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ielts-yasi.englishlab.net

Written Jan. 17, 2010

IELTS Part 2 and Part 3 Topics and Questions

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221. A Gift You Gave (Sept 5, 2009) (Probably no longer used)

222. A Car or Vehicle You Would Like to Have (Sept 5, 2009) (Probably no longer used)

223. A Family Friend (Sept 5, 2009) (Probably no longer used)

224. A Skill You Recently Learned (Sept 5, 2009) (Probably no longer used)

225. A Group Activity (Sept 5, 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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221. A Gift You Gave (Sept 5, 2009) (Probably no longer used)

Describe a special gift that you gave to someone. *

You should say:

what the gift was

who the gift was for (= who you gave it to)

when and where you bought it

and explain why it was special.

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Possible follow-up questions:

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Part 3

See also the Part 3 questions for Topic # 54, Topic # 85 and Topic 160.

Gift Giving in Your Country

Is gift-giving very important in China?
On what occasions do people in China give gifts?
In general, what kinds of gifts do people in China give each other? See Note
Is it very expensive to buy gifts for people in China?
Do people give you gifts very often?
Who gives you these gifts, and why?
Which do you think is better, to give or to receive a gift?

Gift Giving and the Economy

Do you think gift-giving is good for the economy? FQ

Gifts for Children

What sorts of presents do adults usually give to children?
How are gifts for children different to gifts for adults?
Do children usually give more gifts to adults than adults give to children?

The Significance of Gift-Giving

In general, what do you think is the significance of giving gifts? FQ
(Similar to above) Some people say gift giving is not very useful. What do you think? FQ

Gifts Between Countries

Do you think it's a waste of money for governments to give gifts to the governments of other countries?
What would you suggest are some suitable gifts for countries to give each other?
Do you think it is a good idea for developing countries to accept gifts from more wealthy, developed countries?
Are these gifts between countries simply displays of friendship or do you think the country that gives the gift has other reasons for giving?

Gift-Giving in the Business Environment

Do you think gift-giving among people who are doing business together is a good idea?
What gifts do people give each other in a business environment? FQ
What are the reasons why business people give each other gifts?
What's the difference between giving a gift out of genuine friendship and giving a gift with some commercial goal in mind?

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222. A Car or Vehicle You Would Like to Have (Sept 5, 2009) (Probably no longer used)

Describe a vehicle (such as a car or motorbike) you would like to have in the future.

You should say:

what sort of vehicle it is / what sort of vehicle it would be

where you (first) saw this vehicle

what it looks like

and explain why you would like to have this vehicle.

Notes

See also Topic 7

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Possible follow-up questions:

Do you think you really will be able to buy one of those in the future?
Do you know anyone who has one of those? *

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Part 3

See also the Part 3 questions for Topic 183

Car Ownership

What vehicles are most popular (or most commonly used) in your country? FQ
Why do so many people want to buy their own car?
What problems can (or, do) result when too many people in one place own a car?

Public Transportation (within a city)

Does your city have a lot of public transportation?
Compare the benefits of using a private car (private vehicle) with the benefits of using public transportation. FQ
Can you suggest any ways to ease the problem of traffic congestion?
How do you think a good public transportation system could help alleviate the traffic congestion problem?
How could (can) the government persuade more people to use public transportation?
What would you suggest the government do to improve public transportation?

Transportation Systems (across a country, including within cities)

(Not just public transportation but including roads for private vehicles)

Do you think it's important to have a good transportation system in a country?
What benefits does a good transportation system bring to a country's economy?
Does a good transportation system have any effects on the social life of a community?
What effects does a good transportation system have on the way people work?

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223. A Family Friend (Sept 5, 2009) (Probably no longer used)

Describe a family friend who you remember from your childhood.

You should say:

who this person is

how your family first met him/her

how often he or she visited your home

and explain why you consider him/her to be a friend of the family. *

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Possible follow-up questions:

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Part 3

Family Friends

What qualities do you think a person needs to have to be a friend of a whole family?
How do you feel about cross-generational friendships?
Do you think it's easy for people of different generations to become friends?
How is friendship different at different stages of a person's life?
What are some of the differences between the way older people and young people interact with their friends?
How is friendship different at different stages of a person's life? (E.g., childhood; when you are young; adulthood; and old age.)
Do you think friendships formed in adulthood are as genuine as friendships formed in childhood?

Friendship

How do people communicate with their friends?
Do you think friendships can continue after the two people start to live very far from each other? (= a long-distance friendship)
If a person is living far away from a friend and wants to maintain the friendship, what do you suggest they do?
How can students best get along with others in their class?

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224. A Skill You Recently Learned (Sept 5, 2009) (Probably no longer used)

Describe a useful skill you recently learned (for example, driving a car or cooking).

You should say:

what the skill is/was

where you learned it

how you learned it

and explain how you think this skill will be useful in the future.*

Notes

This topic looks very similar to Topic 17.

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Possible follow-up questions:

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Part 3

How important do you think it is for people to learn to use new technologies?
What kinds of skills do you think are the most useful (in everyday life)? FQ
(Similar to above) What what are some examples of skills that you think are the most useful (in everyday life)? FQ
Should women also learn (these) skills?
Compare the skills women learn with those that men learn. FQ
(Similar to above) Compare the skills girls learn and those that boys learn. FQ

The Skills that Children Learn

Which do you think are more important, the skills that children learn at home or those they learn at school?
Do you think high school students should learn skills that will be useful in the workplace? FQx2

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225. A Group Activity (Sept 5, 2009) (Probably no longer used)

Describe a group activity you successfully took part in (for example, at school, university or work).

You should say:

what the activity was

who was with you

how easy or difficult it was *

and explain how you felt about being part of this team. *

Notes

Since it seems the word, "successfully" is used in the wording, you need to clearly specify the goal, aim or purpose of this group activity. It should be a kind of "group project".

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Possible follow-up questions:

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Part 3

Groups and Organizations

What do children (or, young people) usually do in groups?
What do you think is the most important skill a child needs to learn in primary school?
What do you think is the most important factor for an organization to function successfully?
Do men and women usually do the same things in an organization?
Do you like co-operating with others?
Some people don't like the feeling of depending on (or, relying on) others. How do you feel?
What qualities (attributes) does a person need to be able to co-operate with others?

Team Sports/Activities

Which is more popular in your country, team sports or individual sports?
Some people don't play much sport but they like to follow their favourite sports team. Why do you think they do that?
(Similar to above) Some people don't play much sport but they like to follow their favourite sports team. What benefits do people get from following a sports team?
Do you think children should (be encouraged to) play more team sports or more individual sports? (Compare them) FQx2
Do you think too much team sports or team activity might hurt a child's ability to (learn to) do things as an individual?
What is the main task of a team leader?
Do you think a team leader's responsibilities vary, depending on what kind of activity or team it is?

International Co-operation

Do you think co-operation between countries is important?
Can you give me any examples of when international co-operation is important?

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