UNIT 4: SPEAKING

1. VOCABULARY
 (Something) is my top hobby  Go on a 9-day trip
 Get to know many people  ______ is my dream destination
 To broaden my horizon  The local cuisine
 Out of my reach  I am curious about + WH + S + V
 Air-fare  Distance (n)
 Affordable (a)  Release the stress (v)
2. IDIOMS
A bump in the road: vấn đề nhỏ, tạm thời
 The minor accident on the journey was just a bump in the the road
To get itchy feet: muốn đi du lịch
 After three years in the job she began to get itchy feet.
at the crack of dawn: vào lúc sáng sớm
 We'll have to leave at the crack of dawn.
To travel on a shoestring: đi du lịch tiết kiệm
 I’m backpacking around Asia next year but I’m traveling on a shoestring.
To hit the road: lên đường, khởi hành
 We packed up and hit the road.
To travel light: đi du lịch mà không mang theo nhiều hành lí
 I like to carry my bags onto the plane, so I try to travel light.
To get off the beaten track: đi du lịch tới nơi ít người
 The farmhouse we stayed in was completely off the beaten track.
To spread your wings and fly: hãy tự do bay nhảy
 You’re still young! It’s the best time to spread your wings and fly.
To catch / take a red-eye: đi chuyến bay đêm
 She took the red eye from New York.
As the crow flies: theo đường chim bay
 The beach is only 2 miles away as the crow flies, but it’s more like 4 on the winding country roads
To set foot in: đặt chân đến
 However, he had never set foot in the village again.
Practice
Fill the spaces with the correct idioms

1. The budget airline ticket was really cheap, but the flight left very late at night.
✎ The budget airline ticket was really cheap, but I had to _____________________________________.

2. We left very early in the morning to avoid traffic.

✎ We left _____________________________________ to avoid traffic.

3. She has been working in the same office for years, and now she really wants to go somewhere new.
✎ She has been working in the same office for years, and now she’s starting to ____________________.

4. We have to be careful with our money while traveling because we don’t have much to spend.
✎ We have to _____________________________________ because we don’t have much to spend.

5. I don’t like carrying a lot of luggage when I go on holiday.

✎ I prefer to _____________________________________ when I go on holiday.

6. After saving money for months, we finally started our long road trip.
✎ After saving money for months, we finally _____________________________________.

7. The airline lost my suitcase, but I didn’t let that small problem ruin my trip.
✎ The airline lost my suitcase, but I didn’t let that _____________________________________ ruin my trip.

8. This town is very popular with tourists, but I prefer to visit places that are not crowded.
✎ This town is very popular with tourists, but I prefer to _____________________________________.

9. He had never been to Europe before, so he was very excited to visit Paris.
✎ He had never been to Europe before, so he was excited to finally ____________________________ Paris.

10. The hotel is about 10 kilometers away if you follow the roads, but it’s much shorter in a straight line.
✎ The hotel is about 10 kilometers away by road, but it’s much shorter ______________________________.

3. GRAMMAR STRUCTURE
Too + adj / adv (for sb) to V: quá adj nên (sb) không thể Verb
 I was too tired to take part in any team building activity during the trip
 I was too excited about the upcoming trip to have a sound sleep that night.
 The trip was too short for me to visit all the local attractions.
 A hotel was too expensive for us to take, so we decided to look for a homestay.
Practice:
1. Backpack / heavy / carry → _______________________________________, so I asked my friend for help.
2. Hotel room / expensive / book → _____________________________________, so we found a cheaper one.
3. Weather / cold / enjoy the beach → _______________________________________, so they stayed inside.
4. Road / dangerous / drive on → _______________________________________, so we took another route.
5. Journey / long / stay awake → _______________________________________, so they fell asleep on the
bus.
6. Flight / early / catch on time → _______________________________________, so they missed it.
7. Suitcase / big / fit in the overhead compartment → _______________________________________, so she
had to check it in.
8. Mountain / steep / climb → _______________________________________, so they chose an easier trail.
9. City / crowded / walk comfortably → _______________________________________,, so we took a taxi.
10. Schedule / tight / visit all the places → _______________________________________, so he skipped a
few.

4. PRONUNCIATION: TOO /TUː/ AND TO /TƏ/

1. This bag is too heavy tocarry. 6. The train was too crowded tofind a seat.
2. The hotel was too expensive tobook. 7. The trip was too short toexplore everything.
3. We woke up too early tocatch the flight. 8. The coffee was too hot todrink.
4. The road is too dangerous todrive on. 9. The weather was too cold toswim.
5. It’s too far towalk. 10. The luggage was too big tofit in the cabin.

PART 1
1. Do you like to travel?
Yes, absolutely. Travelling is my top hobby because whenever I travel, I can meet and get to know many new
people from different cultures and nations, which helps me to broaden my horizons.
2. Do you often travel by air?
No, not much. Travelling by air too often is out of my reach for a student like me. However, I do travel by air once
or twice a year to an ASEAN member because the airfares to these destinations are quite affordable.
3. How long was the longest trip you took?
I went on a 9-day trip to Thailand and this was my longest trip ever. I spent 3 days in Bangkok, 2 days in Pattaya
and 3 days in Phuket. The remaining one day was spent on moving.
4. Which country would you like to travel to in the future?
Italy is my dream destination as it is home to the most stunning churches in the world. Also, I love the Italian
culture, language and friendly people whom I’ve met in Vietnam.
5. Would you like to travel to space?
Yes, it sounds a bit scary. I am curious about how other planets look and how I would be when there is no gravity.
This idea really scares me off but as it sounds pretty fascinating, I would like to try travelling to space once
PART 2

Collocations
1. Book a flight – I always book a flight in advance to get cheaper tickets.
2. Catch a plane/train/bus – We need to leave now if we want to catch the train on time.
3. Go on a trip – Last summer, I went on a trip to Da Nang with my family.
4. Pack your bags – I always pack my bags a day before my trip to avoid last-minute stress.
5. Explore new places – I love exploring new places whenever I travel abroad.
6. Try local food – One of the best things about traveling is trying local food.
7. Travel abroad – Many people dream of traveling abroad to experience different cultures.
8. Take a guided tour – We took a guided tour of the ancient city to learn more about its history.
9. Miss a flight – I almost missed my flight because of the heavy traffic.
10. Make a travel itinerary – Before going on vacation, I always make a travel itinerary to plan my trip well.

Exercise 1
Last summer, I decided to (1) __________ to Thailand with my best friend. We planned everything carefully, so
we didn’t (2) __________ at the last minute. A week before departure, we (3) __________ online to get the best
price.
Since it was our first time traveling to Thailand, we wanted to (4) __________ as much as possible. We also
wanted to (5) __________ because we had heard great things about Thai street food. To ensure we didn’t get lost,
we decided to (6) __________ of Bangkok’s most famous temples.
Before our journey, we had to (7) __________ to make sure we visited all the places we wanted. However, on the
last day, we woke up late and almost didn’t (8) __________ back home!
It was an amazing experience, and now I want to (9) __________ again to other countries. Next time, I will be
more careful not to (10) __________ and ruin my plans!
Exercise 2
Well, I’d love to talk about a trip I took to Da Nang, Vietnam last summer. It was an unforgettable experience
because I got to (1) ____________________________ and discover new things.
Honestly, I had been feeling stressed from work and started to get itchy feet, so I decided to (2)
_________________________ to relax. Since I was on a budget, I had to (3) ____________________________ ,
staying in affordable hotels and eating at local markets.
We (4) _______________________ early at the crack of dawn to catch our flight. When we arrived, we
immediately started exploring. The highlight of the trip was when we got to (5) ____________________________
in Ba Na Hills. It was breathtaking!
You know, I also wanted to experience the culture, so I made sure to (6) ____________________________ . I
tried a famous local dish called “Mi Quang,” and it was absolutely delicious! However, some local specialties
were too spicy for me to eat, so I had to be careful when ordering food.
One day, instead of visiting touristy areas, we decided (7) ____________________________ and explore a
hidden beach. It was peaceful and far from the crowds. We spent the afternoon swimming and relaxing under the
sun.
Of course, to make the most of our time, we had to (8) ____________________________ carefully. Luckily, we
didn’t (9) ____________________________ on the way back, though we were a bit late at the airport!
Overall, I loved this trip because it gave me a chance to spread my wings and fly—I got to enjoy new
experiences, meet new people, and recharge my energy. The scenery was too beautiful for me to forget, and I
can’t wait to (10) ____________________________ again!