Describe a type of weather you like

Band 8 Sample

I was born in Hanoi and have been living here for pretty much my whole life. Hanoi is known for all kinds of things, from street food to crazy rush hour traffic. And the city is also unique when it comes to how fickle the weather is. In the summer, the mornings can be so scorching hot that you won’t want to leave your house or office, and then all of a sudden it’ll be raining cats and dogs in the afternoon. Perhaps for someone who has spent more than 20 years living here, I somehow know the best time of year to go out and enjoy a picnic or go on a bicycle tour with your friends: and that’s late autumn.

The weather during the last two weeks of October is just ideal for all kinds of activities. I mean, who doesn’t love looking at a pure blue sky? Or who doesn’t love having a change of scenery after a torturously hot Summer, instead, having a good time with your family in a gentle breeze? And people always say that during this time of year, Hanoi is the most beautiful.

This is also when I like to spend some quality time with my mum and dad and other people around me. We usually invite some neighbours around and have a barbecue out in the open. My dad has a very old cassette player, that he seems to be very proud of, maybe because no one in the neighbourhood has this kind of thing anymore, and he always brings it out during the barbecue and listens to some sport news with his friends while enjoying a few beers. Other people usually turn on some music and sing along. It’s just like a feast of a small Viking clan, and it is so fun to be a part of.

Living in a city where the weather can be so harsh and pretty much unpredictable all year round, I think having 2 weeks or so of perfect weather where I can have a truly joyous occasion with my family and neighbours isn’t so bad.

Vocabulary highlights:

1. rush hour traffic – when traffic is the busiest
2. unique – one of a kind
3. fickle – changing suddenly or often
4. scorching hot – very hot
5. raining cats and dogs (idiom) – raining heavily
6. ideal – perfect
7. pure blue sky – a very blue sky without a cloud
8. a change of scenery – to go somewhere different after being in one place for a long time
9. torturously hot – extremely hot
10. a gentle breeze – a light wind
11. quality time – time that you spend with someone to improve your relationship
12. out in the open – outdoors eg. in a park
13. enjoying a few beers – drinking some beer with friends
14. so harsh – unkind or not nice
15. a truly joyous occasion – a very happy occasion