Why it happened And explain how you have benefited from this change Band 8 Sample I would like to talk about one of the greatest transformations in my life. I used to weigh around 65 kilos and after about 6 months of continuous dieting and working out, I successfully lost 15 kilos. When I was a teenager, I mainly subsisted on fast foods such as fried chicken, hamburgers or crisps. And with a number of high school exams I was often forced to stay up late and eat even more. As a result, I put on weight rapidly and one day, when I stepped on a scale, it read 65 kilos, and I knew that I had to start my weight- loss journey or I would become overweight. After consulting my aunt, who worked as a nutritionist, I understood that losing weight was all about diet and exercise. Firstly, I cleaned out my fridge of all my favourite unhealthy foods, and began cooking homemade meals. I also drank at least 2 litres of water a day instead of soft drink. Secondly, I registered at my local gym and started to workout at least three times a week. And as well as this, I started going to bed early at night and waking up at 5 am to go biking every morning. After 6 months of working out regularly and resisting junk food, my weight dropped to 50 kilos. However, it was not only about the weight loss, but also about the changes in my health. I felt stronger and happier than ever before. I rarely got sick and my skin also looked brighter. More importantly though, I regained my self-confidence. I used to run and hide from cameras, but now I am much more comfortable being photographed. And the best thing is that I am now able to finally wear my old dresses and skinny jeans. Vocabulary highlights: transformation – a complete change dieting – eating or not eating certain foods to lose weight working out – to exercise to improve health and fitness subsisted on – to live or survive on put on weight – got heavier or fatter scale – something used to measure weight weight-loss journey – a period of time when someone tries to lose weight to improve their health nutritionist – an expert on what foods people should eat for good health homemade meals – food that is cooked at home registered – to join or signup biking – to ride a bicycle resisting – trying hard not to do something regained my self-confidence – to feel confident once again

Describe a family member that made you proud. You should say: Who the person is How close you are What he/she did that made you proud And explain why they made you proud. Band 8 Sample There is no one else in this world I hold more respect for than my mother. She is my guardian, my friend and my role model. My mother is well into her forties now, but she still manages to maintain a youthful appearance. In terms of her personality, she is an extremely compassionate, kind-hearted and attentive person who always takes care of her children. She is both a mother and a friend to me as she always gives me valuable advice and is always willing to be there for me during all of the ups and downs in my life. Although sometimes she drives me crazy, because she’s such a perfectionist, I still hold a lot of pride and respect for her. The reason that I am so proud of her is because she is such a strong-willed person. Ever since she was young, she had to learn to be independent as my grandparents were constantly busy and always on the go. She had to take care of almost everything, her younger brother, household chores and herself. Such challenges shaped her into the strong woman that she is now. Her independence has also been strengthened through all the hardship she has dealt with in her life. When she reached her thirties, she decided that she wanted to run her own business, a clothing store. All the members in our family tried to prevent her from doing this since we all thought it was a bad idea because she would have to face a lot of competition from other nearby shops. But through her determination and perseverance she has managed to make a success out of her business and it really is something for us to look up to, and I keep reminding myself every day to try to be as strong as my mother, a real-life “wonder woman.” Vocabulary highlights: guardian – someone who protects you role model – someone to admire or look up to maintain a youthful appearance – to stay looking young the ups and downs – the good and bad times drives me crazy – when something or someone is annoying perfectionist – someone who likes to do things exactly or perfectly strong-willed – to be determined, not give up easily on the go – always doing something or going somewhere hardship – a time in life that is difficult or causes suffering prevent – to stop something from happening perseverance – to continue trying to achieve something to look up to – to admire or respect someone

Describe a TV program you enjoy You should say: What it is When you watch it Who you watch it with And explain why you like to watch Band 8 Sample Well, I would like to talk about “The Walking Dead”, which is an American television drama series that I have recently become crazy about. As you might not know, The Walking Dead is the most popular TV show on air right now and everybody across the globe watches it. It portrays the world after a zombie apocalypse, where society has crumbled and there is no government to take care of the people’s welfare. The show stars many talented and famous actors and actresses. Among them, I believe Andrew Lincoln, who plays the leading role of a police officer, leaves the most significant impression on audiences and myself, mainly because of his outstanding acting skills and the devotion he put into every scene. Interestingly enough, my favourite part about this show is the make-up of all the different zombies. You know, all the characters are well-designed and have to go through an elaborate makeup process to achieve extremely realistic looks on screen. And the reason why I am a huge fan of The Walking Dead? Well, it is quite easy to explain. I’ve held a great interest in Zombie apocalypse’s ever since I was a kid and I even dreamt about living in one. Apart from that, I think that this series has a very stimulating plot along with many unexpected twists, which raises great excitement for the viewers. I just simply cannot get enough of this show and I can’t wait for the beginning of the next season. Vocabulary highlights: series – a TV programme with a number of different episodes surrounding the same set of characters crazy about – really like on air – broadcast/shown on TV across the globe – around the world portrays – to represent, describe or show something apocalypse – a serious event resulting in a lot of destruction and change to the planet crumbled – broken apart, destroyed welfare – physical and mental health leading role – the main actor or character audiences – people watching the show make-up – cosmetics or something used to change the colour or appearance of your face elaborate – a lot of careful detail stimulating plot – exciting storyline unexpected twists – changes in the story you didn’t think would happen

Describe a café you like or dislike You should say: Where it was When you went there what you ate or drank And explain why you liked or disliked the café. Band 8 Sample The fast pace of modern life in the city can be too much for an introvert like myself and I sometimes desire some time to retire into my shell and take a little retreat. Fortunately, I found the perfect place called “Secret garden” which I am going to share with you right now. “Secret garden” is a garden themed coffee shop located on the rooftop of a building in the centre of Hanoi. The café is well-known for its floral and botanical inspired design, which gives you a sense of peace and tranquillity while enjoying some cake and coffee at the same time. I have become a frequent guest there and usually go on the weekend. My favourite activities in this coffee shop are reading books while listening to relaxing instrumental music, having a warm cup of tea with cookies or simply just sitting in the exterior garden and enjoying the view. Despite being popular, the coffee shop’s still able to manage a quiet and soft atmosphere. The setting is perfect with relaxing music, and the staff are really well-trained and cater to the guests’ needs quite well. Also, other guests there are usually really quite respectful and generally don’t disturb other people by talking or laughing too loudly. It’s rare to find a place like this in Hanoi and I always recommend it to my friends who need a break from the busy city life. Vocabulary highlights: fast pace – high speed introvert – someone who prefers to be quiet and spend time alone rather than speak with people often retire into my shell – to spend some time alone retreat – to go to a quiet place to escape from something themed – related to a certain idea floral – made of flowers botanical – of plants or trees tranquillity – calm, peaceful and quiet instrumental music – music that does not have any words or lyrics exterior – the outside atmosphere – the feeling of the surrounding area eg. quiet, peaceful atmosphere the setting – the place or room rare – very uncommon

Describe a decision that you disagreed with You should say: Who made this decision What it was How you told him/her And explain why you disagreed with the decision Band 8 Sample So today I am going to tell you about an important milestone in my life which was the first argument I had with my parents. Firstly let me explain why I took this experience so seriously. I’m usually a real mama’s boy who always obeys my parents, especially my mom who is definitely the stricter of the two. She is so bossy and direct that it usually has to be her way or the highway. And also, my mother is awfully protective of me and never allows me to have or join in any sleepover whatsoever. And that leads to the main part of my story, which happened three weeks ago. It was my best friend’s birthday party and he invited me to sleep over at his house. I was so thrilled. I mean this was going to be my first sleepover. My excitement did not last long though as my mum immediately said no when I brought it up. Filled with anger, I found myself raising my voice at my mother for the first time in my life and said “Mom, I am a 21-year-old man. I can take care of myself”. She was so surprised at my response and scolded me even harder. But I stood my ground. I believed it was about time I expressed my feelings and let her know how I felt. I felt that I was old enough to be responsible for myself and my mom needed to stop protecting me. Finally, she understood and let me go. But I will never forget that day when I would go against my mother’s decision and also the fact that I got super wasted that night and was grounded for the next two months. Vocabulary highlights: milestone – an important event in someone’s life or in history mama’s boy – a boy or man who is really influenced or attached to their mother her way or the highway (idiom) – only one option ie. her way awfully protective – to be overly worried about someone or somethings safety sleepover – to visit a friend’s house to socialise and sleep there thrilled – very happy or excited raising my voice – speaking loudly scolded – to get angry at someone for doing something wrong stood my ground – to maintain your position or defend your argument go against – to oppose wasted – really drunk

Describe a city or town you have been to You should say: Where it is When you visited it What you did there And explain why you like it Band 8 Sample I’d like to talk about Singapore, one of several cities I have visited and really enjoyed. I vacationed in this wonderful city last summer with my sister, Min, and we stayed there for 5 days. Singapore is a state-city located to the southeast of Vietnam and it took us only 2 hours to fly there from Hanoi. When I arrived in Singapore, I was quite impressed by the way the city looked. The streets were incredibly clean, I could walk around the city all day and come back home without any dirt on my shoes. During my stay in Singapore, I did some shopping and visited some famous landmarks like the Merlion statue, Singapore zoo and the botanical gardens. For me, Singapore is well worth visiting for many reasons. Firstly, the public transport system in Singapore is extremely reliable. People don’t have to spend hours waiting for buses or trains, and the staff are very friendly and helpful. Another thing that I miss about Singapore is its multi-cultural nature. During the 5 days that I spent in Singapore, I bumped into people from many different countries. English is the first language of this country so it was great to get the chance to practice my English-speaking skills with the local people and also other tourists. Five days in Singapore passed by so fast that I wish I could’ve stayed a bit longer.  Vocabulary highlights: vacationed – went on holiday state-city – a small independent country that usually consists of a single city impressed by – have a positive effect or influence on your feeling about something incredibly – very famous landmarks – popular interesting or important places in a city or country zoo – a place where animals are kept in cages for people to see botanical gardens – a park where plants and trees are grown for people to see and scientific study well worth visiting – a place that is good to visit multi-cultural nature – has a lot of culture from different countries or societies bumped into – to meet someone accidently

Describe a dinner you enjoyed with your friends. You should say: when and where you had the dinner what you had who you went with and explain why you enjoyed the dinner. Band 8 Sample I have had many meals and taken part in many celebrations and parties over the years but among these, there’s one particular time that I remember the most. A few months ago, I went to a barbeque party on the rooftop of one of my friends’ homes. It was actually a farewell party for my best friend since she was going to study abroad, and the meal and the party were both really fantastic. We had been planning this party for a long time and so on the day, we gathered at my friend’s house and all went shopping and prepared everything together. We had a lot of amazing food that night as my best friend has a real talent for cooking. Thanks to her secret recipe, all the meat was marinated and seasoned perfectly and the taste was simply delicious. Besides the main dishes, a lot of drinks and snacks were served too. I myself enjoyed the dessert the most. It was a fluffy red velvet cake with a classic cream cheese frosting. We bought that from a famous bakery in Hanoi and it was worth every penny. So we ate the grilled meat, drank beer and chatted the whole evening. During the dinner, we talked about our future, our funniest memories together and everybody had a real blast. There’s no doubt that it could be quite a long time until we can all gather like that again, so that party is very memorable to me. Vocabulary highlights: farewell party – a party to say goodbye to someone talent for – a natural or good ability to do something marinated – to soak something in herbs, spices and/or flavourings seasoned – to improve the flavour of something by adding salt, herbs and/or spices frosting – the sweet layer on top of a cake worth every penny – it was worth the money that was spent a real blast – a good time

Describe a family member who has had an important influence on you You should say: Who the person is; What kind of person he or she is; What this person has done to influence you; And explain why you think this person is important to you.   BAND 8 Sample I am going to talk about my mother who has played an essential role in my life. She is my guardian, my friend and my role model. My mother is in her forties now, but she still maintains a youthful look. In terms of personality, she is an extremely compassionate and kind-hearted person who always takes care of her children. She really is a mother and a friend to me as she always gives me valuable advice and is willing to stand by me through all the ups and downs of my life. Although sometimes she drives me crazy due to her being a perfectionist, I still hold so much pride and respect for her. I am also influenced by her strong-will. Ever since she was young, she had to learn to be independent as my grandparents were very busy and constantly on the go. She had to take care of almost everything: her younger brother, household chores and herself. Such challenges shaped her into the strong person that she is now. Her determination, as well as her perseverance, are really something for us to look up to. And I keep reminding myself every day to be as strong as my mother, a real-life “wonder woman.”   Vocabulary highlights: – an essential role – a necessary part – guardian – someone who protects you – role model – someone to admire or look up to – maintains a youthful look – to keep looking young – compassionate – to understand and care about someone – kind-hearted – to be a kind or nice person to others – to stand by someone – to support or help someone – the ups and downs – the good and bad times – drives me crazy – to repair and improve something eg. a building – strong-will – to be determined, not give up easily – independent – to look after or think for yourself or to not be controlled by others – on the go – always doing something or going somewhere – shaped her – changed her or made her that way – determination – to not let anything stop you from doing what you have decided to do – perseverance – to continue trying to achieve something – a real-life “wonder woman” – someone who really helps you or saves you

Describe a holiday or vacation you have been on You should say: when you had it where you went what you did and explain how you felt about it Band 8 Sample A few months ago, I went to the South of Vietnam for a vacation with my family. It’s was to the lovely coastal city of Nha Trang, which is also a very famous tourist destination. We decided to go there by plane since it is nearly 1200 kilometres from Hanoi, and would take a long time by car or train. I was so eager for the trip that I prepared everything such as my clothes, camera and other accessories a week in advance. It took about an hour to fly there, and luckily, the flight took off on time. The trip began with an incredible view from the airplane window and I can still remember being quite overwhelmed by the beauty of my city from above and the amazing sunset. The time we spent in Nha Trang was a blast. We got to try out so many new things such as skydiving, surfing, and diving to see the coral reef. This place has one of the most beautiful beaches in Vietnam with deep blue water and pearly-white sand. Also, the food there was so unique and delicious. I think the most memorable moment of that trip though was definitely when we bought fresh ingredients from a local market and grilled them by the beach. Sitting there by the fire on a breezy night with the delicious smell freshly barbequed fish was an amazing experience. The trip to Nha Trang really was the holiday of a lifetime. We had a lot of fun and got to see a lot of spectacular scenery. We definitely enjoyed it and we will definitely go there again if we have a chance. Vocabulary highlights: coastal city – a city that is located along the coast or near the ocean in advance – before it happens on time – to happen at the expected time incredible – amazing or hard to believe overwhelmed – to feel a sudden strong emotion a blast – a good time skydiving – jumping from an airplane and landing with a parachute unique – one of a kind breezy – a little windy spectacular – very exciting or interesting

Describe a lesson that you enjoyed You should say: What it is What you should prepare Why you have to prepare And explain how you feel about Band 8 Sample I would like to talk about one of my favourite activities on the beach, swimming. You know, I live in Hai Phong, a coastal city with golden beaches and the nearest seashore is just fifteen minutes from my house. So, in the summer, my friends and I often go there and swim in the cool water to avoid the hot weather. Actually, swimming is a relatively easy sport. I learned how to swim when I was about 8 years old and it took me only a week to get familiar with a number of swimming strokes, like breaststroke, backstroke and butterfly. Before entering the water, I often warm up and stretch my muscles and joints to avoid any injuries, then put on my swimsuit and jump right in. I really enjoy swimming on the beach because of a few reasons. Firstly, unlike other water sports such as diving or windsurfing, which require costly equipment, swimming costs nothing. Secondly, swimming is extremely beneficial to our health. It provides an all-over body workout, as nearly all of our muscles are used during swimming. It also builds endurance, muscle strength and cardiovascular fitness. Lastly, going swimming is a good means of recreation as it allows me to unwind, alleviate stress and have a great time with my friends. Summer is coming so I’ll definitely make a plan to visit the beach soon. I intend to go to Nha Trang beach as it’s considered as one of the most magnificent beaches in the world.   Vocabulary highlights: coastal city – a city that is located along the coast or near the ocean golden beaches – beautiful beaches with golden coloured sand swimming strokes – swimming styles warm up – to get your body warm and ready for exercise stretch my muscles and joints – to extend your muscles and body parts to help relax it injuries – pain or damage to a part of the body a cut, bruise or broken bone etc costly – expensive beneficial – good for you all-over body workout – exercise that works all parts of your body builds endurance, muscle strength and cardiovascular fitness – to improve different aspects of physical fitness means of – a way of, or form of unwind – to relax alleviate stress – relax, reduce stress

Describe a long journey you travelled by car You should say: what it was when and where it happened who was involved And explain if you enjoyed it or not. Band 8 Sample I would like to describe quite a long but exciting journey that I went on last week by car from my hometown, Hue city, to the capital city, Hanoi. I had three travelling companions in the car with me, who were three of my close friends and we had agreed on gathering at my house at 5am, which was our point of departure. Actually, I’m quite an early riser, so I found it quite easy to get up that early and be ready on time.  And luckily, the weather that day was really nice, so we were able to leave the windows down for most of the trip. The fresh air and tranquillity of the countryside made me feel really relaxed but energetic at the same time. After driving all day, we arrived in Hanoi quite late, by around 6:30pm and continued to drive around the lake a few times, until about 7pm, when the sun began to set and the streets became a little quieter. After that, we stopped at our favourite cafe to sip on some coffee and reflect on our long day. I really enjoyed that car trip because of several reasons. To begin with, it was a great chance for me to see my country from a very different angle, a road trip with my mates. Usually I would take the train or a plane to complete that journey. So this was a great way to see things, stopping whenever we liked, if we saw something that interested us, for example. This car trip also helped me to refresh my mind by just hitting the open road and leaving all my worries behind. It was also a really great opportunity for me and my friends to enjoy each other’s company and exchange stories along the way from our daily lives. You know, we are often too busy to meet regularly, so chances like this are really valuable. Vocabulary highlights: travelling companions – people to travel with gathering – to come together point of departure – place to begin a journey from an early riser – someone who wakes up early every morning eg. at 5am tranquillity – calm, peaceful and quiet sip on – to drink slowly reflect on – to think about mates – friends refresh my mind – to be mentally relaxed hitting the open road – going for a drive somewhere out of the city enjoy each other’s company – to have a good time with someone

Describe a newly-opened shop You should say: Where the shop is When it opened What it sells And how you feel about the shop. Band 8 Sample I am going to talk about a newly-opened convenience store in my neighbourhood called Circle K. Actually, Circle K is an extremely popular chain-store from America and has multiple outlets around Hanoi now. But the Circle K that I’m speaking about was recently built only a couple of blocks away from where I live and I noticed it as soon as it was built. Also, because of its eye-catching logo with a giant, red letter K in a white circle, it’s quite hard to miss. I think that the main reason that I became a regular customer of Circle K was because of one particular item that they sell in their stores, and I was on cloud nine when I discovered it, my favourite alcoholic drink, Vodka Cruiser.  You know Cruiser’s only contain 4.5% alcohol which is perfect for a lightweight like me. And so, after my discovery, Circle K pretty much became a regular hangout spot of mine where my buddies and I would sometimes meet up and sit outside the store with a couple of Cruiser’s chatting about our lives and stuff. It’s actually kind of embarrassing but Circle K is the place where I come to let off some steam after a break up or some other big drama I have in my life. So yeah, as long as Circle K still keeps on selling Vodka Cruisers, it will always be my favourite shop. Vocabulary highlights: convenience store – a store that sells some commonly used items and stays open long hours chain-store – a shop that is one of many owned by a larger company that all sell the same products outlets – a place where things are sold blocks – the distance from one street to the next eye-catching – very attractive or noticeable hard to miss – obvious, or easy to see on cloud nine – extremely happy lightweight – a person that is thin, light, and/or gets drunk easily hangout spot – a place to relax with friends or by yourself chatting – to talk with someone in a friendly informal way let off some steam – to do something that helps you relax and get rid of anger or frustration big drama – a big problem or issue  

Describe a piece of good news you heard You should say: what this news was when and where you heard it how you heard it And explain why you think it was good news Band 8 Sample I’m going to talk about the time when I received the official notification of my scholarship to join an exchange program in Japan about three years ago. It feels like a long time ago but I can still remember the day quite vividly. At that time, I was a soph0more at university and one day I came across an advertisement for a two-month cultural exchange program in Japan for students from Southeast Asia. I was really eager to apply for this program and luckily my application was accepted and I was also nominated for a scholarship. So about 2 months later, I received an email from the Scholarship Committee informing me that I had been chosen to receive a full scholarship which would cover all kinds of fees and living expenses for me during the program. I think my heart skipped a beat and I screamed out loud when I saw the word “Congratulations” in that email. I was really proud of myself to be chosen from hundreds of candidates to win this scholarship. It was definitely the best news of the year. If I hadn’t won the scholarship, my living expenses would have been such a heavy financial burden for my parents, but thanks to the generous grants that I received, I could really enjoy my time in Japan without worrying about the money. To this day I still keep this lucky email in my inbox to remind me of that special occasion. Vocabulary highlights: vividly – brightly coloured or very clear soph0more – a student in the 2nd year of study at university or college cultural exchange program – an exchange of students between two countries to learn more about the others culture eager – to be interested or excited about doing something nominated – to be suggested for something. my heart skipped a beat – to be very excited. screamed out loud – to yell in excitement. heavy financial burden – a large debt or large amount of money to have to pay. generous – to be helpful or to give support.