MEDIA: Sample questions and answers for IELTS speaking 

exam
 
Part 1
1. How often do you watch television? [Why/Why not?]
When I was younger I was a real couch potato who would binge watch hundreds
of TV shows on a daily basis while scarfing down chips and burgers. However, as
I grow older, the TV doesn’t seem to grab much of my attention since there’s much
more to offer on the Internet. Therefore, I don’t really get to watch TV often unless
there is a solid reason to do so.
 couch potato (n): người lười biếng (ngồi trên ghế bất động giống như củ
khoai tây)
 binge watch (v): xem phim (hoặc nội dung gì đó) liên tục không ngừng
nghỉ trong một thời gian dài.
2. Which television channel do you usually watch? [Why?]
Some of the channels that I sometimes flick through are Discovery, HBO and
some news channels. I watch Discovery mainly because I’d like to know more
about the most amazing things in the world, and I really need to keep myself
updated about current social affairs and television broadcasts seem to be the only
reliable source of information.
 flick through (v): lướt qua
 keep oneself updated about s.th: cập nhật tin tức về điều gì

3. Do you enjoy the advertisements on television? [Why/Why not?]

No, of course not. It really annoys me when the ads keep popping out in front of
my face when I am in the middle of my favorite show, particularly in prime time.
Moreover, I think advertisments are just deceiving people into buying things they
don’t really need.
 popping out (v): nhảy ra
 in the middle of s.th: trong lúc làm gì đó 
 prime time (n): giờ vàng 
 deceive (v): lừa  
4. Do you think most programmes on television are good? [Why/Why not?]
If you ask me, I do think so. Unlike the Internet, where anyone can easily express
their ideas and opinion on a subjective stance, TV programs oftentimes go under
severe inspection as well as censorship to make sure they are culturally and
morally appropriate when broadcasted. Some even offer educational aspects, so all
in all, I do think most TV programs nowadays are up to scratch.
 inspection (n): sự kiểm tra, giám sát
 censorship (n): sự kiểm duyệt
 up to scratch: có thể chấp nhận được 

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Newspapers and Magazines

1. Which magazines and newspapers do you read? [Why?]

Answer: Well I don’t really read traditional newspapers anymore as I can
now keep myself updated about social affairs using the online platform. You
know, there are quite a few websites that I can get information from and the one
I frequent the most is VN Express – the official national press. That is one of the
most reliable sources of information as it is strictly regulated by the government.
 keep myself updated about s.th: cập nhật thông tin
 quite a few: nhiều (giống như many)
 frequent (v): ghé thăm thường xuyên 

2. What kinds of article are you most interested in? [Why?]

I fancy articles about maintaining a healthy lifestyle. I am personally a health-
conscious person so I’d love to know more about healthy food recipes as well as
playing sports. I often look for these kinds of contents online so that I
can reap more benefits from them for a healthier, happier life.
 health-conscious (adj): có ý thức bảo vệ sức khoẻ
 reap (v): lấy được
3. Have you ever read a newspaper or magazine in a foreign language?
[When/Why?]
You bet. As an English learner, I often read news articles or watch news videos in
English. This helps me to improve my English profficiency and expand my horizon
as well. As I am not an avid reader who can digest a 200-paged book in a few
days, reading news articles is a great alternative.
 avid reader: người thích đọc 
 alternative (n): phương pháp thay thế 

4. Do you think reading a newspaper or magazine in a foreign language is a

good way to learn the language? [Why/Why not?]
I couldn’t agree more. Reading foreign language contents allows us to expand
our vocabulary range as well as fully understand the context in which the words
are used. Reading news in a foreign language is one of the most effective ways to
improve your language skills and it is also highly recommended by language
experts.
 vocabulary range (n): vốn từ vựng 
 

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Where do you usually get the news from?
–I commonly get news from TV and Facebook because these two forms of media
are very much accessible for me and gives me the freshest updates about fashion
trends, politics and the society in general.
Do you read magazines? Which ones?
-Definitely. I love reading The Cosmopolitan which is a women’s magazine. It
includes articles about relationships, health, careers and fashion which are
very fascinating for me.
Do you often read a newspaper?
-Reading newspapers because I think it’s monotonous. I prefer magazines instead
because the cover itself is already eye-catching.
In which kinds of circumstances do you usually listen to the radio?
-Well, I used to listen to it every weekend when I was a high school student. Back
in the day, it was my duty to clean the house on weekends and before I start, I
would turn on the radio and choose a loud music to get me in the mood to tidy up
our place.

Part 2
Which program on TV or radio do you often listen to?

What is it?
What is that about?
Why you listen it?
And say what you think could be improved about its output
For this topic, I’d like to talk about “It’s Showtime” which is a
Philippine noontime variety show. This TV program premiered in 2009, airs
from Mondays to Saturdays and broadcasts worldwide through “The Filipino
Channel”. Most of the host in this show are very entertaining and witty because
they can crack a joke with perfect timing which keeps the audience laughing the
whole time.
The show is divided into a number of segments such as “Mini Me and Copy-cut”.
“Mini Me” is a talent competition for kids aged twelve and below and each
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contestant is featured as a mini version of his or her idol celebrity. This segment
usually begin in introducing the participant to the audience while they pose on
stage, next is the talent show and finally, the question and answer portion.
On the other hand, the “Copy-cut” is a game played by two teams, Team Boys and
Team Girls. This segment is called Copy-cut because the two groups will be
copying pictures that are shown on the screen. The judges and audience will be the
ones to choose which of the teams copied the picture more accurately and the
group who accumulated more points will be the winner.
I think the main reason why the producers of “It’s Showtime” came up with having
these segments is to provide entertainment and opportunities to those who
participates in the program.
So far, I’m quite satisfied with this TV program and I can’t think of other
improvements they should work on.

Part 2: Describe a magazine or newspaper that you like to (or, often) read
You should say:
what magazine or newspaper it is
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.
To be honest, I don’t read magazines much these days, but I still read the one
called Vietraveler, which is a tourism magazine.
The magazine contains all that we need to know in terms of traveling, such as
reviews of numerous famous destinations, tips to save money when traveling or
what we need to prepare for a trip. Besides, at the back of the magazine, there are a
few discount coupons for some particular domestic tours which are run by tourist
companies.
Always, when a new issue is published, I get it delivered to my house by post.
Actually, I have been a subscriber to this magazine for almost 5 years and I fully
intend to carry on reading it. As all the information in it is arranged logically,
therefore, I find it quite easy to locate every article that interests me. In addition, I
highly appreciate the quality of the magazine’s contents. The attractiveness of the
glossy photos and the high standard of journalism are just two of its outstanding
features.

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As a final point, I would emphasize that I usually depend on this magazine to plan
a good trip or suggest one to my friends.

VOCABULARY
- Discount coupons: [n]: Phiếu giảm giá
Example: I cut the discount coupons out of the newspaper and used them to buy an
Iphone at a reduced price.
- Run (n): Chạy hoặc kiểu khởi động chương trình, cung cấp gì đó
Example: The school runs special courses for teenagers during the summer.
- Issue (n): Số tạp chí định kỳ
Example: In the last issue of the magazine, there is an article about restaurants in
Hanoi.
- Subscriber (n): Số người đăng ký
Example: The number of subscribers to the magazine has now reached 10,000.
- Fully intend to: Chuẩn bị kế hoạch làm gì đó
Example: If I don’t go on holiday this month, then I fully intend to take a holiday
next month.
- Carry on: Tiếp tục
Example: Even if I pass the exam, I fully intend to carry on studying English to an
advanced level.
- Glossy (adj): Mịn màng, sáng, đẹp
Example: The shiny paper used in glossy magazines is very expensive, so the
magazines too are always expensive.
- Outstanding (adj): Tốt, rất quan trọng
Example: The outstanding tourist attraction in New York is the Statue of Liberty.

Describe a magazine that you like to read.

You should say about:
- What its name is;
- What the magazine is about;
- How often you read it;
- and explain why you like to read it.
Answer
Well, as part of my daily routine, I am keen on reading newspapers and magazines
daily. If I’ve got to choose a magazine that I like the most, I would say ELLE
Vietnam, which can be considered an “encyclopedia” in fashion, style, interior
design and travelling, especially for young people.
The first reason why I like it is the elegant style of this magazine. Honestly it has
been a great inspiration for me.

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From the cover to the design, the images taken and the organization are so
exquisite, and the content is so informative and well-organized that I keep looking
at the pages hundreds of times. Specifically, the magazine has updated latest
fashion trends from various brands, both local and foreign ones. “Style guide” is
my most favorite part in each issue of ELLE because it shows us how to mix and
match different items of clothing or accessories to have a good appearance.
Besides, the magazine is a “masterpiece” to me personally for being informative.
It has detailed and in-depth articles about fashion brands, designs, arts, sculpture,
which provide a lot of useful information. There are also interviews with
celebrities in different fields and it’s fun reading them. We can see other sides of
them when they are not on stage. In addition, there are also articles about
healthcare and beauty, which is loved and read by many women.
As a final point, I would say that ELLE will forever be my favorite magazine!
Vocabulary

- Daily routine (n) /ˈdeɪ.li ruːˈtiːn/: thói quen hàng ngày

- Encyclopedia (n)  /ɪnˌsaɪ.kləˈpiː.di.ə/: bách khoa thư
- Elegant (adj) /ˈel.ə.ɡənt/: thanh lịch
- Exquisite (adj) /ɪkˈskwɪz.ɪt/:  lộng lẫy
- Fashion trend (n) / ˈfæʃ.ən trend/: xu hướng thời trang
- Items of clothing or accessories (n): quần áo/ phụ kiện
- Masterpiece (n) /ˈmæs.tɚ.piːs/: tuyệt tác
- In-depth (adj) /ˈɪn.depθ/ : có chiều sâu
- Healthcare (n) /ˈhelθ.ker/: chăm sóc sức khỏe
Structures
- St is a great inspiration for Sb: cái gì là nguồn cảm hứng lớn cho ai/ cái gì
Shakespeare’s works have been a great inspiration for me in my writing.
- To mix and match : phối đồ/ phụ kiện
My sister is an expert in mixing and matching items of clothing together.