UNIT 1 (50 TỪ)

Jake had always been a little conceited (quá tự cao, tự phụ), always thinking that only his opinions mattered. However, his ignorant (thiếu hiểu biết) views about the world often led him into trouble. His inflexible (cứng nhắc, không chịu thay đổi) mindset made it hard for him to adapt when things didn’t go his way.

One day, he was blown away (bị ấn tượng mạnh) by an advertisement for a charity project supporting under-privileged (kém may mắn, thiếu thốn) children. Inspired, he decided to break through (vượt qua trở ngại) his comfort zone and take part, even though he knew he would come up against (đối mặt với) many difficulties.

Determined to succeed, Jake planned carefully and surprisingly managed to pull it off (thành công làm được điều khó). However, some plans fell through (thất bại, không thành) due to bad weather. Still, he remained focused, determined to get ahead (tiến bộ, đạt thành công) with the project. His friends told him to hang on (chờ, kiên nhẫn đợi) and not give up.

They all had to knuckle down (bắt đầu làm việc chăm chỉ) and work together. Jake kept telling himself to go for it (cứ làm đi, cứ thử đi) despite having a lot on his plate (rất bận rộn, có nhiều việc phải làm). They had to work around the clock (làm việc suốt ngày đêm) to meet the deadline.

Organising everything wasn’t easy, but eventually, things started going smoothly. Their fundraising event was a success by a mile (vượt xa, vượt trội hoàn toàn) compared to others. Although Jake was under fire (bị chỉ trích dữ dội) for some minor mistakes, the event itself went without a hitch (diễn ra suôn sẻ, không gặp trở ngại).

Jake finally got there (đạt được thành công) and learned to persevere (kiên trì, bền chí) no matter what. Simply changing his approach did the trick (giải quyết vấn đề, có tác dụng tốt). He had truly gone all out (cố gắng hết sức, dốc toàn lực) and done his best (làm hết sức mình).

When his team got the green light (được phép tiến hành) from the city council, they knew their project would go places (thành công, tiến xa). Jake also learned to wise up (nhận ra, sáng mắt ra) about the realities of life—it wasn’t a no-brainer (việc dễ ợt, không cần suy nghĩ nhiều) after all.

They even dumbed down (đơn giản hóa cho dễ hiểu) the event materials to make them more accessible to everyone. Thanks to their efforts, many streetwise (khôn ngoan ngoài đời, thực tế) kids also joined and helped. Jake had to box clever (cư xử khôn ngoan, mưu trí) during negotiations to get sponsors on board.

At some point, a bright spark (người nghĩ mình thông minh nhưng thật ra hơi ngốc hoặc gây rắc rối) suggested an idea that backfired, but Jake handled it maturely. Eventually, they gained a major corporate sponsor (nhà tài trợ doanh nghiệp) who promised to support their next event on their home turf (sân nhà, lãnh địa quen thuộc).

Even though Jake’s team finished as runner-up (á quân) in a competition for youth projects, they managed to snatch (giành lấy, thu hút được) the public’s attention.

Their success was attributed to their team’s strong dominance (sự thống trị, vượt trội) in organizing such events. Jake was proud of supporting a worthy cause (mục tiêu chính đáng, việc thiện nguyện đáng ủng hộ).

Despite being preoccupied (bận tâm, lo lắng) with other tasks, Jake never let anything disturb (làm phiền, quấy rầy) his focus. He believed that the property (tính chất, đặc tính) of teamwork was crucial for success, just like obedience (sự tuân thủ, phục tùng) is essential in any organisation.

Interestingly, Jake started to breed (nuôi dưỡng, phát triển) a passion for charity work. His jaw (xương hàm) dropped when he saw how many people benefited from their project.

By the end, their work was finally up to scratch (đạt tiêu chuẩn tốt, đạt yêu cầu). The project was highly appealing (hấp dẫn, thu hút) to the public, and people would cheer them on (cổ vũ, động viên).

When asked to depict (miêu tả, vẽ lại) the event, Jake explained every aspect (khía cạnh) of their efforts clearly. He came over (tạo ấn tượng là, xuất hiện như) as a confident and dedicated leader.

His job now entails (đòi hỏi, cần có) even more responsibilities, such as managing clerical staff (nhân viên văn phòng) and handling correspondence (thư từ, liên lạc qua thư).

In the process, Jake discovered that his best trait (đặc điểm, phẩm chất) was being courteous (lịch sự, nhã nhặn) to everyone involved. He realised that success isn’t just about hard work—it’s also about kindness, cooperation, and believing in something bigger than yourself.