Tài liệu IELTS_Sưu tầm: Trinh Hoang Nguyen

CAMBRIDGE IELTS 17
TEST 2 _ SPEAKING
PART 1:
Q1. Did you have a favourite book when you were a child? [Why/Why not?]
Answer 1:
Yes, I remember when I was a kid, I'd like to take some history books from my father's
bookshelf and read the historical stories, which were really entertaining and educational
to me. As a result, I'm very familiar with our Vietnamese ancient history.
Answer 2:
Just like other kids, I was a big fan of comic books when I was a kid. I still remember how
excited I was when I flipped through the colorful pages and got lost in the world of my
favorite comic characters. My all-time favourite series was Doraemon – a Japanese series.
I believe that almost all Vietnamese children read those comic books because of their
exhilarating storylines and vivid illustrations.

Q2. How much reading do you do for your work/studies? [Why/Why not?]
Answer 1:
Reading has become my habit, and I read books on a daily basis. A book of any kind is a
musthave item in my bag when I go somewhere as it can be a good activity to make good
use of waiting time. Also, it is hard to imagine a day without something to read before
bedtime.
Answer 2:
Well, I used to take reading as merely a hobby until I grow older. I currently have to carry
out a huge amount of reading as part of my studying. Therefore, I probably spend more
time on academic books, articles, or textbooks. However, I still try to make time for my
favorite books after a hard day’s work to put my feet up.

Q3. What kinds of books do you read for pleasure? [Why/Why not?]
Answer 1:
Like many other children, I liked to read books about cartoon figures, fairy tales, heroic
deeds, about detective stories. Reading these kinds of books left me with a very happy
childhood, and even now, the memory of my childhood is related to many stories about
those books I read.
Answer 2:
Well, an avid reader like me tends to fall in love with any page-turner. But to be honest,
I’m still a big fan of 2 genres, which are fantasy books like Harry Potter, and Lord of the
Rings and classic romance books like Pride and Prejudice. Those works of art really give
me a chance to step away from daily stuff and promote my emotional intelligence (EQ).

Q4. Do you prefer to read a newspaper or a magazine online, or to buy a copy? [Why?]
Answer 1:
I’ll go for reading magazines in my spare time because they have in-depth information on
specific topics and my go-to choice is sports. As for news updates, I prefer watching TV to
reading newspapers.

1
 Tài liệu IELTS_Sưu tầm: Trinh Hoang Nguyen
2
Answer 2:
I would say I prefer reading news online because they are free, and we don’t have to pay
any fees for a weekly or monthly subscription as newspapers. Besides, we can keep up
with all the latest global and local events by merely browsing news websites on our
mobile phones and laptops, which are much faster than waiting for updates from print
newspapers.

PART 2:
Describe a big city you would like to visit.
You should say:
- which big city you would like to visit
- how you would travel there
- what you would do there
and explain why you would like to visit this big city.

Well, this topic instantly makes me think about Hoi An which is for sure on top of my list
as one of the most beautiful cities in Vietnam.
Hoi An Old Town is located in Quang Nam Province - in central Vietnam, which is an
exceptionally well-preserved example of a Southeast Asian trading port dating from the
1st to the 19th century. Since then, it has been successful in preserving and restoring its
charming roots and has been declared as UNESCO Heritage Site.
I would like to have a whale of a time visiting Hoi An with my best friends on a beautiful
summer day next summer. It will be actually a part of our trip to Da Nang.
I would describe Hoi An in 2 words “graceful and charming”. You know unlike the huge
sprawling metropolis of Hanoi or HCM City, the whole town is filled with single-story
buildings with beautiful timber-framed, painted mango yellow roofs looking like pagodas.
Some notable heritage buildings that attract us are a Japanese-designed bridge,
merchant houses, and assembly halls from several centuries ago.
I believe those distinctive features clearly show Chinese, Japanese, and French colonial
which really make Hoi An become such a tranquil place. You can literally get a sense of
history because tradition is still very much alive in this tiny town.
What I absolutely love about Hoi An is how peaceful it is. You know you can enjoy a
stroll around because vehicles are not allowed during daytime. So you can feel the slow
pace of life in all its beautiful corners. Also, Riverside is the best place to be at night as
the entire area is lit by quaint and old-fashioned lanterns, making it an atmospheric
spot.
To put the icing on the cake, it’s amazing to see such a huge variety of local cheap
eateries and fine dining. Diners can select from both local and Western cuisines at most
of the upmarket restaurants. We enjoyed some flavourful authentic local specialties in
here such as pork pancakes, “Cao Lau” - a pork noodle dish, and so on. We even joined
great cooking classes to bring home those unique Hoi An flavors.
I would highly recommend anyone should put Hoi An on your must-visit list because simply,
it is a beautifully preserved historic town and deserves to be one of Asia’s most
memorable destinations.

2
 Tài liệu IELTS_Sưu tầm: Trinh Hoang Nguyen
3

PART 3
Topic 1: Visiting cities on holiday
Q1. What are the most interesting things to do while visiting cities on holiday?
If you’re visiting a hot beach destination it’s easy to find free things to do. Swimming,
sunbathing, reading and strolling can keep you entertained for days. But when you’re in
a city it isn’t so easy and your budget can quickly spiral out of control. But they do say the
best things in life are free, and that’s especially true when it comes to travelling.
Here are a few of my favourite free things to do in almost every city around the world.
1. Go on a free walking tour
2. Take an audio tour
3. Explore the Markets
4. Visiting Free Museums and Galleries
5. Hang out with the locals
6. Carnivals, Festivals and Free Performances

Q2. Why can it be expensive to visit cities on holiday?

There’s just so much to spend your money on in cities. So much to buy, so many places
with entrance fees, so many places to eat, so many attractions! Especially on holidays,
you may be able to pay double or triple for renting a hotel, buying a ticket, eating, and
travelling because there are too many people poured in the cities on those days.

Q3. Do you think it is better to visit cities alone or in a group with friends?
Well, I would prefer to travel with a group of friends or with my family. you know, the
more the merrier. On top of that, there’s always someone with who I can talk and take
great photos with me. It would be more cost-effective (economically). I mean, we can
split the cost of meals or accommodation. Honestly, traveling within a group is safer.
when traveling, particularly in unknown places, it may be dangerous since every town or
city has its problems like pick-pockets, criminals, …

Topic 2: The growth of cities

Q1. Why have cities increased in size in recent years?
The growth of cities size is often influenced by certain factors such as Population growth,
Development of infrastructure, Surplus Resources, Industrialization and
Commercialization, Development of Transport and Communication, Economic Pull of the
City, Educational and Recreational Facilities, among others.

Q2. What are the challenges created by evergrowing cities?

Nowadays, the majority of the world's population is living in urban areas. While many
people associate city life with prosperity, urban dwellers actually have to experience
various difficulties, including crime and environmental pollution.
One of the common/prevalent issues with living in a growing city is crime. For a violent
crime to occur, there must be a culprit and a victim. In a highly-populated area, the risk
of encountering a mob is much higher than that of a small town.

3
 Tài liệu IELTS_Sưu tầm: Trinh Hoang Nguyen
4
Additionally, if the culprit feels protected by the anonymity that a large city provides, he
may commit more wrongdoings. Furthermore, air pollution is also a prevalent issue in
major cities. Surface transportation is the main source of greenhouse gas emissions,
which cause respiratory problems to people. This problem is exacerbated by the sheer
number of vehicles commuting daily in the city.

Q3. In what ways do you think cities of the future will be different to cities today?
In the future, cities may see flying vehicles, mega bridges, super-connected street
experiences, and underground spaces. Those futuristic cities will be powered by big data,
the Internet of Things, and artificial intelligence (AI) – so they may live, breathe, and
even think with us. But other aspects of the futuristic city include sustainable, inclusive,
and mixed-use. Technology will also be used to create a new quality of life in
wellplanned developments that don’t lose the human touch.