2019 Dictation Class Teacher's Guide

ĐẠI HỌC HÀ NỘI
KHOA ĐÀO TẠO ĐẠI CƯƠNG
HỌC KỸ NĂNG NGHE

QUA VIẾT CHÍNH TẢ
HỌC KỲ 1
SÁCH GIÁO VIÊN
Chủ nhiệm đề tài: Trần Thu Hằng
Hà Nội, 2016
HANOI UNIVERSITY
FOUNDATION STUDIES DEPARTMENT
LISTENING COMPREHENSION
THROUGH DICTATION
TERM 1
TEACHER’S GUIDE
By Tran Thu Hang
Hanoi, 2016
INTRODUCTION
Listening Comprehension Through Dictation – Term 1 - Teacher’s Guide is specifically

designed to be used with Listening Comprehension Through Dictation – Term 1 -
Student’s Book. The book contains two sections with necessary information and pedagogical
guidelines for the teachers who use the Students’ Book. In particular, Section 1 includes the
Syllabus with important details and instructions so that the teachers can confidently use the
Students’ Book. There are also Pedagogical Guidelines which provide the teachers with
essential information and guidelines on the methodology and activities to be used in the
teaching and learning process. Section 2 of the book is reserved for the Suggested Answers to
the tasks in the Students’ Book with detailed and clear explanation and clarification in an
attempt to better facilitate the teachers in their teaching process. Hopefully, the book will be
of usefulness to the teachers in charge of Dictation Listening for term 1 classes.
Hanoi, 2016
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The author acknowledges the following sources of copyright materials and is grateful for the
permissions granted. While every effort has been made, it has not always been possible to
identify the sources of all the materials used, or to trace all copyright holders. If any
omissions are brought to our notice, we will be happy to include the appropriate
acknowledgements on reprinting.
The information on pp. 3-5 and audio track 1 and 2 was adapted from Luyện kỹ năng Nghe
và viết chính tả Tiếng Anh by The Windy, Nhà xuất bản Đại học Quốc gia Hà Nội, 2011; pp.
9-10 and audio track 3 from VOA Special English program, Health Report, by Caty Weaver,
retrieved on July 15, 2014 from http://learningenglish.voanews.com/content/a-23-2005-11-
14-voa2-83124987/124462.html or http://www.manythings.org/voa/health/4043.html; pp. 11-
12 and track 4 from Listening Practice Through Dictation volume 1 by Vinodini Murugesan,
Compass Publishing, 2007; pp. 16-18 and track 5 and 6 from Dictations for Discussion by
Judy DeFilippo và Catherine Sadow, Pro Lingua Associates Publishers, 2011; pp. 23-25 and
track 7 and 8 from Dictations for Discussion by Judy DeFilippo và Catherine Sadow, Pro
Lingua Associates Publishers, 2011; pp. 28-29 and audio track 9 from VOA Special English
program, Words and their stories, by Jill Moss, retrieved on February 16, 2014 from
http://learningenglish.voanews.com/content/words-and-their-stories-from-couch-potato-to-
cabin-fever-132322483/118835.html; pp. 30-31 and audio track 10 from Dictations for
Discussion by Judy DeFilippo và Catherine Sadow, Pro Lingua Associates Publishers, 2011;
pp.36-39 and track 11 and 12 from Luyện kỹ năng Nghe và viết chính tả Tiếng Anh by The
Windy, Nhà xuất bản Đại học Quốc gia Hà Nội, 2011; pp. 43-44 and track 13 from
Dictations for Discussion by Judy DeFilippo và Catherine Sadow, Pro Lingua Associates
Publishers, 2011; pp. 45-46 and track 14 from Luyện kỹ năng Nghe và viết chính tả Tiếng
Anh by The Windy, Nhà xuất bản Đại học Quốc gia Hà Nội, 2011; pp. 48-49 from Test your
knowledge of the world’s rainforests with the interactive rainforest quiz by The Nature
Conservancy, retrieved on June 28, 2014 from
http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/urgentissues/rainforests/rainforests-quiz.xml; pp. 50 and
track 15 from Using dictation to develop pupils’ listening and writing skills by Education
Bureau, The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, 2011; pp. 51-52 and track 16 from
VOA Special English program, Agriculture Report, by Mario Wither, retrieved on May 14,
2014 from http://learningenglish.voanews.com/content/a-23-2005-11-14-voa2-
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83124987/124462.html; pp. 53-54 and track 17 from Listening Practice Through Dictation
volume 1 by Vinodini Murugesan, Compass Publishing, 2007; pp. 58-59 from DCQE
(Department for Curriculum and Quality Enhancement) by the University of Portmouth,
retrieved on December 11, 2015 from http://www.lsbm.ac.uk/assets/pdf/Helpful-
abbreviations-for-speedy-note-taking.pdf; pp. 59-60 and track 18 from VOA Special English
program, Education Report, by Nancy Steinbach, retrieved on August 9, 2014 from
http://learningenglish.voanews.com/archive/learningenglish-home-
education/latest/959/959.html; pp. 62-63 and audio track 19 from VOA Special English
program, Technology Report, by Steve Ember, retrieved on September 29, 2014 from
http://learningenglish.voanews.com/content/looking-to-robots-and-other-technology-to-
improve-health-care-112802519/115124.html.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION ………………………………………………………………. i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS …………………………………………………….. ii
TABLE OF CONTENT ………………………………………………………… iv
SECTION 1: SYLLABUS ………………………………………………………
1. Course overview …………………………………………………………... 1
2. Course objectives and outcome …………………………………………... 1
3. Books and materials ………………………………………………………. 1
4. Proposed class time schedule …………………………………………….. 1
5. Assessment ………………………………………………………………… 1
6. Methodological guidelines ………………………………………………... 2
7. Some ideas for effective dictation teaching ……………………………… 3
8. Syllabus ……………………………………………………………………. 9
SECTION 2: SUGGESTED ANSWERS …………....…………………………
Unit 1: Learning a foreign language ……………………………………….. 11
Unit 2: Vitamins – essence of health ……..…………………………………. 18
Unit 3: Family matters ………………………………………………………. 26
Unit 4: Childhood ……………………………………………………………. 35
Unit 5: Television ……………….…………………………………………… 42
Unit 6: Happiness and dreams ………..…………………………………….. 49
Unit 7: Superstitions ………………………………………………………… 57
Unit 8: Environment………..………………………………………………... 65
Unit 9: Technology ………………………………………………………....... 74
REFERENCES ………………………………………………………………….. 84
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SECTION 1
SYLLABUS
SECTION 1 SYLLABUS
1. Course overview
“Listening Comprehension Through Dictation – Term 1” is specifically designed for the

students at basic level (in their first term) of the one year English program by the Foundation
Studies Department, Hanoi University. This course book aims to introduce a wide range of
dictation materials, which put more emphasis on promoting students’ capacity of listening and
perceiving the accurate written forms of oral sounds, words and simple sentences so that they can
confidently dictate (write down exactly what they hear) from speakers. By focusing learners’
attention on text transcription, it is expected to encourage learners to further develop effective
learning strategies (e.g. spelling, phonics skills, vocabulary building, prediction and basic note-
taking skills) as well as integrated language skills (e.g. listening, dictating, speaking), apart from
providing invaluable exposure to audio-recorded languages from native English speakers. In
doing so, it is hopefully to better facilitate learners’ more independent and confident listening
capability when they move on to higher levels of their English studies in the following terms of
the program.
“Listening Comprehension Through Dictation – Term 1” has 9 units. Each unit in the course book
begins with Lead-in activities, which is to give the students opportunities to activate their
background knowledge about the topic that will be covered in the listening. In this part, the
students are typically asked to talk about what they know about the topic either in groups or in
pairs. By doing this, students will be equipped with some essential ideas related to the topic
before they listen so they can perform better during their listening. The unit goes on with Helpful
hint section where the focal points of relevant dictation listening skills within the unit are
highlighted to provide students with necessary ideas and techniques to deal with the dictation and
listening with more efficiency under specific contexts of the given recordings. This part is
followed by the main part of the lesson, Listening and Dictation, which contains two dictation
passages with a variety of dictation activities and exercises. For each dictation passage, students
do the first listening to get the overall comprehension or grasp the main ideas of the whole text.
Then the students listen to the recording the second time and dictate by filling in the given
missing gaps. The designed gaps mainly focus on important words or phrases or those with high
tendency of misuse or confusion regarding phonic, lexical or grammatical aspects of the language
among students. This is to help students become more aware of the accurate forms of language for
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more effective and proper use in the reality. In addition, the post-dictation comprehension
exercises prove to be beneficial to check and more importantly consolidate what students have
really learnt and understood from the listening. The unit ends with Follow-up activities in which
the students are required to review important words, phrases or idioms from the lesson and fill in
the ‘USEFUL LANGUAGES OF THE DAY’ table for more effective and practical future use.
As listening proves to be very essential and indispensable for students during their language
study, it is not an easy task though. To be successful listeners at this level, students are expected to
make full use of not only class hours but also their self-study revision to constantly sharpen their
listening skills by reviewing and applying what they have already learnt into practice. It is
crucially important to bear in mind that patience and regular daily practice will be key success
factors for a good and effective listener.
For these reasons, hopefully, the availability of the book will offer students whose wishes are
to better enhance their listening ability a series of good and effective listening practice
exercises to gradually build up their listening skills in a systematic and fundamental way as
well as to increase their confidence when exposing to different types of spoken English at
higher levels in the coming terms.
2. Course objectives and outcome

The curriculum materials of this course are selected to accomplish the following:
 Enhance students’ capability of listening and dictating exactly what can be heard from the
speakers.
 Increase students’ confidence when listening to different types of spoken English
We seek the following outcome:
Students will be able to improve their English listening ability and develop key listening skills
through a great variety of listening activities at intermediate level.
3. Books and Materials

 Listening Comprehension Through Dictation – Term 1 – Student’s book, Foundation
Studies Department, Hanoi University, Hanoi.
 Listening Comprehension Through Dictation – Term 1 – Teacher’s guide, Foundation
Studies Department, Hanoi University, Hanoi.
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4. Proposed class time schedule: 2.0 hours/week
5. Assessment
 Homework Assignments: Homework will be assigned and checked for every class
session. Completion of the homework is compulsory. Students who have not
completed all homework will be marked absent.
Students who are absent for more than 20% of class time are not permitted to receive
marks for the term.
 Examinations: TWO listening comprehension and dictation tests will be administered
to students both in the midterm and at the end of the term.
6. Methodological principles
Listening plays an essential part in the communication process as obviously conversations will
take place only when we can understand what speakers say. Hence, in-class listening activities of
the selected materials are designed to get students involved in and get acquainted with necessary
listening skills and strategies, which are useful to enhance their listening comprehension ability in
general (daily life) and academic contexts. For example, the students are able to learn how to gain
good sense of concentration while listening, to make possible guess, to listen for key words and
details and to identify proper spoken language uses for better understanding and comprehending
the given oral messages.
Research has shown that successful learners are autonomous, reflective, and are actively involved
in their learning. These learners are aware of how learning takes place and the best learning
strategies for themselves. With this understanding, the students should try their best to make full
use of given opportunities to practice listening through a wide range of activities such as fulfilling
assigned homework, actively listening to their teachers and their peers speaking English, learning
English through songs, stories and other useful resources so that they can fully improve and
gradually master their listening skills.
Regarding teaching approaches, “Listening” should take up about 70% of every listening lesson.
For the rest of the time, other integrated activities (e.g.: warm-up, speaking, etc.) can be
effectively used. It is also crucially important for teachers to give clear and purposeful
instructions to students for every single class activity and to make sure students have mastered
what they learnt in previous lessons before the new lessons being delivered (through the regular
homework checking system).
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7. Some ideas for effective dictation listening teaching
7.1. Suggestions for in-class teaching procedure
Pre-listening
 Tell your students they should not worry that they have to understand every word they
hear. Not every word is important!
 Where possible, make sure students know what they are listening for before you start
listening. Explain they should focus only on the information they need.
 Give two or three general questions to check student’s comprehension of the basic details.
 If possible, check for any words that your students may not know. Pre-teach these so they
do not interfere with understanding.
 Brainstorm students’ ideas on the topic they are going to listen to. This will help focus
them.
While listening
 As a general principle, try to play the recording once for overall comprehension. Then
play the recording again for specific details.
 Tell students to note any specific information (e.g.: dates, people or places) as they hear.
Divide students into groups and give each group a different listening task (e.g. different
questions). Then swap their answers and have students listen again and check their
classmates’ answers.
 Repeat the recording… especially the parts students have most trouble understanding
(with the careful analysis of the context to assist students find out the answers).
Post-listening
 Tell students to compare their notes and discuss what they understood in pairs or small
groups.
 Encourage students to respond to what they heard. For example, where possible ask
questions like “Do you agree?” and encourage debate.
 Tell pairs to write a summary of the main points. Then have them compare their
summaries and check if they covered all the main points.
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 Play the recording again and tell students to call out ‘Stop!’ when they hear the answers
they were listening for.
 Put students into groups and tell them to make a list of comprehension questions to ask
each other.
 Tell students to make a list in their notebooks of any new vocabulary they feel is useful as
a kind of homework assignment.
7.2. Interesting and effective teaching ideas for Dictation Listening

A- Running Dictation
This is a lively activity that practices speaking, listening, writing, walking and remembering!
Choose a short passage or dialogue and make several copies. Put the copies up around the walls
of the classroom (or even the school building).
Put the students in pairs or small groups. The aim is for one of the students in each pair to walk
(or run!) to read the passage on the wall. They remember some of the passage and walk (or run!)
back to their partner. They quietly dictate what they remembered to their partner, who writes it
down. They then swap roles. Over several turns they will build the whole passage. This means
they really do have to run back and forth because students will only remember three or four words
at a time.
The winning pair is the team that finishes first - although you need to check for mistakes. If there
are mistakes, they must keep walking to check!
A good idea is to teach them punctuation vocabulary beforehand if you want them to use the
correct punctuation in English. It's a good way to check spelling and fabulous for pronunciation -
and great memory training!
B- Drawing Dictation
Drawing dictations are a great way to practice vocabulary and to find out how well the students in
your class listen to you.
You can make the dictation as easy or difficult as you like, depending on the level of the group
and you can use drawing dictations to revise vocabulary you've studied in class in a fun way.
Procedure
 If you've been studying food, dictate instructions for your students to draw a fridge, with
the door open, and a range of different food items inside.
 Keep the language simple and concise.
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 For higher levels, have a picture in front of you and describe it to the class. See who, at the
end, has the most similar picture to the original. Students can take turns in giving the
dictation too.
C- Music Dictation
Music dictation is an interesting note-taking activity as students can learn English through songs.
Students are asked to fill in the missing words and phrases in the lyrics while listening to the
songs. As the key messages are repeated in different verses of the song and recurrent sentence
structures are used, music dictation helps students listen for the key words and consolidates the
learning of the target language structures.
In order to conduct music dictation smoothly, teachers should select songs with lyrics that are
clearly comprehensible and decide how much text could be given and how much be left blank
based on the level and abilities of the class.
Students are asked to fill the gaps in the lyrics while listening to the songs. Before listening to the
song and doing the dictation, teachers could provide some background information about the song
or the song title to activate students’ prior knowledge and experience. This can also enhance
students’ engagement in the activity.
D- Dictogloss
Dictogloss is a combination of dictation and composition. Students listen to the teacher reading a
short text at normal speed twice. During the first reading, they try to understand the meaning of
the text. During the second reading, they note down the key words. Then they share the
information/ideas in groups and reconstruct the text, using the words they have written down.
Here are the fundamental steps to conduct the dictogloss.
 The teacher reads a text. Students listen. They do not take notes. They just listen.
 The students INDIVIDUALLY write down as much of the story as they can remember.
They can use pictures, abbreviations, other words, blanks or anything else that will help
them if they don't recall the specifics.
 (optional) The text is read again. Students do NOT write while the teacher is speaking.
When the teacher finishes, they make changes as needed to their version. (I prefer to skip
this step and go straight to 4, but some teachers find their classes don't have much to
share unless this step is used. You know your classroom best so do what you think will
work!)
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 The students pair up with a friend and together try to combine their versions to get the
version as close to the original as possible.
 Students put down their pens and the teacher reads the text one last time.
 The students get a few more moments to write their final version (if you as a teacher want
you can combine pairs at this point to make a group of 4 working together on the final
version).
 If you want you can have the students write the final version on butcher paper and
everyone posts it on the board. Then give students time to circulate and mark any mistakes
they see (misspelled words, bad punctuation etc.) I find the faster way is to have them pass
the paper to the right/left and then the teacher reads the reading again and they correct the
paper.
 I usually give the team with the fewest mistakes a prize of some sort (bonus points, free
homework passes, etc.)
7.3. Frequently-asked questions
Question 1:
Q: What are the differences between skilled and unskilled listeners?
A: Here come possible differences between skilled and unskilled listeners.
Skilled Listeners
 Greater flexibility of listening strategies

 Effectively use world and discourse knowledge
 Listen for main points
 Not distracted by unknown words
Unskilled Listeners
 Relied on one or two listening strategies

 Over dependent on previous knowledge
 Listen for details
 Easily distracted by unknown words or extraneous factors
Question 2:
Q: What are the skills that students may need to practice to become better listeners
A: Those skills include:
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 Listening for the main ideas - students listen to identify the overall ideas expressed in the
whole recording.
 Listening for details – students listen for groups of words and phrases at sentence level.
 Listening for specific information – students listen for particular information at word level.
 Predicting – students try to guess key information contained in the recording before they
listen.
 Identifying emotion – students listen to identify the mood of certain speakers.
 Listening for opinions – students listen to identify the attitude of certain speakers.
 Inferring relationships – students listen to identify who the people are in the recording and
what the relationship is between them.
 Recognizing context – students listen to aural and contextual clues to identify where the
conversation takes place, who is speaking, etc.
Question 3:
Q: What are some useful websites for teaching and learning Listening skills?
A: Here are some useful links for Listening.
1. http://www.dictationsonline.com/ (very good website for practicing listening and
dictation)
2. http://www.learnenglish.de/dictationpage.html (interesting site with lots of English
Dictation Tests)
3. www.soundsofenglish.org (really good site for pronunciation practice  better facilitate
your listening).
4. http://www.learn-english-today.com/resources.html
5. http://www.listen-and-write.com/
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8. Framework for Dictation Listening Syllabus: 1 lesson // 2. 5 academic hours per week
Week
Topic / Theme Lesson Focus Tasks
Class
- An overview to Dictation Listening
- Orientation & Expectations Discussion: English as a global
WK 1 - Understand ways to learn English
- Unit 1: Learning a foreign language language
Homework for Next Class Session: Wordlist + Unit 1: Immigration Statistics
- Develop prediction skills
WK 2 Unit 2: Vitamins – essence of health - Get to know benefits of different vitamins Discussion: Health and nutrition
towards human health
Homework for Next Class Session: Wordlist + Unit 2: Three little words
- Make full use of the contextual clues
- Build up background knowledge about Discussion: Roles of women & Family
WK 3 Unit 3: Family matters
family-related issues and women roles nest
Homework for Next Class Session: Wordlist + Unit 3: Election day in the USA
- Recognize correct pronunciation of –s
endings - Discussion: Life experiences of
WK 4 Unit 4: Childhood - Learn about lives of children across the children at different parts of the world
world
Homework for Next Class Session: Wordlist + Unit 4: The Olympic Games
- Recognize correct pronunciation of –ed
endings Discussion: Pros and Cons of watching
WK 5 Unit 5: Television
- Learn how TV influences our life TV
Homework for Next Class Session: Wordlist + Unit 5: Birthdays around the world
- Highlight vocabulary problem parts
- Learn about secrets for true happiness
WK 6 Unit 6: Happiness and dreams Discussion: Happiness and dreams
and interesting facts about dreams
Homework for Next Class Session: Wordlist + Unit 6: Want to stay warm – think COLD
- Understand the sounds linking rules
WK 7 Unit 7: Superstitions - Learn about superstitions across countries Discussion: Religious beliefs
Homework for Next Class Session: Wordlist + Unit 7: Hold the pickles, hold the lettuce
- Identify main ideas and supporting details
- Discussion: Rainforests and noise
WK 8 Unit 8: Environment - Learn about current environmental issues
pollution
Homework for Next Class Session: Wordlist + Unit 8: Expressions with numbers
- Develop basic note-taking skills
- Learn how science and technology Discussion: Online education and the
WK 9 Unit 9: Technology
change the world greatest technological advances
Homework for Next Class Session: Wordlist + Unit 9: Writing college papers
- Review learnt skills Discussion:
WK 10 Unit 10: Careers - Learn about different aspects of job - Social media as tools for job search
searching - Factors for a successful interview
Homework for Next Class Session: Revision + Wordlist
- Revision
WK 11 Unit 11: Revision + Pilot test - Pilot test + class check
Homework: Review for End-of-term Examination
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Week
Topic / Theme Lesson Focus Tasks
Class
WK 12
At-Home Review // No Class Meetings
END-OF-TERM EXAM
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SECTION 2
Suggested answers
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UNIT 1 LEARNING A FOREIGN LANGUAGE
- Teacher writes ‘foreign languages’ on the board. Put students in small groups and give them one
minute to think of as many foreign languages they know as possible and identify which is the
most difficult or easiest to learn. Board some of the answers.
- Ask students to look at questions in the lead-in section and discuss with their peers to activate
their background knowledge of the topic. Allow about three minutes.
- Elicit ideas from students then put some key points on board.
- Answers vary. Here are some suggestions.
1. How important is English to you?
To be honest, English plays a very important role to me for following reasons. First, it
enables me to have a better understanding about the cultures and customs of many
countries around the world. In addition, as English has become one of the most
increasingly popular languages nowadays, it helps me to communicate with foreigners
with ease. And last but not least, having a good command of English may offer me a
well-paid job in the future. That’s why I’m trying to learn English as hard as I can to
master it one day.
2. Is English an easy language to learn?
Actually, learning any foreign languages has never been an easy task, and English is not
an exception. For instance, English pronunciation is the most challenging to learn as it
differs very much from Vietnamese pronunciation. However, I believe that if you work
hard and learn English on a regular basis, it is not too difficult to achieve good learning
of English at all.
3. Which is the best way to learn English well?

Well, there are many different ways to learn English well such as watching English
movies, speaking with foreigners, reading newspapers and magazines in English,
listening to English music, and so on. However, from my own point of view, it is really
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important for an English learner to work hard and practice English on a daily basis as
practice will definitely make perfect.
DICTATION LISTENING – An overview

In pairs, do the below quiz on to test how much you know about English Dictation
Listening.
1. Rearrange the order of below statements to make the best definition of dictation listening.
C. Learners receive some spoken input in the forms of oral sounds, words and sentences.
A. Learners hold pieces of information in their memory for a short time.
B. Learners dictate, i.e. write down exactly what they heard from speakers.
2. What is partial dictation? Put the statements in the correct order.

B. A passage with some deletions is given to learners.
A. The passage is read in complete form.
C. Learners are required to fill in the deleted parts as they hear the passage.
3. Which statement below is NOT true about the purposes of dictation?

A. Dictation helps learners develop phonics skills that facilitate pronunciation and spelling.
B. Dictation is an integrative activity that involves all the skills of listening, reading, writing and
speaking.
C. It’s only the passive aural skills that are developed in dictations.
4. How important is dictation in learning English listening? More than an option can be chosen.
A. Dictation relates what is spoken to what is written, which provides fundamental drills in
understanding the connected speech in real-life situations and also helps to develop listening
comprehension ability.
B. Dictation can help the students considerably overcome the grammatical and lexical
problems mostly alongside the problems of the other areas of the language.
C. The significance of dictation is the only focus of spelling practice.
Further explanation:
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Dictation is an integrative activity that involves all the skills.
 Listening: as the passage is dictated for students to transcribe.
 Writing: when students write down the dictated material.
 Reading: as a follow-up, students may read the passage first silently to check for
mistakes, then loudly to practice pronunciation.
 Speaking: when the passage is used as a starting point for a discussion activity.
DICTATION 1 - The white lie

01. 02:20 First listening: Listen and answer the questions below. Circle
A, B, or C.
1. What does the advertisement say about learning a foreign language?
A. One can learn a foreign language well in six months.
B. One cannot get a refund if not making progress after a six-week course.
C. One can master excellent pronunciation right on the beginning day of the
course.
2. What is the only language that is easy to learn?
A. English B. French C. One’s native language
3. How can people learn a foreign language well?
A. By working hard.
B. By living in the native country where the language is spoken.
C. With the help of books and dictionaries.
Second listening: Listen again and fill in the gaps. Write no more than
THREE words for each gap.
Have you ever noticed (1) advertisements which say “Learn a foreign language in (2) six
weeks, or we pay your money back”? From the first day your pronunciation will be
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excellent. Just send…” and so on? Of course, it never happens like that. The only language
that is easy to learn is the (3) mother tongue. And think how much practice that gets.
Before the Second World War, people usually learn a foreign language in order to read the
(4) literature of the country. Now speaking the foreign language is what most people
want. Every year (5) many millions of people start learning one. How do they do it?
Some people try (6) at home, with books and (7) record tapes; others go to (8) evening
classes. If they use the language only two or three times a week, learning it will take (9) a
long time, like language learning at school. A few people try to learn a language (10) fast
by studying for six or more (11) hours a day. It is clearly (12) easier to learn the language
in the country where it is (13) spoken. However, most people (14) cannot afford this, and
for many it is (15) necessary. They need the language in order to do their work better, for
example, (16) scientists and doctors chiefly need to be able to read books and reports in
the (17) foreign language. Whether the language is learnt quickly or slowly, it is (18) hard
work. Machines and good books are (19) helpful, but they cannot do the (20) students’
work for them.
Comprehension check: From the above dictation, answer below

comprehension questions.
1. What is the difference in the purpose of learning a foreign language in the past and
now?
- Past: people learn a foreign language to read the literature of the country
- Now: people mostly want to speak the language
2. List three different ways people may use to learn a foreign language.
- learn at home, with books & record tapes
- go to evening classes
- learn in the country where that language is spoken
3. Name different factors necessary for effective learning of a foreign language. Then
choose the most decisive factor of them all and explain why.
- Necessary factors for effective learning of a foreign language: good books, record
tapes, machines (computers with internet connection) and possibly teachers and
peers…
15
- The most decisive factor of them all: hard work.
DICTATION 2 – Learning English
02. 01:55 First listening: Listen to the recording and choose the best
answer for each of the following questions.
1. According to the recording, I enjoy all the following subjects except?
A. Maths B. Physics C. Chemistry
2. I wasn’t interested in …………?
A. reading B. listening C. memorizing grammatical rules
3. According to the recording, I don’t read………..?
A. textbooks B. novels C. magazines and newspapers
As we all know, English is the (1) most widely used language in the world. It’s important
for us to study English well. But how?
I like English as well as (2) maths and (3) physics. At the beginning of my English study,
I spent a lot of time in memorizing the (4) grammatical rules of English. I wasn’t
interested in listening or speaking. Many times the (5) marks I got in English tests were
not as good as those in my (6) maths tests, so I decided to (7) change my way of study.
From then on, I have begun to (8) pay attention to listening. In my spare time, I often
listen to English tapes and watch some English programmes on TV, I try my best to (9)
grasp main idea.
Reading is an important step in learning English well. I read (10) textbooks, and other
reading materials. When I am (11) free, I often read English magazines and (12)
newspapers. Although there are lots of new words, I often (13) go through what I read
(14) without paying much attention to the new words or difficult (15) sentences. In this
way, I’ve (16) improved my reading comprehension. How (17) glad I am! The more I
16
read, the more I understand; the more I understand, the more I read.
Recently, I have also been trying to (18) write. Though I often (19) make mistakes, I am
not discouraged. I’m (20) determined to study English well. I’m sure I will know it well
in the future.
Comprehension check: Basing on the recording, decide which statements

below are True or False. Correct the False one.
1. I prefer English to physics and maths.
 False (…I like English as well as physics and maths...)
2. At the beginning, I spent a lot of time in reading textbooks.
 False (…in grammatical rules...)
3. I was not fond of writing and speaking.
 False (…listening or speaking...)
4. As I didn’t get good marks in English tests, I changed my way of study.
 True
5. When listening, I try my best to understand every single word that the speaker says.
 False (…to grasp the main idea...)
6. While reading, if I find any new words, I stop to check their meanings for my better
comprehension.
 False (…I often go through without paying much attention to the new words...)
7. I feel scared if I make mistakes when I am writing.
 False (…Though I often make mistakes, I’m not discouraged...)
8. I always spare no efforts learning English well and I believe my English will be better
sooner or later.
 True
Students REVIEW important words/phrases/idioms from what they have learnt in the
lesson and fill in the following table for more effective future use.
17
USEFUL LANGUAGES OF THE DAY
Words/phrases/idioms Equivalents/Meaning Putting into context
1. Mother tongue One’s first language My mother tongue is Vietnamese
2. be fond of + V-ing be interested in doing sth My daughter is fond of playing
be keen on doing sth the piano.
3. to afford + to do sth Have enough money to She’s been working hard for
buy something many years and she can afford a
big house now.
4. to pay attention to + V- To focus on + Ving He paid due attention to his
ing/ something To concentrate on + Ving teacher’s important advice.
5. mark (n) grade If you work hard, you will get a
good mark/grade.
6. to grasp To catch/get something When listening, try to grasp the
main ideas from the speakers.
7. to make mistakes To do something wrong Making mistakes is a natural part
of English learning.
8. discouraged (adj) = feel demotivated Too hard exercises may

>< encouraged/motivated discourage students’ interests in
maths.
9. determined (adj) = spare no efforts doing sth I’m determined to study English
= try best to do sth well.
10. most widely used become English is the most widely used
widespread/popular/comm language in the world.
on
18
UNIT 2 VITAMINS – ESSENCE OF HEALTH
- Teacher asks students to look at questions in the lead-in section and discuss with their peers to
activate their background knowledge of the topic. Allow about three minutes.
1. How important are the vitamins A, B, C and D accordingly to our health?
Vitamin A is commonly known as the vitamin needed for good eyesight. Along with promoting
vision, vitamin A is also vital for regulating genes, maintaining healthy skin, supporting the
immune system and producing red blood cells.
Referred to as vitamin B complex, the eight B vitamins — B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, B12 —
play an important role in keeping our bodies running like well-oiled machines. These essential
nutrients help convert our food into fuel, allowing us to stay energized throughout the day. While
many of the following vitamins work in tandem, each has its own specific benefits — from
promoting healthy skin and hair to preventing memory loss or migraines.
Vitamin C is important to all animals, including humans, because it is vital to the production of
collagen. Vitamin C is also important because it helps protect the fat-soluble vitamin A and
vitamin E as well as fatty acids from oxidation. Vitamin C prevents and cures the disease scurvy,
and can be beneficial in the treatment of iron deficiency anemia.
Vitamin D is one of many nutrients our bodies need to stay healthy. Among the vitamin’s main
functions: Help the body absorb calcium. Vitamin D, in tandem with calcium, helps build bones
and keep bones strong and healthy, and helps block the release of a specific hormone (parathyroid
hormone). This hormone reabsorbs bone tissue, which makes bones thin and brittle. Vitamin D
may also play a role in muscle function and the immune system. The immune system is your
body’s defense system. It helps protect it against infections and other illnesses. Daily vitamin D
supplementation has been shown to decrease the risk of falling in older individuals.
2. What are possible dangers if we have low levels of these vitamins?
19
The lack of any vitamins above could lead to illness and poor health. For example, lack of vitamin
A could cause poor eyesight or even blindness. If the body does not have appropriate levels of
vitamin B complex, it will show signs of mal-function.
3. In what ways, do you think, we can get vitamins A, B, C and D?
In my opinion, we can get vitamins A, B, C and D through two ways: the food we take in and the
vitamin supplements. We can get all types of vitamins with a healthy and sufficient diet. However,
if we don’t have enough time to prepare healthy meals with all necessary vitamins, we can take
the vitamin supplements. Yet, vitamins from food and natural sources are always better than
vitamin supplements.
Developing prediction skills
* Prediction is a valuable stage in developing your listening ability. It is an activity you often
carry out before listening to a text, where you predict the necessary kinds of answers to help you
get more focused on what you are going to hear.
* Regarding the dictation tasks, the prediction can be under the form of certain suitable parts of
speech (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, etc…), meanings as well as the grammatical verb
tenses required for each filling gap.
** Practice: Look at the below statements and make possible predictions on the given gaps. Use
ONE word in each gap.
Note: It is advised that teachers encourage students to make as many guesses as possible and
then work together to see which best fit the context. It is unnecessary to offer the answers at this
stage as students will be given chances to listen the text later on.
a. Vitamin D helps bones and muscles grow (1) ________________. Low levels of vitamin D can
(2) ___________ problems such as rickets, a deformity mainly found in children.
- (1) should be an adjective or an adverb, with positive meaning. Students can guess such words
as firm/healthy/powerful/strong/well…. The best answer seems to be ‘strong and healthy’ as it fits
best in the context.
20
- (2) must be a bare verb which means resulting in, causing or leading to something negative
(problem or bad consequence). The answer is ‘lead to’.
b. The easiest way to get vitamin D is from (3) _____________. The sun’s UV rays reacts with
skin cells to produce Vitamin D.
(3) should be a noun related to the sun as there is a clue in the following sentence (UV rays). The
answer is ‘sunlight’.
c. Also, darker skinned people produce less vitamin D than (4) _________ skinned people.
(4) should be an adjective which has the opposite meaning with the word ‘darker’. Students may
guess such words as brighter/white/lighter… The answer is ‘lighter’.
DICTATION 1 – Vitamin D for ‘Does a lot’
answer for each of the following questions. Discuss your answers.
1. Which one of the following isn’t true according to the passage?
A. Vitamin D enables strong bones and muscles.
B. Lighter skinned people produce less vitamin D than darker skinned people.
C. It might be poisonous if people take too much vitamin D.
2. Low levels of vitamin D may lead to the following diseases except …
A. osteoporosis
B. rickets
C. skin cancer
Second listening: Listen again and fill in the gaps.
Vitamin D helps bones and muscles grow (1) strong and healthy. Low levels of vitamin D can
(2) lead to problems such as rickets, a deformity mainly found in children. Osteoporosis, the
thinning of (3) bone, is a common problem as people, especially women, get (4) older.
21
But more and more research is suggesting that vitamin D might also help prevent many (5)
diseases.
The easiest way to get vitamin D is from (6) sunlight. The sun's ultraviolet rays react with skin
cells to produce vitamin D. But many people worry about getting skin cancer and (7) skin
damage from the sun. As a result they cover their skin or wear sun block or (8) stay out of the
sun.
Also, darker skinned people produce less vitamin D than (9) lighter skinned people. Production
also decreases in older people and those living in (10) northern areas that get less sunlight.
Not many foods naturally contain vitamin D. Foods high in this vitamin include (11) oily fish
such as salmon, tuna and mackerel, and fish liver oils.
Boston University researchers reported last year that farmed salmon had only about (12) one-
fourth as much vitamin D as (13) wild salmon.
Small amounts of D are found in beef liver, cheese and egg (14) yolks. And some people take
dietary supplements containing the vitamin. But most of the vitamin D in the American (15) diet
comes from foods with D added, like milk.
In 1997, the United States Institute of Medicine (16) established levels for how much vitamin D
healthy people need. It set the daily amount at two hundred international units (I.U.s) from (17)
birth through age 50. It set the level at 400 I.U.s through age 70, and 600 for age 71 and older.
But some groups say these amounts are not high enough. They are hoping that the new research
findings will lead to new recommendations.
Research in the last several years has shown that low levels of vitamin D may increase the risk of
heart attacks in men and (18) deaths from some cancers. Other studies have shown that people
with rheumatic diseases often have low levels of vitamin D.
More doctors are now having their (19) patients tested for their vitamin D levels. But as research
continues, some experts worry that if people take too much vitamin D, it might act as a (20)
poison. Also, skin doctors warn people to be careful with sun exposure because of the risk of skin
cancer.
22
And that’s the VOA Special English Health Report, written by Caty Weaver. I’m Steve Ember.
Comprehension check: Basing on the recording, decide if the following

statements are True or False. Correct the False one.
1. Osteoporosis is known as a common bone-related problem found mostly among men.
 False (…among women getting older...)
2. The best way to get vitamin D is from sunlight.
 False (…the easiest way...)
3. There is a high risk of skin cancer among people exposing too much to the sun.
 True
4. The Southern people get less sunlight than the Northern ones.
 False (…The Southern people get more sunlight than the Northern ones...)
5. Wild salmon contains a higher amount of vitamin D than farmed salmon.
 True
6. Most of the vitamin D can be found in such foods as oily fish, milk and egg yolks.
 False (…just small amounts of D are found in egg yolks...)
7. People need less vitamin D as they get older.
 False (…People need more vitamin D as they get older...)
8. A diet rich in vitamin D can help people prevent from rheumatic diseases.
 True
DICTATION 2 – Vitamins A, B and C
1. Vitamin A comes mainly from …..
A. butter and cheese
B. bread and milk
C. fish and liver
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2. If we are short of …….., we will probably lose our appetite.
A. Vitamin A B. Vitamin B C. Vitamin C
3. We need about ……. of Vitamin C per day, and ……. of Vitamin B for the same period
of time.
A. 5 mg, 20 mg
B. 15 mg, 10 mg
C. 1 mg, 20 mg
As is known to all, vitamins are (1) essential to our health. Listed in the table are three
kinds of vitamins. They are Vitamins A, B and C.
Vitamin A comes mainly from milk, butter, cheese, (2) fish and green vegetables. It is
very important for healthy (3) skin and teeth as well as for (4) normal growth of the
human body. Lack of it may (5) cause skin troubles and bad (6) eyesight. And our
resistance to disease may be (7) lowered accordingly.
Vitamin B is chiefly contained in bread, meat, milk, (8) liver and potatoes. It can play the
role of a catalyst in (9) digestion of food. If we are (10) short of it, we will probably lose
our (11) appetite and our growth will be slowed.
Vitamin C generally exists in (12) fruit, potatoes and green vegetables. It is necessary for
the formation of teeth, (13) bones and (14) blood vessels. Without enough of it, our
growth will also be (15) slowed.
The amount of different kinds of vitamins needed daily by humans (16) varies
considerably. We need about (17) 1 mg of Vitamin C and (18) 20 mg of Vitamin B for the
(19) regular period of time.
It is true that we do not need too much vitamins, but it is also true that we cannot live (20)
healthily without them.
Comprehension check: Basing on the above recording, answer below
24
questions.
P.S. Students are encouraged not to look back the passage and try to answer these questions
using their memory from what they have just listened.
1. Where does Vitamin A mainly come from? If being short of Vitamin A, what may happen?
 Vitamin A comes from milk, butter, cheese, fish and green vegetables.
 Lack of it may cause skin troubles and bad eyesight and lowered ability to resist to
disease
2. Where can we get Vitamin B from? If there is a lack of Vitamin B, what may happen?
 Vitamin B comes from bread, meat, milk, liver and potatoes.
 Being short of it may cause people to lose appetite and our growth may be slowed.
3. Where does Vitamin C generally exist? What can be caused if there is not enough of Vitamin
C?
 Vitamin C comes from fruit, potatoes and green vegetables.
 Without enough of it, our growth will also be slowed.

1. rickets Soft bones Low levels of vitamin D can lead
to problems like rickets.
2. Deformity A condition in which a part of Drugs taken during pregnancy may
the body is not the normal cause physical deformity in babies.
shape because of illness or
injuries
3. a catalyst for A person or thing that causes I see my role as a catalyst for
changes change.
4. to be short of Have low levels of something This part of the city is short of
water.
5. darker skinned >< lighter skinned people Darker skinned people produce
25
people less vitamin D than lighter
skinned people.
6. farmed fish (salmon) >< wild fish (salmon) Researches showed that farmed
salmon had only one-fourth as
much vitamin D as wild salmon.
7. egg yolk The round yellow part in the Small amounts of D are found
middle of an egg in egg yolks.
8. rheumatic diseases A disease that makes the People with rheumatic diseases
muscles and joints painful, often have low levels of vitamin
stiff and swollen. D.
9. appetite (n) Physical desire for food He suffered from headaches and
loss of appetite.
10. blood vessels Any of the tubes through The knife had missed the major
which blood flows through blood vessels.
the body
26
UNIT 3 FAMILY MATTERS
Answers vary.
1. Discuss the meaning of the terms ‘Baby Boomers’ and ‘Boomerang Kids’.
It’s advisable that teacher should clarify such below terms for students before the dictation for
their thorough understanding.
* Baby boom is a period when more babies are born than usual.
After the end of World War II, birth rates across the
world sharply increased. The explosion of new
infants became known as the baby boom. During the
boom, an estimated 77 million babies were born in
the United States alone! The large increase in
population produced a substantial rise in demand
for consumer goods, stimulating the post-war
economy.
** Baby boomer is a person being born in the baby boom period, especially after the Second
World War.
A Baby boomer is a person who was born between 1946 and 1964. The baby boomer generation
makes up a substantial portion of the North American population. Representing nearly 20% of the
American public, baby boomers have a significant impact on the economy. As a result, baby
boomers are often the focus of marketing campaigns and business plans.
*** Boomerang (n): a curved flat piece of wood that can be thrown so as to return to the thrower,
traditionally used by Australian Aborigines as a hunting weapon. // A boomerang returns to where
it was sent from.
**** Boomerang Kids/ Boomerangers describe young adults who leave home to attend college
or to work away from home, but decide for various reasons to return home to live with their
parents.
27
2. Is it customary for you to live near your parents after you leave school or after you
marry?
In my country, there is a popular trend among young adults living near their parents after leaving
school or even upon getting married. It can be attributed to the Oriental traditional cultures and
customs, in which two or even three generations living together under the same roof is the
evidence of a happy and caring family. In addition, it is widely believed that when living near
parents, the young are not only able to take good care of the family elderly but also in return feel
safer and more secure in the family nest with the parents’ helpful advice and experience sharing
under the lifetime hardships facing them.
3. Which would you prefer, staying in the nest or having your own place? Why?
To my mind, I would prefer to have my own place for the following reasons. First, living on my
own teaches me to be more independent and feel more mature or grown up in life, which proves
to be very essential survival skills in such hard those days. Furthermore, I can design and decorate
my own place according to my sense of art, which my parents may feel improper if we live
together due to the gap generation. Despite these above advantages, living on my own though
may cost more expenses and require larger amount of workload for the house care than living
with parents. Still, I’d prefer to have my own place.
Making full use of the context clues

* As for the confusing vocabulary/grammar items, you should pay due attention to the
pronunications, meanings and parts of speech to listen more effectively with the most accurate
uses of the correct vocabulary/grammar in context.
* For example, some students mixed up ‘whole’ and ‘hole’ in dictation.

- Mistake made: ‘He was tired for the hole day.’
- Correction: Teachers should ask students to
+ think about the (1) meanings of the two words (‘whole’ means ‘all or throughout the
day’ while ‘hole’ means ‘a space or opening that goes through something’)
+ use (2) contextual clues and their knowledge about the (3) parts of speech to choose
the correct word (‘whole’ is an adjective while ‘hole’ is a noun)
28
 students have to write ‘He was tired for the whole day’ instead.
** Practice: Complete below sentences by underlining the best option. Make full use of the
context clues and give explainations for your choice.
1. It is very hot. The sun/son is shining.
 As the two words share the same pronunication, the different meanings under the given
context count. The best answer is ‘The sun is shining’ due to the hot weather.
2. I use a pan/pen to fry an egg.

* Different pronunciation: pan /pæn/ and pen /pen/
* Different Meaning: a pan (a container with a handle used for cooking food) and a pen (a
learning tool)
* Same parts of speech: they are both nouns.
* Context clue: ‘to fry an egg’ for cooking
 I use a pan to fry an egg.
3. There is a big sheep/ship in the sea.

* Different pronunciation: sheep /ʃi:p/ and ship / ʃɪp /
* Different Meaning: a sheep (a farm animal with a thick coat) and a ship (a large boat that
carries people/goods by sea)
* Same parts of speech: they are both nouns.
* Context clue: ‘in the sea’.
 There is a big ship in the sea.
4. If I want to go to the mall with my friends, my parents always give me money. They don’t tell
me no/know, really.
 As the two words share the same pronunication, the different meanings under the given
context count. The best answer is ‘They don’t tell me no, really’.
5. She likes her job very much. She works from nine/nice to five/fine.
 The context refers to the working time (from…to…) so ‘nine to five’ fits best to the
meaning of the context.
29
6. Forest fires may threaten people’s live/lives and property.
* Different pronunciation: live (v) /lɪv/ or live (adj) /laɪv/ and lives (plural) /laɪvz/
* Different Meaning: live (to have one’s home in a place) and lives (the state of being alive as
a human)
* Different parts of speech: live (a verb/an adjective) vs. lives (a noun)
* Context clue: ‘threaten people’s property’.
 Forest fires may threaten people’s lives and property.
DICTATION 1 – Staying in the nest
1. What is the main idea of the recording?
A. The start of grown-up kids’ life away from home.
B. The increasing trend among grown-up kids returning to their first nest.
C. The effects of socio-economic developments on the American youngsters.
2. According to the recording, what is NOT TRUE about the reasons attracting grown-up kids to
return to the first place?
A. Larger houses
B. Good relationships between parents and kids.
C. Instable financial situations.
Second listening: Listen again and fill in the gaps with correct words or
numbers. Write no more than THREE words for each gap.
The caps and gowns have been used and returned, yet many Baby Boomers are finding that the
commencement to their (1) grown-up kids’ life away from home has been put off indefinitely.
In a development that would have repulsed many boomers in the generation-gap days of their own
(2) youth, returning to the nest – or (3) not leaving it – is becoming increasingly commonplace. A
30
(4) weaker economy and shrinking job market appear to have (5) accelerated the trend and
produced more of what American Demographics magazine calls “boomerangers.”
This year, about 670,000 or 56 % of university graduates (6) plan to live with their parents for
some period of time. (7) Sociologists and other observers say that besides the financial reasons,
boomers themselves – those turning 37 to 55 this year – are encouraging the trend.
“The (8) negative thing about moving home has really been reversed,” says author Faith Popcorn.
“A lot of parents have a (9) best-friend relationship with their kids. I think baby boomer parents
really have gotten the idea that home is fun and (10) casual, and they never wanted their kids to
leave in their first place.
Financial security of the most (11) prosperous generation ever and their bigger houses have made
this once-unthinkable living arrangement much more appealing to (12) both sides. Ward Simpson
and his wife have two (13) sons and a daughter who keep going away and coming back, going
away and moving back. “Most parents (14) complain that their children never visit them but (15)
mine never leave – and I have no problem with that.”
The moving back trend first emerged in the 1980s before flattening out in the 1990s. Now it is
(16) on the increase again following the dot-com crash and with the first (17) wave of Baby
Boomers’ 71 million children reaching adulthood.
The trend may (18) fade when boom times return, but it looks unlikely to go away. The U.S.
Census shows (19) 18 million Americans ages 18 to 34 live with their parents – a group now
drawing attention from marketers because it has lots of disposable income and is growing (20)
steadily.

1. Boomerangers are those who decide to leave their parents after their graduation or marriage.
 False (…decide to live with...)
2. Baby boomer parents try to create an as formal atmosphere as possible for their children to live
in.
 False (…casual and friendly...)
31
3. According to recent statistics, less than half of university graduates intend to stay in the nest
with their parents for some periods of time.
 False (…more than half (56%)...)
4. The moving back trend initially started in the 1990s.
 False (…in the 1980s...)
5. From the listening, it can be concluded that Baby boomers refer to those being born at a time of
population explosion, at post-war time, for instance, and now they have become old parents with
grown up kids.
 True
DICTATION 2 – Roles of women
1. In Japan, what does a working woman usually have?
A. No real careers.
B. Many opportunities
C. Few promotions.
D. Positions with more responsibilities.
2. What may not be the reason why most American women work?
A. Because the living cost is very high.
B. Because the family can hardly live on only one income.
C. Because they feel they have enough energy to work outside the home.
D. Because they find they have to do so.
3. When did the modern women’s liberation movement start?
A. In 1962. B. In 1969. C. In 1916. D. In 1950.
4. What was one of the main goals of the modern women’s liberation movement mentioned in the
passage?
A. To provide more responsible positions.
B. To open up a new world for women.
C. To liberate women from their homes.
D. To eliminate sex discrimination.
32
Second listening: Listen and fill in the gaps with correct words or
In Japan, most people still (1) feel that a woman’s place is in the home; and most women
willingly accept their traditional (2) role as wives, (3) leaving the business of making a living to
their husbands. For those who do want a (4) career of their own, opportunities are limited and
working women usually have to settle for (5) lower wages, fewer promotions, and less
responsible positions.
In America, on the other hand, most women, including wives and mothers, work most of their (6)
lives. But until recently, few have had (7) real careers. As in Japan most (8) fields are dominated
by men and opportunities for women have been (9) restricted, salaries low, (10) chances for
advancement rare. American women work mainly because they have to; in these days of inflation
and (11) luxurious living, only one income per family is simply not enough to (12) live on. So
American women actually have two jobs: one (13) nine-to-five position outside the home, and the
other (14) round-the-clock in-the-home job such as wife, (15) housemaid, cook and nurse.
One of the main goals of the modern women’s (16) liberation movement, which started in the
early 1960s, was to eliminate (17) sex discrimination in the work force, and to (18) open up
opportunities for women that were previously (19) reserved for men. And though there is still a
long way to go, a lot of (20) progress has been made.

1. Most Japanese women are not very happy to be traditional wives and mothers.
 False (…willingly accept their roles as wives...)
2. Working women in Japan have to take more responsibilities in the jobs they do.
 False (…take less responsible positions...)
3. It is uncommon for a majority of American women to spend almost their whole lives working.
 False (…It is common … most women work most of their lives...)
4. It can be implied from the listening that a dual income family allows both parents and children
33
to enjoy luxurious living conditions.
 True
5. The nine-to-five jobs involve the normal work schedule within the home.
 False (…in the workplace/ outside the home...)
6. The equality between men and women in the workforce did not exist until the women’s
liberation movement took place.
 True
7. Thanks to the movement, there were few chances for women to take up such positions which
used to belong to men only.
 False (…open up more opportunities for women...)

1. nine-to-five job The normal working hours I work nine to five.
in an office
2. to accelerate Increase, start to go faster Exposure to the sun can
accelerate the ageing process
3. casual = informal A sense of comfort He likes the idea that home is fun
>< formal and casual.
4. manners Behaviors, attitudes In the course of the interview,
he must show good manners
5. stand a chance (v) Have a chance of doing sth If you work hard, you will stand
a chance to get a higher salary.
6. to respond to (v) To answer You need to respond to the
interviewer’s questions quickly.
7. to shrink to become or to make The market for their products is
something smaller in size or shrinking.
34
amount
8. to dominate sth to be the largest, highest or In Japan, most fields of jobs are
= to overwhelm sth most obvious thing in a dominated by men.
place
9. round-the-clock (adj) lasting or happening all day Most Japanese women accept
in-the-home job and night the round-the-clock in-the-home
job such as wife, housemaid,
cook and nurse.
10. to eliminate To remove/get rid of sth Credit cards eliminate the need
to carry a lot of cash.
35
UNIT 4 CHILDHOOD
- Attract students’ attention to the topic “Childhood” and give them some minutes to recall their
memories for what they usually did as a child. Teacher then calls on some students and asks them
to share some ideas.
- Have students work in groups of four and look at the discussion questions in the book then
discuss to activate their background knowledge of the topic.
- Invite some students to share their ideas with the whole class.
1. Childhood is a time for learning, not working.
Well, I entirely agree/That’s exactly what I thought. Childhood is the time for children to
learn about surrounding things through parents’ support and supervision, to attend
school and develop socially and mentally. In other words, it is quite an important stage
to shape their lifestyles. I myself see it as a trouble-free stage of life in which children
can play, socialize, explore and enjoy the happiness, wonder or even worrying without
adult interference. It’s too soon to work at this stage as they are not physically and
mentally prepared.
2. It is good for teenagers to have part-time jobs.
Well, as for teenagers, I personally think that having part-time jobs can be beneficial.
Firstly, teenagers learn about responsibilities when they actually work in a job. For
instance, they need to get to work on time or to perform their tasks perfectly. Hence,
having a part time job is one method to teach teenagers to be responsible. Secondly,
future jobs may require needed skills and experience so having part time jobs can be a
good preparation as it gives teenagers ideas of what future career would be like.
However, if they are too drawn to the financial aspect, the academic performance, I
mean their studies, will be negatively affected.
3. Children should not expect to earn money for doing work in their own homes.
36
There’s no doubt about it. In my opinion, doing the housework, making the bed,
sweeping the floor, doing the dish-washing or even mowing the lawn are responsibilities
that children should have. Doing chores is part of being a family and they do such things
to help not only their parents but to help themselves so they should voluntarily do work
in their own homes without the expectation of getting anything out of it. However, it is
advisable that parents give their children a picnic or take them out for a movie at
weekend as a treat to praise their efforts.
4. Children should receive a weekly allowance to be spent freely.

To my point of view, giving children a weekly allowance to be spent freely is not a
really good thing. Our parents don’t get anything for free, they have to work for it and I
think children should be treated the same way. If allowance is given unconditionally,
children will not learn the value of work and the self-respect that comes with earning,
they would be over dependent and constantly asking for money to go here and there.
Besides, it grants children the independence to spend their own money on things that are
not necessities. However, giving children allowance is necessary at times. For example,
we give them money when they start driving. It may be a good way to learn how to be
responsible with the money, how to save up for things they really need and how to
manage the budget effectively.
Recognizing the correct pronunciation of ‘-s’ endings

** Practice: Write the phonetic symbol for each –s final: /s/, /z/ or /iz/. The first one has been
done for you.
1 ages /iz/ 6 two-thirds /z/
2 says /z/ 7 makes /s/
3 faces /iz/ 8 services /iz/
4 parents /s/ 9 depends /z/
5 places /iz/ 10 prevents /s/
37
DICTATION 1 – Life of children in developed nations
1. According to the recording, what do Tracy’s parents do when she wants or needs
something?
A. Her parents take her shopping.
B. Her parents ask her friends to go to the mall with her.
C. Her parents always give her money to buy things.
2. What may happen as a result of these American teenagers’ free spending habits?
A. They may realize their dreams to be a marketer.
B. They may spend more than they can afford.
C. They may become wiser consumers.
(1) Thirteen-year-old Tracy has a stereo, TV, and VCR in her room. Her (2) parents buy her the
latest CDs, and they give her a (3) daily allowance of $10.
“If I want something, or I need something, I just say 'Can you take me (4) shopping?'” says the
South Boston eight-grader. “If I go to the mall with my friends, my parents give me money. They
don't tell me (5) no, really."
Tracy, however, says she's not (6) spoiled. She does not have a cell phone, (7) for instance,
unlike many of her friends.
She is the new (8) face of American teen spending, a member of a generation that has grown up
during an era of almost uninterrupted (9) prosperity. Nearly (10) a third of American (11)
teenagers carry cell phones. They eat out with (12) their friends at least once a week.
38
The average American teen spent more than (13) $104 a week in 2001, according to the marketing
research firm Teenage Research Unlimited - up from $78 just four years earlier. About (14) two-
thirds of that is money they can spend however they wish; the rest is for specific items such as
(15) groceries.
That makes teenagers a marketer's dream. But (16) analysts say their spending (17) habits
developed during the late '90s (18) economic boom - will probably make them lifetime
spendthrifts. Some worry that the intense adolescent focus on consuming will (19) bring about a
future in which an even greater number of Americans are living beyond their (20) means.

1. Tracy, who is at grade eight, gets allowances on a monthly basis.
 False (…on a daily basis/daily...)
2. Tracy’s parents satisfy all her needs without any conditions, which makes her spoiled.
 False (…however she is not spoiled...)
3. Tracy is typical of an American teen generation growing up in the economic depression
time.
 False (…in an era of almost uninterrupted prosperity...)
4. Lots of Tracy’s friends do not possess a cell phone.
 False (…Unlike Tracy, they do have a cell phone...)
5. American teenagers spend the majority of their money on whatever they wish.
 True
6. A habit of spending freely as they wish can probably make youngsters wiser consumers.
 False (…make youngsters lifetime spendthrifts/ they may live beyond their means...)
DICTATION 2 – Life of children in the Third World
1. Where were most working children found?
A. In Africa. B. In Asia C. In Latin America
39
2. In which working field did most children from the countryside get involved?
A. Engineering B. Domestic service C. Agriculture
3. In what ways can the child labor be a negative experience in the child’s growing up?
A. The child works at a suitable age.
B. The child works in hazardous conditions.
C. The child can both go to school and work.
Second listening: Listen and fill in the gaps with correct words or
In contrast, there are many children in the world who are (1) engaged in extreme and hazardous
(2) forms of work, and who are being (3) robbed of their fundamental right to a childhood.
It is (4) estimated that about 120 million children between the (5) ages of 5 and 14 work at least
full-time. If children for whom work is a (6) secondary activity are included, the figure (7)
reaches 250 million. Sixty-one percent of these were in (8) Asia, 32% in Africa, and 7% in Latin
America. Most working children in (9) rural areas were found in agriculture; urban children
worked in trade and (10) services, with fewer in manufacturing, construction, and domestic
service.
(11) Conditions of child labor range from that of four-year-olds tied to rug looms to keep them
from running away, to seventeen-year-olds helping out on the family farm. In some (12) cases, a
child's work can be (13) helpful to him or her and to the family; working and earning can be a
(14) positive experience in a child's growing up. This (15) depends largely on the age of the
child, the conditions in which the child (16) works, and whether work (17) prevents the child
from going to school. In addition, more than (18) 300,000 children, some as young as 10, are
child soldiers and are waging war in (19) 40 different (20) conflicts around the world.
Comprehension check: From the above dictation, answer below questions

using your own words.
1. In what working conditions do many children in the Third World have to engage?
 They are engaged in extreme and hazardous/dangerous forms of work.
2. Are they protected by their basic child rights?
40
 No, they aren’t. They are being robbed of their fundamental right to a childhood.
3. How old are children getting involved into the wars?
 Many children, some as young as 10, are child soldiers and are waging the wars.

1. allowance A sum of money paid Her parents give her a monthly
regularly to a person, allowance of $100.
typically to meet specified
needs or expenses.
2. mall A large building or series of I’d like to go the mall at
connected buildings weekend.
containing a variety of retail
stores and typically also
restaurants
3. eat out (with Eat at a restaurant We can’t afford to eat out very
somebody) often.
4. spendthrift A person who spends money His spending habits will soon
in an extravagant, wasteful make him a spendthrift.
way.
5. to live beyond (one’s) to spend more money than The Browns are deeply in debt
means one can afford. because they are living beyond
their means.
6. to be engaged in To take part/get involved in a They were engaged in
something particular activity conversation.
7. look down upon To consider someone or “A lot of people look down
something as not important or upon us because we're
of value. homeless,” she says.
41
8. beyond one’s means Beyond one’s reach/control The situation/handle was just
beyond our means.
9. economic boom a sudden increase in trade Living standards improved
and economic activity; a rapidly during the economic
period of wealth and success boom.
10. to be robbed of sth To prevent somebody from They were imprisoned and
= to be deprived of sth having or doing something, robbed of their basic rights.
especially sth important.
42
UNIT 5 TELEVISION
1. Do you agree that television can be an addiction?
Well, to some extent, television can be an addiction as it provides people with a great
source of entertainment. For example, children can spend hours in front of the TV
screen watching the programs that they are fond of like cartoons, movies, game shows
and so on. As for adults, it is the top music videos, movies which star their favorite
actors or even the latest news that makes them hold on to the couch for hours.
Gradually, TV watching takes up much of their time and makes them become couch
potatoes.
2. Did your parents regulate how much television you watched?
Actually, they did. As study was the task that I had to focus on most of the time, my
parents set an amount of time that I might watch TV each day, around 2 hours a day, the
rest of the time was equally allocated to other activities such as doing physical exercises,
outdoor activities or even reading. Besides, my parents didn’t want me to get eye
disorders so the amount of time I spent on TV was carefully regulated.
3. In what ways, do you think, TV has enriched our lives?
Well, in my opinion, TV has enriched our lives in the ways that are both educational and
entertaining. First of all, through the news, TV provides us much information so we
never fall behind the rest of the world and keeps us updated to what’s going around the
world. In addition, it helps broaden our knowledge. For instance, we can learn another
language such as English, Japanese, French and so on through the language teaching
programs or acquire necessary skills for everyday life or even for a job through social
practical courses on TV. Last but not least, TV provides us an easy escape from a
43
hurried pace of life full of work and study. After a hard working day, giving yourself
some minutes of channel-surfing or watching a favorite game show can be a good way
to unwind and relieve stress.
4. In your opinion, what are the disadvantages of watching TV?

Well, besides many benefits that TV brings to our lives, it also has some negative
impacts. For starters, watching TV can be a waste of time as it gets people distracted
from what they need to focus on such as work or study. The other possible downside of
watching TV is that the inappropriate contents depicted on TV such as violence, crime
or even pornography may badly affect both children and adults. More importantly,
watching too much TV is not good for our health. Excessive TV watching can contribute
mostly to eye problems, sleep difficulties, obesity, behavior problems or even heart
attack. Therefore, it is crucial to set an appropriate amount of time to watch TV.
Recognizing the correct pronunciation of ‘-ed’ endings

** Practice: Write the phonetic symbol for each –ed verb ending: /d/, /t/ or /id/. The first one has
been done for you.
1 added /id/ 6 married /d/
2 helped /t/ 7 permitted /id/
3 closed /t/ 8 required /d/
4 called /d/ 9 continued /d/
5 listed /id/ 10 stopped /t/
DICTATION 1 – Couch Potato
1. A couch potato refers to ……….
44
A. a piece of furniture that people sit on while watching TV.
B. someone who spends less than two hours watching TV.
C. a heavy viewer who spends a lot of time sitting or lying down to watch TV.
2. A mouse potato is used to describe ………
A. the device to move the pointer or cursor on a computer screen.
B. someone who spends much time using computers.
C. the mouse who enjoys potatoes a lot.
3. What may happen if people suffer from ‘cabin fever’?
A. People with cabin fever feel relaxed and happy.
B. These people may spend less time staying outdoors.
C. Cabin fever makes people feel bored and tired.
Now, the VOA Special English program, Words and Their Stories.
Some (1) unusual words describe how a person spends his or her time. For example, someone
who likes to spend a lot of time sitting or (2) lying down while watching television is sometimes
(3) called a couch potato. A couch is a (4) piece of furniture that people sit on while watching
television.
Robert Armstrong, an artist from California, (5) developed the term couch potato in 1976. Several
years later, he (6) listed the term as a trademark with the United States government. Mister
Armstrong also (7) helped write a funny book about life as a full-time television watcher. It is
called the "(8) Official Couch Potato Handbook."
Couch potatoes enjoy watching television just as (9) mouse potatoes enjoy working on
computers. A computer mouse is the (10) device that moves the pointer, or cursor, on a computer
screen. The (11) description of mouse potato became popular in nineteen-ninety-three. American
writer Alice Kahn is said to have (12) invented the term to describe young people who spend a lot
of time using computers.
45
Too much time inside the house using a computer or watching television can (13) cause someone
to get cabin fever. A cabin is a simple house usually built (14) far away from the city. People go
to a cabin to relax and enjoy (15) quiet time.
Cabin fever is not really a (16) disease. However, people can experience (17) boredom and
restlessness if they spend too much time inside their homes. This is especially true during the
winter when it is too (18) cold or snowy to do things outside. Often children get cabin fever if
they cannot go outside to play. So do their parents. This happens when there is so much snow that
schools and even (19) offices and stores are (20) closed.
This VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, was written by Jill Moss.
I'm Faith Lapidus.

1. The term ‘couch potato’ vas listed as a trademark in 1976.
 False (…several years after 1976...)
2. A mouse potato prefers watching TV to working on computers.
 False (…A mouse potato spends so much time working on computers...)
3. A cabin is often built quite close to the city with luxurious furniture.
 False (…A cabin is a simple house built far away from the city...)
4. Children can easily get cabin fever when they spend lots of time playing outdoors.
 False (…spend too much time inside the home...)
DICTATION 2 – The Education of TV Children
1. Where do TV children in Hollywood have their lessons?
A. Wherever they are working
B. In school.
C. At home.
46
2. Which is NOT the reason why most of their teachers like this special job?
A. TV children are usually good pupils.
B. It is easy to teach them.
C. Their lessons are held in many interesting places.
3. What is the topic of the passage?
A. TV children’s life.
B. Child Actors.
C. Educating TV children.
Many children (1) act in TV shows. They work several hours every day, so they cannot go
to a (2) regular school. How do they get an education?
In Hollywood, where many TV shows are made, about (3) forty teachers give lessons for
the children in the shows. They teach (4) wherever their pupils are working.
The teacher’s job is very important. She is (5) responsible for making sure that the child
works only the (6) permitted hours each week; she is responsible for making sure that the
child learns the (7) required subjects. She makes sure, too, that the child gets enough (8)
rest and play, along with his education.
Child actors are (9) required to attend classes (10) twenty hours each week. California
law says that they must be taught from (11) September to the middle of (12) June. If they
do not get (13) good marks in school they are not permitted to (14) continue working in
TV shows.
TV children are usually (15) good pupils, and most of their teachers like this special kind
of work. Their (16) classes are held in many interesting (17) places. Sometimes the
classroom is the Mississippi River (18) boat. Sometimes it is the inside of a (19)
spaceship. Often the pupils become famous (20) stars.
Comprehension check: Basing on the above recording, make questions for
47
given answers below. Here come suggested answers.
1. Do TV children get to school regularly/on a regular basis?
 No, they don’t as they have to work several hours every day.
2. How many teachers are there in Hollywood to deliver lessons for TV children?
 About forty.
3. What does the teacher’s job involve?
 The teacher is responsible for making sure that the child learns the required subjects, works at
permitted time and gets enough rest and play.
4. How long does a school year of TV children take?
 About nine months, from September to the middle of June.
5. What happens if TV children fail to get good marks at school?
 They are not allowed to continue working in TV shows.

1. spend time (on) doing Give out an amount of time I usually spend time reading
something to do something before sleep.
2. couch potato Someone who spends a lot If you take no exercise and
of time watching TV watch TV too much, you’ll soon
become a couch potato.
3. mouse potato A person who spends large You have spent seven hours on
amount of time operating a the Internet? You are such a
computer. mouse potato.
4. cabin fever Boredom, restlessness Like many people, you may
resulting from long isolation experience cabin fever during
indoors in winter the winter months.
5. quiet = peaceful Making very little noise Could you keep the kids quiet
>< quite = rather, pretty while I'm on the phone?
6. trademark (n) A symbol, word, or words You could register a trademark
48
legally registered or for this commercial product.
established by use as
representing a company or
product.
7. be responsible for Having an obligation to do The department is responsible
doing something something for education.
8. attend Be present to/ go regularly All children are required to
to attend school.
9. official (adj) Agreed to, said, done, … by The country’s official language
>< unofficial (adj) somebody who is in the is Spanish.
position of authority
10. college (n) University My sister is at college.
>< colleague (n) A person that you work with, We have been friends and
especially in a profession or a colleagues for more than 20
business years.
49
UNIT 6 HAPPINESS AND DREAMS
HAPPINESS
1. In your opinion, what is happiness?
To each person, happiness means different things. For some people, happiness means that they
have a lot of money or they live in luxury. For others, happiness is to stay with their family, cook
for those they love. In my opinion, happiness is to satisfy with what we have. We enjoy life as it
is, we don’t expect too much or try to reach to something may be beyond our control.
2. Where can we find the happiness?
Where to find happiness depends on how people’s perception of happiness. In my case, I could
find happiness at home, when my mother smiles because I do something good, when my nephew
tries to learn to utter the first words, when my family play a board game. Happiness is quite
simple like that. It could be found as we notice the life around us.
3. In what ways, do you think, people can lead a happy life?
To lead a happy life, people should start to be realistic, they should learn to accept the reality and
don’t try too hard for something can’t be. If they really want something, they should try their best
to get what they want. But in the case that their effort doesn’t help them to win that thing, then
they should learn to let it go.
DREAMS
1. In your opinion, what is dream? Do you know why people dream?
50
In my opinion, dream is the reflection of what we think of during the day. When we think too
much about certain things or problems, our brains may still work on that information even when
we sleep.
2. It is believed that people dream every night. Do you agree or disagree?
I think we all dream every night, but we can’t remember what we dream. Thus sometimes we
think that we don’t dream. The dream could be several seconds or more, could be a nice dream or
a nightmare or just some images.
3. In what ways, dreaming is good or bad?
Sleep helps us consolidate our memories. Sleep also helps us learn. During REM sleep, which is
the dreaming stage of sleep, the brain stops releasing stress chemicals.
Highlighting vocabulary problem parts

* Identifying affixes to root words
A root word is the basic form of a word. It stands on its own as a word and has a meaning. New
words can be formed from root words by adding prefixes and suffixes. Proper attention paid to
word formation may help you master better spellings and remember words more easily.
** Silent letters
- Silent letters are letters that you can't hear when you say the words, but the letters are there when
you write the words. There are no fixed rules and you need to learn the words with silent letters
from your experience and make extra effort to remember the words.
*** Practice:
A. Underline the silent letters in the following sentences.
1. He can play the guitar very well.
2. The knight heard a knock on the door.
3. We wrote a paper about life in winter.
4. She often listens to music while she’s free.
5. We read the signs along the road to the castle.
51
B. Write a prefix or suffix to complete the sentences
1. Misunderstanding may lead to the breakdown in any relationships.
2. I had to replay the recording several times to finish this exercise.
3. Mary had to untie her shoes so she could take them off.
4. The firefighter was fearful as he ran into the burning house to save the family.
5. Getting married means you have to make more commitments.
6. For many people happiness is a joyful or fun-filled life.
7. It is irresponsible to burden young children with too much homework.
8. The boy was dishonest when he told the teacher he finished his work.
9. She has overcome numerous painful experiences to become such a successful magician
nowadays.
10. It is illegal to get drunk while driving.
DICTATION 1 – Where is Happiness from?
1. According to the author, what is the reason for a bachelor to resist marriage?
A. He believes that dating will be more satisfying.
B. He is reluctant to take on family responsibilities.
C. He finds more fun in dating than in marriage.
2. In the author’s opinion, what is raising children like?
A. A moral duty.
B. A thankless job.
C. A source of inevitable pain.
3. We learn from the last paragraph that envy sometimes stems from ……. .
A. Misunderstanding
B. Hatred
C. Prejudice
4. In order to understand what true happiness is, one must ……
52
A. have as much fun as possible during one’s lifetime.
B. make every effort to liberate oneself from pain.
C. be able to distinguish happiness from fun.
5. What does the author want to tell us?
A. One must know how to attain happiness.
B. Happiness often goes hand in hand with pain.
C. It is important to make commitments.
The way people hold to the belief that a (1) fun-filled, pain-free life equals happiness actually
reduces their (2) chances of ever attaining real happiness. If (3) fun and pleasure are equal to
happiness, then pain must be equal to (4) unhappiness. But, in fact, the opposite is true: more
often than not, things that lead to happiness (5) involve some pain.
As a result, many people avoid the very attempts that are the (6) source of true happiness. They
fear the pain inevitably brought by such things as (7) marriage, raising children, professional
achievement, religious commitment, (8) self-improvement.
Ask a bachelor why he (9) resists marriage even though he finds dating to be less and less
satisfying. If he is (10) honest he will tell you that he is afraid of making a commitment. For
commitment is in fact quite (11) painful. The single life is filled with fun, (12) adventure, and
excitement. Marriage has such moments, but they are not its most (13) distinguishing features.
Couples with (14) infant children are lucky to get a (15) whole night’s sleep or a three-day
vacation. I don’t know any parents who would choose the word fun to describe raising children.
But couples who decide not to have children never know the (16) joys of watching a child grow
up or of playing with a (17) grandchild.
Understanding and accepting that true happiness has (18) nothing to do with fun is one of the
most (19) liberating realizations. It liberates us from envy: we now understand that all those who
are always having so much fun (20) actually may not be happy at all.
53
1. Happiness means fun and pleasure.
 False (…The opposite is true: things that lead to happiness involve some pain...)
2. Many people tend to avoid such things as dating, marriage and raising children as they
think these may result in pain.
 False (…without ‘dating’...)
3. Marriage life is typically filled with more fun, excitement and adventure than the single
life.
 False (…The single life is filled with more fun, excitement and adventure than marriage
life...)
4. Happy people are not always having so much fun actually.
 True
5. Raising children has never been an easy task.
 True
DICTATION 2 – Dreams
1. According to the passage, the studies of human sleep show ………
A. few people do not dream at night.
B. some people may dream all the time during sleep.
C. everyone dreams several times each night.
2. If a person is cold, he may dream that he is out in a snowstorm. This shows dreams
………. .
A. influence your daily life.
B. have something to do with the reality.
C. have nothing to do with the reality.
3. According to the studies, you may dream of a fire-engine when ….. .
54
A. your alarm clock is ringing.
B. you feel hungry.
C. you are ill.
4. Why is dreaming important to us?
A. Because we can relax and enjoy a care-free life in our dreams.
B. Because we can have a good rest.
C. Because we can make discoveries in our dreams.
A dream is made up of a series of (1) mind-pictures that form during sleep. The people
and actions in these pictures seem (2) real to the person who is dreaming.
When a person is (3) asleep, he has little or no control over his mind. Then ideas and
feelings (4) come out to form the mind picture known as dreams.
Dream may be (5) influenced by different things that are (6) present during sleep. If a
person is cold, he may dream that he is out in a (7) snowstorm. Worries or (8) anger may
also influence the (9) content of a dream.
Some people think that they (10) seldom dream, and other people are (11) quite sure that
they do not dream at all. (12) Studies of human sleep have shown, (13) though, that
everyone dreams every night. If a person thinks he does not dream, it is because he does
not remember dreaming when he (14) wakes up. Usually, a person may dream three to
seven times for a total of one to two (15) hours of dreaming every night.
Not only (16) does everyone dream, but it seems that we all need to dream. One (17)
theory is that dreaming gives us a chance to escape from (18) the rules of our real world.
In dreams we can see our (19) wishes come true. We can be rich, (20) powerful and
successful.

questions.
55
1. What happens to a person’s mind when he is asleep?
 He has little or no control over his mind.
2. If a person feels angry or worried, how may his dream be like?
 He may not feel happy/content in his dream.
3. Why do some people think they do not dream?
 Because they do not remember dreaming when they wake up.
4. How often may a person dream every night?
 Three to seven times for a total of one to two hours of dreaming.
5. Why do we all need to dream?
 As dreaming may give us a chance to escape from the rules of our real world.

1. make a commitment Getting marriage or in a He is afraid of making
serious relationship commitment. He just wants to hang
around and have fun.
2. to attain happiness Try to be happy We all try to attain happiness in our
own way.
3. make up of To consist of Dreams are made up of pictures.
4. have little or no Not be able to change His parents have little, if not say no
control over something control over his life.
5. pain-free life A life without pain or Some people believe that a pain-
troubles free life means happiness.
6. infant A baby or very young child She was seriously ill as an infant.
7. to liberate To free somebody from the Writing poetry liberated her from
control of something the routine of everyday life.
56
8. appetite Physical desire for food He suffered from headaches and
loss of appetite.
9. digestion The process of changing Vegetables are usually cooked to

food into substances that aid digestion.
your body can use.
10. to resist To say no with something I have a sweet tooth and I can’t
resist a bar of chocolate.
57
UNIT 7 SUPERSTITIONS
1. In your opinion, what is a ‘superstition’?
In my opinion, superstition is anything that people believe that is based on myth, magic, or
irrational thoughts. They are beliefs that are steeped in lore or tradition, and it is usually difficult
to pinpoint the exact origin. Superstitions are also known as old wives' tales, legends, and
traditions. They may involve animals, graveyards, ghosts, inanimate objects, or even other people.
2. Are you the kind of person who is superstitious?
Sometimes I have strong belief in myth and traditional customs. For example, when it comes to
an important day, I always prepare some fruits and tea and pray to my ancestor for the success. I
also come to fortune-tellers to ask for advices for important decisions. So I think I’m a rather
superstitious person.
3. What kind of superstitious have you ever practiced? Why?
The first superstition I have practiced is to not express lavish admiration for a new baby, because
the devils might hear and steal the child because of his desirability. This superstition has been
referred to more since my nephew was born. The second superstition I use is to not cut finger and
toenails at night because you might see ghost if you do so. The third superstition I often apply is
to avoid seeing a woman first when going somewhere on business. If I do see a woman first as I
go out your door or on the way, I often postpone the trip.
4. Share some superstitions from your own culture.
In Vietnamese culture, there are many superstitions:
 If you open an umbrella in the house, you will release evil spirits.
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 If you break the mirror, bad luck will come to you.
 Don’t point at the plants or trees which are growing.
 Don’t play with the shadow because the shadow will haunt you at night
 Don't hit your chopsticks against the bowl because it is bad luck.
 Don't give a knife to a person for free because it will bring them bad luck.
 Don't light any incense sticks at the temple if it is the time of the month (for women only).
5. Here are some common superstitions. Match the two columns for a complete superstition.
1. If you break a mirror, d. it will bring you seven years’ bad luck
2. If your cheeks suddenly feel on fire, e. someone is talking about you.
3. Never open up an umbrella in your house. a. It will bring bad luck.
4. Never have thirteen people around a dinner table c. as one will die
5. If you are moving to a new house, calculate a b. or you will have bad luck while you are living
lucky day for the move there.
Understanding the sounds linking rules
One of the reasons non-native speakers have problems understanding and pronouncing English is
because of linking. Linking occurs when a word end in a consonant and the following word starts
with a vowel. The consonant sound is linked with the vowel when it is pronounced.
Linking has become a natural and essential part of spoken English to ensure smooth and fluent
speech flows.
* For example: “That’s enough.”
In this phrase, the ‘s’ in ‘that’s’ is linked to the ‘e’ in ‘enough’ and sounds like ‘thats senough’.
** COMMON linking phrases in English. Let’s have a try!
1. It is 6. out of 11. six o’clock 16. sources of energy

2. This is 7. live in 12. as much as 17. my brother and I
3. There is 8. wake up 13. half an hour 18. She’s a good girl.
4. such as 9. grows up 14. the role of 19. millions of years ago
5. for example 10. because of 15. take care of 20. like all of us
*** Practice: Practice linking the following sentences correctly. The linked letters are in bold
and underlined. The first one has be done as an example.
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P.S. The first sentence will be with proper enunciation, and the second with linked enunciation (=
the act of saying words clearly).
With proper enunciation (= the act of With linked enunciation

saying words clearly)
0. Sit on an orange couch. Sit ton nan norange couch.
1. Bring an apple and a book. Bring gan napple and da book.
2. Now is a time for all of us to pack it in Now wis sa time for rall lof vus to pack kit tin.
3. Lemons and oranges are not available in Lemons sand doranges are not tavailable in
Autumn nautumn.
4. A car is only as good as its'engine. A car ris sonly yas good das sits' sengine
5. Television is a good form of entertainment. Television nis sa good form mof ventertainment.
DICTATION 1 – Are you superstitious?
1. Which of the following is NOT true about the superstition?
A. It encourages people to believe in their better future.
B. It might stem from a religious belief.
C. It is an unreasonable belief.
2. Which one of the below superstitions is believed to bring misfortune?
A. carry a luck charm.
B. walk under a ladder.
C. keep a rabbit’s foot.
3. Why do people knock on wood after mentioning good fortune?
A. To stop your soul escaping.
B. To prevent any evil entering.
C. So that evil spirits that hear you won’t ruin it.
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FOUR words for each gap.
Are You Superstitious?

A superstition is an illogical belief that some action will (1) affect something else that is (2)
unrelated to the action. Many people believe, for example, that breaking a mirror will (3) result
in seven years of bad luck. When one speaks of good fortune, (4) knocking on wood is said to
ensure its continuation. (5) Lucky charms, rabbits’ feet, and other amulets provide (6) insurance
to keep the possessor safe.
Many superstitions began in (7) religious belief. The cat has been worshipped by several
cultures, including the (8) ancient Egyptian. The fear that a black cat crossing (9) one’s path will
bring misfortune may come from the old (10) belief in its power.
Many athletes have (11) their own superstitious rituals. They often make a connection between a
victory and some (12) article of clothing or jewelry. When questioned about this, most will reply
that they don’t want to (13) take chances.
Belief in certain superstitions tends to (14) run in families. Most people who throw spilled (15)
salt over their shoulders saw their parents doing the same thing when they were young. They
may, or may not, know that the (16) original reason was to keep the devil from getting (17) too
close.
One danger of superstition is that it (18) encourages people to believe that their future is (19) out
of their hands. However, most of us who knock on wood, carry a lucky charm when we fly, and
never walk (20) under a ladder say that our behavior is due to habit or sentiment.

1. It is believed that people may feel insecure when they carry lucky charms.
 False (…feel secure/safe...)
2. If a black cat crosses your path, it will bring you good luck.
 False (…bring you misfortune/bad luck...)
3. Some athletes believe in their own superstitions to win their games.
 True
4. Certain superstitions tend to be passed from generations to generations.
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 True
5. People throw salt over their shoulders to stop their souls escaping.
 False (…to prevent them from evil spirits/ to keep the devil from getting too close...)
DICTATION 2 – Chinese calendar
A. The animals representing the twelve years of the calendar.
B. The calendar offers people best choices for their jobs.
C. The Chinese calendar and its practical uses.
2. In what two areas was the ancient calendar used?
A. Birth and marriage.
B. Marriage and profession.
C. Profession and death.
A calendar is a (1) kind of chart that is used to (2) keep track of days, months, and years.
The ancient calendars of China were sometimes (3) divided into 12-year cycles. Each year
in the 12-year-cycle had the name of an animal.
There were (4) twelve animals that were used to name the 12 years of the cycle. These
animals are the (5) rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog
and boar. Following that order, you can (6) figure out the animal for any year.
(7) In ancient times these animals had some significance or meaning for people. There
were (8) two areas of using the Chinese calendar.
One area of its use was in selecting a (9) marriage partner. For example, a woman who
was born in the year of the rooster was perfectly (10) suited to a man who was born in the
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year of the (11) sheep, but would not be suitable for a man who was born in the year of the
monkey. People often (12) consulted the charts before selecting a marriage partner.
Another (13) area of use for the calendar was in selecting (14) a profession. For example,
a person born in the year of the (15) dragon might be good for the (16) medical
profession, but not for the (17) legal profession. A person born in (18) the year of the
rooster might be suitable for a profession as a cook, but not for a profession as a (19)
tailor.
According to some accounts, people often consulted the calendar when making (20)
choices like these.
Comprehension check: Basing on the recording, choose the best answer A, B, C or D

for each question below.
1. How was the ancient calendar of China divided?

A. It was divided into fifty-two weeks each year.
B. It was divided into twelve months each year.
C. It was divided into twelve years.
2. What kind of man is most suitable for a woman born in the year of the rooster?
A. A man born in the year of the sheep.
B. A man born in the year of the monkey.
C. A man born in the year of the dragon.
3. What kind of person is most suitable for being a doctor?
A. A person born in the year of the rooster.
B. A person born in the year of the rabbit.
C. A person born in the year of the dragon.
4. What is the profession suitable for a person born in the year of rooster?
A. Tailor.
B. Cook.
C. Teacher.
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1. Keep sth/sb safe Protect sth/sb My father said this charm would
keep me safe
2. Take chances Take risks He wants to make sure everything
work. He doesn’t want to take
chances.
3. Run in family All members of a family have He will be a lawyer. It runs in the
something in common (a skill, family.
a path, or a behavior)
4. To be out of Beyond someone’s control One’s destiny is not out of his
someone’s hands hands. It depends on his own wills
and decisions.
5. Keep/lose track of To have/not have information Bank statements help you keep
sth/sb about what is happening or track of where your money is
where somebody is going.
6. possessor (n) A person who owns or has He is now the proud possessor of a
something driving license.
= owner
7. logical (of an action) seeming It was a logical conclusion from

>< illogical natural, reasonable or the child's point of view.
sensible
8. (good/bad) fortune Luck or chance, especially I have had the good fortune
in the way it affects people’s to work with some brilliant
lives directors.
9. knock on wood (AE) used when you have just I've been driving for over 20
= touch wood (BE) mentioned some way in years and never had an accident
which you have been lucky —touch wood!
in the past, to avoid bringing
bad luck
10. due to sbd/sth Because of sbd/sth, caused The team’s success was largely
by sbd/sth due to her efforts.
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UNIT 8 ENVIRONMENT
1. List as many environmental problems in your country as possible.
- Water pollution and overfishing threaten marine life.
- Deforestation and soil degradation result from logging and slash-and-burn for
agriculture.
- Ground water contamination limits water supply
- Acid rain, soil erosion.
- Air pollution, noise pollution.
- Waste discharged into the environment without treatment.
Which do you think is the worst and why?
Among those problems, air pollution is at the alarming rate and it seems to be the worst
as it poses a major threat to public health. Smoke and dust created by a large number of
vehicles, gases and other pollutants from factories are the main factors leading to the
decline in the air quality. Such polluted atmosphere that we breathe in everyday can
cause some serious health problems such as respiratory diseases, asthma and bronchitis,
throat diseases or even heart conditions. More seriously, thousands of cases of death or
illness each year have been confirmed as having been caused by atmospheric pollution.
2. Noise pollution is considered as one of the most serious problems facing people in
big cities? To what extent do you agree or disagree?
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Besides air pollution, noise pollution is now considered one of the most serious
problems in big cities as it has many bad effects on human health. There’s noise from
transportation we hear every day, from construction activities, from social events or
even from household chores. Such noises have effects on both health and behavior and
can cause conditions such as high stress level, aggression, hypertension, hearing loss,
sleep disturbances and communicating troubles. These effects will not become apparent
immediately, but they can take a several toll on human health in the long run.
- Discuss different ways to protect people against noise pollution.
There are many things we can do to help ease the impacts of noise pollution:
Planting trees all over the cities
Wearing earplugs and muffs when working in factories
Building houses and other structures with materials that help absorb sound
Switching off TV, radio, etc. when not listening
Making use of fabric windows instead of plastic or wooden shades
Beeping car horn only when needed
Practicing meditation, breathing exercises and Yoga
3. What are major threats to forests in Vietnam?
As it happens, forests in Vietnam are exposed to some major threats such as the
shrinking in natural forest areas, the increasing conversion of forest land for economic
projects, weak managements from forest owners, large-scale logging concessions,
deforestation and forest fire.
To preserve our forests, it’s high time to:
- Raise people awareness of the importance of forests preservation
- Implement fines and look to prosecute serious case of forest abuse
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- Define legal rights of forest owners
- Regulate price of forest products
** In pairs, do the below quiz to test how much you know about Rainforest.
1. Rainforests cover what percentage of the Earth’s total surface?
A. Less than one percent
B. 2 percent
C. 10 percent
D. 45 percent
2. Rainforests provide which of the following products?
A. Chewing gum
B. Medicines
C. Coffee
D. All of the above
3. Which of the following geographical areas does not have Rainforest?
A. Africa
B. Central America
C. North America
D. Southern Asia
4. What are major threats to rainforest ecosystems?
A. Illegal logging
B. Volcanoes
C. Fire
D. Desertification
5. Rainforests play a significant role in maintaining which of the following?
A. Weather patterns
B. The Earth's limited supply of drinking and fresh water
C. More species of plants and animals than any other ecosystem on Earth
D. All of the above
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Identifying main ideas and supporting details
15. 01:08 ** Practice: Listen to the recording twice and note down what makes Mr Chan
a good teacher and give supporting details. Complete below table.
Mr Chan is my favorite teacher. He’s a great teacher in many ways. First, he’s
humorous. He looks funny and has many interesting topics to talk about, so we
like him very much. Mr Chan is also helpful. When we tell him our troubles, he
gives us useful advice. We’re lucky to have such a good teacher. Lastly, Mr Chan
is a healthy person. He doesn’t get sick easily. He’s good at water sports. He’s
been my PE (Physical Education) teacher for many years.
DICTATION 1 – Forest Service
16. 03:49 First listening: Listen to the recording and choose the best answer for
each of the following questions.
A. The establishment of a forest conservation organization in the US.
B. Damaging consequences of the US forests and wild lands.
C. Major threats defined by the Forest Service to forests and wild lands in
America.
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2. How many main threats to the US forests are mentioned in the recording?
A. 3
B. 4
C. 5
Second listening: Listen again and fill in the gaps. Write no more than FOUR words
for each gap.
The Forest Service is responsible for the forests on (1) public lands in the United States. It
supervises almost 78 million hectares of forests, grasslands, rivers and lakes. It is an (2) agency of
the Department of Agriculture. Forest Service (3) officials say there are four major threats to
forests and wild lands in America.
The first is the threat of (4) fire and fuel. This year, forest fires have burned more than three
million hectares of land. That is almost two times as much as the ten-year average. Fires are a
natural part of (5) forest growth, but they can also threaten lives and property. Fuel is (6) dead
plant material and small plants that grow under tall trees. As much as 49 metric tons of fuel can
build up on every hectare of forest (7) floor. The Forest Service estimates that up to (8) one-
fourth of the forests it supervises have dangerous level of fuel. Sometimes foresters set (9)
controlled fires to remove the fuel. Other times the fuel must be (10) cleared by hand.
Another threat to forests is from (11) invasive species. These are non-native plants and animals
that push out native kinds. They can cause a lot of (12) economic damage. Some invaders are
insects like the Asian longhorn beetle. Some are (13) diseases like white pine blister rust. Others
are plants like the fast-growing kudzu vine. The Forest Service has hundreds of experts who try to
develop ways to deal with invasive species.
The agency says another threat to the health of wild lands is the (14) loss of open space. It says
over one hectare of forest or grassland is lost to development every minute. Development also
leads to the division of large (15) natural areas into smaller ones. Many animals need wide open
spaces. Also, building near wild lands increases the (16) risk to homes from forest fires.
The fourth threat to public lands is what the Forest Service calls (17) unmanaged recreation.
People can hunt, fish and camp in many national forests. But careless use of (18) motor vehicles
and other actions can be destructive. On (19) November 2nd, the Forest Service released a new
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rule on the use of motor vehicles on public lands. The rule requires each national forest to identify
roads and paths that are open to motor vehicles. Vehicles will be (20) banned from other areas.
The ban, however, will not affect snowmobiles.
Comprehension check: Basing on the recording, choose the best answer

A, B, C, or D for each question.
1. All of these are under the supervision of Forest Service, EXCEPT
A. rivers C. agriculture
B. grasslands D. lakes
2. Which of the following is true about forest fires?
A. They burn down more than 3 hectares of land every year.
B. They are one of the threats to wild lands in America
C. They are an unnatural part of forest growth.
D. They threaten everybody’s life
3. According to the recording, fuel .......
A. comes from dead and tiny plants
B. grows under tall trees.
C. can’t be removed when there is a fire.
D. is always cleared by hand.
4. All are true about invasive species, EXCEPT
A. they are non-native plants and animals.
B. they damage the economy
C. they all come from Asia
D. they grow at the loss of native plants and animals.
5. The loss of open space
A. is needed by many animals.
B. is controlled by hundreds of experts from Forest Service
C. makes it easier for houses near wild lands to catch fire.
D. can bring about wild lands for the animals.
6. The rule on the use of motor vehicles on public lands
A. was released on November 7th
B. requires national forests to open roads for motor vehicles.
C. bans all vehicles from going into the forest.
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D. has an exception for snowmobiles.
DICTATION 2 – Noise pollution
1. What is the passage mainly about?
A. How to control noise pollution.
B. An introduction of noise pollution.
C. The difference between noise pollution and other pollution.
D. Whether mental diseases are related to noise pollution.
2. Which one of the following isn’t true according to the passage?
A. Nowadays noise is labeled as a kind of pollution.
B. We are becoming more and more upset because of the noise pollution.
C. It is high time to take measures to control noise pollution
D. People don’t pay much attention to noise pollution.
In the past, noise was (1) rarely associated with pollution, but recently it is found that
many (2) mental diseases are closely related to noise. (3)Therefore, it is also labeled as a
kind of pollution nowadays.
That there is too much noise afflicting our daily life is a manifest fact. (4) Especially in
big cities it is almost a (5) dream to enjoy a short period of (6) noiseless, tranquil leisure
time except (7) at dawn or in the (8) depth of night. Whistling (9) vehicles, bustling
crowds of people, (10) untiring loud-speakers of various stores and lots of others (11)
produce nerve-racking noise. Noise diverts our attention, (12) disturbs our sleep and
destroys our ears. (13) As a consequence, we are becoming more and more fidgety and
(14) upset because of the noise pollution.
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It is high time that (15) serious consideration was given to noise pollution. Moreover,
measures should be taken to protect people against noise and (16) secure us a quiet
environment. It is an arduous task, (17) yet it can be (18) accomplished if only we try not
to be (19) shortsighted and think twice before any hasty and irrational (20) decisions are
made.

questions.
1. At what time of the day can people in big cities enjoy tranquil leisure moments?
 At dawn or in the depth of night.
2. By which is the terrible noise produced?
 + whistling vehicles
+ bustling crowds of people,
+ untiring loud-speakers of various stores and lots of others.
3. What possible dangers does the noise cause?
 + Noise diverts our attention, disturbs our sleep and destroys our ears
4. According to the recording, what should be done to secure people a quiet environment?
 We should have a far vision and think twice before making any hasty decisions.

1. grassland A large open area of country Nearby grasslands provide an
covered with grass. open area where the young can
forage for insects.
2. forest floor The ground beneath the trees I sat on the forest floor, the scent
of a forest, consisting of of crushed pine needles under me
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roots, soil, and decomposing filling the air.
organic matter.
3. be associated with Be connected to or involved The cancer risks associated with
with a cause, group, or smoking have been well
partner. documented.
4. mental disease any disease of the mind; the Excessive noise is one the major
psychological state of causes leading to mental disease.
someone who has emotional
or behavioral problems.
5. afflict To cause pain or suffering to; Serious ills afflict the industry.
affect or trouble.
6. manifest (adj.) Clear or obvious to the sight It’s a manifest truth.
of understanding
7. tranquil (adj.) Free from disturbance; calm The sea was tranquil.
8. nerve-racking (adj.) Causing stress or anxiety It was a nerve-racking day.
9. arduous (adj.) Involving or requiring great We had an arduous journey.

effort; difficult and tiring
10. to think twice To consider carefully whether You should think twice before
one should do something; to quitting your job.
be cautious about doing
something
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UNIT 9 TECHNOLOGY
1. List as many aspects in our life as possible that the technology has had influences on.
The improvement of technology has brought about plenty of changes in many aspects of people’s
lives. First of all, thanks to the developed technology, people are able to enjoy modern means of
public transport. Also, people are enabled to get access to unlimited sources of information
through the development in information technology. Moreover, entertainment has become more
and more diversified, leading to the fact that people have more and more options to join a variety
of recreational activities, both virtual and visual.
2. In your opinion, what are some of the greatest technological achievements? Why?
In my opinion, the greatest technological achievements include the invention of the airplanes, the
Internet, and the cellphones. The airplanes have opened a new era of long-distance travelling.
Meanwhile, the invention of the Internet can be considered a giant leap of human development
since it has made people broaden their knowledge online. Finally, cellphones make
communication much easier and more convenient.
3. Do you think modern technology reduces or increases stress? Why?
To be honest, modern technology lay impacts on how people deal with stress, both in positive and
negative ways. Developed technology helps reduce the challenges in many aspects of life, which
contribute to stress reduction. However, at the same time, developed technology makes life pace
much faster, which may cause increased stress among those who cannot keep up the life pace.
4. How will science and technology change the world in the next 50 years?
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Technology is growing at such a rapid rate that it can be difficult to visualize what the next fifty
years will look like. Maybe the world in the next 50 years will witness the bombardment of
technological achievements in terms of transportation, communication, entertainment and so on.
People’s lives will endlessly change at a point that they can do anything by controlling their
thoughts rather than their body.
Developing basic note-taking skills

1. Key words vs. function words
* To develop your basic note-taking skills, first you are expected to be aware of the main
differences between key words and function words as highlighted in the below table.
Key/content words Function/structure words
Definition words that carry important messages less important words without which
including the time, places, people may not affect much our
involved and things that happened. understanding of the message.
Word forms nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs articles, pronouns, auxiliary verbs,
conjunctions, prepositions,
** Practice: Read the below text and underline the key words.
Dear Lan,
How are you? I am going to visit Nha Trang with my parents at Christmas! We will stay for
four days.
On the first day, we are going to sunbathe on the beach. At night, we are going to watch the
beautiful lights along the beach and enjoy delicious sea foods. Over the next few days, we
can visit the Vinpearl island and the Aquarium together.
We will be in Nha Trang on 23 December. The plane leaves Ha Noi at a quarter past eight in
the morning and arrives at around elven o’clock.
See you soon.
Lisa
2. Application of basic strategies to improve note-taking skills

* One of the strategies can be used to help you develop your note-taking skills is providing given
headings so that you would know what to focus on while listening. The headings provided could
help you jot down the key points.
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Practice 1: Look back the above text and complete the below table.
Using headings to organize ideas

1. Where and when will Lisa visit? Nha Trang/at Christmas
2. How long? 4 days
3. Things to do during the trip? Sunbathe, watch beautiful lights, enjoy sea foods,
visit Vinpearl island and Aquarium.
4. Her plane’s departure time? 8.15 am
5. Her plane’s arrival time? About 11
** Another way to help you note down information and ideas systematically is the use of tables
and other graphic organizers (like mind maps) with the support of given guided notes to maximize
your comprehension ability. You are encouraged to make use of any types which interest you
more. However, at the basic level, a table with guided headings and notes may be preferred. Here
is an example.
Table form with the topic, main ideas and A mind map to show the topic, main ideas
supporting details and examples
A shopping list for Christmas party
Things to buy
Food fish balls, (1) chicken wings, (2)

sausages
Drink cola, (3) fruit juice, water
Others (4) forks, paper cups, (5) paper

plates
3. Using short forms, abbreviations, numbers and symbols to take notes

* For effective note taking, you are strongly advised to master the ability to use short forms,
numbers and proper symbols instead of full words to keep up with the rapid flows of speech under
the spoken context.
** Below is the list of commonly used short forms / abbreviations. Have a try to complete the
table by filling in the gaps.
Full forms Short forms
A. Unit of measurements centimeter/metre/kilometre (1) cm/m/km
Kilogram/milligram/gram (2) kg/mg/g
feet (3) ft
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two minutes and thirty seconds (4) 2’30’’
hours/percent (5) h/hrs//%
B. Dates and time seven o’clock in the morning (6) 7 am
Monday, January the fifth (7) Mon, Jan 25
C. Places Seventh floor (8) 7/F
Street/Road/Building/Room (9) St/Rd/Bldg/Rm
D. Subjects Chinese/English/Mathematics (10) Chi/Eng/Maths
E. Other common with vs. without (11) w/; w/o
increase/decrease (12) ↑/↓
abbreviations
information/information technology (13) inf./IT
difficult/expensive (14) diff./exp.
sandwich (15) “Δ”
DICTATION 1 – Online education
1. Which areas aren’t the first online bachelor programs of the NYU (New York
University) offered?
A. Information systems management.
B. Natural sciences.
C. Leadership and management.
2. The NYU’s online classes involve some following features, except …
A. Students can easily interact with their teachers and peers.
B. Students can take live lectures by signing in the classes at different time.
C. Students can develop team projects together.
3. Which is not true about the cost of the NYU’s online program?
A. It can cost up to US$15,000 per year.
B. The cost depends on the number of classes students take.
C. There are financial aids for international students.
Second listening: Listen again and complete the guided notes. Write no
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more than FOUR words for each gap.
Online education/ Online learning

Definition - classes taken by computer (1) over the Internet
- also known as (2) distance education
NYU model - online classes started in (3) 1992
- about (4) 10,000 students involved from the US and (5) other
countries
- Bacherlor (BA) degree programs in three areas:
+ (6) leadership and management
+ (7) information systems management
+ (8) social sciences
NYU online classes - highly (9) interactive
- students (10) log in at the same time to attend (11) live lectures
- students can ask questions and do projects in a (12) team
- classes are delivered by specialized (13) professors in online
teaching
two (14) admission SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test)
tests TOEFL (Test of English as a foreign language)
NYU course fee - up to (15) US$ 15,000 per year
- foreign students receive no (16) financial aid
- visit (17) nyu.edu for more details.
Special notes - be careful of programs offering a degree in return for (18) little or no
work
- also known as diploma mills which are (19) illegal in the US
- make sure the program you enter is (20) recognized in your country.
1. Students can earn a degree from home by taking online classes.
 True
2. Another phrase referring to online learning is distant education.
 False (…distance education…)
3. There have been over 10,000 students across the United States attending online classes
of the New York University.
 False (…from across the United States and other countries…)
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4. International students are expected to pass an admission test to be eligible to the NYU’s
program.
 False (…two admission tests: SAT & TOEFL…)
5. Some students from other schools’ online programs are able to spend little or no work
earning a degree.
 False (…Students are advised to be very careful of illegal diploma mills which offer a
degree in return for little or no work…)
6. Educational experts advise students to ensure that the online programs they enter are
reliable and certified in their countries.
 True
DICTATION 2 – Technology influencing the world
1. Which one of the below technology-related predictions are not mentioned in the
passage?
A. Artificial intelligence
B. Internet search engines
C. Refuse collection
2. In the field of education, young people may not be expected to use technologies for
…
A. socializing.
B. competing.
C. working and learning.
3. What are industrial nations anticipated to do to better deal with their waste?
A. They ask developing countries to accept their refuse.
B. They create protests in developing countries.
C. They build up better recycling technologies.
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This is the VOA Special English Technology Report.
An organization called the World Future Society publishes a (1) yearly report about
how technology, the economy and society are (2) influencing the world. Tim Mack
heads the World Future Society. He says (3) medicine is one area of growth.
TIM MACK: “I was surprised by the enormous growth in medical technology.”
Mr. Mack says the fields of nanotechnology, (4) biotechnology and information
technology are working together to create new ways to help (5) patients. These include
better ways to provide medicine and identify disease without (6) invasive operations.
Mr. Mack also says developments in artificial (7) intelligence could lead to a future
where (8) disabled patients could be cared for by a voice-activated robot.
The World Future Society also publishes The Futurist magazine. Every year it (9)
examines developments in technology and other areas to predict the future. The
magazine released the top ten predictions from the Outlook 2011 report.
Several of the predictions (10) dealt with technology. The report said Internet (11)
search engines will soon include both text and spoken results. It said television
broadcasts and other recordings could be (12) gathered using programs developed by
the Fraunhofer Institute for Intelligent Analysis.
Outlook 2011 also examined (13) refuse collection. It said industrial nations will send
much more waste to developing countries. This will cause (14) protests in those
countries. In about fifteen years, developing countries will (15) stop accepting foreign
waste. This will force industrial nations to develop better (16) waste-to-energy
programs and recycling technologies.
The report also had a prediction about education. It said young people use technologies
for (17) socializing as well as working and learning. So they solve problems more as
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teams instead of (18) competing. In this way, social networking is supporting different
kinds of learning outside the classroom.
The World Future Society also predicts that robots will be able to carry out (19) mental
commands from human beings. Scientists have shown that individuals can type by using
their brains without (20) physically touching computer keyboards. In the near future,
experts say brain e-mailing and “tweeting” will become more common.
And that’s the VOA Special English Technology Report. You can find scripts and audio
of our programs at voaspecialenglish.com. We are also on Facebook, Twitter and
YouTube at VOA learning English. I’m Steve Ember.
Comprehension check: Basing on the recording, decide if the following statements

are True or False. Correct the False one.
1. The medical technology offers patients better treatments through numerous complex
operations.
 False (…These include better ways to provide medicine and identify disease without
invasive operations…)
2. The Futurist magazine releases various predictions on technological developments and
other fields on an annual basis.
 True
3. Foreign waste is expected to be on the increase in developing nations over the coming
decade.
 False (…In about fifteen years, developing countries will stop accepting foreign
waste …)
4. Technological advances in education encourage more out-of-class learning opportunities
among young people.
 True
5. Brain-emailing allows people to type without touching computer keyboards but just
using their brains.
 True
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1. Deal with To handle something This is your problem. Deal with
it!
2. carry out To implement something The research was carried out to
To put something into investigate people’s preferences
practice or effect toward types of travelling
3. to socialize To meet and spend time with I enjoy socializing with HANU
people in a friendly way, in students.
order to enjoy yourself
4. to log in/on To perform the actions that You need an account to log on to
allows you to begin using a this website.
computer system
5. to depend on sth To rely on sb/sth The result of the test depends on
your effort to study.
6. to be recognized To be accepted Harvard Degree will be
internationally recognized.
7. interactive (adj) That involves people working University officials say classes
together and having an are highly interactive, where
influence on each other students communicate with each
other and their teachers.
8. to launch To start implementing Last year, the School of
something Continuing and Professional
Studies launched NYU Online
9. to earn a degree To get a qualification Programs where students take
classes by computer over the
Internet offer a way to earn a
degree from home.
83
10. admission tests (n) Tests organized to examine You have to take the admission
whether or not students are test before you are accepted into
qualified to take a course. the program.
84
UNIT 10 CAREERS
- Answers vary.
Here are some suggestions for question 3.

Possible questions being asked in a job interview.
 What degrees do you have?
 How much experience do you have?
 Where have you worked?
 Why did you choose this employment?
 How much would you like to earn?
 Have you ever worked in this field?
 Where would you like to work? Why?
 Why do you find your job interesting?
DICTATION 1 – Using social media to search for a job
20. 03:58 Listen to the recording and fill in the gaps. Write no more than
FOUR words for each gap.
This is the VOA Special English (1) Economics Report.
The job market is more (2) competitive than ever for millions of workers around the
world. In America, one reason right now is the slow recovery in job growth after the (3)
recession.
But other reasons involve (4) changes in the needs of the American and global economies. In big
developing economies like India and China, high (5) turnover rates mean workers often move
from job to job.
85
These days, many (6) job seekers go online to connect with employers. Job candidates want to
show they have a lot to offer. But in many cases they simply apply for a job title and list their
work experience. Instead, they should describe the (7) talents and abilities they could bring to
an organization.
That is the advice of Steve Langerud, (8) director of professional opportunities at

DePauw University in Indiana. He advises students on (9) career planning and often
talks about workplace (10) issues in the media.
He says social media sites are valuable when they show the abilities of job candidates and not
just their (11) job title and experience.
STEVE LANGERUD: "This really is a talent economy, and we're stuck with most job
seekers presenting themselves in a job title mode. And I don't think it matches very well."
Steve Langerud says employers, too, should change their search methods. They should think
harder about the skills they really need to help their organization (12) reach its goals.
STEVE LANGERUD: "Because at the end of the day, it's still about getting the right people in
the right (13) place at the right time and then keeping them."
Ben Kirshner is the founder and (14) chief executive of a media marketing company based in
New York called Elite SEM. SEM is (15) search engine marketing. His company's job is to
help businesses improve their websites and search engine results.
Ben Kirshner says when his company is searching for candidates for new positions, it first looks
(16) within. It considers existing employees. After that, he says, (17) social sites can be
valuable for finding new people.
BEN KIRSHNER: "Twenty-five percent of our new hires come from social media. Seventy
five percent typically come from (18) word of mouth."
In other words, three out of four people are found based on recommendations from others.
Elite SEM uses sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to learn about job candidates.
LinkedIn is a networking site for (19) professionals, so users might be more careful about what
they say.
Mr. Kirshner says a site like Facebook can also provide a lot of information -- good or bad --
about a person. So pay attention to what you put on the Internet and what others (20) put online
about you.
86
DICTATION 2 – Interview
21. 03:00 First listening: Listen to the recording and complete the guided
notes for below questions. Discuss your answers.
1. Why has interview become an important means in hiring suitable employees?
 It helps companies/institutions to select the best people among lots of candidates.
2. According to the text, what are the three advantages of interview that the employers
may benefit from?
 (1) the employer may find out whether he is qualified/up to/ meets the general
standard.
 (2) the interviewer may further discover what qualities the young man has.
 (3) the boss may offer/give a suitable position to the interviewee.
3. How can a person successfully pass the interview?
 (dress) (1) dress formally & present an impressive look.
 (behaviors) (2) show good manners during the interview.
 (response) (3) respond to the interviewer’s questions quickly.
Interview has become one of the (1) chief means in hiring new workers. For instance, it is
(2) usual practice for a large company to have interviewed an (3) applicant before
deciding whether to accept him or not. This is also true of many factories and (4)
department stores. Through interviews, those (5) institutions have selected the (6) best
people among the numerous applicants.
Interview, as a (7) means of selecting candidates, has a number of (8) advantages over
any other means. For one thing, through (9) direct contact with the candidates, the
employer may find out whether he is (10) up to the general standard. Besides, the
interviewer may further discover what (11) qualities the young man has so that he may be
given a position that (12) suits him well.
How to pass an interview successfully is certainly a (13) concern for every young man
who is looking for a good job. First, he should (14) dress formally and present an (15)
impressive look. Besides, in the course of the interview, he must show (16) good
87
manners. Finally, he must (17) respond to the interviewer’s questions quickly and give
(18) correct answers to show that he is (19) qualified for the job. By following these steps,
that applicant will stand a good (20) chance of success.
Answers vary.
88
REFERENCES
Davis, P. and Rinvolucri, M. (2002). Dictation: New Methods, New Possibilities. Cambridge
University Press.
DeFilippo, J. & Sadow, C. (2003). Dictations for Discussion. Pro Lingua Associates Publishers.
Digby, C. and Myers, J. (1993). Making sense of Spelling and Pronunciation. Hemel Hempstead:
Prentice Hall International (UK) Limited.
Education Bureau. (2011). Using dictation to develop pupils’ listening and writing skills. The Hong
Kong Special Administrative Region.
Kuo, Y. (2010). Using partial dictation of an English teaching radio program to enhance EFL
learners listening comprehension. Asian EFL Journal, 47, 1-26.
Murugesan, V. (2007). Listening Practice through Dictation series 1-4. Compass Publishing.
Nunan. (1991). Language Teaching Methodology. Prentice Hall International (UK) Ltd.
Rahimi, M. (2008). Using dictation to improve language proficiency. The Asian EFL Journal, Vol.
10, Issue 1.
Rost, M. (1990). Listening in language learning. London: Longman.
The Windy. (2011). Luyện kỹ năng Nghe và viết chính tả Tiếng Anh. Nhà xuất bản Đại học Quốc gia
Hà Nội.
Voice of America, Selected extracts from VOA Special English (2011-2014), retrieved from
http://www.voaspecialenglish.com, http://learningenglish.voanews.com, www.manythings.org,
http://voaspecialenglish.blogspot.com/
White, G. (1998). Listening. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Useful Web Links for English Listening Learning
1. http://www.dictationsonline.com/ (very good website for practicing listening and dictation)
2. http://www.learnenglish.de/dictationpage.html (interesting site with lots of English Dictation
Tests)
3. www.soundsofenglish.org (really good site for pronunciation practice  better facilitate your
listening).
HAPPY LEARNING AND EXPLORING!
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ĐẠI HỌC HÀ NỘI

KHOA ĐÀO TẠO ĐẠI CƯƠNG

HỌC KỸ NĂNG NGHE

SÁCH GIÁO VIÊN

Chủ nhiệm đề tài: Trần Thu Hằng

By Tran Thu Hang

Listening Comprehension Through Dictation – Term 1 - Teacher’s Guide is specifically

TABLE OF CONTENT ………………………………………………………… iv

SECTION 1: SYLLABUS ………………………………………………………

1. Course overview …………………………………………………………... 1

2. Course objectives and outcome …………………………………………... 1

3. Books and materials ………………………………………………………. 1

4. Proposed class time schedule …………………………………………….. 1

6. Methodological guidelines ………………………………………………... 2

7. Some ideas for effective dictation teaching ……………………………… 3

SECTION 2: SUGGESTED ANSWERS …………....…………………………

Unit 1: Learning a foreign language ……………………………………….. 11

Unit 2: Vitamins – essence of health ……..…………………………………. 18

Unit 3: Family matters ………………………………………………………. 26

Unit 4: Childhood ……………………………………………………………. 35

Unit 5: Television ……………….…………………………………………… 42

Unit 6: Happiness and dreams ………..…………………………………….. 49

Unit 7: Superstitions ………………………………………………………… 57

Unit 9: Technology ………………………………………………………....... 74

“Listening Comprehension Through Dictation – Term 1” is specifically designed for the

2. Course objectives and outcome

3. Books and Materials

7.1. Suggestions for in-class teaching procedure

7.2. Interesting and effective teaching ideas for Dictation Listening

7.3. Frequently-asked questions

A: Here come possible differences between skilled and unskilled listeners.

 Greater flexibility of listening strategies

 Relied on one or two listening strategies

A: Those skills include:

 Identifying emotion – students listen to identify the mood of certain speakers.

A: Here are some useful links for Listening.

1. http://www.dictationsonline.com/ (very good website for practicing listening and

2. http://www.learnenglish.de/dictationpage.html (interesting site with lots of English

3. www.soundsofenglish.org (really good site for pronunciation practice  better facilitate

Homework: Review for End-of-term Examination

1. How important is English to you?

2. Is English an easy language to learn?

3. Which is the best way to learn English well?

DICTATION LISTENING – An overview

2. What is partial dictation? Put the statements in the correct order.

3. Which statement below is NOT true about the purposes of dictation?

 Listening: as the passage is dictated for students to transcribe.

 Writing: when students write down the dictated material.

DICTATION 1 - The white lie

Comprehension check: From the above dictation, answer below

DICTATION 2 – Learning English

Comprehension check: Basing on the recording, decide which statements

8. discouraged (adj) = feel demotivated Too hard exercises may

- Answers vary. Here are some suggestions.

1. How important are the vitamins A, B, C and D accordingly to our health?

2. What are possible dangers if we have low levels of these vitamins?

3. In what ways, do you think, we can get vitamins A, B, C and D?

Developing prediction skills

DICTATION 1 – Vitamin D for ‘Does a lot’

Second listening: Listen again and fill in the gaps.

Comprehension check: Basing on the recording, decide if the following

DICTATION 2 – Vitamins A, B and C

Comprehension check: Basing on the above recording, answer below

USEFUL LANGUAGES OF THE DAY

2019 Dictation Class Teacher's Guide

2019 Dictation Class Teacher's Guide