CHUỖI IELTS SPEAKING THEO TOPIC CĨ PHÂN TÍCH (Group: IELTS Fighter hỗ trợ học tập) TOPIC 3: READING PART Describe a book that you enjoyed reading because you had to think a lot You should say: What this book was Why you decided to read it What reading this book made you think about And explain why you enjoyed reading this book I’ve chosen The Golden Compass, the first book in a fantasy trilogy written by Philip Pullman It’s a piece of literature that covers a multitude of fantastical elements, from magic to religion to creatures of myth It’s a very complex book, actually At the very first glance, it could seem like a children’s book with the common standard of saving the innocent from the big great evil, which is what originally drew my attention to it But there are levels to this story and its development that only mature readers are able to pick up I found particularly interesting parallels drawn between the dogma of this world and our own and that was very appealing to me as I have always been a student of religions around the world It made me reflect on my personal beliefs and the history of the Catholic church mainly The author’s storytelling is captivating, he weaves a world with his words that seemed driven by a simple reason, which is to save people, and he ends up making the characters question religion and its the powers that can be the morality of the greater good I loved this book as it kept me on my toes at every turn and it used real life counterparts for places on our world, which made it more appealing by adding to the sensation of reality within fantasy That was so strong that when I visited England I took the chance to visit several of the locations described in the book Vocabulary Phonetic Meaning trilogy /ˈtrɪlədʒi/ bô ba (truyện) literature /ˈlɪt(ə)rətʃə/ văn học level /ˈlɛv(ə)l/ tầng lớp (nghĩa) mature /məˈtʃʊə/ trưởng thành parallel /ˈparəlɛl/ song song reflect on /rɪˈflɛkt ɒn/ nhìn lại, ngẫm lại storytelling /ˈstɔːrɪtɛlɪŋ/ lối kể chuyện weave /wiːv/ dệt the greater good /ðə ɡreɪtə ɡʊd/ mục đích cao keep on one’s toes /kiːp ɒn təʊz/ khiến hào hứng sensation /sɛnˈseɪʃ(ə)n/ hồi hộp, hấp dẫn PART What are the most popular types of children’s books in your country? I would say it’s a toss-up between fantasy and reality fiction Fantasy is a genre filled with stories that are full of impossible things that could not take place in reality, such as magic and talking animals, often set in a different world or universe This genre actively develops the reader’s imagination through it’s worldbuilding Reality fiction, on the other hand, is firmly rooted in reality so requires less of an active connection to the imagination The stories are still fictitious, but they could happen to anyone as the plots deal with events such as falling in love, work, and addiction, for example What are the benefits of parents reading books to their children? I think the benefits have been well documented, research has shown that reading to a child can be highly beneficial to his development They will have a chance to learn new vocabulary, practice their pronunciation, improve their listening skills and develop their creativity and imagination, this should have a lasting impact on their intelligence In addition, it is also a valuable social interaction between parents and children that can be used as a bonding opportunity Should parents always let their children choose the books they read? I think it is a great motivational tool that could in fact make them better readers I am an avid reader, but I still remember how much I hated being assigned books at school that I had no interest in I also understand the concern that a parent might have about their children reading the “wrong thing” or choosing something out of their ability, so I would think that a good middle ground would be for a parent to present choices to children Tailor the experience to their needs and make them feel that their opinion matters in the choice How popular are electronic books in your country? I think the popularity of the format has skyrocketed in the the past 10 years It was met at the beginning with a lot of hesitation, particularly from the book industry which saw the advance as a threat, but overall the readers have taken to the change with a positive attitude At the end of the day, the average reader is concerned mainly with how good a story is and how much it fuels the imagination That e-books becoming more affordable has also helped push the popularity of the format and made it more accessible to people What are the advantages of parents reading electronic books (compared to printed books)? There are a number of things to consider, off the top of my head, I can think of 3: cost, accessibility and space Since there is no physical copy of the book, e-books will generally be priced lower than their physical counterpart If you are a parent looking to stretch your wallet as far as it will go, this seems like a valid point to consider That is followed by how accessible they are I could, in this instant, search for a book on my device, buy it and have it delivered instantly to the palm of my hand without ever having to get up And finally space, most modern e-readers are about the size and weight of a paperback book and they can carry more than 1000 books Will electronic books ever completely replace printed books in the future? I think e-books have created new experiences for readers, but will never entirely replace print For a reader, the interaction with a book is part of the experience, a physical copy holds more than just a story, it’s a record of the reader’s interaction with it Dog ears, bookmarks, notes, highlighting, stains, they all shape the book just as a child grows, and that is something that is irreplaceable That means that while the e-books might be a marvel of technology and advancement, it can’t entirely replace what came before it but in many ways have a symbiotic relationship where the success of one fuels the other and that is great for now Vocabulary Phonetic Meaning toss-up /tɒs ʌp/ hai lựa chọn ngang (không thể chọn hai) fantasy /ˈfantəsi/ truyện giả tưởng reality fiction /rɪˈalɪti /ˈfɪkʃ(ə)n/ tiểu thuyết thực tế genre /ˈʒɒɒ̃rə/ thể loại /wəːld ˈbɪldɪŋ/ worldbuilding tạo nên giới truyện root in /ruːt ɪn/ xuất phát từ fictitious /fɪkˈtɪʃəs/ hư cấu lasting /ˈlɑːstɪŋ/ intelligence /ɪnˈtɛlɪdʒ(ə)ns/ trí tuệ bonding /ˈbɒndɪŋ/ thắt chặt mối quan hệ với motivational tool /məʊtɪˈveɪʃ(ə)n(ə)l tuːl/ công cụ tạo động lực avid /ˈavɪd/ (hâm mộ) cuồng nhiệt assign /əˈsʌɪn/ định middle ground /ˈmɪd(ə)l ɡraʊnd/ mức giữa/trung bình tailor /ˈteɪlə/ thêu dệt lên matter /ˈmatə/ (có ý nghĩa) quan trọng skyrocket /ˈskʌɪrɒkɪt/ tăng lên hesitation /hɛzɪˈteɪʃn/ lưỡng lự fuel /fjuː(ə)l/ tạo nên, kích thích physical /ˈfɪzɪk(ə)l/ (bản) cứng counterpart /ˈkaʊntəpɑːt/ (những đối tượng) tương tự stretch /strɛtʃ/ (về tiền bạc) tiết kiệm valid /ˈvalɪd/ hợp lý paperback /ˈpeɪpəbak/ (bản) bìa mềm record /ˈrɛkɔːd ghi/thu lại irreplaceable /ɪrɪˈpleɪsəb(ə)l/ khơng thể thay marvel /ˈmɑːv(ə)l/ kỳ diệu ... printed books)? There are a number of things to consider, off the top of my head, I can think of 3: cost, accessibility and space Since there is no physical copy of the book, e-books will generally... middle ground /ˈmɪd(ə)l ɡraʊnd/ mức giữa/trung bình tailor /ˈteɪlə/ thêu dệt lên matter /ˈmatə/ (có ý nghĩa) quan trọng skyrocket /ˈskʌɪrɒkɪt/ tăng lên hesitation /hɛzɪˈteɪʃn/ lưỡng lự fuel /fjuː(ə)l/