New Cue- cards for Jan- Apr 2023
Speaking Guesswork
Note: This PDF is real Jan – Apr 2023 By IELTSKING
About January to April 2023 Cue card Speaking PDF
Hello dear IELTS learners, in this article, you will come across with PDF of cue cards along with sample answers of new cue cards which IELTS students can get in IELTS Speaking real exam between January and April 2023, from New Jan to Apr 2023 PDF. As we all know nowadays, everyone has a dream to crack IELTS or get 8777. New Makkar Jan to Apr 2023 Cue cards are very important in IELTS Speaking
IELTS is very famous test in which the examiner checks your proficiency in English Writing, Reading, Listening and Speaking. Clearing IELTS, with desired band score, one should have to focus or give equal importance to all modules. Despite of speaking module being less complicated than other modules, test takers faced difficulty.. Speaking has divided into three parts 1st one is introduction part in which some bacis questions being asked and 2nd one in cue card section in which makkar new January to April 2023 Cue cards will be asked and last one is follow ups section in which some questions asked from jan to apr 2023 makkar cue cards PDF
According to a student survey, most of the students worry about how to communicate fluently and how to organize their ideas to give an impressive or adequate answer. If you are one of them and you are also facing the same problem, no worries, here is the solution to all your problems. You can get our New Jan to apr 2023 IELTS speaking PDF, and built your confidence in IELTS speaking.
In this post, we are providing speaking cue cards from January 2023 to April 2023. As far as considering the positives of the latest cue card lists, you will feel more confident and acquire a good band score on the IELTS Speaking exam. Looking for a daily mock test IELTSKING and you can also join us on Instagram IELTSKING.
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Albeit this most recent jan to apr 2023 cue card card list is fundamental for improved results, you ought to in any case peruse additional examples from September 2022 to December 2022. In the event that you wish to get a higher band score or 8+, in the Talking part, should recall two things, rather than attempting to remember the entire piece of the example answer you can take thoughts from these example replies. Furthermore, these example answers are enthusiastically suggested and expect that you will get a similar in the genuine test however you’re actually rehearsing and be prepared for additional inquiries on your test.
January to April 2023 New Cue Cards
1. Describe an English class/lesson that you enjoyed
You should say:
What was taught in the class When did you take the class Where it was?
What did the teacher do that made you enjoy it
• English is not my mother tongue.
• I had learnt English in my childhood
• However, because of lack of practice, I thought I needed to revise my basics before I took the IELTS exam.
• So, I recently attended an English class while I was starting my preparation.
• Actually, when I started the preparation, I got some of my writing tasks evaluated by teachers.
• My teachers told me that I was making grammatical mistakes and I was making errors in the usage of tenses especially.
• At first, I picked up the grammar book by Wren & Martin but it was too big.
• I think I read the first two chapters and then gave up.
• I didn’t have the time or the patience to read the whole book.
• So, I searched for some English tenses lessons on YouTube.
• There I came across a group of lectures on various tenses on a channel called Learn English with Milly.
• The lectures had me hooked from the get go.
• The most interesting part of the lectures was that they made comparisons between the tenses.
• It was like the lectures had been custom made to address the problem I was facing because the main problem I was facing was in tenses.
• The teacher explained everything in detail and although the lectures were long, I didn’t get bored.
• I think it was because of the humour.
• After every few minutes, the teacher said something that grabbed my attention and made me alert.
• I never felt like I was attending a lecture but rather enjoying a fun conversation with time.
• I think my English has improved a lot because of those lessons and I am really glad I stumbled upon those videos.
Follow Up Questions
1. What are the benefits of learning a foreign language?
There are many benefits of learning a foreign language. Firstly, it helps students academically, as the skills they learn in one language like comprehension and finding out the main theme of a paragraph can also be applied to their language. Secondly, it opens up more opportunities in the future. For example, it can help students pursue higher education in a foreign country. Similarly, a foreign language can help people secure a job in a company, which deals with foreign clients.
2. What are the benefits of being a foreign language teacher?
The main benefit of teaching another language is that the person can enhance their knowledge of the language. I think people learn much more about the language when they teach than when they study it.
Secondly, foreign languages also tend to get paid better and they might also get opportunities to travel abroad. Finally, I feel the language classes have the most diversity in terms of age. I have seen people as old as seventy learning French and German. So, it never gets boring teaching a foreign language as people get to meet different people.
3. Will computers replace foreign language teachers in the future?
I think computers are certainly beneficial in helping students learn a foreign language. However, I do not think computers can replace language teachers completely. Computers can help students improve their grammar and pronunciation but they cannot help students develop or express ideas. Moreover, there are cultural aspects to a language, which can be only taught by a teacher in my opinion.
4. Is grammar the most difficult part about learning a foreign language?
No, I don’t think grammar is the most difficult part as there are certain rules of grammar. I think it is logical and so it can be learnt with practice. However, pronunciation can be very tricky as I find there are no fixed rules to it.
5. Do you think grammar is important in language learning?
Yes, I think grammar is really important in language learning. If the grammar is wrong, the sentence can give out a completely different meaning and it can lead to misunderstandings and embarrassment.
For example, I taught, and I was taught mean completely different things, just the presence of was in the middle – changes the meaning completely.
6 What makes a good foreign language teacher?
I think a good foreign language teacher should have mastery in both the native and foreign language. They should have in-depth knowledge about the vocab and rules of the language. Also the language teacher should be patient with their students.
2. Describe a difficult thing you did and succeeded
You should say
– What it was?
– How did you complete it?
– Why it was difficult?
– And how you felt about doing it?
• Well, I have done many things in my life which I found difficult in the beginning but then with practice they became easy.
• For example, I found cooking to be very difficult at first but now I can cook anything easily by just following the recipe.
• But one challenging thing I would like to talk about today is when I assembled my own Personal Computer two years back.
• It was after my exams were over and I had requested my parents for a new desktop.
• All my friends had bought branded Personal Computers from Dell and HP which came pre- installed with all the software.
• However, being a gamer, I was more interested in getting a gaming computer with a more powerful configuration but buying a branded gaming PC was out of my budget.
• So, I discussed it with one of my techie friends and he advised me to buy the computer parts separately and assemble it on my own, as it would cost much less than a branded PC.
• Since I did not have much knowledge about computer hardware at that time, it seemed very difficult to me to do this task on my own.
• But I still decided to go ahead and started reading a book on computer hardware and also started to watch computer assembly videos on youtube, which gave me a lot of confidence.
• Through the videos I learnt a lot about the different computer parts and their functioning.
• Finally, after I gained enough confidence, I ordered all the components online as it was much cheaper than the retail shops.
• It took me a complete day to put all the parts together and basically the most difficult part was building the CPU.
• One has to be very careful while installing the processor on the motherboard and then installing cooling fans over it.
• If this process is not done carefully it could lead to a short circuit and the processor could get damaged.
• Luckily, I was able to put it all together perfectly in my first attempt and when I pressed the power button, I heaved a sigh of relief.
• I was very nervous during the entire assembly process, but I also felt that if I hadn’t read the hardware book and watched the videos on youtube, I would not have been able to do this thing on my own.
Follow-ups
1. What kinds of jobs require people to be confident?
I think all jobs require a certain degree of confidence but the ones which involve dealing with customers require a lot more confidence. For example, if a salesperson is not confident enough then he will not be able to convince the customers about the product he/she is trying to sell.
2. On what occasions should children be encouraged? How?
I think children should be encouraged in those situations where they feel hesitant in doing something that is good for them. But also, the encouragement should be done to a certain limit, they should not feel like something is being forced upon them. For example, we can encourage children to learn something creative such as painting if they show interest in it. And to encourage them more, parents can take them to a museum so they can develop their interest further
3. How do you help children stay focused?
There are many ways in which children can be helped. First of all, one can provide them an environment which is free of distractions, like when they are studying, they should not be allowed to use cellphones. Another way to help them focus would be to teach them about meditation in which they have to focus on their breath or a single sound.
4. What challenges do young people face today?
Well, I think there are two main challenges that young people face these days. The first one is related to the mind and mental health, nowadays everyone is aware of the rise in depression and suicide cases among the youth. Another challenge faced by them is the ever-increasing competition in education or their professional lives.
3. Describe an object you find particularly beautiful (For example, a painting, sculpture, piece of jewellery/furniture, etc.).
You should say:
Where the artwork/object is
How it was made/Where you saw it What it looks like
And explain why you find it particularly beautiful?
• Art is very difficult to evaluate because it is very subjective.
• To add to it, I have a very unique taste.
• Most times, the things that I find things appealing, my friends and family members find ordinary.
• However, recently I bought a Lord Buddha statue for my room and most of my friends also said that it looked amazing.
• In fact, some of them even asked me where I got it, so they could order one for themselves.
• I have always been fascinated with Buddhist culture since my youth and so I always wanted to decorate my room with a Buddha statue.
• A smiling Buddha statue is also supposed to bring luck if given as a present.
• In the statue I got, he is also smiling, but at the same time, he is skiing
• He is wearing a snow cap, goggles, and a sort of kimono like dress.
• His hands are clasped together as if he is in a warrior stance.
• But his clothes and the smile on his face give him a very funny look.
• If I had to define the statue, I would say its a smiling warrior monk in the modern world.
• I just found it so exquisite and unique.
• As soon as I saw it, I wanted it for my room.
• In fact, it’s the first piece of art I bought for myself.
• I don’t exactly know how it was made, because I purchased it from a store and I really didn’t enquire about the making process.
• But I think it was hand sculpted from stone and then polished because the shop had hand- made Buddhist statues written somewhere.
• I really think it is the most beautiful thing in my room.
• I have kept it on the top of my bookshelf as it is directly in front of my room’s main door.
• So, no one can miss it when they visit my room.
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Follow Up Questions
1. Do you think there are more beautiful things now than the past?
In my personal opinion, traditional art and sculptures are much more beautiful. I think in the past, it was easier for artists to find patrons in the form of kings and nobles and they could focus on their art without any financial worries. However, today it is much harder to earn money as an artist. The art being made today also reflects that – it is done more as a hobby rather than as a profession and the works produced are far behind those of the past.
2. Do you think there are many scenic spots in India or there are many more in other countries?
I think India is one of the most diverse countries. It has everything, mountains, rivers, deserts, and beaches. To add to it, it has one of the richest cultural histories. So, I think it is hard to beat India in this regard. However, India is also one of the most highly populated and polluted countries in the world and because of this, a lot of scenic spots cannot match the pristine and untouched beauty present in some of the rich European and American countries.
3 Where do you think people usually come into contact with beautiful things?
People like to keep beautiful objects in their homes and offices as showpieces. They generally get them from the décor shops in the malls.
4 Why do you think people create beautiful things?
People create beautiful things to express their creativity. Some people also say that art is a form which connects us with our spiritual being. With the help of art people can also connect with each other.
4. Describe a time you used your cellphone/ smartphone to do something important
You should say:
What happened? When it happened
How important the cellphone/smartphone was And explain how you felt about the experience
• In today’s world, it is hard to question the importance of cellphones
• They are not just about communication, they are used for many different things.
• Recently, I used my mobile phone for something I never imagined I would use it.
• I used to it lodge a complaint with the government authorities and I also got immediate redressal for my complaint.
• I was travelling to Delhi by train.
• When I boarded, I noticed that the AC in my compartment was not working.
• I asked the coach’s caretaker if they could get it fixed.
• He said it had just stopped working and nothing could be done about it.
• It would only be fixed at the final destination.
• Normally, I am very adjusting, but it was extremely hot and humid that day.
• So, I decided to tweet a complaint to the railway minister with my phone.
• I had seen videos on the internet, where people had talked about how they had gotten immediate relief by doing the same.
• However, I had thought of them as publicity stunts by the government.
• So I wasn’t very hopeful, but within ten minutes, there was an electrician in my compartment.
• And in another ten minutes, he had fixed the AC.
• He also scolded the railway employee responsible for my coach and asked him, why he hadn’t contacted him straight away when I raised the issue.
• The employee apologised and told me he didn’t think the problem could be solved.
• I was so surprised with the quick response, but more than that I felt so proud of the government.
• I could never have imagined it happening four-five years ago.
• Cell phones have many purposes but I think one of the most important is that it is a tool for an ordinary citizen to directly connect with their elected representatives.
• It has made the government officials much more accountable and responsive.
Part 3 – Follow Up Questions
1 What do you usually do with a cellphone?
I use my cellphone for many purposes besides calling and chatting with my friends. I use it for playing games like chess and Ludo, listening to music, watching videos, and for navigation. Above all, I use it for photography.
2 What are the differences between young people and old people when using a cellphone?
Old people mainly use mobile phones for calling and to some extent for chatting. However, young people treat mobile phones like a mini computer. For most youngsters, their whole life nowadays revolves around the mobile phone. They use it for entertainment, for studies, for clicking photos, for shopping, for banking and so much more. The list is really endless.
3 Which one is more important, using a cellphone to make phone calls or to read messages?
I think it really depends upon the person. Some people like chatting, for them it’s about sending and receiving messages, while for others it is about calling.
4 Do you think there should be a law to stop people from making phone calls in public?
I think there might be emergency situations, where it might be necessary to make calls. So I don’t support a ban on calling in public places but I do think that we should encourage people to avoid calling as it can be really disturbing. I consider audio calls as a sort of noise pollution and it has a serious impact on our focus and concentration.
5. Describe an important thing you learned, not at school or college.
– When did you learn it?
– How did you learn it
– Why did you think it was important to learn it
– How you felt when you learnt it
• I think life is full of learning.
• We start learning the day we are born and we don’t stop till the day we die.
• I have learnt many things in my life and one of the most important things I learnt recently was cooking.
• Normally, my mother cooks in my house, and when she is sick or she doesn’t feel like cooking we order out.
• However, now I am planning to go abroad for my higher education.
• So, I felt that it is necessary for me to learn cooking to survive abroad.
• I did not need to be an expert but I needed to be good enough to satisfy my taste.
• My mother is an amazing cook, so of course, I thought of learning it from her.
• Unfortunately, my mother is not as good a teacher.
• She used to get really mad when I made even small mistakes.
• So, I decided to employ the use of technology to learn it or in other words, cooking channels on YouTube.
• I found a really good channel, which showed how to cook simple vegetarian dishes like dal and mixed vegetables.
• Then, I learnt how to make rotis.
• Now I can make perfectly circular rotis like my mother.
• After learning the basic Indian recipes, I moved on to baking, because I love eating cakes.
• Again, I found a really amazing channel called – cooking with sugar.
• Baking was tough at first, I think even small mistakes can be costly in baking.
• The damage is irreversible too.
• I remember once I forgot to add flour to my cake batter and kept on wondering how I ended up making a chocolate bar instead of a cake.
• However, now, I have started making really tasty cakes.
• My dark chocolate cake is a special request for family events.
• All my life, I dreaded cooking. Now that I have learnt it, I rather enjoy it.
• It is not a chore anymore, but rather something I look forward to.
• Of course, I don’t have to cook every day.
Part 3 – Follow Up Questions
1. What do children learn from their parents?
Parents are children’s first teachers. They learn so many things from their parents. They learn even the basic things like how to talk, how to eat, how to dress, and how to behave from their parents. In fact, everything parents do in front of their children teaches them something.
2. Are some children well-behaved because of their parents?
Yes, I think parents are responsible for their children’s behaviour to a large extent. However, they are not the only ones responsible for their children’s behaviour, it also depends upon other factors like media and their friends and teachers.
3. Is it necessary for adults to learn new things?
Yes, I think life would be boring if people stopped learning. Moreover, today life is changing so fast, that it is paramount to learn new things to survive. My mother is a teacher. During covid times, when classroom education was not possible, she had to learn and teach through Zoom. If she didn’t, she would have lost her job.
4. What are the options for learning new things?
Well, there are traditional methods of learning new things like joining evening classes or asking a friend or relative to guide us or reading do it yourself books. Then, there are the modern methods like watching YouTube channels or searching on google. There has never been a better time to learn something new than today.
6. Describe something that surprised you and made you happy
You should say:
– What it was
– Who did this
– How you found out about it and what you did
– And explain why it surprised you and made you happy
• I have been surprised many times but one incident that I remember very vividly is my 16th birthday.
• My best friend Anchal planned a birthday party for me.
• I had no idea about it, and it was such a wonderful surprise.
• My 16th birthday was just a few weeks before the exams.
• I knew everyone would be busy preparing for the exams, so I decided not to have a party with my friends that year.
• We were in 10th standard, and it was very important to score good grades that year.
• Usually, every year I start planning for my birthday weeks in advance. I am always excited about my big day.
• I was so sad that I will not have a birthday party that year.
• I was jealous of my friends who either had their birthdays after the exams or much before.
• On my birthday, my best friend Anchal called me to her house in the evening to help her with some math problems.
• I didn’t find it odd as we do usually study together at each other’s house.
• When I reached there, I got the surprise of my life.
• As soon I entered her house, I heard Happy Birthday wishes from all corners of her drawing room.
• All my friends were there, my parents and my sister were there.
• There were decorations and balloons everywhere, and there was a big cake on the table.
• I couldn’t believe my eyes. How did she do it, when did she get the time and why are all my friends here and not home studying?
• I had so many questions for her. She told me that knew how much this day meant to me.
• So, she conspired with my friends to throw me a little surprise party that day.
• They decided to keep it at her house, so I won’t figure it out.
• They even studied a bit extra every day that week so they could attend my birthday.
• She even involved my parents. I was surprised that they knew, and they didn’t let me know what was going on.
• I was so happy that I got a party and celebrated my 16th birthday with all my loved ones.
• I couldn’t thank Anchal enough for making my day so special.
Part 3 – Follow Up Questions
1. How do people express happiness in your culture?
People express happiness in different ways in my culture. I think in all cultures, a smile is the most common way to express happiness. In my culture, people express it by celebrating their happiness with their loved ones by having a party, cooking something special, buying gifts, etc.
2. Do you think happiness has any effect on people? How?
Happiness is contagious. It spreads and uplifts the moods of everyone around you. It gives meaning and purpose to life. It also has many health benefits like better sleep, lower risk of cardiovascular diseases, stronger immune system, etc.
3. How can people be happy?
People can be happy by focusing on good things and being satisfied with what they have in life. Also, people should remind themselves that life can be tough at times but if they stay positive, they can conquer the hurdles and get past the difficult situations.
Another way to be happy is to be with people who bring you joy and stay away from negative people who try to bring you down.
4. Is it good for people to be unhappy? Why?
No, it’s not good to be unhappy. Good mental health is very important for our wellbeing
and being unhappy can lead to depression and anxiety. Sometimes it’s hard to force the mind to stay positive and in such cases, meditation and deep breathing can help us stabilize our mind and chase the blues away.
7. Describe a photo that you took and are proud of
– When did you take this photo?
– Where you took it?
– What is the photo about?
– Why you feel proud of the photo?
• I am not very interested in photography.
• In fact, the photos I take normally don’t come out that well.
• However, recently, I visited Sikkim with my family and there I took a photograph of my mother and father sitting on a bench with the beautiful, picturesque mountains in the background.
• The picture came out really well.
• It was a not pre-planned photo, and I didn’t use any special camera.
• It was just my phone camera.
• We had gone to a monastery in Sikkim, which is around 2 hours drive from Gangtok.
• The view of the monastery with mountains in the background was just breathtaking.
• I felt I had to capture it.
• But I feel, a picture without any people is boring and my parents hadn’t had a picture taken with just them in recent times.
• I mean there are pictures of them, but it is with us or other family members.
• The only pictures of my parents alone are their wedding photos, and they are very old.
• So, I wanted to click a photograph that would capture their beautiful relationship.
• I didn’t know, how a photograph could do that, but the picture shows it.
• It’s very hard to describe it in words but whoever sees the photograph talks about the beautiful relationship between my father and mother afterwards.
• So, the picture depicts it somehow.
• I am so proud that I clicked the picture.
• Recently, my parents got it photo framed and we have hung the photo on a wall in our living room.
Part 3 – Follow Up Questions
1. Why do some people like to use photographs to document important things?
I think photographs are one of the best ways to keep past memories alive. Whenever we look at photographs, we cannot help but remember the events and people that happened during that time. Also, photographs are one of the best ways to share our experiences with others. It is rightly said, a picture is worth a thousand words.
2. What can one learn from photographs taken throughout history?
The main thing people can learn from photos is the successes and failures of our ancestors. On the one hand, photographs are a living proof of human ingenuity and progress and on the other hand, they also show how and where we failed. For example, photos of rich forests in the past at places occupied by modern high-rise buildings show our architectural achievement but at the same time show how we sacrificed our environment to achieve the same.
3. Are photographs the best way to remember something?
I used to believe that too. However, I recently read an article on how smells are much more effective in making us remember. In fact, that is why storytellers of the past use incense sticks and spice bowls when telling stories.
4. Which is better, taking photos or keeping a diary?
Both have their own importance but people hardly keep a diary these days. Clicking photos is more convenient as it is instant and one can easily scroll through them, whereas maintain a diary requires much more effort.
8. Describe a problem you had while shopping online or in a store
You should say:
– When it happened
– What you bought
– What problem you had
– And explain how you felt about the experience
• I normally don’t buy clothes or shoes online because of size issues.
• Different companies have different sizes and sometimes the large size of one company is a small size for another company.
• However, recently my friend ordered Nike shoes from Amazon, and they were nearly half the price of the Nike retail store.
• So, I also decided to buy shoes online.
• 2 months ago, I placed an order for Adidas shoes from Flipkart, another famous retail store.
• Actually, the same shoes were available on Amazon as well but were about Rs 200 costlier, so I decided to go for Flipkart.
• I was so excited about the shoes.
• In fact, I was boasting about the great deal I found on the Internet to my friends.
• However, when I opened the box, I was quite disappointed.
• My shoes were duplicates.
• The brand name written on the shoes was not Adidas but Adidaas, with a double a.
• I know a big brand could never make such a big mistake.
• So, I called the customer care number of Flipkart and told them about the problem.
• They told me to take a photograph and send it.
• Immediately, they offered me two choices.
• Either they could refund the money or I could buy something else for the same price.
• At the same time, they removed the seller from their platform.
• They told me to courier the shoes back to the seller.
• When I emailed them the courier slip, they refunded me the whole amount along with the courier charges I entailed.
• I was quite happy with their handling of my complaint.
• However, I also felt it was a waste of time.
• The whole process took about two weeks.
• I could have directly gone to a store and picked up the shoes and the whole thing wouldn’t have taken me more than an hour.
PART 3 – Online Shopping
1. What kind of customer service do you think is good?
I think that creating a good customer experience depends on multiple factors. The companies should ensure that the staff providing the service should be prompt, attentive, and most importantly be very patient and polite with the client.
2 What are the differences between shopping online and in-store?
There are numerous differences between online shopping versus shopping from brick and mortar stores. First of all, online shopping is more convenient as it saves a lot of time and energy. Also, it can be done 24X7, whereas, the stores are generally open for 10-12 hours only. The only benefit of retail stores is that an individual can make a better judgement of the look and feel of the product which is not possible online.
3 What problems do customers often have while shopping?
Generally, the customers are not able to easily find products/goods that match their needs or taste. For example, sometimes if a person likes a particular piece of clothing, he/she might not be able to find the right size for it. Other than that sometimes they might have to deal with rude and impolite staff.
4 What do you think customers should do when there are problems with products bought online? The customers should immediately lodge a complaint with the website from which they have bought the product. Also, they should go through the refund and return policy for the product and then take the necessary action.
9. Describe a time when you saw a lot of plastic waste (e.g. in a park, on the beach, etc.)
You should say:
– Where and when you saw the plastic waste
– Why there was a lot of plastic waste
– What you did do after you saw it
– And explain what your thoughts were about this
• Recently, I visited Leh, a hill station in Ladakh.
• It became a really popular tourist destination after the movie 3 idiots was released because some of the movie scenes were shot there.
• During these summer vacations, my parents and I went there.
• There, while travelling in Leh we saw huge mountains of plastic waste near a popular lake.
• At first, I thought the problem is the lack of dustbins.
• However, it was just the tip of the problem.
• Someone told us that each day more than 30,000 plastic bottles are dumped in Leh.
• And there has been a sudden rise due to the increase in tourism.
• There are no plastic recycling plants nearby and so there is no place to dump all the plastic.
• The only solution is for the government to transport it back to big cities, with recycling facilities, or the government to build a recycling plant there.
• However, both options are quite costly.
• The government has started asking tourists to take the plastic bottles back with them instead of throwing them there.
• I think the visit to Leh opened my eyes to the dark side of tourism.
• Sometimes, these small places do not have the capacity to accommodate so many tourists.
• I never thought about it from this perspective before.
• Although I know, personally I don’t think I can make a big difference, I have stopped drinking from mineral water bottles if cleaner alternatives are available.
Part 3 – Plastic Waste
1 Do you think we should use plastic products?
No, I don’t think that usage of plastic products should be encouraged. Every day in the newspaper we read about how plastics are destroying our planet, and there is not much we can do about it except prohibit their usage. Most of the plastic waste cannot be recycled and ends up in landfills or is dumped in the sea
2 How can we reduce our use of plastic?
There are many simple everyday things that we can do to reduce our plastic consumption. For example, people can always carry a steel water bottle with them so that they don’t have to buy a plastic one. Another thing that people can do is to use jute or any other cloth bags for carrying goods from grocery stores.
3 What kinds of plastic waste are often seen in your country?
The most common plastic waste in my country would definitely be the plastic bags that people use for grocery shopping. The plastic water or soft drink bottles take the second spot.
4 Why do people like to use plastic products?
I think there are two main reasons behind it. One is that plastic is more convenient as it doesn’t get damaged easily and keeps the goods safe and dry. Secondly, plastic is cheaper as compared to metal or other alternatives.
10. Describe a time when you needed to search for information
You should say:
– What information you needed to search for
– When you searched for it
– Where you searched for it
– And explain why you needed to search for it
• Internet has made our lives really easy especially when it comes to searching for information.
• We can find out about anything with a click of a button.
• In 10th standard, my history teacher gave me a project to write about the life of a freedom fighter.
• One of the instructions for the project was that I was forbidden to use the internet.
• I had no clue what I could do to search for it.
• It made me realise how dependent I had become on the internet.
• It was like I couldn’t survive without it.
• Then, I asked my parents for advice.
• They told me that I could visit the local library.
• There I might find some past newspapers and articles, which could help me.
• The library told me that they were also going digital and most of the articles and the past newspapers had been uploaded on their website.
• Finally, I thought about the museum dedicated to Bhagat Singh, which is about half an hour’s drive from my hometown.
• In the museum, I came to know a lot about his life.
• For example ‘he had a slogan Inquilab Zindabad’ which means long live revolution.
• I had always thought the revolution meant freedom of India.
• However, it actually meant freedom from the tyranny of the rich and powerful.
• Bhagat Singh’s ideas were too advanced for his age.
• I also learnt that although he was hanged for violence, he had stopped believing in violence long before he was even caught. Besides learning about Bhagat Singh’s life, I gained an appreciation for the internet and at the same time, I learned how we are becoming overdependent upon it.
Part 3 Follow Ups – Information
1 How can people search for information now?
I believe that smartphones are the best option for looking up information anywhere and at any time. They just have to type a few words in google search engine and within milliseconds they can get hundreds of documents and videos about the information they are looking for.
2 What information can people get from television?
Although television is mainly considered an entertainment unit or sometimes also called an idiot box, I believe that if people watch the right channels they can learn a lot about the world and increase their general knowledge by watching television.
3 Do you think libraries are still important in the digital age?
Yes, I feel that libraries still have an important role to play in our society. Apart from access to thousands of great books at the same time, libraries also provide a studious and focused environment for reading which is hard to replicate elsewhere.
4 Does the development of the Internet have any impact on some disadvantaged people?
Yes, technologies such as Internet have definitely helped the disadvantaged, especially those from weaker economic backgrounds. It has allowed them to learn new things for free and also created opportunities for them to earn more money by being able to reach more customers.
For example, a small time taxi driver who could get only a few customers from a particular location/ stand only can now ferry more customers in a day, and that too from any location because of mobility apps like uber.
Part 3 Follow Ups – Person from different culture
1 Where and how can we get to know people of different cultures better?
I think social platforms such as Facebook, Reddit, and Instagram are great ways to interact/connect with people from different cultures. Here people from different cultures can discuss like-minded ideas and interests. However, the traditional way to learn about a different culture would be to read books related to it, watch movies, or may be travel to that place.
2 What are the advantages and disadvantages of cultural diversity?
If I talk about advantages, cultural diversity makes our world more interesting. If there was only one culture in the world, it would have been a really boring place. Cultural diversity acts as a change that makes people curious about each other. Also, people get to learn a lot from each other’s cultures. However, from a disadvantage point of view, cultural diversity can sometimes create a divide amongst people. People of one culture might believe themselves to be superior as compared to others and it can lead to hate and difference among them.
3 How can traditional culture and other cultures coexist?
For different cultures to co-exist together, especially traditional and modern, it requires a lot of effort from the members of the society. Followers of both cultures should show respect and understanding for each other and should not indulge in any activities that could hurt each other’s sentiments. Also, I feel that the generation gap plays a huge role in traditional and modern culture, and narrowing it down can help both cultures to co-exist peacefully.
4 Which Indian traditions are disappearing?
I am not a person who is much into following traditions and cultures. However, I also don’t think that Indian traditions are disappearing, in fact, I feel that with the help of Internet and social media, youngsters in India are becoming more aware of their customs and traditions. My family members, relatives, and neighbours still follow the same old traditions which they used to 10-20 years ago.
11. Describe a time you made a decision to wait for something
You should say:
– When it happened
– What you waited for
– Why you made the decision
– And explain how you felt while waiting
• I am a very impatient person, and it is very difficult for me to wait for things.
• But recently I waited to buy a mobile phone and it was one the longest times I had to wait for something.
• My phone broke down 3 months ago and I had to buy a new phone.
• This time I was going to buy an iPhone.
• However, when I was searching online, I came to know that a newer version of the iPhone was coming out in one month.
• I asked my parents, and my parents told me if I could live for one month without a phone, they would buy me the latest version.
• I thought it would be easy, but I was so wrong.
• The one month seemed like a year.
• I couldn’t talk to my friends or chat with them.
• They used to call my parents if they needed to tell me something important but as my parents needed their phones, I couldn’t talk for long.
• For the first two weeks I was very irritated and one or two times, I nearly broke down and told my parents to just buy me the previous model.
• However, then I adapted.
• Because there was no phone, I had a lot of free time.
• I spent this time playing outdoor games with the neighbour’s children.
• I actually started enjoying it and I started missing my phone less and less day by day.
• If I had to talk to my friends, I just visited them.
• I also came to the realisation that I had become addicted to my phone.
• This wait was one of the best things to happen to me in my life.
• My parents also told me that I had started spending more time with them.
• I thought they might go back on their word but as soon as the new model was released, they bought me the phone.
• Now I still use my phone but not as much.
• I am not on social media all the time.
• I do check it but occasionally.
Part 3 – Decision to wait
1 What do people in your country often do while waiting?
Nowadays most people spend time scrolling through social media applications on their phones while they are waiting for something. People like to be aware of the new trends and they also find such applications to be entertaining.
2 Why do some people like a slow-paced life?
I think some people just like to take things slow because they have a more relaxed and focused approach towards life. Unlike others they don’t want to be in a rat race of earning more and more money, instead, they prefer to live in the moment and discover life as it is.
3 Is being patient good for people? Why?
Yes, patience is a virtue that every person should have these days. Lot many times we see people losing patience on simple matters and becoming angry which does not bring good for anyone. Being patient helps people stay calm in difficult situations and stay in control of their emotions, whereas impatient ones can easily lose emotional control and get into arguments
4 Are people less patient now than people in the past? Why?
Today’s generation is definitely less patient as compared to people in the old times. With technological advancements, they have become accustomed to getting things instantly. For example, people can now book flight tickets, order food, or transfer money with just the click of a button. So, when they have to wait for something that would take more time than usual, it makes them really impatient.
12. Describe a time when you received money as a gift.
– When did you receive it?
– What did you do with it?
– How did you feel about it?
• It always feels nice to give and receive gifts.
• However, I normally, don’t like to receive money as a gift because my mother takes it from me and I never get to see that money again.
• Today, I am going to talk about a time, when I actually got to spend the money I got as a gift.
• In Indian culture, when we visit an elder relatives house for the first time, they give us money as a present.
• It’s a tradition.
• Recently, I visited my father’s cousin for the first time.
• He used to live in the US, but he shifted back to India after his retirement last month.
• He was very excited to see me and we had a wonderful time at this house.
• When we were leaving, he handed me a small envelope with money.
• I expected it to be a small amount but it was actually 100 dollars.
• So, I was completely shocked.
• At the same time, I was sad too because I knew I would never get to spend it
• My mother told me to return it, but my uncle refused to take it back.
• I knew my mother was going to take it from me so before she could, I handed it to my grandma for safekeeping.
• This is how I outwitted my mother, if I had given it to my mother, she would have told me that she spent it buying food for me and paying my electricity bills.
• Then after a few days, my phone broke and I had to buy a new one.
• So, I used the money to buy myself a new Samsung phone.
• The first thing I did was to take a photograph of the phone and send it to my uncle along with a thank you note.
OR
● Money as a gift is extremely popular in my country.
● In fact, it can be called a tradition as well.
● People usually gift money to each other during weddings, birthdays etc
● Today, I would like to talk about one such occasion (out of so many others), when I received money from someone instead of an actual gift item.
● The occasion was my 18th birthday.
● And as per Indian laws I became an adult on this day
● My parents gifted me a motorbike on my birthday as I was now eligible to drive a motor vehicle
● When my friends came to know about this, all of them wanted a party from me.
● Unfortunately I did not have much savings at that time, to give a party to my friends.
● But luckily my grandparents were visiting us during that time.
● They had come to spend their winters with us.
● I love my grandparents a lot, they are really humble and polite.
● They always teach me a lot of good moral values and they love me a lot as well.
● Since my grandparents are tool old, they could not go to the market to buy a gift for me.
● Moreover they were not sure about what gift they should buy for me, which will make me happy.
● So they decided it was best to give me money as a gift, so that I can use it for buying anything I like.
● Initially I refused to accept the money but then my parents said I should not say no to the elders as it would be a disrespect to them.
● I then thanked my grandparents and they gave me their blessings as well.
● I also told them that I had everything that I need but my friends were asking for a party so I will use that money for the purpose of celebrating my birthday.
● My grandparents were happy that I was using the money to spend a good time and share happiness with my friends and not spending it alone on myself.
● They wished me good luck for the party.
● I had a great outdoor party with my friends.
● So, this was one of the occasions when I received money as a gift and I used it for celebrating with my friends.
Part 3 Follow Up Questions
1. In your country, do parents give children money for doing housework?
In my country, India, it is not very common for parents to give money to their children for housework. There maybe very few parents who do this and it is mostly considered as the children’s responsibility to help with the housework. In terms of money, children get pocket money for their daily/weekly/monthly expenses.
2. Is it important for children to have a right attitude towards money?
Yes, it is very important for children to have the right attitude towards money. Children should learn the importance of money and saving it/not wasting it starting at an early age, so that this habit continues in the future when they start working and earning.
3. What do you think of the saying; love of money is the root of all evil?
I think this saying has a lot of truth in it. Love or obsession for money is not only the root cause of unhappiness, but also brings many other problems in a person’s life, like insecurity, not being able to trust others, unhappy family life, selfishness, etc.
4. Is it important to teach children how to manage their pocket money? Or Is it good and necessary to teach children to save money?
Yes, it is very important to teach children to manage their pocket money so that in their adult life they understand the value/importance of money, not waste it and are better at managing their finances in the future.
5. What kind of occasions require people to send money as gifts?
Occasions like birthdays, weddings, congratulating someone on the birth of a baby, and some other such occasions require people to send money as gifts, especially in the Indian culture.
6 Why do people rarely use cash now?
7 When do children begin to comprehend the value of money? 8 Should parents reward children with money?
14. Talk about a TV show you like to watch
– What is the program about
– When do you watch it
– Who do you watch it with
– Why do you like to watch it
• In my childhood, I used to watch a lot of TV shows.
• However, nowadays because I am busy with studies, I rarely find time to watch TV.
• Despite the lack of time, there is one show, I ardently follow.
• The name of the show is ‘Floor is Lava’.
• It is an American game show.
• It is also available on Netflix and that’s where I watch it.
• I normally watch it with my family when we have dinner.
• My parents also watch it, but I don’t think they are as crazy about it as I am.
• Different teams of 3 members compete with each other to cross obstacles without falling on the floor as the floor is imaginary lava.
• If people fall, they get out.
• The team that gets through all the obstacles with the most members and the shortest amount of time wins.
• The game seems so fun.
• It is a test of both physical stamina and mental fortitude.
• The obstacles are physically challenging but there are mental tricks to solving them as well.
• The obstacles are different every week so that teams have to think on the spot.
• There are multi paths of getting across.
• I really wish I could participate in the completion as well.
• However, only American citizens can apply to be contestants for now.
• It is still fun to imagine what I would have done if I was a participant.
• There have been two seasons till now and the third one is coming out soon.
• I have been eagerly waiting for it and I hope soon there is an international version where people from all over the world could participate.
OR
● I have seen a lot of comedies and sitcoms in my life.
● Here I would like to talk about an interesting TV program which is Comedy Circus
● It comes on Sony Channel every Saturday and Sunday at 9 pm
● I watch it with my family.
● We all enjoy this program over dinner.
● Last Sunday also I watched this program.
● The performance by Kapil and Bharti was awesome.
● We all laughed a lot that time.
● Kapil is very good as a stand-up comedian but Bharti can also do slapstick comedy very well.
● Last time she became a cat and really looked like a cute little fat cat.
● Bharti has really cashed her obesity.
● She is an excellent dancer too.
● Archna Puran Singh and Sohail Khan are the judges in this program.
● Sudesh Lehri and Krushna got the highest points last Sunday
● Krushna is Govinda’s nephew.
● But because of this program, he has made a name for himself.
● On Saturdays and Sundays, my family and I finish all our household tasks and sit together at the dining table and watch this program
● The best thing is that the comedy is clean and has no vulgarity in it.
● Laughter is needed by all of us these days.
● It helps to remain tension free.
● It is a good stressbuster.
● Nowadays even doctors recommend this as a therapy for depression.
● There is a laughter club in my hometown in which many elderly people are members, and they assemble in a park and laugh out loud.
● This program fulfills my quota of laughter.
● All channels have sitcoms, but I just love this program.
Part 3 – Follow Up Questions
1. What do Indian people like to watch?
India is a diverse country, and it is very hard to generalise what people like to watch. People like to watch news, soaps, dramas, comedy shows, reality shows, and sports. It really depends upon the person. I personally like to watch news, sport shows, and competitions.
2. Do you like watching foreign countries’ TV shows?
Yes, I watch a lot of foreign countries’ TV shows especially Hollywood as I find they are much more entertaining. I feel their budgets are better and so the visuals and special effects are really good. Moreover, I think there is a lot of diversity available in Hollywood TV shows.
3. Do you think watching TV shows can be educational for children?
It really depends upon the type of TV show. Some TV channels like Discovery and National Geography have shows that can be really educational for children. Others shows like dramas and soaps are mainly a sort of entertainment but they can also educate children in some ways. For example, watching them can improve children’s linguistic skills and they can learn about other countries’ cultures and traditions.
4 What’s the benefit of letting kids watch animal videos than visiting zoo?
The only benefit I can think of is that the animal videos would contain audio description about the animals, their habitat, eating habitats and other related information whereas in the zoo the children can only see the animals but not learn much about them.
5 Do teachers play videos in class in your country?
15. Describe a person who you believe dresses well
• Who this person is
• What kind of dresses he/she wears
• How do you know him/her
OR
Describe a person who likes to dress fashionably/well
You should say:
Who he/she is
What job he/she does
What kind of clothes he/she wears And explain why he/she likes fashion
• I grew up in a small town and most of my friends have a dressing sense similar to mine.
• When I was in high school, we had a new neighbor Avinash.
• The first thing I noticed about him the day that he moved was his clothes.
• He was wearing a graphic T-shirt and red shorts.
• Personally, I have always stuck with browns, blues, or greys and that’s why his clothes stood out to me.
• He made a great first impression on me because of how well dressed he was.
• He was my age, and we became very good friends.
• I found out that his whole family relocated to my town from Delhi as his dad got transferred here.
• Delhi is a big metropolitan city, and I figured he had a lot of options to buy trendy clothes there.
• He was always put together and his clothes were very stylish and fashionable.
• He was also very appropriately dressed, and he took the time to pick up his outfit.
• When we were playing outside, he would wear athletic clothes with cool sneakers.
• At parties, he would wear semi-formal clothes like dark-colored jeans with polo shirts.
• The best thing was that not all of his clothes were branded. Some were just simple clothes that he mixed and matched to create the perfect outfit.
• He would make new outfits from some of his parents’ old clothes.
• I was in awe of his creativity.
• Not only that, he had a nice physique and carried himself well.
• That was one of the reasons he always looked so sharp and dapper.
• Somedays he would just wear jeans and a plain white t-shirt, but he made them look nice.
• His clothes were always nicely ironed.
• I asked him where he was shopping after moving to my town because the options were limited.
• He told me that he shopped online and showed me where to find clothes online.
• He guided me and helped me pick up some nice outfits.
• Unfortunately, his family moved to another city after a few years.
• I miss having him around, and I have stayed in touch with him through email and social media.
• He is my inspiration, and it would not be wrong to say he has a big role in how I dress now.
Part 3 Follow Ups
1 Do you think online shopping will replace in-store shopping in the future? Why?
No I don’t think that online shopping can completely replace the brick and mortar stores. It is impossible to achieve the in-store real shopping experience with virtual shopping.
2 Why is fashion very important to some people?
Fashion is important to many people because it helps them to create an identity for themselves. The way they dress or look signals an impressions to other about their personality and outlooks towards life. Other than that for some people it is important because of their professions. For example, actors and actresses always wear fashionable clothes.
3 Are older people as fashionable as young people? Why?
I don’t think older people focus much on fashion and they believe in wearing simple clothes with sober colors. At their stage of life other things such as health, family relationships etc become more important.
4 Are women more fashionable than men? Why?
Definietly yes, that is why most of the shopping malls have women’s clothes, cosmetics and accessories available on the ground floor whereas men and kids shops are mostly located on the first floor. While men don’t have much clothing options except formal and casual, women tend to have a particular dress or cloth style for each and every occasion.
16. Describe a person who likes to grow plants
Who the person is
How do you know the person
What types of plants does he/she grow Why does he/she enjoy growing plants
• Gardening is a very popular hobby in India.
• I know many people who like to do gardening.
• However, today I am going to talk about my grandfather because I learnt about growing plants from him
• My grandfather started this hobby after retirement.
• He retired from the agricultural department of Punjab university as a lecturer, so he had pretty good knowledge about plants.
• However, he never got much time, before retirement.
• His house has a big backyard, so there is a lot of open space to grow plants.
• He started with flowers like roses and jasmine.
• Then he planted some fruit trees like mango, papaya, and bananas.
• Now, he has a kitchen garden, and he grows all his vegetables by himself.
• There are a lot of pesticides and chemicals being used in farming nowadays.
• So, he doesn’t like to buy vegetables from the market.
• Although organically grown vegetables are also available in the market nowadays, their prices are too high currently.
• I also feel that the vegetables grown by him have a different taste.
• Maybe it is because instead of using chemicals, he uses kitchen waste as compost.
• During corona time, I had a lot of free time and so I learnt a bit of gardening from my grandpa.
• That’s when I came to know about his love for gardening and how much knowledge he had.
• I think he could write books about it.
Part 3 – Follow Up Questions
1. What kind of plants do people like to grow in their homes?
In India, people like to grow many different types of plants like medicinal herbs, flowers, fruits, and so on. We also have many plants in our home, but I don’t know most of their names. The few that I know are Neem, Tulsi, Rose, Hibiscus, etc.
2. Do people in India like to gift plants?
Gifting plants wasn’t very common a few years ago, but it is becoming popular. Earlier, people used to mainly gift sweets, but now as many people are facing problems like obesity and diabetes, people have started looking for different gifts and plants are one of them. Recently, we attended my uncle’s housewarming party, and many people gifted them plants.
3 Are there many people growing their own vegetables now?
India is an agricultural economy, so , yes many people in India grow their own vegetables. Also the trend of eating organic food has encouraged people to grow their own vegetables.
4 Do you think it’s good to let kids learn how to plant?
Yes it is important to teach kids about plantation because through it they will be able to better understand and realise the importance of plants and trees on our planet. They will also learn how important the plants are for our future.
3 What do you think of the job of a farmer?
I believe that farmers have the most important job in our world. If farmers will not grow any crops then we will not have any food on our table and there would be hunger and starvation everywhere.
4 What are the differences between traditional and modern agriculture?
Traditional agriculture used a lot of chemicals for increasing the yield and preventing the crops from diseases but modern agriculture is shifting towards organic and more environment friendly approach.
17. Describe a time you had a disagreement with someone
Who was the person
Why did you have the disagreement Was the issue resolved? If yes, how? How you felt about it?
• Life would be boring if everyone had the same views.
• I think there is nothing wrong with having disagreements, but we should try to resolve them peacefully.
• Recently, I had a disagreement with one of my friends about our future.
• Actually, my friend is very patriotic and he wants India to grow.
• He believes that our country is not able to progress because of brain drain.
• He is against people moving abroad for greener pastures.
• I, on the other hand, believe that there is lack of opportunities in India and thus, there is nothing wrong with youth moving to foreign countries.
• Moreover, the quality of life in India cannot be compared with the developed countries like the US, New Zealand, Australia, and Canada.
• The disagreement happened when we were both discussing our future plans after completing our 12th standard.
• He told me that he is planning to join the armed forces as he wants to serve the country.
• Then, I told him about my plans of settling abroad after completing my higher education.
• That’s how the disagreement started.
• He gave me all the reasons why I shouldn’t settle abroad, while I gave him all the reasons why I decided to do so in the first place.
• What surprised me is that normally my friend is really calm, but on this issue, he got really emotional.
• I could see that he really cares about the country.
• I think we had this whole argument for about 2 hours.
• At last, we both just agreed that we both had different viewpoints and there was nothing wrong with having different views.
• However, this disagreement did make me realise one thing, I had more responsibility towards my country.
Part 3 – Follow Up Questions
1. If there is a disagreement, what do you do?
It really depends upon the issue. If it is a minor issue, I don’t let it escalate and just tell the person, I disagree with and move on. However, if it’s something important, I ask my parents and friends for advice.
2. How can we stop disagreements from escalating into a fight?
I think we just need to be calm and rational. I think the best way to de-escalate situations is to give them time. We always make wrong decisions when we don’t give issues time. I also try to involve a neutral person and ask them for advice.
3. Who do you think should teach children to respect- teachers or parents?
I think both parents and teachers have the responsibility of teaching children. However, I think such things are not taught but rather learnt by observing others. Children pick up a lot of things by watching their parents and so it is absolutely important that parents behave appropriately in front of them.
4. What do you do when you have a disagreement with your parents?
Well, in this case, I am normally forced to accept their viewpoint. I know my parents have my best interests at heart, so I don’t mind it. However, sometimes when I feel strongly about something I do try to resist. Sometimes, they do let me prevail.
5. What disagreements do parents and children usually have?
Generally the disagreements between parents and children are related to discipline or about things that children like to buy. For example, I always argued with my parent about sleeping till late in the morning on Sundays but they never allowed it.
18. Describe a house/apartment that someone you know lives in.
You should say:
whose house/apartment this is where the house/apartment is what it looks like inside
and explain what you like or dislike about this person’s house/apartment
or Describe the home of someone you know well and that you often visit
You should say:
Whose home it is
How often you go there What it is like
And explain how you feel about the home
• I think that building a dream house is an ambition of almost every person in the world, and today I would like to talk about the house of one of my uncle’s friend.
• The house is located in one of the posh localities of Chandigarh.
• In fact, it is just one km away from the famous Sukhna lake which is a big tourist attraction in our city and most of the city residents love to go there for a morning walk.
• My uncle’s friend who has recently returned from Canada, bought this house last year.
• He had worked in Canada for almost 30 years before deciding to settle back in India.
• It took him almost one year to get the house renovated according to his liking.
• Also, I believe that he has spent a fortune on purchasing and rebuilding this property.
• It is a two-storey corner house with 3 bedrooms and a living room on each floor, and from the outside, it looks like a 20th century luxury English Villa.
• There is ample parking space for 4 cars and a huge lawn in the front.
• Apart from it, the house is equipped with all the modern amenities that one could dream of.
• There is an indoor gym, a mini home theater, and a jacuzzi on the rooftop.
• All the rooms have huge glass windows which allow a lot of natural light to come into the house and there is good ventilation as well.
• My uncle’s friend is a technocrat, so, he has installed a lot of smart electronic devices in his home and he is able to control most of them through his mobile phone.
• For example, he can turn on the lights, open the curtains and control the conditioning, all with the click of a button.
• Moreover, my uncle’s friend is also fond of gardening so he has planted many flowers and exotic plants in his garden. He has also kept a lot of indoor plants in the house.
• I absolutely love each and every corner of the house, there is nothing to dislike about it because so much attention to detail has been given to all the aspects such as interior design, décor, and space utilization.
• My uncle’s friend is really proud of his house and loves to give a house tour to all the guests who come to meet him.
Part 3
1 What are the differences between buildings in the city and in the countryside?
The primary difference is that buildings in cities have limited outdoor spaces and congested rooms whereas the countryside buildings have more spacious rooms and large outdoor areas. Moreover the high rise apartments are found in cities only, while the rural areas have maximum 2-3 storey buildings
2 Do you prefer to live in the city or in the countryside?
I prefer to live in the city because it offers better amenities and also more opportunities and experiences. City life is more fast, entertaining and with so many possibilities and things to experience. Comparitively, the life in rural areas is dull and boring where individuals are restricted to doing certain acitives only.
3 What safety risks are there in residential buildings in cities?
The main risk is of fire, especially in high rise buildings. Fire incident on one floor could spell disaster for people living on the higher floors and could lead to a great loss of life.
4 Is it expensive to decorate a house or an apartment in the place where you live?
Yes it has become very expensive to decorate one’s house or apartment these days. The cost of furniture and decorative items has skyrocketed. Also, the indoor plants which play an important role in decoration have beome expensive these days.
19. Describe a place where you go to do outdoor activities or play a sport
Where is it located?
What activities you can do at this place? How often do you go there?
Why do you like this place?
Or Describe a popular place of sports that you’ve been to
You should say:
Where it is
When you went there What you did there
And explain how you felt about this place
• I belong to Chandigarh and there are many places in my city where one can go to play sports or do some outdoor physical activity.
• Some of them include international cricket stadiums, hockey stadiums and government run sports complexes, where one can play a variety of sports like lawn tennis, badminton, squash, swimming, etc.
• Today I would like to talk about the Lake Sports Complex which is located near Sukhna lake, and I go to play Lawn tennis over there.
• This Complex was earlier known as Lake Club and was set up in 1961 making it one of the oldest sporting clubs in the city.
• It is said to be spread over 10 acres of land and is one of the most popular Sports Centre of our city
• It is the single largest centre that houses the facilities of gym, squash, tennis, table tennis, billiards, archery, swimming, squash and a hi-tech gym having imported machines and access for using other club facilities
• I got to know about the sports club from one of my school friends whose house was just a stone’s throw distance from it.
• It was because of his reference that I was able to gain membership at the club.
• People can take monthly, quarterly or annual membership and the charges are very nominal.
• I have been practicing there for the last two years and I really love playing there.
• I have made it a habit to go there at least 4-5 times a week. Every member gets an hourly slot to play at the club and my slot is at 7 in the evening.
• I believe that playing sport is a great way to relieve everyday mental stress plus it helps one to stay physically fit as well.
• Recently an open fitness centre has been opened at the Lake Sports Complex for local sportspersons and members of the club
• The fitness centre has the facility of a running track, rope climbing and balancing apparatuses, and other equipment for the usage of players and members.
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Part 3 – Follow Up Questions
1. Are outdoor activities better than indoor activities?
I believe that both types of activities have their own advantages and disadvantages and there are a lot of factors involved behind. For example, in countries with extreme cold or hot climate, it is not possible for people to do many outdoor activities, so they have to rely on indoor sports for staying busy and fit. However, in countries with moderate weather people like to enjoy nature and play outdoors.
2. What outdoor activities do young people like to do? Or Do young people like to do sports?
To be honest young people hardly step out these days as they have a hectic life schedule. But for those who find it suffocating to stay indoors all the time, love to go for walks or morning runs in the nearby parks. Off late lot of youngsters have become cycling enthusiasts and I can see a lot of them cycling especially during the late evenings.
3. Do you think that people who like to do adventurous activities are more likely to succeed?
I don’t think there is any direct link between adventurous sports and success. There are so many successful people in the world such as scientists, politicians, and businessmen who would have never done any adventure sports activity. In fact, I hardly know any adventurous sports enthusiast who became a successful leader.
4 What are the benefits of sports for children?
Sports bring multiple benefits to young children. Not only it improves their physical fitness, it makes them mentally stronger as well. Young children also learn collaboration, competition and team work by playing team sports.
5 Is it necessary to build public sports spaces?
6 What do you think of companies donating sports venues for poor children?
I believe it’s a great intitiave to provide sports factilites to the underpriviledged. It can help in identifying young talent from such areas who might not otherwise get an opportunity to play sports at a competitive level in their lifetime. It also helps the companies to develop a positive brand image
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20. Describe a city you would recommend as a nice place to live (not your hometown)
You should say:
What it is Where it is
What you know about this place
And explain why you recommend it as a nice place
Or Describe a place in your country or part of your country that you would like to recommend to visitors/travelers
You should say:
What it is Where it is
What people can do there
And explain why you would like to recommend it to visitors/travelers
• India is a diverse country.
• There are many beautiful cities in India.
• Some are beautiful because of their historical buildings, whereas others are beautiful because of their modern architecture. Some cities are beautiful because they are in the mountain valleys, whereas some are beautiful, because of the beautiful and warm smiles of people.
• Here, I would like to talk about Chandigarh, which is also known as ‘The City Beautiful’
• It was designed by the French architect Le Corbusier.
• There are lot of tourists who travel to Chandigarh especially to study/experience its architecture.
• It is the first planned city of India after independence.
• Chandigarh is the cleanest and the happiest city of India according to two different surveys held in 2010 and 2015.
• It is also the first smoke-free city in the country.
• It is a union territory and is also the capital of two states – Punjab and Haryana.
• The Rock Garden in Chandigarh is a masterpiece made out of waste material.
• Sukhna lake is the biggest man-made lake. It is a beautiful place for people to enjoy with their families.
• The sector 17 market is a shopper’s paradise.
• The Rose Garden is Asia’s largest garden
• The city has 50 sectors.
• Each sector has residential and commercial zones
• The roads are designed and oriented in such a way that for most of the time of the day, they are under shade.
• There are huge parking areas in the commercial zones so that the parking problems don’t create havoc on the main roads.
• The Parking lanes are as broad as the main roads.
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• Recently a dedicated cycle track has been laid down across all the main roads by the local authorities to encourage cycling amongst city residents and make the roads safer for them.
• Chandigarh is also famous as the only city in the country where people definitely obey the traffic rules.
• So, you see, while the city was planned in 1952, it is still the most well-planned and beautiful city of India.
• I feel Chandigarh is the best city to live in India because the quality of life is very good here.
• Unlike other cities, people do not have to deal with problems such as pollution, traffic jams, and unhygienic living conditions. Moreover, people in this city also have access to some of the best healthcare and educational facilities in the country.
• Finally, I believe that the greatness of a city depends on its people, and Chandigarh is among the cities with the highest literacy levels. The people in Chandigarh are warm, friendly, and ready to help each other in difficult times
• The city has a lot to offer to people from all walks of life.
Part 3 – Follow Up Questions
1 Where do people like to live in your country?
Majority of India’s population still continues to live in rural areas and small towns. However, this trend is changing and a lot of young people are now migrating to the big cities for better employment opportunities and to gain access to advanced infrastructure facilities like hospitals, universities, shopping malls, etc
2 Why do many people move to the city?
As I mentioned earlier people are moving to cities because they feel that they can get a better quality of life in the cities as they offer a better living standard. The luxurious lifestyle, modern amenities, and entertainment options in cities is what woos the youngsters towards them.
3 What are the advantages of living close to the workplace?
The biggest advantage of living close to the workplace is the reduced time and expenditure on commute. People get to spend more quality time with their family members and avoid the stress of being struck in long traffic jams. It is also good for the environment as people can walk or cycle to their workplace instead of commuting by cars.
4 What kinds of places do older people prefer to live in
Most of the old folks prefer to live in societies that are serene and peaceful. They don’t prefer living in noisy areas as it disturbs their sleep a lot. Also, they prefer to buy a house near a park or garden so that they can easily go for morning or evening walks.
5 Is it important to take photos while traveling?
6 Can you trust other people’s travel journals on the Internet? 7 What factors affect how people feel about traveling?
8 Will you go to a foreign country to travel because of the distinct landscape?
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21. Describe a time when someone asked for your opinion
You should say:
Who asked for your opinion
Why he/she wanted to know your opinion What opinion you gave
And explain how you felt when he/she asked for your opinion
• Well in my country people keep asking for each other’s opinion all the time
• Sometimes people like to give their opinions on matters that even do not relate to them.
• They do it to show care and help others.
• Today, I would like to talk about a time when one of my cousins asked me about my opinion on apple and android phones.
• My cousin had recently completed his 10th standard and because he had performed well in his examination, his parents had promised to buy him a new phone.
• Since his parents are extremely wealthy, he had a budget of 70,000 Rs to buy the new phone.
• My cousin reached out to me because I am considered a gadget freak in my family as I love to try new phones and devices that come in the market.
• I have also created a lot of review videos of different technology products like smartwatches, speakers, laptops, and mobiles, etc.
• So, when my cousin started the apple vs android debate, he really wanted to know which product is a better choice and offers the most value for money.
• I explained to him the hardware and software offerings of both devices in detail and discussed with him the different use case scenarios where each device can perform better than the other.
• I told him that Apple devices offered better hardware, camera quality, privacy, and an ecosystem that allows the users to connect seamlessly with other apple products, however, the android devices offered more value for money as they provide all the same features at a much lesser cost.
• Also, android users can do a lot of customizations on their phones as compared to apple devices where the user experience is more controlled.
• Prior to our discussion, my cousin had a very negative opinion about android phones but when I showed him some of the advanced features and tricks that an android device could do, he was really impressed.
• Our discussion went on for almost 4-5 hours and at the end of it, my cousin had a different opinion about the android devices.
• I felt really happy when he came asking for my opinion because I like to engage in such discussions.
• I believe that having a healthy conversation like this helps to increase one’s intellect and general awareness about things.
• Although sometimes people can also get into heated arguments, I think that people should learn to respect each other’s opinions.
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Part 3 – Follow Up Questions
1 Why do some people dislike giving their opinions?
There are many reasons why some people do not like to share their perspectives/ideas about things. Sometimes they lack the confidence or the ability to explain their opinion in detail. They feel that they will be embarrassed if someone would counter their opinion and might not be able to defend their opinion. Another reason could be that some people are just shy in nature and like to keep things close to themselves.
2 Are there any apps designed for collecting opinions about products or services?
I am not aware of any app that only collects opinions about products but almost all the shopping apps have an option for the users to comment about the products they have purchased from their website. For example, many people write reviews on Amazon shopping app and give ratings for the products available there.
3 Why do people like to express their opinions on the Internet nowadays?
The primary reason is that people want their voice to be heard and Internet provides them a platform where they can express their views about anything and everything while being anonymous. Internet also provides them a sense of freedom to express their mind without having to worry about what others will think. Also, one can easily choose to engage or disengage in a conversation as per their convenience.
4 What are the disadvantages of sharing opinions on the Internet?
I think there are many disadvantages of this trend. Firstly, a lot many times people hurt each other’s sentiments by writing abusive content online. It is often seen in many chat forums that people are hurling abuses at each other over minor disagreements. Secondly, I think that online discussions are mostly not productive and waste people’s useful time.
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22. Describe a time when you missed an appointment
You should say:
When and where it happened; What the appointment was for;
What happened when you missed it;
And explain how you felt about missing the appointment.
• Well, I usually do remember things as I have got a good memory but sometimes, I tend to forget even important things if my life is already disturbed.
• I remember an incident when I forgot my appointment with the dentist.
• It was during the time of placements in college, and we all were very nervous and preparing for it.
• There were placement classes going on and many things were on my high priority list.
• It was during this time, I forgot to visit my dentist.
• I had braces on my teeth and the dentist used to change the bands on them every month.
• But during that time, I was really stressed because of the placements and the dentist’s appointment totally skipped through my mind.
• Later, I got a call from my dentist reminding me that I had missed my appointment.
• I felt very bad about missing that appointment.
• I apologized to him for not being able to reach on that day and asked him for another appointment for the next day.
• Thankfully his schedule for the next day was free and he rescheduled the appointment.
• I also put a reminder on my phone so that I do not forget the appointment again.
• The next day the dentist told me that if I had delayed the appointment further, it would have affected my treatment.
• I realized that this is what pressure handling is all about
• You need to do things and yet make sure that you are still balanced and not missing out on other important things.
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Part 3 – Follow Up Questions
1. Which events in your country do most people forget?
I don’t think we can generalize this, however, I think it is mostly birthdays and anniversaries of relatives and friends that people tend to forget.
2. Do you think it is a good idea to use electronic devices for putting reminders?
Yes, I think it’s a very good idea to use electronic devices like cellphones, computers, tablets, etc. to set reminders for important tasks and events.
3. Do you use them?
Yes, I have set reminders for birthdays; anniversaries, and I set alarms for important tasks. It helps me stay organized.
4. How can memory help you to learn a new skill?
Memory is essential in learning a new skill. It is only through a good memory that we can remember the rules or the techniques that have to be followed when learning a particular skill.
5. How can modern technology help you keep good memories?
Modern technology is very helpful in keeping good memories. We can set up reminders for important events. We can use phones to capture special moments in the form of pictures.
6. Is human memory important nowadays?
Yes, human memory is as important as in the past. It is needed for learning anything new. It’s what is needed to excel in any field. However, our dependence on technology makes us use our memory much lesser than in earlier times.
7. Can electronic devices such as smartphones replace human memory?
No, electronic devices cannot ever replace human memory. We have to draw a line and limit our dependence on gadgets for remembering and computing things for us to avoid the early onset of memory related problems.
8. How often do you make appointments?
I don’t make appointments very often. Only when I have to go to my dentist or doctor that I get an appointment.
9. Is it important to be punctual in your country?
I think it is important to be punctual everywhere, and not just in my country. If you are punctual, you save your time as well the time of the other person.
10. Is it easy to make an appointment in India?
Yes, it is easy to make an appointment. However, it is very important that if you make an appointment, you are punctual also.
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23. Describe a time you were very busy
You should say:
When it happened Where you were What you did
And explain why you were that busy
• Life is very hectic nowadays.
• We are all very busy in our day-to-day activities.
• I remember a time when I was very busy.
• It so happened that two months ago my cousin’s wedding was fixed.
• The groom was an NRI from Canada and the wedding was to take place within a week.
• My uncle and aunt were very tense about all the arrangements.
• I took over the responsibility and offered to help.
• I took a pen and paper and started noting down all the things to do.
• Then I distributed duties to other members of my family and close relatives.
• Everyone was very helpful.
• We took it on as a challenge and I remember how less we slept that whole week.
• We booked the marriage palace and the caterers.
• Then we booked the decorators.
• Shopping for trousseau was on my mother’s shoulders.
• She was very happy because she is a shopaholic and shopping for the wedding was a very enjoyable activity for her.
• My father was busy getting the invitation cards printed and distributed.
• He made a list of all friends and relatives who were to be invited.
• Many relatives who live away were invited on phone only.
• We arranged the DJ also for the ring ceremony and the Sangeet.
• On the actual day of the wedding, I was very nervous, but everything went well.
• I got a lot of compliments for the perfect arrangements.
• Now whenever there is any event in the family, I happily take over all the planning.
• I have also thought about this event organising as a career option.
• This career option also came to my mind after watching the movie Band Baja Baraat.
Follow Up Questions
1. Do you like the fast pace of modern life?
I do not like the fast pace of modern life much, but I think that there is no escape from it. It has become a part of our lives.
2. How do you feel when you are really busy?
When I’m busy, I don’t have time to think of anything, and that keeps me stress-free.
3. What is the best way to deal with stress?
The best way to deal with stress is to remain busy. One can have hobbies to keep one busy. If the person is busy, he doesn’t have time to think of depressing things.
4. What kind of lifestyle is suitable for people in modern society?
People in modern society are busy. I think the fast-paced lifestyle suits them the most. Those who are not living the fast life seem to be living in some other era.
5. What relaxation techniques do you usually use? I do some yoga and listen to soft music to relax.
24. Describe a childhood friend
– Who this person is
– How you became friends with this person
– What kinds of things you like to do with this person
– Explain why you like him/her?
• I had many friends in my childhood, but here I would like to talk about my best friend,Shyam because he is still my best friend.
• He is 20 years old and very handsome.
• He has dark brown eyes and a dimple oh his chin.
• We have been friends since school days.
• I met him when I was in the 4th class in the Govt. Primary School where I studied.
• At that time he used to be very chubby and had curly hair.
• Now he is very lean and thin and has short straight hair.
• I remember, I used to be very shy and never used to go to the teachers with my problems.
• But, he never had any hesitation to speak to the teachers or the principal.
• In fact, he used to represent the whole class, if we had any problem and needed to talk to our school principal.
• He has no glossophobia and every year he used to represent the school for debates and declamation contests and he won many trophies for the school.
• He always used to be selected as the monitor of the class. In college, now he heads the students union.
• Whenever he talks on any subject, he speaks so well that people listen to him. He can bind his audience very well.
• He is himself very disciplined and he always used to encourage other students to be punctual.
• He used to be very good in studies also.
• He was always in the top five students of the class.
• He used to be in the good books of all teachers.
• I really like to spend my time with him.
• I like him because he is an honest and straightforward person.
• He has a very good sense of humour.
• Whenever I was in trouble he used to come and help me.
• He tried to be very understanding and never fought with me.
• In class I was weak at maths and he used to help me.
• I had a very bad handwriting and he helped me to improve my handwriting also.
• He is a very loving, caring and affectionate person.
• So, he became a very intimate friend.
• Now also he lives near my house and we spend our evenings together.
• We go for movies together, do shopping together and even play together.
Part 3 – Follow Up Questions
1. How do people make new friends?
People make friends in many ways. It depends on age and gender. Children make friends in schools and colleges. They also make friends in the neighbourhood by playing together. Women make friends by joining kitty parties and men make friends at work or by joining social clubs.
2. What do you think makes people have a long friendship?
Mutual understanding makes people have a long friendship. If people can tolerate each other’s shortcomings and be simple and straightforward, then friendships can be for a long time.
3. Does it make things easier in a friendship if you have similar interests?
Yes, definitely. With similar interests friends can spend time together and not get bored. They will also have similar topics for discussion. In a lasting friendship it is very essential that your likes and dislikes are similar.
4. How do people make friends now?
Now a days, people make friends through the Internet by joining social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, etc.
5. Do you think we meet new people differently now than in the past?
Yes, definitely. Nowadays, we meet new people through the Internet by joining social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, etc.Earlier, people had lots of free time and they made friends by meeting new people personally.
6. What do you think, what type of personality do people of the young generation admire? Young generation admires people who are rich and famous. They admire young politicians like Rahul Gandhi and Sachin Pilot. They also admire famous sports personalities. They admire reality show winners.
7. Why is friendship nowadays so volatile?
Friendship is very volatile today because of many reasons. The main reason is that nobody has time to maintain friendships. People have become workaholics and are in the rat race of earning money. So, friendship has taken a back seat.
8. Secondly, today friends are not made from the heart. They are made by assessing the benefit the other person can give you. Such friends are fair-weather friends and disappear into thin air when you need them the most. Finally, today friends are also made through the net. Sometimes you have never met the person in real life. There can be fake identities on the net and so such friendships do not last long.
9. How do people in your country make friends these days?
People in my country make friends at schools, colleges, work places, at parties, when they travel etc. These days making friends online has be come very popular because of the social networking websites.
25. Describe something that you have shared with others (or another person).
– What you shared
– When you shared it
– Who you shared it with
– And explain why you shared it or how you felt when you shared it.
• We all need to share many things in our day to day life.
• I also share many things with my siblings and friends.
• Here I would like to talk about something I shared with my friend, Rohan.
• I shared my books and notes with him.
• It so happened that just 15 days before our +2 final exam, Rohan lost his whole school bag.
• All his books and notes were in that bag.
• He kept it in the school ground as he wanted to play cricket for some time.
• After the game, he could not find his bag anywhere.
• He looked everywhere and asked everyone who was there, but no one knew anything about it.
• Someone had obviously stolen it.
• Actually, he used to always stand first and his notes were very precious.
• He was literally on the verge of tears.
• I told him not to panic and offered to share all my notes and books with him till the exams.
• Fortunately, he lives in my neighbourhood.
• So, sharing all these books and notes with him was easy.
• Most of my notes were copied from his notebooks only.
• I realised that sharing things with others gives happiness.
• Sharing my notes with Rohan, strengthened our bonds of friendship.
• It helped me also.
• Because I had to share my books, I studied them within my time.
• Normally, I have a habit of procrastination.
• I always study for my exams at the 11th hour.
• But this time, I studied in time and was well prepared.
• We both passed with flying colours.
Part 3 – Follow Up Questions
1. Do people in your country (or, you) prefer to share public transport or do they (you) prefer to use private transport?
Well, it depends on the financial status of the people. Those who can afford, like to use their own private transport.Others, prefer public transport. It also depends on the availability and comfort of public transport. Ever since, the AC buses have improved their frequency to Chandigarh, I prefer to travel on those than going by my car.
2. Do many people in your country share their home with other or do they mostly live alone?
Most people live in their own home or live in a rented house. But they don’t share their home with anybody. Students share apartments, if they study away from their home town.
3. Do you think there are any advantages to sharing your home with other (non-family) people?
If you can get along well with other people, then there are advantages. But if there are conflicts, it can be a bad experience. Advantages are that the expenses can be shared. So, it becomes cheaper.
4. Would you ever share your food with someone else?
Many times, I have shared my tiffin with my friends. Yes, I would readily share my food with others.
26. Describe a story or a novel that was particularly interesting to you
– What story or the novel was
– Where you came to know about it
– When you read it
– Explain how you felt about it
• There are many stories and novels, which I found interesting.
• Here I am going to talk about Pinjar which is based on a novel written by Amrita Pritam.
• In fact, a movie has been made on this novel.
• Amrita Pritam was a famous Punjabi writer
• My friend lent me this novel, when I was in senior secondary.
• Her mother reads a lot of Punjabi novels by Amrita Pritam and Nanak Singh.
• The novel is based on the plight of women during the partition of India
• It also reveals the religious tensions during that period.
• Pinjar literally means a skeleton
• It is the story of a young Hindu girl Puro, who lives with her family happily
• She is engaged to Ramchand
• One day Puro is kidnapped by Rashid.
• He kidnaps her as a revenge.
• Actually Puro’s uncle had earlier kidnapped Rashid’s aunt.
• Rashid is not basically a bad man.
• After kidnapping Puro, Rashid falls in love with her
• One day Puro somehow escapes and comes back home but her family does not accept her because they think she is not chaste any more
• She returns to Rashid and gets married to him
• Puro is very unhappy with her life and becomes a Pinjar, Skeleton
• Then partition is announced
• Rashid gives her the option to go to her family in India but she refuses, because she has fallen in love with Rashid.
• The novel ends on a happy note
• The film is also very good.
• The lead roles are played by UrmillaMatondkar and ManojBajpai.
Part 3 Follow Up Questions
1. What kinds of stories do children like to learn?
Children like to read fairy tales, stories of kings and queens, stories with animal characters and stories with pictures.
2. How often do people in your country read novels?
India is a diverse country and people have varied interests. Those who like reading novels read them very often, in fact every day. Others read novels occasionally. Some do not like to read novels at all.
3. What kinds of novels old people like to read?
Old people like to read fiction, biographies, autobiographies and so on.
4. What are the benefits of listening to stories or reading novels?
Such activities improve imagination and creativity. They develop language and communication skills.
5. Are you a good storyteller?
I think I am. I tell stories to my younger cousins when they visit us. They are glued to me when I tell them stories. So, I suppose I am good at story telling.
1 How does technology help people tell stories?
I think there are two ways in which technology helps in telling stories. Firstly, with help of technology people can animate their stories and help the audience to visualize the characters. Secondly, technology helps to reach a wider audience.
2 Do you prefer to read e-books or printed books?
I prefer printed books over e-books because I find it difficult to read on a small mobile device. Moreover I think reading ebooks on brightly lit screens is harmful for the eyes.
3 Why are mystery novels so popular nowadays?
Mystery novels are popular simply because of the curousity factor. People are always interested in things involving suspense and in stories where the outcome is not certain. Such novels keep people guessing till the end and thus they like it more as compared to any other novel in which they would know the ending beforehand.
4 What kinds of novels are suitable for a film adaptation?
I think all kinds of novels, be it suspense, drama or thriller are sutiable for film adaptation. Anyhting that can be written as a story could be visualized as well.
27. Describe a movie you would like to watch again
– When you saw this movie
– With whom you saw this movie
– What the movie is about
– Why do you want to watch this movie again
• I watch a lot of Hindi movies.
• Few years ago a movie PK was released.
• Fornutately, my exams had just gotten over and my friends decided to celeberate, so we booked the tickets for this movie.
• Aamir Khan has played the lead role in this movie.
• In this movie an alien comes from outer space in a UFO but unfortunately loses his remote control off his UFO
• The whole movies revolves around his search for that remote control
• In doing so, this alien questions the blind faith of people in these man-made gods, and takes people away from superstitions.
• This alien meets a girl and falls in love with her.
• This love is one-sided
• The girl loves somebody else
• But it is with her efforts that the remote control is ultimately found
• Anushka Sharma plays the role of the girl
• Aamir Khan does not act in many movies, but whatever work he does, he puts his heart and soul into it
• I would like to see this movie again at home on TV.
• I am just waiting for any Over the top (OTT) App such as Netflix or hotstar to take the initiative and make the movie available on their platform
• I would like to watch it with my family, as it is a family movie.
• I have seen this movie once in my life but I really want to see the movie again as Amir Khan is my favorite actor
• That is why even though I know the story I would like to watch this film at home with my parents.
Part 3 Follow Up Questions
1. What’s the difference between watching a movie at home and watching it in the cinema?
There are many differences between watching a movie at home and in the cinema hall. When you watch a movie at home, it saves your money and time. You can do some multitasking and also you can change channels if you don’t like a movie.
In the cinema hall, you enjoy a movie on the big screen, which makes all the difference especially in action movies. You enjoy the company of your friends and family and you also enjoy the refreshments in the interval.
2. Do young Indians like to watch foreign movies?
Yes, they do. Foreign movies have much better technology and much better effects. They get to learn the language and the storyline is also different from which they learn about the foreign culture.
3. How would you define a good movie?
A good movie should have a good script, good cast, good direction, good special effects and should have a message.
4. Is it important to have famous actors in the movie if the movie wants to be successful? Or Are actors or actresses important to movies? Why?
Not necessarily. A movie can be successful, without famous actors. Sometimes, the movie makes the debut actor or actress famous.
5. Do you prefer to watch a movie at home or in the cinema?
I prefer to watch a movie at home than in the cinema. It saves me time and money. I can change channels if I don’t like the movie. I can do some multitasking side by side. I can enjoy the movie in the cozy comfort of my bed.
6. Do you think that cinemas will disappear in the future? Or Why are there fewer people going to the cinema to watch movies nowadays?
What the future holds in store for us, no one can tell, but as far as I can see, cinemas will never disappear. People love to go out and enjoy with friends and family. In the past few years there has been a mushroom growth of multiplexes, which shows that people love to watch movies in cinema halls.
7 Where do people normally watch movies?
28. Describe a time when you were stuck in a traffic jam.
You should Say:
– When and where it happened
– How long you were in the traffic jam
– What you did while waiting
– And explain how you felt when you were in that traffic jam.
• I live in a small town and in general, there is not much traffic on the roads.
• The only time we face traffic jams is when there is a religious procession or a political rally.
• And most of the times, these are announced beforehand so I rarely get stuck in traffic jams.
• However, last month I had gone to Jalandhar to buy some clothes for my cousin’s wedding.
• When we went, there was no traffic.
• On the way back, the main road was shut down as there had been a collision between two buses between Phagwara, my hometown and Jalandhar.
• Big cranes had to be called to remove the buses from the roads and that took time.
• This being a main road slowly led to a huge jam.
• The traffic police tried to get the traffic diverted through the service road.
• But the road was considerably narrower than the main road and because of that the traffic built up.
• We were stuck in the jam for at least 2 to 3 hours.
• At first, we didn’t think we would have to wait for so long.
• We thought it was just busier than normal and things would clear up soon.
• However, when our car barely moved 100 metres in 15 minutes, my dad went out and enquired about what had happened.
• We couldn’t really back up as there was no space.
• So, we tried to use the time by playing games and listening to music.
• To be honest, we also spent a big part whining about government failure, although we all knew such circumstances are unavoidable.
• I don’t think I could describe what we felt at that time.
• We all just wanted the traffic jam to clear up and reach home as soon as possible.
• But the day ended on a happy note as far I as was concerned.
• Because we reached home late, my mother didn’t get time to cook.
• And we got Pizzas to eat for dinner.
Follow-ups
1. Are traffic jams common in Indian cities?
Yes, India has a huge population and traffic jams are not uncommon especially in big cities like Delhi, Bombay, Chennai and Kokatta. Moreover, there is also a bad culture of parking cars on the roads in India, which reduces available space for parking and leads to jams.
2. Why are cities today facing serious traffic issues?
I think the main reason for the serious traffic issues is increasing urbanisation. More and more people are moving to cities for the better quality of life but this leads to more cars than roads can handle. Moreover, some older cities have narrow roads as they were not designed keeping today’s use of cars in minds. These narrow roads restrict traffic flow and lead to jams.
3. What can be done to improve traffic conditions in cities?
First, I think the government should promote the use of public transportation by making it more comfortable and faster. For example, the traffic conditions in Delhi have improved considerably after the launch of Delhi Metro. Also, the roads need to be widened wherever possible to accommodate more cars.
4. Can developing public transport help resolve traffic issues in cities?
I think public transportation can resolve traffic issues but if it is fast and comfortable. Delhi had local trains for long time and people did not prefer them because they were slow. However, the construction of Delhi metro, which is quite fast and comfortable, made a real dent in traffic.
29. Describe an invention that has changed how people live.
You should say:
– What it is
– How has it changed people’s lives
– What benefits did it bring
– And explain if it is more important for older or younger people.
• Life has progressed by leaps and bounds due to inventions in science.
• Nearly every field in life has been impacted by some invention or the other.
• However, today I would like to talk the invention, which has had an impact on our entire life.
• It is the internet.
• Nearly everything we do has changed because of the internet.
• The biggest difference has been on the way we communicate.
• We can talk to anyone, anytime and from anywhere.
• Also, it is much easier to remain in contact with our friends and family members because of the internet.
• Life has become faster as communication has become instantaneous.
• Internet’s impact is not only limited to just communication.
• It has made a difference to the way we shop, the way we learn and the way we seek healthcare.
• We can access every luxury, sitting in the comforts of our home.
• On the other hand, there have also been a few negatives of the internet.
• Internet has in some ways decreased respect for the elderly.
• First, we don’t value them as much because we are not dependent upon them for advice or suggestions as in the past.
• We can search for anything online.
• If we don’t know anything, we don’t need to ask anyone, we can just simply search it online.
• This is making us independent, but at the same time making our grandparents and parents feel like they are losing their importance.
• Secondly, because they are not that comfortable with use of computers and the internet, they haven’t been benefited as much as the young one’s have.
• Slowly, everything is moving online and the old people are finding it challenging to adapt because of this.
Follow-ups
1. How has technology made our life easier?
Different technologies have made our lives easier in different ways. However, in effect most technologies reduce our labour and save us valuable time, thus improving our quality of life considerably. They also in a way reduce our need on others because we can do everything on our own.
2. Which invention do you think is the most useful at home?
I think it’s very hard to choose one. It really depends upon the person and their use. For example, I find dishwashers as very useful because in my house, I have the responsibility of washing utensils. For my mother the answer might be the vacuum cleaner as she is responsible for cleaning.
3. Is it more difficult for old people to accept new technologies?
I think change is difficult for everyone and the difficulty increases with age because the time we spend accustomed to something also increases as we grow older. I think rather than looking at it as a problem, we should be focusing on ways to making it easier for our elders to accept them.
4. What can be done to help old people learn to make use of new technologies?
Many steps can be taken to encourage the use of new technologies. Firstly, these big technology companies can organise seminars where older people can be taught about use of latest gadgets. I remember when my mother first bought a laptop, she was offered a free two hour session on its use for the whole week. At the end of the week, she knew many things, I didn’t. Secondly, family members can also be helpful in helping their parents and grandparents when they are finding something difficult.
5. Will our life be better if we live without technology？
Technology has improved our life in many ways but it has also brought many challenges. Life would certainly be simpler, but I wouldn’t call it better. Moreover, I think we have become so accustomed to technology just the idea of living without it is unfathomable.
30. Describe a family member whom you would like to work with in the future.
You should say:
– Who the person is
– Have you ever worked with the person before
– What kinds of work you would like to do with the person
– And explain how you will feel if you can finally work together.
• I have always wanted to work in a big multinational company.
• I would never miss a chance to work in any such company.
• However, my uncle runs a spare part manufacturing company by the name of Akal Industries.
• I have seen him grow from a small firm with a handful of employees working under him, to a fairly big company with about 300 employees.
• I am sure that with his way of working and his rapport with his employees, the day is not far when it will be no less than any MNC
• I would love to work with him.
• I would like to do my ‘Masters in Business Management’ from Canada and then join him.
• I have never worked with him so far, but have seen him work many times.
• He is in his forties and is tall and very handsome.
• His son Aman is the same age as I, and we are both classmates.
• My uncle has promised that he would allow us to work for his company only after we have both got some degrees from good colleges in hand.
• Aman wants to go for Mechanical Engineering and I want to do Business management.
• With different skills in hand we both would prove to be an asset to the company.
• I would feel very good if I would get a chance to work in my uncle’s company.
• Although he has so many employees, he himself also works with the machines with them. He looks after their needs very well.
• All of them are happy working for him.
• He has taken part in many auto fests in India and abroad.
• He gets many orders from abroad and always fulfills them in time even though he has to make his workers work double time.
• He is very quality conscious and if any end product does not meet his expectations, he takes a second to discard it.
• It would be great to work for a person like him, and be like him one day.
Follow-ups
Family businesses:
1. Are there any positive effects of working with a family member?
Certainly, there are many benefits of working with a family member. A family member would be more supportive if an occasional time off is needed. Secondly, the family member would also be satisfied as he would not have the fear of any outsider cheating him in business. However, one must realise that some work ethics have to be maintained even if one is working for a family member.
2. What kinds of family businesses are there in India?
India is a diverse country and a fast growing one too. All sorts of family businesses are there in India. My hometown Phagwara is a hub of small scale industry. Many people are into making auto spare parts. I visited Rajkot in Gujarat and I saw many households run the business of Patola sarees. You name a business, and you will find it in India.
3. Why do people like to set up a family business?
Family business ensures employment within a family. If a person has some business know-how, he can start a small business and make it grow with family support. One does not have to go out hunting for jobs. By having a family business, one can be a job provider rather than being a job seeker.
4. What are the advantages and disadvantages of a family business?
The advantages are that one does not have to go out hunting for jobs. By having a family business, one can be a job provider rather than being a job seeker. An entrepreneur is his own boss. If the whole family works hard and the business flourishes, it can be a rags to riches story.
The disadvantages are that if the business faces a slump, the whole family can turn from riches to rags overnight. The family members may also have conflicts if they feel that some of them are just reaping benefits without actually working hard.
5. What are the causes for the success of a family business?
The success of a family business are dependent on mutual trust among the family members, disciplined atmosphere at work and recognition of each others inputs.
6. How is the relation among members of a family business?
For any family business to thrive, good relation among family members is of paramount importance. If this is not there then the family business can see its doom very soon.
Family in general:
1. In what ways have families in your country changed recently?
Families have changed from joint to extended. This change has mostly been out of compulsion rather than choice. Young people are getting jobs in metros and in foreign countries. So, they leave their parents behind. However, these nuclear units are well connected to each other.
2. Should husbands and wives have different roles within the family?
Gender differences are disappearing these days and both husband and wife have to work outside for making a comfortable living. So, roles within the family should ideally be the same. However, these changes will take some time to implement. Women are yet supposed to look after household chores more than men despite being out of the home for the same time as men.
3. Which are more important to you: your family or your friends?
Both are important to me, but family definitely has an edge over friends. Friends can turn out to be fair weather friends, but family is always there through one’s thick and thin. It has been rightly said that ‘in times of test, family is best’.
Working in large companies:
1. What are the advantages of working in a big company?
There are many advantages of working in a big company. Firstly, big companies offer big salaries. Secondly, there is a status symbol attached. Also, there are chances of foreign visits. Finally, there is multi-culture experience in big companies
2. Will promotion be easier in a big company?
I don’t think so. In a big company, you are part of a big crowd. Unless your work really stands out, you are not even noticed.
3. Should big companies donate more to charities?
Definitely yes. Big companies have a corporate social responsibility. Under that, they are supposed to do charity.
4. Should big companies be punished more seriously if they break the law?
I don’t think so. Punishment should be the same for all if they break the law. Even a small company should be punished as severely.
31. Talk about an important river or lake in your country or hometown
– Which water body is that
– How do you know about it?
– Why does it impress you so much
• India is a diverse country.
• There are many rivers, lakes, beaches in India which are important.
• One important river that I would like to talk about here is the river Ganges or the Ganga, as we popularly call it
• I don’t exactly remember when I learnt about it but I think it was most likely in school.
• It was a part of Geography class which covered major Indian rivers.
• I think I learnt more about it through news as I grew older.
• I don’t know everything about it but I do know quite a lot about it.
• It emerges out of the Himalayas from the glaciers and falls into the Bay of Bengal.
• It is a perennial river as water is available throughout the year.
• It receives water from two sources, the glaciers in the Himalayas and the rainfall in the monsoon season.
• It is impressive for many reasons, the first being its length.
• It is one of the longest rivers of the world and it is the longest river in India.
• Many people are dependent upon it for their livelihood.
• The farmers use its water for agriculuture and people also do fishing in this river.
• The river is also famous for religious reasons.
• It is considered sacred and many Hindu festivals are organised on the banks of river Ganga.
• In fact, last rites of Hindus are conducted on the river banks as well.
• A dip in the river Ganga is believed to wash away all the sins.
• However, in recent years, I hear about the river mostly for the wrong reasons like excessive pollution, illegal fishing and illegal sand mining from the river banks.
• I have also heard about fish and dolphins dying because of these activities.
• The governments have promised to bring about changes but unfortunately the results have been far from satisfactory.
• But, I also believe that government can’t do anything, if people do not support it in its actions.
Follow-ups
1. Why do many people like going to places with water such as lakes, rivers, or seas? People like to go to such places because they can do various activities there and have a fun time. They can do swimming, boating, rafting, surfing, snorkeling, scuba diving and so on. Moreover, India has a long coastline. People can find such places easily and so these places have become important tourist destinations.
2. What kinds of leisure activities do people like to do in water places?
They can do swimming, boating, rafting, surfing, snorkeling, scuba diving and so on.
3. Do children and old people relax in the same ways when they go to beach?
No, they relax in different ways as their age allows them. The elderly just sit there and watch their children and grandchildren play with the waves. Children run around the beach, play beach volleyball, swim, splash in water and relax by sweating out their energy.
4. Why do people like water sports?
People like water sports because they are fun especially during the long summer months. For people who don’t live near the coastal areas or any other water bodies, such places are a change and so they are fun and exciting.
5. Do you think beach or seaside is more suitable for children or old people to spend their leisure time at?
Yes, it is. However, they should refrain from going near water during high tide. Beaches where a lot of people are there are relatively safer than those which are isolated.
6. Is there much water transportation in your country?
I live in the north of India. There is no water transportation here, but as you go south, there is a long coastline where water transportation is very common.
7. Do people travel by boat in your country?
People living in coastal areas do travel by boat for short distances.
8. How important is water in daily life?
Water is the very essence of life. It is as simple as – no water, no life. That is why when space exploration is done, the first thing to see is signs of water. Otherwise no life is possible there.
9. How important are rivers and lakes to the cities where they located?
Water bodies are very important. They are a source of livelihood for fishermen. These water bodies attract tourists who in turn boost the economy of these places.
10. Do the rivers in your country suffer from serious pollution?
Yes, pollution of these water bodies is a big issue. That is why the government of India has launched a massive campaign to save the river Ganges.
11. Do you think human activity is posing a threat to oceans globally?
Yes, definitely. People are dumping their waste in these oceans. Industries are dumping untreated effluents in oceans. Then there are oil-spills from time to time.
32. Talk about a traditional object of your country or Talk about a traditional product of your country that you bought
– What is it
– How is it made
– When did you try it for the first time
– Why do you like it
• India is rich in tradition and culture
• It is also very diverse.
• Traditional products are different in different parts of India
• Here I would like to talk about a traditional product which is of Punjab
• Jutti is an urdu word for shoe with a closed upper attached to a sole
• These are traditionally made of pure leather.
• They are is beaded, threaded and embroidered in different eye-catching colours.
• They are made by skilled craftsmen.
• Some designs are very intrinsic and delicate
• Some are just plain or use coloured leather
• I have many Punjabi juttis
• I wear them very often
• I remember, the first time I wore Punjabi jutti was on my cousin’s wedding, two years ago.
• After that I liked it so much that I started wearing them in routine.
• They are very comfortable
• They are the most versatile footwear.
• They are popular among both genders.
• They can be worn everyday, on weddings, parties and on festivals
• They were first introduced by the Mughals and were very popular among the royalty
• First the raw hide is processed
• Then it is dyed
• Then the cobblers make the juttis
• Finally stitching and embroidery is done in the end.
• I like them because, they looks beautiful and are also very comfortable to wear.
Follow-ups
1. Describe another traditional product from your country (apart from what you spoke about) India is a diverse country. There are many traditional products here. We have earthen pots, ceramic pottery of Jaipur, puppets of Rajasthan, phulkari embroidery of Punjab, hand-knotted carpets of Srinagar and many more.
2. What are the benefits of traditional products to locals?
Traditional products keep the locals in touch with their culture and tradition. They also become a source of earning, when tourists show interest in these products and buy them.
3. Do you think the government should help in the promotion of traditional products? Definitely, it should. If governments promotes traditional products, only then these will remain alive, otherwise these products will die and so will our culture and tradition.
4. Do you think because of globalization countries are adopting each other’s traditions.
Yes, as countries know about these traditions, they adopt them. In a way it is good. Diwali is celebrated by many people outside India also. We have also started celebrating Valentine’s Day, Grandparents’ Day, Father’s Day and Mother’s Day etc
5. Why do people buy traditional products because of their traditional value or because of they are handmade.
People buy these products for both these reasons. Handmade things have their own charm and only handmade things can have the real traditional value. When things are made in bulk using machines, then the whole traditional value of the thing is lost.
6. Did the traditional things of the past have more value than the present things?
Yes, of course. We must remember that the things we consider new and modern today will become traditions for the future. So, the traditional things of the past were different and as time passes those things become antiques and so become more valuable.
7. Did the traditional things of the past have better quality than the present things?
Not necessarily. The things made today also have good quality. Actually, it depends on the person making those things. There have always been good craftsmen and bad craftsmen.
8. Is it necessary to protect traditions?
Yes, of course. Traditions are our roots. They bind us to our past. Without traditions we would feel cut off from our past.
9. Do you think teenagers should learn about traditions?
Yes, they should be taught. Otherwise, they will feel cut off from the past. As it is, the teenagers of today are being lured by the global culture and are drifting away from traditions
33. Describe a positive change in your life
– What the change was
– When it happened
– How it happened
– And explain why it was a positive change
• Change is the law of nature.
• We all make changes in our life from time to time.
• I have also made many changes in my life.
• Here I would like to talk about a positive change that I made in my life recently.
• This change is that I have started managing my time very effectively.
• Earlier I used to procrastinate a lot.
• I was a real cunctator. (You may skip this line)
• I used to do everything at the 11th hour.
• Most of my work was left undone.
• One day I read an article in The Tribune on Effective Time Management.
• The writer had very nicely explained the importance of time management.
• Everybody on Earth has the same 24 hours in a day.
• The only difference between success and failure is effective time management.
• Time is the most important commodity on Earth.
• We can buy gold and silver but we cannot buy time.
• The writer had also given simple ways to manage time.
• I started making a list of to-do things before going to bed.
• I try my best to fulfil it the next day.
• This has brought a sea change in my life.
• Now I have time for everything.
• I have time for my hobbies and even for visiting neighbours and relatives.
• It has also reduced stress in my life because not a single important work is pending.
• Earlier, I used to be very tense about my pending works, but now I complete all my work in time and so feel relaxed all the time.
• I feel very good about it.
• I feel I am a new person.
Follow Ups
1. Is your country changing rapidly?
Yes, my country is changing rapidly. India is a developing country and is changing day-by-day for the better. With the advancement of technology it is stepping fast from a developing to a developed country. Change has always been happening, but technology has hastened the process of change.
2. How is your country changing?
I think my country is changing in many ways. Firstly, I can see the effect of globalisation, people are wearing western clothes, eating western cuisines and watching foreign shows more and more. Secondly, people are also becoming modern in their thinking and views. Many wrong traditional practices like dowry are losing ground. Finally, we are developing in infrastructure and facilities. Many modern facilities like fast internet connectivity , subways are accessible to people today.
3. Do you believe that the changes your country went through are positive?
For me, most of the changes have been positive. But I think this is also due to the fact that I am optimist and I like to look at things from a positive side. Moreover, although I consider that most of the changes have been positive, some have happened at a slower pace than I had hoped.
4. Do you think change is good？
Well change can be both good and bad. It really depends upon on the change and why we are making the change. In the end, if we are changing for the right reasons, to make our ourselves better, then change is definitely good. However, if we are being forced to change or if we are developing negative habits like drinking, smoking due to stress or peer pressure, I would consider it bad.
5. What are some of the major changes that usually occur in people in their lives?
I think changes occur throughout our life. First are the physical and hormonal changes which occur when we go through puberty like developing facial hair, deepening of voice and so on. Then, it is mental maturity, which occurs as we experience and face different things. We learn how to deal with issues and face challenges.
6. Is it important for people to make changes according to their surroundings?
Yes, I think there is no problem in changing according to surroundings as long we don’t feel like we are changing our identity because of these changes. For example, when in a foreign country, it is perfectly fine to try out foreign clothes and dishes. At the same time, if a person is a vegetarian, I wouldn’t consider it fine to try non-vegetarian just to fit in
34. Talk about an important/Special event you celebrated
– What was it
– When did you celebrate
– Where did you celebrate
– Who was with you
– Why was It special
• I have attended many events in my life such as weddings and festivals.
• Here I would like to talk about our national festival Diwali, which I celebrated with my family on 19th October last year.
• I remember very well how the whole month before Diwali, we were busy in the cleaning of our home.
• We bought gifts to give to our friends and relatives.
• Normally we buy crackers to burn on that day, but this year we did not buy any crackers, as pollution is growing day by day.
• On the actual day of Diwali, we all went to the Gurdwara to pay obeisance to the almighty and seek his blessings.
• After that we went to some friends and relatives homes to present them the gifts we had bought for them
• Then we came home and decorated our home with candles and diyas.
• This time my father had also got some electric lights fitted in our home.
• My mother cooked special dishes for us and we enjoyed dinner.
• We also remember we turned on all the lights of our house and all the doors open because it is believed that Goddess Laxmi visits the homes on that day.
• I felt very good as I enjoyed all that very much.
• You know mam/Sir, Diwali holds a special significance for us.
• It is celebrated because on this day Lord Rama returned from Ayodhya after 14 years of exile.
• It is also celebrated because the sixth Guru, Guru Hargobind ji was set free from Gwalior Jail with 52 kings.
• On this day, the arrogant tyrant Bali was killed by lord Vishnu.
• So this is a traditional celebration, which all Indians celebrate with great pomp and show
Follow-ups
1. How do people in your country celebrate events?
People celebrate events in many ways. Some hold family get-togethers, others properties and some celebrate by burning crackers. Some people celebrate by just going out for a lunch or dinner, while some others celebrate by donating to charities.
2. What events do Indian people like to celebrate?
Indian people like to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, festivals like Deepawali and Dussehra. Some people celebrate if they do well in their exams, other people celebrate if they win any competition.
3. Why do you think celebration is important?
Celebration is very important. It is a time when people spend some time together and share the happiness of each other. Such events also bring about social harmony and peace.
4. Do you prefer big or small celebrations?
I personally prefer small celebrations, because in these we can interact with all the people present. Big celebrations are just a show-off and the hosts hardly even come to know who all were there.
5. Why do some people like expensive and grand celebrations?
Some people like expensive and grand celebrations because they want to show their status, and they want such events to be an everlasting memory in their minds.
6. Do you think it is a waste of money to spend much on celebrations of national events?
No, I do not think it is a waste of money to spend on celebrations of national events. Such events bring a feeling of patriotism in the minds of young people, who are otherwise drifting away from their culture and tradition. Such events also attach young people to their roots.
7. How can people prepare for an event?
People can prepare for any event by planning in advance. First they decide their budget and after that they make a list of people home to invite. Then they decide what all they would like to do on that day when all the guests have arrived. They arrange a proper lunch or dinner and also arrange some games and other things which they would like to do on that day.
8. Do you like to plan for an important meeting or activity?
Yes, I would definitely like to plan for an important meeting or activity. If any event is not planned then it can result in total chaos. If land well any event can leave an everlasting imprint on the minds of all those who attend it.
9. What factors should be considered when planning an event?
The first thing to be considered when planning an event is deciding on a budget. After that all the activities that need to be done on that they have to be looked into. Then it has to be decided whether the event should be held in a hotel or at home. The games to be played on that day all the activities to be done on that they have also to be blind well. All this can never be a one-man show. Teamwork is very important in planning such events.
35. Describe a time when you observed the stars
– When you observed the stars
– Where and with whom you went?
– What you observed
– And explain how you felt when you saw the stars.
• I like to look at the sky at night and enjoy the twinkling stars.
• I have been doing that since my childhood.
• Here I would like to talk about a time, I remember well, when I observed the stars in a very interesting way.
• Last year, it was my cousin’s wedding in September.
• We had so many guests, that my cousins and I had to sleep on the terrace.
• It was quite pleasant outside and we were happy with the arrangements of sleeping outside.
• After dinner, we all carried our beddings upstairs and laid our beds.
• It was a clear moonlit night and we could see the stars twinkling brightly.
• We started giving shapes to the star patterns.
• It was great fun.
• My cousin, Rubina is 13 years old and had come from America. She told us that her geography teacher had told her a lot about constellations and the sun and the planets.
• She told us in a very interesting way what the stars can teach us.
• We were very impressed by the way things were taught in her school in America.
• All I remember was mugging up chapters from my geography book to pass the exams.
• We gazed at the stars and enjoyed the twinkling and tried to figure out some constellations.
• She also told me the names of a few constellations, but unfortunately, I don’t remember them now, as it is more than one year when she told me about them.
• There are many mythological stories related to stars.
• Once, my friend in school told me that when a person dies, he becomes a star.
• Many people who have lost their near and dear ones look at the stars to find them.
• So this was the time that I remember well when I admired the stars
Follow-ups
1. Why do people like to study the sky?
People like to study the sky to notice the changes in weather; some see it as an inspiration for arts like painting, photography, etc. It is also important to study about sky and space to understand that we are a part of a very large universe, which ignites our curiosity about what’s beyond the sky. Some people study it, as they believe that planetary movements affect a person’s fate.
2. Do you know any story related to planets?
I don’t remember any one story, but I used to read the comics series Chacha Chaudhary, in which there is a giant named ‘Sabu’ who visits Earth from Jupiter and decides to stay back with Chacha Chaudhary, after he tastes the food on Earth. There are also many movies made about superheroes from other planets, like PK, Spiderman, etc
3. Do you think children should be told planet stories to improve their imagination?
Yes, definitely. It is very important that children be told stories about other planets. It most certainly helps improve their creativity and imagination, because of the curiosity it ignites/creates in their minds. Some children also end up taking it up as a career path and grow up to be astronauts, space research scientists, rocket engineers, etc.
4. Would children be benefited from watching stars?
Yes, children would be benefitted from watching stars. They become curious about the universe and outer space, which help increase their creativity and also, might help them chose it as a career path in the future.
5. Would you like to watch movies on planets?
Yes, I like to watch movies about other planets and outer space. In fact, I recently watched one such movie, PK, where an alien comes from another planet to Earth. It is a very good and inspirational movie, where this alien character has been used very nicely to portray all the blind superstitions we follow. This movie was a blockbuster/super-hit.
6. Did you like to watch the sky when you were young?
Yes, I liked to watch the sky when I was young. I remember that during summer vacations, we used to visit our farmhouse and we used to sleep outside, in the open. At that time I did not know anything about constellations, but we used to find the night sky with the twinkling stars very fascinating and beautiful.
36. Describe a plant, vegetable or crop that you are familiar with.
You should say:
– what it is and where it grows
– How you became familiar with it
– what you like or dislike about it
– and explain why this is important for your country.
OR
Describe a plant grown in your country that you think is important
– What it is
– Where it is grown
– Why is it important to your country?
• India is a diverse country
• There are many kinds of plants in India
• All the plants are useful in some way or the other
• The plant I am going to talk about here is the bamboo plant.
• I recently received it as a gift from one of my friends.
• The small bamboo sticks were tied together using red ribbons and my friend also gifted me a transparent glass container along with it.
• I first saw this plant in my uncle’s garden, I was probably 10 years old at that time.
• It is a very versatile and useful plant.
• There are more than 1500 species of this plant all over the world.
• It can be grown in a multitude of habitat from sea level to 12000 ft.
• It is one of the most adaptable plants with many uses.
• For instance, it can grow in very degraded soils.
• Because of this it can be used to repair soil damaged by overgrazing and poor agricultural techniques.
• In addition, it has a complex root network.
• This is ideal for preventing soil erosion and flooding
• Unlike most tree species, harvesting does not kill the bamboo.
• So, topsoil erosion and other adverse effects of tree felling are kept to a minimum.
• The most important point is that bamboo produces 35% more oxygen than other trees.
• Research has shown that bamboo can absorb as much as 12 tonnes of carbon dioxide per hectare per year.
• So, this plant can play a great role in stabilizing our country’s atmosphere.
• It can prove an eco-friendly alternative to slow-growing hardwoods.
• It is also being used by the construction industry for wooden flooring.
• It is very durable.
• It has resistance to shrink or swell.
Follow-ups
1. Do people in your country like to grow plants at home?
Yes, they do. Home gardening is a fast growing hobby among the urban people who have even the slightest space for plants. People are also doing terrace gardening. Even I have a kitchen garden. I don’t have much open space, but I have grown coriander, mint, green chillies, okra and aubergine in pots. I also have a lemon tree and we enjoy fresh lemons throughout the year.
2. Do old people grow plants?
Yes, they love to. They have the knowledge also. My grandfather keeps guiding me about the water requirements of plants. He also keeps changing the position of our pots. He knows which plants need shade and which need sunshine.
3. How do schools teach students to grow plants?
Unfortunately, schools do not teach these things. At least in the schools I know of. Some schools may be doing so, by organising some activities related to the environment.
4. What is the main plant of your country?
India is a diverse country and enjoys tropical climate. All sorts of plants grow here. There is no plant, which I can call as the main plant. Basil is worshipped in hindu homes, ginger and turmeric have medicinal values, aloe vera has also become very popular.
37. Describe a friend you like to talk with
You should say:
– Who he/she is
– What you like to talk about
– Why you like to talk with him/her
– And explain how you feel about him/her
• I have many friends and it takes me no time to get comfortable with strangers.
• Today, I am going to talk one of closest friends, Ravi.
• I love talking to him and spending time in his company.
• Ravi and I are childhood friends.
• I think we first met when we were just 3 years old.
• Our topics of conversation cover everything.
• We have talked about politics, technology, books and even movies.
• And once we start talking, we can continue for ages.
• It is never-ending.
• However, the one topic we love to talk about, is sports and especially cricket.
• Both of us are avid cricket lovers.
• During the cricket season, we get together and watch almost all the matches together.
• I love talking to him because he is so knowledgeable about cricket.
• Whenever I talk to him, I learn something I didn’t know before.
• I also know a lot about cricket but its mostly about Indian players and Indian matches.
• He follows all the matches.
• Moreover, it is never boring talking to him.
• He is a story teller.
• He doesn’t tell facts like facts.
• He narrates a story.
• I feel lucky to have him in my life.
• Another reason that I like his company is that he is excellent secret keeper.
• I have shared some of my deepest secrets and problems with him.
• I somehow always feel lighter and happier after talking to him.
Follow ups.
1. Where do young people like to meet?
Young people mostly at places of entertainment like malls, cafes, clubs, restaurants etc. Also, nowadays young people love working out at gyms together.
2. What do young people talk about when they meet up?
I think young people mostly talk about clothes, movies, fashion, sports and technology. They also talk about their love interests.
3. Do you think people should be honest when talking with friends?
I really think if we can’t be completely honest with friends, they are not actually friends. Saying that, I also have a few friends who can’t really keep a secret, so I do hide a few things from them.
4. On what occasions do people talk with strangers?
People talk with strangers everyday. Personally speaking, I mostly talked with strangers when I used to travel by a public bus to my school. Nowadays, I talk with strangers mostly at parties.
38. An interesting neighbour
Describe an interesting neighbour of yours.
– How long you have known this neighbour
– What sort of person he/she is
– How often you see him/her
– And explain what kind of relationship you have with him/her OR explain why you consider this person to be an interesting neighbour
• Neighbours are just like family in today’s era of nuclear families.
• I have many neighbours and I am very fortunate that all my neighbours are very good.
• Here I would like to talk about my next-door neighbour, Mr. Joginder Singh.
• I call him Jogi uncle.
• I find him very interesting because one can never feel bored in his company.
• He has so many interesting stories to tell.
• I have known him for the past ten years as he moved into our neighbourhood tenyears ago.
• I see him every day because I go with him for morning walk daily.
• He is in his eighties.
• He is not very tall but looks very good.
• Even at this age he looks very hale and hearty.
• He generally likes to wear Kurta pajama.
• I believe he is a good neighbour because he is always there whenever anyone needs him.
• He also helped me a lot in my studies.
• He treats me like his grandchild.
• Even though he taught history at college, he helped me in all subjects till my tenth class.
• He is very helpful to all people in the neighbourhood.
• Whenever anyone comes to him for help, he is always willing to help.
• He is a retired history teacher.
• He reads a lot and seems to know something about everything.
• During our morning walk he tells me many stories about his life.
• He is a self made man.
• He told me how he started from scratch after the partition and worked very hard to make a living.
• He has two sons who live in the States but he prefers to lead a simple life in his own home here.
• I love listening to his stories.
• He also has a great sense of humour.
• He can lighten up any tense situation by cracking jokes.
• He has a magnanimous personality.
• He donates his entire pension for charity.
• He believes in simple living and high thinking.
• So, Joginder Singh is the person I like talking to the most.
Follow-ups
1. Do you think (good) neighbours are important? (Why? How? Why not?
Good neighbors are important because they are our family apart from our real family. When we are alone, and we need somebody then neighbors are the first people who can give us company. When we are sick and need to go to the hospital, the neighbors are the first people who can help. When we have guests and need a helping hand, then neighbors are the first people who come to our rescue
2. What are the qualities of a good neighbour? (What qualities would you like your neighbours to have?)
Good neighbors should have many qualities. They should be cooperative. They should be helpful. Good neighbors should respect boundaries, which means that they should know when they are being helpful, and when they are interfering.
3. Do most Indian people know their neighbours?
In smaller towns and cities, and in villages most people know their neighbors, but in big cities and in metropolis, people are leading self-centered lives and do not know their neighbors. In small towns and cities life is slower, and so people have time for their neighbors, where as in big cities, life is fast and so people do not have time for their neighbors.
4. What are some of the qualities of a good community?
A good community should care for each other. All people in the community should cooperate with each other. This should help each other in times of emergency. They should all keep the environment clean. They should have frequent get-togethers, and celebrate festivals together. If all people of the community know each other, then miscreants could be spotted easily and everybody would feel safe and secure.
5. In India, are there any facilities for improving relations between neighbours?
Yes, the government authorities such as, PUDA, Punjab Urban Development Authority, has provided well-maintained parks at regular intervals so that people can socialize. Such facilities have been provided by all states. Even the private housing societies, which make and sell apartments, have some combined facilities for all people in that society to use.
39. Describe a competition you would like to take part in
– What kind of competition it is?
– What would you do in this competition?
– Why does this competition interest you?
• When I was in school, I participated in many competitions.
• Once I participated in a science fair. I was part of a team.
• Here, I would like to talk about a competition, I would like to take part in.
• It is a painting competition.
• Every year there is an environment fair held in my home town
• The Rotary Club organises this in the month of December.
• Many competitions are organised, such as mono-acting competition, poetry recitation, flower arrangement, salad decoration, painting and so on.
• Individuals can participate, and even schools can send their students.
• My friend participated in flower arrangement competition last year and won the 1st prize.
• The prize was a small trophy and a book ‘The Wings Of Fire’ by Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.
• I am very food at drawing and painting
• So, I would love to compete in a painting competition and try to do my best to win a prize.
• The theme of the painting is announced on the spot only.
• The brushes and paints have to be carried with you, but the drawing sheets are provided by the organisers
• I have made many paintings with poster colours and gifted them to my friends and relatives.
• Everyone in my circle knows that I love drawing and painting.
• I am waiting for the annuar art fair this year, so that I can participate and try my luck at winning a prize.
Follow-ups
1. What kinds of people are competitive?
I think in their hearts, all people like to compete and see where they stand among others. But, some people are confident and want to compete more often. Some people are not so sure, but are pushed into competitions by their parents or teachers. The fear of losing takes away the competition spirit from many. Many people realise their potential only after competing.
2. What kind of activities/competitions people like to take part in?
People like to compete in singing, dancing, painting, sports, quizzes and many more types of competitions. It really depends upon people’s interest. For example, people who are into physical fitness like to try for marathons, weight lifting or other sports competitions.
3. What kinds of competitions are popular in your hometown?
Many competitions are popular in my hometown. There is an annual environmental festival and during these two days there are competitions on various activities like weight lifting, dance, painting
,drawing, science presentation, essay writing competition, debates and so on. Then dog shows and competitions are also very common in my hometown.
4. Why do you think there are many competition programs on TV today?
Firstly, people like to watch competition programs and most of these shows have very high TRP ratings. Secondly, these shows are cheaper to produce and more profitable as producers make money from text messaging and calling besides advertisements. They don’t need much planning or scripts like other shows and they have greater chances of success as well.
40. Talk about a special day which was not that expensive or on which you didn’t have to spend a lot of money
– – What was the occasion
– – Where you went?
– – Who did you celebrate with
– – Why it didn’t cost you much?
• Well special days are very important in everyone’s life and in our country people spend a lot on their special days like birthdays, marriages etcetera
• If on such occasion one doesn’t have to spend a lot of money, then it will make the day extra special.
• I would like to talk about one such special day when I organised a birthday party for my friends at a newly opened restaurant in our town.
• It was my 20th birthday and all of my friends were asking me for a treat.
• Since we had tried all the major restaurants in our town, I thought of taking them to a new place.
• I saw an advertisement in the newspaper about a new theme based restaurant that had opened in our city.
• The name of the restaurant was Big Chill Café and it was based on a musical theme.
• I quickly called the café and made a reservation for 8 people.
• They told me that per person cost would be around 1000 Rs and I gave them the confirmation.
• We reached there around 8 PM in the evening.
• As soon as we entered the café we were astonished/amazed by the interiors of the café.
• The walls were decorated with huge poster of famous singers.
• The furniture was very trendy and the restaurant had beautiful lighting.
• In the background famous rock songs were being played
• There were also lot of musical instruments like guitar and drums lying in one corner of the restaurant
• They had reserved a huge table in the centre for us.
• We quickly ordered some snacks which were also named after famous songs
• The starters were really delicious and we had a great time enjoying the snacks along with the music.
• After that we ordered some food and surprisingly the waiters also brought a surprise birthday cake which was ordered by my friends.
• But the biggest surprise came when I asked for the bill and it was only Rs 100 instead of Rs 8000.
• First of all I thought it was a mistake but when we called the hotel manager they told us that we were their 100th customer so they decided to give us a discount.
• I was really overjoyed on hearing this and when I told my parents about it, they were also very happy
• So it was a special birthday on which I gave a grand party to my friends but still I didn’t have to spend a lot of money.
Follow-ups
1. Do teenagers spend much more money than before?
Yes, teenagers spend a lot more money than before because the average income of families have grown as compared to the past. Moreover since there are nuclear families nowadays so parents like to fulfil the wishes of their children and in order to make them happy they give them more pocket money to spend.
2. How can people save money as much as possible?
Well, there are lot of ways to save money nowadays. People can invest their money in small savings scheme floated by the government . They can also keep a certain amount of money from their incomes every month and save it for later.
3. Did you ever have bad shopping experience?
Fortunately I never had a bad shopping experience but a friend of mine was duped by a car salesman who sold him a used car instead of a new one. My friend discovered this after a week when he took his car for washing and discovered used plastic bottles under the seats of the car. He then complained to the car company and got a new car after one month.
4. Why is online shopping so popular these days?
Online shopping is popular these days because it provides lot of convenience and better pricing to the customers. People can order anything while sitting in the comfort of their homes, moreover they get a lot of discounts when they shop online compared to brick and mortar stores.
5. Do you think you can buy something from a physical store without money?
Well it’s a very interesting question and recently I heard about a technology called amazon go in which you can just walk into a store, pick the items that you need and just take it away in your bag and money will be automatically deducted from your account. I saw a video of this technology on youtube and I think it will become a lot popular in the future.
41. Descirbe something that helps you concentrate
– What it is?
– When you do it?
– How did you learn about it?
– How it helps you concentrate?
• Life has become very fast and it looks as if there is too much to do and too little time.
• So, concentrating on one thing and doing it nicely has become a big problem.
• I have tried many things to help me concentrate.
• Sometimes, I take a power nap and sometimes I do yoga.
• Here I would like to talk about a method which I tried doing to improve my concentration, and it has worked wonders for me.
• I go out and do some brisk walking in a park opposite my house.
• I sweat out my worries and stress and feel very light after that.
• I have noticed that whatever I do after that, I can do with full concentration.
• You know ma’am, brisk walking is a form of aerobic exercise, which releases endorphins in your body, which make you feel good and you can concentrate better with a happy mind.
• My cousin is a physiotherapist, and she told me the science behind this exercise.
• When I do yoga, even then my concentration improves, but brisk walking helps me shed some pounds from my body.
• When I have to study long hours, such as during exams, I go up on my terrace and take a few rounds.
• Then I can study with full concentration again.
• Walking is also good as we are all leading sedentary lifestyles.
• It provides the much needed exercise also
• So, walking is something, which helps me concentrate.
Follow-ups
1. Is it important for children to learn how to concentrate?
Yes, concentration is a very important skill and it is required at a lot of stages in life, like exams and jobs. So children should practice to do their tasks with full concentration. If someone lacks concentration then they find it difficult to understand things.
2. What can employers do to help employees concentrate?
There are lot of ways in which employers can help their employees in concentrating. Firstly, they can provide them a silent workplace environment. They can also organize meditation camps for their staff and teach them some concentration techniques.
3. What kinds of jobs require higher concentration at work?
I think, doctors specially surgeons require a high concentration at work. Other jobs are like drivers as they have to always concentrate on the traffic.
4. Have you ever felt difficult to concentrate?
Yes, sometimes I find it difficult to concentrate. The reasons are sometimes internal or external. Internal factors like stress take away the peace of mind and it becomes difficult to concentrate. Regarding external factors, sometimes people lose their concentration because of loud noises.
5. What kinds of distractions bother you in life?
There are multiple distractions which affect me. The biggest one is my smartphone which keeps buzzing constantly and takes my attention away from studies. Then sometimes my friends ask me to go out with them and due to this I lose my precious study hours
42. Describe an activity you do to keep fit
– • What the activity is
– • When and where you usually do it
– • How you do it
– • Explain why it can keep your fit (Sample answer)
• I do a lot of things to stay healthy such as morning walk, yoga, cycling and so on but here I would like to talk about the morning walk.
• Every day I get up early in the morning and go for morning walk.
• I go with my grandfather, who is 95.
• He has never missed his morning walk in his life.
• In fact his secret of good health is the morning walk.
• I joined him about a year ago and ever since I also have been very regular.
• We go to a park near our home.
• There is a jogging track in the park which is full of activity in those early morning hours.
• My grandfather and I both wear our track suits and walking shoes while walking.
• During our walk, my grandpa tells me a lot of stories.
• He has a lot to tell and sometimes I am surprised at his memory,
• Morning walk has a lot of benefits,
• I used to be very fat, in fact a couch potato, but now I am very fit – all because of the walk and all because of my grandfather who made me do it,
• Morning walk also improves the blood circulation.
• It is a good exercise for all age groups.
• The young can do a brisk walk and the elderly can do a leisurely stroll.
• There is a laughter club in my home town.
• Sometimes they too are there in the park at that time.
• They come there to laugh out their stress and worries.
• Their laughter is so infectious that when they laugh we also can’t help laughing with them.
• So a morning walk is the activity which I do to stay healthy.
Follow-ups
1. What do old people in your country do to keep fit?
Old people do a lot to keep fit. They do yoga, go for walks, eat healthy food, avoid junk food and take proper food supplements.
2. What kinds of sports are popular in India?
India is a diverse country. All types of sports are popular such as cricket, hockey, football, volleyball, tennis and so on.
3. Do you think young people should play dangerous sports?
Yes, they should if they want to. However, they should do so under proper supervision and after undergoing proper training from licensed companies.
4. What else people can do to keep fit besides sports? People can avoid fast foods and eat healthy and balanced diet.
5. What can parents do to make their children like sports?
They can make them join sports classes. They can act as role models. If they themselves play outdoor sports, their children will automatically follow them. Even if they don’t play themselves, they can go out with their children and watch them play.
43. Describe something that saves your time.
You should say:
– What is it?
– When you usually do it?
– Why you do it?
And explain how you think it saves your time?
• Time is the only thing in our life that is truly invaluable.
• If we lose money, we can earn it back, if we lose reputation, we can build it back but if we waste time, it is lost forever. We cannot get that time back.
• I have learned about the importance of time more and more as I have grown older.
• I have realised that because of wasting time, I am not able to fulfil my commitments and I fall back on my work.
• I do a lot of things to save time but one activity that saves me a lot of time is taking a small 10-15 minute nap whenever I feel tired.
• I started doing this, a few years back after I read an article about advantages of taking a nap in a magazine.
• It saves me time as it refreshes me.
• After a nap, my mind feels lighter and I am able to finish my work much quicker.
• I just close my eyes, keep an alarm and try to lay down.
• Earlier it was very hard for me but now I can sleep on cue.
• I don’t struggle with it anymore.
• The challenging part is getting up but my phone’s alarm clock has been my saviour in this regard.
• I do this every four five hours.
• If I can’t find a place to lay down, I just close my eyes and try to switch off my brain for 10 mins.
• I have noticed I save time, as I have much more free time.
• I am able to finish my work sooner.
• I am also less irritated and so I don’t get negative thoughts.
• Without any distractions, I am able to concentrate on things better.
Follow Up Questions
1 What can people do to save time?
People can do many things to save time. They can keep a calendar and note down everything, they can plan things ahead, they can stop devoting time to non-important decision like what to eat , what to wear and so on. However, I think the biggest thing they can do is to stop multitasking as I feel people waste more time when they try to do more things together.
2 Does technology help people save time? How and why?
Yes and no. Technology does save time as it provides us appliances like washing machines which take a lot lesser to finish work. At the same time, people become addicted to mobile phones and computer and they end up wasting time.
3 Do you think parents should be responsible for teaching children to save time?
I learnt saving time by watching my mother. She has a habit – she never sits idle. She does something productive all day – like knitting, reading or gardening. So, I think parents have a big role in teaching children how to manage time. At the same time, I feel teachers also need to play a role- by helping children make a time table.
4 Do people who can manage time well, become successful more easily?
There is doubt in my mind that this is true. We all have 24 hours in day. All that matters is how we utilise these 24 hours. People who do it better become successful because they are able to do more.
44. Describe something important that you lost
– What it was
– How you lost it
– Why was it important to you
– How you felt when you lost it
• We all lose something or the other in life.
• I have also lost many things.
• Here I would like to talk about an important thing, which I lost last year.
• It was my first cell phone
• I got my first mobile phone when I completed my high school.
• It was a Samsung S2
• My uncle gifted it to me.
• I was very happy when my uncle gave me this phone.
• Unfortunately, I lost it when I travelled from Phagwara to Jalandhar by bus.
• There was a lot of rush, but I got a seat in the front row.
• I took out my phone to make a call, but after that I don’t remember whether I put it back or not.
• When I got down, I realised my phone was missing.
• The bus was to go to Amritsar. So, it had already left.
• I realised with a sinking heart that my phone was gone for ever
• So I went to an Airtel service centre and got a complaint lodged and got my sim cancelled.
• It was black in colour.
• It was a rectangular phone and had 4.3 inches touch screen display
• It also had a calculator, a calendar, an alarm, a light and some games.
• Its battery backup was very good.
• I was very possessive about my Samsung phone.
• I never let anybody touch my phone.
• I used an Airtel prepaid connection with it.
• I had to pay for it from my pocket money.
• So, I used it very frugally.
• I used to play tetris on my phone.
• I also used the phone to send SMS to my friends.
• Sometimes I used the calculator and sometimes I listened to FM radio on my phone.
• It was a very sturdy phone.
• Many times it had fallen from my hands, but it did not break and worked perfectly well.
• It had a camera of 5 megapixels on which I captured some photos of my friends and family.
• I clicked many selfies with it.
• I used many applications like whatsap and facebook to stay connected with my friends.
• I miss my phone because it was a gift and was precious for me.
Follow-ups
1. What kinds of people may lose things often?
People who have a bad memory and are unorganized tend to lose things often.
2. What can we do to prevent losing important things?
We should try to keep things organized like instead of leaving things here and there we should have designated places for things and we should always place them there. For examples car keys should be hung on a key holder, that way you will never lose them
3. What would you do if you saw something valuable but didn’t belong to you on the street? If I find something that doesn’t belong to me, I will first try to find the owner of that thing. If I am unable to do so, then I will donate it to the poor.
4. What kinds of things have you lost so far?
Well I keep losing a lot of things and sometimes I really feel bad about it. Once I lost my wallet and it had my id documents as well apart from the money. I have also lost my mobile phone, lunch box etc
5. What do you usually do to look for lost items?
Firstly I try to remember where I had last kept the item, if I am not able to recall it, I ask my parents or my friends.
45. Describe an interesting thing you have learned from a foreign culture.
You should say:
– What it is
– How you learnt it
– Why you learnt it
– and explain how you think it will help others.
• An interesting thing I learnt from a foreign culture is the celebration of Mother’s day.
• Growing up in my country we never had an official celebration of Mother’s day.
• In our culture most of us still live with parents and we are very close to them.
• We love and respect our elders every day but there is no special day to celebrate them.
• When I was in college one of my friends who was studying in USA came back home in summer break.
• We were meeting after so long and she shared so much about her college and how the culture there was so different.
• One of the things she told me that really impressed me was Mother’s Day celebration there.
• It is celebrated on the second Sunday in May every year to honor the mothers.
• It is an opportunity for children to show their love and thank their mothers for all they have done.
• She stays with her aunt in US and told me that on Mother’s Day her cousins made cards for their mother, made her breakfast in bed, and helped her with chores all day.
• There was also a celebration of Mother’s Day in her cousin’s school. They all went out for dinner that day and her uncle got a beautiful ring for her aunt.
• I also wanted to do something special for my mother and told my sister about this popular western culture.
• I am very close to my mom and have seen her do so much for me and my sister every single day.
• She worked full time, helped us with homework, made our favorite dishes, organized our birthday parties, took care of us when we got sick.
• I always went to my mother when I was feeling sad, and she would make me forget about my worries.
• So, dedicating one day to celebrate her felt really good to me and I started celebrating Mother’s day every year.
• I still remember the smile on my mother’s face the first time we celebrated Mother’s day.
• I woke her up with tea. It felt so nice making morning tea for her. We didn’t let her do anything that day.
• My sister cooked her a nice brunch and then all went out to the mall to get her a present and had dinner at her favorite restaurant.
• I think adopting this western culture helps us show our mothers how much we appreciate them.
• It helps us understand how much they do every single day. We tend to take our mother’s for granted and don’t even realize how much they do for us.
• They sacrifice so much for us and have to balance both work and home. Fathers can get away with just having a job, but mothers do it all.
• They are superwoman and we really should cherish them every day.
• A special day just for them is the very little we can do for them
Follow Up Questions
1. How do you learn about celebrations that are related to your culture?
We learn about celebrations from our parents and grandparents. We also learn about them by attending family functions. We also learn through media by watching daily soaps. We also learn through school and college functions.
2. What do you think are common celebrations all over the world?
There are many celebrations, which are celebrated all over the world. Such as – New year celebration, Christmas celebration, Valentine Day celebration, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and so on.
3. Do you think we should follow our culture and traditions and why?
Yes, definitely, we should follow our culture and traditions because it keeps us in touch with our roots. We can pass on our rich culture to our coming generation only if we know about it. I believe that every culture has some good points, which need to be preserved.
4. How do you react to spending a lot of money on celebrations?
I think it is sheer wastage of money. For example, burning crackers as a tradition on Diwali is OK but spending exorbitant amount of money on crackers is bad. Similarly giving gifts is OK on occasions but buying very expensive gifts just to show-off is bad.
46. Describe an occasion when you got positive feedback for work that you did
Or Describe a time when someone gave you positive advice/suggestion about your work/study
You should say
– What you did?
– When was it
– Why you got positive feedback?
– How you felt about it?
• There are many situations we come across in life when we help others or take help from others.
• I would like to talk about one such situation, when I helped others and received appreciation for it.
• It was when my neighbour’s daughter needed help with her computer exam.
• She knows that I have good knowledge about computers and programming.
• She needed help with the basics of using computers.
• I agreed to give her lessons for one hour every day till her exams
• I taught her the theory and helped with the practical aspect too.
• She scored really well in her computer exam
• She and her family thanked me for helping her.
• They invited my family and me over for dinner at their house.
• They praised me a lot in front of my parents.
• My parents were very proud of me.
• I felt an immense sense of satisfaction that day as I was able to help someone achieve their goals.
• That day I realised that giving help gives more satisfaction than receiving help.
• We have developed even stronger bonds with our neighbours after this incident.
• We had to go out of station for few days. Our neighbours took care of our pet Bruno.
( Another idea)
• There are many situations we come across in life when we help others or take help from others.
• I would like to talk about one such situation, when I helped others and received appreciation for it.
• It so happened that I was going to Ludhiana last month to attend a wedding.
• On the way there is a petrol pump.
• We saw that a lady was lying on the side and there was a lot of blood from her head.
• This accident had just happened 2 minutes before.
• She and her husband were on a scooter and as they were coming out of the petrol pump a speeding car hit them and sped away.
• We parked our car on the side and came out to see if we could help.
• Her husband had minor injuries but she was in a bad shape.
• We immediately called 108 for help.
• It is the number of the free ambulance run by the government.
• Within fifteen minutes the ambulance was there.
• We did not move the lady because it could aggravate her injury.
• She was breathing properly but had a lot of pain.
• There was a first aid team headed by a doctor in the ambulance.
• The ambulance people picked her very carefully on a stretcher and immediately rushed her to Phillaur Civil Hospital.
• We took the number of other relatives of the patient from her husband and called them.
• Actually he was also very shocked because of his wife’s condition.
• We took him to the Phillaur hospital in our car.
• Only after they were settled, we moved on.
• A few days later the person called to thank us and praised us a lot.
• He said that because of our timely help his wife was doing fine now.
Follow-ups
1. Do you like helping others?
Yes, I like helping others. I feel very happy when I can be of any help to anyone. Whenever any person comes to me for help, I do my best to help that person
2. In your view should children be taught to help others?
Yes, children student should be taught to help others. They should be made to realize that if today they will help others, then tomorrow they will get help if they need help.
3. How can we encourage children to help others?
We can encourage children to help others by setting an example. If they see their elders helping others they will automatically learn to help others.
4. Do you think people are less willing to help others these days compared to the past? Yes, I think so. Today’s life is very fast. People have become workaholics. They have become self centered. They have no time to help others.
5. Do people trust others as much as they used to in the past?
No, I do not think so. My parents and grandparents tell me that life was simpler and slower in the past. People trusted each other. Today, it is very difficult to find people whom you can trust.
6. How do people in your community help one another?
People in my community help each other in whatever way they can. Some people help by giving money and some people help by giving their time.
7. How do students such as high school students help each other?
Students help each other by sharing notes. Some help each other by sharing their conveyance.
8. How can charitable organizations help people?
Charitable organizations help people in many ways. They help by giving money or by teaching people some skills which can help them to earn a livelihood. For example, they open free sewing schools and free computer education centres.
9. What are some examples of such organizations in your country?
Being humane is one organization run by Salman Khan. Then there are the Jaycees, The Lions and the Rotary club.
10. What do you think are the benefits of having unpaid volunteer workers?
There are many benefits of having unpaid volunteer workers. Even with very little amount of funding a lot of people can be helped.
11. How do you think the volunteers themselves benefit?
Volunteers themselves benefit in many ways. If today they help for free, then tomorrow they can get a paid job from the same network. They also will get an opportunity to sharpen their practical skills.
12. Should professionals be hired rather than using volunteer workers?
It depends on the work. For example, if free eye surgeries have to be done then it is better to hire professionals. Otherwise voluntary workers can serve the purpose.www.facebook.com/makkarIELTS
13. Do you think international aid, for example from my national government to another is important?
Yes, I think it is very important. It develops good relations between countries. But I think instead of giving direct financial aid, the wealthy countries should aim to provide jobs and other facilities to the poor countries.
14. Can you give examples of international aid?
Pulse Polio is an example of international aid by the Rotary international club to eradicate polio from all over the world.
47. Describe a quiet place you like to spend your time in
– Where it is
– How you knew it
– How often you go there
– What you do there
– And explain why you like the place
• It is very difficult to find quiet places in the fast-paced life of today.
• However, I would like to talk about a place where I go quite often and I find great peace there.
• The place I am referring to is a Sikh temple in my hometown, Gurdwara Sukhchainana Sahib.
• I go there once a week, sometimes with family and sometimes with friends.
• Sometimes we walk to the gurdwara, and sometimes we go by car. It is about 3 km from my home.
• It is away from the main road, so it is very quiet there.
• Whenever I go there, I do circumambulation of the holy book inside the main hall, and pay obeisance to the almighty.
• There is a well-maintained fishpond in the gurdwara, which has many species of fish.
• I just sit on the steps of the pond and listen to the holy chants going on all the time there.
• It gives me great peace of mind. makk@r|eLtS
• Sometimes I take some bread from home and feed the fish.
• There are two catfish among the other many, who seem to be talking to me.
• I know it is all my imagination, but I love it over there.
• I feel that the tempo of life has slowed down a bit.
• It is so relaxing to watch the movements of the fish in the water.
• This activity takes away all the physical and mental tiredness away from my body.
• I feel very light-hearted after that.
• Even though there is always a great rush in this temple, yet one can find peace and quiet over there.
• Sometimes, I offer voluntary services in the community kitchen over there.
• Free food is offered to one and all in the community kitchen and this service is round the clock.
• I generally go there on weekends and spend a good two hours over there.
Follow-ups
1. Is it hard to find quiet places in cities?
Yes, it’s very hard to find quiet places in cities nowadays because of increasing urbanization and cars on the street. I think that’s one of the major reasons people go on vacations. Unfortunately, tourist spots are even more crowded.
2. Why is it quieter in the countryside?
The main reason is the lack of traffic and industries in cities. Moreover, there is a lot of greenery which absorbs noise rather than reflecting it.
3. Why do people go to quiet places?
I think the main reason is so that can think peacefully and concentrate on their work. Noise is distracting and it also reduces our efficiency.
1. Compared with young people, do old people prefer to live in quiet places?
I think both the old and young prefer quiet places but young people cannot enjoy the luxury of living in quiet places like the countryside as they cannot get good jobs there.
4. Why do some people not like quiet places?
Some people do not like quiet places because they want fun and frolic all around them. They want activity and noise all around them.
5. Do you know other quiet places?
There are many quiet places in the countryside. Many of my friends live in villages. Whenever I go to their homes, there is no noise of traffic, and you can hear the chirping of the birds and the rustling of leaves, which is very soothing to the ears.
6. Do you need a quiet place when you are working?
Yes, I do appreciate a quiet place when I’m working, but unfortunately, it is not always possible. So I’ve got used to some amount of noise around me.
7. Why do people like to spend time in quiet places?
People like to spend time in quiet places because sometimes they want to be with themselves, then they go to temples or quiet places, and feel relieved of their stress.
8. Do you know anyone who likes noise?
I have many friends who like listening to loud music. They say that it kills the background noise of the vehicle
48. Describe a popular/well-known person in your country
– You should say:
– Who this person is
– What he/she has done
– Why he/she is popular
– And explain how you feel about this person
• I belive that India is a land of celeberties.
• We have the second largest population in the world, so we have many popular people as well.
• Most of the popular people in India are either movie actors, cricketers or politicians.
• Today I would like to talk about a sportsperson who has been a constant source of inspiration to me and the millions of other people in our country.
• His name is Virat Kohli and he is a cricketer.
• He plays as a right handed batsman
• He is just 33 years old and also one of the greatest players of Indian Cricket team.
• He is the lead batsman in all the three formats of the game i.e. One Day Internationals, Test Cricket and Twenty Twenty matches
• He is also ranked as one of the world’s most famous athlete by the Forbes Magazine
• One of his greatest achievements was leading Indian Under 19 team to victory in World cup tournament
• He Debuted (note the pronunciation – debued) for India when he was only 19 years of age and since then he has never looked back and broken a lot of records.
• Currently he has the second highest number of International centuries in the game, just behind the legendary Sachin Tendulkar
• From a personality perspective, he is an aggressive player with a winning attitude and strong commitment towards the game.
• I feel that he is the perfect example of the saying that hard work is the key to success.
• One thing that a lot of people don’t know about Kohli is that he lost his father while playing a test match for his state team but he still continued to bat and only after he had saved his team from losing, he went for the cremation of his father.
• Apart from sports, ViratKohli also does a lot of charity through his foundation which works for better education and healthcare of underprivileged children.
• Few years back he got married to famous Bollywood Actress Anushka Sharma.
• They got married in Italy and it was one of the biggest weddings of year 2017.
• I wish that he will win the world cup for India in 2023 and lead India to number one spot in all formats of the game
Follow ups
1. What are the qualities of being popular?
A popular person is one who is a people’s person. He should be friendly and approachable by people. He should be helpful and empathetic. He should be a good listener and try to lead by example.
2. Do you know any popular star who likes helping other people?
Many celebs are attached to some charity organisations or are running their own NGOs. Salman Khan has his charity “Being Human’, which is doing a lot for Charity.
3. Do you think children should imitate their idols?
It is not a question of whether they should. We have to realise that they will always imitate. So, the onus is on the celebs to be good role models and do what is good to be imitated.
4. What influence do popular stars have on teenagers?
Teenagers want to be like their favourite celebs. They take them as their idol. They are influenced in both good and bad ways. If their popular star is endorsing any product then teenagers blindly want to buy that product even if they don’t need it. If their popular star is doing something good, such as helping the poor, teenagers also go out and do the same.
5. Do you think popular stars have more freedom or less freedom?
I think popular stars have to lead a life, which is open to public. They cannot be themselves and enjoy life like commoners can. In that respect, their freedom is restricted.
49. Describe a time when you helped a child
You should say:
– When it was
– How you helped him/her
– Why you helped him/her
– And how you felt about it
• Helping others is a very good thing.
• I have given and received help many times.
• Here, I would like to talk about a situation, when I helped a kid in my neighbourhood.
• When I was in 12th, my neighbor’s son, Rahul, suffered a sprain in his ankle while playing football in the school.
• He was advised strict bed rest for three weeks.
• Rahul studied in my school only and was in 7th Standard at that time.
• The final exams at our school were about to start in few weeks, near and Rahul’s mother was very worried that he would fail this time if he did not attend school.
• So, I decided to help him as much as I could.
• Every day after school, I would go to his house and teach him Maths, Science and English
• His mother was so happy with my efforts that she would prepare nice shakes or something to eat for me everyday.
• Perhaps, that was her way of thanking me.
• I used to reach home very late, but when I told the reason, my parents were OK with it.
• Then the exams came, and Rahul and I both scored above 80% marks.
• I realised that in helping him, I had helped myself even more because when I taught him these subjects it helped me to clear my fundamentals, and I was able to score good in my exams.
• After this incident, Rahul and I became good friends.
• I have realised that helping others gives much more satisfaction than becoming selfish and looking after one’s own interests.
Follow Ups
1. Do you like helping others?
Yes, I do. I love helping others. I have realised it gives a lot of mental satisfaction and happiness.
2. Should parents teach helping others to their children?
Yes, of course. Parents are responsible for bringing their children into this world, and so it is their duty to make their children into responsible citizens of the future. Parents don’t have to do anything special to accomplish this. They just have to lead by example. Children will automatically follow their footsteps. If all citizens are helpful and nice, then the whole world would become a nice place to live in.
3. Do you think nowadays people do more good work as compared to the past?
I don’t think so. Life in the past was simpler and slower. People helped each other a lot. Now, everyone is in the rat race of money and materialism. No one has the time to help others.
4. Will you help others in the future?
Yes, definitely. I believe that we must do unto others as we want them to do unto us. If I will help others, only then I can expect help from others when I need it.
5. How do you encourage children to help others?
Nothing special is needed. Children are good observers and copy what their elders are doing. All you have to do is help others and they will automatically follow.
6. How do world social organizations such as Red Cross collect their funds worldwide?
They do so by advertising their work. They organise activities and involve young people in them. They also take the help of media.
7. Do small non-government organizations always need big organizations’ help or can they collect funds themselves?
No, they do not always need big organisations help. If their projects are small, they can manage on their own, otherwise they can seek help of their bigger counterparts.
8. Do you think people in India should help foreigners who are visiting India and who need help? (Why? / Why not?)
Definitely, yes. India is known for its hospitality and helpful nature. Guests are treated like Gods. Tourists are our guests. If tourists need help, they should be helped. They will take back happy memories and more and more tourists will flock-in in the future.
9. What is the most important way for a country to help foreigners who are visiting the country?
Foreigners can be helped by guiding them about our customs and traditions, so that they do not unknowingly hurt anybody’s sentiments. They can be helped by providing them good and hygienic food, which suits their taste. They can be helped by not fleecing them when they buy some souvenirs.
10. Many people only look out for themselves and never think about helping others. What do you think of this attitude?
I think such people are very short sighted. They do not thing that if they don’t help others they will also be left alone when they need help.
11. Do Indian people help others who need help, such as people in extreme poverty? (How?) Yes, Indian people help others who are in extreme poverty. Some help directly and some help through charity organisation.
50. Describe something that surprised you
You should say:
What it is
How you found out about it What you did
And explain whether it made you happy
• Life is full of surprises, some good and some bad.
• However, today I would like to talk about a situation which was completely unexpected.
• In my 10th standard, I took part in an Maths Olympiad.
• I am good at maths but I was nowhere near good enough to get a medal in the Olympiad.
• I took part just for getting the participation certificate.
• Anyways, on the day of the Olympiad, I had a school exam as well for which I had to study the whole night.
• The Olympiad was after my school exam from 2 to 5 PM.
• After my school exam, I was so tired that I wanted to skip the competition.
• However, I went for it because my teachers convinced me that I should.
• In that drowsy state, I did what I could.
• It was a multiple choice exam and I barely attempted 40 questions out of 100.
• For the rest of the questions, I just marked a random option as there was no negative marking.
• After a few days, I got a call from the Olympiad Organisers that I had won a Silver medal.
• At first, I thought it was a prank by my friends as they knew what was my state that day.
• After the call, I started thinking which of my friends was to blame and how I would get back at him.
• To be honest, in my mind, I had even formed an idea who it was.
• However, the next day, my class teacher announced that I had won a medal in the competition in the whole exam.
• I was in utter shock.
• Nevertheless, I pretended that I had expected it all along.
• I didn’t tell anyone about it for many days.
• But I really loved the attention and respect, I got from my classmates.
• They thought I was a maths wiz.
• However, my happiness slowly transformed to guilt as I felt I didn’t deserve it.
• At last, when I shared with my friends that I think I just got lucky with guesswork, they didn’t believe me at all.
• They thought I was being humble.
Follow Ups
1. What are some things that made you feel happy?
Small things give me happiness. A pat on my back by my elders makes me happy. Food of my choice makes me happy. Outings with my friends make me happy. If my parents are happy with me, I feel happy.
2. How would you define happiness?
Happiness is a state of mind. Different people have different concepts about happiness. For a nursery student, being able to write ‘A’ properly can give happiness. A poor person may get happiness if he wins a lottery. A person suffering from cancer can get happiness if a cure is found for his illness. Parents feel happy if their children do well in school.
3. Do you think artistic activities can make people happy?(Why/Why not)
Artistic activities can definitely make people happy. Art is a stress buster. It is a way of expression. It is a way to communicate your inner feelings. Young people feel happy when they release their pent up energy by dance. In a way they sweat out their stress. If stress is out, happiness is in.
4. Do you think people who have more talent are happier than others? (Why/Why not) Happiness has nothing to do with talent. Those who are talented and those who are not so talented can be equally happy. Singing a song can give equal happiness to a talented singer and a bathroom singer. Talented people can make others happy with their talent.
51. Describe an occasion when you lost something
You should say:
What you lost
When and where you lost it What you did to find it
And explain how you felt about it
• I am a very careless person and I have a bad habit of losing things.
• Today, I am going to talk about the most recent thing I lost- which was a pair of headphones.
• Last month, I travelled to Gangtok with my family for vacations.
• Our flight was at 6 AM and we had to reach the airport at 4 AM for check-in.
• Moreover, the flight was from Delhi airport, which is about 3 hours from my home.
• So, none of us got a proper night’s sleep the previous night.
• In fact, I barely slept for 2 hours.
• When we boarded the flight, I was barely able to keep my eyes open.
• As soon as I sat on the seat, I took off my headphones off and kept them in the seat pocket in front of me.
• When I de-boarded, because of my sleepy state, I completely forgot about my headphones and I got off without taking them.
• I remembered about them only when we reached the hotel.
• These headphones were Apple AirPods and they were quite costly.
• I had to try to get them.
• So I called the airline company and told them my flight number and my seat number.
• They told me that the airline had already departed back to Delhi from the airport, but they will ask the ground staff to check for them at the airport.
• I was expecting them to call me, but I got no call back.
• Finally, I called them again the next day and enquired.
• I got the same response that the flight was in transit and they would ask the ground staff to check when it lands.
• My whole vacation got ruined because of this and I wasn’t able to enjoy anything.
• In fact, I remained sullen throughout because of it.
• It has been a month since then.
• I didn’t get my headphones back and the airline company told me that a customer might have taken them.
• However, the loss made me realise two things.
• First, I really need to be more careful and secondly, I should not materialistic losses spoil our mood.
• I regret losing my headphones but I regret letting it ruin my mood much more than that.
Follow Up Questions
1 What kinds of things do people usually lose?
The things people usually lose are the things they carry with them the most like keys, phones, wallets, bags, sunglasses, jewelry, etc.
2 What do people often do when losing things?
People become nervous and frustrated after losing things. They start looking for them in a hurry. It’s better to keep calm and try to remember where they could have kept them.
3 Is it an effective way to use rewards to find lost things?
Offering rewards for lost things may be a good incentive but it all depends on kind of lost thing. For example, for something precious and priceless like pets, a reward is a great way to find them. For expensive materialistic things like phones, wallets, jewelry, etc. a reward may not work as well.
4 What kinds of people may lose things often?
People who are not organized and have a lot of clutter usually lose things often. My brother keeps losing his scooter keys as he puts them just about anywhere instead of putting them on their designated spot – the hooks by our entryway.
52. Describe a creative person whose work you admire
You should say
– Who he/she is
– How do you know him/her
– What creative things he/she has done
– And explain why you think he or she is creative
• I think every person has some creative ability in him or her
• Some people show creativity in the kitchen,some in their kitchen gardens, some people show their creativity in decorating their house, some people are creative in the drawings or paintings they do, and some show creativity in the way they dress up.
• Here I would like to talk about a creative person who is my best friend Saloni’s mother
• Her name is Ramanpreet and she is in her early fifties.
• She’s always making something out of waste, things that we throw away.
• Whenever I go to her house she’s always making something or the other.
• Saloni tells me that she never sits idle
• She always has a project in her hands
• She has made many things out of waste papers.
• I’ve seen beautiful decoration pieces made of 3-D origami which her mother has made, and they look spectacular
• I go to my friend’s house very often and every time I see something new.
• Last time I went she was making tote bags out of old clothes.
• The tote bag she was making looked superb and was very sturdy
• Her mother told me once that the making tote bags out of old clothes is in fact upcycling old clothes and not recycling old clothes because the tote bags are used almost every day.
• She has gifted many tote bags to her relatives and friends, and everyone uses them every single day
• Now that single use plastics have been banned everyone should get a tote bag while going to the market
• I have also learnt many things from Saloni’s mother
• I used to admire Saloni for her creativity but I realise that all the creativity has come from her mother.
• I think Saloni’s mother is very creative because she can put just anything at home to use.
• She has made flowerpots from old used bottles and oil cans
• Her whole house is decorated with beautiful things and none of these have been bought from the market
• All these things are the result of her mother’s creativity.
Follow-ups
1. Do you think you are a creative person?
Yes, I am a creative person, but all my creativity is for myself only. Every day I creatively mix and match my old dresses and make them look new.
I also like to make pencil sketches out of my imagination and create different characters.
2. Is it good for children to learn arts?
Yes, it is very good for children to learn arts. Arts bring out their creativity and breaks the monotony of tough academic studies. Arts also keep children in touch with their culture and tradition.
3. What kind of jobs require people to be creative? I think all jobs require people to be creative. If people are not creative then their job may become dull and boring after just a few days. If any job has to be done over and over again then some element of creativity has to be added to it. For example, an engineer needs to think of new ways to do things, the plumber needs to learn new things every day to make his work better and simpler, a carpenter needs to learn new ways of doing things that can add grace to his work, a teacher has to bring up innovative methods to teach so that children don’t get bored
4. Do you think leaders need to have creative ability?
Yes, I think leaders need to have creative ability. If they are not creative, people then stop following them as they would appear boring to them, but if they add creativity to their work, to their talk, to the way they do things, then they will keep having followers.
53. Describe a difficult decision that you once made.
You should say
– What the decision was
– When you made the decision
– How long did it take you to make the decision
– And explain why it was a difficult decision to make.
• I think each decision is difficult in its own way because we gain something and lose something when we make any decision.
• And in today’s world, I think making decisions is all the more difficult because of the increasing number of choices.
• One of the most crucial and difficult decisions of my life was when I had to decide which stream to opt for during my senior secondary education.
• I made the decision around three years ago after graduating from high school.
• It took me nearly one month to make the decision.
• I was confused because I didn’t know what each stream entailed.
• During childhood, I never had a fixed dream job like others.
• Somedays, I wanted to become a doctor, then there was a phase I wanted to become an astronaut.
• There was also a time, I wanted to become an actor.
• Some of my close friends were taking non-medical.
• So, I was also afraid that if I opted for some other stream, I would lose my friends.
• Every person I asked for advice gave me a different perspective.
• That was also a mistake I made, I asked too many people.
• Now, when I ask for advice, I only ask a few of my friends and my parents.
• Ultimately, my parents helped me make the decision.
• They asked me to take a 2 day exam, which tested my aptitude for different fields.
• After the test, they told me that I should consider only two things, my gut feeling and the results of the test.
• I should ignore everyone else’s advice and after making the decision, I should not regret the decision.
• Ultimately, I opted for commerce, and I am really glad that I made that choice.
Follow-ups
1. What decisions do people generally make in their daily life?
We are always making decisions in our life. People make decisions about small things like what to eat, what to wear, when to do something, and what to watch. Our whole life is nothing but the millions of decisions we take every day.
2. Which is easier, making a decision by oneself or making a decision after a group discussion?
It is definitely easier to make a decision after a group discussion because we have the advantage of knowing different perspectives on the issue. However, I also believe that we should not get influenced by others and listen to our gut feeling when finally making the decision.
3. Why are many young people unwilling to listen to their parent’s advice?
I think many young people think that their parent’s thinking might be outdated for today’s time. Also, in general, young people by nature have a problem listening to figures of authority.
4. Why do middle-aged people tend to second guess their decision?
I think second guessing has nothing to do with age. We all tend to second guess our decisions when it’s a difficult decision and when we are not confident about the decision. I think the best way to avoid second guessing or rethinking the decision is to limit the choices and discuss it with close friends and family members.
54. Describe something that was broken in your home and then repaired
– You should say:
– What it is
– How it was broken
– How you got it repaired
– And how you felt about it
• Nowadays, I normally buy a newer model rather than getting old things repaired.
• However, recently our washing machine broke down and as it was under warranty, we decided to get it repaired.
• The machine just stopped working.
• When we switched it, the lights didn’t come on.
• At first, we thought that there might be a problem with the socket.
• However, when we plugged another electronic device into the socket it worked.
• That’s when we knew the machine was broken for sure.
• I am not sure of the reason but I think it was voltage fluctuation.
• It rained pretty heavily and due to the rain, there was a voltage fluctuation in our area.
• The fluctuation probably caused burned one of the electronic circuits in the machine.
• We had purchased the machine just a few months before that incident, so it was under warranty.
• We called the company and they scheduled a technician visit to our house.
• The repairman told us that the main circuit was burnt, but he was also not sure what caused that.
• He said that the part was made to order, so ordered the part and told us that when he receives the part, he will come again and replace it.
• I thought it would be quick but it took a whole week.
• Due to corona, there were shipment delays.
• Electronic equipments do break down.
• So, it wasn’t a big deal.
• But the time we had to wait to get it repaired was much more than we had anticipated.
• The repairman had warned us that it might take some time, but even he didn’t think it would take a whole week.
• The laundry just piled up and we just waited.
• However, one good thing that happened was that I took out some clothes that I hadn’t worn in a long time.
• My favourite clothes were sitting in the laundry and I had no option.
• Two days after the repairman came and fixed it, we got an apology email from the company.
• We all really appreciated that. I don’t think the company was at fault and yet they apologised.
Part 3 – Follow-up Questions
1. Are IT-related jobs valued more by society?
I don’t think they are valued more or less than other jobs. But yes the significance of IT jobs has increased in recent years as our dependence on technology has increased.
2. Is the quality of products worse than before?
I definitely think the quality has fallen in recent years. This is based on my personal experience. The first refrigerator my parents bought still works fine but the ones we bought after that broke down after three-four years and this is true for nearly every electronic product. I think the technology is becoming more and more complex but that has taken a toll on product durability.
3. What kinds of things do people like to repair by themselves?
I think YouTube and Google have made it possible to repair anything and everything. Recently my mom fixed her sewing machine by watching a YouTube video. I have fixed my mobile phone and laptop many a times by just searching on google.
4. Why do people like to get their mobile phones repaired in specialised stores?
I think the main reason is that they don’t want to void the phone’s warranty. I think most companies mention that if the phone is opened by non-registered technician or store, the warranty would not be applicable. I think it is a tactic by companies to ensure that they can charge people heavily for parts, which can be repaired cheaply.
55. Describe an ambition that you haven’t achieved
– You should say:
– What it is
– Why you haven’t achieved it
– What you did
– And how you felt about it
• I have many ambitions in my life.
• But the one ambition that I am working on right now is to go for higher education in Canada.
• Earlier I didn’t have any plans to go abroad, but a conversation with a friend who went to Canada changed my opinion.
• He told me about the difference in the quality of education and the work opportunities available there.
• So after completing my senior secondary education, I decided that it would be the best opportunity for me.
• There are two main requisites to get admission in a good Canadian college.
• The first is good grades in senior secondary education.
• My grades are pretty satisfactory. So, I didn’t have to worry about that.
• The second is a good score in English language tests like IELTS or TOEFL.
• I learned that Canadian colleges give preference to IELTS and hence I am taking the IELTS exam.
• For the past two-three months, I have been practicing for the exam.
• I ordered the Cambridge books and started my preparation from them.
• There is a lot of free material available on the internet.
• So, I used that to prepare myself.
• I used to practice for about 8 hours every day.
• I used to try to cover every IELTS module twice.
• For listening and reading, I didn’t need much help.
• I just practised the test papers and looked at my mistakes after that, so I don’t repeat them.
• For speaking and writing, I joined a coaching institute and their teachers helped me a lot.
• I hope to get good bands, so I can move ahead to the next step, which is to apply for an offer letter from a Canadian College.
• I don’t think it has been an easy journey.
• English is not my first language and I have had to practise really hard.
• But I hope the fruits of the efforts will definitely be worth the struggle.
Part 3 – Follow-up Questions
1 What ambitions do children usually have?
Children have many ambitions. The first ambition is mainly about the profession- in childhood, everyone has an ambition to do something noble like becoming a doctor or do something exciting like becoming a pilot or an astronaut. Then, children also have an ambition of earning huge amounts of money.
2 Why are some people very ambitious in their work?
I think it’s just a part of their nature. They are ambitious because they want to grow and achieve something in their life. They want to be known for their work.
3 Why don’t some people have dreams?
I think everyone has certain dreams. It’s just that some people are too lazy to work for their dreams. On the other hand, there are others who can do anything for their dreams and it shows.
4 How do people balance work and life?
I think everyone does it in their own way. My mother switches off her work mobile phone after 5 PM. Some people do it by taking regular breaks when they only focus on their family. I think it is something almost every person tries to do and fails. In recent years, even governments are taking steps like limiting work hours so people are able to do so.
56. Describe a time when you organized a happy event successfully
– You should say:
– What the event was
– How you prepared for it
– Who helped you to organize it
– And explain why you think it was a successful event
• I love to organise events.
• On July 16th last year, it was my mother’s 50 birthday and I wanted to do something special for her.
• However, due to the pandemic, most celebrations were forbidden.
• We were all cooped up inside our houses.
• I decided to give her a surprise online party.
• I asked my sister for advice on how we can make it special.
• We have a large family and we asked every one in the family, all our cousins, uncles, and aunt to record something for my mother.
• It could be anything, there were no restrictions.
• One of my cousins recorded a dance performance, an uncle wrote a beautiful poem, my grandpa sang a beautiful song in Gujrati.
• After receiving all the videos, we combined them into one big video.
• It was not easy though, we had to send reminders and message some of my aunts and uncles again and again.
• Some even sent it one day before the birthday, but they all finally did it.
• Moreover, It was all hard to remind them to keep it a secret.
• We were sure one of our aunts or uncles would spill the beans.
• Thankfully no one did.
• Then, we organised a special get together on zoom for the family.
• This was also hard because some of our relatives live in a different time zone.
• We wanted to choose a time everyone could be available.
• Here we failed to some extent, but some of our relatives couldn’t be online at that time.
• The birthday fell on a weekday, so it was just not possible.
• On her birthday, I ordered her favourite- truffle cake.
• And then when everyone joined the zoom meeting, I handed my mom the phone and told her someone wants to wish her a happy birthday.
• She was shocked to see all the family on the meeting.
• Then, she cut the cake, while I held the phone and everyone wished her happy birthday.
• Finally, for the big reveal, we played the video on the TV and recorded her reactions while watching the video and we telecast it on the meeting on a split-screen.
• One screen showing her reactions and the other showing the video.
• My mother had happy tears in her eyes by the end of it all and I think that alone made it a successful event.
• However, others told me it was such wonderfully organised and it was so nice meeting everyone online. Even after the video was over, everyone stayed on the meeting and we kept on talking and discussing everyday life.
Part 3 – Follow-up Questions
1 How can parents help children to be organized?
I think parents should have a daily schedule for their children. They should also allot every task a fixed amount of time. For example, they can ask them to write each task on the calendar and write how much time they expect to give to it alongside it. Then, there should be rewards and punishments for finishing or not finishing the tasks.
2 On what occasions do people need to be organized?
I don’t think people need an occasion to be organised. We should try to be organised all the time. When we are organised we tend to save time and do things faster. Also, being organised creates a good impression on others.
3 Does everything need to be well prepared?
I think all the important things should be well prepared, but the minor details can be left out. It’s like a speech, we prepare the main ideas but we leave some liberty to make some changes with the minor details. Preparing everything in advance would be very exhausting if not impossible.
4 Do people need others’ help when organizing things?
Well, it depends upon the task. If we are organising a big event, we definitely need help. For example, wedding planners have a whole team of 10-15 members because a single person cannot manage everything. But, if there are small things like a small family get together, I think a person can organise it on their own.
57. Describe something you received for free
– You should say:
– What it was
– Who you received it from
– Where you received it
– And how you felt about it
• I have received many free things in my life, but I would like to talk about a free coffee which I got on my birthday.
• When I visit Delhi or Chandigarh I love to visit Starbucks as I love their coffee.
• During one of my first few visits, one of the salespersons in Starbucks told me to get a Starbucks Card as I am a regular coffee drinker.
• She told me that the card was free and there are some amazing perks for regular coffee drinkers.
• I was sceptical at first, as there is no Starbucks in my city and I was wondering how many times would I actually drink one.
• But after some persuasion by the salesgirl, I got one, nonetheless.
• One of the benefits was a free coffee during the birthday month.
• I didn’t know this.
• So, by chance, I visited a Starbucks in June, which is my birthday month.
• When I was about to pay, the salesperson asked me if I was due a free coffee because of my birthday month and should he make this order the free one.
• I wasn’t expecting it but more than that I didn’t ask for it, he offered it.
• I then inquired whether it could be any coffee and if I could make modifications like adding whip cream.
• When he said, I told them to make it a mocha and add whip cream.
• I normally don’t make these additions because their coffee is already very expensive.
• I thought there would be no better opportunity to try it.
• So, I went for it.
• I really enjoyed the coffee.
• If I would have paid for it, it would have cost me around Rs 400.
• It wasn’t a big amount but it made me so happy like I had won a lottery.
• That day, I got a card made for my mother and my sister as well.
• However, then the salesperson told me that the free birthday month coffee is applicable only when we buy coffee worth Rs 5000 in a year.
• I don’t think they will drink so much coffee, but I have already started looking forward to next June and the next free coffee.
Part 3 – Follow-up Questions
1 Do you think people should pay for higher education? Why?
I definitely think that people should pay for higher education themselves. I think people should only go for higher education when they are really interested. Paying it for ourselves means- we do it only when we really want to. At the same time, I also feel that government should provide scholarships and loans to poor students so that they don’t leave education because of money.
2 Is it good or bad for people to have a free education in the future?
I think free primary education is good because everyone should get primary education but I think higher education should be paid for by the student themselves. Actually, I don’t think it is possible for the government to fund higher education for everyone.
3 What free gifts do companies usually give to their customers?
In India, I think companies give small gifts like pens, calendars and cups, etc to customers. They are free gifts for customers but in a way, they are advertising for the company. Then, there are also deals like buy one- get one free, which are technically gifts, but in a way – the prices factor in the free gift such that the company is still in profit.
4 Why do customers like to receive free gifts from companies?
I think there is no better feeling than getting something for free. It is just human nature, when we get something for free- we feel lucky. When we buy something, we are always thinking, whether we could have gotten something better for the same price, whether we were cheated, but when we get something for free, we feel like we couldn’t get a better deal because what’s better than free.
58. Describe a famous person that you are interested in
– You should say:
– Who this person is
– How you know about this person
– What sort of life they had before they became famous
– How this person became famous
– And explain why you like this person
• I would like to meet many famous people but here I am going to talk about India’s EX Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
OR
• A person I admire the most is our ex-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
• He was born in Gah village, located in Punjab province of Pakistan and was the first Sikh Prime Minister of India.
• He is a dynamic and development-oriented leader.
• He served as a member of the parliament, representing the state of Assam in the Upper House of the Parliament.
• He had been the member of parliament for five consecutive terms.
• The reason why I admire him is that his life shows how an ordinary boy from a deprived(poor) class could reach the highest levels of the nation.
• It is all because of his hard work and determination.
• During his tenure as fiancé minister in the 1990’s he opened up India’s economy to Foreign investments which helped a lot in India’s economic growth
• He is one of the most influential architects of India’s socialist economy, and helped it to became a capitalistic one.
• I believe he helped establish India’s presence among the developed nations.
• He is also famous for the Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement which gave India access to nuclear fuel and technology.
• His focus on development, eye for detail and efforts to bring a qualitative difference in the lives of the poorest of the poor have made him a popular and respected leader across.
• He is a role model for one and all.
• I would like to meet him and seek his blessings.
• I would like to get his autograph.
• Every country needs people like him to take their nation to the top.
Part 3 – Follow-up Questions
1. What type of people are famous in your country?
In my country cricketers very famous, Bollywood stars are very famous and at the same time, some people who have an outstanding achievement or have accomplished something in life become public figures. Most of these people are role models and many people dream of becoming like them. So, people who can attract large crowds become famous in my country.
2. How do people become famous nowadays?
People become famous when they have achieved something that other common people have not done so far. Some of the movie stars are very famous because they have a box office hit. Some singers are famous because of their singing talent. Politicians become famous for their oratory skills. There is another category of famous people that become famous among people by their wrong deeds.
3. What is the difference between people who were famous earlier and who are famous now?
A few decades ago people were famous who had achieved something or had hit upon an invention. Some people were famous for their sacrifice or for their giving nature for example Mother Teresa. Nowadays many people are famous just because they are children of famous people, their dressing sense or singing talents.
4. What qualities do famous people have in common
All the famous people have a public appeal they have a talent or charm that can attract crowds. Some famous people are very intelligent like the famous mathematician Shakuntala Devi. But one thing is sure, a famous person must always be humble and grounded only then he will retain the fame.
5. What do you think about nepotism amongst the famous people
Nepotism is a practice to use power to favour their near and dear ones. Recently nepotism debate was ignited in the Bollywood after the death of Sushant Singh Rajput. Basically, nepotism was always present among the famous people because many politicians or celebrities wanted to use their influence and give a platform to their children to achieve success. Even in the ancient times the kings and the Nawabs used to have their near and dear ones on the highchairs So nepotism was always present wherever there was fame
59. Describe a toy you liked in your childhood
– You should say:
– What kind of toy it is
– When you received it
– How you played it
– And how you felt about it
• I had many toys in my childhood but here I am going to talk about my electric toy car.
• My father gifted it to me on my 11th birthday.
• I used to spend hours playing with it.
• I was greatly fascinated by it
• It was red in colour
• It worked with four pen torch batteries fixed in a box under the car
• When I switched it on, it would move in all directions
• If there was an obstacle on the way then the car could change directions
• Along with that it had lights, which flickered at times.
• I was so fascinated by this car that I used to finish its batteries very soon.
• I used to show it to my friends with pride.
• None of my other friends had such a beautiful toy car.
• I just loved it when I saw the jealous look in their eyes.
• I remember, once I took it to school in my bag.
• When I came home I got a big spanking from my mother.
• I was very possessive about my car and never used to let anyone touch it.
• Even though I don’t play with the car any more I still have it in my room
• Its colour has faded now but it has emotional value for me.
• That is why I have never thought of giving it away to my younger cousins.
• It brings back nostalgic memories of my childhood
Part 3 – Follow-up Questions
1. What is the difference between girls’ and boys’ toys?
Traditionally, girls used to like toys like dolls, kitchen sets, fairies, and butterflies. Boys normally preferred aggressive toys like guns, cars, and things to build and things, which make a lot of noise. The other difference was that boys normally picked blue, brown and green. Girls, on the other hand, chose pink with a tinge of purple. These differences have been disappearing over the years.
2. Do you think toys really help in children’s development?
Yes, toys play a big role in children’s development. It helps to develop their motor and sensory skills and also their cognitive abilities. At the same time, it also leads to their social development, especially when they play with other children. Children also learn responsibility when parents ask them to properly store their toys.
3. Does modern technology have an influence on children’s toys?
Yes, modern technology has a big influence on toys. Both the type of toys available and the children’s preferences for toys have changed over time. Today robots, app controlled cars are more popular. Board games are becoming less and less popular. Simple action figures and dolls have also become much more detailed.
4. Have we lost our hand skills such as sewing?
Sewing by hand has definitely become a thing of the past. Sewing machines have come up in a big way. But manual sewing machines are still used. These have a hand pedal or a foot pedal. My mother has a fully automatic computerised sewing machine, but she has to operate it herself when she sews.
5. What toys are popular with kids in India today?
Many types of toys are popular in India. Children like wooden toys and other mechanical toys, but electronic toys are fast gaining popularity.
6. In general, do children today have many toys?
Yes, they do. When I look at the children around me, I feel that they have too many toys. I never had so many. I think parents, today, are substituting the time they have to spend with children by giving them more and more toys.
7. Do you think playing with electronic toys has a good influence on kids?
Yes, electronic toys introduce children to technology. They increase the strategy forming skills. They are good, but when children spend too much time on electronic games, they forget everything else and then these become negative.
8. Do you think there are some toys that are only suitable for girls and some that are only suitable for boys?
Not any more. Gender differences are disappearing fast and boys and girls play with the same type of toys nowadays.
9. Which do you think is better, for children to play with toy alone or with other kids?
It is definitely better for children to play with other kids. They learn caring and sharing and many
other social skills when they play with others.
10. Do you think parents should encourage their children to share their toys with other kids?
Yes, definitely. They should encourage their children to share their toys with other children. In this way they will not need to have many toys.
11. How are toys today different to toys of the past?
Today we have electronic toys, whereas earlier we had wooden toys and plastic toys.
12. How do you think toys will change in the future?
What the future holds in store for us no one can tell, but as far as I can see, there will be more and more electronic gadgets in the future, which the children will play with as toys.
13. If you were going to give a present to a child, what would you give him?
I would give a child, a book as a gift. He may not like it at first, but it will shortly develop the habit of reading one day. I believe that books are the best gifts. They remain with that person forever.
14. What kinds of gifts do parents give to their young children?
Pendants give all sorts of gifts to their children. They know the requirement of their children and give gifts accordingly. Mostly parents give educational gifts, from which the child can learn something in a fun way.
15. Is it good to give children too many presents such as too many toys?
No it is definitely not good to give a child too many presents. Children do not appreciate the value of toys when they are given too many toys. It also decreases their imagination and creativity. They also do not learn sharing with other children.
16. Some parents don’t spend much time with their child but instead give the child gifts as a way to show their love. Do you think this is good enough?
No I do not think this is good enough. The time been didn’t spend with the children is more important then the gifts they give them.
60. Describe your experience when you changed your school/college” or Describe an experience about moving to a new school or house
– Why did you change your school/college?
– When was it?
– Was that helpful?
– What were the consequences after that?
• I have been to two schools in my life.
• My primary school was different from my secondary school.
• I have vague remembrances of my primary school as I was too small then.
• Here I would like to talk about my secondary school in which I studied from 6th to 12th class.
• I had to change my school because my father got transferred to a different city and we had to move with him
• My school’s name was SD Model Senior Secondary School.
• I vividly remember I was very nervous on the first day.
• This school was much bigger than my primary school.
• I was afraid of getting lost there.
• I was a little bit excited also.
• I just walked inside with the other students and went where they were going.
• I was a new face for them so many of them were staring at me.
• I asked one student about where 6th class was.
• Coincidently she was also in 6th class.
• She took me to her class.
• That was the beginning of my new friendship.
• Her name was Harleen and till today we are the best of friends.
• She made me feel very comfortable.
• All my nervousness vanished.
• We attended the classes before the lunch break and during recess she showed me the whole school.
• I was awed by the infrastructure of the school.
• There were separate labs for physics, chemistry, and computer science.
• There was also a huge library.
• Badminton and volleyball courts were also there.
• The canteen was the most impressive.
• All the teachers were also very nice.
• I studied for 7 years in that school.
• Those were the most memorable years of my life.
Part 3 – Follow-up Questions
1. Are children better at solving problems than adults?
I don’t think that children are better problem solvers as compared to adults because problem-solving requires two things, one is the logical ability and second is experience. Although children might be good at applying new approach or perspective towards the problem, however, they sometimes don’t have the experience to solve the problems that they face. Sometimes who can solve it better will also depend on the nature of the problem.
2. If people move frequently, is it better to stay in one house all the time?
I don’t think it would be wise to stay at one place if someone moves or gets transferred frequently to different cities or towns. For example, my brother, who is in the Army, gets posted to a new city after every 2 years, he always moves to the new place with his family because if he chooses to opt for a permanent home, then he would have to live away from his wife and children.
3. What are the pros and cons of living in a high-rise building?
I think the advantages that high-rise building offers is the beautiful views and easy access to facilities like gyms, swimming pools shops. On the other hand, the disadvantages include the fire risks and the fact that people have to live in compact spaces because the apartments and rooms in high-rise buildings are comparatively smaller in size.
4. What are the pros and cons of living in an old and new neighborhood?
I think the major difference of living in old and new neighbourhoods is the access to facilities. For example, in old neighbourhoods it is difficult to find parking spaces because during their construction cars were not that popular, whereas the new neighborhoods are much better planned and focus on the challenges that people face today.
61. Describe a person you only met once and want to know more about
– You should say:
– Who he/she is
– When you met him/her
– Why do you want to know more about him/her
– And explain how you feel about him/her
• I am a very friendly person and can easily begin a conversation.
• I like to talk to people at work, events, parties, and even on my daily commute.
• I usually forget about people I have met only once, and I am not likely to meet again.
• However, there is one person I remember vividly who I met only once.
• He left quite a mark on me, and I couldn’t help thinking about him the next day and for many more weeks.
• I met him on the train while going to my cousin’s home in Karnal
• He was sitting next to me and reading a newspaper.
• I was really bored, my phone was discharged, and it was a long journey.
• I asked him if I could borrow the crossword puzzle page from his newspaper.
• He gave me the puzzle page and I worked on it for some time.
• I gave it back to him and he inspected the questions I couldn’t answer.
• He started to help me with those questions. He knew everything I couldn’t answer.
• I was really impressed and asked him how he knew all that.
• He told me he was a reader and reads every single day – books and newspapers
• We started to talk more, not only was he knowledgeable, but he was also very witty and funny.
• We could hold an actual conversation the entire trip.
• He told me more about himself. His name was Nitin. He was a few years older than me.
• He was from Delhi and had gone to Chandigarh for the weekend.
• Besides reading, he loved to travel in his free time, hike, explore new cities.
• I also have this love for travelling and we exchanged stories about interesting places we had visited.
• He told me he was a computer engineer and had a stressful job.
• However, he made sure to rejuvenate himself by doing things he loved.
• I had just started my first job and had been so inundated with the workload.
• I was having a hard time with work-life balance.
• His words left me feeling happy, motivated and inspired.
• I lost track of time and very soon my station was there.
• I had a short train stop and had to get off quickly.
• I wish we had exchanged contact information.
• It’s hard to find people who have such positive energy.
• I would certainly like to know more about Nitin and have him in my life as a friend and a mentor.
Part 3 – Follow-up Questions
1 How do people make friends in India?
People in India make friends by starting conversations, showing interest, smiling, sharing, and helping. This is especially true for the older generation. Young people tend to make friends through social media networks. They have fewer in-person friends and make more friends online.
2 On what occasions do people like to make friends?
People make friends at various events like weddings, birthday parties, etc. People can make friends while travelling and exploring different places, cultures, etc. People can make friends attending hobby classes or join online groups that share their interests.
3 Is it important to have the same hobbies and interests when making friends?
No, it’s not important. Common hobbies do bring people together and are especially helpful in the beginning stages of a friendship. However, people can have different interests and still become friends. In fact, it can be exciting to be a friend of a person with totally different interests and do things that you never tried
4 What qualities make true friends?
True friends stick with you during tough times. They are supportive, non-judgmental, and accept you as you are. They give your honest opinion even it’s painful to hear. They genuinely love and care for you.
62. Describe a resolution you made in the new year
– What is the resolution?
– How will you complete it?
– How you feel about it?
– Why you made this resolution?
• People love to celebrate the new year by going to parties or spending time with family and friends.
• Also, the new year makes people think about the future and how can they make it better than the year before.
• One common way for people to do this is by making New year resolutions.
• It is usually a promise to achieve a new goal or make a change in their life.
• I have also made many new year resolutions in the past, only to break them a few days later.
• But this year I have kept a resolution which I think is more practical and I should be able to achieve it.
• My resolution is about health and fitness.
• For my fitness I have decided that I will do a 5 km walk or run atl east 4 times a week, which is equivalent to 30 minutes of exercise.
• And for my health I have decided to reduce the amount of junk food that I consume and completely eliminate the consumption of carbonated drinks from diet, which I think is the most difficult part of my resolution.
• To track my resolution, I have installed a fitness app on my phone.
• It is called strava.
• This app gives me reminders about the run activities that I need to complete and also tracks my performance.
• I can monitor my heart rate and running speed with the help of this app.
• It also connects me with the people in my neighborhood who are looking for partners to exercise with.
• So far, I have connected with 3 people in my society and we are regularly going for evening walks.
• In fact, sometime we over achieve our weekly goal.
• I made this resolution because I think health is one of the most important aspects of our life and in this modern lifestyle people are often ignoring it.
• Later on, they suffer from many diseases and are not able to enjoy life.
• I feel really good after completing my fitness goals every day, it gives me a sense of accomplishment and also takes the stress away from life.
• Hopefully I will be able to complete my resolution this year.
63. Describe a skill that you learned from older people
You should say makkarIELTS
– What the skill is
– Who you learned it from
– How you learned it
– And how you feel about it
• It is true that the younger generation can learn valuable skills and life lessons from older people.
• One skill I learnt is to recycle, reuse and repurpose everything.
• I learned this skill from my incredibly talented grandmother.
• I grew up in a nuclear family with both parents working busy jobs.
• Every year during summer I used to spend two months with my grandparents.
• My grandmother would find imaginative ways to reuse and recycle everything in her home.
• She would never dispose old clothes and would instead sew little pieces together to make curtains, quilts, pillowcases, tablecloths, etc.
• She would recycle glass jars and use them to hold spices, tea, grains, lentils, etc.
• She used newspaper to clean windows and reused aluminum foil to clean pots and pans.
• She made old broken furniture drawers into garden containers. She used fruit and vegetable scraps from her kitchen for compost.
• She would keep me busy with craft activities like making old card boxes into fun toys, cars, and robots.
• I mostly learned everything by observing her and helping her with some of the repurposing projects she did.
• I started to implement her ideas at my house too and as I grew older it became a habit.
• I feel indebted to my grandmother that she taught me these valuable skills.
• Reduce, reuse, and recycling waste is so important in present times.
• Our landfills are filling fast, and recycling is one way to reduce the amount of waste that goes to landfills.
• Global warming and plastic pollution have taken a toll on the planet and people need to take action to stop this damage
• I am so glad that I am doing my part in saving our planet.
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Part 3 – Follow-up Questions
1. What can children learn from their parents?
Children learn by observing their parents, they are their role models especially during early years. Parents can teach children important life lessons just by modeling good behavior
Respecting others, working hard, positive attitude, eating healthy, saving money, helping the needy are some life lessons children can learn from their parents.
2. What knowledge can children learn from their grandparents?
Grandparents have years of wisdom that they love to share with their grandkids. Children can learn about the history and growing up in times totally different from now. It is much more interesting to learn about history from personal grandparent stories than books.
Children can also learn practical skills like sewing, knitting, gardening, baking which parents nowadays either don’t know or are too busy to teach.
3. What kind of help do you think older people need?
1) Help with chores like laundry, grocery shopping, house cleaning, etc.
2) Having caring family around so they don’t feel lonely is also helpful
3) Help with learning new technologies like smartphones
4) Older people need good nutrition and healthy meals to stay fit
5) Regular doctor visits and tests to make sure everything is ok with their health
6) Help with transportation if they can’t drive themselves
4. What skills can young people learn from older people?
Older people have years of experience and have seen both success and failures. Young people can learn important life lessons from them. For instance, they can learn to appreciate the good times and have the courage to face the bad times. They can learn that family matters the most and making time for loved ones is very important. Elders can teach them the importance of saving money for emergencies and for their retirement.
64. Describe a person you follow on social media
You should say:
– Who he/she is
– How do you know him/her
– What he/she posts on social media
– And explain why you follow him/her on social media
• I follow many accounts on social media that post things about topics I am interested in like interior design, yoga, art, etc.
• One account I follow on social media is of Chef Sanjyot Keer.
• He is the founder of Your Food Lab and became very famous for posting cooking videos on Facebook and Youtube.
• I have never been interested in cooking before as I would eat outside or food that my mother would make.
• All I could make by myself was rice, maggi, tea, instant precooked meals, etc.
• During covid time I couldn’t go out and started to crave dishes I ate out in restaurants.
• I started to look online for recipes to make those dishes at home.
• On YouTube, I came across a video for making Chili Cheese.
• It’s one of my favorite dishes and I used to eat it at least once a week
• The video was short (about 5 minutes) but explained the process really.
• The background music and presentation were very nice.
• The video was for an account called Your Food Lab and the chef in the video was Sanjyot Keer.
• I didn’t know anything about him before this, but the reviews were so good that I decided to make this recipe.
• I followed the recipe step by step. It tasted even better than my favorite restaurant.
• My parents tried it and were so surprised that it was homemade and that I had made it.
• I got hooked and started to follow his YouTube account. I even started following him on Facebook and Instagram.
• After some research, I also found out that he was the food producer for TV show Master Chef India season 4 and worked with great chefs like Sanjeev Kapoor and Vikas Khanna
• He posts a lot of recipes on his social media accounts, and I have tried many of them.
• He also goes live on his accounts sometimes, interacts with his fans, and makes recipes live.
• All his posts are mainly about food but sometimes he posts about his family, his parents, his wife, and his team.
• I follow him not only for his recipes but also because I find him to be a very humble, kind, soft-spoken human being. He has a great personality, and it is no wonder that he has so many followers.
Part 3 – Follow-up Questions
1. What can people do on social media?
People can use social media to keep in touch with friends and family. People can also follow celebrities and see what’s going on in their lives. People can even look for career opportunities on social media. Business owners can advertise their products and increase their sales through social media. People can post videos about their talents like dancing, singing, etc. on social media. People can find new friends and connect with like-minded people on social media. People can learn new skills like cooking, gardening, art on social media.
2. Do you think older people and younger people will use the same kind of social media software? No, younger people prefer the newer Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat platforms. These are new apps, and their short viral videos are very popular among youth. Younger people rapidly adapt to these new apps, use them for a few years, and then may move to something new next whereas older people are still mainly using Facebook, youtube and WhatsApp, etc.
3. Do older people spend much time on social media?
Older people have started to use more social media but mainly for keeping in touch with family and friends. Their children are busy with their families and jobs and there is less face-to-face interaction these days. They can get lonely, so they mainly use it for passing the time when they are bored.
4. Are non-social media like television and newspapers still useful?
It is true that the popularity of non-social media like TV and newspaper has declined a bit but they are still very useful. Many people in the world don’t have internet access and rely on TV and newspapers for news. The older generation also prefers this form of media. Also, TV and newspaper are much more reliable than social media where anyone can post anything. There is a lot of fake news on social media that vulnerable people tend to believe.
65. Describe a thing you did to learn another language
You should say
– What language you learned
– What you did
– How it helped you learn the language
– And how you felt about it
• I started learning Spanish recently. I have always wanted to learn a foreign language.
• I feel that knowing a foreign language allows us to understand different people, cultures, and environments
• I have an aunt in California who mentioned that she started learning Spanish.
• I thought she was so lucky to have an institution in her hometown that teaches Spanish.
• But then she told me that she was learning from a mobile app called Duolingo.
• She really loved the app and told me it had short lessons and all you need is 10-15 minutes a day.
• I downloaded the Duolingo app on my phone and a desktop version on my computer.
• I was so impressed with this app and couldn’t believe that the basic version was free.
• It had more than 30 languages like German, French, Spanish, Chinese, etc.
• It had a very simple user interface, and it was very easy to create an account and get started.
• I was really confused between learning French and Spanish but decided to go for Spanish.
• Spanish is the fourth most spoken language and is spoken in many countries like Spain, Mexico, South America.
• I also wanted to practice Spanish with my aunt online.
• I started doing lessons in my free time. I would do them on the bus while commuting to my college.
• I would do them while waiting for friends. It was so convenient to have on the go learning.
• One of the beginner lessons was common phrases like Hello – Hola, Good Morning – Buenos Dias, Nice to meet you – mucho gusto. I really liked doing this lesson.
• I also started watching a Spanish show called Money Heist on Netflix to add to my learning.
• Duolingo presented the lessons in a very simple manner. It not only helped me with speaking Spanish but the lessons were designed to help me learn, writing it too.
• Also, it was fun to do as there were rewards for reaching different levels and practicing daily.
• There was also an option to add friends and track each other’s progress. I added my aunt and it kept us both motivated to learn.
• I am still learning and still using the app every day. I am so happy and satisfied with my effort so far. I hope to become fluent one day.
• It gives me so much joy when I can completely understand a few lines on a Spanish show or when recognize words in Spanish subtitles.
Part 3 – Follow-up Questions
1. What difficulties do people face when learning a language?
One of the challenges is the phonological difference. There are some sounds that exist in one language but not in the other language. Another difficulty is learning the grammar and the sentence structure of the new language.
2. Do you think language learning is important? Why?
Yes, I think language learning is important as it develops skills such as communication and cultural awareness. Learning a foreign language also opens all sorts of career opportunities. Learning new languages leads to cognitive development. Bilingual and multilingual children do better in other subjects too.
3. Which is better, to study alone or to study in a group? Why?
It is better to study in a group.
1) Students derive energy from being around other students and are motivated to study.
2) Concepts that are hard to grasp by yourself are easier to understand from another person’s perspective.
3) People usually procrastinate when studying alone but, in a group, one is accountable and must be present.
4. What’s the best way to learn a language?
There are many ways to learn a language. There is no one best way. One must do a combination of things to get fluent in a language like practicing daily on language learning apps like Duolingo, watching movies in the foreign language, reading books and newspapers, having a tutor or a native speaker online to practice with, and traveling to those countries.
66. Describe a course that impressed you a lot
You should say:
– What the course was about
– Where you took the course
– What you did during the course
– And explain why it impressed you a lot
• I took a photography course last month which really impressed me a lot.
• I have always been interested in photography and I like taking pictures with my smartphone and camera.
• My brother got me a digital SLR camera on my birthday this year.
• I have used a point-and-shoot camera before but never used a DSLR camera.
• It had so many features and a big lens and at first, it looked very daunting.
• I started to take pictures in auto mode but was not able to understand the manual settings.
• My brother advised me to take a digital photography course to get started.
• Ever since the pandemic, the number of online courses has increased globally.
• I was able to find many online courses related to digital photography on websites like Skillshare and Udemy
• I bought the Photography Masterclass course on Udemy. It had a lot of good reviews and was recommended by many students.
• This course had over 25 hours of videos and everything was explained thoroughly with a lot of visual and written examples.
• All the instructors were very knowledgeable and started from the very basics.
• I learnt about aperture, shutter speed, depth of field, lens and camera workings, F-stop, ISO, etc.
• I also learnt to take photographs in different scenarios like landscapes, family portraits, wildlife.
• It helped me understand the importance of lighting in photography and when to use flash vs natural lighting.
• In all, it was very comprehensive, easy to follow along with, and made learning very fun.
• It had activities at the end of every lesson, and I had to put what I had learned into practice.
• It gave me the confidence to take my camera off auto mode and use manual settings.
• I was very impressed with the kind of pictures I was taking by the end of this course.
• I was also able to edit pictures using the techniques I learnt in this course.
• Even the photographs I took with my smartphone were better than before.
• It truly helped me be a better photographer and I will recommend it to anyone who wants to learn photography.
Part 3 – Follow-up Questions
1. Why do some people have a better memory?
The human brain is very complex, and it is very difficult to understand why some people have a better memory than others. Part of the reason can be genetics and some people are just born with better memory. But at the same, I think memory is like a muscle and can be trained. People can use many techniques to train their memories to be better.
2. Which can help people remember things better, words or photos?
Yes, images are far more memorable than words. We are all familiar with saying “a picture speaks a thousand words”. Words are hard to remember because they’re abstract and our brains can’t easily latch onto them. On the other hand, our brains store and recall images much more easily.
3. Can technology help people remember things better? How?
I don’t think that technology helps people remember things better. In fact, relying on technology means we don’t need to remember very much. We can just set reminders on our smartphones for everything and get an alert when it’s time to do it. Also, internet has made information about any topic readily available to us. So we don’t feel the need to remember information that can be easily found through search engines like google.
67. Describe an interesting song
You should say:
– What the song is
– What story the song tells? / What it is about?
– Whether the song is popular
– And explain why you think it is interesting
• I love music and I love listening to Hindi and Punjabi songs.
• Most of these songs are very meaningful.
• Here I would like to talk about a Punjabi song by a famous Punjabi singer GurdasMaan, which I find very interesting.
• The name of the song is Boot Polishan.
• It is from his album Boot Polishan
• It was released in 2008.
• The song gives the message that work is worship.
• Instead of begging for money a person should work and earn.
• It does not matter if the work is big or small such as polishing shoes of people.
• If a person works and earns, he can always hold his head high.
• I heard this song about two years ago and since then it has become my favourite song.
• Actually Gurdas Mann is my favourite singer.
• He is a multifaceted personality.
• He is a singer, actor, director and a lyricist as well.
• He writes the lyrics of his songs himself.
• He has also acted in many Punjabi movies.
• All my family members also love his songs.
• When we go out anywhere together we play his songs in the car.
• All his songs have good messages.
• He even performs in stage shows.
• He always has his tambourine in his hands when he performs.
• There is a village near my hometown where he comes every year and performs for charity.
• I went there last year.
• It was an electrifying experience.
Part 3 – Follow-up Questions
1 Why are many music competitions popular in India?
India is a land of music and people in India have been practicing music for ages. The reasons why the music competitions are so popular is because they help to identify the best musical talent in the country also it provide an opportunity to the budding musicians to showcase their musical skills.
2 What kinds of music do young people like?
Young people mostly like rap and pop music. They do not like to listen to classical music
3 What kinds of people like traditional music?
Traditional music is mostly liked by the elderly people because they find it soothing and relaxing. Morever they do not like pop or rock music because they feel it is too loud and noisy.
4. Do teenagers and adults enjoy the same kind of songs?
It depends on the personal taste. Generally speaking, teenagers like songs with fast beats and adults like songs with good lyrics and soft music.
5. What are the factors, which make people like a song?
A song should have good lyrics, a good composition, a pleasing voice and a good video to be liked by people.
6. On which occasions do people in your country sing together?
In my country, people sing together on birthday parties, marriages, anniversaries and national holidays like the Independence Day and so on.
7. Which kinds of songs are suitable for children? Why?
I think folk songs are very suitable for children because they keep children connected to their culture and tradition. As it is, today’s children are following the global culture and so, they need to be kept in touch with our traditional culture. Folk songs are a good way to connect with our culture.
8 What do old people like to listen to?
Old people like to listen to religious songs, old film songs, and songs with slow beats.
10. How would your grandfather feel if you gave him some hip hop music to listen to I don’t think he will like it. He loves old Hindi film songs.
11. Why do you think old people like old songs?
I think it is so because they feel connected to that time. Such songs bring back nostalgic memories of the past.
12. Why do you think people of different age groups have different favourite songs?
This is because tastes change with age. At a younger age we like faster beat songs. When we grow older, we start liking slow songs, meaningfulordevotional songs.
13. What kinds of music do (small) children in India like to listen to?
Small children like to listen to songs with fast beats on which they can dance, even if they don’t understand the lyrics.
14. What are the differences between popular music and the music that (young) children like to listen to?
I don’t think there is any difference. Children like the popular music.
15. Why do some people like to play music (= play a musical instrument} in the open?
They do also perhaps because they want to share their art with the people outside, or they want to play music in natural surroundings.
68. Describe a special cake you received from others
You should say:
– When it happened
– Where it happened
– Who you got the cake from
– And explain why it’s a special cake
• My birthday falls on June 27th.
• During these days, there is summer vacation in Indian schools and most of friends go out to visit their relatives.
• So, I mostly celebrated my birthday with my family, my parents and my sister.
• However, last year because of the pandemic, most of my close friends were home and they gave me surprise party on my birthday.
• And the best part of the party was the cake.
• It was a very well thought of cake.
• The cake was in the shape of the mouth and above it there was a can of Pepsi, with dark chocolate pouring down in the mouth of the cake.
• My friends specially got it custom made.
• Pepsi and Dark chocolate are my favourite things in the world.
• The cake showed me that my friends really thought about me.
• Secondly, it just looked amazing.
• I never thought anyone could make such a cake in my small town.
• So, I couldn’t even believe the cake.
• And everything was edible, even the can was made out of cake.
• For ten minutes, everyone was busy taking pictures of the cake.
• Even my friends said that the cake turned out better than they expected.
• But that was just the looks.
• It tasted even better than it looked.
• I don’t like sweet food, in fact, I hardly have desserts because of this reason.
• My friends had even made sure that the cake had minimal sugar.
• It was sweet but it was the right amount of sweet.
• And finally, there was a surprise element, the cake had a tinge of coffee.
• Coffee is also one of my favourites and the coffee just uplifted the taste of the dark chocolate even more.
• Overall, it was one of the best birthdays I ever had. It was one of the rare times I was able to celebrate it with my friends and their thoughtfulness with the cake made me realise how lucky I am to have such friends.
Part 3 – Follow-up Questions
1. What are the differences between special food made in India and other countries?
I think food is a big part of Indian culture and we love to prepare big feasts on special occasions.
I think the difference between special food in India and other countries is that its mostly vegetarian. Secondly, there is high use of spices in Indian food, even some desserts have spices.
2. Is there any food in your country which is eaten on special occasions or special times?
Yes, in fact there are so many dishes like that. India is big and diverse country and every region has it own delicacy which is normally tied with a festival or special occasion. For example, Biryani is eaten during Eid in many parts of India like Hyderabad and on Lohri, a special dish made out of mustard leaves called saag is made in Punjab.
3. Why are some people people willing to spend a lot money on meals on special days?
I think it’s because a lot of family members and relatives are together during these days and having special meals makes such events more memorable. I think festivals in general make us happier and because of the good mood, we don’t mind spending a bit extra on the holidays.
4. Do you think it’s good to communicate when eating with your family?
I think it’s one of the best times to communicate with family members. First, when having food, we are in better mood, so we are less likely to get into arguments. In addition, people are free during this time, so the communication can we without any distraction
69. Describe an interesting conversation you had with your friend
You should say:
– Who you spoke with
– Where you were
– What the conversation was about
– And explain why you think it was interesting
• Man is a social animal and conversations are a part of life.
• I’ve had many conversations in my life, but here I would like to talk about a conversation, which influenced me a lot.
• This conversation was with my friend, Suman, who had come from Canada.
• She went to Humber College, Canada two years ago for her higher education.
• She came to our house to pay a visit.
• We chatted with each other for a long time.
• She told me all about her life in Canada.
• I asked her many questions about the education there and about any problems she faced there.
• She told me that the education there is very good.
• They focus on the practical side and teach in a more interesting way.
• She also told me that she worked part time for 20 hours a week during her studies. She managed to earn for her overhead expenses by this.
• She told me that initially she faced many food problems.
• Actually, vegetarian food outlets are not easy to find over there.
• Now she cooks for herself, as everything is available in the Indian stores over there.
• She told me that her education is almost over, and now she is looking for a full time job.
• After that she will be able to apply for PR over there.
• She motivated me to pursue my higher education in Canada.
• She even talked to my parents about it.
• Today, I am in front of you, taking my IELTS, just because of the influence of that conversation.
Part 3 – Follow-up Questions
1. When do children normally form their own views?
I think children start forming their own opinions and views during teenage. Before that their opinions are mostly a reflection of their parents opinions and ideas. During teenage, they start thinking independently and forming their own opinion based on their interactions with friends, teachers and media.
2 Do children have strong opinions?
No, I don’t think their opinions are very strong. Their opinions change with time as they come across new information. In childhood, most people have idealistic world but as they grow older they learn about the practicalities and their views become more pragmatic.
3 Should parents request their kids to obey them?
I think they should encourage their kids to obey them but at the same time I also think they should ask them to speak up and ask questions if they feel that something is wrong.
4 In what industries do you think communication is a necessary skill?
I think in today’s world, communication is crucial in every sector. But in some sectors like media, education and healthcare it is absolutely necessary. Another sector in which communication is the key is politics. Without good oratory and communication skills, a person cannot excel as a leader.
5. How do friends communicate with each other?
Friends communicate with each other in many ways. They communicate face to face, through phone and also through the Internet.
6. What’s the difference between having a conversation with a man and having a conversation with a woman?
There are no gender differences nowadays. Both, men and women, can talk equally well on any topic they are interested in, be it sports, or politics, or fashion.
7. Do you think women like to chat more than men?
I don’t think so. Gender has nothing to do with the preference of chatting. It is a matter of individual choice.
8. When men chat with other men do they usually talk about the same things that women do when they chat with other women?
The topic of conversation among men or women is a matter of individual taste. Mostly men talk about sports, business and politics. Whereas women talk about fashion and family matters. But then individual variations are always there.
9. What is the difference between chatting and gossiping?
Chatting is general talk on various topics, whereas gossiping is talking about other people behind their back. Chatting has a positive connotation, whereas gossiping has a negative connotation.
10. Who do you prefer chatting with – your parents or your friends?
I prefer both equally. I talk to my parents about my day to day’s happenings, whereas I discuss studies, sports and movies etc. with friends.
11 Do most people have just a small number of friends, or many friends?
It is very difficult to generalize. Some people have few friends and some like to have a lot of friends. Mostly, face to face friendship is limited to a few close friends, but people have a huge network of online friends these days on Facebook or Whatsapp.
12. How do most people make new friends in your country?
Most people make new friends in schools and colleges, while attending family functions or other social functions or while travelling in public transport.
70. Describe a place in a village that you visited
You should say:
– Where it is
– When you visited this place
– What you did there
– And how you feel about this place
Or
Describe an enjoyable experience you had in the countryside You should say:
– When and where you went
– Who you went with
– What you did there
– And explain why you think it was enjoyable.
• I belong to Phagwara.
• It is a small town, and there are many villages near my hometown.
• My maternal uncle and aunt have a farmhouse in a village near my hometown.
• Their farmhouse is in the centre of lush green farms.
• Last year, they invited us over to stay with them for a few days.
• Their farmhouse is very well maintained, as they have given a portion of it to a family who stays there and looks after it.
• They have maintained a very good kitchen garden, and I remember, the whole week we enjoyed fresh veggies from the garden.
• They had grown aubergines, okra, bottle gourd, broccoli, cauliflower, mint, coriander and green chilly.
• My uncle has retired from the agriculture department, and he knows a lot about organic farming.
• He never sprays any insecticides and pesticides and even prepares compost at home from the kitchen waste.
• Those vegetables tasted different.
• What we eat in the cities has so much spray of insecticides and pesticides that the taste of veggies is different.
• It was so much fun.
• They have 4 dogs, two Pugs and two German Shepherds.
• Every morning, we used to go for long walks in the fields, and the four dogs would walk by our sides without their leashes.
• In the cities, you always have to leash your dog while going for a walk.
• After the walk, we would all eat delicious parathas with butter made by my aunt.
• We played badminton in their courtyard, and sometimes we also played Frisbee.
• The air also seemed fresh and pollution free.
• The atmosphere was so calm and quiet. There was also no noise pollution.
• They have such a peaceful life, with absolutely no hurry and worry.
• I look forward to going and staying with them again this summer.
Part 3 – Follow-up Questions
1. Do young people enjoy living in the countryside?
No, most young people don’t enjoy living in the countryside. Actually there are fewer facilities in the countryside. The entertainment facilities are also few in the countryside.
2. Do old people prefer to live in the countryside or in the city?
Old people prefer to live in the countryside, because they like the fresh air and the slow life of the villages.
3. Why do many people move from small towns to big cities?
Many people move from small towns to big cities in such a better career options and better facilities for their children.
4. What’ s the difference between living in the countryside and living in the city?
There are many differences between the city and countryside people. In cities the people are more educated than the people of countryside because there are better educational facilities in the cities.
On the other hand people of countryside are more hospitable and friendly. City people have very fast lives because of which they have lost the community spirit and have become self- centered. In villages people have slower lives and know their neighbours and still meet and greet each other. In cities people have become workaholics and going to another person’s house without an appointment nowadays is simply not acceptable.
5. How has life changed in the countryside in your country?
Life has changed a lot in the countryside. That is better connectivity with the cities. The villages, which are near the cities, have developed a lot, whereas those, which are in remote areas, are still neglected.
6 Is there anything special about the villages in India?
The first thing that comes to mind is that Indian villages are quite big. They are sometimes as big as towns and cities in other countries. Secondly, rural Indian is also synonymous with agriculture as farming is the main profession in most Indian villages.
7 Why do people want to go to the countryside? What are the advantages of living in the countryside?
There are many reasons why some prefer the countryside. For some, the main reason is to experience the authentic culture and traditions of the region. For others, it is about enjoying a calm and peace away from the fast-paced city lifestyle. Finally, people also love villages because of the pollution free environment.
8 What do people usually do when going to a village?
I think it really depends on the person and his reasons for going to the village. I remember when I used to visit my grandparents in the village, I used to play with dogs, bathe in the tubewell water and enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables. I especially loved eating sugarcane.
9 Do you think people will live in the village in the future?
At first, the high rate of urbanisation does make me think that there might be no future for villages. But I also believe that villages are also becoming modern day by day and in the future, there might be no significant difference between cities and villages.
10 How often do you visit the countryside?
I used to visit the countryside every summer during childhood. In recent years, I have not visited a village. It’s mainly because I don’t have any family living in the countryside anymore. My grandparents shifted to the city a few years back and since then I have not visited a village.
11 Do people prefer to live in the countryside?
I think people who prefer peace and quiet, do prefer the countryside. However, most people prefer living in cities.
12 What are the disadvantages of living in the countryside?
The main drawback of living in villages is that certain facilities are not available in the villages and people have to travel to cities to avail them. Another drawback is that sometimes people in villages have a traditional mindset and might oppose certain things which are considered normal in cities like wearing short clothes.
13 How do people manage to live without basic infrastructure and the internet?
I think it is about being used to living in a certain way. People in villages are used to living in a particular way. Thus, they do not feel that not having basic infrastructure and internet is a big thing. Many people don’t even use the internet, so they cannot miss not having it.
71. Describe a long walk you ever had
– When this happened
– Where you walked
– Who you were with?
– And explain how you felt about this walk?
• I go for a walk every morning, but that is only for about 30-40 minutes.
• Here, I would like to talk about a long walk that I did in December.
• It was a trek of 14 kms, which started from Dharamkot (near Macleodganj) in Himachal and ended at Triund.
• Dharamkot to Triund is 7 kms, so the total trek is 14 kms.
• My cousin had told me about this trek and so I also wanted to do it.
• I went there with four of my friends.
• We drove in our car and stayed at a hotel in Mcleodganj.
• We woke up early the next morning and got ready.
• We wore comfortable clothes and walking shoes for the trek.
• After having breakfast, we drove in our car till Dharamkot.
• From there we started our trek at around 9:00am.
• It was a clear and sunny day.
• We were all very excited and the first 3 kms were covered quickly.
• However, when we reached the halfway point, most of us were very tired.
• We stopped for some refreshments and a break, at a tea stall.
• The view from that tea-stall was mesmerizing and breath-taking.
• Then we resumed our trek and finally, after 4 hours of walking, we reached Triund.
• The view there was spectacular.
• The beauty of the Himalayas awed us.
• There were also some snow-covered areas and we enjoyed playing with the snow.
• We took a lot of pictures there.
• We had delicious lunch there, which was freshly cooked and started the journey back to Dharamkot.
• The trek back didn’t take us as long and we were back in Mcleodganj by 6.30pm.
• It was an exhilarating (amazing) experience and we all felt rejuvenated and recharged.
• Whenever we meet, we still reminisce (talk) about that trip and how amazing the experience was.
(Another idea)
• I go for a walk every morning, but that is only for about 30-40 minutes.
• Here, I would like to talk about a long walk that I had.
• It so happened that my friend came to see me last year in December.
• Two years ago she went for her higher studies to Toronto, Canada.
• She had come home for her winter vacation and so she paid me a visit.
• There were some guests in my house, so we went to a park in my neighbourhood, where we could chat without any disturbance.
• It has a track for walking, so we started walking and also chatted with each other
• We had so much to tell each other.
• I wanted to know all about her life in Canada.
• She told me all about her studies and about her stay there.
• She told me that initially she faced a lot of problems, but she sorted them out and now she was very happy there.
• She is a pure vegetarian, and in the beginning she could not find any affordable veg food outlets over there.
• Then she found an Indian store and started cooking for herself.
• She told me that she worked 20 hours a week along with her studies and could manage to earn her overhead expenses.
• She told me about the beautiful places to visit in Toronto.
• She painted a very rosy picture of Canada in my eyes.
• The conversation was so interesting that we both did not realise that we had been walking for two hours.
• She has an I-phone, which has a health app, which tells the miles walked. We had walked 5 miles, which is about 8 kms.
• Surprisingly, we did not feel any tiredness.
• We came home and she talked to my parents about sending me also for higher education to Canada.
• Because of her, my parents have agreed to send me to Canada for higher studies.
• I can never forget this long walk and this conversation, which proved a turning point in my life.
• Before that I had never thought about going abroad for studies.
Part 3 – Follow-up Questions
1. What outdoor activities do people like?
I think mostly people like to go for a run or walk in the park because these activities can be done easily and do not require any monetary investment. But lately, many people have also started cycling especially in my city specially after the covid lock downs. I think people are becoming more conscious about their fitness.
2. What are the differences between the outdoor activities children did in the past and now? Children used to play simple games like hide and seek, tag and running in the park but nowadays children are more inclined towards professional sports they love to play soccer, cricket or some children go for skating practice.
3. Is leisure important to everyone? why?
Well it is important for everyone to spend some time on entertainment and one should definitely take a break during the day because in today’s hectic style the brain definitely deserves some rest. People should spend time rejuvenating so that they can concentrate or focus better on their tasks later on.
4. Do women have more leisure than men?
I don’t think Leisure has got anything to do with the gender of a person. It purely depends upon an individual’s personality, some people like to work hard whereas others like to spend more time in entertaining themselves. In fact, at my home my mother and father, who are both working, spend an equal amount of time on leisure activities.
72. Describe an item of clothing that someone gave you or Describe an important piece of clothing
You should say:
– What the clothing was
– Who gave it to you
– When you got it
– And explain why this person gave you the clothing
• In our life we all give and receive gifts from time to time.
• I have also received many gifts in my life, some of which were items of clothing.
• Here I would like to talk about a traditional suit, which my maternal gave me as a gift on my birthday.
• It is a bottle green suit with magenta and golden embroidery
• It also has a multi-coloured stole to go with it which had a golden lace on all sides
• It is studded with golden beads
• It has a very traditional ethnic touch to it
• It is a very beautiful suit
• The stole is in crinkled silk
• She gave me matching accessories also
• She gave me a golden beaded purse to go with it.
• Whenever I wear the suit, I wear my traditional Punjabi shoes, which match perfectly with the suit.
• When I wear that suit everyone compliments me
• I feel very good when I receive those compliments.
• Actually, my aunt runs her hobby classes of cooking in Chandigarh.
• I stayed with her during my vacations and helped her.
• She could accommodate more number of students because of my help.
• She offered me money, but I refused because I had not helped her for money.
• So she bought this expensive suit for me on my birthday.
• I really like the suit and have worn it on many occasions.
Part 3 – Follow-up Questions
1. What kinds of clothes do people wear after work?
People wear comfortable and casual clothes after work, because usually at work, people have to wear uniforms or formal clothes. Once people come back home, they like to relax and want to be more comfortable.
2. What kind of clothes should people wear at work?
At work people should wear proper and formal clothes. At some workplaces, uniforms are needed, which gives them an identity and develops a sense of discipline. It also depends on the type of work people do. If someone is working as a gym instructor, he or she cannot wear formal clothes to work. They have to wear sports wear.
3. Do you think students need to wear school uniforms?
Yes, I think students need to wear school uniforms, as they act as a social leveler/equalizer. Uniforms give an identity to the students and also inculcate a sense of discipline among students. Uniforms are also good for the school’s security, as if any miscreants enter the school, they can be easily spotted.
4. Where do Indian people buy clothes?
Indian people buy clothes from shops and stores in the local markets and in shopping malls. There are many small-scale stores and boutiques that are run from home, from where people shop for clothes. Also, online shopping is very popular in India. There are many popular shopping websites, like Amazon, Flipkart, Snapdeal and so on, from where people buy clothes.
5 Have you ever given clothes to others?
Yes, I have given my clothes many times. In India, it is very common to give clothes to younger siblings and cousins and I have also passed down my clothes to them. My mother also gives our old clothes to our maid.
6 Why do people dress casually in everyday life but dress formally at work?
I think it is because of different priorities. People prioritise comfort in everyday life, while work is about professionalism. So at home, people wear casual clothes like jeans and a t-shirt while at work they dress up in suits.
7 What are the advantages and disadvantages of wearing uniforms at work and school?
I think uniforms are about unity and equality. They symbolise that irrespective of our background, we are all the same when we are working or studying together. On the other hand, uniforms also make life boring and uncomfortable. I remember I used to hate wearing a tie in school days during the summer as they used to make me sweat.
8 Why do people from different countries wear different clothing?
On the contrary, I believe our clothing is becoming more and more similar. In the past, people used to wear traditional clothes and they were different like Japanese people used to wear kimonos. But nowadays, people all over the world prefer to wear t-shirts and jeans.
73. Describe a city that you think is very interesting
You should say:
Where it is
What it is famous for How you knew this city
And explain why you think it is very interesting
● India is a diverse country.
● There are many beautiful cities in India.
● Some are beautiful because of their historical buildings, whereas others are beautiful because of their modern architecture. Some cities are beautiful because they are in the mountain valleys, where as some are beautiful, because of the beautiful and warm smiles of people.
● Here, I would like to talk about Chandigarh, which is also known as ‘The City Beautiful’
● It was designed by the French architect Le Corbusier.
● It is the first planned city of India after independence.
● Chandigarh is the cleanest and the happiest city of India according to two different surveys held in 2010 and 2015.
● It is also the first smoke-free city in the country.
● It is a union territory and is also the capital of two states – Punjab and Haryana.
● The Rock Garden in Chandigarh is a masterpiece out of waste material.
● Sukhna lake, is the biggest man-made lake. It is a beautiful place for the people to enjoy with their families.
● The sector 17 market is a shopper’s paradise.
● The Rose Garden is Asia’s largest garden
● The city has 47 sectors.
● Each sector has residential and commercial zones
● The roads are designed and oriented in such a way that most of the time of the day, they are under shade.
● There are huge parking areas inr the commercial zones so that the Parking problems don’t create a havoc on the main roads.
● The Parking lanes are as broad as the main roads.
● So, you see, while the city was planned in 1952, it is still the most well planned and beautiful cities of India
Part 3 – Follow-up Questions
1. Why do some people like to visit historical places?
People go to historical cities to learn/gain knowledge about the past, the way of life of the people in the past, their culture, their roots, and the architecture.
2. Why do people go to modern city
People visit modern cities for various purposes. Some go for work/business reasons, and some for tourism. Those who travel for pleasure to modern cities is to experience a life, where modern technology is incorporated in every aspect of life and to learn and see how people there are using technology in their daily lives. Singapore is a very good example of such a city, where we can not only experience the modern way of life, but also see how they have used modernization to help preserve and enrich the environment.
3. What are the problems caused by maintaining historical city?
The problems that maintenance of a historical city perhaps can cause are related to the funds required for the restoration and upkeep of the city. Another issue could be the pressure on the resources of that city because of tourism.
4. Do you think having too many tourists is a positive thing for historical attractions?
No, I don’t think so. I believe that too many tourists will lead to pollution and also will affect the upkeep of historical sites. Such sites need a lot of care and maintenance and limiting the number of visitors to such sites can help maintain them, prevent damage to such sites, and also sustain tourism.
5. What can we do to stop visitors from damaging historical places?
To prevent the damage to historical places by the visitors to such places many measures can be taken. There should be strict punishments, like high fines for the people who try to cause harm. There should be security personnel employed to ensure that no one tries to damage the historical places and along with that there should be security cameras installed to monitor the activities of the tourists. There can be tourist guides appointed, who also can ensure that no one causes any damage.
6. Do you think too many tourists is a positive thing for historical attractions?
In my opinion having too many tourists has both advantages and disadvantages Advantages:
1. It ensures that our history and culture is passed to the future generation
2. It brings revenue and business for the people of the city where the historical attraction is.
Disadvantages:
1. Too many tourists can cause damage to the historical attractions
7 What advantages can tourism bring to a city?
The biggest advantage of tourism is on the economy. Tourism, directly and indirectly, creates jobs. In fact, the whole economy of some cities is dependent upon tourism. Tourism also leads to improvement in infrastructure as governments of tourist cities have more tax funds to improve the infrastructure.
8 Why do some young people like to live in cities?
For young people, it is mostly about entertainment facilities. They consider living in villages to be dull, as compared to cities that have malls, multiplexes, dance clubs, and bars. Also, the internet is another reason why youngsters prefer cities. Today, youngsters are addicted to social media, the internet speed in villages is slower.
9 Do most elderly people live in the city or in the countryside?
I think it varies from country to country but in India, most older people still live in villages. Most young people move to cities for better employment and educational opportunities.
10 Do you think well-developed tourism will have negative effects on local people?
Tourism does have certain negative effects on local people. For example, it leads to an increase in traffic, pollution and waste generated. However, I think the government can minimize these negative effects by limiting the number of tourists.
74. Describe a rule that you don’t like
You should say:
– What it is
– Why you don’t like it
– How others feel about the rule
– And explain whether you’ve followed the rule
• Rules and laws are made to create a peaceful and harmonious society.
• If we all obey the rules and laws then we would all be benefited.
• There are rules everywhere.
• Schools are the first place where children learn about the rules and codes of conduct.
• Every school/college/office has rules, like wearing the prescribed uniform, coming in time, doing tasks on time and so on.
• My school/college/office also has rules about the uniform that we have to wear.
• It was navy blue trouser and white shirt on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.
• However, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, we have a totally white uniform.
• All students/colleague and I do not like this rule.
• I think we should follow the developed countries and everyone should be allowed to wear the clothes of their choice and according to one’ personality
• Everybody can express their creativity and style by wearing different clothes.
• Uniforms should be for certain professionals only like doctors, lawyers or those in military/police
• At my place, if anyone breaks this rule, and doesn’t come in uniform, they are fined.
• The fine for the first offence is 100 Rs but if we break the rule more than twice then the fine goes upto 1000 Rs
• Luckily, I have never broken the rule and have always ensured that my uniform is neat and clean but I still hate this rule.
Part 3 – Follow-up Questions
1. Why do schools make rules?
Schools make rules to maintain discipline. They are the centres of learning, where children are moulded into responsible adults. We all have to follow rules, imposed by the government, as adults. So, schools start that process of obeying rules in childhood only.
2. What’s the importance of obeying law?
Without law, we would be living in utter chaos. There would be crime everywhere and life would be difficult for the common man. For example, if we don’t obey traffic rules, we would have many accidents. If there were no property rules, people would make their houses anywhere and the whole city would be unplanned.
3. What can parents and teachers do to help children follow rules?
Parents and teachers can be good role models for children. Children are copycats. If they see their elders following rules, they will do it automatically. Just telling them to do something will not have that much effect.
4. Is it a good thing to break rules sometimes?
It is definitely not good to break rules, but sometimes in case of emergencies, for example, if we have to make way for an ambulance to pass, we may need to break rules. Sometimes, it is a matter of life and death.
5. Why do some people say that rules are made to be broken?
Some people say so because they have a very callous attitude to life. They do not understand the importance of rules. They are lazy and do not care about things.
6. Do you think children should follow all kinds of rules?
Yes, children should follow all kinds of rules. They should be made to understand that rules are for their own betterment. Willingness to follow rules should be instilled in them.
7. Do you think it is necessary for children to wear school uniforms?
Yes, it is important for school children to wear uniforms. Uniform instills a sense of discipline in children. It provides an identity to the school. Uniform is also a social leveler. All rich and poor students came at the same level. Uniform also provides security. If any miscreants come in the school, they can be recognized from afar.
8 What are the rules students should follow at school?
There are many rules that students should follow. To name a few, they should respect their teachers and classmates. They should not damage the school property. They should not cheat and finally, they should be punctual and wear the school uniform.
9 Are the rules at school good or bad? Why?
I think most rules are good. The purpose of rules is to develop children into responsible adults. They teach qualities like discipline and punctuality in them. I think good schooling is the key to a good citizen and rules are a part of good schooling.
10 What rules should children follow at home?
I think every parent sets different rules at home. However, some rules which I think every child should follow are to sleep and get up on time, to respect and listen to parents, to eat the food made by parents on time and to help with household chores like cleaning and taking out the trash, etc.
11 How are people punished when parking at a wrong spot?
I think it really depends. Sometimes, the car gets towed by the traffic authorities and people have to pay a fine. Sometimes, some people puncture the tires if people park in front of their gates. Most times, people just get a warning and are asked not to park there in the future.
75. Describe someone you really like to spend time with
You should say:
– Who this person is
– How you knew him/her
– What you usually do together
– And explain why you like to spend time with him/her
• If I had to talk about myself, I would say I am very reserved person and it takes a lot of time to become familiar with strangers.
• However, I love spending time with my family.
• I am very close to both my parents but as we are all working (as they are working and I am studying), its hard for us to spend time together.
• The person I do spend a lot of time together with is my nephew- my sister’s child.
• He is nearly five years old.
• He is very special to me.
• There are many reasons for that.
• Firstly, everyone says that he looks like me and secondly, we both like spending time with each other.
• I think the reason for that is we feel very comfortable with each other.
• I get to act like a child around him and I miss being a child.
• He is also like me – very shy with strangers and he is very naughty – just like I was in my childhood.
• So, spending time with him reminds me of my childhood in some ways.
• In my childhood, I was in a hurry to grow up but now I sometimes wish I could reverse time and bring back my childhood.
• There are so many things we do together.
• But something that we really enjoy doing is to play pranks on Deepa, my sister and his mother.
• I think we can do that all day long.
• We also both love eating chocolates, so whenever we can, we try to buy and eat chocolates secretly.
• However, I do get scolded sometimes as I am the adult.
• I also have a dog and so we both like playing with her.
• We love taking her out on walks and feeding her.
• In the evening, I take my nephew to the park and just spend time on the swings there.
• Sometimes, I wish he would always remain a child, but I know that’s not going to happen even if I wish for it a million times.
Part 3 – Follow-up Questions
1. How many generations usually live together in India?
I think the situation in India is undergoing a change. Earlier joint families were more common and three or four generations used to live together. On the other hand, nowadays nuclear families are more common with maximum of two generations living together.
2. Is it important to visit family members?
Yes, it is really important to meet family regularly. I think family defines us and family is what supports us and stands with us in bad times. However, I think this selfless bond only stays if we remain in contact with each other.
3. What are the values of family in your country?
The think the main values of family in India are respect for elders and prioritizing the needs of the family over our individual needs. That is why, in India we think in we rather in I, for example we own a house, we own this car.
4. Why is family bonding necessary for happiness in life?
Family bonding is necessary for happiness because it gives us secure. I mean it makes us feel that we are not alone, there is someone behind us.
5. Do you think the support from a friend is different from the support from a family member? I think certainly. There is an element of selflessness in family relationships, which I feel is missing when it comes to support from friends. Also, it doesn’t create a burden. What I mean is we do take help from friends but then it also makes us feel that we have to repay it. This feeling doesn’t come in the case of family.
6 What kinds of people are easy to get along with?
I think people who are friendly and outgoing are easy to get along with. I think most of my friends are calm and accommodating. For example, when there is a change in the plan due to an emergency, they understand rather than complain. I think we are able to get along with people with whom we don’t have to be formal.
7 How do leaders get along with their subordinates?
I think it really depends upon on the type of leader. Some people are formal and try to have a formal relationship with their subordinates both at the office and outside. Others are too friendly and have a very casual and friendly relationship and there are others who are formal while at work, but outside the office they interact with them like friends.
8 Do people have time for themselves nowadays?
I think it depends on whether people are self-employed or working for someone. In self- employment, a person can have as much time for themselves as they want. When working for someone, it depends upon the job but many people are forced to work for long hours and people find it difficult to find time for themselves.
9 Do you like talking with older people? Why?
I can’t say I like talking to every old person but I do like talking to my maternal grandfather. He has a lot of stories and I love listening to him tell his stories about the past. He has taught me many valuable lessons through his stories.
76. Describe a time you visited a new place
You should say:
– Where the new place is
– When you went there
– Why you went there
– And explain how you feel about the place
• There are many public buildings and historical places, which I have visited in my life.
• Here, I would like to talk about the Statue of Unity in the Narmada district of Gujarat.
• It is a colossal statue of Sardar Vallabhai Patel, who was the first Home Minister of Independent India.
• His expression, posture and pose show the confidence and the iron-will of this great person.
• Recently I had an opportunity to visit this architectural marvel.
• This statue can withstand winds of 180 km/hour and can resist earthquake of 6.5 on the Richter scale.
• I came to know about it from the news channels on TV.
• It was on all news channels in January 2019.
• This Statue of Unity was first open to public on 3rd Jan 2019
• It is the world’s tallest statue.
• It was built in just 33 months.
• It is made of bronze and is about 600 feet tall.
• I visited this place with my family, and I really enjoyed a lot with them.
• We visited this place in December last year.
• I had read a lot about it on the internet.
• Apart from the statue there are several other things here which are worth seeing.
• The ticket is Rs. 350/- per head.
• It includes the entry to the observation deck, valley of flowers, the Sardar Patel Memorial, museum and audio-visual Gallery, the statue of Unity site and the Narmada River.
• More than 2 million people have visited the statue already.
• It has become a major tourist attraction of India.
Part 3 – Follow-up Questions
1. What measures should be taken to deal with damage on public facilities?
First of all, people should themselves be aware that if they use these facilities nicely only then they will be able to use them for a long time. Otherwise, the facilities may be destroyed. The government should appoint people for the maintenance of these facilities. Another thing that can be done is that a very small fee should be charged for these facilities. That money could be used for the maintenance of these places.
2. What are the differences between old facilities and new facilities?
Old facilities are like parks and libraries. New facilities are gyms and leisure places.
3. What facilities do young people and old people like in your country?
Young people like gyms and leisure centres. Old people like parks, health centres and libraries.
4. What is the difference between facilities in the countryside and the ones in the cities?
In the countryside the facilities are related to education and health. In the cities there are many entertainment facilities also.
5 Which do you prefer, living in a city or only visiting it as a tourist?
If given an option, I would choose to live in the city rather than just visiting as a tourist, because in this way I would be able to learn more about the culture of the city where I am visiting, and also get to know how people over there live what their food preferences are. I will be able ti understand them in a much more better way.
6 How do young children react when they go to school for the first time?
I think most of the young children feel scared when they go to the school for the first time because they are going to a new place which is full of strangers. Also, it is tough for them to stay in a new place on their own without the parents for a long time.
7 How do young and old people react differently to new things?
I believe the young are more excited whenever they get any new product as compared to the old because for young, everything that they get, they think of many possibilities in which they can use that product. As for old people they feel that they have had seen much in life, so the novelty of new items does not excite them as much as the young.
8 Why do some people want to go to college far away from home?
I think there are two main reasons why young people want to go to college in a different city. First reason would be that the choice of subjects they want to study are not available in the college in their hometown or if they want to study in a prestigious college or university which may be located in a different country or a city. Another reason could be that they want to explore life in a different city or a country, and they want to be independent.
77. Describe a house or an apartment you would like to live in
You should say:
What it is like Where it would be
Why you would like to live in this house/apartment And how you feel about this house/apartment
Sample answer (For those who live in villages)
● Presently, I live in a village.
● My house is very big and has many rooms and open space in the front and back.
● But, for every small requirement, we have to rush to the village.
● My dream home would be in the suburbs of my hometown.
● There I would get the best of both worlds.
● I would be near the facilities of the city as well as be able to enjoy the calm and peaceful atmosphere of the village
● I would not like to live in a big house.
● Big houses are difficult to maintain.
● My house would have three bedrooms, a lobby, a kitchen a small lawn in the front and a kitchen garden in the backyard.
● I am very fond of gardening.
● I would grow coriander, mint, aubergine, okra, tomatoes, green chilly and some other seasonal vegetables.
● I would use only organic fertilisers, such as homemades compost from the kitchen waste.
● I would not use any insecticides and pesticides.
● All the rooms of my house would be well lit and airy.
● The bathrooms and kitchen would have the latest fittings.
● I would have solar panels set up on the terrace to harness solar energy.
● I would like to welcome and entertain friends and relatives in my house.
● I would keep it spic and span.
● I hope to live in such a house one day.
Sample answer (For those who live in cities)
● Presently, I live in a city.
● My house is not very big but has three bedrooms and some open space in the front and back.
● But, it is a very noisy and congested area.
● My dream house would be in the suburbs of my hometown.
● There I would get the best of both worlds.
● I would be near the facilities of the city as well as be able to enjoy the calm and peaceful atmosphere of the village
● I would not like to live in a big house.
● Big houses are difficult to maintain.
● My house would have three bedrooms, a lobby, a kitchen a small lawn in the front and a kitchen garden in the backyard.
● I am very fond of gardening.
● I would grow coriander, mint, aubergine, okra, tomatoes, green chilly and some other seasonal vegetables.
● I would use only organic fertilisers, such as homemade compost from the kitchen waste.
● I would not use any insecticides and pesticides.
● All the rooms of my house would be well lit and airy.
● The bathrooms and kitchen would have the latest fittings.
● I would have solar panels set up on the terrace to harness solar energy.
● I would like to welcome and entertain friends and relatives in my house.
● I would keep it spic and span.
● I hope to live in such a house one day.
Part 3 – Follow-up Questions
1. Do most Indian people live in an apartment or house?
I think it depends on the region they are living in. In most of the big cities, like the metropolitan cities, people live in apartments, as there is a scarcity of land in such places and to accommodate the ever-increasing population, there are more and more apartment buildings being built. However, in the small cities, towns and the countryside, we can find people mostly living in houses, rather than apartments.
2. Do young people in your country like to live with their parents or by themselves?
In my country, young people like to live with their parents, unless they have to move to another city or country, for higher education or for better career prospects. It’s a part of the Indian culture for children to live with their parents.
3. Would you live in a foreign country in the future?
Yes, definitely. I would like to live in a foreign country in the future. I plan to pursue my education abroad. I think there are better education facilities and better job opportunities in developed countries.
4. How is modern home design in your country different to that of the past?
The modern home design is very different to that of the past, in my country. The material being used now in the construction of houses if much advanced, like weather proof paints, insulated walls, soundproof windows, etc. The design of the modern houses is according to the space available. There is better utilization of space in the modern home designs. The homes in the past used to be more spacious and not equipped to handle the latest electronic gadgets and equipment, like washing machine, microwave, dishwashers & so on.
5. In your country what type of home do most people live in?
India is a vast and diverse country. People live in different types of houses, depending on the region and the climate in that region. For example, in the eastern parts of India, houses made from bamboo are very common. In regions where there is snowfall, sloped houses are common. In plain areas, people design their houses, as per the area and space available.
6 What kinds of apartments are the most popular?
I think high-rise apartments are more popular these days simply because they are more affordable and people can get many facilities such as, gymnasium, swimming pools and grocery shops within
these apartment complexes. Also, some people like to live in high-rise buildings because of the views that they get from the top floors of the building.
7 What are the differences between houses that young people and old people like?
Again, I believe that the young generation nowadays prefers to live in high-rise apartments with compact spaces, which are easier to manage, and are also affordable. However, the old people prefer conventional houses with large outdoor space.
8 What are the differences between apartments and houses?
I think there are many differences between houses and apartments houses. First, the houses are much costlier, and peopl can design your house according to their preferences, the architecture can be customized and it offers more space to an individual, if you buy a bigger house. Whereas, the apartments are less costlier, and also they do not offer a lot of space or a chance for customization.
9 Do people usually rent or buy a house? Why?
If given an option I think most of the people would love to buy a house, however, in my country most of the people have to rent the houses simply because of the socio economic gap that exists. People cannot simply afford to buy house in my country because they do not have the large sums of money needed to buy a house.
78. Describe a person who contributes to the society
You should say:
Who this person is How you knew him/her
What type of work he/she does
And explain why you think he/she contributes to the society
• We live in a world which is full of people with different nature and attitudes.
• Some individuals find joy in achieving success whereas some find bliss in helping others.
• Today, I would like to talk about one such person whose life motto is to help others and fight for human rights.
• His name is Prabloch Singh.
• He is in his early thirties and is tall and handsome.
• He has done his graduation in Computers and works with an IT company.
• But after his work hours, he takes the role of a super hero where his mission is to help as many people as possible.
• He is also the founder of a human rights organisation called Middle Finger Protests.
• His journey for human rights and causes started when he was very young.
• He helped in bringing justice for the family of an air hostess who was murdered in a bar by an influential person.
• Even though he got many threats to his life, he continued his protests to fight for the justice
• His role was also picturized in a movie called No one Killed Jessica.
• Similarly, he has led various other protests to bring justice to other victims.
• He also does a lot of charity and social work for people by organizing free food stalls and distributing clothes to the needy.
• He has been awarded at national and International level for his contribution to humanitarian causes.
• He has also represented India as an ambassador for Human Rights at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
• The best thing about him is that he is not afraid of fighting for the right cause, even if he has to make a lot of sacrifices.
• He is an inspiration for today’s generation.
• When I talk about him, I feel motivated that I should also give back to the society.
Part 3 – Follow-up Questions
1. Do people nowadays help others more than in the past?
There have been helpful people in every era and they use the means they can to help others in need. I believe that people have more means to help other people anywhere in the world because of technology. That was not possible in the past.
2. Who should teach children to help others? Parents or teachers?
Both parents and teachers share the responsibility to ensure that the children learn to help others. Parents should be role models for their and teachers can have lessons and activities in schools to inculcate/imbibe this value/virtue in children.
3. In what kind of professions do people help others more?
I think in all professions people help other directly or indirectly through their products and services. However, those working in the social/community service fields, like NGOs working to promote child education, women empowerment, and other such social issues, help others more.
4. Why are some people willing to help others?
People who are empathetic, sensitive, and compassionate are more willing to help others. These values are what they have seen and learned from their parents, teachers and other people around them while they are growing up.
5 What jobs are well-paid?
Mostly jobs that require a degree and have higher educational requirements pay well. So, doctors, lawyers, engineers, scientists have high salaries. Also, with the boom in technology jobs in artificial intelligence, data storage, cloud computing, network security have grown and these jobs also pay very well.
6 What are the impacts of the epidemic on the work environment?
Epidemic has normalized remote work. Employees have been forced to work from home and companies have embraced this change. People have had the same or better productivity working from homes. Many companies are permanently shifting towards hybrid working conditions where people can work both remotely and in office.
7 Do you think younger people should be lower paid than older people?
I don’t think younger people should be paid less than older people especially if they are doing the same kind of work. Older people do have more experience, but young people bring new ideas and technologies to the table.
79. Describe a story someone told you and you remember
You should say:
What the story was about Who told you this story Why you remember it And how you feel about it
• I have heard many stories in my life.
• I believe that storytelling is an art as old as civilization itself.
• My grandmother used to tell me stories every night at bedtime.
• All her stories were fun to hear
• Some stories were fairy tales, some of princes and princesses and some were tales from the Panchtantra, which had animal characters in them.
• Most of her stories had some moral behind them
• Here I would like to talk about a story, which she told me many times.
• This is the story of the greedy dog.
• Once upon a time there was a dog
• He was very hungry.
• He wandered here and there in search of food.
• He got a juicy bone from a butcher’s shop.
• He felt very happy.
• He took the bone and ran away.
• He reached on a bridge of a river.
• He saw his own shadow in the water.
• He thought that there was another dog with a juicy bone in his mouth.
• His mouth watered and he wanted to snatch that bone from him.
• He started barking on him and as he opened his mouth, the bone fell down from his mouth in to the river.
• The dog lost his own juicy bone.
• He repented at his greed.
• But, alas nothing could be done.
• The moral of the story is that the greedy lose what they have.
• Greed is a curse.
• My grandma used to teach me values of life through these stories.
• Now, I tell these stories to my niece and nephew when they come to my place.
• They enjoy these stories a lot.
Part 3 – Follow-up Questions
1. Has storytelling changed over a period of time?
Yes, definitely. Everything changes with time. My grandmother used to tell me stories from her memory, and had no book in her hand. Now, I see my sister reads out stories to her children from the various books she buys from the market. Telling stories to children has also largely been replaced by watching TV. Grandparents, parents and children are glued to the TV screen for long hours and there is no time left for story telling.
2. Which way is better, traditional storytelling or the use of technology in storytelling?
I believe the traditional method is much better. It has a personal touch and increases the bonding between parents or grandparents and children. Unfortunately, it is dying out and programmes like curious George and ChhotaBhim are taking its place.
3. Do you think that generally most of the people are good at storytelling?
It is very difficult to generalize and answer this question. One thing is sure, and that is that we all tell stories from time to time in our life. Some people are born storytellers and can bind their audiences for long periods of time. They can concoct stories on the spur of the moment. It is difficult to tell whether their stories are fake or real.
4. What makes storytelling effective?
The way the stories are told can make any story effective. The use of gestures also helps. Using the right pauses at the right places and good pronunciation makes the stories effective. But, perhaps the most important thing to see is to read the interest of the audience. Fairy tales may amuse children, but may not create impact on adult listeners. Young people may be interested to hear stories related to their favourite celebs.
5. Is it important to tell stories?
Yes, it is very important to tell stories. They are a good means of communication. Sometimes a message may be conveyed through a story in a much better way than by a simple conversation.
6. Is reading books beneficial or watching documentaries better?
Both have their sets of pros and cons. But, I think reading has an edge over watching a documentary. Reading is an active phenomenon, whereas watching a documentary is a passive activity. Reading is not only good for children, but also delays cognitive decline in the elderly. Dementias can be delayed if people read a lot. However, watching a documentary can make things easier to understand, and if made well, can have a long- lasting effect.
7 Do young children like the same stories as older children?
No, I think young children like simple happy stories with colorful illustrations or rhyming patterns whereas older children like more complex, long stories and different genres like mysteries, fantasies, etc.
8 How has technology changed storytelling?
Storytelling has evolved with changing media and technology. Technology-savvy children of today don’t prefer traditional storytelling. Technology has made it possible to make stories more interesting with visual effects and catchy sound bites. Rather than telling stories, people just play animated stories on various streaming platforms like YouTube.
9 How do people tell stories to children?
Children lose focus easily, so people tell stories to children using lots of gestures, different voices, and eye contact to keep them engaged. People also try to involve children in storytelling by asking questions about the characters or about their feelings, so they are not just listening but actively participating.
10 Why do children like stories?
Children love stories because they in stories they are introduced to ideas, places, and creatures that they may not have heard of before. Through stories, children can learn more about the wonderful world around them. Stories also spark their curiosity and builds their imaginative skills.
80. Describe a gift you would like to buy for your friend
You should say:
What gift you would like to buy Who you would like to give it to
Why you would like to buy a gift for him/her And explain why you choose that gift
• I have given and received many gifts in my life
• Here I am going to talk about a gift, which I would like to purchase for my best friend on his eighteenth birthday.
• It is a mobile phone.
• He has always wanted a mobile phone.
• But his parents would not buy him one
• I have saved all my pocket money for five to six months to buy this mobile
• It will cost me 8000 Rupees
• It is an entry level smartphone– a Samsung Galaxy M01 model
• It has a brick form factor and I will buy the blue color model for him
• It has many features like clock, calculator, FM radio, alarm, timer and a memory card to store phone numbers
• Apart from that he can use many apps on this smartphone to do different tasks
• He is fond of online gaming and he can also play many games on this phone
• This phone has one of the best entry level cameras and one can take stunning pictures from it.
• I saw an ad of this phone six months before and immediately thought that I’d gift it to my friend.
• I am so fond of chocolates and candies that I used to spend all my pocket money on these things
• But I haven’t eaten a single chocolate in the last six months.
• I am really excited to know that how my friend will react when I gift him this phone.
• I honestly feel that there is more pleasure in giving than receiving.
Part 3 – Follow-up Questions
1. What is the importance of gifts?
Gifts are gestures of love. They strengthen bonds of friendship. Gifts make the recipient feel special.
2. Is there any pressure on us to buy presents?
As such, there is no pressure on us to buy presents. But sometimes when we receive costly presents then there is a pressure to reciprocate in the same way. Then it may cause pressure. I believe that gifts should be just gestures of love. Very costly gifts should not be there.
Nowadays, we belong to a consumerist society. There are so many choices of gifts. This may seem good to some, but I often get confused when it comes to selecting a gift.
3. Do Indian people often give gifts?
Yes, Indian people like to give gifts. They give gifts on special occasions such as marriages, birthdays and anniversaries etc.
4. What’s the value of giving presents?
Gifts are gestures of love. They give happiness to the giver as well as the receiver.
5. Describe some of the gifts that Indian people give each other on different occasions. People give all sorts of gifts to each other. They give sweets, chocolates, clothes, electronic items or gift cards to their friends and relatives.
6. What kinds of gifts are suitable for friends to give each other?
Friends know each other well, so they can give any gift, which can be useful to the other person. The gift need not be expensive. It should be taken as a gesture of love and not for economic value.
7. What factors do people consider when buying a gift for friends?
People consider a lot of things when buying a gift for friends. They consider the friends requirement and they consider their own pocket.
8. Why do people give presents?
People give presents as gestures of love. Presents give happiness to the recipient as well as the person who is giving the present.
9. Do children prefer receiving gifts or spending happy time with their parents?
Children are very innocent. They love receiving gifts. They take the happy time with their parents for granted. So, they don’t give it much value.
10 When do people normally send gifts to others?
People normally send gifts to others on occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, and weddings. People also exchange gifts on festivals like Diwali, Rakhi, Holi, etc.
11 Do people give gifts on traditional festivals?
Yes, people give gifts on traditional festivals. Diwali is the most popular festival in India and gift- giving on Diwali is part of the celebration. People exchange gifts with family, friends, relatives to show their love and appreciation.
12 Is it hard to choose a gift?
It depends on who are you choosing it for. If you know the person very well, their preferences, likes, and dislikes, then it’s easy. However, buying gifts for new friends or people you don’t know can be hard.
13 Will people feel happy when receiving an expensive gift?
Yes, many people feel happy when receiving an expensive gift. I think the true meaning of a gift is to share love and not money. People should value small, meaningful gifts rather than expensive, materialistic gifts with no thought put into them.
81. Describe a thing you cannot live without (not a mobile or computer)
You should say What it is?
How long have you had it for? Why you cannot live without it?
Explain how you felt when you were without it?
• I think there are very few things in life which I cannot live without.
• But the one thing, which I would really miss is my two-wheeler, Activa.
• It’s my main mode of conveyance.
• I live in the suburbs of Phagwara and for most necessities, I have to travel to the city.
• For example, there is a small grocery shop near my home, but it has limited variety.
• Even my college is the city and its the only mode of travel for me now.
• Before the pandemic, there was a regular bus service to the city.
• But, due to the lockdowns and the hesitation to travel by public transportation, the bus service is far less regular.
• In fact, earlier there used to be bus to the city every half an hour, but now there is one every two hours.
• Moreover, buses make more stops nowadays, so travelling takes considerably longer as well.
• On my two-wheeler it takes me 15 minutes, while it takes 40 minutes by bus.
• And going to the city by bus is still fine but coming back is very challenging.
• When going I can wait in the comfort of my home, but while coming back, I have to wait at the bus stop.
• I would really feel handicapped without my two-wheeler.
• I have faced this situation where I had to live without it and it was one of the worst days of this year.
• A month back two-wheeler broke down and the service centre was out of faulty part.
• Due to this, it took a whole week for it get repaired.
• I couldn’t do anything that week.
• The first day, my friend gave me a lift on his car and another friend dropped me back home.
• But I felt awkward asking them again.
• I tried the bus for the first and last time after the lockdown on the second day.
• It was such a horrible experience, I thought it was better to stay home all day long than to travel by bus.
• It also brought about a new-found appreciation in me for those who travel by bus daily.
• I hope the government really does something about the buses soon, but till that time, no-one can part me from my Activa.
Part 3
1 Why are children attracted to new things (such as electronics)?
I think everyone is attracted to new things nowadays. Children are attracted more so because for them everything is new and they are curious about things work. Another reason is that children want to possess or own the latest technology to show off to their friends and classmates.
2 Why do some grown-ups hate to throw out old things (such as clothes)?
Adults have a personal connection or a story attached to old things. For example, a sweater made by their mother or gifted by an aunt. They feel like they are losing a part of themselves when they throw them out as it is a reminder of their childhood and hence, they are hesitant. In today’s era of mass-produced goods, there is no connection to products.
3 Is the way people buy things affected? How?
Yes, people today buy things online. Moreover, like I said before we don’t have an emotional connection with products as in the past. Earlier, we felt a loss when something broke down. Now, it’s just an object, and breaking down is an opportunity to buy a newer version.
4 What do you think influences people to buy new things?
I think it’s just that as things get old, people get bored, and to renew their excitement, they buy a new thing. It also the influence of ads, which keep on reminding us that we are missing out if we don’t have the latest version of something.
82. Describe a person who impressed you the most when you were in primary school
You should say
– Who he/she is?
– How you knew him/her
– Why he/she impressed you the most
– And how you feel about him/her
• I was considered a very naughty kid in my childhood.
• I was intelligent, but I used to never study at home.
• In fact, I would spend all my day playing sports or video games.
• So, my mother made me join extra classes after school with a home tutor nearby.
• Her name was Mrs. Bambah.
• She is the person who impressed me the most during my childhood.
• In fact, I believe it is because of her that I might be able to fulfil my dream of going abroad.
• First, she developed my interest in studies.
• Before her, I used to consider studies a chore.
• I only studied before exams.
• Rather than asking me to memorise things, she made me understand the concept behind things.
• The teachers at my school were also good, but due to the burden of covering the vast syllabus and shortage of time, they found it hard to cover everything in detail.
• She covered everything in detail.
• But studies were not the only reason, why she left such a big imprint on me.
• I learnt many of life’s valuable lessons from her in my childhood.
• She taught me the importance of humility, punctuality, and industriousness.
• Even if I was late by 5 minutes, I was not allowed to attend the class.
• In India, where being a few minutes late is on time, I am actually early for every appointment.
• Another thing that I liked about her was that though she was strict, she was also very friendly to talk to.
• She was more than a teacher to me in this regard.
• I shared all my problems with her, and she would always patiently listen.
• And instead of providing solutions, she would ask me to think what the best action in that scenario would be.
• Because of this, I am independent today and I am confident of taking decisions without second-guessing myself.
• I have the utmost respect for her and along with that, there is a feeling of guilt because I feel I would never be able to pay her back for all that she did for me.
Follow-ups
1. Why do people always miss their childhood?
I think it’s because that is the only time when we are free of worries, tensions, and stress. We know that our parents would take care of any problem we face. It is also because after childhood we are never able to spend that much time with our family again.
2. Are kids happier than adults? Why?
Yes, I believe most people are happier during their childhood and it’s because of the same reason, they don’t have to face the responsibilities and stress of adult life.
3. Why do people still remember many of their friends from primary school?
I think it’s because of the amount of time we spent with them. We never spend as much time with friends during adulthood because of work and familial responsibilities. Also, because we all like to reminisce about our childhood, and childhood friends are a big part of our childhood.
4. What kinds of primary school teachers impress students?
I think primary school teachers need to be patient and understanding. All children are different in different ways. For example, some have a difficult time reading but are good at math. Teachers need to be able to understand these differences and have the patience to be able to guide students at their own speed. This is especially important at early ages because children are not mature enough to explain their problems to teachers.
83. Describe an item on which you spent more than expected
You should say:
– What it is
– How much did you spend on it
– Why you bought it
– And explain why you think you spent more than expected.
• Recently, my old phone broke down and I had to buy a new phone.
• I considered various models but ultimately, I decided to buy the Apple iPhone.
• I think I made the purchase because of the brand name and because of friend’s reviews.
• The phone was much more costlier than I expected.
• It was priced at Rs 70,000.
• I still went for it because I wanted to own an iPhone.
• Previously, I had a Samsung phone, but all my friends told me that Apple is way above Samsung in quality.
• After buying it, I also felt that Apple is better.
• The camera quality was better, the response rate was faster, the look was more elegant.
• However, deep down, I knew I didn’t care about these things.
• I rarely click pictures with the phone and even if I do, I am fine with a lower resolution.
• The response rate was faster, but then I was comparing the response rate of a new Apple iPhone with a 3-year-old Samsung phone, so the comparison was not apt.
• And, above all, the price was way higher than the other models in the market.
• I bought the mobile phone not because of need but because of impulse.
• I know I am not a heavy mobile phone user.
• I mainly use the mobile phone to call and to check WhatsApp messages.
• Besides that, I use barely 2-3 apps like Zomato for ordering food and Uber for travelling.
• I knew I could have that done all that I wanted with a much cheaper version, but I still went for the Apple iPhone.
• Finally, because of this decision, I had to postpone the decision of buying a new laptop, which I urgently need.
• My old one is about 6 years old and sometimes it takes nearly half an hour to start up.
• A new laptop would have made my life much more comfortable than the iPhone did.
• For all these reasons, I regret buying the iPhone and spending so much on it.
Follow-ups
1. Do you often buy more than you expected?
Yes, I often buy more than I expected, but it is normally in case of small household items or grocery items. For example, I would buy 2 pairs of jeans if they are on an offer, even if I need just one. The iPhone was the first time, I spent so much more than I should have spent.
2. What do you think young people spend most of their money on?
I think young people spend their money on clothes and other fashion accessories like belts, shoes, etc. Also, I think a lot of youth spend their money on gadgets like mobile phones, laptops, and headphones.
3. Do you think it is important to save money? Why?
Yes, I think it is crucial as we can never be certain about the future. The recent Corona epidemic has made it even more clear that how uncertain life is. Many people died because they couldn’t afford the costly healthcare. Also, if people didn’t have savings, it would have been impossible to tide over these difficult times.
4. Do people buy things that they don’t need?
Yes, all the time. I think we buy things because buying things makes us happy. Even though we know we won’t be using the thing, we buy it for momentary happiness. A common example is an electric drill, which people barely use for 10 mins after buying and then collects dust sitting unused for years.
84. Describe an activity that you usually do that wastes your time
– What it is
– When you usually do it
– Why do you do it
– And explain why you think it wastes your time.
• In all honesty, thinking about an activity that wastes my time was rather picking one activity from a long list of activities that I waste my time on.
• So, out of all those activities, I think playing video games is the one that I regret the most.
• I play video games in the evening or on the weekends.
• I feel they are wasteful because they don’t achieve my intended purpose.
• I think I play them to relieve my stress, but actually I end up feeling more stressed after playing them,
• The thrill of the win makes me play more and thus I end wasting hours on it, which in the end stresses me.
• Losing, on the other hand, makes me feel incompetent, which again ultimately makes me feel stressed.
• However, more than anything, I think it is wasteful because it doesn’t benefit me in any way.
• Rather I lose out on a lot of important things in life because of playing these games.
• I feel like I would spend more time with my family if I didn’t play them.
• I could also be playing outdoor activities or going to the gym instead, which would be beneficial for me from a health perspective.
• Another hobby I had in my childhood was reading books, but because of this, I am not able to read books as well.
• And reading novels always improved my mood because I felt I gained something after reading them.
• It didn’t matter whether it was fiction or non-fiction.
• A lot of my friends also complain that in recent years I have stopped spending time with them.
• I always give the excuse that I am busy, but I know that I would be able to spend plenty of time with them if I didn’t play video games.
• However, I also believe that there are people who are really able to enjoy games and feel better after playing them.
• Then, there are others who are actually able to make money by playing video games.
• For them, it might not be wasteful, but for me it certainly is.
Follow-ups
1. How do you balance work and life?
I think balancing work and life is always a work in progress. We are always doing it and it is not something specific. For example, if we go on vacation with the family, we come back and spend extra time at work to make up for the pending work. Another rather unhealthy way, we achieve it is by cutting down on our sleep hours, but it takes a big toll on our mental and physical health.
2. Will you continue doing something when you are aware that it wastes your time?
I think the adage ‘bad habits die hard’ would be the best answer to this question. I think we do such things because we are addicted to them. I think it’s very hard to give up on such activities and it requires a lot of willpower. However, the realisation that the activity is wasteful is the first step, and once people have that it becomes easier to stop.
3. What kind of things make people pressured?
I think there are millions of things in today’s life that stress us- for example financial obligations, unreasonable work deadlines, competition with others, and maintaining relationships. The pressure each puts varies according to the stage of life- for example, competition stress is in the early stages when we are trying to get into universities or trying to secure a good job and financial stress comes a little later when we have to manage the expenses for the whole family.
4. Why do some people refuse to abide by the rules?
I think there is a certain thrill in breaking rules and doing whatever we want. In some ways, it is exhilarating and freeing to not care about the rules and regulations. Actually, I think it is good as long as we don’t harm others because it prevents life from becoming monotonous and boring.
85. Describe a skill that was difficult for you to learn
You should say:
– When you learned it
– Why you learned it
– How you learned it
– How you felt when you learned it
• When I was young, my parents planned a vacation for Goa, a state famous for its picturesque beaches.
• I was very excited to visit Goa and spend some time at the beach, as I had never visited one before.
• My parents also told me that they would allow me to Goa, only if I learnt swimming first.
• However, I had a terrible time learning swimming.
• Firstly, since my childhood, I have had big fear of water.
• I wanted to visit the beaches, but I was not planning on entering the water.
• In fact, that’s the reason my dad planned the whole trip- he wanted me to get over my fear
• Secondly, there was only one swimming pool in my city at that time.
• And the swimming instructor there was strict and rude.
• I knew I would get shouted at because I would be slow at learning.
• So, I used to skip the swimming lessons without telling my parents.
• I used to go play table tennis with my friends instead of going to the pool.
• Then, one day my dad accompanied me to the pool to check on my progress.
• My father saw that I hadn’t made any progress.
• He got really angry and told me that either I learn swimming, or he would cancel the whole trip.
• After that day, I became serious about it.
• It wasn’t easy and on the first two-three days, I barely entered the water once.
• But when the instructor came to know about my water phobia, he was really patient with me.
• He let me learn it at my own pace.
• He also allowed me to use the tube to float, even though he forbids everyone else from using it.
• Slowly, as I got comfortable, he told me how to use my legs to stay afloat, instead of the tube.
• I don’t remember much, as it was quite some time ago, but I do remember it took me more than 3 months to learn swimming, while on average people pick it up within 2-3 weeks.
• After learning, I felt amazing.
• I hadn’t just learnt swimming; I had also conquered my fear of water.
• My parents were also very proud of me.
• And because I learnt swimming, I had an amazing time in Goa.
Follow-ups
1. What skills do students need to master?
Academically speaking, I think students need to master skills like reading, math, and speaking. Non academically, I think skills like cooking, money management, driving, and so on are skills that every student should possess. Also, in today’s world, everyone should try to have computer skills.
2. Is it hard for students to learn new skills?
On the contrary, I feel it is easier for them to pick up new skills as they are young, and their minds can pick up and retain things better. That is why, children are encouraged to learn many things like driving, swimming, foreign languages at a young age.
3. It is hard for old people to learn new skills.
I wouldn’t say it is hard for them either. But it is not as easy as it is for children or kids to pick up new things. Old people might not be able to remember things, so they might need to do things repeatedly for them to pick up on skills.
4. Is a good teacher very important for students learning experience? Why?
Yes, absolutely. Teachers are not only responsible for teaching but also ensuring that children are motivated to learn things. Moreover, nowadays, children are very impatient and lose focus easily. If the teacher is not able to grab and hold on to their attention, he would not be able to teach anything.
86. Describe a time you moved to a new home/school
You should say:
– When you moved
– Where you moved
– Why you moved
– And how you felt about it
• 5 years ago, my grandparents moved in with us from the village.
• Their health was deteriorating because of old age, and they were feeling very lonely in the village. My father found it very difficult to take care of them and focus on his work at the same time.
• So, he requested grandpa and grandma to come live with us.
• At first, they were reluctant.
• However, after some cajoling by my sister and I, they finally agreed.
• We had been so focused on convincing them to shift in with us that we had forgotten one thing.
• We had a small two-bedroom house at that time, and it was insufficient for the six of us to live in the house.
• We adjusted for a while, but ultimately my dad decided to rent a four-bedroom house about 5 kilometres meters from our old house.
• Our last house was rental as well and despite the difference in size, there wasn’t much difference in the rent between the two houses.
• Maybe it was because the house we shifted to was quite old.
• I had mixed feelings about the whole experience.
• On the one hand, I was very happy that I would be getting my own room.
• On the other hand, the house we shifted to wasn’t as comfortable as the old one.
• There was no air-conditioning in my room. So, it got very hot during the day, and I was barely able to stay in the room during the day.
• But, at night, as the temperature came down, I was able to sleep in the room.
• Moreover, I missed my old neighbours and friends.
• There were many children of my age in my previous neighbourhood.
• In the new community, there was hardly anyone my age.
• It got very boring.
• My parents were afraid of sending me too far to my old neighbourhood to play.
• But, on a positive note, this meant that I spent more time with my grandparents, which improved my bond with them.
• I still reminisce about that old house sometimes, but I don’t regret moving to the new house.
• Actually, I am very happy that my parents made that sacrifice for taking better care of my grandparents.
Follow-ups
1. Why do people move to a new home?
There are many reasons why people move to a new home. But, most commonly people move for job, education. In other words, people move when they get a job or join an educational institute, which is too far for them to commute daily. Another big reason is marriage or because of children. This is because either they want independence and privacy or because their earlier house might be too small to accommodate the growing family.
2. What problems do people face after moving to a new place? How do people solve these problems? I think it depends upon the place they are moving to. For example, if they are moving to a new place with a different culture, they might face a culture shock. Another problem is getting to know neighbours and making new friends. People solve these problems by having a housewarming party to invite new neighbours and get to know them.
3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of living in the same place?
It is comfortable to live in the same place for a long time. As people are familiar with everything, they don’t need to spend time setting up things again and again. On the other hand, it gets boring and monotonous to live in the same place.
4. Is it good to move to a new place frequently? Why?
I don’t think it is good to move to a new place too frequently. Firstly, it might be challenging to do so financially. Moving involves a lot of expenses. Secondly, it might be difficult to make new friends and people might miss their old place. Finally, from a children’s point of view, it can be disastrous as it would affect their educational continuity.
87. Describe a time when you felt proud of a family member
You should say:
– When it happened
– Who is this person?
– What the person did
– And explain why you felt proud of him/her.
• I have a big family and there are many moments when my family be it my grandparents, parents, siblings, nieces, nephews, cousins have made me proud.
• Here I would like to talk about a moment that happened recently.
• In July this year, my niece participated in a kid’s triathlon competition.
• She is just 10 years old, and this was her first time doing a triathlon.
• She has participated in running competitions before but this time she was doing 3 activities, swimming, biking, and running one after the other.
• She was very nervous about the transition phases between the 3 activities as the time taken during the transitions can get very crucial in a triathlon.
• She got only a week to practice as my sister enrolled her at the last minute.
• I was so proud that she was even participating in a competition like this at such a young age.
• I couldn’t believe that she was skilled at all three activities.
• I talked to my niece on the phone the night before to motivate her. I told her to have fun and wished her the best of luck.
• My sister called the next day to tell us that not only did my niece finish the race successfully but also stood 3rd place in her age group.
• She took a total of 17 minutes to finish the race.
• I was so happy to hear that and felt so proud of my niece.
• She has always been good at academics and gets good grades but now she was a triathlete.
• My sister sent pictures of the trophy ceremony and I showed them to everyone in our family.
• I talked to my niece later that day to congratulate her.
• I could hear the joy in my niece’s voice. She told me that next time she will aim for a faster time.
• She had lost some time getting on the bike, putting on the helmet, and then getting off the bike.
• I told her she did great for her first time and went beyond my expectations.
• No one in our family has participated in an event like this and this was a proud moment for us all.
• In fact, my niece has motivated me to get into shape and start running.
• I even started taking swim lessons as I never learnt swimming before because of my water phobia.
Follow-ups
1. When would parents feel proud of their children?
Parents feel proud of their children when they meet and achieve their goals. It can be getting good grades in school, getting into the sports team, graduating from college, and getting their first job, etc. For younger children parents are proud when they achieve tiny milestones like saying their first word, taking their first step, tying their shoelaces by themselves, etc.
2. Should parents reward children? Why and how?
Yes, parents should reward children for their achievements and hard work. It encourages them to continue doing it and makes them feel good about them themselves. Instead of giving material goods as rewards, parents should reward children by praising them, letting them do a favorite activity, or spending more time with them.
3. Is it good to reward children too often? Why?
I don’t think parents should reward children too often as it can make them feel entitled. Buying them toys, gadgets as rewards can make them materialistic. Younger kids may become too focused on the reward and forget about the reason they are being rewarded for. They can even start negotiating with parents for every small task they do.
4. On what occasions would adults be proud of themselves?
Adults have many occasions when they are proud of themselves like a promotion at their job, buying their first home, getting their children into good schools, doing social work like helping others or a friend in need, etc.
88. Describe a time you got up early.
You should say #$%m a kk ar IELTS$%*
– When was it
– Why did you get up early
– What did you do after getting up
– How did you feel about it
• I normally sleep late, sometimes even as late as 1 AM or 2AM.
• As a result, I mostly wake up late as well.
• But recently I had to take an exam in Amritsar, which is about 100 kms from my hometown.
• The exam time was also quite early from 9 AM to 12:30 AM.
• I had two options, either I could have gone there one day in advance or I could have taken an early morning bus on the exam day.
• I decided on the latter because I didn’t want to waste money on a hotel night stay.
• So a few days before the exam, I started sleeping a bit early and getting up a bit earlier.
• I wanted to get into rhythm before the actual day.
• I was worried that if I directly tried it on the exam day, I would fall asleep during the exam.
• On the day of the exam, I woke up at 4 AM.
• After finishing my morning chores, I did some last minute preparation.
• Then at 6 AM I went to the bus stop and caught the bus.
• I could have taken the 7’o clock bus as well, but I thought it would be better to reach in advance than risk getting late due to some delay on the way.
• During the journey, I went through my notes, one last time.
• After reaching, I called up my parents and took their blessings.
• My exam went really well and rather than feeling tired and sleepy ,I felt very fresh and relaxed.
• Getting up early was a very nice experience.
• It made me feel that I could do a lot more during the day than I did earlier.
• But it was not easy, it required a lot of willpower.
• I continued to get up early for a few more days, but gradually I fell back into my old habit of sleeping late and getting up late.
Follow-ups
1. Do you know anyone who likes to get up early?
Yes, actually both the parents like to get up early. My mother wakes up as early as 5’o clock. My father also wakes up quite early but not as early as my mother. As for my sister and I, we can sleep for as long as we are not woken up.
2. Why do people get up early?
I think the main reason for people to get up early is that they can finish their household chores before going to work. After coming back from school or work, it hard to finish them due to work tiredness and stress.
3. What kind of situations need people to arrive early?
I think people should always arrive early for formal commitments like interviews, office meetings and medical appointments. For other occasions like family meets, I don’t think it is necessary to reach before time, but one should try to be on time.
4. Why do some people like to stay up late?
I think people who stay up late are generally those who like quiet and spending time with themselves. They feel that during the day, they get might disturbed, so they prefer staying up late and doing their work at night.
89. Describe an art or craft activity (example painting, woodwork, etcetera) that you had at school.
You should say
– What you made
– How you made it
– What it looked like
– and how you felt about this activity
• I studied in Saint Joseph’s convent school Phagwara
• There were not many art or craft activities that I did at school
• However, every year an NGO in my hometown organised a painting competition in which our school used to participate.
• When I was in 10th, I was selected by my school to participate in that painting competition.
• I remember I was very excited.
• There were two more participants from my school.
• They were from the other sections.
• We were given an art sheet over there, but we had to bring our own poster colors and brushes.
• The theme we got to draw and paint on was global warming.
• Although the theme was announced on the spot, I was well aware of global warming as it had been taught to us in science classes.
• On the right-hand corner of my sheet, I drew a person cutting trees.
• Next to it, I drew a factory that was emitting smoke from its chimneys
• And next to it I drew a house with AC’s fitted on all windows and two cars parked in front.
• These things represented the causes of global warming.
• On the upper left side, I drew mountains with melting glaciers, and water flowing down to the seas, to represent the rise in sea levels.
• In the lower left corner, I made a few flies and mosquitos with happy faces, depicting their happiness.
• They seemed unreal, but I wanted to convey that these insects are happy in the hot weather and these lead to diseases.
• Then I painted it all and named my painting – Global Warming – Causes and effects.
• I was very happy with my work. (m a k k a r %(#IELTS)
• My joy knew no bounds when my name was announced as the winner of the competition.
• My school principal told the whole school about my achievement in the morning assembly the next day.
• That painting is in the school corridor even today.
Follow-ups
1. What traditional handicrafts are popular in India?
India is a diverse country, and many handicrafts are popular in India. The Phulkari embroidery of Punjab, the ceramic pottery of Jaipur, the terracotta pottery of the South, the woven saris of Mysore, the woven carpets of Kashmir, the cloth puppets of Rajasthan are just a few examples of the handicrafts that are popular in India.
2. What do young people think of traditional handicrafts?
The young people of today are not much aware of the traditional handicrafts. They are children of the global village and they like modern things. However, many NGOs are promoting the handicrafts work in the remote villages and are selling them in modern outlets because of which the young people are becoming aware of these things and are in fact liking them.
3. Do people in your country send handicrafts as gifts?
Yes, people in my country gift handicrafts. They gift traditional paintings made on leaves and wood, embroidered bags and purses, and even articles made of wood.
4. What are the benefits of making handicrafts?
Handicrafts preserve the culture and tradition of the country. In addition, they bring out the creativity of people. Handicrafts also generate revenue for the country if they are promoted well and sold to tourists as souvenirs.
90. Describe a person who solved a problem in a smart way
You should say – Who this person is
– What the problem was
– How he/she solved it
– And explain why you think he/ she did it in a smart way
• Everyone faces problems in life
• Some people have a great presence of mind and can solve problems without panicking
• Here I would like to talk about my aunt Paramjeet, who solved a problem in a really clever way
• I remember it was about six months ago
• My aunt and uncle had come to our place and my mother was preparing dinner for them
• As my mother was putting salt in the cheese curry, the box of salt slipped from her hand and a lot of salt fell into the dish.
• As my mother had not prepared anything else she started panicking because it was already dinnertime
• My aunt came into the kitchen when she saw that my mother was looking troubled
• She told my mother not to panic at all
• She kneaded some dough and put 3 to 4 balls of dough into the curry
• After about 15 minutes she removed the door balls and asked my mother to taste the curry
• There was no excess salt in the dish anymore
• My mother would not have been able to solve this problem on her own
• She had started thinking that the whole curry dish would have to be thrown and she would have to cook the dish all over again
• But my aunt saved the situation, and nobody even came to know that the problem had happened
• My aunt Paramjeet is a great cook, and she can fix her dinner for 20 people in just one hour
• She also conducts cookery classes during the summer vacations
• She is in her mid-forties but looks much younger.
• Whenever anyone in our family faces any problem, they seek her help for a solution.
Follow-ups
1. Do you think children are born smart or do they learn to become smart?
This is a tough question to answer. Some children are innately more intelligent than others. However, I believe that with proper guidance children can be taught to be smart.
2. How do children become smart at school?
Children become smart at school by listening to the teachers, interacting with their peers, and doing their studies diligently
3. Why are some people well-rounded and others only good at one thing?
Some people are naturally curious to learn a lot of things and so they become well-rounded. However, others try to master one skill and become proficient in that.
4. Why does modern society need talent of all kinds?
Modern society needs talent of all kinds because everyone cannot be proficient in all the things. So, to have a harmonious society there has to be a mix of people with different talents so that they can work together for the benefit of the whole society.
91. Describe an exciting book that you enjoy reading.
You should say: m@kk@rIELTS
– When you read it
– What kind of book it is
– What is about
– And explain why you think it is exciting
• I read a lot of books.
• However, the very first book that I read is also one that I still enjoy reading a lot.
• It is none other than the first book of the Harry Potter series, ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’.
• It was gifted to me by my mother on my 10th birthday.
• Initially, I was really mad at her, because I wanted a recently released video game
• She told me that she would get me the video game as well but if I gave the book a chance first.
• So, I reluctantly picked up the book and started reading.
• I read just 10 pages and I was hooked.
• I remember I used the word unputdownable to describe the book to one of my friends, a few days later.
• I started at 9 PM at night and I finally slept at 7 AM the next morning after finishing the last page.
• Fortunately, it was the summer vacation or my parents would have taken the book away from me at night and made me go to bed.
• Harry Potter needs no introduction – it is a story about magic, a story of good vs evil.
• However, for me, it is also a coming-of-age story.
• It is a story about a boy becoming a man.
• Everything about the book is perfect, the world setting, the characterisation, the magic system.
• More than that, the book isn’t afraid of pulling punches.
• When the protagonist falls into a pit, he doesn’t come out unscathed, he gets hurt just like a normal human being.
• Good characters die, they lose, the road to victory isn’t a straight one.
• Every fantasy book is about good vs evil, but the exciting books are those, where you cannot predict what would happen next and Harry Potter is one of the best examples of that.
• And in the end, it would always be the book that got me into the habit of reading.
• So, it will always hold a special place in my heart.
• Even now I randomly pick up the book once a month and read two three chapters.
• And I don’t know why but there is always something I feel that I hadn’t read before.
Follow-ups
1. Do you prefer books or movies?
I think movies can never capture the detail and the emotions that books can. So, I always prefer reading books to watching movies. But, then again, it’s not easy to find time to read books. So, sometimes I still watch movies.
2. Do you think it is important to read the book before watching the movie version of it?
No, not really. Some movie adaptations are really good. A lot of my friends haven’t read the Game of Throne series, but they still enjoyed the TV adaptation. Ultimately, it’s the person’s preference and availability of time.
3. Do boys and girls like the same kinds of books?
I have seen some differences in the magazines boys and girls read. For example, I have seen a lot of girls reading fashion magazines and very rarely in the case of boys. However, in the case of books, I don’t think there is any particular difference.
4. What kind of books do Indian people like to read?
I think reading preference doesn’t depend upon nationality. It depends upon personal preference and the book itself. For example, Harry Potter is famous all over the world, because it is a fabulous book. I think it was meant for children, but I have seen a lot of adults calling themselves Potterheads.
92. Describe a cafe you like to visit.
You should say – makkarIELTS
– Where it is
– What kinds of food and drinks it serves
– What do you do there
– And explain why you like to go there
• One of my maternal aunts lives in Delhi.
• During summer vacations, me and my sister visit her and spend some days there.
• Her house is just next to the famous authentic Indian traditional cafe, Indian Coffee House.
• It was one of the first few cafes set up in Delhi, during the British times.
• It is quite different from the cafe chains of today like Barista, Cafe Coffee Day, and Starbucks.
• Unlike them, it doesn’t offer a wide variety of coffee like lattes, cappuccino, mochas.
• In fact, they have a very short menu.
• There are just two coffees- hot and cold.
• Besides that, they offer tea and some fresh juices.
• In snacks again- they have limited options four or five options.
• But I remember just one- which is the onion fritters.
• Sometimes I drink tea and sometimes coffee, but I always order the onion fritters.
• They are so yummy.
• That is the main reason I go there.
• Well, there is another reason- the cheap prices.
• And although the prices have increased over the past few years, they are still very affordable.
• Because of that, it can be quite hard to find an empty table.
• In fact, sometimes I have seen people waiting in queue for an hour before they get accommodated.
• There is also this charm about the place.
• The old design, the rickety tables, and chairs, the waiters dressed in traditional Indian attires, it is like a portal into the past.
Follow-ups
1. What kind of people would like to go to a cafe?
I think people who enjoy drinking tea and coffee are those that don’t have time to make them or can’t make them at home due to some reason. Certain people also visit to study there or work there when they are unable to do so at home.
2. Why do young people like studying in a cafe instead of at home?
I think it’s because of the atmosphere. Moreover, there are so many distractions at home. Adults prefer cafes because they might be tied down by household chores at home.
3. Do old people like to drink coffee?
I think age has nothing to do with liking coffee or not. But I think drinking coffee does affect sleep as it contains caffeine, so people who have sleep issues do avoid coffee.
4. Do Indian people like to drink coffee?
We are a nation of tea drinkers mainly. But many youngsters and teenagers like to drink coffee too nowadays. In my house as well, nearly all of us have tea, but only my sister and I drink coffee.