Contents

HƯỚNG DẪN SỬ DỤNG TÀI LIỆU ............................................... 3

TOPIC 1: EDUCATION ....................................................................... 4
TOPIC 2: WORK ............................................................................... 5
TOPIC 3: HEALTH ............................................................................. 6
TOPIC 4: ENVIRONMENT .................................................................. 7
TOPIC 5: BUSINESS .......................................................................... 8
TOPIC 6: ENTERTAINMENT ............................................................... 9
TOPIC 7: SPORTS ........................................................................... 10
TOPIC 8: LANGUAGE ...................................................................... 11
TOPIC 9: TECHNOLOGY .................................................................. 12
TOPIC 10: SOCIAL ISSUES ............................................................... 13
TOPIC 11: DIFFICULT QUESTIONS .................................................... 14
 TOPIC 1: EDUCATION
1. Question: Some people think that children should begin their education at a very
early age. Some think they should begin at least 7 years old.

Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

2. Question: Some people think that sending criminals to prison is not effective.
Education and job training should be used instead.

Do you agree or disagree?

3. Question: Students should be taught academic knowledge so that they can pass
exams, and skills such as cooking or dressing should not be taught.

To what extent do you agree/disagree?

4. Question: Some people think movies should only be for entertainment. Others
think that they should also have educational values.

Discuss both views and give your opinion.

5. Question: The best way to ensure the growth of children is to make parents take
parenting courses.

Do you agree or disagree?

6. Question: For centuries, important parts of education have remained such as

reading, writing and Math. With the advent of computers, some people think that
computer skills will be made fourth on the list.

To what extent do you agree?

 TOPIC 2: WORK
1. Question: Many employers find that their new employees lack sufficient
interpersonal skills such as lack of ability to work with colleagues as a team.

What are the causes? Can you suggest some possible solutions?

2. Question: The world of work is rapidly changing and employees cannot depend on
having the same job or the same working conditions for life.

Why is it the case? Can you suggest some ways to prepare people to work in the
future?

3. Question: In most successful companies, some people think that communication

between employers and workers is the most important factor, other people say
that other factors are more important.

Discuss both views and give your opinion.

4. Question: Some people want to be able to contact their staff at all times, even on
holidays.

Does this development have more advantages than disadvantages?

5. Question: More and more people are now moving away from an agricultural
background to cities for work.

What will be the consequences of this? What solution can you offer?

6. Question: Many people find it hard to balance their work with other parts of their
lives.

What are the reasons for this? How can this problem be overcome?
 TOPIC 3: HEALTH
1. Question: It is more important to spend public money on promoting a healthy
lifestyle in order to prevent illness than to spend it on treatment of people who
are already ill.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

2. Question: The number of people who are at risk of serious health problems due to
being overweight is increasing.

What is the reason for the growth of overweight people in society?

How can this problem be solved?

3. Question: More and more people are suffering from health problems caused by a
modern lifestyle which cannot be treated with modern medicines. Some people
think that a return to traditional medicine should be encouraged.

To what extent do you agree?

4. Question: Some people think that public health in a country can be improved by
the government making laws regarding nutritious food. Others, however, think
that health is a matter of personal choice and responsibility.

Discuss both views and give your opinion.

5. Question: Walking is known to be beneficial for health and yet fewer and fewer
people are walking these days.

What are the reasons for this? What can be done to tackle this problem?

6. Question: Healthcare should not be provided for free regardless of a person’s

income. The health of a person is in their own hands and they should, therefore,
be held accountable for that.

Do you agree with this opinion?

 TOPIC 4: ENVIRONMENT
1. Question: Nowadays, people have little awareness of the importance of the natural
world.

What are the reasons and how can people learn more about the natural world?

2. Question: The increase in the production of consumer goods results in damage to

the natural environment.

What are the causes of this? What can be done to solve this problem?

3. Question: Some people think that zoos are all cruel and should be closed down.
Others however believe that zoos can be useful in protecting wild animals. Discuss
both opinions and give your own opinion.

4. Question: Human activities have negative effects on plant and animal species.
Some people think it is too late to do anything about this problem. Others believe
that effective measures can be taken to improve this situation.

Discuss both views and give your opinion.

5. Question: It is often said that governments spend too much money to protect
wildlife, while there are other problems that are more important.

Do you agree or disagree?

6. Question: The best way to solve the world’s environmental problems is to increase
the cost of fuel for cars and other vehicles.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

 TOPIC 5: BUSINESS
1. Question: Some people think that big companies should provide sports and social
facilities for the local community. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

2. Question: The expansion of multinational companies and increase in globalization

produce positive effects for everyone.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

3. Question: In some countries, small town-centre shops are going out of business
because people tend to drive to large out-of-town stores. As a result, people
without cars have limited access to out-of-town stores, and it may result in an
increase in the use of cars.

Do you think the disadvantages of this change outweigh its advantages?

4. Question: The increase in the production of consumer goods results in damage to

the natural environment.

What are the causes of this? What can be done to solve this problem?

5. Question: Many employers find that their new employees lack sufficient
interpersonal skills such as lack of ability to work with colleagues as a team.

What are the causes? Can you suggest some possible solutions?

6. Question: Large businesses have big budgets for marketing and promotion and as
a result, people gravitate towards buying their products.

What problems does this cause? What could be done to encourage people to buy
local products?
 TOPIC 6: ENTERTAINMENT
1. Question: Many people are now spending more and more time traveling to work
or school. Some people believe that this is a negative development while others
think there are some benefits.

Discuss both views and give your opinion.

2. Question: These days, a great number of children prefer spending time on

computer games rather than on sports.

Why is it? Is it a positive or negative development?

3. Question: Pop stars earn much more than classical music performers. Some people
think this is fully justified while others think it is unfair.

Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

4. Question: The availability of entertainment such as video games on handheld

devices is harmful to individuals and to the society they live in.

To what extent do you agree and disagree?

5. Question: Some think that all entertainment TV programmes should educate

people about the importance of social issues.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

6. Question: Films were produced by big companies in the past, but today people are
able to make a film.

Is this a negative or positive development?

 TOPIC 7: SPORTS
1. Question: Today, TV channels show more men’s sports than women’s sports.

Why is this the case? Should TV channels give equal time to women’s sports and
men’s sports?

2. Question: Some people think that hosting international sports events is good for
the country, while some people think it is bad.

Discuss both views and state your opinion.

3. Question: Some people believe that sport has an important role in society. Others,
however, think that it is nothing more than a leisure activity for some people.

Discuss both views and give your opinion.

4. Question: Large companies use sports events to promote their products. Some
people think it has a negative impact on sports.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

5. Question: Some people believe that success in sports depends on physical ability.
But some people believe there are many factors that contribute to success at
sports.

Discuss both views and give your opinion.

6. Question: Some countries achieve international success by building specialized

facilities to train top athletes instead of providing sports facilities that everyone
can use.

Is it a positive or negative development?

 TOPIC 8: LANGUAGE
1. Question: A few languages are increasingly spoken in different countries, while the use
of others is rapidly declining.

Is it a positive or negative development?

2. Question: The development of tourism contributed to English becoming the most

prominent language in the world. Some people think this will lead to English becoming
the only language to be spoken legally.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of learning one language in the world?

3. Question: As computers translate quickly and accurately, learning foreign languages is

a waste of time.

To what extent do you agree?

 TOPIC 9: TECHNOLOGY
1. Question: Scientists believe that computers will become more intelligent than human
beings. Some people find it is positive while others think it is a negative development.
Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

2. Question: Some people believe that technology causes more problems for modern
society than it solves.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

3. Question: More and more people no longer read newspapers or watch TV programs to
get news. They get news about the world through the Internet.

Is this a positive or negative development?

 TOPIC 10: SOCIAL ISSUES
1. Question: In many countries, imprisonment is the most common solution to crimes.
However, some people believe that better education will be a more effective solution.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

2. Question: Nowadays, there is a trend that media reports focus on problems and
emergencies rather than positive development. Some people think it is harmful to
individuals and to society.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

3. Question: In many nations, people in huge cities either live alone or in small family
units, instead of in large, extended family groups.

Is this a positive or negative trend?

4. Question: The use of mobile phones is as antisocial as smoking. Smoking is banned in

certain places so mobile phones should be banned like smoking.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

5. Question: Most people have forgotten the meaning behind traditional and religious
festivals; during festival periods, people nowadays only want to enjoy themselves.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

6. Question: Many countries aim to improve their living standard by economic

development, but some important social values are lost as a result.

Do you think the advantages of economic development outweigh the disadvantages?

 TOPIC 11: DIFFICULT QUESTIONS
1. Question: Scientists believe that by studying the behaviour of 3-year-old children,
people can predict if that child can become criminals in the future.

To what extent is crime a product of human nature? Is it possible to stop children from
growing to be a criminal?

2. Question: "Tomorrow is the most important thing in our life." However, some people
think that the present time is more important. How important is it for individuals and the
country to think and do something for the future? What is your own opinion?

3. Question: Some feel that schools should be mixed with both girls and boys attending.
Others feel the genders ought to be separated.

Discuss both views and give your opinion.

4. Question: In recent years, there has been growing interest in the relationship between
equality and personal achievement. Some people believe that individuals can achieve
more in egalitarian societies. Others believe that high levels of personal achievement are
possible only if individuals are free to succeed or fail according to their individual merits.

What is your view of the relationship between equality and personal success?