IELTS Part 2 and Part 3 Topics and Questions
Page 171
861. A Story (Jan 2018)
862. A Piece of Technology (Jan 2018)
863. A Toy (Jan 2018)
864. An Unusual Meal (Jan 2018)
865. A Visitor to Your Home (Jan 2018)
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
Copy of Topic
Describe a story you were told when you were a child.
You should say:
who told you the story
what the story was about
what characters were in the story
and explain how you felt about this story. *
or
and explain what you learned from this story. *
Notes
This looks like a repeat of Topic 490.
Types of Stories (both spoken and written stories)
Do (you think) many parents in your
country read or tell bedtime stories to their children
Can you explain
What do you think are the differences
between stories for very young children and those for older children
(Similar to above) Do you think there's
much difference between stories for
(Variation of the above)
What
are the differences between the stories primary school and high school
students read
What sorts of stories do you like to listen to?
(Similar to above) What sorts of stories
do teenagers (or, young people) like
Is everyone a natural story teller?
Which forms of story-telling do people do in everyday life?
Do boys and girls generally prefer the
same types of stories
What effect do you think these different preferences have on the growing child? *
What kinds of romantic stories do girls like?
Why do you think boys like adventure (or, action) stories? *
Do you like horror stories?
Do you think horror stories are psychologically good for people (or, good for people's mental health)?
How would you compare stories today with those from the past? See Note 2
Reading Stories
In your country, do teachers read
stories to the children in primary school
Can you explain why so many young people today are not very keen on reading?
Why do you think many elderly people like reading?
What's the difference between the
stories that adults read and those that children read
What do you think are the differences
between listening to a story, and reading it in a book?
Are there any books that you would recommend young people should read?
Can you suggest how busy people today can find the time to read more? See Note 3
The Technology of Story-telling
(Similar to above) What sorts of
technology are used for transmitting stories
Do you listen to many stories on (or, downloaded from) the internet (or, using smartphone apps)? See Note 1
How do you (= how does one) use those smartphone apps and the recorded stories on internet?
Do you think using the internet (or
apps) is a good way for children to listen to stories
What would you say are the benefits for
children in having this modern technology for listening to stories
Would you say recorded stories give children a wide choice of stories to listen to?
Do you think radio is a good medium for telling stories? *
In your country, are there many stories told on the radio today? *
Do you think computer games are a good way to tell a story?
What sorts of stories do you think a computer game can tell?
Would you say animated cartoon films are
a good way to tell stories to children
(Possibly) Which do you think children prefer to do, read stories or watch cartoons on TV?
What's the advantages of using animated cartoon characters to tell a story?
Do you think science fiction movies usually tell good stories?
862. A Piece of Technology (Jan 2018)
Modified copy of Topic 420
You should say
how you use it
where you use it
what you use it for
and explain why you think it
is useful.
Notes
The first line might say, "
Modern Equipment in Everyday Life
What are some examples of modern
technology that are used in people's homes, such as in the kitchen or living
room
How has the widespread use of modern
technology changed the way people live
Do you think
this equipment is (completely) safe to use
How has the mobile phone changed the way people live?
Are there people in society who are
not good at using these new technologies
Why do you think men are generally better than women at using them?
What are the problems for those people
in using new technology
What improvements do you think could be / should be made to these products in order to overcome these problems?
Do most old people know how to use
computers
Do you think they can be taught (or, can learn) how to use a computer?
Who do you think should be responsible
for teaching these people how to use computers and other new technology
Do you feel a sense of responsibility for this?
Do you think you will have difficulty using new technology when you get older?
Can you explain why young people find
it easier to use these technologies
Why are some young people so keen to buy a new high-tech product, such as a new model of their current mobile phone as soon as it comes on the market?
When people buy such things as computers and mobile phones, which are more popular in your country, foreign brands or domestic brands?
Equipment (Technology) in the Workplace
Can you think of any examples of new
technology that are now common in the workplace
Does the use of computers in the
workplace have any downsides
(Similar to above) Do you think the
use of new technologies in the workplace is always a good thing
Some people feel that computers do not lead to a very friendly work environment. Why do you think they they feel that way?
What could be done to solve that problem?
Do you think companies (or, employers) should provide training for the employees to learn how to use new technology?
Do you think technology will make certain jobs disappear?
The Development of New Technology
Some of these questions are not very clear.
What do you think are the main areas of scientific / technological research at the moment? *
What do you think future advancements in technology might be? *
Do you think robots will be used everywhere?
Notes
Children's Toys
Do you think children today would like to play with the toys that their parents played with?
What are some of the most popular toys today?
(Similar to above) Which toys do you think are better, those from 20 years ago, or today's toys?
Do boys and girls in your country
usually play with the same types of toys
Do you think there is an inborn
difference between the preferences of boys and girls, or do parents
encourage children to play with certain toys
When boys and girls play together, what toys do you think they play with?
Do you think parents should choose
what toys their children have, or should the children be able to choose
If you were choosing a toy to give a
child as a gift, what would you consider before making your choice
What kinds of toys would you call, "educational toys"?
Some boys' toys feature elements of violence. Can you give any examples of that?
Do you think those toys are good for kids?
Why are such toys made?
Do you think governments should interfere in the market and restrict (or ban) these toys?
What can parents do to encourage their children to appreciate their toys?
Do you think parents should limit the number of toys their child has?
Can you explain why some parents buy a
lot of toys for their child
Do you think a toy (or toys) can take
the place of parents giving attention to their children
If a child has a very large number of toys, what do you think the effect on the child might be?
Teenagers' and Adults' Toys
How old do you think people are who play with toys?
Are there any things (any toys) that teenagers like to play with?
Children's Play
Can you explain why children all over
the world like playing with toys
Do you think playing with toys is beneficial for the development of a child's intelligence (or, imagination)?
Kids sometimes use a common household
object, such as an eraser, as a toy. Can you explain why doing that can keep
a child happy for a while
Would you say that a lot of children's play is imitation behaviour?
Can you suggest why
Do you think parents can learn anything by watching their child (or children) at play?
Do you think playing video games is good for young children?
How do children benefit from playing outdoors?
Notes
Although many people have reported this as an "unusual" meal, several others have reported it as a "special" meal, which was used before as Topic 80.
See also the Part 3 of:
Food in Your Country
What food do people in your country
typically (or, usually) eat
Is that the same as what people ate in
the past
(Similar to above)
Would you like to try a new food?
(Similar to above) Do you like to try new foods?
What do people usually eat for dessert?
Are there differences between the food from (or, in) different parts of your country?
Can you give me some examples of
traditional food in your country
(Similar to above)
Do people often eat traditional food? See Note 12
What's your favourite traditional snack?
What food do people typically eat at
home
In recent years, have there been any
changes to what people typically eat at home
Is fast food very popular in your
country
Why do people eat fast food?
Do people in your country often eat Western-style fast food?
What kinds of people most often eat
What's your opinion of Western-style
fast food
Would you say fast food has become
more popular in recent years (e.g., 10 to 20 years)
(Similar to above)
Do you think it will become even more
popular in the future
Do you think many people cook (or, try cooking) fast-food style foods at home?
What do elderly people usually eat
Where People Eat / Cooking
Do people in your country usually (or
prefer to) eat at home, or eat out
What's the difference between eating
in a restaurant and eating at home
Why do people go to restaurants
Why do families sometimes eat together in a restaurant?
Do people usually eat
Can you suggest why some people don't
often go to restaurants
Would you say people are eating in restaurants more today than they did in the past?
Do you think restaurant food is worth the price?
In your hometown (or country) have
there been any changes in restaurants in the past few years (e.g., the past
20 years)
Do chain restaurants only serve Western-style food or are there also chain restaurants that serve the typical dishes from your country?
Do you think cooking at home is the same
as it used to be, or have there been some changes
Do you (or, would you) like to cook foreign food at home?
Food Safety / Food Transportation
Would you say that the food in your
country is generally healthy food
(Slightly different to above)
Do you think changes in food
transportation have increased the choices of food that are available in the
shops and markets
Notes
It is not clear whether the card says "visitors" or "a
visitor". Possibly it allows you to choose either one person or more than
one. For example, "
Only a few questions have been reported for this Part 3 so far but it looks like these questions are the same as what was previously used.
Hospitality to Guests in Your Country
How do people in your country greet a
guest who has come to visit them in their home
How do people in your country show
hospitality to guests
Have there been any changes in recent
years (or decades) in how people entertain / show hospitality to their
guests
Would you say visits to people's homes
are generally more informal today than they were in the past
Do guests usually bring a present when
they visit someone
What preparations do people usually make
before a guest arrives
Do people in your country generally like to show their home to other people?
Where Guests Stay
If a guest has traveled from far away
to visit someone,
do they usually stay at the home of the people they are visiting, or do they
usually stay in a hotel
What do you think are the advantages
and the disadvantages of visitors (or, guests) staying in a hotel
What sort of training
do you think hotel staff need to have
A useful word to use when answering this question is, "podcast".
A question worded that way, with the words. "from the past" is not necessarily asking you to compare modern stories with traditional stories, although you could do that if you wanted to. Remember, traditional things are hundreds or even thousands of years old while stories written in the (early) 1900's are an example of stories "from the past". Although some stories written within the past 100 years or so might be written in a traditional style, they are still not old enough to be called "traditional".
Watch less TV!
If the examiner uses the words "modern equipment" or "modern technology" they probably mean something that was invented or came into common use within the past 50 years, such as the microwave oven, which came into people's homes about 30 years ago. Even television sets, which have been in common use (in the West) for 60 years could be called "modern". One person reported that his examiner used refrigerators as an example of this. Refrigerators have been is people's homes even longer than televisions, probably for about 70 years. Before that, people used ice boxes. So, to be more specific, "modern" could mean any time after World War 2 (after 1945).
On the other hand, "new technology" can be considered to be technology that was introduced only a few years ago (e.g., within the past 10 years).
No electrical product can be called, "100% safe", especially if it's old or used unsuitably such as near water. Microwaves and TV screens emit radiation. Some people worry about the radiation emitted by mobile phones; that's why they use earphones and a small microphone and do not put the mobile phone on their ear when they talk. There is also some concern about the radio waves that carry WIFI signals.
automation (robots)
Examples from a few years ago are Lion King and Mulan. Actually, the films were produced first and the children's books of the same names, with lots of pictures, were adaptations of the films, produced by the same companies that made the films.
Some examiners seem to have made the mistake of asking a question using the name,"Walt Disney", or simply "Disney" who was a famous American cartoonist and film maker. It was he who created Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck and other characters. I think it is a mistake because it's not reasonable to expect IELTS test-takers to know that name.
If
the question is worded that way, it would not be wrong to compare today's food
with food from 200 years ago. But the question, "
That question is not exactly the same as, "
What is "fast food"? Basically, it is: a) food that you do not cook yourself and, b) food, that is given to you quite quickly, with the emphasis on the food being cooked (or prepared) quite quickly while you wait, or food that is already cooked (or prepared) before you buy it.
Fast food can be eaten in a "fast food restaurant", taken away, or delivered to your home or workplace.
Fast food and fast food restaurants are not restricted to foreign fast food, such as McDonalds or KFC. It can be the typical food in your country.
"Fast food" can include a single item of food that is bought on the street. But usually we would simply call that a "snack" if it is not enough food to be called a "meal".
If you order a typical home-cooked style meal to be delivered to your home or workplace then it could possibly be called "fast food" because it is not cooked by you and is delivered to you quite fast. But most people would prefer to describe that as, "home-delivered food" because we assume that the time to cook or prepare it is about the same as if it were cooked at home.
Food bought in a supermarket that is already cooked is usually not described as, "fast food". That is simply "pre-cooked" food.
"Fast food" and "junk food" are two different things. "Junk food" is an expression of opinion about the nutritional quality of a food. Certainly, ice-cream and Coca Cola in McDonalds or KFC are examples of junk food.
When describing the typical food eaten in your country, it is not very suitable to describe it as "cuisine", for example, "Chinese cuisine". The word "cuisine" is more suitable when describing a meal that is quite elaborately prepared, with careful attention to detail such as adhering to the traditional style of this food or meal. But "cuisine" is not always traditional food – it is only traditional food when you use an adjective such as "Italian" or "Chinese" before the word "cuisine". "Cuisine" is often quite artistic in its appearance and presentation. The word "cuisine" is usually used when describing the food cooked by trained, expert chefs rather than the everyday food prepared by a "cook". So "cuisine" is more suitable when describing the food at a special banquet or meals in high-class, expensive restaurants. English speakers do not normally describe a meal in a cheap cafe (= a small, cheap restaurant) as "cuisine".
On the other hand, the word, "diet" is suitable to use when describing what people (or even animals) typically eat.
Remember, "traditional" means it is hundreds or even sometimes thousands of years old. Most people eat traditional food at home as their everyday food because the food culture, or food style, in most countries has been passed down through the generations for many years. "Traditional" food does not just mean special examples of a traditional food or dish that have a particular name, such as those foods that are eaten in China during traditional festivals. So, for this question, (for Chinese people) it is more suitable to say that people eat some particular traditional foods during traditional festivals but that is not the only time when they eat traditional food.
In English we say, "stay at a hotel" or "stay in a hotel", not "live in a hotel". (The same is the case for "stay in a hospital".) We only use, "live in a hotel" for those people who might stay there for a long time, such as many months or years, and who make it their home for a while. Sometimes, the hotel manager or other hotel staff might "live in the hotel".
This note is not directly intended to help you in the Speaking test. It has not been reported as a question in an IELTS speaking test. But it's something to think about. I think people who are interested in languages in general tend to do better in the IELTS test. So I suggest trying to become more interested in language in general, including your own, not just English.
Question: In how many different languages can you say, "Hello"?
List of Ways to Say "Hello"
Mandarin Chinese 你好 Nǐ hǎo
Cantonese (Guangdong Hua) Nay (Lay) hoe
Min Nan (Hokien) Jia ba buie? (= Have you eaten?)
Korean 여보세요yeoboseyo, 안녕annyeong
Japanese こんにちは Kon'nichiwa
Russian Здравству Zdravstvuy
German Guten Tag How are you? = Wie geht es dir?
French Bonjour, Salut . How are you? = Comment allez vous ? = Comment ça va?
Spanish Buenos días. How are you? = Cómo estás?
Italian Buongiorno How are you? = Come stai?
Greek How are you? = Πώς είσαι = Pós eísai; How do you do? = Τι κάνετε = Ti kánete?
Polish dobry Dzień
Portuguese Bom dia
Swedish God dag
Norwegian God dag
Arabic سلام Salam = peace; Salamo Alaykom – Plural (Can be masculine or mixed); Salamo Alayka – Singular Masculine; Salamo Alayki – Singular Feminine
Turkish Merhaba
Farsi (Persian) Salam
Maori Hiha