Speaking part 1 - Festivals

How do you celebrate festivals in your country?

Sample Answer:

Well, even though Vietnamese people have different traditions for different festivals, food normally plays an important role in celebrations, like eating Chưng cakes for Tet/Spring Festival and mooncakes for mid-autumn festival. I think it’s because an important value in our culture is that food is people’s first necessity.

Vocabulary:

- tradition (n) /trəˈdɪʃn/: truyền thống, phong tục được lưu truyền

- play an important role (phr) /pleɪ ən ɪmˈpɔːrtnt rəʊl/: đóng vai trò quan trọng

- mooncake (n) /muːn keɪk/: bánh trung thu

- mid-autumn festival (n) /mɪd ˈɔːtəm ˈfestɪvl/: Tết trung thu

- necessity (n) /nəˈsesəti/: sự cần thiết

What special food and activities do you have for these festivals?

Sample Answer:

There’re tons of food and celebration activities we have for different festivals. Taking the most important festival in our country, the Spring Festival, as an example, Chưng cakes are the most classic lucky food that we have for it. We also love watching the Spring Festival Gala on TV, and enjoy having a family reunion during that holiday.

Vocabulary:

- tons of (n) /tʌnz əv/: rất nhiều

- classic (adj) /ˈklæsɪk/: cổ điển, kinh điển

- gala (n) /ˈɡeɪlə/: hội, sự kiện

- family reunion (n) /ˈfæməli ˌriːˈjuːniən/: cuộc đoàn tụ gia đình

How do you celebrate the Spring Festival?

Sample Answer:

Well, in my family, nothing matters more than the reunion dinner on New Year’s Eve. Since I have a big family, every Lunar New Year's Eve, all our family members meet up at my grandparents’ home and have a large meal to celebrate the festival together. But my favorite part of the Spring Festival celebration is setting off fireworks.

Vocabulary:

- matter (v) /ˈmætər/: quan trọng, có ý nghĩa

- New Year’s Eve (n) /ˌnuː jɪrz ˈiːv/: đêm giao thừa

- meet up (phr. v) /miːt ʌp/: gặp gỡ (có sắp xếp)

- set off (phr. v) /set ɔːf/: nổ

- firework (n) /ˈfaɪərwɜːrk/: pháo hoa

What is your favorite festival?

Sample Answer:

It’s not easy to choose one, since Vietnam has numerous festivals all through the year. However, I would say I value Tet holiday the most. Personally, it’s a symbol of a fresh start. I can start setting goals and focusing myself on achieving them.

Vocabulary:

- numerous (adj) /ˈnuːmərəs/: nhiều

- value (v) /ˈvæljuː/: coi trọng

- personally (adv) /ˈpɜːrsənəli/: đối với tôi, với tư cách cá nhân

- symbol (n) /ˈsɪmbl/: biểu tượng

- achieve (v) /əˈtʃiːv/: đạt được

Các câu hỏi và từ vựng mới, Oxford sẽ cập nhật tiếp theo trong thời gian tới nhé. Bạn lưu về nguồn từ vựng và câu trả lời này, thử sức áp dụng nha.

Bài nói Part 2 về lễ hội

Part 2: Describe a traditional festival in your country

You should say:

What it is celebrated for

When it is

What people do during this event

Why it is special or important

Sample:

Well, there's this sports program that I'm quite a fan of, and that's wrestling. It's an intriguing sport with a rich history that's managed to captivate audiences across the globe for centuries.

What's appealing about it is the blend of athleticism, technique, and strategy, which makes it a genuinely gripping spectacle.

Wrestling, in all its forms, like freestyle, Greco-Roman, and professional wrestling, has this unique charm. It's fascinating how these athletes grapple with one another, employing a range of techniques and holds that require immense skill and strength. Now, when we talk about professional wrestling, it's taken the sport to a whole new level in recent years. It's a fascinating blend of athleticism and showmanship, with colorful characters, dramatic storylines, and high-flying moves that keep fans glued to the screen. Moreover, in my home country, we have a traditional wrestling festival that's deeply rooted in our culture. It's not just about sports; it's a way to preserve our heritage and uphold our traditions. Attending one of these festivals is quite an experience. The atmosphere is charged with excitement as the wrestlers step onto the mat, and the crowd's energy adds to the overall spectacle. The traditional costumes, music, and rituals further underline the cultural significance of the event. These festivals serve as a poignant reminder of our cultural identity and provide a platform for exceptionally skilled wrestlers to showcase their abilities.

So, whether it's modern pro wrestling or our timeless traditions, wrestling continues to be a source of fascination and entertainment for enthusiasts like myself.

Speaking part 3 National celebrations

Câu hỏi 1: What kinds of national celebration do you have in your country?

Ở đất nước bạn có những ngày lễ quốc gia nào?

Thí sinh hãy nêu ra những ngày lễ mà quốc gia mình có, sau đó có thể mở rộng nói về lý do ăn mừng, tại sao lại có ngày lễ đó, mọi người thường làm gì vào những ngày này.

Câu trả lời mẫu:

We have several main national holidays in our country. The first and most important is the Spring Festival. This is to celebrate the end of the Chinese lunar year. Another is the Dragon Boat festival. This festival celebrates a famous Chinese poet named Qu Yuan. Still another is Mid Autumn day. During this holiday we eat a traditional dish known as moon cake.

Từ vựng nổi bật:

- poet (n): nhà thơ

- traditional (a): truyền thống

- dish (n): món ăn

Câu hỏi 2: Who tends to enjoy national celebrations more: young people or old people? Why?

Ai là người tận hưởng những ngày lễ này nhiều hơn: những người trẻ hay những người già? Tại sao?

Thí sinh khẳng định luận điểm, sau đó đưa ra các lý do giải thích cụ thể, có thể mở rộng nếu được.

Câu trả lời mẫu:

I think that older people tend to enjoy national celebrations more than the younger generation. Older people tend to value traditional holidays because they feel more connected to them. The younger people like western holidays such as Valentine’s Day because they like the romantic aspects that are not present in national holidays. Also because of an interest in different cultures they like to celebrate holidays that are not part of the Chinese calendar.

Từ vựng nổi bật:

- aspect (n): khía cạnh

- culture (n):  văn hóa

Câu hỏi 3: Why do you think some people think that national celebrations are a waste of government money? Would you agree or disagree with this view? Why?

Theo bạn thì tại sao có một vài người lại nghĩ rằng các ngày lễ quốc gia chỉ là sự phí phạm tiền bạc của chính phủ? Bạn đồng ý hay không đồng ý với quan điểm này? Tại sao?

Thí sinh có thể trả lời câu hỏi này theo quan điểm khách quan, từ đó đưa ra nhận định của mình.

Câu trả lời mẫu:

No, I do not believe that spending money on government celebrations is a waste of money. National holidays are an important part of our culture and help to create a sense of being Chinese. There proud patriotic feelings are shared by all people and the celebrations are for everyone. While some people view the money as misspent, I believe that it is important to properly celebrate our culture and identity.

Từ vựng nổi bật:

- a waste of sth: sự phí phạm cái gì đó

- proud (a): tự hào, đáng tự hào

- patriotic (a): yêu nước

- properly (adv): một cách đúng đắn, phù hợp

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