Page 37

ielts-yasi.englishlab.net

Updated Feb.11, 2010

IELTS Part 2 and Part 3 Topics and Questions

Page 37

181. A Happy Event (August 11, 2007) (Probably no longer used)

182. Some Advice You Received (3) (Prob. Oct. 2008) (Probably no longer used)

183. A Traffic Jam (Jan. 10, 2009) (Probably no longer used)

184. A Healthy Habit (Jan. 10, 2009) (Probably no longer used)

185. An Interesting Talk (Speech) (Jan. 10, 2009) (Probably no longer used)

RETURN TO PART 2 TOPIC INDEX

FQ = frequent question = a question that has frequently been reported = a question that is probably in the examiner's question book

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181. A Happy Event (August 11, 2007) (Probably no longer used)

Version A

Describe an enjoyable event from the past that you remember well.

You should say:

what the event was

when and where it happened

who participated in this event

what you saw or did *

and explain why this event was so enjoyable. *

and explain why you remember this event so well. *

Version B

Describe a recent event that made you feel happy.

You should say:

what the event was

when and where it happened

who participated in this event

what you saw or did *

and explain why this event was so enjoyable. *

and explain why you remember this event so well. *

Notes

This topic has been moved from Topic #125. There is no need to go there because all of the questions were moved to here, Topic #181 and any future changes or additions will be made to Topic #181 only, not to Topic#125.
Some people have reported Version A & others have reported Version B. I think Version B is the wording but I suggest you prepare for both.

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Possible follow-up questions:

Do you often do that? (Do you often do what you just spoke about?)
Do you often talk about this topic?
Did your parents or friends also enjoy this event?

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Part 3

See also the Part 3 questions for Topic #74, 'A Happy Childhood Memory'.

Happiness & Happy Events

The Nature of Happiness

What do you think 'happiness' is?
There is a theory that some people are born with a more optimistic personality than others, with the result that they are happier throughout their lives. What do you think of that theory?

The Sources of Happiness

What are some things that make you happy?
(Similar to above) What are some things that make people happy?
Do you think entertainment can make people feel (genuinely) happy?
Do you think artistic activities can make people happy? (Why?/Why not?)
Do you think people who have more talent are happier than others? (Why?/Why not?) FQ
(Similar to above) Do you think people feel happier when they are good at something? (Why?) FQ
Do you think money makes people happy? FQx2
Are the things (the events, the circumstances) that make people happy today the same as what made people happy several decades ago? FQ

The Importance of Family for Happiness

Why do people feel happy when they are with members of their family? FQ
In general, what do you think makes a happy family? FQ
What are some (other) examples of family activities that make people feel happy? FQx2

Happy People

What kind of people do you think are most likely to be happy? (describe qualities of people)
Do you think some people are born with a more happy disposition that others?
Why do some people (seem to) stay happy even in difficult circumstances?
How do you think a person can make you feel that you and he or she will get along with each other?

Ages Differences and Happiness

Do you think there is any relationship between a person's age and their happiness? (Why?/Why not?) FQ
What are the times in a person's life when they are most happy and what are the times when people are least happy (or, most unhappy)?
Do you think children today are happy?
Some people say the happiest time in people's lives is the period when they are at school? Do you agree? FQ
What kinds of people are most likely to feel that the past was happier (for them) than the present?
Do you think old people are very happy?
Do young people and old(er) people find happiness from the same things? (Compare the two.) FQ
When you are old(er), what kinds of things do you think will bring you happiness? FQ

Happiness in Society

Do you think people were happier in the past than they are now? FQx2
Do you think there is any relationship between government and the happiness of the citizens?
What could the government do to help increase the overall happiness of people? FQ

The following four questions are guesses.

What are some examples of things that people value very highly? *
Why do you think these things are so important to them? *
Do you think only things that cost a lot of money are highly valued by people? *
(Similar to above) Can you think of any examples of things that don't cost a lot of money but are still highly valued? *

Memories

Forgetting and Remembering Happy & Sad Events from the Past

Some people say they have forgotten important things from the past. Do you think this is possible?
Do you think it is possible to choose what to remember and what to forget?
What kinds of events do people have the strongest memory of?
What times in a person's life are most worth remembering?
Do you think your (present) time at university is worth remembering?
Do you think people mostly remember sad events or happy events? (Why?) FQ
How can people benefit from recalling sad events? (See Note)
What can a person do if he or she wants to forget something but cannot forget it?

The Accuracy of Happy and Sad Memories

Sometimes, people replace memories of real events with their own versions of the event. What do you think of this? FQ
(Similar to above) Do you think that what most people remember about the past is accurate, compared to what really happened? FQ
Have you ever imagined that something happened when, in fact, it did not happen?
Compare the memories that older people have with the memories that young people have about childhood experiences? (See Note)
Quite often, old(er) people say the happiest time in their life was when they were young. Why do you think they say that?
(Similar to above) Quite often, old(er) people talk about "the good old days". What do you think they mean?
(Similar to above) Quite often, people who are working say that the happiest time of their life was when they were a student. Why do you think they say that? FQ

The Value of Recording Events - Diaries

Why do some people keep diaries? (Or: Why do some people like recording their experiences on paper?) FQ
What kinds of people like to keep a diary of their life experiences? (See Note )
Do you think writing one's experiences in a diary is important?
Do you think the older generation should pass on their life experiences to the next generation by recording these experiences in a diary?
(Similar to above) Do you think it's important for old people to pass on their memories (of their experiences) to young people? (Why?/Why not?) FQ

History

Do you think learning about history (or, studying history) is important? FQ
Do you think students should learn about the bad things in history or just the good things?
(Similar to above) What do you think is the value of studying world history? (Famous quotation: "Those who do not learn the mistakes of history are bound to repeat those mistakes.")
(Similar to above) What can one learn from history?
(Similar to above) What is the value of children (or, young people) studying history?
Why do some people find it boring to study history?
What are some ways to make history lessons more interesting for school children?
Compare learning about one's national history (or, one's local history) with learning about world history. FQx2
(Similar to above) Which do you think is more important for children to study at school, their nation's history (or local history) or world history? FQx2
How can one study, or learn about, one's local history?
Do you think it's important to learn about one's local history?

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182. Some Advice You Received (3) (Prob. Oct. 2008) (Probably no longer used)

Describe some good advice you received.

You should say:

what the advice was

who gave you the advice

what resulted from this advice

and explain how you felt when you received this advice.

See Notes

The wording might be "good advice" or it might be "useful advice". It doesn't matter which it is because, for advice, good = useful.

Notice that the card does not seem to tell you to say when you received this advice. However, whenever you use the past tense, you must include that information, whether you are told to do that or not. (You don't need to say when in every sentence using the past tense if the listener or reader already knows when - you just need to say it once.)

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Possible follow-up questions:

Do you ever give advice to others?
Are you still in contact with that person (the person who gave you the advice) ?
Did you follow this advice? *
Do you yourself ever give people advice? *

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Part 3

(See also the Part 3 questions for Topic #130 and the Part 3 questions for Topic #59)

See grammar Note on the word, "advice":

Types of Advice for Young People

Do people often give you advice?
What sorts of advice do your teachers (or, university lecturers) give you?
What advice have your parents given you?
Is the advice that young people receive from teachers the same as the advice they receive from their parents?
Do you think this advice is very important (very useful, very valuable)?
In general, what sorts of advice do young people most often receive?

Advice and Young People

Young People's Willingness to Accept Advice from Older People

Would you say young people are very willing to receive advice from others?
Would you say young people (or, children) are usually willing to accept the advice of older people? FQx2
(Similar to above) Are young people more inclined to accept advice from their friends (or, someone their own age) or from their parents? (Why?) FQx2
Which do you think is better, advice from young people or advice from older people?
Do you think young people should listen to the advice of older people?
Do you think young people should respect the advice of older people?
Why do so many young people not accept (or, not follow) the advice of older people? FQx2
(Similar to above) Why do some teenagers dislike hearing the advice of older people (such as their parents)? FQx2
(Similar to above) Why is the advice that parents give to their children not always what the children want?

Comparing Older People and Young People

What do you think is the main difference between older people and young people when someone gives them advice? FQ
(Similar to above) Do you think people become more willing to accept advice as they grow older?
Do you think older people more often receive advice from their friends or from their family?
And which do you think older people prefer, advice from their friends or from their family?
Do you think the advice of elderly people (e.g. over 65) is useful?
Do young people ever give advice to older people?

Independence

Some people find it easier to accept advice than other people do. Why do you think there is this difference? FQ
Would you say an independent thinking person finds it easier or more difficult to accept the advice of others?
Which would you say is better, to be an independent person making progress in life but making a few mistakes along the way, or to make progress in life but make fewer mistakes because you are less independent and listen to the advice of others?

The Best Way to Advise Young People

What do you think is the best (= the most effective) way to give advice to young people?
(Similar to above) What do you think is the best way for older people to give advice to young people? FQx2
(Similar to above) When people (older people?) give advice to a teenager, what should they pay attention to?
(Similar to above) How should a person (an older person?) give advice to a teenager?
In addition to (or instead of) giving advice to children and young people about their behaviour, in what other ways can these children and young people be persuaded (or encouraged) to do (or not do) something?

Specific Advice Topics for Young People

What kinds of advice do you think are/would be most useful for young people? FQ
(Similar to above) If you were to give one piece of advice to young people, what would it be? FQ
(Similar to above) Do you have any advice for today's young people? FQ

Your Advice to Other People

Do you freely give advice to others very often? (freely give = unasked-for advice)
Do people around you listen to (or accept) your advice? FQ
What suggestions do you have for improving China's education system?

Advice in University

Do you have a tutor at university?
What kind of person is your tutor?
How does he or she help you?
How do you keep in touch with (communicate with) your tutor, by email or by letter?
Which do you prefer to use, emails or letters? (Why?)

Advice from Professionals

When adults have problems, who can (or, do) they turn to for advice?
In your community, what various kinds of people give advice and what kinds of advice do they give? See Note
(Similar to above) What are some of the sources of advice available in your community?
What do you think of their advice?
How important do you think it is for these advice givers to be trained (qualified) to give advice? FQ
What kind of advice do you not follow ( = not accept)? (Why?)
Can you think of examples of advice that might be dangerous to follow? (E.g. advice from a fortune teller or a non-qualified person practicing medicine)
Can you think of any examples of advice that would not be suitable for children?
What kind of people do you like (or, prefer/ or, would you like/ or, would you prefer) giving you advice?

Human Nature and Bad Advice

Do you think there are any possible dangers (or, risks) in following the advice of others?
Have you ever made a mistake (e.g., made a bad decision) because you didn't listen to someone's advice?
Some people only listen to advice after they have made a mistake. (They "learn the hard way".) Can you suggest why they are like that?
Do you think it is a good idea to let children (and young people) make mistakes and, in that way learn from their mistakes, or is it better to give them advice so that can avoid making mistakes?
Some people love to give advice but don't follow their own advice. (They don't "practice what they preach".) Can you suggest why this is?
In what situations do people sometimes follow bad advice?
Can you think of any examples where some people in society give suggestions to (or encourage) young people to do something which is not only bad advice but is actually a crime?
If you realized that someone was giving you some bad (or, erroneous) advice, what would you do? FQ

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183. A Traffic Jam (Jan. 10, 2009) (Probably no longer used)

Describe a time when you had to wait in a traffic jam.

            You should say:

                          when and where it happened

                          how long you were in the traffic jam

                          [where you were going at that time *]

                          [what form of transport you were using *]

                          what you did while waiting (possibly: what you did about the situation)

             and explain how you felt when you were in that traffic jam. *

                                                  or

             and explain what happened as a result of that traffic jam. *

Notes

People have written that the card says, "What you did". I assume that means, "What you did while waiting" but it might mean, "What you did to try to get out of your problem situation".

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Possible follow-up questions:

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Part 3

Different Modes of City Transportation

Choices of Transportation

Do you prefer traveling by car or by bus? FQx2
(Similar to above) Compare travelling by car and travelling by bus. (Probably referring to travel in a city or town, not long distance travel) FQx2
Which vehicles are more likely to be in a traffic jam, cars or buses?
If you were in a traffic jam, would you prefer to be in a car or a bus? FQx2
(Similar to above) Do you think you would feel differently in a traffic jam if you were in a bus, compared to being in a car? FQx2
Similar to above) Compare the advantages and disadvantages of traveling in a car with the advantages and disadvantages of traveling in a bus. (This is for traveling within a city.) FQx2
Compare travelling by taxi with travelling by other forms of public transportation.
Do you think public transportation is necessary?
How does having many cars in a city affect the environment?
Why do so many people want to own their own car? FQ
Do you think most people who buy a car really need a car?
What do you think of people who always drive their car, even when they could just as easily use public transportation?

Traffic Congestion

See Note

The Traffic Conditions in your Hometown

What are the traffic conditions like in your hometown?
Are traffic jams very common in your hometown (or, around where you live)?
Do you feel that traffic congestion in your hometown is better, or worse than it used to be? FQ
What is the traffic situation like in your hometown, compared to Beijing?

The Nature of Traffic Jams

What are the causes of traffic jams (or, traffic congestion)?
When (at what time of the day) do the most severe traffic jams usually happen? (Why?) FQx2
What locations are most prone to traffic jams?

The Social Impact of Traffic Jams / Congested Traffic

What impact do you think traffic jams have on society? (or, on people)
What is the mood of people when they are caught in a traffic jam?
Does heavy traffic have any effect on the environment?

Managing/Resolving the Problem of Traffic Jams

Do you think only the government has the power to manage the problem of traffic jams? (Or can the decisions of individuals affect whether or not there are traffic jams?) FQ
(Similar to above) Do you think it's only the responsibility of the government to solve this problem (and not the responsibility of ordinary people)? FQ
Do you think the government should put some restrictions on who can buy a car?
Which do you think is better: the government having laws concerning traffic and strictly enforcing these laws or the government increasing the awareness of the individual citizens concerning this problem and encouraging individuals to personally decide to use public transport?
In what ways do you think decisions made by government affect how much traffic congestion there is? (E.g., town planning/major event planning)
What is the government doing (or, what has it done) to help solve the problem of traffic jams? FQ
What would you suggest as possible solutions to the problem of congested traffic? FQx2
Do you think the problem of traffic congestion will be eased (or solved) in the future or will it become worse? FQx2
Do you think having more public transportation is the answer to traffic congestion? FQ
Is the bus system very useful for you?
How could more people be encouraged to use public transportation?
How could people be made more aware of the importance of using public transportation?
What is the purpose of having freeways?
Do you think building more roads (motorways (freeways)/highways) will solve the problem? FQx2 See Note
(Similar to above) Do you think the government should build more motorways and highways in order to ease this problem? FQx2
Overseas, some governments have increased the sales tax on cars as a way to discourage people from buying cars. Do you think that's a good idea? FQ
Do you think big and small cars should be taxed the same amount? (sales tax when buying) FQ

Other Questions

How useful (or, how important) are road rules?

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184. A Healthy Habit (Jan. 10, 2009) (Probably no longer used)

Describe something you do that is good for your health.

            You should say:

                          what you do

                          when you do it / Or: when you began to do it

                          how often you do it *

                          whether you enjoy doing this (or, how much you enjoy doing it)

            and explain why you think this is important for your health.

                                             or

           and explain how this benefits your health.

Notes

"Health" (noun) and "healthy" (adjective) are different! Don't say, "It's good for my healthy." - It should be, "It's good for my health." Or: "It's a healthy thing to do."
Listen here for the pronunciation of "health". Scroll down the page a little and point your mouse to the pink word to hear it several times. And listen here for the pronunciation of "healthy". Some Chinese people know that the noun is not "healthy" but they make a little, "I" sound from their voice after they say the "θ" sound, with the result that it sounds like they are saying "healthy". Try not to let any sound come from your voice after you end a word with the "θ" sound.

Talk about one thing you do that's good for your health, not several things.

It's best to talk about what you do, not what you don't do such as, "I don't smoke". If you expressed that as, "I avoid smoking" then it would be better but that is still talking about what you don't do.

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Possible follow-up questions:

Would you recommend that to your friends?

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Part 3

A Healthy Lifestyle

What are some of the things that people do that are harmful to their health?
What are some things that people can do to help them maintain good health?
What do you think is the best way to maintain good health?
What foods are most important for good health?
What do you think are the differences between healthy food and 'junk food'? FQ
(Similar to above) Please compare healthy food and 'junk food'. FQ
Would you say that, in general, the food in school cafeterias in China is nutritious?
How could the food in the school dining rooms be improved?
In general, do you think people are healthier today than people were 30 or 50 years ago?
(Similar to above but different) In general, do you think people today have a healthier lifestyle than people 30 or 50 years ago?

In general do you think the lifestyle of Chinese people is healthy?

What things do you think people in China need to do (or, need to change) in order to improve their health? FQ

Why are some people not healthy (= not in good health)?
(Similar to above) Why do some people have unhealthy lifestyles? FQ
Why is unhealthy living on the increase?
What are the consequences of an unhealthy lifestyle?
More and more people in today's society are overweight. Why do you think this is happening?
Can you suggest some ways for a person to lose weight?
How do you think a person can help other people to improve their health?

Exercise

Do you think modern people do enough regular exercise? FQ
Why do you think some people don't (like to) do much exercise?
What are some things that people do (or can do, or could do) in order to get exercise? FQ
What do you think are the best ways to exercise?
Do you think playing sport is a useful way for people to maintain good health?
Do you think the government should bring in a law, (similar to banning smoking in certain places), to compel people to do more exercise?

Smoking (Not often asked)

What do you think of people who smoke?
How (or, why) is smoking bad for health?
Some people think that most smokers are men. Do you agree?
Why do you think people start smoking?
Do men and women usually start smoking for the same reasons? *
Do you think many smokers want to stop smoking? *
Why do you think people find it difficult to quit smoking? *
Do you think the government has a responsibility to do something about the problem of people smoking (or do you think it's purely a personal problem)?
What could the government do?
Some governments overseas have increased the sales tax on tobacco products in order to discourage people from smoking. Do you think that's a good idea?

The Promotion of a Healthy Lifestyle

Children

Do you think young people (or, children) in China have a healthy lifestyle?
How do you think could have a healthier life?
What could the government do to promote a healthier lifestyle?
Do you think it's important for children to learn about a healthy lifestyle? FQ
Do you think it's important for the topic of health education to be included in the school curriculum? (Why?/Why not?) FQ
What did you learn in school about health?
How do schools in your country teach about health? FQ
(Similar to above) How do you think schools could (or, can) (or, should) teach about health? FQ
(Similar to above) How could schools encourage their students to exercise more? FQx2
What do you think is the value of P.E. classes (and sport) in schools?
Who do you think has the greatest responsibility for educating children about health – parents or schools? FQx2
Do you think advertising, for example for fast foods, has an influence on the health of young people (or, children)? FQ

People in General

What has the government (in your country) done to promote a healthy lifestyle among the people?
At the moment, do you think the media is a positive force for encouraging people to do more exercise, or is it more of a negative force?
Do you think the media can play a role in educating people about health? (How?) FQx2
(Similar to above) Do you think the media should play a role in educating people about health? (How?) FQx2

(Similar to above) Does the media play a role in educating people about health? (How?) FQx2
(Similar to above) Does the media play a role in promoting a healthy lifestyle? (How?) FQx2

What impact has the media had in helping the formation of people's concept of a healthy lifestyle?

In China, are there laws prohibiting such things as showing smoking on TV and in films?

Do you think doctors have a responsibility to give people advice about how to have a healthy lifestyle? FQx2

(Similar to above) Do you think it's necessary for doctors to give people advice about how to have a healthy lifestyle? FQx2

Health and Safety in the Workplace / At School

Workplace

Do you think employers have a responsibility to ensure that their employees have a safe and healthy work environment? (Note: A safe environment and a healthy environment are not exactly the same)
Do you think it's a good idea for employers to encourage their employees to live a healthy life?
How can employers do that? FQ See Note

School

Do you think schools have a responsibility to protect the health and safety of their students?
Do do (or, how could; or, how should) schools protect the health and safety of their students? FQ

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185. An Interesting Talk (Jan. 10, 2009) (Probably no longer used)

Describe an interesting (and impressive) talk (or speech) that you heard.

            You should say:

                          who gave the talk

                          what the talk was about

                          where you heard it (or, where this talk was given)

              and explain why the talk was interesting. *

                                      or

and explain what you learned from this talk. *

Notes

Possibly the wording is, "a talk or speech"

See Notes

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Possible follow-up questions:

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Part 3

Different Types of Spoken Communication

What different kinds of speeches or lectures have you attended in your life?
(Similar to above) What are the different purposes of speeches and lectures?
Do you think listening to (speeches and) lectures is important in universities?
Do you like listening to lectures and speeches? (Why?/Why not?)
What kinds of speeches (or lectures) do you prefer listening to?
(Similar to above) For you, what makes a speech (or lecture) interesting (or enjoyable) to listen to?
(Similar to above) For you, what makes a lecture a good lecture? FQ
Some people prefer to just listen to a speaker while other people prefer to engage in (group) discussion. Which do you prefer (or, think is better)?
(Similar to above) Do you prefer to listen to a talk or to have a discussion? FQx2
(Similar to above) Which do you think is more useful (for exchanging information), listening to a talk (or speech) or engaging in discussion?

Conferences

Why do people attend conferences?
Do you think conferences are very useful?
What about international conferences, for example, an international conference of scientists. What are the benefits of holding such conferences?
How can international conferences be used as a way to enhance cross-cultural exchanges?
Do you think cross-cultural conferences are useful?

Visiting Speakers in Schools and Universities

Universities

Do you think it's a good idea for universities to sometimes exchange lecturers with other universities, for example, to give a short series of lectures?
What about foreign professors or lecturers - do you think it's useful for visiting foreign experts and professors to give a series of lectures in China?

Schools (high schools and primary schools)

Do you think it's a good idea for school students to listen to speeches and talks in school given by visiting speakers? FQ
What benefits could school children get from having visitors come to their school to give a talk?
What are some examples of a speech or talk that you think would be suitable to give to school children?
What different categories of (kinds of) people do you think are most suitable as visiting speakers in schools? (E.g., policemen, doctors, famous people, people who have overcome great challenges, ... Include why these are suitable.) FQx2
What qualities (attributes) should these visiting speakers have? FQ
What topics are most suitable for these speakers to talk about? (Note: Distinguish between primary school students and high school students)

Giving a Talk to Very Young Children

Do you think it's good (or, suitable) to give a talk (or speech) to young kids (e.g., 4 to 9 years old)?
Why do you many people find it hard to give a talk to young children? FQ
Why do you think young children sometimes have difficulty listening to (= concentrating on) someone giving them a lecture or talk? FQ
How should a talk be given to children? FQ
(Similar to above) How do you think a speaker could hold (or attract) the attention of young children? FQ
What kind of people (people with what qualities) do you think are best suited to giving a talk to children? FQ
Compare the kind of talk (or speech) that would be suitable to give to young children with a speech that would be suitable for adults.
Which do you think would be easier to give, a talk to adults or a talk to young children?

Speech-Giving Skills and Methods

What qualities should public speakers have (in order to speak well in public)? FQ
Why do you think some people are good public speakers and others are not?
Do you think people are born with or without the ability to give a speech (in front of others)?
What skills do you think a public speaker needs to have?
How can a person develop or improve his or her speaking skills?
Why do you think some people find it difficult to speak in front of an audience?
Why do you think many people are nervous before they give a speech? FQx2
(Similar to above) Some people feel nervous before they give a public speech, even after they have had a lot of time to prepare for the speech. Can you suggest why? FQ
Some athletes, actors and actresses and other performers get nervous before they perform, even when they have had a lot of experience. Can you suggest why? ("Perform" means do what they do, not public speaking.)
Can you suggest any ways that a person could use to control his or her nervousness before they have to give a speech (in front of a big audience)? FQx2
What are some of the features of a very successful speech or lecture?
What makes a speech (or talk) interesting?
What are some ways that a public speaker could make his speech or lecture more attractive to the audience?
Do you think it's useful to use visual aids such as slides and photographs (or a Powerpoint presentation) when giving a presentation? (Why?) FQx2
(Similar to above) What do you think are the benefits of using visual aids such as a Powerpoint presentation? FQx2

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