Look and read. Choose the correct answer (A, B, C, or D).

(Nhìn và đọc. Chọn câu trả lời đúng (A, B, C hoặc D).)

My name’s An, and I live in Cần Thơ. I was born in Sóc Trăng, but my family used to live in a cottage in Cà Mau. We used to live near my grandparents, and I’d walk to their house after school with my sister and wait for my parents to come home.

I always had a good time while I was there. I have many cousins, and we used to play lots of games at my grandparent’s house. Sometimes, we’d go fishing, too. After that, we’d bring the fish to my grandma, and she’d fry or grill it. My grandpa used to make pottery. He’d let us play with the clay and try to teach us how to make clay pots. I was really bad at it and couldn’t make anything that looked like a pot. My suster was better and made some small pots for us. Sometimes, we’d climb one of the trees around my grandparents’ house and sit there looking at the rice fields, the river, and the clouds. Or we’d walk out to the fields and sketch the country.

Those afternoons at my grandparents’ home are some of my favorite memories. My grandparents don’t live there anymore, and sometimes I miss their old house in the country.

Example:

0. An used to live in __________.

A. Cần Thơ             B. Cà Mau               C. Sóc Trăng                          D. Hanoi

1. She used to wait __________ for her parents.

A. at school             B. at the market       C. at her house         D. at her grandparents’ house

2. She used to __________ with her cousins.

A. sketch clouds      B. play games and go fishing                   C. cook             D. make pottery

3. Her __________ taught her how to make clay pots.

A. grandmother       B. cousins                          C. grandfather                D. sister

4. She used to __________ with her sister at the rice field.

A. do pottery           B. look at the river             C. climb a tree                D. sketch the country

5. Which is NOT true about the writer?

A. She loves those memories.

B. Her grandparents still live there.

C. She misses visiting her grandparents.

D. She misses their old cottage.

We didn't do it in my day.

(Chúng tôi đã không làm điều đó vào thời của tôi.)

1. Listen and read.

(Nghe và đọc.)

Phong: Grandpa, do you mind telling me how our lives are different from yours in the past?

Grandpa: Well, there are many differences. In my day, we mostly played outdoors. The games were simple and cost little. We made our own toys from natural materials.

Phong: That sounds interesting. Nowadays, most leisure games depend on electronic devices.

Grandpa: Right, but that is mostly true in the city only. Many children in the countryside still play traditional games.

Phong: I know.

Grandpa: Another thing is that children nowadays have more freedom of choice. They wear short dresses and jeans with holes. They also dye their hair purple and green.

Phong: Ha ha... Not many, Grandpa.

Grandpa: Hm... And many children of my generation left school early to support their families. Moreover, there were not many schools then.

Phong: You mean we have more opportunities to learn now?

Grandpa: That's right.

Phong: Do you think these changes are for the better?

Grandpa: Yes, they mostly are. They have improved our living conditions.

Phong: Thank you, Grandpa.

2. Read the conversation again and circle the correct answers.

(Đọc lại đoạn hội thoại và khoanh tròn những câu trả lời đúng.)

1. Phong and his grandpa are talking about some differences between _______.

A. children in the city and the countryside

B. the living standards in the past and now

C. life in the past and now

D. past and present entertainment

2. Phong's grandpa mentions _______ differences.

A. two

B. three

C. four

D. five

3. Phong's grandpa sees most of the changes as _______.

A. positive

B. negative

C. unnecessary

D. necessary

3. Write the expressions from the conversation in the correct column.

(Viết các câu diễn đạt trong đoạn hội thoại vào đúng cột.)

a. depend on electronic devices

b. leave school early

c. dye their hair

d. have more opportunities to learn

e. make toys from natural materials

4. Complete the sentences with the words from the box.

(Hoàn thành câu với các từ trong khung.)

1. A few teenagers in my village have _______ their hair brown. 

2. Young people's lifestyle today is different from that of the previous _______.

3. Nowadays, nearly all young people have a(n) _______ to go to school.

4. He wants to live green, so he uses products made from natural _______.

5. My parents give me _______ to pursue my own interests.

Changes around you

(Những thay đổi xung quanh bạn)

3. Read the passages about changes. Then match the people with the topics they are talking about.

(Đọc đoạn văn về những thay đổi. Sau đó, hãy nối những người với chủ đề mà họ đang nói đến.)

1. Aki from Tokyo

Children used to go to temple schools. Monks, samurai, doctors, and people of other professions served as teachers. Nowadays, children study in modern schools with teachers who get professional training in the subjects they teach.

2. Sanjay from New Delhi

Once, it was easy to say which country a person was from because people wore their own traditional costumes. Now, trends, comfort, and style are more important. More people are wearing western clothes like jeans and T-shirts instead.

3. Asim from Cairo

In the past, people used animals such as horses and camels for travelling. Now, airplanes, ships, and trains have replaced them. Transportation has become faster and easier.

4. Work in groups. Read the passages in 3 again and discuss:

(Làm việc theo nhóm. Đọc lại đoạn văn ở phần 3 và thảo luận)

- what aspects of life in the past you want to experience.

(bạn muốn trải nghiệm những khía cạnh nào của cuộc sống trong quá khứ.)

- what change you think is for the better, and why.

(sự thay đổi nào bạn nghĩ là tốt hơn và tại sao.)

Reading

1. Work in groups. Discuss if each of the following phrases describes past or present learning.

(Làm việc theo nhóm. Thảo luận xem mỗi cụm từ sau đây mô tả việc học tập trong quá khứ hay hiện tại.)

- Depending on textbooks

- Using the Internet

- Learning under an oil lamp

- Being independent and active

A. learning facilities

B. students at my grandfather's generation

C. students in the city

D. children in the village

3. Fill in each blank with ONE word from the passage.

(Điền vào mỗi chỗ trống MỘT từ trong đoạn văn.)

1. Mr Nam learned mainly from teachers and _______.

2. He learned by _______ the information he got in class.

3. Nowadays, students can learn from _______ online sources.

4. An example of an online source is _______.

5. The Internet helps children _______ their interests.

5. Which statement is true according to the information in this passage?

A. Now you can Find open-air markets in the countryside only.

B. Every supermarket offers home-delivery service.

C. It's more convenient to shop in a supermarket than in an open-air market

D. Supermarkets offer everything we need.

In pairs: Look at the picture. What are the relationships between these people? What Vietnamese family traditions and customs do you know?

(Theo cặp: Quan sát tranh. Mối quan hệ giữa những người này là gì? Bạn biết những truyền thống, phong tục gia đình Việt Nam nào?)

a. Read the interview with Mrs. Nguyễn about her memories of family life in the past. What does it mainly discuss?

(Đọc bài phỏng vấn với bà Nguyễn về những kỷ niệm của cuộc sống gia đình trong quá khứ. Đoạn văn thỏa luận chính về cái gì?)

1. why families in the past were better

(tại sao các gia đình trong quá khứ lại tốt hơn)

2. the differences between now and then

(sự khác biệt giữa bây giờ và trước đây)

Interviewer: Mrs. Nguyễn, you have 13 children and 24 grandchildren. That isn't common now. What were families in the past like?

Mrs Nguyễn: Back then, three or four generations would live together in extended families. Most people have a nuclear family now. Most of my children don't live with me anymore.

Interviewer: What do you think about this change?

Mrs. Nguyễn: Hmm, the smaller family size allows people to be more independent. But sometimes it makes the connections between relatives weaker.

Interviewer: What about marriage in the past?

Mrs. Nguyễn: In the past, married people would live together their whole lives. There weren't many single women, and they often had a difficult life.

Interviewer: Now, some people choose to be single parents or single because they aren't afraid of getting divorced or living alone.

Mrs. Nguyễn: I think that's a positive thing, mostly. Some people just can't live together.

Interviewer: Were the roles of family members different?

Mrs. Nguyễn: Yes. The husband was the breadwinner in the past, and the wife would stay at home. Now, many men help their wives do housework. And I know that in many families, both parents are working because it costs a lot of money to raise a child now.

Interviewer: Thanks for sharing your memories with me.

b. Now, read and circle True, False, or Doesn't say.

(Bây giờ, đọc và khoanh vào True, False, hoặc Doesn’t say)

c. Listen and read.

(Nghe và đọc)

a. Read the passage about Lan's grandmother. What lesson does Lan get from her grandmother's stories?

(Đọc đoạn văn về bà của Lan. Lan rút ra được bài học gì từ câu chuyện của bà ngoại?)

1. We should work hard to overcome difficulties.

2. We should keep our hope in difficult times.

When I was a kid, I used to stay with my grandmother after school. She'd often tell me stories about her life in the past, and I found them very interesting.

Her childhood was different from mine. She grew up in a large, extended family. Her family was poor, and she only finished elementary school. When she was thirteen, she started working. Her uncle cooked for wedding parties, and she'd go with him to those parties to help him.

Afterwards, she worked at a pottery place. She was good at making pottery and proud of the things she made. My grandfather also started working there. They fell in love and got married two years later.

My grandparents worked hard to build a family together. After they had their first child, my grandfather continued to work at the pottery place. Meanwhile, my grandmother sold groceries at home. They eventually saved enough money to buy a house of their own and raised three children.

I sometimes think about the stories my grandmother told me and feel thankful for her and my grandfather. Whenever I have a difficult problem, I think about those stories and tell myself to continue to work hard.

Tạm dịch:

Khi còn nhỏ, tôi thường ở với bà ngoại sau giờ học. Cô ấy thường kể cho tôi nghe những câu chuyện về cuộc sống trước đây của cô ấy và tôi thấy chúng rất thú vị.

Tuổi thơ của cô ấy khác với tôi. Cô lớn lên trong một gia đình lớn, nhiều thế hệ. Gia đình cô rất nghèo, cô chỉ học xong tiểu học. Khi cô mười ba tuổi, cô bắt đầu làm việc. Chú của cô ấy nấu ăn cho các bữa tiệc cưới và cô ấy sẽ cùng ông ấy đến những bữa tiệc đó để giúp đỡ chú ấy.

Sau đó, cô làm việc tại một xưởng gốm. Cô giỏi làm đồ gốm và tự hào về những thứ mình làm ra. Ông tôi cũng bắt đầu làm việc ở đó. Họ yêu nhau và kết hôn hai năm sau đó.

Ông bà tôi đã làm việc chăm chỉ để cùng nhau xây dựng một gia đình. Sau khi có đứa con đầu lòng, ông nội tôi tiếp tục làm nghề gốm. Trong khi đó, bà tôi bán hàng tạp hóa ở nhà. Cuối cùng họ đã tiết kiệm đủ tiền để mua một căn nhà riêng và nuôi ba đứa con.

Đôi khi tôi nghĩ về những câu chuyện bà tôi kể và cảm thấy biết ơn bà và ông tôi. Mỗi khi gặp vấn đề khó khăn, tôi lại nghĩ đến những câu chuyện đó và tự nhủ phải tiếp tục cố gắng.

b. Now, read and choose the correct answers.

(Bây giờ hãy đọc và chọn câu trả lời đúng.)

1. What does the word them in paragraph 1 refer to?

A. Lan's stories

B. Lan's school days

C. Lan's grandmother's stories

D. Lan's family members

2. What was Lan's grandmother's childhood like?

A. It was difficult.

B. There were many adventures.

C. It was fun.

D. There were many parties.

3. What was her grandmother's first job?

A. helping at wedding parties

B. selling groceries

C. making pottery

D. cooking at a restaurant

4. Where did Lan's grandmother meet her grandfather?

A. at a party

B. at school

C. at the market

D. at work

5. Which of the following is NOT true about Lan's grandmother?

A. She didn't go to high school.

B. She liked making pottery.

C. She went to work after having her first child.

D. She started working from a young age.

c. Listen and read.

(Nghe và đọc)

2. Read and listen to the fact file. How many types of vehicles are mentioned? What are they?

(Đọc và nghe hồ sơ dữ liệu. Có bao nhiêu loại phương tiện được đề cập? Chúng là gì?)

Land transport in Việt Nam – then and now

Over the years, there have been significant changes to land transport in Việt Nam. People used to rely heavily on bicycles, but modern forms of transport have replaced them.

Bicycles

Had bicycles been an important means for many years before the advent of motorised vehicles? This was definitely true because they had played an essential role in Vietnamese daily life by the mid-20^th century. Bicycles were used to get around, commute to work, transport goods to markets, and even to travel long distances. Streets full of bicycles made it a common sight.

Motor vehicles

As the economy grew, there was a need for faster and more efficient transport. This led to the introduction of motorbikes due to their speed and convenience. The motor vehicles on the roads had not increased dramatically until the 1990s. At the time, the government was trying to invest in new infrastructure, like highways and railways. People then had a greater variety of transport choices.

Modern-day vehicles

In recent years, the increasing number of cars resulting from economic development has been a new sign of social status. Cars, along with motorbikes, are one of the main vehicles for many city dwellers. In addition, tech-based services are becoming more competitive, providing people with a convenient and affordable way to move from one place to another.

Tạm dịch:

Vận tải đường bộ ở Việt Nam – xưa và nay

Trong những năm qua, vận tải đường bộ ở Việt Nam đã có những thay đổi đáng kể. Mọi người từng phụ thuộc nhiều vào xe đạp nhưng các phương tiện giao thông hiện đại đã thay thế chúng.

Xe đạp

Xe đạp đã là phương tiện quan trọng trong nhiều năm trước khi xe cơ giới ra đời phải không? Điều này hoàn toàn đúng vì chúng đã đóng một vai trò thiết yếu trong đời sống hàng ngày của người Việt vào giữa thế kỷ 20. Xe đạp được sử dụng để đi lại, đi làm, vận chuyển hàng hóa đến chợ và thậm chí để đi những quãng đường dài. Những con phố đầy xe đạp khiến nó trở thành một cảnh tượng thường thấy.

Xe cơ giới

Khi nền kinh tế phát triển, nhu cầu vận chuyển nhanh hơn và hiệu quả hơn. Điều này dẫn đến sự ra đời của xe máy do tốc độ và sự tiện lợi của chúng. Các phương tiện cơ giới trên đường không tăng đáng kể cho đến những năm 1990. Vào thời điểm đó, chính phủ đang cố gắng đầu tư vào cơ sở hạ tầng mới, như đường cao tốc và đường sắt. Khi đó người dân có nhiều lựa chọn phương tiện đi lại hơn.

Xe cộ thời hiện đại

Trong những năm gần đây, số lượng ô tô ngày càng tăng do sự phát triển kinh tế là một dấu hiệu mới về địa vị xã hội. Ô tô, cùng với xe máy, là một trong những phương tiện di chuyển chính của nhiều người dân thành phố. Ngoài ra, các dịch vụ dựa trên công nghệ đang trở nên cạnh tranh hơn, cung cấp cho mọi người phương thức thuận tiện và giá cả phải chăng để di chuyển từ nơi này đến nơi khác.

3. Read the text again. Find out the adjectives that describe the forms of transport.

(Đọc văn bản một lần nữa. Tìm những tính từ mô tả các hình thức vận chuyển.)

4. Answer the questions.

(Trả lời các câu hỏi.)

1. When were bicycles the important means of transport in Việt Nam?

(Xe đạp là phương tiện giao thông quan trọng ở Việt Nam khi nào?)

2. Why did people ride motorbikes instead of bicycles?

(Tại sao người dân đi xe máy thay vì xe đạp?)

3. What was the government trying to do during the 1990s?

(Chính phủ đã cố gắng làm gì trong những năm 1990?)

4. What vehicles do city dwellers prefer?

(Người dân thành phố thích phương tiện nào hơn?)

5. What services are becoming more competitive?

(Những dịch vụ nào đang trở nên cạnh tranh hơn?)

1. Read the text and match the words in blue with their opposites (1-7).

(Đọc văn bản và nối các từ màu xanh lam với các từ trái nghĩa của chúng (1-7).)

fragile - tough (dễ vỡ - dai/ cứng)

1. unpopular _____

2. worthless _____

3. old-fashioned _____

4. undamaged _____

5. rare _____

6. used _____

7. useless _____

1. Read Mary’s blog post. Was this a good, bad or mixed experience for her? Why?

(Đọc bài đăng trên blog của Mary. Đây là một trải nghiệm tốt, xấu hay cả hai đối với cô ấy? Tại sao?)

An eventful day

We had a great camping holiday in Germany last week, but there were some ups and downs! Tuesday was definitely the biggest adventure.

It all started at about seven in the morning, when my dad decided that we should go to a theme park. While we were still waking up, he started packing the car for a day out, including food for a picnic.

The moment that we left the campsite, it started raining, and by the time we arrived at the theme park two hours later, it was terrible. We couldn’t even walk to the entrance. So we stayed in the car and ate our sandwiches. Meanwhile, my baby brother started crying because we had forgotten his teddy. Perfect! After that, we drove straight back to the campsite again.

When we finally got back there, we’d been in the car for five hours. Amazingly, just as we were getting out of the car, the rain stopped. So we went for a swim in the lake and played some football with the other kids at the campsite. Afterwards we had a barbecue, and we stayed outside chatting until one in the morning, so it was all OK in the end.

Tạm dịch:

Một ngày đầy sự kiện

Chúng tôi đã có một kỳ nghỉ cắm trại tuyệt vời ở Đức vào tuần trước, nhưng cũng có một số thăng trầm! Thứ ba chắc chắn là cuộc phiêu lưu lớn nhất.

Mọi chuyện bắt đầu vào khoảng bảy giờ sáng, khi bố tôi quyết định chúng tôi nên đi công viên giải trí. Trong khi chúng tôi vẫn còn đang tỉnh dậy, ông bắt đầu đóng gói đồ đạc cho một ngày đi chơi, bao gồm cả đồ ăn cho chuyến dã ngoại.

Khi chúng tôi rời khu cắm trại, trời bắt đầu mưa, và khi chúng tôi đến công viên giải trí hai giờ sau, trời thật khủng khiếp. Chúng tôi thậm chí không thể đi bộ đến lối vào. Vì thế chúng tôi ở lại trong xe và ăn bánh sandwich. Trong khi đó, em trai tôi bắt đầu khóc vì chúng tôi để quên chú gấu bông của nó. Hoàn hảo thật! Sau đó chúng tôi lại lái xe thẳng về khu cắm trại.

Cuối cùng khi chúng tôi quay lại đó, chúng tôi đã ở trong xe được năm tiếng đồng hồ. Thật ngạc nhiên, khi chúng tôi vừa bước ra khỏi xe thì trời lại tạnh mưa. Vì vậy chúng tôi đi bơi trong hồ và chơi bóng đá với những đứa trẻ khác ở khu cắm trại. Sau đó chúng tôi tổ chức tiệc nướng và ở bên ngoài trò chuyện cho đến một giờ sáng, nên cuối cùng thì mọi chuyện cũng ổn.

2. Read the text again and answer the questions.

(Đọc lại đoạn văn và trả lời các câu hỏi.)

1. Who had the idea to go to a theme park?

(Ai có ý tưởng đi đến công viên giải trí?)

2. Why didn’t they go into the theme park?

(Tại sao họ không vào công viên giải trí?)

3. What were they doing when the rain stopped?

(Họ đang làm gì khi trời tạnh mưa?)

1. Look at the photos. Which period of history do you think these constructions and objects are from? Read the article and check your ideas.

(Nhìn vào những bức ảnh. Bạn nghĩ những công trình và đồ vật này có từ thời kỳ lịch sử nào? Đọc bài viết và kiểm tra ý tưởng của bạn.)

The lost village of Skara Brae

Winter in the northern isles of Scotland is a stormy season. Every year, heavy rain and strong winds hit the coast of the Orkney Islands. In the winter of 1850, there was a very (1) _____ storm on Mainland, the largest of the Orkneys. It caused terrible damage to the island, but it also revealed an amazing archaeological treasure. When the storm cleared, the outline of an ancient village was (2) _____. Since then, the site has been excavated and explored by archaeologists and they have made some remarkable discoveries.

The ancient village of Skara Brae was built more than 5,000 years ago and was probably (3) _____ between around 3200 BC and 2200 BC. That makes it older than the Great Pyramid at Giza. It’s easy to see why this period of history is called the Stone Age – the houses of Skara Brae and everything in them are made from stone.

The village is so well preserved that it has changed little in 5,000 years. The eight stone houses are connected by low (4) _____ with stone doors. They all have a similar layout: one main room with a central fireplace and stone beds on both sides.

Opposite the entrance is a large stone dresser, a kind of cupboard. It sounds basic to today’s visitor, but in the Stone Age these were warm and comfortable houses.

The archaeologists’ investigations have given us lots of information about the people who lived at Skara Brae and what life was like for them. They were farmers who kept sheep and cattle. They also ate fish, and (5) _____ deer. Every part of the animal was used, including the bones. The archaeologists found jewellery, hair pins, needles, bowls and cups, all (6) _____ from animal bones and stone. They also found stone pots that contained red colouring material and some mysterious carved stone balls.

Around 2200 BC, Skara Brae was (7) _____ and slowly covered by the earth and sands. We don’t know why these people left their small community. It is possible that farming became more difficult because of changes to the environment. We also know that, as the Bronze Age (8) _____, society began to change and small farming communities broke up. Skara Brae was left to the winds.

2. Check the meaning of the words in the box and complete the article. Then listen and check.

(Kiểm tra nghĩa của các từ trong khung và hoàn thành bài viết. Sau đó nghe và kiểm tra.)

3. Read the article again. Answer the questions.

1. What is Mainland?

(Mainland là gì?)

2. When and how was the ancient village of Skara Brae uncovered?

(Ngôi làng cổ Skara Brae được phát hiện khi nào và như thế nào?)

3. How many houses were found?

(Có bao nhiêu ngôi nhà được tìm thấy?)

4. What did the houses look like inside?

(Bên trong những ngôi nhà trông như thế nào?)

5. What two possible reasons does the author give for the people of Skara Brae leaving their village?

(Tác giả đưa ra hai lý do nào có thể khiến người dân Skara Brae rời bỏ làng của họ?)

4. YOUR CULTURE (Văn hoá của bạn)

Work in pairs. Think of an important archaeological site in Việt Nam. Ask and answer the questions.

(Làm việc theo cặp. Hãy nghĩ về một địa điểm khảo cổ quan trọng ở Việt Nam. Hỏi và trả lời câu hỏi.)

1. What period of history is it from? (Nó có từ thời kỳ lịch sử nào?)

2. What was discovered there? (Cái gì đã được phát hiện ở đó?)

3. What does it tell us about the people who lived in Việt Nam at that time? What does it tell us about their way of life?

(Nó cho chúng ta biết điều gì về con người sống ở Việt Nam thời đó? Nó cho chúng ta biết điều gì về lối sống của họ?)

5. Think: Read the title and look at the pictures. What do you think the text is about?

(Suy nghĩ: Đọc tiêu đề và nhìn vào hình ảnh. Bạn nghĩ văn bản nói về điều gì?)

COMMNUCATION: PAST AND PRESENT

Today, communication is fast and easy, but how did people communicate in the past? Read on to learn about the way people shared messages 100 years ago and how it is different today.

100 YEARS AGO 

When you think of communication 100 years ago, the first thing that comes to mind is speaking face-to-face. However, there were other ways to communicate, too. People often (1) _______ letters by post, but they also used the telephone, the telegraph machine and carrier pigeons. These ways of communication delivered messages across long distances, even hundred of kilometers. Besides, a lot of people kept a (2) _______ about their lives to share with future generations.

TODAY 

Today, the Internet deeply changes the way we communicate. People nowadays speak face-to-face often than they did in the past because they (3) _______ a lot of time online. They share information about their lives on social media by (4) _______ new entries. Also, many people keep a blog or a vlog instead of a diary, and they send emails instead of letters. Nowadays, people still use the telephone, but most have a smartphone for calling or sending (5) _______. What will communication be like in 100 years? We wish we knew!

* ‘Blog’ comes from the words ‘web’ and ‘log’. ‘Vlog’ comes from the words ‘video’ and ‘log’.

6. Read the text. For questions (1-5), choose the correct options (A, B, C or D). Listen and check.

(Đọc văn bản. Đối với các câu hỏi (1-5), hãy chọn các phương án đúng (A, B, C hoặc D). Nghe và kiểm tra.)

1.

A. took                                           

B. sent                                    

C. talked                                

D. wrote

2.

A. diary                                          

B. letter                                              

C. message                             

D. telephone

3.

A. use                                             

B. speak                                             

C. share                                              

D. spend         

4.

A. sending                          

B. posting                               

C. reading                              

D. keeping

5.

A. blogs                                          

B. vlogs                                              

C. text messages                     

D. entries

7. Read the text again and decide if the statements (1-5) are R (right), W (wrong) or DS doesn’t say).

(Đọc lại văn bản và quyết định xem các câu (1-5) là R (đúng), W (sai) hay DS (không nói).)