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Trang chủ Ngoại ngữ TOEFL - IELTS - TOEIC Sample answer to ielts spoken topics...

Tài liệu Sample answer to ielts spoken topics

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Sample Answer to IELTS Spoken Topics 1. special gift: Describe the best present/gift you have received : i. Who send it? What is the gift? What is it for? ii. When did you receive it? iii. Detail information about the present. Last year , my wife celebrated my birthday at home. She bought a electronic dictionary as birthday gift. I like the electronic dictionary very much. It's blue and quite small. It fits into my pocket. I remember at that time, my wife said to me :"she decided to immigrate to Canada with me. In future, we must study very hard .And she hoped that the electronic dictionary could help me to improve my English." On that day, I was very happy because my wife agreed to immigrate to Canada finally. Also, with the help of the electronic dictionary , I made such rapid progress that before long I began to write articles in English. 1) In China, when will people send the present? Oh, attend the party, such as Wedding Party, Birthday Party. During Spring Festival, people give presents each other, including clothes, books, flowers and foods. What is it located? What is it used for? Explain why you think it is the most interesting? I think the interesting building is the Great Wall. It runs across north China like a huge dragon. It was used to enemies. Soldiers used to keep watch on the Great Wall. When the enemy came , fires were lit to warn other soldiers. I think the Great Wall is the most interesting building. Because it is one of the wonders of the world and it was one of the few man-made objects on earth that could be seen by the astronauts who landed on the moon. Also, the Great Wall has become a symbol of both China's proud history and its present strength. 1) Are there some old buildings in your hometown? Where and Describe it? Wenfeng Tower, built in 1420, is located in the southern of Anyang City. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, people came to the tower to worship the God of Heaven and pray for a good harvest. Nowadays, it serves as a museum of history . Murals of Wenfeng Tower give visitors a feel for the great artistic achievements of ancient Chinese civilization. In a word, I think the Wenfeng Tower is the most interesting building, and it is the oldest building in my hometown. 2) Compare the gift which people have received 10 years ago to the present that people now are receiving, what's the difference between them? ( try to compare the gift you received in your teenage with the gift children received now ) Oh, I think the gift was monotonic before. For example, I often received a notebook as gift. But now, there are various gifts to choose from. Such as flowers, wine, food, clothes etc. 2) Compare the differences between the constructions in your city with them in 20 years ago? Describe the building styles in detail? The traditional buildings are made of the red brick and always have curved eaves. Thousands of buildings look the same. But now, various buildings with different colors and styles have been going up in my hometown. In addition, room is equipped with kitchen and bathroom. This is very convenient. 3) Just image the gift in the future children will receive. In the future, I think more and more children will receive intellectual gifts, such as electronic dictionary, notebook computer and so on. 3) What are people's attitudes to old building today and that of our later generation? Should we protect them? Why? People, including our later generation, advocate that government should protect old buildings .Because old buildings represent the great artistic achievements of ancient Chinese civilization. 4) Just image the gift in the future people will receive. In the future, oh, in most case, people will give flowers each other. I think flowers will be the most popular present. 2. building What is the interesting building in your country? 4) What role do you think the old and modern buildings play in the society? Oh, modern buildings are for us to live and work, while old buildings are for us to visit and research. 5) Compare the differences between house and apartment? In China, there is a big yard beside house, where we can plant some flowers and trees etc. But house is more expensive. Apartment is convenient and cheap but small. 3. friend: Who is your best friend? How did you meet? What do you do with your friend? Tell me the way you make friends with others and youu think what people should be your friends? My best friend isxxx. We were in the same class for 5 years. At that time, we often gather together to study and play. Now, we work in the same company. Friendship is extremely important to me. It’s like being brothers or sisters, but even more than that. I mean, I would do nearly anything for my friend, and I would expect that he would do the same for me. If he didn't help me when I was in need, then I would not consider him a good friend. I have a lot of different kinds of friends. Some are loud, others are shy. I prefer having a real variety of friends. 1) Do you think it is easy to make friends in China? Yes, of course. Nowadays, transportation and communication are easy and convenient. We have more opportunities to meet all kinds of people and make friends with them. 2) what do you think the difference between adults and children making friend? The difference is attitude or mindset between adults and children making friend. In general, children like to make friend with good students because they can help each other in studying. But adults make friends with anyone they like. 3) How do children make friend? Children to children. 4) What is the most important thing in friendship? Trust. 5) What is the second important thing in friendship? Helping each other. 6) What makes friendship break up? Misunderstanding For example, when I studied in Chongqing University, one day, my roommate lost his watch. He thought I had taken it. At that moment, I was very angry but I said nothing, and then I helped him to look for the watch. Finally, we found it in his pocket. My roommate apologized to me. I forgave him his rudeness. So, I think trust is the most important thing between friends. 4. Festival There are many festivals in China, such as Spring Festival, National Day and Yuan Xiao Festival etc. The Spring Festival is the biggest festival in China. I suppose it's somewhat like Christmas is in western countries. Spring Festival is the only time when all families gather together and stores and business are closed for several days. During the Spring Festival, we eat delicious food, visit relatives and friends, and watch TV to welcome the New Year. I also like to try and contact some friends before and see how they’re doing and what they’ re up to. We give each other presents for the New Year. 5.travel: Describe your latest interesting travel in detail. When and where you go? Whom you go with? What things you do? Last year, I went to Shilin with my wife. Shilin, is located about 80 kilometers from Kunming. Kunming is the capital city of Yunnan Province .It took us 3 days to get Shilin. Shilin is famous for its large areas of stone forests. All stones in Shilin are vividly shaped, resembling various figures. Some stones look like a monkey, and some stones look like a bird. In a word, the stones are fantastic. In addition, I met a classmate of Chongqing University in Shilin. We talked about the things and persons which we remembered in school. I think that is an interesting trip. 1) Describe some interesting things happened during your travel. Can u describe it for me? Ok. I met a classmate of Chongqing University .We talked about the things and persons which we remembered in school. I think that is an interesting thing. 2) What is your goal to travel and your reason to travel is I enjoy traveling. It is so interesting to see how other people live, and it is really an amazing way to learn about different cultures. 3) Describe the advantage and disadvantage of travel for the country Tourism is a useful source of foreign currency for the country, but sometimes so me visitors destroy cultural heritage. 4) Why China can attract people to travel? A 5,000--year cultural heritage attract more people to China. 5) Do Chinese people like to travel now? Yes, of course. Since the opening-up, transportation is easy and convenient. Also, we have ample money for the journey. beauty. (1)What measures does your government take to protect natural scenery? The government establishes protective zones of natural scenery .Educate people to protect natural environment. People who destroy natural scenery will be punished. (2) Do you think it is effective? Yes, of course. Establish protective zones can prevent pollution. (3) What role does tourism play in your country's economy? Tourism is playing a more and more important role in our country's economy. Since the opening up, the number of tourists has increased quickly, and this is a useful source of foreign currency for the country. (159 Also, tourism can accelerate other industry to develop.) (4) What should you pay attention to in travel? Safety, weather, and I think it is necessary to bring some medicine. 7. Transportation 6) Which festival do people travel in and where do people travel to? We often go to resorts around National Day, such as Forbidden City, Summer Palace, and Temple of Heaven in Beijing. 7) Compare the difference about traveling among Chinese people between 100 years ago and now? 100 years ago, transportation was very difficult; few people could travel in China because most of people were very poor. But now, transportation is easy and convenient and we have ample money for the journey. 6) natural scenery What is the most beautiful natural scenery you have ever seen? What is the specific point? Where did you see it? Who did you go with? Last year, I went to Shilin with my wife. Shilin, located about 80 kilometers from Kunming. Kunming is the capital city of Yunnan Province. It took us 3 days to get there. Shilin is famous for its large areas of stone forests. All stones in Shilin are vividly shaped, resembling various figures. Some stones look like a monkey, and some stones look like a bird. In a word, the stones are fantastic. Also, there is a lake in Shilin. Surrounded by green mountains and forests, the lake is not destroyed by any pollution. Travelers can row a boat on the lake or stroll on the shores to enjoy its special quiet Give me some opinion on the transportation in your city? In my opinion, one of the biggest problems of transportation is traffic jams in Anyang city. It has become common to see passengers and drivers having to wait in long lines of buses and cars moving at a snail's pace on the streets during the rush hours. There are several reasons for this problem. First, the number of vehicles is increasing much more rapidly than the building of roads. Second, there seem to be too many private cars and not enough public buses. Third, many people, including drivers, pedestrians and cyclists do not obey traffic rules properly, especially at busy intersections. In my opinion, one of the biggest problems of transportation is traffic jams in Anyang city. In view of the seriousness of this problem, effective measures must be taken before things get worse. On the one hand, the government should invest more money in the building of new roads and the repairing and maintenance of old ones, particularly those in busy areas of the cities. On the other hand, the number of private cars in urban areas should be limited while the number of public buses should be increased. At the same time, it is essential that stricter traffic rules and regulations be issued to strengthen traffic control. 1) Compare the different transportation, such as between plane, train and car. Drive car to travel is convenient because we can set out at any time. But it is too slow and it may spend us much more time. Plane ticket is more expensive. So, I think train is the best transportation for me. 2) Can you just image the transportation in the future and describe it for me? In the future, the speed of car, train and plane will be faster. And, the transportation will be easier and convenient. 3) Just compare the transportation in the past and now? What transportation do you like and why? Nowadays, we have more choice on the transportation than the past. Such as tube, plane etc, even though in the small city. I like tube, because tube is safety and tube ticket is cheap. imagination of children (students). Also, it teaches them how to distinguish beauty from nature. 4) It’s often more easy for children to learn music than adults. Can you tell me why? Oh, that’s because it’s important to have soft fingers and palm to learn a music mechanism, such as guitar. Children have more flexible fingers and they are more likely to find the correct feeling. 5) Do u like music or not? Why? I like music. I like singing, especially in front of many people. I often sing for my friends. When they praise me, I feel happy. Also, listening to the music, I am sure you will soon be refreshed from a day's hard work and relax. 6) Describe the music you like most and tell me why? I like classic music. It usually has a slow rhythm and a pleasant melody. Listening to the music; I can soon be refreshed from a day's hard work and relax. 8. meaningful things ( = handcraft ) 9.music: What role do you think music plays in our life? Just as other kinds of art, music has become an indispensable part of human culture. It brings us with nutritious spiritual foods, enriches our leisure life .In addition, music can do good to us very much. It can elicit the imagination of us. And, it teaches us how to distinguish beauty from nature. Listening to the music, I am sure you will soon be refreshed from a day's hard work and relax. 1) Can you tell me the western music's impact on the world music? Oh, it is a difficult question, the western music is definitely great, and it plays an important role on the world music. Many musical talents and eminent musicians have been trained in western country, such as Beethoven, Mozart and so on. 2) Do you think it's necessary to open a music course in high school? Yes, of course. There is usually 1 or 2 hours each week used for teaching music. I think there should be more, such as at least 3 or more. 3) What effects will take place u think to let children (students) study an instrument? Music can do good to children (students) very much. It can elicit the 7) What are the differences in music between China and western countries? Oh, it is a big question; in general, the symphony of western countries is long while most of Chinese music is small piece. 10. Clothes: u like what clothes? Clothes aren't only used to keep us warm. It has become a important part of modern civilization. Different nations have different styles clothes. And different styles clothes represent different cultures. All people want their life to be filled with variety, color and comfort by wearing clothes. We will have a good mood when we wear beautiful clothes. I like leisure clothes very much. Because it is not only cheap but also convenient to wear. (In addition, the material of leisure clothes is more environmentally friendly.) But I must wear work clothes when we are working. Otherwise, I will be fined. 1)What's the prescript on clothes when you are working? and just the prescript on clothes in school. We must wear work clothes ( a school uniform ) when we are working (in school). Otherwise, we will be fined.. 2)the different between the older and younger people on clothes. The older people think a lot of style and material. But the youger people would like to follow the fashion. Personality is the first consideration when younger people choose clothes. 3)compare the differences between the clothes in ur city with them in 20 years ago. In the past, the colors and styles of clothes were very monotonic. Thousands of people look the same .But now, we can wear clothes with different colors and styles . 11 Think of a person in your family that is the most similar to you. Who is this person? How is he/she similar to you? What kind of family is yours? Is it of a typical family structure in China? My family is a typical family in China. There are grandparents, parents, a brother, my wife and I in my family.I look just like my father. Medium build , pointed nose and dense black hair. My father is very kind and easy going. His love is the most selfless love. I am luck enough because I have a good father. My father has been specially thirsty for knowledge as he had only a few years of schooling himself. He believe that knowledge can change fate. So, my father offer more opportunity for me to study (no matter how poor my family was) To sum up, my family is harmony and our life is very happy. 1) What do you think are the differences between families in and past and today, and what have caused these changes? In the past, there were several children in a family. But now, government has is sued "one--child policy" to limit the size of the family. So, there is only one child in a family. Couples will be punished financially if they have more than one child. This is "one -- child policy ". 2)What is your opinion of "one--child policy"? I agree with one--child policy. Because it is difficult to provide enough food and education for a large number of people. So, government must control the population. Also, it is the best way that we can find to control population. 3)What has your government done to support families? Such as Project Hope . It means that government supports the students in poor families to continue their schooling and improving their education conditions.(6/1999 P10) In addition, our government establishs beadhouse to provide services for old people who have more difficulties or no families to take care of them. (3/199 9 P34) 12 Describe a teacher who has greatly influenced you in your education. You should say: where you met them what subject they taught what was special about them and explain why this person influenced you so much. I think my first English teacher has greatly influenced me in my education. I had some trouble in studying English when I studied in middle school. I felt English was very difficult,so I did't like to study it .One day, my English teacher spoke to me about the study of foreign languages . He said :" You must do a lotof reading , listening and speaking . Never mind, keep on trying, I believe you are a good student." In the years that followed , I studied hard and made greater progress. My English teacher loved his job and he was knowledgeable in his field. I love and respect him. 1) compare the differences between education in ur city with them in 20 years ago? In the past, many children can't go to school, and educational conditions were very poor. But now, government provide 9 years compulsory education. Each child who is 7 years old must go to school. And government provide much better facilities and staff. Also, schoolyards are beautiful than before. 2) compare the differences between university and middle school? We study basic knowledge in the middle school. But the course of university is practical and special, such as computer and business courses. 3)compare the differences between students now and past . At present , it is difficult for student to find job. So, their pressure is he avier than before. 13 Sports , Hobby Describe an interest or hobby that you particularly enjoy: 1)What this interest or hobby is? 2)How long have you been doing it? 3)What effect has it brought to your life? What do you think about the balance between the work and the leisure ? I am a big table tennis fan, even though I am not very good at playing table tennis myself. I love to watch the game on TV. I have played table tennis whenever I get a chance since I studied in the middle school. Playing table tennis not only refreshes my body and makes me mentally alert ,and ready and eager to engage in the work of the day. In addition, a reasonable amount of exercise prepares the body for a good night's sleep. However, over-indulgence in physical exercise can do more harm than good. Because it will make you too tired to stay awake during the work. 1/Is it dangerous for people to spend too much time on hobby? Yes, over-indulgence in physical exercise can do more harm than good. I have noticed that some of my friends spend too much time on sports make themselves too tired to stay awake during the work. 2)Do you think hobby is beneficial to social life? Yes, of course.I make many friends during playing table tennis. So, I think that hobby is beneficial the social life. 3)Why do people like to watch games? Oh, it is a interesting question. Watching games can enrich our leisure life. Also, it is very exciting to watch a close game. 4)What is advantages and disadvantages for watching games? Watching games can enrich our leisure life. Also, it is very exciting to watch a close game. But over-indulgence in watching games can affect our rest. 5) What is the advantages and disadvantages between watching games and playing games/sports / Watching games can enrich our leisure life. Also, it is very exciting to watch a close game. Take part in sports can build our bodies and keep us healthy. But, over-indulgence in watching games or in physical exercise can affect our rest. 6) Do you think which sports demand enough courage ? Oh, I think it is boxing . It is very dangerous and it can do harm to health of athlete. 7) What are the sporting facilities like in your hometown? Anyang City has a lot of modern indoor facilities offering bowling, table tennis, swimming etc. But , it's too expensive for most Chinese, and you have to belong to the club in order to use the facilities.( P144 ) 14. Reading Do you often read newspapers? What's is your reading everyday?( how frequent do you read? what do you like to read the best , I read newspapers everyday, such as Workers Daily, Henan Daily. I enjoy reading. It is so interesting to see how other people live and it is really an amazing way to learn about different cultures. In addition, reading can do good to us very much. It can elicit the imagination of us . I also like to read the China Today and China Daily. Both of these magazines are in English , and it is a good way for me to improve my English. 1) Do you like to discuss with others when you read books ? Yes, I do . Because it is easy to understand the difficulty of books. 2) How long do you read ? Usually, I read books or newspapers for 1 hour before I go to bed. 3) where do you like to read ? In the library, because there are all kinds of books which I can read. 15.Handcraft Decribe a handcraft which is made by yourself Kite flying is popular in China. Kites are often played with around the Qingming Festival in April. I like kites very much and I can make kites myself. Once, I made a kite . It was a beautiful swallow. Firstly , I collected 3 sticks and paper. The paper was adorned with paintings. Secondly , I used 3 sticks to control the paper , one linked to its neck , the other two linked with its wing. And then , the work was completed . The kite flew lightly in the sky as if the swallow was greeting the coming of the spring season. (2000/6 ) What handcraft are there in China? ? Folk papercuts , lanterns and kites , shadow play etc. 16 . Restaurant on the test card 1) talk about your favorite restaurant. 2) why do you like it? Sichuan dish features pungent , spicy and salty flavors and tend to go well with rice. Sichuan Restaurant is the largest restaurant in Anyang City. The restauran t is a beautiful , clean and it's price is cheap. My wife and I often have dinner in the restaurant on the weekend. Stir--Fried Shredded Beef is one of the restau rant's best dishes. It's made of fresh tenderloin and celery . Condiments include vinegar, rice wine and ginger etc. When finished cooking , the beef is red and the vegetables are green. The dish is very delicious. extension of the card topic 1) What is the general ideas about fast food among Chinese people? Although fast food has little nutritional value , but it is a blessing for busy people .Few people eat fast food all the time-- usually for breakfast and/or lunch--so they can help to balance their diet by eating a sensible evening meal. And I like to eat fast food. 2) what do you think about science in food processing(production)? Scientific processing(production) is important. Because it can keep us healthy. 3) what is your opinion on food production and the world's population. At present, it's difficult to provide enough food for world's population. So, on the one hand, we should limit population of world. On the other hand, we should manage to provide enough food. 17. Environment protect Is there any pollution in your city? ( In Anyang City , pollution is serious. )With the development of modern agriculture and industry, more and more waste is produced. Most of this waste is harmful. It goes into the water , the soil and the air. Especially the air is often made very dirty by factories. In places around big factories , trees and vegetables are often killed by the bad air. Also, when we breathe the air , harm will be done to our health. Fortunately, people are beginning to realize just how serious the whole situation is. Government is taking measures to prevent pollution. 1)What has your government done to prevent pollution The measures are: (1)First, all new projects are to have lower discharge levels ; (2) Second, all sources of pollution must be identified and monitored. (3) Third, all enterprises should assure a clean and safe work place . 18. Learn What do you plan to learn in the future? Why do you want to learn it? Where and how will you learn it? I plan to learn computer science in the future. I am very interested in it. There are too many things that I don't know about computers. Also, computers play an important role in our life and are of great use in every field. I think the whole society will be computerized soon. I need more knowledge in this field to meet the great demands of the application of computers. If things go well , I 'd like to further my study in computer science and I want to work on my Master's degree in Canada. 1)What's the most important skill nowadays? I think it is computer. Because computers play an important role in our life and are of great use in every field. 2)Are there any traditional skill in your country? what are they? Yes, such as sewing and weave cloth. I remembered that my grandmother used to sew clothes herself. But now, few people can do it. 3)Do you think it necessary to learn these skills? No, I just don't like to spend much time on sewing. Because we can buy all kinds of clothes in shop. 4)Is there any difference between your parents' study and nowadays children? In the past, when our parents studied in school, educational conditions were very poor. But now, children are lucky enough because government provides much better facilities and staff. 5)Do schools teach non-academic courses? Yes, of course ,such as music, physical education, and painting etc. 6)Should school responsible for teaching these non-academic courses? Yes, of course. Because school should stress student's moral , intellectual and physical development in a comprehensive way. 7)teacher describe a teacher you like or dislike 8)useful machine for example: you can talk about computer 9)national dish Real interviews IELTS Speaking test model, part 1: Recording script After you have introduced yourself and the Examiner has checked your ID, he or she will ask you questions on three topic areas. The first topic area will be about your studies, your work or where you live. Examiner: Let’s talk about your home town. Where were you born? Candidate: I was born in a place called Rochester in the Medway towns in Kent. Examiner: Do you still live in Rochester? Candidate: No, I haven’t lived in Rochester for a long time now, since I went to college. I live in London. Examiner: Do most people like living in Rochester? Candidate: I guess they do. I always wanted to live in London, so… my family still live there, but I guess it’s a nice place. Examiner: Why? Candidate: Well, it’s got beautiful architecture and it’s the home of Dickens and so there’s quite a lot of historical interest there and you’ve got countryside nearby and it’s easily accessible for London. Examiner: Do you think you’ll stay in London? Candidate: Oh, I don’t know. I’ve been here for quite a while now and although I love it, I can’t imagine spending my whole life here. The next two topics will be more general. Examiner: I’d like to move on to talk about sport. What’s your favourite sport? Candidate: My favourite sport to watch is football, but to participate in, it’s swimming. Examiner: When did you first become interested in swimming? Candidate: Gosh, when I was a child, my dad used to take me swimming every week and I swam for my school. Examiner: How often do you participate in swimming now? Candidate: I try to swim at least two times a week. Examiner: What equipment do you need for swimming? Candidate: The great thing is that you don’t really need any equipment apart from goggles and trunks. Examiner: Where do you go swimming? Candidate: Anywhere I am. I love swimming in the sea but mainly I swim at my local pool. Examiner: Now, let’s move on to talk about shopping. How do you feel about going shopping? Candidate: I don’t mind going shopping. I like to know exactly what I’m going shopping for, though, I like to get in, buy it and go home again. Examiner: Do you like buying clothes or goods on the Internet? Candidate: I’ve never bought clothes on the Internet because I like to try them on before buying them but I’ve certainly bought electrical goods and other things on the Internet. Examiner: What don’t you like about shopping? Candidate: I don’t really like big crowds of people and fighting my way through them to get what I want. I guess I don’t like paying for it all. The Examiner will introduce part 2 by saying: Examiner: Now, I’m going to give you a topic and I’d like you to talk about it for one to two minutes. Before you talk, you’ll have one minute to think about what you’re going to say. You can make some notes if you wish. Do you understand? Candidate: Yes, I do. Then the Examiner will give you some paper and a pencil for making notes, and read the topic to you. Examiner: I’d like you to describe a minor accident that you had in the past. After your one minute preparation time, you will give your talk. Candidate: When I was about seven, I was very ill after school and I was sent home from school and I was lying on the sofa feeling sorry for myself, watching TV, and I got bored and decided to go and ask my mum if she could go and find a game for me or a book or something else to do, and when I went into the kitchen, my mother was cooking. And so, as I sort of went behind her, I had no shoes on and she didn’t hear me coming, and she was making boiled potatoes, and as I got behind her she turned around with the boiled potatoes in the saucepan to take them to the sink and I was right behind her, so she hit me round the head with the saucepan of boiling water and it all spilled down onto my shoulder and splattered my face and went all over my shoulder and burnt me. But because she didn’t let go of the saucepan, she still had it in her hand, she didn’t realise that I was crying because I was burnt, she thought I was crying because she’d hit me and bumped my head, so she didn’t respond quickly enough, which made the whole thing worse. At the time, my dad was a plumber and of course that was before mobile phones were invented, so dad was out at work and mum didn’t drive, so I had to wait about seven hours on the sofa with a dressing on my shoulder for my dad to come home from work so that he could take me to hospital. My poor mum, bless her heart, must have been very worried and not known what to do, with not being able to drive, but I guess there wasn’t anything else she could do, she did as much as she could, bathed it in cold water, put a dry dressing on… Examiner: Thank you. Now, we’ve been talking about… In part 3, the Examiner will ask you some questions related to the part 2 topic. This candidate has just given a talk about a book that he enjoyed reading. Examiner: We’ve been talking about a book you enjoyed and I’d like to discuss with you one or two more general questions related to this. Let’s consider first of all why people decide to write a book. What sort of reasons do you think people have for writing novels? Candidate: Well, some people say that every one of us has a good book inside us, but I think there are many various reasons why people write. Perhaps they have a political message, but I think that the main thing is that you just feel that you have a story to tell, perhaps you can’t not write it. Examiner: And some people have an ambition to write, don’t they? Candidate: Exactly. Examiner: What personal qualities do you think a writer needs to have? Candidate: Well, I think the ability to be self-disciplined and to work alone, to be able to understand people, to get into the minds and hearts of other people. Examiner: Do you think it’s something that many people could do? Candidate: No, I don’t think so, otherwise we would all write that book. Examiner: Could you ever write a novel? Candidate: I’ve had a go, but it was a teenage experiment and it’s been long gathering dust. Examiner: Yes. What about newspapers? Do you think newspapers are a good source of information? Candidate: Providing you remain aware of the political inclinations of any particular newspaper, yes, I think it’s a good way of learning about the news, etc. Examiner: Yes. What other information do we get from newspapers? Candidate: Well, sport, facts and things like that, weather, and its good sort of editorial content, you know, gossip. Examiner: Which type of newspaper do you think is best? Candidate: I think certainly in England the broadsheet newspapers are better than the tabloid. I think you have to be aware again, that they may have their own agenda but I think a paper that’s not committed to any particular political cause. Examiner: Right. You need a lot of time to read the newspaper, don’t you? How often do you read a newspaper? Candidate: I try to read the paper every day. I don’t always read the paper during the week but the paper I love to buy is on a Sunday, because so much comes with it, a great culture section, you can read about the arts and catch up on all the things that have been going on during the week, the news review section, the sport section, money section. I really enjoy the editorial on a Sunday. Examiner: Do you think newspapers should contain illustrations? A lot of papers have cartoons in them and photographs, is that helpful? Candidate: Yes, I think so. I think certainly they can be a sort of a powerful way to convey a story, to draw your attention to something, photographs possibly more than illustrations, although I do really enjoy cartoons. Examiner: Right. Thank you very much, that’s the end of the Speaking test. IELTS Practice Speaking Test 1 Good afternoon, my name is Andy. Could you tell me your name please? Michael Galovic is my name. Thank you Michael. I’d like you to tell me about your home- town or city please. It is Belgrade, ah capital of former Yugoslavia, now Serbia. Uh.. One and a half million inhabitants placed at uhhh the congregation of two big rivers – [unknown]. Can you tell me about the most interesting things in Belgrade? Um probably its past – uh.. a colourful past I would say. And then physically, the configuration and dynamics of the place. And could you describe places of special interest I could visit near where you live? Oh yes, there are ah many ah wonderful, ah natural interest places so to say, and places of historical interest. But mostly the famous monasteries – medieval monasteries from say 13th century on. Hmm and what would be the best way for me to get to those places? I guess the best would be to simply umm look up the travel agency that deals with err inter-Serbia tours, especially the monastery tours. And they are well guided, and you will be well taken care of. Hmm should I go there at any special time of year? Uhh certainly, as in whole Europe, I think the best time is sometime in Spring or Autumn. Hmm … Springtime or Autumn? Yes, say April, May uh; and then perhaps September, early October. Oh I see, Ok, thank you for that. I’d like to ask you a few questions about food and diet now. What do you usually eat for breakfast? Umm well I’m not much of a breakfast eater…but so I tend to have a light breakfast. But say, people tend to eat a lot for breakfast, and uh it’s also things I guess that are meat-based and milk - hot milk, and hot tea is accompanying all that. Mmhmm and what is the most important meal of the day, in your opinion Michael? Uhh well in my opinion, as I am told it should be the breakfast. But for me personally I love early dinners – that’s my preference. I am not saying it is the most important; it’s the one that I like the most. Mmhmm mmhmm and what should we eat to stay healthy? Um I would say certainly not err heavy food that takes a lot to digest, so I would recommend a lot of vegetables and fruit, and err fish and chicken rather than red meat although I wouldn’t discard red meat just like that at all. Mmhmm will peoples diet change in the future? I have impression, because we are witnessing the obesity daily in many countries. So it’s all around us and it’s uh becoming a very serious problem. And I have impression that everybody starts focusing on that, so I have impression that we’ll get err more attention to diets that will make us feel light and agile and err being able to perform. So I guess the clever combination of our food intake is more important than only what we eat. Err it is not just about what we shouldn’t eat I think, it’s more about how we eat it and when. So we should maybe start our meals with easily digestible things such as fruit and finish with heavier stuff, rather the other way round. Thank you...thank you. Speak one-to two minutes on topic, with one minute to plan answer. Topic: Describe a celebration you recently participated in. Um By the end of um January, precisely on 27th of January last, I was at a friend’s place on Central Coast. As err err a guest to his family feast, and he was celebrated- celebrating sorry- his family was celebrating, their family patron Saint day, which is a very important feast for the Serbs in the orthodox tradition. So it was interesting to see how that particular feast is being celebrated. Umm originated centuries ago, it is still very strong, going strong. And very few things have changed I was amazed to witness. But the main thing was that err um over there in Europe err, given the time of the year, these feasts are usually celebrated in November, December, January – it is cold, so the food, accompanying food is corresponding, it’s heavy, and all that you need to eat during that time. Whereas here we were sweating in the hot January and yet we had the same type of food that we would be eating in January in Europe. So that was interesting. But the most important thing about that type of feast and celebration is that the host, both my friend and his wife, were standing on their feet all the time-the whole day, absolutely um err being impeccable hosts to every whim or need that we ah guests would have, some 20 of us. So um it was really a special day and all of us, 20 people there, felt very, very special. Thank you Michael. Michael, are there many similar celebrations where you come from? Yes, but this is the most important one I think. Thank you. Now let’s talk more about traditions and celebrations. What role do traditional ceremonies play in the social life of people in your country? Umm they have always played an important role. But I have impression that it is err more so the case these days, when even the youth is embracing them – simply feeling need to go back to their roots. And what traditions were important for your grandparents, say 50 years ago? Apart from- Apart from that Slava, or family patron saint day, all other major and secondary orthodox Christian festivities or err festive days are important, or were important as well. Such as Christmas or Easter for instance, or that keeps being the major focus of my tradition and people. Mmmhmm. And which traditions are we likely to continue to celebrate inthe future? Umm..But, I will say precisely those that we mentioned before. I have a feeling that they are simply going strong, that they err are not fading. Simply because in this time and era people are overwhelmed by-by the velocity, by the speed, so at the same time they feel need to go back to their own beginnings and traditions, so it is simply err reviving what we already have. How would you describe young people’s attitudes towards tradition? Um I would say that at the beginning many of young people would maybe not embrace fully the idea of going through every painstaking detail of preparations and err behaviour codes for all these celebrations and feasts. But then uh, gradually it will become a part of their lives, and um that would be their connection with their families and extended families, so they would kind of grow more and more into it, and trying to adhere to every rule that tradition was brought to them by their parents and grandparents. So at the beginning maybe the youth would take it lightly on the surface only, but then later um I think the traditions will be embraced fully. And do you think customs and traditions are changing these days? Um, I would say so inevitably because of the adjustment to urban- to the urban living if you wish, and to the fast times that we live in. So definitely there are concessions to what err used to be done before. But the core, which is much more important, is always preserved. At least has been the case so far. Do you think traditions and customs are affected by advertising? I never actually gave it a thought. Uh there might be, but again in my personal experience I haven’t seen any kind of uh direct influence that would uh change or alter, take people from their original directions whatever the advertisement is about. Do some countries celebrate traditions more than others? Um I wouldn’t say so, I have impression that all countries celebrate traditions, or rather the people who live in these countries. Even in some new countries, a conglomerate of different people, and all these people would stick to their old traditions. That’s how I see it. So, people who wouldn’t follow the traditions would do it in all sorts of countries, or in any country. Thank you Michael, that’s the end of the speaking test. IELTS Practice Speaking Test 2 Good afternoon, my name is Anna. Could you tell me your full name please? Roberto Rossi. What should I call you? Robert. Thank you. Do you work, or are you a student? I’m a student. Can you tell me about your studies? Um well, uh my studies are in relation to cultures in the world. Uh When I was-when I was young, my father used to travel a lot and used to come back home, giving me a picture of a very vast world where people used to live and think and behave in different ways. So in comparison to what I used to study in geography, the world seemed to be a lot more interesting to go and- and explore. So as soon as I got rid of all that and I finished school I decided to uh go and experience uh first-hand what it really means to live in direct contact with a different culture. So I ended up looking for the most traditional and isolated cultures in the world at that time a few years ago, and uh I decided to go and live as one of the local people; which I did for a period of time. So that experience really changed my life and made me understand also, a lot better, what I wanted to study umm at University. What is your favourite subject? Anthropology, and social anthropology in particular. So in reality what I do, is I go back to one of these places where I’ve been in the past and I- and I see in what way the society changes as the rest of the world changes, and uh in what way it is affected by the outside world. So I ended up learning the language and I and I ended up understanding probably a lot more what really goes on in uh- in uh the inside of a person who lives in a little dot in the middle of the ocean, and all he or she knows is that and that is the universe- in comparison to us, um being sort of constantly bombarded byby a lot more information. What is your study plan? I’m starting to and- I’m thinking of furthering my studies by doing a Masters and perhaps a PhD. I’m very interested in following umm what I started already. And err, and err, again, not only from my professional point of view, but also for a personal point of view I think it is very important to do things combined together, and what we learn and understand in life can really be of help to other people if we- umm if we develop it to a certain extent. Thank you. Do you have any hobbies or interests? Oh yes, a number of them. I like to umm read a lot, and I also like to play soccer. Um But err, I can say that lately, unfortunately, I don’t much time to do either of them. What hobbies are popular with young boys and girls in your country? Well, young boys and girls mm like to interact and meet and have a good time together. So, we start generally since we very young by meeting at the end of the day when we get out of school at the local bar or corn- corner in the area where we live in the square and in the same area with lots of other people, older and younger than us. And uh hobbies generally for the young boys umm are sport and socialising and dancing. And same for the girls, except that the girls are certainly a lot more into fashion and umm dancing. Do people usually continue their hobbies when they get older? When they can, they do. Generally that depends on what kind of commitments they are involved to and uh with, and if they can afford, only also in terms of time uh in what they like to do. Thank you. Now I’d like to ask you to speak one-to two minutes on a topic. You have one minute to plan your answer. Topic: Describe a movie, which made a strong impression on you. Well um, the name of the film is [inaudible]. It is actually a very famous movie. It won the Oscar in 1989. And um…it’s a movie about the story of a kid who grows up in a small village in Sicily. And we can see very clearly through the film uh in what way the community influence him, and uh also his first love story with a local girl and how much they affect his life. So it’s actually a movie in retrospective because it goes back, and uh he tries to get in touch with the same girl. And by doing that, you basically revisit the most important part or his life. Parts. And uh, it is really showing us in what ways all these things really affect all us. How much we keep on dreaming, and how much we keep on hoping in our lives; especially when we can’t leave- err what we really wish and desire to leave, especially when it comes to emotional things. And uh it’s a film that ah is also based on a true story, and um I think um the public can really feel that. So it’s also shot in a very, very good way and we can see Sicily through 50 years of life. And from the end of the Second World War to today, which is also more or less perhaps, you know, the period of time of my life, of my father’s life. Anyway, the main actors in the film are [unknown] and the famous actor who I don’t remember. Thank you. Do you go to the movies often? Yes, yes, most often as I can. I really like films, especially the European movies - French, Italian, and English. I really like the way they represent the- the European culture. Thank you. Now I’d like to ask you a few more questions about films and movies. Are films popular where you come from? Yes, they are very popular. Actually, cinema and movies is a big industry in Italy. And uh it has been the second major industry in the world in terms of films uh in the 50’s, so you have probably seen yourself a number of Italian movies. But uh, actually, it is a particular kind of way of making films and uh they still remain very popular. Yes. Do you think people are going to the cinema more these days compared with 25 years ago? Umm…No, I don’t think so. I think that today TV and videos and DVDs actually have replaced often what people used to go only going to the theatre. A few years ago when I was younger, I remember, there were a lot of people going to the cinemas and it was packed, and the same movie was left there for weeks and weeks and weeks where now normally, a show in the same cinema for a lot less. What films are popular with young people these days? We have in Italy a very strong American influence and as well, so a lot of American movies, and a lot of high-tech movies with special effects. And uh but at the same time we also keep maintaining a kind of our own genre and some Italian movies they never get to the overseas market, they also remainbecome very popular in Italy. Do peoples taste in films change as they get older? I think so; I think so- I think movies also a little mirror of how we change in life, what interests us and what we see in them. And um ah, as you know, in our 20s we are perhaps a little more romantic and we like certain kinds of movies, and then perhaps we like to think a bit more about our life… and we see different kinds of films. Has technology made a difference in the quality of modern films? I think so, yes, a big difference. Um the effects now seem to really suck you in when you see a movie. And the way the film edited, they also keep your attention a lot better than in the past. You can see the way that they are put together, and also the sound quality is a lot better, and umm I think there’s been certainly, technologically speaking, a big improvement there. How will technology be used to improve films in the future? Well, ah I am not an expert but I think that if we will ever get 3-D movies, ah or movies in 3-D, ah we will uh find ourselves even more immersed in what uh for only at the moment only our eyes and our ears can see in two dimensions. Why have the forms of popular entertainment changed over the years? Because the society has changed a lot. And now uh we seem to be rushing all the time, and we want to consume everything a lot faster. So I think every form- form of entertainment is also reflecting that kind of very fast, quick way of ah wanting something different, and wanting something very quickly and ah…yes. Will people still go to the cinema in the future? I hope so. I don’t know, but I think there will be people that, like today, like to see not only the new movie but also the old movie because it represents what they have seen what they were younger and what they and also what they were dreaming at that time and I think that remains within us all our life. Thank you, that is the end of the speaking test. IELTS Practice Speaking Test 3 Good afternoon, my name is Renee. Could you tell me your full nameplease? My full name is ah Jahan Verki. Can I check your identification? Sure. Thank you. Do you work, or are you a student? At the moment I’m working. Could you describe what kind of work you do? Uh…At the moment I’m a manager of the um Persian T.V. This is essentially a 24-hour station that’s going to operate in Sydney. This station is going to be for the Persian people. And at the moment we are trying to televise some program from America but we are trying to build our studio in Sydney as well. The plan is I’m going to operate and organise for this studio to be able to produce some program from Sydney as well. So at the moment I’m doing everything, like to do- to organise for everything like subscription, studio, anything – equipment, but a little bit later I’m going just to focus and stay just in the studio for producing and directing the program, which is going to happen later. What do you like about your job? I have to confess, this job is my passion from long time ago. Umm just, I start from drama I study drama in my country and then when I move to Australia I continued in different course which was T.V. and film production and because all the time when I act, I really- finally I wanted just to make my film. I made some children program in my country for T.V. Here I start to expand my experience and then I got lots of new experience: I made some film- short film, documentary and I find, okay, I’m in the right pathway so I wanted to continue. So now I think I- I catch it, now I need a little bit more time just to do this job. What kind of job do you hope to do in 10 years time? That’s a good question. My dream is finally- without having any problem, like life and the other problem that comes to the anybody- my dream is just to direct my film. That’s the thing that I’m going to do. I have, in my past, I’ve had lots of experience- life experience, lots of things that I want to talk to the people. So, for me, film is a tool to talk to the people. Do you play any sports? Yes. What are the most popular sports in your country? Good question. In my country is just the people are mainly- I come from Iran- in my country people mainly play soccer. Anywhere – in the street, at home, anywhere you can see- people play soccer. Is it better to play sport or to watch it? Okay, um you know it’s it’s very um, it depends. To me, sometimes when you are in the right mood or the right time you are better just to play. But sometimes, particularly when it is- when it is a professional sport, you would like to watch it. That depends to the situation, to you, and many, many things. Can sport be dangerous? Ah I think it could be dangerous, or it’s not going to be dangerous. Its depend. I think even if you’re walking in the street it could be dangerous for you, so I cannot say. But I can say – if you’re not playing a sport it’s going to be dangerous, because it’s just affecting your health. But- But playingAccident could be anywhere – this is my opinion. Do men and women play different sports in Iran? Of course. I mean, as you know during the last 24 years. Because of the Government and the things that happen in my country, so women couldn’t do the same sport that men do. Even, they couldn’t go to the stadium like watch the soccer. However, recently, there has been a movement for the women, they have a chance. There is not enough facility for them just to do lots of sport. Thank you very much. Now I’m going to give you a topic and I’d like you to speak on it for one or two minutes. Topic: Describe a vacation you have really enjoyed. Alright, um we went to the [unknown] actually, we went to the [unknown] with my wife and kids, just mainly to visit my wife’s family. I liked [unknown] because when I went to the [unknown], which is about five hours far from Sydney, the road, the nature – uh it was very similar to the scene that I had in my country and it remembered me the nature and the road that we had over there. I liked [unknown], I liked everything over there, I can tell you. The smoke, the fog, I liked the environment, I liked the friendship that was there. I loved the food, I loved everything over there- the stars at night. I love the moon, I loved morning, and when it was morning it remembered the morning that I had in my country- it was very similar because nature are similar anywhere. So, I spent lots of time over there and it helped me to remember the things that I had before. It gives security, it’s very mysterious feeling to me. So I loved them because it helped me more and more back to the memory that I had from my country. Animals, horse, you know farm – everything, it really attract me- see the people who work in the farm. That was a nice thing- I like these things and I think this is my nature and I love to be in this nature and that nature was very similar to the things that I had before, and I liked just to be there. That was something that I had over there. So I spent time with my wife and I explained the things that had happened to my country and I told her ‘look, Calla, I will show this to you in my country again.’ Would you go there again? Sure, I love it. If I get any chance, I’m sure I will go over there. Now I’d like to ask you a few more questions about vacations and holidays away. Are people taking more holidays and travelling more these days? I have to say I don’t think so, because the lifestyle is not letting the people to do the things that they want. They have to work more and more, and even you know when they got some family they have to work more. To me, in my point of view, I think they haven’t enough time to pay attention to holidays. Where did people go on holidays in your randparent’s time, say, 50 years ago? I think in that time, you know, to go to another- another city, which was very far – like 5 to 10 hours, they go to visit their relative somewhere else in their country. Where do people usually like to go for a holiday away these days? Uh it’s easy things that people like just to go to a very- very close and easy things. If they can get to anywhere around themselves you know, even if in Sydney they will go to Harbour or Opera House or anywhere around as because it’s very cheap and it helps them just to stay sometimes out of the- you know the routine of their life. Why do people want to travel, to go away for a holiday? Life is very hard. All of us need just to go- to go out of this stress during the week. You know- the technology, the Government, the people, the boss and so on and so on and so you know, just pushing you shoulders, so that’s a time that you can say that okay, I am human so you can just do something that you like. Is tourism having an effect on the environment, do you think? Sure, I think tourism just definitely effecting the environment because they bring the wave of the culture and you know, many, many things by themselves and they bring it and show to- to the new culture. So I’m sure, it’s very effective. Like if you think- like when I’m coming from my country, the food that I’m having, the think I interests, the way that I treat you know my family and the way that I love, the way that I dance- all of these things when they come together, it’s giving things like [unknown]. It’s giving some information about outside to anybody, to the other people. How important is the tourist dollar for the economy? I love their dollar. Hahaha. You know, it’s very good. I mean you have to think –you have to think about this issue and just have some study. You have to prepare yourself for the tourist interest. You have to put these things in their hand. Not in the country, in their country. You have to advertise you have to show what things is available here. Because they bring more. Money. It’s very easy. Lots of countries just depend on the-just the tourism when they put their money. And you have to think about all the issues. To make the situation ready for them to let them to be happy to spend their money and when they back- back again. For as it as it as it as it revisit again to advertise for the other people to come over here. Will the tourist industry grow in the next 10- 20 years? I’m sure you know. Because many people are still um the attraction of seeing- And the tech I think is helping the people just to be more close together and find. If it was in the hands of a few countries just had the attraction for the tourism. Now, many people from far, they can just advertise themselves on the Internet. They say look- I’m very far here, I have a nice beach, you don’t need to pay this money you know - to that company… half the price for you come over here - and we’re right. What do you think of tourism designed not to damage the environment? I think the government and the council - all of them and all and all the policy has to help - has to really have a close watch to this issue. If they think it is going to affect anywhere they have to put this policy to not things - you know, to not do anything wrong. Thank you, that is the end of the speaking test. IELTS Practice Speaking Test 4. Good afternoon. My name is Deborah. Could you tell me your full name please?My full name is Pilar Montesdeoca. May I check your identification please? Will you like to see my passport? Thank You. Do you work or are you a student? I’m a student. And what are you studying at the moment? At the moment I’m studying theatre studies. And why did you choose to study theatre studies? Because I arrived here five years ago and my background is in theatre. In my home country in Ecuador I was studying theatre and I was also working as an actor and as a director. And then I had the opportunity to go overseas to England and study theatre there. But once I moved to Australia, I thought it was going to be a good idea to get into the profession again and to start all over again from the basics so I thought it would be good to do some drama studies. And that’s why I joined it and I’m learning so much at the moment, I’m very excited about all these amazing teachers I have and I can understand now how the business works. And the main things about my theatre studies is that after that it’s going to lead me to the- a real theatre. I have to see how it works in real life in Australia. And I thought that was going to be important for me. Ok. And ah what do you hope to do when you’ve finished your current studies? I really would like to finish in the area. Because I’m also a teacher so I would like to combine my teaching skills with my theatre skills. I know it’s hard to get a job as a theatre director or as an actor anywhere in the world and in Australia as well. So I’m hoping that of course once I’ve finished to be able to direct plays, and to work on projects to work for the community and with the community. But I’m also hoping perhaps to get some work as a –as a teacher where I can combine also my skills in theatre. Mm. And how do you spend your spare time? Ooh I love swimming and I love dancing so those are the two activities I mainly do when I have the opportunity. But then, sometimes when I’m at home I love reading, I love to read novels or poetry or theatre as well. And when you go out, do you usually go out alone or with others? Mm It depends. Australian life is very busy, so ah sometimes I have to go on my own. Usually if I go swimming I go on my own, if I go to the beach sometimes I go with friends, so it depends. But I don’t mind being on my own. And is there a particular time in the week where you prefer to go out? Mm not really, mainly in the afternoon. Depends on the season. Sometimes in the morning, early morning, I love walking as well. So sometimes I tend to do that at around 6 o’clock in the afternoon. Do you think it is important to do regular exercise? I think it is vital for everyone. I think it is part of life and the good thing about Australia- I wish there were less cars- but also because I love walking it’s ok, I can do a lot of exercise. We should do that really. We all should go out and enjoy ourselves and do a bit of exercise because this society is getting bigger as well. You know the size, people are getting bigger and bigger so I think it is important to do it- you know jogging or walking or swimming, it’s important. Why? Because if you are not happy with your body it’s very hard to be happy with everything else. I think your body is the base of your life. Mind and body are always connected and if you do not exercise your body you won’t exercise your mind. And I think once you walk or once you swim, it’s a good chance to really think who you are and what you want in life and what things can you do. Thank you. You’re welcome. Topic: I’d like you to describe someone you admire very much. I have a person who I really admire and she’s an ex-teacher from university. Her name is [inaudible]. She’s a wonderful, talented lady. She’s around 60.She’s married and has four kids. What I admire about her is that she has time to look after her family and at the same time to teach kids at school, and to teach kids at primary school as well and then she went on and was teaching at university. And I had the privilege to meet her when I was fifteen and when I was twenty I went to uni and she really encouraged me to write. She opened a lot of windows for me through the literature and she taught me how to analyse texts and she made me love literature- that’s something really hard. Because when you are at the school, you don’t really want to learn a lot about literature, you just want to play around with your friends. But she was a teacher that really really kept us captivated by all these stories and all these composers and songwriters, and writers in general. And she played us some music and she read poems for us, and we watched films and we discussed. And I think it was so important to have her as a teacher because she really made us see the world in a different way. We were studying mainly in a catholic school and we couldn’t analyse things but once we had our literature teacher, we were able to expand our whole world. And I think what she really brought us it’s these differences in life. Literature and life, in a way they are very similar but in a way are very different. So we interpreted life in a different way from that point. Thank You. Is this person admired by others do you think? Yes definitely. I think she made a huge mark in this group that had the opportunity to have her as a teacher. We were like fifty of us and she did it for many many years. What makes a person famous? Mm I think there are different ways to see what makes a person famous. One is the machinery behind the publicity and the marketing around the person, but I don’t think that’s a real honest way to be famous. I think if I have to choose I’d rather be famous for being honest, for being kind, and for trying to help and solve conflicts or problems in the world instead of being in a magazine, in the cover of a magazine…so my characteristics for a famous person I would go for honesty and kindness. What kinds of people were famous in your grandparent’s time? In my home country we had different, mainly two political parties and the heads of those political parties were very famous. Especially one guy called [inaudible] and he made a lot of changes in Ecuador during my grandparent’s time because he gave the vote to women and he also made it compulsory, the vote for all the citizens in my home country. And he worked for the Liberal education, not ties with the religious or anything like that but very open to everyone. In your opinion, is being well known easy to live with? No I don’t think so. I think well known…. It’s…It can be hard. I think to be famous sometimes you pay a price for it. So I’d rather be anonymous I think. What kinds of people will be famous in the future? Mm. Ah it’s hard to say, but I guess the famous people are the ones that people create. And you know the media has so much impact on that, and it has so much influence on who is famous or who is not famous, who is good or who is bad. The media made us see- makes us see the world and the people in different ways. So I guess, yeh, if you have machinery behind, you will be famous. What responsibility to society do famous people have? They have a huge responsibility because people really look up on them. You know they look upon and they want to copy models. I think we are a very sensitive society and we would like just to copy. And if someone is famous they should have- they should use this power to give things back to the community. Like you know, like for example, the Tsunami Disaster or things like that… you to use this power to call for people to stop children detention, things like that you know, they should use that in order to make people aware of what’s going on. Not just to be part of entertainment, but I think they should have a political voice in the community. Do you think that the children of famous people have an easy time? No, I don’t think so. It must be very very hard. Ah…you know, to live in, in my home country I know a lot of famous people, and they always have to have bodyguards, or they have to live behind bars, you know or behind big walls. And children are always protected and they don’t have the freedom, it’s a big price to pay, I don’t know why. W-Would you like to be famous? No, not really no. Would- would being famous change you? Yeah I’m sure it will. But I like to be popular, but I don’t like to be famous. And I think that’s good. You know, I can be popular with my students, with my actors, you know, that’s what I’m like, and I’m happy with that. And should the media be able to invade the privacy of famous people? No, I think there should be a very strong and tough code that they shouldn’t allowed to interfere in other people’s lives, even if they are famous. Thank you. That is the end of the speaking test. IELTS Practice Speaking Test 5 Good Afternoon. My name is Darrell. Could you tell me your full name please? My name is Shi-in Lee. And what should I call you? You can call me Shi-in please. Thank you. Do you work or are you a student? I work. I do interpreting and translation. Oh. Can you tell me about your job? Well, there are different types of um interpreting. There is medical interpreting, and there’s legal interpreting, business interpreting, and conference interpreting etc. And they are all very different and you get to meet different types of people. Um, it’s very rewarding because you are helping people who doesn’t have much English and you get paid for you job as well. So you get to learn a lot about current issues, and at the same time, you get a lot of headaches too, because you get to hear a lot of problems from your clients.So it’s a very interesting job, and I’m enjoying it still, after seventeen years. And err, when is the busiest time in your job? I can’t say that um…my busiest you know at a certain time of the year, it’s very hard to predict so I really can’t say - say around, well Summer is the busiest time of the year, or winter is the busiest or, I really can’t say that a certain time of the year is the busiest. And if you could change your job, what would you prefer to do? Sometimes umm, although I’m working and I’m helping people and without an interpreter I guess nothing much can happen, because there won’t be any communication, proper communication between you know, two parties. But then again, interpreters are not supposed to give an opinion. So you are left with the feeling that you are not contributing at all towards the result of the session. So if I changed my job I think I would pick something which is completely different from interpreting and where I can actually contribute towards the result of the discussion. So that’s what I might do in the future, you never know. What kind of music do you enjoy listening to? Well actually, I like all sorts of music. My husband says I have Catholic tastes in music. So I like classical music, of course, because I played piano when I was a little girl. Actually, not just as a little girl, I still play. So I like classical music, and I like jazz, blues, you know, even heavy metal. Whatever is good I can appreciate it. Do you play a musical instrument? Yes I play piano and I play a little bit of violin as well. And what musical instruments do most people play in your home country? Um in Korea, I think most girls from a proper family would play at least one musical instrument and which is normally piano. So, a lot of girls would you know, start playing piano when they are five or say seven. And I started playing piano when I was six I think. If you can play a musical instrument, does this help you to enjoy music more? Yes and no. In some ways it makes you, I guess take more interest in music and when you listen to the music you know how to appreciate it properly. But then again if you get to hear certain pieces of music on the radio which you’ve played before, straight away you find yourself sort of analysing the performer. So you really can’t relax, so it’s sort of- it’s not maybe enjoyable as much. It suddenly, it becomes a chore; your mind is at work, analysing and assessing the performance. So I guess yes and no. Thank you. Now I’d like you to speak for one or two minutes on a topic. You have one minute to plan your answer. Here is a pencil and paper to make notes. Here is your topic: I’d like you to describe your favourite teacher. Thank you. Can you start speaking now please? You have one to two minutes. I will tell you when the time is up. My favourite teacher, um, his name is Kwan Sing Pak. He was my English teacher when I was in High school in Korea. You know in Korea, all the English teachers are basically Korean. Umm..he was my teacher um, for two years, um Year eleven and Year twelve. You know the girls of that age um they normally like teachers, you know good looking, with the looks, with good sense of humour and- and all. But this specific teacher was not physically attractive at all. He was rather, not terribly good looking. (I’m sorry to be saying this). But I really adored this teacher because um, I guess to start with I loved studying languages and he was teaching English and I really loved learning English from him. And he was very passionate about his job, teaching, and he was actually enjoying it, and I could tell he was enjoying it. He had good teaching skills. He encouraged and nearly coerced, you know, contribution from the students. And you could actually be quite sure sitting in his class that when you give answers, how silly they might sound, you would never be laughed at or anything. So you were feeling quite free to have a conversational discussion with the teacher or other students in the class. And what was also quite special about him was that he had good sense of humour, much so much so that you only remember his jokes when actually you have the test paper in front of you and you look at all the questions and you couldn’t remember the answers but his jokes only! Thank you. And did other students also like this teacher? Oh yes. Yep. Most of the students just loved this teacher. He was very popular. So we’ve been talking about teaching. I’d like to ask you some questions about teaching and education. What are the qualities of a good teacher? I should say a good teacher is one who always is well prepared for the class. And I guess if the person has a good sense of humour that would help because, you know, boring, ah, session, nobody would sit in the class, you know, hours after hours And what differences in teaching styles have you experienced with different teachers? Some teachers can be very knowledgeable. I could tell that the person had a lot of knowledge and experience and everything. But the person just didn’t have the skills to convey all that to the students. And so the rendering was really boring and everybody was just falling asleep, whereas some teachers they knew how to pass that down to the teachers somehow and the session was completely enjoyable. Should teachers use discipline in the classroom? Coming from where I, um, am, I think yes, teachers should discipline students. In Korea, students would respect the teachers. My mum’s generation was more so, and my mum had to say one day, she thought teachers don’t eat, don’t go to the toilet, they are demi-Gods and wouldn’t even step on the shadow of the teacher, because you respect the teacher so much. But I don’t think same kind of respect is here and students sometimes misbehave during class hours and I just find it hard to understand. There is not enough respect for the teachers and also for the learning itself. And can students learn from computers? I guess yes and no. I see my children, they’re sitting in front of the computer sometimes writing their essays and getting information through the net. In that case, I guess comps can be educational and helpful. But sometimes I see my son sitting in front of the computer hours after hours doing you know, video games. I don’t think in that case computers are educational or healthy. Can you describe the education system in your home country? In some ways it is quite similar to the Australian education system. The only difference I can tell straightaway is that Kindergarten is not part of the primary school education in Korea whereas here, we start from kindergarten. And three years we call it junior high. And then three years high school, and then four years, normally four years, we call it university education, tertiary education. So I don’t think there is big difference between two systems. When should children start formal schooling? Formal schooling, I guess it starts in Australia from the age of five whereas in Korea, from six? I don’t know, sometimes when I see little K students looking a little bit tired, makes me wonder whether they’re a bit too young to be starting schooling at that age. But, I really have no idea. Has education changed since your parents’ day? You know, in the last twenty-five years? I think it’s changed a lot, although I can’t say that I understand what education was like when my mum and dad, when they were in school. But definitely, well I’m talking about the Korean situation, in Korea, you have to study many many more subjects than your father or your mother would have, you know, in the past. And you use like different equipment, like computer and things, all these audio-visual teaching material. I guess in that way education has changed a lot. Ok thank you. That is the end of the speaking test. Speaking Lab 1 Part 1: Transcript Q1: Can we talk about an aspect of your home town? How easy is it to travel around where you're from? A1: Yes. I'm from Mitchford. The most beautiful place on earth! It's quite a small coastal city. There's about 230,000 people who live there and we have quite a good transportation system there...I'd say...most people travel by car – our roads are pretty modern and well sealed but people who don't have a car usually catch a bus. The bus travels to most parts of the city and it's quite cheap. For example, to travel by bus from one end of the city to the other it costs about 2.00. That's pretty cheap compared to what I pay for here in England. Q2: Ok, Which kinds of public transport do you use most and why? A2: Actually, that's a difficult question to answer because back home, I have my own car...I sure do miss that. When I was younger I used to catch the bus to school. In my city all students under 16 who lived more than four...maybe it was 3....anyway about 3 or 4 kilometres from the nearest public high school were given a bus pass which allowed them to catch the bus to school for free...The problem was there was never enough seats to allow for all the students so usually most students had to stand up in the bus all the way until they arrived at school...but it was much better than having to walk I can assure you of that! Occasionally, I caught the taxi but it was a very rare thing...taxis are about 4 or 5 times more expensive than regular bus fares so taxis were only used if there was no other option. Q3: But what about here? Do you use public transport here in England? A3: Oh yes, here I mostly use the underground. It's totally different from back home. At Mitchford we don’t have enough people to warrant an underground rail system...at least I think that’s the reason we don’t have one. That’s been a really interesting part about living here, getting used to the rail system. Q4: How do you compare public transport here in England with public transport back home? A4: Well, actually, back home public transport is always late. It’s not unusual for the bus to be...like 15-20 minutes late. We have a saying, “If you want to arrive on time and you’re catching the bus, prepare for one hour of travel”. Well, here the underground is always on time. It's been interesting in that it's always on time and extremely reliable. Q5: Ok, let’s move on to the topic of movies. Do you enjoy watching movies? A5: Yes, I do enjoy movies...do you know anyone who doesn’t like movies? I don't! I must say that I’m a bit of an action person. I love action movies...I like it when the tough bad guy gets beaten. I love happy endings...the hero’s always got to win! Q6: How often do you watch movies? A6: Well, it's actually been quite a while since I've been to the cinema to watch a movie. I think the last movie I saw was Action Force - a real action movie which I enjoyed immensely. It's actually too expensive to go to the movies these days...and besides, if I wait for a while...I can watch it at home...besides I'm too busy studying at the moment...there's really not enough time to watch movies! Q7: Ok. Let's talk about what you like to do in your free time. What sorts of activities do you like to do in your free time? A7: Free time...we’ll I don’t have too much of that nowadays...but when I do...I enjoy reading. I mostly enjoy reading business books and magazines...my father has a business back home and once I finish my studies, I'm going to return home and help him with the running of it...I enjoy studying about business and learning about new ideas and ways of making a business more successful and effective. Part 2: Transcript Q1: Ok, good. I'm now going to give you a topic that you will need to speak about for 1-2 minutes. You can take notes if you want. You have 1 minute to prepare what you want to say. I want you to talk about the best holiday you have ever had. Ok? You have a maximum of 2 minutes to speak so if you go over 2 minutes, I will ask you to stop. Can you please begin speaking now? A1: The best holiday I have ever been on is a very difficult question to answer because I’ve been on so many excellent holidays...I guess I’ve been very lucky. In the summer time back home, when I was young, my family used to go to the beach and we’d camp under the stars...that has always been an excellent memory for me. But, I'd have to say that the most wonderful holiday I've ever had was when I was 19, when I went to Minnesota in the United States for a summer camp experience. It was just so much fun! I met over 200 teenagers and we participated in some excellent camp activities! Let me see...we had swimming in the lake, where the camp was situated. We also had water skiing, which was excellent fun...it was really difficult to hold on to the rope while the boat pulled us around the lake! Another fun activity was camping. We...our dorm...went on a 3-day canoe trip...I think there were about 10 of us in our group...which took us to the Canadian boundary waters. There I saw some of the most beautiful alpine scenery I've ever seen in my life! The lakes were so clear and we could drink the water from them by dipping our cups as we canoed along...it was just amazing. I wish everyone could witness the incredible beauty we saw on that trip. Let’s see, what else? Ahh yes, there was basketball and volleyball which we played in the big indoor gymnasium. Some of the Americans were really good basketball players...they even had cheerleaders at some of the games! I got to know so many people, in fact I still write to some of the people I met there...isn’t email a great way to keep in touch! There were other things but I can’t think of them at the moment...I will say this: I would love to go back there again in the future. Now, of course I’m too old to be a camper but it would be excellent to be a staff member, they are always looking for volunteers. If you volunteer at the camp they pay for your food and accommodation for the whole summer and that’s around 3 months in America. Speaking Lab 1 Part 3: Transcript Q1: We've been talking about the best holiday you've ever had and I'd like to discuss one or two more questions that are related to this. Firstly, let's consider the effect of holidays. What effect do holidays have on people? A1: I believe holidays have a big, positive effect on people. For many, I know that holidays are the highlight of the year. People wait all year...especially those who don’t like their job...they wait for the holiday periods...they plan and prepare for what they will do and they get excited by what they're going to do on their holidays. Typically people are in a good mood when they are on holiday. They're smiling and alert, they show interest in their new environment. I believe that for most people, holiday time is the best time of their year. Q2: Many people refer to their holidays as 'highlights' of the year. Why do you think holidays are highlights for people? A2: Yes..um..well, I think holidays are highlights for people because if a person doesn't like his or her work, a holiday represents a break in what they would otherwise normally do. You know, it gives people a chance to go in a different direction, to do something they want to do...instead of being a slave to their job. Holidays allow people to re-create, to refresh their mind and body. I read somewhere recently that it's actually a very healthy thing for a person to take a complete break from what he or she normally does and then to do something different. I guess what I'm saying is, a holiday is a change. It's a change in location and activity. That reminds me of the expression, 'A change is as good as a holiday' - it's a good one, and I think it's true. Q3: Good. Let's talk about a related issue, the issue of tourism. Do you see any negative aspects with regard to tourism? A3: Yes, absolutely. I come from a coastal town and there is a constant, steady stream of people who pour through it. These people often cause problems in the accommodation industry which is obviously related to tourism. They come in and kind of 'let their hair down' they show no respect for the facilities. Often there is damage to the places where they stay. I've heard of broken lamps and chairs, dirty marks on walls and carpets...you know, those kinds of things. They drink heavily and make a lot of noise, constantly in a 'party mode'. This has had a very negative impact upon our town and gives tourists a bad name in the minds of some of the local people. Q4: What could be done to stop the negative aspects of tourism from happening? A4: I guess stricter laws could be introduced. If people don't obey the laws, then the consequences might be a financial penalty. You know, an expensive fine, or perhaps throw the offenders into prison for a day or two. That would certainly...I imagine...have a big effect upon the bad behaviour of people visiting a city while on holiday. Speaking Lab 2 Part 1: Q1: Can we talk about your home town? Tell me about the biggest industries in your town. A1: Yes. Um, I’m from Mitchford which is a coastal town. We've got a lot of white, sandy beaches and a pleasant climate all year-round...so, I'm sure you can guess what our main industry is? Tourism. Each year we get about a quarter of a million visitors to our town so as a result another big industry is building and construction...so all our visitors have got somewhere to stay! ummm...Restaurants...the food industry is another big industry in my town. We have all kinds of restaurants – Indian, Thai, Chinese, Italian, Turkish, you name it, we've got it! If you like eating out, Mitchford is a wonderful place to visit. There's one restaurant called 'Curry in a Hurry' which, you can probably guess, is an Indian restaurant...if you ever visit Mitchford I highly recommend it! Q2: It sounds like you really like your home town. Are there any things that you dislike about it? A2: Mmmmm, that's a difficult question. Honestly, there aren't many things I dislike about Mitchford....but....I guess.....I'd have to say one of the things I dislike about Mitchford is the fact that my grandparents don't live there! My grandparents live about 9 hours away...by car, so we don't get to see them that often. It would be great if they lived in Mitchford. Q3: Fine. Let’s move on to the topic of food and restaurants. What kinds of foods do you like to eat? A3: Food...my favourite topic! Well, that's an easy one for me to answer. Ever since I was a child, my favourite food's been Chicken Kiev. Have you tried it before? (EXAMINER: “NO, I HAVEN’T”) It's made from the leg and thigh of a chicken. The chicken is wrapped in butter and garlic. It's then covered in bread crumbs and fried. The chicken comes out golden brown and when you cut it, the butter and garlic runs out...it's absolutely delicious...probably not too healthy for you but the taste is incredible! Q4: What about dislike? Are there any foods you don't like to eat? A4: Well, the first thing that comes to mind is brussel sprouts! I remember the first day my mother served them for dinner. Needless to say, my brother and sisters complained loudly! They have such a sharp taste...I don't like them at all. Also, at times...um...zucchini has the same kind of sharp taste. In fact, I had zucchini on top of a home-made pizza recently and in my opinion, the sharp taste of the zucchini ruined the pizza. Q5: What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of homecooked meals? A5: Home cooked meals...mmm...well, the first idea that comes to mind is home cooked meals are generally healthier. The idea, I guess, is that if you're cooking the meal at home, you know what ingredients are that have gone into making it...so the food should be healthier. For example, if you're using oil to cook your meal, it will be with fresh, unused oil. I know that some restaurants reuse their oil over and over again...I don't think that's good for health. [INSTRUCTOR: “DISADVANTAGES?”] Disadvantages...um...yes...for a start, the kitchen is left in a mess! I'm speaking from experience here! At the moment I share a flat with 2 other people and every evening around dinner time, the kitchen looks like a total mess! Pots and pans...containers half opened...the sink full of dishes and cutlery...stuff everywhere! After cooking our flat looks like a danger zone. So, related to this point is that it takes so long to clean all the mess up. Most times, I couldn't be bothered with all the hassle of cooking...I pick up some kind of fast food...it's much more convenient! Speaking Lab 2 Part 2: Transcript Q1: OK that was very good. I'm now going to give you a topic that you will need to speak about for 1-2 minutes. You can take notes if you want. You have 1 minute to prepare what you want to say. I want you to talk about a young person who has influenced your life. Ok? You have a maximum of 2 minutes to speak so if you go over 2 minutes, I will ask you to stop. Can you please begin speaking now? A1: A young person who has had a big influence on my life is my niece...my sister's child. I'll never forget the day that I first met her...it was at the hospital and my mother and I went to visit my sister and it was only a few hours after she had had the baby. She’s now six years old. Her name’s Kate. She's got blonde hair and brown eyes - she's so cute! My sister always dresses her in cute clothes and puts her hair in pig tails. She has her mother's personality too! She's quite shy and reserved around strangers but when she's around my family, she really comes out of her shell...she starts talking and talking...and my sister is actually teaching her to sing. My sister's always asking her to sing for people...you know, 'twinkle, twinkle little star', the 'ABC/ alphabet song'. My parents - her grandparents - delight in her performances, I'd say she's become the 'centre of attention' at Dad and Mum's place... I do miss her. In some ways, her being born reminded me that I'm growing up and...that I needed to start thinking more seriously about my own future. I suppose I began to wonder what it would be like to have my own children. For a long time, I didn't care too much about kids, but after spending time with Kate, I realised that I'd love a child or two of my own. Umm....let’s see...I’d have to say that I think there are more advantages than disadvantages with having children. I've learned that of course, it's not all easy looking after a child all day. When Kate was really young, my sister seemed to hardly get any sleep and they never seemed to go out all that much. But when you see her cute little face and her cute little smile, all that sacrifice seems to be worth it. I've never seen my sister so happy since Kate came into her life. Speaking Lab 2 Part 3: Transcript Q1: Ok, that's great. We've been talking about a young person and I'd like to discuss one or two more questions that are related to this. Firstly, let's consider attitudes. In your country, what is the attitude older people have toward younger people? A1: Hmmm. I think, the older generation tend to look at the younger generation as being in a hurry to go somewhere or do something. I suppose this is pretty natural considering when a person gets old, they tend not to move so quickly...you know, instead of going out, most old people tend to just stay at home. I don't mean all old people are like this, but I think it's probably true of a majority of the older generation. Q2: Right. In your country, what are the advantages and disadvantages of being younger? A2: Yes, well I'm young so I obviously think it's an advantage! The first thing that comes to mind is the fact that technology is changing so quickly, it takes an alert, young mind to keep up with it...um...there are benefits in keeping up with technology...um...you can do things quicker. For example, if you understand email, then you can communicate faster with people...all around the world. A lot of older people may use email but they may not know all the functions...um...to use it to their best advantage. If you don't know how to properly use new computer software, you can end up wasting great amounts of time...um...disadvantages...well...the disadvantage of being young...um....let's see... well, I think one disadvantage is that you have a little life experience. What I mean is that you don't have much wisdom, you're starting out. You might make a lot of silly mistakes in your life because you don't know any better um...that's a definite disadvantage. Q3: Good. Let's now consider young people and education. Can you tell me about the numbers of young people in your country studying overseas? A3: I'm not too sure about that...the total numbers, that is...um...I know from my high school...um...when I graduated there were 4 or 5 students who wanted to travel and study in England. I've lost contact with them, I assume they went ahead with their plans. Considering my high school had around 1000 students...um...and we had 4 or 5 who wanted to study overseas, I assume there are a lot of students who had the same goal. Q4: Do young people receive any government assistance in your country when it comes to education? A4: Actually, yes and no. Yes, because if they decide to study at university and they have no money - this is assuming they are accepted into a course - um they can apply for a student loan. What happens is the government pays the money for their education – that's the good news...but the bad news - and this is the ‘no’ part of my answer - is you have to pay the money back once you get a job. I believe if you don't pay it back by a certain time, the government starts to charge you interest on the loan.... Q5: OK. What future changes would you like to see in your country regarding young people and education? A5: That's another difficult question to answer...you seem to know how to ask difficult questions! Um, I guess a change I would hope for is that the student loans would not have to be paid back! I don’t think this is realistic, after all, it would be too expensive for the government...perhaps removing the repayment with interest part of the loan would be a good change for the
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