Updated Oct. 28, 2007
IELTS Part 2 and
Part 3 Topics and Questions
Page 2
Part
2
6. A
Film (May
13, 2006) (Probably no longer used)
Describe
the last film that you saw.
You
should say:
what the film was
when and where you saw it
what the film was about
and explain how you felt about this film.*
or
and explain why you wanted to see
this film.*
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Possible follow-up questions:
- Would
you like to see this film again?
- Would
you recommend (or share) this film with your friends?
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Part
3
Film viewing behaviour
- What
kinds of films are most popular in China?
- What
are the differences between watching films and watching TV programs?
- Do old
people and young people like to watch the same kinds of films? (Compare the
differences.) FQ
- What
can children learn from movies?
- Do
people in China prefer going to the cinema or watching films at home? FQ
- Do old
people like going to the cinema? FQ
- What¨s
the best environment for watching a film? FQ
- How
do you think cinemas (U.S. = movie theaters) will change in the future?
- Who
do you prefer to watch films with?
- What do
people get from watching films?
- How do
you think different kinds of films effect people?
- (As
above) What is the impact of films on young people? FQ
- What do
you think people can learn from watching films? (Or should films be
considered as entertainment only?) FQX2
- What have you learned from
movies? FQ
- (Similar
to above) Do movies have any educational value? (What?) FQ
- Do
you think people can improve their English by watching English language
movies? FQ
- Can
people learn more from movies than from books? (Compare the two.) FQ
- To what
extent do you think films reflect real life?
- Do you
think that film stars deserve the large incomes that some of them receive?
- Do
people in China like watching old films? (Why?) FQ
- Compare
old films and modern films. FQ
- What do
you think is the value of preserving old films? FQ
- Compare
commercial movies with more 'artistic' movies that are not made for
money-making purposes.
The
film industry in China
- What
kinds of films are made in China? (Give examples.)
- Compare
Chinese-made films with foreign films.
- Is
China's film industry (the film-making industry) very important for the
country? (How?) FQ
- (As
above) In what ways is China's film industry important for the country?
- How do you think the film
industry in China could be better developed?
- Do
you think the government should invest money in film-making? (or, in developing or assisting China's film industry) FQX2
- What do people in China
think about Chinese-made films?
- How do people in China feel
about (Chinese) film stars? FQ
- Would
you like to be a film star?
- How has the
film making
industry changed in China in recent years? *
- In future, what changes do
you think will take place concerning the production of films in China?*
Film
and other media
- Do young
people in China prefer to go online (go onto the internet) or to watch
films?
- What
are the benefits to society of movies?
- Compare
watching films with reading books (as a recreational activity). FQ
- Compare
the educational value of the latest video technology with books. FQ
- (As
above) Do you
think we can learn more from books or from films? FQ
Part
2
7. A
Vehicle You Would Like to Own
(May 20, 2006) (Probably no longer used)
Describe
a vehicle you would like to own.
You
should say:
what kind of vehicle
why you would like to have it
how you would get
(buy) it
and explain why you would prefer this means of transport.*
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Possible
follow-up question:
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Part
3
Public
versus Private Transportation
-
Compare and contrast the different types of transport that exist today.
-
What forms of transport do people in China use most?
-
How do you think society is affected by the vehicles that are used?
-
Would you say that only wealthy (rich) people can afford to buy their own
cars in China?
-
Why
do more and more people in China want to own their own car?
-
Do you think it's a good thing to drive a car?
-
Do you think the roads in China can cope with the increase in cars? How
can this problem be solved?
-
Do
you think there would be more cars on the roads if the roads were better?
-
What are the advantages and disadvantages of the different kinds of
transport that people use?
-
What are the advantages and disadvantages of government bus lines
compared to private bus lines?
-
What are the advantages and disadvantages of public and private (=
individual)
transportation? FQ
-
What are the advantages to society of having more people using mass
transportation? FQ
-
Compare the advantages and disadvantages of using mass transportation.
-
-
-
What are the advantages to society of having more people using mass
transportation?
-
Should it be the responsibility of governments or of individuals to limit
the number of cars that are in use? FQ
-
Do you think that governments should control the number of private cars
that are on the roads? How could this be done? FQ
-
How can the government encourage more people to use public (mass)
transportation? FQ
-
If you were the government, what would you do to improve the
transportation problems in your city?
-
How do you think transportation will change in the future? *
-
Do
you think everybody in society should pay for new roads and road maintenance
(through taxes) or only those people who drive on the roads?
-
Why
do people like to drive cars?
-
Why
do some people want to buy a car and other people not want to buy a car? FQ
-
Do
men and women like to buy the same kind of car? FQ
(Hint: Men often prefer
bigger cars.)
-
How do different vehicles reflect the social status of the
users of those vehicles? FQ
-
(As
above) Do people in China consider cars to be status symbols? FQ
-
(As
above) Do you think owning your own car means you are rich?
-
(Related
to above) Why do some people consider
the brand name of the car to be important? FQ
-
What do you think of people who drive big cars?
-
What do you think are some of the advantages of driving a
compact (small) car as opposed to a large car?
-
When choosing what kind of car to buy, which do you think is the more
important factor, comfort or price? (Why?)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
8.
A Friend (Probably
no longer used)
Describe a friend.
You should say:
how you first met this person
how long you have been friends
what you do together
and explain what you like about this person.
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Part
3
Friendship
- What are the qualities of a good friend? FQ
- Are friends more important than family?
FQ
- What is the nature of friendship?
- How do friends affect your life? * (= How important is friendship to
you?)
- How do people in China form friendships? FQ
- What is your opinion of making new friends on the internet?
- How can friendships be maintained?
- How do friends keep in contact with each other when they move to a
different part of China?
- Why do some friends drift apart (= lose contact with each other)?
- (As above) How do some friendships break up?
- Do
friendships change, as people grow older? (= Do people change friends or change
their attitudes about friendship, as they grow older?)
- When you are old, how important do you think friendship will be to you?
- Does your family like your friends?
- Are you and your parents good friends?
- Who has the bigger influence on children, friends or family? (Why?)
FQ
- How do you think people will form friendships in the future?
- Do adults and children make friends the same way?*
Part
2
9.
An
Unhappy Shopping Experience (Probably
no longer used)
(There
seems to be two possible ways that this topic is worded.)
Describe
an unhappy shopping experience that you had.
You
should say:
what you bought
when and where you bought it
why you bought it
and explain why this experience was unhappy. *
Or,
Describe
something that you bought that you were dissatisfied with.
You
should say:
what the
item was
when and where you bought it
why you bought it
and explain why you were not happy with this product. *
(or, explain what you did with the product after you found that it was
unsatisfactory.) *
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Possible follow-up question:
- Do
you think you'll ever buy anything from there again? *
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Part
3
Shopping in
China - Customer Service
- Are the services in big
stores and small ones the same? FQ
- In China, do people who work
in shops have a good attitude about customer service?
- If
a shop assistant (US = sales clerk) refused to allow you to exchange a
faulty product or refused to give you a refund, would you buy anything from
that shop again?
- What services should shops
provide?
- Is after-sales service
provided in China for products such as cars, electrical appliances etc?
- Which do you think is more
important in a shop, service or the quality of the goods? (Why?) FQ
- Is customer service
important? (= How important is customer service?)
- Is there any special consumer
protection office in China where people can report their problems?
- What are the advantages and
disadvantages of big shops such as supermarkets and department stores?
- What kind of shop do people
in China prefer to use?
- Do
you prefer to buy things in big shops or small shops such as convenience
stores? FQ
- How can supermarkets and
department stores attract
more customers (or retain customers)? FQ
- (As
above) How does (or can) a department store build up a good reputation? FQ
- How do you think customers
could influence big shops to improve their customer service?
- How do people pay for their
purchases in supermarkets?
- What rights do you think
consumers have (or should have)?
- Most people would agree that both
buyers and sellers have their own rights and interests, but often
the interests of the seller and those of the buyer are in conflict with each
other. How can the rights and interests of both groups be protected?
- What
qualities do shop assistants (US = store clerks) need to have?
Machine-made
& Hand-made products (e.g., handicrafts)
- In China, are most products
hand-made or machine made?
- Do you think it is good that
so many things are machine-made?
- Can you think of any
hand-made products? (Hint: handicrafts, tourist souvenirs)
- What are the differences
between (advantages & disadvantages of) machine-made and hand-made
goods? (What are the good points and shortcomings of each?) (Or: What is the
difference in quality between hand-made and machine-made products?) FQ
- Do people prefer machine-made
or hand-made products? FQ
- What handmade products do you
think will still be popular in the future? FQ
Product
quality
- How do you think we can be
confident of the quality of things that we buy?
- Can you think of any Chinese
brand names that you can always trust to be of good quality? How about some
foreign brands?
- Do you think that consumers
have rights? (What rights?)
- Whose rights do you think
need more government protection, the rights of the sellers or the rights of
the buyers? (Why?)
- How can the rights and
interests of consumers be protected? (What measures can the government take
to protect the rights and interests of consumers?)
- What is the situation
regarding consumers' rights in China?
- How do you feel about food
additives that are in the food before you buy it? (What are the good &
bad points about food additives?)
Part
2
10.
An Exhibition
(E.g., a scientific or a cultural exhibition in a museum or at school)
(Probably no longer used)
Describe
an exhibition that you visited.
You
should say:
when you saw this exhibition
where the exhibition was held
what was on display
and explain your impression of the exhibition
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Part
3
Museums
- Does China have many museums?
What kind?
- Are museums popular in China?
(= Do Chinese people like visiting museums?)
- How could museums attract more
visitors?
- Do children like visiting
museums? (Why?)
- Do you think people should
have to pay to visit museums? (Why?/Why not?)
- What are the functions of (=
reasons for having) museums? *
- What are some benefits of
having museums?
- How will museums of the future
be different to museums of today?
Exhibitions
*
- What kinds of exhibitions are
popular in China? *
- What is the purpose of
exhibitions? *
- Do young people and old people
like the same kinds of exhibitions? *
- Do men and women like the same
kinds of exhibitions? *
- How do you think exhibitions,
say, 20 years from now, will be different to exhibitions that we have today?
*
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