Đây là bài tập Speaking S11 gồm bốn cue card thuộc IELTS Speaking Part 2 — dạng bài thí sinh có một phút chuẩn bị và nói liên tục khoảng hai phút. Mỗi cue card dưới đây có một câu trả lời mẫu dài chừng 230 từ, cover đủ các gạch đầu dòng trong đề, kèm bảng từ vựng có phiên âm. Cách dùng: đọc để lấy bộ khung ý và từ vựng, sau đó tự kể lại bằng trải nghiệm của chính bạn.
Bốn cue card trong bài tập:
– Cue card 1: Describe an interesting old person you met — tả một người lớn tuổi thú vị bạn từng gặp.
– Cue card 2: Describe a job that someone you know does — tả công việc của một người bạn quen.
– Cue card 3: Describe a time when you lost something important — kể về lần bạn làm mất một thứ quan trọng.
– Cue card 4: Describe a journey you made in the past that you remember well — tả một chuyến đi đáng nhớ.
– Mỗi câu trả lời kèm bảng từ vựng có IPA và nghĩa tiếng Việt.
1. Describe an interesting old person you met
You should say:
– Who this person is
– Where and when you met this person
– What you did with this person
– And explain why you think this person is interesting.
Câu trả lời mẫu
I would like to talk about an elderly man I knew as Mr Lâm, who lived a few doors down from my family in Chợ Lớn, the old Chinese quarter of Ho Chi Minh City. He must have been in his late eighties when I met him, and he ran a tiny traditional herbal medicine shop that had been in his family for decades.
I first met him about ten years ago, shortly after we moved into the neighbourhood. My mother sent me over to buy something for her cough, and he insisted I sit down while he weighed out the herbs on an old brass scale. That first visit turned into a habit — I ended up dropping by most weekends.
What we mostly did together was talk. He would brew a pot of tea, and I would listen to him describe what the district looked like in the nineteen sixties, back when his father was still trading. He also taught me the names of a dozen herbs and what each one was supposed to treat, though I have forgotten most of them by now.
I find him interesting for two reasons. First, he was basically a piece of living history — his memory was razor-sharp, and he could recall street names and shop owners that no longer exist. But more than that, he had been through a great deal of hardship and somehow came out of it without a trace of bitterness. Talking to him genuinely put my own problems into perspective, and that is something I still think about.
| Từ / cụm từ | Phiên âm | Nghĩa |
|---|---|---|
| a few doors down | /ə fjuː dɔːz daʊn/ | cách vài căn nhà |
| traditional herbal medicine shop | /hɜːbəl ˈmedsən ʃɒp/ | tiệm thuốc bắc |
| weigh out the herbs | /weɪ aʊt ðə hɜːbz/ | cân thuốc ra từng phần |
| drop by | /drɒp baɪ/ | ghé qua chơi |
| brew a pot of tea | /bruː ə pɒt əv tiː/ | pha một ấm trà |
| living history | /ˈlɪvɪŋ ˈhɪstəri/ | nhân chứng sống của lịch sử |
| razor-sharp (memory) | /ˈreɪzə ʃɑːp/ | sắc bén, minh mẫn |
| go through hardship | /ɡəʊ θruː ˈhɑːdʃɪp/ | trải qua gian khổ |
| without a trace of bitterness | /ˈbɪtənəs/ | không chút cay đắng, oán trách |
| put things into perspective | /pəˈspektɪv/ | nhìn nhận mọi thứ đúng tầm |
2. Describe a job that someone you know does
You should say:
– What the job is
– What the job involves
– What training or qualifications you need for this job
– And explain why this person likes or does not like their job.
Câu trả lời mẫu
The job I want to describe is nursing, and the person who does it is my close friend Linh. She works as a registered nurse in the intensive care unit of a large public hospital here in Ho Chi Minh City, and she has been doing it for about six years now.
Her job involves far more than most people imagine. On a typical shift she monitors patients’ vital signs, administers medication, changes dressings, and updates the doctors on anyone whose condition is deteriorating. On top of that there is a mountain of paperwork, and because the ward is chronically understaffed, she often works twelve-hour shifts with barely a proper break.
In terms of qualifications, she had to complete a four-year bachelor’s degree in nursing, followed by a long clinical placement in a hospital before she could practise independently. She also had to sit a licensing exam, and even now she is required to do continuing professional development every year to keep her licence current.
As for how she feels about it, I would say her feelings are genuinely mixed. She finds the work deeply rewarding because she can see the difference she makes, and she is very close to her colleagues. On the other hand, the night shifts have taken a toll on her health, and the pay is modest compared with the responsibility. She has thought about leaving more than once, but she always says she cannot imagine doing anything else.
| Từ / cụm từ | Phiên âm | Nghĩa |
|---|---|---|
| registered nurse | /ˈredʒɪstəd nɜːs/ | điều dưỡng viên có chứng chỉ hành nghề |
| intensive care unit (ICU) | /ɪnˈtensɪv keə ˈjuːnɪt/ | khoa hồi sức cấp cứu |
| monitor vital signs | /ˈmɒnɪtə ˈvaɪtl saɪnz/ | theo dõi các chỉ số sinh tồn |
| administer medication | /ədˈmɪnɪstə ˌmedɪˈkeɪʃən/ | cho bệnh nhân dùng thuốc |
| deteriorate | /dɪˈtɪəriəreɪt/ | chuyển biến xấu đi |
| understaffed | /ˌʌndəˈstɑːft/ | thiếu nhân sự |
| twelve-hour shift | /ʃɪft/ | ca trực mười hai tiếng |
| bachelor’s degree in nursing | /ˈbætʃələz dɪˈɡriː/ | bằng cử nhân điều dưỡng |
| clinical placement | /ˈklɪnɪkəl ˈpleɪsmənt/ | kỳ thực tập lâm sàng |
| sit a licensing exam | /ˈlaɪsənsɪŋ ɪɡˈzæm/ | thi lấy chứng chỉ hành nghề |
| continuing professional development | /kənˈtɪnjuːɪŋ prəˈfeʃənəl/ | đào tạo liên tục hằng năm |
| deeply rewarding | /ˈdiːpli rɪˈwɔːdɪŋ/ | rất đáng công, nhiều ý nghĩa |
| take a toll on | /teɪk ə təʊl ɒn/ | gây tổn hại đến |
3. Describe a time when you lost something important
You should say:
– What you lost
– How you lost it
– Where you lost it
– And explain how you felt about it.
Câu trả lời mẫu
The time that springs to mind is when I lost my wallet about three years ago. It was not an expensive wallet at all, but it had my ID card, my driving licence, two bank cards and roughly two million đồng in cash inside — so losing it was a real headache.
As for how it happened, nobody stole it — I simply dropped it, which somehow feels even more embarrassing. I was on a crowded bus during rush hour, the kind where you are packed in like sardines and can barely lift your arm. I had carelessly left the wallet in my back pocket, which in hindsight was asking for trouble, and when I stood up and squeezed my way towards the door, it must have slipped out without me noticing a thing. I only realised it was gone when I reached for it to pay for dinner an hour later.
It happened somewhere along the bus route between my office in District 1 and my house — most likely the wallet ended up on the floor of the bus, or possibly on the pavement at the stop where I got off. I retraced my steps the next morning and went to the bus company to file a report, but nobody had turned it in, and honestly I never expected to see it again.
Regarding how I felt — my first reaction was pure panic, then a wave of frustration, mostly at myself for being so careless. What really got to me was not the money, though; it was the sheer hassle of replacing all the documents. Getting a new ID card alone took several weeks of red tape. Looking back, it was a fairly cheap lesson to learn, and ever since then I have never carried my wallet anywhere but a front pocket.
| Từ / cụm từ | Phiên âm | Nghĩa |
|---|---|---|
| spring to mind | /sprɪŋ tə maɪnd/ | chợt nghĩ ra, hiện lên trong đầu |
| ID card | /ˌaɪ ˈdiː kɑːd/ | căn cước công dân |
| a real headache | /ə rɪəl ˈhedeɪk/ | chuyện thật đau đầu, rắc rối |
| drop something | /drɒp ˈsʌmθɪŋ/ | làm rớt cái gì |
| rush hour | /rʌʃ aʊə/ | giờ cao điểm |
| packed in like sardines | /pækt ɪn laɪk sɑːˈdiːnz/ | chen chúc như cá hộp |
| squeeze my way towards the door | /skwiːz maɪ weɪ/ | lách người ra phía cửa |
| slip out (of my pocket) | /slɪp aʊt/ | tuột ra, rơi ra khỏi túi |
| in hindsight | /ɪn ˈhaɪndsaɪt/ | nhìn lại mới thấy |
| retrace my steps | /rɪˈtreɪs maɪ steps/ | lần lại đường mình đã đi |
| file a report | /faɪl ə rɪˈpɔːt/ | trình báo |
| turn something in | /tɜːn ˈsʌmθɪŋ ɪn/ | nộp lại đồ nhặt được |
| a wave of frustration | /ə weɪv əv frʌˈstreɪʃən/ | một cơn bực bội ập đến |
| sheer hassle | /ʃɪə ˈhæsl/ | sự phiền phức thuần tuý |
| red tape | /red teɪp/ | thủ tục hành chính rườm rà |
4. Describe a journey you made in the past that you remember well
You should say:
– What forms of transport you used and why
– Who you travelled with
– What was good and bad about it
– And explain why you remember the trip so well.
Câu trả lời mẫu
The journey I remember most vividly is an overnight train trip from Ho Chi Minh City to Đà Nẵng that I made during my second year at university. It took about seventeen hours, which is absurd when a flight takes just over one, but we chose the train deliberately — partly because it was far cheaper on a student budget, and partly because we wanted to actually see the country roll past the window instead of sleeping through it at thirty thousand feet.
I travelled with two close friends from my course. None of us had ever taken a long-distance train before, so the whole thing felt like a bit of an adventure.
There was plenty that was good and bad about it. The highlight, without question, was crossing the Hải Vân Pass at sunrise — the track hugs the coastline there, and the view of the sea below was genuinely breathtaking. We also spent hours chatting with an older couple in our compartment who shared their food with us. The downside was the hard sleeper bunk, which was about as comfortable as a wooden bench, and the train ran two hours behind schedule, so we arrived exhausted.
The reason it has stuck with me is that it was the first trip I ever took without my parents. It sounds like a small thing, but at the time it felt like a genuine milestone — the first moment I had to sort out tickets, budgets and problems entirely on my own. That sense of independence is what I remember, far more than the scenery.
| Từ / cụm từ | Phiên âm | Nghĩa |
|---|---|---|
| overnight train trip | /ˌəʊvəˈnaɪt treɪn trɪp/ | chuyến tàu đêm |
| on a student budget | /ˈbʌdʒɪt/ | với túi tiền sinh viên |
| roll past the window | /rəʊl pɑːst ðə ˈwɪndəʊ/ | trôi qua ngoài cửa sổ |
| hug the coastline | /hʌɡ ðə ˈkəʊstlaɪn/ | chạy men theo bờ biển |
| breathtaking | /ˈbreθteɪkɪŋ/ | đẹp đến nghẹt thở |
| compartment | /kəmˈpɑːtmənt/ | khoang tàu |
| hard sleeper bunk | /hɑːd ˈsliːpə bʌŋk/ | giường nằm cứng |
| run behind schedule | /rʌn bɪˈhaɪnd ˈʃedjuːl/ | trễ so với lịch trình |
| stick with me | /stɪk wɪð miː/ | in sâu trong trí nhớ tôi |
| milestone | /ˈmaɪlstəʊn/ | cột mốc đáng nhớ |
| sort something out | /sɔːt ˈsʌmθɪŋ aʊt/ | tự xoay xở, giải quyết |
5. Phiên bản rút gọn cho band 6.5
Bốn câu trả lời ở trên nhắm tới band 7–8 nên khá dài và nhiều thành ngữ khó. Nếu mục tiêu của bạn là band 6.5, hãy dùng phiên bản rút gọn dưới đây: câu ngắn hơn, cấu trúc đơn giản, ít idiom, mỗi bài chỉ khoảng 150–170 từ nhưng vẫn đủ nói trọn hai phút với tốc độ vừa phải. Cùng một câu chuyện, cùng các gạch đầu dòng của đề, chỉ khác ở độ phức tạp ngôn ngữ.
Vì sao bản này hợp band 6.5 hơn:
– Câu ngắn, mỗi câu một ý — dễ nói trôi chảy, ít vấp.
– Bỏ bớt idiom nâng cao, chỉ giữ collocation thông dụng mà giám khảo vẫn đánh giá tốt.
– Vẫn giữ đủ bốn ý trong đề và một câu cảm xúc/bài học ở cuối để “explain why”.
Describe an interesting old person you met
You should say:
– Who this person is
– Where and when you met this person
– What you did with this person
– And explain why you think this person is interesting.
Câu trả lời mẫu (rút gọn):
I’d like to talk about an old man called Mr Lâm. He lived a few houses away from my family in Chợ Lớn, in Ho Chi Minh City. He was in his late eighties, and he owned a small shop that sold traditional herbal medicine.
I met him about ten years ago, when my mother sent me to buy something for her cough. He asked me to sit down while he weighed the herbs, and after that I started visiting him almost every weekend.
Most of the time, we just talked. He made tea and told me stories about the neighbourhood in the past. He also taught me the names of many herbs.
I found him interesting because he was like a living history book. His memory was very good, and even though he had a hard life, he was always kind and positive. Talking to him helped me feel calmer about my own problems.
Từ vựng dễ dùng:
| Từ / cụm từ | Nghĩa |
|---|---|
| herbal medicine | thuốc bắc |
| in his late eighties | ngoài 80 tuổi |
| weigh the herbs | cân thuốc |
| a living history book | nhân chứng sống của lịch sử |
| a hard life | một cuộc đời vất vả |
| positive | tích cực, lạc quan |
Describe a job that someone you know does
You should say:
– What the job is
– What it involves
– What qualifications are needed
– And explain why the person likes or dislikes the job.
Câu trả lời mẫu (rút gọn):
I want to talk about my close friend Linh, who works as a nurse. She works in the intensive care unit of a big public hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, and she has done this job for about six years.
Her job is very busy. She checks the patients’ health, gives them medicine, and tells the doctors when a patient gets worse. She also has a lot of paperwork, and she often works long shifts of twelve hours because the hospital does not have enough staff.
To do this job, she had to study nursing at university for four years and pass an exam to get her licence. She also has to keep learning every year.
She has mixed feelings about it. She likes the job because she can help people and she is close to her co-workers. But the night shifts make her tired, and the salary is quite low. Still, she says she cannot imagine doing anything else.
Từ vựng dễ dùng:
| Từ / cụm từ | Nghĩa |
|---|---|
| a nurse | điều dưỡng viên |
| intensive care unit | khoa hồi sức cấp cứu |
| give medicine | cho bệnh nhân uống thuốc |
| get worse | chuyển biến xấu đi |
| long shifts | ca trực dài |
| get a licence | lấy chứng chỉ hành nghề |
| mixed feelings | cảm xúc lẫn lộn |
Describe a time when you lost something important
You should say:
– What you lost
– How you lost it
– Where it happened
– And explain how you felt about it.
Câu trả lời mẫu (rút gọn):
I’d like to talk about the time I lost my wallet, about three years ago. The wallet was cheap, but inside I had my ID card, my driving licence, two bank cards and about two million đồng, so it was a big problem.
Nobody stole it — I just dropped it. I was on a very crowded bus during rush hour, and there were so many people that I could hardly move. I had put the wallet in my back pocket, which was a mistake, and when I pushed my way to the door, it fell out. I only realised it was gone an hour later, when I wanted to pay for dinner.
I went back the next day and reported it to the bus company, but nobody had returned it.
At first I felt panic, and then I was angry at myself. The hardest part was getting new documents, because it took many weeks. Since then, I always keep my wallet in my front pocket.
Từ vựng dễ dùng:
| Từ / cụm từ | Nghĩa |
|---|---|
| a wallet | cái ví |
| ID card | căn cước công dân |
| drop it | làm rớt |
| a crowded bus | xe buýt đông người |
| rush hour | giờ cao điểm |
| fall out | rơi ra |
| report it | trình báo |
Describe a journey you made in the past that you remember well
You should say:
– Where you went and how you travelled
– Who you travelled with
– What was good and bad about it
– And explain why you remember it well.
Câu trả lời mẫu (rút gọn):
The journey I remember best is an overnight train trip from Ho Chi Minh City to Đà Nẵng. I made it in my second year at university. The trip took about seventeen hours, which is very long, because a flight only takes one hour. But we chose the train because it was cheaper for students, and we wanted to see the country through the window.
I travelled with two close friends from my class. None of us had taken a long train trip before, so it felt like an adventure.
There were good and bad things about it. The best part was crossing the Hải Vân Pass in the morning, because the train goes along the coast and the view of the sea was beautiful. The bad part was the hard bed, which was not comfortable, and the train was two hours late.
I remember this trip because it was my first trip without my parents. It made me feel independent, and that feeling is what I remember most.
Từ vựng dễ dùng:
| Từ / cụm từ | Nghĩa |
|---|---|
| overnight train | tàu đêm |
| cheaper for students | rẻ hơn cho sinh viên |
| an adventure | một cuộc phiêu lưu |
| along the coast | men theo bờ biển |
| a hard bed | giường nằm cứng |
| two hours late | trễ hai tiếng |
| independent | tự lập |
Band 6.5 không đến từ việc nhồi thật nhiều từ khó, mà từ việc nói liền mạch, đủ ý và ít lỗi. Một câu chuyện kể rõ ràng bằng câu đơn giản luôn ăn điểm hơn một câu dài rối rắm với ba idiom dùng sai chỗ.
6. Mẹo làm Speaking Part 2
Part 2 khác Part 1 ở chỗ bạn phải nói một mạch khoảng hai phút mà không ai ngắt lời, nên vấn đề lớn nhất thường không phải từ vựng mà là hết ý giữa chừng. Cách an toàn là bám theo đúng thứ tự các gạch đầu dòng trong đề — mỗi gạch đầu dòng là một đoạn ngắn, riêng gạch cuối “and explain why” nên nói dài nhất vì đó là chỗ giám khảo nghe khả năng lập luận của bạn. Trong một phút chuẩn bị, đừng viết thành câu; chỉ ghi bốn đến năm từ khoá cho mỗi ý là đủ.
Câu chuyện không cần có thật, nhưng cần có chi tiết. Giám khảo không kiểm chứng được bạn có thật sự mất ví hay không — họ chỉ nghe xem bạn có kể được nó một cách trôi chảy và cụ thể hay không. Một chi tiết nhỏ như “an old brass scale” hay “two hours behind schedule” có sức thuyết phục hơn mười tính từ chung chung.
Lưu ý khi thu âm:
– Bấm giờ đúng hai phút; nếu nói hết trước một phút ba mươi giây nghĩa là bạn đang thiếu chi tiết.
– Đừng dừng lại để sửa lỗi ngữ pháp nhỏ giữa chừng — mạch nói quan trọng hơn một chữ sai.
– Tránh mở đầu bằng cách đọc lại nguyên đề bài; hãy vào thẳng câu chuyện sau một câu dẫn ngắn.
Lời khuyên:
– Dùng thì quá khứ làm nền và chèn vài câu hiện tại ở phần “explain why” để khoe range ngữ pháp.
– Chuẩn bị sẵn hai đến ba câu chuyện gốc rồi uốn cho vừa nhiều đề khác nhau, thay vì học thuộc từng đề một.
– Nếu lỡ hết ý sớm, quay lại mở rộng phần cảm xúc hoặc bài học rút ra — đó luôn là chỗ nói thêm được.
Nội dung trong bài mang tính tham khảo chuyên môn; kết quả luyện thi thực tế có thể khác nhau tuỳ thuộc vào trình độ nền, thời gian luyện tập và tiêu chí chấm của từng giám khảo.
Trương Nhật Tân