Từ vựng về Cuộc sống ở Thành phố và Cách Sử dụng trong Phần 1, 2 & 3 của IELTS Speaking

City life tưởng chừng là một chủ đề dễ trình bày nhưng để thực sự sử dụng được nhưng từ vựng hay và đắt giá, chắc hẳn sẽ yêu cầu thí sinh lồng ghép khéo léo và thực hành thường xuyên. Để đạt điểm speaking từ 7.0 trở lên, người dự thi cần vận dụng nhuần nhuyễn và trả lời trôi chảy chủ đề này.

Các câu hỏi thường gặp về Chủ đề Cuộc sống ở Thành phố trong Phần Nói của IELTS

Các câu hỏi trong Phần 1

1. What is it like where you live?

2. Do you prefer the city or the countryside?

3. What kinds of cities do you like?

4. Is your city a good place for young people to grow up?

5. Do you like the city you are living now? 

6. What kinds of city do you like? 

Mẫu phổ biến trong phần 2

1. Describe a town or city where you would like to live in the future

2. Describe a city you have visited.

Các câu hỏi thường gặp trong phần 3

1. Why do you think people decide to live in big cities?

2. Do you think life is better in the city or in the countryside?

3. What problems can rapidly expanding cities have?

4. Some cities receive millions of visitors. What problems can this cause?

Một số từ vựng liên quan đến Cuộc sống ở Thành phố

• A residential area /ˌrezɪˈdenʃl/ /ˈeriə/: Khu vực sinh sống

Ví dụ: I am living in a quiet residential area because a lot of the elderly live there, so I don’t have to turn on loud music at night.

• Peaceful and fresh atmosphere: bầu không khí yên bình và trong lành

Ví dụ: What I impress most in this city is the peaceful and fresh atmosphere.

• An ideal spot /aɪˈdiːəl/ /spɒt/: một điểm lý tưởng

Từ “spot” là từ đồng nghĩa của “place” (một địa điểm cụ thể). Ngoài cụm từ "ideal spot", một số collocation có thể được áp dụng linh hoạt với từ “spot” như “a separate/ secluded/ lonely spot”.

Ví dụ: Hoi An Ancient Town is an ideal spot for those who love enjoying the nostalgic architecture.

• Hectic pace of life /ˈhektɪk/ /peɪs/ : nhịp sống xô bồ

Ví dụ: I have an aversion to the hectic pace of city life, therefore, when I retire I will lead a simple life in my lovely countryside.

• Amenity /əˈmiːnəti/ : tiện nghi

Ví dụ: The new leisure center has all amenities for local residents (Oxford dictionary)

• Vibrant nightlife /ˈvaɪbrənt/ /ˈnaɪtlaɪf/: cuộc sống về đêm sôi động

Ví dụ: Hanoi has a vibrant nightlife with full of activities at the pedestrian zone near the Old Quarter.

• Be stuck in constant traffic jam /stʌk/: bị kẹt trong ùn tắc giao thông liên tục

Ví dụ: One of the biggest drawbacks of living in a city is to be stuck in a constant traffic jam during peak hours.

• Place of interest /pleɪs/ /əv/ /ˈɪntrəst/ : điểm thu hút/ điểm tham quan

Ví dụ: Some historical sites in Hanoi are places of interest for foreign visitors who would love to understand the culture and history of the capital.

• Lose original character /luːz/ /əˈrɪdʒənl/ /ˈkærəktə(r)/: mất đi đặc tính ban đầu

Ví dụ: Due to mass tourism, some places are losing their original characters.

• Urban life /ˈɜːbən/ /laɪf/: cuộc sống thành thị

Ví dụ: Sometimes, urban life puts much pressure on my life. I always think about the bread and butter (kế sinh nhai) to survive in such a busy city like Hanoi.

• Pavement cafe /ˈpeɪvmənt/ ˈkæfeɪ/: cà phê vỉa hè

Ví dụ: Pavement cafe is a cultural uniqueness in Vietnam. Youngsters love sitting on vendor and quickly order a couple of cups of brown coffee (coffee mixed with condensed milk).

• Worth-living (adj) /wɜːθ - lɪvɪŋ/: đáng sống

Từ "worth" trong tính từ ghép "worth-living" được hiểu theo nét nghĩa thứ ba.

Ví dụ: When it comes to a worth-living city in Vietnam, I must mention Danang. This city is the most well-known city for not only stunning beaches but also tourism.

Bài mẫu cho Phần 1 của IELTS Speaking

What is the environment like in your area?

It is a residential area located near the heart of Hanoi. This area has all the amenities that I need for work and recreation, such as supermarkets, convenience stores, fashion boutiques, sports centers, schools, English centers, and so forth…

Do you prefer urban areas or rural areas?

Frankly, despite some undeniable drawbacks of living in a city such as air pollution or traffic jam, I still prefer the urban life. Simply, it is because of a variety of job opportunities and vibrant nightlife.

Is your city conducive to the upbringing of young people?

I believe that Hanoi is a good spot for youngsters to grow up. Hanoi has plenty of educational institutions to help young people learn foreign languages. Lots of workshops related to studying abroad are frequently held with a view to providing up-to-date information on scholarships for students. Moreover, entertainment services are also diverse. In spite of the hectic pace of life, Hanoi, to me, is a worth-living city.

Do you enjoy residing in the current urban setting? 

I absolutely love it! Even though Hanoi has gradually become an urban jungle where bustling life appears every now and then, I still love it because the core things remain unchanged: historical buildings and sites are still being preserved, and the locals are still friendly. And also, Hanoi is the place where I grew up, so I definitely have lots of memorable memories that determine who I am today, so I treasure this place a lot.

Từ vựng:

• Urban jungle (phrase): rừng đô thị 

• Core (adj): cốt lõi 

• Preserve (v): bảo tồn 

• Treasure (v): trân trọng.

What types of cities do you prefer? 

I would love to live in a city like Hanoi, which is a mixture between old vibe and modern designs. Historical buildings and sites remain unchanged, however, Hanoi also has a breath of fresh air where it has more and more state-of-the-art buildings such as Kaengnam and Lotte buildings, AEON,...

Từ vựng:

• Mixture (n): sự kết hợp 

• State-of the-art (adj): hiện đại

• A breath of fresh air (phrase): một làn gió mới.

Mẫu IELTS Speaking Phần 2 về Chủ đề “Cuộc sống ở Thành phố”

Mô tả một thị trấn hoặc thành phố mà bạn muốn sống trong tương lai

You should say:

• Where it is.

• How you knew it.

• What it is famous for.

And why you would like to live there.

Bài mẫu tham khảo:

I would love to live in Lincoln, Lincolnshire in the UK if I had a chance. I know Lincoln is not as bustling as major cities like London, but it has a tranquil atmosphere and a more laid-back lifestyle, which I really enjoy, so that’s why it is definitely on my bucket list.

Since I have an opportunity to be a transfer student there, I've been living there for a year, so I would say I’m quite familiar with life in Lincoln. The activity that I absolutely enjoy doing while I’m in Lincoln is to grab a bike and travel across the city. It is quite cold because this city is located somewhat north of London.However, I love it so much because my hometown back in Vietnam was pretty scorching hot all the time, so I would love to move somewhere that has a cold kind of climate. On top of that, Lincoln also has some historic buildings that I would be forever amazed by how beautiful and breathtaking they are. Despite being quite historical, the city still has a lot of cutting-edge buildings and lots of convenient and state-of-the-art facilities for people to enjoy. Lincoln City is quite a mixture of an old vibe and a breath of fresh air.

You know, those factors alone made me fall in love with this city immediately, and the experiences that I had during the time when I was still in Lincoln were absolutely fantastic, because not only was the city beautiful, but the locals there were also super friendly. So I’m just, you know, looking forward to relocating there in the future.

Từ vựng trong bài:

• Tranquil (adj):  lặng lẽ, yên lặng, yên tĩnh 

• Laid-back (adj): thư thái, ung dung 

• Bucket list (phrase): danh sách mục tiêu mà bạn muốn đạt được

• Breathtaking (adj): đẹp đẽ

• Cutting-edge (adj): hiện đại 

• A breath of fresh air (phrase): một làn gió mới (tức để diễn tả một cái gì đó mới lạ)  

Mô tả một thành phố bạn đã từng đến

You should say:

• Where the city is

• Why you went there 

• What you did there 

And explain how you felt about this city

Bài mẫu tham khảo:

I once had a chance to visit Monaco, a coastal city, and apparently it is also considered one of the most worthwhile cities in the world. I considered myself to be quite fortunate because not only did I have the opportunity to go sightseeing there, but I also had a chance to talk with the locals, and honestly, I had a fantastic, wonderful time there.

We were on a guided tour, so the tour guide showed us magnificent mountain peaks as well as the landscapes of the city when we first set foot there. After that, we had some time to go around freely to take selfies and purchase some souvenirs. That time gave me an opportunity to have a better view of the city overall. Monaco truly has a breathtaking view, with an architectural style that gives off an old and historical vibe. It blew me away because as soon as I saw those beautiful beaches from far away, I just screamed out of excitement because I didn’t expect that Monaco was such a beautiful country. I only learned from the news and pictures, but they really didn’t do justice because the views in real life looked much more impactful and therefore caught my attention more.

Even though I only spent there for 2 days, it still left an impression on me to this day. I would look forward to visiting that beautiful city again, and next time I would love to do more things in the city.

Từ vựng trong bài:

• A coastal city (collocation): thành phố biển

• Worthwhile (adj): đáng sống

• Go sightseeing: đi ngắm cảnh

• Guided tour: chuyến du lịch có hướng dẫn 

• Magnificent mountain peaks (phrase: đỉnh núi hùng vĩ

• Landscapes (n): phong cảnh

• Set foot (phrase): đặt chân đến

• Architectural style (phrase): phong cách kiến trúc

• Blow me away (phrase): khiến ai đó bị choáng ngợp

• Scream out of excitement (phrase): hét lên vì phấn khích

• Do justice (phrase): miêu tả, cho thấy điều gì một cách chính xác 

• Catch sb’s attention (phrase): thu hút sự chú ý của ai đó

Bài mẫu IELTS Speaking Phần 3

What challenges can arise in cities experiencing rapid expansion?

Let me think… when a city expands rapidly, I would say it may develop without control. Cities become big cities, then big cities turn into megacities with high population density. Unfortunately, in this case, several problems can be caused, which may have negative impacts on society. For example, megacities like Shanghai or Beijing are facing up to severe air pollution. Plus, because a large number of young people flock to big cities, there is also an increase in rental price and competitiveness in job searching. As a result, a ton of pressure is put on youngsters’ shoulders.

Some cities attract millions of tourists. What challenges can arise from this?

Well, in my point of view, when tourism is developed in some cities, it offers benefits. More jobs are open for local inhabitants, the income of some households increases considerably since breadwinners work in the hospitalization industry. Nevertheless, mass tourism does cause some warning problems. When visitors gravitate towards one city, this city is likely to lose its original character. Take Sapa as an example. In the past, children receive candies from tourists happily as lovely gifts for their hospitality. Today, children in Sapa seem to “force” visitors to give them candies, or else some of them will cry out. The change in attitude has eroded the initial meaning of friendliness and warmth of Sapa residents.

What are the reasons behind the increasing urban migration? 

Well, I think people are starting to relocate to the city because it is obviously a thriving hub of commercials and business, where people can have a higher chance to land a job that has a lucrative income. On top of that, city life is interesting and intriguing in its own way, thanks to the technology and the cutting-edge buildings and facilities. That, I suppose, is why cities have become such a melting pot.

Từ vựng:

• Thriving hub (phrase): trung tâm thịnh vượng

• Land a job (phrase): tìm việc làm 

• Lucrative income (phrase): thu nhập cao 

• Melting pot (phrase): là một phép ẩn dụ để chỉ một xã hội đa văn hóa.

How does this impact the environment and natural surroundings?

From my point of view, this would take a toll on the environment and nature in various ways. As more people move to cities, the area becomes more densely populated, resulting in a slew of problems such as littering and vandalism. On top of that, more people means more vehicles in the city, which likely increases the pollution in this city, therefore doing harm to people’s well-being.

Từ vựng:

• Have a packed agenda (phrase): có kế hoạch dày đặc 

• Teeming with residents (phrase): Đầy dân cư

• An array of issues (phrase): Một loạt vấn đề

• Property damage (noun): sự phá hoại tài sản 

• Cause damage to (phrase): gây hại cho 

• Welfare (noun): phúc lợi.

Exercises for Application

1. Sorry, I can't go out with you. Tomorrow morning, I have a ____________ packed schedule, so I need to get everything ready tonight.

2. When discussing a _________________ urban area in Vietnam, Danang City immediately comes to mind, where one can relish the fresh air, stunning beaches, and abundant job prospects in tourism.

3. Many residences lacked even the most basic ________ such as hot water, showers, baths...

4. Thailand is at its busiest during the New Year festivities.

5. We were stuck in traffic ____________ for over an hour. Perhaps, a car accident caused this significant delay.

Tóm tắt