42 TOPICS FOR IELTS SPEAKING PART 1

& SUGGESTED ANSWERS

42 TOPICS FOR IELTS SPEAKING PART 1

1. Name
2. Study/major/Work
3. Hometown
4. Living place & Accommodation
5. Weather/Favourite Season
6. Punctual
7. TV program
8. Museum/gallery
9. Holiday/Public holiday
10. Film
11. Leisure Time
12. Sports
13. Fruits
14. Math
15. Sky
16. Clothes
17. Weekend
18. Reading
19. Sleep
20. Tree
21. Newspaper
22. Text message or phone calls
23. Memorizing
24. Friend
25. Travelling by train/car/taxi
26. Public Transportation
27. Letters VS email
28. Swimming
29. Snacks
30. Photography
31. Help
32. History
33. Handwriting
34. Music
35. Colour
36. Teachers
37. Being in a hurry
38. Being alone
39. Team work
40. Countryside
41. Social network
42. Hanging out with friends

NAME
1. Who gave you your name?
2. Does your name have any particular (or special) meaning?
3. Do you like your name?
4. In your country, do people feel that their name is very important?
5. Would you like to change your name?
6. Is it easy to change your name in your country?
7. Who usually names babies in your country?
8. Do you have any special traditions about naming children?
9. What names are most common in your hometown?

My parents gave me my name, my father to be exact.

Zhi means knowledge, and Lei means accumulation. So I guess my parents
wanted to tell me that being knowledgeable depends on accumulation. You see
they put a lot of pressure on my shoulders with this name.

I quite like my name, and I won't change it for the world, because it is unique. I
don't think that anyone else in China has the same name. It's part of my identity,
and it is meaningful to me.

People in my country pay great attention to their names because they believe
that suitable names will bring them good fortune. Sometimes they even change
their names for their business and family purpose.

In China, I believe that fathers are in the position of naming their children.
Sometimes they will look through some Chinese classical literatures to seek the
meaningful words for their children.

Oh, there are some nicknames that are very popular in China. For example, Lili
means that their parents hope their daughters would be beautiful; and Kuan
kuan, indicates that their sons would be magnanimous when they are grown up

STUDY/WORK
Do you work or are you a student?
Is that a popular subject in your country?
What are the most popular subjects in China?
Why did you choose that university?
What are your favourite classes/ courses/ subjects at university?

I'm currently a student at a High School. Im studying A’ Levels in order to go to a

university in Britain.

At my school we really focus on the science subjects and English. Since most
students will apply to a foreign University

In my opinion business is probably the first choice for most students. Nearly
everyone wants to be rich so they think that majoring in business would help
them achieve this goal. I guess the second most prevalent subject would be
computing. You know many students like to play computer games so there is no
doubt that people are into that subject.

I would love to go to XXXXXX University – I have an offer for that university right
now but of course I need to get a good IELTS score.

HOMETOWN
1. What's (the name of) your hometown (again)?
2. Is that a big city or a small town?
3. Please describe your hometown a little.
4. How long have you been living there?
5. Do you like your hometown?
6. Do you like living there?
7. What do you like (most) about your hometown?
8. Is there anything you dislike about it?
9. Do you think you will continue living there for a long time?

Well, my hometown is the city of Nanjing, which is a big modern city with an
ancient history -its a pretty nice place to live. The weather there is quite pleasant
all year round, in winter the temperatures are quite mild but in summer it can be
hot and humid

Although Nanjing has been developing quite a lot recently, and expanding every
year, it is still a traditional Chinese City with a long history of which it is rightly
proud.

I think that as a tourist destination, it should preserve its own characteristics to

attract the tourists. In addition, the food here is excellent. You can taste a lot of
local snacks that cannot be tasted elsewhere. In sum, I believe my hometown is
definitely worth a visit.

I was born and raised there so I have lived there for about 19 years.

Well, my hometown, Nanjing has a big reputation because of its long history as a
capital of China. Also for events such as the Nanjing massacre during the 1940’s.

ACCOMMODATION
1. What kind of housing/accommodation do you live in?
2. Do you live in a house or a flat?
3. Who do you live with?
4. How long have you lived there?
5. Do you plan to live there for a long time?
6. (If you answer you haven't lived there long) What's the difference
between where you are living now and where you have lived in the
past?
7. Can you describe the place where you live?
8. Which room does your family spend most of the time in?
9. What do you usually do in your house/flat/room?
10. Are the transport facilities to your home very good?
11. Do you prefer living in a house or a flat?
12. Please describe the room you live in?
13. What part of your home do you like the most?

We live in a pretty spacious apartment in Nanjing. I live on the 8th floor of a

highrise, and its size about 120 square metres. It is a fairly nice place. Our
apartment has six rooms - one living room, one kitchen, two bathrooms and
another two bedrooms. All of them are well decorated and furnished. There is a
big bookshelf beside my brother’s room so that my brother can easily get books
to read. In addition, we have a big balcony outside so that we can enjoy eating
dinner and having tea there.

My family spend most of their time in the living room. We like to sit around on a
set of comfortable sofas there and chat with each other or watch TV. But when I
am free, I prefer to read alone in my room.

I live with my mum and dad and my brother. Our apartment is pretty big so there
is enough space for everyone. We bought the apartment four years ago. And my
brother is in the school near my home, so we won't intend to move in the future.
We sometimes go out by car because it is not convenient to take a taxi in that
area, and it takes nearly 30 minutes to walk to the nearest subway station. So
generally speaking, it is not good to go out without a car.

WEATHER
1. What's the weather like today?
2. What kind of weather do you like (best)? (Why?)
3. What's your favourite weather? (Why?)
4. What do you usually do during your favourite weather (or season)?
5. What's the weather (usually) like in your hometown?
6. Do you like that weather (or, that kind of climate)? (Why? /Why not?)
7. How often is the weather good in your hometown?
8. What did you do the last time the weather was good?
9. Are there any bad points about the weather in your city?
10. What is the typical weather in China like?
11. Have there been any changes in the weather over the past few years?
12. Does the weather ever affect what you do?
13. How does the weather affect people (or, you)? (If yes, how?)
14. How do you feel when the weather is cloudy?
15. Do you always pay attention to the weather forecast?
16. Can you give any examples of unusual weather?
17. Do you like snow? (Why?)
18. Would you prefer to live in a place that has just one, warm season that
lasts the whole year or a place with different seasons?
19. Do people in China play the same sports in different seasons of the year?

It's really freezing (sunny, cool, breezy, chilly, warm, humid, hot) today. If I didn’t
have to take the IELTS exams, I would prefer to stay at home. Actually I prefer
cloudy days, because then it's neither too hot nor too cold. And what's more
important to me is that this weather is perfect for photography as the light is so
soft. So at this time of day, I like to go out with my camera to take photos.

In my hometown the weather is quite pleasant, neither too hot nor too cold most
of the time. Even in winter, the temperature is still quite mild. But the summer is
often hot and humid.

The bad thing about the weather in my hometown is that it doesn't snow as
heavily as does up north like in Beijing for example. It does snow, but usually we
just get a little bit. Every time I see children having a snowball flight or making a
snowman on TV, I really envy them.
I believe though China is a vast country, there are four distinct seasons in most
places. But unfortunately in recent years, many places are becoming boiling hot
in the summer. I guess the changes are primarily due to the greenhouse effect. So
in this extreme weather, I will really prefer to work at home, and the air-
conditioning is working all day long, and at night, I even sleep on the floor to be
cooler.

Yes, Nanjing is facing more and more oppressive haze; I always keep a watchful
eye on the weather forecast. I installed an app in my mobile phone, and I watch
the PM 2.5 indicator it has become a bit of a routine for me.

As for the unusual weather, global warming has really become a hot topic around
the world. It is caused by the greenhouse effect as the sheer volume of carbon
dioxide emitted into the air, prevents the atmosphere from cooling off at night.
As for other unusual weather, hurricanes, which can easily flatten thousands of
homes near the coast in a short period of time, are becoming more common.

Well, if I had to choose between the two, I'd probably go with the distinct seasons
in each year because each season has its own merits. I think I would get bored if
it was warm all year round.

No, in spring and autumn, when the temperature is neither too cold nor too hot,
people in China tend to hike in the mountains, or go running. When it comes to
summer, people can choose more physical activities like swimming, camping in
the forests and playing balls, etc. But in winter, people believe it not suitable for
outdoor exercises, so they prefer to stay at home to keep warm.

Punctual

1. Do you think its Important to be on time?

2. How do you feel when others are late?
3. Are you, yourself, late very often?
4. How do you feel when you are late?
5. How do you think you could be on time?
6. Do you wear a watch?
7. When does time SEEM to move fast, and when does it SEEM to move
Slowly?
8. If you could go back in time, what would you do differently?

Yeah, I think it definitely is, because it's basic good manners to be on time for
things. You know, I think you'd agree it's pretty rude to keep people waiting, and
so it kind of gives a bad impression about that person.
Well I guess it kind of depends, because I mean, if there's a good reason for being
late, you know, like getting stuck in traffic, then I will not really mind that much.
But you know, if the person does not really have any excuse and it's simply
because they could not be bothered to arrive on time, then I suppose I might feel
a bit annoyed.

If yes:
Yeah, I am. And I know it's a bad habit, but for some reason, no matter how hard I
try, I always seem to end up being late for things!

If no:
No, I would not say I am. You know, most of the time I'm pretty good with being
on time for things, because I always make a quite big effort not to be late.

I feel pretty bad, especially if I've kept the other person waiting for a long time.
So if I know I’m gonna be late, I will always try to let the person know in advance,
you know, like send them a text message or something, so at least they know
when to expect me.

I guess the best thing to do would be to always allow lots of time to get
anywhere. So for example, if it normally takes me, say, half an hour to get to the
city centre, then I should probably leave home about an hour before I need to get
there.

If yes:
Yeah I do - you can see it right here!
If no:
No I do not, because I do not think it's really necessary to wear a watch anymore.
You know, if I wanna know the time, I'll just look on my mobile!

Well, I think most people would agree that time moves fast when you're having
fun. A prime example would be when playing computer games, cos I mean,
whenever I play online with my friends, it always seems that only an hour or two
has passed, but in actual fact, it's probably been four or five hours!
And time normally goes slowly when you're bored or simply just not enjoying
yourself. For example, I remember at school, some of my classes felt like they
would never end, when in fact they were just, like, 45 minutes long!
That's a good question. What would I do differently? Um … ok well first of all, if I
could go back in time, I would definitely spend more time practicing the piano,
because you know, I never really practiced that much when I was younger, and I
kind of regret it now, because I'd love to be able to play the piano well

TELEVISION
1. How much TV do you (usually) watch?
2. What's your favourite TV programme?
3. Did you watch much TV when you were a child? (How much?)
4. What (types of) programmes did you watch when you were a child?
5. Do you think television has changed in the past few decades?
6. (Possibly) Do you think television has changed since you were a child?
7. Has television changed your life in any way?

I seldom watch TV. I only turn on the TV to watch a football match on weekends.
That is once a week. I am a big fan of football so I watch a lot of football matches.
It's exciting and entertaining to see how players push their limits to win the
games. I also enjoy watching movies, especially when I connect my computer to
the TV screen and watch movies in High Definition from my bed; it is really
enjoyable at night.

Lately I have tried to watch BBC programmes, because they are all in English and
it can improve my listening for my IELTS exams.

Oh, yes, I really was a couch potato when I was younger. On weekends, when my
parents went out to do other things, I was left alone at home with the TV all day
long. Therefore, I became obsessed with various TV programmes, including the
adverts. I can still remember my favourite cartoons like Transformers, Tom and
Jerry, Dragon Ball, etc, which I watched all through my childhood.

Yes, as the techniques have advanced in these years, the TV has also developed a
lot. They have become thinner and clearer to be exact. I remember those old TV
screens were made with a plasma panel, making the whole TV heavy and big.
Then LCD technology and the LED display came out making the TV thinner and
lighter so we can enjoy brighter and clearer programmes.

I believe that watching TV has benefited me in some way, as well as bringing me

some detrimental consequences. Watching TV programmes had enabled me to
broaden my horizons as I was born and raised in a small county and there were
many places and things I had no opportunities to experience. But the TV had
helped me to see them. But spending too much time in front of TV also made me
addicted to it and unfortunately harmed my eyes. So I’ve had to wear glasses
since middle school

MUSEUM
1. Are there many (or, any) museums in your hometown?
2. Do you think museums are useful for visitors to your hometown/country?
3. Do you often visit a museum?
4. Did you go to any museums when you were a child?
5. When was the last time you visited a museum?
6. Do you think museums are important?
7. Do you think it's suitable for museums to sell things to visitors?

There are a lot of museums in Nanjing because Nanjing has a central place in the
history of China. It allows the local residents to know more about their traditions
and historical celebrities.

I go to the museums a lot, when I go to a new place, I'll find the local museums
that have interesting features. The museum I visited last time was the Guanfu
Museum located in the rural area of Beijing. It is a private-owned museum
featuring Chinese antiques like porcelain, furniture, jade and some paintings.

Museums are really important in protecting, preserving, propagating and

researching numerous human treasures. Once the antiques are in museums, they
are permanently out of circulation, which means the public can see them.

Yes, the reason is that generally, most museums are non-profit organisations, and
these goods make up a large part of their income, except for the tickets of course,
and also partly because these items are closely related to the theme of the
museums, which cannot be bought in other bookstores or shops.

HOLIDAYS
1. What public holidays do you have in your country?
2. Do people in your country celebrate Christmas?
3. Do you like public holidays?
4. Which public holidays do you like the most?
5. What did you do during the last public holiday?
6. What do other people in your country usually do on public holidays?
7. What would you like to do during then next public holiday?
8. Do you think public holidays are important?
9. Do you think there should be more public holidays in your country?
We celebrate a lot of public festivals in my country. I am sure you know about the
Spring Festival which is the most important one. In addition, we get together
with our family for the Mid- Autumn Day and the National Day.

Yes, there are so many people in my country, it's really hard to say, and probably
most people tend to go shopping with families or friends to take advantage of the
sales in the shops, but personally speaking, I am afraid we don't celebrate
Christmas like the way people do in Western countries.

Yes, I am fond of holidays. The main thing is that on these days, I don't have to
work and have plenty of time to relax and also I will have more quality time with
my family.

I believe my favourite public holiday would be National Day because I get at least
seven days to go travelling and also it's the best time to get around, the weather
is neither too cold nor too hot, and the foliage of trees will have turned yellow or
red, which is very pretty.

It's kind of hard to say but people that I know around me tend to go shopping
with their families or friends to take advantage of the sales in the shops, but
maybe for others, they probably will stay at home to relax.

I believe public holidays are rather important and there should be more of them
in my country. The main factor is that people really need to unwind without any
distractions after tiring work and also public holidays can dramatically boost
consumption, as goods in the shops will be sold at a discount during these days.

FILM
1. Do you like to watch films?
2. Do you prefer foreign films or Chinese films?
3. How often do you go to a cinema or watch a movie?
4. Do Chinese people like to go to a cinema to watch a film?
5. What kinds of movies do you like best?
6. What was the first film that you watched?

I'm really into watching films because some films are very entertaining and
provoking. I sometimes go to cinema with my friends and family to enjoy our
leisure time in the weekends.

Well, if I had to choose between the two, I would probably choose foreign films,
especially Hollywood films because most of them are well-acted, with lots of
charismatic celebrities and are often enormous box-office hits; whereas you
know, Chinese films are usually low-budget, so they are not as attractive as their
American counterparts.

I go to cinema to watch movies from time to time. Normally if I’m not busy with
my work, I’ll check out the movies to see whether there are any movies that
attract me; but if I have lots of things on my hands, I'll probably focus on my
work.

It's kind of hard to say but people that I know tend to like watching movies in the
cinema, but maybe for others, they just prefer to stay at home and watch TV
programmes

As for me, I like drama films the best because sometimes they just tell simple but
warm and heartfelt stories with provoking and often emotional endings which
touch me a lot.

The first film that I watched was the Lion King many years ago in the cinema with
my parents. What I can remember now is the terrific animation and the amazing
soundtrack. I particularly liked the song Can You Feel the Love Tonight that I
knew it was produced by Elton John. And I've learned lessons from this movie. It
is about living up to our responsibilities, no matter how hard it is.

LEISURE TIME
1. What do you do in your spare time?
2. What do you do to relax?
3. How do you usually spend your evenings?
4. What do you usually do after work/after classes?
5. Do you prefer to stay at home in the evenings or do you prefer to go out?
6. Do you think modern lifestyles give people enough time for leisure?
7. Do you think people today have more time to relax than in the past?
8. Do you think it's important for people to have leisure time?
9. Do old people and young people spend their leisure time in the same
way?
10. What do you think are the good points and the possible bad points about
having leisure time?
11. How do people in your country spend their holidays?
12. Do you like to travel in your holidays?
13. If you had a child, what leisure places would you go to with your child?

Well, I enjoy driving around in my spare time. I always drive my car with my
friends or family out to the countryside during the weekends to relax. I feel that
driving not only enables me to go where I want to at any time, but I can also
make my own itineraries and discover the stunning places that others may not
find.

Normally, I'll hang out with my friends because I want to relax, but after being a
father, I spend more time at home with my kid, telling stories to him or playing
games with him.

If I had to choose between the two, I'll probably spend more time at home with
my kid, telling stories to him or playing games with him, whereas, hanging out
with friends will reduce my quality family time with my son.

Oh, definitely not, you know, a modern lifestyle brings people more convenience,
however, in this modern fast paced society the fierce competition makes more
people spend more time at work, resulting in less quality time with family and
friends.

Yes, definitely. After a tiring week, people really need to relax. Apart from
earning money, I still need to enjoy my family time, hang out with friends to
socialise and travel around to experience different lifestyles.

Well, between the two, old people are fond of a slow-pace of life compared to
young people, for example, old people enjoy walking in the garden or chatting
with old friends, on the contrary, young people are fond of energetic activities
such as football and hiking in the mountains.

Well, it's kind of hard to say but people that I know around me tend to hang out
with friends for dinner, but maybe for others, they will probably go shopping
with family in the shopping malls to enjoy themselves.

Well, I'm really into taking my kid travelling around to the natural places around
here during the weekends to relax. Although travelling to other places is really
time consuming, I still like going out because I believe that staying close to the
nature can cultivate people' s mental development

SPORTS

1. Do you like to watch sports on TV?

2. Do you play any sports?
3. Do you have a favourite sports star?
4. What's the most popular sports in China?
5. What kind of sports would you like to try in the future?
6. Have you ever tried any dangerous sports?
Yes, I'm really into watching sports on TV because it entertains me a lot. Besides,
I like seeing other people do the things that I can't do and wish I could do.

Yes, I sometimes play football in the morning with my friends in the garden
during the weekends to get some exercises.

My favourite sports star is a footballer called Messi who is a forward for

Barcelona. He has the perfect blend of speed, strength, skill and toughness. He is
also an icon in the modern football game.

I guess the most popular spectator sport in China is basketball. Many young
people in China play basketball but mainly boys play it. Basketball courts are
easy to find and it doesn't require any specific facilities or expensive equipment
other than a basket and a ball.

Well, I guess what I'll try in the future is tennis because it can help me build
strength and can improve my flexibility and balance. Besides, tennis is a social
activity too; it's a sport I can enjoy with friends if I play regularly.

Oh, no, though my life is quite a bit boring, I'm too scared to do any extreme
sports because I don't think I have enough guts to put myself in these difficult
situations.

Vegetables and fruits

1. What's your favourite vegetable and fruit?
2. How often do you eat fruits?
3. Are there any special fruits in your hometown?
4. Should we eat vegetables every day?

My top three favourite fruits and vegetables are broccoli, celery and grapes
because all of them are both nutritious and delicious. Also, I want to give
mushrooms an honourable mention as they are one of my favourite things to
cook with, although they are a fungus.

I eat fruit at home on a daily basis. I always buy a lot of different types of fruit in
the shopping mall at the weekends for my whole family.

Oh yes, there are loquat trees everywhere in my hometown. Loquat is very sweet
and has lots of nutrition and is actually medicinal too.

Yes, we do. We really need to eat vegetables everyday because you simply cannot
find another food group that is as perfectly matched to our everyday human
needs. There are various proteins, fibre and vitamin that cannot be found in
other foods such as meat.

MATHS
1. When did you start learning maths?
2. Do you like maths?
3. Who taught you maths?
4. Who's your favourite teacher so far?
5. Is maths difficult for you to learn?
6. Do you like to use a calculator?

I firstly started to learn maths when I was in the first grade in primary school. I
was about seven years old then.

To be honest, I disliked maths because there were always too many abstract
formulas I had to remember. You know, I was not good at memorising things, so I
often used the incorrect formula in the exams, and made lots of mistakes and got
low marks as a result.

My maths teacher was an elderly woman. She was very kind and patient, but she
always tended to be demanding with us, she seemed to like making the simplest
theory very complicated. She also likes giving us endless homework to do.

Yes, I'm afraid that I wasn't quick at figures. And I was also bored with these
abstract formulas and found it hard to pick the appropriate ones to solve the
maths problems in exams.

No, actually we were not allowed to use the calculator in class or exams because
we were asked to calculate the results with pencil and paper. Therefore I'm not
that used to using a calculator now.

SKY
1. Do you like to watch the sky?
2. What is the sky like at night in your hometown?
3. Do you like to watch stars?
4. Have you ever taken a course about stars?
5. Is it important to study stars?
6. What's your favourite star?
Yes, I am really into watching the sky especially at night to count the millions of
stars above. When I was a kid. I remember I sometimes laid down on the grass
for hours to watch the shining stars during the summer because I was fond of
imaging my favourite folk stories about the stars.

Well, as my hometown is a popular tourist destination and there is not so much

industrial pollution, the sky is always clean and clear, and I can see the stunning
night sky with the countless and glittering stars and sometimes even the galaxy.
But unfortunately in a metropolis like Nanjing light pollution makes the night sky
invisible.

No, I have never been on any sort of courses about stars because actually there
were no such courses in the schools or university. But fortunately my
grandmother once sent me an encyclopaedia about nature in which there were
loads of stories about stars, I got most of my knowledge about the stars from it.

Yes, I believe that astronomy has always had a significant impact on our world
view as it can help us open our eyes, give context to our place in the cosmos and
that can definitely reshape how we see the world.

My favourite star constellation is Orion. It's very easy to spot on winter nights.
Firstly, it has a huge red giant star, which may explode any time soon. Besides, it
has a massive blue star which is very young. On top of that it also has a big
nebula where new stars are being born - so it has everything!

CLOTHES
1. What clothes do you usually like to wear?
2. Do/did you wear the same clothes at school and at home?
3. Will you change your clothes when you go home today?
4. Did you have any special clothes to wear when you where a child?
5. Did you like them?

Well, actually I don't have any instinct for fashion and my look says I'm a laidback
kind of guy. So I usually wear casual clothes. I'm most comfortable wearing jeans,
a T-shirt and my flip-flops.

Oh, definitely not. I always wore school uniform which was a blue jacket with a
white shirt. They were very simple and boring. So when I reached home, I tended
to put on my favourite outfits.

Oh, yes. Formal clothes really make me nervous so when I go home, I take them
off and change into my sweatshirts.
Yes, when I was a child, I needed to wear a uniform at school from primary
school all the way to the very last year of high school; it is a tradition in China, so
I believe my parents had to follow this tradition too.

No, I really couldn't stand the school uniform because the clothes were a bit too
old- fashioned; in addition, sometimes I was reluctant to wear them because they
were too large. I don’t know why they couldn't be a bit more trendy and colourful
like the ones in other countries, like Japan and Australia.

WEEKEND
1. How do you usually spend your weekends?
2. In your country, do men and women usually do the same kind of things on
weekends?
3. When do you spend time with your family?
4. What do you usually do on weekends?
5. What did you do last weekend?
6. What do other people in your hometown usually do on weekends?
7. What are you going to do next weekend?
8. Is there anything new that you'd like to do on weekends?
9. Do you like working on weekends?
10. Do you think employees should have to work on weekends?
11. Do you feel that weekends now are more important to you than when you
were a child?

Normally I'll go out to some stunning natural places to let off steam with my
family or friends on weekends; but if it's not sunny, I'll stay at home for the
whole weekend. Mostly I just use the Internet to kill time.

I guess some men play sports while women may just do housework. So men may
probably do things for their own interest, by contrast, women spend more time
for their families.

I always spend the whole weekends with my family. I barely work on weekends.

Last weekend, I took my son to the Nanjing Botanic Garden to go to see the
various plants. We went into the greenhouse exhibition of plants which was very
remarkable.

Well, there are so many people in my hometown, it's really hard to say, probably
most people tend to stay at home to enjoy family time, but personally speaking, I
guess there are not too many entertainments in my small hometown for people
to go to.

Next week, I plan to do some shopping because as the Spring Festival is just
around the corner, I need to go to the supermarket to buy food and other
groceries; besides, I have to buy some new clothes for my family for the coming
New Year, it's an old Chinese tradition.

Yes, actually I've been thinking about going to the gym on Saturdays. I have to do
some exercise, I'm so out of shape now!

Absolutely no! That's crazy. I have to relax no matter what. Weekends are not for
work! ! !

If I were an employee, I would think this is a horrible idea. Employees are

human; we all deserve to have some off-work time.

Yes, the main factor is that after five-days of hard work, I really need some
leisure time to let off steam, or travel around to experience the countryside.
Whereas, when I was a kid, I had plenty of time to play, every day was almost the
same.

READING
1. Do you like reading books? Why or why not?
2. What (kinds of) books do you like to read?
3. Did you read much when you were a child?
4. What (kinds of) books did you like reading when you were a child?
5. Do (young) children like reading books?
6. For children, what do you think are the benefits of reading?
7. What do you think are the benefits of reading to children?

Yes, I'm really into reading because I believe that reading can be both
entertaining and educational. Reading broadens my knowledge by opening up
the whole world to me. While I'm reading, I can be visiting another country or a
different time period, or travelling through space. I can find out how people
solved problems or think up new ideas.

Oh, it's a tough question, or it should be more of what books I don't read. I have a
really open mind towards books and what genre they are. Classic literature,
novels, autobiography, historical story - whatever I love reading them all.
Yes, I remember when I was a kid, I'd like to take some historical books from my
father's bookshelf, and read the historical stories, which were really entertaining
and educational for me. As a result, I'm very familiar with our ancient Chinese
history.

It's kind of hard to say but young children that I know tend to read fairy tales to
cultivate their mental development, but maybe for others, they just want to
watch TV and play with their toys.

I believe if you want your children to be smart, they have to acquire a love for
reading, which has numerous benefits. Reading opens the door to a child's early
academic success, imparts a love of learning and leads to higher grades in every
subject. Besides, reading can help children improve linguistic skills in the form of
a richer vocabulary, correct grammar, and more articulate oral communication.
On top of that, books teach child about relationships, situations, personalities,
and what is good and what is bad in the world he/she lives in.

SLEEP
1. How many hours do you sleep every day?
2. Is it necessary to take a nap every day?
3. Do old people sleep a lot? Why?
4. How to have a good sleep?
5. Do you like to get up early in the morning?
6. Can you sleep well if you are in a noisy environment?

Usually I sleep for seven to eight hours every night in order to let my body relax.
But if I want to do something very important at night, I could, at a push, sleep for
less than four hours.

Yes, I believe that after having lunch at noon, it's beneficial to take a nap; half an
hour’s snooze would be enough, to brace oneself for the tasks of the afternoon.

Yes, I guess elderly people do need to sleep more. I believe the reason is that after
years of working and stress the natural process breaks down a person’s body
until all they want to do is sleep; consequently, their bodies take longer to
recharge their batteries.

I believe you have to follow several rules to get a regular good nights sleep.
Firstly, go to bed at the same time every night. Choose a time when you normally
feel tired, so that you don't toss and turn. Also, make sure your bed is
comfortable so that you can stretch and turn in bed. As well as that, stay away
from big meals at night or try to make dinnertime earlier in the evening, and
avoid heavy, rich foods before bed.

Yes, getting up early in the morning is really beneficial for our health, because we
can enjoy the fresh air in the morning; besides we have plenty of time to do some
physical exercises liking running and jogging. In the morning I can also prepare a
good dinner for the family.

Well, I'm afraid that at night I can't fall asleep in such a noisy place what with
barking dogs, loud neighbours and city traffic. This is because I used to sleep in
my quiet hometown when I was a kid. So sometimes I envy people who have
grown accustomed to environmental noise and can sleep well wherever they lay
their head.

TREE
1. Do you like trees?
2. Are there any important trees in your country?
3. Is there a forest near your hometown?
4. Would you like to live in a place that has a lot of trees?
5. Where can one find trees (or forests) in your country?
6. Do you think places with trees attract more visitors than places with few
trees?
7. Did you ever climb trees when you were a child?
8. Have you ever planted a tree?
9. Do you think more people should plant trees?
10. Do you think we should plant more trees?
11. Do you think trees are important?
12. What would you say are the benefits of having trees?
13. Do you think we need to protect trees?

Yes, I am a tree lover because trees let me breath more easily, and without them I
couldn't survive much longer.

There are many important trees in my country. The use of bamboo, for example,
can be used for everything from furniture making to building construction. Also,
weeping willow trees symbolised new hope in ancient China, therefore, there are
many poems complimenting them.

Yes. It's just the world-renowned Huangshan Mountain with various kinds of
trees living there; the most famous are the pine trees.
Yes, I'm really into getting close to nature cos I believe it's the most healthy and
natural way of living. Although it's unreasonable to have such a polluted lifestyle
in Nanjing now, I still keep hold of that dream for my future life.

I guess trees can be easily seen in my country. If you are in cities, there are
always many sycamore trees along the streets and if you are in the suburb areas,
you will see forests of various sizes.

Well, yes. Obviously places with lots of trees are shadier, cooler, more humid and
much less windy, therefore, people feel more comfortable and more likely to get
close to nature.

Yes, of course. There are many trees in my community. When I was a kid, I
always climbed trees to get higher or to find birds' eggs.

Yes, once. Thinking back I remember when my middle school organized a hiking
trip to a mountainous area, we planted several saplings in the forest, I guess they
have grown up into big trees already.

Yes, I believe more trees should be planted both in and outside the cities because
they can absorb the pollutant gases and provide more oxygen; besides, trees can
save water and prevent soil erosion. Therefore, trees are critically important to
keep our eco-system balanced. We are supposed to not only plant more trees, but
also protect the existing ones.

NEWSPAPER
1. Do you often read newspapers?
2. Which do you prefer reading, magazines or newspapers?
3. What kinds of newspapers (or magazines) do you usually read?
4. How old were you when you first started to read newspapers?
5. Do you think it's important to read newspapers? (Why? /Why not?)
6. Why do you think people read newspapers?
7. What different types of newspapers are there in China?
8. Do you care about the news?
9. Is the news important to you?
10. What kinds of news do Chinese people read in newspapers?
11. Do you prefer to read about domestic (or local) news or international
news? (Why?)
12. What are some methods that newspapers use to attract readers?
13. What influence do you think newspapers have on society?
14. Do you think the Internet is a good way to get news?
Not very often. Newspapers take time to get published so they are not updated as
quickly as the news on social media sites is. Besides, I would have to go to the
kiosks and spend money to buy newspapers.

Well, if I had to choose between the two, I'll probably go with reading magazines
in my spare time because they are well printed and always have in-depth
reporting on particular events; whereas, you know, newspapers always report
the same news as the Internet, so they now seem to be not so indispensable.

I'm more interested in newspapers that write about foreign cultures. I like to
learn about their religions, customs, and the foods they eat. Occasionally, foreign
news interests me, too. I also really like reading scientific related news.

I got in the habit of reading newspapers when I was in high school; I was around
17 years old then. The library in my school had several kinds of newspapers and
magazines so when I had free time, I'd go to read news about the latest political
events, sports and fashion news.

Yes, I feel that it's very important for me and other people to know what’s
happened both domestically and internationally.

It's kind of hard to say but people that I know tend to read political news because
they are interested in what happens domestically and abroad, but maybe for
other people, they just care more about sports and fashion events.

Well, if I had to choose between the two, I'll probably go with reading domestic
news because it is closer to home, and it affects me more; whereas, you know,
international news sometimes have nothing to do with my daily life, so I just read
the headlines.

Well, I feel that newspaper publishers always try to use bold headings, attractive
advertisements, and insights in the article to get the readers' attention.

Well, I guess that newspapers have a great influence on society. Newspapers

keep people informed about the economy, politics, science and education. Also, it
tells us something about our society and the country. Moreover, it also helps to
educate people about their rights and duties.

Yes, getting news from the Internet is popular now because it's very convenient
to get news from the Internet via a mobile phone. The news apps on my mobile
phone usually send me the most urgent notifications so it keeps me posted
minute by minute.
Text messages
1. Do you text someone if he doesn't answer your phone?
2. Is there any chance when texting someone is better than calling him?

3. Have you ever had difficulty replying?

4. How often do you send text messages?

Yes, when my friends can't answer my call, I will text them to let them know I
called and wait for their reply.

I believe when the person I’m calling is in a conference or in a cinema, it's better
to text him instead of making a telephone call.

Yes, I remember when I had to refuse some friends requests I had to think
carefully for a long time about how to reply.

I send text messages almost on a daily basis. I always text my friends and family
to say hello, chat and make travelling plans.

MEMORISING
1. What do you remember to do every day?
2. What helps people to remember things?
3. Why do old people forget about things easily?
4. Have you ever forgotten something important?

Well, there are many things I have to remember to do every day. For example,
after getting up in the morning, I need to do simple physical exercises like
crunches and push-ups. Besides, another important thing to keep in mind is to
teach my son to read traditional Chinese poems in the evening.

Well, it's kind of hard to say but people I know use to-do-list apps on their mobile
phones to help them remember what to do next; but maybe for other people,
they might just write urgent things down in notebooks the old fashioned way
with paper and pen.

Well, I guess it's quite normal that elderly people become more and more
forgetful. Apart from some negative emotional factors like stress and depression,
elderly people tend to forget things because of the normal ageing process.
Oh yes, I nearly forgot the birthday of a woman I liked. I had asked her what her
birthday was, and told her I would send her a gift, but unbelievably I forgot it
until the evening of that day. Fortunately I asked her out to dinner to celebrate
and I saved the day.

FRIEND
1. How often do you like to hang out with friends?
2. Who do you usually like to hang out with?
3. Where do you like to go when you hang out with your friends?
4. Do you like to go out with a big group or just few friends?

I hang out with my friends from time to time. Normally if we have lots of time on
the weekends, we will go to the cinema to watch movies to have a good time. We
might also have dinner together in a restaurant if we have the time.

Usually I like to hang out with one of my close friends. Actually we live in the
same community so we can meet frequently. Also, both of our kids are in the
same class in kindergarten, so we like to take them to the park or playground
together.

Well, that depends. We sometimes go to a restaurant to enjoy tasty food if

someone knows a decent place. Also if we have plenty of time we like to plan a
hike or camp in a nearby forest park to enjoy outdoor life. That would be a very
memorable experience.

Well, if I had to choose between the two, I would probably go with hanging out
with a big group people because I think that I am an extrovert. I like to meet
different people to know about different kinds of life and make myself more
sociable; whereas, you know, with only a few people around, it would be hard to
find something interesting to do, such as travelling, hiking, etc.

TRAVELLING
1. Do you like travelling?
2. In which seasons do you prefer to travel?
3. Would you say your country welcomes travellers? (or tourists)?
4. Would you say your country is a good place for travellers to visit?

You bet! I am a big fan of travelling. I spend many months each year travelling.
It's not only an indispensable part of my life, but also helps me to know and learn
new things and have new experiences.
I think autumn is the best time to travel. As it is neither too hot nor too cold,
people feel comfortable enough to go out. Also, the foliage of trees will turn
yellow or red so you will see the beautiful colours of the trees all around you.
Wherever you go, you will have a memorable trip.

Yes, Chinese people are renowned for their hospitality to visitors. There are
numerous tourist attractions around the country. For instance, you can visit the
countryside to see the picturesque views, or you can visit historical relics to get
to know about the events that have shaped Chinas long history, or you can just
stay in the cities to experience how the local people live.

TRANSPORTATION
1. What's the most popular means of transportation in your hometown?
2. How often do you take buses?
3. Can you compare the advantages of planes and trains?
4. Is driving to work popular in your country?
5. Do you think people will drive more in the future?
6. Would you ride bikes to work in the future?
7. What will become the most popular means of transportation in China?
8. Do you prefer public transportation or private transportation?

Well, people in my hometown always seem to ride ebikes to go work or

somewhere else because my hometown is a small town and it's very convenient
to go out by ebike.

I rarely go by bus because I have my own car now, so I always go somewhere by

car.

Well, between the two, travelling by plane is relatively very fast, for example, it
just takes three hours for me to go to Beijing but it is quite expensive; on the
other hand, travelling by trains is an increasingly cost-effective alternative to
planes, particularly if I'm going a relatively short distance.

Yes, people that I know tend to go to work by car because it's very convenient to
drive, but for others without cars, they just take buses or ride an ebike to work
because it's cheap and effective

Yes, I believe that as people earn more money and have a better life, they will buy
cars for themselves and their families, and most will drive their cars to the office.
Oh no, it's impossible to ride a bike to work because you know, Nanjing is a big
city, I live about 20 kilometres from the office, so I'll be late if I rode a bike to
work.

I believe private transportation will become the most popular means of

transportation in my country because as people get richer, people will tend to
buy cars for their families and businesses, and obviously China has already
become the biggest market for vehicles in the world.

Well, if I had to choose between the two, I'd probably go to work in my own car
because it's much more comfortable than being in a crowded bus or subway.

Letters or Emails
1. Do you write many letters or emails?
2. Who do you usually write to?
3. Do you prefer to write letters by hand or to use a computer?
4. How often do you write an email or a letter?
5. What are the differences between emails and letters?
6. Is it hard to think of what to write?
7. What kinds of letter/email do you think is the hardest to write?
8. How do you feel when you receive a letter or email?
9. What sorts of letters or emails are the most difficult to reply to?
10. What kinds of emails (or letters) do you receive that make you feel
excited?
11. Which do you prefer to make a phone call or write an email?
12. Do you think people will still write letters in the future?
13. How do you communicate with others at work - by emails or is it more
convenient to communicate face-to-face?

Yes, I write emails as part of my job to my clients on a daily basis. There are many
things I have to write, for example, I usually write end user training for my
clients to teach them how to use the system, or I write a development guide for
my technical staff to tell them how to code.

If I had to choose between the two, I'd probably go with writing with a computer.
In this age of fast living and convenience, writing things with a computer is more
efficient. Whereas, handwriting is really time consuming and hard to share.

Well, between the two, a letter is printed or handwritten on actual paper and
sent through the mail while an email is typed on a computer, tablet or
Smartphone and sent electronically. While emails have become a more popular
way of communication for individuals and businesses, traditional letters still
have a place in today's modern, tech-oriented society.

Normally part of my daily routine is to write emails to my clients about how to

use the system; but if they complain to me about a poor user experience, I
sometimes really find myself getting stuck in to explaining what went wrong just
to comfort them.

I would be feeling both honoured and excited to receive a letter or email from
someone because the sender has spent time writing it. Especially when someone
writes to me to appreciate what I’ve done or to compliment me about my work.

Well, if I had to choose between the two, I will probably go with writing an email
because I can spend plenty of time thinking about how to express my opinions
correctly and clearly, besides, the whole conversation can be tracked in the
electronic mail; whereas, you know, making a telephone call usually leads to
misunderstanding because sometimes it is not very clear and things get missed

I believe that as a major method of communication between people, letter

writing has a long and interesting history; besides, handwritten letters are
personal. They show the receiver that someone has spent time and effort in
communicating with them. They are a way of connecting two people that cannot
be achieved through the impersonal use of texts or instant messages. Therefore, I
think that handwritten letters will still be around in the future.

Swimming
Can you swim?
Are there many places to swim near you?
Do you think everyone should learn to swim?

Yes I can. I learnt at school when I was about 7 years old. Swimming lessons were
compulsory at our school, like at most schools I think.

Yes, there are a few public swimming pools. There is the main indoor one at a big
sports complex in the centre of town. There are also a couple of outdoor ones,
but you can only use them in summer, as it is too cold in winter. There is a big
one in a park, whereas the other is much smaller.

Of course, I think it's very important to learn to swim. First, you might spend a lot
of holidays by water, for example, when you go to the beach or go to a lake, so
you won't be able to enjoy yourself with your friends if you can't swim. Also, for
safety reasons it's very important. You often hear about accidents involving
young children so it's very important.

SNACKS
1. Do you like snacks?
2. What kinds of snacks are popular in your country?
3. Do you think eating snacks is good for your health?

No, not really. I generally prefer to eat at meal times rather than graze between
meals.

Yes, I do. Around mid morning I usually have some fruit and then at about 3pm I
have some biscuits or something like that.

Well, I guess that most people eat junk food like crisps, chocolate and biscuits for
their snacks.

I suppose office workers mainly eat junk food like biscuits but other people
sometimes eat fruit or something healthier.

I think that if you’re hungry, it’s perfectly fine to have some fruit but if people eat
junk food between meals, then it’s really unhealthy.

I think all kind of snacking between main meals is bad for your health. If people
avoided snacking, they would be much healthier and less over weight.

PHOTOGRAPHY
1. Do you like to take photographs? (Why?)
2. Do you prefer to take photos yourself or to have other people take
photos? (Why?)
3. How long have you liked taking photographs?
4. How (Why) did you become interested in photography?
5. How often do you take photographs?
6. In what situations do you take photographs?
7. What kind of photos do you like to take?
8. Do you prefer to take pictures of people or of scenery?
9. Who do you take photos of?
10. How do you keep your photos?
11. Do you keep your photographs on your computer?
12. Are there any photos on the walls of your home?
13. Do you frame (of have you framed) any of your photos? (If yes, which? &
why?)
14. Do you prefer to send postcards to people or to send photos that you took
yourself?

Yes, I am a big fan of doing photography in my spare time. I always travel around
with my camera. It’s a habit I’ve had for almost 8 years. The main thing is that I
can capture the most precious moments in my life, such as a graduation
ceremony, or a sweet moment with my girlfriend, and also I believe photography
helps to cultivate my thinking about the world.

If I had to choose between the two, I'll probably go with taking photos of other
people because I feel that different people have different characteristic, so each
photos will be different. Whereas, I rarely take a selfie because it makes me
embarrassed.

Normally, I'll probably just go out and about to take photos because I really enjoy
natural scenery such as the seashore, sunsets and twilight, but when I take my
son with me, I take photos of him to capture his happiness.

I store my photos both on my computer disk and on the Internet for backup. Also
I have been running a photography website for 4 years, and I keep all my best
photos there.

Yes, I used to print some photos of my kid to hang in his room, they help us have
good memories of the happy times we have together.
Well, if I had to choose between the two, I'll probably go with my own photos
because they are unique and getting a lot of positive comments from friends is a
pleasant thing. Whereas postcards are not as meaningful to me as the photos I
take myself.

HELP
1. Do you like to help others?
2. When was your last time you helped others?
3. Did your parents teach you the importance of helping others?
4. Have you ever refused to help others?
5. Would you like to keep helping others in future?

I am very happy to help others especially my neighbours. Getting alone well with
your neighbours is very important if you want to lead a happy life.
Well, let me tell you about a time when I helped someone who I was not familiar
with. One morning, I met an old lady who lived in the same building as me in a
local shop. She had just bought a bag of rice and was ready to take the heavy bag
home. I saw that she was having problems trying to life it up. I walked straight
over to her, and said that I would take the bag home for her. She was very
thankful for my kindness. I could see that she really needed someone would
stand out and do her a kind favour.

When I was young, my parents and teachers taught me a lot about helping others.
It is a core virtue in my culture, the solidarity of community is the thing that
keeps members of society connected so we are always willing to help each other

Yeah, sometimes when I am in hurry or on business I don’t have time so I have to

say sorry that I can’t help

HISTORY

1. Do you like (to learn about) history?

2. What historical event do you find most interesting?
3. Do you think history is important?
4. Do you like to watch programmes on TV about history?
5. Do you think you can really learn history from films and TV programmes?
6. Do you think the Internet is a good place to learn about history?
7. Can you name a person from history who you would like to learn more
about?
8. Why would you like to learn more about him/her?

Yes, I am a big fan of reading historical stories. When I was a little boy, I always
took the historical books from my father's bookshelf and read about historical
events. I feel that history not only helps me learn, but also gives me a better
understanding of human society.
Personally I am fond of the Battle of Red Cliffs which happened during the early
period of the Three Kingdoms. This was a decisive battle at the end of the Han
Dynasty. It was also a typical battle in Chinese history renowned for a smaller
and weaker army defeating a larger and stronger foe.

Yes, the main factor is that like our native language and our history forms our
cultural identity and provides a unique record of our country. We can learn from
the experiences of history to correct our current actions.

Yes, I enjoy watching documentaries about history on TV because I can see a lot
of materials that cannot be seen in the textbooks. I watch them at home during
my time off with my son to learn something about history.
I don't feel that watching current TV series can make you more aware of the
history. TV programmes are more engaging than books, however, true historical
events in most of the TV series have been distorted by the producers to cater for
the audience. It's really a shame, as young people will misunderstand history as
presented by these companies.

Yes. History is full of debates but you can understand both sides of the story by
going online which will help you to become aware of the true facts and be able to
think critically about these things. I’m always Googling for interesting historical
materials about the Song Dynasty. I want to know the truth of the matter.

The person I'd like to learn about is Wu Chengen, the author of A Journey to the
West. He combined folk tales and his own imagination to write this great fairy
story in the 16th century. I want to know about his personality and find out as
much as possible about him. I believe that his imagination is what is lacking in
many writers nowadays.

HANDWRITING
1. Do you often write things?
2. Do you write everyday?
3. What do you usually write?
4. Do you like writing to people?
5. How often do you send e-mails?
6. What are your main reasons for using e-mails?
7. Do you like to send e-mails?
8. Do you usually write by hand or write using a computer?
9. Nowadays, how do most people write things?
10. Do you think computers might one day replace handwriting?
11. When do children begin to write in your country?
12. How did you learn to write?
13. Do you think handwriting is very important (nowadays)?
14. How can children today improve (or, practice) their handwriting?
15. What impression does a person's handwriting have on other people?
Yes, I write documentaries as part of my job on a daily basis for my clients. There
are many things I have to write, for example, I usually write end user training for
my clients to teach them how to use the system, or I write a development guide
for my technical staffs to teach them how to code.

Yes, I'm really into communicating with my clients by email. I send emails to
them on a daily basis from my office, discussing business, guiding them how to
use the system and solving their problems. I like sending emails because I can
trace the communication in email software. It is much more useful than the
telephone.

If I had to choose between the two, I'll probably go with writing things on a
computer. I believe that in this age of fast living and convenience, writing things
on computers can be fast and efficient. Whereas, handwriting is really time
consuming and hard to share.

Well, there are so many people in my country, it's really hard to say, probably
most people write something on computers, for example, people like to write
blogs to share their feelings with friends on the internet, but personally speaking,
I don't think that writing without pens can be called writing.

In China, children usually learn to write in elementary school. They firstly learn
the basic elements of the Chinese characters, then the simple characters, and
finally the complicated ones. They will have to do a lot of writing practice to
remember them. The more they practice, the better they write.

Yes, I feel that handwriting allows people to have more opportunity because if
you have decent handwriting, people will admire you and you are considered to
be both well educated and literate.

MUSIC
1. Do you often like to listen to music?
2. When do you listen to music?
3. How much time do you spend listening to music every day?
4. What kinds of music do you like to listen to?
5. What's your favourite kind of music?
6. How often do you listen to that type of music?
7. When did you start listening to this type of music?
8. Where do you listen to it?
9. How do you feel when you listen to this music?
10. Do you like listening to songs?
11. Have you ever been to a musical performance?
12. Have you ever learned to play a musical instrument?
13. Is music an important subject at school in China?
14. Did you often listen to music when you were a child? (If yes, give details.)
15. What kinds of music are most popular in China?

Yes, I’ve been a big fan of music for many years. I sometimes listen to music for
about one hour before sleeping at night and also when I am driving. I am very
fond of pop music from Taiwan and Hong Kong and I also frequently listen to
some American pop singers like the Backstreet Boys. I can feel their energy when
I listen to their music.

Personally, I am interested in traditional instrumental music, like the erhu, mixed

with pianos and guitars.

I always have time to listen to music during the weekends. It is an impressive

combination that is both nostalgic and modern at the same time. I first
encountered this type of music when I was driving and listening to the radio
about five years ago, I forget the name, but the tune sounded really amazing.

Oh, yes, I saw a pop singer perform several years ago. It was a really memorable
night as the live performances were very exciting. I remembered that after the
song, when the singer spoke to the audience, everyone cheered and clapped like
crazy. It made me feel so cool being there.

Unfortunately, I did not learn to play any type of musical instrument when I was
a little boy. I remember that in schools, teachers always told us to put all our
energy into studying and preparing for exams. The music lessons, along with
physical exercises and paintings, were not so important as the schools claimed
them to be. It was a disappointment for me when I grew up.

I don’t get enough time to listen to music because I have to spend all my time
studying. This was one of my biggest disappointments during my childhood, so
when I got to university the first thing I did was to buy a new mp3 player.

I believe that currently in China the most popular music is pop music. There are
many famous pop singers now, they are releasing numerous albums every year,
and they are always trendy for a short period of time.

Colours

1. What's your favourite colour?

2. Are there any colours you dislike (Why?)
3. Are colours important to you?
4. Were colours important to you when you were a child?
5. When you are buying something, is the colour important to you?
6. Do you usually wear clothes in your favourite colour?
7. Is colour very important to you when you are buying clothes?
8. Do you prefer light or dark (or, bright) colours?
9. Are there any colours that have a special meaning in your country?
10. What colour would you choose to paint the walls of your room?
11. Is there any colour you would not want your walls to be? (Why?)
12. Do you think different types of people like different colours?

My favourite colour is blue; for me it is the colour of depth and stability. Blue
symbolises wisdom, confidence and intelligence. I don't like the pink because it
is too girly.
I suppose so. You know, different colours convey different meaning to people.
Red represents passion and enthusiasm while green can be energetic. So I always
choose the most suitable colours for things.

Well, yes, I have several blue clothes when I wear them I tend to feel calmer and
more tranquil. I believe that blue is always a fashionable choice for a man’s outfit.

If I had to choose between the two, I'll probably go with dark colours because I
believe dark colours represent stability and wisdom, for example I would always
choose a dark outfit for my office to highlight my professionalism, whereas light
suits are more suitable for the younger generation.

Yes, there are many colours that have a special meaning in my country such as
black, which is mysterious. Red means good luck and good fortune in China,
when it is New Year, people like to wear red clothes, set red firecrackers off and
give red packets of pocket money to children.

I would like to paint my walls light yellow or light blue because light colours
convey warmth and are calm to which, in my opinion, are more suitable for the
living rooms.

Yes, I believe different people have different psychological need for colours.
Some need peace of mind, whereas others colours might be more energetic and
rebellious.

Teachers
1. Do you have a favourite teacher?
2. Why do you like the teacher?
3. How does (did) this teacher help you?
4. Do you think you could be a teacher?
5. Would you like to be a teacher?

My favourite teacher in my middle school was my physics teacher his name was
Mr. Zhang. He was the most influential teacher I have ever had. He taught us a lot
of background stuff about physics to encourage and motivate us because physics
is quite complicated and difficult for us. I still remember that he frequently told
us that physics was gymnastics for the brain. He really inspired my enthusiasm
to learn it as well as I could.
I don't think I would be a good teacher; I am not a patient man and cannot bear to
repeat the same things frequently. A teachers' job would be really boring for me,
you have to make your explanations as easy as possible for students to fully
understand. It is a challenging job, I am afraid I cannot do it.

Being in a hurry
When was your last time you did something in a hurry?
Do you like to finish things quickly?
What kind of things do you never do in hurry?
Why do people make mistakes when they are in hurry?

The last time I was in a hurry was the time I rushed to school one morning for a
final exam, because I had woken up so late

I guess when people are working, for example if a doctor is doing an operation a
slight mistake could be vital to the patient. Also if a person is taking a test they
should concentrate or they might make mistakes

No, I don't like to do things quickly because I will not concentrate or I might
make mistakes.

Being alone
1. Do you like to be alone?
2. What do you like to do when you are alone?
3. Do you like to spend time with your friends or just stay at home on your
own?
4. When was the last time you were being alone?

Yes, I like to be alone especially if I have to do something without interruption.

But if I have spare time I would prefer stay with my friends to enjoy time
together.

I really enjoy being alone during the mornings at the weekend. I can read some
books and play computer games. During that time, I can do something I am
interested in, and don't have to worry about anything.

Well, if I had to choose between the two, I will probably go with hanging out with
my close friends because such friendships really adds spice to my life; whereas,
you know, spending too much time being alone is really boring.
The last time I stayed alone at home was when my wife went on a business trip
with our child for several days. So I was living, eating, sleeping at home alone. It
was quite a quiet time so I could do what I wanted when I wanted to do it. .

Teamwork
1. When was your last time worked with a team?
2. Do you like to work or study with others or just by yourself?
3. What's the most important thing for teamwork?
4. Do you like to be a leader?

The last time I worked in a team was a project I did during the second year of my
graduate school. Our tutor gave us an assignment to review the server log of an
international trade website and give a brief analysis using data warehouse and
data mining technology.

Personally, I would like to work in a team because I'd have partner to share the
responsibility with and we could solve problems better, as the saying goes “Many
hands make light work"

I think the most important thing for teamwork is deciding who does what. Every
member of team should be assigned specific tasks and he or she should stick to
that. Also team spirit is equally important

Honestly, I would like to be a leader. Being a leader would reflect the hard work
I’ve put into the job. I can win other peoples respect as well

Countryside
1. Would you like to live in the countryside in the future?
2. What do people living in the countryside like to do?
3. What are the benefits of living in rural areas?
4. What are the differences between living in the city and the countryside?

Absolutely! I'm a huge fan of going out to the countryside. The environment there
is just superb. Every now and them I visit the countryside just because there isn't
that much pollution there so I can breath the fresh air.

People living in the countryside can enjoy various activities that those who cities
cannot such as going out at night without fear of street criminals and doing
exercise in the early morning to enjoy the fresh air
Living in the countryside can definitely benefit people in a number of ways. For
one thing, it's good for one's health thanks to significantly lower levels of
pollution. It is undeniable that air quality in big cities is so bad that long-term
exposure to it may cause respiratory diseases and other health problems.
Besides, the cost of living in rural areas is likely to be lower than that in cities.

However, many people have been attracted to live and work in big cities because
of better employment opportunities and higher living standards.

Social network
1. What kinds of social networking websites do you like to use?
2. Are you a social person?
3. What kinds of people do you like to make friends with on those websites?
4. Is it good to find real friends on social network?

It's undeniable that social networking sites have become a huge part in our lives,
especially young people's lives. I think am addicted to Facebook and Twitter.

I suppose I am an out-going sort of person. I have many friends on Facebook and

get along well with other people.

I love to make friends with people who have same interests as me such as music,
travelling and learning English

I think no, most of the friends I have on Facebook are just normal friends, it is
common that people just make friends for fun and sometimes will not even meet
face to face. But we do tend to share things a lot on social websites.

Hanging out with friends

1. How often do you like to hang out with friends?
2. Who do you usually like to hang out with?
3. Where do you like to go when you hang out with your friends?
4. Do you like to go out with a big group or just few friends?

I hang out with my friends from time to time. Normally if we have a lot of time at
the weekends, we might go to the cinema to watch movies. We can take our kids
to have a good time. If we don't have that much time maybe we will just have
dinner together in a restaurant.

Usually I like to hang out with one of my close friends. Actually we live in the
same community so we can meet frequently. Also both of our kids are in the
same class in kindergarten, so we like to take them to the park or playground
together.

Well, that depends. Sometimes we go to a restaurant to enjoy tasty food if

someone knows a decent place. But if we have plenty of time, we like to plan a
hike or camp in a nearby forest park to enjoy the countryside. That would be a
very memorable experience.

Well, if I had to choose between the two, I would go with hanging out with a big
group people because I feel that I am an extrovert. I like to meet different people
and get to know about them and their different kinds of life. I like to be sociable
whereas, you know, with few people around, it would be hard to find something
interesting to do, such as travelling, hiking, etc.
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100 IELTS Speaking Part 2 Topics in 2016, 2017

& Band 8.0+ Sample Answers

Describe a time you needed to use imagination

You should say:

what the situation was; why you

needed to use imagination; what

the difficulties were; and explain

how you felt about it.

BAND 9.0 SAMPLE ANSWER:

I would like to talk about the time I had to get out of my comfort zone to join an
Innovation Challenge Contest which made me think out of the box and work flat
out to become the runner-up.

This annual contest is open to all undergraduates and post-graduates around the
world. Each year this contest draws the attention of more than 30 000 people
so it was really competitive and challenging for me. Therefore, when I was
awarded the runner-up prize, I was deliriously happy and extraordinarily
excited.
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The goal of the Challenge was to recognize individuals and organizations that
were working on internet-based solutions to promote education and economic
empowerment in countries throughout the world. Therefore, it really required
creativity and imagination from each team joining the contest. I had to buckle
down and brainstorm ideas for the challenge until I came up with the best one
to be accepted for 4 consequent rounds.

At the end of the day, my team and I had really gone extra miles to become
the runners-up and it was really an unforgettable experience to me. After all, I
can take pride in myself for all the thing I achieved with my imagination and
creativity.

Vocabulary:

Get/Step out of the comfort zone: Do things that you wouldn’t normally do

Example: If you want something you never had, I should step out of your comfort
zone and work flat out to fulfil your dream.

Think out of the box: Think differently, unconventionally or from a new

perspective

Work flat out: work very hard

Runner-up: A team/player/competitor finishing in second place

Deliriously happy [collocation] very happy

Extraordinarily excited [collocation] very excited

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Empowerment: the giving of an ability, enablement or permission

Example: The government believes strongly in the empowerment of women.

Buckle down: to begin to work seriously at something. Example:

If you don't buckle down to your job, you'll be fired.

Brainstorm: a good idea; an idea that enters one’s head suddenly.

Example: I had a sudden brainstorm and got out of bed to write it down. Go

the extra miles: to do more than one is required to do to reach a goal

Example: My teacher goes the extra mile to help us.

Take pride in: to feel pleased about someone or what they have done

Example: They take pride in their son's many accomplishments. He takes pride in
the fact that he's never asked his parents for any money.

At the end of the day: in the end

Example: We interviewed many people or the job, but at the end of the day, we
don’t think any of them could handle it.

Describe a game or sport that you enjoy playing.

You should say:

- what kind of sport that is;

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- who you play it with; - where you play it; and explain why you

think doing this is healthy.

Band 9.0 Sample Answer

I’m not a great swimmer in any sense but swimming is like my religion. It is truly
refreshing and literally, washes away every disturbing thought I have
whenever I dive into cold water. No matter how tight my schedule may get, I
usually pay at least one visit to a local swimming pool to work myself up and get
rejuvenated.

Sometimes, I have a partner or two, who have been my best friends since high
school. We live in the same neighborhood so it’s not too stressful when we have
to set a schedule for our swimming session. We carpool more often than not
and it takes us roughly 15 minutes to get to the local recreation center where it
provides the locals with a variety of facilities for training purpose such as gym
class, stadium, swimming pool, tennis court and so on, which is extremely
convenient for those who practice more than one activity. The only thing better
then swimming itself is swimming with your besties, which is one of hundreds of
things I love about my weekly ritual. Hardly do we have time to meet each other
during week days as we’re all up to our neck at work and totally stressed out.
Therefore, having such a healthy way to catch up with my friends and recharge
battery after an exhausting week never sounds better. Just like any other sports,
swimming helps maintain your health, keep you fit as well as build your
endurance. However, unlike others, it’s a very relaxing and peaceful form of
exercise, you don’t even sweat for hours – a supreme advantage. Therefore, if
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you’re looking for a kind of sport that brings you comfort and relaxation,
swimming should be your first choice.

Vocabulary & Useful expression

• refreshing (a): making you feel less tired or hot

• literally (adv): in a literal manner or sense; exactly
• disturbing (a): making you feel anxious and upset or shocked
• work up: make yourself or another person excited or upset

• rejuvenate (v): make somebody/something look or feel younger, more

lively or more modern
• more often than not: usually
• recreation center: a building that is open to the public where meetings are
held, sports are played, and there are activities available for young and old
people
• ritual (n): something that is done regularly and always in the same way
• be up to neck: to be very busy
• endurance (n): the ability to continue doing something painful or difficult
for a long period of time without complaining

Describe an old friend you enjoy talking with.

You should say:
- who this person is
- how you knew him/her - what you usually talk about and
explain why you want to talk to this person.
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Band 9.0 Sample Answer

I have always been lucky enough to be surrounded by a large circle of friends

who are incredibly supportive, compassionate and open-minded. And
everybody knows how precious it is to have such a gift and I, of all people, know
better than taking that for granted. That is why I always make effort to keep in
touch with people I’ve become close with and one of whom is my ex-boss, aka
my mentor – Eli.

Admittedly, it’s far from an ordinary relationship for most people, but to Eli and I, it
came naturally. We first met during the training course we both attended for a
luxurious soon-to-be-open restaurant in town roughly 2 years ago. Eli was our
Filipino manager and I was about to be a hostess for the very first time. Every
concept, every rule and every etiquette when working in hospitality industry just
overwhelmed me and if it hadn’t been for Eli, a patient teacher as well as a
dedicated friend, I wouldn’t have managed to complete my training and achieved
high performance at our workplace. However, thanks to those hard times
we’ve been through together, we became closer and our conversations would
last endlessly ranging from family, career, happiness to setbacks in life. As a
predecessor, Eli usually offers me valuable advice and emotional support
whenever I confine in him. No lecturing. No “I told you so”. Just pure
compassion. He always tries to bring out the best in people instead of being Mr.
Know-it-all and patronizing, which is one of million things I admire about him.

Even though we are no longer working together and hanging out more often than
we should, our strong bond has never got loose. We keep each other in the
loop about everything significant happening around us and provide mutual
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support if needed. Once in a while, we would meet over coffee or dinner to catch
up if our schedules allow and still, I truly, deeply treasure every moment together.

Vocabulary & Useful expression

- a large circle of friends: a number of friends who usually do things together

- take something/ someone for granted: fail to appreciate the value of

something/ someone

Ex: He has always taken her for granted, which is the main reason why they split
up.

- make effort to do something: do something even though you find it hard to do

Ex: Her parents made effort to reconcile their relationship but it didn't work out.

- keep/remain/stay in touch with: maintain communications with

- come naturally: to be naturally easy to someone

Ex: Josh's ability to play guitar came naturally when he was young.

- roughly: approximately

- achieve high performance: do an excellent job

Ex: They spend hours practicing everyday to achieve high performance in a

playoff round.

- hard time: difficulty that can be overcome with effort

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Ex: 2017 is going to be a hard time for real estate market.

- offer (valuable/ practical/ useful...) advice

- (offer/ provide...) emotional support

- confide in someone: to trust someone with one's secret or personal problem

Ex: Jack always has difficulty confining in anyone but his twin.

- bring out the best/ the worst in someone: cause someone to behave in the
best/ worst manner

Ex: Susan is a bad influence. She always brings out the worst in me.

- Mr. Know-it-all (informal) (disapproving): someone who acts as if he/ she

knows everything

Ex:We can't get along with Steve, who plays Mr. Know-it-all every time someone
raises a question as if we asked for his opinion.

- no longer = not anymore:

Ex: Tom no longer smoked since his wife was pregnant.

- keep someone in the loop: keep someone informed about something

Ex:We keep you in the loop if we have any update about the contract.

Describe a bicycle/motorbike/car trip that is interesting

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You should say:

• Where you would like to go

• How you would like to go there
• Who you would like to go with
• And explain why you would like to go there by car, motorbike or bike

Band 9.0 Sample Answer

There is a thing that troubles me more often than not when living in [___] is the
majority of people are riding motorbikes rather than cars. As a result, most
people don’t know how to drive a car, I included, which also itches me since I
have always wanted to take a road trip across the country. A road trip by car from
the south to the north of my country would be tough and adventurous because
hundreds of marvelous destinations are awaiting to be explored. However, it is
worth taking risks and stepping out of your comfort zone to truly experience
what life has to offer when your legs can still carry you rather than to regret in
your later life.

“If you wanna go fast, go alone. If you wanna go far, go together.” It might be fun
if you were a lone traveler and didn’t enjoy getting lagged behind your
schedule. Still, the adventure could be more colorful and unexpected, hopefully in
a good way, when you got company, especially during a long journey like the one
I prefer. Hence, picking up a close friend or two who share the same vision, the
same eagerness to capture the beauty of nature would be my choice. We
would start from the south where we are living and move north on the go,
stopping at our favorite beaches a little longer than other places because there
ain’t nobody don’t have time for juicy coconuts and white sand paradise.
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Traditional cuisine would also be our utmost priority whenever we reach a new
place as the best way to live like a local is to eat like a local. A car is our best
choice because it would give us room to comfortably converse with each other
and shelter from inclement weather during our journey, if any. It is not only
about the destinations but also about the time I would love to spend with my dear
friends as we would share the same space in a four-wheel vehicle along the
road; and at the end of the day, it’s the people that matters.

Vocabulary & Useful Expression

• more often than not: usually

• take risks: to do something that might be dangerous
• have to offer: have something available to be used or appreciated
• get lagged behind: get fallen behind
• cuisine (n): style of cooking
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
utmost (a): greatest; most extreme
• inclement (a): (of the weather) not pleasant; cold, wet, etc.
• at the end of the day: in the end, finally
• shelter (v): protect or shield from something harmful, especially bad
weather

Describe a family member you are closest to

You should say:

- who this person is;

- describe some things you have done together; and explain why

you like this person.

Band 9.0 Sample Answer

I’m grateful to have such a supportive and caring family who are always there
for me no matter what. We have 5 members in the house that’s always full of
laughter: my parents, my two sisters and me. Even though I love them all to the
moon and back, my younger sister, Jade, is the one that’s closest to me.

Jade is seven years younger than me, which might create some sense of
generation gap, yet, we still get along well, or at least most of the time. She is
in high school now and has a dream of becoming a doctor one day. In term of
appearance, we have little in common. By that I mean while I’m kind of tall,
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she’s relatively short; while I take after my father, she’s my mom’s splitting
image. Same thing with our characteristics. I am people-oriented and a true free
spirit, Jade, on the contrary, is quite introverted and into stability. Hence, it
came as a huge surprise when others acknowledge our strong bond. We’re like
2 sides of the same coin. No matter how different we are, we have never
neglected or abandoned each other. In fact, we are partners in crime in so
many impulsive and silly acts that our family has lost count. Once, I tried to
play the victim with my uncle as I accidentally broke a crystal vase that my aunt
adored, Jade backed me up as we put the blame on our poor cousin. What a
shameful act! But that was years ago and we learnt our lesson the hard way.
Another time when my sister’s teacher asked to meet our parents because Jade
had ditched class. In her defense, that subject was boring and I was the one
who talked to her teacher. In the end, Jade had to serve more time at the library
and we kept this from our parents and so were many other things. We got each
other’s back and we always will because that’s what sisters do and simply
because I love her.

Vocabulary & Useful expression

• love someone/ something to the moon and back: love someone/

something more than anything
• get along well: have a harmonious or friendly relationship
• have ... in common: to share interests or characteristics
• take after: resemble (a parent or ancestor)
• splitting image: a person who bears a strong physical resemblance to
another, esp to a relative
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
• 2 sides of the same coin: very closely related although they seem
different
• partners in crime: good friends who get in trouble together or get each
other in trouble

impulsive (a): acting suddenly without thinking carefully about what might
happen because of what you are doing
• lost count: to fail to be able to count someone or something, especially
because there are so many
• play the victim: the act of pretending to be the one who has been done
wrong to manipulate others or seek attention
• back someone up = have one's back: support or help someone  put
the blame on = blame something on someone = blame someone for
something: say that someone or something has done something bad
• learn something the hard
way: learn something by experience, especially by an unpleasant experience
 in someone's defense: used at the beginning of a sentence to indicate
that the subsequent statement will justify some action or decision one made

Describe a language other than English that you would like to learn.

You should say:

- what the language is

- where it is spoken
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- what you think would be difficult

- what would be easy about learning the language and explain why you would

like to learn it.

Band 9.0 Sample Answer

Learning a second language not only adds up your skills but also offers
enormous benefits for your brain and personal growth. Additionally, being
bilingual or multilingual expands your knowledge across the country’s border
and provides you easy access to the understanding of other cultures.
Therefore, beside English, Spanish sits high in my must-learn list due to its wide
application and beautiful culture.

Needless to say, Spanish is one of the most spoken languages in the world and
one of the six official languages used in United Nations conferences and
statements. Spanish is spoken in most countries in South and Central America
and in the US, over 50 million people are using Spanish either as their mother
tongue or second language. As a result, knowing Spanish would absolutely
widen your horizon, develop your sense of appreciation for Hispanic culture
as well as transform your travel experience as who knows when you would
bump into some Spanish friends on your adventure. Many have said that Spanish
is one of the easiest languages to learn thanks to its phonetic pronunciation and
its similarity with English, in terms of vocabulary. However, it’s easier said
than done. No matter how simple and intriguing that may sound, without full
commitment and self-discipline, being able to speak Spanish would be a far-
fetched idea. Therefore, in order to meet my goal and not to get demotivated
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
along the way, I would have to find a learning partner and we would fight this
tough war together.

Vocabulary & Useful expression

• application (n): practical use of something

• mother tongue (n): the language that you first learn to speak when you
are a child

appreciation (n): pleasure that you have when you recognize and enjoy
the good qualities of somebody/something
• in terms of: used to show what aspect of a subject you are talking about
or how you are thinking about it
• commitment (n): the willingness to work hard and give your energy and
time to a job or an activity
• self-discipline (n): the ability to make yourself do something, especially
something difficult or unpleasant
• far-fetched (a): very difficult to believe
• demotivated (a): feeling that it is not worth making an effort

Describe a television program that you like to watch.

You should say: what program it is what the

program is about how often you watch it and

explain why you like watching this program.

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Band 8.0 Sample Answers:

Over the course of my life, I have been watching a lot of television programs,
ranging from scientific to reality shows. However, the TV program that I am
addicted to is the Apprentice on NBC channel. The show airs for about 30
minutes, twice a week. The show is hosted by Donal Trump, one of the richest
and most powerful billionaires in the world.

There are often 10 people in each episode and all the participants are young,
dynamic, enthusiastic and talented people from all walks of life. Despite of
different backgrounds, they all share the same dream of becoming successful
people, which is the very reason why they join this program.

The Apprentice is regarded among one of the most popular educational TV

programs. Watching this program, I can gain a deeper insight into the business
world and about obstacles that people have to encounter and overcome in
order to succeed.

This program is useful for not only business people but also young people like
me.
It inspires us and motivates us to advance in our career paths.

Describe A Movie You Recently Watched

What was the movie?

When and where did you watch it?

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
Did you like it? Why?

Band 9.0 Sample Answer

Lately, I haven’t had much time to go out for a movie since I’ve been up to my
eyeballs in reports and presentations. Hence, to relax and boost my mood, I
rented some good old movies and made myself some healthy snacks for late
night
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treat. “Silver Linings Playbook” is one of my all-time favorites and I’ve lost count
how many times I replayed it.

The last time I watched it was a week ago on Saturday night. Oscar nominated
movies were usually not my taste due to their complexity and lack of
entertainment but Silver Linings Playbook was an exception. I’ve always
preferred something a little sentimental, light-hearted, yet meaningful and this
movie had it all. Silver Linings Playbook was an adaptation from the novel
written by Matthew Quick, starring two incredibly talented actors Bradley Cooper
and Jennifer Lawrence. This romantic comedy movie was about two wounded
souls who once again found beauty in the most unexpected place. Pat (Bradley),
a former teacher, was just released from a mental institution and trying to
reconcile with his cheated wife despite his family’s protest. He met Tiffany
(Jennifer), a woman with problems of her own, and things got complicated. Two
people bearing hidden scars with no hope in the future finally had lights in their
lives again. The movie was not heavy at all but extremely entertaining with
some laugh-out-loud moments. No matter how many times I’ve watched it, I still
got emotional every time I replayed it. The underlying message was also a
shout-out to anyone who believe they have hit rock bottom: “When one door
closes, another door opens”. Therefore, keep moving forward and don’t lose
hope. If anyone run out of movies to watch, I highly recommend “Silver Linings
Playbook” as a change of appetite.

• Be up to one’s eyeballs (idiom): to be very busy with something

• Boost (v): to make something increase, or become better or more
successful
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• Lose count: forget how many of something there are, especially because
the number is so high

• Complexity (n): the state of being formed of many parts; the state of being
difficult to understand
• Sentimental (a): producing emotions such as pity, romantic love or
sadness, which may be too strong or not appropriate; feeling these
emotions too much
• Light-hearted (a): intended to be amusing or easily enjoyable rather than
too serious
• Adaptation (n): a film/movie, book or play that is based on a particular
piece of work but that has been changed for a new situation
• Wounded (a): feeling emotional pain because of something unpleasant
that somebody has said or done
• Institution (n): a building where people with special needs are taken care
of, for example because they are old or mentally ill
• Reconcile (v): to make people become friends again after an argument or
a disagreement
• Entertaining (a): interesting and amusing
• Underlying (a): important in a situation but not always easily noticed or
stated clearly
• Shout-out (n): a message of congratulation, support, or appreciation  Hit
rock bottom (idiom): to reach the lowest possible level or be in the worst
possible situation
• Run out of: (of a supply of something) be used up
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Describe the best experience of your school/university life you have had

You should say:

- What it was,

- when it was, - why it happened, and explain why it was the

best of experience

Band 9.0 Sample Answer

It was almost 8 years since I competed in an English Speaking Contest, standing

on a big stage in front of a hundred-strong crowd to deliver one of the best
speeches I’ve ever given with the support of my friends. That was something you
can never forget in your whole life and the most magnificent moment, bar none,
of my high school highlights.

Never had it crossed my mind that one day I would be on stage talking about
the thing I treasured most in my life – my family and friends or just be qualified
enough to represent the entire school compete at such competition. If it hadn’t
been for my English teacher’s constant encouragement, I wouldn't have
participated in the contest in the first place. Students were free to choose their
topics and were asked to present it in front of a panel of judges and audience. It
sounded intimidating for so many reasons but I had managed to subdue my
anxiety and learned to believe in myself. Preparation for D-day was tough for
everyone, both emotionally and physically. We kept practicing nonstop for 4
hours straight, every single day; me trying to perfect my pronunciation and
acquire that American accent, my friends singing their heart out Miley Cyrus’s
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song “True Friend” since we wanted to kick our performance up the notch by
featuring some musical element. Our hard work had finally paid off with us
bringing home the Champion Cup as well as Best Performance Award. It
brought me to tears as I realized at that moment it wouldn’t have mattered if we
hadn’t won because we already won when we got over ourselves, stepped out
of our comfort zone and kept going till the end. That was our true victory. Until
now, the lesson I’ve learnt 8 years ago still has its own value and will always be
there to remind me of those good old days.

Vocabulary & Useful Expression

• deliver a speech: give a speech

• magnificent (a): extremely attractive and impressive
• bar none: with no exceptions
• cross one's mind: to come into your thoughts as a possibility
• represent (v): act or speak officially for somebody
• constant encouragement
• in the first place: in the beginning
• panel of judges: a group of persons selected to act as a team to judge a
contest
• intimidating (a): frightening in a way which makes a person feel less
confident
• subdue(v): calm or control your feelings
• sing one's heart out: to sing with vigor or intensity
• kick something up the notch: to do something with vigor or intensity
• pay off: yield good results, succeed
• bring someone to tears: to bring someone to the point of crying
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• step out of comfort zone: do things that you don't feel comfortable with
doing

Describe a sport that you would like to learn.

You should say: what sport it is how you would

learn it how difficult you think it would be to learn

and explain why you would like to learn this

sport.

Band 8.5 Suggested Answer:

There are many kinds of sports which people like learning these days, such as
baseball, basketball, volleyball, and cricket but I would like to learn football which
is so-called the king of sports.

Football is the popular kind of sports in almost all countries in the world.
Basically, it is a collective game with 2 teams and each team has 11 players.
The main purpose is that players try to keep their goal safe and kick the ball to
the net of their opponents. Scores are recorded and the winner is the team
having higher scores.

It is the most famous sports in my country and all of my family members favor this
sports, especially my father and my brother. Thus, I had a chance to approach
this sport since I was 7 years old. I really love learning it because of the drama
and surprise in each match.
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From my perspectives, it is really difficult to learn to play soccer well. A player

needs to be very strong to compete with others, and be skillful in ball
controlling, heading as well as having team spirit. A good football team needs
to have solidarity as well as the ability to control the game. Therefore, normally
there is a coach for each team and this person is not less famous than other
players.

Describe a person who can use or speak a second language.

Please say

– Who this person is?

– What language can he/she use?
– How often does he/she use it?

Band 8.0+ Sample Answer

Initially, I think I can start off by pointing out something about who this person is.
Actually, I know quite a lot people who are bilingual, however I’d like to share
about my best friend who is fluent in Japanese. Her name is Nguyen and she is
currently working in a Japanese corporate. In fact, she is the one who has
inspired me a lot to learn the second language. The factor that makes her unique
to me is the fact that despite acquiring Japanese on her own, she managed to
become excellent at it with gorgeous intonation like a native speaker. The chief
reason encouraging her to learn this language is indeed quite simple. When she
was in university, she fell in love with a Japanese person and gradually became
addicted to this country’s culture and language. Therefore, she exerted herself
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and put a lot of effort in Japanese with the first target of being able to
communicate with her boyfriend in his mother tongue. Time went by and her
passion for this language grew so strong that she committed herself to conquer
it, no matter how hard it is when it comes to the matter of self – study. However
at the end of the day, she achieved it with flying colors and lots of
opportunities come to her after graduation from university. It is my friend who
gives me a precious lesson in life: Do the thing you are truly passionate about
and you will rock it.

Vocabulary

• Bilingual (a): speaking two language fluently

• Corporate (n): a company or a group
• Acquire (v): obtain, to get
• Chief (a): most important
• Fall in love with (idiom): to begin to love someone
• Exert oneself (expression): put oneself to strenuous effort
• Conquer (v): overcome and take control of something
• At the end of the day (idiom): finally
• With flying colors (idiom): successfully.

Describe something you bought but you were not happy with. You should
say:

• What this thing is?

• When did you buy it?
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• Why were you not happy with it?

• How did you react?

Band 8.0+ Sample Answer

Actually in my life, I have performed many different transactions which give me

both sense of satisfaction and discontent. However if I have to pick out one
item that really let me down, I would name the birthday cake that I bought for my
sister 2 years ago. Now with reference to why I were not content with is, I
suppose there was a combination of reasons here. One of them was its
exorbitant price.
On my sister’s birthday, I had an emergency at work and it took me almost all day
till 11 pm to resolve it. Although it cost me an arm and a leg to buy the cake, I
still decided to take it since it was the only bakery shop stayed open that late.
Everything would be fine if it tasted good but unfortunately the cake was of
terrible quality. It tasted way too sweet and was not appetizing at all. Thus, I was
kind of regretful, choosing to purchase the cake instead of any other present for
my sister. Actually as I had to splash out on the cake and received almost
nothing back, I tended be more careful to make really sensible buying decision
from that on.

Vocabulary

• Transaction (n): an instance of buying or selling something

• Discontent (n): dissatisfaction, lack of contentment
• Pick out (phrasal verb): to choose
• Let someone down (expression): fail to support or help someone as they
expected
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• With reference to (expression): about

• Content (a): in a taste of peaceful happiness
• Exorbitant (a): (price) unreasonably high
• Cost an arm and a leg (idiom): be extremely expensive
• Appetizing (a): delicious
• Splash out (phrasal verb): to spend a lot of money on something
• Sensible (a): in accordance with wisdom and prudence

Describe a time when you are very busy

You should say
When it was
What you had to do during that time
How you managed it
And explain how you felt about being busy

BAND 8.0 SAMPLE ANSWER:

One such busy time I really remember was the time when I had the deadline to
submit my thesis paper which is the ultimate assignment to gain a Master Degree
in International Relations.

This thesis paper is of great importance to me because it will decide whether I

can get through the master course with flying color or not. I had just 1 month to
complete my thesis paper but I had a full-time job which accounted for 8 hours
per day so I had hardly few hours left for this graduation paper. I was also a
procrastinator who always waits until the last minute to do anything which
made me fall behind my schedule for my thesis paper submission.
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Moreover, the thesis was really complex and challenging, therefore, I had tons of
tasks waiting for me to be carried out such as collecting data for the report in the
thesis, doing group discussions to brainstorm good ideas for the thesis and
surfing high and low to collect information online as references for the thesis. I
even didn’t have time left for my personal stuff. To be more specific, I did not
spend time on visiting my parents for the whole month even though they were in
the same town. I couldn’t also visit some close friends, maintain my social
networking profiles and update my blog. I did not feel good about it so it was
particularly stressful to me.

However, I knew that I had to stay motivated and productive to get through this
hard time. I worked flat out and put a lot of time and effort into it to meet
worked flat out and put a lot of time and effort into it to meet tight deadlines
and get the best results for the thesis paper. For the sake of that, I got a
straight 'A' in my thesis, continued my job and did well in my term final. I had to
sacrifice a lot and maintain a strict routine and stop lots of my other activities
that I usually do. At the end of the day, it was well worth the effort and time!

Describe a country you have visited

You should say:

• Where is this country

• When did you visit it?
• What were the interesting things about this country
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BAND 8.0 SAMPLE ANSWER

I suppose I should begin by highlighting the point of where this country is. In
actual fact, the countries that I have visited so far can be counted on the fingers
of one hand. Among those, India is the one that truly amazed me by many
factors. India has a very long history, the country is very big and has the second
largest population in the world. I guess this is why there are so much to see. For
me, one of the most interesting places in India is The Ganges River, which is well
– known as the longest and holiest river in India. While most rivers around the
world are for recreation or sports, the Ganges has many other functions. As the
Indians believe, that the river is holy, people come here to pray and wash
themselves in its water. In addition, the river also has thousands of people who
wash their clothes by beating them on rocks. The other thing that often impresses
tourist is the unique architect of Hindu temples all over India and visitors can
enter at any time. The temples are usually immense and have antique statutes
that are thousands of years old. Visitors are also welcome to eat and sleep in the
temples at night if they have no place to go. After all, I have to say that paying
this beautiful country the second visit in future is one of the prioritized items
on my bucket list.

Vocabulary

• Highlight (v): to pick out and emphasize

• Count on the fingers of one hand (idiom): to express that ST is very scarce
• Amaze (v): surprise someone strongly
• Recreation (n): entertainment
• Holy (a): sacred
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• Immense (a): very large

• Antique (a): old
• Pay a visit (expression): visit
• Prioritize (v): treat something as more important than the other things

Describe a vehicle you would like to own or something expensive you

would like to buy.

• What it is?
• Why do you want to own it?
• When are you going to buy it?

Band 8.0+ Sample Answer

Regarding the fact that I am crazy about exploring the spaces, I have to say if I
was a billionaire and had an enormous amount of money, I would probably buy
a spaceship for my own exploration adventures. The main reason accounting
for this intention is that ever since I was a kid, I have always held a strong
yearning for becoming an astronaut. Therefore, having my own personal
spacecraft would give me the opportunity to fulfill my childhood’s dream. There
is a myriad of purposes for my spacecraft, one of them is that I would use my
spacecraft to visit other planets in the outer space and maybe one day I could
find a habitable place for people. This certainly would be a great discovery for
human being especially when The Earth is currently flooded by trash and
contaminants. In addition, since photography is one of my hobbies, it would be
fantastic to take pictures of different celestial bodies from the space. Although
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this may sound crazy, I think with remarkable innovations in science, a

spacecraft would become affordable for people in the years to come.

Vocabulary:

• Regarding to (exp): about

• crazy about (a): like something very much
• Enormous (a): huge, very large
• Account for (phrasal verb): explain
• Yearning (n): a feeling of intense longing for something
• Fulfill (v): to complete, to achieve
• A myriad of something (exp): a huge number/ amount of something
• Habitable (a): suitable or good enough to live
• Contaminant (n): pollutants
• Celestial (a): positioned or relating to the sky

• Remarkable (a): striking, worthy of attention

• Affordable (a): inexpensive, reasonably priced.

Describe something you make by yourself.

• What the thing is?

• How do you make it?
• Why do you like it?
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Band 8.0+ Sample Answer

I guess I could begin by saying something about what this thing is. In fact, I am
not that meticulous and patient therefore the things that I have created by
myself can be counted on the fingers of one hand. However one thing that
made me really proud of is the kite that I made when I was 7 years old. In fact, it
was also the very first thing that I created all the parts from scratch. Another part
worth mentioning is the making process of this toy. Well, my kite had the shape
of a diamond and was made mainly of paper. Considering the fact that I had
never done anything like this before, it's not astonishing to say that I spent almost
three days in a row to complete just the fundamental parts. The first step was
attaching paper to a bamboo frame. Although this sounds quite simple, it was
absolutely not as easy as a piece of cake since I had to keep the balance for the
kite. After that, it came to the issue of assembling lots of colorful light weight
pieces in order to make the tail. The thorny part was ensuring the flying ability
of the kite even when it was attached with a long tail. Until now, I still remember
the gorgeous feeling when I completed the toy which was considered as a
treasure back then. I guess this was mainly because it gave me a sense on own
achievement and pride whenever I played with it or talked about it to my friends.
In my childhood, the whole world was just as simple and funny as a party to be
thrown – like a famous singer said.

Vocabulary:

• Meticulous (a): showing great attention to detail

• Count something on the fingers of one hand (idiom): say that
something is really scarce
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• Start from scratch (idiom): start from the very first part
• Fundamental (a): basic and important
• In a row (idiom): continuously
• Assemble (v): put together
• Piece of cake (idiom): easy and not requires lots of effort
• Thorny (a): very difficult
• Ensure (v): to make sure
• Gorgeous (a): very pleasant, beautiful and attractive  Throw a
party (idiom): to hold, to arrange a party.

Describe one of your childhood toys that was special to you.

You should say: what it was who gave

it to you how you played with it and

explain why it was special for you.

Band 8.5 Model Answer

I have many toys in my childhood and at different stages, I prefer different toys.
However, among them, a Teddy bear is the most special one to me and I still
keep it at my closet until now.

I guess that all kids love a furry friend and so did I. However, what made the bear
really special to me was that this was a gift from my father on an occasion of my
5th birthday. Everything about it was so different from other stuffed bears. At that
time, my father was working far away and I missed him so much. I thought that
he could not come back to celebrate my birthday party as he had did before. To
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my surprise, on my birthday, he suddenly came home and brought with him a

lovely Teddy bear. Missing him, I ran into him and my father gave me big hug,
then kissed me. I was so excited about the Teddy bear. When I squeezed it, it
said I LOVE YOU by the most sweet and lovely voice on Earth.

Looking at it made me immediately think about my beloved father. His physical

presence on my birthday was like gold to me. You know, it is really hard to not
have one of the most important people to you in your birthday. I would never
forget that special moment and the Teddy bear means so much to me.

Describe a person who you have met and want to know more about
You should say
Who this person is
When and where you met
What you did or talked about

BAND 8.5 SAMPLE ANSWER:

I'm going to talk about an acquaintance who I’ve recently met at my local English
club. His name's Dave and he’s about the same age as me, I mean... most
people would agree that he looks quite young for his age, I think it's mainly due to
his hairstyle.

Dave has recently completed his postgraduate degree at Melbourne University in

Australia and he's currently looking for a job in Vietnam, well, he told me that he
would like to become an IELTS teacher, despite the fact that he holds an MBA, I
guess teaching English has always been one of his passions. I have to say that I
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don't know him really well, because we only had a few brief conversations at
the local English club, but he seems like a fascinating person that I would like to
get to know better in the future.

Anyway, when it comes to his personality....Honestly, as I've said earlier,

we've only had a few brief conversations, so I don't know him really
well...However, I would guess that he's a very friendly and approachable
individual, in fact, he actually made an effort to break the ice because I was
just too shy to strike up a conversation.

Well, in terms of the core reasons why I think we could get along quite
well...Firstly, we are both passionate about English, actually, he had just
scored a band 8 in his IELTS test and it would be great if he could give me all the
advice that I need to be at the same level. Secondly, I'm also planning to study
abroad in Australia, so he would be the ideal person to lead me in the right
direction to enroll into the right course, get a part-time job and so on.

Describe a goal that you hope to achieve in the future.

You should say:

what the goal is when you first began to have this goal

how you would achieve the first step of your goal how

easy or difficult you think it will be to reach this goal and

explain why you have this goal.

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Band 8.5 Model Answer

I have a long desire to learn Chinese as a second foreign language, but even
with my passion, I still have not achieved it yet.

This passion grew in me just few years ago when I watched a very inspiring
movie about Chinese history and culture. Then I decided that I had to learn
Chinese in order to explore more about this incredible nation. Besides, knowing
more than one language is very beneficial to not only my study but also my future
career path.

Therefore, in order to achieve my target, I will register for a Chinese course for
beginners, which is held 3 times a week. I also intend to download many apps
on my phone with the aim to study at home by myself. I have drawn my own
schedule so that I can make time for self - study, at least 1 hour per day.

As currently, I have a full – time job, I am so busy that there are days when I have
to work overtime or travel faraway to meet clients. Moreover, after a tiring day, I
often feel deadly tired and find it hard to concentrate on studying at home.
However, just thinking about the moments when I can speak Chinese gives me a
sense of satisfaction, which encourages me to study harder and better.

Thus, I always remind myself that I have to keep up with my schedule at any cost
if I want to make my dream come true.

Describe a happy family event from your childhood.

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You should say: what the event was where it

happened what you saw and did and explain

why you remember this event so well.

Band 8.5 Model Answer

There are numerous happy events in my life that I can recall and among them, I
would like to talk about the time when my family gathered to make X cake for the
New Year holiday.

The New Year is a very special traditional holiday in my country. It was probably
my most favorite holiday when I was a small girl as my family had a lot of
activities to celebrate this occasion. Among them, making the X cake made me
excited the most. The X cake is made of glutinous rice, green beans and fat pork,
wrapped in banana leaves in the shape of a square. I often played with my older
brother when my parents prepared the ingredients for the cake. And then, my
father lit a small fire to boil the cake overnight.

It was perhaps the only time of the year when I was allowed to stay up late. While
my family was sitting around the warm fire, my grandmother would tell the old
legendary story about the X cake to commemorate the filial affection of one
prince to his father and remind us of the long – lasting tradition of our country.

In recent years, my family has not had enough time for making the Xcake on our
own. However, to me, a ready-made cake that we buy from a local market can’t
bring the special feeling and replace the taste of a X cake from my childhood. I
hope that my family can continue our tradition in the coming years.
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Describe a tall building in your hometown you like or dislike

You should say
Where this building is
What it looks like
What it is used for
And explain why you like or dislike

BAND 9.0 SAMPLE ANSWER

I’m going to describe a high-rise building in my neighborhood. It’s called Paradise

Green City, located in Canada.

Unlike other modern blocks, which are usually huge glass towers, the building is
painted yellow, although it’s named Green City. The structure of Green City is not
dissimilar to that of most buildings in Canada nowadays, with the bottom half
used as a shopping center and the top half occupied by apartments.

One feature that makes the building unique is that its trade center offers
Canadian products only, with a view to promoting domestic products to Hanoi
people and also to supporting national manufacturers. At the entrance of the
building, if you look to the right, you can easily find a store named Masterchef
bread, which serves traditional bread to people who just do not have enough time
to go inside, so they line up waiting to pay.

In spite of its prime location, however, Paradise Green City offers a reasonable
price for its apartments, which are affordable for many middle-income families.
From the building, we can enjoy the breathtaking scenery. So, if you are planning
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to find a place with a beautiful and peaceful view, or simply want to buy
something traditional, Paradise Green City may be a good choice.

(Dislike) What I don’t like about Paradise Green City, however, is that its design
is neither eye-catching nor original. In fact, I personally find that it resembles
ABC, a modern building nearby. Moreover, the paint color doesn’t match its
modern structures, which makes the building somehow old-fashioned. And, the
quality, as well as diversity of products on sale do not meet the expectations of
most customers. So, I guess it’s the reason why the building doesn’t attract as
much attention from the public as expected.

Describe a useful app or computer program for a smart phone, computer or

tablet that you have used.

You should say: what

the app is how

long/how often you

have used it (or,

been using it) what

you use it for and

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explain why you think

it is useful.

Band 9.0 Model Answer

Well, I'm really into mobile apps so I set up at least 20 helpful apps on my
smartphone like Meditation, Tripadvisor, Ted, Lumosity, Dulingo, Wunderlist. But
maybe Money Lover is the most useful one and at the top of my list.

Let me tell you about it in more detail. The symbol of the app is a very cute piggy
bank which impresses me a lot at the first sight. There are many expenses for
clothes, food, cosmetics divided so that at the end of the month, I can know
exactly what cost me a bomb, what are within my budget to tighten the belt
next month.

It is not an exaggeration to say that this way of saving money changes my life
for the better. Thanks to that, I am better at money management. When talking
about money saving, my friends consider me as a shining model for them to
follow. This makes me so proud of myself.

In addition, my mom always got shirty with me for my wasting money but at the
moment, she hardly loses her temper anymore and we seem to have better
relationship than in the past.

If anyone asks what application I like best, “Money Lover” is the first thing that
comes to my mind. Trust me, it is really helpful.
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Describe a short holiday (vacation) that was special for you.

You should say: where you went who

you spent time with what you did and

explain why it was special for you.

Band 9.0 Model Answer

Today I'm going to share with you a short vacation that left me a profound
impression. It was a trip to the hometown of one of my classmates at university.

At the end of the second semester, our group at the university was invited to pay
a 5-day visit to the house of one of the group members, which is located in X.
We had 5 people in total and bought coach tickets to reach our destination.

On arriving at the countryside, which is quite secluded from the hustle and
bustle of the city life, we were greatly impressed by the picturesque
landscapes there. The atmosphere was refreshing and the air is unpolluted
unlike in the city where many of us were living in. My friend acted as a tour
guide as he was well accustomed to the local lifestyles and tourist
attractions there. We took the motorbikes to tour the city land stopped at some
street vendors to taste the local cuisine, which I personally found tasty and
delicate. After doing the sights, we gathered in the evening for some small
games and gossip about our study and our future career path.

All in all, such a short vacation still fills me with great delight each time I recall
it.
Hope that we could make another vacation someday before New Year.
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Describe an antique or some other old thing that your family has kept for

a long time. You should say:

what it is how (or when) your family first got this thing

how long your family has kept it and explain why this

thing is important to your family.

Band 9.0 Model Answer

When it comes to an old thing I keep in my family, I want to talk about the
transformer that I got from my parents on my 10th birthday.

On that day, my parents bought me a transformer as a birthday gift. When I

opened the gift box, I was really astonished by what I was seeing in front of me.
It was an awesome transformer that I had been dreaming about for ages. The
moment I saw this transformer, I fell in love with it. It was pretty huge and
looked like a hip yellow car, and it could be shifted from a car to a robot action
figure and back again. The transformer had a really nice color scheme and
finish. And it came with a nice handgun like the weapon and different
accessories. It was super cool! And with the transformer, there was a card from
my parents saying, "Sweetie, you mean everything in the world to us and you are
forever the apple of our eyes. Happy Birthday! Love parents." I am telling you,
although I was pretty young at that time, those words impressed me a lot.
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Until today, I still keep this toy. It has been over ten years since I got it. I love it
not only because of the toy itself, but also because of the sentimental value it
has for me. The value is irreplaceable.

Describe a creative inventor or musician You

should say:
Who this person is
What this person does
How he knew this person
And explain why you think this person is creative Band

9.0 Sample Answer:

I’m going to talk about a musician/songwriter that I admire, called Adam

Levine. He’s also a singer who plays the guitar and writes his own songs. I think
he recorded his first album about 10 years ago with his band called Maroon 5,
and he’s released several other CDs since then.

He became successful after many years of writing songs and performing live in
small venues all over the country. Gradually he built a following of people who
liked his music. I think the key to his success was one of his songs that was used
on a TV advertisement. This meant that more people became aware of his music.

I found out about Adam because one of my friends got tickets to see him in
concert.
I hadn’t heard any of his music before, but I went along to the gig and really
enjoyed it. After that I bought the first CD, and now I’ve got all of them.
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The reason I'm into Adam is that he has worked hard for his success: it takes
years of practice to become a good singer and guitarist, and he spent several
years playing to very small audiences before he became successful. I also like
the fact that he writes his own music. I admire people who have worked hard to
get where they are.

Describe an art or craft activity you did when you were in school

You should say: when this happened what

you did in the activity who you did it with
and explain how you felt about this activity.

Band 8.0 Model Answer

Today I'm going to share with you about a craft work that a bunch of high
school buddies and I took part in. It was prior to Mid-Autumn Festival that our
form teacher made a decision to hold a small competition among our
classmates. The theme was to design the most attractive and meaningful lantern

My group decided on creating a spinning lantern ’(while other groups chose

much simpler shapes like butterflies, fish and stars. As a matter of fact, ours was
a lantern which spins around when a candle is placed inside, which symbolizes
the seasonal spinning of the earth around the sun. Therefore, it was a bit
tricky and time-consuming to make it work.

My assigned duty was to cut the colored plastic papers and draw some
exotic pictures to decorate the exterior of the lantern. I drew great shapes and
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cut them out neatly, glued and stuck them onto the shining outer surface of
the spinning lantern. A couple of my friends strategized and positioned the axis
so that it could spin properly. And we finished out product within 3 hours of hard
work

This craft activity had a realty special meaning for me. Actually, our team won
the first prize not only in our class, but the whole school as well. Afterwards, our
lantern was singled out and donated to a local orphanage. I was really moved
and blissfully happy since we did accomplish something for those less
fortunate. This actually left a really profound Mid-Autumn impression on me.

Describe an activity you do for your health or fitness.

You should say: what you do how often you do it where you do it

and explain how you think this activity helps you stay healthy or fit.

Band 9.0 Model Answer

Staying in good shape is everyone’s concern and I am no exception. To be

honest, I have been so caught up in my study since I entered university that I
have a problem in organizing my daily routine. However, I have been
participating in a yoga class for about 2 years, which takes me only 1 hour a
day, to try to lead a healthy lifestyle.

Unlike dancing or running, yoga definitely involves stretching actions. You

might look at yoga and think that it is light and easy but it is more demanding
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than it appears. Yoga allows me to work on all the parts of my body. It can burn
a lot of calories in just one hour of training. Also, it enhances
my flexibility and suppleness in every single movement.

What I enjoy the most about yoga is meditation. It is all about regulating your
breathing and helping you take things off your mind easily. Another thing is that
doing yoga is supposed to be good for curing headaches and digestion related
problems, so it benefits not only physical well-being but also mental health.

By maintaining a schedule of taking part in the yoga class on a daily basis, I feel
extremely relaxed and full of energy after the class. It helps me to keep fit and
refresh my mind after a long stressful day. And of course, I don’t see myself
stopping practicing this activity any time soon.

VOCABULARY

• in good shape: [expression] the good physical condition of someone.

Example: For a man of his age, he is in good shape.

• caught up: [phrasal verb] completely involved in something.

Example: He was so caught up in the TV program, that he forgot to do his

homework.

• stretching actions: [noun] actions which make your muscles stronger by

exercises in which you extend your arms and legs.

Example: When I get up in the morning, I do some stretching actions to

exercise the muscles in my arms.
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• demanding: [adjective] needing a lot of effort.

Example: The work of a farmer is physically very demanding.

• work on: [phrasal verb] try hard to improve something, or how something
functions.

Example: She works on her yoga skills by practising the exercises every day.

• burn a lot of calories: [expression] use up a lot of energy [that comes from
the food we eat].

Example: One reason why people do exercise is to burn a lot of calories and
lose weight.

• flexibility: [noun] the ability to move and bend your body easily.

Example: Regular exercise helps older people to maintain their flexibility,

especially by stretching their muscles.

• suppleness: [noun] the ability to move and bend your body into different
positions – it is a synonym for flexibility.

Example: Different yoga movements develop suppleness in different muscles.

• meditation: [noun] thinking deeply in silence, to make you feel calm.

Example: To help you to relax, try meditation after a stressful day at work.

• regulating your breathing: [expression] controlling the way in which you

breathe in and out.
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Example: An important part of learning how to swim is regulating your

breathing.

• take things off your mind: [expression] forget things which are causing you
anxiety or stress.

Example: After an exam, I usually have a short holiday, to take things off my
mind and enjoy myself.

• cure: [verb] make an illness go away.

Example: The website advertises a new drug for curing AIDS.

• digestion: [noun] the process of changing the food you eat into substances
that the body can use.

Example: Unlike cows or horses, the digestion of grass is impossible for

humans.

• well-being: [noun] general health and happiness.

Example: The company tries to ensure the well-being of its employees by

providing good working conditions.

• schedule: [noun] a plan that lists all the things that you have to do and
when you must do them.

Example: For the next few days, I have a busy schedule, which includes my
yoga class each morning.

• I don’t see myself stopping: [expression] I don’t think that I will stop.
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Example: I don’t see myself stopping working in the next 10 years because I
have to support my family.

• any time soon: [expression] in the near future, soon.

Example: I should receive the exam results any time soon – perhaps tomorrow.

Describe a skill you would like to learn

You should say:

- What the skill is

- Why you want to learn this skill

- Whether you think it would be difficult

- Whether you think you will learn it in the near future

Band 9.0 Sample Answer

Digital technology has reshaped the world in more than one way during the last
decade. As a result, a new way of living and working has also prevailed among
people, especially Millennials. If you’ve heard about “digital nomad” – a
workfrom-anywhere kind of employee, you already know how a specific digital
skill set can improve and simplify your life, which is why I take great interest in
and set Photoshop – one of the most powerful graphic design tool to be my
next challenge to conquer.
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Being known as an incredible image editing program, Photoshop has earned

its reputation for good reasons. Created and maintained by Adobe, Photoshop
provides users with a complete and advanced tool set to maximize their
creativity. It can do anything regarding online media, for example, creating 3D
images, resizing, color correction and even editing video. Fancy as it sounds, to
acquire Photoshop skill would be a painstaking process. Due to complex
features and even more complex applications, Photoshop is not for those without
patience and constant practice. Furthermore, the program usually gets
upgraded with more usages, therefore, you would have to keep learning to avoid
being obsolete. Graphic design is a critical skill in this digital era which affords
anyone flexibility as well as attractive income.

Therefore, it would definitely be on top of my must-learn skill in the near future.

Actually, I have already scheduled my timetable and squeeze in some hours for
Photoshop 101 class next month and I hope it would go as well as it could be.

Vocabulary & Useful Expression

• prevail (v): exist or be very common at a particular time or in a particular

place
• Millennials (n): people who became adults around the year 2000

• digital nomad: people who use telecommunications technologies to earn

a living
• simplify (n): make something easier to do or understand  take
interest in: become concerned or interested in someone or something
• conquer (a challenge) (v): succeed in dealing with or controlling
something
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• earn reputation/ respect (collocation)

• provide someone with something/ provide something for someone:
• maximize (v): increase something as much as possible
• acquire a skill/ an accent...: gain something by your own efforts, ability or
behaviour
• painstaking (a): needing a lot of care, effort and attention to detail
• feature (n): a distinctive attribute or aspect of something
• constant practice
• get upgraded
• obsolete (a): out of date  afford (v) (formal): provide  attractive
income:
• schedule (v): arrange that an event or activity will happen at a particular
time
• squeeze in: manage to make room or time for someone or something in a
tight space or schedule

Describe an interesting song you like You

should say:
What it is
Which country the song comes from
What story the song tells
And explain why you think it is interesting

Band 9.0 Sample Answer

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I love listening to music, so I like a multitude of songs. However, one of my

favorite songs that I want to talk about today is “Hall of Fame” by The Script and
Will.i.am. This song was written for the 2012 Olympic Games.

When it came out, it quickly became a hit on every single music chart throughout
the world, not just because of its catchy melody, but also for its meaningful
lyrics. The song talks about how each of us can be a champion or anything we
want to be as long as we dedicate our time and efforts to doing what we are
passionate about. The song is played at big athletic events to pump up the
crowd, but you can easily relate to the song at other times as well, especially
when you are about to give up.

I think this song has such a powerful message that whenever I was tired or had
decided to quit, it would lift me up right away. It made me think about why I had
started in the first place and that I needed to finish the job that I was currently
doing.

VOCABULARY:

• became a hit: when a song becomes a hit, it means that it is super

popular and that people are listening to it on the radio and buying it on
iTunes or elsewhere.

Example: Taylor Swift‟s song “Bad Blood” became a hit instantly.

• catchy melody: the melody is the part that you sing along with and if it is
catchy, it means that it is easy to sing along with and people like it, you
easily remember it and it sticks in your mind.
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Example: The song “Uptown Funk” has a catchy melody that people love to sing.

• meaningful lyrics: lyrics are the words in a song and if they are
meaningful, it means that they actually mean something or have some sort
of importance or significance; they aren‟t just silly, meaningless words.

Example: His sister writes meaningful lyrics for her songs.

• champion: someone who wins, a winner.

Example: He didn‟t see himself as a champion until he had reached his goals.

• dedicate: to commit your time to doing something; to make a promise to

yourself to do something.

Example: You were able to get a high score on the test because you dedicated 2
hours every day to studying and preparing yourself.

• effort: the work that you put into doing something.

Example: The time and effort he spent improving his English paid off when he got
a $10,000 raise.

• passionate: if you are passionate about something it means you have a

strong desire to do something or a strong interest in something.

Example: Elite athletes are passionate about their sport and want to become the
best.
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• played at: to play a song at an event means to broadcast it over

loudspeakers so everyone can hear it.

Example: They always play the song “We Are the Champions” at basketball
games.

• to pump up the crowd: to get the people excited about the game or event.

Example: The cheerleaders tried to pump up the crowd during the football game.

• relate to: to see yourself in something or to understand it in a personal

way.

Example: She can relate to the lyrics of that song about love and loss.

• give up: to quit; to stop doing something.

Example: He decided to give up smoking after 10 years.

• quit: to stop doing something; to give up.

Example: She convinced her son not to quit the soccer team.

• lift me up or lift someone up: to make someone feel better.

Example: His brother is good at lifting others up when they are feeling down.

Describe an interesting public place in your hometown, or where you are

living now, that you like to go to
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You should say:

where it is how often you go there what

you do there and explain why you think it

is interesting.

Band 8.5 Model Answer:

Today, Im going to share with you an interesting public place where I really enjoy
going to to hang out with my close friends in my spare time, which is a lovely café
named X.

It is situated at Y – a small quiet lane near my university in the centre of my

hometown. The coffee house is decorated in an old, traditional French style, with
a lot of paintings on the wall, and it attracts a lot of foreign customers. As a
fulltime student, I have been so caught up in my studies, therefore, I just take a
day off to go there on weekends after a long stressful week.

There are many live music events taking place there

performed by acoustic guitarists, so I often check them out on the internet and
come with my friends. Because this type of music is my kind of thing, I am in my
element just humming the tune of the songs and relaxing in a comfy chair to
enjoy myself.

The fast food tastes quite savoury and especially the coffee in X is always
irresistibly delicious. That might be the reason why it was ranked among the top 5
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best coffee shops in 2015. What I really love is how cozy the atmosphere is,
something which I have not found in any other coffee shop yet.

Whenever things go wrong, I often go there as a hideaway to escape from all the
pressures and order a cup of coffee to relieve my stress. It always works
wonders.
I find it extremely therapeutic and soothing. Therefore, it’s more than likely that I
will still keep coming back to it as my favourite place in the near future.

VOCABULARY

• hang out: [phrasal verb] spend time in a particular place.

Example: I sometimes hang out at the shopping mall on Sundays and meet up
with my friends.

• lane: [noun] a narrow street in a city, with buildings on both sides.

Example: The lane behind the museum will take you directly to the train station.

• decorate: [verb] make something more attractive.

Example: Her living room is always decorated with flowers.

• caught up: [phrasal verb] involved in a concentrated way, so that you forget
other things around you.

Example: I was so caught up in the film that I forgot to feed the cat.

• acoustic: [adjective] designed to make natural sound, not sound produced

by electrical equipment.
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Example: Artists who play traditional music usually use acoustic instruments,
copying the way in which the music was originally played.

• in my element: [expression] doing what I enjoy.

Example: I am really in my element at parties, because I love dancing and

mixing with friends.

• hum: [verb] sing a tune with your lips closed.

Example: He began humming along to the music.

• comfy: [adjective]

Example: This new jacket isn’t as comfy as my old one.

• irresistibly: [adverb] in a way that is so strong that it cannot be stopped.

Example: Romeo and Juliet in Shakespeare’s play were two young lovers who
were irresistibly attracted to each other.

• cozy: [adjective] warm and comfortable and safe, often used to refer to
something small.

Example: I felt cozy and relaxed sitting by the fire.

• hideaway: [noun] a place where you can go to be alone.

Example: He escapes to his hideaway in the country at weekends.

• relieve: [verb] remove or reduce an unpleasant feeling or pain.

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Example: To relieve his feeling of guilt, he decided to tell the truth to the police.
 work wonders: [expression] have a very good effect on someone or
something.

Example: If you have a bad cold, a hot lemon drink at night works wonders.

• therapeutic: [adjective] helping you to relax.

Example: I find that yoga is very therapeutic, and I always feel better after my
yoga class.

• soothing: [adjective] that makes someone who is anxious or stressed, feel

better.

Example: The doctor has such a soothing voice that his patients feel relaxed
immediately.

Describe a website you like to visit You

should say:
When you found it
What it is about
How often you visit it
Why you like this website

Band 8.0 Sample Answer:

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There is no doubt that online source is essential for everyone nowadays. A vast
amount of information is instantly updated every second to meet our needs. For
me, in particular, I’d like to check the website called food.com almost everyday.

What I love about the website is a wide variation of food stores is introduced in
detail, including the price, the food available, the parking area and the service
offered. Posts can also be varied in terms of food, by which the reviewer
recommends their top five stores selling it; in terms of design concepts, by which
people can choose their favorite surrounding environment or those young
photographers can also come to practice and in terms of specific locations. Of
course different person has different taste, I also can to go through the comments
below or save many posts for references. What is more, the website provides
delivery service, which is a huge benefit for those who are living too far away
from the store.

For those reasons listed, food.com is definitely one of the websites I’d love to visit
daily.

Describe a wedding that you have attended.

You should say: whose

wedding it was who was

there what happened

and explain how you felt.

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Band 9.0 Model Answer

Today, I’m gonna share with you a wedding of my friend that I attended. Last
month, I received a wedding invitation from my old friend from primary school.
The wedding was held at the beginning of April. We have been close to each
other for over 15 years, therefore, I definitely wanted to attend at all costs, due to
the fact that we hadn’t had a chance to get together for ages.

Her wedding ceremony took place at The Sum Villa, located near my home in the
heart of my city. It was decorated impressively with a lot of lights, candles and
flowers around the room. There were three glamorous wedding photo albums,
showing tables right at the centre of the official gate. The principal colours were
likely to be white and violet, so all the guests were requested to wear clothes with
one or both of these colours. Personally, I wore a white dress with small
accessories.

It was meant to be a casual wedding, which I had never attended before. It

turned out to be refreshingly informal. One of the best moments that really
touched me was when the bridegroom sang a song for the bride and all the
guests sang along with him. Also, he made a photo clip by himself marking their
4-year romance, to show to everyone in the room. It was no surprise that
everyone clapped their hands and cheered them. Of course, I was no exception.

It was also a good chance to catch up with my old friends and we all had a great
time. We definitely made the most of the occasion and took a lot of pictures with
the bride and the bridegroom. I gave my friend a gift to celebrate her wedding
day. I had given much thought to my wedding present when I was choosing it,
and I wished her lots of happiness for the future.
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VOCABULARY

• hold: [verb] have a meeting/conversation/party/wedding/event.

• close to: [expression] knowing someone well and liking them very much.
• at all costs: [expression] whatever is needed to achieve something.

• for ages: [expression] for a long time.

• decorate: [verb] make something more attractive.

• glamorous: [adjective] especially attractive and exciting.

• albums: [noun] a book in which you keep photographs.

• accessories: [noun] things like belts or bags, which you carry to match
your clothes.

• bridegroom: [noun] a man on his wedding day.

• bride: [noun] a woman on her wedding day.

• romance: [noun] a relationship between two people who are in love.

• clapped their hands: [expression] hit their open hands together, to show
that they liked or enjoyed something.

• cheer: [verb] to shout loudly, to show support or to encourage someone.

Describe a time when you tried a new food for the first time.
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You should say: what

food it was where

you ate it what it

tasted like and

explain whether or

not you liked this

food

Well, I’m a great fan of barbecues and I would like to talk about the first time I
tried some typical barbecue food. This happened when I was 10 years old.

My familiy went out to have dinner to celebrate my younger sister’s birthday.

After putting so much thought into some new savoury food to have for our meal,
we decided to go to a BBQ restautant on X street.

We ordered four dishes with three different tastes. One of them which really
interested me was grilled-Australian beef, flavoured with something spicy, rich
and aromatic. It not only tasted delicious, but also looked appealing. Also, it
went well with two kinds of dipping sauces and was served with baguettes.
There was also a salad, which gave it a mild taste to contrast with the spicy
flavours. The idea of a barbecue originated in America, and for us it was a novel
and sophisticated meal.
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What I really enjoyed was that we could watch as it was cooked in front of us. I
loved how juicy it was and the aroma it had. Just mentioning it makes my
mouth water. I mean, the BBQ was out of this world. That was the first time I
had tried it, and I would have liked to have kept on coming back for more, but I
was just too full.

VOCABULARY
• barbecues: [noun] a meal, usually eaten outdoors, which is cooked over
an open fire.

Example: Every summer, my friends and I have barbecues on the beach and
we each bring some beef or other meat to grill.

• put thought into: [expression] considered seriously and carefully.

Example: I put so much thought into my school project that I received a very
high score.

• savoury: [adjective] having a delicious taste, usually containing salt.

Example: We ate some tasty savoury biscuits with cheese to finish our meal.

• dish: [noun] food prepared in a particular way as part of a meal.

Example: Our meal arrived at the table – two dishes of meat, with rice and
salad.

• flavour: [verb] add to food to give it a special taste.

Example: The fish was flavoured with spices and it tasted delicious.
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• aromatic: [adjective] having a pleasant smell or aroma.

Example: She grows a number of aromatic plants in her garden.

• dipping sauces: [noun] different types of sauces in which you can put your
food quickly, take the food out again and eat it.

Example: The chef flavours his dipping sauces with different spices – some
sweet spices and some hot ones.

• baguettes: [noun] white bread in the shape of long sticks.

Example: The cheese baguettes which we ordered were hard on the outside
and soft on the inside.

• mild: [adjective] not strong or severe.

Example: I prefer cheese that is mild rather than cheese with a strong flavour.

• originate: [verb] happen or appear for the first time in a particular place or
situation.

Example: Tobacco originated in America and was later brought to Europe.

• novel: [adjective] new, and different from anything known before.

Example: Drive-in restaurants are a novel idea which originated in America.

• sophisticated: [adjective] typical of rich or socially important people.

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Example: They like to dress in very sophisticated clothes, although they don’t
have a lot of money.

• juicy: [adjective] having a lot of juice, so that it is good to eat.

Example: He bought some delicious juicy oranges at the market.

• makes my mouth water: [expression] makes me feel hungry.

Example: Thinking about Thai cuisine makes my mouth water.

• out of this world: [expression] wonderful and exciting.

Example: The new James Bond film is out of this world.

• full: [adjective] having had enough to eat.

Example: Although I was full after lunch, I still ate an ice-cream in the afternoon.

Describe a difficult decision that you made.

You should say:

what decision it was what difficulties you

faced how you made the decision and

explain why it was a difficult decision.

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Band 8.0 Model Answer

Well, the most difficult decision I’ve ever made was whether or not I should study
abroad next year. / Well, the most important conversation I had so far was with
my parents about whether or not I should study abroad next year.

In the recent couple of years, there’s this growing tendency among high school
graduates to embark on a study abroad program. I’ve always wanted to do the
same, because it’s a good opportunity to see the world, to experience different
styles education, and to improve my language skills. And for a girl who has never
been far away from home, studying in a foreign country might bring out my
independent nature. But I need to give it some careful thought before I could
make the decision. I told my parents who are both open-minded about my
plan,and they were pretty supportive, but they also pointed out some
disadvantages. My mom told me that being in a new place by myself could be
overwhelming sometimes, and it tests my ability to adapt to diverse situations.
And it’s highly possible that I would feel lonely and helpless every so often,
because all of my close friends and family members are on the other side of the
world. I would be completely on my own, and basically everything I took for
granted in the past would then be a challenge, like paying bills, opening bank
accounts, communicating with fellow students, and the list goes on and on.

All of a sudden, I felt stuck. All those challenges sounded terrifying, but I really
didn’t want to miss this great chance to broaden my horizon and learn more
about other cultures around the world. I weighed up the pros and cons carefully,
and after some serious consideration, I finally made up my mind to seize the
opportunity to go abroad for study.
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Describe a place you have visited that has been affected by pollution.

You should say: what place it was why you

went there how it was affected by pollution

and explain how you felt about this situation.

Model Answer

I’d like to talk about the capital city of China, Beijing, which is famous for its
places of interest like the the Great wall, and also some modern tourist
attractions. But these years, I believe it has become well known for its heavy air
pollution. I don’t remember since when high levels of air pollution have become
commonplace in Beijing, especially during winter months when temperatures
drop and more coal is burned when heating systems are switched on.All I can
hear from the news every now and then is Beijing is hit by hazardous smog again
and the municipal government issues yellow smog alerts all the time, and the
number of patients who suffer from respiratory disease is on the rise. I guess
that’s why I don’t have too much affection for this city. But a few months ago, my
best friend was getting married in Beijing and I was asked to be her bridesmaid.
So I had to fly there to attend her wedding.After I landed at the airport, I just had
this weird feeling in my throat and I started to cough. I noticed that most people
around me were wearing masks, I just regret why I didn’t get one before I went
there. When I looked out of the window, I could see the city was covered in a
dense layer of smog, and some of the skyscrapers were barely visible. I
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remember I was wearing a white blouse, but by the time I got to my hotel, the
collar was dirty, it was only like 4 hours? So you see, the pollution was that
serious. Honestly I’ve no idea why people still flock to this city to make a living at
the cost of their health.

Describe a product you bought that you were (or, are) happy with.

You should say: what

you bought how you

bought it why you

bought it and explain

why you were (or

are) happy with it.

Sample Answer

Ok then, well firstly I’d just like to mention that I’m quite lucky because my
parents have always bought stuff for me, so I seldom buy something by myself.
But one occasion that I did save up to buy something myself was when I got my
iPad, which really made me happy and that’s what I’d like to talk about.
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And um, I think it took me about four or five months to save up for it, and I
basically did it by cutting back on other things, you know, like eating out and
buying clothes.
At that time, I study in a college, I mean, I don’t have a job, unfortunately, so the
only money I receive is my living allowance which my parents give me every
month, and that’s what I had to use to pay for it.

Anyway, regarding why I wanted an iPad, well I suppose the main reason was
that I’m a big Apple fan. You know, I already had an iPhone and laptop, so the
only thing I was missing was an iPad. I also watched Steve Jobs’ presentation of
the iPad when it was launched, and it looked pretty cool. So I just thought it
would be great to have one!

And as for how I felt after buying it, well first of all, I was really excited and happy,
you know, because I couldn’t wait to start using it. And it also felt great because
I’d saved up for it myself instead of simply asking my parents to buy it for me. So
for that reason, it just felt a bit more special to me, if you know what I mean!

Describe a person (you know), much older than you, who you admire.

You should say: who this person is how

you know this person how this person

has influenced you and explain why you

admire this person.

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Model Answer

The senior person whom I really respect and like is my grandmother. From my
childhood she has been a caring person for me. Still she is a good friend of mine
whom I share many things. She is a benevolent and good person who possesses
a good heart. She tries to help others with her highest efforts. I know her from my
childhood as she lives with us and we have a lot of happy memories together.
She is a successful mother of 3 people including my father. She has devoted all
her life for her kids and made them educated. She possesses a nice and
charming personality that illuminate people around her. I love and respect her for
many different reasons. The most important reason is because of her
unconditional love and affection for me. She is a good mentor who can show me
positive ways and guide me in my depressed time. Talking to her is a soothing
experience and the story she tells is always attractive and full of morality. I have
learned many positive attitudes and good thinking from her. For all those reasons
and a strong bonding between us, I respect and admire her very much.

Describe one of your best (= one of your close, or good) friends.

You should say: who this person is who long you

have known them (= him or her) Or, How you first

met what you do together and explain why you think

this person is a good friend

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Sample Answer

When it comes to talking about my friends, I’d like to talk about Bess. She is my
best friend. We are the same age and she is only two days older than me. We
studied in the same school, so we had many opportunities to communicate with
each other. She is a good looking and outgoing person. We have many of the
same hobbies. We both like reading books and watching films, then we exchange
our own opinions about the books and films. We had many fun times together.
She is good at cooking. Every time I went to her home, she would cook many
tasty dishes for me. She likes to research all kinds of cookbooks and cook
programs, while I don’t like to cook at all. She is patient to play with kids and help
them. She takes part in a charity organization, she regularly goes to the disabled
children school to read all kinds of fairy tale books to children. I feel proud of her.
Although both of us are pretty busy with our jobs, we still meet each other once in
a while. Whenever I am in trouble or in hardship, she is always there with a
helping hand and encouraging words. I do appreciate having this friend.

Describe a family (not your own family) that you like.

You should say:

where this family lives who the members of the family are how you

know them what each person in this family does in life

(student/work/retired etc.) and explain why you like this family.

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Model Answer

When I was a sophomore in college, I made acquaintance with a girl at my age

in another department.We soon became good friends and occasionally she
invites me to her place. Thus, I get the chance to meet her whole family.

Her family is not very rich nor powerful but I like them because they are happy
and care for each other. The father is always going on a business trip around
the country but whenever he returns back home, the mother prepares for dinner,
picks him up in the airport while receives the gifts he brings. Actually, the father
is the stepfather of the girl, but as she told me, he treats her even better than her
own dad does.

I like the family also because it is quite democratic. For example, they always
take an annual trip together but unlike most families where father or mother
takes the lead, they pick up the destination through family discussion. And then ,
they share tasks like booking hotel and designing routes and planning intended
traveling spots.

In a word, I like the family because they own happiness and mutual respect.

Describe a photo of yourself that you like

You should say:

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when the photo was taken how this photograph was taken where the

photo was taken who took the photo and explain why the photo was

taken or why you think it is a good photo

Model Answer

The photo I would like to describe is a scenic, which was just taken by my phone.
Although this photo is just a normal scenic, it was taken in a special place, which
is on helicopter. In summer holiday last year, my roommate and I decide to go to
America for a one-month travelling. When we arrived there, we heard from local
that Grand Canyon is the most famous attraction in California. People living there
suggested us that viewing canyon scenery from sky was the best choice. And we
felt really moved and interested in their words. So we immediately booked tickets
for sky tour of Grand Canyon. Originally, I planned to enjoy the first time of the
sky tour, but actually the helicopter shaked heavily and it was difficult to take any
photos during flying. This made me dizzy. You know, I looked outside the window
and enjoyed views by eyes without taking any photos. Luckily, after we got off
from the helicopter, my roommate told me that she used her phone, taking a
photo for me. The photo has splendid background of the whole Grand Canyon
and I was looking at the window. I love this photo and use it as my desktop until
now.

Describe a time when you saw an interesting animal.

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You should say: what animal it was where you

saw it what happened when you saw it * how

you felt when you saw it and explain why you

thought it was interesting.

Model Answer:

I found there was a bat nest in my balcony recently, and one night I happened to
see they flew across the patio under our apartment and hover in the sky. I was
shocked, because it was dark outside but they knew exactly where to go without
mistakes. Moreover, they went out only at night.

I thought bats are interesting not because they can fly in the dark since I know
they are nocturnal animals. I always think the ability which aids bats fly and prey
capture is their unusual eye-sight, like another nocturnal animal, owls. But the
truth is because of their echolocation. Bat echolocation is a perceptual system
where ultrasonic sounds are emitted specifically to produce echoes. By
comparing the outgoing pulse with the returning echoes the brain and auditory
nervous system can produce detailed images of the bat's surroundings. This
allows bats to detect, localize and even classify their prey in complete darkness.

Describe a meal you had your friends or family (in someone's home or in

a restaurant). You should say: who organized this meal where you had it
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what you talked about during the meal what you ate and drank and explain

why you had this meal with your friends.

Model Answer

The meal I really enjoyed with my friends was the one when we graduated from
high school three years ago.

We had it in July, when we just graduated. One of my best friends Monica

organized it. She reserved our favourite restaurant which was just two blocks
away from our school. It served traditional Chinese food and we all enjoyed it so
much.

We often had birthday parties together there, so it was the perfect place for us to,
you know, say goodbye to our high school and start a new life.

The food there, like I just said, was very popular. We had a lot of amazing dishes,
including MapoTofu, vegetable soup and fried rice. The yummiest one was Kung
Pao Chicken, we ordered the super spicy one, and it was crazy hot.

During the dinner, we talked about our future, you know, the university we were
going to, the new life we would have in a couple of months. We even came to an
agreement that every July, we would come back to the restaurant and had a
dinner together. We all made it so far. I mean, we’ve already had two dinners
together.

Describe an item of clothing that someone (recently) gave to you.

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You should say: what it was who gave

it to you what it looked like why they

gave it to you and explain how you felt

about this gift.

Sample Answer:

It just happened on last year of my birthday. My sister bought me a strapless

dress as a present. I felt surprised because this dress is not my taste. My sister
said she bought it for me because she has never seen I wore any this kind of
dress. She told me, girls should have to care your appearance and strapless
dress is one of the most vital items in my wardrobe. The dress comes from a
famous luxury brand and I know lots of my friends dream for it. You know, the
dress is black with understated decoration on the hemline. Although I love this
gorgeous dream, it could be worn only on formal occasions. So I wore this dress
in my graduation ceremony party. A lot of my classmates were fascinated by it
and came to ask me where they could buy it. You know, as I said I had never
dressed like that before.
But after that time, I became more confident and changed my dressing style.

Describe a time when the weather caused you to change your plans.
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You should say: what your plan was (or, plans were) what

weather you were hoping for (or expecting) what happened

and explain how you felt when you had to change your plans.

Model Answer

I'd like to talk about the time when my travel plan got shattered by the horrible
weather.

Last summer vacation, my parents took me to Sanya, which is a coastal city in

the south of China where there's gorgeous views and exciting entertainment
facilities. We planed a wonderful vacation during which we could try palatable
seafood, play exhilarating water sports, or just lie on the beach doing nothing, so
as you can imagine, for a girl who has been living far away from the sea, I was
pretty thrilled about that trip, but to my great disappointment, there happened
to be a typhoon just the day I arrived there, which totally ruined my plan.

It rained heavily and it was unbelievably windy, I couldn't even step outside,
otherwise I would get completely soaked, plus, it was pretty dangerous, you
know, with the gale and all. The typhoon lasted for many days, and it didn't go
away until the day I left.

I bought lots of colorful dresses that are designed to wear on the beach but sadly
I didn't have the chance to put them on. I thought I could take quite a few
stunning pictures that I could post on the social networking websites where I
can get a lot of likes, you know. However, I just ended up staying in the boring
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hotel, complaining about the unexpected weather, which pathetically became my

PlanB.

So I felt that the money I spent on my flight tickets and the hotel just went down
the drain. It was literally the worst travel experience ever.

Describe a time when someone apologized to you.

You should say:

who apologised to you why

they apologised where it

happened and explain how

you felt (or what you said)

after this person

apologised.

Band 8.0 Model Answer:

Today I'm going to share with you an occasion when one tour consultant gave
me an apology for being late for picking us up at the airport.

It just happened in last month. My friends and I decided to go travelling to

somewhere during the vacation. Finally, we chose Korea as our destination. As
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none of us can speak Korean and in order to avoid any uncertainties may occur
during the trip, we think joining a travel group may be the best choice for us. So
we consulted a local travel agency and made the payment immediately. The
travel agency promised that they would pick us up on time at Seoul airport when
we arrived there. However, when we arrived in Seoul and waited for over 1 hour,
no one showed up. By nature, I'm a forgiving person and hardly take mistakes
seriously because I think anyone can make blunders sometime really. But
waiting for such a long time made me feel helpless and annoyed. I called back to
the travel agency and after an hour of busy signals, I finally got through. The
staff who answered my phone explained to us that it was his fault that he forgot
to type our names on this travel group list and he would try his best to solve the
problem.

Finally, the company arranged another car to pick us up and we got part of
refund as well when we came back to HongKong. He also sent us a long email to
show the apology to us for his mistake. My gut instinct told me that the
apology seemed genuine and sincere, and I should try to accept the apology
and then
I acted on that acceptance by replying his email to show my appreciation for his
attempts and my willing to recommend their tours to other friends who want to
visit Korea.

Describe a story or novel you have (recently) read that you found to be
particularly interesting.

You should say:

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what the plot of the story or novel was who

wrote it why you read it how much time it took

to read it and explain why you thought it was

interesting.

Model Answer

Admittedly, for the past few months, I haven’t been reading as much as I should
because of my new projects at work. It’s a shame, because reading is, without a
doubt, the best way to learn as well as to relax. The last book that I read, “A still
forest pool”, is also the one that has had the most significant impact on me.

Basically, “A still forest pool” is a book about meditation written by Ajahn Chah, a
Buddhist master in Thailand. Ajahn had spent years meditating in forest
monasteries, which are not as easy to be found as they were several decades
ago. Being among the most influential and respected teacher of Buddhism in his
own country, he has been known as a man of great wisdom who people seek
advice from.

“A still forest pool” is such a remarkable book which reflects the author’s simple
yet powerful message about Buddhist practice of “everyday mindfulness”. Not
only does it describe the importance of staying fully awake in everyday life, but it
also shows people how to start living mindfully. The book has profound insights,
especially for the West, where Buddhism has recently become more popular.
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This is definitely the most interesting book that I have ever read. It helps me
realize how important it is to live fully in the present instead of the past or the
future. I would recommend it to everyone who is in search for inspiration,
motivation or simply a change in attitude in order to live more meaningfully.

Describe some local news that people in your locality are interested in.

You should say: what the news is how

you know about this news who is involved

in this news and explain why it is

interesting to people.

Sample Answer

Last summer I saw a news on the net which is very interesting and encourage.

In my hometown surrounded with some rural area where is very poor.the young
man in there are not satisfied wither living condition,so they move to big city
looking for good employment opportunities,but they don't have any skills to earn
money,so they study electrical weld in a vocational school.After they graduate
they came to Australia by labor service export. They are hard working ,energetic,
and gradually received faith form their local employer.Finally they become the
Australian Permanent Resident.The salary they earn is enough to afford their
house ownership,and they have extra money monthly send back to china for their
parents.When this news first appear in china,that vocational school become very
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popular,and many people want to study in it.Now these guys working and living
happily in Australian.

When the first time I heard this news,I felt very interesting but felt more
encouragement from it,they came from poor family but had changed their life
through their effort ,their spirit deserve all of us to learn it.

Describe the first time you used a foreign language to communicate.

You should say:

who you communicated with what the situation

was what you said (or wrote) and explain how

you felt during this experience.

Model Answer 1:

I remember the first time I talk with other people in English happened when I was
a middle school student.

One day, my mom heard from her colleagues that there was an English Corner
that would be held twice a month near our apartment. So she encouraged me to
go for practicing English-speaking skills. Actually, I was not willing to do that. But
finally I forced myself toward it because I know it was a good chance to
communicate with foreigners.When I arrived there, a guy came over me with a
warm smile. He started to introduce himself and showed his friendliness. He
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spoke English in a fluent and natural way and sounded like a native English
speaker. Needless to say, I was a bundle of nerves because I knew my
English accent, pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary were not good at all.
Surprisingly, he told me that English was not his mother tongue and urged me to
speak out. Thus I used my poor English to chat with him and he listened to me
patiently, complimented on my accent which made me feel much more
confident.

Although we just met for a while, that inspirational man really motivated me to
learn English with focus and commitment. I also got to understand that if you
want to learn something new, you must be brave and go towards it.

Model Answer 2:

The first time I used a foreign language was actually pretty funny. When I was in
high school, I attended a summer camp in London, and our school arranged
home-stay for us in order to help us learn the language and customs. We were
so thrilled about that trip and most of us just couldn’t get to sleep on the plane,
even though it was an exhausting 15-hour flight. I remember by the time we
arrived at our homestay family, it was early in the morning, but due to the jet lag,
everyone was drowsy. And I drank a lot of coffee on the way, so I needed to use
the bathroom badly. It was a three-story house, there’s no way I could find the
bathroom myself. So I asked the mother in the family where the bathroom was,
but she led me to a room with a bathtub but no toilet. I was confused. But I
suddenly remembered there are minor language differences between American
English and British English, so I thought maybe that was one of them. I got out of
the “bathroom” and racked my brains trying to find a word better than “pee”,
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‘cause I guess “I want to pee.” is not a proper thing to say to a stranger. But I
really couldn’t think of anything other than that, so I just went ahead and said
“Excuse me, where can I pee?” And she took me to a room on the second floor.
So that was the first time that I communicated with a foreigner, and as you can
see, it was a little embarrassing. But once I got to know the language and their
customs better, everything just went much smoother.

Describe an occasion when you helped someone.

You should say: who you helped how you helped

them where it happened why you helped them and

explain how this person reacted to your help or/and

explain how you felt after helping this person.

Sample Answer

Well. There are times when people need other's help and lend a helping hand
to others as well I am no exception. Last year, I helped my roommate to see a
doctor as she could barely walk because of the great pain caused by kidney
stone.

Actually, it was in a snowy morning, I waked up and saw that she was trembling
all over and as white as a sheet in her bed. She thought it would be alright after
a while. Without a second thought, I took all the cash I had and helped her to
get dressed, and then we hurried to the nearest hospital in a taxi. However, after
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all the difficulties we had in catching a taxi and all the coldness and pain my
roommate suffered, the hospital did not put an immediate end to it. We had to
stand in a long line to pay the registration fee first.What pissed me off was that
there were still more patients before us waiting to see the doctor. Later, with
prescription in hand, I had to do the whole waiting thing again to pay for and pick
up medicine separately. Thankfully, the acute pain of my roommate was greatly
relieved by a shot of painkiller. As we returned to school, I put her to bed and
saw her grateful look.

For my part, I think it is quite natural to help people we care about and expect
nothing in return. And I believe a friend in need is a friend indeed. Besides, I do
enjoy the feeling of being needed.

Describe what you think would be the perfect job (or "dream job") for you.

You should say:

what job it would be (or is) what

you would do in this job what

skills you would need to learn

for this job and explain why you

think this would be the perfect

job for you.

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Sample Answer

It has always been my dream to be a singer ever since I was a child. When I was
a kid I used to be a singing talent. I would win many singing competitions and
represented the school in the choir. However, because of the pressure of the
College Entrance Exam I had to stop singing and focus on my studies to go to a
good university.

The main reason why I'd like to be a singer is cuz it would allow me to inspire the
world. I'm quite fond of the idea that people would be listening to my songs and
trying to be more like me-a nice guy.

These days, the only time I sing is probably in the shower or when I'm at a
karaoke bar with my friends. I even had a plan for how to spend all the money I
would make once I became famous guess I'll have to earn money the old
fashioned way nowby starting my own company.

If I had a chance I would definitely choose to be a singer but I'm still quite realistic

and that's why I'm going abroad to study business.

Describe a magazine or newspaper that you like to read.

You should say:

what magazine or newspaper it is

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what the magazine or newspaper is about how often you read it

what kinds of people generally read this magazine or newspaper

and explain why you like to read it.

Sample Answer

Personally, I would like to say that my favorite musician is Michael Jackson. And
there are a couple of reasons to name.

Firstly, throughout his career he received numerous honors and awards. He is

the
“King of Pop”, but more and more people think “King of Pop” is not big enough for
him; he should be the best entertainer in the history. Also, Jackson had a notable
impact on music and culture throughout the world. For much of his career, he had
an "unparalleled" level of worldwide influence over the younger generation
through his musical and humanitarian contributions. And he is pretty diligent.
When he was a little kid, he practices his voice and dancing regularly. Admittedly,
he is very gifted, but I think his success mostly dues to his hard-
working.Personally, I would like to say that my favorite musician is Michael
Jackson. And there are a couple of reasons to name. Firstly, throughout his
career he received numerous honors and awards. He is the “King of Pop”, but
more and more people think “King of Pop” is not big enough for him; he should
be the best entertainer in the history. Also, Jackson had a notable impact on
music and culture throughout the world. For much of his career, he had an
"unparalleled" level of worldwide influence over the younger generation through
his musical and humanitarian contributions. And he is pretty diligent. When he
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was a little kid, he practices his voice and dancing regularly. Admittedly, he is
very gifted, but I think his success mostly dues to his hard-working.

Describe a place with a lot of water (such as a river, a lake or the ocean)
that you enjoyed visiting.

You should say:

where this place was what people were doing at this place

(Or, what you did there) why you went there who you went

there with and explain why you liked this place.

Model Answer

I have visited many places near a river or a sea and I enjoyed the scenic beauty
and vast water very much. I would like to talk about a river I visited 2 years back.
I chose to talk about it because I really enjoyed my visit there.

The name of the river was (...say a river's name...) and it was in (...say a place's
name...). One of our relatives invited us to visit their house and we decide to visit
there. I went there with 4 of my family members including my parents. After we
reach there, I was amazed to notice that our relative's house was near a big river.
This was the first time I visited that relatives and I was very excited about the
beauty of the nature there.
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After we reach our relative's house, my younger sister told me that she would like
to visit the river. I restrained her by saying that we will all go there in the evening.
In the evening we went near the river and the river was very clam at that
moment. A sweet wind was blowing from the river and the weather was very
pleasant. We sat near the river and had our tea. That was kind of family picnic. I
had my younger brother, sister, my parents and 3 of our relatives at this place.
Since this was the summer season, we felt very comfortable being at the bank of
the river. We noticed many boats were in the river and we planned to rent a boat
for an hour. When we were in the boat, the wind suddenly started blowing
heavily. We quickly came to the high land and left for our relative's house.

Describe a time when you made a mistake.

You should say: where you were what you were

doing what mistake you made and explain what

was the result of your mistake.

Band 8.5 Model Answer:

Ok right then, I had a project I was working on, and while I was in the middle of
typing up my documentation, my computer started acting weird. It froze for a
while and so I rebooted. After 10 minutes, the computer showed a blue screen
saying that there were problems and recommended that I reboot the computer
again. After another reboot, everything appeared to be ok. I continued my work
and finished for the day. I spent two days on this assignment and when I went to
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retrieve my data the next day to double check my work, my computer wouldn't
start up. A technician came and found that my hard drive malfunctioned. I lost all
the data and lost two days of work.

I was disappointed and thought I would never trust a computer again, but there
was a great lesson to be learned. I had a couple of warnings and I ignored them.
From then o, I practiced being someone who can anticipate problems. I now think
of potential problems ahead of time and pay attention to details along the way. If I
applied this sooner, I would have saved the data on another computer and I
wouldn't have lost a couple days of work. But I can't say I regret making the
mistake because it made me someone who can anticipate problems better.

Describe a big company that you would like to work in.

You should say:

the name of this company what this company does

where this company is and explain why you would like

to work in this company.

Sample Answer

The big company that I am interested in must be Apple. Apple is an American

multinational corporation that designs and markets consumer electronics,
computer software, and personal computers. The company's best-known
hardware products: the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad. As of August 2010, the
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company operates 301 retail stores in ten countries, and an online store where
hardware and software products are sold. As of May 2010, Apple is one of the
largest companies in the world and the most valuable technology company in the
world, having surpassed Microsoft. Apple have about 46,600 full time employees
and 2,800 temporary full time employees worldwide and had worldwide annual
sales of $65.23 billion last year. Apple has established a unique reputation in the
consumer electronics industry. This includes a customer base that is devoted to
the company and its brand, particularly in the United States. Fortune magazine
named Apple the most admired company in the United States in 2008, and in the
world in 2008, 2009, and 2010.

Describe something that you have shared with others (or another person)

You should say: what

you shared who you

shared it with.

why you shared it and explain how you

felt about sharing it

Sample Answer

I would love to share my depression experience with a stranger.

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I had depressed feelings for a number of years. I couldn’t find joy in anything,
my energy level was low and I was struggling to do basic chores like cleaning
and washing. I found it incredible when people would suggest things like getting
exercise to make me happier. All I could think was, I can't drag myself out of
bed to take a shower, and how the hell am I supposed to drag myself to the
gym?

A friend of mine realised what was happening, and after one particular outburst
of tears and misery, he suggested I went to the university counselor. Talking
things through with someone who is completely unbiased is a wonderful
experience. Even when you think you have nothing to talk about, they are good
at getting you started. Unfortunately, there was a limited time frame, and I felt
those feelings creeping back. I finally went to my doctor, told them I had tried
counselling, and asked if medication was an option. He agreed. I know that anti-
depressants are a controversial topic, but they were truly life-changing. The first
type did not help. The second type was like opening a window. They did not
make me happy. What they did do, however, is give me the strength to start
making myself happy. I stopped crying for no reason. I was able to sleep soundly.
The thoughts screaming around my head ground to a halt so I could focus, and I
started enjoying things again. I still have bad days, but they are days - not weeks,
or months.

In short, seek professional help. Friends and family are wonderful, but they can
be biased and I can feel guilty for 'troubling' them with my feelings. Professionals
are just that. I was proud of myself for taking that first step to find support.
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Describe a creative person who you admire (e.g., a scientist, an inventor)

You should say: who this person is what area of creativity they work in how you

know about this person and explain what work they have created that you

particularly admire.

Model Answer

I’m going to talk about a musician/songwriter that I admire, called Adam

Levine. He’s also a singer who plays the guitar and writes his own songs. I think
he recorded his first album about 10 years ago with his band called Maroon 5,
and he’s released several other CDs since then.

He became successful after many years of writing songs and performing live in
small venues all over the country. Gradually he built a following of people who
liked his music. I think the key to his success was one of his songs that was used
on a TV advertisement. This meant that more people became aware of his music.

I found out about Adam because one of my friends got tickets to see him in
concert.
I hadn’t heard any of his music before, but I went along to the gig and really
enjoyed it. After that I bought the first CD, and now I’ve got all of them.

The reason I'm into Adam is that he has worked hard for his success: it takes
years of practice to become a good singer and guitarist, and he spent several
years playing to very small audiences before he became successful. I also like
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the fact that he writes his own music. I admire people who have worked hard to
get where

they are.

Describe a positive change that you made to your life.

You should say: when it happened where it

happened what the change was and explain how you

have benefited from this change

( or, explain how you feel about this change)

Sample answer：

The positive change that I would like to talk about is ‘I started playing outdoor
games instead of playing computer games’. After I got my first personal computer
when I was only 9 years old or so, I started learning many things. Besides that I
started playing the computer games. As computer games are addictive I found
that I was playing the games whenever I had spare times. This addiction barred
me from playing outdoor games like cricket, football etc.

I found myself very much attracted to the computer games and I preferred to play
the games at home instead of going to open spaces or fields to participate in
outdoor games that involve physical exercises. Not that computer games are all
so bad, but playing them all the time someone has got is not a good thing
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especially for kids. I found that I was spending more times at home than being
outside. After my parents noticed that, they discussed with me about that and
explained me the importance of outdoor activities. They gave me strict restriction
that I would only be able to play computer games for an hour daily and in the
evening I’d have to go outside to play with my friends.

This was obviously a very positive change for me. I’m not against computer
games but I feel that if there are more important things to do, then we should not
spend time on computer games only.

This change affected me very positively. I became a good cricket player later on,
I started maintaining my times more prudently and I am sure this change has
affected me positively in terms of physical and mental health.

Describe a situation that made you a little angry.

You should say: what it was that made you angry where you were when this

happened what you were doing at the time who you were with and explain

how you handled this situation or and explain why you felt angry.

Sample Answer

A recent situation that made me angry was getting stuck in a traffic jam on the
way to meet some friends. It was last Sunday lunchtime, and I didn’t expect there
to be much traffic; people don’t work on Sundays, so the roads aren’t usually very
busy.
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Everything was going well until suddenly I saw a queue of cars on the road in
front of me. I had no choice but to join the queue and wait to get past whatever
was causing the delay. It turned out that it was caused by some roadworks, and
it took me an extra 30 minutes to get past them.

Getting stuck in traffic congestion doesn’t usually make me angry, but this time it
did, mainly because I wasn’t expecting it and I knew that my friends were waiting
to meet me for lunch. I felt frustrated and powerless because there was nothing I
could do to change the situation, and I had no idea how long I would be sitting
there waiting. When I finally saw the reason for the congestion, I was relieved
that I was close to getting past the roadworks, but I still felt a bit stressed
knowing that I was half an hour late.

Describe your favourite season or time of the year.

You should say:

what season (or time of the year) it is what the weather is

like at this time what people usually do at this time and

explain why you enjoy that season or time of the year or and

explain why you enjoy that season or time of the year more

than other seasons or times of the year.

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Model Answer

My favourite season in England is winter. A typical English winter would last

around 4 or 5 months between November and March, but when I say that I like
the winter,
I’m really thinking about the coldest month or two each year. During those really
wintry months, the temperature drops below zero and it often snows. Over the
last few years we’ve had periods of quite heavy snowfall, to the extent that
roads have been blocked and schools have had to close. Last winter I remember
looking out of the window one morning and seeing everything covered in a layer
of white. Obviously the snow is what differentiates winter from the other
seasons, but when it doesn’t snow there isn’t much difference between winter,
autumn and spring; winter is just a bit colder.
The reason I’ve chosen winter as my favourite season is because I like the snow.

I live near the countryside, and the landscape looks beautiful when everything is

covered in white. We also celebrate Christmas and New Year in the winter, and

these are my favourite festivals.

Describe a person who you like to spend time with.

You should say:

what relationship the two of you have how

often you are together

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what you usually do together and explain why you like

to spend time with this person.

Model Answer

I spend a lot of time with my best friend John. I’ve known him since primary
school where we were in the same class.

We only see each other during our university holidays because we don’t study in
the same city. My university is in London but he lives in Liverpool.

When we are together we always play lots of sports like football and tennis. John
loves Manchester United and he is a very good footballer. I prefer tennis but I am
not as good as my friend. We also both enjoy playing computer games. Our
favourite is probably World of Warcraft which many of my friends play too.

As we live in a small town there aren’t many places to go so we normally hang

out at the sports centre or in the big park near my house. We’re both big film
buffs so we go to the cinema quite often and we get a student discount.

I really like spending time with John, he’s such a nice person and very friendly. I
always have a good time when we are together and he never fails to make me
laugh. In fact, I think he’s the funniest person I know.

Describe a skill you learned when you were a child.

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You should say: what

skill it was who

taught you this skill

how you learned it

and explain why you

learned this skill.

Model Answer

Typing on a keyboard without looking at that is a special skill and recently I have
learnt to type by not looking at the keyboard.

When I was 10 years old, my father bought me a computer, it was impossible for
me to type without looking at the keys. It took longer hours for me to type a single
page by searching the letters on the keys. It was a troublesome task for me and
most of the time I had to type different topics on computer. But I could not
complete the tasks in due time for my lack of skills in typing. When I started to
type, it appeared to me that the letters should be placed on the keyboard
alphabetically for better use. But gradually I learnt that this way is better than the
alphabetical letters.

Basically I learnt the skill at my home using my personal computer. In the very
beginning, it was tougher for me to compose anything on the computer with the
keyboard attached with it and it took longer hours for me to compose a document
of three or four pages. So, I started using internet to get some ways to learn
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typing. I found some special applications that allow the users to get the desired
typing skill. Besides, the applications also helped me to make the typing faster
than it was in the beginning.

All of the earned skills are useful in real life but the applications may differ in
situations. When I started learning the skill, I thought that it would be of no use in
my practical life and I am wasting my times. But when I took part in my work, I
was surprised by the applications of typing . I have started serving the office in
different ways with the typing skill. As a result, my fame has increased as a
typing expert and accordingly the office has evaluated my performance. I have
been promoted to senior administrative officer after three months when I applied
the skill to my daily works at the workplace. So, it appears to be a very useful skill
for me.

Describe someone you know who recently moved to new accommodation.

You should say: who he or she is what kind

of accommodation they moved to and

explain why they moved.

Sample Answer

Speaking of a person who moves to a new accommodation, I just think of my

friend Linda. Her neighbor frequently played his music excessively loud, which
rattles the change off her coffee table. She spoke to him repeatedly and he
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always turns it down to merely loud. But then turns it back up within the hour.She
said she couldn't stand her downstairs neighbor any more so she changed her
living place. Now her new neighbors are about 70 years old and they are very
quiet. She stays at college most of the time. They don’t have anything in common
and just say “hi” when they meet.

The new accommodation she moves to is in a suburb. Linda has to drive 20

minutes to go to the grocery store. But she doesn't mind it because she can live
in a bigger than before. When she looks out of the window, she can see the
flowers and cute birds flying in the sky. The only thing should be improved of her
new accommodation is the blue-color stars all over the walls. Although they glow
in the dark, during the day they make her feel depressed. Therefore, she plans to
add some posters on them.

Describe a leader who you admire.

You should say: who this person is what this person does (as a leader)

how he or she became a leader how you know about this person (or, how

you personally know this person)

and explain explain why you admire this leader (= explain how (or why) this
leader's qualities impress you)
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Describe a dream you have had You

should say:
When you had this dream
What you saw in the dream

What you did or said in the dream And

explain why you had a dream like that

Model Answer:

I’d like to talk about the nightmare I had the other night.

On the way to a mountain in the dead of winter, I dropped behind the group I was
traveling with and got lost. To make matters worse, it began to rain heavily. The
wind blew hard, and the blasted forest groaned as if in pain. And so overcast was
the sky that night came several hours earlier than usual. Cold and frightened, I
was trembling all over. All I could do was shout for help, but no help was
forthcoming. The night became darker, the wind blew harder, and the rain poured
down more heavily. I ate my last piece of food, a tiny piece of cake. Totally
despaired, I was waiting not for miracle but for death. Suddenly, a thunderclap
woke me up. A rainstorm was indeed raging outside, but I was grateful to find
that I only had a nightmare.

I still couldn’t figure out why I would have that dream, and I certainly wouldn’t
want it to come true.
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Describe a movie you have watched in a cinema or at home You

should say:
When this movie is
Who you would want to watch with
What the movie is about
And explain why you want to watch this movie

Sample Answer:

It’s quite hard to say what my favourite movie is because there are quite a few to
choose from! But I would say that the one that made the strongest impression on
me is a German film called ‘The Lives of Others’. This film is set in communist
East Germany,shortly before the fall of the Berlin Wall. At that time, the Stasi, the
East German secret police, used to spy on all kinds of people. The two main
characters in the film are a playwright called Dreyman and a Stasi spy called
Weisler, whose job it is to keep Dreyman under 24 hour surveillance. Weisler is
supposed to be reporting back to his superiors at the Stasi in order to discredit
the playwright. However, he develops a strong sympathy for the playwright and
his girlfriend, and determines to protect them by not reporting anything
significant. The scenes in the film where it cuts from the colourful and interesting
lives of Dreyman and his friends to the lonely attic where Weisler is sitting really
show the contrast between the two men. The film is shot in such a way that it
makes you believe you are also spying on Dreyman, it even made me feel a bit
guilty!

I like this film because it has fascinating, 3-dimensional characters, and also the
plothas plenty of twists. Right up until the end of the film, we are left guessing
how it could possibly end. It is also very thought-provoking because it makes you
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wonder how many people working for the Stasi actually did protect the people
they were spying on.

As for the message it gives, I would say the main message is that we can find
kindness and humanity in the most unexpected of places. The film makes us
realise that nothing is ever black and white! The film also serves as a warning
about the dangers of an oppressive, paranoid regime and is perhaps quite
pertinent in this current age of mass surveillance.

Describe a time you missed an appointment for something

You should say:
When and where it happened
What the appointment was for
What happened when you missed it
And explain how you felt about missing the appointment

Band 8.5 Sample Answer:

I missed my first job interview two years ago because of my carelessness. Once I
lost it, I feel regret for that late even today.

At that time, as a fresh graduate, an interview appointment is valuable. I applied

for Unilever as Sale executive, one of the best global companies with dynamic
working environment and good benefits. I waited for about two months after
attending at the IQ written test. I received an email announcing that I was one the
tenth applicants who successfully passed the test. I was overjoyed when they
asked me to join at the formal interview. However, I lost that chance.
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The appointment was at sharply 14:00 which I thought would be at 4pm. Thus, I
planned to celebrate my friend’s birthday around 2pm and leave her house
around 3pm for the interview because the journey would take around 45 minutes.

I prepared for the interview carefully and left my friend’s house a little bit early as
the city I live in has several serious problems of traffic jam. Unfortunately, it
started to rain and the bus came late around 3.15pm. The traffic was very bad so
the bus was moving very slowly due to the unavoidable traffic jam under heavy
rain. At that time, I received a call from the company. With an angry voice, the
authority
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informed that I missed the appointment and lost the opportunity to work at
Unilever. Initially, I felt that my luck is not favoring me and felt a deep sense of
anger because I thought it was not my fault but the traffic congestion. However,
when I checked email again, I felt pity for me as I could not go to the appointment
in time.

It becomes my invaluable experience. Since then, I always read emails and note
down carefully the schedule.

Describe an area of subject that you are interested in

You should say:
What it is
When it started to become interested in it
What we have learned from it
And explain why you have interest in it

Band 8.5 Sample Answer:

Biology is my favorite subject. Thanks for learning biology, I have a deep insight
about living life around me from a tiny baterium to a complex human. Among
different organisms, I love to elucidate the intricate mechanisms in plants.

Why am I interested in plant biology? Well, it’s hard to explain. Plants, even
though they are unable to move and speak, they are living things. They have
their own language and have a wonderful life. Have you ever asked yourself that
why plants are the only organism that have upground part and ground part? It is
because carbon dioxide, light and water are the main sources for plants to grow.

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Water is obtained from soil through a complex root system. Roots keep a plant
anchored tightly to the soil as well. Water moves up the plant’s stem to the
leaves. Sunlight and carbon dioxide are taken by leaves. Therefore, plants use
water, light energy and carbon dioxide to make glucose, a kind of sugar and this
is the food for plant to grow.

You see? Just a very simple example, plants are worth to study about. That’s
also a reason why I choose Plant Biotechnology as my major. By using molecular
technology, I can learn more inside of plant cells and discover the mechanisms in
plants. Thanks for understanding of plant biology, it is applicable to manipulate
and improve crop yield. It pours more and more passion to me for my future
career.

Describe an interesting or unusual thing you did recently (in your free time)
You should say
What you did
When and where you did it
Who you did it with
And explain why you think it was interesting or unusual

Band 8.5 Sample Answer:

In all seriousness, between school and the office where I am working as an

intern, I barely have time for entertainment. Though, when I do, I take it
seriously. Once or twice, I managed to get out of the city and indulged myself
in secluded areas where Internet service and its distracting minions like social

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media and advertising emails ceased to exist. My latest sweet escape was my
trip to ABC island last summer.

ABC was one of the four deserted, yet beautiful islands located in X due to little
exposure to tourism. This, however, would change drastically within the next
few years since ABC had been drawing lots of attention thanks to positive
feedbacks from those who had wandered there. I went to Binh Ba alone just to
take a break from the fast-paced city life and to have time to contemplate
myself, which I rarely did with people around. It had been an intriguing 2-day
journey full of surprises. That was the first time I traveled alone, first time riding
on a speedboat, first time scuba diving and first time having dinner with a life
jacket on my back and crystal clear water as my dining room. Additionally,
seafood here was a bomb which came in different kinds and varieties. People
I met during my stay at a villager’s house were ultrafriendly and helpful, both
locals and visitors whom shared their stories as though you were their long-lost
friend stopping by to catch up. And there was nothing better than enjoying great
company over a nice meal and bonfire.

X left an unforgettable impression on me where I learnt to appreciate

precious moments with those I cared about and be grateful for whatever life had
to offer.
Life is tough but it would be lifeless without it toughness.

Vocabulary & Useful Expression

• in all seriousness = very serious

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In all seriousness, I don't take it well when people give rude comments without a
sound reason.

• barely = rarely: almost not

Ex: Jim barely knows anyone when first moving to the new city.

• cease (+to): bring to an end:

Ex: Those talented artists never ceased to amaze the world with their
masterpieces.

• take something/ someone seriously: regard someone or something as

important and worthy of attention

Ex: Nowadays, people are taking environmental issue more and more seriously.

• manage to do something: succeed in doing something, especially

something difficult

Ex: Alex managed to close the deal with XYZ company after several times of
rejection.

• indulge in: allow yourself to have or do something that you like, especially
something that is considered bad for you

Ex: She got herself indulged in some serious unhealthy diet after her latest
breakup.

• secluded = deserted: quiet and private; not used or disturbed by other

people
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Ex: That secluded island is suitable for those who need to get away from busy life
in big city.

• (little) exposure to: the state of being in a place or situation where there is
no protection from something harmful or unpleasant

Ex: Local tribes in those mountainous area have little exposure to civilization.

• drastically (adv): extremely

Ex: The weather has changed drastically within the last few years.

• draw someone's attention: attract someone to notice

Ex: Ally's amazing transformation has finally drawn Tim's attention, whom she
always has had a huge crush on since forever.

• (positive/ constructive/ negative) feedback: advice, criticism or

information about how good or useful something or somebody’s work is

Ex: I usually receive constructive feedback from my boss about how to improve
my work or productivity, which I find very appreciative.

• take a break (from): to rest or cease temporarily from something Ex: He

took a break after 4 consecutive hours working on the project.

• contemplate: to think deeply about something for a long time

Ex: Everyone should have sometime to contemplate and reflect themselves once
in a while to truly understand who they are as a person.

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• intriguing = interesting
• long-lost friend: friend you haven't met for a long time

Ex: She is my long-lost cousin whom I haven't seen for ages.

• good/ great company: someone who people enjoy spending time with Ex:

Nick was a great company when we met during my trip to Sapa last year.

• unforgettable impression: a feeling/ opinion one gets which is hard to

forget

Ex: She left an unforgettable impression on me at the party last night.

Describe an advertisement you have seen/heard recently

You should say:
When and where you saw it
What was advertised
What the contents of the advertisements were
And explain how you felt about it

Band 8.5 Sample Answer:

We have been bombarded with an array of information every single day.

Whether it is newspaper, television or social media like Facebook or LinkedIn,
news always has their own way to reach us. One of the most frequent pieces of
news I have encountered these past few days was about Echelon Vietnam 2016
– Discover Asia’s Next Dragon.

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As an avid Facebook user, I scroll down my newsfeeds board practically every

30 minutes to stay abreast of every latest action within my social network.
Admittedly, there are some better things I can do but I just can’t help myself.
Therefore, the fact that Echelon Vietnam 2016 repeatedly popped up on my
newsfeed really caught my attention. Some of my friends were already
“interested” in Echelon official page, others were even “going”. It piqued my
interest so much that I paid a visit to their website to figure out what their gig
was. As far as I am concerned, Echelon Vietnam 2016 this November is a 2-
day international technology and investment event for entrepreneurs and
business leaders within and outside Vietnam. It is appealing not only to big tech
companies but tech savvy individuals as well. The event aims to reach out to
foreign investors, raising funding opportunities and developing the tech and
startup community in Vietnam in the era where tech disruptions are leading
almost every industry. With some of the most brilliant and world-class speakers,
attendees are going to get some food for thought and inspiration during and
after the event.

I personally believe that this could be a golden opportunity for Vietnam to shine
as a promising land where young and talented engineers, developers and
entrepreneurs are thriving non-stop toward a better future, a better life within
Vietnam and beyond. If I am able to schedule my time and afford the tickets, I
will definitely be there to enjoy the vibe and explore many potentials in this
rising industry.

Vocabulary & Useful Expression

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• be bombarded with: to be attacked (with too much information,

criticism...)
• stay abreast of: keep up-to-date
• pique someone's interest: to arouse interest; to arouse curiosity
• pay a visit to: visit somewhere
• what one's gig is (informal): what is special, interesting... about something
• tech savvy (a): well informed about or proficient in the use of modern
technology
• food for thought: issues to be considered
• vibe (n): a mood or an atmosphere produced by a particular person, thing
or place
• tech disruptions: newest innovations in technology

Describe a bicycle/motorbike/car trip that is interesting

You should say:
Where you would like to go
How you would like to go there
Who you would like to go with
And explain why you would like to go there by car, motorbike or bike

Band 8.0 Sample Answer:

There is a thing that troubles me more often than not when living in my country is
the majority of people are riding motorbikes rather than cars. As a result, most
people don’t know how to drive a car, I included, which also itches me since I
have always wanted to take a road trip across the country. A road trip by car from
the south to the north would be tough, and adventurous even, due to hundreds of
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marvelous destinations are awaiting to be explored. However, it is worth to take

risk and step out of your comfort zone to truly experience what life has to offer
when your legs can still drag you rather than to regret in your later life. “If you
wanna go fast, go alone. If you wanna go far, go together.” It might be fun if you
were a lone traveler and didn’t enjoy getting lagged behind your schedule. Still,
the adventure could be more colorful and unexpected, hopefully in a good way,
when you got company, especially during a long journey like this. Hence, picking
up a close friend or two who share the same viewpoints, the same eager desire
to capture the beautiful lanscapes of my country with me would be my choice.
We would start from the south where we are living and move north on the go,
stopping at our favorite beaches like X, Y… a little longer than other places
because ain’t nobody don’t have time for juicy coconut and white sand paradise.
Our cuisine would also be our utmost priority whenever we reach a new place as
there is no better way to live like a local other than eat like a local and I really
look forward for that. The car would give us room to comfortably converse with
each other and shelter from inclement weather, if any. It is not about the
destinations but also about the time I would love to spend with my dear friends as
we would share the same space in a four-wheel vehicle along the road; because
at the end of the day, it’s people that matters.

Describe a sport that you prefer to do and is a little expensive

You should say
What it is
How much it usually costs
Who usually do it with

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And explain why you like to do this activity Band

8.0 Sample Answer:

Even though people say it’s quite costly, it’s meant for the rich, but I would love to
play tennis one day.

I knew just a bit about this sport, but it’s not too hard to estimate the price. As an
amateur, at least I should have a nice Nike or Adidas which up to now is about 50
USD, not to mention other fancy sportswear like T- shirt, shorts and socks. For
equipment, bats, bat bags and also I should never forget safety equipment, sadly,
it’s said that the higher it costs the better, so I’m gonna give it around 200 USD.
So that would be 250 USD in total. Quite expensive I’m afraid. Anyway, my dad,
who is not only motivated, but also knowledgeable about the sport, would
definitely be my go-to partner. I guess the reason why I’m into this quite-
expensive sport firstly is because of its intense, intensive practice, intensive
competitivenes, for example, which helps increase my patience and focus. In
addition, such independent sport meakes me feel rewarded, feel proud because
what I’ve won actually is myself.

Describe someone who has a great influence on you

You should say:
Who this person is
How she knew this person
What influence this person has on you
And how you think of the influence

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Band 8.0 Sample Answer:

For this topic, I would definitely talk about my best guy friend. Probably it’s his
personalities that not only makes me feel so proud to be a friend of his, but also
inspires me to improve myself.

The first characteristic that makes my friend special is that he’s a typical
perfectionist. In almost any situation that he can come up with the best solution
and reasons why it’s the best. Sometimes I get a bit lost, his amazing analyzing
skill indeed helps get me through. Another characteristic that I’ve found super
inspiring is his determination. Well, I suppose that most men are born
determined, however, my friend is a different story. He never gives up on things
he’s really passionate about. For example, last semester, he slept only 30
minutes a day, 5 days a week continuously to get his group project done. In
addition, it’s not a big surprise that his name is always in top-student list. That
passion, that determination have encouraged me to keep moving forward.

Generally, for a great shift that he brought to my life, I am thankful for having this
friend.

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Describe a person/something that made you laugh

You should say:
What made you laugh
Where you were when it happened
Who you were with
And explain why it made you laugh

SAMPLE ANSWER:

One of my best friends has a 3-year-old baby girl; so every time we went out,
she would take her with us. Her little girl is such a witty kid, and she is always
full of energy. As she begins to be aware of the outside world, she asks a lot of
questions just to satisfy her curiosity. It happened one day when we went out
shopping. While her mother and I took turns trying clothes on, she was sitting
quietly on the bench. Then she looked at me and her mother and started to
express her opinions on our clothes. The way she talked was so funny that we
couldnt stop laughing. She was so used to playing with her Barbie doll that she
suggested we should dress like one of her dolls. She even taught us how to walk
like models because she thought that was pretty. All the customers who walked
in the store noticed her, even the store owner couldn‟t stop laughing at her
since she was still a baby girl, but she talked and acted like a grown-up.That
was probably the best part of the shopping trip that I will never forget.

Describe your favorite movie

You should say

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When and where you saw it

What type of film it was
What the film was about
And explain why it is your favorite film

BAND 9.0 SAMPLE ANSWER

As a frequent moviegoer, I watch a multitude of films. One of the movies I’m
much into is “One day”, an American romantic drama movie. It is directed by
Lone Scherfig based on a novel of the same name. I watched this movie at least
three times yet still love to watch again and again.
The movie opens with a short scene of the day after their graduation on 14 July
1988 of two main characters, Dexter Mayhew (Jim Surgess) and Emma Morley
(Anne Hathaway). They spent the night together but came up with an
agreement
to be just friends, and spent the following day together, the 15 th, St. Swithin’s day.
However, they couldn’t keep the promise. They went through different
circumstances, troubles, got marriage and lived apart from each other until
2004, Emma and Dexter finally realized they were a perfect match and got
engaged and married. Unfortunately, despite many efforts, they have not yet had
kids. On 15th July 2006, Emma had a car accident when she was crossing the
street. Dexter became inconsolable and was particularly desolated each year
on that day. The movie ends up with the scene back to 1988 when they first met
and promised to always be best friends.
This movie usually get me burst into tears no matter how many times I’ve
watched it. Not only was the story itself so miserable but also the actor and
actress outperformed the ordinary. This movie also aimed to encourage people

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to appreciate the happiness and true love from the ones who have always been
there for them.
Vocabulary
Moviegoer (noun) a person who goes to the cinema
To do Sth again and again (v) to love constantly repeating Sth
To spend the night (v) to sleep over
To come up with (v) to think of Sth
To keep the promise (v) to do what you said you would do
A perfect match (n) to perfectly fit with another
To always be there for SO (v) to strongly and consistently support SO anyhow
Inconsolable (adj) so unhappy or disappointed that no one can make you feel
better
To outperform the ordinary (v) to perform significantly well

Describe a piece of (electrical or electronic) equipment in your home You

should say:
What it is
How often you use it
Who you usually use it with
And explain why this item is important to you

BAND 9.0 SAMPLE ANSWER:

Since I was very small, I have had a special interest in cooking. So, it is no
surprise that, now that I have grown up, I dream of having an oven with rings for
cooking on top, which is in very popular use overseas. In my country, this kind
of oven is only sold at big electronic and appliance centers. Different from the
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normal oven, this one provides more stable and exact temperatures, which is
one of the critical factors in baking. Besides, it has four oven top elements,
which is highly convenient because it allows you to cook and bake at the same
time. It also saves a lot of space in your kitchen because it is free-standing.
Another feature that I would like the oven to have is a selfcleaning system. If
you cook frequently, you will definitely appreciate this facility. It is inevitable that
when you cook, your oven/cooker will get dirty. As a result, with the self-
cleaning feature, it is much easier for us to clean.

VOCABULARY:

grow up: [phrasal verb] to develop into an adult. Example: The children have all
grown up and left home now.

appliances: [noun] a machine which is designed to do a particular job in the

home, such as cleaning or preparing food. Example: The store sells a range of
household appliances, including microwave ovens and washing machines.

baking: [noun] the process of cooking something in the oven using dry heat.
Example: My mother loves baking – she makes bread and cakes every week in
her oven.

free-standing: [adjective] not a part of or attached to something else. Example:

The cupboard was free-standing, so it was easy to move it away from the wall.

self-cleaning: [adjective] able to be cleaned without a person having to clean it.

Example: Her new oven was self-cleaning; when it was dirty it cleaned itself
automatically.
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facility: [noun] a special feature of a machine that enables it to do something

extra.
Example: My computer has a facility for checking spelling.

Describe a garden you have visited and liked

You should say:
Where it was
What it looked like
What you did there
And explain why you liked it there

BAND 9.0 SAMPLE ANSWER:

I would like to share with you my impressions of a garden that I visited last
summer, which was full of colour and interest: Claude Monet‟s house and garden
in Giverny, France.

As a big fan of Monet‟s paintings, especially the famous „Water Lilies‟, I had
always dreamed of seeing he scene in real life. So, when some friends
suggested a visit last year, I jumped at the chance. After a journey of about an
hour by train from our hotel, we arrived at Giverny. The garden was exactly as he
had painted it – it was a riot of colour, from the peaceful white of the water lilies to
the striking reds and oranges which filled some of the flowerbeds. The two parts
of the garden complemented each other perfectly. We first admired the array of
bright flowers and fruit trees in the Clos Normand, but my favourite part was the
water garden, and we enjoyed a leisurely stroll, taking in all the colours, perfumes

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and bird songs. Monet avidly collected prints of Japanese gardens, and these
inspired the Japanese bridges covered with wisterias, the water lilies in the pond,
and the bamboo and weeping willows which he planted.

For me, it was like a wonderland of colours and a dream come true after so many
years.

Describe something you did with a group of people

You should say:
What the activity was
When and where you did it
Who you were with
And explain how you felt about being part of this group

BAND 9.0 SAMPLE ANSWER:

I would like to describe a person who I had to be friendly to, although I did not
really like her. I think this situation is quite common in our lives, especially when
we have to act as part of a team.

A couple of months ago, I was assigned to a team at my workplace in order to

tackle a big project. As part of the team, I had to cooperate closely with this
person. However, we had never really liked each other for several reasons.
Firstly, she is much older than I am, so she always thinks she is right and
disregards the opinions of others. I would describe her as both bossy and
officious, although she did not have a more senior position than I did in the
company. Secondly, I considered her irresponsible because she did not appear
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to me to pay serious attention to the project. So, although it was supposedly a

group project, I ended up working all on my own as much as possible in order to
see the task through.

As the work was vital for our company, we had to be successful. I therefore had
no choice except to collaborate with her in order to finish the job. I would rather
have done all the work alone, but if I had refused to work with her as part of the
team, then the evaluation of my job performance would have been affected at the
end of the year. So, knowing her personality as I did, I swallowed my pride and
tried to be patient. Despite our many arguments, we completed the task on time. I
learned that sometimes people can work together, even though they don‟t get on
with each other. It just needs a little bit of time and patience to work things out,
and each person has to compromise to achieve a common goal.

VOCABULARY

d = to pay no attention to something or someone.

do.

to give orders to others - another word would be domineering.

something.

ne.
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finished.

what I was thinking.

them.

with someone.

Describe a place where you go to relax

You should say
Where it is
How often you go there
What you usually do there
And explain why it relaxes you

BAND 9.0 SAMPLE ANSWER:

Today, I’m going to share with you a place where I usually/often go to relax,
which is a small café/restaurant near my company/my house named “ABC”.

As a full-time employee/student, I have to go to work/ school 5 days a week;

therefore, the only time that I can visit this place is on weekends. I always try to

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make time for my little trip to “ABC” café every Saturday or Sunday. The coffee
house is located on a quiet street with a lot of trees planted on both sides.
Additionally, it has a patio with hanging gardens which I like very much; it makes
me feel like I‟m sitting in a garden of my own.

Separated from the hustle and bustle of the city life, this place allows me to sit
quietly and reflect, relaxing after a week of hard work. I can concentrate on a
personal project such as reading or writing in my journal without being interrupted
by other people. It serves great coffee, tea, and cakes, thus, the place always
smells very nice. In addition, the employees are also friendly and helpful.
Sometimes, I go there with my friends. Over a nice cup of coffee/tea, we share
our stories and smell the beautiful scent of the flowers. At that moment, we can
escape from reality for a little while and enjoy ourselves even more.

Describe a small business you want to have in the future

You should say:
What it would be
What you need to prepare for it
Where you would have this business
And explain why you would like to do this business

BAND 9.0 SAMPLE ANSWER:

I’ve always been interested in different kinds of handcrafted jewelry, such as

macrame, beading, and other kinds of knotting and stitching with cord or wire. So
I’m thinking I’d like to go into business selling and making that kind of jewelry.

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It wouldn’t even have to be a big production, just a few people making and selling
bracelets, necklaces, and other accessories. Maybe if we become popular and
more people start buying our products we could even open a small shop and take
special orders. We could also have classes, where we teach people how to make
their own jewelry. I was thinking that my cousin could help me since she is quite
good with her hands; I think she has some friends who are good at macrame so
they could help also. We could put an ad in the newspaper or on the Internet and
sell our wares that way. During holidays we’d travel around China and sell our
jewelry at famous parks and places that tourists frequent. We’d each just make
the things that we’re best at so that we get a bunch of quality products in as short
an amount of time as possible.

The main reason I’d start a business like this is because it’s something that I
enjoy doing, and I don’t think I could work at a job that I don’t like.

Describe a wild animal

You should say:
What it looks like
Where you can see it
What it likes to eat or do
And explain why you like it

BAND 9.0 SAMPLE ANSWER:

I would like to tell you about an opportunity that I had to see a white tiger, which
is one of the star attractions in Singapore Zoo, during my last summer vacation.

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I was recommended to see this white tiger first due to its rarity and uncommon
beauty. Its habitat in the zoo is landscaped to resemble a dense jungle. I was
truly overawed and felt excited at first sight by its gorgeous appearance. This
giant cat has blue eyes, a pink nose, and creamy white fur covered with brown
stripes. In the wild, this animal's diet consists of monkeys, birds and other
animals as it is a carnivore. It also prefers killing young, weak or old animals
because they cannot run as fast and are often abandoned by their herd. In the
zoo, it is fed on animal flesh, even including imported kangaroo meat.

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At the beginning I felt a little bit apprehensive because tigers are well - known as
a dangerous species as well as the king of animals. However after encountering
this white tiger, I changed my mind since it was very cute and friendly to humans.
As tigers in general and white tigers in particular are endangered species, I
believe that people should make a great effort to preserve them from extinction.

Describe an interesting photo

You should say:
Who look it
Who was in the photo
When the photo was taken And
explain why it was interesting

BAND 9.0 SAMPLE ANSWER:

As I am interested in photography, I have taken thousands of photos. However,

the most meaningful photograph to me is the big one of my family. The picture is
hung on the wall of my living room and it is the first thing that everyone notices
since the moment they walk into my house.

The photograph was taken one year ago on an occasion of summer holiday. It
was the first time that my family enjoyed the summer vacation together. We
decided to go on a trip to Sam Son beach which is one of the most popular
destinations for summer holiday in my country.

The photo was probably the first picture of my whole family with my parents, my
older brother, my little sister and me. It is such a brilliant photo, with every one

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standing on the beach and smiling. The one behind the camera was a
professional photographer who has a great eye for photography. You can even
see the crystal clear water sparkling under the sunlight and the seashore in the
background. It was a scorching hot day, and the sky was blue with no clouds,
making it a perfect scene to take a photo.

The photo is very special to me. Whenever I feel unhappy, just looking at the
picture cheers me up right away. I believe that no matter what happens, my
parents and my siblings will always stand by me and support me.

Describe a special meal you would like to have

You should say:
Where you would like to have it
Who you would like to have it with
What you would like to ca
And explain how you would feel about the meal

BAND 9.0 SAMPLE ANSWER:

I would like to invite my friends to a hot pot meal. I would invite my closest
friends, the ones that I hang out with and have the most in common with. I
would of course invite my girlfriend so that she could meet my friends. That is
important to me. I think my girlfriend should know what I am like when I am with
my friends.

I would find a nice restaurant with a good atmosphere where the waiters are
friendly and the owners are working to give you the best experience you can

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have. I would not choose a big monstrous place where everything would seem
so impersonal, but instead a restaurant that has a family ambiance.

I would order hot pot with lots of meal, lamb, pork, beef, fish, tofu...mmm...I’m
getting hungry just thinking about it. I would also order some nice vegetables and
noodles, and to top it off, some ice cold beer to wash it down.

I really like hot pot because of the atmosphere it creates of everyone eating
together and pulling things from the pot and dipping it in their favorite sauce, just
relaxing and enjoying the food and the friendship.

Describe an item that you received and made you happy

You should say
When you received it
What the item was
Who gave it to you
And explain why you felt happy

Band 8.5 Sample Answer:

I would like to describe a coat my parents gave me as a present on my 18 th

birthday. I must say that it is really smart and exactly to my liking.

The coat is made of cotton only and by a famous clothes brand. It is a knee-
length black coat, which was in fashion at that time. What I like the most is that
there are two deep side pockets, so in winter, I always put my hands into those

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pockets to avoid the cold. Besides, I can button the coat from top to bottom and
it’s also got a decorative waist belt.

I am so fond of this coat that I usually wear it every winter. It fits me perfectly and
makes me feel comfortable and warm, no matter how cold the weather is. I keep
myself warm by wearing the coat with jeans and boots, which match it well.

In fact, I have never thought whether it will be out of fashion. As this coat is a gift
from my parents, I treasure it a lot and – for sure - I will keep wearing this coat in
the future.

Describe a person who once moved to live with you

You should say:
When and where this person moved in
How you know this person
How you got along with this person
And how you feel about living with this person

Model Answer

Well, I’m going to talk about a person who is one of my flatmate in Australia. Her
name is Linda. Possibly, she is one of the best friends of mine who lived with me.

First, I would love to talk a little bit about the time and the place where she lived
in. It was in a very freezing Sunday night around 2 or 3 degree Celsius. In the
very heart of the winter, I mean in July, there was a girl struggling with loads of

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luggage knocking at the door of my house. She said hi to everyone in a very

humble way. This is a sort of the scenario of how I got to know her.

There should be a fate between us, I reckon. What I mean fate here is by
accident we got to know each other and we are at the same hometown back in
India and we used to live in the same area in India when both of us were going to
a university in Mumbai. But we just run across with each other only in Australia.

Moving onto the next point, I would like to approach the idea of our relationship.
To be honest, we were not in a very good harmony initially because of some
misunderstandings and conflicts during the time we lived in under the same roof,
shared the rent, bills and time clash. But gradually, we discovered out that we
have a lot of common interests and characteristics.

Living with her is quite enjoyable because we could share lots of things together,
but did not have to worry about bothering each other in the daily life.

Describe an interesting tradition in your country

You should say:
What the tradition is
When do you celebrate it
How do you celebrate it
And explain why it is interesting

Model Answer

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India is rich in culture and tradition. The tradition I'm going to talk about today is
saying 'namastey”. We celebrate this tradition every day, in fact several times a
day.

This is our way of greeting each other. We do it by folding our hands, palms
facing each other, fingers pointing towards the ceiling, thumbs pointing towards
the chest and this is accompanied by a slight bow.

This tradition is interesting because this is the biggest export of our traditions to
the western culture. When I say namastey, I mean to say that I am your humble
servant. It creates an aura of respect which is far more than saying hello or
shaking hands.

It is said that the human body is composed of immense energy. We can turn it
into a positive or negative energy. When we shake hands we transfer positive as
well as negative energy. But when we fold hands, we transfer only positive
energy. When we greet another person with namastey we have no physical
contact because of this the other person cant be affected negatively. Whenerver
anyone comes to our house, we always say Namastey, no wonder this word has
been adopted by all the English language dictionaries.

Describe an important skill you learned when you were a child

You should say:
What this skill was
When you learned it
How you learned it

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And explain why you think it was important

Model Answer

One of the most useful skills I have learnt since I was a 10-year-old child is typing
on a keyboard without looking at that is a special skill.

When I was 10 years old, my father bought me a computer, it was impossible for
me to type without looking at the keys. It took longer hours for me to type a single
page by searching the letters on the keys. When I started to type, it appeared to
me that the letters should be placed on the keyboard alphabetically for better
use. But gradually I learnt that this way is better than the alphabetical letters.

Basically I learnt the skill at my home using my personal computer. In the very
beginning, it was tougher for me to compose anything on the computer with the
keyboard attached with it and it took longer hours for me to compose a document
of three or four pages. So, I started using internet to get some ways to learn
typing. I found some special applications that allow the users to get the desired
typing skill. Besides, the applications also helped me to make the typing faster
than it was in the beginning.

All of the earned skills are useful in real life but the applications may differ in
situations. When I started learning the skill, I thought that it would be of no use in
my practical life and I am wasting my times. But when I took part in my work, I
was surprised by the applications of typing. I have started serving the office in
different ways with the typing skill. As a result, my fame has increased as a
typing expert and accordingly the office has evaluated my performance. I have
been promoted to senior administrative officer after three months when I applied

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the skill to my daily works at the workplace. So, it appears to be a very useful skill
for me.

Describe an activity that you do in your school after school

You should say:
When and where you do
What you like to do
Who you do it with
And how you feel about it

BAND 8.0 SAMPLE ANSWER:

An activity that I like to do in my school after finishing school is playing badminton

which I started to do since I was in 6th grade.

It is actually a badminton class, so we have teachers and other students too. We

practice badminton here for an hour. Sometimes, we even stay there for another
half an hour. Just like tennis, you can play badminton as a singles match or
doubles match. The rules are pretty much the same as tennis. The only
difference is that the badminton shuttlecock is lighter than the tennis ball, thus,
it requires less strength.

Due to my short-sightedness, I am not very good at playing this game but I

enjoy it anyway. Firstly, it helps keep me fit. In addition, I can train my eyes to
look further and faster, and it quickens my reflexes. Last but not least, it helps
me a lot in improving my teamwork skills.

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VOCABULARY:

• badminton: [noun] an indoor game. Players hit a small light ball, with
feathers round it, across a high net, using a racket, like tennis.

• singles match: [noun] a game in which one player plays against one
opponent.
• doubles match: [noun] a game in which two players play against two
opponents.

• shuttlecock: [noun] badminton uses a shuttlecock, not a tennis ball. It is

very light and it has feathers round the edge.

• short-sightedness: [noun] a person who can only see things if they are
very close, is short-sighted.

• train my eyes: [verb phrase] I developed my ability to see things quickly

and accurately.

• quickened my reflexes: playing badminton improved my ability to move

and think quickly when I played the game.

Describe a method that helps you save money

You should say:
What the method is

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When you started to use it

How you knew it and
explain why it is helpful

Band 8.0 Model Answer

Well, I have to admit that It has been so difficult for me to figure out simple ways
to save money and use my savings effective to pursue my financial goals
before. But it's so lucky for me when I complained about it to my friend, she
suggested me using Money Lover, a useful mobile application to most useful
one. Thanks to that, I am better at money management.

Let me tell you about it in more detail. The symbol of the app is a very cute piggy
bank which impresses me a lot at the first sight. There are many expenses for
clothes, food, cosmetics divided so that at the end of the month, I can know
exactly what cost me a bomb, what are within my budget to tighten the belt
next month.

It is not an exaggeration to say that this way of saving money changes my life
for the better. I have used this app for 3 months and up to now, I have a
considerable savings in my banking account. To my surpise, my friends
consider me as a shining model for them to follow when it comes to talking
about money saving. This makes me so proud of myself. In addition, my mom
always got shirty with me for my wasting money but at the moment, she hardly
loses her temper anymore and we seem to have better relationship than in the
past.

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If anyone asks which the most effective way to save money is, “Money Lover” is
definitely the first thing that comes to my mind. Trust me, it is really helpful.

Describe a (short) journey that you disliked

You should say:
Where you went
Who you went with
What you did
And explain why you disliked this journey BAND

8.5 Sample Answer:

I recently had a journey I wish I hadn’t bothered with. I decided to do some

shopping in the capital city. But I had lent my car to a friend for a couple of days
and so I thought it would be quite fun to hop on a bus for a change because it’s
something I haven’t done for a long time. So I thought that I would set off early
and get it done in a couple of hours and be back in time for lunch. The shopping
wasn’t anything urgent, it was just that I had some free time that particular
morning and thought it would be nice to do something different.

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However, the journey did not go as planned. It was a really hot day and when the
bus finally arrived and I got on, it was clear that the air conditioner wasn’t
working. What’s more, the bus was packed with people, so within minutes I
began to feel hot and sticky and extremely uncomfortable.

But what happened next was even worse. After about twenty minutes of traveling
the bus started to make some really weird noises and eventually the driver
pulled over and told us that there was a problem and that we couldn’t continue.
We had to wait for another twenty five minutes or so for the next bus to arrive
behind us and then we all got off the first bus and got on the second bus. The
second bus already had some passengers on it, and with all of us from the first
bus as well there was only room to stand. The whole experience was rapidly
turning into something I was beginning to seriously regret. What had started out
as something supposedly fun and different was quickly becoming one of the
worst trips ever.
Eventually, we arrived in the city and I wasn’t really in a good mood to go
shopping so I stopped at a café to drink something and just relax a moment
before heading to the shops.

It really has to be one of the worst trips I’ve ever made on a bus and now I wish I
had just waited until I had my car back; it would have been so much easier.

Describe a character or personality of yours

You should say:
What it is
How it affects your life
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Where you get it from

And how you feel about it
BAND 8.0 SAMPLE ANSWER:

It’s fairly tough to talk about someone’s own personality for I firmly believe that
the way we judge ourselves fundamentally differs from other people do.
Nonetheless, we all have our own idea about our own characteristics and I would
like to talk about my honesty which is also one of the characters I find important
and proud of.

Honesty is a great virtue and I am in favor of the viewpoint that if people could
remain honest during the lifetime, they will be rewarded in the long run. To be
honest, honesty inside me leads me to do everything with genuine sincerity.
Therefore, I am respected and adored by everyone and especially by my friends
and colleagues.

I think that I inherited this personal trait from my mother. In daily life, he also
reminds me to be honest in every aspect of my life and I would get through all
ups and downs and succeed in life.

Honesty never fails to make me feel better at work and my daily living. In other
words, Honesty has made everything for me. I earned the high-paid job
because my boss and colleagues always have faith in me. I have a happy
family with beloved parents and brother.

Thereby, honesty is truly the personal trait I take pride in myself and want to
share with you today.

Describe a piece of work you did quickly.

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You should say:

what work it was why
you did it quickly
how easy or difficult
it was and explain
what the result was.

Sample Answer:

I would like to talk about a piece of work that I had to do quickly, which was the
preparation for a two-minute talk in the IELTS Speaking test, the one that I am
taking at the moment.

I just finished this preparation a few seconds ago. When the second part of the
Speaking test began, I was given a topic which required me to describe
something I had done quickly. Personally I think that was a really difficult topic,
and it was even more challenging since I had only one minute to prepare for the
talk. I had to think really fast. The first thing I needed to do was to choose a piece
of work to talk about, and this was the hardest part. At first I thought about a
university project that I had to finish in five days, but then I wasn't sure whether
five days is considered "quick" enough for this topic. And then an idea came to
my mind. Why not talk about the very difficult work I was doing at that moment,
which was to think of an appropriate topic? Then I quickly decided to choose it
and made a plan for a talk about it. I had to do everything quickly because I was
given only one minute for the preparation. So, I needed to think very fast and to
write down all the ideas very quickly. In my opinion, preparing for a talk in just
one minute is really challenging, and it's partly because I had to think in English,

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which isn't my first language. Luckily I managed to finish the preparation on time,
and I finally had enough ideas to talk about this topic.

The result of this, um, I don't know yet because I will have to wait 13 days to see
the result of this Speaking test. However, I think I have already done everything I
could, and let's hope that I will get a satisfying result.

Describe a famous person that you admire

• Who is this person

• What is their specialty
• Why do you admire him

Sample Answers

In my to-meet list, there are so many well – respected celebrities whom I am

desired to meet and spend time with. However, I would like to share about Pele,
who is nicknamed as the greatest soccer player around the Globe.

Initially, I really need to kick off with the point that Pele was just seventeen when
he first played in World Cup in Sweden of 1958 for Brazil. Despite his very young
age, he was selected for the national team participating one of the biggest sport
competition on the planet. Back then, he was not the star player but when his
teammate was hurt, Pele went into the game. He immediately scored goal and
Brazil won the World Cup. By his amazing aptitudes and skills, Pele was feared
by other teams. The Brazilian government even named him as a national
treasure. It is not doubtful to say that Pele is one of the biggest factors making
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Brazil’s soccer so well – known. His last World Cup was in Mexico in 1970. Brazil
scored 4 goals against Italy to win the World Cup for the third time. Another point
that I would like to share is that Pele owns an admirable career that every soccer
players crave for. Pele holds many soccer records such as having over 1000
goals in his career. He was nominated athlete of the Century in 1980 and
became a member of a soccer Hall of Fame in 1993.

Although he’s now retired from professional competition, Pele is still considered
as a great inspiration for soccer players and lovers.

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