Unit 7

Part 1:

1. Do you have any hobbies?

Well, everyone has their own leisure pursuits and mine is reading. The book that
I like the most is Homeless by famous French writer Hector Malot. It’s a page
turner and I’d really recommend it

2. What hobbies are popular in your country?

Well, there are plenty of recreational activities that Vietnamese people

enjoy doing in their spare time. Generally speaking, Vietnamese love
listening to music on music streaming websites such as Zing MP3 or
Spotify because they offer a variety of songs free of charge. Another
hobby that has gained popularity recently is travelling. By travelling to
new places, people can have the chance to see beautiful landscapes
and broaden their horizons.

3. Is it important to have a hobby?

Definitely! I mean nowadays lufe is getting more and more hectic, so people are
constantly under an enormous amount of stress. That’s why it’s necessary to get
into some recreational activities to unwind and just forget about life for a
minutes, you know?

4. What sort of hobbies would you like to try in the future?

Well, If I have more spare time in the future, I will take up playing the
guitar. Actually, I have found this musical instrument interesting ever
since I was a kid so I really want to cross it off my bucket list

Part 2:

Describe an interest or hobby that you enjoy.

You should say:

§ How you became interested in it

§ How long you have been doing it

§ Why you enjoy it

§ And explain what benefits you get from that interest or hobby.
In my leasure time, reading is alsolutely my cup of tea. I have just taken up this hobby for 1 year
since the covid 19 pandemic and I have nothing to do so I tried to read book and gradually it has
become my hobby. And now reading is an dispensable part of my day. Everyday, I would spend
at least 30 minutes to read. So I would tell you about some reason why I love reading.The first
reason is it gives me a level of fulfillment. After reading a book, I feel like a whole new being and
my outlook in life changes. A good books contains a lot of knowledge and useful advices
The second reason is books help me to unwind. Nowadays life is getting more and more hectic,
and reading help me to relax after a long tired day. I would love to read a book in my cozy
bedroom, digest every words in my favorite book and drink a cup of coffee.
I read serveral genre of books such as: novel, english book, self help book, marketing books. And
each book give a an enormous amount of knowledge and I also gain a new perspective after
finish a book. When it comes to the book I like the most it is Homeless, a novel writeen by the
author Hector Malot. This book is a page turner of mine and I would recommend you to read this
book.

To sum up, I think we should all take up a good hobby like reading because this
hobby brings to us a lot of benefits and it’s also a good way to relax.

Part 3:

1. Is there any difference in spending free time now with the past?

Yes, it seems to me that cutting-edge technology has great impact on how people spend
their free time. While youngsters in the past spent more time outdoors to play some
traditional games, youngsters today play video games or surf the internet that’s why
leisure pursuits today make people less active and creative than they used to be.

2. Is it important to have a hobby? / Why is it important for people to have

free-time activities?

I personally believe that hobby is a remedy for fatigue /fəˈtiːɡ/ met moi. Since you choose
that activity, it will always give you pleasure and help you to unwind. Even if you indulge
/ɪnˈdʌldʒ/ thuong thuc, cho phep in your hobby for a short period of time, you still can feel
the difference in your energy level and spirit. While you pursue a hobby, you may
discover that you have a talent for something unusual as well which you do not know
about so far. One more thing is that it also an a chance to meet amazing people of similar
taste when you join in any club.

3. Is it harmful to spend too much time on a hobby?

Yes , I do agree to some extent. While having a hobby allows people to unwind after
stressful days, over-indulgence /ˌōvərənˈdəljəns/ qua dam me in anything could do more
harm than good. Lots of people spend too much time on playing games or going to parties
without realizing that they are wasting precious time. For instance, a student spend long
hours to play game will lead to bad academic performance at school. So people should
balance between their life and hobby.

Unit 8_Practice

Part 1:
 1. What is your most vivid childhood memory?

 I remember going out walking with my friends one day. We often used to go
walking in the countryside near my home, and this time we walked really far
over the fields. It started to rain really heavily, so we hid under a big tree, but
then there was a thunderstorm, and you really shouldn’t stay under a tree when
there’s lightning. It was really scary.

2. Are you still in touch with your childhood friends?

Not really, no. We drifted apart over the years. I still get together with my best
friend from primary school maybe once every year or two, but that’s all. I suppose
I see what people are up to on Facebook.

3.What was your favourite toy when you were a child?

hmm… Let me think… I was really into dinosaurs when I was a child, I suppose my
favourite toy would have been a dinosaur. Honestly, though, I can’t remember that
much.

4. Is it important for children to have fun? Why?

Well, yes, of course. As you get older, life tends to get more and more
stressful. There are so many social and economic pressures that trouble us, so
I think people should be allowed to enjoy their childhoods. I mean, just look at
children. They are so innocent and carefree by their nature. Why should we
spoil for them? Let them have fun.

Part 2:

Describe a happy childhood memory.

You should say:

§ when and where the incident you remember happened

§ who you were with

§ what happened exactly

§ and explain why it is a happy memory.

One of the sweetest memories of my childhood was the first time I learned to ride a
bicycle and I was tremendously glad to have the experience. My elder brother helped me
ride a bicycle and he was very careful about it. Honestly, without his help, I would not
have learned it.

I was about six or seven, I cannot exactly remember the age. But it was not the age for
a girl to learn to ride a bicycle. I just crossed my elementary grades when I learned to
ride a bicycle. My older brother shared everything with me and I was his passenger on
the newly received bicycle from his birthday. He was a teen but rode on bicycles like an
adult.

After riding for a couple of days behind my brother, I wanted to learn to ride it myself.
My brother, Jim, did not hesitate to teach me the riding. Initially, he explained how the
bicycle worked and took me to take the rider seat. I fell on the ground several times and
Jim instructed me to keep the balance. In the first phase, Jim used to control the bicycle
from behind so that I do not fall on the ground and gradually I improved in riding the
bicycle. Later, Jim allowed me to ride the bicycle alone.   

It was a nice experience for me

Part 3:

1. Do you think people often idealise their childhoods?

Of course. I think that most people look back on their own childhoods with a
sense of nostalgia /nɑːˈstæl.dʒə/. They remember that sense of innocence and
freedom that they had, and how much that has been lost in adulthood. They
also tend to look at today’s youth and feel that their own childhood was
somehow better because they are now so detached from modern young
people.

2. How does a person’s childhood influence what kind of adult they become?

Well, it probably influences them in many ways, some of which are subtle  /ˈsʌt̬ .əl/
and some obvious. For one example, if you have a happy, healthy childhood, you
are probably more likely to become a well-adjusted adult. However, if you were
subjected to bullying and abuse, you may replicate that behaviour as an adult.

3. When does a child become an adult in your view

Oh wow, that’s a difficult question. I suppose legally we are adults at 16 in

my country, but more traditionally you are an adult at 21. For some things,
you are also considered an adult at 18. However, I think growing into
adulthood is more complex and inexact process. Some people mature very
early and others very late, and there is probably no point at which any
person could be said to have switched from childhood to adulthood.