Unit 8- IELTS Speaking Questions

Sport
Part 2 – sample task card

Describe a sport you like to watch on TV. You should say:

 What the sport is

 How often you watch it
 What kind of people who enjoy watching it
 and explain why you enjoy it

A sport that I enjoy watching on TV is football, which is known all over the world
as the king sport. My favorite football team is not any famous international team
like Manchester United, but rather, it’s Vietnamese National football team. Every
time watching them play, I feel a great sense of national pride. It’s even more
satisfying when I watch a match with my friends or my family. We would discuss
the strategies and comment on the moves of the players. The rules of football
are pretty straightforward. Basically, it’s just a game of two teams trying to take
possession of a ball and kick it into the opponent team’s goal to score a point.
But for me, football is quite a dramatic sport, which can bring me a lot of
emotions. I mean, you can never know for sure what will happen in a football
match. For example, if any footballer tackles in an illegal way, he fouls his
opponent and the referee will blow his whistle to give him a yellow or red card as
a punishment. Sometimes, the other team is even awarded a penalty. These free
kicks usually have the audience on the edge of their seats and I’m not an
exception. However, my favorite part is when the managers from both teams
decide to drop some players from their own team and bring on substitutes,
which is sometimes a game-changer. Some of the games are really intense to
watch, but that’s not to say that there aren't any fun moments. I often find it
funny and burst into laughter when the opponent team scores their own goal,
especially in the last minutes. I think watching football is great in that it helps to
strengthen the bond between me and my family and friends, and if I get to be at
the field to watch a live match, I would jump at the chance as I bet it would even
be more exciting than watching a match on TV.

No. Highlighted words/ phrases Highlighted words/ phrases

(English) (Vietnamese)

1 a great sense of national pride một niềm tự hào dân tộc to lớn

2 (to) discuss the strategies thảo luận về các chiến lược

3 (to) comment on the moves bình luận về các bước đi

4 straightforward đơn giản

5 (to) take possession of a ball cầm bóng

6 opponent team’s goals cầu môn đối phương

7 (to) score a point ghi điểm

8 dramatic (a) kịch tính

9 (to) tackle in an illegal way chơi xấu

10 (to) foul his opponent phạm lỗi với đối phương

(to) give him a yellow or red card đưa anh ta một thẻ vàng hoặc đỏ
11
as a punishment như một hình phạt
 12 (tobe) awarded a penalty hưởng một quả phạt đền

13 free kicks Những quả đá phạt

(to) have the audience on the

14 khiến khán giả đứng ngồi không yên
edge of their seats

15 (to) drop some players loại một số cầu thủ

16 (to) bring on substitutes mang vào sân những người thay thế

một yếu tố thay đổi hoàn toàn cuộc

17 Game-changer (n)
chơi

18 intense (a) căng thẳng

19 (to) burst into laughter bật cười

20 (to) score their own goal ghi bàn phản lưới nhà

21 in the last minutes những phút cuối

22 (to) strengthen the bond tăng cường sự gắn kết

23 (to) watch a live match xem một trận đấu trực tiếp

24 (to) jump at the chance chớp lấy cơ hội ngay

Part 3 – sample questions

1. What are the benefits of playing a sport?

The greatest benefit of doing a sport is that it can do wonders for health, be it
physical or mental. Doing strenuous exercises like circuit training or bar lifting
can help build up muscles and increase one’s stamina. On the other hand, some
lighter exercises like doing yoga can train one’s flexibility and balance. No matter
which kind of sport people choose for themselves, it can help them keep fit, and
reduce stress. As a result, they can avoid contracting many diseases ranging from
a common cold to obesity or heart diseases.

No. Highlighted words/ phrases Highlighted words/ phrases

(English) (Vietnamese)
mang lại những điều kỳ diệu cho
1 do wonders for health
sức khỏe

2 be it physical or mental dù là thể chất hay tinh thần

3 strenuous exercises các bài tập gắng sức

4 circuit training bài tập tổng hợp

5 bar lifting nâng tạ

6 (to) build up muscles xây dựng cơ bắp

7 (to) increase one’s stamina tăng thể lực của một người

8 flexibility sự linh hoạt

9 (to) keep fit giữ được vóc dáng

 10 (to) contract many diseases mắc nhiều bệnh

11 a common cold cảm lạnh thông thường

2. Do you think the types of sport that are popular will change in the future?

=> Agreeing with an opinion

Yes, I think so. As people now are getting busier with work, they may have even
less free time in the future. Consequently, sports that require people little time to
play will become more popular than the others. Besides, many kinds of sports
have been converted into online game versions by some renowned game
companies like Nitendo. These games offer their players a real experience of
physical activities like running or fighting by requiring the players to move their
body to play. Not to mention, the games can save people a great deal of time
from eliminating the need to travel to a particular place, and they can be highly
addictive with a diverse scheme of rewards available as people level up. And so,
I imagine that these console games will one day replace the similar sports that
people do nowadays.

No. Highlighted words/ phrases Highlighted words/ phrases

(English) (Vietnamese)

1 (tobe) converted into chuyển thể thành

2 online game versions phiên bản game trực tuyến

 3 (tobe) highly addictive gây nghiện cao

a diverse scheme of rewards một cơ chế phần thưởng đa dạng sẵn

4
available có

5 (to) level up lên cấp

6 console games trò chơi điện tử

3. How can sports bring people from different countries closer together?

I guess people of different nations can become closer via international sports
tournaments. It’s when many countries send their national sports teams to
compete against each other. The professional sportspeople can learn strategies
and high spirits from their competitors and even make friends after the games.
The audience from different countries can also feel closer by cheering for the
same team. It’s quite a common sight in many fields that the fans of the same
sports team usually stand up and chant together to support their team.

No. Highlighted words/ phrases Highlighted words/ phrases

(English) (Vietnamese)

via international sports thông qua các giải đấu thể thao quốc
1
tournaments tế

2 professional sportspeople vận động viên thể thao chuyên nghiệp

3 high spirits tinh thần phấn đấu cao

 4 competitors đối thủ

5 (to) cheer for cổ vũ

6 a common sight Một cảnh khá phổ biến

7 (to) chant together hô vang

4. What are the advantages of hosting different international sporting events in

a country?

There can be a wide range of benefits. Firstly, hosting international sporting

events would raise the country’s profile, which can lead to lasting economic
gains. The Olympics is, for instance, one of the biggest sporting events in the
world and any country becoming its host can become the global spotlight in that
year. And when the image of a place is broadcast widely, people will start paying
more attention to it and even coming to visit it, which results in a boost in
tourism.

No. Highlighted words/ phrases Highlighted words/ phrases

(English) (Vietnamese)

1 (to) raise the country’s profile nâng cao vị thế của quốc gia

2 lasting economic gains lợi ích kinh tế lâu dài

3 host (n) chủ nhà

4 global spotlight tâm điểm toàn cầu

 5 (tobe) broadcast widely được quảng bá rộng răi

6 a boost in tourism một sự gia tăng trong du lịch

5. Do you agree that sports stars earn too much money?

 Not really. Not easy to rise to stardom. (Concession) may have talent, but
still have to work hard to succeed. Stick to a rigorous fitness program to
maintain stamina. It means: take part in intensive training sessions, some
foods are off-limits to sportspeople. Under tremendous pressure from their
fans’ expectations- excel in every match. The career life- not as long
compared to other jobs. E.g., footballers- retire at 30 years old.

6. Do you think famous sportspeople are good role models for children?

 depends on their lifestyle- but generally speaking- can learn good sports
spirit from sports stars. Some household names- David Beckham-
exemplary in his exerted effort and dedication for football. When being a
sports star- should be responsible for their behavior- children- not imitate
bad behavior.