Topic 43: Talk about a very busy day in your life.
PART 2
When did it happen?
Where did you go?
What did you do?
How did you feel at the end of your day?
ANSWER
I currently reside in an apartment in District 5 in Saigon, a thriving metropolis in southern Vietnam. Life is extremely hectic here, and I am no exception. I have experienced extremely busy days many times in my life. But I remember vividly that, over 10 years ago, I was really swamped with work and my examination.
After graduating from college, I started my part-time job as a receptionist at a restaurant in District 10, while I was studying TOEIC and was prepared to take the TOEIC exam.
The busiest day I have ever experienced fell on a merry Christmas day and the day I had to take the TOEIC test simultaneously.
In order to get high scores on the TOEIC test, I had to wake up at around 4 a.m. to review all my lessons. At first, I did a bit of meditation, then I studied for TOEIC until around 8 a.m. After that, I had a light breakfast to make sure I had enough energy to work. After that, I took a shower and was prepared to go to work. Because the traffic in HCM City was really poor, I had to leave early in order to beat the traffic and save myself 20 minutes of riding.
My working time at that restaurant was from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. As it fell on Christmas Day, my restaurant was overcrowded. I worked hard and was really busy helping customers, such as by showing them their seats and receiving some complaints from them. I also assisted other waiter staff by getting water or ice for customers as well.
When I finished my shift at 4 p.m., I was in a hurry to go to IIG Vietnam, which was located in District 3, to take the test at 7 p.m. Although I was really exhausted when taking the TOEIC test, I did quite well.
After I finished my examination at around 9 p.m., I was quite starving. I stopped by a grocery store on the street to buy some fast food.
Believe me, I was extremely weary, exhausted, and starving at that time. But finally, everything went fine.
Hard work always pays off. I did my examination quite well; I got 950 points out of 990 points. I was over the moon at that time. And my team worked at my restaurant really well; many customers praised us, and we got a lot of tips and incentives from my manager.
Although that day was really exhausting, I was very grateful for what I had done.
PART3
What are the common responsibilities people manage every month in society?
Well, every individual each month has to pay their bills, rents, or mortgages, go to school or offices, and clean their house as well.
Why is it important to do these on time?
In my opinion, it is essential to be prompt on these errands because people might get into financial trouble if they don’t pay their bills. And they might end up losing their jobs. Or their house will get dirty.
How has technology helped people complete their social tasks, such as banking?
It has helped a lot. Instead of going to a bank to transact or do anything, people can use banking services conveniently from their homes, provided that they have their phones or computers and an internet connection.
What are the disadvantages of this?
From my perspective, people are not as social as they were in the past because they rarely go out anymore. Like going to the bank and talking to a bank teller.
Are there any errands that people do these days that did not exist fifty years ago?
Yes, absolutely. Nowadays, people pay their bills by using the internet, like utility bills that weren’t available half a century ago.
Will there be new regular tasks in the future that we don’t have to do today?
Oh yes, definitely. I believe we will have to charge the batteries of the self-driving cars every 6 months and keep on updating the software.
Why is it important for people to be productive during the work week?
Personally speaking, highly productive employees help a company achieve its goals. Productivity boosts morale and creates a company culture of excellence, resulting in an improved workplace environment.
VOCAB
- Be swamped with
- Nghĩa: bị áp đảo bởi công việc, hoạt động
- Phiên âm: /biː swɒmpt wɪð/
- I’m sorry, I can’t go out tonight. I’m swamped with work and deadlines.
- Simultaneously,
- Nghĩa: đồng thời, cùng một lúc
- Phiên âm: /ˌsɪm(ə)lˈteɪniəsli/
- She can juggle multiple tasks simultaneously without feeling overwhelmed.
- Have a light breakfast.
- Nghĩa: ăn sáng nhẹ nhàng
- Phiên âm: /hæv ə laɪt ˈbrɛkfəst/
- I usually have a light breakfast consisting of yogurt and fruit.
- To beat the traffic – idiom
- Nghĩa: tránh gặp kẹt xe, kẹt lối đi
- Phiên âm: /tuː biːt ðə ˈtræfɪk/
- I leave home early in the morning to beat the traffic and arrive at work on time.
- Starving -adj
- Nghĩa: đói khát, cảm thấy rất đói
- Phiên âm: /ˈstɑːvɪŋ/
- After a long day of hiking, we were starving and couldn’t wait to have a hot meal.
- Weary -adj
- Nghĩa: mệt mỏi, kiệt sức
- Phiên âm: /ˈwɪəri/
- The long journey left us feeling weary and in need of a good night’s sleep.
- Be over the moon—idiom
- Nghĩa: rất hạnh phúc, rất vui mừng
- Phiên âm: /ˈəʊvə ðə muːn/
- She was over the moon when she received the news of her promotion at work.
- Tips and incentives
- Nghĩa: tiền thưởng và khuyến khích
- Phiên âm: /tɪps ænd ɪnˈsɛntɪvs/
- The company offers tips and incentives to motivate employees and reward their hard work.
- Run Errands:
- Nghĩa: công việc nhỏ, việc vặt
- Phiên âm: /ˈɛrəndz/
- I need to run some errands, like grocery shopping and picking up the dry cleaning.
- Utility bills
- Nghĩa: hóa đơn tiện ích (điện, nước, ga, internet, v.v.)
- Phiên âm: /juːˈtɪlɪti bɪlz/
- Don’t forget to pay your utility bills before the due date to avoid any late fees.
- Boost morale
- Nghĩa: nâng cao tinh thần, khích lệ
- Phiên âm: /buːst məˈrɑːl/
- The manager organized a team-building activity to boost morale among the employees.
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