Tai lieu luyen thi noi IELTS

How has the way people spend their free time changed over the years.. What kind of clothes do people in your country usually wear?. Do you think people behave differently in different ki

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THE IELTS SPEAKING TOPICS WITH

ANSWERS

TÀI LIỆU LUYỆN THI NÓI IELTS

NHÀ XUẤT BẢN ĐẠI HỌC QUỐC GIA HÀ NỘI

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STRUCTURE

Bài thi nói IELTS kéo dài trong khoảng thời gian 11-15 phút và chia làm 3 phần:

Giảm khảo sẽ hỏi một số câu hỏi liên quan đến các đề tài quen thuộc, cơ bản

về bản thân thí sinh như họ tên, nơi sinh, gia đình, việc làm, môi trường học tập, nền giáo dục, tình trạng hôn nhân, quê hương, ngày lễ truyền thống…

Warm up/

Yourself

1 What is your (full) name?

2 Can I have your name please?

3 Could you tell me your full name please?

4 What shall I call you?

5 How can I address you?

6 Does your name have any special meaning?

7 Is your name important to you?

8 Have you ever changed your name? Why or why not?

9 Why do so many people change their name?

Family 1 Describe your family

2 Do you have a large or a small family?

3 How many brothers and sisters do you have?

What do they like doing in their free time?

Which order are you in your family?

4 Can you tell me something/ a little about your family?

5 What do your parents do?

6 Do you have strict parents? Are your parents strict?

7 Do you live with your family?

8 How much time do you spend with your family?

9 What do you like to do together as a family?

10 Do you get along well with your family?

11 Which part of your parents do you most resemble/ take after? Why do you say that?

12 When was the last time you met your extended

Phần 1 INTRODUCTIONS AND QUESTIONS ABOUT GENERAL TOPICS GIỚI THIỆU TỔNG QUÁT (4-5 PHÚT)

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family? What was the occasion?

13 Are people in your country generally close to their families? Are people/ they generally close to their families in your country?

Education 1 Describe your education (education background)

2 What kind of school did you go to when you were a child?

3 Did you go to a co-educational school?

4 What was your favourite subject when you were a child?

5 Who was your favourite teacher?

6 What is the education system like in your country?

7 Do you think your country has an effective education system?

Study 1.What are you studying? / Where are you studying?

2 What’s your major?

3 Why did your choose that major?

4 What do you find most interesting about your course?

5 What is your favourite subject?

6 What do you dislike about your study?

7 What do you plan/ intend to do after your graduation?

8 What are your ambitions for the future?

9 Do you/ expect to receive any qualifications?

10 What are the advantages of studying instead of working?

Work 1 What do you do? Can you describe your job to me?

2 What are your responsibilities?

3 What do you do for a living?

4 How long have you been doing it?

5 Describe the company or organization you work for

6 How many people does your firm employ at present?

7 Can you have some time off whenever you want?

8 If they offer you a well-paid job, will you take it?

9 Why don’t you apply for another job?

10 Can you tell me something/ a little about your boss? What kind of person is he/ she? Like?

11 Have you ever had any serious work? Do you enjoy your work?

12 Can you describe one of your typical working days?

13 What’s your daily routine on a working day?

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14 Why did you choose to do that job?

15 Are there any kinds of work you would rather do?

16 What things do you like about your work? Why?

17 What do you think is the attraction of your work?

18 What is your ideal job?

19 What do you dislike about your job?

20 Do you want to change your current job? Why or why not?

21 Are you willing to do your job permanently?

22 If you could change your job or profession, what would you do?

23 Describe the process of getting a job in your country?

24 What are your plans for the future

Hometown 1 Can you describe your hometown or village to me?

2 Tell me something about your hometown

3 What are you from?

4 Where is your hometown?

5 Where do you come from?

6 What’s special about it?

7 What is the name of the street you live on?

8 What kind of street do you live on?

9 Is it easy to travel around your hometown?

10 What do you like about your town?

11 What is the weather like in your town?

12 What building is considered famous in your town?

13 What do people in your town do?

14 What are the main industries in your hometown?

15 How has your town changed over the last twenty years?

16 What problems does your hometown face?

17 What are the advantages of living in your hometown?

18 What changes have taken place in your city in recent years?

19 Compare your hometown with another city

20 What are environmental problems faced by your hometown?

21 Do you think better to live in the center of town or outside in the countryside?

22 Would you like to live in your hometown when you retire/ get older?

23 When are you next going back to your hometown?

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24 Do you often visit your hometown?

25 How often do you go back to your hometown?

26 Is your hometown famous for anything?

27 What is the name of your hometown?

28 What kind of transport do people usually use in your hometown?

Weather 1 What’s the weather like in your country?

2 Does the weather affect your mood?

3 How do rainy days make you feel?

4 What’s your favourite season of the year?

5 What do you like to do when it’s hot?

6 What do you usually do in the winter?

7 How many seasons are there in your country?

House 1 Describe your house

2 What kind of building do you live in?

3 How long have you lived there?

Friends 1 Do you have many friends? (How about close

friends?)

2 How long have you known them?

3 What do you usually do together?

4 What do you like the most about them?

5 How often do you see them?

Wedding 1 Have you ever been to a wedding?

2 Whose wedding was it?

3 Where was it held?

4 What did people wear?

5 Describe the wedding ceremony?

6 What sort of gifts did people buy for the bridal couple?

7 What kind of costume did the bride and groom wear?

Travel 1 Do you like to travel?

2 What kind of places have you visited in your life?

3 Which place would you really like to visit? Why?

4 What’s the best place you’ve ever visited?

5 Have you visited many foreign countries? What was your favourite place? Why?

6 What countries would you like to visit (in the future?)

7 Would you like to live abroad? Why/ Why not?

8 What things would you recommend a foreign tourist

to do in your country?

9 Have you ever had any problems while you were

12 Have you travelled much?

13 Have you visited any foreign countries?

14 Which part of the world would you most like to travel?

15 If you could live in another country/ travel somewhere, where would you choose?

Computers 1 Do you think computers help society?

2 Do you think computers are bad for health?

3 How do you think computers have changed the world?

Internet 1 Do you the Internet much during the day?

2 What do you usually do on the Internet?

3 What are some advantages of the Internet?

4 What are some disadvantages?

5 Do people in your country use the Internet a lot?

6 Do you do any shopping on the Internet?

Email 1 Do you send and receive email regularly?

2 Who do you usually communicate with?

3 How often do you check your email?

4 Do you think writing email has strengthened or weakened people’s writing skills?

5 What are some disadvantages of email?

Smoking 1 What do you think about smoking in public places?

2 Do you think smoking should be banned in people’s homes?

Marriage 1 What is the attitude towards marriage in your

country?

2 Do most young people plan on getting married in your country?

3 What are some of the advantages of marriage?

4 What are some of the disadvantages?

5 Is the divorce rate high in your country?

6 Do you think people should be allowed to get divorced?

Hobbies 1 Do you have any hobbies? What are your hobbies?

2 Have you got any interests or hobbies?

3 What are some of your hobbies?

4 What are some of the advantages of having a

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hobby?

5 How much time do you spend on your hobby?

6 Are there any new leisure activities you would like

9 What do you usually do in the evening?

10 Do you prefer going out or staying at home? Why?

Films 1 Do you enjoy watching movies?

2 What’s your favourite film?

3 Who are your favourite actors?

4 How often do you watch films?

Free time 1 What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

2 How much time do you spend week for doing these things?

3 Why do you like doing these activities?

4 How did you start doing these activities at first?

5 Are there some other hobbies or sports you would like to try? Why?

6 How has the way people spend their free time changed over the years?

7 What do you do when you have a holiday?

8 Who do you usually spend holiday with?

9 Where do you like to spend your holidays? Why?

10 Can you describe a typical day in your holidays?

11 Why are holidays important to you?

12 If you could take a holiday anywhere in the world, where would you do? Why?

13 What do people usually do during holidays in your town?

Places 1 Describe a place would you like to go

2 Why is this place special to you?

3 When did you first visit this place?

4 Where is this place located?

5 What language is spoken there? Can you speak that language

Transport 1 How did you come here today?

2 What is public transport like in your town?

3 How do you think it could be improved?

4 Do you think people should use public transport more? Why (not)?

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Shopping 1 How much time do you spend shopping every

week?

2 Do you enjoy going shopping? Why (not)?

3 How do you feel about shopping?

4 Do you like shopping on the Internet?

5 Which is the most popular place to shop in your hometown?

6 What is your favourite shop and why do you like it?

7 What problems are there with shopping in your area?

Neighbourhood 1 Can you describe the house where do you live to

me?

2 What is there to do in the area where you live?

3 What do you like about the area where you live?

4 How do you think it could be improved?

5 Do you think it is better to live in the centre of town

or outside in the countryside? Why?

Reading 1 Do you enjoy reading? Why?

2 What sort of things do you read?

3 What kind of books do you like to read?

4 Tell me something about your favourite book

5 Where do you like to read?

6 What are the advantages of reading instead of watching television or going to the cinema?

Sports 1 Do you like sports?

2 Do you enjoy watching sports?

3 Do you enjoy participating in any sports?

4 How often do you participate in sports?

5 What equipment do you need for your favourite sport?

6 What sports are most popular in your country?

7 What sports and games did you enjoy playing when you were a child?

8 Do you take as much exercise as in the past?

9 Why is exercise good for you?

Games 1 Do you enjoy playing any games?

2 What kind of games do you play?

3 Do you think adults should play games?

4 What do children learn from games?

5 What kinds of games did you play when you were a child?

6 What games are popular in your country nowadays?

7 What kinds of games were popular when you were

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young?

8 Do you think mental games like chess are good for you?

Colours 1 Do you have a favourite colour?

2 What are your national colours?

3 Do any colours have a special meaning in your culture?

4 Do you think colours affect our moods?

5 Can you learn anything about a person from the colours he/ she likes?

6 Do you like the same colours now as you did when you were a child?

Music 1 Do you like music?

2 What kind of music do you like?

3 When do you usually listen to music?

4 What kind of music did you like when you were younger?

5 What kind of music is popular in your country?

6 Do you play any musical instruments?

7 Do you wish you could play corrected musical instruments?

8 Which is your favourite instrument?

Country 1 Which country are you from?

2 Where is that/ the country located?

3 Which part of the country do most people live in?

4 What are the main industries in your country?

5 Is it easy to travel around your country?

Clothes 1 What type of clothes do you like to wear?

2 What kind of clothes do people in your country usually wear?

3 How important is fashion to you?

4 What kind of clothes do you dislike?

5 Do you think people behave differently in different kinds of clothes?

6 What kind of clothes do people wear to work in your country?

7 Are clothes expensive in your country?

Going out 1 Do you like going out or staying at home?

2 What do you like to do when you go out?

3 How often do you go out?

4 Do people in your country go out a lot?

5 How and where do people in your country usually socialize?

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6 What kind of entertainment is popular in your country?

Festival 1 What’s the most important festival in your country?

2 How do people celebrate that festival?

3 What special food is associated with that/ the festival?

4 What special activities are associated with that/ the festival?

5 What do you enjoy most about that/ the festival?

6 Do you think festivals are important for a society?

7 Are there any festivals would you like to go to?

8 When did you last go to a festival?

9 Does your hometown have any famous festivals?

Celebrations 1 How do you usually celebrate your birthdays?

2 How did you celebrate your last birthday?

3 How do you think you will celebrate your next birthday?

4 What is the most important day of the year to you? (Why?)

5 What is the next big celebration in your family? (What are you going to do?)

Tourism 1 Which places would you recommend to a visitor to

your country?

2 Do a lot of tourists visit your country?

3 What do they usually do there?

4 How has tourism changed your country?

5 Is your country expensive for most tourists?

6 What are some famous landmarks in your country?

Daily routine 1 Describe your daily routine

2 What do you usually do?

3 What do you do on the weekend?

4 What is your typical weekday like?

5 Does your life change much from week to week?

6 Do you have any free time during the week?

Television 1 Do you watch television a lot?

2 What do you usually what on television?

3 How many hours do you usually watch television?

4 What are the most popular shows in your country?

5 What kind of shows do you like to watch?

6 What are some advantages of television?

7 What are some of the disadvantages of television?

8 What did you last watch on television?

9 Why do you think certain TV shows are so popular?

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Food and drink 1 What are some of your favourite foods?

2 What foods are popular in your country?

3 What are some of the famous dishes of your country?

4 Do you enjoy cooking?

5 Who does the cooking in your family/ house?

6 What is the most famous dish in your country? Can you describe it?

7 What is your favourite dish?

8 What kind of food do you like?

9 Which is your main meal of the day?

10 Do you prefer eating at home or in a restaurant?

11 On what occasions do you eat special meals?

House 1 Do you live in a house or a flat? / what sort of home

do you live in? what kind of accommodation do you live in?

2 Where do you live now? How long have you been living there?

3 Where are you living now?

4 Do you live near here?

5 What do you like about your home? Is there anything you would like to change/ improve about your home

6 What would your dream house be like?

7 Can you tell me about the kind of accommodation you live in? what do you like about living there?

8 What is your local area like?

9 What sort of accommodation would you most like

to live in?

10 Do you still live in your family home?

11 Can you tell me about where are you living at the moment?

12 Would you like to move house? Why/ why not?

13 What is your favourite room in your house? Why?

14 How long do you think you will continue living in your present accommodation?

15 Who do you live with? / Do you live on your own?

Future plans 1 What are your plans for your next holiday? / do you

have any plans for your next holiday?

2 What are you going to do at the weekend/ on your next days off?

3 What do you think you will be doing in ten years’ time

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4 Do you have any plans or ambitions for the future?

5 Do you have any plans to travel or live abroad?

Language studies

and IELTS

1 Do you speak any other languages? / How many languages do you speak?

2 Why are you taking the IELTS exam?

3 Do you have any for after you take the IELTS exam?

4 What will you do if you pass the IELTS exam?

5 How long have you been studying English?

6 Why is it important for you to learn English?

7 Do you enjoy English at school?

8 Do you enjoy studying English?

9 What do you find most difficult about learning English?

10 What activities do you find most useful for learning English? What do you think the best way to study a language is?

11 How much time do you spend studying English every week?

Laughing 1 What kinds of things make you laugh?

2 Do you like making other people laugh?

3 Do you think it’s important for people to laugh?

4 Is laughing the same as feeling happy, do you think?

Visitors 1 What would you suggest a visitor should see and do

4 In what ways has tourism changed your country?

Dancing 1 Do you enjoy dancing?

2 Has anyone ever taught you to dance?

3 Tell me about traditional dancing in your country?

4 Do you think that traditional dancing will be popular

in the future?

Traffic 1 How do most people travel to work where you live?

2 What traffic problems are there in your area?

3 How do traffic problems affect you?

4 How would you reduce the traffic problems in your area?

Fruits 1 Do you eat fruits?

2 How often do you eat fruits?

3 Where do you buy your fruits from?

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4 Do you think it’s important for people to eat fruits?

Telephone calls 1 How often are you on the phone?

2 Do you like calling friends or family more often? (Why)

3 Did you call your friends a lot when you were a child?

4 Do you think children should have to pay their own telephone bills?

Technology at

home/ office

1 How often do you use electric appliances at home/ office?

2 How do you think they help you with your chores?

3 Are there any other advantages?

4 Are there any drawbacks to using these appliances?

5 Do you think people should use electric appliances more often or less often than they do now?

Photographs 1 How often do you take photographs? Why?/ why

not?

2 Why do people take photographs?

3 Do you prefer photographs or people or places? Why?

Timing 1 Is being late acceptable in your culture? (Why/ why

Dreams 1 Do you dream much at night?

2 Do you often remember your dreams?

3 Do you think we can learn anything from dreams? (Why?)

4 Do people in your country talk about their dreams? (Why?)

5 Do you think that dreams can come true?

You should say:

What the occasion was

Where you are the meal

What you ate

And say why you enjoyed it so much

- Describe a book that impressed you

- Describe a book you have never read but would like to do in the future

- Describe a dish you know how to cook

- Describe a festival that is important in your country

- Describe a film you have never seen but would like to see

- Describe a film you have seen which you remember well

- Describe a friend you had when you were a child

- Describe a game you used to play when you were a child

- Describe a garden you remember visiting

- Describe a happy childhood event

- Describe a happy event in your life

- Describe a historical place

- Describe a hobby you were interested in when you were a child

- Describe a hotel you have stayed in

- Describe a lake, a river or a sea you have visited

- Describe a language you would like to learn

- Describe a museum or art gallery that you have visited

- Describe a new sport or hobby you would like to take up

- Describe a newspaper or magazine you enjoy reading

- Describe a party

- Describe a piece of modern technology you own

Phần 2 TALK ON A PARTICULAR TOPIC BÀI THUYẾT TRÌNH NGẮN (3-4 PHÚT)

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- Describe a place that you would like to travel

- Describe a place where you often go on your days off

- Describe a practical skill you have

- Describe a present you have given someone

- Describe a restaurant you know

- Describe a shopping centre you often visit

- Describe a special occasion in your life

- Describe a sporting even you have attended

- Describe a subject taught in your school

- Describe a subject you enjoyed studying at school

- Describe a thing which is important to you

- Describe a TV programme that you often watch

- Describe a wedding you attended

- Describe a wild animal that can be found in your country

- Describe an activity you like doing

- Describe an advertisement you like

- Describe an area of countryside you know and like

- Describe an artist or entertainer you admire

- Describe an enjoyable event that you experienced when you were at school

- Describe an environmental problem

- Describe an important choice you had to make in your life

- Describe an important letter that you received

- Describe an item you often use in your free time

- Describe an old person you admire

- Describe one of your neighbours

- Describe someone in your family who you like

- Describe something who has had an important influence on your life

- Describe something healthy you enjoy doing

- Describe something special you want to buy in the future

- Describe something that you collect

- Describe something you can do on a computer that you think is enjoyable

- Describe something you like doing at home

- Describe something you often do in the evening

- Describe something you often do or used to do in your free time with your friends

- Describe something you or someone you know collects

- Describe what you are going to do or will probably do on your next day off

- Describe your favourite film

- Describe your favourite photograph

- Describe your favourite animal

- Describe your favourite free time activity

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- Describe your favourite item of clothing

- Describe your favourite magazine, newspaper or comic

- Describe your favourite movie

- Describe your favourite news source

- Describe your favourite place to eat out

- Describe your favourite song or piece of music

- Talk about a house or an apartment you would like to live in

Giám khảo sẽ thảo luận/ đặt câu hỏi chi tiết hơn về những gì thí sinh đã trình bày ở phần II hoặc thảo luận về một nội dung nào đó Các câu hỏi ở phần này thường là các loại sau: 1 Discussion (bàn luận); 2 Compare (so sánh); 3 ( Speculate (dự đoán); 4 Analyse (phân tích); 5 Explain (giải thích); 6 Evaluate (ý kiến)

Eating habits

1 Tell me about the types of food that people eat in your country

2 How are the eating habits in your country different from eating habits in the past?

3 How healthy is your country’s food?

4 Why do you think different cultures have different table manners?

5 How may eating habits change in coming decades?

Education

1 How are education priorities today different from those in the past?

2 What is your opinion to the ways languages are taught at schools?

3 How can the type of school you go to affect career success?

4 What changes do you think will happen in the classroom in the near future?

Environment

1 Is water pollution a problem in your country?

2 What are some of the causes of water pollution?

3 What can individuals do to try and ensure water to be kept clean?

4 Do you think problems with the cleanliness of water will improve in the future?

5 What causes environmental problems?

6 What should be the government do to protect the environment?

7 What should we do to protect the environment?

8 What other measures can you think of to protect the environment?

9 How should we educate children to protect the environment?

Phần 3 DISCUSSION – THẢO LUẬN

(4-5 PHÚT)

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10 What’s the difference between the old and the young as regards the environment?

Influence of television

1 How popular is watching television in your country?

2 Tell me about the types of programme that are general on television in your country?

3 Why do people like watching television?

4 Do you think state or private television is better?

5 What effects can watching television have on children?

Influence on the young

1 Why type of people influences the young in your country?

2 Why is it important to have role models?

3 Do you think the education system in your country influences young people’s behaviour?

4 What types of people (parents, teachers, friends etc) are best to influence young people’s behaviour?

5 What do you think young people will be most influenced by in the future?

Leisure activities

1 What types of leisure activities are popular in your country?

2 Why is it important for people to have time for leisure activities?

3 Why are some activities more popular than others?

4 Are the types of leisure activities that are popular today the same as those that were popular when your parents were young?

5 What types of leisure activities may become more popular in the future?

Shopping

1 Is shopping a popular activity in your country?

2 How have shopping habits changed over recent years?

3 To what extent do you think advertising affects the way people stop?

4 Are there any differences between shopping in rural areas and shopping in urban areas?

5 Do you think shopping habits are likely to change in the future?

Travel and transport

1 How easy is it to travel around your country?

2 Which method of travel do you consider safest?

3 Has travel become safer in recent years?

4 What are the pros and cons of low-cost air travel?

5 How do you think people will travel in the future?

6 How do most people travel long distances in your country?

7 Have the types of transport people use changed much over the last few decades?

8 What kinds of improvement have there been in transport in your country in recent years?

9 Do you think transport is likely to continue to improve in the future?

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Universities

1 Is higher education too expensive in your country?

2 Should all students have to pay for their university education?

3 What advantages do universities bring to society?

4 Which is more important, research or teaching?

5 How should students spend their summer vacations?

Sports and competition

1 Why are some sports fans so passionate?

2 Is there any violence at sporting events in your country?

3 Should athletes be better role models?

4 What benefits do international sporting events bring?

5 Is it important for a country to win lots of medals?

6 What types of sports are popular in your country?

7 What are the benefits of playing a sport?

8 Do you think the types of sport that are popular will change in the future?

9 How can sports bring people from different countries closer together?

Leadership and politics

1 Do you think people are born to be leaders?

2 Can leadership skills be taught?

3 Why are elected politicians often so unpopular?

4 What should a leader do to remain popular?

5 Do you think unelecting heads of state is a good idea?

Life experience

1 Do you agree that we learn best from our mistakes?

2 What’s the best way to gain experience in life?

3 Can we gain life experience from books and movies?

4 Which is more important, experience or potential?

5 What experience do you wish you’d gain?

Retirement and old age

1 At what age should people retire from work?

2 What problems can people face after retirement?

3 How important are retirees to your country’s economy?

4 When should you start saving for retirement?

5 Why do some companies encourage early retirement?

Photography and the image

1 Is it easy to take good photographs?

2 What are the pros and cons of digital photography?

3 Should people share their photographs online?

4 When can an image be worth a thousand words?

5 Is a photograph a reliable form of identification?

Inventions and copyright

1 Which invention has transformed your country most?

2 Would you like to be an inventor?

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3 How long should someone be able to profit from an idea?

4 Do you think intellectual property laws are too strict?

5 Should all medicines be free to manufacture?

The internet and social media

1 Which websites are popular with your generations?

2 Is using the internet a social or solitary activity?

3 How has the internet changed social behaviour?

4 Should companies check job through applicants’ online profiles?

5 What will be the next big development online?

Role models

1 Which types of people are respected most in your society?

2 Do you agree with this situation?

3 What happens when young people lack good role models?

4 What standards of behaviour should teachers set?

5 Do you agree that you should never meet your heroes?

1 What problems do you have when studying English?

2 Do you think that English is the most important language in the world?

3 What other language are taught in Viet Nam?

4 Do you think that age is the most important factor of learning English? Why?

5 What difficulties would a foreigner have when he learns your native language?

6 What problems would Vietnamese people have when communicating with foreigners?

7 When would be most suitable for children to learn English?

8 How will translation and interpretation develop in the future?

1 Are young people and older people interested in the same news content?

2 Are women and men interested in the same news content?

Saving

1 Is saving money in the city and in rural areas the same or different?

2 How is the way people save today different to the way people used to save many years ago?

Gift-giving

1 Do you think people should wait for a special occasion to give gifts or should they give gifts whenever they feel like it? (Compare the value of each.)

2 Do people give the same kinds of gifts to both boys and girls?

3 (As above) Compare the kinds of gifts that boys like with those that girls like

4 Compare the kinds of gifts that well-educated people like with those that less educated people like

5 How are gifts that people give each other today different to gifts when you were a child?

6 Do men and women have the same attitude towards gift giving? (Or: Do men and women give the same kinds of gifts?)

Family life

1 How has family life (or, families) changed in Viet Nam in the recent past, for example, in the past 20 or 50 years?

2 Have these been changed for the better or for the worse?

3 (Similar to above) Has the influence of family on people changed, compared to many years ago?

Factors when choosing a job

1 Why do different people choose to do different kinds of work?

2 Compare some of the different types of work that you know

3 What are the differences between a “job” and a “career”?

4 What do you think is the most important factor when choosing a job or a career-the salary, how interesting the job is, or how much power one can gain from the job?

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5 If you had to choose one of two different jobs, one being well-paid but not interesting and the another being poorly-paid but interesting, which job would you choose?

3 Compare the films that older people (e.g.,over 35) like to watch with those that younger people (e.g., 13 to 25) like to watch

4 Compare animated cartoon films with films that have real actors Which is better? (Or: Which do you prefer?) (Why?)

5 What kinds of people like to watch different types of films?

6 How are movies and real life different?

7 Do different age groups like the same kinds of films?

8 Do men and women like to watch the some kinds of films?

9 In genera, when films are made of novels, how do the films differ from the novels?

1 Could you show me your identification card please?

Hello Sure, here you are

2 Could you tell me your full name please?

My full name is Bui Ngoc Mai I am also called by my English name, which

is Vivian

3 What shall I call you?

You could call me Vivian

4 How are you?

I am well, thank you, and you?

5 I’m fine, thanks How old are you?

Part 1 INTRODUCTION & INTERVIEW

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I am 24 years old In other words, I was born in 1990 on the twenty-first of July 1990, to be exact

6 Does your name have any special meaning?

Yes, my name does have some special meaning It’s the name of a flower symbolizing the richness My English name was given to me by one of my high school teachers, and it does not have any special meaning really

7 Is your name important to you?

- No, I don’t think it can do anything for me I believe that a person has to work out his own life I am planning to do this as well as I can

- Not really I am a part of the new generation who do not attach too much significance to our names Names were important to the older generation

as they have the opinion that I will determine your destiny to some extent However, I personally believe that I myself will determine my destiny irrespective of what my name is I will do this by acquiring good qualifications and by working hard

8 What kind of person are you?

- I am a simple and straightforward person I am a very hard working person and believe in hard work and persistence I am an optimist, always think positively about everything I am also very sensitive to nature and have a lot of patience for everything

- I am basically an extrovert I love socializing and making friends I am also honest and sincere, not only with my work but also with my friends I

am always ready to help any person who is in trouble My friends trust me

a lot I do not like liars and people who take advantage of others I lose my temper with such people and so get very angry

9 What are your strong points? What is your weakness?

- No man is perfect in this world and similarly I have certainly positive and negative aspects as well Talking about the positive aspects I am a very hardworking person and believe in hard work and persistence I believe that with hard work everything is achievable Secondly, I am a positive person who thinks positively Besides that I am an honest person who believes in honesty because without honesty nothing can survive for a long time I am a good listener, too And hence I absorb many things from others

- As far as negative aspects are concerned, I trust people very fast and this sometimes creates problems in my life I am also very sensitive to nature and this creates a lot of tension in my life I am also quite a cool person and I don’t get angry fast Sometimes I feel people take advantages of this When I am involved in my work I cannot think of anything else, sometimes I don’t remember important things going on in the family also

I know that this is not good, and so I am trying to rectify the same

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Hometown

1 Where are you from? (Where is your hometown?)

I come from Nam Dinah My parents have been living there for the past forty years and so I grew up there and I attended a well-known school called Le Hong Phong High School We live in a respectable area with many shops, restaurants, and a variety of other businesses The people in our building are generally friendly and gentle, which makes it a pleasure to live there

2 Do you like your hometown? (Why?)

Yes, I like living in Nam Dinh because it’s the place where most of my friends live, and because there are plenty of things to do there The only thing

I don’t like is the weather

3 Where do you live now?

I am living with my aunt in Ha Noi at the moment To be more exact, we live

in an apartment building in one of the northern suburbs of the city I have my own room and enjoy the privacy that it brings, but I am looking forward to the day that I can have my own apartment Although my aunt is very good and I love her very much, I would like to be more independent soon

4 Is there much to do in your current city?

Oh yes, there’s certainly lots to do there as it’s a fairly big city If you like going out in the evening, there are a lot of good restaurants and bars If you prefer cultural activities there are museums and art galleries But if you like nature there are lots of other things outside the city which are easy to reach

5 Can you tell me something about your hometown?

Yes, certainly Nam Dinh is in the northeast part of my country It is the capital of Nam Dinh Province Its population is about one million people It has many industries such as textile and garment industries, mechanical and processing industries, and traditional trades In addition, it is rich in history and culture For example, from August 18 – 20 of each year, there is a festival held in Nam Dinh called the Co Trach The celebration honors General Tran Hung Dao, a 13th-century national hero who led Vietnamese forces to victory over the invading Mongols

6 Can you tell me some famous landscapes or scenic spots in your

hometown?

Sure Firstly, I’d like to talk to tell you about Thien Truong Stadium – one of the biggest stadiums in Vietnam It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of Nam Dinh FC The stadium holds 30,000 people Thien Truong Stadium is located in Dang Xuan Thieu Street, Nam Dinh city opposite to the Provincial People’s Committee and the Committee

of Nam Dinh Nearby is Vi Hoang Lake, with a large natural gas field 115 metres by 72 metres, just behind My Dinh National Stadium It has been considered as “Theatre of Dreams” by the Press In 2003, Thien Truong Stadium was one of many venues to participate in organizing 2003 Southeast Asian Games, the female football matches were also held here The national

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football teams and the Olympics have chosen Thien Truong for international matches Thien Truong Stadium is one of the best on the scale of the level 2 city The stadium has 20 doors, four stages divided into A, B, C and D Each stage A, B has seats for 7,000 people, the stage C and D has 3000 seats There are four rooms for athletes, four rooms for the coach, three rooms for health car, VIP rooms, and cafeteria area Grass on the field is of a pure, fine cultivar imported from Thailand, in accordance with the climate in Vietnam

7 What are the people like in your hometown?

- Well, they aren’t any different from the people in any other large cities For example, here we also have good and bad people, secondly, like everyone else, they are trying to work out a good life for themselves and their children For example, parents are trying all they can to ensure that their children receive a good education

- They are mostly quite friendly, but as with most big cities everyone is often busy so it may seem as if they are not interested in speaking or having a chat But if you live there you will know that most people are quite happy to have a chat if they have time and will help you if needed

Studies

1 Are you a student or do you have a job?

I am a student at the moment I am studying English at University of Languages and International Studies We have classes in the mornings and afternoons We have a number of foreign teachers who help us pronounce and use grammar correctly

2 What are you studying at the moment?

I am studying English at university It’s a four year course, and I started it three years ago, so I have just one year left I’m enjoying it a lot so it will be sad to finish

3 What is your major?

My major is English So, we have chance to practice your skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing everyday I choose English as my major thanks

to its international popularity, especially in the business world What I mean

to say is that when I am able to communicate well in English, I will not only

be able to study abroad and improve my qualifications, but also master a very necessary tool for my future career

4 What do you like most about your study?

Well, I guess the speaking part Language is all about communication So when I am able to communicate with someone in English, I feel that I have achieved something I particularly like our free talk sessions with foreign teachers It gives me the opportunity to question them about their countries and cultures

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We learn about many things from the past as politics and wars, but I like learning about how people lived in the past the most It’s amazing to see how our lives have changed so much from the past up until now In some ways our lives have got much easier now, but in other ways the simplicity of life in the past people much happier Learning about all that is fascinating

5 Can you tell me about your study habits?

I have well established study habits For example, I have start promptly at eight in the evenings I study for two hours, have a ten-minute break, and then study for another two hours I follow this habit from Mondays to Fridays, but over the weekends I put in more hours For example, I study in the mornings and afternoons, and then take the evenings off to relax with my family or friends

6 What do you hope to do in the future when you have finished?

I’m not sure at the moment, but I may go into teaching This is why I’m doing the IELTS, as I intend to carry on and do a Masters in a specific area of linguistics I’ll probably decide for sure what to do when I have completed that

Job

1 What is your job?

I currently work as an office manager at a large marketing company I’ve been in the job for about five years I’m usually assigned to work with a specific business in order to improve their sales through various marketing strategies

I am working in a workshop of a large manufacturing plant at the moment I graduated from high school two years ago, and went to work immediately I

am an assistant to one of the automotive electricians in the workshop I have

to assist my artisan in getting his jobs done For instance, I have the responsibility to see whether the tools are in good order, and that the workshop is always kept clean and tidy

2 Do you have to work with other people?

Oh yes, all the time It’s a big office and we all have to work as a team if we want to achieve results I have colleagues I need to liaise with such as the graphic designers and I also have administration staff who work under me And of course I also have to work alongside the companies that we provide marketing for So yes, I definitely have to work with other people

3 Do you think you will change jobs in the future?

Well, that’s not something I’m thinking about at the moment as I really enjoy what I do and it’s a really good company to work for They pay is good and they have other good benefits such as flexi-time and end of year bonuses But that said change is always a good thing, so I can’t see me being there forever I’m sure I will change one day

4 What do you do for living?

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I work in the foreign trade department I am a salesman It is my job to bring foreign investors to the city to open up a business here

5 Do you like your job?

I love my job because I have to talk to other people and tell them information regarding different products

6 What kind of job do you prefer in the future?

I am planning to become a Hotel Manager for two reasons Firstly, I believe that the hotel industry will be growing greatly in future For example, people are becoming more affluent, and spend more and more their money on holidays In addition, I believe that after graduating I will be able to find a good job anywhere in the world What I mean to say is that all hotels and resorts have the same objectives irrespective of where they are situated Their aim is to ensure that their guests have a good time and return again

Family

1 Do you live with your family?

Yes, I do live with my family For a few years my parents had admitted me to

a hostel That time I did not live with them Life was quite difficult at that time But now I live with my family It’s the best place to be

No, I don’t I have lived in my college hostel for 3 years My house is extremely far from my college so I can’t live with my family The hostel which I live in is a beautiful place and my roommates are very friendly and kind but I always feel homesick because nowhere is better than home

2 In your family whom do you like the most?

I have a small family I like all the members very much But I get along best with my younger brother There is only one-year difference between my brother and me So we can share our experiences with each other He is not only my brother but also a great friend and guide He gives me good advice for my life I love him very much

I like my mother most because of many reasons Firstly, she loves me very much and understands me very well Secondly, she always encourages me to

do better jobs and to be a good human being Thirdly, my mom has a very pleasant personality…

3 How much time do you spend with your family members?

I am a working person, so it is difficult to spend a lot of time with my family But I try to spend most of the evenings with them I also plan to do something with my family on Sundays It is a rule in my house to have dinner together

So however busy we are, we have to meet during dinner

When I get spare/ free/ leisure time, I spend time with my family members Generally, at the weekend, we enjoy our time together

4 Whom do you resemble in your family?

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I resemble my mother Many of my facial features are like her When people look at me they can easily say that I am my mother’s child We resemble each other not only by our facial features but also our nature My mother is a cool person She rarely get angry Even if we do something wrong, she will explain

it to us but not get angry I am the same I always keep cool, always enjoy myself and accept life the way it comes

5 What is an ideal family?

An ideal family should be a family with lots of true love There should be intimacy among the members Each member should be ever ready to help each other in times of difficulty They should be co-operative, understanding, loving and caring

6 Are people in your country generally close to their families?

It’s a very interesting question If you ask for my honest opinion then I have

to say yes My country people are very friendly with their family members and they have a strong bond between them

Hobby

1 Do you have any hobbies?

Yes My hobby is stamp collecting I have been collecting stamps for the past two years now That is to say, for two years I have chosen stamp collecting to

be my only hobby I regularly spend time working on my collection I guess I spend about two hours every week on my hobby This mainly over weekends,

as I do not have time during the week

2 What have you chosen this hobby?

First of all, when you collect stamps, you are able to learn more about the world, and you will not get bored easily What I mean to say is that you can get stamps from every country in the world, and the stamps often say something about that country and its people Secondly, you are able to meet new friends through your hobby For instance, you have a common interest with someone else, and you can discuss your collections together for many hours Lastly, the hobby will teach you some self-discipline and how to be very systematic That is to say, you have to tend to do your collection regularly, and you have to sort the stamps according to internationally recognized systems

3 Do you prefer to say alone or with your friends?

- I prefer to be alone I like reading, which takes a lot of my time Reading

to me is a way of studying, so I have to do it alone I often have to check the meaning of unfamiliar words in my dictionary, which is a slow process taking a lot of time

- I prefer to stay with my friends Please allow me to explain At work, I spend most of my time alone in my office So after work I like to be with other people I often invite some of my friends over, and we listen to our favourite music, or just chat the whole evening

4 What do you usually do on weekends and weekdays?

On weekdays I go to school On weekends I like to go out with my friends For example, we will go and visit new shopping malls in the city Then we will browse around all the shops Sometimes, we will sit in a restaurant and have something to drink I like the feeling of drinking and seeing the crowds

of people go by

5 What do you usually do when you go out?

I usually go shopping with my mother The reason for this is simple We are women We need a lot of clothes to make us beautiful, so we love to go shopping Often we don’t actually buy anything, but just browse around looking at all the clothes and comparing prices and quality

6 What do you usually do with your friends?

We usually go to the cinemas My friends and I like cartoons very much, so

we often search on the Internet to see if there’s a new cartoon being shown or not In addition, we like to watch a good action movie from time to time We find the spectacular crashes and explosions very exciting These movies are from Hong Kong and Hollywood, and have famous actors like Jackie Chan and Tom Cruise playing in them

7 What are good hobbies and bad hobbies? Why?

In my opinion, good hobbies are those that give you the opportunity to develop a new skill For example, collecting stamps teaches you to be systematic Bad hobbies, on the other hand, may result in you acquiring bad habits For example, TV and computer games will result in you neglecting your studies

Leisure time

1 What do you like to do in your free time?

- I do quite a lot of sports actually I play football mostly – on Wednesday nights and Sunday afternoons with a local team I also play tennis and squash when I can but I don’t really get the time to do them as well every week I work quite hard at the moment, so I don’t get a lot of free time unfortunately

- Well, these days, I surf on the Internet in my spare time I have just bought

my first computer, and love to look for exciting websites that I have not know before It is of course very time consuming, so I don’t really have time for anything else I have to mention that it is an educational activity For example, by means of web cams (video images from cameras set up at certain places) I am able to watch what wild animals are doing in many

on television, especially action films I also watch some music channels, which revitalize me I also love to socialize with my friends We meet and enjoy ourselves by cracking jokes and sharing our experiences of life I love my leisure time

2 How your leisure activities changed since you were a child?

Not a great deal actually I used to love playing football when I was young as well – I played a lot at school Though of course I did all the other things kids loved to do such as going out on bike rides after school and things

3 Do you prefer to spend your free time alone with other people?

It depends on my mood really I think most people need some time on their own Sometimes my work is quite stressful and I spend a lot of time there with others, so it’s good to just get home and relax and read a book or something But I get bored if I am alone too much so I like to go out and meet friends in the evening or play football

Future plan

1 Why do you take the IELTS test?

- I am taking the IELTS exam because I want to get admission in a Canadian University

- Well, IELTS is very important for me because I want to apply for studying overseas Besides, having an English certificate will help me get a better job with high salary in the future

2 What are you planning to do in the next five years?

- My goal is to become a lead in five years Although not everyone gets promoted to this level, I believe that I can achieve this goal through hard work

- Five years from now, I would like to see myself in a management position I’m going to be learning and gaining practical experience until then, but eventually I want to become a marketing manager I know there are a lot

of things to learn but I’m going to be working hard for the next five years

I believe opportunities come to great workers and I’m going to try to be one of them

3 What are you planning to do in the next ten years?

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Ten years from now, I want to be a senior sales manager I’m currently training to become a manager, and if I continue to work hard, I feel I’ll have a management position soon After gaining several years of experience as a sales manager, I want to be in a position where I can train and provide my expertise to newer sales manager

Travelling

1 Do you like travelling?

Yes, I like travelling Firstly, I believe that travelling is a good way to learn something Also, you have chance to meet different kinds of people There’s really interesting

2 What form of transport do you prefer to use? Why?

I prefer to travel by car because it means that I have my own space Also, the buses and trains in my city are usually overcrowded; my car is much more comfortable

3 How much time do you spend travelling on a normal day?

I probably spend about an hour and a half travelling to and from work I travel during the rush hours, so there is quite a lot traffic

4 What do you do while you are travelling?

I usually listen to the radio or a CD In the morning I like to listen to the news

to find out what is happening in the world

5 Do you ever have problems with transport?

Yes, as I said, I get stuck in traffic on my way to and from work I used to get annoyed by traffic jams, but now I’m used to them

Reading

1 Do you like reading?

- Yes, I like reading a lot I read all sorts of things, including novels, newspapers, magazines, and online articles

- No, I don’t like reading I do not have patience In fact, I have never been able to read a book from start to finish Maybe the books I have tried are not interesting enough

2 What kind of books do you like to read?

- I mostly like to read biographies I’m not sure why but it is interesting to read about people’s real lives, especially when they have had interesting lives and have had to deal with many problems I do read fictions as well, but I often find it difficult to get hold of a book that really like I also like reading about books to do with current affairs

- I like novels Firstly, I like to read a storyline that is full of intrigue and suspense For example, many love stories have characters who are involved in all sorts of conflicts among them The most common one known all over the world since ancient times is the so-called love triangle

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- I like to read novels, autobiography, drama, short stories and fiction

Sometimes I also like to read spiritual and religious books When I am sitting doing nothing, I read magazines on various topics: fashion, healthy, films etc

3 Do you often read the newspaper or hear the news on television?

- No, I never read a newspaper I often watch TV if I want to know what is happening in Viet Nam and the world Newspapers take too much time to read Especially, the news on TV is short and to the point, and that’s all I want to know

- Yes, I do I normally use the Internet to read some electronic newspaper if

I want to know what’s happening in my country and the world For example, websites like CNN contain all the latest news on world events Secondly, I like to read about stories in depth, and this I cannot find in newspapers For example, I often would like to know the history behind a story On the Internet I can do some research right away, and so gain a broader perspective on the subject at hand

- I like to read the newspaper I read the newspaper everyday early in the morning But I also listen to news on the television It is different when we listen to the news on the television But it does not give all the details of the news In the paper, we get all the statistics about a particular situation

So, I like the television and the newspaper

4 Do you usually read for leisure or for work purpose?

Well, I have to do a certain amount of reading as part of my job, but I probably read more for enjoyment I pick up a newspaper most days, and I usually have a book on the go

5 What was your favourite book or story when you were a child?

The first book that I remember really enjoying was Conan Detective It only took me a few days to read because I liked it so much that I couldn’t put it down

6 Do you think it’s important that children read regularly?

Definitely, I think reading is possibly the most important skill that children learn The ability to read opens the door to all aspects of education

7 When do you think is the best time to read?

I think any time is ok, but when I read I like to concentrate, so I can’t read for

a short time like on a bus like some people do I like to put time aside to enjoy

it So if I have some free time at the weekend I might read for a few hours And I nearly always read before I go to bed – this really helps me to sleep

8 What is the importance of reading?

Reading gives the highest kind of pleasure When we are tired or our brain is wear, it is a healthy recreation to read By reading we can get knowledge, information and exposure to various subjects and studies By reading we can share experiences of other people We can also relax and get entertainment

Friend

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1 Are your friends mostly at your age or different ages?

Most of my friends are about the same age as me because we met at school or university I’ve got one or two friends who are older or younger that I met through work

2 Do you usually see your friends during the week or at weekends?

I tend to meet up with my friends at weekends because everyone’s too busy during the week

3 The last time you saw your friends, what did you do together?

It was one of my friends’ birthday last weekend Six of us went out for a meal

to celebrate

4 In what ways are your friends important to you?

I think it’s important to have friends that you can talk to and share experiences with My friends make me laugh, but I know I can also rely on them whenever I need help or support

5 Who is an ideal friend?

An ideal friend should be very understanding He should be ready to help his friend at any time (He should be with his friend at all times, in times of happiness as well as in time He should be with his friend at all times, in times

of happiness as well as in times of sorrow.) He should be with his friend at all times, in times of happiness as well as in times of sorrow He should be sensitive towards the feelings of his friend and always assure him of his friendship

6 Can you talk about your best friend?

- My best friend is Hoa We were in the same class for 10 years At that time, we often gather together to study and play Now, we work in the same company She is like my sister, but even more than that I mean, I will do nearly anything for her and so will she

- Thanh is my best friend He has been my friend since my childhood We have grown up together He knows everything about me, my likes, my dislikes, my different moods etc So, he understands me very well Since

we know each other since my childhood, he has become like a family member We are always together We do everything together Sometimes due to our work we don’t meet for a long time But when we meet we catch up on each other’s life We are really good together

- Among all my friends, Long is my best friend We are friends since our school days We studied together in the same class We went to college together We sat on the same bench for attending our lectures and went to the library or canteen of the college together After our college we usually went together to watch movies, attend parties or even go shopping There are lots of qualities of determination and sincerity He is committed towards his job He is very much important to me in my life because he is

a person whom I trust the most He always stands by me in all ups and

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downs and he is the person with whom I can share my personal feelings This is my brief description of my best friend

7 What do you dislike about your friend?

My friend is very impulsive He makes quick decisions without thinking about the consequences or thinking about the future He is otherwise very understanding towards others But for himself, if he likes something one day,

he will do it But he may change it the very next day And he may be doing another thing the third day Every time he starts something he feels that it is good for him, but changes when he feels that something else is better I do not like this attitude of his

8 What is the importance of friend in our life?

Friends have a very important role to play in our lives Friends are people we grow up with We need friends in our life to share our feelings, thoughts, ideas, emotions etc We can also share some plans of our life and also so many other things, which we cannot discuss with our family members It is friends who are with us all our lives, in happy times as well as sad times They are there to advise and guide us at all times They understand us and our feelings and are the best people to motivate and encourage us

Communication

1 How do you usually keep in touch with members of your family?

I mostly keep in touch with my family by phone, and I’ve started using the Internet to make video calls I also try to visit members of my family in person as often as I can

2 Do you prefer to speak to people by phone by writing emails?

It depends on the situation I use email and text messages to communicate with friends, but my parents prefer if I phone them

3 Do you ever write letters by hand? (Why/ Why not?)

No, I don’t write letters by hand because it’s so much easier to send an email that will arrive immediately

4 Is there anything you dislike about mobile phones?

Well, I don’t like listening to other people’s conversations in public places, and I don’t like it when someone’s phone rings in the cinema or during a lesson

Music

1 Do you like music?

Yes, I do I’ll often listen to music on my MP3 Player when I’m travelling from place to place, or when I’m at home, relaxing

2 Do you think music is important?

Yes, of course That is to say, I cannot imagine what my life would be like without music Firstly, I believe music plays an important part in people’s

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lives For example, we can use it to soothe our minds after a hard day at work,

or it can provide us with the rhythm to dance to

3 What are the benefits of listening to music?

Just as other kinds of art, music has become an indispensable part of human culture It brings us with nutritious spiritual foods and enriches our leisure life In addition, music can do well to us very much It can elicit the imagination of us And, it will soon be refreshed from a day’s hard work

4 What kind of music do you like best?

I like pop music very much First of all, pop music is lively, and suits me at

my age Secondly, it usually has a good rhythm For instance, it is suitable for

us to dance on Lastly, pop music is simple to understand That is to say, I like

it because it is not difficult to understand, and it helps me to relax after I have been studying hard for some time

5 How long do you listen to music everyday?

Oh, let me think a bit I guess I listen to music for about half an hour every day I would, for example, listen when I get home from school, or in the evenings before I go to bed On weekends, however, I listen to music much more For example, I would invite my best friend over to my place, and we would listen to our favourite CDs for a few hours at a time

Dancing

1 Do you like dancing?

No, I don’t like dancing I’m not a big music fan, and dancing just makes me feel uncomfortable and self-conscious

2 Has anyone ever taught you to dance?

No, I’ve never been interested in learning to dance, so I’ve never taken any lessons or asked anyone to show me how to do it

3 Do you think that traditional dancing will be popular in the future?

I’m afraid I have no idea because I don’t follow what’s happening in the dancing world! I suppose it will always be popular with some people

Movie

1 What kinds of movies do you like best?

I like comedies First of all, comedies are great fun What I mean to say is that

I have good laugh while watching Secondly, comedies seldom contain violent scenes For instance, you would not easily find murders, shooting, fighting, and so on in a comedy Lastly, comedies often contain excellent acting by famous stars For example Robbie Williams in Mrs Doubtfire is considered one of the most extraordinary performances ever by an actor

2 Do you often do to the cinema?

- Yes, I go to the cinema as often as possible I usually go with some friends

to watch the latest action movies or comedies We have a great time, like for example when our favourite star is playing a lead role in the movie

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- Yes, I go to the cinema as often as possible I believe that films are a wonderful form of art Please allow me to explain Firstly, in films there are a wide range of genres ranging from comedy and drama, to horror and science fiction For example, recently I have seen the drama Titanic, which has been described as the most expensive film ever made The extent to which the producers attended to the details of the original ship was astounding Another example would be the thriller with my favourite actor Anthony Hopkins in the lead role called Silence of the lambs It had me on the edge of my seat for most of the time

3 Do you often go to the theatre?

No I have never been to the theatre, firstly, it is too expensive for me I prefer

to go the cinema Secondly, I believe that the theatre is boring What I mean

to say is that the actors are on the same stage the whole time I cannot see how that can be as exciting as a good movie

4 Who is your favourite movie star?

My favourite movie star is Jackie Chan He is handsome, and very funny He always has a smile on his face, and never seems to be worried about the situations that he finds himself in So I love him very much

2 What do you like to do when you go out?

My favourite is to visit beautiful places such as mountains, seas, rivers, forests I like to enjoy the rolling wave of the blue ocean, pinnacle of the mountains, the silence of the forest

3 How often do you go out? / When do you go out?

It depends on many things such as available time, partner etc but generally when I get spare time I go out for visiting beautiful places

4 How and where do people in your country usually socialize?

There are many places such as parks, beaches, stadiums where people meet together and these places play an important role for socialism

5 What kind of entertainment is popular in your country?

There are many ways for entertainment in my country but travelling, watching movies, playing games, visiting relative houses are very popular in here

Sports

1 What sports or physical activities do you regularly do?

Unfortunately, I don’t have time to do any sports or physical activities because of my work commitments I’d like to find more time for regular exercise

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2 Which sport or game would you like to be good at?

I’d like to be good at tennis It must be great to be able to hit the ball as hard

as you can and watch it land exactly where you wanted it to

3 Do you prefer watching or playing sports?

I don’t watch much sport on TV and I’m not a big sports fan, so I think I would probably enjoy doing sports more than watching them

4 Do you think children should be encouraged to do more sport?

Yes, I think that sport is really important for children Sports and games teach children to play together and try their best

5 Can you swim?

Yes I can I learnt at school when I was about 7 years old My father taught

me and now I can swim very well

6 Are there many places to swim near you?

Yes, there are a few public swimming pools There is the main indoor one at a big sports complex in the centre of town There are also a couple of outdoor ones, but you can only use them in summer as it is too told in winter One is a big one in a park, the another is a much smaller one

7 Do you think everyone should learn to swim?

Of course, I think it’s very important Firstly, you spend much of your life on holiday by water, for example, when you go to the beach on holiday, so you wont be able to enjoy yourself with your friends if you can’t swim Also, for safety reasons it’s very important You often hear about sad accidents involving young children so it’s very important

Clothes

1 Are clothes and clothing fashions important to you? (Why/ Why not?)

No, clothes and fashions are not really important to me I tend to wear clothes that are comfortable and practical rather than fashionable

2 What different clothes do you wear for different situations?

Well, I have to dress quite formally for work, so I wear a shirt and trousers

At home I prefer to wear jeans and a T-shirt, and on special occasions I might wear a suit

3 Do you wear different styles of clothes now compared to 10 years ago?

No, not really, because I don’t follow fashion I think I have dressed in a similar way for the last 10 years

4 Do you think the clothes we wear say something about who we are?

Yes, they probably do Some people are really carefully about what they wear because they want to be seen as stylish Other people wear clothes that show wealth or status, such as clothes by famous designers

Uniform

1 Have you ever worn uniform?

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Yes, I used to wear a uniform when I was at my school

2 Do you think uniform is important?

Yes I strongly believe that uniform is very important Uniform gives us discipline I used to love my school uniform because it showed us that we were together Uniform also shows unity Moreover it is not possible for everyone in the school to buy expensive clothes, so uniform eradicates the problem of inequality

Accommodation

1 Tell me about the kind of accommodation you live in

I live in a house that has a living room, a kitchen, two bedrooms, a bathroom and a small garden It’s not a very big house, but it’s just right for me

2 How long have you lived there?

I’ve lived there for about five years It’s the first house that I’ve owned; before that I was renting an apartment

3 What do you like about living there?

I like living there because I think the house reflects my personality: I decorated it myself, I chose all the furniture, and everything is where I want it

to be

4 What sort of accommodation would you most like to live in?

If I could, I’d buy a bigger house near a beach or in the mountains, preferably somewhere with a warm climate

Neighbours

1 How well do you know your next-door neighbours?

I know my neighbours quite well They’re really nice people, and I always stop to talk whenever I see them I think it’s important to get on well with the people who live next door

2 How often do you see them?

I see my neighbours at least a few times a week We usually see each other when we’re leaving for work in the morning or coming home in the evening

3 What problems do people sometimes have with their neighbours?

I think the most common problem is probably noise It’s difficult to live next

to people who have a dog that barks at night, or who play loud music or have too many parties

Numbers

1 Do you have a favourite number or a number that is special to you?

Yes, my favourite number is… because it’s the day I was born on, and it’s

my lucky number

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2 Do any numbers have special importance in your country?

Yes, certain ages are special For example, your 18th birthday is important because it’s when you are considered to become an adult

3 Are you good at remembering numbers? Why / why not?

No, I’m not very good at remembering numbers I don’t think it’s necessary

to learn them by heart; I just save them on the phone

4 What numbers do people often have to memorize?

The most important number on a daily basis is the pin number for your bank card Without this you can’t pay for anything or get cash out

Art gallery

1 Are there many art galleries where you live?

No, not that I know of I live in a small town so I don’t think there are any, though we do have a few museums and other cultural institutions In our capital city there are quite a few art galleries, however

2 Did you like to go to art galleries when you were a child?

Yes, I liked to go to art galleries because everything seemed so vibrant with colour and energy It has a lot of paintings from famous artists of our country And I could stand almost close enough to touch many things

3 Should people have to pay to go to art galleries?

I think it depends really If possible they should be free because if people do have to pay they are less likely to go and see it But on the other hand, these things cost money so a small fee many be necessary if it can keep the art gallery going and keep it open Ideally though the government should pay for this as I believe this kind of thing is paid for by our taxes

Time

1 Are you good at managing your time?

Actually I’d say I’m not very good! I don’t really have a system in place to organize things I know some people have an electronic organizer or use some device to plan what they are doing but I don’t do that But I always make sure

I am on time for appointments and thinks like that, and I meet deadlines and get things done

2 How do you manage your time?

As I said, I don’t have any specific systems in place to manage my time For example, if I am at work and I have a lot cases, I just go through them each day and decide which I need to tackle first At work we do have an online diary which I guess I use, so in that sense I do manage my time to an extent

3 When is it most important for you to manage your time?

I think it is probably when you are at work When out of work, it’s not really going to affect things too much, or at least only yourself, if you are late to meet friends or for an appointment, or if you are getting things done in your

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house But at work, it will cause problems if you don’t manage your time effectively because you could miss deadlines or miss appointments You could lose your job So at work is when it is most important to manage your time

Internet

1 Do you use the Internet much during the day?

Well…if you are asking for my honest opinion then I have to say yes I use at least 5 hours internet per day

2 Why do people use the Internet?

People use the Internet for communication, education, games, movies, news and information

3 What do you usually do on the Internet?

I mainly use the Internet for educational purpose as well as for recreational purpose I also watch live games, music videos, concerts in net I found important eBooks and documents for my education in the Internet

I usually use the Internet to communicate with my friends and family I also use the Internet to watch and download movies

4 What are some advantages of the Internet?

Internet is one of the greatest gifts of the modern science There are tons of merits of the Internet It is very helpful for communication and it brings revolutionary change in far education Internet is a storehouse of important information and music, videos and others

5 What are some disadvantages?

Everything has its pros and cons Internet has some dark sights also There are many bad videos and adult contents available in the Internet which is very dangerous for young people One may get addicted to net which is very bad for his future

6 Do people in your country use the Internet a lot?

The thing has changed a lot in the past two decades All of the valuable information available on the Internet has helped people in ways that no one could ever have imagined even many many years ago From the Internet, people can get a lot of information in a short period of time Now people use the Internet much more than before

7 Do you do any shopping on the Internet?

Internet shopping is very much popular around the globe It saves time and money People can access many websites within a very short duration of time

to compare cost, quality, service… But in my country it is not so much popular I do not do any shopping on the Internet because I don’t believe in the quality of online services

8 Do you think Internet is gaining more popularity than TV?

Yes, I agree with you I think that internet is gaining popularity day by day I personally believe that internet is more convenient For instance, if I want to

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watch a program on the Internet then I can watch it at anytime But if I want

to watch a program on TV then I will have to wait for it

Email

1 What is email? Or what do you know about email?

Email means electronic mail which can be sent and received via internet It s a system for receiving, sending, and storing electronic messages It is one of the popular ways of communication around the world with the spread of the Internet nowadays In many cases, email has become the preferred method for both personal and business communication

2 Do you send and receive email regularly?

Yes, email is indispensable part of my life and I regularly send and receive email for communication Everyday I send at least 2 to 5 emails to different people for different purposes

3 Who do you usually communicate with?

I communicate with my relatives who live in different countries as well as with my friends Sometimes I have to send emails to my clients

4 How often do you check your email?

I check my email everyday In fact, I check my mail inbox at least twice a day

5 Do you think writing email has strengthened or weakened people’s writing skills?

It is obvious that writing or composing emails is very beneficial for improving writing capability Anyone can improve his capability by writing email regularly

6 What are some disadvantages of email?

I do not think it has many major disadvantages Only one think that comes in

my mind is that the tradition of writing letters has disappeared gradually due

to email and mobile message

 What you do

1 I’m a/ an (+ job)

e.g a nurse / an accountant/ a builder

2 I work in (+ place or general area)

e.g a hospital/ an office marketing/ social

3 I work for ( + name/ place of the company)

e.g Union Bank/ IBM/ Fiat/ an international bank

SOME USEFUL PHRASES