UNIT 1: A DAY IN THE LIFE OF …
Hello everyone, my name is Lam. I’m a cyclo driver in HCM City. I usually have a busy working day. I get up at five thirty in the morning. I start work at six. My first passenger is usually an old man. I take him from District 1 to District 5. After I drop him at a cafe near HCM City College of Education, I pedal to Thai Binh Market. My next passenger is a lady who does shopping there every two days. I help her put all her purchases into the cyclo and then take her to her shop in
THDao Street. At about ten thirty I ride off toward NTMKhai School. There I park my cyclo,chat with some of my fellows and wait for my third passengers. They are two school pupils, a girl and a boy. I take them home. At twelve I have lunch at a food stall near BT Market. After lunch, I park my cyclo under a tree, take a short rest and then continue my afternoon’s work.

UNIT 2: SCHOOL TALKS
Conversation 1:
A : So, what are you taking this semester, Lan?
B : Well, I’m taking English.
A : Me too. Whose class are you in?
B : Miss Lan Phuong’s.
A : How do you like the class ?
B : I really enjoy it.
Conversation 2:
A : Are you enjoying yourself, Nam?
B : Yes, I am
A : Would you like to get something to drink?
B : Not right now, thanks.
Conversation 3:
A : Son, how do you like the weather in Nha Trang?
B : Oh, it is great.
A : So, when did you get here ?
B : I arrived yesterday.
A : How long are you going to stay ?
B : For a week.
A : Do you want to go for a swim ?
B : Sure.
Conversation 4:
A : Hoa, How do you like it here ?
B : It’s very nice. The hotel is big and my room is comfortable.
A : Are you travelling with your friends?
B : No. I’m travelling alone.
A : Would you like to go somewhere for a drink?
B : That’s great.

UNIT 3: PEOPLE’S BACKGROUND
Bob: Congratulations! You are now the Olympic Champion.
Sally: Thanks. Yes, I’m very happy.
B: Our readers want to know all about you.
S: That’s nice! Well, ask me your questions.
B: First of all, tell me something about yourself.
S: Well, I was born in 1980. I got a general education at local schools and when I was 15, I joined the Star Sports Club near my home.
B: Where is your home?
S: In Manchester.
B: I see. And do you live alone?
S: No, I live with my family, my parents and two brothers.
B: What do you like to do in your free time?
S: Well, I don’t have much free time, but I like different sports-basketball and swimming, for example- and just sitting at home and reading.
B: What sorts of books do you like?
S: Oh, love stories-romantic books.
B: And what do you want to be in the future?
S: I want to be a sports teacher. I’m a student at college. I want to get my teacher’s diploma.
B: I see. Now tell me…

UNIT 4 : SPECIAL EDUCATION
If you ask any member of the VTK Club which time of day they enjoy most, and they will all agree:their photography lesson.The VTK Club’s members come from the Nhan Chinh School for Deaf Children, Xa Dan Secondary School for Deaf and Mute Children, and the Hanoi Literature and Art Club for for Mentally Retarded Children.“Whenever we hold a camera, wandering around and taking in our surroundings through a lens, we can forget the sorrow of our disabilities,” says club member Nguyen Minh Tam.The six-month-old photography club, which comprises 19 deaf, mute or mentally retarded children, is now having its first exhibition in Hanoi.More than 50 colour photos are on display at the exhibition room featuring the beauty of daily life through the eyes of these disabled children. The subjects are simple and peaceful: old men reading books on the sides of Hoan Kiem Lake, labourers hard at work, or chickens looking for food.The children’s passion for taking pictures has stimulated them and helped them escape their sorrow.

UNIT 5: TECHNOLOGY AND YOU
Well, I wasn’t worried when my son bought a computer. After all lots of children have parents who don’t understand computers. But when my secretary asked me for a computer in the office, I really became worried. So I decided to take some lessons in computing and my son became my teacher. He was very helpful. He invited me to sit down in front of the computer screen. I did not know what it was called.When asked him what it was, he said that it was a VDU. I still didn’t know what a VDU was, but I was too shy to ask him any more. From that moment my memory refused to learn because he told me a lot of things that I really didn’t understand at all. After a few lessons I began to feel tired. I made an excuse,
saying that I had a headache. I suggested we should leave the lesson for another day. Since then I haven’t said anything about the computer to my son and my secretary.

UNIT 6: AN EXCURSION
The weekend picnic I enjoyed most was just a few weeks ago. My class decided to pay a visit to the Botanical Garden. It was a glorious Sunday. We met at the school gate on time and travelled to the Botanical Garden by bus. It was a long way to destination and we sang merrily all the way.The Botanical Garden was a very beautiful place. We make a short tour round the garden and took some pictures of the whole class. Then we played a lot of games on a spacious piece of grassland. One of the boys brought along his guitar and we sang our favourite songs. We laughed, talked and danced, too.After a delicious meal with various kinds of food that we brought, we all took a rest. Some of us slept very soundly because it was so peaceful and quite there. In the afternoon, we went on playing some more games. Then we packed up the left-overs and returned home. We all felt happy.

UNIT 7: THE MASS MEDIA
The time is 7 o’clock and here is the news summery.
Heavy rain during the night has caused floods all over the country today. Many people have left their homes because rivers have risen. Some roads in the north-west are under two metres of water. The rain has stopped at the moment, but it’s sill cloudy and there is a strong wind. Because of the bad weather people can’t go out to work.A ninety – year-old woman has climbed Mount Whitney in California for the twenty – third times. At 4,418 metres, Mount Whitney is the highest mountain in California. The woman says the view from the top is wonderful. She also says that the mountain has kept her young and healthy. In spite of her old age,the woman tries to climb the mountain very often.

UNIT 8: THE STORY OF MY VILLAGE
Popffero used to be a small quiet town on the sound coast of England. But it has become a crowded and busy tourist resort now. They’ve completely destroyed its old atmosphere. The small old houses have been pulled down, and tall buildings have been put there instead. They’ve also built a big hotel in the middle of the town. The narrow streets have been widened and resurfaced, so the big trees on the two sides of the streets have been cut down. The large area of grass land in the suburbs of the town has been turned into an ugly car park. Even the old corner shop isn’t there anymore. It has been replaced by a big department store. And there is an expensive restaurant where there used to be an old tea shop. Many people in Popffero are happy with the changes as there are more jobs for them. But some people don’t
like the changes, they miss the quiet and peaceful life of the old town.