Education + habit

1. When did you start your higher education? what university are you studying in and what is your major?
2. Why did you choose your subject? Do you think it's a good choice?
3. Apart from gaining knowledge, what can you benefit from your study at University?
4. What skills did your university equip you and what skills were necesssary for you to study your subject?
5. What is the most difficult part of your course?
6. What do you think about your University?
7. What is the most interesting thing in your university life?
8. What facility support you in your study? Do you think your University need to improve anything?
9. Do you think your major is difficult? Do you regret choosing it?
10. Do you like taking a year out before attending tertiary education?
11. What are some good habits to have?
12. Where do we learn our habits?
13. Is it easy to get rid of a bad habit? what habit do you think is the most difficult one to get out of?
14. How can we develop a good habit?
15. Do you have any bad habit? Have you ever tried to get out of it?
16. How do other people's habits affect your work and life? for good or for ill?
17. Are we born with our bad habits or do we acquire them from the environment surrounding us?
18. Are you planning to have any good habit?

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5 dạng câu hỏi và trả lời thường gặp trong speaking part 1

SPEAKING PART 1: 

1. DESCRIPTION QUESTIONS: (Strategy: divide into 2 or 3 parts) 

Sample answer 

Tell me something about your hometown? 

Well as you can probably guess I come from Taipei and I have lived here all my life, although at the moment I’m studying in another city – Taizhong. I suppose if I had to describe Taipei, the first thing I would say is that it’s very crowded, maybe even one of the biggest cities in Asia I guess. It’s so congested that even the locals have problems finding their way around! Another significant characteristic is that it offers splendid examples of contemporary architecture. Actually some of the renowned landmarks are in the middle of Taipei, such as the Taipei 101, the second tallest building in the world.

Well, the main thing you need to know is that…(1) + (details)… 

On top of that I can also add that (2)…+ (details)… 

Something else that I need to say is that (3)…so actually…(detail) 

Starting-off 

Ok, then; actually; alright; well, you know;  

Point 1 

The first thing I’d like to mention is … 

The main thing you need to know is … 

I’d like to begin by highlighting the fact … 

Point 2 

In addition I suppose I should say … 

Another interesting point … 

Not only that, but _______is also exceedingly ….. 

Point 3 

And I shouldn’t forget to mention that… 

I guess I could also say that (it’s) sort-of …….. 

Finally I’d also like to mention …….. 

Practice: 

Tell me something about your hometown? 

What does your neighborhood look like? 

What does your house look like? 

2. LIKING (Strategy: General to specific) 

Rephrasing “liking” 

I’m pretty fond of… 

I’m really keen on… 

I’m a big fan of… 

I’m passionate about… 

Structure 

1. Well in general I would say … 

2. To be more precise/specific… 

3. And I guess this is probably because… 

Sample answer 

What kind of animals do you like? 

Well in general I would say small animals, to be more precise cats and dogs; and, I guess this is because we often kept them when I was growing up, and they were good companions for me.

Practice:  

What do you like about your hometown? 

Do you like your job/studies? 

What sort of music do you like? 

Do you like reading? 

Do you like shopping? 

3. DISLIKING (Strategy: General to specific) 

Rephrasing “Disliking” 

I’m not really satisfied with… 

I’m not much of a fan of… 

I’m not really fond of… 

…is simply not my cup of tea. 

I really can’t stand… 

… simply gets on my nerves. 

Sample answer 

Is there anything you don’t like about your hometown? 

In general, I’d have to say that I am not so satisfied with the weather. To be more precise, I really can’t stand the summer months. You know, it’s because the temperatures are often as high as 35 degrees, plus it is always humid, so it makes you feel quite uncomfortable!

Practice 

Is there anything you don’t like about your hometown? 

Is there anything you don’t like about job/studies? 

Is there any food you don’t like? 

What’s the worst thing about shopping? 

Are there any clothes that you don’t like? 

What type of weather do you dislike? 

4. “TYPE OF” QUESTIONS (strategy: depends on) 

…there’s quite a mixed variety of … 

…there’s quite an extensive diversity of … 

… there’s quite a wide range of … 

… there’s a fairly broad range of … 

… there’s quite a diverse mixture of … 

Sample answer 

Tell me about the different types of transportation in your city. 

Of course, you know there’s quite a mixed variety of public transportation in my city. Though I think the most commonly-used one could probably be buses. And the explanation for this could be that they are so cheap and reliable. In fact the average bus fare in my city is about 20 dollars for a single journey from start to end.

Practice 

What kinds of restaurants are popular in your country? 

What types of shops can be found in your local area? 

What types of things do people collect in your country? 

What types of TV programmes are popular in your country? 

5. “WH-/HOW OFTEN” QUESTIONS(strategy: concession) 

Well to be honest, I would have to say that it really depends.  

Like for instance … Whereas in contrast… 

Sample answer 

What sort of restaurants do you usually eat at? 

Usually I prefer to get something like fast food such as McDonalds because it’s quick and easy to get. However, if I have more time I would rather have something healthier such as a steak and salad from a decent restaurant like Outback Steakhouse.

Practice 

When do you usually read? 

Who do you spend your evenings with? 

When you go out in the evenings, what do you usually do? 

How often do you play sports? 

Where do you usually go shopping? 

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Family and friends

Family and friends

1-    Do you spend much time with your family ?

2-    Who are you closest to in your family ?

3-    Do you prefer spending time with your family or friends?

4-    Who is your best friend?

5-    Are you still friends with people from your childhood ?

6-    Is family important in your country?
7- Do you live in a small or big family ? Do you enjoy it ? why ?
8- Do you like going out with your family ? Where do you often go to ?
9- Who is the breadwinner of your family ? 
10- Do you have strick parents ? How do you think about it?
11- Do you think your parent are proud of you ?
12- Who do you take after in your family ? Who is the person you love most ?
13- What do your parents do for a living ? How do you think about their jobs ?
14- Is the generation gap between you and your parents a big problem for you ?
15- How would you describe your lifestyle ?
16- Do you live close to your family? Can you tell me about your family member ?

VOCABULARY

1- Nuclear family	gia đình 1 thế hệ ( bố, mẹ, các con )
2- Extended family	gia đình nhiều thế hệ
3- One- parent = single parent family	gia đình đơn thân
4- Single dad/mom
5- Family life	I really enjoy my family life
6- Family business	gia đình có truyền thống kinh doanh
7- Family background	hoàn cảnh gia đình
8- Take after = resemble	giống ai
9- Resemblance	sự giống nhau
10- Close/distant relative	họ hàng xa - gần
11- To run in the family	cha truyền con nối
12- Beadwinner	trụ cột gia đình
13- Support	phụ giúp
14- Family man
15- Identical twins	sinh đôi khác trứng
16- In-Laws	gia đình nhà chồng / vợ
17- Bring up = raise = nurture	nuôi nấng ai
18- Blacksheep	cừu đen = cá biệt
19- To break up	chia tay, tan vỡ
20- To drift apart	dừng lại, không còn chơi với nhau nữa
21- To enjoy someone's company	thích ai đó đồng hành với mình
22- To fall head over heels in love ( with somebody)	yêu ai đó điên dại
23- To get to know smb	tìm hiểu ai đó
24- To have/share a lot in common	có nhiều điểm chung
25- To have ups and downs	có thăng trầm
26- A healthy ralationship	1 mối quan hệ lành mạnh
27- To be just good friends	chỉ là bạn thân
28- To keep / lose touch with smb	giữ liên lạc
29- Love at first sight	yêu từ cái nhìn đầu tiên
30- One- sided love	yêu đơn phương
31- To pop the question	cầu hôn
32- To see eye to eye	cùng quan điểm
33- To settle down	lập gia đình
34- To tie the knot	cưới nhau
35- To be well- matched	sinh ra để giành cho nhau
36- To word at a relationship	phát triển mối quan hệ
37- To get together	cùng nhau
38- Blood is thicker than water
39- Two peas in a pod	giống nhau

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