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PART I. LISTENING You are going to listen to a talk about telephone services. Listen carefully and fill the missing words in the blanks. You should write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS in each blank. You will hear the talk TWICE. Alarm calls, to (1)________ you up in the morning, should be booked before 10:30 pm the (2)__¬______ evening. Transferred charged calls are (3)__¬______ where the people you want to speak to (4)__¬______ to pay for your call to them. Transferred charge calls can also be (5)________ to many countries (6)________. Personal calls are those where you tell the operator (7)__¬______ of the person you wish to (8)__¬______. You are not connected if that person cannot be (9)__¬______, though a message can be (10)______PART I. LISTENING You are going to listen to a talk about telephone services. Listen carefully and fill the missing words in the blanks. You should write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS in each blank. You will hear the talk TWICE. Alarm calls, to (1)________ you up in the morning, should be booked before 10:30 pm the (2)__¬______ evening. Transferred charged calls are (3)__¬______ where the people you want to speak to (4)__¬______ to pay for your call to them. Transferred charge calls can also be (5)________ to many countries (6)________. Personal calls are those where you tell the operator (7)__¬______ of the person you wish to (8)__¬______. You are not connected if that person cannot be (9)__¬______, though a message can be (10)______ for him or her to ring the operator later. This service is normally (11)____ for international calls as well. For emergency calls, if you want the police, fire or (12)__¬_____ services in an emergency, dial 999. Tell the operator the (13)__¬______ you want. Give your exchange and number of all figure number as appropriate. Wait until the emergency (14)__¬______ answers. Then give them the full address where help is needed and other necessary information. 999 calls are (15)________. for him or her to ring the operator later. This service is normally (11)____ for international calls as well. For emergency calls, if you want the police, fire or (12)__¬_____ services in an emergency, dial 999. Tell the operator the (13)__¬______ you want. Give your exchange and number of all figure number as appropriate. Wait until the emergency (14)__¬______ answers. Then give them the full address where help is needed and other necessary information. 999 calls are (15)________.
1 SOMEBODY YOU ADMIRE MOST Of all my relatives, I like my uncle Thanh the best He is my mother’s youngest brother He is never married and lives alone in a small house in the countryside about four kilometers away from my house Uncle Thanh is in his late fifties but he is quite young in spirit He has a dark complexion with short, black curly hair which makes him look so manly His eyes are deep and bright with thick eyebrows and when you meet him the first thing you notice is his charming smile His face is a little wrinkled now, but I think he is rather attractive Uncle Thanh has a good sense of humor; he is really good at telling jokes What we always when we visit him is sit around to listen to his jokes which are so funny that we just can’t help laughing But the best thing about him is that he cares so much about others Whenever you are upset or worried about something, he is always there to share your sadness, to encourage you to be strong and he always finishes the conversation with humorous words which help us forget all our worries and feel happy again He is definitely the sort of person you can always go to if you have a problem He likes reading, writing books, painting and gardening and he often goes for a long walk every morning over the rice fields He is very kind and willing to help whoever in need of his help He is both active and generous but also very strict if you misbehave or disobey He teaches us how to behave and get along with other people I have learned a lot from him I will always love him and I hope I would be as good as he is when I am at his age YOUR IDEAL HOUSE If I could live anywhere I like, I’d choose a modern house in the center of a medium – sized town The town would have all the normal modern facilities like banks, cinemas and supermarkets Ideally, it would also be of historical interest with a pagoda or old tempers, but it shouldn’t be too popular with tourists It would be close to water of some kind – perhaps a river or a lake There would be parks and other open spaces around I wouldn’t want it to be in a seaside resort but it shouldn’t be too far from the coast My dream house is made of brick and wood There is an old – styled gate, a swimming pool and a small yard with green lawn at the front There is a garden behind the house with a bed of pretty flowers It is an eight-room house with four rooms downstairs including the living room, the library, the dining room and the kitchen and four rooms upstairs, three bedrooms and one bathroom The living room is large and light It has a sofa, two armchairs, a floor lamp and a fireplace There is also a bookcase, a large rug on the floor and some beautiful pictures on the walls The kitchen is large with a gas oven, an electric cooker, a fridge, a cupboard and a sink The bedrooms are air-conditioned There is a LCD television, a DVD player and a spring mattress bed One more thing, my dream house should be in a friendly neighborhood where people are nice and helpful as I enjoy getting on with people around In short, my dream house has all the conveniences I wish to have one like that in the future so I am working very hard to make my dream come true some day ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF TELEVISION Since its appearance, television has played an important role in our daily lives and has obviously become the most popular pastime for human being today Just about everyone watches television and just about every household has a television set Everyday and night people glue their eyes on their sets watching their favorite programs and no one denies the benefit it brings to human being To begin with, television is such an excellent mean of entertainment which informs us about things happening around the world Sitting in an armchair, a person can watch all events taking place in the far-off places with best pictures and detailed comments Also, television keeps us up to date with the latest developments around the world, providing us with a variety of documentaries which are very informative so we learn a great deal from these In addition, there is a wide range of programs on television which aim at people of different ages We have music, movies, contests, quiz shows, cartoon which are well-made to satisfy every viewers’ needs Apart from the good things that television brings us, however, there are also some drawbacks which can cause great harms to television addicts First, there is always the risk of making a habit of watching television which can cause a lot of troubles if one watches it too much When one is addicted or attached to television, he or she will become a kind of slave to it and spends hours just watching it without doing anything else Next, when people stick to television, they seem to forget what they did before it, they don’t talk much with others or if they do, just about what’s on the television and the problem is that the whole generation growing up addicted and neglected other things Moreover, children are exposed to rubbishy commercials, violence, sex on television and they may imitate what they see on it People will become lazy, gluing to their sets instead of going out because television seems to cut us off from the real world In my opinion, there is nothing wrong in watching television programs but they must be done in moderation SAMSON THE MOST PERSPECTIVE TOURIST ATTRACTIONS OF THANH HOA Located 16 km east of Thanh Hoa city, Sam Son is one of the most beautiful seaside towns in the North of Viet Nam with beautiful beach and potential ecotourism The town has a kite-shaped sandy beach which stretches over the distance of km along the coastline The sea is crystal clear in the summer without the mixture of silk which rarely has big waves creating such an amazingly magnificent beach on earth There is a mountain, Truong Le standing in the southern side of the beach with rocky cliffs erecting out to the sea forming a beautiful landscape There are several temples worshiping different deities built in the neighborhood including the Vong temple of To Hien Thanh, a famous mandarin from Ly dynasty; Doc Cuoc temple which was built to worship Doc Cuoc Deity who, according to legend, sacrificed himself to save local people from the sea monsters and brought peace to the region; the temple of Co Tien worshipping the merit of a fairy who used her magical medical treatment to cure many villagers’ lives and died leaving the magical remedy to the villagers There is one beauty spot on the top of Truong Le mountain known as Trong Mai stones (male and female stones) which is closely linked to the legend of a faithful love story of a young couple Sam Son today consists of wards with 16 historic relics, some of which are ranked as national cultural and historical relics making Sam Son a place of rich traditional features After its 100 year anniversary in 2007, Sam Son has been developing rapidly with 310 hotels and rest houses The infrastructures have been improved to receive 15 to 20 thousands of tourists a day The system of services is being reordered, administrative management has been strengthened, economic structure has been reformed to meet the needs of visitors and create jobs for local people Sam Son is striving to become one of the most attractive tourist destinations of Viet Nam and together with its great potentialities there will be no doubt for it to reach the economic goals in the near future EDUCATIONAL PROBLEMS IN VIETNAM AND SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS Education and Training is not only the decisive factors which has a great effect on the development of the intellectuality and creation of Vietnamese people and humans but also a critical acceleration to promote the nation’s industrialization and modernization to quickly and steadily step forward to integrate into the global economy Over the past few years, together with good attentions from the government and great efforts of educational sector, the education and training of Viet Nam has made some remarkable steps More money has been invested in education; educational facilities have been fully supplied in large scale and intellectual standards of our people have improved which have made great contribution to the renovation process, the building and defending the country There are, however, some drawbacks in the educational system in Viet Nam First, the aim and viewpoint haven’t been specified; there is a weakness in the education programs, lack of qualified teachers; the quality of education is low in both schools and universities In addition, schoolbooks are overload with too much knowledge which are difficult to follow The methods of teaching are out of date and passive with little or no practice Educational problem is a big issue which needs to be solved Something must be done to solve these problems and I personally think that the methods of teaching in most schools and universities in Viet Nam should be changed The role of teachers should be as a controller or guider not just supplier The information in textbooks should be reduced to a limit so that it is easier for students to follow especially in primary schools where student are too young to master all the information and knowledge in their books Also, we should apply many advanced teaching methods from other countries especially those which have good reputation in education and training such as Britain, USA, Singapore Education and training should work closely with reality, experiments and practice should be included more in the lessons Finally, the government should give much priority and attention to education and training and sees it as the critical sector in the development process of the country To this, we need to socialize our educational system which requires the efforts from not only the government but also the population as a whole TRAFFIC PROBLEMS AND SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS The traffic problem in Viet Nam has always been a pressing issue in the society Thousands of people are killed every year in traffic accidents and thousands more are suffering from injuries in hospitals This is because the traffic system such as roads, vehicles are not of good standard which have helped to cause traffic jams everyday in big cities Moreover, traffic laws is not very strict so people often violate or ignore it Also, the attitude of people taking the traffic is very bad, they not follow traffic light; ignore the signs and always can’t be bother to wear helmets During rush hours, the streets are full of vehicles of all kinds trying to make their ways ahead without caring about traffic rules and orders A lot of efforts have been made by the government to solve the problems but the situation still hasn’t been improved There are some solutions to this problem as following: First, stricter rules should be given to delivering driving license and people who violate traffic laws should be fined heavily Also, the traffic infrastructures need to be of good standard with separated lanes for different kinds of vehicles In addition, traffic laws should be popularized in larger scale so that everyone is aware of following the traffic orders; vehicles which are too old should be banned from taking the traffic If those solutions are solved I believe that the traffic problem in Viet Nam will be improved THE ECONOMIC POTENTIALITIES OF THANH HOA Thanh Hoa has an area of 11.106 sq km It shares the border with Son La, Hoa Binh and Ninh Binh in the North, Nghe An in the South and the country of Lao in the west with the boundary of 192 km The province opens to the East Sea in the East with 102 km of coastline Thanh Hoa has great economic potentialities and is now on the process of development and integration Highland and plain comprise most area in Thanh Hoa with mild climate, high rate of rainfall and abundant forest products Also, Thanh Hoa has good potential of hydroelectricity The plain is the third largest in Viet Nam with the characteristic of a delta area built up by the silk of Ma, Yen, Hoat rivers The coastline is long and rather flat which boasts a popular beach – Sam Son which is suitable for raising aquatic products, allocating industrial zones and developing sea economy Places which are high potential include Nga Son, Southern Sam Son, Nghi Son Thanh Hoa has a monsoon climate with four distinctive seasons, high rate of rainfall which create an ideal condition for developing agriculture, forestry and fish-breeding The natural resources are abundant with large areas of forests which are home to many precious animals such as: elephants, dears, monkeys, wild boars, reptiles and different kinds of birds According to the 2005 statistics, Thanh Hoa has a population of 3,67 million with ethnic groups including Kinh, Muong, Thai, H’mong, Dao, Tho, Kho Mu The young labor resource is plentiful with good academic standard Commercial banks are allocated all over the province The supermarkets in the city and trading markets in the countryside have been developing fast The traffic system such as road, railway, and waterway is convenient and suitable for economic development Thanh Hoa has great potentialities for developing tourism It is listed as one of the main points of national tourism program with thousands of historic relics together with beautiful landscapes such as: Sam Son beach, Hai Tien, Hai Hoa seaside resorts, Ben En national park, Tu Thuc cave, Cam Luong fish stream, Tien Nong stock garden With such potentialities and the open policies for investments and the hospitalities of Thanh Hoa people, Thanh Hoa’s economy has been growing rapidly and is going to be one of the strongest in Viet Nam ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF COMPUTERS AND THE INTERNET Today, together with the advanced breakthrough of information technology, computers and the internet have been playing a vital role in our society In the first place, computers and the internet are means of study, research, education ,a mean of entertainment which enables us to communicate effectively with each other in different ways such as email, online chatting There are various things to entertain on your computers including games online, listening to music online, watching movies online or downloading your favorite programs from the net to your computers Computers have never been so popular especially when people use them to connect to the webs They connect us with the outside world informing us with all the updated news and events taking place in the far-off places Thanks to them, our lives are more convenient and comfortable than ever Just a few clicks, you can find all the information you need in such a fast way about every fields you want without going to the library Also, computers and the internet help to make people get closer to each other You can talk to a friend of yours who is half way around the world in a very cheap and convenient way Moreover, computers and the internet are very helpful in education, people who, for some reasons cannot go to schools or colleges can study at home on courses made for them on the net There are, however, some bad things about them which are sometimes very dangerous to people who use them First, as it provides us with a lot of entertaining programs like games, music, movies so people are easy to get addicted especially young people and children They forget all about their schools, homework and other things sticking their eyes to the computer screens They lose touch with their families and friends living in an imaginary world of violent games which are going on and on everyday In that case, the internet is not cheap, it is very costly and time consuming as well There are also many bad websites on the internet which can easily ruin one’s life if he or she is addicted to them We don’t deny the benefits that computers and the internet have brought to human but we shouldn’t let the most amazing invention of human beings become the harmful machine which destroys our lives ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION AND SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS Today, the industrialization and modernization in our country are developing rapidly The economic growth is high and the standard of living has been improved However, together with that economic growth, there are environmental pollutions which result from the process of economic development We have water pollution, air pollution These pollutions are getting worse and worse and seriously affecting the lives of people and the environment Pollutions have been caused by many of human’s activities such as: industrial and agricultural operations, traffic, littering, garbage dumping to rivers and seas The air is so dirty in some cities that sometimes it is difficult to breathe Green house effect is caused by air pollution which makes the climate warmer and warmer The overuse of some chemical substances has damaged the ozone layer which has led to many natural calamities such as flood, erosion, landslide, drought, forest fire affecting greatly on the world’s climate and threatening the lives of human beings The environmental problem in Vietnam is a pressing issue which needs to be solved as soon as possible There are some possible solutions to this problem Firstly, factories shouldn’t be built near the residential areas and the waste water processing system should be of proper standard Secondly, harmful chemical substances should be limitedly used in agriculture More trees should be planted in cities and the practice of deforestation should be heavily fined People are advised to use public transports or bicycles instead of their own vehicles to avoid eliminating smoke into the air Also, manufactures which have high risk of causing pollution shouldn’t be allowed to run their business Finally, the public awareness of pollution should be changed There should be more programs to educate people how to keep the environment clean and not to throw trash everywhere The protection of the environment should be taken more seriously by both the government and the residents so that we can live in a world without any risk of having unhealthy lives 10 SOME CHANGES TO MAKE THANH HOA CITY A MORE ENJOYABLE PLACE FOR ITS RESIDENTS AS WELL AS VISITORS With good advantages of natural tourism resources and favorable topography and transport system, Thanh Hoa city has become one of dynamic economic centers in Viet Nam However, to become an appealing destination to visitors, some changes should be made to make Thanh Hoa a more beautiful and attractive place for its residents and visitors In the first place, the city infrastructures need to be improved Streets should be widened, electricity, running water, environment protection, tree planting the culture of behavior should be paid a lot of attention by both the city government and its residents This is the most important thing in the tourism culture especially when we are on the process of integrating into the economic global Next, the cultural potentialities should be developed; more festivals and tourism activities should be held in order to attract tourists coming to Thanh Hoa Entertainment centers need to be improved The travel agencies needs to be improved to meet the higher demands of tourists with many tours held to explore the distinctive features of the province We should also upgrade our traffic system which means more roads should be built The city should call for more foreign investments to come and should also create more favorable conditions for promoting and advertising tourism The city should be divided into sections such as: the center of shopping, entertainments, administrative center but keep the natural scenery The socialization of tourism should be strengthened to raise the role of tourism in the development of the city With all those changes, I strongly believe that Thanh Hoa will soon become one of the most tourist attractions in Viet Nam in the future 11 LEISURE ACTIVITIES AND HOBBIES Different people of different ages enjoy doing different activities in their free time and obviously there are different kinds of hobbies that people are after nowadays Hobbies and leisure activities in the modern world are somewhat different from those in the past when people used to some traditional things that had been existed for thousands of years and had been passed from generation to generation Those activities seemed to link closely to their traditions and customs and mainly were something that they did everyday when there was no work or when they got bored and had nothing to Those things people did in their free time were originated from their work when they got so interested in doing them and they turned out to be their hobbies such as fishing, hunting, collecting things which had something to with the nature Places they did their favorite activities were normally lakes, forest, fields, mountains and things they used were natural material objects More hobbies were created and added, some of which from ancient times have been lasting for such a long time and growing more and more popular even until today such as fishing, drawing, horse riding, collecting objects The reason why those ancient hobbies and leisure activities still exist among many of modern interests is not because they are antique or cheap but because those help people relax, entertaining or find their inner peace They help people escape from the hard working hours with work, cars, noise, pollution, social relationships to lock themselves in their own world With the development of the society, the younger people today have hobbies of their times Many new kinds of hobbies have been created together with the advance of modern technology People things in their free time using means of modern equipments such as computers, internet hobbies are no longer something that is quiet or peaceful but exciting and sometimes crazy In short, whatever forms that hobbies may become, they still keep their characteristic which are things for people to take a change for a while in their lives, to help them satisfy with what they and enjoy life more It depends on how you feel and what moods you are in or which taste you have got to go for different hobbies So you can go fishing to enjoy the peaceful moments on your own or go to a noisy dance floor to get excited with your friends It doesn’t matter of what you but the matter of satisfaction and pleasure that you will get 12 YOUR HOME VILLAGE OR HOME TOWN I come from a small town of a western district of Thanh Hoa province My home town is located on the south bank of Ma river and to me it is probably one of the best places I have ever known Although it is a small town but very beautiful and the things I like most about it is that it is clean and peaceful The town has every thing that its people need such as markets, stores, schools, a hospital, a post office, a bank, restaurants and so on I went to primary school, secondary school and high school in my home town and I had such an enjoyable time there The schools I went to were nice and modern with helpful teachers and friendly friends There is a big river flowing pass the town which creates such a very beautiful landscape When I was a child, I and my friends used to go to the sandy bank of the river to play our games, to lie down on the sand and enjoyed the view of sunset or swam in the cool and fresh water on hot summer days There is a very good ice scream shop near my house which sells best ice scream We used to spend all our pocket money buying those sweet cold creams after school There are also some restaurants where you can eat good food quite cheaply However, the best place in the town is the 100 year pagoda built during Ly dynasty to worship a local hero The pagoda is not very big but it is said to be very sacred It is popular to people in the neighboring areas and attracts thousands of visitors coming to enjoy the sight or pray for luck and wealth during its anniversary day The people in my home town are quiet but very friendly They are hard working and very proud of the town Environmental problems are paid special problems by local people and everyone is aware of keeping the streets and roads clean The best time for you to come to my home town is during its festival days which take place during Tet when the streets are decorated with flags, people wear traditional costumes and there are a lot of activities celebrating the festival There is a lot more I want to tell you about my home town but if you want to see it all with your own eyes I suggest you should pay it a visit some day and I’m sure you won’t regret it 13 THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF GOING TO UNIVERSITY ABROAD Today, more and more students are going abroad to study, People have different reasons to choose to study abroad, some go for higher education, some for better teaching and studying environment and others for better degrees which can enable them to get good jobs in the future Universities in countries like Britain, The USA, Australia, Canada, and Singapore are popular worldwide for their high advance of educational systems which attract thousands of foreign students coming to study each year Obviously there are many benefits that a person can get when they choose to study abroad In the first place, studying in universities abroad means that you will get a degree which is recognized all over the world Therefore, you will be at great advantage to get a good job when you apply for it back in your country This is because the educational system in those universities is very advanced, different methods of teaching as well as learning are used by the best teachers and professors coming from many countries around the world In addition, you will have an opportunity to modern teaching facilities which offer you a wide range of majors and credits Besides, studying abroad offers you a chance to get to know different cultures, to meet different people coming from all over the world, to improve your understandings and the knowledge of English as well However, for many people, studying abroad has certain disadvantages that you will have when you decide to go to an overseas university First, it is very costly which means you have to pay a great deal of money for the fees and expenses and for most people it is so expensive that they cannot afford to go Most universities now require good knowledge of English which can cause a lot problems to learners whose English is not of good standard Second, you will definitely have difficulties living in a country which you have never been to before, you have no family, relative there to help you and you have to manage your life on your own Moreover, the difference of culture can be a problem too and there is a high risk of being bullied, isolated or even threatened and finally, you will miss your home, family, friends so much and for some people it will affect the study making it hard for them to keep up with schoolwork All in all, studying abroad is good but it doesn’t mean the only way for you to get your future It all depends on you, on how you feel, what ambition you’ve got and very important how much can you afford What I want to conclude is that if you work hard and believe in yourself you will be successful either studying at home or abroad 14 THE IMPORTANCE OF ENGLISH IN YOUR LIFE AND WORK English has been playing an important role in our social life especially in the period of industrialization, modernization and integration It is a means of communication which links people of different cultures, from different countries to get close to each other As for me, I think English is very useful and knowing English is an advantage and it gives me a very good chance to understand the world in my own view and judgment Nowadays, English is a language of instruction in most countries and it has become the international number one official language in the world Knowing English enables me to watch my favorite programs on cable TV, to listen to my favorite music and enjoy the best movies made in Hollywood Also, English really helps when you operate a machine such as TV, remote control, a cooker the machines you buy have instructions so it is very good for me to understand what it tells so that I can run or install the machine in a right way It helps ma a lot when I use my computer or explore the net as all the instructions are in English I also gather a lot of information written in English on the net to improve my knowledge of a subject I’m interested in and get to know about different cultures all over the world and the best thing is that I can travel to many countries around the world without feeling any problems of language difference to meet and make friends with different people In my work, to know English gives me such a good advantage over others as I can operate machine like computers, printers, fax machine and install some soft ware in the PC In my job, sometimes I receive documents most of which are written in English so I can easily understand and get the work well done I also have to travel from place to place in my job and sometimes go abroad to attend a festival or a workshop and to that I must know how to communicate with people in English which is really helps me through and make my work a lot easier For some people English may not be of that importance but to me it is some thing that gets me through my life I think it is the most beautiful and useful language in the world which has helped me a lot both in my life and my work 15 YOUR JOB AT PRESENT AND HOW YOU SEE IT IN FIVE YEARS’ TIME At present I am working as a lecturer at a university I enjoy it here and teaching is probably my favorite I would say My subject is economic and I love it, dealing with all the matters of economic situations and statistics has always been my interest It is very interesting to stand in front of hundreds of students and explain to them the knowledge of economic and help them to solve their problem Sometimes it takes a lot of patience and efforts but you will never know how good it feels when we finally make it clear and the admiration of the student as well as the satisfaction of getting the solution solved gives me a lot of satisfaction I think work satisfaction is very important when you your job and I get it here with the subject I am teaching, the university I work and the students I teach My life is happy here and I get on very well with my colleague and students and get all of their respects My job is well-paid as well which means I can enjoy doing my job without worrying about money That is another good thing about it Other lectures in my department are friendly and helpful, they are very good lectures, we often have discussions about some economic problems but in a very positive way I also learn a lot from them I love my job at present and I don’t think I will continue to it in five years’ time from now I hope I will stay like this but I also have to work very hard to get more teaching experiences and knowledge to go further in my career to be the head of the department when I can be able to help other colleagues and students to train more people with good knowledge of economic to make contribution to the building of our country./ ... developing rapidly with 310 hotels and rest houses The infrastructures have been improved to receive 15 to 20 thousands of tourists a day The system of services is being reordered, administrative management... beautiful and useful language in the world which has helped me a lot both in my life and my work 15 YOUR JOB AT PRESENT AND HOW YOU SEE IT IN FIVE YEARS’ TIME At present I am working as a lecturer