Page 65

ielts-yasi.englishlab.net

Updated Feb. 21, 2011

IELTS Part 2 and Part 3 Topics and Questions

Page 65

321. A Happy Childhood Event (3) (Jan. 22, 2011) (Probably no longer used)

322. A Type of Book You Like to Read (Jan. 22, 2011) (Probably no longer used)

323. A Friend Who is a Good Leader (Jan. 22, 2011) (Probably no longer used)

324. A Travelling Companion (Feb 12, 2011) (Probably no longer used)

325. Something You Recently Learned (Jan. 22, 2011) (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

* = my guess at a question

***********************************************************************

321. A Happy Childhood Event (3) (Jan. 22, 2011) (Probably no longer used)

Describe a happy event from your childhood (or school days) that you remember well

You should say:

what the event was

when and where it happened

who was with you

what you saw or did *

and explain why you remember this event so well. *

and explain why this was a happy event. *

Notes

This seems to be Topic 212, returning to the test. The wording above is, so far, an exact copy of Topic 212.
Someone has reported the wording as, "Describe a happy event from your childhood or school days". In British English, "school" does not refer to university. If the words "or school days" are included, the wording on the card allows you to describe a happy event in your high school years, when you were no longer a "child" because a "child" is someone under the age of 13. If the words "or school days" are not included, you should talk about some time before your 13th birthday.
See note about the number of points on the card.
Also see Note

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Possible follow-up questions:

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Part 3

See also the Part 3 questions for Topic 212

Happy Events in Your Culture

What are some example of events in your culture that people enjoy?
Why (or, how) do people gain happiness from these events?
What do people usually do to celebrate these happy events? FQ
(Similar to above) In general, what do family members in your country do together during holidays? FQ

The Nature of Happiness

Do you think happiness is important?
What do you think "happiness" is?
In general, what do you think makes people feel happy?
Do you think there is much difference between what makes people happy today and what made people happy in the past (e.g., 30 or 50 years ago)? FQx2
(Similar to above) Do you think that people's views about happiness today are the same as people's views about happiness in the past? FQ
What do you think gives people happiness that lasts a long time? FQ
(Similar to above) How do you think people can maintain their happiness as they become older? FQ

Materialism and Happiness

In your opinion, why do you think most people feel happy when they receive a gift?
Do you think advertising today has any effect on people's sense of happiness? FQ
Do you think money can bring happiness?
Which is more important to you, wealth or happiness?

***********************************************************************

322. A Type of Book You Like to Read (Jan. 22, 2011) (Probably no longer used)

Describe a type of book you like to read.

You should say:

what type

when you started reading (or, liking) this type of book

what the contents of (or, nature of) this type of book are (or, is) *

and explain why you like (or, prefer) to read this type of book.

Notes

Most likely it says "a type of book", not "the type of book" because most people like more than one type of book. "The" means there is only one. But you can say, "The type of book I most like to read is ..."
It might say, "prefer to read".

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Possible follow-up questions:

Would you recommend this type of book to your friends?
Do you also read other types of books?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Part 3

See also the Part 3 questions for Topics 14, 52, 72, 88, 158, 189, 215 and 229

See list of things to read

The Benefits of Reading

Why do you think people read books? FQx2
Do you think people today read (read books) more than before?
Is illiteracy a problem in your country?
Do you think the contents of what they read is important?

What can people learn from books (or, from reading)?

What can children (or, young people) learn from books?

Do you think a person can change their habits by reading a book?

Reading Preferences

Do people in your country read a lot?

What's the difference between books and magazines?

What types of books do you come across in your everyday life?

Can you give some examples of different types of books and the reasons why people read them? FQ

(Similar to above) Can you give some reasons why people read different things? FQ

What kinds of books do people your age (or, young people) prefer to read? FQ
Do older people like to read the same kinds of books that young people like? FQ
(Similar to above) Do you think people's reading tastes change as they grow older? FQx2
What types of books do children like to read?
(Similar to above) What are some differences between what children like to read and what adults like to read? FQx2
(Similar to above) What are some differences between what, say, four-year-old children like to read and what young people like to read? FQx2
What are some differences between what women like to read and what men like to read?
If you were the parent of a young child, what type of book would you read to him or her?
Why do you think there are these different preferences among people? FQ
Do you think there are different groups of (or classes of) people who prefer to read certain types of books?
What do you think are the differences between a fictional love story and a real love story? (Probably a question made by the examiner.)
Do you think a person needs to have a good imagination in order to read books?
If a person doesn't read much now, do you think they might start reading more in the future?

High Technology and Books

What do you think about using the internet for reading (books)?
(Similar to above) Do you think using the internet is a good way to get information?
Do you think the internet can help people read books?
How is reading a book on (or, from) the internet different to reading an ordinary book? FQ
Do you think the internet (or, digital books) will one day be the only way that people get information?
Do you think paper books will one day be replaced by electronic books (e-books) or the internet? FQ

***********************************************************************

323. A Friend Who is a Good Leader (Jan. 22, 2011) (Probably no longer used)

Describe a friend who you think is a good leader.

You should say:

who this friend is

how you know this person (or, how [& when] you first met this person)

how other people behave towards him/her

and explain why you think he/she is a good leader.

Notes

The word, "behave" might not be used but the meaning is probably something like that. Alternatively, it might just say, "what other people think about him/her" or "how other people feel about him/her".

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Possible follow-up questions:

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Part 3

See also the Part 3 questions for Topic 60 and Topic 2

Leadership / Decision-making

Would you say that you have leadership skills?
What do you think a leader should do in order to lead?
What qualities do you think a good leader should have?
In your country, who is usually the head of the family? FQ
(Similar to above) In your country, who usually makes the major decisions in the family? FQx2
How do they lead?
Do you think it's easy to make the major family decisions?
Are the opinions of the younger members of the family ever taken into consideration when these major decisions are made? (See Note)
When do you think children can start to make their own decisions?
Would you agree that it's quite difficult to be a leader?
Do you think everyone can be taught to be a leader?

Male/Female Differences

In your culture, are there any differences between the status of men and women as leaders?
Do women in your country ever have leadership positions?

Leadership in the Workplace / A "Democratic" Workplace

In general, how are major decisions made in companies? FQ
(Similar to above) In general, who is the leader (or, who are the leaders) in a company? FQ
How do company managers do their job? (What do they do?)
(Similar to above) What are the duties of a company manager?
What qualities does a person need to have to be a good company manager? *
Would you say that companies in your country are managed more in an authoritarian way, or in a democratic way?
When company managers are making decisions, do you think they should consider the opinions and ideas of the workers? FQx2
Who do you think is more important, the manager of a company or the employees?
Which do you think is better, to have "one man rule" or to have rule by everybody? (See Note)

***********************************************************************

324. A Traveling Companion (Feb 12, 2011) (Probably no longer used)

Describe a person who you would like to travel with.

You should say:

who this person is

how you know him/her

where you would travel

what kind of person he or she is

and explain why you would choose to travel with this person.

See Notes

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Possible follow-up questions:

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Part 3

See also the Part 3 questions for Topics 29, 32, 90, 112, 155, 159, 206 and 339.

Journeys (or Trips)

Which do you prefer, long trips or short ones?
Why do you think people are more and more going on long trips?

Traveling With Others

How do most people in your country choose to travel?
Do people in your country like to travel alone?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of traveling alone compared to traveling with another person. FQx2
In general, what qualities should a good traveling companion have? FQx2
What do you think are the benefits and the disadvantages of travelling in a group

International Travel

What do people in your country prefer, to travel internationally or to travel within their own country?
(Similar to above) Which would you prefer, to travel internationally or to travel within your own country?
Why do some people choose to travel abroad?
What do you think are the benefits of traveling overseas? FQ
(Similar to above) What effects does foreign travel have on a traveler? (See Note)
(Similar to above) What can a person learn from traveling overseas? FQ
What do you think are the benefits and the (possible) disadvantages of international travel?
How does international tourism benefit a country? FQ
When foreigners come to visit your country, what benefits does it bring to your country?
What impact does foreign culture have on your country? FQ
What effects does international tourism have on the local culture of the place these international tourists visit?
Do you think the environment of a popular tourist location can be affected by tourism?
Do you think governments should restrict the number of people who visit these popular places?

Would you like to have a job that required you to do a lot of international travel?

Do you think experts in certain fields should travel abroad occasionally? (Hint: conferences)

What benefits do you think that would bring to your country?

Does modern technology help people today when they are planning an international trip? (See Note)

***********************************************************************

325. Something You Recently Learned (Jan. 22, 2011) (Probably no longer used)

Version A

Describe something that you have recently learned.

You should say

what it was (is)

when (or how) you first became interested in it *

how you learned it

and explain why you wanted to learn this.

Version B

Describe something that you are interested in and would like to learn more about. *

You should say

what it is

when (or how) you first became interested in it

how you would learn more about it (if you decided to do that)

and explain why you would like to learn more about this. *

Version C

Describe something that you would like to learn.

You should say

what it is

how you would (like to) learn it

----------

and explain how this would help you in the future.

Notes

The wording for this topic has never been very clear. On Nov. 26 someone reported the wording for Version A, which I think is the most likely wording for this topic. ('Recently' could be within the past year.) Of course, what you learned could be a single fact that you learned from a book, or from a class or from watching or reading the news.
Someone has also reported Version C, which is close to Version B. And another person has reported that it is, "Describe something you enjoy learning", which is close to Version B.
The key point for this topic is to pay close attention to the verb form of the wording and answer according to that.
Make sure you talk about 'learning' this new thing, not just about 'studying' it. See notes about "learn" and "study" So, you probably should mention something about the "newness" of what you learned - don't forget that "learning" is related to a change in your brain (your knowledge).
It looks like it doesn't have to be an academic subject or a practical topic (for example, for work). It could be simply an interest or hobby, such as the history of your country, the history of your family (your genealogy), outer space, how to apply makeup, how to paint pictures, etc.
If the words above ("learn about") are accurate, I don't think you should talk about learning to do something. "Learn about" is more suitable for talking about abstract or theoretical knowledge.
For Version B, I am assuming that the third point is written as, "how you would learn more about it" or something very similar to that.
See also Topic 154.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Possible follow-up questions:

Would you like to learn more about that?
Is this knowledge useful nowadays?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Part 3

See also the Part 3 questions for Topic 154.

See notes about "learn" and "study".

Learning (& studying)

Do you think that there is a lot to learn nowadays?
Is it important to learn new things?
Do you like learning new things?
What qualities do people who like learning have?
Do you think the learning process today is changing (compared to the past)? (One Hint: computers. There are other changes, too.)

Academic Education

Do you think there is too much emphasis put on academic education today?
Do you think a person's academic scores are useful when he or she is looking for (or applying for) a job?
If you had the choice, what would you choose for school students to study?
Why is studying abroad so important (to you or) to some people in your country?
Why do some university graduates choose to continue studying at university?

Children

Who do you think learns easier, adults or children?

(Similar to above) Who do you think learns faster, adults or children? (Why? / How?) FQX2

Do you think the learning process for children is the same as for adults?

Who do you think is more receptive (in attitude) to learning, adults or children?

How important do you think childhood education is?

Do you think pre-school education is useful?

In your opinion, what has the greater influence on a child's development, his or her family or other things (such as TV, school, friends, etc.)?

What effect do you think watching television has on children?

(Similar to above) What effect do you think watching television has on children's learning?

How do you think a child's interest in learning (= learning in general) could be cultivated?

(Similar to above, but different) How do you think a child's interest in learning about a certain topic be cultivated?

Teachers / Group Study versus Self-Study

Which do you think is better, to study (or, learn) in a group or to study alone (= self-study)? FQx2
What do you think are the benefits of learning with a teacher (rather than learning by self-study)?
What do you think are some of the benefits of studying in a group? FQ
Do you think there are any benefits from discussing a topic in a group?
Compare how teachers should teach academic subjects with how practical knowledge (skills) should be taught.

Continuous Education (Adult Education)

Do you think it's important for people to continue learning things throughout their lives? FQx2
(Similar to above) Do you think adult education is important?
(Similar to above) Do you think it's important for people to keep learning after they have finished their formal education (at school/university)? FQx2
(Similar to above) What do you think are the benefits of adult education? FQx2
So, why do people go to work and stop learning things after they graduate from university?
Who do you think should pay for this education? (= Do you think the government should pay for the continuing education of older people?) FQ
What facilities are there in your hometown for adults (working people) to continue learning?
(Similar to above) How easy is it for adults (working people) in your hometown to continue learning?
Do you think governments should support adult education? FQ
(Similar to above) Do you think the government could (or should) do more to support adult education? FQ

Old and Retired People

Do you think middle-aged and elderly people should continue to learn things?
(Similar to above) Do you think middle-aged and elderly people want to continue learning things?
In general, do you think old people feel encouraged to learn new things?
Some old people don't want to expand (or develop) their knowledge. Why do you think they feel this way?
Do you think there are any benefits for society (or, for your country), if old people learn some new things?
If you were faced with such a person, how would you persuade him or her of the value of continuing to learn?
What would you suggest would be good courses for old people?
Where can they go (in your hometown) to learn new things?
Does the government in your country do anything to encourage (or, help) old people learn new things?
Do you think government should (financially) support further education for old and retired people? FQ
Do you think the government should offer classes for retirees (or, old people)? FQx2
Are old people very interested in learning how to use a computer?
Do you think government should provide internet access for old people?

Information and Knowledge

What do you think is the importance of "knowledge" for a person?
What are the main ways that people can use in order to access information today?
Is this different to the past? FQX2
(Similar to above) Is the way that people access information today the same as in the past? FQX2
(Similar to above) Do you think it's easier to get access to information today, compared to the past? FQX2
What do you think is the most convenient way to get information?
Do you think that government should provide free public libraries for the people?
Do older people and young people use the same sources/methods to get information?
Do you think information that we find on the internet is (always) reliable? FQX2
Do you think information on the internet is mostly harmful or mostly beneficial? (See Note)
Which do you think is more important, general knowledge or specific knowledge?
Which person is more interesting to you, somebody who has knowledge on many different subjects, or somebody who knows a lot about a limited number of topics?

***********************************************************************