Updated Aug 28. 2017
IELTS Part 2 and Part 3 Topics and Questions
Page 150
749. A
Place in Another Country (Sep. 2016)
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
Describe a bicycle / motorbike / car trip that you would like to go on in the future.
You should say:
where you would go
who you would go with
what you would do there
and explain why you would like to make this trip. *
Transportation in Your Country
(Similar to above) What is the most popular form of transport in your country
Why do some people drive cars while others take the subway?
Do you think transportation differs in different places?
What are the differences between transportation in the city and
in rural areas (the countryside)
How do most people in your country travel between cities (e.g., a a trip of several hundred kilometers)?
If you were in the government, how would you improve the traffic
situation
(Possibly the
above is this)
Is it safe to ride a bicycle in your hometown (or where you are living now)?
Would you say your hometown (or city) is a suitable place for walking?
Is it safe for pedestrians to cross the roads in your city?
Should there be more pedestrian crossings?
Bicycles & Motorcycles vs Cars
Which are more popular in your country, cars or bicycles?
Are bicycles old-fashioned?
Do you think motorcycles (= motorbikes) are suitable for everyone to use?
Can you explain why so many people want to have a car?
Holidays
Do you have many (public) holidays in your country?
(Similar to above) How many (public) holidays do you have in your country?
Do you think that's a suitable number of holidays?
How do people spend these holidays?
Do people prefer to travel within the country or to travel abroad when they have a holiday?
Can you explain why some people don't like (public) holidays?
Describe a person you met recently and want to know more about. *
You should say:
who it was
when and where you met
what you talked about
and explain why you want to know more about this person. *
Notes
It is not certain
whether the words, "want to" or the words, "would like to" are written on
the card. Know the small similarities and differences between the usage of
these two. "Want to" refers to something that you think about more, like a
plan and is stronger than, "would like to". "Would like to" is
often used with phrases such as, "if I had the opportunity". Then,
The topic of "a friend" is almost always in the test so there are many past Part
3 sections to look at, if you want. For example,
Finding New Friends / Making Friends
What are some ways to make new friends?
Would you say it's
Do you think
How do people usually behave when they meet new people?
What do they usually talk about when they first meet?
Do you think people prefer to make friends who are similar to them?
Do most people enjoy making friends of both genders?
The Nature of Friendship
(Similar to above) What are some qualities that people look for in friends?
Would you say friends need to have common interests
(Similar to
above) Would you say that it's only possible to be friends with others who
share the same interests
Do you think the nature of friendship has changed with the arrival of the internet?
(Similar to
above)
Maintaining a Relationship
What are some of the reasons why some friendships end?
Do you think the internet can help people to maintain their personal relationships?
Describe a tall building that you like or dislike.
You should say:
what you know about it
what it looks like
where it is located
and explain why you like or dislike it. .
S
Hi-Rise Buildings
Are there many tall buildings in your country?
Do you think there will be more tall buildings in the future?
Would you prefer to live in an apartment in a tall building, or live in a cottage (a house)?
In general, do people in your country like living in tall buildings
Did many people
in your country live in tall buildings 40 or 50 years ago?
What caused
more people to live in tall buildings today?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of living in tall buildings
(A more general version of above)
Do you think hi-rise buildings are environmentally friendly? See Note 8
Building Design (especially homes) in Your Country
Are buildings in your country all the same?
Do you think the design of a building influences people’s moods?
(Similar to above) What factors are (or, should be) considered when a building is designed?
What impact does climate and the environment have on the design of houses in various parts of the world?
(Similar to
above)
For examples, is the style of roof on a building important in areas that have heavy snowfall?
Do you think any people design or build their own homes?
(Similar to above) Why do some people (want to) build their own houses
Where People Live
Describe a place in another country you would like to work in (for a
short time). *
You should say:
where it is
how you know about this place
what type of work you would like to do
and explain why you would like to work there. .
Notes
It seems that this question asks about a place in another country, not simply about another country. If you only say a country but don't specify a place in that country, you will probably lose a little in your score. Usually, when specifying a "place" you should give the name of a city, town, province etc. But if you say something like, "the north-east part of Australia" then some examiners might consider that to be specifying a place.
A previous Part 2 that also asked you to specify a place in another country was Topic 220.
Some people have reported this as, "
Note that the words, "would like to" do not necessarily mean that this is what you really plan or hope to do. It's the same as asking someone, "Would you like to be president of your country?" or, "Would you like to be a movie star?" Some people, but not everyone, could truthfully reply, "Yes, that's what I want", "Yes, that's what I plan to do", or "Yes, that's what I hope to do." Others would reply less emphatically with words such as, "Yes, I would like to do that, if it were possible", or "Yes, I would be happy if that happened." But since you are preparing for the IELTS test, the chances that you are in the first group are quite high.
See also any similar
questions in the Part 3 of the following topics:
661,
Working Abroad
Why do people choose to go abroad to study or work?
Many people don't want to live and work in another country. Can you suggest why?
What are the benefits of working in another country?
What can people
learn from working in another country?
What are some jobs that people from your country tend to do when they work abroad?
Are the same types
of jobs available in every country that people go to?
What are some jobs that people don’t want to do abroad?
(Similar to
above) What possible
problems do you think people face when they live abroad
How do you
suggest these problems can be handled
What skills do people need when working abroad?
Would you need to learn another language if you worked abroad?
What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of taking a gap year?
What kinds of people want to work (or actually do work) overseas? See Note 4
What qualifications do people usually need in order to work abroad?
Working in International (or, multinational) Companies See Note 5
Do many people in your country want to work in an international company?
What skills are required to work in an international company?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of working in an international company?
Do you know of any differences between the cultures of companies in different countries?
Traveling Abroad (as a tourist)
What do you think are the benefits of visiting other countries?
Would you prefer to travel abroad with your family (your parents) or with your friends?
Describe something you saw or experienced that made you laugh.
You should say:
what it was
where it happened
who was with you
and explain why you still remember it. * .
Notes
This might be a repetition of Topic 404.
Chinese students need to distinguish between the two verbs, "laugh" and "smile". Also know the difference between the adjectives "funny" and "interesting" and the difference between "funny" and "fun" (a noun).
See also the Part 3 of
the following topics:
Laughter
Do men and women laugh at the same things
Can you explain why people sometimes find something to be funny that others do not think is funny?
What kind of people do you think laugh more often than others?
Can you suggest why it is difficult to make some people laugh?
Comedy
Do you like comedy?
What type of comedy do people in your country like?
Which do you prefer, watching comedy shows on television, or reading books?
Do you think science fiction shows on TV can make people laugh and feel relaxed?
Why do you think some advertisements contain humour?
What kinds of products are most likely to be advertised with humour?
Sense of Humour
Do you think there's much difference
between the sense of humour of men. and that of women
(Similar to above) Would you say that men and women are the same in terms of what they think is funny?
Do you think humour can be useful when
teaching (or learning) another language
Do you think humour, such as in films, is easily translatable between different languages?
Know the differences and similarities between the two words, "popular" and "common".
In some cities in the world, you can find some sections of some busy streets in the centre of the city blocked off to car traffic, with those sections becoming pedestrian malls where many people can freely walk or sit on seats.
Several people have reported that the words, "a short time" have been used for this Part 2 and in this Part 3 question. It's possible that the words, "for a short time" are only used in the Part 3 question and not in Part 2. The meaning here of those words is working overseas temporarily, not permanently as an immigrant would do. Probably any period of time less than two or three years could be considered to be "a short time".
The words, "what kinds of people" can refer to adjectives such as, "adventurous". Those words can also be used to ask for classifications or types of work. For example, people who work in the diplomatic service often (or usually) work overseas, usually in several different countries during their careers.
Note that working in an international company does not necessarily mean working abroad. It could be an international company that has an office, factory, shop, mine etc. in your country.
Humour that is based on pun (a joke based on a double meaning of a word, 双关语) in one language is usually not understandable to someone who does not know that language.
"To date" means to regularly meet with another person (usually of the opposite sex) in order to build a romantic relationship. Usually the goal is find someone who is suitable to marry but, of course, people also date others simply for the enjoyment of doing it.
Before the age of the internet, the most common way for people to date was to go out together, such as to the cinema, or to a restaurant, or to "be a pair" while attending group activities. Most people also consider it to be "dating" when two people meet each other in their homes. Writing letters and making phone calls were (are) part of this older style of dating.
With the arrival of the internet we now have the ability to "meet" others on services such as Skype or Wechat, which is almost the same as meeting face-face-face because we can see each other and can chat in real time. There are also the messaging services that people use to "chat" in real time by exchanging written text. When these activities are used to build a romantic relationship, it can be called "internet dating", virtual dating", or "cyber dating".
Although living in hi-rise buildings does affect the social environment, it is not easy to see any connections between hi-rise buildings in general and the physical environment.
However, one connection to the physical environment is the fact that if many homes or offices etc. are built upwards (i.e., on top of each other), then that saves the land that would be used if these were built outwards, as single storey buildings. That saves both naturally vegetated land (e.g., forests) and farmland. With more vegetation, or greenery, more CO2 is consumed and more O2 produced.
I think it's possible that this
question is expressed as, "
The usage of the English word, "suburb" is a bit tricky, especially when used in China.
In English-speaking countries, I think the word "suburb" usually means this: A part of the urbanized metropolitan area of a city or big town, but not including the downtown central business district. For example, Sydney Australia has a few dozen suburbs, each with a separate name, and each of which usually has its own railway station in the metropolitan rail network. An urbanized metropolitan area has (virtually) no rural areas, for example, for farming – it's urbanized.
Continuing to use Sydney as an example: The downtown central business district, which is about 4 square kilometers, is called "the Sydney CBD" or less accurately, "the city of Sydney". The whole metropolitan area is called, "the Sydney Metropolitan area". Sometimes the whole metropolitan area is referred to as "Sydney". Most people in Sydney live in the suburbs, not in the CBD, but they are not living in a rural area. The suburbs at the outer fringe of the metropolitan area might occasionally include a few isolated areas of market gardens or chicken farms, reflecting the fact that several decades ago they were just outside the urbanized area. But these small areas of agricultural production are no longer big enough or numerous enough for these areas to be called "rural" or "in the countryside".
On the other hand, in Beijing I noticed that people were referring to the small towns that are just outside the urbanized metropolitan area as "suburbs" of Beijing. These towns and villages are essentially surrounded by farmland. There might be 10 to 50 kilometers of this farmland between some of these towns and the outer edge of the urbanized part of Beijing city. According to my understanding of the word "suburb", these towns and villages are actually in the countryside surrounding the city of Beijing, and are not suburbs of the urbanized area of Beijing.
This different interpretation of the meaning of "suburb" probably arises from the fact that the name "Beijing" refers to a rather large administrative area that includes both the city and the surrounding rural areas. This administrative area is similar to a small province. So there's "Beijing city" and there's also the "Beijing administrative area". It's true that the urban area of Beijing city is expanding all the time and swallowing some of these outlying towns and villages so that in a few decades, more and more of them will actually will be part of the urbanized metropolitan area of Beijing city. I believe the same applies to other big cities in China such as Shanghai.
The main thing is that in the IELTS test you should communicate your meaning clearly to the examiner, taking into account what the examiner understands the word, "suburb" to mean.
--------------------
An alternative understanding of the
question, "
In China, other parts of Asia, and probably elsewhere in the world where some big cities are hundreds of years old, people have always preferred to live in the centre of the city. This is because these cities traditionally didn't have the "central business district" (CBD) that we see today in modern big cities. That is, in modern big cities, there is a "central business district" mainly composed of office buildings, shops and hotels, with few residential buildings. Traditional cities hundreds of years ago did not have this concentration of administrative and commercial buildings all in the centre of the city with no residential buildings. Instead, cities in previous centuries had a mixture of residential and commercial buildings in the centre of the city.
So the question, "
In Sydney where more Chinese people, including those from Hong Kong are moving to live, the situation in Beijing is actually being reversed. Today there are quite a few high-rise apartment buildings almost within the CBD of the city, where previously few people were living.
Introduction services on the internet introduce you to someone, or allow you to choose someone from a list, for the purpose of finding a girlfriend or boyfriend and possibly a future marriage partner.
Some people have reported this
question as, "