Updated Mar. 5, 2010
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IELTS Part 2 and
Part 3 Topics and Questions
Page 5
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24.
A (Place In A) City You Visited
(Probably
no longer used)
25.
Your Favourite Season or Time of Year
(May
13, 2006) (Probably
no longer used)
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RETURN
TO PART 2 TOPIC INDEX
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Describe an unforgettable (or, enjoyable) activity that
you took part in as part of your English study.
You should say:
(when and where you did this activity)
what this activity was
how you did it
why it is unforgettable (or, why you enjoyed it)
and
explain how you benefited from this activity.
Possible follow-up question:
- Do
you still take part in (continue with) this activity?
Part 3
Learning
English
- Do you like (learning)
English?
- Why do people
learn English in China?
- Why
do people prefer to study English rather than other languages?
- Do
you think English has any influence on the Chinese language? (i.e.,
influence on modern Chinese) FQ
- What
are some examples of where English is used in China?
- How
has (the study of) English affected (changed) (people in) China?
(E.g., changed the culture.)
- Do
you think English will still be important in the future? FQ
- Some people say
that if you are going to work in a Chinese company in China then learning
English is a waste of time. Do you agree?
- What do you
think is the best age for children to begin learning English?
FQ
- Compare
studying English in China to studying English in an English-speaking
country.
FQ
- Would you say
it¡¯s better to study English overseas than in China? FQ
- Do adults have
more difficulty than children in learning a foreign language?
FQ
- How
do you think studying Chinese as a foreign language is different to studying
English as a foreign language?
- What¡¯s the
best way to learn a foreign language?
Language
and Cultural Diversity
- Why
do people prefer to study one language instead of other languages?
FQ
- Besides
English, what other foreign languages are important?
(What other foreign languages do people study in China?)
- If
you had to choose a second foreign language to study, which would you
choose? Why?
- Compare
the future popularity of Chinese and English as foreign languages to study.
- Do
you think studying foreign languages can benefit world peace? (How?)
- What
difficulties do you think foreigners might have when they study Chinese?
- How
do you think translation and interpretation will develop in the future?
- Compare
the culture of China to that of the West.
- In
various parts of the world, there are some minor languages, with only
a few hundred or a few thousand speakers, that are in danger of becoming
extinct. Do you think these languages should be preserved?
- English
is now used as an international language. What other languages do you think
might develop into international languages?
- Do
you think it's a good idea to use English as the international language?
Would it result in international harmony or more conflict?
Describe a job you would like to have in the
future.
You
should say:
what
this job would involve
(= what the job is, in some detail)
what
study you would need to do to prepare for this work
why
you would like to have this job
and
explain what skills you would need for this work. *
OR
explain
how you will get this job. *
OR
explain what
difficulties you might have in getting this job.*
OR
explain what or
who influenced you to want to have this job. *
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Notes:
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Possible follow-up questions:
- Do
you think you will stay in this job (for a long time)?
- Do
you think this job would pay you well? *
- Is
this a popular job in China? *
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Part
3
Work and Family
- Which
is more important to you, family or work?
- How
does your work affect your family members?
- Do
you think all members of the family should go out to work?
Salaries
- What
are the highest-paying jobs in China? (= jobs with the highest salaries) Why
are these people so well paid? FQ
- What
jobs should be the best paid? FQ
- What
jobs in China do you think will have the highest salaries in the future? FQ
- In
China, which jobs are underpaid (= should be paid more)? (= Who deserves to
be paid more than they are paid now?) FQ
- In
China, what changes have taken place in the past few years concerning the pay that
people receive?
- Do
you think people should be paid more when they work overtime? (Why?)
- What
do people consider when they judge a person in terms of his or her work?
Changing Jobs
- Why do people need to work?
- Do
most people work for job satisfaction or just for money? FQ
- Do
people in China change their jobs very often? FQ
- Do
you think it is good to change your job frequently? FQ
- How
often do you think people should change their jobs?
- In
China, how do most people feel about people who often change their job?
- Do
you think that people who often change their jobs have more job satisfaction
and better incomes than other people?
- If
you had a well paid job but didn't like your work, what would you do? FQ
The Working Years
- At
what age should people start working? FQ
- What
should be the retirement age? Why? FQ
- Do
you consider the current retirement age in China to be reasonable?
- What
do people consider when they decide the age of retirement?
- If
you were a member of the government who had to decide a fixed retirement
age, what factors would you consider?
- What
do people in China think about doing dangerous jobs such as being a fireman? (U.S. =
firefighter)
The Way We Work
- How
do you think the way we work will change in the future?
- How
do you think work has changed in China in the past 20 years?
Personal
Relations at Work
- If
someone has a problem at work such as not understanding something, what
should they do?
- If an
employee and his supervisor (or employer) have a disagreement, what do you
think should be done?
- In
China, how do people at work view other people in the same workplace? For
example, is everyone considered to be equal in status?
- How
do you think others view you at your workplace?
- What
kind of person would make a good company manager?
Planning
for the Future
- Do
you think planning for the future is important? (Why?/Why not?)
- How
can one best plan for the future? (= best plan one¡¯s life?)
- How
do Chinese students make plans for their future, i.e., how do they decide
what career they would like to follow?
- Do
schools in China place much importance on the students' future careers?
- Do
you think it is important for companies to plan for the future? Why?
FQ
- How
can companies plan for the future in order to be more efficient?
FQ
- Should
the government think (plan) in the short term or in the long term? FQ
- What
factors will the government have to consider when making plans for the
future of the country?
Part
2
23.
A Local Event (Probably no longer
used)
(For example: a
temple fair, an exhibition, a performance, a sports event, a celebration, or a
community gathering.)
Describe a local
event you attended in your community or hometown.
You should say:
what
this event was
when
and where it was *
who
went to the event with you * (or: who was involved in this local event)
and explain what you liked about this event. *
Part
3
Note: There is currently no information on
the internet about Part 3 questions for this topic. The following questions are
guesses.
Community Life
- Do you think it¡¯s important to take
part in local activities?
- Do most Chinese people think of
themselves as being part of their neighbourhood or do they simply think of
themselves as being citizens of China?
- Do you think
it¡¯s important to have a sense of local community spirit?
- What are the
advantages of being part of a close-knit community?
- In what ways
do neighbors co-operate and help each other in China?
- How have
people¡¯s sense of community spirit changed in recent years in China?
- In China, what
different groups do people feel they are part of?
- In the future,
what kinds of groups do you think people will feel they are part of? For
example, will attitudes to one¡¯s neighborhood change in the future and
what might take the place of neighborhoods?
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24.
An Interesting (Place In A) City You Visited (Probably
no longer used)
Describe an interesting (place in a) city or town you
visited or lived in.
You should say:
when and where you went
what you saw and did there
who you went with
and explain why you enjoyed this
trip. *
or: explain why you thought this city was interesting *
or: explain when is the best time (season) to visit this place. *
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Notes:
-
This topic
might simply be: "Describe an interesting city that you visited." or
it might be "Describe an interesting place in a city you have
visited." I think the former is more likely correct.
-
It should be acceptable to
talk about your hometown but it would be best to first clarify this with the
examiner.
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Possible follow-up questions:
-
Is
this a popular place to visit?
-
Do
you think you¡¯ll go there again one day? (place in your country)
-
Do
you think you¡¯ll go there again soon? (place in your city)
Part
3
City
life and country life in China
- Do
you prefer to live in a built-up area, with lots of buildings or do you
prefer to live in a place that has a lot of green, natural scenery? (Hint:
Say what you prefer and why and include comparisons between the city
& the country in your answer.)
- Compare city life and country life in China. (Include
educational & healthcare facilities.) FQ
- What are the advantages of living in the city and of living
in the countryside?
- Is the natural environment the same
in the city and in the countryside?
- Is the housing in the city and the
countryside the same?
- What kinds of housing are most
suitable for the city? Why?
- Are relations with neighbours the
same in the city and in the countryside? FQ
- (As above) Compare interpersonal
relations in the city and in the countryside. FQ
- (As
above) Do people in the city make newcomers feel welcome? Compare this to
country people.
- Compare the availability of services such as education,
health services and transportation in cities and the countryside. FQ
- What are some of the differences between city people and
country people?
FQ
- Why do some rural people in China want to move to the city?
FQ
- Do you think it's good that these rural people move to the
cities? *
- In what ways do these rural people have to change when they
move to the city to work?
- When people leave rural areas to work in the city, what
effects does this have on the rural areas?
- What do city people think of country
people?
FQ
- Why do you think city people have these attitudes?
- What
do country people think of city people?
FQ
The
Quality of City Life
- What makes a city a good place to
live? FQ
- Where
can people go to relax or find entertainment in the city? FQ
- Is
the city a good place for old people, i.e., retired people to live?
- Is
noise an important factor when considering the quality of city life?
- Is
pollution an important factor when considering the quality of city life?
- How
can a person choose between living in the country and living in the city?
- How
can a city develop while at the same time avoiding social problems?
Tourism
* (A possible Part 3
topic here, not confirmed.)
- Is tourism an important industry in China? *
- How can people benefit from visiting new places? *
- When many people visit a particular place, what effects can
that have on this place? *
- Compare tourism today in China to, say, thirty years ago. *
- How
do you think tourism in China will change in the future? *
25.
Favourite
Season or Time of the Year (or Month)
(May
13, 2006) (Probably
no longer used)
Describe your favourite season or time of the year.
You should say:
when this time is
what the weather is like at this time
what you usually do at this time
and explain why it is your
favourite time of the year.
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Possible follow-up question:
Part
3
Seasons
-
How do the different seasons affect the everyday lives of Chinese
people? FQ
- (As
above) What are some of the results (effects) of bad weather in China? FQ
- How do different seasons (= different weather) affect the
way people feel (=people's mood)? FQ
- Do you think the climate of a place has an effect on the
personality of the people who live in that place? (For example, do people
from places that have warm winters have the same kind of personalities as
people from places that have cold winters?)
- What is the favourite season of children (or young people)?
FQ
- Do adults have the same favourite season?
- Which seasons or season do old people prefer?
FQ
- What different sports or outdoor activities can people do
in different seasons?
Weather
/Climate
- How does the climate of a place affect the kind of
buildings that are built there? = How does the climate affect the
building design? (For example, are the buildings in North
China the same as those in South China?) FQ
Many people find this to be a difficult question.
Hint:
Think of how buildings varied in different places 100 years ago.
- What's the climate like in your hometown?
- Is the climate the same all over China?
- Do you think the world's climate or the climate in China is
getting warmer? FQ
- What are the causes of Global Warming?
FQ
See Note
- How do you think Global Warming will affect people's lives?
FQ
- Do you think fighting the problem of global climate change
is a government responsibility or the responsibility of each individual? FQ
Vacations/Holidays/Tourism
- What are the major public holidays and festivals in China?
FQ
- Why
do we need to have holidays? FQ
- What do people in China do when they have holidays?
- Why do Chinese people like the Spring Festival?
- Why does the whole world celebrate the New
Year?
- How can people benefit from visiting new places? *
- When many people visit a particular place, what effects can
that have on this place? *
- Compare tourism today in China to, say, thirty years ago. *
- How
do you think tourism in China will change in the future? *