Part 1
Giám khảo
Do you like reading?
Thí sinh
Yes, I love reading, especially when it comes to books which are romance novels or maybe science fiction scenes. That's where my interest lies. And I also love reading newspapers in order to catch up with the Daily News so that I know what's going on in the world.
Giám khảo
Do you prefer to read on paper or on a screen?
Thí sinh
I definitely prefer to read on paper rather than a screen and that is solely because the feeling is entirely different when it comes to reading a book on paper. The sound of the pages turning and the smell of the book when is newly bought, everything just makes me feel so happy and relaxed.
Giám khảo
When do you need to read carefully, and when not?
Thí sinh
Well, I would say that we need to read carefully when we're dealing with something that might affect our professional or academic life. It might be emails from our colleagues or employers or it might be while we're conducting a research and reading articles, which are imperative while reading while making a research.
Giám khảo
Do you prefer scanning or detailed reading?
Thí sinh
I prefer detailed reading over scanning because scanning usually gives us a very surface level knowledge or of a topic, whereas detailed reading helps us dive deep into the topic and it enlightens us or gives us a lot more knowledge about what we're reading about and we get more accurate information instead of just assuming.
Do you like reading?
Điểm: 78.0Gợi ý: Make the answer more concise and natural by using a clear topic sentence, grouping related types of reading, and avoiding redundancy. Replace awkward phrases (e.g. "science fiction scenes", "Daily News") with natural expressions and add a brief reason or example. Keep it within 2–4 sentences.
Ví dụ: Yes, I enjoy reading, especially romance novels and science fiction because I like emotional stories and imaginative worlds. I also read newspapers regularly to keep up with current events, such as politics and technology developments.
Do you prefer to read on paper or on a screen?
Điểm: 85.0Gợi ý: Your answer is clear and natural but a bit long; tighten it into 2–3 sentences and correct minor grammar ("when it is newly bought" → "when it's newly bought"). You can add a brief contrast to screens to show reasoning more fully.
Ví dụ: I prefer reading on paper because the tactile feel, the sound of pages and the smell of a new book make reading more enjoyable. By contrast, screens can cause eye strain and feel less immersive.
When do you need to read carefully, and when not?
Điểm: 70.0Gợi ý: Be more direct and concise. Start with a clear topic sentence and avoid repetition ("while reading while making a research"). Give specific examples and briefly explain why careful reading is necessary. Limit to 2–3 sentences.
Ví dụ: You need to read carefully for anything that affects your job or studies, such as official emails, contracts, or academic articles, because mistakes can have serious consequences. For casual texts like social media posts or adverts, a quick skim is usually enough.
Do you prefer scanning or detailed reading?
Điểm: 72.0Gợi ý: Shorten and clarify your response: give a clear preference statement, then one or two concise reasons with an example. Avoid redundant phrases ("gives us a lot more knowledge about what we're reading about").
Ví dụ: I prefer detailed reading because it allows me to understand ideas fully and check facts, for example when studying for exams or reading a research paper. Scanning is useful only when you need to find a specific fact quickly.
× Yes, I love reading, especially when it comes to books which are romance novels or maybe science fiction scenes.
✓ Yes, I love reading, especially when it comes to books that are romance novels or maybe science fiction stories.
Use of the preposition 'which' after 'books' is not ideal here; a relative clause with 'that' is more natural for defining the kind of books. Also 'scenes' is incorrect collocation for genres; 'stories' or 'novels' is correct. Suggestion: use 'that' for defining clauses and choose proper noun 'stories' for genre.
× And I also love reading newspapers in order to catch up with the Daily News so that I know what's going on in the world.
✓ And I also love reading newspapers to catch up on the daily news so that I know what's going on in the world.
Use 'catch up on' rather than 'catch up with' for news. 'Daily News' as a common noun should be lowercase 'daily news' unless referring to a specific newspaper title. Also 'in order to' is wordy; 'to' is more natural. Suggestion: replace 'in order to catch up with the Daily News' with 'to catch up on the daily news'.
× I definitely prefer to read on paper rather than a screen and that is solely because the feeling is entirely different when it comes to reading a book on paper.
✓ I definitely prefer to read on paper rather than on a screen, and that is simply because the feeling is completely different when reading a book on paper.
Parallel structure requires repeating the preposition 'on' before 'a screen' ('on a screen' or better 'on a screen' with 'on' repeated). 'That is solely because' is grammatical but 'simply because' sounds more natural. 'Entirely different when it comes to reading' is wordy; 'completely different when reading' is clearer. Suggestion: maintain parallel prepositions and streamline phrasing.
× The sound of the pages turning and the smell of the book when is newly bought, everything just makes me feel so happy and relaxed.
✓ The sound of the pages turning and the smell of a newly bought book just make me feel so happy and relaxed.
Grammatical issues: 'the smell of the book when is newly bought' is ungrammatical; use 'the smell of a newly bought book'. Subject-verb agreement: compound subject 'the sound ... and the smell ...' takes plural verb 'make' not 'makes'. Also remove redundant 'everything'. Suggestion: restructure to 'The sound of the pages turning and the smell of a newly bought book just make me feel so happy and relaxed.'
× Well, I would say that we need to read carefully when we're dealing with something that might affect our professional or academic life.
✓ Well, I would say that we need to read carefully when we are dealing with something that might affect our professional or academic lives.
Plural 'lives' matches plural subject 'we'. Contraction 'we're' is fine but expanded 'we are' is clearer. No -ing error except ensure noun plurality. Suggestion: match noun plurality to the subject.
× It might be emails from our colleagues or employers or it might be while we're conducting a research and reading articles, which are imperative while reading while making a research.
✓ It might be emails from colleagues or employers, or it might be when we are conducting research and reading articles, which are essential for that research.
Problems: 'our colleagues or employers' is redundant; 'colleagues or employers' is sufficient. 'While we're conducting a research' is incorrect: 'research' is uncountable so no article 'a', and 'when' is better than 'while' here. The clause 'which are imperative while reading while making a research' is awkward and repetitive; replace with 'which are essential for that research.' Suggestion: avoid 'a research', remove repetitive 'while', and use 'research' as uncountable.
× I prefer detailed reading over scanning because scanning usually gives us a very surface level knowledge or of a topic, whereas detailed reading helps us dive deep into the topic and it enlightens us or gives us a lot more knowledge about what we're reading about and we get more accurate information instead of just assuming.
✓ I prefer detailed reading to scanning because scanning usually gives us only a very superficial knowledge of a topic, whereas detailed reading helps us dive deep into the topic and gives us much more accurate information instead of just assumptions.
Use 'prefer X to Y' not 'prefer X over Y' (both possible but 'to' is typical). 'Surface level knowledge' should be 'superficial knowledge' and remove redundant 'or of a topic'. 'It enlightens us or gives us a lot more knowledge about what we're reading about' is wordy and repeats 'about'; simplify to 'gives us much more accurate information'. 'Assuming' should be a noun 'assumptions' here. Suggestion: use 'prefer... to', 'superficial', and concise phrasing.