2.Read the passage about the countryside in Britain and choose the best answer A, B, C, or D to each of the questions.

(Đọc đoạn văn về vùng nông thôn ở Anh và chọn câu trả lời đúng nhất A, B, C hoặc D cho mỗi câu hỏi.)

Besides its beauty, the countryside of Britain is well known for many contrasts: its bare mountains and moorland, its lakes, rivers and woods, and its long, often wild coastline. National parks which are protected from development by the government have the most beautiful and picturesque scenery. British people often associate the countryside with farmland, open spaces like fields of wheat and barley, green fields enclosed by hedges or stone walls in which cows or sheep are raised. Most farmland is now owned by individual people or independent companies. However, the government has built a network of public footpaths across the farmland.

Many British people enjoy the peace and relaxation of life in the countryside where they can spend their free time walking, cycling, or going for a picnic or a pub lunch. In summer they can pick strawberries and other fruit in fruit farms. Nowadays, few rural people work on farms. Many of them commute to work in towns. Many others wish to live in the countryside so that they would have a better and healthier lifestyle.

Tạm dịch:

Bên cạnh vẻ đẹp của nó, vùng nông thôn của nước Anh còn nổi tiếng với nhiều sự tương phản: những ngọn núi trơ trụi và vùng đồng hoang, những hồ nước, dòng sông và rừng cây cũng như đường bờ biển dài thường hoang sơ của nó. Các công viên quốc gia được chính phủ bảo vệ khỏi sự phát triển có phong cảnh đẹp và đẹp như tranh vẽ nhất. Người Anh thường liên tưởng nông thôn với đất nông nghiệp, không gian rộng mở như cánh đồng lúa mì và lúa mạch, những cánh đồng xanh được bao quanh bởi hàng rào hoặc những bức tường đá nơi nuôi bò hoặc cừu. Hầu hết đất nông nghiệp hiện thuộc sở hữu của cá nhân hoặc công ty độc lập. Tuy nhiên, chính phủ đã xây dựng một mạng lưới các lối đi bộ công cộng trên khắp đất nông nghiệp.

Nhiều người Anh tận hưởng cuộc sống yên bình và thư thái ở vùng nông thôn, nơi họ có thể dành thời gian rảnh để đi bộ, đạp xe, đi dã ngoại hoặc ăn trưa ở quán rượu. Vào mùa hè, họ có thể hái dâu tây và các loại trái cây khác trong các trang trại trái cây. Ngày nay, rất ít người dân nông thôn làm việc trong các trang trại. Nhiều người trong số họ đi làm ở các thị trấn. Nhiều người khác muốn sống ở nông thôn để họ có một lối sống tốt hơn và lành mạnh hơn.

1. The countryside of Britain is NOT famous for its ______.

(Vùng nông thôn của Anh KHÔNG nổi tiếng với ______.)

A. farmland (đất nông nghiệp)

B. moorland (đồng hoang)                          

C. bare mountains (núi trọc)

D. lakes, rivers, and woods (hồ, sông và rừng)

2. Individual people or independent companies own ______.

(Cá nhân hoặc công ty độc lập sở hữu ______.)

A. some of the farmland in Britain (một số đất nông nghiệp ở Anh)

B. most farmland in Britain (hầu hết đất nông nghiệp ở Anh)

C. footpaths across the farmland (lối đi bộ trên đất nông nghiệp)

D. a network of public footpaths (một mạng lưới các lối đi bộ công cộng)

3. Many British people think the countryside goes with ______.

(Nhiều người Anh nghĩ rằng nông thôn đi với ______.)

A. work in towns (làm việc ở thị trấn)

B. work on farms (làm việc trong các trang trại)

C. peace and relaxation (hòa bình và thư giãn)

D. public farmland (đất nông nghiệp công cộng)

4. The word "commute" in the passage is closest in meaning to ______.

A. go on foot                                          B. go by public transport

(đi bộ)                                                    (đi bằng phương tiện công cộng)

C. go by bicycle                                     D. go by car

(đi xe đạp)                                              (đi bằng ô tô)

5. What does the word "they" in the passage refer to?

(Từ "họ" trong đoạn văn đề cập đến điều gì?)

A. Those who commute to work in towns.

(Những người đi làm ở thị trấn.)

B. Those who go to the country for a picnic.

(Những người đi dã ngoại trong nước.)

C. Those who go to fruit farms in summer.

(Những người đi đến trang trại trái cây vào mùa hè.)

D. Those who dream of living in the country.

(Những người mơ ước được sống ở xứ người.)

Last summer holiday (Kì nghỉ hè năm ngoái)

1. Listen and read.

(Nghe và đọc.)

Nick: You look great with a tan, Mai!

Mai: Thank you. I've just come back from a very enjoyable summer holiday.

Nick: Really? Where did you stay?

Mai: I stayed at my uncle’s house in a small village in Bac Giang Province.

Nick: What did you do there?

Mai: A lot of things. It was harvest time. The villagers were harvesting rice with a combine harvester. I helped them load the rice onto a truck. Then we unloaded the rice and dried it.

Nick: Sounds great!

Mai: And sometimes I went with the village children to herd the buffaloes and cows. I made friends with them on my first day.

Nick: Were they friendly?

Mai: Yes, they were. They took me to the paddy fields to fly kites. And in the evening, we played traditional games like bamboo dancing and dragon-snake.

Nick: Oh, I envy you!

Mai: Things move more slowly there than in our city, but people seem to have a healthier life.

2. Read the conversation again and choose the correct answer to each question.

(Đọc lại đoạn hội thoại một lần nữa và chọn câu trả lời đúng cho mỗi câu hỏi sau.)

1. How does Mai feel about her summer holiday?

(Mai cảm thấy thế nào về kỳ nghỉ hè của mình?)

A. She likes it. (Cô ấy thích nó.)

B. She doesn't like it. (Cô ấy không thích nó.)

C. She thinks it was fine. (Cô ấy nghĩ nó ổn.)

2. Where did she stay during her summer holiday?

(Cô ấy đã ở đâu trong kỳ nghỉ hè?)

A. At her friend’s house. (Ở nhà bạn cô ấy.)

B. At her uncle’s house. (Tại nhà chú của cô ấy.)

C. At her grandparents’ house. (Tại nhà ông bà của cô ấy.)

3. During harvest time, people harvest rice by _________ .

(Trong thời gian thu hoạch, người ta thu hoạch lúa bằng cách _________.)

A. themselves (chính họ)

B. using a truck (sử dụng xe tải)

C. using a combine harvester (sử dụng máy gặt đập liên hợp)

4. Mai thinks people in the countryside lead ___________.

(Mai nghĩ người ở quê hướng đến ___________.)

A. a healthy life (một cuộc sống lành mạnh)

B. an exciting life (một cuộc sống thú vị)

C. an interesting life (một cuộc sống thú vị)

3. Complete the sentences with the words and phrases from the box.

(Hoàn thành các câu với các từ và cụm từ trong khung.)

1. It took them an hour to _____ all the goods onto the truck.

2. Nowadays, people in my village use a _____ to harvest their rice and separate the grains from the rest of the plant.

3. Today it is my turn to _____ the cows.

4. A place in which people grow rice is called a _____.

5. A busy time when people cut and gather their crops is called _____.

Adverts for beautiful villages

(Quảng cáo cho những ngôi làng xinh đẹp)

3. Read the adverts for the two beautiful villages. Tick (✓) the boxes to show which village the statements describe. Sometimes both boxex need to be ticked.

(Đọc quảng cáo cho hai ngôi làng xinh đẹp. Đánh dấu (✓) vào các ô để cho biết những câu nói mô tả về ngôi làng nào. Đôi khi cả hai ô cần phải được đánh dấu.)

Duong Lam Village

Duong Lam, one of the most ancient villages in Ha Noi, is situated in Son Tay. Visitors can get there from the centre of Ha Noi by car, bus or even by bicycle. It is famous for its ancient pagoda, traditional houses, and temples. Besides these, visitors can observe the locals making specialities, such as keo doi, che lam, etc. and then try them.

Hollum Village

Hollum is one of the ancient villages on the island of Ameland, the Netherlands. Many visitors come to the village because of its historical and cultural values. It is full of fascinating sights, such as traditional houses, a museum, a church, a lighthouse, etc. Besides sightseeing, visitors can also take part in sports like kite-flying, surfing, etc. Visitors can reach the village by air or ferry.

4. Work in groups. Take turns to talk about the similarities and differences between Duong Lam and Hollum.

(Làm việc nhóm. Thay phiên nhau nói về những điểm giống và khác nhau giữa Đường Lâm và Hollum.)

Example: Duong Lam and Hollum are both ancient villages,…

(Ví dụ: Đường Lâm và Hollum đều là những ngôi làng cổ, …)

2. Read the text about life in a village in Viet Nam. Match the highlighted words in the text with their meanings.

(Đọc văn bản về cuộc sống ở một ngôi làng ở Việt Nam. Nối các từ được đánh dấu trong văn bản với ý nghĩa của chúng.)

I feel fortunate that I am living in a peaceful village in southern Viet Nam. The scenery here is beautiful and picturesque with vast fields stretching long distances. The houses are surrounded by green trees. There are lakes, ponds, and canals here and there. The air is fresh and cool. Life here seems to move more slowly than in cities. The people work very hard. They grow vegetables, cultivate rice, and raise cattle. At harvest time, they use combine harvesters to harvest their crops. Many families live by growing fruit trees in the orchards. Others live by fishing in lakes, ponds, and canals. Life in the village is very comfortable for children. They play traditional games. Sometimes they help their parents pick fruit and herd cattle.

People in my village know each other well. They are friendly and hospitable. They often meet each other in the evening, eating fruit, playing chess, singing folk songs, and chatting about everyday activities.

3. Read the text again and tick (✓) T (True) or F (False) for each sentence.

(Đọc văn bản một lần nữa và đánh dấu (✓) T (Đúng) hoặc F (Sai) cho mỗi câu.)

1. Life in the author’s village is very peaceful.

2. The people in the village work very hard.

3. Villagers live only by catching fish in lakes, ponds, and canals.

4. The children are always busy helping their parents.

5. The villagers get along well.

a. Read Vy's blog post. What does she mostly talk about?

1. popular activities in her hometown           

(các hoạt động phổ biến ở quê hương cô ấy)

2. her family's favorite folk games

(trò chơi dân gian yêu thích của gia đình cô ấy)

Visiting Family in My Hometown

Mar 29, 2022

Vy Nguyễn

Hi, everyone! Sorry didn't post anything last week I couldn't use my computer because wasn't at home.

I visited my family in my hometown. It's a small village in the country, about 200 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City. My hometown is very different from the city. It's smaller, and it's much more traditional.

Here, the kids never play computer games, and they rarely watch TV. They prefer to play outdoors. They play sports and folk games. The girls love to jump rope and pick flowers. The boys love to play tug of war and soccer. I often play with the kids here, but I don't like to run around during the day because the weather is usually so sunny and hot.

I prefer to play chess because it's more relaxing than some folk games. My uncle and I sometimes sit down and play it under a tree.

What are your favorite activities?

b. Now, read and circle the correct answers.

(Bây giờ, hãy đọc và khoanh tròn các câu trả lời đúng.)

1. Where was Vy last week?

(Vy đã ở đâu tuần trước?)

A. in Ho Chi Minh City (ở Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh)                        

B. in her hometown (ở quê hương của cô ấy)                

C. in another country (ở một đất nước khác)

2. What don't kids do in Vy's hometown?

(Những đứa trẻ không làm gì ở quê hương của Vy?)

A. play computer games (chơi trò chơi máy tính)                      

B. pick flowers (hái hoa)                      

C. play soccer (chơi bóng đá)

3. What do girls like to do in Vy's hometown?

(Con gái ở quê Vy thích làm gì?)

A. play spinning tops (chơi quay cót)                              

B. play tug of war (chơi kéo co)                    

C. pick flowers (hái hoa)

4. What do boys like to do in Vy's hometown?

(Con trai ở quê Vy thích làm gì?)

A. jump rope (nhảy dây)                                       

B. play tug of war (kéo co)                 

C. herd buffalo (chăn trâu)

5. What does the word it in paragraph 4 refer to?

(Từ it trong đoạn 4 ám chỉ điều gì?)

A. a game (một trò chơi)                                             

B. a song (một bài hát)                                 

C. a place (một nơi)

c. Listen and read.

(Nghe và đọc.)

a. Read the announcement. What is the main purpose of it?

(Đọc thông báo. Mục đích chính của nó là gì?)

1. Say when and where the festival will be               

(Cho biết lễ hội sẽ diễn ra khi nào và ở đâu)

 2. Say what you can do at the festival

(Nói những gì bạn có thể làm tại lễ hội)

2023 Hiền Lương Village Tết Festival

We are happy to announce the 2023 Hiền Lương Village Tết Festival will take place on Lê Duẩn Street from January 21 January 29 from 8 a.m to 10 p.m.

Come and celebrate the 2023 Hiền Lương Village Tết Festival next Saturday.

This is a free event for everyone. There are lots of activities and types of traditional food to enjoy.

Come to Hiền Lương People's Committee and play exciting folk games. Enjoy activities like street  music performance and lion dances. Watch the crazing works show an Tết Eve from Hiền Lương Bridge. Enjoy different types of traditional Tết food like bánh chưng or candied fruit.

Bring your family and friend!

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

(Bây giờ, hãy đọc và viết True, False, hoặc Doesn't say.)

1. The announcement is for the 2020 Tết festival in Hiền Lương Village.

2. The festival will be on Lê Duẩn Street.

3. The festival is only free for children.

4. You can enjoy music performances from famous Vietnamese singers

5. The festival will have some types of tracktonal food like candied fruit and bánh chưng.

c. Listen and read.

(Nghe và đọc.)

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

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

Hello. My name is Tâm, and live in Di Linh, Vietnam. It's about 230 kilometers away from Ho Chi Minh City.

I really like to play and have fun with my friends. I love to play spinning tops. I think it's a really fun game. I also like to play tug of war. I'm strong, so I'm really good at it. My friends often play shuttlecock. I don't really like it. I think it's boring. prefer to jump rope or go to my folk dance class. I dance with my sister every Sunday. We're not very good at it, but we always have a good time when we dance. My brother doesn't really like to dance. He usually picks flowers or makes jewelry. My family likes to play board games together. We sometimes play after dinner or before bed.

I want to learn some more folk games and teach them to my friends and family. I think they'll like it.

(Xin chào. Tôi tên Tâm, sống tại Di Linh, Việt Nam. Nó cách thành phố Hồ Chí Minh khoảng 230 km.

Tôi thực sự thích chơi và vui chơi với bạn bè của tôi. Tôi thích chơi con quay. Tôi nghĩ đó là một trò chơi thực sự thú vị. Tôi cũng thích chơi kéo co. Tôi mạnh mẽ, vì vậy tôi thực sự giỏi về nó. Bạn tôi thường chơi đá cầu. Tôi không thực sự thích nó. Tôi nghĩ rằng đó là nhàm chán. thích nhảy dây hoặc đến lớp học khiêu vũ dân gian của tôi. Tôi khiêu vũ với em gái của tôi mỗi chủ nhật. Chúng tôi không giỏi lắm, nhưng chúng tôi luôn có khoảng thời gian vui vẻ khi khiêu vũ. Anh trai tôi không thực sự thích khiêu vũ. Anh ấy thường hái hoa hoặc làm đồ trang sức. Gia đình tôi thích chơi board game với nhau. Đôi khi chúng tôi chơi sau bữa tối hoặc trước khi đi ngủ.

Tôi muốn tìm hiểu thêm một số trò chơi dân gian và dạy chúng cho bạn bè và gia đình của tôi. tôi nghĩ họ sẽ thích nó)

Example:

(Ví dụ:)

0. Where does Tâm live?

(Tâm sống ở đâu?)

A. Ho Chi Minh City              B. Di Linh                               C. Da Nang

(Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh)      (Di Linh)                                 (Đà Nẵng)

Trả lời: B. Di Linh

1. What is Tâm good at?

(Tâm giỏi cái gì?)

A. tug of war (kéo co)                          

B. board games (cờ bàn)                       

C. shuttlecock (đá cầu)

2. What does Tâm like to do more than to play shuttlecock?

(Tâm thích làm gì hơn đá cầu?)

A. pick flowers (hái hoa)                         

B. read (đọc)                                   

C. jump rope (nhảy dây)

3. What activity does Tâm's brother not like to do?

(Hoạt động nào mà anh trai Tâm không thích làm?)

A. dance (nhảy)                                   

B. make jewelry (làm đồ trang sức)                        

C. play tug of war (chơi kéo co)

4. What does Tâm's family like to do together?

(Gia đình Tâm thích làm gì cùng nhau?)

A. jump rope (nhảy dây)                          

B. play board games (chơi cờ)                   

C. play spinning tops (chơi quay)

5. Look at the pictures. Which place is in the city and which place is in the countryside?

(Nhìn vào những bức tranh sau. Nơi nào ở thành phố và nơi nào ở nông thôn?)

Speacial Places, Big and Small

Small villages and big cities are both special in some ways.

Read some amazing facts about two special places in the UK below.

Solva

Solva is a small village on the seaside in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It’s a great place to live and visit. There’s

beautiful scenery nearby with the quiet beaches and rocky hills of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. Visitors can take a boat ride and see interesting wildlife like sharks and dolphins. But it’s not just for nature lovers. Art lovers can visit Raul Speek Gallery to see wonderful works of art.

Bristol

Bristol is a beautiful big city in South West England. With so many things to do during the day and night, Bristol is a city full of life. It has lots of theatres, museums, festivals and street performers. Stokes Croft in

Ashley Ward is especially popular. There are lots of small shops with special works of art in this street. Artists and art lovers love to visit this beautiful city.

6. Read the texts and answer the questions (1-5). Write S (Solva) or B (Bristol).

(Đọc văn bản và trả lời câu hỏi (1-5). Viết S (Solva) hoặc B (Bristol).)

1. Which place has lots of performers?

2. Which place has beautiful scenery with beaches and hills?

3. Where can you see sea animals?

4. Where can you see a lot of works of art in shops?

5. Which place is great for people who love nature and art?

2. Read the texts and complete the table.

(Đọc các đoạn văn và hoàn thành bảng.)

4. Complete the paragraph with the adjectives from the list.

(Hoàn thành đoạn văn với các tính từ từ danh sách.)

If you love 1)               countryside life, my village is a perfect place for you. You can take a boat ride on the 2)                          river. There is lots of 3)                      scenery for sightseeing. It is also interesting to talk with the 4)                people. Then, you can try some 5)                 seafood at the night market.

Reading

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

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

Hi readers,

Sorry I didn’t write last month because I moved to the countryside. Let me tell you all about it. I live in Cẩm Thanh, a quiet village in the south east of Hội An City, Việt Nam. There aren’t many people here. In fact, it has a population of under 10,000. It is one of the most peaceful villages in the country. There aren’t many things to do, but it has some beautiful scenery. I love going for boat rides on the Thu Bồn River near my house. I also love breathing the clean air here because it makes me feel relaxed. Also, there is no heavy traffic. In fact, the only sound comes from the birds in the trees. There are lots of fishermen and they fish in the river every day. I really like living here. Why don’t you leave a comment below and say what the place you live is in is like?

1. Trang lives in a village.

2. Cẩm Thanh is crowded.

3. There is a river in Cẩm Thanh.

4. There is a lot of pollution in Cẩm Thanh.

5. Trang usually talks to the fishermen.

Reading

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

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

Hello readers! I just moved to a new city. I want to tell you all about it. I live in Toronto, Canada. It's a big city with lot of people. I like walking through the city and looking at the historic buildings. Not everything is old, though. There are lots of modem malls and shops, too. The busy streets and lifestyle make it a fun place to live. Why don't you leave a comment below about where you live? Bye for now!

Hi Jo, Brian here! Toronto sounds great. Let me tell you about where I live! I live in a small town, Nagara-on-the-Lake in Canada. We don’t have busy streets and there isn't much entertainment, but we have lots of historic buildings and modem shops. In fact, my town is very popular with tourists. They like the friendly local people and the beautiful scenery with full of trees and flowers.

1. Toronto is very crowded.

2. Jo likes looking at the historic buildings.

3. Jo often visits the malls.

4. Not many tourists visit Niagara-on-the-Lake.

5. The two places have historic buildings and modern shops.

5. Choose from the box the right words to complete the text below.

(Chọn từ thích hợp trong hộp để hoàn thành đoạn văn dưới đây.)

A day in the life of a farmer

I work on my parents farm in California in the US. During (1)_______, my day starts at 3.30. I wake up, put on a work shirt, take a water jug and (2)_______ the door by 3.40. I get to work at 4.00. I start warming up the machines with Paul - the mechanic. At around 5.30, other people (3)_______ and begin harvesting, so I start running the water truck. At 12.00, everyone takes their lunch, and I can fuel up all of the harvesters and (4)_______, and (5)_______ all of the water jugs. In the afternoon, everything will be the same. I’m usually off work by 7.00 or 8.00 p.m., but on farmers’ market nights, I won’t be free until 9.00, 10.00 or 11.00 at night. Harvest season in one of the most (6)_______ time in a year. The nice part is that, if it is not harvest time, I can take a day off and go fishing if I like.

2. Read the texts. Put the sentences below in the correct places in the text.

(Đọc đoạn văn. Đặt những câu bên dưới vào những chỗ đúng trong đoạn văn.)

Countryside

Living in the countryside is very relaxing and peaceful with a slower pace of life. (1)_______. Most people in the countryside are farmers or fishermen. They grow rice, raise animals, or fish to earn a living. (2)_______. However, the countryside does not have as many good schools or hospitals as the bigger cities do. (3)_______.

City

Life in the city is faster and more exciting. There are more things to buy and do in the cities, so you won’t get bored. Young people often leave their villages to go to the cities for work or college. (4)_______. Thus, some people find living in big cities more dangerous and stressful than in the countryside. In spite of this, more people, especially young people, are moving to the crowded and noisy cities and settling down here.

a. The traffic jams, crime rate, and air pollution in the cities are worse than in the countryside.

(Ùn tắc giao thông, tỷ lệ tội phạm và ô nhiễm không khí ở các thành phố tồi tệ hơn ở nông thôn.)

b. The cost of living in the countryside is much lower than in the cities.

(Chi phí sinh hoạt ở nông thôn thấp hơn nhiều so với ở thành phố.)

c. Life in the countryside may be too slow for some people.

(Cuộc sống ở nông thôn có thể quá chậm đối với một số người.)

d. Because of this, people in the countryside lead a healthy life and they seem to be friendly and helpful to their neighbors.

(Vì điều này, người dân ở nông thôn có một cuộc sống lành mạnh và họ có vẻ thân thiện và hay giúp đỡ những người hàng xóm của họ.)

3. Which of the following is the best title of the article?

(Cái nào sau đây là tiêu đề phù hợp nhất của bài viết?)

1. Most people like living in the city

(Hầu hết mọi người thích sống ở thành phố)

2. Benefits of country and city living

(Lợi ích của cuộc sống ở nông thôn và thành phố)

3. The good and bad things about living in the country and city

(Những điều tốt và xấu khi sống ở nông thôn và thành phố)

4. Living in the countryside is better than living in the city

(Sống ở nông thôn tốt hơn sống ở thành phố)

1. Look at the photos of London. What do you know about these places?

(Nhìn vào những bức ảnh của London. Bạn biết gì về những nơi này?)

London is the largest and most exciting city in the UK. It has 8.9 million people and the nation’s  best museums, galleries, and theaters. The pace of life in London moves faster than elsewhere in the UK. Since London has traffic jams, many people use the underground to get around more quickly. Therefore, when you travel to London, you need to plan more carefully than when visiting other British cities. Air and noise pollution in London is not as bad as in other capital cities. In my opinion, drivers in London drive the most carefully in the world!

2. Read the text. Which of the ideas below are mentioned in the text? Put a tick (✓).

(Đọc văn bản. Ý tưởng nào dưới đây được đề cập trong văn bản? Đánh dấu (✓).)

BLOG

I live in a small coastal town in Mexico. This town is excellent for families who want a peaceful lifestyle in a safe environment. The crime rate is 26% lower than other places in Mexico. My town has less traffic and hustle and bustle than the larger Mexican cities. Mexican towns are known for their history and culture and so is my town. For example, the Day of the Dead and Guelaguetza Festival are colourful and lively festivals in our town. The cost of living in coastal towns is low and my town is not an exception. Our family can live here for less than $1,000 a month.

READING

5. Read the text and tick (✓) the statements the author is likely to agree with.

(Đọc văn bản và đánh dấu (✓) vào những câu mà tác giả có thể đồng ý.)

I grew up in a small town in central Việt Nam. When I was a teenager, I couldn’t wait to leave for a big city. But after getting married, I now look forward to going back to my hometown every year. I miss the sense of community we had. I knew everyone, and they knew me. They would help me when I needed them, and we all enjoyed spending time together. We used to go to local festivals and play children’s games in the paddy fields. I loved flying kites and herding the buffaloes with other kids in the neighbourhood. Life was not stressful at the time. I hope that my children can experience the peaceful country life like I did.

1. All young people should spend time in big cities.

2. City people are generally friendlier than country people.

3. I enjoyed playing with my friends.

4. I like living in the countryside.

5. Traditional children's games were not much fun.

1. Read the comments. Write CT (city) or CS (countryside).

(Đọc các bình luận. Viết CT (thành phố) hoặc CS (nông thôn).)

1. "There's always heavy traffic."

2. "I can go for long walks in the clean air."

3. "I can go shopping at lots of shops and malls!"

4. "I can enjoy the beautiful scenery of trees and lakes."

5. "There's so much pollution from all the cars."

Cities - OLD and NEW

Some cities are very old and other cities are much newer. Let's read about an older city and a newer one in Japan!

KYOTO

Kyoto is a very old city. It is over 1,000 years old. It was the capital city of Japan a long time ago. Kyoto is a beautiful city with many calm rivers, and lots of parks with flowers, trees and lakes. It also has lots of famous temples and pagodas. Tourists always love visiting Kyoto and taking photos of the beautiful scenery. In fact, Kyoto's nickname is The City of Flowers.

TOKYO

Tokyo is the capital city of Japan. A long time ago, the city's name was Edo, but the name changed to Tokyo around 400 years ago. This 400-year-old city seems very new because people started living in Japan over 30,000 years ago. So, Tokyo is one of Japan's newest and most modern cities. It's very big with lots of skyscrapers. It's popular with tourists, too. They usually like going sightseeing, going shopping, enjoying the entertainment and seeing famous works of art in museums.

1. Read the texts and decide if the statements (1-3) are R (right), W (wrong) or DS (doesn't say).

(Đọc văn bản và quyết định xem các câu (1-3) là R (đúng), W (sai) hay DS (không nói đến).)

1. Kyoto used to be the capital city of Japan.

2. Tokyo is 30,000 years old.

3. Tourists prefer visiting Kyoto instead of Tokyo.

2. Choose the place that matches each sentence. Write K (Kyoto) and T (Tokyo).

(Chọn địa điểm phù hợp với từng câu. Viết K (Kyoto) và T (Tokyo).)

1. Tourists enjoy the beautiful parks here.

2. People like going shopping here.

3. You can see tall buildings here.

4. There are lots of temples and pagodas here.

A. walking in the busy streets

B. taking photos of the scenery

C. seeing works of art

D. enjoying entertainment