english 101 series 101 model answers for part 1 of the ielts speaking

S SO O O K EB fb.com/ebook.sos English 101 Series: 101 model answers for part of the IELTS speaking module S Mark Griffiths EB O O K SO fb.com/ebook.sos Kindle Edition EB O O K SO S Copyright 2013 Mark Griffiths Discover other titles by Mark Griffiths 60 Topics for IELTS Speaking IELTS Speaking: A Comprehensive Guide IELTS Writing: A Comprehensive guide EB O O K SO S English 101 Series: 101 model answers for part of the IELTS speaking module English 101 Series: 101 model answers for part of the IELTS speaking module English 101 Series: 101 model answers for part of the IELTS speaking module English 101 Series: 101 model answers for IELTS writing task English 101 Series: 101 model answers for IELTS writing task English 101 Series: 101 vocabulary problems English 101 Series: 101 grammar exercises English 101 Series: 101 proverbs and sayings (set 1) English 101 Series: 101 proverbs and sayings (set 2) English 101 Series: 101 phrasal verbs (set 1) English 101 Series: 101 phrasal verbs (set 2) English 101 Series: 101 slang terms (set 1) English 101 Series: 101 slang terms (set 2) English 101 Series: 101 conversation phrases English 101 Series: 101 connectives Table of Contents Preface A S B C SO D E F H I K L EB M O O K G N O P R S T V W Y EB O O K SO S About the author Preface Many candidates like to read model answers when they are preparing for the IELTS speaking and writing modules This book provides one model answer for each of the following 101 part topics that have appeared in the IELTS speaking module S The model answers are intended as a guide and candidates should modify the answers to suit their own circumstances and add to them wherever appropriate In other words, candidates should consider using the vocabulary and grammatical structures in this book to help them to create their own answers EB O O K SO The Table of Contents provides the first letter of the various topics so that candidates can easily find those topics that interest them Advertisements Do you like advertisements? Ages When people usually get married in your country? SO S I like certain advertisements, especially those which have cute animals in them I think that these ads are very effective at getting products and services recognised by the public However, I think that there are too many ads on TV, in magazines and on the streets, so generally I don’t like advertisements very much I think that people generally get married in their late twenties, but there are many people who marry much earlier – even while they are still in their teens On the other hand, there are some people who marry in their thirties or even not marry at all I think that the trend in recent years has been to marry later K Ambitions O Do you think that you are an ambitious person? Animals O Not really Most of my friends are much more ambitious than I am They often set themselves goals for each year I used to this, but I was not good at achieving the goals, so I don’t it now However, some people seem to become obsessed with their ambitions and forget about enjoying life EB Do you often visit zoos or wildlife parks? When I was a child, my parents used to take me to zoos and wildlife parks, but now I hardly ever go I used to enjoy watching the different animals at zoos and wildlife parks, but now I have other interests I only go if any of my young relatives want to go Art What form of art you like most? My favourite is photography I enjoy both taking photographs and looking at photos that other people have taken For the latter, I can find some really stunning photos online or go to a gallery to see an exhibition I particularly like looking at photographs that have been taken at strange angles or where the photographer has used filters or a computer programme to change the colours Bicycles When you ride a bicycle? SO S I ride a bicycle in spring, summer and autumn, as long as it is not raining or too cold or windy In those seasons, I usually ride a bicycle to and from work It’s usually faster than taking a bus because of the traffic jams during rush hour Next year, there will be a subway station near my home, so might become a little lazy and go to and from work by subway rather than by bicycle Birds Are there many birds where you live? K Yes I can see birds in my neighbourhood all day Most of them are sparrows, feeding on bits of food that have fallen to the ground, but occasionally there are magpies A few of my neighbours keep pigeons and there are a few elderly gentlemen who keep birds in cages and walk with them in nearby parks I don’t know what kinds of birds they keep O Birthdays What kind of presents you get people for their birthdays? EB O I usually buy something that I’m pretty sure the person is interested in For example, my father likes history, so I usually get him a history book or DVD whilst my mother likes going to the theatre, so I often get her tickets to a performance I find it very difficult to decide what to get children for their birthdays, so I usually seek advice from their parents Books Who is your favourite writer? My favourite writer is an American author named Tom Clancy He generally writes thrillers, though he has also written non-fiction His stories are mostly about politics, the military and spies Of course, in his books there are plenty of heroes and villains, but sometimes the villains are partly successful, so you never quite know how the story will end Several of his books have also been made into successful films 10 Buildings What kind of buildings you like? As a general rule, I prefer older buildings to more modern ones The main reason is because older, historic buildings usually have some nice decorative features, such as animals In contrast, modern buildings often look quite boring and less imaginative However, some modern buildings, like the new CCTV building in Beijing, look unusual and make me wonder how they could be built How has your life changed in recent years? SO S 11 Change The main way in which it has changed is because I have finished high school and started university As I now live away from my parents, I am more independent The biggest difference is that studying at high school involved much more work whereas now I have a little more free time to develop my interests At university there are many clubs that enable students to this 12 Cities K Do you like living in a city? O Generally, I prefer living in a city to living in the countryside There are more things to do, especially with regard to entertainment Also, the job opportunities are better, especially if you want to work for an international company However, living in the countryside has some advantages The air is much cleaner and I love going for walks in the countryside O 13 Clothes Is the brand of clothes important to you? EB No I really have no interest in which brand of clothes I buy To be honest, I usually cannot see very much difference in quality between the cheap brands and the expensive ones When I buy clothes, I want them to feel comfortable and look good I don’t really follow fashion and so I don’t see any reason to pay the high prices that fashionable brands charge 14 Collecting How you get things for your collections? Well, I collect stamps and it’s very easy to find them because so many people collect them First of all, I can buy new stamp issues from the post office I often get stamps from people who sell them in the market not far from my home Occasionally, I buy stamps online, but I usually prefer not to this too many of them but I think I could try harder 42 History Are there any historical sites in your hometown? 43 Hobbies and Interests Did you have other hobbies when you were younger? SO S Yes, London has numerous historical sites The ones I would most recommend are the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace and the British Museum The Tower is a castle near the River Thames and you can see the crown jewels there Buckingham Palace is world famous as the London residence of the Royal Family The British Museum is famous for its collections of valuable historical items from all over the world O O K Yes, when I was a child I had quite different hobbies to now I used to play sport very often I enjoyed football, swimming and athletics I also used play board games with my friends quite often, but I rarely play them now One hobby that I still have is collecting stamps I’ve got a really big collection after all these years 44 Holidays / Vacations If you could go to any foreign country for a holiday, where would you go? EB I would love to go to India Like China, it is developing really quickly and I would like to see some of the changes that are taking place I love Indian food and would really like to try it there to see how it compares to what I have eaten outside India I would also like to see some of the historical buildings there, such as the Taj Mahal 45 Hotels How much does a hotel room in your city cost per night? Obviously, it depends on the quality and location of the hotel There are some cheap hotels quite near the centre for about $50 These have small, clean rooms with a bathroom, so they are very good for people who don’t have big demands In the centre of the city, there are five star hotels that will charge you at least $150 However, the facilities there are very nice and the rooms are larger 46 Housework When you were a child, did you any housework? Yes, I had to quite a lot of household chores when I was a kid The simplest job was taking out the rubbish Sometimes, I would cut the grass in the garden Sometimes, I had to help with the laundry and cleaning the floors Actually, I enjoyed doing housework and even got paid for doing it occasionally Do you prefer indoor activities or outdoor ones? SO S 47 Indoor Activities I prefer outdoor activities, but only when the weather is nice During the summer, I enjoy cycling, hiking and canoeing Living in the countryside makes it easy to participate in these activities I like being surrounded by nature and these activities are great ways of keeping fit When it is cold or raining, I prefer to stay indoors and watch TV or read a book 48 The Internet How has the Internet changed your life? O K I think I am similar to most people in that I find the Internet a great way to get information It is so much better than going to different places to find things out In that way, it has been useful for my studies and my work If I want to buy something, like a new mobile phone, I can use the Internet to compare products and see what other people think of them I also find the Internet has made me more interested in keeping up with the news O 49 Keeping Fit Have you ever been a member of a fitness club? EB Yes, I was a member of my university fitness club while I was a student It was very cheap to join and the club was well-equipped I used to go there almost every day However, since I graduated, I haven’t been a member of a fitness club Perhaps I should join one because I think I’m putting on a little weight 50 Languages Do many foreigners speak your native language? I think there are three main groups of foreigners who speak my native tongue The first are people who have come to my country to study or to work These people come from all over the world from a wide variety of cultural backgrounds The second group of people is the descendants of past emigrants These people have learnt the language from their parents by speaking it at home The third group consists of people who were born in my country, but have taken citizenship of other countries Clearly, they learnt the language as children as native speakers 51 Learning English What you find easy about learning English? 52 Leisure Time How did you become interested in football? SO S Unlike many of my compatriots, I find the pronunciation is really easy Most of the English sounds are the same in my language and English, so don’t have to learn many new ones The really difficult sound for me is ‘th’ I think I’ve got it right now, but it took a lot of practise K When I was a kid, I used to go to watch football matches with my friends It was very exciting! Also, football was on TV most weekends and often during the week There were also lots of articles about football matches and players in the newspapers and my friends and I used to compete to see who knew the most or who got the news first O 53 Letters Do you prefer to write letters or emails? EB 54 Magazines O I definitely prefer writing emails I love using computers and my handwriting is not very clear Moreover, it’s also just so much simpler to use email You sit at home or in a café with a wireless connection, type your message and send It’s also easy to write a draft and save it for editing later Which magazines you read? I love football, so I read a magazine called ‘Football Weekly’ It usually has about 100 pages and it is in colour There are a lot of advertisements in the magazine Some of the ads are for football related products, but others are not There are many articles, including interviews with footballers and managers, discussions of football tactics and, of course, reports on matches from around the world 55 The Media Do you pay more attention to local, national or international news? I pay more attention to local news I only buy a local newspaper and don’t read news articles online very often I find the national and international news too complicated Besides, the local issues are the ones that affect me most, so I think I should pay more attention to them 56 Meeting People How did you meet most of your friends? SO S I think I met most of my friends the same way as other people – through study and work I still have a few friends from secondary school, but more from university As I have only been working for a short time, the friends I have met through work are not as close as those I met through my studies I also have a very good friend that I met at a bar one evening We just started chatting and have been close ever since 57 Memories Have you kept anything from your childhood to remind you of it? O O K In my parents’ house in the countryside, there is one room where we keep lots of old things in boxes A few of those boxes contain things from my childhood, but I haven’t kept anything specific from my childhood to remind me of it I’m not even sure what is in the boxes, but probably some photographs, toys and perhaps even some clothes 58 Museums and Art Galleries Are there any museums or art galleries where you live? EB As I live in a large city, there are many museums and art galleries and there are a few in my area Two of the best museums are the History Museum which has things like old coins and pottery, and the Science and Technology Museum, which has a few old cars, old machines and some strange inventions that people don’t use now I don’t know the art galleries very well, but the Modern Art Gallery has some interesting paintings and sculptures 59 Music At what times of day you like to listen to music? I like listening to music at any time of the day, but I most often listen to it when I am travelling to and from my university and in the evenings while I am surfing the Internet and checking my email I like listening to music while I am walking or using public transport because it takes my mind off the journey 60 Musical Instruments Did you learn to play a musical instrument when you were a child? 61 Names Is your family name a common one in your country? SO S Yes, I did I learnt to play the piano because my parents thought it would make me smarter and more cultured I’m not sure it worked! When I was a little older, I started learning to play the guitar as well I thought that guitar players looked cool When I was a student, I took my guitar with me to bars and some of the owners gave me free beer or food and even paid me a little money to play Yes, my family name is quite common, especially if you include the different variations of my family name There are even some famous people who share my family name, but I don’t think we are related! I think that the most common family names in my country are Smith, Jones, and Brown 62 Neighbours K Do you think your neighbours have a similar lifestyle to you? 63 The News O O I doubt it My neighbours on the left side are an old couple and the ones on the right side are a little older than me and have children I hardly ever hear them going out in the evenings and, as far as I know, we don’t share any hobbies The old couple are retired, so my working lifestyle must be completely different to theirs The only thing our lifestyles have in common is that we prefer cooking to going out to restaurants I often hear them in their kitchens EB Does the news affect your life very much? I think it does sometimes It seems to affect my working life more than my personal life I work for an investment company, so we have to keep an eye on the news for developments that could affect businesses, such as the recent financial problems in the Euro zone However, I did notice some recent stories that will affect me The prices of water, gas and electricity will increase, which affects everyone who uses those resources 64 Newspapers Which kind of articles or features interest you the most? Oh, I am definitely most interested in articles about famous celebrities, such as singers and actors I love reading about their private lives, especially about who they are dating and which relationships have ended Of course, I want to know which actors are making new films and which singers are making new albums too Some of my friends like to read similar information about sports stars, but I’m not so interested in them 65 Noise S Do noisy people bother you? 66 Numbers What kind of numbers you need to remember? SO Yes, they I’m very lucky because my neighbours are very quiet This means I can a lot of studying at home and find it easy to relax there I live in a city, so some noise is inevitable, especially the sound of traffic Where I study, there is a lot of noise, but it’s not because the people are noisy – it’s because there are so many people in a small space 67 Outdoor Activities O K I don’t need to remember many numbers I must remember the PIN for my bank card, so I can use the ATM There are lots of other numbers I use, like phone numbers and dates of people’s birthdays, but I have those written down and stored in my mobile phone and computer, so I don’t need to remember them Oh, I have to remember the number for my bicycle lock! O Which outdoor activities would you like to take up? EB I would love to take up some extreme sports, like bungee jumping That would be so cool! I’m not sure where I can it, but I suppose I could check online I wanted to it when I was younger, but my parents refused to let me have a go Now, I’ve left home, so I think I can decide for myself I’d also like to try snowboarding, but I live in the south and there is no snow 68 Parties Do you prefer family parties or parties with friends? I prefer parties with friends Sometimes, at family parties, it can be a little difficult to be yourself, because family members often expect you to behave in certain ways and to say certain things Friends, on the other hand, are much more tolerant of what you say and Generally, I find that this makes parties with friends more fun than those with family members 69 Pets Is there anything you dislike about pets? 70 Photographs SO Do you think it would be interesting to be a professional photographer? S There are two things I dislike about pets – some pets anyway First, they often don’t smell too good and secondly they sometimes make a lot of noise Of course, this is not true of all pets Fish are very quiet and an aquarium only smells if it not cleaned properly Yes, I think it would be There are different kinds of professional photographers I would like to one who takes photographs of natural scenery, because it involves quite a lot of travel and I find nature so beautiful and interesting It might be interesting to be a wedding photographer, but I think that it might be difficult sometimes because some people are very demanding 71 Places of Interest O O K Do you often visit places of natural beauty? No I would like to, but I live in a city and have a lot of work at the moment When I was a child, I used to go cycling in the countryside, but now Beijing has expanded and what was countryside is now urban However, if I have a week or two holiday from work, I like to travel to places of natural beauty in my country or abroad, especially to places with mountains, waterfalls and lakes 72 Plans and Goals EB Do you often make plans for the future? I often make plans for the very near future So, for example, when I wake up, I plan my day in my mind while eating breakfast However, my plans for the longer term are vague I think it is difficult to make long term plans because so many things can change I might even decide to change the plan completely if I have a new idea 73 Possessions What things you own which you find particularly useful? Like many people, I have electronic items like a mobile phone and a laptop that I find very useful for keeping in touch with friends and family and for finding information and for my work However, there are a few less hi-tech items that I have which are very useful too For example, I have a lot of books connected with my job and these are full of information that I use almost every day I also have an exercise bike which I find very useful for keeping fit 74 Primary School SO S Have you ever returned to see your primary school? Yes, I have I went back last year to see what the school was like The buildings were basically the same, but the classrooms seemed brighter than I remember and were full of interesting posters One of my old teachers is now the head of the school Most of the teachers are so young I’m sure the teachers were older when I was there 75 Private Gardens Would you like to have a garden? K I would love to If I had a garden, I would grow wild flowers and vegetables in it I would also buy some simple garden furniture – plastic chairs and a table – so that in summer I could sit outside and read a book or invite some friends over for a chat and some snacks Houses with gardens are very expensive, so I will have to save for a long time 76 Public Transport O Is public transport expensive where you live? EB 77 Radio O No, it’s really very cheap Here in Beijing, bus journeys usually cost rmb, but only 0.4 rmb if you use a pre-paid travel card Longer bus journeys can cost more A journey on the subway costs rmb, which is actually less than in the past It used to cost rmb Trains and buses to other towns and cities are also quite cheap, but the new fast trains are a little expensive for many people Did you listen to the radio when you were younger? Yes, I used to listen to it most days, especially whilst I was doing my homework Some people might find that distracting, but I didn't I listened to radio shows that played contemporary pop music On Sunday evenings, there was a radio show lasting two hours which had the top 40 hits, played down from number 40 to number That was my favourite show 78 Rain Which time of the year is rainiest where you live? Definitely the winter It doesn't rain every day, but it does most days Usually the rain is not very heavy and falls in the afternoon or evening During the summer, it doesn't rain much I guess it rains about once a week However, if it rains, it rains very heavily Sometimes it rains all day 79 Reading How important is reading for you? 80 Restaurants What kind of restaurants are near your home? SO S I love reading, so it's very important to me I have to a lot of reading for my job, but I also a great deal of reading in my free time I enjoy reading books and usually carry a book with me when I go out I find that a good book keeps me occupied while I'm commuting or if I have to wait for some people to arrive at a meeting I also like reading news stories on the Internet I usually read them each morning while I have a cup of coffee O K I'm very lucky to have several good restaurants near my home, serving a wide variety of different cuisines There's a Chinese restaurant which specialises in spicy Sichuan food Then there's an Indian restaurant I love curry! There's a very expensive Japanese restaurant They have an 'all you can eat' buffet available in the evenings I usually only go there on special occasions 81 Science O Do you think you will study science in the future? EB I doubt it My job doesn't involve science, so I don't need to learn anything about it I like reading articles about new scientific developments, like biotechnology, and I read a book about the history of scientific development once in a while To be honest, I wasn't really very interested in science even when I was studying it at school 82 The Sea Would you like to live in a seaside town? I certainly would In fact, I've been looking at the possibility of moving to a seaside town in the near future I love the sound of the sea and I think that coastal areas are very beautiful I like cliffs and sandy beaches, so if I lived in a seaside town I would prefer one that had both nearby 83 The Seasons What are the seasons like where you live? Where I live, the summers tend to be quite hot – usually about 30 degrees – while the winters are a little cold – perhaps around freezing However, if it is windy, the winter temperatures can be much lower It's not very wet where I live and most of the rain falls in winter Spring and autumn have very changeable weather It's almost impossible to predict what a day will be like when you look out of a window in the morning S 84 Secondary School SO What subjects did you study at secondary school? I studied a wide variety of subjects at secondary school As we got older, we could choose some subjects and drop others At first, we all had English, maths, the three sciences – biology, chemistry and physics – French, geography, history, handicrafts and P.E Later, I dropped biology and chemistry, but added economics and Spanish During my last two years at secondary school, each student only studied four or five subjects I did geography, history, economics, English and maths O O K 85 Shopping What kinds of shops are near your home? I live in an area where there are still many small shops and no large ones There are two small supermarkets, a fruit and vegetable shop, a newsagent's, a ladies' clothes shop and a shoe shop These shops stock everything that people need for their everyday lives The nearest large supermarket is about half a hour's walk away – or a short bus ride or car journey 86 Sports EB Are there any sports you would like to try? I would love to try table tennis It looks like a very fast game, so I have been a little afraid of trying it I don't want to look silly when I miss the ball with the paddle I know a few people who play this game, but they are quite advanced players I don't know of any teachers in my area 87 Sports Teams Have you ever played for a sports team in a competition? Yes When I was at school, I played on the football team Actually, I was usually one of the substitutes, so I rarely played a full game Each school year, we took part in the city league As a rule, we didn't very well and finished near the bottom of the league table The simple fact is that we weren't very good! 88 Swimming Are there opportunities for people to swim where you live? SO S Yes, there are two swimming pools in my area One is a public swimming pool It is cheap to go to, but usually very crowded Actually, it has two pools – a small, shallow one is for parents with small children The other swimming pool is in a hotel It is only supposed to be for hotel guests, but it is possible to sneak in by pretending to be a guest The pool is hardly ever crowded There are usually just a few people there 89 Teachers Were your teachers strict? K Most of my secondary school teachers were strict, but a few were not Generally, I liked the strict teachers, because they made sure we learned the material well Because of this, I found that I could the homework faster and have more free time in the evenings If any students were disruptive, the teacher would simply send them out of the class and the rest of us would continue learning O 90 Telephones O How often you make or get calls? EB I usually make and get phone calls every day, but not very many I usually get about twice as many calls as I make Most of the calls are work-related I almost always uses text messaging to contact people for social reasons, because then they can reply when they are free or when they know their plans Of course, sending texts is much cheaper too! 91 Television Do you often talk about television programmes with other people? Yes, I I like watching reality TV shows and so most of my friends We often talk about them when we are together – at lunch or having a coffee We talk about the crazy things that the people have said or done and we discuss the clothes that the ladies wear There are so many reality TV shows nowadays that there is always something new for us to talk about 92 Time Do you always wear a watch? No, I rarely wear a watch I generally use my mobile phone to see what tie it is However, I wear a watch on special occasions, especially if I'm going to a social event or to a function and switch my mobile phone off I think that a nice watch makes a man look elegant 93 Transport S Which types of transport you use most often? SO I most often use my bicycle and the bus I use my bike for short journeys I like it because it gives me the chance to some exercise at the same time However, I don't use it when it is raining or it looks like it might rain I use buses for longer journeys or when I'm going to a meeting with clients I don't want to arrive at meetings after a sweaty bike ride! 94 Travel Do you ever read books, magazines or newspaper articles about travel? O K I read newspaper articles about travel online at least once a week I like to see which locations might make suitable holiday destinations for me The newspaper articles are very useful because they provide tips on places to visit and things to However, they usually only refer to more expensive accommodation options, so I have to a little research online to find out about cheaper possibilities O 95 Visitors Do you like people coming to visit you at home? EB I'm afraid I don't I much prefer to meet people – like my friends – at a cafe, bar or restaurant If people come to visit me at home, I feel that I have to keep the place especially tidy In addition, they might come at inconvenient times, while I am busy doing something else or perhaps preparing to go out 96 Weather Is the weather ever unusual where you live? In recent years, there has been some unusual weather One summer we had a big dust storm, which left everything covered with sandy dust from the desert It lasted a whole day and I was very lucky that I did not have to go out at all that day Last winter, we had a terrible blizzard It snowed all day and the wind was howling Again, I didn't need to go outside, luckily 97 Weddings How many weddings have you been to? 98 Weekends Which is your favourite part of the weekend? SO S I have only been to two weddings in my life The first was when I was a teenager I remember being very bored The second was when a friend from school got married That wedding was much more fun I didn't get drunk, but I drank most of the day and ate a lot of delicious food I met some really nice people I had never met before as well as some old friends My favourite part of the weekend is Saturday evening On Friday evenings, I am often too tired to go out with my friends to a bar, but by Saturday evening I am refreshed There's no work on Sunday, so I can stay out very late I generally spend Saturday evenings with my friends There are a few bars we enjoy going to Sometimes we meet for a meal beforehand K 99 Writing What you find difficult about writing in English? O O I always worry about making too many grammar mistakes when I write in English I know that my English grammar will never be perfect, but too many mistakes – especially basic ones – can create a very bad impression on the reader I almost always reread my writing to check for mistakes If it is especially important, I this twice or ask someone else to check it too 100 Your Country EB What industries are there in your country? There are several important manufacturing industries in my country The biggest are car manufacturing, electronics, clothes and textiles, and heavy machinery Together, these industries employ about half the working population and make up most of our national exports In recent years, there has been more competition from abroad, but the companies have improved their efficiency to deal with this 101 Your Home town What would you like to change about your home town? EB O O K SO S I would like there to be better sports facilities in my home town At the moment, there are some sports facilities, but they are old and often not cater for younger people who prefer different sports to those that were popular in the past, such as basketball and tennis It would certainly be expensive to construct the new facilities, but I think that the investment would be worth it as people would participate more often in sport and the construction would create some jobs About the author Mark Griffiths began teaching English in 1990 and has worked mainly in the Czech Republic and China He first qualified as an IELTS examiner in 2001 and has had several IELTS books published in China EB O O K SO S The English 101 Series will be a range of about 20 books to be published in the first half of 2013 Some of these books will be specific to IELTS whereas others will be of use to all people studying English as a foreign language [...]... with their friends and family, but there are plenty of other activities Some people walk their dogs In the mornings there are usually groups of elderly people doing tai chi When the weather is nice, some people might sing and play musical instruments in the parks There is a pond in one of the parks and, during the summer, I have seen a few young men playing with remote control boats on it Do you often... many foreigners speak your native language? I think there are three main groups of foreigners who speak my native tongue The first are people who have come to my country to study or to work These people come from all over the world from a wide variety of cultural backgrounds The second group of people is the descendants of past emigrants These people have learnt the language from their parents by speaking. .. the historical buildings there, such as the Taj Mahal 45 Hotels How much does a hotel room in your city cost per night? Obviously, it depends on the quality and location of the hotel There are some cheap hotels quite near the centre for about $50 These have small, clean rooms with a bathroom, so they are very good for people who don’t have big demands In the centre of the city, there are five star hotels... Most of the calls are work-related I almost always uses text messaging to contact people for social reasons, because then they can reply when they are free or when they know their plans Of course, sending texts is much cheaper too! 91 Television Do you often talk about television programmes with other people? Yes, I do I like watching reality TV shows and so do most of my friends We often talk about them... an IELTS examiner in 20 01 and has had several IELTS books published in China EB O O K SO S The English 10 1 Series will be a range of about 20 books to be published in the first half of 2 013 Some of these books will be specific to IELTS whereas others will be of use to all people studying English as a foreign language ... bars 38 Going Out in the Evenings SO S Is there enough to do in the evenings in your city? Here in Beijing, there is plenty for people to do in the evenings Young people can go to bars and clubs, whilst older people might prefer to go to the theatre People of all ages can go to the cinema to see the latest Chinese and Hollywood films Other people might prefer to go to the gym in the evenings However,... construct the new facilities, but I think that the investment would be worth it as people would participate more often in sport and the construction would create some jobs About the author Mark Griffiths began teaching English in 19 90 and has worked mainly in the Czech Republic and China He first qualified as an IELTS examiner in 20 01 and has had several IELTS books published in China EB O O K SO S The English. .. at home The third group consists of people who were born in my country, but have taken citizenship of other countries Clearly, they learnt the language as children as native speakers 51 Learning English What do you find easy about learning English? 52 Leisure Time How did you become interested in football? SO S Unlike many of my compatriots, I find the pronunciation is really easy Most of the English. .. very useful for keeping fit 74 Primary School SO S Have you ever returned to see your primary school? Yes, I have I went back last year to see what the school was like The buildings were basically the same, but the classrooms seemed brighter than I remember and were full of interesting posters One of my old teachers is now the head of the school Most of the teachers are so young I’m sure the teachers... in the future 19 Daily Routines Which part of your daily routine do you like best? My favourite part of my daily routine is the evening meal with my family We usually share in preparing the meal and talk about our days while we do so Very often, at least one of us has a funny story to tell Then we sit and eat together and talk about what we want to watch on TV that evening or what we hope to do the