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IELTS | Part 1
What is your full name? My name is Asami Takashi Can I see your ID? Yes, here's my identification. Do you work or study? I am a student. What city are you from? I'm from Osaka Where is it located exactly? Osaka is in the Kansai region of Honshu, Japan's main island. It is located on the Yodo River on Osaka Bay, it's the third largest city in Japan. Do you like living there? Yes, I do, I think it's a lovely place. Tell me some interesting facts about it. Okay, well, Osaka is considered to be one of the economic centers of Japan and in the past it was famous as a trading center, especially for rice, and was where the first modern futures market developed.
Are there many large cities in your country? Not all of them are large, I think there are ten cities which have more than 1 million people living in them. The three largest ones are Tokyo, then Yokohama, Osaka and Nagoya. These are the largest cities and have more than 2 million people living in them. The other cities are smaller.
IELTS | Part 2
Describe the thing that you cannot live without (except phone and internet). Please say:
- What is it? - Why cant you manage without it? - How long have you had it for? - How did you feel when you were without it? Sample answer: I would have to say my car. Public transport in Japan is not so conevenient and sometimes
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infrequent so havng a car is the preferred choice for getting around, especially if you have to travel to various places. I use my car mainly to go from my home to university and back. But at the moment I'm also workig as a part-time intern in a local business so I have to go there three afternoons a week as well. Trying to do all that by using public trasport would be almost impossible and would take a lot more time. I've had my car for about two years now, it's a Toyota Prius and I love it. It's very comfortable and well equipped and it's also easy to park and economical to run. I can't imagine having to do all the things I do normally without having my car. But a few months ago there was a problem with it. I noticed a strange noise coming from the front of the car one day. At first I ignored it, but then it gradually became worse and worse. I told my brother about it and he arranged for the car to be inspected by the mechanic. I'm not a very technical person , but apparently there was a problem with the suspension and they had to replace a part. That is the only problem I've ever had with it. The bad news was that they had to order the part specially and I was without my car for about ten days in total. It made my daily activities very difficult, and I didn't really like using the public transport at all. It wasted so much time. I was surprised how quickly I had gotten used to having my car and just how convenient it is. I hope that in the future I don't have any more problems with it. It really is an essential part of my life and I don't want to be without it again.
IELTS | Part 3
Why do you think teenagers always want to have the latest devices such as the iPhone 5? I think it's quite natural. We live in a world that functions and centers around technology nowadays and having the latest device allows you to make the most of the advances and developments in the market. It's the same as older people like to have the latest model of car or a new apartment. People like to have the best or the latest version of things. It's not just teenagers. Why do they often buy a new one even though they already have one? One reason could be that each new verison normally has more functions or features than the older one and allows the user to do more or access more things. Some people also believe that the newest version of something is always better. What do they do with the old one after buying a new one? Many of my friends give their old devices to their younger brothers or sisters or to another family member. I have one friend who is a real technology freak and he always finds a way to use the old device for something else, another project or purpose. How hard is it for parents to convince their children not to buy an expensive phone? I think it's very hard. Many parents grew up without the internet and such digital devices being a normal part of life. They are still relatively new, so parents might not really appreciate just how important and interesting they are for young people.
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I'll talk about Sydney, which I visited last month. I went with some friends I met here and we spent the weekend there. It's the capital, but not of Australia, of New South Wales but it is the most populated city in the country. It's located on the south-east coast of the country next to the Tasman Sea. I think the population is something like four and a half million people. It's such a famous city and everyone recommended that we go and visit it. We arived early on Saturday morning and started by taking a stroll around the harbor area. It's very interesting and there are lots of ships to see and along the side of the harbor there are lots of restaurants and cafes you can go to. Then we went on an open-top bus tour that took us around the city. We saw all the maiin Sydney attractions such as Darling Harbour, Circular Quay, The Rocks, the Opera House, Hyde Park, Kings Cross and the Royal Botanic Gardens, and there was another place but I can't remember it's name. We did another bus tour on Sunday, but that one took us more out of the city to Bondi Beach and some other places. I particularly like the variety of things to see and do in and around the city, and the days we were there the weather was just perfect, so we could rally enjoy everthing. I think what impressed me ost was how clean and well kept all the different areas were, and like I said, the variety of activities and attractions. You can find sport, adventure, culture and lots more, and oh yes, the people we met that weekend were very friendly to us.
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How do you think a town changes and grows to eventually become a city? Historically most places grew because of trade and business. Maybe because the town was near the sea or had a railway or something important to make people want to go there. Many of the industrial towns offered jobs for many people so that's why their populations grew and they eventually developed into cities. Now, it's a little different, as more people are working through technology and are able to work from anywhere and still communicate with people for work and business. Maybe in the future there won't be such massive growth of towns like in the past.
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- What was it? - Why was it funny? - Who was there with you? and what you remember most about it.
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Okay, so a couple of months ago I was attending a job interview in a building downtown. The office was on the sixth floor so I took the elevator up there, I had never been there before so it was all strange to me. I was looking around for the name of the company where I had to go but couldn't see where I should go. I was still standing near the elevators when suddenly the doors of one of them opened ... and then that's when suddently something very funny happened, a woman was coming out of the elevator and caught the heel of her shoe in one of the spaces between the elevator and the floor, I think her heel broke and she awkwardly fell forward towards me ... it was like it was happening in slow motion ... and without thinking I put out my arms to catch her so she wouldn't fall on the floor. But when I caught her, I lost my balance too and we both fell onto the floor. We weren't hurt and after a few moments we looked at each other and started laughing about it. Some other people helped us up onto our feet again, and the woman thanked me and shook my hand and asked me if I was sure I was alright and not hurt, and then she turned around and walked away. Anyway, I finally arrived at the office, went to the reception desk and told the receptionist that I had arrived. She asked me to sit and wait for the person who would be doing the interview. I sat in reception for about ten minutes and read a magazine. I was very nervous because it was my first real interview for a job in my career after university, so I wanted to make a good impression on everyone. I had spent a lot of time choosing what I thought were the perfect clothes for the interview and I thought I was very well prepared, but I was still very nervous and I felt a little messy after the incident with the woman. Then a door opened, and a woman came out of the room and came towards me, she looked very elegant and important. She looked at the receptionist, who nodded, and then came towards me. She was smiling but I was still feeling nervous ... it was the same woman who I had caught as she fell out of the elevator just 20 minutes ago. She smiled at me and thanked me again for catching her and we began chatting. Then, I didn't feel so nervous because at least she understood why I looked a little messy. The best thing about the whole incident was ... I got the job. I think I must have made a good impression on her!
Part 3 IELTS speaking test Brazil Is laughter important in our life? Yes, I think it is. Life can be very serious sometimes and having a good laugh makes you feel better about everything, for a while anyway. Even experts and doctors say that laughing is good for you because it can reduce stress levels. I think life would be very boring if we didn't laugh at anything. What difference is there between mens and womens humor?
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The difference? Well, I think that women laugh at things which are funny for them and men do the same ... I mean laugh at things which are funny for men. The problem is that many women don't understand why men find something funny and likewise men don't understand why something is funny for women, but that's ok, we're completely different after all. We're not meant to be the same. I think humor for men is more childish than women's humor, but that's just my impression, I could be wrong. Does laughter help one to learn a language? I'm not sure, I've never thought about it. Maybe, I know I used to watch some American TV comedy shows when I was learning English, but there was a lot of things they said that were supposed to be funny that I didn't understand at first. There's a lot of cultural references and things like that involved in humor, so unless you understand how the people think, their history and normal behaviors and everything, it can be hard to decide what is really funny. Now, I understand more, because I have more experience, so yes, I suppose laughter could help you learn a language, if it doesn't confuse you.
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think he took what I said seriously at the time. So one weekend last month he just called me, on a Friday evening, and asked me what my plans were for the next day. I told him that I hadn't planned anything special, but maybe I would go shoppng or meet a girlfriend for lunch or something like that, just to relax. That's when he told me that he was going to take me to a rock climbing center here in the city and show me what it was all about. I'd forgotten all about our conversation until he invited me to go with him. It was great fun, although I was a little scared at first, apprehensive really more than scared, as the instructor was very good and I started practising on the ground and very low on the wall to gain my confidence so there was very little risk. After training with the instructor for a few hours and learning all about the safety aspects and the basic techniques used in climbing I thought that that was the end of the activity. But my friend had arranged for us to visit a place just outside of town where we could actually climb on real rocks for practice. It was a beautiful day and after practising on the indoor wall I really wanted to try and do it on some real rocks, so off we went. When we arrived, there were quite a few people climbing already. My friend helped me to get started and accompanied me all the time, he was really very patient, and when I thought I was stuck at one point he showed me how I could overcome the problem and continue. I have to admit that it was a great day, something new and exciting that I'd never done before. I really liked it and I think I want to try it again soon. I'll probably have to try and improve my level of fitness because it seems to be quite demanding physically, but hey, that's a good reason to get toned and fit which is a good thing. I have another friend who loves doing physical exer cise so I'll probably recommend it to her also.
In my country it's not as popular as it is here. We have many mountains and there have always been climbers but here it seems to be a really popular activity, especially with young people. How do you think people should be encouraged to do more outdoor activities? I don't know if they should be encouraged on purpose. It's a matter of personal choice. Some people just don't like being outside in the country or doing this kind of activity so there's little point in tryin to encourage them to do something they aren't interested in. It's nice if they are aware of the opportunity to try it - but if they don't want to then ok. What do you consider to be the main disadvantage of such activities? Personally, I don't think there are any disadvantages, except it might cost you some money. Most outdoor activities are healthy and many such as cycling or even just walking do not require you to be super athletic or anythig like that, you can just enjoy being outside in the fresh air if you like that kind of thing. I think there are many more advantages than disadvantagse associated with outdoor activites.
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Okay, so I'd lke to talk about my first day at university, which was two years ago. It's the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing. It was founded back in 1951 so the building is not new. It's quite big though, and has many different parts to it. The campus has a nickname "Hui Garden" () and there is a main building whjich is called Boxue () at the northwest of the campus. There is another teaching building on the southeast side called Ningyuan (). In the middle of the campus there is also an structure we call Chengxin (). The newest part of the campus is the library which opened in 2008. There is also an area for sports and a lot of the grounds are landscaped. Some people here call it the "Switzerland of Universities in China" because it is quite small but very high quality. I wanted to study there because it has a very good reputation and there are a lot of foreign students who come to study there also. It has a very good academic reputation and many of the students who graduate from the university obtain positions in the ministry of commerce and work for the government. I had never been to university before, so when I arrived on the first day everythig was strange and new for me. I didn't know anyone there as most of my friends from school chose to study at different places. I can remember feeling confused and a little apprehensive on the first day, but that soon passed when I met another girl who lives quite close to me and we have become good friends. I can remember that when I arrived home after the first day at university I had a headache and felt very tired, but it was still a good day.
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company or a tax lawyer for example. Is it fair? I think that if the labor market decides that a lawyer should earn a lot becasue of the type of work they do or because they have a lot of responsibility then that is ok. I mean it's like a soccer player or film star - why do they earn so much money - because the soccer club or the film company decide that they are worth it or maybe they have skills or knowledge that only a few people possess - which make them rare. Do you think that being a policeman is a good career choice? What are some of the advantages or disadvantages of this profession? It's a good choice if you want to develop a career in the long term. There is a lot of structure and opportunities within the police. You cal also learn skills that are transferrable to civilian jobs in the future. I have a cousin who is in the police and he loves it. He says the pay is good and the benefits and pension after many years of service are better than in many ordinary jobs. Do you agree that all policemen should have guns? I'm not sure. I think it depends on where they are and what their responsibilities are. For the police here it's normal, but there are some countries where they don't have all police officers armed. They have special armed squads for when it's necessary. But some countries have less armed attacks or violence than others so I think whether or not the police are armed is based on the local circumstances. I think they should be armed if it's likely they will need to deal with armed criminals or violent situations.
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Do you think that team building is important in the work place? [Why? / Why not?] Generally, yes, because in most work environments you need to collaborate with other people to get anything done. It is easier if everybody works together instead of against each other, so knowing how to work in a team or how to manage a team is a good skill to have. Do you like learning new skills or learning about new things related to work? Yes I do, I'm constantly learning new things on the course I'm studying at the moment and I think it's good. The more you know the more you can do or the easier things become - and you can also help other people more if that is something you like doing. Is it important employers provide opportunities and pay for skill development courses for their employees? [Why? / Why not?] In an ideal world that would happen, yes. However, not all employers have the resources to provide such opportunities for all their employees. I think it is something that large multi-national comapnies do for their employees, or some of their employees, because they can see the benefits in the long term future, but many smaller companies simply can't afford to pay for constant training or provide the resources for employees to always be developing their skills. It is important, but not always practical, depending on the circumstances.
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Describe how you would organize a surprise party for your friend. Please say - Where would you do it? - How would you do it? - What arrangements would need to be done for the party? Sample Answer: That's easy, I did it for a friend a couple of months ago. It was for my best friend, we have been friends ever since we were little girls. I organized it at her home so she wouldn't expect it. Obviously I had to tell her parents and family and explain that it would be a surprise so they couldn't say anything to her. I arranged for her friends from university to come to her house, and I helped prepare the food with some of her aunts, but we did it in the home of one of them so that my friend would have no idea about the preparations. I wanted to have some special music for her party so I arranged for one of her friends who plays in a musical group to bring the group and perform for her at her home. They are an acoustic group and play modern music but with traditional influences and I knew that my friend would love it. All the arrangement were done in about a week, after telling her parents about it I had a lot of help from her family and also her friends and on the day of the party we did a lot of cooking and prepared all the food and then took it round to my friends house. The whole experience was amazing - and my friend loved it alll - it was a very special day for us.
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I can tell you about a trip I made a few months ago. I went to London in the UK with one of my professors from university. We were part of a research team that went from Bangladesh to meet with some other teams from around the world in London and discuss an international project that we have been working on for the last few years. I had never been to london before, so it was amazing for me. I had often seen pictures from my father, who used to spend a lot of time there on business, years ago, but I never dreamed that I would be visiting it myself this year. My professor and I spent about a week in London, three of the days were basically for work and then we had one free day and the weekend to see some of the local sights and experience a little of the culture of London. It wasn't a lot of time but it was still nice to be able to see some of the famous places and see all the people from around the world. It's such a cosmopolitan place. We spent hours looking at famous buildings and every now and then we would stop and sit in a cafe and drink something, to rest a little before continuing. On the second last day we actually got lost on 'the tube', that's what they call the London underground train system, it's massive and we got our directions completely wrong. Luckily for us some local people helped us get to where we wanted to visit. I think they must be used to seeing lost 'tourists' all the time. It was a really wonderful and interesting experience for me, as I had always dreamed of visiting England, I just didn't thik it would be this year - the trip was a surprise.
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Should there be the same amount of free time for women and men? [Why?/Why not?] I think maybe women are still occupied more than men sometimes, although when I see my mother preparing a meal and sometimes it takes her hours, she's talking to her sister or the children at the same time. So sometimes I think she's occupied, but it's different from being at work and being occupied becuase at work you can't chat with your family and do things like that. I think men are generally more occupied with work and so have less real free time. In your opinion are computers important? In the world we live in today - essential! We could not live without them now. I don't think there is one area of our daily lives that has not been affected by the increasing use of computers. Business, banking, shopping, study, computers are everywhere nowadays and even in some aspects of life that we maybe don't even think about. Do you use a computer often? Yes, every day. For work and pleasure. I use it as part of my studies and work at the university and I also use it for fun, socializing and surfing on the internet, and now I'm using it to chat with some of the other delgates we met in London on my recent trip. They come from different universities in countries all over the world, so it's great that we can chat online and share ideas.. What kind of things do you use your computer for? As I said, work, study, social. I've bought things on the internet, I reserved tickets for the theater once a couple of months ago. I use it to find information, send emails, watch videos and many other things. Oh, and of course, banking, although that is just more recently, but I think it's good.
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Sample Answer I'll tell you about my favorite photograph, which is a photo of my family, my parents, my brother and three sisters. It was taken by my uncle when I was still a small girl. We went on a family excursion to various places in Nepal. The photograph was in a place called Butterfly Valley and it a group photo and in the background you can see a spectacular waterfall. We were all much younger then but I can remember it was a very happy time for my family and a really special trip that we took together. Whenever I feel sad I like to look at this photo because it always reminds me of my beautiful family, how happy we all were, and how lucky we are to have the many blessing we have in our lives. I would like to return there some day in the future and visit that special place again. I have a copy of the photo whcih I keep in my room, but we also have a larger version of it which is framed and hangs on the wall in the main social room of our house.
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I think this is one of the most popular ornamental planrts we have, and it is used in medicine as well. When the flowers blossom there are lots of them and they cover the tree so you can hardly see the green leaves anymore. It seems to grow well even in dry weather and with lots of sun. It also has another name, which is "disease killer" and the pulp from the fruit is sometimes used by people like a laxative and for other ailments such as fever, arthritis and stomach problmems. I'm sure it has more uses, but those are the ones that I can remember at the moment. Some people have said the root of the tree can also be used for medicinal purposes but other people say it is very dangerous if you are not an expert, because it is very strong.
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What would you do to improve Hanoi's public transport? I really don't know. There are a lot of people here in Hanoi, more than six and a half million people, so of course there is going to be a lot of traffic also. Maybe, more bus lanes and restrictions would help reduce the volume of traffic. Or more control of the mototaxis; there are more of them than any other form of transport, but it's really a case of planning and only the local authorities know what the plans are for the future. Do you think public transportation is expensive in your city? No, it's really cheap - well buses are - it's only about 14 cents. Taxis can be expensive if you use them a lot, or go long distances. But in general, transport is cheap. What time of the day do you like the most? Why? I like the evening the best, when I'm at home with my family and relaxing. The air is fresh and everything is quiet and peaceful. I love to sit in out garden and look at the sky at night and see the stars sometimes it's almost hypnotic I think. How is the structure of your day now different compared to the past? I suppose a few years ago when I first started studying I was more relaxed and more social than now. Now becasue I'm doing my Masters Degree there is a lot of reading I need to do and I seem to have much less time for other activities. So I don't go out as often as I used to. But really, my life hasn't changed much in the last few years, it just feels a little more busy at the moment than usual. I still live in the same place - see the same poeple - do the same things. Maybe if I do go to Australia, I will be able to tell you about many changes in the future!
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I thought it seemed like a good idea - everybody loves gold - and I thought it woud be a good investment for the future. Anyway, I didn't do anything about it at the time, but I did decide to do some more research about the subject. Over a week I visited some other websites and read a lot more about buying, selling, and ivesting in gold. I learned so much and began to get really interested in the topic. Eventually I decided to buy some gold rounds and coins, simply because I liked the design, and I learned that the price of gold is relatively low at the moment so it seemed like a good time to buy. This was last week, and they delivered my order a couple of days ago. I think Imust have spent about 20 minutes just looking at these gold items when I first opened them. they were so beautiful and I had never bought anything gold before in my life so it was like a special moment. Now, I have a plan to try and buy some more gold every month, little by little. there are some coins that are really interesting but I also want to buy gold because I think it's a good idea for the future.
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In your view, What is the most effective advertising media? I'm not sure. Doesn't it depend on the product or service that a company is trying to sell? That is why marketing companies get paid a lot of money - to design the best plan - to reach the right people. Maybe there are some products that can be advertised anywhere and be effective, but most have a preferred media or style of advertising depnding on who they are aimed at. For example, you wouldn't try and sell cheap products in a high quality magazine or advertise expensive cars ina poor neighbourhood. So each company has to decide what kind of product it is they are selling and choose the most effective channel for their advertising. Do you think any advertising could be harmful? No, not really, after all, ads only inform or suggest that something is good and we should buy it. It's the people who make the decision to buy - or not. I can't imagine how an ad could harm someone, it doesn't do anything - it's passive.
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Sure, there's a garden here in Edinburgh that I really love. Well, actually it's more than a garden, it's like a park, It's called Princes Street Gardens and it's very large. Apparently it was created from an old loch, like a lake, which dried up. It's been there for hundres of years now and has a lot of trees, plants, flowers and other interesting things like statues, monuments and fountains and stuff like that. It's a public garden and every day you can see hundreds of people there - some of them are tourists visiting Edinburgh - and others are just walking through the gardens on their way to someplece, or you can often see people sitting having something to eat or drink at one of the cafes. Just last week I saw several people sitting on some of the benches reading, now that the weather has turned nice again. I used to go to the gardens a lot when I first arrived here from abroad. I found it very relaxing - so much greenery - in the middle of the capital city. Now I try to go every couple of weeks to explore a little and learn a bit more about the gardens. I have some favourite places in the gardens, for example, the Ross Fountain, and there are many other monuments and commerative sites whhich honor explorers, reformers, and volunteers and poeple who died in various wars and for various causes throughout history. It's almost like walking through a history book sometimes. I would love to have enough time to learn about all of them. But one of the 'things' I like most is that you can always find a quiet place to be by yourself if you go - or you can go to different parts where there are a lot of people all around - there's a lot of variety and you can see, and sometimes even meet, people from all over the world. I suppose if you were really interested in flowers and trees and things like that it would be a great place to spend some time too. I'm not really, but it's easy to see that there are a a lot of different plants and shrubs throughout the gardens. I just like going there because there is always something to do and different people to see, and to see how different the gardens look as the seasons change.
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IELTS Turkey
IELTS speaking test Turkey July 2013 Part 1 IELTS Turkey speaking test
What is your full name? My name is ... Can I see your ID? Yes, of course, here's my ID card Where are you from? I'm from here, Ankara Do you work or study? I work, I'm a technical support manager. Why is patience important? I think it's important because it can help in many situations. Being impatient doesn't really help resolve any problems and in fact it can sometimes cause more problems. Are you a patient person? Generally, yes I am, although I sometimes feel imatient in certain situations, I try not to show it, as I said, it doesn't really help in most situations so there's no pit in making other people feel uncomfortable. What do you do when you get impatient? I count to 10. My grandfather taught me this - it's very simple, whenever I feel impatient and maybe angry about something - I just count to 10 and it seems to make me more calm. Is it important to have good relationship with colleagues at your workplace? [Why?] Yes, it's important. It can be difficult to achieve it sometimes depending on the personalities involved but it's certainly a better situation than having to deal with a lot of conflict every day. If everyone is getting along well then normally everything else goes well also. What type of clothes do you prefer to wear? [Why?] Well, when I'm at work I wear a shirt and tie and formal pants or trousers, but when I'm away from work I like to wear casual clothes, and when I have time off from work I usuallu just wear a T-shirt and jeans most of the time. What factors do you consider before buying any clothes? If it's casual clothes then whatever I like, as long as it isn;t too expensive. When I buy clothes for work I'm not very fussy either, I usually just buy plain colored shirts and some simple ties and dark colored pants or trousers. I'm not very fashion conscious and I don't like spending a lot of time shopping for clothes.
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Do you like shopping? No, not really, I like buying gadgets and tech stuff but shopping for clothes and stuff like that - not really. I try to avoid it until I really need something. It can be a problem sometimes because my girlfriend loves shopping - she's the complete opposite from me. How often do you go shopping? On my own, not very often, but my girlfriend takes me with her quite often to go shopping and maybe eat and drink something together.
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Do people often eat outdoors in your country? Yes, I think it's quite a common thing to do. There are lots of vendors who sell all kinds of food in the street and many restaurants who have open areas next to the street or maybe a terrace outside where you can eat. We have good weather for much of the year so it's nice to sit outside and enjoy the evening. What do you think about eating in fast-food chains? You know I used to eat in them a lot when they first arrived here in Turkey, but not so much now - the novelty has worn off. They can be more expensive than our own Turkish food and people say it's not that healthy for you either. They're more popular with a lot of young people and visitors. Nowadyas I go maybe once or twice a year, no more. Do you think people are more health-conscious now than in the past? Yes, I would agree with that, there's a lot more information about health and fitness available now and more people are trying to lead healthy lives. My best frined and I joined a gym last year and we are very interested in health and fitness now. Why do people try to eat healthier foods? I think many people have differnt reasons. I know that I feel better than I used to and have more energy and I think there's a big emphasis on being young now - and being healthy and fit keeps you young - maybe that's one of the reasons why it's so popular. It's a generation thing I think because a lot of older people don't really pay much attention to it. Why do many countries have food/cuisine exhibitions at international events? It could be to help promote their culture or even help encourage tourism to their country. Events like that are good ways to showcase the best of your country and maybe make people more interested in visiting some day to experience it for themsleves. I think that kind of event has become popular because international cuisine has become more easily available in many other countries now - it's easier to eat food from other countries than it was many years ago - that has made people more interested in knowing more about other contries and not just their own local food. Do you think that food can represent a country? Yes, just like music, food is very particular to certain countries and regions of the world. It's part of the culture of a country just like music and dance and language. Some are more famous than others, for example, Mexican food is known all across the world and Italian pasta too - so yes, food can represent a country as part of the overall culture.
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Sample Answer: Okay, so one of my favorite dishes is chicken fried rice. Its really simple, I know, but when its cooked well, its delicious. My mother taught me how to cook it when I was a young girl, in fact I think it was the first thing she showed me how to cook so I think thats one of the reasons I like it so much. You can also change it quite a lot and add some extra things into it or keep it very simple. Another reason I like it is because its really easy, quick and cheap to make. So I start with some chicken, I prefer to use chicken breast because its tastier and generally better quality than other parts, though you can use any chicken really. I partly cook the chicken breast by boiling it until its ready. While cooking the chicken I also precook the rice. I use a rice cooker as it gets the best results, but you can use just a pan of water if you want. While the rice and chicken are cooking I prepare the vegetables or anything else I want to put in the dish. Sometimes I put some extra things like some ham or mushrooms, but I normally just include a little onion, sliced up really thin, some green peas, and some tomatoes, again chopped up really fine with all the seeds removed. When everything is ready and the rice and chicken have cooled down, I start to prepare for frying the rice and mixing everything together. I add a little oil to a large frying pan along with some seasoning and beaten eggs, and then add the rice, stir it up and then add the chicken. After cooking it a little I add the vegetables and any other ingredients, mixing it all the time. When I think its ready I taste it to see if there is enough seasoning and flavour, and then its ready to eat. One of the other reasons I like it so much is because you can make it for one person or many people, just by changing the amount of ingredients accordingly and almost everyone I know loves it so its really easy to make something quick if anybody comes round to visit and theyre hungry. Sometimes its better than going out and we can chat while Im cooking it, so its nice. IELTS Speaking Test Hong Kong | Part 3 Have eating habits changed over time in your country? What are the disadvantages of todays diet? Should children be taught in schools how to eat properly?
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Sample IELTS speaking test questions from an IELTS interview in Bangladesh IELTS Speaking Test Bangladesh | Part 1 What is your full name? Can I see your ID? Where are you from? Where do you stay? Do you work or study? What do you do for a living (what job)? What is the most interesting place in the city that you would recommend to visit? Do you think gardens are important for people in the city area? What kind of building design is popular now? Would you like to be an architect, if you had a chance? IELTS Speaking Test Bangladesh | Part 2 Describe a seminar or a speech that you have attended. Please say: - What kind of seminar/speech was it? - Where was the seminar/speech held and who was the speaker? - Was it helpful for you in some way? IELTS Speaking Test Bangladesh | Part 3 Why do people get nervous when they speak in public? How can they improve their public speaking skills?
Sample IELTS speaking test questions from an IELTS interview in Nepal IELTS Speaking Test Nepal | Part 1 What is your full name? Can I see your ID? Where are you from? Do you work or study? What is the most used kind of transport in your country? Why? What needs to be done to encourage people to use public transport more? Does your job require concentration and attention to detail? How do you concentrate, when you need to? IELTS Speaking Test Nepal | Part 2 Describe an event where it was very crowded. Please say: - What event was it? - Why did you attend it? - How did you feel at the event? IELTS Speaking Test Nepal | Part 3 - What do you think about traveling in groups? - What are the advantages or disadvantages of such a trip? - Who do you think travels in groups more: younger or older people?
Would you shop online or in a store for a boat? I'd probably do some research online first, you know, about different models and specifications, and then go to a dealer and actually look at any boat thyat I was interested in. Obviously I'd want to take it for a test
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drive and make sure that I like it before buying it. If I found a boat I liked and wanted to buy then I would try to find it at the best price so maybe I'd buy it online or maybe from a local boat dealer depending on the best price I could get. Have you ever been dissatisfied with an online purchase? No, I've never had a bad experience with anything I've bought online. But I don't buy many things normally. I've had more disappointing experiences with online banking than buying products or other services.
A couple of months ago I found an interesting site while I was looking for help to prepare for the IELTS tests, the site is by the british Council and is called TakeIELTS. I think it is a good site and I found it when I was searching for resources to practice for the exam. It has lots of helpful information, IELTS practice tests and videos of IELTS candidates giving advice and tips about how to do different things in the test. It's very comprehensive and threre are even full IELTS preparation courses online if you pay a subscription charge. the site helped me learn all about the format of the exam, the different sections and skills that are tested and I got to see lots of examples of the types of questions that are used in the IELTS test. before I started to prepare for the exam I didn't really know anything about it. None of my friends had done it before and there weren't any preparation course that I could attend because I work a lot and couldn't make the schedule of the classes. I think I learned most about the IELTS test from that website, even though I found some other sources for material and information on the internet also. After spending quite a lot of time on the site I had a very good idea of what was involved in the IELTS test and what skills I needed to develop. It was very informative, but I wish they had some more videos of the actual IELTS speaking test showing real people doing the interview. I found some videos like that on YouTube and I thought they were very informative and helped me learn more about what to do during the IELTS speaking test. Overall though I think it's one of the best sites that I came across while looking for IELTS resources.
Do you think usage of the internet is different for different age groups? Yes, very different. For example, I use it for almost everything, evryday. I do my banking on the internet. I use it to shop and find information, to do research for projects and I also use it for fun and entertainement too, not to mention keepig in touch with all my frineds on facebook and things like that. I think older people use the internet more for different things, for example, my parents use it to email their frineds and keep in touch with my sister who is studying in Australia at the moment. They sometimes use video to call her, but mainly they like to write all their news and send it in an email. In general I think most older people don';t like spending somuch time in front of a computer whereas younger people probably get most of their information and entertainment through the internet either on their laptops or other mobile devices. Do you think the government should consider educating elderly people to become computer-literate? No, not really. It's a personal thing I think. Not everybody wants to or needs to be computer literate, they just need to learn the basics of email and maybe how to pay things online,like bills. I think most kids are happy to show or help their parents if necessary and my grandparents, for example, just aren't interested in searching the web for information. They like to do things the way they have always done - by speaking to a person and asking questions. They know how to use email though. It might be a good ideaq if the government made basic computer classes available for anybody who wanted to learn - but I don't think there is a need to plan a large scale national computer literacy curriculum or anything like that. Can we live without the internet? Well, we used to live without it, just like we lived without the car and color television. But nowadays everything is based on the internet. Business, commerce, banking, shopping, education, social interaction and almost anything you can think of. The internet is now an integral part of modern life. Most people don't even think how marvelous it is or how incredibly powerful it is. I guess it's like the electric light bulb - we take it for granted, most people don't know exactly how it works, but it's part of life and it's an essential part of modern life, so I don't think we'll stop using it, but it might be possible to live without it if you really want to, but your lifestyle would be very different.
Sample IELTS speaking test questions from an IELTS interview in Pakistan IELTS Speaking Test Pakistan | Part 1
What is your full name? Can I see your ID? Where are you from? Do you work or study? What do you like about your job? Why did you choose this profession? Is wedding ceremony important in your country? Who gets invited to a wedding in your country? What activities do you have at the wedding? What is the major difference between weddings today and 20 years ago?
What is your full name? Can I see your ID? Where are you from? Where do you live now? Describe your city. Where would you like to live in the future? IELTS Speaking test Bangladesh | Part 2 Talk about a gift that you gave to someone recently. You should say: What was the gift and when was it given? Whom did you give it to? How did you feel about it? IELTS Speaking test Bangladesh | Part 3 Talk about the importance of gifts in your country. What kind of gifts do you like to give? What is the role of advertisements in the gifts industry?
Do you work or study? I'm studying at the moment, I'm in my final year at the Tashkent State University of Economics. What type of transport do you usually use? I have a motorcycle and I also use the metro or trams depending where I want to go to. The metro is good for going to a lot of places and relatively cheap. If I want to go out of the city then I usually take my motorbike because it's more convenient for me. Do you think transportation in your country is good? Why? In the major cities the transport is ok. The metro system is very good for us, it's clean, fast and safe and there are lots of destinations served. The old trolleys or trams can be slow sometimes and they can have problems when they disconnect from the electricity, but usually the driver can fix it and then continue. Outside of the cities in rural zones a lot of transport is by local taxi. How would you upgrade the transportation in your country? I think it would be good if the rail network were upgraded. The infrastructure is very old in many places and needs to be repaired or replaced to improve the service. Some of the older trolley buses should be renovated or replaced also to improve the overall reliability of the system
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About a week ago, I was late for an important meeting with one of my teachers at the university. We were supposed to meet at around 3pm to discuss a project I'm working on for one of the courses I'm attending this year. Anyway, at lunchtime I had to go into the city and take care of some errands. One of the things I had to do was collect an item from my uncle's shop for my mother, but when I arrived my uncle wasn't there and his assistant didn't know anything about it. So I had to wait. Eventually my uncle arrived at the shop, but I had been waiting for nearly an hour. When I left I thought I might be able to make it to the university on time, but then there was a problome with one of the buses that I too and we got stuck in a traffic jam, and I lost more time. By the time I finally arrived at the university and went to my teacher's office he had already left. I was almost an hour late for your appointment so I can;t blame gim for not waiting any longer. I saw him the next day and had to apologize to him. He understood the situation and we arranged to meet early this week. Of course, I made sure that I arrived early this time, so there was no problem. I felt bad about arriving late because I like my teacher and he had offered to help me, he didn't have to do that, but you can't control everything and sometimes delays happen and you just have to accept the situation. I don't think he was angry, it happens a lot here.
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Do you work or study? I'm working, I'm a systems engineer with one of the cellular network companies based here. What is the major challenge at your job? Well, apart from the daily technical problems associated with maintaining the network operational and solving problems, we need more resources to extend coverage to other areas. Mobile and internet coverage is growing rapidly here at the moment, last year it increased by more than 50%, so we're experiencing a lot of challenges related to network capacity. Would you recommend this job to others? Yes, definitely, I think it's a very interesting job for a young person and there are many changes happening at the moment driven by technology. It is an important time, and in the future I think it will be even more important for the development of my country. Do you like to take pictures? No, not really. I took a couple of photos last week, but that was for work, so that I could explain a technical problem to a colleague. I really don't take many personal photos, I'm very shy. My sister loves to take photos though, she probably takes enough for both of us. Do you have a family portrait at home? There is an old family photo that we have in our main room. It shows three generations of my family, my grandparents, my parents and me and my brother and sister. It was taken a long time ago when we were children. It's not very big, but it's one of my mother's favorite photographs. What is unique about it? I think it's the only photo we have that has both sets of grandparents in it. There are my maternal grandparents and paternal grandparents together. Only two of them are alive now, so I think that makes the picture even more special for my parents and the rest of the family. When was the last time you took a picture? The last time was last week, I took a picture of an network installation for by boss to show a problem with the way it had been done so that a technician could come and rectify it. Do you think people exercise a lot these days? A lot? No, not really, not here. People who live outside the cities walk a lot, especially those who live in the country and the mountains. And children play some sports and other activities. I suppose they get a lot of exercise, but you don't often see people doing exercise like in some other countries.
Do you exercise yourself? What exercises do you do? I do when I have time. I still play soccer with some friends from school. We try to play every weekend, but sometimes I'm busy and can't make it. I tried to learn yoga about a year ago from a book, I wanted to learn how to relax and I had heard that yoga can be very beneficial for you in the long term. I tried it for a couple of months, but then I stopped doing it. Maybe I'll try again soon because it was quite interesting. IELTS Speaking test Nepal | Part 2
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Describe a major event in your country. You should say: Who takes part in the event What is important about the event Why you like/dislike this event Every year in October or November we celebrate the festival of Chhath; it is an ancient Hindu festival which is dedicated to the sun god Surya. It lasts for four days and there are various activities that people do or are involved in during the period. People believe that Surya is responsible for maintaining life on earth so they pray and offer thanks and also make wishes for things they would like to happen in their lives. It's thought that worshiping the sun brings good fortune to families, farmers and many aspects of our lives. The first day of Chhath involves people bathing. Many people go to a holy river, and they sometimes take the holy water home with them to help in the preparation of the offerings. People clean their homes and only eat one meal during the day. People cook some traditional vegetarian food, some people even cook it on a special stove made from the earth and use wood to do the cooking, there are also some special beliefs that the utensils used for cooking should be wooden but nowadays many people use metal ones. On the second day, people don't eat, or they fast, they eat something in the evening once the sun has gone down. The traditional food includes rice and puffed-wheat as well as bananas. On the third day of this event, people spend most of the time preparing the special food, families might go to a pond or river and offer their prayers and offer milk to the sun as it sets. There is also chanting or traditional singing. It can seem like a carnival at times when friends and family all come together to celebrate it. There is also another tradition we observe which is Kosi when we make earth lamps and place them under a canopy which is supported by five sticks, the sticks represent earth, wind, fire, air and water, the five elements of the earth. Many people perform this ritual in the evening at home with their family. The next day you can see many people at the riverbanks making their offerings to the sun as it rises in the sky, and then they eat. This is one of the most important cultural events for many people in this part of the world and many families spend time together during this special time of year.
IELTS Speaking test Nepal | Part 3 Do you think people from the countryside forget their local culture when they move to the city? Why? Sometimes, I think they lose some of the activities because life in the cities is quite different, but many people try to observe their old way of life the same as it was before when they first move to the city. It's different if you've been brought up in the city, we don't do all the traditions that exist but we know about them. Sometimes it's not possible if you're working in a modern company so we may make some
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celebrations but the actual rituals are adapted to be more convenient and less time consuming. How can people be encouraged to preserve the culture? I think that teaching young children about our history and culture is very important. If we don't do this then we might lose some of our culture in a few generations. Even if we don't observe all of the traditional activities that our ancestors did, it's important to know about them and their significance in our culture.
IELTS Vietnam
IELTS Vietnam February 2013 IELTS Speaking test Vietnam | Part 1 What is your full name? Can I see your ID?
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Do you work or study? What is the first thing you do after classes? Is it possible to concentrate on two things at the same time? Why? What do you do to stay concentrated? IELTS Speaking test Vietnam | Part 2 Describe your idea of a perfect vacation. Please say: Where would it be? Whom would you go there with? What would you do there? IELTS Speaking test Vietnam | Part 3 Why do you think the vacation you described would be perfect? Do you think you will go there some day? What things should people consider before traveling to new places? What do they need to know about such places? What would makes such a trip special, in your opinion? What are some of the advantages of organized trips? Is it beneficial for companies to give vacations to workers?
IELTS Ireland
IELTS Ireland February 2013 IELTS Speaking test Ireland | Part 1 What do you enjoy the most about your studies? Do people take more photographs these days? How often do you take pictures?
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When did you last take a picture? Do you like a cold climate or hot climate? What are the seasons in your country? Has the weather change in the recent years? IELTS Speaking test Ireland | Part 2 Describe a product that you bought and were disappointed with. Please say: What was the product? Where did you buy it? Why was it unsatisfactory? IELTS Speaking test Ireland | Part 3 What do you think about peoples materialistic attitude? What do people look for when they buy a product? Is the environment being affected by peoples activities? What measures should to be taken by manufacturers in order to protect the environment? What is more important, to keep the environment intact or to satisfy our consumerist needs?
IELTS Argentina
IELTS Argentina February 2013 IELTS Speaking test Argentina | Part 1 What is your full name? Can I see your ID? Do you work or study?
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Do you find your job interesting? Would you recommend it to others? How often do you use the Internet? What do you use it for? When did you use the Internet for the first time? Are there any problems associated with using the Internet? Do you send post cards? Do you prefer to send post cards or emails? why? IELTS Speaking test Argentina | Part 2 Talk about a wrong decision made by somebody you know. Please say: What was the decision? Why do you think it was wrong? Does that person agree or disagree with you now? IELTS Speaking test Argentina | Part 3 Is it better to consult with others before you make decisions? Who are the best people to consult with? Is it always a good idea to consult your parents? What is the problem with making decisions slowly? Is it better to make decisions on the spot without second thought? Why? What is the problem when you make emotional decisions?
Do you work or study? Where are you from? Can you describe the seasons in your country? Do you like it when its raining? Do you like cold or hot weather? Do you think there has been a major change in climatic conditions recently?
What subjects do you study? What is your major? Do you think your work does good for the world? Would you recommend this profession to anyone? What do you do during your leisure time? Describe a place that you recently visited. IELTS Speaking test DUBAI | Part 2 Talk about a movie that you have seen recently. Please say What movie was it? What was the significance of the movie? What was the main hero like? IELTS Speaking test DUBAI | Part 3 Would you recommend such a film to anyone? What other activities does an actor have to do when he/she works on a film? Do you think film stars deserve to have some privacy?
No, not really. It's not a very demanding job but then I only do it part-time to help fund my education. maybe if I did it all day ever day i would find it more difficult. What do you usually do after work? Well, I usually finish work quite late at around 10.30pm so I normally get on the bus and go straight home to eat dinner and then study. Maybe on Friday night I might sometimes go out and meet some friends. Did you go to parks during your childhood? Yes, almost everyday. We used to live right next to a park so it was one of my favorite places to play after school. It was big and had lots of things you could do there. It was always full of children playing. How often do you go to the parks now? Really, not very often, maybe when I go out with my family or during vacations from university. I'm really too busy to go to the park like I used to before. It would be nice to go more often, but I just don't have enough time at the moment. Do you think parks are important for people? Absolutely, it's a change of scenery from being at home or at the office or in school. You can enjoy the scenery, the lake and enjoy the fresh air, take your dog for a walk if you have one, and my favorite park is far away from the traffic so it's really quiet and peaceful when I go there. What do you do to relax? I don't really get that much time to relax at the moment. This year is very busy for me, but when I do get some free time I like to listen to music or meet up with my friends and go out somewhere to enjoy ourselves. I used to like reading a lot, but nowadays I do a lot of reading for my studies so I like to do something different when I have free time to relax. Do you think people have enough time to relax? I think most people would say no. I certainly feel that I have a lot less time to relax than in the past. I think the pace of life even only ten years ago was much less frantic and people had more time for other things apart from studying and work. Life has become much more competitive nowadays and that doesn't leave a lot of time for just relaxing. I think people tend to plan relaxation activities more now than in the past because they know that it's important.
IELTS Speaking Test Part 2 Describe an advertisement that made you want to buy a product. Please say: - What was the product? - What was the advertisement about? - Why did it make you want to buy that product? About a couple of months ago I saw an advertisement on the internet for a special pair of running shoes. It was the picture that caught my attention first because the shoes looked very different from normal running shoes. They were designed like a pair of gloves for your feet, if you know what I mean. They were made from a special 'breathable' material and had a synthetic sole grafted onto the body so that
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they fitted like a glove on your foot, but the bottom was quite similar to a normal running shoe so that it gripped well and provided protection for your feet. Unlike a normal running shoe each toe was separate. It was really strange to see something like that because I had just been wondering a few weeks earlier why someone hadn't invented a running shoe like this before - and then a couple of weeks later by pure coincidence I came across them on the internet. I wasn't even looking for them or anything. Anyway, the ad was basically a 360 degrees color photo of the shoes, showing them from all angles and some technical and product information about them. There was also a video that was maybe 3 or 4 minutes long and showed a runner going up a rocky hill and the video explained how these running shoes allowed the runner to 'feel' more of the ground underneath his feet and grip better because of the flexing motion of the bottom of the shoes. It was more an informative ad than anything arty or creative, but it made me want to buy the shoes because I hadn't seen them before and I wanted to try them, so I ordered a pair in my size and they arrived a couple of days later. I've tried them out a couple of times so far and they seem really good. They cost me just a little bit more than some of the normal running shoes, but I think they're worth the extra money. The running experience is quite different from normal and personally I prefer it.
IELTS Speaking Test Part 3 What kinds of media are available for advertising in your country? All the usual channels such as TV, radio, internet, magazines, newspapers, hoardings and billboards and such like, really anything you can think of people will put to use to advertise products or a brand. Promotional gimmicks such as T-shirts and even cars are often used to promote an event or brand. Are there any other traditional kinds of media for advertising other than TV and newspapers? Yes, as I said, the large billboards are still very popular although they are mainly used by large well established brands because they are very expensive to pay for. Radio advertising is still very popular because it's quite inexpensive compared to national TV or newspapers. And then there are those sponsors who promote themselves at sports events using the traditional media of large displays or having their company name or brand on the sports equipment. There are lots of traditional ways that companies still
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advertise even though many companies are now spending a lot of money on internet advertising. What products are usually advertised using these different media types? In the case of radio I think they are mainly products that have a local appeal as there are many different local radio stations available. The large billboards seem to be mainly occupied by mass market products like fashion orientated goods or maybe food and drink type products, they are typically used by large companies that sell a product or service which appeals to the masses.
Are you planning to stay or go back to your hometown in the future? Part 2 If you were given a chance to do an unusual job, what job would it be? Please say: Why do you think it is an unusual job? Where did you find out about it? What is so interesting about this job? Part 3 Is it important to have a retirement age? Is a part time job in your country supported by schools? Does government have the right to impose a particular number of workers on a company? In what ways are students guided when choosing their career? How do you decide what course or degree will suit you?
Is there a color you dont like to use in your home? Do you watch TV? Which program did you last watch on TV? Do you like to watch TV alone or with someone? Why? IELTS Speaking Test Part 2 Describe an advertisement that you have seen recently. Please say: What was the product in the advertisement? What was the importance of the advertisement to you? What did you like about it the most? IELTS Speaking Test Part 3 What do you think about advertisements aimed at children? What do you think about companies spending a lot of money to advertise their products? Should only good-looking people appear in advertisements?
Describe a village/town/city that you like the most. You should say: - Give a short description of that village/town/city. - Why do you like it? - What in particular do you like there? Part 3 Why do you call an area a city? Do you think the cities are too crowded? What impact does it have on the environment? What should be done to decrease the impact?
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Part 2 What would you want to buy if you had enough money? Please say: - Why would you like that? - Do you think you will actually buy that at some point? - How would you feel after buying this item? Part 3 Does wealth make people happy? If not, what does? What do people live for?
What is so interesting about it? Do you use the Internet? Does your family use the Internet? Part 2 Talk about a garden that you have visited recently. Please say - Why did you visit it? - Who was there with you? - Describe the garden in general. - Why was / wasnt it interesting? Follow up question: Would you advise others to visit it? Why? Part 3 Do any of you friends visit this garden? What are the benefit of gardens in cities? Who mostly visits gardens, younger or older people? Is it acceptable to plant vegetables in the private garden around your house? What is the best time to visit gardens in the Middle East? What are the benefits of gardens for children?
o o o o
How much time do you spend with your family? What do you like to do together as a family? Do you get along well with your family? Are people in your country generally close to their families?
WORK
o o o o o o o o o o o
What do you do? What are your responsibilities? How many hours do you work each day? Do you enjoy your work? Is there some other kind of work you would rather do? If you could change your job or profession, what would you do? Describe the process of getting a job in your country. Describe the company or organization you work for. What is your position? What do you like about your job? What do you dislike about your job?
EDUCATION
o o o o o o o
Describe your education. What kind of school did you go to as a child? Did you go to a co-educational school? What was your favourite subject as a child? Who was your favourite teacher? What is the education system like in your country? Do you think your country has an effective education system?
STUDIES
HOMETOWN
o o o o o o o o o o o o o
Describe your hometown. Whats special about it? Where is your hometown located? Is it easy to travel around your hometown? What is it known for? What do people in your town do? What are the main industries in your hometown? What problems face your hometown? What languages are spoken in your hometown? What are the advantages of living in your hometown? What are some problems faced by your hometown? Compare your hometown with another city. What are some environmental problems faced by your hometown?
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WEATHER
o o o o o o o
Whats the weather like in your country? Does the weather affect your mood? How do rainy days make you feel? Whats your favourite season of the year? What do you like to do when its hot? What do you usually do in the winter? How many seasons does your country have?
HOME
o o o
Describe your home. What kind of building do you live in? How long have you lived there?
WEDDING
o o o o o o o
Have you ever been to a wedding? Whose wedding was it? Where was it held? What clothes do people wear? Describe the wedding ceremony. What sort if gifts do people buy for the bridal couple? What kind of clothes did the bride and groom wear?
TRAVEL
o o o o
Do you like to travel? What kind of places have you visited in your life? Which place would you really like to visit? Why? Whats the best place youve ever visited?
COMPUTERS
o o o
Do you think computers help society? Do you think computers are bad for health? How do you think computers have changed the world?
INTERNET
o o o o o o
Do you use the Internet much during the day? What do you usually do on the Internet? What are some advantages of the Internet? What are some disadvantages? Do people in your country use the Internet a lot? Do you do any shopping on the Internet?
EMAIL
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o o o o o
Do you send and receive email regularly? Who do you usually communicate with? How often do you check your email? Do you think writing email has strengthened or weakened peoples writing skills? What are some disadvantages of email?
FRIEND
o o o o o
Describe a friend. How long have you known each other? What do usually do together? What do you like the most about him / her? How often do you see each other?
PLACE
o o o o o
Describe a place you like to go. Why is this place special to you? When did you first visit this place? Where is this place located? What language is spoken here? Do you speak this language?
SMOKING
o o
What do you feel about smoking in public places? Do you think smoking should be banned in peoples homes?
MARRIAGE
o o o o o o
What is the attitude toward marriage in your country? Do most young people plan on getting married in your country? What are some of the advantages of marriage? What are some of the disadvantages? Is the divorce rate high in your country? Do you think people should be allowed to get divorced?
HOBBIES
o o o o o
Do you have any hobbies? What are some of your hobbies? When did you first develop tis hobby? What are some of the advantages of having a hobby? How much time do you spend on your hobby?
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FILMS
o o o o
Do you enjoy watching movies? Whats your favourite film? Who are your favourite actors? How often do you watch films?
SHOPPING
o o o o o o
Do you enjoy shopping? How do you feel about shopping? Do you like shopping on the Internet? Do you have any favourite stores? What dont you like about shopping? Which is the most popular place to shop in your hometown?
SPORTS
o o o o o o o o
Do you like sports? Do you enjoy watching sports? Do you enjoy participating in any sports? Which sports are most popular in your country? Whats your favourite sport/ When did you first become interested in sports? How often do you participate in sports? What equipment do you need for your favourite sport?
FOOD
o o o o
What are some of your favourite foods? What foods are popular in your country? What are some of the famous dishes of your country? Do you enjoy cooking?
FESTIVAL
o o o o o o
Whats the most important festival in your country? How do people celebrate this festival? What special food is associated with this festival? What special activities are associated with this festival? What do you enjoy most about this festival? Do you think festivals are important for a society?
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TELEVISION
o o o o o o o o o
Do you watch television a lot? What do you usually watch on television? How many hours of television do you usually watch? What are the most popular shows in your country? What kind of shows do you like to watch? What are some advantages of television? What are someof the disadvantages of television? What did you last watch on television? Why do you think certain TV shows are so popular?
TOURISM
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Which places would you recommend to a visitor to your country? Do a lot of tourists visit your country? What do they usually do there? How has tourism changed your country? Is your country expensive for most tourists? What are some famous landmarks in your country?
DAILY ROUTINE
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Describe your daily routine. What do you usually do? What do you do on the weekend? What is you typical weekday like? Does your life change much from week to week? Do you have any free time during the week?
YOUR COUNTRY
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Which country are you from? Where is this country located? Which part of the country do most people live in? What are the main industries in your country? Is it easy to travel around your country?
CLOTHES
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What type of clothes do you like to wear? What kind of clothes do people in your country usually wear? How important is fashion to you? What kind of clothes do you dislike? Do you think people behave differently in different kinds of clothes?
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o o
What kind of clothes do people wear to work in your country? Are clothes expensive in your country?
GOING OUT
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Do you like going out or staying at home? What do you like to do when you go out? How often do you go out? Do people in your country go our a lot? How and where do people in your country usually socialize? What kind of entertainment is popular in your country?
GAMES
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Do you enjoy playing any games? What kind of games do you play? Do you think adults should play games? What do children learn from games? What kind of games did you play when you were a child? What games are popular in your country today? What kind of games were popular when you were young? Do you think mental games like chess are good for you?
COLOURS o Do you have a favourite colour? o What are your countrys colours? o Do you think colours affect our moods? o Can you learn anything about a person from the colours he / she likes? o Do you like the same colours now as you did when you were a child?
MUSIC
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Do you like music? What kind of music do you like? When do you usually listen to music? What kind of music did you like when you were younger? What kind of music is popular in your country? Do you play any musical instruments? Do you wish you could play any musical instruments? Which is your favourite instrument?
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