Ae RCA ces none Soca Pome ecm cee cers acd what rooms and furniture it has and explain why you like it My favourite apartment is my 2-bedroom apartment in Tan Binh District, where I have lived for 4 years. I don’t have much furniture inside — two bookshelves, one table, one desk, a few chairs, two couches and a bed. My apartment is the most appealing to me for a few reasons. First of all, I have a large living room which is consequently multifunctional. It naturally serves as a place to receive guests, but at the same time, itis also my private gym in which I do exercise to lose weight while watching TV. In addition, it is my café and dining room as well. Secondly, my soft and comfortable bed contributes a lot to my fondness for my apartment. As everyone knows, people spend a lot of time sleeping which is very important for the recovery of energy, As a result, bed selection should be done care- fully. I chose a reasonably soft and large bed so that I can spread out fully while I am resting. Actually, I have listed only a few of all my reasons, but I am sure you have already felt how much I love my apartment by the couple of points I said above. Further questions 1. Do you live in the city or in the countryside? What are the advantages and disadvan- tages of both areas? | live in the city and I love the modern lifestyle. I know it’s very quiet in the countryside, but it may be quite inconvenient when it comes to shopping, entertainment, and eating, Of course, living in the city has its downsides, too. But overall, I think I am a city person »\ \ 1 @ 76 — Intensive IELTS Speaking wwwwinhantrivietcom———— OY aaa 2, What is the difference between an old house and a modern house? Which one do you prefer? Why? I'm not an expert on architecture but since there are many old houses in my home town, I think I can easily tell the differences when comparing them with the newly-built ones. First of all, it’s the materials. Old houses usually have a wooden frame structure whereas modern ones are built with concrete and steel, which makes them more sturdy. Secondly, the old ones do not have modern facilities like central heating, security system, etc., I mean the things you can easily find in modern houses and skyscrapers. Personally, despite the modern amenities, I still prefer the old ones because they can give me a feeling that I’m back home. 3. Should the state provide cheap housing for low-income earners? feel it’s really the responsibility of the government to provide housing, just as they should provide education, and ideally, health services. That's one of the reasons why we pay taxes, 4, To what extent does climate determine the kind of house we build? Well, in my view, climate probably has quite a lot to do with the way we design and build our houses. For instance, in countries where it snows a lot, we can easily find houses built with a steep roof so that snow can’t settle on the roof and, you know, damage the roof. But in warm climates, houses are often built with a verandah to keep the sun out of the rooms and to provide a cool place to sit there. 5. What will houses in the future be like? It’s hard to imagine but one thing is for sure. I believe houses in the future will be envir- onmentally friendly and energy-saving. For example, there will be some kind of equip- ment that can transfer solar energy into electricity in every house. The electronic equip- ment in it will depend on such energy instead of electricity provided by a power plant. 6, Should we preserve old buildings? It depends, I think we should try our best to protect buildings of historical interest like the City Museum or the Temple of Literature, The reason is that they are our cultural heritage, and they provide us with a gateway to understanding Vietnamese architecture. www.nhantriviet.com Intensive IELTS Speaking - 77 @Se hehe poms ran nny Sea what kind of place it is Poe neue: Ot Pc iene er Rua ume ne CR Oars Ue Be Toa reas RU en Reet eS cee am are ee eae Although it is a little bit far from where I live, it is very convenient for me to get there, going by motorcycle ene Mc ec ec ag eect am a neces cate ead whole area. Many people go there for the purpose of climbing and exercising. Last Cee ae ce me eon ec aca tr Bem Coe Sa Ce aT) Cte R een TCR ese cue es ST adays in the city. I have never climbed a hill or mountain before that. It was my first RUS amo teen a enere cee Roger ety SO oe Roe eS eRe CN ee eo CRT ee a een Ren Ren oon miro about the things happening around me. It really made me feel relaxed and peaceful. Further questions 1. What is dangerous to natural places? T think there are two factors that are endangering natural places. First of all, many places are being polluted, namely, water pollution, air pollution, and white pollution, Secondly, ‘many natural places are far from the city centre where most people live and work. Due to Jong distances from, many people prefer to visit some places of interest near their home, Without many people going there, these natural places may not get enough money for ‘maintenance, thus get deserted. I think that is something we definitely do not want to see. www.nhantriviet.comse —=j ——— © aig ei 2. What kind of pollution is the public most concerned about? I think many people are concerned about water pollution in Vietnam. For one thing, we are suffering from water shortage and many people are wasting water and not aware of the fact. Meanwhile, many factories let chemicals go into the rivers without restrictions. This has caused severe water pollution in many areas, 3. What is your attitude to the environment? 1 believe environmental protection is a necessity as well as a duty for everyone. Vietnam has long been advocating sustainable development, which means that the development of this generation will not cause damage to that of the next generation, I think that's what we should do. 4, What can you do for the environment? T think we can do many things. Although we cannot launch some big projects to prevent the environment from getting polluted, at least we can do some small things that can beautify the surroundings, such as recycling waste paper, newspapers and batteries, not wasting water or electricity, etc. We should change our lifestyle before it is too late. 5. What is different from your grandparents’ views on the environment and yours? I don't think my grandparents care so much about the environment as we young people do. In their time, there were no environmental problems, at least not so severe as it is now. As the country develops, there are many problems during the process. Addition- ally, there is a lot of information about this heated topic. We are more familiar with the issue and more aware of the current situation. That's why we are more concerned about environmental protection. 6. Why do you think people like to go to natural places? Modem people are faced with too much pressure and competition from all sides in terms of work, study, and relationship. A good way to relax is to go to natural places to enjoy the beautiful scenery and fresh air. This will help them temporarily forget all their troubles in life. There is nothing to worry about but relax. They get more refreshed and better prepared for their work or study afterwards. 7. Do you think people should be charged when coming to natural places? I think it is necessary. The government may need money to maintain those places and to improve the facilities there. Consequently, people can better enjoy themselves there and it can also help effectively regulate the place vowweanhanttiviet.com Intensive IELTS Speakingeect cea beara what it is and where it is Soa eas what kind of building it is and explain why you like to talk about it. Well, the historical building I had a chance to visit is the Temple of Literature, which is one of the most famous old structures in Vietnam, and it is also the must-see travel destination for almost all visitors who arrive in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. ‘The temple was built in 1070 at the time of King Ly Thanh Tong. Then, it was reconstructed during the Tran dynasty (1225-1400) and in subsequent dynasties. The temple is located to the south of Thang Long Citadel. It was originally built as, a university dedicated to Confucius, scholars, and sages. This building is extremely ‘well preserved and is a superb example of traditional-style Vietnamese architecture. ‘Despite wars and disasters, the ancient architectural styles of many dynasties as well as precious relics can easily be seen. It shows one of the most typical architectural styles in Vietnam, composed of wood and tiles. Along the paths are hundred-year-old trees that have witnessed ups and downs of history. T'd like to talk about the Temple of Literature for a few reasons. Firstly, the Temple of Literature is an amazing and magnificent building, It is one of several temples in Vietnam with “Quoc Tu Giam” or the Imperial Academy, which was built inside the temple. The stone statues and inscriptions dotted throughout the temple still retain many of their original features as the most renowned landmark of academia in ‘Vietnam. I've been there once to visit and explore the Vietnam's first national univer- sity. Visiting the Temple of Literature, which has now become a memorial to educa- tion and literature, I have discovered historical buildings in a revered place that saw thousands of doctors graduate. Besides, I also feel that the Temple of Literature is the symbol of Vietnamese culture, Originally the university only accepted aristocrats, the elite, and royal family members as students before eventually opening its doors to brighter “commoners” Successful graduates had their names engraved on a stone stele which can be found on. top of the stone turtles. That's why we're all proud of this ancient structure. @ 80 — Intensive IELTS Speaking www.nhantriviet com2 a A ammamtslbe ‘More importantly, I believe that the Temple of Literature is attractive for visitors from all over the world, This historical site is ranked as one of Hanoi’s most important cultural places and is steeped in Vietnamese history. And I'm convinced that if you ever go there, you'll definitely be impressed and amazed. In summary, those are the reasons why when it comes to old buildings, the Temple of Literature is the first one that comes up into my mind, _ Further questions 1, How do people in your country feel about protecting historical buildings? People have begun to realise the importance of protecting historical buildings. Historical buildings are a precious heritage of significant historic values that reflect the culture of people with a 4,000 years’ history. People feel the necessity to protect historical buildings becauise they are tired of the identical, block-like, unfriendly concrete skyscrapers. 2. Do you think an area can benefit from having an interesting historical place? In what way? Sure. I believe an interesting historical place passes on the culture of its people. It inspires people’s interest in history. People learn history while visiting these places. It also serves as a good example to promote people’s consciousness of the need to protect historical places. Historical sites are also good resources for tourism. Local people can benefit a lot economically ifa site attracts many tourists. However, the important point is that people have to protect it. 3. What do you think will happen to historical places or buildings in the future? AS our country is under large-scale construction, many historical places or buildings may be torn down. Some may disappear due to the neglect of protection and repair. Though some people have begun to realise the importance of protecting historical places, it is still not an issue that draws great attention from the general public. In addition, we have had littl policy support or the authority has not got enough money for the protection of heritage sites. When people fully realise what they have lost, it is too late 4, You mentioned history. How were you taught history when you were at school? History was a subject that we had to learn in order to sit for history examinations. We just read lots of books and listened to the history teacher. This is mostly a passive way of yo shantrviet.com Intensive IELTS Speaking 81