Part 1
Giám khảo
Did you have a bike when you were a child?
Thí sinh
Unfortunately my parents didn't let me get a bike because they were worried that I might fall and get hurt so I learned how to ride just recently. And that's why I didn't own one when I was a kid.
Giám khảo
Do you think bikes are popular in your country?
Thí sinh
They have grown to be even more popular for the last couple of years because we have bike lanes now. So in order to beat the rush, most people use bikes now and I think it's also environment friendly. It is a good idea to sleep.
Did you have a bike when you were a child?
Điểm: 86.0Gợi ý: Your answer is direct and well developed, with a clear reason and a result. To sound more natural, say “didn’t let me have a bike” rather than “didn’t let me get a bike,” and avoid repeating the same idea in both sentences. Also, connect the reason more smoothly with a linking word such as “because” or “as a result.”
Ví dụ: No, I didn’t have a bike when I was a child because my parents were worried that I might fall and hurt myself. As a result, I only learned how to ride one recently, when I was an adult.
Do you think bikes are popular in your country?
Điểm: 68.0Gợi ý: You give relevant reasons, such as the development of bike lanes, avoiding traffic, and protecting the environment. However, “have grown to be more popular for the last couple of years” should be “have become more popular over the last couple of years,” and “beat the rush” would be more natural as “avoid traffic.” The final sentence, “It is a good idea to sleep,” is unrelated and makes the answer unclear; replace it with a relevant conclusion. Use “environmentally friendly” instead of “environment friendly.”
Ví dụ: Yes, bikes have become much more popular in my country over the last couple of years because many new bike lanes have been built. In addition, people use them to avoid traffic and reduce pollution, so cycling is both convenient and environmentally friendly.
× They have grown to be even more popular for the last couple of years because we have bike lanes now.
✓ They have grown to be even more popular over the last couple of years because we have bike lanes now.
Use over, rather than for, with the phrase the last couple of years when describing a change that has continued throughout a period up to the present. For example: The city has become safer over the last few years.
× So in order to beat the rush, most people use bikes now and I think it's also environment friendly.
✓ So in order to beat the rush, most people use bikes now, and I think it's also environmentally friendly.
Environmentally is an adverb that correctly modifies the adjective friendly. The adjective environment cannot directly modify friendly in this expression. Use environmentally friendly to describe something that does not harm the environment.