Making small talk

(Cuộc nói chuyện ngắn)

1. Listen and complete the conversations with the expressions in the box. Then practise them in pairs.

(Nghe và hoàn thành đoạn hội thoại với những từ ngữ trong khung. Sau đó thực hành chúng theo cặp.)

1.

Julie: ________ the flower festival is going to be held in our city.

Mai: Really? I love flowers. I went to a flower festival in Da Lat once. It was amazing!

2.

Mai: Hi, ________ so far?

Mark: I've been very busy! I'm working on promoting a charity event. It's a lot of work!

Mai: Sounds very stressful! Have you thought of inviting a famous celebrity?

3.

Linda: ________ ! They look very stylish. Where did you get them?

Mai: Thank you. I saw them advertised on a fashion website and bought them online. I'll send you the link.

Linda: That'd be great. Thanks.

4.

Nam: ________?

Linda: Yeah, it's so beautiful outside! Last week, the weather was awful.

Nam: I know, it was raining all the time. Have you got any plans for the weekend?

2. Work in pairs. Use the models in 1 to make similar conversations for these situations. One of you is A, the other is B. Use the tips and expressions below to help you.

(Làm việc theo cặp. Sử dụng các mẫu ở bài 1 để thực hiện những đoạn hội thoại tương tự trong những tình huống này. Một người là A, người kia là B. Hãy sử dụng các mẹo và cách diễn đạt dưới đây để giúp bạn.)

1. A and B don't know each other. They are at a birthday party of a mutual friend. A starts a conversation with B. They make small talk and discover they are both interested in a career in the media industry.

(A và B không biết nhau. Họ đang dự tiệc sinh nhật của một người bạn chung. A bắt đầu cuộc trò chuyện với B. Họ nói chuyện nhỏ và phát hiện ra rằng cả hai đều quan tâm đến công việc trong ngành truyền thông.)

2. A and B are both members of their school's Media Club. They are not close friends. They meet in the local park by chance. B starts a conversation with A. They make small talk and find out they are both in charge of promoting a school event.

(A và B không biết nhau. Họ đang dự tiệc sinh nhật của một người bạn chung. A bắt đầu cuộc trò chuyện với B. Họ nói chuyện nhỏ và phát hiện ra rằng cả hai đều quan tâm đến sự nghiệp trong ngành truyền thông.)

1. Read the following text and complete the table below.

(Đọc đoạn văn sau và hoàn thành bảng bên dưới.)

MASS MEDIA AROUND THE WORLD

There are different types of mass media and some work better than others in different situations. They could be as advanced as digital billboards, or as simple as public loudspeakers.

Digital billboards

Unlike a traditional billboard which can only show one printed image, a digital billboard can change between different messages. Digital billboards are also considered more attractive than traditional ones, and people are more likely to notice them. Moreover, they can also be updated in real time.

Nowadays, digital billboards are common in many big cities around the world. It is hard to imagine places like Times Square in New York, Piccadilly Circus in London, or Shibuya in Tokyo without bright light adverts. Although they are growing in popularity, there have been concerns about their impact on the surrounding environment. Global light pollution is increasing each year. The constant light emitted by digital billboards often confuses birds, harms insects, and causes health problems in humans, too.

Public loudspeakers

In the past, public loudspeakers were used during the war to warn people of air attacks. Nowadays, they are still used in parts of Japan, the Philippines, and the US to alert people to natural disasters such as storms, earthquakes, and tornadoes. In Viet Nam, they are used to communicate important public announcements to residents. However, the noise from a city-wide loudspeaker system can be a problem to some people.

2. Work in pairs. Discuss the questions.

(Làm việc theo cặp. Thảo luận các câu hỏi.)

How effective do you think these types of mass media are? Will they become more or less popular in the future? Why/Why not?

(Bạn nghĩ những loại hình truyền thông đại chúng này có hiệu quả như thế nào? Liệu chúng sẽ trở nên phổ biến hơn hay ít hơn trong tương lai? Tại sao/ tại sao không?)