Speaking Trang Bui Flashcards
Talk about the role of a police officer in your country
I guess police officers play an extremely important role in any society. They maintain law and order, protect members of the public and their property, prevent crime, reduce the fear of crime and improve the quality of life for all citizens in the communities that they serve.
What are the criteria to be a good police officer
This is such an interesting question to think about. I think a police officer should, above all, be brave because his job may require him to get into dangerous situations which can even threaten his own life in order to protect others. Also, it takes an educated, kind hearted and motivated person to be a good police officer, in my opinion.
How about a lawyer ?
Lawyers are similar to police officers in a sense that their work is also to maintain peace and order in communities. However, in order to become a good lawyer, one may need different qualities from those of a police officer, for example, public speaking skills as his jobs delivering speeches in front of large crowds. Analytical skills and creativity are among the most important qualities of a good lawyer as well.
What job is more popular in your country, a policeman or a lawyer ? Why?
To be honest, when it comes to comparing the popularity of those two occupations, I have a rather vague idea. I mean, lawyer should probably be more popular because lawyers are supposed to work in an office, which is a lot safer than dealing directly with criminals and life-threatening situations like police do. On the other hand, police are believed to make much more money and enjoy better welfare policies.
Do most people in your country abide the law?
It should depend on which part of the country we are talking about. As far as I know, in big cities like HCM where there is a bigger police presence than in other parts, most people abide the law to some extent so that they don’t have anything to do with police or the government. In less developed regions, however, people tend to ignore many laws due to the lack of police monitoring
Do you think the law should be broken sometimes? If so, under what circumstances ?
Most people would like to consider themselves law-abiding citizens. Yet, in some special cases where breaking a law can help save more lives and property than obeying it, it should definitely be broken. Also, sometimes people break law just to have the experience without doing any harm to their community, which I personally think is acceptable
Talk about a good law in your country. Please say
- What law is it?
- Why is it a good law?
- Who does the law affect?
- What would have happened without the law?
One of the laws in my country that most Vietnamese people including myself consider to be highly effective is the mandatory motorcycle helmet law
As you know, Vietnam has a high burden of road traffic injuries, being the country where motorcycles are by far the primary mode of transport across the nation with thousands of new motorcycles on the road each day, according to WHO. It has been estimated that more accidents in Vietnam occur among motorcycle drivers and passengers than any other mode of transport.
Therefore, back in 2007, the government released a resolution which made it mandatory for all motorcycles and passengers to wear a helmet on every type of road. According to this resolution, motorcycle drivers and passengers, if seen not wearing a helmet, can be stopped and given financial penalties by police.
Obviously, since this law was introduced in Vietnam, it has faced quite many challenges concerning the quality of helmets, the enforcement of it on children and people’s lack of awareness. However, it can’t be denied that this law has made travelling by road in Vietnam significantly safer. Researchers from the government have shown that the number of road traffic injuries and fatalities has witnessed a decrease as helmet lower the frequency and severity of head injuries resulting from traffic crashes
Do you like taking photos with your phone or camera?
Well, I guess like most young people today, I tend to take more pictures with my smart phone than with a camera. This is simply because it is much more convenient to bring a phone with you all the time more than a professional camera. Yet, I do think that photos taken with a camera usually have higher quality
What photos do you like to take ?
I love taking pictures of interesting things that I see, which may include the places I travel to, the people I meet and the food I eat. I know a lot of people nowadays are obsessed with taking pictures of themselves to post on social networking sites. Although I don’t do that very often, I think it is pretty fun too.
What will you do with these photos? Why?
After taking pictures, I will post them on Facebook to share with my friends and family so they can know what I’m up to. I personally think it is a great way to keep in touch with people
Would you like to do a course in photography
Funny that you asked, I am thinking about taking a course in photography after I’m done with the IELTS exam. I love looking at beautiful pictures because they are very inspiring, so I hope that one day I’ll be able to take professional photos myself
What kinds of gifts do people often give each other in your country?
In my country, people most usually choose to give each other money as a gift because of its practically. It is not always easy to guess what people want so sometimes you may spend lots of money on something that is not going to be used at all. In order to avoid this from happening, Vietnamese prefer giving each other money so that the receivers can get themselves whatever they want
On what occasions do people in your country give gifts?
There are many occasions on which people in my country give presents such as Birthday, Women’s day or Valentines. As a matter of fact, exchanging gifts is not our traditional practice. However, for last few decades, this has become extremely popular, especially among young generations. On special occasions, people give gifts as a way to express affection to or show gratitude for family members or friends.
Describe a book that you have recently read. Please say
- What was the name of the book?
- What was the book about?
- Do you think it was interesting? Why?
Admittedly, for the past few months, I haven’t been reading as much as I should because of my new projects at work. it’s a shame, because reading it, without a doubt, the best way to learn as well as to relax. The last book that I read.”A still forest pool”, is also the one that has had the most significant impact on me.
Basically, “A still forest pool” is a book about meditation written by Ajahn Chah, a Buddhist master in Thailand. Ajahn had spent years meditating in forest monasteries, which are not as easy to be found as they were several decade ago. Being among the most influential and respected teacher of Buddhism in his own country, he has been known as a man of great wisdom who people seek advice from
“A still forest pool” is such a remarkable book which reflects the author’s simple yet powerful message about Buddhist practice of “everyday mindfulness”. Not only does it describe the importance of staying fully awake in everyday life, but it also shows people how to start living mindfully. The book has profound insights, especially for the West, where Buddhism has recently become more popular.
This is definitely the most interesting book that I have ever read. It helps me realize how important it is to live fully in the present instead of the past or the future. I would recommend it to everyone who is in search for inspiration, motivation or simply a change in attitude in order to live more meaningfully
Do you think more places on earth should be green ? Why?
I certainly think we don’t just need to, but must, have more green space on earth. Our planet is facing serious environmental problems that are directly connected to the massive loss of forests. If actions are not taken over the next few decades, it will be a challenge for future generations to survive on a planet where little or no green space to be found.
Do you think gardens are destroyed for the purpose of building new apartments ?
In my opinion, there are several factors is leading to the fact that natural gardens are disappearing, one of which is the growing demand for living spaces. Especially in big cities, where job opportunities and living standards are believed to be better than in the countryside, there is a severe lack of space. As a result, new apartments have been built because they take up less space and accommodate more people than houses do.
Do you go to nature parks a lot?
As a matter of fact, going to a green park is my favorite thing to do in the freetime. Unfortunately, there are not many nature parks left in HCM. I guess this is not very surprising, considering the fact that this city has the largest population of 8 million people while not being particularly big in size. Nevertheless. there is a big park downtown that I visit every weekend with my friends and family
Why do you go to the nature park ?
The main reason why I enjoy going to nature parks immensely is because it relaxes me. Studying and living in such a big city as HCM can really stress me out sometimes, especially when exams are coming. At those times, I find it helpful to turn to the nature for inspiration. I have found sitting under the warm sun, feeling cool breezes blowing through my hair and listening to birds singing therapeutic and joyful
Talk about a place near water that you have visited. Please say:
- Where did you go?
- Why did you go there?
- Did you enjoy it?
Every once in a while I visit a palace with water such as a lake, a river or a beach because I love being near water very much. Of all the places I have been to, West Lake is definitely my favorite.
West Lake is located in the center of Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam and also the city I am living in. This is the largest lake in the city with a shore length of 17km. Legend has it that the lake was formed from a struggle of a buffalo after losing her calf.
There are many recreational activities to do here. The lake is surrounded by cafes and restaurants with chair facing the water. On sunny days, I often have a cup of coffee at one of my favorite spots and read a book while enjoying the warm sun kissing my skin
When I feel more energetic, there is always a boat trip to cruise on the lake or I can sign up for a kayak at one of the most renowned kayaking clubs in Hanoi located right beside the lake. Fishing is also a popular activity at West Lake although I have never tried it myself.
I guess the reason I find places near water like West Lake attractive is because water has a calming effect on me. With all the pressure that we are going under from work and relationships nowadays, is essential for us to remind ourselves sometimes to restore the inner peace. Whenever I feel stressed or disoriented, I go to a quite place near the lake and sit for hours, doing nothing but looking over the water. This will almost certainly improve my mood and inspire me to deal with the problems with a more positive attitude.
What is the major use of water in your country ?
Although Vietnam counts as one of the countries with highest annual rainfall in the world, irrigation still accounts for a significantly large proportion of water use here. This is due to the uneven distribution of rain water regarding space and time. Some regions in my country, especially the lowlands, receive more rain than the others. Also it rains much more during certain months of the year. Besides agriculture, water is used for other purposes including power generating, manufacturing and recreational activities as well.
Is it important to conserve water?
I certainly think it is of extreme importance to conserve water. it is a fact that population, household size as well as living standards are all increasing, which inevitably means a rise in water consumption worldwide. Unfortunately, water resources have been polluted because of human’s activities. Unless people start learning to manage water use more wisely, many countries in the world will soon face a water crisis in the future.
Why should scientists focus on space exploration rather than exploring water?
To be honest, I have very little idea when it come to scientific subjects like this one. Yet, I think it make sense that exploring the universe attracts much interest from scientists. Like I said previously, the world’s population is growing when the size of the world itself isn’t. It will soon come to a point where humans need more space preferably on another planet with unexploited resources.
What is the importance of sunlight?
Sunlight is essential to the existence of human on earth in several senses. To begin with, the sun keeps the world warms and therefore, makes life possible. It also maintains the rotation of day and night, which provides a natural timing mechanism crucial for many living creatures including people. Moreover, sunlight is believed to be good for our health. Regular exposure to sunlight plays an important role in bones development and prevention of some popular diseases like cancer.
What will happen if there will be no sunlight?
It is really challenging to imagine what life would be like without sunlight. I think it is quite safe to assume that there wouldn’t be any life at all. Scientists have long concluded that if there were no sunlight, the planet that we call Earth would be too cold for any form of life. Sunlight provides vital mechanism as well as chemicals without which, life would simply be impossible