Speaking

Task 1

A. Answer these questions.

1. Do you come from a big or small family?

2. What do you enjoy doing with your family in your free time?
3. Would you prefer to live in a big family / small family? Why / Why not?
4. Do parents nowadays spend enough time with their children? Why? / Why not?
B. Look at the photos below. Then write 1 (photo 1), 2 (photo 2) or В (both photos) next to the words below.

a. pets f. jeans
b. board game 9. garden
c. parents h. outdoors Useful Expressions - Describing
d.children i. indoors photos
e.friendly j. relaxed ... lying on the floor.
C.Complete the sentences about the two photos. Use the words in I can see a ... in the foreground /
the box. background.
There's a white...
right – background – next to – behind – left – foreground - on There are four...
She's got long ...
1. In the ................ I can see some trees. He's behind / in front of / next to /
2. The father and son are sitting .......... the sofa. on the right
3. The girl with long blonde hair is .............. her mum. He's wearing ...
4. In the ............. there is a mother and daughter. She's ... tall, slim good-looking
5. The teenage boy is ............. the white dog. He / She's got... long, dark hair
6. The boy in the striped T-shirt is on the ............... .
They look ... relaxed / happy /
easy-going
7. The father with two dogs is on the ............... .

Describing in detail
• In the exam, look at the photo for a moment before you start speaking.
• Try and describe the photo in as much detail as possible – think about what you can see in the background and
foreground.
• Use adjectives to describe people and things, e.g. what they are wearing, their personality, etc.
• Use prepositions to say where things are in the photograph.
 Useful Expressions- Using adjectives
Task 2 It looks / seems to be + adjective
I think they / he / she are + adjective
A. Answer these questions. That is / isn't good for you because it's +
adjective
• Can you cook? What can you cook?
I often eat / don't usually eat that because
• Who normally does the cooking at home?
it's + adjective
• What's your favourite food and what food do you never eat?
I like / don't like that because it's + adjective
• Do you enjoy eating fast food? Why? / Why not?
• Do young people still eat lots of traditional types of food?
Why / Why not?

plain

B. Choose the correct adjective to complete the task.

1.The chocolate cake with strawberries was delicious / horrible . I ate three pieces!
2 This chicken is undercooked / overcooked . It's black!
3 My dad really loves bland / spicy food, like a hot, Indian curry.
4 This salad looks really tasty / tasteless! It's bright and colourful / grey.
5 Some people don't like the bitter / sweet taste of lemons.
6 Too much healthy / processed food isn't good for you.
7 They usually eat grilled / fried fish because it is healthier.
8 I waited a long time for these eggs and now they're cold / hot!

Using different adjectives

• When you describe people or things try to use lots of different adjectives.
• Try not to use adjectives like nice, good or bad all the time.
• Look carefully at the photo first and think about positive or negative ways to describe the things you can see.
• You can also give your opinion and say if you like or dislike what you see.
Task 3

A. Answer these questions.

1. Why is our planet in danger?

2. How do people damage the environment?
3. Should you help to protect the environment? Why / Why not?
4. If we don’t protect the environment, what do you think will happen in the future?

B. Match the verbs 1-5 with words a-e.

Useful Expressions- Opening discussions
1 start a rubbish and litter on the beach
2 recycle b posters for a campaign Shall we start with this...?
3 plant с trees Let's begin / start by looking at ...
4 clear up d a school blog First of all,...
5 put up e plastic, paper and cans To begin with,...
Let's move on to ...
Shall we talk about... now?

Listening to instructions
• In the exam, listen to the instructions carefully and make sure you understand what you have to talk about.
• If you aren't sure or you are nervous, you can politely ask the examiner to repeat the instructions.
• Start by talking about the first picture then discuss each one before making a decision.
Task 4

A. Answer these questions.

1. Is your home big or small?

2. What do you like the most about your home?
3. Would you like to design or build your own house? Why? / Why not?
4. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live and why?

B. Look at the list of features that a house or neighbourhood might have. Decide if they are advantages or
D disadvantages.
1 attic 6 garden Useful Expressions- Talking about a topic
2 modern kitchen 7 good public transport
My favourite room is .... because ... and / but ...
3 large park 8 shops nearby
If I could change something about my house / flat,
4 busy roads 9 pollution
it would be / I'd ... because ...
51 garage 10 central heating
Do you like the ... in your house / flat?
How much time do you spend in ...?
Would you change the same things as me in ...?
What about your...?

Expanding on the topic

• After you have described the photos try to expand on your ideas and give reasons for your answers.
• Give more information and try to keep the conversation going!
Task 5

A. Answer these questions.

1. What do you do to keep fit?

2. Do you enjoy watching major sports events like the Olympics or the football World Cup? Why? / Why not?
3. What is your favourite sport? Why?
4. Would you prefer to play indoor or outdoor sports? Why? Why not?
5. Do you agree that “a healthy body means a healthy mind”? Why? Why not?

B. Look at the list of things that describe certain sports. Tick (/ ) those that you think would help a student choose a
sport to take up.
Useful Expressions- Giving opinions
1 helps you meet new people
2. last a long time I think... is a good idea because .
3. needs specialist equipment Well, I don't think he / she should
4. is challenging But if he / she ..., he / she'll...!
5. is cheap Agreeing
6. is dangerous I agree.
Yes, I totally / quite agree with you.
I think you're (quite/ absolutely) right.

Disagreeing
Actually, I don't really agree.
I'm afraid I don't agree.
I don't think that's a very good idea because...
Task 6
A. Answer these questions.

1.Have you ever done an extreme sport? If not, would you like to?
2. Have you ever been to any extreme places?
3. Do you know anyone that does an extreme sport?
4. Are extreme sports appropriate for all ages? Why? / Why not?
Useful Expressions- Paraphrasing
B. Which statements below describe extreem sports?
It's a sort of ...
1 They're dangerous. It's a kind of ...
2 In the end, you get a sense of achievement. It's a an activity that . . . /a place where . . . /
3 They're relaxing. a person who ...
4 They're very exciting. I think it's a ...
5 You need a good instructor. It could be / might be a ....
It's similar to ...
Some extreme sports: It's dangerous because ...
bungee-jumping You need ... to do it.
scuba diving You shouldn't do it on your own because ...
skurfing You have to be careful o f ...
Student В Some equipment, such as... is necessary to ...
windsurfing
free-diving
paddleboarding

Paraphrasing
• Don't worry if you don't know or can't remember a word in the exam. Try not to waste time trying to remember it.
• Think of another way of saying the same thing. This is called 'paraphrasing'.
Task 7

A. Answer these questions.

1. Which type of transport do you prefer to use on a long journey?

2. What could you do to stop getting bored when you go on a long journey?
3. Do you normally have free time during the week? Why? / Why not?
4. Is travelling a waste of time? Why? / Why not?
5. If you could spend more time with someone, who would it be and why?

B. Write A (advantages) or D (disadvantages) after the statements 1-6 about going on a journey by car.

1 You feel sick.

2 You can look out of the window and enjoy the view.
3 There are traffic jams.
4 You can't stand up and walk around.
5 It's a fast way to travel and can be comfortable.
6 You can stop and get out when you want to.
Useful Expressions- talking about possibility
I think ... might be good
I don't think ... would be a good idea because...
For me /In my opinion ... could be good
I think ... would be good because ...
I don't think that would work because ...

Talking about all the options

• It's important to talk about all the options in the exam before deciding on the best one.
• Think about the advantages and disadvantages of each option and give your opinion.
• It's a good idea to say why an option might be good before you say why it might not be the best.
• Remember to ask your partner his or her opinion.

You are going on holiday by coach. It's a long journey and you might get bored so you want to take some things to
do while you are travelling. Talk about the things you could do with these things.
Task 8

A. Answer these questions.

1. What kind of gadgets do you use on a daily basis?

2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of having a mobile phone?
3. Are there any electronic devices that you would like to have, but you don't own?
4. Do you think people would be able to survive without gadgets? Why / Why not?
5. What new gadgets do you think we might have in the next 25 years?
6. If you could own only one gadget, which would it be? Why?

B. Look at the list of electronic devices you might have. Order them from most important to least important.

A. camera
B. laptop Useful Expressions- deciding
C. headphones
D. microwave oven Let me think about...because I can’t decide how to
E. alarm system
F. TV
order them
G. air conditioning If I have to make a decision X is ...
H. security doors I think the best one is ... because...
So, to sum up ...
In the end I think ... because

Making a decision
1. Remember, after you have talked about all the options, you will need to decide which one is the best.
2. Don't decide before you have talked about all the options but don't forget to make a final decision!