Topic 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

Your English-speaking friend, Daisy, sent you an email. She said that she was
going to have a holiday next month.
Write a letter to Daisy, invite her to your city and stay with you during her holiday.
You should write at least 120 words, you mustn’t include your name or address.
A2
Dear Daisy,
It’s amazing to get your email. How are you? I hope you are well.
It’s wonderful to know that you are going to have a holiday next month. Do you
have any interesting plans for it? I am writing this letter to invite you to come to
my city, Ha Noi, and historical sites. Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Van Mieu, the
first university of Viet Nam are the two most famous tourist attractions in my city.
Next month is the greatest seasons in Ha Noi, autumn. The weather is going to be
very pleseant with lots of cool winds and fresh air. It is the best time for us to enjoy
the romantic beauty of West Lake. If you want to save the joyful moments and take
some pretty photos with the city vibes, there is a special rooftop café with soft
music, chill lake and city view nearby. I’m sure you will love the city and have an
unforgettable time here. It wouldn’t be as expensive as other overseas trips since
you can stay with me in my apartment. We could save lots of money for many
other exciting activities. So why don’t?
Is it possible to spend a couple of weeks with me here in the city? I am thinking
about the plan with a light heart. We would have so much fun together.
Let me know what you think.
I’m looking forward to hearing form you and hope to see you soon.
All the best.
- To have/ got plan for st:
- To invite sb to do smt:
- Spend time +V-ing
- Art museum
- Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
- Tourist attraction
- It is the best time for sb to st
- Romantic
- Joyul
- Vibes
- Rooftop café
- Have an unforgetable time
- To be+as + adj + as
- Overseas trips
- Save money
- Why don’t
- A couple of weeks
- Do sth with a light heart
- Let me know
 TOPIC 8
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
You have recently started work in a new company.
Write a letter to your best friend, Susie. In the letter, explain why you
decided to change your job, describe your new job and tell him/her your
other news.
You should write at least 120 words. You mustn't include your name or address.
SAMPLE ESSAY
(Band A2+]
Dear Susie,
It's been far too long, I can't remember when was the last time we saw each
other. How's life treating you? I hope all goes well with you and your family.
To let you know, I have found a new part-time job as a teaching assistant at a
language center for children named Atlantic Five-star English.
I used to be a waitress in a small coffee shop before this job. To be honest, I
realized that I had no chance to advance in my career if I kept holding on to
it. So I decided to apply for a teaching assistant position and it was one of the
best decisions of my life. My main tasks include lesson materials preparation,
class management support and student's homework check. By observing the
teacher, I've learnt a lot about teaching skills and gained valuable in-class
experience which would be essential for my future teaching job after
graduation. Moreover, working with children really makes me feel happy and
inspired.
Along with that, I also want to inform you of another good news. I managed
to find a motel room for a good price. The reason is because the owner is a
relative of my father. I feel very blessed and grateful for the good news that
has come to me recently.
Best wishes, (240 words)
*Các cụm từ cần ghi nhớ
• How's life treating you: cuộc sống của bạn thế nào part-time job: công việc
bán thời gian
advance in one's career: thăng tiến, tiến bộ trong sự nghiệp keep holding on:
tiếp tục duy trì, nắm giữ
• valuable in-class experience: kinh nghiệm quý giá trong lớp học
• essential: vô cùng cân thiêt và quan trọng
• feel inspired: cảm thấy được truyền cảm hứng
• inform sb or sth: thông báo với ai về việc gì
• manage to: xoay sở làm gì đó
•feel blessed and grateful: cảm thấy may mắn và biết ơn.

B1+
Dear Susie,
Hope you're well. It's been a long time I haven't written to you since I have
been very busy lately. I have great news to tell you! I have recently started work
in a new translation company called Transperfect.
You might wonder why I changed my job. Well, my previous job at W
company was pretty good but I was really fed up with office duties. It's
absolutely not me who can keep doing the same things everyday. I have
always desired to be a translator. Hence, I didn't think twice when I saw a
Transperfect's job advertisement online.
I am now working as a translator in Transperfect and it suits me down to the
ground. The position brings me great opportunities to meet new people and
broaden my knowledge everyday. My job is to convert both written and
spoken materials from English into Vietnamese and make sure that my
translation conveys the meaning of the original as clearly as possible. The task
is not only challenging but very rewarding for me as well. Transperfect has a
positive work environment, too. Most of my colleagues are so well-
experienced, cooperative and supportive that I could learn lots of precious
things from them.
Oh, and another thing. I am planning to spend my winter holiday in your city
this year. It would be great if I could see you there. We could go around and
shop for our friends' Christmas presents. How about a Christmas movie
marathon at home? I have a long list including all the Classic Christmas
 movies. Does the Home Alone franchise sound interesting to you? Or why
don't we go inside Brooklyn Botanic Garden's first-ever holiday lights show.
Which would you prefer?
Make sure you keep the second weekend of December free so that we can enjoy
time together.
Let me know your plan and your news recently, too. Hope to hear from you
soon.
Best wishes, (321 words)
 Các cụm từ cân ghi nhớ
• It's a long time S + V (thì hiện tại hoàn thành): đã lâu rồi không làm gì
• since = because: bởi vì
• previous: trước đây
• to be fed up with st: chán ngấy cái gì
• absolutely: chắc chắn, hoàn toàn
• office duty: nhiệm vụ, công việc văn phòng
• keep + V-ing: duy trì làm gì
• to desire to do st: khao khát làm gì
• hence = so = thus = therefore: vì vậy, bởi vậy to think twice: suy nghĩ lại
• job advertisement: tin tuyển dụng
• to suit sb down to the ground: rất phù hợp, hoàn toàn thích hợp với ai
• to bring sb opportunity to do st: mang đên cho ai cơ hội làm gì
• to broaden one's knowledge: mở rộng tầm hiểu biết
• to convert st into st: chuyển đổi cái gì thành cái gì
• to convey st: truyền tải
• an original: bản gốc
• as + adj + as possible: ... nhất có thể
• as clearly as possible: rõ ràng nhất có thể
• not only... but... as well = not only...but also.... không những... mà còn
• challenging: đầy thử thách, mang tính thử thách
• rewarding: bố ích
• positive: tích cực
most of + my/ her/his/our/ their/ the + N: đa số
• S + be/ V + so + adj/ adv + that + S + V: ... quá... đến nỗi...
• well-experienced: giàu kinh nghiệm
• It would be great if...: sẽ thật tốt nếu...
• How about + V-ing = What about + V-ing - Why don't we + V(inf) (cấu trúc gợi
ý làm gì)
• Does... sound interesting to you?: ... nghe có thú vị với bạn không
• movie marathon: buối "cày' phim
TOPIC 09
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
You have recently applied for a job as an office assistant at a local educational
organization and you have just received letter from Ms. Julie asking you for
more information to support your application. Read part of the letter from
her below.
Your application has made a positive impression on us, but we need more
information in order to fully evaluate you as a candidate.
First of all, why do you want to work in our organization? Secondly, we would like
to know what, you think, makes you the ideal candidate for this job. Finally, we
have two positions open, one at Floral Campus and another at Green Campus.
Floral Campus is our busiest, most popular location in the city centre while Green
Campus is a beautiful wild area on the outskirts. Which would you prefer?
Please send us this information as soon as possible, and feel free to ask if you have
any further questions.
Write an email responding to Ms. Julie.
You should write at least 120 words. You are not allowed to include your
name or address.
SAMPLE ESSAY
(Band A2+]
Dear Ms. Julie,
Thank you for your letter which requests further information and provides more
details on the available positions you need. I'm so glad about it.
First of all, I would like to express my keen interest in the office assistant
position at your organization. I will receive my Bachelor of Arts degree in
English language in December this year and I am very eager to join an
educational institution where I can use my skills in word processing, typing,
research new educational programs and so on. In addition to university training, I
used to work as a teaching assistant for Atlantic Five-star English Centre, an
educational organization specializing in teaching Cambridge and IELTS programs
to Vietnamese students. This internship has provided me with a lot of experience
in the field of education such as creating lecture slides, translating documents,
assisting teachers in preparing lessons. Based on my background and work
experience, I believe that I would be an ideal candidate for this position.
Finally, I love the fresh air in the suburbs and would love to experience a different
lifestyle from the busy city life. So I would be grateful if you let me take the
position at Green Campus.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Best regards,
(207 words)
Các cụm từ cần ghi nhớ
• to request further information: yêu cầu thêm thông tin
• to provide more details: cung cấp chỉ tiết cụ thể
• to express keen interest: bày tỏ sự quan tâm tới
...
 to be eager to do st: háo hức làm gì đó
 Bachelor of ... degree: bằng Cử nhân đại học ngành...
 educational institution: tố chức giáo dục
 to be specializing in st: chuyên về internship: thời gian học việc
 to provide sb with st: cung cấp cho ai đó cái gì. to be grateful: biết ơn
[Band B1+]
Dear Ms Julie,
I would like to extend my great gratitude to you as well as the recruitment
board for your high evaluation. As a potential candidate for the position of
office assistant at your organization, I am eager to highlight more details about
myself.
Regarding the motivations to join your organization, I feel my skills are
particularly well-suited to this position because I have great experience in
planning things, assisting others and dealing with different office tasks. I always
enjoy helping other people learn, teach and work - from my tutoring work to the
administrative experiences I had at my previous job - which is why I feel so
fulfilled working in the academic department. Besides, communicating with others
has always been interesting for me. So I'm excited to see that meeting new people
is a big part of this job. When I think about the needs of this role and the integrity
of the corporate mission, I feel incredibly inspired and can see myself
contributing in a big way.
Besides, I am confident that I am a great match for the requirements for this
position due to my skills, my experience and my passion, but most specifically
because of my dedication to going above and beyond in a job. I am committed
to learning any new skills on my own to succeed in this role. For example, for my
previous job, I educated myself on how to edit videos using support tools in my
free time. This enabled me to design unique videos and make impressive
presentations for the team. I know that you are seeking a positive and self-
motivated individual for this job, and I am that candidate.
As revealed in your letter, there are two vacant positions, one at Green Campus,
and another at Floral Campus. Both campuses are amazing locations to work at.
Personally, I would prefer working at the later one. I love meeting new people and
my ideal working environment is somewhere busy like Floral Campus. The
atmosphere of that kind of workplace would inspire me to learn many new things
including strategies to make effective working plans or multitasking. It would also
help me stay motivated and bring values to the organization. Hence, I would be
grateful if you let me take that position.
About the question, I would like to ask these two questions. Besides checking all
the must-haves in the job posting, what else are you looking for in a candidate?
And when can I expect to hear the result from you?
I am eagerly awaiting your response. I look forward to giving my best to your
organization if given an opportunity,
Your sincerely.
TOPIC 10
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
Your English-speaking friend, Bella sent you an email. Read part of her email
below.
I'm studying different festivals from around the world for a special project I'm
doing. Can you tell me which is the most important festival in your region and
when it happens? Also I'a be very grateful for any information you could give me
about the festival itself. If you think it is worth it, perhaps I could come and see
what it's like. What do you think? If I come, will you be free? I'd like to see you
again and perhaps we could visit the festival together.
Write soon.
Bella.
Write an email responding to Emma. In your email, tell her about one of the
most important festivals in your country and invite her to join this year's
upcoming celebration with you.
You should write at least 120 words. You mustn't include your name or
address.
SAMPLE ESSAY
(Band A2+]
Hi Bella,
It's great to hear that you're doing well.
As you know, Viet Nam is home to 54 distinct ethnic groups, each of which
celebrates its unique culture with annual festivals. However, the Lunar New Year
festival, also known as the Tet holiday, is one of the most well-known traditions of
all Vietnamese people.
The festival usually lasts for about 3-4 days, and takes place when New Year
begins according to the lunar calendar. Since Tet is the most awaited occasion by
Vietnamese people, every family spends a whole month to prepare for this special
event. Several days before Tet, people often do the clean up and decorate the house
with cherry blossom, apricot blossom and kumquat tree. They also make or prepare
some typical food for Tet, such as Banh Chung (Chung cake), Banh Tet (Tet cake),
Vietnamese sausages, coconut jam and so on. On the first day of the year, people
often go to the temples or pagodas to pray to the Gods for a prosperous and
favorable year. In addition, there are a lot of activities during Tet holiday like
spring flower fairs, family parties or spring trips to some beautiful places in Viet
Nam.
Hence, I recommend you coming to Viet Nam during Tet to experience our
wonderful culture. This is an officially national holiday, so I'm definitely free for
one week and I surely will join you. It would be a lot of fun if we watch the
fireworks, visit the flower fairs and have some great photos together.
Hope to hear from you soon.
All the best, (253 words)
Các cụm từ cần ghi nhớ
to be home to: là quê hương của
• distinct ethnic groups: các dân tộc thiểu số
• unique culture: văn hoá độc đáo
• the most awaited occasion: dịp được mong chờ nhất
• pray to the Gods: cầu các vị thần linh, cầu trời
• prosperous and favorable year: một năm sung túc và thuận lợi
• recommend sb doing st: giới thiệu ai đó nên làm gì
[Band B1+]
Hi Bella,
Good to hear from you again. I hope you're well.
When I first read your email, several different festivals popped into my mind.
Every year we celebrate a wide range of wonderful festivals here in Viet Nam.
After thinking for a while, I decided to tell you about the one that is believed to be
one of the most outstanding occasions in Viet Nam. It is Lunar New Year, also
known as 'Tet Nguyen Dan' or 'Tet' for short. Tet is a celebration of the arrival of
spring and the beginning of a new year on the lunar calendar. It means that we
celebrate it on the first of January in the lunar calendar.
The date changes annually but falls between mid-January and late February in the
Gregorian calendar. Tet celebrations can range from 5 days and continue for up
to one week
It would be wonderful if you can join me and my family this upcoming Tet
holiday. Tet will begin on the 22nd of January and it lasts 6 days this year. We
have 7 days off this Tet holiday so I am definitely free to celebrate the festival with
you. There are countless activities I can't wait to enjoy with you during this
Vietnamese special occasion. How about trying all special Vietnamese traditional
food, especially iconic Tet dishes such as Banh Chung and Banh Tet? Besides, Ao
dai is a famous traditional Vietnamese costume and we local ladies fancy wearing
it on Tet holiday. I have a collection of both traditional and modern Ao dai in my
closet. Why don't we try ones and then visit the spring flower fairs?It will be
absolutely great if we can take some photos together with the dazzling cherry
blossoms there. We may buy gorgeous flowers to decorate the house, too.
Visiting pagodas and temples to pray for health, good fortune and happiness in
the upcoming year is not a bad idea either. Which would you prefer?
Please let me know your choice. I can't wait to meet you in person!
All the best, (346 words)
*Các cụm từ cần ghi nhớ
• to pop into one's mind: nảy ra, xuất hiện trong đầu
• to celebrate: tổ chức
• a wide range of st: một loạt, một số lượng lớn cái gì
• to be believed to.... được tin là
• outstanding: xuất sắc, nổi bật
• arrival: đến
• lunar calendar: lịch âm, lịch mặt trăng
annually = yearly: hàng năm
• to fall between: rơi vào giữa khoảng thời gian...
• Gregorian calendar: lịch dương, lịch mặt trời
• countless: vô số, không đếm được
• iconic: mang tính biểu tượng, đặc trưng
• costume: trang phục
• fancy + V-ing: thích thú làm gì
• a collection of st: bộ sưu tập
• dazzling: rực rỡ
• cherry blossoms: hoa anh đào
• gorgeous: tuyệt đẹp, lộng lẫy
• to pray for st: cầu nguyện
• good fortune = good luck: may mắn
• to meet sb in person: gặp mặt trực tiếp