[ACE THE TEST] Giải bài thi Speaking ngày 26/12/2022 

IELTS Speaking Phần 1: Lối sống lành mạnh 

1. Do you consider eating nutritious food important?

To be honest, I’ve always cared more about the taste of the food that I eat. Lots of things I consume can be deemed unhealthy. For example, milk tea and fried vegetables.

• To deem (v): đánh giá

2. When you catch a cold, what do you do to help yourself feel better?

When I get a cold, I wear thick and warm clothes. I also drink warm water and eat easy-to-digest food such as rice congee. Another thing that I would do is to rest as much as possible.

• To digest (v): tiêu hóa
• Rice congee (n): cháo

3. Are you mindful of public health information?

I believe I do. We all know that the coronavirus is far from being gone. I watch and read religiously the news about covid to protect myself and my family.

Religiously (adv): thường xuyên

4. What steps could you take to adopt a healthier lifestyle?

I think exercising regularly, having enough sleep, and eating well are what I could do. They seem simple, but it takes a lot of discipline to accomplish them.

• Discipline (n): kỷ luật
• To accomplish (v): hoàn thành

IELTS Speaking Part 2

Recall a period when you were unwell

You should describe:

• when this was
• what your symptoms were
• how long the illness lasted 

And explain how it impacted your daily life during that time.

The last time I fell ill stands out in my memory because it coincided with an important exam day. 

I can still remember it was a Monday, I woke up in the morning finding I was still at my desk. The windows were wide open, and the air was freezing. I had tried to study the night before but fell asleep. My head was heavy and aching and my throat was sore. I tried to move but I didn’t have any strength. I stayed still in the same position for 20 minutes before I moved myself to my bedroom.

Soon after, I realised that my math exam was in the afternoon, and I panicked. I called my mom and she told me to not worry. Knowing that I was hungry, she made me a huge bowl of rice congee with chicken and ginger. This is my family’s remedy when someone comes down with a cold. After having it, I immediately felt better and I took some pain killer to alleviate my headache; then I took a long nap. About an hour before my exam, my mom woke me up and gave me a ride to school.

Despite not being fully recovered, I managed to perform well in the exam. Subsequently, I took a 2-day break to recuperate. 

• Aching (adj): đau 
• Throat (n): cổ họng
• Sore (adj): đau (nhưng thường hay dùng cho throat)
• To stay still: giữ nguyên vị trí
• Remedy (n): cách chữa (mang tính tự phát/dân gian)
• To alleviate (v): giảm nhẹ

→ This topic involves storytelling, requiring candidates to recount a bout of illness. Following the suggested answer, candidates should narrate the sequence of events using phrases like soon after, then, after that, in the beginning, etc. This question provides an opportunity for candidates to demonstrate vocabulary related to personal feelings when ill.

Candidates should prepare vocabulary related to symptoms such as aching, sore, painful, dizzy, etc., and personal feelings such as panic (n), disappointed (adj), afraid (adj). Also, words related to relief such as to relieve, to alleviate. Recommended storytelling sequence: introduction → initial symptoms → impact on activities at that time → conclusion of the story.

IELTS Speaking Part 3: Healthcare 

1. Do you believe all diseases can be prevented?

Technically, if we can identify what causes an illness, we can devise preventive measures. But unfortunately, there are a lot more factors involved. For example, everyone knows that to prevent contracting a common flu virus, we should not come in contact with a person who is sick with this flu; but then there’s no way to know if a person is infected just by looking at them. So sometimes we still unknowingly interact with infected people and also become infected.

• To devise (v): đề ra
• To contract (v): nhiễm/mắc bệnh
• Infected (adj): nhiễm

→ The question asks candidates to express their opinion on whether all diseases can be prevented. The suggested answer leans towards 'no'. The opening acknowledges that theoretically this is possible, but in practice, it is more complex and provides examples. 

2. Do you think diseases will become less common in the future?

I’m optimistic about this prospect. While we will never eradicate all illnesses, progress in medical science and improved living conditions will help us avoid certain diseases. Take chicken pox for example, it used to be for people who contracted it. However, thanks to chicken pox vaccines, it has been under control for decades.

• Prospect (n): viễn cảnh
• To eradicate (v): diệt/xóa sổ

→ The question requires candidates to assess the likelihood that diseases will be less common in the future. The suggested answer is affirmative, illustrated by giving a specific example of a previously untreatable disease now having a cure.

3. Should healthcare be provided free of charge?

I am in the camp that says healthcare should be granted for everyone. Now, I know that opponents of free healthcare often have a problem with the enormous amount of tax these programs require. My rationale is as simple as this: if we can provide free treatment for people when their illness is still mild, fewer people will die or be hospitalised from severe illnesses. We can create a healthier society. In the long term, our society is stronger and more productive and so will offset the tax money that has gone to healthcare.

• Opponent (n): người phản đối
• Rationale (n): cách suy nghĩ/sự lý giải
• Mild (adj): nhẹ (mức độ không phải chỉ cân nặng)
• To offset (v): bù lại

→ The question asks candidates to evaluate whether healthcare services should be provided free of charge. You can answer yes, as suggested. The answer is then developed by presenting an opposing view (tax required) and countering with personal reasoning that a healthier society ultimately compensates for such taxes. Note that you can also answer 'no' and provide personal thoughts in opposition.

4. What qualities define a good doctor?

From my point of view, a good doctor is a knowledgeable practitioner in their field and someone who is sympathetic to their patients. The first quality is obvious, but not every doctor is good at comforting their patients. Apart from diagnosing, doctors also have to report their diagnosis to their patients. Sometimes, they have to deliver the bad news and they should do it in a way that doesn’t devastate the patients and make their situations worse.

• Sympathetic (adj): thông cảm 
• Comforting (n): an ủi 
• To diagnose (v): chẩn đoán
• Diagnosis (n): kết quả chẩn đoán