Part 1 Jan to Apr 2008

ielts-yasi.englishlab.net

Updated May 6, 2008

Part 1 Topics and Questions

For The IELTS Speaking Tests in Mainland China, Jan. 10 - Apr. 25, 2008

INTRODUCTION

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Summary of Part 1 Topics

0. The four standard introductory questions.

1. Your Work/Your Studies

2. Your Home (Your Accommodation)

3. Your Hometown

One of the three topics above is a compulsory topic and you will be asked about 4 questions on this topic. You will then be asked questions on two of the topics from below. (Again, about 4 questions per topic).

4. Reading

5. Weekends

6. Family (New topic, Jan. 10, 2008)

7. Drawing

8. Music

9. Seasons (New topic, Jan 10, 2008)

10. Telephones

11. Daily Routine

12. Housework

13. Newspapers

14. Names (New topic, Jan 10, 2008)

15. Shopping

16. Television

17. Weather

18. Transport

19. Letters & Emails

20. Friends

21. Teachers (New topic, Jan 10, 2008)

22. Parks & Public Gardens

23. Clothes

24. Leisure Time & Relaxing

25. Computers

26. Gifts

27. Games

28. People's Ages

29. Meals

30. Photography

31. Sport/Exercise

32. Art (Or, 'The Arts') (New topic, Jan 10, 2008)

33. Sports Teams

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1. Your Work/Your Studies

Do you work or are you a student?

1a) Your Work

(Where do you work?) *
What work/job do you do?
Why did you choose that job/that kind of work?
Do you work full-time or part-time?
Do you prefer working or being a student?
(Similar to above) Would you prefer to work or be a student? *
Do you think what you studied was useful for your work?
Can you briefly describe what do you do in a typical day at work?
What are your responsibilities at work?
Do you like your job? (Why?/Why not?)
Would you recommend this job (or, this kind of work) to your friends (to others)?
What's the most interesting part of your job?
What is the best thing about your job?
Is there anything you don't like about your work?
What's the most difficult part of your job?
Will you change your job? (See Note)
Do you think people today have a bigger work load (or, more work pressure) than people did several decades ago?
Is there anyone who helps you with your work? (= helps you do your job)
Do you think you will continue to do this type of work (or, this job)?
Do you think there should be a minimum and a maximum working age for people? * (See NOTE)
Do you have any particular work goals? *
Why did you decide to sit for the IELTS test? *
Which country are you preparing to go to?
Why did you choose that country?

1b) Your Studies

What subject are you studying?
Why did you choose that subject?
Is that a very popular subject at your university? (Why?/Why not?)
What's the most interesting part of your subject?
How long have you been a student?
(Similar to above) How long have you been studying this course?
What year are you in?
Do you enjoy being a student? (Why?/Why not?)
For you, what's the most enjoyable part of being a student?
Where do you study? = What school or university do you go to?
Why did you choose to study there?
(Similar to above) Why did you choose this school to study your particular subject?
Do you like studying there? (Why?/Why not?)
(Similar to above) How do you like your university/school? (Why?)
How do you feel about your classmates?
(Similar to above) Do you like your schoolmates?
In the future, do you think you and your friends will continue to be together (or, continue to be friends)?
How will you keep in contact if you are not together?
What's your favourite subject? (For high school students)
What's the most difficult part of your studies? (Why?)
Does your school/university have any extra-curricula activities? (What?) ('Extra-curricular' = 'after school')
Why did you decide to sit for the IELTS test? *
Which country are you preparing to go to?
Why did you choose that country?
Do you have any particular work or study goals? *

2. Your Home (Your Accommodation)

See NOTE

What kind of place do you live in at the moment, a house or a flat?
Who do you live with?
How have you decorated your home?
Do you like the place where you live? (Why?/Why not?)
What improvements do you think your home needs?
What part of your home (or, where you live, e.g., your dorm) do you like best? (Why?)
What are the surroundings like there? (= What is the neighbourhood like?)
Do you like the environment (around) where you live?
What kinds of people are your neighbours?
How well do you know your neighbours?
(Similar to above) How (well) do you relate to your neighbours?
Do you plan to move?
In the future, what type of place would you like to live in?
What kind of neighbourhood/environment/surroundings would you like to live in?

3. Your Hometown

Where do you come from?
Please tell me something about your hometown.
What work do the people in your hometown do?
How do people get to (= go to; travel to) work?
Would you say your hometown is a good place (for people) to live in?
(Similar to above) Would you say your hometown is a good place for (families with) children to live? (See NOTE.)
What are the good things about your hometown?
(Similar to above) Is there anything special about your hometown?
What do you like best about your hometown? (Why?) (See NOTE)
Has your hometown had any changes in the past few (10 to 50) years?
What part of your hometown has changed the most in the past few years?
(Similar to above) In what way has your hometown changed the most in the past few years?
What's the oldest part of your hometown?
What's the oldest thing in your hometown? (See NOTE)
Does your hometown have any tourist attractions?
(Similar to above) Would you say your hometown is suitable for tourists? (Why?/Why not?) (See NOTE)
(Similar to above) Would you say your hometown is suitable for development as a tourist spot (or, tourist attraction)? (Why?/Why not?)
How do tourists travel to your hometown?
Do people from other places often travel to your hometown? (Why?/Why not?)
Do people like traveling to your hometown? (Why?/Why not?)

4. Reading

See NOTE

Do you like reading? (Why?/Why not?)
What kinds of things do you like to read?
How much reading do you do everyday?
When did you learn to read?
Do Chinese children (or, young people) today like reading? (Make Guesses: Why?/Why not?)
Did you read much in your childhood?
Do you do much reading at work?
Where do you usually read?
Have you ever given a book as a gift to a friend?
Do you think a 'book club' (where people discuss & exchange books) is a good idea? (Exact wording unclear)

5. Weekends

Are weekends important to you? (See NOTE)
How does the average person in China spend his or her weekend? (See NOTE)
Do you think people should be asked to work on weekends?
Do you think people should be paid overtime when they work on weekends?
Do you think it is reasonable that employees be paid at a higher rate for working overtime? (See NOTE)
Which weekend day do you prefer, Saturday or Sunday? (Why?)
What do you usually do on that day?

6. Family (New topic, Jan. 10, 2008)

Who are the people in your family? (See NOTE)
What does your family do together? (See NOTE)
What do the people in your family do each day? ( = What does each person do?) *
In what situations do you think family is more important than friends?
In what situations do you think friends are more important than family?
What is the biggest influence in your life? (See NOTE)

7. Drawing (Or, 'Painting')

Do you ever (or, often) draw pictures in your spare time?
What kind of pictures do you like to draw?
When did you learn to draw?
Do you think it's important for children to learn to draw?
Do you think it's important for adults to learn to draw?
What's the difference between an adult and a child learning to draw?

8. Music

See ALL_PART_1_QUESTIONS 24. Music

Do you like music? (Why?/Why not?)
What type of music do you like best? (Why?)
How often do you listen to that type of music?
Where do you listen to it?
Have you ever been to a musical performance?
Do you or do any of your friends know how to play a musical instrument?
If you had the chance, what (other) musical instrument would you learn to play?

9. Seasons (New topic, Jan. 10, 2008)

Describe the four seasons in your hometown.
Which season is your favourite? (Why?)

10. Telephones

How often do you use a cellphone?
What do you use it for?
How often in a day do you use an older-style telephone?
When do use it? (On what occasions? Or: At what times of the day?)
What are some differences between a cellphone and fixed phones?
Do Chinese people prefer to use cellphones or the older-style phones? (See NOTE)
Do you think cellphones are important for modern people?
Which do you think is better, face-to-face communication or a phone call? (Why?)
What services does your cellphone have that fixed phones don't have?
How do you think cellphones will develop in the future?
Do men and women use telephones/cellphones in the same way?
(Similar to above) Are there any differences to the cellphones (= mobile phones) that men use, compared to those that women use?
How has advertising for cellphones developed in recent years?

11. Daily Routine

What are you usually doing at this time? (See NOTE)
What do you do in a typical day?
Do you do the same thing(s) every day?
How do you plan your day?

12. Housework

Do you usually do any housework?
What housework do you do?
What housework do you least like doing? (Why?)
Do you think children should lend a hand around the home? (Why?/Why not?)
If a child helps do some of the family housework, how do you think this affects the child's development?
What do you do to help the family?

13. Newspapers

Do you often read newspapers?
Are newspapers an important part of your everyday life? (Why?/Why not?)
(Similar to above) Do you think it's important to read newspapers? (Why?/Why not?)
What (different) kinds of newspapers do you have (= are there) in China?
Which newspaper do you most often read?
When (at what age) did you start reading the newspaper?
(Similar to above) How old were you when you first started to read newspapers (= the newspaper)?
Do you prefer reading local or international news? (Why?)
Why do (you think) people read newspapers?

14. Names (New topic, Jan 10, 2008)

Does your name have any special meaning?
Who gave you your name?
(Similar to above) What is the origin of your name? *
Why did they choose that name?
Is your name very important to you?
(Similar to above) Do Chinese people attach great importance to their names?
When Chinese people name their children, are there any special customs that are followed?
(Similar to above) How do Chinese people name their babies?
Are there any big differences between people's names today in China and people's names many years ago?
Do many people in China have a nickname (or a name that only their friends & family call them)? *
Do Chinese people like to have common names? *
Do Chinese people today usually have a third name?
What's the most common surname in China?

15. Shopping

See ALL_PART_1_QUESTIONS 34. SHOPPING

Do you often go shopping?
(Similar to above) Do you like shopping?
What do you like buying?
What places for shopping are there near your home?
(Similar to above) Where do you generally do your shopping?
(Similar to above) What type(s) of shop do prefer to go to? (Why?)
Would you say the people who work in those shops (the people who serve you) provide good service?
(Similar to above) Do these shops provide good service?
What type(s) of shop would you recommend a visitor to China go to? (Why?)
Do you ever buy anything on the internet?
What do you think are the advantages of buying things on the internet?
Are there any disadvantages (or dangers) from buying on the internet? (What?)
Do you like window shopping? (Why?/Why not?)
In China, how has shopping changed in the past few decades?
Do you think people spend too much time (or money) on shopping? (Why?/Why not?)
What kinds of people spend an excessive amount of time or money on shopping?

16. Television

Do you like watching TV?
What programs do you (most like to) watch?
What types of program do children in China like to watch?
(Similar to above) What types of program did you like to watch when you were a child?
In China, is it possible for you to watch any TV programs in English? (What programs?)
What do you think are the benefits of watching TV programs in English?

17. Weather

What's the weather like in your hometown?
What kind of weather do you like best (or, like most)?
What sort of weather do you least like?
Do you think the weather can affect people's moods? (See NOTE)
How does bad weather affect your life? (See NOTE)
Is the weather in your country (China) the same all over the country?* (Give examples)
Have you ever been to any place where the weather is different to your hometown? (If yes, compare the two.)
(If doing the test far from your hometown) Compare the weather in your hometown and the weather here. (See NOTE)
In China, are there ever any problems caused by the weather? (= caused by extreme weather?) (Give examples)

18. Transport

How do you travel around your hometown?
(Similar to above) What kind(s) of transport do you most frequently use? (Add comments.)
Is it very expensive (= very dear)?
What's the most common means of (= form of) transport in your hometown?
What do you think of the public transport in your hometown?
Is transportation very important where you live?
How do you think transport (in your hometown) will change in the future (or, in the next 20 or 30 years)?

19. Letters & Emails

Do you often send emails?
Do you think emails are useful?
How do you prefer to contact people, by email or by phone? (Why?)
(Similar to above) How do you prefer to contact people, by email or by letter? (Why?)
How often do you write letters?
Who do you write to?

20. Friends

Do you like making new friends?
Do you like meeting new people?
Have you met any interesting people recently? (See NOTE)
(Similar to above) When (or where) was the last time you met someone interesting?
How will you make new friends in the future?
What kinds of people do you like to make friends with?
How long do you think it takes to get to know a person? (See NOTE)
Do you like face-to-face conversations with people? (See NOTE)
Do you think it's possible to become real friends with the people you meet on the internet, for example, on chat sites or personal introduction sites? * (See NOTE)

21. Teachers (New topic, Jan 10, 2008)

Have you ever thought of being a teacher?
(Similar to above) What do you think of teaching as a job/career/line of work?
What do you think of teachers? *
Did you (do you) like your high school teachers? (Why?/Why not?)
Do school students in China like their teachers?
Are teachers in China very strict? (Why?/Why not?)
Do you think there are any benefits from teachers being strict with the students?
What qualities should a good teacher have?
Are you an extroverted or an introverted type of person?
When you were in school (primary school or high school) did any of your teachers have a (strong) influence on you? *
Which teacher (or, teachers) have influenced you?

22. Parks & Public Gardens

Do you often go to a park or a (public) garden?
How often do you go there?
What do you do when you go there?
What do other people do there?
What do you think are the functions of parks and public gardens? (See NOTE)

23. Clothes

What kinds of clothes do you usually wear?
Do people around you also wear the same type of clothes? (See NOTE)
What kinds of clothes do other people wear?
In China, are students allowed to wear different clothes to other students? (See NOTE)
(Similar to above) What kinds of clothes are popular in China?
Do you think clothes are important to people? (Why?/Why not?)
(Similar to above) Are clothes very important to you?
Do you prefer to wear formal or informal clothes? (Why?)
Do you often wear formal clothes?
Do you think formal clothes are important?
When do people wear formal clothes?
Do you think one can judge a person by their (= his/her) clothing?
What can one learn from the style of a person's clothing?
Do you think people spend too much time on their clothes?
Do you think people spend too much time choosing their clothes? (See NOTE)
Do any people in China still wear traditional Chinese clothing?
Do people care about the colour of their clothes? (Why?/Why not?)
How about you - do you care about the colour of your clothes? (Why?/Why not?)
(Similar to above) Do you think the colour of one's clothes is important? (Why?/Why not?)
What's your favourite colour?
Do you think colour(s) is (are) important in daily life?

24. Leisure Time & Relaxing

How do you relax?
(Similar to above) When you relax, what do you like to do? (See NOTE)
(Similar to above) What do you like doing in your leisure time? (Why?)
(Similar to above) Do you have any hobbies?
Do you have enough time for your hobby (hobbies)?
Do you think it's easy for people to relax (nowadays)?
Do you think people need leisure time? (Why?/Why not?)
(Similar to above) Do you think it's important for people to relax sometimes?
In general, what do people in China do in their leisure time?
What do you do on weekends?
Do you think holidays are important? (See NOTE)

25. Computers

What part do computers play in your life?
What do you use a computer for?
When did you start to learn how to use a computer?
Are computers used much in your country?
How are computers useful to people?
(Similar to above) Are computers useful to people?
(Similar to above) What are computers used for in your country?
Do you think it's a good or a bad thing to teach children how to use a computer?
(Similar to above) Should children use computers?
Do you think computers have changed our lives for the better? (Why?)

26. Gifts

Do you often give gifts to people?
When was the last time you received a gift?
When (on what occasions) do Chinese people give gifts?
When considering a present to give to someone, how do you (or, how do people) select this gift?
When Chinese people visit others, is it usual for them to bring a gift?
What sorts of things do they bring?

27. Games

What games do you like?
What sports do Chinese people like?
What can people learn from games?

28. People's Ages

Do you enjoy being the age you are now?
What do you think is the best age to be?
If you could change your age, what age would you choose to be?
In China, which birthday is more important, one's 18th birthday or one's 20th birthday?
Which age is considered to be the most important in Chinese culture? (Why?)
Do people have different pressures at different times of their life?
Which age is the most difficult in one's life?
Which age do you think is the happiest in people's lives?

29. Meals

See NOTE

Is there any special food that you particularly like? (See NOTE)
Which meal do you prefer, lunch or dinner?
Do you think breakfast is important? (Why?/Why not?)
Which meal of the day do you think is the most important? (Why?)

30. Photography

Do you like photography? (See NOTE)
In what situations do you take photographs?
Do you prefer to take pictures of people or of scenery? * (See NOTE)
Who do you take photos of? (See NOTE)
Why do some people not like taking photographs?
Why don't some people like having their photo taken? (See NOTE)

31. Sport/Exercise

What sport or exercise do you do?
How do you do it?
Do Chinese people like to do daily exercise?
Do you think sport or exercise helps (= benefits) people?
(Similar to above) How does sport or exercise benefit people?

32. Art (Or, 'The Arts') (New topic, Jan 10, 2008)

See NOTE

Do you like art? (Why?/Why not?)
(Similar to above) How do you feel about art?
What form of art do you like the most?
In you childhood, what experience of art did you have?
(Similar to above) Did you do any artistic activities when you were a child?
(Similar to above) Did you learn any artistic activities when you were a child?
What art form were (are) you best at?
Do you like going to concerts or visiting (or, do you often visit) museums and art galleries? (Why?/Why not?) (See NOTE)
(Similar to above) Do you often visit museums or art galleries? (Why?/Why not?)
What benefits does (participating in) art bring to people?
(Similar to above) How important do you think art is in the lives of people?

33. Sports Teams

What sports team(s) in China is (are) most popular?

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