PRACTICES

I have a very interesting and (1)__________ hobby. I make short video clips with my digital camera. It was my birthday present from my parents last year. Since then, I have (2)__________ three short films. It's great fun! I started asking my friends and relatives to take (3)__________ in the films. I have tried to write the story for my video clips. When I have finished the script, I make copies for the "actors". Each scene is small and they can look at the words just (4)__________ we start filming. We film at the weekend in my neighborhood, (5)__________ no one has to travel far. When the video clip is finished, I invite all the "actors" and we watch the film at my house.

People are living longer, so there are more elderly people. Recently, more and more young people are doing community service. They do it in many different ways. They do housework, provide the food, raise money even paint the houses. Some young people work as hospital volunteers. In America, they are called "candy stripers" because of the striped pink and white uniform they wear. Others are concerned about the environment and work on neighborhood clean-up campaigns. They come to the elderly and help them with their housework, clean the yard and doing gardening as well. We should support these volunteers to make a better society.

MONA LISA She was painted in the early 1500s by Italian Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci. Today, she hangs in the Louvre, an art museum in Paris that was originally built as a palace for kings. She is Mona Lisa – one of the most famous portraits in the world. So these are interesting facts about the painting:
The original name of the painting was not Mona Lisa – it was La Gioconda.
X-rays of the painting show that there are three different versions of the subject, all are painted by da Vinci, layered under the final portrait.
In 1911, an employee of the Louvre stole the Mona Lisa from the museum. It was not returned until 1913, when the thief tried to sell the painting to an art collector.
The Mona Lisa has been an inspiration to musicians. Composer Max von Schillings wrote an opera about the painting. In 1958, American songwriters Livingston and Evans wrote a hit song about the portrait.

Some people think that learning is the most important activitiy of students. However, it is necessary for them to take part in other activities outdoors. They will help students realise their potential abilities. They never know how fast they are until they are in competition with their friends in a race. They won’t be aware of how helpful they are until their friends get into trouble. In addition, some outdoor games require cooperation. Students need to join hands to score points for their team. Furthermore, thanks to the trips they join, they can discover new things. They know more about different cultures and different ways of life. These things will help them broaden their horizon. No books or no subjects can teach them such soft skills, but these outdoor activities can.

Brian lives in a small village in the North of America. His school is not far away from his house. He usually walks to school with his friends in the morning. He loves going to school because he can learn useful things at school every day. Maths, literature and P.E are compulsory subjects. He is good at Maths, so he always gets good grades in this subject. His school is not big but nice. There are some tall trees around the school and there is a bench next to each tree. Brian and his friends often sit on them and chat at break time. The library is full of different books, there are also some computers in it. Some students enjoy readings books, but some like using the computer to explore the information. The teachers are well-qualified and responsible. They are willing to help and support their students unconditionally.

ROOM FOR ART Why do we teach art in school? Many believe that art is the only subject where children are able to express their “creativity” or “release their feelings”. Others believe that art helps student learn better. Still others think that the primary benefit of art is to provide children with something “fun”. The arts involve so many different areas. Art can be creating pottery, singing, playing an instrument, painting a picture, ballet dancing, poetry reading or acting and drama. Art is much more than just drawing a picture with crayons. There are many different ways to incorporate the arts in the schools. Some schools can allow professional artists to come on and share their talents and skill with the students. When finished learning about a specific art, students can share what they have learnt in a performance or an exhibit.

My friends and I have written a (1) __________. We have decided to (2) __________ it for our school. I have already built the set. Karen has just finished the (3) __________ for us to wear. I haven’t learned the (4) __________ yet, so I am a bit nervous, but I’m excited (5) __________. I haven’t been in a play before. I can’t wait!

Bun cha became an international attention overnight after US President Barack Obama and celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain were pictured eating the dish together in Hanoi. Their choice of this dish is now surprise as bun cha originated from the Old Quarter in Hanoi and has been one of the city's signature dishes for hundreds of years. What makes this dish special is the intense preparation involved in making it; minced pork must be marinated overnight to fully absorb the flavor of herbs and shaped into balls, keeping attention to make sure the meat is tender and juicy. The sauce is what makes the dish spectacular; a good sauce will give a balance between the sweetness of the meat and the saltiness of the fish sauce. The Hanoi traditional dish is served only at lunchtime and comes with rice vermicelli, fresh veggies and herbs such as basils, coriander.

Vietnamese people may (1) __________ to drink at coffee shops or pubs on weekdays (2) __________ their friends after work. Some of them invite their friends to drink at their homes on weekends. In the past, the Vietnamese usually (3) __________ home-made alcohol such as "ruou gao" or "ruou de". Then, they started to drink beer or imported wines. Vietnamese people know about the damage of drinking alcohol, but they still drink. More Vietnamese people (4) __________ their free time outside their homes such as cinemas, theatres or coffee shops. The number of places for entertainment has increased in big cities. However, more young people use their free time to study or attend clubs or centres for improving (5) __________ such as communications, presentation and team working.

Monash University is a public university located in Melbourne, Australia. It was established in 1958 by an Act of the State Parliament of Victoria and is the second oldest university in the State of Victoria. The university was named after the prominent Australian general Sir John Monash. This was the first time in Australia that a university had been named after a person, rather than a city or state. It was originally intended to have an emphasis on science and technology. However, it quickly expanded beyond this. In its early years, it offered undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in engineering, medicine, science, arts, economics and politics, education and law. Initially, it was best known for its strong research capacity in the sciences and for its innovative teaching in law and medicine.

I have a very interesting and (1) __________ hobby. I make short video clips with my camera. It was my birthday present from my parents last year. Since then, I have (2) __________ three short films. It's great fun! I started asking my close friends to take part (3) __________ the films. I (4) __________ to write the story for my video clips so far. We film at the weekend in my neighbourhood. When the video clip is finished, I invite all the "actors" and we watch the film at my house.

It is estimated that about 200 million people use the Internet computer network around the world. The Internet allows people to work at home instead of traveling to work. The Internet allows businesses to communicate with customers and workers in any part of the world for the cost of a local telephone call. E-mail allows users to send documents, pictures, and other data from one part of the world to another in at least 5 minutes. People can use the Internet to do shopping. This saves a lot of time. It is possible to use the Internet for education – students may connect with their teachers from home to send or receive e-mail or talk about their problems 'online' rather than attend a class.

Baking is one of my favourite hobbies. Baking allows me to be creative and hard-working. First, I can follow the recipe exactly as written, or I can change the recipe by adding new ingredients. The second reason why I like baking is because the entire process of baking brings me a lot of fun. I love to go to the grocery to shop for ingredients, and then combine them all together to make a product that many people enjoy. Being able to share things that I bake is another reason why I love this hobby. Many of my friends look forward to the tasty treat that I share with them. These are just a few of the reasons why I am fond of baking.

In Britain children start school when they are five. Their first year - the reception - is usually a very happy one for the child. They learn to follow instructions from the teachers. Lots of new skills are introduced. Communal activities, socialising with the other children, learning to take turns are all part of the first-year experience.
As they paint, draw, and do other creative activities, they interact with other children and their language skills develop. When they have music and movement lessons or gym activities, they learn to control their body movements. Children learn to cooperate with others. During music lessons, they have to listen to a rhythm and try to copy it, and sing simple tunes.
In the morning students have number work and reading skills. The afternoons are more creative. They learn to have parties, make little cakes and pour cups of tea for others. They love dressing up in costumes and acting like adults.

SOME INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT VIETNAMESE FOOD
Viet Nam is the second largest rice exporter in the world (only smaller than India).
People in Viet Nam eat the largest quantity of instant noodles in Asia. They even eat more instant noodles than people in Japan, where instant noodles came from.
Viet Nam has many kinds of noodles, such as pho, bun (vermicelli), mien (glass noodles), and banh da (rice noodles).
Nem ran (spring roll) is the most popular dish in Viet Nam. It isn't usually served as an everyday dish but mostly at a family gathering or an anniversary party.
Viet Nam has a large variety of che (sweet soup) with more than 100 kinds.
Viet Nam has nearly 200 kinds of cakes with various shapes and tastes. Some of them are not made from butter and flour, like banh chung or banh gai.

To: [email protected] Subject: A water puppet show
Dear Sue, How are things with you? I (1) __________ in Viet Nam three days ago, and everything is perfect. Yesterday I went to see a puppet show at a theatre in the centre of Ha Noi. The show was fantastic! The artists performed the show (2) __________ a pool. They stood behind a screen. They used strings under the water to control the puppets and make them move on the water! The show was about rice farming and a festival in a village. I saw this show last year, so I think the show this year is (3) __________ that last year. People say that these shows (4) __________ normally about everyday life in the countryside of Viet Nam. Water puppetry is a special traditional art form. People love it, and (5) __________ tourists coming to Viet Nam love to see it. I wish you were here with me. See you next week.
Love, Mary

MY SCHOOL
Westminster High School is a famous school in England. It is in the heart of London, (1) ______ the Houses of Parliament. The school has (2) ______ modern facilities such as a new sports hall, a golf course, a science centre, a large theatre, and a music centre. There are 740 students in the school. They are intelligent (3) ______ hard-working. To attend the school, they have to pass an entrance exam and an interview. All students have to take final exams in science, maths, English, literature, and French or German. They also (4) ______ some outdoor activities such as playing golf, growing flowers or (5) ______ on the Thames.
(Adapted from Tiếng Anh 7-Workbook (Global Success))

London is the capital city of the United Kingdom. There are a lot of cars in the city. People prefer to park (1) ______ car, so traffic in the city centre is heavier than that in the suburbs. It is harder to find a place to park car (2) ______ to do it in other areas. The public means of transport is cheaper than cars but the Londoners (3) ______ their own cars. Moreover, there are more and more tourists (4) ______ visitors coming to London for sightseeing or shopping. At weekends, the streets are noisier and busier than they are on weekdays. Now, traffic jams are (5) ______ than ever before.

Maintaining a healthy body is not that easy and not so difficult also. Most important tip for a healthy body is to have healthy foods and eat them at proper time. Avoid eating junk food. Try to include vegetables, fruits, milk, and fish in your daily diet. Make sure you are having your breakfast regularly. Skipping your breakfast regularly will definitely affect your health. Regular exercise will also keep your body in good health. Your body should get enough time to rest. Make sure you get a sleep of 8 hours daily.

Scouting began in England in 1907. The Boy Scouts of America started three years later. Today, there are Boy Scout programmes in more than 140 countries. In the United States alone, there are over 4 million Scouts. Boy Scouts learn useful skills while having fun. Scouts swim and play sports, go camping and hiking, and learn how to survive in the outdoors. They also learn to protect the environment. Other Scout activities include making arts and crafts, learning first aid, and learning how to use computers or fix cars. Scouts often do community service and volunteer work. Scouts learn teamwork by working together.