Discussion Topic - Health.

Part 1:
Q. 1. Is it important to you to eat healthy food? [Why/why not?]
Answer: Yes, I think it is absolutely important to eat healthy because it is said
that “health is wealth” and “you are what you eat”. Eating healthy keeps us
physically fit in order to care of everything in our daily life. Besides, eating healthy
helps us remain free from different kind of illnesses.
Q. 2. If you catch a cold, what do you do to feel better? [Why?]
Answer: If I catch a cold, I try to take lemon juice in hot tea, mixed with honey, as
often as possible because lemon juice helps keep our immune system strong.
Besides, I also take enough rest when I catch a cold because resting helps
recover and regain our bodily strength.
Q. 3. Do you pay attention to the public information about health? [Why/why not?]
Answer: Yes, I do pay attention to the public health information because they do
contain some important health tips from time to time which helps us keep free
from diseases. Besides, I pay attention to them because I don’t really like to visit
doctors and pay a hefty amount of fee for some simple reasons.
Q. 4. What could you do to have a healthier lifestyle?
Answer: Remaining healthy is the best gift one can have. Anyway, I certainly
could take enough sleep, walk about an hour every day and cut the consumption
of fatty food every day in order to maintain a healthier lifestyle. I could also try to
remain stress-free because stress can really harm our health.

Tourism:
 Tell me about the kind of foreign visitors or tourists go to your country?
A good number of foreign visitors come into my country, India. Though there are
no age groups among the visitors, I have noticed that the middle-aged people are
more in number than other age groups. They come from almost every part of the
world including Australia, Russia and US.

 In what ways has tourism changed your country? 

Tourism, in India, has expanded greatly. Earlier, people used to pay visits to
some specific tourists spots but now they go almost everywhere to enjoy the
beauties. The numbers of facilities and activities around the popular tourist
sports have been enhanced. Apart from that the transportation facility, the
 security is now far better than they used to be in the past.

 What part of your country do most people live in?

Well, the entire country is moderately populous. But I think the density is more
in the urban areas like Delhi and Mumbai.

 Tell me about the main industries there. 

A good number of industries have been formed in India, and among those, the
most notable are automobile industry, agriculture industry, banking industry,
copper industry, cosmetics industry, fashion industry, jewellery industry etc.
 How easy it is to travel around your country?
Yes, it is easier to travel inside the country. The communication system is
developed in every region. Besides, the transportation modes are also different
and comfortable. Anyone can take a flight or a modern train to visit different
parts of the country and that has made travelling easier in India.

  Has your country changed much since you were a child?

Yes, there are lots of changes. The use of technology has increased. The country
has also marched ahead in several fields like medical science, agriculture etc. We
now have better education, healthcare, and job facilities. The export and foreign
remittance have increased and most importantly people are more conscious
these days than they used to be in the past.

 Could you tell me something about your hometown?

I live in Mumbai, previously known as Bombay. This is actually the city that
accommodates a good number of Indians. The city is also famous for some other
issues and living place of many of the Bollywood legends. It is a beautiful place to
live in and offers all the modern facilities someone can expect from India.
What are the benefits of foreigners visiting tourist attractions in your country?
Yes, there is a wide range of benefits as the foreigners visit the tourist attractions of
INDIA. The most important matter is that my country’s economy grows bigger when
the foreigners come to my country. When they pay for their accommodation, food
and shopping, they are contributing to my nation’s economy. Besides, many of the
temporary sellers set their stall beside the tourist spots and make a good deal of
business with the tourists, especially the foreigners. It helps to raise their living
standard, in economic perspective. Besides, the culture and customs of my country
gets spread around the world through the visitors and being attracted to the
customs, they come again which finally improves the economy of INDIA. Further, a
large tourist industry has been built in the country which has created employment
for many unemployed youths – another positive impact of the tourists visiting the
attractive places.
Do foreigners visit these attractions?
Yes, the foreigners frequently visit the places and sometimes it becomes difficult to
collect the entrance tickets too for excessive crowds. The crowds become dense,
especially on the weekends and occasions. Foreigners from across the world gather
at the places and pass their leisure hours in various ways after their tastes. Since the
places are costlier, usually the rich people bear the abilities to visit. Sometimes I
think that the number of rich on the planet is not few as I myself had to stand in a
queue for long hours to enter into an amusement park.

•  What are the disadvantages of it?

Hmm, I agree with you. There are some disadvantages too of the tourists. Sometimes
there are misunderstandings among the tourists and the sellers over the pricing
issues of any specific product. When they cannot reach any agreement, they lock into
minor altercations. Sometimes the tourists are unaware of the cleanliness of the
tourist spots and throw away water bottles or snack packets here and there. As a
result, the environment is spoilt to some extent.
FESTIVALS
Festivals are the most important part of the society. It is during this time that people forget
almost everything and come together to celebrate life. Each country has its own different
festivals, and we celebrate so many of the festivals all around the world. This time let us have a
look at some of the questions related festivals that can be asked in the section III of the IELTS
speaking section.

What is the most important festival in our country?

India is a very diverse country. We have got more festivals than any part of the world. So, in
North, there are festivals like Diwali,Holi,Dusshera that are very important. And then, we have
east, where Durga Puja and Bihu are very important. Down the south we have Onam and
Pongal that are celebrated with lot of zest. In the west, we have kite festival. It is so amazing,
that going across from one part of the other in our country, we can experience all the diversity.
How do people celebrate festivals in your country?
Festivals are truly the time when people do come back home and celebrate with their family and
friends. People dress up according to the occasion and cook delicacies, invite friends and have
a family time. Almost all festival in our country start with a puja, i.e. prayers to God after which
the gatherings take place.

What special food are associated with festivals in your country?

Each festival has its own food. In Pongal, on the first day rice is eaten with fried chickpea
patties, known as vada and the next day people eat Venpongal. In Holi, people drink bhang
which is an alcoholic drink made with rosewater and dried fruits. Sweet dumplings filled with
khoya and dried fruits called gujjias are served as a dessert. In durga puja, bhog is given on
every day of the puja and then during diwali people celebrate it with sweets. There are so many
more festivals and so much more that people actually do.

Which festival do you enjoy the most?

I love Holi the most. This is the festival where people color each other and forget about any
clashes and enjoy with each other. Friends come together and dance and throw colored water
at each other and it is fun!! Later eating the gujiya is amazing.

Do you think festivals are important for the society?

I think definitely yes, festivals are surely  the binding force for the society. In lives of people who
are truly dissatisfied, festivals bring in the hope of something good and something new. Most
people forget their issues and come together to celebrate a festival. Even more, with prayers
being associated with each of the festivals, they bring about so much positivity in life.

Q. Do you think festivals are important for a country? [Why?]

Answer: I don’t just think, but I actually believe the festivals are absolutely important for any country
as it helps bring all kinds of different people together so that they could learn about each other and
appreciate them, in a world which has seen too much hatred and animosities already towards each
other. They spread brotherhood, faith, love, sense of respect and duty among the people without
destroying others emotions and beliefs.

 Do you think festivals are important for a country? Why?

Yes, certainly festivals are important for a country. It helps to strengthen the
internal bond among the countrymen.

 Do you like to have flowers in your home? Why? Why not? 

I like to have flowers at home and in fact, there is a flower garden before my
 house. I believe that flowers help to beautify a place naturally, and thus I like
flowers.

  Where would you go to buy flowers? Why?

There are some floral shops near our house who sell different kinds of flowers
and, when necessary, I buy flowers from them.

 On what occasions would you give someone flowers? 

Usually, flowers are offered on different occasions like birthday, marriage
anniversary, to show respect or propose etc. I would give flowers to someone on
any special day to wish him/her luck or to congratulate.
 Are flowers important in your culture? Why? Why not?
Of course, the flowers are important in my culture. Flowers are generally offered
to someone to show our love and respect. Sometimes the flowers work like
decorative materials at home as well. In our country, flowers are the symbol of
beauty and purity.

 What do you most enjoy about it? 

Well, I enjoy the gathering of people during the festivals. Almost all the people
come to the street and meet each other and sometimes invite the near and dear
ones at their respective homes.

Internet
1. Do you use internet (very much)?
Yes, I use the internet a lot, especially for research for my studies. I also use the
internet for chatting with my friends, watching movies and playing games.

2. When was the first time you used the internet?

The first time I used the internet was when I was in around 1011 years old. We got a
computer and an internet connection set up at our home.

3. Is the internet very important (or useful) to you?

Yes, the internet is very important/useful for me. I mostly use it for research
purposes for my studies. It also helps me stay connected with my friends.

4. Do you think you can (or could) live without the internet?
It is very hard to imagine a life without the internet. The communication and
connectivity we have now because of the internet will suffer greatly. I would feel
alienated/cut off from the world without the internet.