TOPIC 20- Talk about an important choice that you had to make in your life.
BAND 8.0+
PART 2
Alice (English US)
George (English US)
When did you make this choice?
What did you have to choose between?
Did you make a good choice or not?
How did you feel when you were making the choice?
ANSWER
I believe that each of us sometimes has to make extremely essential decisions in life, whether they are difficult or easy.
If my memory serves me right, about 10 years ago, after graduating from college, I was doubtful about my career. My major was business administration, but it’s not my dream job. Actually, at that time, I didn’t know what kind of job I would like to have after graduating college.
But after taking an English class at an English center, I was really interested in English, especially TOEIC. So I had to choose between becoming a TOEIC teacher or working in a field related to my major.
I was really stressed and panicked. Finally, I made up my mind that I had to change my career to become an English teacher.
The problem was that I was not good at English, and to be a TOEIC teacher, I have a certificate with at least 900 points per 990 total.
The major obstacle was that my parents were really shocked about my decision because I spent about 4 years at university and my parents wanted me to have a table job like my cousins.
So when I told my parents that I wanted to be a teacher and that I needed to spend at least 3 years specializing in TOEIC, I was really under a lot of pressure.
In order for my parents to believe in my decision, I studied around the clock. I studied nearly 15 hours a day, like waking up around 4 a.m. to listen to the test and learn vocabulary and grammar. I bought a lot of books about TOEIC to learn from the internet as well. I can say that, at that time, I was obsessed with TOEIC. I even saw myself learning TOEIC in my dream.
But as the saying goes, hard work always pays off. After nearly 2 years of learning TOEIC from beginners, I took the first test at IIG VN.
What a surprise! I got 970 points out of a total of 990. Holding a certificate in my hand, I couldn’t believe I could do it. I was completely taken aback.
After all, I am really pleased with my decision to become a TOEIC teacher. I really like teaching, enjoy independence and flexibility, and have many chances to meet people from all walks of life. I never regret my decision.
PART 3
Alice (English US)
George (English US)Are you open to change?
- Yes, absolutely. In our monotonous lives, change is the only thing that keeps us going.I find that my situation does not have to last forever, and I will progress on to something bigger and better. If I reject change, experiences, and opportunities in my career are likely to pass me by.
- Is change a good or bad thing?In my opinion, change can teach us to adapt and help us develop resilience, but only if we understand our own capacity for growth and learning.
When change makes us better, it’s because we have learned how to turn a challenging situation to our own advantage, not merely because change happens.
Life is constantly changing, so we should be prepared for it.
- Are there any changes in your city or hometown?Yes, of course. My hometown used to be a poor village, but it is developing really quickly, and life in the countryside is becoming more and more convenient.
For example, there are many new stores, so people can go shopping more easily.
Moreover, infrastructure is better and more improved than in the past.
Lastly, there are more schools, hospitals, and gym centers.
This is definitely a positive change.
- Are there any positive changes in your country these days?I think the biggest change in Vietnam is the national economy.
Several decades ago, Vietnam used to be an underdeveloped country, but now, the Vietnamese economy has been significantly developing on an unprecedented scale.
People are enjoying better living standards, and they can afford all of their basic necessities.
- What are the most common planned situations when people’s lives change drastically?Apart from career goals like I just mentioned, I think changing education, hobbies, marriage, breaking up, or ending a relationship are the most common situations in which people change significantly.
- Is this common to all cultures?Yes, definitely, because we don’t know what will happen in the future. I know many of my friends who work in fields that are not related to their majors.
Or my close friend got married to another person who was not her loved one.
- What are unplanned circumstances that can suddenly change a person’s life?There are some situations that we can’t control, like the loss of a loved one, an accident, winning the lottery, or having a baby.
- Are these always positive or negative?It depends on the situation. People will be taken aback and ecstatic when winning the lottery or having a child.
But they can be heartbroken or depressed when losing a loved one.
- What kinds of changes do people often experience?Without a doubt, most people go through a lot of ups and downs in their lives. Major changes might include switching to a new job or moving to a new house.
They may also face adversity like unemployment, illness, financial loss, a pandemic, or an economic depression.
VOCAB
- If my memory serves me right – idiom
- Nghĩa: Nếu trí nhớ của tôi không lầm thì…
- Phiên âm: /ɪf maɪ ˈmɛməri sɜːrvz miː raɪt/
- Ví dụ: If my memory serves me right, we met at that conference last year.
- The major obstacle
- Nghĩa: rào cản chính, trở ngại lớn
- Phiên âm: /ðə ˈmeɪdʒər ˈɒbstəkl/
- Ví dụ: Lack of funding proved to be the major obstacle in completing the project.
- study/work around the clock
- Nghĩa: học/làm việc suốt ngày đêm
- Phiên âm: /ˈstʌdi/ /wɜːrk əˈraʊnd ðə klɒk/
- Ví dụ: During exam season, students often have to study around the clock to prepare.
- as the saying goes -idiom
- Nghĩa: như câu ngạn ngữ nói
- Phiên âm: /æz ðə ˈseɪɪŋ ɡoʊz/
- Ví dụ: As the saying goes, “A stitch in time saves nine,” meaning that addressing a problem early prevents it from becoming worse.
- be taken aback -adj
- Nghĩa: bị sốc, bị ngạc nhiên
- Phiên âm: /bi ˈteɪkən əˈbæk/
- Ví dụ: She was taken aback by the sudden announcement of her promotion.
- people from all walks of life
- Nghĩa: mọi người từ mọi tầng lớp xã hội
- Phiên âm: /ˈpiːpəl frɒm ɔːl wɔːks ɒv laɪf/
- Ví dụ: The charity event attracted people from all walks of life, including celebrities, politicians, and ordinary citizens.
- Monotonous -adj
- Nghĩa: đơn điệu, nhàm chán
- Phiên âm: /məˈnɒtənəs/
- Ví dụ: Doing the same repetitive task every day can become monotonous and boring.
- Resilience -n
- Nghĩa: sự kiên nhẫn, sự chịu đựng
- Phiên âm: /rɪˈzɪliəns/
- Ví dụ: Despite facing numerous challenges, her resilience allowed her to overcome adversity and achieve success.
- on an unprecedented scale
- Nghĩa: trên quy mô chưa từng có
- Phiên âm: /ɒn ən ʌnˈprɛsɪdɛntɪd skeɪl/
- Ví dụ: The pandemic has caused economic disruption on an unprecedented scale around the world.
- basic necessities
- Nghĩa: những nhu cầu cơ bản
- Phiên âm: /ˈbeɪsɪk nɪˈsɛsɪtiz/
- Ví dụ: Access to clean water, food, and shelter are considered basic necessities for human survival.
- Ecstatic -adj
- Nghĩa: vô cùng hạnh phúc, sung sướng
- Phiên âm: /ɪkˈstætɪk/
- Ví dụ: She was ecstatic when she received the news of her acceptance into her dream university.
- Heartbroken -adj
- Nghĩa: tan nát lòng, đau khổ
- Phiên âm: /ˈhɑːrtbrəʊkən/
- Ví dụ: After the breakup, he was left heartbroken and struggled to move on.
- Without a doubt
- Nghĩa: không nghi ngờ gì
- Phiên âm: /wɪˈðaʊt ə daʊt/
- Ví dụ: She is, without a doubt, the most talented singer in the competition.
- go through a lot of ups and downs
- Nghĩa: trải qua nhiều thăng trầm, khó khăn
- Phiên âm: /ɡoʊ θruː ə lɒt əv ʌps ænd daʊnz/
- Ví dụ: Starting a business can be challenging, and entrepreneurs often go through a lot of ups and downs before achieving success.
- switch to -v
- Nghĩa: chuyển sang, thay đổi sang
- Phiên âm: /swɪtʃ tuː/
- Ví dụ: Due to health concerns, she decided to switch to a plant-based diet.
- face adversity
- Nghĩa: đối mặt với khó khăn, thử thách
- Phiên âm: /feɪs ædˈvɜːrsəti/
- Ví dụ: Despite facing adversity in her personal life, she remained strong and determined to overcome the challenges.
Học thêm các bài IELTS Speaking mới nhất 👇👇👇
TOPIC 19 – Talk about a person you want to meet for a day or a family member you spend time with
Composed by Ms.Ngọc IELTS
