Part 1 Questions
- Do you keep plants at home?
- What plant did you grow when you were young?
- Do you know anything about growing a plant?
- Do Vietnamese people send plants as gifts?
Sample Response
Do you know anything about growing a plant?
Not really, to be honest. I mean, I know you need to water them and give them sunlight, but that's about it. My mum's the green thumb in our family - she's got loads of plants and they all seem to thrive. Me? I'd probably kill anything within a week!
Essential Vocabulary
Keeping plants at home
- green thumb - natural talent for growing plants
- houseplants - plants grown indoors
- potted plants - plants in containers
- low-maintenance - easy to care for
- thriving - growing very well
- wilting - dying from lack of water
- brighten up the place - make space more cheerful
- air-purifying plants - plants that clean air
- statement plant - large, decorative plant
- plant parent - person who cares for plants
- succulent collection - small, easy-care plants
- black thumb - bad at growing plants
Plants grown when young
- school project - assignment from teacher
- bean sprouts - simple plants to grow
- herb garden - growing cooking herbs
- seedlings - young plants from seeds
- sprouted from seeds - grew from the beginning
- tended to daily - cared for every day
- watched it grow - observed development
- proud achievement - felt successful about
- science experiment - learning activity
- sunflower seeds - popular plant for children
- cherry tomatoes - easy fruit to grow
- family garden - shared growing space
Knowledge of growing plants
- trial and error - learning by trying
- watering schedule - regular water routine
- sunlight requirements - how much sun needed
- soil quality - good earth for growing
- fertilizing - adding nutrients
- pruning - cutting back growth
- repotting - moving to larger container
- pest control - dealing with insects
- seasonal care - different needs per season
- drainage - water flowing away
- root-bound - roots too big for pot
- growing conditions - environment needs
Vietnamese plant-giving culture
- housewarming gifts - presents for new home
- Tet tradition - New Year customs
- symbolic meaning - represents something special
- good fortune - brings luck
- prosperity plants - believed to bring wealth
- bamboo plants - lucky plants in culture
- money tree - plant thought to bring wealth
- thoughtful gesture - kind, considerate gift
- long-lasting gift - present that endures
- practical present - useful gift
- cultural significance - important meaning
- auspicious plants - plants bringing good luck
Natural Spoken Phrases
- "I'm hopeless when it comes to..." admitting inability
- "My mum's much better at..." comparing abilities
- "I've never been one for..." not interested in
- "It's more of a... thing really" attributing to others
- "I tend to forget about..." neglecting responsibility
- "Takes more patience than I have" admitting limitation
- "I'd love to get into it, but..." interest but obstacles
- "It's quite common in Vietnam to..." cultural explanation
- "From what I've seen..." observational knowledge
- "It's supposed to..." uncertain belief