Speaking Test

Of course, if you want to keep anything new, or at least not broken, you have to treat it carefully. For example, if you want to keep a refrigerator in its best condition for the longest time possible, you should clean it regularly and have it repaired right away if any problems occur.

This should depend on how broken it is. If there are still chances that it would function normally again after being repaired, I would definitely try and fix it. But on the other hand, if chances are it can’t be fixed or the repairing process could cost me a fortune, then I would buy a new one.

Yes, I think so. Everything is so convenient these days that people no longer have to make much of an effort anymore. Online shopping or delivery services are a prime example. Back in the day, to buy something, people had no choice but to travel to the store and made the purchase in person. But now, as these online services are always available, anything can be bought with just a click. This does make people lazier, but at the same time helps people save tons of time

I suppose I am outgoing and kind of socialized. I have many friends on Facebook and can easily get along well with others.

I would love to make friends with people who have the same interests as mine in music, travelling and learning English.

I think no, most of the friends I have on Facebook are normal friends, it is common that people just make friends for fun and do not interact or share things a lot on social websites.

Today, I am going to share with you an old possession that my family has kept for a long time. It is an antique terra-cotta dish, which is displayed in an honoured position in the living room.

This old dish originated from feudal times in Vietnam, although I am not sure of the year exactly. It might have belonged to the Nguyen Dynasty. It is made from pottery material with some small artificial fissures, and it was my grandfather’s favourite thing when he was still alive. There is a village picture painted in blue in the centre of the dish.

When I was a child, my grandfather used to tell me the story of this dish. His close friend gave it to him to celebrate his housewarming in the past. They had been companions in arms for a long time, so that was the reason why he really treasured their ties and that gift as a reminder of their friendship.

There is a lot of other modern furniture arranged in my house nowadays, however, this antique object is still a treasured possession for each member of my family. We have kept this antique dish for over 30 years, even when my grandpa passed away and left it for my family. Whenever I look at this dish, it always reminds me of my grandfather as a fond memento.

I’d like to talk about a new skill that I want to learn. I’m the kind of adventurous person who enjoys the challenge of learning new things, whether it is a new sport or a skill that would be useful to me.

I would like to have the skills to set up my own website. Probably the best place to learn to do this would be online, using a distance-learning course run by a university, which I could take free of charge. I wouldn’t need to travel and I could complete the course at my own pace in my spare time.

Although there would be a lot to learn, I already use computers all the time, so I think that I could pick up the basics quite quickly. With practice, I would become more creative and able to incorporate new features on my website.

Of course, I imagine that I would find the course interesting, but I have a practical reason for wanting to master this skill. I have recently started my own company, selling sports goods, so it would be a really cost-effective and attractive way to advertise my products.

Staying in good shape is everyone’s concern and I am no exception. To be honest, I have been so caught up in my studies since I entered university that I have a problem organizing my daily routine. However, I have been participating in a yoga class for about 2 years, which takes me only 1 hour a day, to try to lead a healthy lifestyle.

Unlike dancing or running, yoga definitely involves stretching actions. You might look at yoga and think that it is light and easy but it is more demanding than it appears. Yoga allows me to work on all the parts of my body. It can burn a lot of calories in just one hour of training. Also, it enhances my flexibility and suppleness in every single movement.

What I enjoy the most about yoga is meditation. It is all about regulating your breathing and helping you take things off your mind easily. Another thing is that doing yoga is supposed to be good for curing headaches and digestion-related problems, so it benefits not only physical well-being but also mental health.

By maintaining a schedule of taking part in the yoga class on a daily basis, I feel extremely relaxed and full of energy after the class. It helps me to keep fit and refresh my mind after a long stressful day. And of course, I don’t see myself stopping practicing this activity any time soon.

I would like to share with you my impressions of a garden that I visited last summer, which was full of colour and interest: Claude Monet’s house and garden in Giverny, France.

As a big fan of Monet’s paintings, especially the famous „Water Lilies‟, I had always dreamed of seeing the scene in real life. So, when some friends suggested a visit last year, I jumped at the chance. After a journey of about an hour by train from our hotel, we arrived at Giverny. The garden was exactly as he had painted it – it was a riot of colour, from the peaceful white of the water lilies to the striking reds and oranges that filled some of the flowerbeds.

The two parts of the garden complemented each other perfectly. We first admired the array of bright flowers and fruit trees in the Clos Normand, but my favourite part was the water garden, and we enjoyed a stroll, taking in all the colours, perfumes and bird songs. Monet avidly collected prints of Japanese gardens, and these inspired the Japanese bridges covered with wisterias, the water lilies in the pond, and the bamboo and weeping willows that he planted.

For me, it was like a wonderland of colours and a dream come true after so many years.

I would like to talk about a short trip that I frequently take but dislike. My family and I have been living in Hanoi, however, we always make time to visit my grandparents every other weekend in our hometown. It is situated in Ninh Binh province, which lies about 90 kms from Hanoi.

It normally takes us around 1 hour and a half to get there by car. To be honest, I usually get carsick, so I do not really enjoy travelling by car on trips outside the city. I mean, it makes me feel very tired and I have a headache throughout the journey, therefore I tend to fall asleep instead of staying awake to talk.

Despite the fact that carsickness makes it difficult for me to put up with even this short trip, I still try my best to take time to visit my grandparents with my small family. You know, because we are living in a big city, we are so caught up in work and study as well, that our lifestyle does not allow us to have much time to get together too often.

We always make the most of the family get-together, sharing the cooking, having meals and swapping a lot of stories with each other. What I enjoy are the beautiful views of the countryside that my hometown offers. Once you have seen it, I guess, you would keep coming back for more. Although it is so tough to stop my carsickness, our family ties and the beauty of my small hometown will keep drawing me back there.