Bài mẫu chủ đề “Describe a website that sells second-hand items” của cô Nguyễn Khánh Huyền cung cấp ý tưởng mạch lạc, từ vựng đa dạng và chiến lược trả lời hiệu quả cho IELTS Speaking Part 2.
Part 2: Describe a website that sells second-hand items
You should say:
- what it is
- how you found out about it
- what people can buy from it
- and explain whether you like it
1. Bài mẫu (Sample)
Let me preface this by saying that I am in no sense a shopaholic. Sure, I’m an occasional lookie-loo on ecommerce platforms and in real-life, but I’m not well-versed in this area. That being said though, the algorithm on social media decided that I am worthy of the secret club and let me in the world of thrift shopping. That’s how I found out about this website that let me browse through good quality secondhand clothes.
Mind you, thrift shops are usually online based, with strong media presence, curated and posted on platforms like Instagram. So the fact that this store owner decided to splurge for a functioning website means a lot to me. They have filters and sections and search bar, which allow me to navigate through the virtual heap of selections. Every now and then, I comb through their new drop to kill some time.
I suppose used clothes appeal to me because growing up, I’d always got hand-me-downs from my cousins. This explains why all those sweater pillings and minor snaggings don’t dampen my spirit. On top of that, thrifting let me expand my wardrobe, or more aptly tightening it, without throwing money through the window with those fashion fads. I’ve bought some winter pieces from this website a couple years ago that are still holding on strong.
If I’m being honest with you, the payment could do with some more work. It was quite a bit of a hassle when I had to wire them the money myself before waiting around for another day for the confirmation email to go through.
But anyway, I’m a sucker for a good cause like supporting small businesses and making responsible financial decisions.
Sample band 6.5+ by Khanh Huyen, IELTS Teacher at The IELTS Workshop
2. Từ vựng (Vocabulary)
- shopaholic: a person who loves shopping too much.
người nghiện mua sắm - ecommerce platforms: online websites or apps where people buy and sell goods.
nền tảng thương mại điện tử - thrift shopping / thrift shop: buying second-hand or used items, usually at low prices.
mua đồ cũ / cửa hàng đồ cũ - secondhand clothes: clothes that were owned and used by someone else before.
quần áo đã qua sử dụng - filters and sections: tools on a website to help users sort and find items.
bộ lọc và phân mục - search bar: a box on a website where you type to find things.
thanh tìm kiếm - new drop: a new release or batch of items for sale.
đợt hàng mới - hand-me-downs: clothes passed from older family members to younger ones.
quần áo cũ được truyền lại - sweater pillings: small balls of fiber that form on clothes after wear.
lông xù trên áo len - snaggings: small tears or pulls in fabric.
vết rách nhỏ / sờn vải - fashion fads: short-lived trends in fashion.
mốt thời trang nhất thời - wire money: send money electronically, often through a bank.
chuyển tiền qua ngân hàng - confirmation email: an email that verifies a transaction or action.
email xác nhận - hassle: a situation that is annoying or causes problems.
phiền phức / rắc rối
Xem thêm: Cách học từ vựng IELTS hiệu quả từ thầy Đặng Trần Tùng 9.0
Part 3:
1. Some people think it’s a waste to buy too many clothes for children. What do you think?
Well, I can totally see why some would hold this opinion. You see, I grew up in a time where frugality is the key to survival, where parents would buy clothes 3 sizes too big so their children would grow into them. I mean, kids can sprout overnight like some magic beanstalks, so why waste money on shirts and shoes that could only last them three months? Still, a baby could never have one onesie too many, considering they are constantly spewing liquid out of all orifices, you know?
2. What do people do with the clothes they don’t want anymore?
My personal experience is that you can always donate them to the needy. I believe there are so many Goodwill-like organizations that can take your used suits to those who need to look sharp for a job interview that can turn things around.
Meanwhile, there could be pieces that are threadbare and thus not apt for re-using. This is a trick right out of Asian moms’ playbook, which is to turn old shirts into rags.
- threadbare = mòn, rách
- rags = giẻ lau
3. Why do people buy second-hand clothes?
For people like me, I would say that we do so because we can and we want to. Say, browsing through Shein could get you a whole new wardrobe without breaking the bank, but nothing beats finding a mint-condition, vintage dress from the 80s at a local thrift shop. Another thing that springs to my mind is that these kinds of oldies-goodies can help you be financially responsible, since they are much cheaper, or at least more reasonable, than new clothes.
That being said though, many shoppers go to second-hand stores because they have to. I guess they are unfortunately in a financial tough spot, where they cannot afford brand new items for themselves.
- mint-condition = tình trạng như mới
- thrift shop = mua đồ cũ / cửa hàng đồ cũ
4. What problems will occur if people don’t recycle?
Where do I even begin? Overconsumption is the breeding ground for a litany of problems, starting with environmental repercussions. By that I mean tons of water will continue to be wasted during the production of synthetic fibers, which are the key ingredients to cheap clothes. At the same time, landfills are already at maximum capacity all thanks to those low-quality T-shirts and faux leather jackets that so-called fashionistas grew out of after a season. Speaking of fashion could open another can of worms, which I would leave to another day.
- Overconsumption = tiêu dùng quá mức
- Environmental repercussions = hậu quả môi trường
- Synthetic fibers = sợi tổng hợp
- Landfills = bãi rác
- Faux leather = da giả
- Fashionistas = tín đồ thời trang
- Can of worms = vấn đề rắc rối
5. Should the government encourage people to recycle items?
I don’t see why not?! How on earth could this be met with any kind of backlash? I think the more important question here is how the government could encourage people to recycle items. I guess we can look at Germany and learn a few things or two. They’ve established a system where citizens could deposit used bottles of all materials and get a decent amount of money back in exchange, which is sensible. I mean, financial incentives are proven to be effective. I would add, however, that they must ensure that the system works. In other words, recycling should be seamless and does not require any hoop-jumping.
- backlash = phản ứng dữ dội
- financial incentives = khuyến khích tài chính
- hoop-jumping = làm nhiều thủ tục rườm rà
6. How do people in your country recycle various items they don’t want?
As I mentioned earlier, the most common solutions are donating to the poor and turning them into other items like rags. Asians are resourceful by nature so we’re peerless when it comes to re-purposing. Oh and another emerging trend is to pass it to somebody else who needs it. It is more common among younger generations on Facebook Marketplace. You can find all sorts of household items there, from used appliances and furniture to cosmetic.
- rags = giẻ lau
- re-purpose = tái sử dụng theo cách khác
Xem thêm: 30+ chủ đề từng vựng IELTS thông dụng bạn cần biết
Tạm kết
Hy vọng bài mẫu trên đã giúp bạn hình dung rõ cách triển khai ý tưởng và sử dụng ngôn ngữ phù hợp khi gặp chủ đề Describe a website that sells second-hand items trong IELTS Speaking Part 2 & 3. Tham khảo các nguồn tài liệu hữu ích như KHO BÀI MẪU IELTS SPEAKING và Bộ đề dự đoán IELTS Speaking cập nhật mới nhất.
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