380 bài luận mẫu Tiếng Anh - Phần 2

l6m/ (n) nhaø thöông ñieân 
2. defy /d1'fa1/ (v) baát chaáp, thaùch ñoá, coi thöôøng 
3. rags /r%9s/ (n) aùo quaàn raùch röôùi 
4. midriff /'m1dr1f/ (n) phaàn buïng ôû cô theå ngöôøi 
5. shorts-cum-underwear /'~0:ts k^m ^nd6we6(r)/ (n) quaàn vöøa laø quaàn sooùc vöøa laø quaàn loùt 
6. singlet /'s179l1t/ (n) aùo may oâ 
7. turban /'t3:b6n/ (n) khaên xeáp (cuûa ngöôøi Hoài giaùo) 
8. discard /d1'sk@:d/ (v) thaûi boû 
236. "TODAY, GIRLS DRESS LIKE BOYS AND YOUNG MEN LOOK LIKE 
WOMEN." DO YOU FIND ANYTHING SIGNIFICANT IN THIS ? 
“NGAØY NAY, NHÖÕNG COÂ GAÙI AÊN MAËC GIOÁNG CON TRAI COØN CAÙC CAÄU TRAI 
TREÛ LAÏI TROÂNG NHÖ PHUÏ NÖÕ”. BAÏN COÙ NHAÄN THAÁY ÑIEÀU YÙ NGHÓA NAØO 
ÑOÙ QUA HIEÄN TÖÔÏNG NAØY? 
When girls dress like boys and young men look like women there is something deeply 
wrong. Going deeper into the root of this, it maybe worthwhile to note why men and 
women dress as they do. From simple nakedness into which man is born, he began to 
dress himself. At first he had to dress against the rigours of weather especially cold. As 
long as clothing served this basic purpose, he never cared whether it was soft or rough 
material from which it was made. As knowledge of weaving, dyeing and much later, the 
knowledge of tailoring1 developed, man began dressing and woman drapping herself in 
fashionable clothings. This change was more rapid in Western countries than in the East. 
In Europe, they held on to a dress of a particular fashion because they were 
conservative.2 
But the change in dressing has been at a fast pace3 in America. The War (Great World 
War 2) accelerated4 this trend. For the sake of conventience and economy, certain 
types of dresses became a regulation dress and the civilian also took to it because it was 
found to be comfortable and convenient. The "slacks"5 may be cited as an example. 
The cinemas set up new trends in fashion and youngesters began clamouring for such 
dresses. Thus the tight pants and beach dress in the case of girls became a fashion. 
The way youngsters dress was a revolt against the established order and norm. Many of 
the movements got started in America and today, because of its permissive society, the 
dress has become too short and is now only a miro mini. They do it in bravado6 spirit of 
"What can you do?" 
Young hippies dress like women, grow hair and sometimes appear like mendicants.7 
They lead a life of their own. They want to live like "Adam and Eve" indulging in free 
love. Nowadays it is common to see men wearing chains, bracelets and ear rings like 
women. The opposite way of dressing is taking place. 
In the case of some girls they want to get noticed and seek attention so they wear 
clothes that are worn by men like tight jeans that are torn at knee caps to make a 
statement of their dressing. 
By dressing this way both sexes are trying to defy each other and veering away8 from 
established fashion trends. 
1. tailor /'te1l6(r)/ (v) may (quaàn aùo) 
2. conservative /k6n's3:v6t1v/ (adj) baûo thuû, khoâng theo söï thay ñoåi ñoät ngoät 
3. pace /pe1s/ (n) nhòp ñoä tieán boä vaø phaùt trieån 
4. accelerate /6k'sel6re1t/ (v) thuùc ñaåy 
5. slacks /sl%ks/ (n) quaàn daøi, nhaát laø quaàn thuïng 
6. bravado /br6'v@:d6$/ (n) söï taùo baïo (thöôøng khoâng caàn thieát hoaëc laøm ra veû) 
7. mendicant /'mend1k6nt/ (n) ngöôøi kieám soáng baèng ngheà haønh khaát 
8. veer /v16(r)/ (v) ñi leäch, leäch khoûi 
237. THE PROBLEMS FACED BY OLD PEOPLE IN OUR SOCIETY 
CAÙC VAÁN ÑEÀ MAØ NGÖÔØI GIAØ PHAÛI ÑÖÔNG ÑAÀU TRONG XAÕ HOÄI CHUÙNG TA 
Modern society is built by the young for the young. It is a dynamic creation that does not 
give much consideration to the old, sick, handicapped or incapable. They are merely 
tolerated as so much liability1 or nuisance. So these hardly wanted people face much 
problems in their everyday living. 
The old, who were once young, helped to make the present society. Now they pay the 
price of their former neglect2 of the old. They themselves are neglected and 
unappreciated in turn. 
An old person does not have the physical ability of a young person. Walking can be an 
effort. Crossing a road can be impossible without assistance. On many occasions I have 
come across old men and old women who just could not cross a busy road that had no 
pedestrian crossing. No driver stopped for them. So these old folks3 had to wait patiently 
until a kind soul happened along to lead them across. I have helped a number of them. 
Some of them were very grateful but some simply cursed the traffic. Whatever their 
attitudes, they were better off staying at home. 
It is common to hear of old people being knocked down by vehicles on the roads. They 
just cannot handle the traffic anymore. 
This busy world is certainly not kind to old folks. Crossing a road is just one problem 
they encounter. Getting onto a bus is another. The old person is usually the last to get 
on, if he manages. I have seen a bus conductor telling an old man to wait for the next 
bus because his bus was full. If the old man does get on, the likelihood is that he will 
have to stand, which does no good for his old bones. Rarely does anyone give up his seat 
for an old man, or old woman. 
In the old days, most people did not go very far from their brithplace and thus families 
usually stayed together. The family unit is strong and practical. Today the family unit is 
breaking apart as young men and women travel widely in search of better jobs. So the 
chances are that the old folks will be left alone and neglected. Sometimes they are not 
wanted by their children at all. The luckier ones may have a child or two staying with 
them. The less fortunate ones may have to pine their lives away in an old folks' home or 
in their now empty house that once was filled with the sound of children's laughter. This 
neglect is a very real problem in our society and it is what the old dread the most - being 
unwanted and uncared for in the time of need. 
There are other problems old folks face, but none can be as bad as the indifference and 
neglect of the young. The young have no time for the old even though the old have 
virtually no time left. Soon they will die and the young will take their place. 
1. liability /la16'b1l6t1/ (n) ñieàu baát lôïi, gaùnh naëng 
2. neglect /n1'9lekt/ (n) vieäc xao laõng hoaëc boû beâ – (v) xao laõng, boû maëc 
3. folk /f6$k/ (n) ngöôøi - old folk ngöôøi giaø 
238. THE RISING COST OF LIVING 
GIAÙ SINH HOAÏT LEO THANG 
Older people like my parents are always complaining about the rising cost of living. At 
first I did not understand what they were talking about until they explained to me what 
the cost of living was. 
My father says that he used to be able to get a bowl of noodles for 20 sen. That is hardly 
believable considering that a bowl today costs more than a ringgit. Then my 
grandmother says that a bowl of noodles cost half a sen before World War II. That is 
even more unbelievable ! Now I understand what the cost of living means. It simply 
means how much it costs to buy things we need. 
The cost of living seems to be always rising. The first car my father bought cost less than 
six thousand ringgit brand new. Nowadays a second hand car costs more than that. 
Apples used to cost 20 sen each, as my mother says. Now they cost almost a ringgit 
each. 
My grandfather used to earn 5 ringgit a month and that was enough to feed his family of 
five comfortably. I marvel at that because 5 ringgit today is hardly enough for a meal at 
a fast food centre. Things have certainly become more and more expensive and there is 
no indication that they will cost less in the future. Compared to my grandfather, my 
father earns a princely sum of a thousand ringgit a month. That is two hundred times 
what my grandfather earned. However I know it is hardly sufficient for my father to 
meet the family expenses. Fortunately my mother earns a bit as a part-time seamstress1 
to help ease the burden. Otherwise he can hardly cope. 
Things a few decades ago were much cheaper than today. Besides that there were less 
things to want. Today, the prices of goods shoot up partly because of increased demand 
and partly because of advertising expenses. There was hardly any advertisement in the 
days when my grandfather was young. Today advertisements govern2 every facet3 of 
modern living. We are bombarded by them from every angle, via newspapers, 
magazines, radio and television. No wonder we have to pay more for what we buy. 
Also in those days of old, radios were rare and television were unheard of. The people 
have less to want. So they do not have to spend much. They spend only on everyday 
necessities. Today there are so many things to want. Some are unnecessary but we still 
buy them, thus adding to our expenses. 
Anyhow bygone4 days cannot be recovered. The cost of living will keep rising. I hear 
that in Japan, most people cannot even afford to buy a house, even though they earn 
much more than people here. That goes to show how the cost of living can rise 
to crazy levels. My father says that his Japanese friend told him that my father's monthly 
salary cannot even pay for a night's stay in one of Tokyo's hotel. That is an example of 
how high the cost of living has become. 
I suppose the cost of living will continue to rise. When I have children of my own in the 
future I may have to tell them how cheap things were in my youth. Things will probably 
cost much more than today and I will have to earn much more than my father in order to 
cope. Anyhow, when the time comes I will know what to do. I will have to pay whatever 
the cost of living requires. 
1. seamstress /'semstr1s/ (n) (cuõng sempstress) coâ thôï may 
2. govern /'9^vn/ (v) chi phoái 
3. facet /'fe1s1t/ (n) khía caïnh (cuûa moät tình hình hoaëc vaán ñeà) 
4. bygone /'ba194n/ (adj) ñaõ qua, quaù khöù