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Updated Jan. 29, 2010 

IELTS Part 2 and Part 3 Topics and Questions

Page 22

106.  Someone You Like to Spend Time With  (June 9, 2007)   (Probably no longer used)

107.  Something You Would Like to Learn  (June 9, 2007)  (Probably not a Part 2 topic) But read this for useful notes!

108.  A Traditional Event in Your Country  (June 9, 2007)  (Probably no longer used)

109.  Success (2)  (June 16, 2007)   (Probably no longer used)

110.  A Photograph (2)  (July 7, 2007)  (Probably no longer used)

RETURN TO PART 2 TOPIC INDEX

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106.  Someone You Like to Spend Time With  (June 9, 2007)   (Probably no longer used)

Describe a person who you like to spend time with.

        You should say:

                (how you first met *)

                how often you are together

                what personal characteristics he or she has that you like

                what you usually do together 

        and explain why you like to spend time with this person. *

See Notes

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Possible follow-up questions:

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Part 3

Friendships

• Is friendship important to you? (Why?/Why not?)

• Besides the person you just spoke about, who else do you like to spend time with?

• Besides those qualities that you just mentioned in the second part of the test, what other qualities do good friends have? 

• (Similar to above) What are the most important qualities of a good friend (or, a good friendship)?  FQ

• What kind of people do you like to be friends with?  FQ

• What kind of people don't you like to be with?  FQ

• Who do you prefer to spend time with, your best friend or your family?

• Compare spending time with one's friends and with one's family?  FQ

• (Similar to above) Compare the things you do with your family with the things you do with your friends. FQ

• (Similar to above) Compare people's relationships with their families and their relationships with friends. FQ

• What do children think about friendship? What about adults? Compare them.

• Do you think it takes a long time to get to know a person? 

• Can people who are opposite in personality be good friends?

• Why do some people only have short-term friendships while other people have long-term friendships?

• What can people do to maintain friendships over a long period of time?  FQ

• Do you think that, if friends argue their friendship is damaged?

• Do you think people can make real friendships on the internet?  FQ

• Is it possible for people to maintain a friendship even if they are separated by long distances and for a long time?

• Do you think the quality of friendships today is different to the quality of friendships that people had many years ago?

• Do you think people today have enough time to talk with others?

• Which do you think is better, to spend time doing things with other people or to spend time doing things alone such as going onto the internet or reading a book?

Relationships Other Than Friendships

• Do you think it's important that a person feels he or she belongs to some group or community?

• (Similar to above) Which do you think is more important, to gave a sense of group identity with some group or community or to just be an individual?

• What are the different human relationships that people have when they are in school?

• Compare the different human relationships that people have in school with the different kinds of relationships people have in the workplace.

Work Relationships

• What are the most important things when people interact with their work colleagues? 

• Compare the friendships that people have at work with the friendships people have at school.

• (Similar to above) Compare friendships and relationships that people have with colleagues at work.

• Do you think there are any possible disadvantages from making friends with work colleagues?

• Compare spending time with one's boss and with one's friends (or workmates/work colleagues).  FQ

• (Similar to above) Compare one's relationship with one's friends (or workmates/work colleagues) and with one's boss. FQ See NOTE 

• Would you like to be friends with your boss? (Why?/Why not?)  FQ

• How could a person make friends with his or her boss?  FQ

• What are the advantages and disadvantages of teamwork and working individually? FQ

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107.   Something You Would Like to Learn  (June 9, 2007)  (Probably not (yet) a Part 2 topic)

Some Common Errors of Chinese Speakers

• In English, we do not say, "learn knowledge" because "knowledge" means "something you already know or have learned". Instead, the following phrases are used in English: "learn something", "learn things", "improve my knowledge", "increase my knowledge", "expand my knowledge", "gain knowledge" ... 

• You can also replace the word "something" in the phrase "learn something" by stating specifically what is learned. For example, "learn (how) to drive a car", "learn (how) to swim" , "learn (how) to ski" , "learn (how) to be a better public speaker", "learn (how) to play mahjong", "learn (how) to play the guitar" = "learn the guitar", "learn how to speak English". [Sometimes the verbal-noun (gerund) is used:  "learn swimming" , "learn skiing" , "learn public speaking".] Other examples of learning something specific are:  "learn 50 new English words", "learn the names of the capital cities of  all the countries in the world", "learn the truth", "learn how a computer works", "learn (how) to be a more patient person", "learn (how) to relax" ...

• The words "knowledge" and "information" are non-count. Therefore, we do not say "learn many informations" or "an information". We say, "some information" or "a piece of information".

• "Knowledge" is a noun. "Acknowledge" is a verb, with several meanings such as 承认.  

• The words "study" and "learn" do not have exactly the same meaning or usage.  

          "Learning" happens when a change takes place in the brain; "studying" is an activity we do with the aim of learning.

"Studying"

Studying is an activity that people do with the aim of learning something. That is, with the aim of increasing or improving one's knowledge or understanding, or learning how to do an academic skill. The usage of the word "to study" in English is similar to using the words, "to examine", "to analyze", "to ponder", "to research" and "to look closely at". For school students, the usual meaning is, "sitting at my desk doing some kind of schoolwork". For example, "He dislikes studying."

"Studying" usually refers to the activity of trying to learn something from a book and usually refers to academic subjects. 

(It is also used to mean "attend a school or some other educational institute" such as, "He's studying at Oxford University.")

Students who study very efficiently learns quite a lot when they study. But an inefficient student does not learn the same amount even if they work as hard as an efficient student and study for the same amount of time. And an extremely inefficient student might do some studying but not learn anything!

Here are two examples of extremely inefficient study: If you know nothing about the Greek language and I give you a page of written Greek to study, you will be able to learn only limited things even if you study that page for 5 hours; Similarly, if you try to study a page from a Ph.D. thesis in mathematics, you will learn very little because you will understand almost nothing on the page. From this we can see that most cases of "learning" involve understanding, which proceeds in a step-by-step manner.

• Other examples of the difference between "learn" and "study" are: Babies learn a lot in their first few years of life. For example, they learn to talk and they learn to walk. But have you ever seen a baby (say, a 1 year-old baby) studying? Similarly, a dog can learn how to open a door but have you ever seen a dog studying?

• Some examples of the use of "study":

study a discipline or general area - study mathematics, study engineering, study music, study art, study psychology, study international trade, study accountancy

study something specific - study this page, study the stock market, study the piano (this includes book study as well as practical piano playing), study this theory, study your proposal, study a photograph. We do not normally say 'study' a practical or physical skill such as "study swimming" or "study how to drive a car". We learn these things, not study them.

study for (= in order to get) a qualification - study for a degree, study for a Bachelor's degree in journalism.

study (in preparation) for a test

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108.   A Traditional Event in Your Country (June 9, 2007)   (Probably no longer used)

Describe an important traditional event (such as a national holiday or festival) in your country. *
       

You should say:

        what this event is

        when it happens

        who participates in this event and what they do

        how people celebrate this event

        (whether this event is popular in your family/city/country)

and explain why this is an important event in your country. *
                        or
and explain how you feel about this event. *

Note:

• The wording is probably either, " ... an important traditional event ..." or  " ... an important traditional celebration ..."

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Possible follow-up questions:

• Have you ever participated in this activity?

• Is this event popular in your family or in your city?

• Do you think people will want to continue with this tradition in the future? *

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Part 3

Hint: Be able to talk about an example of a traditional story or a traditional idea from Chinese culture. This could include Chinese 'old wives tales' and legends (= folklore).

Traditions & Culture

• Are people in China very traditional?

• What clothes do people traditionally wear in your country when celebrating traditional events and what food do they traditionally eat at these events?  FQ

• Compare traditional Chinese clothes with modern clothes worn in China. 

• Compare traditional events and celebrations in China with modern events and celebrations.

• Are young people as interested in traditional events as older people? FQx2

• (Similar to above) Are young people in China very traditional? FQx2

• Some people are not interested in (or, don't like) traditions. What kinds of people are these? (Hint: One group is the young.)

• (Similar to above) Can you think of any examples of people who dislike (or, are not interested in) tradition? Why?

• Young people are often very traditional. What do you think of this situation?

• Do you think it's inevitable that some traditions are lost?

• (Similar to above) Do you think that the loss of some traditions is just an example of the natural evolution of society?

• What traditions in China are disappearing or are in danger of disappearing? FQx2

• How can old traditions be kept alive (= continued)? FQx2

• How can Chinese traditions be kept alive among Chinese people who are living abroad?

• (Similar to above) How are traditions transmitted from generation to generation?

• What traditions have already disappeared from Chinese culture and why did this happen? FQ

• How can Chinese people make up for or replace these lost traditions?

• Do you think there are any things that people do today that might become traditions in the future?

• Is traditional Chinese culture being affected by foreign cultural influences? (If yes, how? Give examples.)

• How could people in China protect their culture from these negative foreign influences?

• Do you think Chinese traditions influence foreign cultures? *

• Do you think it's possible for a people to have a their own nation if these people do not have their own culture?

• Some young people tend to believe that foreign cultures are somehow 'superior' or better than their own culture. Why do they think this way?

• Do you think that people tend to forget some (local) traditions when they move to a different place? FQ

• (Similar to above) Some people believe that greater international travel is weakening traditional cultures around the world. Do you agree? FQx2

• What is the value of maintaining traditions? *

• What are some examples of traditions in China that are different to those in the West?

• Are there any traditional crafts (= making things) that are disappearing in China?

• How could the skills of these crafts be preserved?

• Compare modern weddings in China with traditional Chinese weddings (i.e., weddings many years ago).

Holidays

• What are some traditional holidays that China has? FQx2

• Which holiday do people prefer?

• Where do they like to go during these holidays?

• Do you (or, do people in China) prefer to stay at home during holidays or travel somewhere?

• Is it possible for the way people celebrate these holidays to change? (Hints: foreign influences; changes to society such as widespread car ownership & one-child families)

• (Similar to above) In China, have the way people celebrate holidays changed over the years?

Tourism

• What kinds of people come to China as tourists?

• What are some positive results from the growth of tourism in China?  

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109.   Success (2) (June 16, 2007)   (Probably no longer used)

Describe a success you would like to achieve (in the near future).

                            You should say:

                                           what it is 

                                           how difficult you think it will be 

                                           what you should do to prepare for this

                            and explain why you want to succeed in doing this. *

                                                        or

                            and explain how you think you will feel after you reach this goal. *

See Notes

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Possible follow-up questions:

• Do you know anyone who has achieved that success?

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Part 3

See also Part 3, Topic #43.

Success

• What do you think is a good definition of the word, "success"?  FQX2  DIFFICULT QUESTION!

• In (Chinese) society, how is success defined or measured?  FQ

• What are the good and bad results of this type of thinking?  FQ

• Are there different types of "success"?

• What goals do most people in China have in life?

• How can people reach these goals? 

• Is there a lot of competition with others trying to achieve the same goals?

• (Similar to above) What must people today do to become successful?

• Who would be most happy if you became successful? (E.g., you, your parents, your wife ...)

• What kinds of people are most likely to become successful?

• (Similar to above) What are some of the qualities of successful people?

• Can you give me any examples of very successful Chinese people in sports, business or entertainment?

• How do you think they became so successful?

Competition

• What are some examples of competitive situations that Chinese people ( or, Chinese students) have to face?

• Do you think it is good that students have to compete against each other in school?

• Modern life seems to be quite competitive so why is there competition between university students? FQ

• What are some of the reasons why people compete against other people? FQ (This kind of question is asking you to speculate about psychology/philosophy/society. You are probably not an expert in this area so just to make some intelligent guesses about the reasons & root causes of competition. Certainly, the fact that human society is competitive, which is probably a basic instinct of humans, is a factor. But one should consider the extent to which basic human instincts, and also human society, can be modified.)

• Many people think that being 'Number 1' is everything - they think that being Number 2 or Number 3 is not good enough. What do you think of this attitude?

• What are some of the advantages and shortcomings of competition?

• Do children learn how to compete at school? (If yes, how?)

• What are the merits of teamwork?

• For people working in a company, is it more important to be competitive with your work colleagues or be co-operative?

Goals

• Do most people in China have goals in their lives? (Give some examples)

• What is the purpose of having goals?  FQ

• (Similar to above) Why do people have goals?  FQ

• To most people, how important is it for them to reach their goals?  FQ

• What should people do if or when they fail to reach their goals?

• What kinds of people have no goals?

• In what way do new scientific discoveries, as a result of scientific research, show the importance of goal-setting? *

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110.   A Photograph (2)  (July 7, 2007)  (Probably no longer used)

 Describe a photograph that is important to you.

            You should say:

                          what (or who) is in the photograph

                          when and where it was taken

                          where you can see this photograph

                          who took the photograph

             and explain why this photograph is important to you. *

                                    or

              and explain how you feel about this photograph. *

Notes:

• Make sure you talk about one of your photographs, if that is what the task card says. This means, 'a photograph that you own'. It doesn't have to be a photograph with you in the picture. To talk about a famous photograph or one that you saw in a magazine is not suitable if the question says 'your photograph'.

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Possible follow-up questions:

• Do you still have this photo? *

• Where is this photo now?

• Have you shown this photo to other people?

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Part 3

See also the Part 3 questions for Topic # 33

The Purposes of Photographs

    a) Photography as a Hobby

• Do you like taking photographs?

• Do your friends like taking photographs? 

• Do many people in China take photographs?

• Why do some people take photographs as a hobby?  See Note

• Why do so many people like to take photographs (as a hobby)? FQ

• Why do you think some people take many photos while others rarely take photos, even if they own a camera?

• Some people don't like taking photographs. Can you make any guesses about why? FQx2

• (Similar to above) Why do some people not like taking photographs? FQx2

• Do people keep photographs they took that are not attractive to look at? (Why?/Why not?)

• Can you suggest any ways to take attractive photographs?

    b) Occasions When People Take Photographs

• What are the occasions when people take photographs? FQ

• Why do people like to take many photos when they are travelling?

• If a friend asked you to look at some photos he had taken, for example, some photos of his holiday, how would you feel?

    c) The Value of Photographs

• Do you think photographs can really help people remember past events in their lives?

• (Similar to above) What is the value/importance of photographs?

• (Similar to above) Do you think it's good to take photos?

• Do you think photographs are more important for adults or for children?

• Why do you think it is important to take photos (or videos) of one's family?

• Some people don't like being photographed. Can you make any guesses about why this is so?

• Why do some people (papparazi) invade the privacy of  celebrities by taking photographs of these celebrities?  FQ

• Do you think this kind of invasion of privacy should be illegal?

• Why do people like to look at photos of celebrities?

• Do you think news photographs are an important part of newspaper stories? FQ

• (Similar to above) What do you think is the impact on newspaper readers when they see a photograph with a news story? FQ

• When you look at photographs in magazines and when you look at photos that you have taken yourself, do you have the same kind of feelings (or, thoughts)? (Hint: Your own photos remind you of your own past experiences and bring to mind your feelings about the people you know. On the other hand, magazine photos do not do this but, instead, usually appeal to a person's sense of curiosity about new things, people and places.)

• How do newspapers and magazines choose their photographs in order to capture the attention of readers? 

• Do you think photographs are important in understanding (or representing or recording) history? FQ

Technology and Photographs

• Do you have a camera? Is it an old one or a new, professional-style camera?

• Do most people in China have a camera?

• Compare old cameras with those in use today. FQ

• Compare old photographs and new photographs. FQ

• (Similar to above) How can one distinguish between an old photograph and a recent one? FQ

• How has photography (or, photographic technology) changed over the past few decades? FQx2

• (Similar to above) How has modern science and technology changed photography? (Hint: digital technology) FQx2

• (Similar to above) What have been the results of these changes in photograph technology?

• How do you think photograph technology will change in the future?

• Compare the photos that you take with those that professional photographers take.

• (Similar to above) Compare the photos that professional photographers take and the photos that amateur photographers take. FQ

• (Similar to above) What do you think is the difference between an amateur photographer and a professional photographer?

• Do you think professional photographers need to be trained? (Why?/Why not?)

• Some people prefer to take still photographs while others prefer to take videos. Why? FQ

• (Similar to above) Why do more and more people take videos instead of still photographs?

• (Similar to above) Compare videos and still photographs. FQ

• (Similar to above) Compare video cameras and still photography cameras. 

• (Similar to above) Why do many people now prefer to use a video recorder instead of a camera?

• Do you think (still) photographs will be replaced by videos in the future?

• What are some different ways that people store (=keep) photographs?

• What are the strengths and weaknesses of storing photos in digital form and storing them in a traditional photo album?

• When people (or, you) go to buy a camera, what factors (or things) do you consider?

Photographs as Art

• Some people especially like looking at photographs or paintings. Why do you think they especially like doing that?

• Compare a typical family photograph and an artistic photograph. FQ

• Do many Chinese people visit photograph exhibitions? FQ

• What's your impression of the types of photographs that can be seen in exhibitions?

• What do you think is the value of photograph exhibitions?

• Compare art photographs and ordinary, everyday photographs. FQ

• Compare painting pictures and taking photographs (as art forms). FQx2

• In your opinion, what are the factors that make a photograph attractive to look at?

• What are some ways that a photograph can catch a person's attention?

• Which leaves a deeper impression on people, a picture or a written description of some event or scene? FQ ("A picture speaks a thousand words." =  白闻不如一见)

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