Updated Oct. 5, 2014
IELTS Part 2 and
Part 3 Topics and Questions
Page 106
526.
A Time When Someone Helped You
(Oct. 19, 2013)
(Probably no longer used)
527. No Topic
528.
A Tourist Attraction You
Visited
(Probably no longer used)
529.
A Friend Not Seen for a Long Time (2)
(Jan 9, 2014)
(Probably no longer used)
(Probably no longer used)
FQ
= frequent question = a question that has frequently
been reported = a question that is probably in the examiner's question book
* = my guess at a question
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526.
A Time When Someone Helped You
(Oct. 19, 2013)
(Probably no longer used)
Describe a time when a stranger helped
you.
(i.e., not a family member or a friend)
You should say:
who helped you
where this happened
how they (= he or she) helped you
and explain how you felt after they helped you *
or
and explain how you benefited from this help *
Notes
-
Some people have reported this as "Describe a time when a
stranger helped you". The card might use the word, "stranger" but it is
more likely that it says, "someone you
didn't know". A "stranger" is someone you have never seen before but, "someone
you don't know" can be someone who you have seen before, such as a neighbour. Whatever the wording,
you should not describe help that a family member or a friend
gave you but, guessing from the Part 3 questions, it might be possible that
help from a neighbour is suitable, as long as you didn't really know
this neighbour at the time they
helped you, i.e., you didn't know the person's name and had never
spoken to them before. But this person might not be a "stranger" now. That
is, when you first move to live in a new place, all your neighbours are
"strangers", at first .It can also be when you "move" to a new
school, new class, new job etc.
-
Note written Feb. 23, 2014 - Apparently the word, "stranger" is really used
in the question wording.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Part 3
See also the Part 3 questions in previous "help"
topics -
461,
392,
279,
210,
156,
104
&
28.
Helping Others in the Community
-
How
could communities be improved?
FQ
-
(The question above
probably means, "How can people in communities have a greater sense of
community?")
FQ
-
Have you ever been helped
by a neighbour?
-
How can (or, how do)
neighbours help each other? FQ
-
What do you think are the benefits of sharing?
-
In general, what is the attitude in your country
about helping old people in the community?
-
How can (or, how do) people help old people in
their communities?
FQx2
-
How do you think people could be encouraged to help
old people in the community?
-
If you had an elderly neighbour (living alone),
would you offer your help to this neigbour?
-
If you were an old person, living alone, who would
you turn to if you needed help?
Children
Helping Others
-
Do you think children
naturally like to help others (or do they need to be taught this)?
-
What do you think are some
difference between what young children want to do and what their
parents want them to do?
-
How can parents teach
their children to be helpful towards others? FQ
-
Do you think giving children household chores
to do can teach the children about helping others?
Volunteering
International
Organizations that Help
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527. No Topic
***********************************************************************
528.
A Tourist Attraction You Visited
(Sept. 2013)
(Probably no longer used)
Describe a tourist attraction that you enjoyed visiting.
You should say:
where it was
who you went with
what you did there
and explain what you enjoyed most about this place. *
or
and explain
what was interesting about this place. *
Notes
-
There seems to be some confusion with the
wording of this topic.
-
It might specify a tourist attraction in
your country, but this is not certain.
-
It might specify a tourist attraction that is
not in your hometown, i.e., a place that you had to travel to.
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Part 3
See also the Part 3 questions for
Topic 403
Tourist Attractions / Tourism
See
Note
-
What types of tourist attractions are there in your country?
FQ
-
(Similar to above, but more specific)
What tourist attractions are there in your country?
FQ
-
(Similar to above) What are some of the most
famous tourist attractions in your country?
FQ
-
(Similar to above)
What sorts of places in
_____ (your country) do people in your country like to visit?
-
Do most people prefer to visit "famous"
tourist attractions or do they prefer to go to not-so-famous places?
-
In your country, are the places that tourists like
to visit today the same places that people visited 20 or 30 years
ago?
-
Do you think different types of people prefer
different types of tourist attractions?
FQ
-
Do you think young people and
old(er)
people like
to visit the same types of places?
-
Are the people in your country very interested in
visiting very old (ancient) buildings?
-
Do you think
tourist attractions are for tourists only or do local
people visit them as well?
(Why?) FQx2
-
Should (local) people be charged to enter museums and historical buildings?
FQx2
-
Should the entry charge be the same for foreign tourists and for local
visitors? FQx2
See
Note
-
Do you think schools students can benefit from having school excursions
(trips) to historical sites?
-
Some people say that if you watch a TV program that shows the tourist
attractions of a place then there's no need to visit that place. Do you
agree with that?
-
What place in your country (a place you have not been to yet) would you
visit, if you had the opportunity?
Exploring
-
Do you (or, do people in your country) prefer a guided tour of a tourist
attraction or do you usually prefer to explore it yourself?
-
Why do (some) people prefer to explore new places? See
Note
-
(Similar to above but without "like to")
Why do people explore new places?
-
Do you think the exploration of new places can help a nation (or, a
government)?
-
What skills do you think a person needs if they want to go exploring?
-
How can a person or group be funded (= financially supported) for a major
exploration project?
Landscapes/Scenery in Your Country
"Landscape" and "scenery" are not the same in
meaning.
-
As tourists, do people in
your country prefer to visit natural places
or man-made made tourist attractions (e.g., cities)?
FQx2
-
(Similar to above)
Do they prefer to visit
natural places or cities?
-
What different forms of landscape are there in your
country (and where are they)?
-
(Similar to above)
What types of natural
landscape (or, scenery) do people prefer to visit?
-
Do you think too many tourists visiting a natural place
can damage the environment of that natural place?
FQx2
-
What do you suggest could be done to solve this
problem?
-
In what other ways can (or is) the natural environment
be damaged (by mankind's activities)? *
-
(Difficult question) Do
you think there is a connection between the scenery (or landscape) of a
place and the culture of the people who live there?
-
Generally speaking, what
proportion of people in your country live in cities or big towns and what
proportion live in villages or in the countryside?
-
Do you think culture is
based more on city life, or on nature?
-
Do you think there is a
global culture? See
Note
Children, Young People, and Tourism
Note: Some (or most) of these questions are probably
using the words, "young people", not the word "children". "Young people" are from
about 13 to 30 years old. "Children" are under 13.
-
Who do you think enjoys traveling for pleasure more,
young people or adults?
FQ
-
Who do you think enjoys traveling for pleasure more,
children or adults?
FQ
-
Do you think old people and young people choose to
visit the same types of tourist spots?
FQ
-
Do you think young people (or, children) are very interested in visiting
(or seeing) monuments?
-
What types of places do young people (or, children) most like to visit?
-
How do children benefit from visiting tourist spots?
-
Do you think children benefit from visiting historic sites?
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529.
A Friend Not Seen for a Long Time (2)
(Jan 9, 2014)
(Probably no longer used)
Notes
-
* = my guess
-
In May 2014, most people were reporting Version A but starting in June, more
people were reporting Version B than Version A. The Part 3 questions seems
to be more or less the same all the time so there is probably only one
"friend" topic in use right now. I would say Version B is more likely than Version
A but you
should be prepared for both. The main point of the wording seems to be, talk
about a past friend, not a current or recent friend. So it should be someone
who used to be a friend but is no longer a friend because the
friendship did not continue until now, for some reason.
-
Note the use of the past perfect tense (过去完城时)
in Version A.
-
The card might say, "them" to mean "him/her". This usage of "them" does
not mean "those two people", i.e., it does not mean "他们".
-
Topic 412 was probably this same topic. I always had Topic 412 as, "Describe
a friend you haven't been in contact with for a long time but who you would
like to see again* ". The asterisk (the star) meant that I was not very sure
of the exact wording.
-
Some people have reported a simpler topic -
"Describe a school friend you had, what you used to do together etc." This
is possible.
-
See also the notes for
Topic 412 about the meaning of "hadn't seen" (I
had "haven't seen" for Topic 412). "For a long time" can mean just a few
weeks or even just many days if you used to see this friend very often, such
as every day, and if you miss seeing this person.
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Part 3
See also Part 3 for
Topic 412
Making Friends
-
Is friendship (or, are
friends) important to you?
FQ
-
(Similar to above but more
general)
Would you say friendship is important?
FQ
-
What are the benefits of
friendship?
FQ
-
Do you enjoy meeting
people and making new friends?
-
How are childhood friends
different to the friends we have when we are older (= no longer a child)?
FQx2
-
Do you think it's easier
to make friends when one is a child, or when one is grown up?
-
Do you think children can
recognize who is a good (or suitable) person to be friends with and who
isn't?
-
Do you think parents
should be concerned about the friends their children have?
FQ
-
If you had a problem, would you seek help from your friends or from your family?
-
Can you give me an example of such a situation?
-
Do you think it's always better to talk to your friends about such a problem?
-
Do you think parents
should choose the friends their (young) children have?
-
Do you think it's easier
to make friends as a child or as an adult?
FQ
-
Which do you think is
better, a friend you have had from childhood or a friend from your adulthood?
FQ
-
(Similar to above) What are the differences
between new friends and old friends?
FQ
-
(Similar to above)
Which do you think is
better, new friends or old friends?
FQ
-
What are the benefits of having friends at
school? ( = primary & high school)
-
How do people make new
friends?
FQ
-
(Possibly the question
above is this) Why do people make new
friends?
-
Do you prefer to have many
friends or a just a few close friends?
FQ
-
(Similar to above) Which
do you think is better, to have many friends, (none of whom are very close
friends), or just a few close friends?
FQx2
-
What kind of person do you
think makes lots of friends?
FQ
-
(Similar to above) What qualities allow a person to
more successfully make friends?
FQ
-
What kind of person do you
think have no friends?
-
How do you think
friendship today is different to friendship 20 or 30 years ago?
-
Why do people make friends
on the internet?
-
Do you think it's good to
make friends on the internet?
-
Do you think
"globalization" helps people make new friends?
-
Would you like to have friends in different parts of the world?
-
Do you think it's a good idea to make friends from
the opposite sex?
-
What do you think are the differences between online dating and dating in real
life? ("Dating" = developing a romantic male-female relationship, usually with a
view to marriage)
-
Which do you think is more important (to you), a boyfriend/girlfriend, or
"regular friends" (普通朋友)?
Maintaining
Friendships / Losing Contact with Friends
"Maintaining a friendship" =
"keeping a friendship alive, or current"
Note: An "old friend"
is a friend who you have had for a long time. On the other hand, a "former
friend" is someone who was once a friend but who is not your friend now, usually
because a problem arose between the two of you. But sometimes, "a former friend"
is used to mean, "a friend from a long time ago who I have lost contact with" -
this friendship was never really "broken", it just "faded away".
-
Do you think friendships
tend to grow over time or are they more likely to fade away?
-
Do you think maintaining a
friendship is good?
-
How can (or how do) people
maintain a friendship?
-
How do people
maintain friendships when they move far away from each other, e.g., moving
abroad?
-
What are some of the reasons why
some friendships end? FQ
-
What do you suggest
friends should do when they have disagreements or misunderstandings between
each other?
-
How important would say
communication is for maintaining a friendship?
-
Do you think honesty
between friends is important?
-
What are some reasons why
friends sometimes lose contact with each other? FQ
-
What are some of the reasons why people keep in contact with old friends?
-
Why do you think many
people's childhood friends tend not to be their (closest) friends when they
become adults?
FQ
-
(Similar to above) Why do
people tend to become alienated from their childhood friends as they grow
older?
FQ
-
Do you think it's easy to
get into contact with previous friends who you have lost contact with?
-
Do many people want to do
that?
-
Would you like to make
contact again with
(or, be reunited with)
any previous friends who you have lost contact
with?
Reunions
-
Sometimes people who were
in the same class at school hold a class reunion many years after they have
left school. Why do you think they do that? FQ
-
Some people don't like to
go to class reunions. Can you suggest why?
-
Would you go to a class
reunion 10 or 20 years after being in that class? FQ
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530. A Positive
Change in Your Life
(Jan 9, 2014)
(Probably no longer used)
(Modified copy of
Topic 47 )
Notes
-
If the first line says "changed you in a good
way" then it means improved you, such as made you more mature. This
seems to be more probable than "changed your life in a good way".
-
Since it almost certainly says "event" or
something similar, you should probably not talk about a gradual
change.
-
Some people have reported that the wording is
something like this - "Describe an event during your teenage
years that changed your life in a good way.". This is quite
possible because the IELTS test writers want you to talk about something
that you remember well and you might not remember an event from when you
were 8 years old very well.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Part 3
See also Part 3 for
Topic 47,
Topic 92,
Topic 148,
Topic 194,
Topic 266 &
Topic 354
Change
-
Do you like change
(changes in your life)? FQ
-
What types of people don't
like change?
-
Who do you think can adapt
more easily to change in their lives, children or adults? FQ
-
What are some of the
major changes that (most) people experience throughout their lives?
-
Do you think change is
always a good thing?
-
What do you think are some
of the good points about change in people's lives?
-
(Similar to above)
Do you think change is always the same as
"improvement"? *
-
What are some examples of
changes in society that benefit society (or, people) and what are some
examples of changes in society that harm people?
Moving Home
-
What challenges (or
difficulties) do people face when they move to live in a different place?
-
Why do some people decide to move to a different
country?
-
Who do you think can more easily adapt to a change
of living place, old people or young people? (or - adults or children)
Changing Jobs
-
How long (how many years)
do people in your country usually work before they retire?
FQ
-
Do you think people like
to have a stable job?
-
Why do a lot of (young)
people (choose to) change their jobs nowadays?
-
(Similar to above) What are some of the
reasons why people change jobs more than others?
FQ
-
Do you think it's a good
idea to change jobs?
FQ
-
(Similar to above but
different)
Do you think it's a good
idea to frequently change jobs?
FQ
-
In general, how would you
describe the types of people who frequently change jobs?
-
What are some of the
possible problems that can result from changing jobs?
-
Do many people from your
country go overseas for work?
-
What types of people go
overseas to work?
-
What are the benefits of
staying in one job (one company/with one employer) for a long time?
-
Why do you think people
who have been in a job for a long time are less likely than others to change
their job?
-
Do you think people today
change jobs more than people did in the past?
-
Do young people prefer to have a stable life?
Adapting
("Adapt" and "adjust" are
similar but "adjust" is often followed by an object while "adapt" usually means
"adapt oneself" and the word "oneself" is usually not spoken.)
-
Do you think people need
to be adaptable in modern society?
-
What could happen to
someone who was not able to adapt to changes in the world?
-
Do you think more people
need to be more adaptable?
Teenagers
"Young people" are aged from
about 13 to 25 or even 30. "Teenagers", of course, are aged 13 to 19.
-
Some people
say that adolescence (the teenage years) is the best time of life. Do you agree?
-
Do you (or did you) like being a teenager? *
-
What are some of the good points about being a teenager?
-
What problems (or, challenges) do teenagers face? FQ
-
Why do you think some teenagers become "juvenile
delinquents"?
-
What sorts of problems (conflicts) do many
teenagers have with their parents?
-
Why do you think these conflicts occur?
-
Do you think it's important for teenagers to have
family support when they make important decisions?
-
What are teenagers in your country interested in?
-
Do (or, can)
teenagers and older people teach each other things? ("Do" and "can"
are different questions)
-
How does society (in your country) view teenagers? See
Note
-
Are you looking forward to growing older?
Relationships
Between Different Generations of People
Note: In English, young people (such
as you
people preparing for the IELTS test) do not
refer to other young people as "youngsters". It's only middle-aged
and old people who use that word. That is, people sometimes refer to others who are
about a generation or more younger than themselves as "youngsters".
So if you are about 20 or 25 years old, you could possibly refer to
kindergarten kids as "youngsters" but it is not very suitable for you to refer
to high school kids using that word.
-
Do young people in your
country spend much time with old people?
-
What do they do when they
do spend time together?
-
What are the differences
between young people and elderly people in your country?
FQ
-
(Possible the question
above is this)
What are some of the differences between teenagers and
adults in your country?
FQ
-
What do you think are the
advantages and the disadvantages for a teenager to spend most of his or time
with other teenagers?
-
Do you think young people
and old(er) people have problems communicating with each other?
-
Do you think young people
should spend more time (more than they do now) with much older adults? (Why?
How much time? Or, why not?)
-
What do you think young
people and old people could learn from each other?
FQ
-
Do you think it's good for
children to spend time with old people (such as their grandparents)?
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