Prepare For Ielts Speaking Workbook Thinkific

Part 1 In this section, you are given sample questions from Part 1 speaking and space for you make some notes. Try to remember to use complex vocabulary and grammar. On our website you can see some example answers to Part 1 speaking to give you some ideas of how to answer these questions.

For example: What kind of place is your hometown? My hometown is a densely populated city and is located in the north of the country. It is renowned for its bustling city centre and is teeming with people day and night. There is a wide range of shops, it could be described as a shopper’s paradise, however, it isn’t the most picturesque place in the world and is best described as a concrete jungle.

2

Part 1 – Introduction Good morning/afternoon. My name is… Could you tell me your full name please? And what would you like me to call you? Where are you from? Please could I see some identification? I would like to start by asking you some questions about yourself… You will be asked three or four questions on one topic such as… (Use the spaces below to make some notes for your answers) 1. Home town/village: What kind of place is your hometown? What are the most interesting things to do there? What kind of jobs do people do there? Would you say it is a good or bad place to live? How do you travel around your hometown? Would you prefer to live in a bigger or smaller place?

2. Study or work: Do you study or work? Work: Where do you work? Do you think it is a good place to work? Why did you choose this job? What do you enjoy most about your job? Have you always wanted to do this job? What training did you need to do for this job? What are your work plans for the future? Study: What do you study? Where do you study? Do you think this is a good place to study? Have you always wanted to study this? What is the most interesting part of your study? Is there anything you don’t like about your study? What are your study plans for the future?

3

3. The town/city where you live now: Where do you live now? What do you like about your area of the town/city? Is there anything you don’t like about your area of the town/city? Do you expect to continue living in this town/city for a long time?

You will be asked three or four questions on one or two topics such as… 1. Spare time: Do you have any hobbies or interests? How do you usually spend your free time? Is there any particular ambition you would like to fulfil in your free time?

2. Transport: How do you like to travel when making long trips? In your country, what kind of transport is used for long trips? How has transport changed in your country over the last twenty years?

4

3. Travel: what was the last trip you made? What do you enjoy about travelling? Do you ever read books, magazines or newspaper articles about travelling? Why do you think it is a good idea for young people to travel?

4. Accommodation: What kind of accommodation do you have either in your home country or in the UK? How long have you lived there? What do you like/dislike about living there? What kind of accommodation would you most like to live in when you return to your home country?

5. Festivals: Describe the main festivals celebrated in your country. What do you like about these festivals? Have these festivals changed much over recent years? Do you think they will change much in the future?

5

6. A typical day: Describe what you did yesterday. Was it a typical day for you? What would a typical day be like in your country? Is there anything you like doing here that you don’t do at home? Is there anything that you don’t like about living here?

7. Visitors to your home: (Do you mind talking about this?) Do you like having visitors to your home? What do you and your visitors usually do? Do you prefer having visitors in your home or visiting other people? In your country, is it more normal to meet people in the home or meet in a public place?

8. Clothes: Are clothes important to people where you live? How do people decide which clothes to buy? Would you ever buy clothes for somebody as a present? Do you think clothes are too important for some people?

6

9. Grandparents: (Do you mind talking about this?) Did you spend a lot of time with your grandparents when you were young? How do children benefit from spending time with their grandparents? How do grandparents benefit from spending time with grandchildren?

10. Newspapers: How often do you read newspapers? Which is more important where you live: local or national newspapers? Are newspapers important in your country? Do you think newspapers will be more or less important in the future?

11. Telephoning: Who uses the telephone most in your house? Do you usually make and receive many calls? Do you prefer talking on the telephone or writing to people?

7

12. Computers: Why do you think computers and computer games have become more important over the last few decades? How important are computers in our lives now? Are there any bad points about computers and computer games? How influential is the internet on our daily lives?

13. Eating out: How often do you eat in restaurants? What kind of food do you prefer when you eat out? What do you look for when choosing a restaurant? Do you think that eating out will be more or less popular in the future?

14. Films: How often do you watch films? What kind of films do you like? Do you prefer to watch films alone or with friends? Do you prefer to watch films in the cinema or at home?

8

15. New people: Do you often meet new people? Where do young people meet each other? Where did young people meet each other in the past? Is it easy to meet people from different cultures where you live? How do you feel when you meet new people?

16. Time of day: What is your favourite time of day? What was your favourite time of day when you were a child? What is your busiest time of day? Do you think it is a good idea to do the same things at the same time every day?

17. The sea: How much time have you spent near the sea? What do people enjoy about being near the sea? Would you like to live in a seaside town? What interests you most about the sea?

9

18. Birthdays: Do you prefer to spend your birthday with family or friends? How do children usually spend their birthday in your culture? Are birthdays important where you live? What is the most important birthday age celebrated in your country?

19. Writing: What kind of writing do you do? What kind of writing do you enjoy most? Are there things you don’t enjoy writing? Which language do you prefer to write in? What do you find difficult about writing in English?

20. Seasons: What is the weather like in different seasons in your country? Which is your favourite season? How does the lifestyle change in different seasons in your country? Does the climate in some seasons cause problems in your country?

10

21. Families: Tell me something about your family. What do you like doing most with your family? Who are you close to in your family? In what way is your family important to you? In what ways have families changed in the last hundred years? Should we rely heavily on our families or is it better to try to be independent?

22. Friends: Do you have many friends? Are they casual acquaintances or close friends? Do you prefer to stay with your family or with your friends? Do you prefer one or two close friends or many friends? Can you talk about your best friend? How to make friends? What do you usually do with your friends? Is the time you spend with your friends as much as that you spend with your family? What do you expect from a good friend? Are friends as important to you as family? Do you think friendships change, as we get older? How?

11

Part 2 In this section, you are given model answers for Part 2 and Part 3 type questions. After reading each model answer:  

Complete the vocabulary exercise Write notes for your own Part 2 answer in the space provided

12

Index 1. Describe a film you have seen recently 2. Describe something you own which is important to you 3. Describe a recent news story that you have read or heard about 4. Describe a typical food from your country 5. Describe a perfect meal that you would like to prepare 6. Describe a piece of music that you like 7. Describe an important invention 8. Describe a TV programme that you have seen recently 9. Describe a radio programme you have heard recently 10. Describe an adventurous person 11. Describe a photograph you like 12. Describe a building that you know 13. Describe a school or college you know 14. Describe your favourite animal 15. Describe somebody who has influenced your life in a positive way 16. Describe a room which was important to you when you were young 17. Describe a traditional ceremony which you know well 18. Describe something which you find very annoying 19. Describe an example of serious pollution 20. Describe a place you have enjoyed visiting 21. Describe a museum or exhibition which you enjoyed 22. Describe a garden 23. Describe something you are good at doing 24. Describe a positive teenage experience which you (have) had 25. Describe a three-day holiday which you would like to take 26. Describe a sport you enjoy playing or watching 27. Describe a company where a friend or relative works 28. Describe a wedding you have seen 29. Describe a work of art you have seen 30. Describe a change in your life which was positive 31. Describe an important rule or law in your country 32. Describe the kind of book you would like to write 33. Describe the most successful person you know 34. Describe a project or piece of work you have done with somebody else 35. Describe somebody from your family’s past who lived in interesting times 36. Describe an item of clothing or jewellery you wore for a special occasion 37. Describe a toy 38. Describe a letter which you wrote to someone 39. Describe a skill you learnt successfully 40. Describe a teacher who has had an important influence on your education 41. Describe a member of your family who you admire 42. Describe a useful website you have visited

13

1. Describe a film you have seen recently What was it about? When did you see it? Why did you like it and how did it influence you? Student: When I was living in my home country, I used to go to the cinema all the time. I would go with my friends at least twice a month and see all the latest releases. Since coming to England however, I haven’t been to the cinema much. It’s hard to understand films when they are in a foreign language, therefore I prefer to wait until they are released on DVD and watch them and then I can use subtitles. The last film I watched was called ‘Minions’, which I watched at the weekend with some friends. This is an American movie, which is the third instalment in the series. It is actually a prequel (it is set before the previous two movies), but it came out after the other two movies. It is a cartoon animation and is aimed at kids, but is enjoyable for adults too. The plot is quite simple – the Minions need an evil villain to work for and they set off on a journey to England to find one. The main characters in the film are funny and made me laugh a lot. The film has a happy ending, but I won’t tell you what it is and spoil it for you. I don’t really think it is a low budget film, the previous two films ‘Despicable Me’ and ‘Despicable Me 2’ experienced phenomenal success so this film is what could be called a Hollywood blockbuster. The film has had global success. The soundtrack to the movie has also been successful. A lot of merchandise has been produced because of the film’s success and the Minions have become a brand. I would thoroughly recommend it. Examiner: We have been talking about films and now I would like to ask you some more general questions relating to this topic. COMPARE cinema now and in the past. Is it getting better? Student: Personally, I prefer the cinema of the past. Black and white films are atmospheric and the plot was the most important part of the film. Nowadays some films are just full of special effects with very little storyline. Because of the cost of producing films, very few films are made now and the ones that are made and get cinema release are often the Hollywood blockbusters, which do not appeal to me at all. CONSIDER whether films should be more strictly censored Student: That’s a difficult question. On the one hand, I believe in free speech and that people should be allowed to say whatever they want through the medium of film, but on the other hand, that could be dangerous and people could use film to manipulate people and films could be used as propaganda. I think they are censored to the right extent at the moment.

14

CONSIDER whether parents should prevent their children from seeing certain films Student: Ultimately, the responsibility of bringing up children lies with parents so I wholeheartedly agree that parents should prevent their children from seeing certain films. There have been violent crimes, which have been committed as a direct result of children seeing films that they should not have seen. Furthermore, children could suffer nightmares as a result of watching horror films; therefore, parents should monitor their children’s film viewing. SPECULATE on the future of cinema. Will people go to the cinema in the future? Student: I am of the opinion that because of the credit crunch at the moment people will be going to the cinema less and less. Nowadays DVDs are released so soon after the cinematic release that you don’t have long to wait before you can watch the film. It is more cost-effective to buy the DVD and get a group of friends round and watch the film together. Cinemas will need to introduce incentives to get people to come to the cinema. I heard of a cinema in London, which introduced meals during the film to try and increase the number of customers.

15

Find a word or phrase in the text, which has a similar meaning to the following: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Films which are currently on at the cinema Films which did not cost a lot of money to make Successful all over the world The storyline of the film Is designed for/is made for I completely agree To have bad dreams An American film which is a best seller I would strongly suggest that people see it Economically worthwhile

Describe a film you have seen recently What was it about? When did you see it? Why did you like it and how did it influence you?

16

2. Describe something you own which is important to you What is it? How and when did you get it? Why is it important to you? Student: Without a doubt the thing that I own which is most important to me, besides my family, are my cats. Material possessions aren’t as important to me as people or animals so that is why I have chosen them. Nowadays people are very materialistic and competitive and there is competition to have the latest cars and gadgets. As much as I like such things if I had to I could live without them, but family and animals are extremely important to me. I used to have five cats at one time but now they have all died and I only have one left. I got him about three years ago. His name is Jose and he is a pedigree cat and was abandoned by her owner because the owner’s boyfriend thought he was ugly. I was horrified that people could dispose of something so easily. They got rid of him as though he was a piece of clothing that they didn’t want anymore. Pets are important to me because they have been there for me when I have been through difficult periods in my life. Some people might choose a piece of jewellery or an item of clothing which is important for them as it may have sentimental value and although I have such things for example a ring given to me by my parents it is not as important to me as my pets. To me the value of something is not how much it costs, but the pleasure you get from it and my cats give me infinite pleasure. Having said all that however, I am not convinced that you ever own a cat, I think the cat owns you. They are not like dogs who love you unconditionally, but I kind of like that arrogance in a cat. Examiner: We have been talking about something you own and now I would like to ask you some more general questions relating to this topic. EXPLAIN why some people try to get more and more possessions Student: We live in a consumer driven society. People seem to value themselves according to what they own. A brand new car, the latest gadgets etc. are seen today as status symbols. Up until recently, people had a lot of disposable income and this was squandered on material goods. People are constantly trying to outdo each other so if you get a new iPod then your so-called friend has to get a more up-to-date one to better you. In the current credit crunch consumer spending has gone down and people are having to make do with things rather than replacing them all the time. Hopefully we will see a return to traditional values such as friendship and loyalty rather than material possessions being the most important things in our lives.

17

ASSESS whether it is a good or a bad thing to be rich Student: Personally, I think it is a good thing to be rich because it opens up more opportunities. If you have loads of money, it is possible to travel all over the world and experience different cultures. There may be some downsides such as getting begging letters from people who want you to give them money, however I feel it is a small price to pay. If I had a choice of being rich or poor then obviously I am going to choose to be rich, I cannot understand why anyone would choose to be poor. People seem to think that rich means being unhappy, but if you asked a lot of poor people if they would like to be rich I cannot imagine they would say oh no thank you I am perfectly happy as I am. CONSIDER whether our society is getting more materialistic Student: Society has become infinitely more materialistic in recent years. My parents’ generation had to save up for things whereas today anything can be bought on credit. People have become so competitive and you are judged by what car you drive, what brand of jeans you are wearing etc. Because of the credit crunch there is a possibility that people may become less materialistic because there is not as much disposable income to buy luxury items as there was in the past. When my parents were young going out for meals and buying loads of electrical goods for entertainment reasons was unheard of, but now it is the norm. CONSIDER whether advertising gives people important information or makes them buy things they don’t need Student: During the advert breaks our televisions are full of adverts for things we don’t need and moreover things most people cannot afford. Even if you think you are not taking any notice of the adverts, the next time you are in the supermarket, you will find yourself filling your trolley with things that you hadn’t planned to buy. Occasionally there might be an advertisement which gives you essential information about health or finance, however, for the main part adverts are there to make us part with our money. Furthermore, advertisers use techniques to get you to buy things you don’t need such as using celebrities to endorse products or making claims that the product will change your life so you feel that you must have it. I have to admit that I have bought things in the past just because of advertisers’ claims and I have used the product once and then never used it again.

18

Find a word or phrase in the text, which has a similar meaning to the following: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Things that you own Money orientated I was shocked/disgusted Was wasted on Money available for spending To try and beat other people People of my mum and dad’s age group Signs of wealth Expensive/special products New toys/tools/electrical equipment Describe something you own which is important to you What is it? How and when did you get it? Why is it important to you?

19

3. Describe a recent news story that you have read or heard about What is it about? When and where did you read/hear about it? What effect did it have on you? Student: That’s a good question for me because I am fascinated by current affairs. The news story I would like to talk about is the Hudson Plane Crash. This event occurred in America a few years ago. Because of the internet and 24-hour rolling news I think I heard about this news story within minutes of it happening. A plane took off in New York but shortly after take-off there was a bird strike and both engines were taken out. The pilot then had to make an agonising decision – to try and return to the airport or to try and land the plane. The only possible place he could see to land the plane was on the Hudson River. I remember a previous occasion when a plane which had been hijacked by terrorists landed on water and all the people on board were killed. On this occasion, however, the pilot successfully landed the plane on the river. Miraculously all the people on board got off the plane uninjured. The pilot is an absolute hero. Before he got off the plane he walked up and down it to check that nobody was left on board. Before I heard about this story I was a nervous flyer, unfortunately this incident has not eased my nerves, in actual fact it has made my fear of flying worse. If I had been on the plane, I would have been terrified at the thought of losing my life and never seeing my family again. So as a result of this news story I doubt I will be flying again in the near future. Examiner: We have been talking about a recent news story and now I would like to ask you some more general questions relating to this topic. DESCRIBE how the internet has changed the way we get news Student: The internet has radically changed the way we get news. In the past people used to read a daily or weekly newspaper so by the time they were reading the news it was already out of date. Nowadays we get news on the internet and it is instant. In addition, people can read or hear the news without the need to buy a newspaper so it has probably reduced the number of newspapers sold. DESCRIBE what qualities a good journalist needs Student: I imagine that a journalist needs to be ruthless. A lot of time they have to write stories about people who do not want their faces splashed across the front of the newspaper, therefore they have to be pushy to get people to talk about them. Additionally, it would be necessary to be able to work to deadlines, as the news has to be printed as soon as possible so there is not a lot of time to think about or plan the story.

20

ASSESS which is the most reliable medium for getting news (internet, TV, radio, newspapers) Student: That’s a very difficult question because I imagine all of them have published stories which are not true. I would say the internet is the least reliable medium because anybody can put a story on the internet. The other three are all controlled more closely therefore, they are more reliable. I suppose it depends on the TV or radio station or programme as to whether it is reliable or not. CONSIDER whether censorship of news by governments is ever justified Student: This is a tricky question and although I am against censorship the majority of time, I think there may be cases where it is justified. For example, there have been a lot of suicides in a town in Wales in recent years and I feel that when one person does it and it is reported then other people copy what has happened. This is the same with murders. A lot of terrorist attacks are done because the terrorist groups want the publicity, if governments censored the information we are given, it might reduce the number of attacks in the future.

21

Find a word or phrase in the text, which has a similar meaning to the following: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

A very difficult choice I am very interested in This is a difficult question Unbelievably Unfeeling/cruel Completely altered Immediate Event/occurrence I believe Forceful/aggressive

Describe a recent news story that you have read or heard about What is it about? When and where did you read/hear about it? What effect did it have on you?

22

4. Describe a typical food from your country What is it and how is it made? When is it eaten? Why is it typical or special? Student: This is quite a nice topic for me because I really love cooking and eating, and I am particularly interested in local foods from my country. Probably the most famous dish from my part of the world is a chicken stew or casserole, which we traditionally eat at New Year. It’s actually quite easy to make. The basic ingredients are chicken, obviously, (actually you can use a whole chicken or just legs, wings and thighs) a few root vegetables like carrots and parsnips, some finely chopped onion and garlic and a few herbs like parsley, fennel and thyme. The method is pretty simple. You gently fry the onions and garlic in butter with a few small pieces of ham. At the same time, you chop the chicken into pieces and cover it in flour. You fry it straightaway, adding a little water and salt. Then, you basically put all the ingredients together in a huge casserole dish and cook them gently for about three hours. It’s absolutely delicious eaten with rice. The reason why I like it so much is that the whole family sits down together at the end of the year and everyone shares their recollections of the period just gone and their hopes and aspirations for the next twelve months. It is a time to reflect and understand. It’s actually one of the few times in the year when everything stands still and you can take time to think and talk. We all have a glass of wine and a toast for the New Year. The fact that we are eating more or less what our great-grandparents and their great-grandparents ate at New Year is a lovely feeling. It connects you to the past and reminds you where you came from. In those days, this casserole was really a luxury. These days, when most people who want to can eat meat regularly, it might seem a bit less exotic, but it reminds us of our past, which I think is incredibly important. Examiner: We have been talking about a typical food from your country and now I would like to ask you some more general questions relating to this topic. EXPLAIN why some people become vegetarian Student: That’s a very interesting question. Actually, I read somewhere recently that the number of vegetarians in my country has trebled this year. I’m not very well qualified to answer this question because I am a real carnivore, I love eating meat, but I guess there are two main reasons. The first would be that some people are morally or ethically opposed to eating meat as producing meat involves murdering animals. I suppose I have some sympathy with this view though not enough to actually stop eating meat. The second main reason is to do with taste. Some people actually don’t like the taste of meat and poultry, though actually I can’t understand why. Probably in the future, as meat substitute products improve, and the price of meat rises due to scarcity, vegetarianism might become even more popular. I wouldn’t be surprised.

23

COMPARE the different places you can buy food Student: Well, where I live there are basically two options. There are a number of huge supermarkets which sell just about everything you could possibly want to buy, and there are local markets where you can buy a limited range of fresh food, mainly meat and fish, fruit and vegetables and some herbs and spices I think. The main reason why the supermarkets are so popular is to do with the range of products available and convenience. You can park your car outside, get a shopping trolley and whiz round in no time at all. Usually they will have just about everything you need so you only have to go once a week. You can even do your shopping online and they will deliver it to your door for a price of course. The other alternative is the local market. There you can get very fresh produce at reasonable prices. Most of the things you can get there are supplied by local farmers and you can definitely taste the difference. It’s relatively inexpensive too. Another reason people often prefer to shop there is because the people who serve you tend to be a lot friendlier and if you’re a regular at a particular shop, they get to know you and might give you a discount from time to time. ASSESS whether people in your country have a healthy diet Student: Sadly, I would have to say that people from my country, especially the younger generation have an absolutely disgusting diet. They tend to eat junk food, which is full of salt and fat and sugar. As a result, levels of obesity are up, and heartdisease and illnesses related to blood pressure and cholesterol are higher. A lot of younger people get diabetes and liver problems as well. Older people usually eat quite healthily. They were brought up to know the importance of a nutritious and balanced diet but the problem is that youngsters just have no idea and don’t know about anything except burgers, fries and coke. CONSIDER whether the food we eat now is healthier than the food our grandparents ate Student: Well that’s one area in which we definitely haven’t made any progress. My grandparents ate fresh fruit and vegetables, occasionally fresh meat or fish, and hardly any chocolate or sugary foods. They worked hard all day so they burned off the calories and they didn’t usually eat large amounts of food. Well, that’s mainly because they couldn’t afford it. As I’ve already mentioned, people today basically eat rubbish, food with almost no nutritional value and none of the vitamins and minerals they need. I’m not surprised so many people are unhealthy and it seems amazing to me that life expectancy is actually rising.

24

Find a word or phrase in the text, which has a similar meaning to the following: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Immediately To go around really fast It’s quite cheap The things you need to cook something Ease of use A small choice Young people I don’t know a lot about this A customer who uses a shop a lot A reduction in the price

Describe a typical food from your country What is it and how is it made? When is it eaten? Why is it typical or special?

25

5. Describe a perfect meal that you would like to prepare What would you eat? Where would you eat it? Who would you invite? Student: This is a question I love discussing with my friends. If I could invite anyone to a dinner party, who would I invite? There are so many people who I admire, but you also have to think about the dynamics of the group of people. However, it’s my dinner party so I’ll invite anyone I like and not worry about group dynamics. With a doubt the first person I would invite would be David Beckham. He is my absolute hero and regardless of what people say about him being stupid I think he would be charismatic and charming. The second person I would invite is Cary Grant. He was an iconic British actor who lit up the small screen. I suppose I would have to invite a woman to even up the numbers… the woman I most admire is Pink so I would invite her. She’s a great singer and she is passionate about animals. When she was invited to Buckingham Palace by Prince William she turned down the invitation because of the Royal Family’s attitude towards killing animals for pleasure. Having two gorgeous men at one dinner party might be greedy but I would also have to invite Austin Butler, an American actor. He is not only drop dead gorgeous, but he is entertaining as well. If there’s space for another one, I’d include Russell Brand because he’s funny and could make us all laugh. So that is the guest list, now where would we eat and what would we eat? One of my favourite places in the world is the coastline between Portstewart and Portrush in Northern Ireland so we would have a picnic on a glorious summer’s day. Pink and Russell Brand are vegetarian like me so we would have freshly baked bread with a selection of cheeses and lots of salad things such as sun dried tomatoes, cucumber and avocado. We would drink champagne and then follow it with a pudding of chocolate mousse and strawberries. It would be a delicious feast with amazing company. Examiner: We have been talking about a perfect meal and now I would like to ask you some more general questions relating to this topic. EXPLAIN why the problem of obesity is increasing in many countries Student: The problem of obesity has escalated in recent years. I think the reasons for this are twofold. Firstly, a change in diet in western countries and secondly a change in our lifestyles. Our diet has become full of processed food and people eat fast food a couple of times a week on average. In general people have a sedentary lifestyle nowadays – they commute to work by car or train and sit at a desk all day therefore they are taking less physical exercise. The food we are eating and the lifestyle we are leading has resulted in this obesity problem.

26

EXPLAIN what you understand by “a healthy diet” Student: It is hard to say exactly what a healthy diet is, as the media seems to have news reports on a regular basis saying ‘eggs are good for you’ and then the next minute ‘eggs are bad for you’ so it is very hard to keep track of what is considered good and what is considered bad. It is generally agreed that a healthy diet should incorporate all the major food groups such as protein, carbohydrate and fat. It is essential that people have a balanced diet. It is also recommended that you eat five portions of fruit a day. DISCUSS the idea that unhealthy food should not be allowed to be advertised on TV Student: I’m in two minds about this because on the one hand I believe in free speech and what we watch on TV should not be censored, however, children are very vulnerable and easily influenced by what they see on TV and with rising obesity levels maybe unhealthy food should be banned from TV advertisements. Just because something might be considered unhealthy however such as ice cream does not mean to say that children should never be allowed to eat it. Everything in moderation is a good motto. I think if unhealthy food is banned from TV advertisements where will it stop? Will unhealthy food be banned from shops eventually? I think we should reeducate people rather than just banning it from being advertised otherwise we are just making it more attractive. CONSIDER how the ways food is produced and sold will change in the future Student: In the past food was produced in a natural way and sold locally at markets. Then intensive farming developed and food was produced much more cheaply, but at a detriment to quality. Recently there has been a growth in farmers’ markets where local produce is sold and these are becoming increasingly popular. I think we will see more of these appearing and there will be a return to people eating locally produced food which is sold at local markets and shops. I guess this is a good thing for producers and consumers and will help the environment as well because the carbon footprint is reduced.

27

Find a word or phrase in the text, which has a similar meaning to the following: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

The relationship of power between people Weak/susceptible A tasty meal with lots of food Increased Include Very handsome An inactive way of life Being allowed to say what you like A diet which includes all the important things Meat and eggs are examples of this food group

Describe a perfect meal that you would like to prepare What would you eat? Where would you eat it? Who would you invite?

28

6. Describe a piece of music that you like What type of music is it? When and where did you first hear it? Why do you like it? Student: It’s very hard to choose a piece of music that I like because there are so many genres of music that I like such as pop, rock, dance, R&B and classical. However, one of my absolute favourite pieces of music is Wonderwall by Oasis. This song was written quite a few years ago now and I remember that I first heard it when I was living in Italy. So that must mean it was released in 1995 because that is when I was working there. It’s quite a slow song, I suppose you could call it a ballad. I saw Oasis on tour in Italy and they sang an acoustic version of this song and it was absolutely incredible. I had goose pimples when I was listening to it. The song is about Noel Gallagher’s wife at the time and it describes her as his ‘Wonderwall’. They divorced a few years later though. I guess the thing I like most about the song is the lyrics. It’s a love song, but the lyrics aren’t all soppy. I can’t believe that the song is now fourteen years old because when I listen to it, it still sounds very contemporary. It’s quite difficult to categorise the genre for this song. Oasis have often been described as Britpop, which was a term to describe lots of British bands who emerged in the nineties. They are also described as rock, alternative and indie. The song was phenomenally successful and is still heard regularly on the radio today. Every time I hear it I am reminded of how much I love this song. They have released a lot of songs since this one, but I don’t think anything comes close to this standard. Examiner: We have been talking about music and now I would like to ask you some more general questions relating to this topic. CONSIDER whether famous pop stars influence young people too much Student: It’s true to say that pop stars influence young people, but it’s hard to say whether it is too much. And is being influenced by a pop star necessarily a bad thing? I suppose it depends on the pop star. Someone like Amy Winehouse who is addicted to drugs is certainly not a positive role model, but I don’t think the world’s drugs’ problems can be attributed to her. Certainly young girls may be influenced by skinny pop stars and want to emulate them and get eating disorders as a result. CONSIDER whether famous singers are paid too much Student: Again that depends on the pop star. If you are just a singer and don’t write your own lyrics or music, then the amount you get paid is probably not excessive. Singers who are also songwriters, however, make money from royalties and I think they deserve this money so no I do not agree that singer are paid too much.

29

CONSIDER whether it is fair that people can now often download music from the internet for free, without paying the writer or performer anything Student: I totally disagree with people being able to download music from the internet and the writer or performer gets nothing. To me it is stealing. You cannot just walk into a supermarket and take something without paying for it so why should you be allowed to have music for nothing. Record companies should work with the internet to make it impossible to download music without paying for it. This would then solve this problem. CONSIDER whether it is a good thing that “western” music seems to be popular all over the world Student: For language students I think western music is a useful tool for learning a language. A large proportion of western music is sung in English, therefore for learners of English listening to songs in English can contribute to their language acquisition. However, if the popularity of western music means that indigenous music is lost then the dominance of western music is a bad thing.

30

Find a word or phrase in the text, which has a similar meaning to the following: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Local/native Song words Amazingly/unbelievably/extremely Very thin A slow song Weak/pathetic I had a feeling of excitement that resulted in the hairs of my arms standing up Too much Current/up-to-date Type

Describe a piece of music that you like What type of music is it? When and where did you first hear it? Why do you like it?

31

7. Describe an important invention What was it? When was it made? Why do you think it was important? Student: Well, I’m not generally particularly interested in science and technology and that sort of thing so this is quite a tricky topic for me. Anyway, one invention I can definitely talk about is television. I believe it was invented at the beginning of the twentieth century, so about a hundred years ago, but I’m not exactly sure who invented it. If I remember rightly, they started off by just being able to show still images and obviously the quality of picture was extremely poor. After a while, they could transmit moving images and include sound and by about 1930, TV looked something like it does now, except it was in black and white. I don’t think television had a huge impact until after the Second World War. Then, particularly in America, ordinary people started buying TV sets. Obviously, these days, it has a massive influence on just about all aspects of our life. If it wasn’t for television, we wouldn’t know what was happening in the world, we wouldn’t be able to watch sport or much entertainment and a million and one other things. Television has helped turn the world into a much smaller place. For example, if there is an earthquake in India, a terrorist attack in South America or a financial crisis in Europe we will know about it almost immediately through the medium of television. In the past, say a century ago, it might have taken weeks for news to arrive. Also, we have an understanding of what life is like in other parts of the world. When there is famine or drought somewhere, TV pictures bring it into our living-rooms and, hopefully, persuade us to try to do something about it. Examiner: We have been talking about an invention and now I would like to ask you some more general questions relating to this topic. EXPLAIN the qualities which a good inventor needs Student: Actually, I’ve never invented anything or even wanted to so I’m probably not the best person to answer this question. But I suppose inventors need to have a good scientific or technical background. They need to understand how things work and how they can be combined. As well as that, I suppose good inventors need to be able to see a clear overall picture and not to get bogged down in specific details. There’s no doubt at all that they must be very dedicated and patient people, with the ability to concentrate for long periods of time. Most of them probably also have a desire to improve things. I suppose the reason they invent new things is because they see a situation which needs improving. Not many of us have that skill. Not many people can understand a problem and see a potential solution.

32

DESCRIBE a piece of modern technology which you dislike Student: Personally speaking, I absolutely detest mobile phones. I’ve actually got one, and I do sometimes use it, and it is convenient at times, but, having said all that, I loathe them, especially when you are in the cinema or sitting quietly on a train or bus, and one of them rings. It is so frustrating to have to listen to the silly noise they make and then overhear half of the conversation. I have to say that I find it incredibly annoying and every time I hear one ringing my heart sinks. They are absolutely infuriating. ASSESS how much modern technology affects your life Student: It’s almost impossible to work out how much my life and the lives of everyone I know are influenced by the technological advances which have taken place over the last few decades. Just about everything these days is controlled by computer or at least by micro-chips. Computers play a major role in medicine, education, transport, leisure activities and just about everything else I can think of. The way people communicate nowadays is completely controlled by technology. You’ve got texting and the internet and mobile phones. I would say that one of the most interesting questions is how much technological change affects our attitudes towards each other. I think people interact in different ways and develop new skills. At the same time, they tend to lose the ability to communicate face-to-face. DISCUSS whether people would have a better quality of life without modern inventions Student: It’s quite easy to say that if we didn’t have all these things, time-saving devices and labour-saving machines, life would be so much simpler and more enjoyable. But in actual fact I think most of us would be lost without the ability to communicate easily, travel around quickly and get medical treatment which actually saves lives. I know it’s nice to get away from it all sometimes, just leave technology behind and get out into the country and breathe fresh air, but after a while you are bound to want to call somebody, find out what is happening around the world or just travel somewhere quickly, and to do that, you will need technology. SPECULATE on whether technology will completely take over our lives in the future. Student: I’m a bit afraid that it might. I’ve recently read some really interesting articles in magazines about this, and what they seem to be saying is that as time goes by, it will become possible to transplant computer chips into the human brain and develop robots which will have forms of intelligence similar to human intelligence. The result of all this will probably be that it will be difficult to know what is human and what is machine. So in that sense, I am worried that technology might take over in the end.

33

Find a word or phrase in the text, which has a similar meaning to the following: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Annoying I don’t really like Work together/co-operate Tolerant Things that save you time and work I really hate Possible/probable A big effect on Committed/enthusiastic A difficult subject

Describe an important invention What was it? When was it made? Why do you think it was important?

34

8. Describe a TV programme that you have seen recently What was it about? When did you see it? Why you did like it and what influence did it have on you? Student: The TV programme that I have watched recently which I would like to talk about is called Mistresses. This was shown on the BBC on Tuesday evenings. It was a series of six episodes and the series, which has just finished was the second series. It is best described as a drama and is particularly aimed at women, however I think quite a lot of men watched it because it is full of extremely attractive women. Basically, there are four women who are close friends and the programme focuses on the relationships they have. Their relationships can be dangerous for example, Siobhan was a married woman who had an affair with a work colleague and got pregnant. Her husband agreed to bring up the baby as his own but Siobhan then embarked on a series of other affairs. She had a job as a lawyer, but when she started an affair with one of her clients, things got very messy. Her husband subsequently found out and said he wanted a divorce. Personally, I feel that the programme is slightly unrealistic, as for people to be having so many relationships and for so many beautiful people to be in one place is not normal. For me it was pure escapism. It is not a life I want, but it’s nice to escape into it for an hour every week. At the end of the last series there was a bit of a cliff-hanger so I can’t wait for another series to find out what happens. I don’t think it influenced me in any way other than being one hour’s worth of entertainment. The good thing as well is that it was on at 9 o’clock so it gave me chance to wind down after a stressful day. Examiner: We have been talking about a TV programme and now I would like to ask you some more general questions relating to this topic. EXPLAIN how TV can influence people in both a good and a bad way Student: Many crimes have been committed as a direct result of people watching violent TV programmes or films. This is a particularly worrying way in which TV can have a negative influence on people. There are however educational programmes which can have a positive influence on people such as programmes about our health and well-being. ASSESS whether parents should stop their children from watching some programmes Student: In the UK there is a watershed of 9pm. This means that before 9pm programmes should not contain to many swear words or too much violence. If parents allow children to stay up after the watershed, then they need to monitor the programmes the children are watching to see if they are suitable. I think that parents have a responsibility to censor the programmes that their children watch. This is good parenting.

35

CONSIDER whether it is a good thing that we can see such violent news on our TV every day Student: I watched the news today and it was full of stories of murders and violence. I was horrified and consider it a bad thing that we are exposed to such things day in day out. I am also of the opinion that violence breeds violence. People copy what they have seen on television so I would be happy if our news was censored. SPECULATE on the future of TV. Student: With satellite television and the internet we are now able to get TV 24 hours a day and from all the continents. Because of this, however, I personally feel that the quality of TV programmes has diminished. In the past the BBC was respected for the quality of its programmes and they were sold all over the world. Nowadays because of 24-hour TV more programmes need to be made and they are not as good as they used to be. I think this reduction in quality TV programmes is a trend that will continue.

36

Find a word or phrase in the text, which has a similar meaning to the following: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

A time after which programmes with violence can be shown Reduced Shocked/disgusted It is designed for Consequently/after that To relax When a programme ends at a critical point and you don’t know what’s going to happen next Something you watch or do to escape from the real world An individual programme out of a series Bad words

Describe a TV programme that you have seen recently What was it about? When did you see it? Why you did like it and what influence did it have on you?

37

9. Describe a radio programme you have heard recently What was it about? When did you hear it? Why did you like it and how did it influence you? Student: I listen to the radio a lot but most of the time I have it on in the background and am not listening to it intently. However, there was a new radio show on Sunday evening which I read about it in the newspaper and I made a point of listening to it. It was presented by Russell Brand, a comedian, and Noel Gallagher, from the group Oasis. They are both massive football fans and did a two-hour show talking about football. To be honest I was a bit sceptical about the programme and didn’t think it would be very good because Noel is a singer and guitarist not a radio presenter; however, I was pleasantly surprised by it. It was extremely entertaining and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Basically, they told lots of anecdotes. These anecdotes were on the whole really funny. This show was a pilot show, that means it was like a test show to see if it would be popular and if enough people listened to it, then they would get the opportunity to make more of these shows. It was broadcast on a radio station called Talksport, which is a British radio station specialising in talking about sport obviously. They do not play any music on this station. During the day, I tend to listen to music programmes on Radio 1, however in the evening I like to wind down by listening to talk programmes on radio stations such as 5Live, Radio 4 or Talksport. Sometimes these kinds of shows can get irritating because the presenters talk rubbish or say things to be controversial. To be honest when I am listening to such programmes a lot of the time I am distracted and reading the paper or doing something else, but this programme with Russell and Noel I found compulsive listening and had to stop reading my paper to focus on it. I don’t think it influenced me in any particular way. It made me laugh and took my mind off other things, which is good for relaxing and relieving stress. I will certainly look out for further shows and will definitely listen to them. Examiner: We have been talking about a radio programme and now I would like to ask you some more general questions relating to this topic. COMMENT on whether TV programmes are better than radio programmes Student: That is a sweeping statement and it is impossible to say whether TV programmes are better than radio programmes. Certainly, there are some TV programmes, which are infinitely better than some radio programmes however, the reverse is also true. I have seen some absolute rubbish on TV and because there are now so many TV stations and because of the credit crunch there is not as much money to spend on making quality TV programmes. It would be fair to say that there are good TV programmes and there are good radio programmes.

38

CONSIDER the qualities which somebody needs to be a good radio presenter Student: Being a radio presenter requires many different qualities; however, it depends on the type of show they are presenting. For example, if you are working on a music show you need to have an extensive knowledge of music, the latest bands etc. However, if you are working on a talk show with a phone in, that means people can phone in to the radio show then you need to be a good communicator and have excellent interpersonal skills. I think being a presenter on this kind of show would be very tricky because you might get rude people phoning in and you have to be careful that they do not swear or say anything libellous on air. EXPLAIN why radio is becoming less and less important Student: Because it is now possible to get satellite television, when people are abroad they can watch TV programmes from their own country whereas in the past it was only possible to get radio stations from your own country. People would depend on the radio for the latest news whereas now it is possible to get the news on the Internet. COMPARE the importance of national and local radio Student: National radio is essential for news, which is relevant for the whole country for example major events and things which affect us all. Local radio can keep us informed about traffic jams and local events, which might be considered insignificant for the national news. SPECULATE on whether radio will still be important in the future Student: I personally believe that there will always be a place for radio, however I think most people will use internet radio in the future. The advantages of internet radio are that people can choose to listen to the programmes when they want as many programmes are available as podcasts. I cannot see radio disappearing, however I can envisage that many radio stations will close down in the near future as a lot of them get their money from advertising and companies are reducing their advertising budgets during the present difficult economic situation.

39

Find a word or phrase in the text, which has a similar meaning to the following: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Keenly/attentively Personal stories Foresee/predict Widespread Something that is said that is very general Good ability to communicate with other people Complete nonsense A test show to see if it’s going to be popular Bad mannered/impolite Something you couldn’t stop listening to

Describe a radio programme you have heard recently What was it about? When did you hear it? Why did you like it and how did it influence you?

40

10. Describe an adventurous person How do you know this person? Why do you think this person is adventurous? How do you feel about this person? Student: The first person that came to mind when I read this question is my friend Michael who I met seven years ago at work. On the one hand, he could be described as completely unadventurous as he has not passed his driving test yet, however on the other hand I would describe him as extremely adventurous because of something that he did a few years ago and that was cycling from Lands End, which is the most southerly point in the United Kingdom to John O’Groats, which is the most northerly point in the United Kingdom. I see him as daring because most people who make up their mind to do something like this would plan it meticulously and make sure that they had comfy hotels to spend the night in to recover from the day’s cycling, but not Michael. No, he decided not only to put his body through the arduous task of cycling hundreds of miles every day, but also to camp in a tent every night. To me this indicates a person who loves adventure whereas I would have made sure that I had a luxury hotel with a hot shower and a breakfast prepared for me every morning rather than having to wake up and make my own breakfast. The first few days were extremely tough for him and he telephoned me and said ‘What am I doing?’ I admire him tremendously for doing this because he refused to give up and kept going despite having to endure horrendous weather, an extremely uncomfortable tent that he had to put up every night when he reached his destination and a very long journey and he spent most of it cycling on his own. Most people think about doing such things, but when it comes down to it they don’t have the courage to actually do it. Words are cheap and it is easy to say ‘I could do that’, but it is much harder in reality to actually do it. I doubt whether Michael would do it again, but I still think he is an adventurous person for doing it in the first place and that is an admirable quality. Examiner: We have been talking about an adventurous person and now I would like to ask you some more general questions relating to this topic. DESCRIBE some of the risky activities which people do Student: The first thing that springs to mind is climbing mountains such as Everest which is something I would absolutely never do. I can see why people would want to do that – there is the satisfaction of getting to the top, however it is fraught with danger and there are so many things that could go wrong. Other risky things that people enjoy doing are things like caving or potholing which involves going underground. I suffer from claustrophobia so this is something I would not consider doing. I didn’t use to be but I am such a coward now that even skiing seems like a dangerous thing to do. A British actress died recently after she fell on the ski slopes so this proves that it is indeed dangerous.

41

EXPLAIN why people are willing to risk their life mountain climbing, parachuting etc Student: When you do activities such as these your body releases adrenalin, which can be addictive. People who do lots of these things are often referred to as adrenalin junkies. This means they are addicted to the feeling that you get when you do such activities. You get on a high when you have finished the activity and it is similar to the feeling you get when you take drugs I imagine. Personally, I wouldn’t want to risk my life mountain climbing or jumping out of an aeroplane, however I can appreciate the reason why people want to do it. ASSESS whether taxpayers should be responsible for paying for rescuing people who have got into trouble doing risky activities like mountain climbing Student: This is a tricky question for me to answer because on the one hand it could be argued that it is irresponsible for people to do these kinds of activities and get into danger and then expect the taxpayer to rescue them if they encounter a problem. However, my sister enjoys doing such things therefore if she were to get into trouble and needed mountain rescue then I would want her to get whatever help possible. Maybe policies should be introduced which mean that people could not do such things without having insurance which would cover them in the event of any accidents, however this would be extremely difficult to monitor. CONSIDER whether life now is more or less risky than in the past Student: Personally, I believe that life is significantly riskier now than in the past. Firstly, because of the increasing number of vehicles on the roads this has made travelling by car much more dangerous. Secondly there are a lot more opportunities for people to travel to foreign countries, for example many students now take a gap year before they go to university and this involves travelling to dangerous countries on their own and there have been many instances of young people being killed whilst on gap years. Thirdly, I think life is riskier because it has become more competitive. This means that people are doing more and more dangerous things to try and compete with each other. People are not satisfied with doing something simple like going for a walk nowadays, they have to be hot air ballooning or trekking through Peru in their spare time.

42

Find a word or phrase in the text, which has a similar meaning to the following: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

It is full of Brave Fear of small spaces To suffer bad weather I respect him greatly The first thing I thought of People who get a thrill out of doing dangerous things To supervise/control A person who is scared of doing things Difficult job

Describe an adventurous person How do you know this person? Why do you think this person is adventurous? How do you feel about this person?

43

11. Describe a photograph you like What is the photograph of? When and where was it taken? How does it make you feel? Student: For as long as I can remember I have had an intense dislike of having my photograph taken. I used to believe that photographs steal your soul and that was my reason for avoiding cameras at all costs. Maybe I was just using that as an excuse and the truth is it is because I consider myself so ugly on photos. As far as I am concerned I am the most unphotogenic person on the planet. Therefore, the photo I would like to talk about is not a self-portrait, but is one of my cat Malcolm. Malcolm, named after my hero the cyclist Malcolm Elliott, sadly died several years ago, but when I look at the picture of him it makes me smile. The photo encapsulated Malcolm’s personality beautifully. He was sitting on my mum’s knee and I was sitting next to her just playing with my camera. My mum was eating a banana and all of a sudden Malcolm took a bite of the banana. I managed to capture this moment on camera and Malcolm looks like he is winking at the camera as he takes a huge bite of the banana. It must have been taken during the 1990s. I can’t remember exactly. I know it was in the living room at my mum’s house. This photo makes me feel so many emotions. On the one hand it makes me smile because it is such a wonderful photo and quite funny to look at, but on the other I have a tinge of sadness because Malcolm is no longer with us and he was the most amazing cat. He had the most unique personality. Nobody messed with him and I loved his arrogance. I love taking photographs, but I love pictures that are not posed or rehearsed. I love an image that is captured and isn’t planned. I find pictures of people smiling at the camera quite ridiculous. Examiner: We have been talking about a photograph and now I would like to ask you some more general questions relating to this topic. COMPARE whether it is better to take photographs or buy postcards when on holiday Student: Photographs would be my preferred option, as you can choose what you would like to take a photograph of rather than having to buy what is on offer. Also photographs are much more personal and you can include people in your photos, which makes them more meaningful and creates memories for the future. Admittedly the quality of postcards may be better, I mean the quality of the photography as they are taken by professional photographers, however nowadays with digital cameras it is possible to take lots of photos and delete them until you get one that you are happy with.

44

EXPLAIN why photographs are used in advertising Student: I think that photographs are used in advertising primarily to make the product appear more attractive. This could be done in several different ways such as using celebrities or photographing the product in an exotic location. For example, when David Beckham was advertising razors it made the product appear sexy and more people wanted to buy it. Photographs are visual and create an immediate impact which is hard to do with just words. EXPLAIN why some families choose to have a professional photographer take a photo of them Student: Personally this is something that I would never choose to do, as I think that posed photos are tasteless. I think the reason that a lot of families choose to do this is that they want to have a memory of the time the family was all together and I suppose when you are talking a photo yourself somebody is usually taking the photo and therefore not in it. However, these days cameras are so sophisticated and have selftimers so this shouldn’t be a problem. I also believe that there is a misconception that posed photos taken by a photographer are better than photographs that you take yourself, however I strongly dispute this, as I feel that natural photographs where you have captured a moment are more special. CONSIDER whether shocking photographs should be used in TV news reports Student: Recently there has been a proliferation of shocking photos which have appeared in TV news reports, for example a young woman was murdered in Iran and this was captured on a mobile phone. This image has been transmitted around the world. I find it appalling, but the net result of it is that we become immune to such images. A further example of this is the shocking number of young people who have been murdered in London and images frequently appear in the paper or on the internet. We have seen so many of them and now they fail to shock us. SPECULATE on whether people will take photographs in fifty years’ time Student: I cannot imagine a world where photographs are not taken. Digital cameras are becoming more sophisticated and nearly everyone owns one nowadays. What could replace them? I suppose there are video recordings but these have so far not been as popular as photographs, as you need a piece of equipment to display them on whereas you can carry a photo in your wallet. I think it is fair to say that there won’t be as many actual photographs in albums, as most photographs are stored on computers and are not printed out. This is a shame because future generations will not be able to see them.

45

Find a word or phrase in the text, which has a similar meaning to the following: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

People in the future To become unaffected by something Summarised Stylish/complicated In bad taste A rise in the number of I really don’t like To not look good in photos I completely disagree with this Mainly/first and foremost

Describe a photograph you like What is the photograph of? When and where was it taken? How does it make you feel?

46

12. Describe a building that you know What is it used for? When did you first see it? How does it make you feel? Student: I’m pleased you’ve asked me this question because I’m fascinated by architecture. I love old buildings and think that in the past we used to create much more interesting buildings than we do today. I feel that architecture has actually taken a step backwards. Profit is the most important thing nowadays so developers build buildings as quickly and as cheaply as possible with no care for durability or aesthetics. One of the most iconic buildings in the world for many years has been the Empire State Building in New York. The soaring Art Deco skyscraper was for decades the tallest structure on Earth and it has featured in countless photographs, newsreels and feature films (including, of course King Kong). It stood as the world's tallest building for more than forty years, from its completion in 1931 until construction of the Centre’s North Tower was completed in 1972. Following the destruction of the World Trade Centre in 2001, the Empire State Building once again became the tallest building in New York City and New York State. I first saw this building in films and vowed that one day I would visit it. In 1999 I went on a trip to New York with my mum and sister and one of the highlights of our trip was going to the top of the Empire State Building at night. The view over Manhattan was amazing and I felt like I was in a Cary Grant film. The whole of the skyline was illuminated. In 2004 I went to New York again, this time with my husband, and we made a point of going to see this building again. As far as I am aware the building is used as offices. I am not entirely sure what businesses actually work there. Because it is such an iconic building and has been used in so many photographs, films etc. it is an extremely popular tourist attraction. I remember on both occasions that I went to see this building there were long queues. I have to say though that it was well worth the wait. Examiner: We have been talking about buildings and now I would like to ask you some more general questions relating to this topic. EXPLAIN how people adapt their houses to make them more comfortable Student: There are many ways in which people adapt their houses. For example, rather than moving house, many people extend their houses. This involves building an extension or maybe a loft conversion which means that the loft space in the house is converted into an extra bedroom or office. Some people spend excessive amounts of money installing home entertainment systems such as flat screen TVs and music systems that mean you can have music playing while you are having a bath.

47

CONSIDER ways in which offices could be designed to improve working conditions Student: The problem with many offices is that there is a lack of space. If space were no problem, then offices could include rest and relaxation areas for staff to use during breaks. There could be a gym which staff could use before and/or after work. My personal preference would be a steam room and massage area so that when you are stressed you can go and chill out there. I am sure it would improve productivity. ASSESS the importance of architecture: why does it matter how a building looks Student: In the past buildings used to be designed and constructed so that they were aesthetically pleasing. Take York Minster for example, I imagine it took many years to construct and was not rushed. Nowadays however buildings are put up in a day and I feel this has an extremely negative effect on how a building looks. The skyline is incredibly important and we should not fill it with badly designed and badly constructed monstrosities. SPECULATE on how the office of the future will look Student: I actually think that there will be very few offices in the future. There is an increasing tendency for people to work at home. This saves companies vast amounts of money on things such as office space, electricity, heating etc and I think there will be more such offices in the future. I personally do not think this is a good thing at all, as people become very isolated and I feel there will be an increase in depression. I believe it is good to go to work and be able to moan to your colleagues and get lots of things out of your system. Sitting at home with only a computer for company is not a good idea at all.

48

Find a word or phrase in the text, which has a similar meaning to the following: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Tall (as in a building) Eyesores Beautiful to look at Numerous Lit up A lot of money I don’t know Is changed/transformed into Very famous Lonely/alone

Describe a building that you know What is it used for? When did you first see it? How does it make you feel?

49

13. Describe a school or college you know When did you first see it? What is it like? How does it make you feel? Student: The place I would like to talk about is York College. The college has been running for over fifty years I think and originally was on a site in the city centre. It then moved to a site on the outskirts of York near Tesco. A few years ago, the old college was demolished and a brand new building was built. The first time I saw the new building was when it was already one-year-old, however I was still very impressed with it. It is a huge building with four wings around a central atrium which is a large area in the entrance. As you walk in through reception on the right hand side there is a beauty salon. To the back of the building there is a restaurant which is where they train chefs. To the left there is an eating area and a shop. In the middle there is an enormous staircase which goes up to the fourth floor. It is possible to stand on the 1 st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th floors and look down into the atrium which is really impressive. When I first came into the building I felt very nervous because the building is so huge that it is intimidating however now I have got used to it I enjoy being here. As an organisation I feel that it is a warm and friendly place and there is always somebody around to ask if you are lost and need help. The teachers are incredibly supportive and always happy to help students. Although it is a massive institution in terms of its size and the number of people who are there I feel part of a community and I regularly bump into people I know. I believe that the college teaches a wide range of courses, both full and part time. There are evening courses for mature students who work and they offer a huge range of subjects from politics to hair and beauty. I imagine that just about any course that you want is taught here. The facilities are excellent – there is a well-equipped library and on every floor there are computers, which are free for students to use, and there are various places to eat. Examiner: We have been talking about a school or college and now I would like to ask you some more general questions relating to this topic. CONSIDER whether teachers should have the right to hit children who behave badly Student: I absolutely disagree with children being hit by teachers even if they behave badly. Corporal punishment was outlawed in state schools in the UK in 1987, although I think it had already stopped in many schools prior to that. When I was at school I do not remember it being used. I do not think it acts as a deterrent, I think it teaches children that hitting people is acceptable if they have done something that has annoyed or upset you. It may be argued that discipline problems have increased in schools since it was made illegal, however I do not agree that this is the case, I think that there are other reasons for this such as teachers being powerless to kick students out of classes when they are misbehaving.

50

EXPLAIN why some parents prefer to educate their children at home rather than sending them to school Student: Home teaching has become increasingly popular in my country. I think generally in all aspects of life we are much more demanding than we used to be so if we are not happy with something we immediately look for an alternative and I personally think this is why there are many more children being educated at home than in the past. Some parents feel that they can teach their children much more by letting them actually experience real life such as doing the shopping, going to a farm rather than being stuck in a classroom. I fear that it may result in highly educated students, but with poor social skills, as they have not learnt to interact with people properly. Schools are vital for acquiring social skills. COMPARE education now and in the past. How has it changed? Student: There have been a number of significant changes in the style of teaching, the curriculum and how children are treated. Firstly, in the past teachers used to be much more authoritarian than they are nowadays. The teacher was a figure of authority. Lessons were conducted with the teacher standing at the front and with very little talking. Things have changed somewhat in that there is much greater emphasis on communication and students are expected to speak more than the teacher. In terms of the curriculum in the past subjects such as Latin were studied whereas nowadays this is taught in very few schools. Additionally, there was a greater focus on reading, writing and maths whereas today there is less emphasis on things such as spelling and handwriting. I think this is a shame. Finally, there has been a shift in how children are treated. I think that they have more rights now and the teachers have fewer rights. Corporal punishment has ceased to exist and schools are far less disciplined than they used to be. SPECULATE on what the school of 2050 will look like Student: That’s a question I’ve never thought about before… I suppose there will be much greater emphasis on computers and interactive learning rather than children just sitting at desks and looking at a whiteboard. I think they will have much better facilities than they do today with much greater choice of places to eat and study. I would hope that we don’t get to the stage where there are no desks and students are sitting at a computer all day because I don’t think that is necessarily a good idea. Students need to interact with a teacher and other students. It is likely that libraries in schools will get smaller, as a lot of reference material can now be found on the internet. I am saddened by this thought because I much prefer reading a book to sitting at a computer looking at a document.

51

Find a word or phrase in the text, which has a similar meaning to the following: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

There has been a change Something which stops you doing something In all parts/areas of Made illegal A big organisation A bigger emphasis on I am disappointed Strict Books/documents with lots of information Behaving badly

Describe a school or college you know When did you first see it? What is it like? How does it make you feel?

52

14. Describe your favourite animal What is it? When did you first see it? Why is it special for you? Student: I’ve always been really keen on polar bears. I’ve really loved them ever since I was little though I can’t fully explain why. I suppose it has something to do with the fact that they seem so cute and cuddly, though actually, if you tried to cuddle one you would probably get your head bitten off. I’ve never actually seen a polar bear in the wild but I did see one when I was about eight years old, at a zoo. Actually, even at that age, I found it quite an unpleasant experience to see such a handsome animal in a cage. It was walking from side to side of the cage, prowling around and obviously not happy to be out of its natural habitat. One of the things I find most intriguing about polar bears is the cunning way they hunt for seals. Apparently, they sometimes spend days waiting outside a seal’s breathing hole and they have been known to swim towards seals with their bottom in the air, hoping the seals will mistake them for a piece of ice. According to a TV programme I once watched that hunting strategy sometimes works. Another thing I absolutely admire about these animals is their ability to be so solitary and self-dependent. They often go for months without meeting other bears and, apart from during the mating season, they seem to prefer to be alone rather than in a pack. Of course the really sad thing about polar bears is that they will probably be extinct within half a century. They depend on ice and, as ice forms later in the year now, because of global warming, the bears are getting hungrier and, consequently, more of them are not able to make it through the long winter. It would be such a shame if polar bears died out completely. They are one of the most beautiful animals in the world and we should do everything we can to preserve them. Examiner: We have been talking about animals and now I would like to ask you some more general questions relating to this topic. EXPLAIN which animals make the best pets Student: Where I live, in the countryside, just about everybody has a dog. They are pets but they also double as guard dogs. If anyone comes near the house in the night especially, they start barking and growling and wake everybody up. As far as I know, dogs are popular all around the world and in just about every culture. I know some people like to have a cat, but they are much less domesticated than dogs. Dogs actually love being with people whereas cats seem to tolerate people as long as they get fed, but I don’t think a cat would ever defend its owner like a dog would. Actually, I’ve heard about all sorts of animals being kept as pets. Someone once told me that they had a snake at home, and lots of people keep fish in a tank. My auntie used to have a tortoise but I think it is illegal now. And when I was at school some children kept white mice at home.

53

EXPLAIN why some people don’t like pets Student: There are probably quite a few reasons why some people don’t like having animals in the house. One of the most important reasons is that pets are actually really difficult to look after. If I can give the example of a dog, you have to take it for a walk and make sure it gets enough exercise, you have to feed it regularly and brush its coat. Apart from that there is the question of cost. Sometimes you have to take pets to the vet and this can be really expensive. And some people say animals smell and make the place untidy, and it’s true, you do get dog-hairs everywhere and, especially if the animal isn’t well trained, there can be the occasional unpleasant accident in the house, if you see what I mean. On the whole though, I think a pet is a wonderful companion. I would love to have one though unfortunately in the house where I’m living now you’re not allowed to keep them DESCRIBE ways in which animals help people Student: Throughout history animals have helped people in many ways. Dogs have probably helped humans more than any other species. They have been used to guard things, and as guides, by blind people for example. They are sometimes used to pull heavy loads and equipment, especially in the arctic circle. Obviously, other animals like elephants and donkeys and camels are regularly used to carry heavy loads and even people. Probably one of the most extraordinary ways in which animals have helped humans is carrier pigeons. During wars, for example, they have been used to send messages even from one country to another. The pigeon is trained to go to a particular location and a message is tied to its leg. ASSESS whether animals play an important role in your culture Student: Yes, in some senses they do. As I’ve just mentioned, animals play a vital role in helping people, and it is no different in my culture. Many people have pets, particularly dogs, and they provide company, especially for older people and people on their own. In more rural parts of the country animals play a huge part in the economy. It’s a very agricultural area and horses and mules are used a lot. There are lots of sheep and cattle as well. Animals also play a symbolic role in the country. Our national emblem is the eagle. It appears on our flag and lots of other national symbols. When people see the eagle, they feel a sense of pride in the country and its achievements. DISCUSS why and how we should protect endangered species. Student: I think it is beyond doubt that we should protect endangered species like polar bears, tigers, black rhinos and pumas. The difficulty is how to do it. Everyone says that they want to save the whale or the Siberian tiger but at the same time everyone wants to get a job, have a car and basically use up natural resources and cause pollution. It is precisely these things which threaten the existence of so many important animals. I strongly believe that we really have to make a choice between economic and environmental aims and at the moment we are choosing to develop economically at the expense of nature. I am genuinely concerned that this cannot continue and that very soon we will have reached a point where we have destroyed so much of our natural world that it will be impossible to recover.

54

Find a word or phrase in the text, which has a similar meaning to the following: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Animals in danger of dying out I am worried that The place where animals live in the wild Tame/not wild In the countryside Farming Dead/no longer exist Have an important job Friend Farm animals

Describe your favourite animal What is it? When did you first see it? Why is it special for you?

55

15. Describe somebody who has influenced your life in a positive way Who are they? How did you come to meet them? Why do you admire them? Student: That’s a tricky question because there are so many people in my life who have influenced me such as my parents and my grandparents, however the person who had a major impact on me was a teacher whilst I was studying at the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland. Up until that point I was not really sure what I wanted to do with my life, but Dr Pritchard was so passionate about English language and her passion rubbed off on me. She was quite fierce and scary at times, however when I had got used to her I grew to really like her. She would be strict in the classroom, but extremely warm as well so it made me feel that I could go and speak to her about anything. I admire her in particular for her love of teaching which she passed on to her students. Although she was strict, she always made the lessons fun. That inspired me to try and make my classes as fun as possible. At Christmas and the end of the year, she organised a party at her house and I remember going for the first time and I was extremely nervous, but she was so welcoming and an excellent host that I really looked forward to these social occasions. She was in many ways a larger-than-life character, what I mean by that is she had a big personality and when she was in a room she tended to dominate it. As I have said, at first this came across as intimidating but after a while I realised that she was actually a lovely person and she made a big impression on me. I kept in touch with her for a while after I completed my course, but I have lost touch recently. Examiner: We have been talking about a person who has influenced you and now I would like to ask you some more general questions relating to this topic. EXPLAIN why so many people are influenced by celebrities Student: Nowadays we come into contact with celebrities much more than I think we did in the past. I do not mean actually physically meeting them but we know more about their lives. Famous people are in the newspapers daily and there are hundreds of women’s magazines such as Hello and OK where you can see what they are wearing and their houses. Then there is the internet which has exposed them to us even more. Facebook, My Space and now the increasingly popular Twitter means that we can find out what celebrities are doing on a minute by minute basis. If we compare this with the past and stars such as Cary Grant and Grace Kelly for example, we were not exposed to them in the same way. We would see them in films and maybe occasionally in newspapers when they had done something significant such as make a film whereas today we see pictures of them if they have got a new boyfriend or pair of shoes.

56

CONSIDER whether celebrities have an obligation to act as a role model to younger people Student: I think it really depends on what the celebrity is famous for. If they are a footballer or something like that then yes, I do think that it is important that they set an example. A couple of years ago a few of the England players got involved in a fight in a pub before an England game and I think it was irresponsible of them. They should be setting an example to young people – they are athletes and I was extremely disappointed to see them behaving like that in a pub. There was also the case of a children’s TV presenter a few years ago who was caught on camera using drugs. I think this is a very bad example to set for young people. If the celebrity is a rock star or an actor I do not think that it is as important to act as a role model. DESCRIBE how advertising tries to influence people to buy things Student: Advertising executives are very clever so they do things such as placing their adverts for their products in places where they get exposure to the group they are targeting. For example, if you watch children’s television programmes you will see that between the programmes there are adverts for the latest toys, gadgets, trainers etc. The parents are then put under pressure from their offspring to buy these things. Additionally, advertisers use something called product placement, for example in films you might see the main character drinking coca cola and this makes people buy more of this product. Another thing that advertisers do to influence people is celebrity endorsement so for example if David Beckham advertises a particular product and says how wonderful it is then loads of people will want to buy it. SUGGEST how parents can best influence their children Student: The best way to influence your children in my opinion is to be a positive role model to them. I have heard many parents criticising and admonishing their children for swearing and then in the next breath they are swearing themselves. Another thing to do is to not smoke or drink or drink in moderation. However, I do not agree with saying to children ‘you can’t do this or you can’t do that’, as that will make them rebel against it and they will want to do it more. I think the best thing to do is to have good communication with your children to ensure that if there is a problem they will come and speak to you about it rather than getting into a worse situation.

57

Find a word or phrase in the text, which has a similar meaning to the following: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Telling off Frightening Children Motivated me to To do things a little/sensibly A person who encourages good behaviour Very confident/flamboyant Careless/foolish I am no longer in contact with Frightening and scary

Describe somebody who has influenced your life in a positive way Who are they? How did you come to meet them? Why do you admire them?

58

16. Describe a room, which was important to you when you were young Where was it? What was it like? Why was it so important to you? Student: For the first five years of my life I lived with my family, mum, dad and sister, in a very small bungalow. There were only two bedrooms, therefore my sister and I had to share. She is six years older than me and I think for her it was a major issue sharing with her little sister, but for me it was wonderful and I loved every minute of it. We had a double bed and we would struggle to get to sleep every night because we used to spend ages just chatting about things that had happened. That is how it is in my memory, in reality it was probably me talking nonsense because I was under the age of five and her getting annoyed because she wanted to sleep. Outside the room there was a street light which was on all night long but because I was young this was great for me because I was scared of the dark, but with the street light the room was illuminated. I remember when we moved to a new house, which had five bedrooms and so we were able to have our own bedroom, I was extremely upset. For the first time in my life I had my own bed and bedroom and for a long time I hated it. I can still remember sneaking into her bedroom when my mum and dad were asleep. She would get annoyed because we had single beds so there was not enough room for the two of us. She would let me stay though. As I got older I appreciated having my own room and my own space, but I still have fond memories of sharing a room with my sister. We are still very close today and I think that closeness was formed when we shared our bedroom in the ‘little house’ as we used to call it. Examiner: We have been talking about a room and now I would like to ask you some more general questions relating to this topic. CONSIDER whether it is important for a child to have a room of her/his own Student: As I have previously mentioned when I was younger I shared a bedroom with my sister and then when I reached the age of five we got separate rooms. I think it was vitally important to share when we were young, as we formed a very strong bond, however as you get older I think it is vital to have your own space. I think this is particularly critical in the teenage years. Teenagers start to have many issues such as body issues when they reach the age of 13, therefore a room of their own is necessary. EXPLAIN how many rooms a typical family actually needs Student: In this country we seem to think that we need a bedroom for everyone, a kitchen, a dining room, two living rooms, a utility room, a bathroom and an ensuite for everyone. However, if you look at countries like Africa they all live in one room and are extremely happy. I think in this country we have become obsessed with ‘personal space’ and people think their status is related to how big our house is. In reality we only need a kitchen, a bedroom and a bathroom.

59

CONSIDER whether there are any advantages for young children of sharing a room Student: In this country it is recommended that babies share their parents’ room for at least the first six months. I personally feel that it should be longer. The baby is carried around for nine months by the mother and then to leave it in a room alone seems cruel to me. If there are siblings, I think they should share a room at least until they are five. The major advantages of this are learning skills such as sharing, being considerate to other people’s needs and cooperation. EXPLAIN how children develop their independence Student: Independence develops from an early age. I would say that the first thing that starts is when a child learns how to use a spoon and feed him or herself. This is a significant development in children because they are progressing from being totally dependent on the mother to gaining some independence. The next stage is refusing food. This is a key development in childhood because they are learning that they can say no and they do not have to put everything in their mouth. If they do not go through this stage, then they will end up putting everything in their mouths. Further development includes things walking and talking, developing independence is a stepby-step process.

60

Find a word or phrase in the text, which has a similar meaning to the following: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Actually/in truth Thoughtful Unkind/nasty Remembering something in a nice way Brothers and sisters Relationship/connection As I have already said Position in society A big topic I was grateful for

Describe a room, which was important to you when you were young Where was it? What was it like? Why was it so important to you?

61

17. Describe a traditional ceremony which you know well Where is the ceremony held? What is the purpose of the ceremony? What do you feel about it? Student: A wedding is a traditional ceremony which is held in my country, although it is happening less and less now and a lot of couples are choosing to live together or have a non-religious wedding ceremony. A traditional wedding is held in a church, usually on a Saturday, although they can be held on other days of the week. On one half of the church sits the bride’s family and friends and on the other half the groom’s family and friends. The groom is the name we give the man getting married. Usually the man arrives at the church before the bride and he has a best man who looks after the rings for him. The bride is then given away by her father. This means that her father walks her down the aisle and ‘gives her’ to her new husband. The couple exchange rings and repeat things that the vicar says. The ceremony usually lasts about 45 minutes and includes hymns (songs) that the couple have chosen and a few readings. I am a believer in marriage, however I personally feel that the wedding ceremony has become more about the photographs, the dress, the flowers rather than the ceremony itself. It is estimated that weddings nowadays cost upwards of £15000. A wedding in a church costs approximately £500 so a lot of money is being spent on all the extras, which I feel is that the day is not about. The day should be about the couple and their union of marriage rather than all the other stuff. I have been to a lot of weddings and the photographs have taken two hours and the guests are just left waiting. I cannot see any point in this at all. After the wedding ceremony it is traditional to have a ‘reception’ which is a party after the wedding. A lot of people have a sit down meal and there are usually speeches. This is where the groom or the bride’s father says something. Then often at night more people are invited and there is a disco. Examiner: We have been talking about a traditional ceremony and now I would like to ask you some more general questions relating to this topic. EXPLAIN why ceremonies are so important to a society Student: Traditional ceremonies are an integral part of the oral traditions, folklore and culture of the nation passed on from generation to generation. Such traditional cultural events provide the opportunity for children, youth and visitors to assimilate the country’s values and beliefs. Ceremonies enable inhabitants to fully participate in culture and heritage of the country.

62

CONSIDER how the importance of culture and tradition can be taught to young people who may not be interested in it Student: It is important to integrate cultural events into schools so that children get interested at a young age and make it fun for them. A lot of traditions have rituals or routines and young kids love this. For example, when I was young I loved the rituals in church and although it had very little meaning for me, I would enjoy going and participating. Children love to feel like they belong and therefore the earlier you do things the better. DESCRIBE how ceremonies in your country have changed Student: As I have previously mentioned the traditional wedding ceremony has changed from something which was about two people in love joining together into something which is about spending as much as possible to impress other people. It is like people are trying to outdo each other. Other ceremonies have changed too for example baptisms. In the past people went to church and their children were baptised. Nowadays it is just a photo opportunity and the vast majority of people who get their children baptised do not even go to church. SPECULATE on how ceremonies may change in the future Student: I reckon that there will be even fewer ceremonies in the future. Couples will probably not even bother with the church ceremony and just jump straight into the photos to save a bit of money which can be spent on the bride’s hair and makeup. As societies are becoming more multicultural there will be even fewer events in schools for fear of offending another race or religion.

63

Find a word or phrase in the text, which has a similar meaning to the following: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Most individuals To digest/learn about To beat Traditions/customs An important part of From one age group to the next More than Legends The people who live in a country Upsetting/annoying

Describe a traditional ceremony which you know well Where is the ceremony held? What is the purpose of the ceremony? What do you feel about it?

64

18. Describe something which you find very annoying What is it? Why does it annoy you? How do other people feel about it? Student: This is an extremely easy question for me to answer, as the thing I find incredibly annoying is smoking. I have never smoked in my life and am actually allergic to it. I regard people who smoke as selfish and self-centred. I am so strongly against it that I believe it should be totally outlawed. I doubt this would ever happen though because people would say ‘you can’t ban it, what about people’s human rights?’ What about the non-smokers’ human rights though? A few years ago smoking was banned in restaurants, pubs etc and I actually think this has exacerbated the situation. Nowadays when you walk past an office, shop, pub, any building in fact you are confronted by smokers breathing out stale cigarette smoke. Passive smoking has therefore increased substantially. Another thing about it that I find exceedingly annoying is that smokers always smell of stale smoke so if you are sitting next to one all you can smell is the smoke on their clothes. People are generally split on this issue – people who smoke feel that they have an absolute right to smoke and that removing this right from them is totally against their human rights; the non-smokers on the other hand feel that they have a right to breathe in fresh air rather than second hand smoke. It is very difficult to find a compromise in this situation. I think that smokers and the government feel that they have reached a compromise by banning smoking in work places, however I would still argue that this does not go far enough. Increasing the cost of cigarettes seems to have had little effect, as there is still a great deal of smokers and there seems to be a great number of young people who are taking up this disgusting habit. The ideal situation for me would be a worldwide ban, but sadly I am convinced this will never happen. Examiner: We have been talking about something which you find annoying and now I would like to ask you some more general questions relating to this topic. DESCRIBE the kind of things which make people angry Student: I feel that on the whole people are angrier about everything nowadays. For example, when driving people seem to get angry if the car in front doesn’t move off quickly when the traffic lights change from red to green. Road rage is a relatively new phenomenon and it is causing numerous accidents on the nation’s roads. Another thing that causes individuals to get cross is when the government makes decisions such as increasing taxes or when murderers are released from prison.

65

DESCRIBE ways in which people stop themselves from getting angry Student: Some people suggest counting from one to ten very slowly if you feel you are getting angry and this should give you time to calm down before you explode. If an individual has a major problem with anger they could go to anger management classes and learn techniques in how to control their temper. DISCUSS whether it is a good idea to show your feelings in public Student: I personally feel it depends on the situation. There have been times when I have shown that I am angry and regretted it and there have been other occasions when I have not shown how I feel and regretted that too. I am quite an emotional person and cry a lot in public which a lot of people especially men do not tend to do. I think it is a good thing to do. The British have a reputation for not showing their feelings and I do not think this is healthy. If you are angry about something and you do not let it out, the anger can build up inside you and cause health problems in the long term.

66

Find a word or phrase in the text, which has a similar meaning to the following: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Has made things worse Found the middle ground Get really angry Being sorry for what you have done When people get angry whilst driving Prohibited all over the world Horrible thing Quite/rather/comparatively Angry The general opinion that is held by people

Describe something which you find very annoying What is it? Why does it annoy you? How do other people feel about it?

67

19. Describe an example of serious pollution Where is it? Why did you notice it? What could be done about it? This is one of the most topical issues at the moment. I keep seeing newspaper articles and TV news reports about it saying how serious and potentially catastrophic this could be. In my country, awareness of the importance of this has been raised recently and just about everybody knows that unless something is done to tackle pollution and contamination, the future will be very bleak. For me, living in a huge metropolitan area, the pollution I most notice is the quality of the air. Actually, you can’t help noticing it if you live where I do because as soon as you open your mouth, you feel contaminated air hitting the back of your throat. You want to cough and you are halfchoking all the time. If you run, say across a busy road, you are completely breathless when you reach the other side. Nobody bothers wearing white because, by the end of the day, your clean shirt or blouse has turned a mucky greyish colour. It’s absolutely disgusting. There are times when the government closes local schools and advises the elderly to stay indoors all day. They are so worried about the health implications of the contaminated air. The reasons why our air is so dirty are obvious for everyone to see. Just take a glance at the horizon in my city and you will see thousands of factories belching out poisonous smoke and fumes. Though the cause is not really in dispute, the solution is a good deal more complex. Various things could be tried. Factories could be re-located to less densely-populated regions. Some critics of the government have even suggested closing down the worst polluting factories altogether. Unfortunately, though, it isn’t quite that simple. Firstly, if you move the factories, you will also have to re-locate workers and that will be extremely unpopular. If factories are closed, workers will lose their jobs and that will have serious implications for the whole economy. So, as you can see, it is a complex issue and not likely to be resolved any time soon. That’s a tremendous shame because our country is spectacularly beautiful but, if you visit major cities, all you will see is smog, dust and grime. Examiner: We have been talking about pollution and now I would like to ask you some more general questions relating to this topic. DESCRIBE causes of pollution Student: Obviously, there are various types of pollution. Some of the major ones are air, water and noise. It’s probably simplest to say that these forms of contamination are caused by the early twenty-first century, modern life, the human species, whatever you want to call it. There are specific causes like the increased use of cars and other forms of transport, heavy industry and manufacturing. But it probably isn’t fair to blame the producers. Levels of consumption are at the heart of the problem. Our modern way of living requires automobiles and air travel, huge quantities of mass produced consumer durables, vast amounts of electricity and gas. It’s hardly surprising that we are causing more and more pollution. The problem is that nobody seems to have thought of a solution yet and the situation is becoming intolerable.

68

EXPLAIN why some people take the problem of pollution so seriously Student: Well, as I’ve already suggested, those who worry about it are probably right. Most scientists agree that our planet has never faced such a massive increase in carbon dioxide levels, for example, and this is having serious consequences for all of us. Even worse, the potential consequences, what scientists are predicting over the next half century or so, sound disastrous and although some people might say I’m being alarmist, it isn’t too unlikely that human civilisation will come to an end soon unless we really address the problems. So many things are already going wrong. Rivers are so polluted that fish die out; the oceans are becoming increasingly acidic and that threatens marine life; life for humans and animals, particularly in large metropolitan cities and conurbations, is increasingly difficult. If nothing is done immediately the situation is likely to get beyond our control. It’s something I’m genuinely scared about. I don’t feel at all optimistic about the future. EXPLAIN what can or should be done to reduce pollution Student: That’s an extremely difficult question. Of course there are solutions but nobody wants to take the difficult decisions. Probably the easiest thing to do would be to ban all non-essential travel, make people use public transport, ration the amount of energy they can use and increase prices of things like consumer durables so much that most people just wouldn’t be able to afford them. Although that would work, it would leave millions without a job and have long-term implications for all of us. In any case, it is completely impractical and I doubt whether even one government would be willing to do it. Certainly the major governments wouldn’t. A watered-down version might be effective. You could try to cut the use of cars and try not to use so much energy, but it is probably already too late for a few minor alterations. The real problem is that most of us have got used to a high standard of living and we’re not willing to give up all those modern conveniences and gadgets. SPECULATE on whether the planet will be a cleaner or dirtier place in fifty years’ time Student: I don’t know about in fifty years’ time, but in a hundred and fifty years’ time it might be considerably cleaner because humans might have been wiped out altogether. I’m not very confident in our ability as a species to deal with this issue and I’m afraid we will just keep acting irresponsibly until it is too late. I know some people believe that we are clever enough to find technological solutions which will enable us to keep burning fossil fuels and destroying non-renewable resources but I seriously doubt it. I think the most likely outcome is that we will destroy ourselves.

69

Find a word or phrase in the text, which has a similar meaning to the following: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Things that cannot be remade Large urban areas Long lasting household items e.g. washing machine To limit Lots of Possibly very serious Areas with lots of people living there Journeys that are not important Terrible/catastrophic Positive

Describe an example of serious pollution Where is it? Why did you notice it? What could be done about it?

70

20. Describe a place you have enjoyed visiting Where is it? How did you go there? Why did you like it so much?

Student: One of my favourite places to go is a sea-side resort about sixty kilometres away from where I live. I’ve been going there ever since I was a little kid and I’ve always really loved it. Because it isn’t particularly far away, we usually go there by train. Actually, you have to change trains, so the journey is a bit tricky, but if you’re not in a great hurry it’s a nice and more relaxing way to get there. As I said, I first went there when I was little and in those days the main attraction for me was the beach. I used to play football or cricket there, or when I was a bit older I would fly a kite, because, being near the sea, it’s extremely windy most of the time. I used to love getting an icecream if it was hot, and we always stayed in our caravan which was perched high up on a cliff overlooking the shore. That’s one of the things I always remember: hearing the waves crashing on the beach below and the sound of sea-gulls and the howling wind. As I got older, I started to appreciate it for different reasons. I began to enjoy the tranquillity and calmness of the place. I would go for long walks along the seashore and just gaze at the jagged cliffs or the waves rolling in. I found it an excellent place to just go and contemplate life, take a break from the modern world and just chill out. I think this is one of the main reasons why most people try to spend some time close to nature. It might be the countryside, or mountains or the sea-side like me, but I think we all need a place which allows us to wind down from the stresses of everyday life. That’s certainly why I go to the sea-side. I come back feeling refreshed and ready for whatever life wants to throw at me. It really re-charges my batteries. Examiner: We have been talking about a place you have enjoyed visiting and now I would like to ask you some more general questions relating to this topic. DESCRIBE different types of holidays which people choose Student: Firstly, I think it’s important to say that for the majority of the world’s population, a holiday is probably an unattainable luxury. If you are living in poverty and hardly have enough money to put food on the table, then you’re not going to spend a lot of time thinking where to go for a break. The best you can probably do is visiting a relative or friend. For more affluent people though, there are lots of types of holidays to choose from. Many people fly to other continents where they can do some exotic sight-seeing or sunbathe on a tropical beach. Others go on adventure holidays or hike round the countryside with a rucksack on their back, staying in youth hostels or camping. I’ve heard of some people doing house swapping, so they live in somebody else’s house, probably in a foreign country, and somebody stays in their home. And some people go on spiritual retreats or working holidays. Of course, there are those who just carry on working and say they don’t need a holiday at all.

71

EXPLAIN why some people prefer not to take holidays Student: Some people seem to see it as a waste of time. These are probably highflying business executives who are keener on making money than spending it. If they take time off, they are worried sick that something will go wrong at work. Other people just hate the hassle of travelling: long queues at the airport, stress over the plane being late, eating dodgy foreign food, getting sun-stroke. You hear all sorts of nightmare stories from travellers and some just prefer to avoid it. Personally, I know there are stresses and strains involved in going on holiday, but I just love the chance to experience new destinations. DESCRIBE the benefits of travelling to another country Student: They say that travel broadens the mind and I think it’s absolutely true. When you go abroad, you get the chance to see how other people do things, how they have a different outlook on life and a different perspective on living. You get the opportunity to see amazing sights and try out wonderful new foods. Lots of people who visit foreign countries make life-long friends with the locals. When I was a bit younger, I went back-packing round the world and it was an eye-opening experience for me. It really changed the way I felt about myself and the world around me. DESCRIBE the dangers of travelling abroad Student: Obviously things can go terribly wrong when you’re travelling in foreign countries, because you don’t know your way around, you can’t recognise danger signs, you are an easy target. Some of the problems which travellers have in other countries are because of things like food poisoning, diseases, sun-burn and that sort of thing. Sometimes they just get lost or do things which local inhabitants find offensive or inappropriate. It’s generally a pretty good idea to prepare yourself well, arm yourself with knowledge and information, before visiting a foreign country. Learning a few key phrases in the local language or dialect makes a lot of sense as well. COMPARE the types of holidays people take now with holidays taken in the past Student: Nowadays people from my country, at least those rich enough, often go extremely long distances to seek out something new, exotic, entertaining and novel. For a lot of them, holidays seem to be something to boast about and show off about later. Half the point of the holiday appears to be to collect photos or video shots or souvenirs to show the neighbours. Maybe it’s always been like that but I feel holidays have become less about relaxing, winding down and taking it easy, and more about status and social position. I’m probably being a bit cynical but I think that in the past when people went away they wanted to have some fun, spend time in each other’s company, mess about and do things that didn’t really matter, take a break from the monotonous daily routine. All that seems to have changed now.

72

SPECULATE on the type of holidays people might take in the future Student: It’s difficult to say really. I was reading a few months ago about space tourism and I suppose that will be a definite possibility for really well-off people. They might like the idea of blasting off into space and looking down on our planet from thousands of miles away. I have to say, it doesn’t appeal to me much. I would imagine that rich people will continue looking for even more exotic holiday destinations here on Earth and I can imagine some developing countries being really spoilt by tourism. The problem is that tourists always seem to want something new, unspoilt and different. For the average person, I don’t suppose holidaying will change too much. People love going to the sea-side, to mountains and lakes to places where the weather is warm. Visiting famous cities has become more popular recently and I suppose that trend might continue.

73

Find a word or phrase in the text, which has a similar meaning to the following: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Things that you have bought on holiday A holiday place I might be a bit pessimistic A lovely thing that is unachievable Re-energised Going abroad makes you look at things in a new way Boring/tedious everyday life Wealthy Calmness The annoyance of something

Describe a place you have enjoyed visiting Where is it? How did you go there? Why did you like it so much?

74

21. Describe a museum or exhibition which you enjoyed

Where was it? Who did you go with? Why did you enjoy it? Student: Actually, this is a rather difficult topic for me because I hardly ever go to museums or to see exhibitions. In fact, the only museum I can ever remember visiting is The National Railway Museum in York. I’ve actually been there twice, once on an organised trip from the language school where I used to study, and once a couple of months ago with a bunch of friends. To be perfectly honest, the only reason we bothered going was because it was free. We were planning to have a picnic by the river but it started drizzling so we changed our plans and went to the museum instead. Although I’m usually pretty negative about that sort of thing, I have to admit that it was actually pretty good. I suppose what most impressed me was the fact that it isn’t just a dusty old museum where you walk past exhibits in glass cases. You can actually climb aboard some of the trains and get underneath others so you can watch how they work. There are videos and computerised sections as well so it’s really interactive. You can even see how a real train station works by going into a simulated control room and I would say the coolest thing is that you can have a go in a train simulator and pretend to be a driver. They’ve got some really historic trains there, like a bullet train from Japan and the fastest ever steam locomotive. They’ve also got Royal trains, which are absolutely fascinating. You can see what luxury members of the Royal Family lived in, how they had running water, plush dining rooms and bedrooms in their trains long before most people had them in their houses. We were there for a couple of hours and the time flew past. It wasn’t at all boring. I don’t think I yawned once which, for me in a museum is quite remarkable. I would definitely recommend it, particularly as there is no entrance charge, but also because it is educational and entertaining. You will come out feeling you have really learnt something. That’s what I feel anyway. Examiner: We have been talking about museums and now I would like to ask you some more general questions relating to this topic. EXPLAIN why some people find museums and exhibitions quite boring Student: You’re talking to one of those people. I think we had to go round a few museums or art galleries when I was at school and all I can remember is a teacher droning on and on about some historical figure or event or painter, which had absolutely no relevance to my life whatsoever. It was incredibly tedious and I couldn’t wait to get out. The problem is that in most museums you’re just supposed to traipse round from one room to another, looking at things which you have no interest in whatsoever. They are seldom if ever interactive and they don’t appeal to all the senses; there’s nothing to touch, taste, smell or listen to. They are usually so outdated. Everything is written on smelly old pieces of paper, in dingy rooms. It’s a miracle if they have anything on computer. Well, you can see, I’m not generally a big fan. But that’s the problem museums and galleries face. Most people don’t go because they find them boring and irrelevant.

75

CONSIDER how museums can be made more interesting for children Student: As everyone knows, children have a very short attention span. They get bored extremely easily. But they also tend to be very curious, so if you can show them things which awaken their interest, they are likely to keep asking questions and wanting to know more. So museums need to have exhibits which answer the sorts of questions which children have about how the world works. They probably won’t be successful or capture children’s imagination if all they show is exhibits about ancient historical figures like kings and queens. Presentation is important too. Children need a lot of physical stimulation so weird noises, flashing lights, bright colours, interesting smells, objects they are allowed to pick up, all of these will get children involved and interested. CONSIDER whether museums should be free to all or whether people should pay to go in Student: I think the idea behind museums is to educate people, make them more aware and interested in things. This is obviously a good thing for society in general so it seems to make sense to me that the government should fund museums and enable everyone to go in free. After all, if you charge admission fees to go in, then you will most likely get wealthier people going in and those on lower incomes won’t bother because they have more important things to spend their money on, like heating and food. It’s probably precisely people from lower income groups who you want to attract. I know you can’t generalise but many of those without much money just haven’t had access to a good education and being able to go to educational and entertaining museums or exhibition halls is really advantageous. SPECULATE on whether museums will still be important in fifty years’ time Student: I’m not sure if my answer is optimistic or pessimistic because I believe that by the time I’m old, there probably won’t be any museums or exhibitions in what you might call the real world. I believe that technological advances will have been so swift that by that time, you will be able to do everything from the comfort of your own armchair. Computers will be fitted with software that enables you to have a complete sensory perception, so you’ll be able to touch The Pyramids of even climb up them, examine a Monet painting in microscopic detail, even smell the paint. In some ways it will be marvellous. Everybody will have access to just about everything, even things which are locked away in private collections now, but something will be lost as well. Even hi-tech software might not be able to give you the exact same experience you get from standing in front of a masterpiece. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

76

Find a word or phrase in the text, which has a similar meaning to the following: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

To wander around A work of art Raining lightly Old fashioned Things on show in a museum Interested Boring Strange sounds Rarely You don’t have to pay to go in

Describe a museum or exhibition which you enjoyed Where was it? Who did you go with? Why did you enjoy it?

77

22. Describe a garden Where is it? When did you first see it? What does it look like? And explain why you find it attractive Student: What I’m going to describe is our garden at home. It’s one of my favourite places in the whole world. I first saw it when we went to view the house. We were thinking of renting it but really we weren’t too convinced until we saw the garden. It stretches all the way from the kitchen right down to the railway line at the bottom. It’s absolutely fantastic. It’s about fifty meters long and it slopes downwards towards the bottom. Right near the house there’s a kind of patio area made of concrete where you can sit and sunbathe. There’s a big wooden table and a couple of benches and the sun beats down on it in summer. Then, on your right, is a huge garage with all sorts of stuff in it like tools, deck-chairs and some old plant-pots. If you go down the path, you come to the lawn part. The grass is so thick and green and you have to cut it every couple of weeks. There are some bushes on the right and down the left side a kind of vegetable patch. We grow beans and tomatoes and carrots there. Beyond that, where the grass ends, there is a tiny pond where you get loads of frogs and around it, some lovely flower beds with crocuses and daffodils in spring. Right down at the bottom near the train line we’ve got a couple of fruit trees. There’s an apple tree, a plum tree and a pear tree. It’s absolutely brilliant in September. You can just go and pick as much fruit as you can eat. Examiner: We have been talking about gardens and now I would like to ask you some more general questions relating to this topic. DESCRIBE the type of things people do in parks and public gardens Student: I suppose the most important thing that most people do in their garden or in a park is to relax and feel connected with nature. You can sit and sunbathe or just listen to the sound of the wind in the trees, or some people play sports like baseball or rugby or play games with children. Where I live its quite popular to fly a kite in the park. Of course, people in their own private gardens often grow things, fruit and vegetables, plants and flowers. You might plant some flower beds or a hedge or just create a beautiful lawn. I know some people have garden sheds or workshops where they work or mess about. Actually I’ve never been completely sure what people do in their wooden sheds. EXPLAIN why some people enjoy gardening Student: One of the main reasons why so many people love gardening is that it is so peaceful and you feel in touch with nature. There’s something wonderful about planting flowers and bushes and vegetables and just watching them grow. And while you’re gardening, you are really part of the natural world. You can hear the birds singing and feel the fresh air. You really get a sense of achievement and fulfilment from it. There’s been some research done recently which shows that people who garden have lower levels of stress and better relationships with their families, so it

78

must do a lot of good. It reduces your blood pressure, helps you breathe better and allows you to put things in perspective. EXPLAIN on what occasions people use flowers Student: In my culture there are quite a number of occasions when people give each other flowers as a gift. If you visit somebody’s home, it is customary to take them some bright and cheerful flowers, roses, carnations or even daffodils in spring. You can say a lot with flowers. If you give somebody red roses, it means you love them. If I had a girlfriend I would give her roses every day. You can also apologise with flowers, if you have hurt somebody’s feelings or done something to annoy them or make them angry. Another time when flowers are used is for funerals. When people die, their friends and relatives usually put flowers on the coffin as it is carried to the grave. Personally, I think this is a waste of flowers. You’d be better giving them the flowers when they are alive and can appreciate them. ASSESS the benefits of growing your own food Student: There’s absolutely no doubt about it, growing your own fruit and vegetables makes sense. In the first place, it is probably cheaper than going to the market or supermarket to buy things. As well as that, there is an environmental aspect to this question. When supermarkets sell fresh produce, it has usually been transported hundreds of kilometres and packed in plastic containers. This is incredibly wasteful as it requires the use of natural resources which can’t be renewed. The final, and probably most important argument as far as I am concerned, is taste. Something that you have picked fresh from your garden is bound to be much tastier than something from a shop. I really prefer things out of our garden. It’s so satisfying just to watch them grow, water them, see them ripening and then eat them. COMMENT on whether public parks and gardens are a good idea Student: I really think that it is important to protect green spaces in towns and cities especially. Firstly, there are lots of people who don’t have their own garden so it’s incredibly important that they have somewhere to go to be near nature. Also, when you have a large town or city full of noisy traffic and bustling people rushing about and pushing, you definitely need some tranquil spaces where you can just breathe and feel at peace with the world. I know there’s lots of pressure on governments and local authorities to allow builders to use green spaces for housing developments and shopping malls and offices but I think these places should be protected at all costs. CONSIDER what individuals can do to make our environment more beautiful. Student: Well, we all have a responsibility towards the places where we live. You can do loads of things like just making sure you don’t drop any litter. Or you can get involved in tree-planting or something like that. But then there’s the more general question of protecting the planet and making sure we don’t destroy it. There are millions of things you can do there. You can make sure you only buy goods and services which don’t damage the environment and you can try to reduce your carbon footprint by not flying too much and only using cars when it’s absolutely necessary. I think generally that if people have a sort of rule to leave their local area and the planet in a better condition than they found it, everything will be OK.

79

DISCUSS how governments can protect areas of natural beauty Student: Most countries have places that are extremely beautiful. Like in my country we have massive national parks with lakes and mountain ranges and almost extinct plants and animals. I think protecting these places is a big job because there is always pressure from big business and tourism to exploit them and start building on them. Of course, if you start doing this it can be absolutely disastrous. I think governments and authorities need to pass really strong laws which forbid people from taking any action which will damage or destroy the natural environment. If they do that, the lovely areas might be saved for future generations. As they say, we don’t inherit the land from our parents, we borrow it from our children. I think we should all remember that, especially politicians and world leaders, because they have the power to actually take steps to ensure that those people living a hundred years from now have a decent environment and a planet worth living on. ASSESS the danger to city parks from urban development (factories and housing) Student: This is a very topical question in my country at the moment. The newspapers and websites are full of pictures of protesters and sometimes violent demonstrations, and it’s all about government proposals to turn a couple of parks in the capital into shopping malls and housing developments. Local residents are absolutely furious. They have started hanging green flags out of their windows and stopped paying taxes in protest. Of course the government says that these are two parks which practically nobody uses and the money generated from the projects will go back into protecting the environment, but most people are pretty sceptical and don’t really believe a word the politicians say. I imagine that this is a danger all over the world. Governments and local authorities are tempted by the prospect of earning money through selling green areas to developers. Of course, city dwellers who feel they don’t have enough green spaces are usually angered by this and you quite often get a fierce argument. I’m sorry to say that nine times out of ten the government wins. SPECULATE on whether parks and public gardens will be important in the future Student: In some senses, I believe they will become even more important. As our world gets greyer and greyer, fuller of concrete monstrosities and ugly housing and shopping developments, people are going to have an even greater need for green spaces. Having somewhere peaceful and calming to go is absolutely vital in a city. It can reduce your stress, make you feel more positive and able to deal with crises. It’s absolutely essential that we have parks in cities and I really hope that governments and developers appreciate this need. I’m a bit scared that developers will keep on buying up all the green areas and turning them into houses. It would be a complete disaster!

80

Find a word or phrase in the text, which has a similar meaning to the following: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

A place where you grow vegetables People in the future Doubtful/disbelieving A good feeling from doing something Quiet places Really terrible Extremely important People who live in a city Is certain to be Current/newsworthy

Describe a garden Where is it? When did you first see it? What does it look like? And explain why you find it attractive

81

23. Describe something you are good at doing What is it? How did you learn to do it? How often do you do it? How do you feel when you do it? Student: I don’t actually think I have a great many skills or abilities, but one thing I enjoy doing, though I wouldn’t say I was particularly good at it, is playing the guitar. I’ve been playing guitar ever since I was about eleven. I used to watch singers and pop stars on TV and pretend I was playing guitar with them. I think I must have pestered my parents for so long that eventually they gave in and bought me an acoustic guitar with metal strings. I remember the first time I tried to play it, I plucked the strings and it made a lovely deep vibrating noise. I decided there and then that I was going to learn to play it. At first it was really difficult. The metal strings nearly cut my fingertips, which were very soft until I got used to it. As well as that, I found it really difficult to stretch my fingers far enough to play most chords. It kept going out of tune and it took me ages to learn how to tune it properly. Another problem I faced was that whenever I played in public, even just in front of friends, I got incredibly nervous and made loads of mistakes. Eventually I started getting a bit better. That was mostly because I practised just about every day. I used to play for about half an hour in the evening. Nowadays I play much less. I don’t seem to be able to find the time to practise a musical instrument. But when I do play it makes me feel quite calm and relaxed, gives me a sense of inner peace and tranquillity, and also a sense of achievement because I know how dreadfully I used to play and now, although I wouldn’t say I was brilliant, at least I can play a tune. Examiner: We have been talking about something you are good at doing and now I would like to ask you some more general questions relating to this topic. EXPLAIN why some children seem better at doing some things than others Student: I suppose it is partly genetic and partly to do with environment. What I mean to say is that some children might be excellent at sport and it is probably to do with them having stronger muscles or better hand-eye co-ordination and balance or a more competitive nature but it is probably also caused by the fact that they have been taught. Even the most gifted athlete will never make the most of their ability without appropriate training and teaching. So I suppose you need both components. I imagine it is similar with other skills. One child might have a superior mental capacity and so should be better at mental arithmetic than other children, but she or he also needs to be taught how to use that ability. CONSIDER how parents can best help children to develop their natural ability Student: I think this is probably something most parents spend a huge amount of time worrying about because every mother or father wants their child to reach its maximum potential. Children will often learn best by being encouraged and praised, and so parents need to keep positive if they are trying to teach a new skill. It’s really important not to criticise. Children also love copying what they see, especially what

82

they see older siblings or parents or friends doing, so they will have a tremendous incentive to learn something if they see it being done around them. And another thing, I suppose, is that parents actually have to identify what talents their children have. It’s no good trying to force a young kid to become a top swimmer if the child doesn’t have either the will-power or physical ability to do it. EXPLAIN what problems are faced by exceptionally intelligent children Student: At first sight you would think that gifted or extremely intelligent children wouldn’t actually face any significant problems but actually they definitely do. Socially, they might find it difficult to form relationships and make lasting friends because all of their peers tend to be less intelligent and probably are generally on a different wave-length. That could mean that very intelligent children often have friends who are older than they are, even adults, because they don’t get enough mental stimulation from people their own age. In actual fact, it can be a great deal worse because they often get bullied by other children who either feel threatened by their intelligence or just pick on somebody different. Even if gifted children manage to get on well with their peers, it must be really frustrating for them to be living in a world where just about everybody is less clever than they are. I wouldn’t be surprised if they sometimes just try to hide how smart they are because they might feel it just doesn’t do them any good. DESCRIBE the opportunity for learning new skills where you live Student: Actually, this is one of the things which is changing really rapidly where I live. Even up until a few years ago, if you failed at school, didn’t do well in your exams, that was it. You would end up doing manual work or maybe getting a low-paid clerical job if you were lucky. You would have absolutely no opportunity whatsoever to improve, start on a new career or develop yourself as a person. These days things are definitely beginning to change. One or two new colleges have opened up offering evening classes and weekend courses for adults. These range from carpentry to literacy and numeracy. They are often targeted particularly at women who have had a family and now want to return to the world of work. There are also specialist courses for retired people, often in things like local history, art and craft or pottery. These courses have been heavily advertised in the local media. The adverts show people talking about how they completely failed at school and didn’t expect to get another opportunity, but how these courses have helped them develop new skills, improve their self-esteem. I think it’s a tremendously positive step. CONSIDER whether teaching can compensate for lack of natural ability Student: In some circumstances it obviously can. If, for instance, you are no good at maths, then teachers can give you some techniques, break down mental arithmetic processes into easier steps, give you a bit of confidence, that sort of thing. Even with something physical like playing tennis, a coach can teach you how to move your feet in the right way, position your head and shoulders. I mean they might not turn you into a top-ten star but you can definitely improve. But of course there are limits. No maths teacher is going to be able to turn a hopeless maths student into Einstein or an overweight seventy-year-old into Roger Federer. So yes, I would say that teaching or training can have an impact, but perhaps a limited one.

83

CONSIDER how easy it is for adults to learn new skills in later life Student: They say that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but actually I don’t agree with that. There are many cases where elderly people, retired people, even those in their eighties and nineties, have taken up new challenges, learnt new skills and talents. I mean there is no denying that learning does get harder as you get older. Many people even in their thirties and forties find it ever so tricky to learn new languages or computing skills, and it’s definitely the case that physical skills become trickier as you grow older, but if you have the right attitude, most things are possible. For instance, I read recently about a 97-year-old bloke who has just done his first parachute jump and I know of a lady who took up horse-riding when she was in her late eighties. Lots of retired people return to learning and in the media they’re always going on about “silver surfers”, the older generation who have mastered the internet. DESCRIBE the kinds of things which motivate people to do thing well Student: Probably the thing which motivates most people most of the time is money. If you are willing to pay somebody enough, they will usually be willing to do almost anything. But that’s probably a bit cynical and people are often motivated by other factors such as a wish to feel good about themselves or a desire to impress or please people they care about. With children it’s sometimes a different story. I know when I was little my main motivation was to avoid getting into trouble. COMPARE motivation and ability as important factors in learning Student: Obviously, if you’re not motivated to do something, if you can’t be bothered to learn, then it doesn’t really matter how good you could potentially be at something, you probably won’t learn. I think Einstein is supposed to have said that genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration. If you want to master a skill or become expert at something, you don’t just need the natural ability, you need the motivation, will-power or whatever you want to call it. That’s one factor that seems to be common to successful people. They really apply themselves and dedicate themselves to whatever it is they want to achieve. I admit they usually have a vast amount of talent in the first place, but I’m sure there are other people, just as talented, who never make it because they don’t have the dedication, the ability to work hard.

84

Find a word or phrase in the text, which has a similar meaning to the following: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Inherited Talented People the same age as you A big motivation Self-confidence Pessimistic/distrustful In some situations Determination To become very good at something To make somebody do something

Describe something you are good at doing What is it? How did you learn to do it? How often do you do it? How do you feel when you do it?

85

24. Describe a positive teenage experience which you (have) had What was it? When and where did it happen? Who was there? Why was it so positive for you? Student: The most positive experience that comes to mind was taking a gap year, a year out after I finished secondary school. To be honest, I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do when I completed my secondary education. All I knew was what I didn’t want: I definitely didn’t want to go straight to university and I wasn’t ready to get a proper full-time job and start earning. One of my tutors, I think it might have been the careers adviser, suggested taking a year out and travelling round the world. She said it was becoming increasingly popular and loads of young school-leavers like me were doing it. It sounded fantastic and so I borrowed some money from my family and set off to work around the world. At first, I had planned to go with a couple of schoolfriends but they backed out at the last minute. Although I missed the company at times, I’m really glad I went on my own. It made me become independent and forced me to meet new people all the time. I had an absolutely amazing time. I started off picking grapes in southern France, then worked as a dish-washer in a bar in Greece and crossed over into Iran where I worked for a while teaching English to young children. I did the same sort of thing in Syria before flying on to Indonesia and working as a tourist guide for an Australian travel agency. I went to New Zealand and spent three months on a sheep farm. That was back-breaking work and I hope I never have to do anything like it again. When I’d earned enough there, I got a flight to Mexico and worked in a petrol station. Finally, I flew home. I had gained an amazing amount of knowledge and wisdom. I wasn’t the narrow-minded little kid who had set out. I had become much more independent and resourceful, able to deal with difficulties and crises, able to stand on my own two feet, with loads of self-confidence and assurance and much higher self-esteem, not to mention a few more muscles and a sun-tan. The following year I did decide to start university and definitely benefited from my gap year. I had seen a lot of poverty so I learnt to appreciate the tremendous privilege of being able to study, even the privilege of having enough money to feed yourself. I felt I was a lot more mature than many of my fellow students and I feel most of this was down to my gap year. Examiner: We have been talking about a positive teenage experience and now I would like to ask you some more general questions relating to this topic. DESCRIBE how much time teenagers and older people spend together in your country Student: I suppose that life in my country is pretty similar to life elsewhere in the world. Unfortunately, teenagers and youngsters generally prefer the company of other younger people, and it’s probably fair to say that older generations prefer their own company too. There are some social occasions like New Year where the whole family get together, and there are times like family crises where younger people may depend on older relatives’ wisdom and advice, but the problem is that younger people

86

tend to be quite head-strong, self-confident, to feel they know it all and don’t need the support of elderly people. When older relatives try to intervene, they are usually accused of interfering, of being out of touch and not understanding the real world. So it’s rather a difficult situation at times. EXPLAIN what young and older people can learn from each other Student: I think they can learn a tremendous amount from one another. I know it’s a bit of a generalisation, but younger people often have the capacity and willingness to take chances, risks and opportunities, to seize the day, to be bold. Older people who might not be so brave, who might weigh up all the consequences before acting, might learn or re-learn a bit of this impulsiveness, willingness to have a go. But, at the same time, it is precisely the maturity and carefulness and wisdom which older people tend to have which younger people need. So what’s really needed is a balance. You often get this in successful teams. When older and younger people learn to co-operate with mutual respect, you can get extremely good results. CONSIDER whether there will always be misunderstandings between the young and the old Student: I’m afraid there probably will. This is largely because younger people don’t have the knowledge and understanding of life which you can only get through living, and older people have often forgotten about the pressures, distractions and sometimes scariness of being younger. They just tend not to understand each other’s worlds and perspectives. I know whenever I have tried to discuss personal matters with older relatives, they have tended to give me advice which seems to me entirely irrelevant and even sometimes ridiculous. Of course you do get cases where the young and the old are able to bridge that gap and fully communicate with each other, but I’m afraid it is the exception rather than the rule. DESCRIBE the benefits and drawbacks of being a teenager Student: I think that when you are a teenager you probably don’t fully appreciate all the benefits. You just focus on the restrictions, the things you are prohibited from doing, the rules and regulations which stop you from having a good time. You don’t actually realise what freedom you’ve got and how much energy you have compared to older people. I suppose what I mean by freedom is that you don’t have responsibilities like having a family, you don’t generally have financial burdens like a mortgage or even the need to pay tax, and you don’t really have to worry about your future career. All the big decisions in your life are still to come. CONSIDER whether the teenage years are the best of your life Student: In a way I think they are. As I just said, you need freedom and space to try out new things, to experiment with whatever you like. You are in a sort of privileged position, with some of the benefits of being an adult but not all of the responsibilities. But I have to say that there are two sides to every coin and it can be quite frightening being a teenager. You are not very mature and can easily make huge mistakes and get into trouble. As well as that, there is the fact that adults don’t take you completely seriously. So all in all, although I do think it can be an amazing time in your life, it’s not all wonderful.

87

DESCRIBE what other people think of teenagers in your country Student: I think they are generally regarded with suspicion and fear. This is partly due to how they are portrayed in the media. You never seem to get positive images of young people in the press or on TV. They are always depicted robbing or stabbing somebody or being involved in anti-social behaviour like vandalism. Obviously there are teenagers who behave badly and some crime is connected to younger people, but the problem is that older generations read the papers and believe that all youngsters are like that. It’s not fair to have to deal with such generalisations. Of course, because adults are scared of teenagers, they never actually come into contact with them because as soon as they see one they run a mile, so well-behaved and positive young people never get the chance to dispel the myths about them. This makes life really hard because, as a teenager, you are never trusted or treated as a responsible adult, even if you behave properly. It actually makes you want to commit crimes just because you are so frustrated with all the closed minds surrounding you. ASSESS how much independence teenagers have today Student: Well, most adults would say they have too much, and it’s certainly true that teenagers have more independence and autonomy than they used to. They have the opportunity to leave home and live with friends, the chance to socialise without supervision or any restrictions, even the opportunity to marry if they want to. In most countries, teenagers, at least when they reach eighteen, are allowed to drive a car and vote and do just about everything which other adults can do. On the other hand, there are still quite a lot of restrictions which stop teenagers from doing whatever they want. Most teenagers are more or less financially-dependent on their family and most actually still live at home, so they probably have somebody keeping an eye on them and they can’t do too many things which the family will disapprove of. SPECULATE on whether teenagers will have more or less freedom in the future Student: I don’t really know the answer to that. I think it will really vary from country to country. Where I live, for instance, teenagers still don’t have much autonomy and they are putting pressure on society to have some of the freedoms they see in other parts of the world. but in many western countries, young people are perceived as having too many rights and freedoms and I would say that there is pressure on lawmakers to curtail the amount of liberty they have. Teenagers in these places seem to run around getting drunk, stabbing each other, getting involved in mindless violence and vandalism, generally being a nuisance. This is probably only true in a few cases but lots of people believe it is widespread and want to see more restrictions placed on teenagers.

88

Find a word or phrase in the text, which has a similar meaning to the following: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

An annoyance Old people Exhausting/strenuous job Practical/imaginative Grown up Money responsibilities Independence Respect for each other Doing things which are bad for the community Frown on/dislike

Describe a positive teenage experience which you (have) had What was it? When and where did it happen? Who was there? Why was it so positive for you?

89

25. Describe a three-day holiday which you would like to take Where would you like to go? What would you like to do? Who would you like to go with? Why would you choose this particular holiday? If I was given the chance to go on a three-day holiday, I obviously wouldn’t want to travel too far away from home because I wouldn’t have enough time. If I had longer, I might like to go diving off The Great Barrier Reef in Australia, or climb as high as I could up The Himalayas, or visit ancient ruins in Peru or Bolivia, but with just three days it might be better to choose somewhere closer to home. I think I would like to visit London, because it only takes a couple of hours on the train from where I’m living at the moment. It’s such a bustling, cosmopolitan city with thousands of sights to see and things to do. I think I would spend my time going on tours round the royal palaces, visiting the churches and historic monuments, going round parliament and of course doing loads of shopping in the fashionable areas. I would like to buy trendy clothes but I’ve heard the prices are pretty high so it would depend how much money I had. I would definitely like to stay in a posh, up-market hotel, overlooking the river and would eat in expensive restaurants where celebrities and famous sports stars and actors go, if I could afford it. I would also like to go to one or two of the famous theatres or concert halls and maybe watch a football match in one of the well-known stadiums. I suppose I would like to take my girlfriend with me because she’s never been to London and she’s always saying how she wishes she could go. I guess she would most enjoy the shopping and the night-life. I think London would be the ideal choice for three days. Probably after a few days there, I would want some peace and quiet but three days would be absolutely fantastic. Examiner: We have been talking about a three-day holiday and now I would like to ask you some more general questions relating to this topic. DESCRIBE what kind of holidays people in your country take Student: I would say that the vast majority of people in my country don’t have what you might call a proper holiday. They might visit friends or relatives in picturesque parts of the country, like the coast, lakes or mountains, but generally people only go where they know somebody. Many people from my country have never been to our major tourist resorts. These places tend to be full of foreigners and the government actually doesn’t encourage its own citizens to go there. They want rich tourists with lots of foreign money. Of course this benefits the economy and generates a lot of income but it means that many local people are excluded and don’t know just how beautiful the country is. CONSIDER whether a holiday is a good thing to spend money on Student: It probably depends on the person involved. If you have a very stressful job or your hobby is to visit as many places as you can, or if you just love sun-bathing or sight-seeing or the kind of activity that you just can’t do at home, then a holiday sounds like a good idea. But for some people, relaxation is the most important thing

90

they’re looking for, and they can probably do this at home. It might not be necessary to spend huge amounts of money on hotels and travel. And in actual fact, holidays can be extremely stressful. You can miss your flight, end up in a grubby hotel, get sunstroke or food poisoning. You might need another holiday when you get home to help you recover from the first one. COMPARE the types of holiday taken now and fifty years ago Student: There were such high levels of poverty in my country a few decades ago that I don’t think anybody took a holiday, apart from those with huge amounts of money like government ministers, high-ranking officials in the military and businessmen. These people probably spent time in up-market hotels or expensive villas or skiing down the world’s most exclusive mountain slopes. For everyone else, the closest they got to a holiday would be pictures in newspapers. So the situation really has changed quite a lot because it is now a legal right for all workers to get some paid holiday and as economic levels have risen, we do have the opportunity to travel, mainly to visit friends in other parts of our own country, but an increasing number of people have started going abroad now. DESCRIBE how much holiday time workers in your country get Student: I think that all employers are required to give their employees four weeks’ holiday every year. That’s for full-time workers of course. As I mentioned, in the past people had no entitlement to holiday but that all changed about twenty years ago. There are some workers, usually those doing highly-stressed or well-paid jobs, like airtraffic controllers, body-guards or university lecturers who actually get more holiday and sometimes shorter working hours. Of course everybody wants more holiday and whenever we have elections, the politicians promise that if they get into power they’ll change the law so that workers are entitled to at least an extra week off each year. ASSESS the advantages and disadvantages to employers of giving their workers extra holiday Student: Obviously the biggest benefit is in workers’ morale. If they get more holiday, they will be refreshed, mentally and physically, and that should make them better workers. They are likely to be more productive, take less time off sick and have a much more positive attitude towards the company. On the other hand, the company will definitely lose some money because, obviously, when the employees are on holiday they are not actually earning any money for the company. Maybe one approach would be for companies to offer extra holiday as an incentive to employees who work particularly hard or who are more successful than their colleagues. ASSESS whether it is good for all jobs to offer the same amount of holidays Student: Actually I think this is a pretty bad idea because some workers clearly work harder than others and need more time to recover and relax. For instance, working in a supermarket on the check-out is probably tedious but not particularly stressful. You just keep on doing the same thing. It doesn’t involve much physical or mental exertion. On the other hand, if you work in a supermarket warehouse, packing and unpacking, manually moving heavy boxes, you will be physically exhausted and need more holiday or rest time to recover. Similarly, if you are a neurosurgeon, then you literally have

91

people’s lives in your hands. It must be immensely stressful and unless you got a lot of holiday time to recover, you would probably crack up. So I think people like brain surgeons and other doctors, and those with really difficult jobs like nursery-school teachers and policemen and women should be entitled to extra holiday. DESCRIBE the kinds of jobs people do in the holiday industry and the qualities needed to do them well Student: Most people who work in tourism need what they call “people” skills. They need to know how to handle angry or frustrated customers who are complaining because they haven’t had the level of service they expected, or who have got a major problem like having had their passport or wallet stolen. It can’t be easy and so if you are a tour guide or hotel receptionist or waiter or cleaner in a hotel, you definitely need to be calm and patient. Of course other things help, like being able to speak the language your visitors speak, because they probably won’t have learnt yours. ASSESS the importance of the holiday industry in the economy of your country Student: Most people in my country are quite resentful of tourists. They see rich foreigners visiting parts of our country which we are not allowed or encouraged to go to, and I think many people are angry with our government. But the truth is that the tourist industry generates a lot of income for the country because those rich tourists bring and spend their foreign currency, and this is used by the authorities to invest in infrastructure, hospitals, schools, the transport network and that kind of thing. Of course this raises the standard of living for everyone. I have to say though that it’s a pity that most people in my country are not able to visit some of the beauty spots and spectacular holiday resorts we have. It seems somehow unfair that we have sort of sold the most attractive parts of our country to foreigners.

92

Find a word or phrase in the text, which has a similar meaning to the following: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Old remains of buildings International/multi-ethnic Makes a lot of money Expensive/posh/exclusive Re-energised Hard work that involves using your brain Wonderful holiday places Road and rail network Confidence/self-esteem Break down/lose control

Describe a three-day holiday which you would like to take Where would you like to go? What would you like to do? Who would you like to go with? Why would you choose this particular holiday?

93

26. Describe a sport you enjoy playing or watching What is it? How is it played? What clothes and equipment are needed? Why do you like it? I’m going to describe football, because I’ve always been incredibly keen on it and I’ve been playing football ever since I was tiny. I think just about everybody knows how to play. You have two teams and the object of the game is to get the ball into the other team’s goal. You are allowed to kick it or head it but you can’t touch the ball with your hands unless you are the goalkeeper. At the end of the game, the team with the most goals is the winner. I think football is so popular because you don’t need a lot of equipment. Obviously, professional footballers wear a proper football kit and have boots with studs in, and shin-guards. But if you want to have a kick-around with your friends in the park, you only need an open space and a ball. Football is a really physical sport where you are likely to get fouled and finish the match with a few cuts and bruises. It’s a fast game and you need to be able to sprint and turn quickly, and have some skill so that when you kick the ball, it goes in the direction you want. It’s also useful to be tall, so that you can head the ball, though some of the greatest ever players were actually quite short. What I most like about football is that it is a kind of universal language. You can play or watch a game with other football fans and it doesn’t matter if you don’t speak the same language. You all know the rules and you will have all seen the same matches in the past. Also, it’s a really simple game. There are not too many rules and if you’re playing with friends you don’t need a referee. Examiner: We have been talking about sport and now I would like to ask you some more general questions relating to this topic. EXPLAIN which sports are important in your country and why Student: Football, basketball and baseball are probably the best-loved sports where I live. They are all played by thousands, probably millions, of people. The reason why they are so popular is to do with how easy it is to play them. You don’t need much equipment at all, which is especially important because in my country people tend not to have a huge amount of disposable income to spend on things like that. Another reason why basketball in particular is popular is that our national team is one of the most successful in the world. We won a silver medal at the last Olympics in both male and female categories and we have beaten just about every other team in the world. Our top players are international stars and probably the best-known sportsmen and women in the country. If they walk down the street, they are recognised by just about everyone. They get asked for autographs and sometimes mobbed.

94

CONSIDER whether more or fewer people play sport now than in the past Student: I would definitely say that numbers are falling. My mum says that when she was young, the streets were full of youngsters with a football, or just running around playing games like hide and seek. Nowadays, many parents are scared to let their children play outside and so they spend most of their free time either sat in front of a TV or a computer screen. Of course, there are serious consequences of this. Children are generally getting fatter and obesity levels are rising, and lots of children haven’t really developed the social skills which you need in life and which you partly get through playing sport, especially team games. It’s a tremendous pity and I think something should be done about it, but I’m not sure what exactly. EXPLAIN why some people don’t enjoy playing any sport at all Student: I suppose some people are not physically strong or well co-ordinated or maybe they just don’t enjoy participating in a team. As well as that, there are some people who have had negative experiences playing sport and it really turns them off the idea. For example, if you get hurt by a baseball hitting you on the head, you are probably not going to be too keen to play again in the future. Or if you make a huge mistake, like scoring an own goal, playing football, and your team-mates laugh at you or make jokes about you, you’ll feel pretty small and not very willing to put yourself in that same situation again. It’s a pity when this happens though, because sport can have such positive benefits for everyone, no matter what level you play at. EXPLAIN why so many young people would like to play sport professionally Student: I suppose it is mostly connected with the chance to be rich and famous, wellknown and loved or admired throughout the world or at least in your own country. I think young people look at famous sportsmen and think that they’ve got everything, wealth, success, physical attractiveness. And young people naturally would like to be in the same position. What they probably don’t always realise is that a vast amount of self-sacrifice, dieting and training has gone into that success. CONSIDER whether major sports stars are good role models for children Student: I think that some are and some aren’t. You do get sports stars who are cleanliving, intelligent, respectful to others, who never appear in newspapers, who value education and who play their sport fairly and train hard. If youngsters try to copy this model, then it is bound to have a positive influence on their life. But, at the same time, you do get sports stars who either drink or take drugs - I mean either recreational drugs or performance-enhancing steroids - and are always involved in scandalous stories or who get in trouble with the police. These people, who generally show a complete lack of respect for themselves and for others, are really bad role models. The pity is that this kind of person often seems more attractive to younger people who want to rebel against authority, so they follow their example.

CONSIDER whether good luck or hard work is more important in sporting success Student: I would have to say that there is a bit of both. Of course, if you train hard and prepare well and use the right tactics and strategies, it is more likely that you will win. They sometimes say that you make your own luck in sport. But occasionally things

95

happen which are just outside the control of the individual sportsman or team. Sometimes they just have such bad luck that no amount of skill or expertise can overcome it. I suppose in those cases the best sportsmen just concentrate on the factors they can control and ignore the bad luck which they can’t really do anything about. ASSESS whether advertising in international sports events should be discouraged Student: There are two sides to this question and I find it very difficult to come up with a definitive answer. Advertising definitely brings in a lot of revenue and enables sports events to offer bigger prizes, which in turn enables elite athletes to train better and achieve the highest level they can. On the other hand, a lot of the companies which advertise are alcohol manufacturers or cigarette and tobacco producers. This seems quite strange and doesn’t really send out appropriate messages to spectators, particularly younger and more impressionable viewers. They receive the powerful idea that drinking and smoking are in some way connected with success at sport. This obviously is untrue but the reason why advertisers invest huge amounts of money in sport is because they want to persuade people, to influence them and change their minds, to make them believe, for example, that smoking isn’t harmful or detrimental to health. So on the whole I suppose I would prefer advertisers like these to be banned from involvement in sporting events. DESCRIBE the advantages which accrue to cities/countries which hold major sporting events like The Olympics Student: There is absolutely no doubt that holding The Olympics or football World Cup has major benefits for the country concerned. Firstly, it receives very positive publicity. The whole competition is like a massive advertisement. I suppose that must lead to increased tourism and greater international investment as a result of the heightened profile. Then there is the national infrastructure. New roads and transport links are built and a great many sporting facilities are created. This means that even after the event itself, there should be benefits to the local people. Finally, there might be considerable health benefits because people living in a host country are encouraged to use sports facilities and become fitter. This is clearly advantageous for everyone concerned. ASSESS whether sports stars are paid too much in your country Student: Well, some of the top athletes, basketball players, footballers and baseball stars earn astronomical amounts of money, not just for being successful in their sport but for advertising contracts, endorsing products like sportswear and soft drinks. They have million-dollar contracts with international companies. You can’t actually blame them for taking this money. I probably would if I was in their shoes, but it seems so unfair that there are people living on the streets, starving, not able to get basic health care or medicines, living below the poverty line. I hope that if I had as much money as some of those stars, I would at least put something back into my own country or community, and it seems that not many of them do that.

96

CONSIDER whether sportsmen and women who take drugs should be banned for life Student: Absolutely. If you cheat in sport and get caught taking anabolic steroids or other performance-enhancing drugs you should be kicked out immediately and never allowed to return. The penalty has got to be severe because if you just ban somebody for a couple of years, they will probably feel that it is worth the risk of getting caught because the benefits of improving your performance are so great. Even a couple of years outside the sport might be worth it if before you got caught you earned millions and were world-famous. I think that’s how lots of athletes view it and so I feel the only useful response is to say to them that there is no tolerance of drug-cheats whatsoever.

97

Find a word or phrase in the text, which has a similar meaning to the following: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

I’ve always liked it The punishment A lot of money Medicine which makes you better at sport The best sports people Shocking tales Strategy/plan Money If I were them A lot of giving things up

Describe a sport you enjoy playing or watching What is it? How is it played? What clothes and equipment are needed? Why do you like it?

98

27. Describe a company where a friend or relative works Where is the company? What does it do? What job does your friend do? Is it a good company to work for? Student: I would like to describe the company where my brother-in-law works in my own country. The company manufactures containers for foods and other plastic products. To be honest, I’ve always been a bit unclear about what they actually make. Anyway, my brother-in-law works on a sort of production line in a factory. His work isn’t actually manual, it’s all controlled by computers now, so what he has to do is monitor a conveyor belt, make sure the temperature gauge is correct and liaise with colleagues at different points of the process. I don’t think it a particularly skilful or stressful job and he’s always complaining that they don’t get a very high salary. In fact, I think he mentioned that they had actually got a pay cut last year because productivity was down or there was less demand or something like that. As far as I can tell, it is not a particularly good company to work for, I mean it doesn’t have a good reputation for employees. Lots of workers have left their jobs there and gone to look for employment elsewhere. I think my brother-in-law would do the same but as he doesn’t have particularly good qualifications and his only experience is working in a factory, the outlook for him isn’t that great. It might be because the economic situation in my country isn’t great at the moment, or maybe it’s to do with poor organisation or inefficient management, but whatever the cause, things always seem to go wrong for that company. They never manage to increase sales. They are always in dispute with contractors or suppliers. The trade union is always negotiating, usually unsuccessfully, for a better wage deal, and that leads to almost constant strikes. The workers seem to be on the picket line almost as often as they are actually at work. I seriously wouldn’t recommend working there and I would imagine that there is a pretty good chance the company will go bankrupt or go into receivership sometime soon. My brother-in-law always says that every time he arrives at work, he fully expects to see a big notice nailed to the factory door, saying “Sorry, workers are not required anymore”. As far as I know they don’t even have a redundancy package or any kind of insurance so all the employees would be in a really tricky position if it closed. Examiner: We have been talking about a company and now I would like to ask you some more general questions relating to this topic.

99

EXPLAIN what is important for people in a job Student: I think that definitely depends on the person and, to a degree, on their position in a company and personal circumstances. If you are twenty-something, not married, unattached, in a low-skilled job, you probably don’t care much about job security or promotion prospects. You are more likely to want work-mates who you can have a laugh with, as short working hours as possible, and a big enough pay-cheque for the rent, food and having a good time. On the other hand, more mature workers, let’s say in senior management, are probably keener on a good pension scheme, perks like a company car and bonus schemes so that if the company is successful, they receive an extra salary. I personally think job satisfaction is key. If you enjoy what you do at work, then even if your wage isn’t particularly high, you might not mind too much. EXPLAIN why it is good to have good colleagues at work Student: You need to be able to depend on the people you work with, your workmates or other members of staff. You might need them to do you a favour sometime, like covering for you if you have to leave early. And you often have to collaborate, so it’s important that you can trust each other and rely on one another. The atmosphere you work in is really important too. When you go to work you want to feel liked and respected and that there are no nasty feelings or animosities in the work-place. Your work-colleagues spend a lot of time with you and can provide emotional support. I remember a couple of years ago going through a really difficult time and being able to actually let off steam at work and tell my work-mates how angry and upset I was. I wouldn’t have been able to do this so easily with members of my family. CONSIDER any recent changes in working conditions in your culture Student: I would say that workers now enjoy greater rights. They have the right to have longer paid holidays, maternity or paternity leave if they become parents, more flexible working hours. But at the same time, the job security which people used to have has gone. It is quite common now for employees to be made redundant or sacked just like that. If a company wants to dismiss you, they have to offer you several months’ pay, but whereas in the past you were virtually guaranteed a job for life in an office, company, factory or as a government employee, now all that security has vanished. Employees are getting fired all the time. CONSIDER whether it is possible to achieve a good balance between work and leisure Student: Actually I don’t have an awful lot of experience in the world of work, but I imagine it must be rather difficult to get the balance right. There is a lot more pressure these days on employees to do extra work, maybe take over-time, spend long hours in the work-place, that sort of thing. Many people agree to do this, not because the thought of being at work fills them with delight, but because they are scared of getting fired. That means that people sacrifice their home life, their social activities, because they know how difficult life would be if they lost their job, or more specifically, their salary. So unless you have a pretty menial job, with few responsibilities, not much prestige attached to it, and a small salary, the chances are you will spend more time at work and less time on your social life than you would ideally like.

100

EXPLAIN how employers can help working parents Student: I think it is absolutely vital for employers to help their staff who have children, and that obviously means a high percentage of those working for them. The best thing might be to offer childcare facilities at work, like a crèche, though I know that’s only feasible for larger companies. Employers definitely need to be flexible so parents can maybe take time off when they need to collect their children or accompany them to the dentist or whatever it happens to be, and then catch up the work they have missed the following day. I suppose if bosses are understanding it can work well. After all, parents are quite likely to be highly-motivated employees, to want to keep their job so they can support the children, so it is in the company’s interest to employ them and find a way to let them balance their work-life and family responsibilities. ASSESS the effects on society of people working very long hours Student: Of course if you are working every hour God sends then you will be stressed out, probably nervous, hardly able to make a positive contribution to society in general, and probably you won’t even have time for a proper social life, to form longlasting relationships. The sort of person produced by this type of working is hardly an ideal citizen. People who work less are likely to be better balanced, calmer and more able to deal with difficult situations. This kind of person is likely to make a far more positive contribution to society, to be friendlier, more caring and just generally nicer. CONSIDER the benefits and drawbacks for employees of staying with the same company all your life Student: Well, the opportunity to stick with one single employer is not open to too many workers these days. In the past you could probably leave school, join a firm, slowly work your way up the ladder and retire at sixty-five. These days the labour market is much more flexible and most people move from job to job. Working for the same company obviously gives you stability and security. You get to know how the organisation works. However, it sounds really repetitive and boring and a bit dull. I don’t think it is especially good for the company either. There is a lot to be said for bringing in new blood, getting some fresh perspectives from new employees.

101

Find a word or phrase in the text, which has a similar meaning to the following: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Makes/produces Ineffective leadership Unskilled work In a difficult situation Possibilities of getting a better job Losing your job Adaptable Very enthusiastic staff New ideas/viewpoints Nursery

Describe a company where a friend or relative works Where is the company? What does it do? What job does your friend do? Is it a good company to work for?

102

28. Describe a wedding you have seen Who got married? Where did they get married? What happened? How did you feel? I’m going to describe my brother’s wedding, which took place in a village church about three and a half years ago. It was a really beautiful romantic location for the wedding. The church had flowers everywhere, candles all around, a choir singing really moving music and you could hear the birds singing outside throughout the ceremony. It is customary in our country for the bride-groom to arrive first and wait at the altar. Then the bride walks down the aisle, wearing a white dress with a veil and carrying a bouquet of lilies. When she reaches the place where her husband-to-be is standing, there is either a short piece of organ music or the choir sings. In my brother’s case, it was the choir. The service itself took about twenty minutes. Both bride and groom have to repeat what the priest says, make their wedding vows, promises to each other about how they will love each other forever. After that part, they exchanged rings and signed the official documents. They walked out of the church hand-in-hand and everyone threw confetti at them. After that there was a reception where quite a few people made speeches, proposed toasts and ate and drank too much. One or two guests got a bit drunk. Actually, that’s quite normal at weddings in my country. Although the setting was very picturesque, I can’t actually say I enjoyed the ceremony too much. It was a bit boring having to listen to the priest going on and on about the importance of marriage. The reception was better. We had a three-course meal and there was plenty to drink. Even so, I was rather pleased when it was time to go home. I think the happy couple were too. Examiner: We have been talking about weddings and now I would like to ask you some more general questions relating to this topic. DESCRIBE what kinds of wedding presents people give in your culture Student: That actually varies quite a lot from person to person. If you are a close relative, you might want to give a sum of money or something quite valuable like jewellery. I’ve actually heard of parents giving their children new houses, sports cars and other luxury items. For friends of the married couple, it’s more usual to give what you might call domestic items, things that are going to be useful in the home, like towels, bed-clothes, mirrors, pots and pans, cutlery. It is also traditional in my country that everyone who goes to the actual ceremony brings flowers which they present to the bride after the service.

103

ASSESS the advantages of having either a large or small wedding Student: Sometimes couples choose a smaller wedding maybe for two reasons. Firstly, it tends to be a lot cheaper, which is often an important factor. Secondly, it feels a great deal more intimate. There is less shouting and clapping and more opportunity to concentrate on the service itself, the promises you are making, the surroundings. Of course most people go for a larger wedding. They prefer to get married in front of all their friends and relatives. There might be more of a party atmosphere, more a sense of celebration, more noise and jollity. That’s what most people associate with weddings. Personally though, I think a quiet wedding with just a few close friends and family members sounds ideal. EXPLAIN why people enjoy celebrating events like weddings Student: I think most people have quite mundane boring lives and a festival or ceremony is something to look forward to, an exciting moment, a chance to forget about all the negativity and pessimism in the world and let your hair down. People feel happy at weddings because it is supposed to be a moment of joy and happiness for the couple getting married and everybody else is being invited to share in it. As well as that, just about everybody enjoys the chance to eat and drink as much as they want, without paying, and that’s what usually happens at weddings and other occasions like that. CONSIDER whether there is an ideal age for getting married Student: I think the time when you get married is really an individual matter. Some people meet the right person when they are teenagers. They are absolutely convinced that they should get married. They fall head over heels in love. Others wait until they are more mature, more able to make sensible decisions. After all, who you marry is probably the most important decision you make in your whole life. Generally speaking, though, I don’t think it is such a good idea to marry young. You often hear about teenagers marrying and after a couple of years they have split up or divorced because they have grown apart, have irreconcilable differences. This is less likely to happen when you are, say, in your late twenties or thirties because you are much more selfaware, clearer about what you want and need, and able to make wiser and more knowledgeable decisions. CONSIDER whether men and women have different attitudes to getting married in your culture Student: It is probably a bit sexist to say what I’m going to, but actually I think they do. For women, marriage seems to be a more serious decision. From the little I know, I think most women marry with the intention of staying with that partner for life. For men, it seems to be a bit more trivial, or at least less important. Most men have the attitude that if it doesn’t work out they can always get divorced and try again with another partner. I also think that generally men are more reluctant to get married. They are afraid that once they have tied the knot they will lose all their freedom and become a hen-pecked husband. For women, marriage seems to be something they tend to aspire to. Not in all cases of course, but probably in the majority.

104

CONSIDER how family and work responsibilities should be shared in a marriage Student: Ideally, everything should be shared. That means the responsibilities for earning money, household duties and looking after children. However, in reality it is not usually like that. In most cases men become the main bread-winner and women take on the domestic chores and childcare duties. In some cases, women get part-time jobs and men take on some of the jobs at home like cooking, ironing or looking after children. But the truth is that most couples conform to a sort of stereotype: the man goes out and works and the woman stays at home and is in charge of the house and domestic affairs. SPECULATE on whether marriage is likely to become more or less popular Student: I know that over the past few decades it has become increasingly unfashionable to get married. Many couples are still getting married but not until they have lived together for several years and maybe saved up enough money to buy a house. Lots of people, especially in more economically-developed countries I think, value their freedom and don’t want to be tied down with responsibilities until they are in their thirties. I suppose that trend will probably continue so although marriage itself might not fade out, it could become something which older people do rather than an option for people in their early twenties.

105

Find a word or phrase in the text, which has a similar meaning to the following: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Pretty/charming Out-of-date It is normal Irresolvable problems The person in a couple who earns the most money Perfect The environment/the setting Got married Completely sure Future husband

Describe a wedding you have seen Who got married? Where did they get married? What happened? How did you feel?

106

29. Describe a work of art you have seen What was it? What was it like? Where did you see it? How did it make you feel? Student: This is not a particularly easy question for me because I’m not what you would call a big fan of art. When I see a painting or sculpture or listen to a piece of classical music I generally just get quite bored and my mind starts wandering onto something else. I almost never go to art galleries or exhibitions or concerts unless it’s raining or they’re free. But having said that I suppose I can talk a bit about a painting I saw last year when I went to Dublin on a school trip. It was in the National Gallery there, and I think it’s called The Taking of Christ. It was painted by Caravaggio who, as you probably know, was an Italian artist from the beginning of the seventeenth century. This piece of art is supposed to depict the arrest of Jesus Christ and his betrayal by Judas. I don’t actually believe in all that sort of thing, you know, The Bible and everything, but what struck me about the painting was how life-like it was. Usually when you see images of gods or religion, they are painted in what you might call an angelic way, I suppose to illustrate that they are not really human. What was unusual about this picture is that Jesus is portrayed as very human. It is realistic. The faces look like ordinary people you might meet on the street, and although I don’t really appreciate this properly because I’ve never been a painter myself, apparently light, or rather darkness, is used very effectively. Caravaggio was using a dark canvas and very unusual brush-strokes. One thing, for instance, which you notice straight away - it is the sort of focal point of the picture - is the shiny armour of one of the guards who has come to arrest Jesus. In a picture which doesn’t have much light, this, and the faces of Jesus and Judas, really stand out, contrast with the rest of the scene. I felt slightly in awe of the artist when I saw this. It made me realise just what a powerful message you can send if you are skilful enough to paint like that. It inspired me to take up painting, but unfortunately that inspiration only lasted until I got home and realised how much work is involved in becoming an artist. I can say at least that it slightly changed my attitude towards paintings. I still wouldn’t say that I fully appreciate art but I have a slightly more open mind towards it. Examiner: We have been talking about a work of art and now I would like to ask you some more general questions relating to this topic.

107

CONSIDER the importance of teaching children to draw or paint Student: I think it’s absolutely essential that children are taught not only to draw and paint but also to appreciate good art. I wish I had had that opportunity myself. There are several reasons why I think it’s so essential. Firstly, it teaches an awareness of beauty and an ability to correctly observe the world around us and to understand how images are created through light. Secondly it helps children to develop their patience, tolerance and concentration. As you know, you can’t be a decent artist without these skills. Most works of art take a great deal of effort and demand the painter’s full attention. Of course these skills are extremely useful in everyday life as well. EXPLAIN what children can learn from studying art from different cultures Student: I suppose that each culture uses art in different ways. If you get the chance to develop an understanding of, say, Japanese wood-carving or African dance or something like that, it really broadens your mind and forces you to confront your own beliefs about what is beautiful or ugly or an appropriate subject for art. It might be a bit unsettling and unnerving at first, but I think in the end this kind of education will turn you into a more worldly and intelligent human being. My ten-year-old niece has recently started painting using water colours. I wish I had had the chance to do that. She is really into it and her mum says it is helping her motor skills as well as making her more considered, thoughtful and perceptive. SPECULATE on whether art will be taught in schools in the future Student: That isn’t an easy one to answer. I would like to hope that there will always be a place for art in education. However, I am afraid that as schools and colleges are put under more pressure to prepare their students for the world of work, things which are considered non-essential, like art, might get pushed to one side. Perhaps one hope is that new technology will encourage some forms of art and make them more accessible or easier. It might become easier to compose music or draw through the computer and some people who were unable to be creative before, because of the cost, might get the chance. But whether this will be something done in schools I really don’t know. ASSESS whether governments should provide money for works of art in public places Student: I think there are lots of reasons why they should, though, again, I seriously doubt whether many governments would actually consider investing in works of art. Most politicians would actually say that there’s no point because nobody will appreciate a painting or sculpture in a square or park, and they will probably get vandalised. But I would say that having works of art accessible, available and visible can really benefit everyone. It might make people become more reflective and thoughtful, which would obviously be a good thing. As well as that, it could actually lead to a reduction in crime and anti-social behaviour. People living in an environment where there are calming tranquil images are less likely to be violent or aggressive I think. I’ve read some reports of studies carried out by universities which seem to confirm this.

108

CONSIDER how important art galleries are in our modern society Student: The short answer is “not very”. Most people are a bit like me in that they only go inside one when they have to. They often don’t really seem to reach out to modern people. They often seem to be a bit snobbish and only for the intellectuals and those who really understand art. I think if galleries and exhibitions want to be popular, they have to do some dumbing down so that ordinary people are interested. They might really explain the life-story of the artist or the historical period he or she was living in. They might give you a chance to have a go at painting and teach some of the techniques which great artists use. The problem is that because so few people actually paint, nobody really appreciates why great art is so good, and nobody can be bothered to spend hours wandering round galleries looking at stuff they don’t understand.

109

Find a word or phrase in the text, which has a similar meaning to the following: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

I don’t really like art that much It encouraged me to Thought of as not important Motivation/encouragement Very intelligent people Superior/snooty Worrying/upsetting The centre/main focus of the image Destroyed/damaged Lowering the level of difficulty or intellectual content

Describe a work of art you have seen What was it? What was it like? Where did you see it? How did it make you feel?

110

30. Describe a change in your life which was positive What was it? When did it happen? How did you feel at the time? How has it affected your life? Student: I would say that for me a major life-changing experience was when I took up meditation about five years ago. I had been feeling a bit depressed and that life was quite pointless at times, and a friend suggested that I went with her on a weekend course in the countryside. Actually I was quite apprehensive and wasn’t really looking forward to it. I was pretty sceptical about that sort of thing. I had no idea what to expect. The first couple of sessions seemed absolutely bizarre to me. I couldn’t concentrate on the breathing exercises we were supposed to do and I just wanted to burst out laughing at the stupidity of it all. I wasn’t able to focus my mind and my thoughts just kept drifting away. I couldn’t manage any of the visualisations they asked us to do. But by the Sunday, when it was time to leave, I was completely hooked. I had noticed during the weekend how I was getting calmer, my heart-beat seemed to have slowed, I was more able to deal with things going wrong and I had this tremendous sense of wellbeing and peace. The sad thing was though, that as soon as I got home, all of this sort of melted away, but it made me realise how beneficial meditating could be and when I got the chance to do another course a few weeks later, I jumped at the opportunity. After this second course, I made sure that I kept up the meditation when I got home and I really started to notice the difference. I could cope with crises, I started to notice beautiful things, my relationships with other people really began to improve, I started to sleep better and feel healthier. It was a sort of minor miracle. It completely changed the way I feel, think and behave. Since I did those courses, I’ve been on lots more spiritual retreats and I regularly go to meditation sessions in my own town. I would say that I meditate two or three times a day, sometimes while sitting in a quiet room, sometimes while waiting for the bus. It really is an incredibly simple thing to do and, take it from me, it can completely transform your life. Examiner: We have been talking about a change in your life and now I would like to ask you some more general questions relating to this topic. DESCRIBE recent changes in working patterns in your country Student: There have been some major changes recently. Probably the most important and obvious is that nowadays most people don’t do manual labour on farms and in factories and because more people are working with technology, in offices, in service industries like banking, a lot of them have a regular nine-to-five day. They work five days a week and have a regular start and finish time. In the past there was a lot of agricultural work, including early starts and late finishes, and many people working in coal-mines, steel-works, shipbuilding factories and car plants worked shifts, so there was a lot of night work. Another significant factor is that these days a far greater proportion of women work. Traditionally, women stayed at home and were responsible for bringing up children and doing domestic work. Nowadays, most women go out to work though, sadly, very few have them have been promoted to

111

senior management positions. That is something which will hopefully change in the not-too-distant future. EXPLAIN what impact new technology has had on work patterns in your country Student: As I was just mentioning, nowadays most people work in offices, in the tertiary sector, and this is definitely connected to new technology. One of the main consequences has been that more women are able to reach senior positions. In the past, it was very unlikely that a woman would become director of a coal-mine or power station. There was a sort of macho attitude in the workplace. Muscles were more important than brains and men were generally physically stronger. That’s no longer the case and new jobs require good communication skills and inter-personal skills and the ability to use technology. Women tend to be better at this type of work and so are more likely to get promotion. This definitely leads to some antagonism. There are plenty of men who still tell you that a woman’s place is in the home, but attitudes are changing. SPECULATE on how work patterns are likely to change in the future in your country Student: One of the biggest changes will be that people no longer work from an office. I was recently reading something about a company making glasses which can carry the internet, allowing employees to work from just about anywhere. This will eliminate the need to commute to work. It will also make working hours far more flexible because people will just arrange their job around their social life. I also think that as the global economy becomes more important, people in my country might have to start working hours which suit richer developed countries. This is already happening to some extent. Lots of call-centre employees have to work from about the middle of the afternoon until midnight because that period corresponds to office hours in Europe or The USA. I think we’ll start to see more of that. DESCRIBE the social changes currently taking place in your country Student: Just as women are becoming more important in the workplace, so their role in society in general is changing, most people would say for the better. In the past you could describe our society as patriarchal; men made all the important decisions in political and economic life and in the family. Nowadays it is far more common to see women at least participating in major decisions in the household and in politics. Until about ten years ago, a woman politician would have been unthinkable, laughable, but now about ten percent of all parliamentary representatives are female. It’s a great step forward I think. SPECULATE on whether the roles of men and women will remain the same or change in the future. Student: I think they will continue to change. As we move away from a situation where manual work is important, to one where the ability to use technology and communicate effectively is what counts, we will see a shift in power. It’s already begun to happen. I feel that within about twenty years, women will start to dominate important aspects of society and men will really have to adapt and find new roles, I think for older men in particular this might be extremely challenging.

112

Find a word or phrase in the text, which has a similar meaning to the following: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Remove the necessity of I was totally addicted Bitterness/resentment A massive feeling of happiness You could say my country is controlled by men A very masculine way of looking at things Work that involves physical rather than mental exertion It can totally change your existence Meaningless Deal with major problems

Describe a change in your life which was positive What was it? When did it happen? How did you feel at the time? How has it affected your life?

113

31. Describe an important rule or law in your country What is it? Who is it designed to protect? What do people think of it? And why is it important? Student: I would like to describe the punishment of the death penalty which is used in my country for serious offences such as murder, rape, armed robbery, treason and other crimes like that. I think it was introduced by the government after the Second World War and the intention is obviously to protect law-abiding citizens, peaceful people who want to be defended against criminals. Most citizens are fully in support of capital punishment. They believe it has actually brought down the crime rate and made potential criminals think far more seriously before committing a crime. They know that if they are caught, there is a very strong probability that they will be sentenced to death and publicly executed. I agree with what most people say. I feel a lot safer knowing that the authorities will probably hang or shoot serious criminals. Of course there are people who disagree. They say that it is dehumanising and that courts sometimes convict innocent people. This is possibly true but, on balance, I think it is of great benefit. Actually, most of those who protest against it are foreigners who really don’t understand the situation in our country. They demonstrate against the government and send appeals to our embassies abroad, but the government is absolutely clear that the death penalty actually saves lives. If you walk down the streets of a country without capital punishment, say one of the so-called western democracies, you will see lots of lawlessness, lots of serious crime. In the newspapers there you can read about murders just about every day. In my country, murders are practically unheard of and crimes like terrorism and armed robbery just don’t take place. In my view, and the opinion of most people I know, that’s mostly down to the fact that we have the death penalty. Examiner: We have been talking about a law and now I would like to ask you some more general questions relating to this topic. EXPLAIN why societies need to have laws Student: It’s quite obvious that if you don’t have any rules governing people, they will just do what they want. You would have anarchy. People are unable to control themselves without some external authority, in my opinion. If you don’t have laws and somebody to enforce them, stronger people will just take what they want and the weaker ones won’t survive. This would be like the law of the jungle, completely unfair and unsustainable. I know there are some people who think humans are selfregulating, that we don’t need to be told what to do. I think these people have got it seriously wrong though.

114

CONSIDER whether prison is always the best form of punishment Student: Not necessarily. For a start, you have to consider the seriousness of the crime. Obviously if a youth steals food because he or she is hungry, then there’s not much point putting them in prison. You will only institutionalise them and they will probably come out a hardened criminal. They say that prison is like the University of Crime. So you need to consider the motive behind the crime, maybe the past record of the offender as well. Clearly though, if you are a murderer or have committed a serious violent crime, you need to be locked away from the rest of society to prevent you from repeating what you’ve done. In this case, prison is definitely the best solution. EXPLAIN what sort of rules families often have Student: A lot of the rules in families are to do with respecting each other and keeping everybody safe. For example, children are not usually allowed to stay out late on their own. They have to call home and let parents know where they are. In some families you are all expected to eat together at the table. Sometimes, there are rules about keeping things tidy, not borrowing each other’s stuff without asking, not going into each other’s rooms without permission, that sort of thing. Often, families have implicit, unspoken rules about the roles of individuals. It is often the case that women are expected to act in a particular way. DISCUSS how important it is for family members to obey these rules Student: It’s really important that everyone in the family can trust each other. You need to know that your brother or sister won’t just borrow something without letting you know first, or won’t play their music incredibly loud if you have to prepare for an exam or something. If you are going to have a harmonious family life, there needs to be respect and co-operation. However, some rules within the family can be unjust or unjustifiable and in these cases people have a right, even an obligation, not to simply obey like sheep. CONSIDER the best ways to ensure that school rules are obeyed Student: I think schools can go down one of two different routes: they can either enforce rules with discipline so that students know that if they break a rule they will get a detention or a smack or a loss of some privileges, or schools can try and involve their pupils in the rule-making process so that they feel the rules are theirs and they hopefully don’t want to break them because they are sort of offending themselves. Obviously this second approach is the more enlightened and can sometimes work, but I suppose a mixture of the two approaches is likely to be the most effective. DISCUSS whether the focus of school rules should be discipline or fairness. Student: Part of the purpose of school rules should be to teach young people how to become adults. So it’s really important they have a sense of justice, fairness and equality. Of course you do need discipline as well. It’s no good having a school where everybody flouts the rules. Nothing would get taught and there would be no point even going there. But there definitely needs to be an element of fairness in the way schools are controlled.

115

Find a word or phrase in the text, which has a similar meaning to the following: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

To put laws into effect Somebody who commits even more serious crimes Find guilty Crimes Liberal/open-minded The purpose/the aim Happy/pleasant Self-governing Chaos/disorder/rebellion Criminal

Describe an important rule or law in your country What is it? Who is it designed to protect? What do people think of it? And why is it important?

116

32. Describe the kind of book you would like to write What kind of book would you write? What would it be about? Who do you think would read it? How would you write it?

Student: Well, this is not something I really expected to have to talk about, and actually I’ve never even thought about writing a book. I honestly don’t know what kind of book I would write. I don’t think I would be much good at writing a novel or a collection of poetry. I don’t have enough creativity or imagination for that kind of thing. I suppose I might be able to write a factual book like a biography, rather than something fictional. I could write about a famous person, maybe a sports star or actor or that kind of thing. I imagine the first thing to do would be to compile information and do some research to find out as much as possible about the person concerned. I suppose one of the most difficult things to do would be to actually edit the information down. You know, you would probably end up with a lot of stuff and publishers wouldn’t be interested in printing a huge great volume so you’d have to get rid of some information and just basically concentrate on the most exciting things, the things which would guarantee you a wide readership. Having said that though I doubt whether my biography would be read by millions. I don’t think I would have that way with words which you need to be a wonderful writer. I guess a few people might read it, those who were already interested in the subject, but generally I don’t think I could write a masterpiece. Examiner: We have been talking about a book you would like to write and now I would like to ask you some more general questions relating to this topic. DESCRIBE the main qualities of a successful writer Well, this is a difficult question for me to answer because, as I’ve already mentioned, I don’t think I could ever be a good writer. I suppose what they really need is dedication, because when you are working on your own it is incredibly easy just to give up or take it easy unless you are really committed to your work. Another thing is literary flair or talent, the ability to bring something to life through words, to make something come alive and seem real, to paint a picture. You would really need the ability to organise well. Writers have to do a great deal of research and this needs to be included in their work. It’s no good being messy. You need to be talented but I suppose you also have to be methodical and logical at times. EXPLAIN why people choose to write for a living Student: That’s another question I really find it hard to answer. I suppose they must have something inside them that has to come out. I don’t think they usually do it for the money. It’s not exactly a lucrative career. They spend ages sitting on their own writing things that might never see the light of day and it seems incredibly unrewarding, so I suppose it’s something that I really don’t understand at all. Maybe it’s a bit like being a doctor, you just have a vocation for it. But I imagine it being a very

117

lonely occupation. I would rather do something where I get to interact with people a bit more. DESCRIBE the difficulties writers face Student: In a way, I’ve talked about this already, well, the financial aspect anyway. They hardly ever get well paid. I mean, if you write something really popular which catches the public mood like Harry Potter then you might become fabulously rich but otherwise you’ll spend a lifetime working almost in solitary confinement, with nobody to share or understand your work, with editors telling you to cut things out and change things, a readership who don’t much care and probably no praise or gratitude. There must be a tremendous feeling of isolation and you have to be hugely motivated and self-assured and I think it must help if you’re rich enough not to have to depend on the money you make. ASSESS the importance of libraries Student: I have to say that I’m a real fan of libraries. We don’t really have any in my country and when I came here it was one of the things that impressed me most. Obviously, reading has lots of benefits and libraries give people access to a wide range of reading materials. I think that people who read tend to be more sensitive, more thoughtful and reflective than those who don’t and so reading has real tangible benefits for society. I’ve heard that some libraries in this country are closing down, and I think it’s a real shame. Just the idea of having a place where you can go and sit down and read is absolutely fantastic as far as I’m concerned. CONSIDER how libraries might encourage people to read more Student: Well, that’s something which has been considered by probably thousands of very intelligent people, and I don’t think they’ve really come up with an answer yet. One thing that could be tried is getting celebrities to endorse libraries. Sometimes you see leaflets or adverts showing a famous footballer reading. That might work with youngsters though actually I bet most of them just look at the pictures and think to themselves: “Hang on! When was the last time that celebrity actually went into a real library?” Of course technology plays a huge role in people’s lives these days and most teenagers and young adults spend their life on social media. Probably we need to try to persuade youngsters to read in the real world. The problem is that that isn’t very trendy. It simply doesn’t look cool to be sat reading a book. ASSESS whether governments should pay for public libraries Student: Yes, I’m a strong believer in public libraries and I actually think it’s to the government’s advantage to support them financially. Everybody should have access to good literature and information and this is precisely what libraries offer. As well as that they really help to educate and entertain people and I’m sure this has an effect on things like the crime rate. Book readers tend not to be hooligans, burglars and murderers so I think libraries can play a valuable role in the development of a country socially and educationally, and maybe even emotionally too.

118

DESCRIBE the range of reading material available on the internet Student: These days you can read pretty much everything online from newspapers to blogs and biographies to technical material. It’s mind-boggling! You have to mention that a lot of stuff online is of extremely dubious quality and quite unreliable. Having said that, the internet is obviously better in some respects as it is convenient and the sheer range of material available is enormous. Probably one of the most fascinating aspect of online material is that just about everybody has the ability to publish their own thoughts, ideas or opinions. This might mean a reduction in quality but you certainly can’t complain about the quantity of information available. ASSESS the advantages and disadvantages of using the internet for reading Student: There’s no doubt that if you want to do research or find out factual information, the internet is the quickest and easiest way. I don’t know anybody these days who trudges off to the library when they want to look something up. Of course, some online sources are a bit dodgy but that’s a risk most people are willing to take. The big issue is whether people are willing to read novels and newspapers online. Up until a few years ago I would have said “no” but more and more people subscribe to online newspapers and even read whole books. These days it’s only older people or technophobes who read paper books. Just about everyone else has converted to online so I guess it must be better. CONSIDER whether printed books will eventually be replaced by the internet Student: A few years ago I would have said that I seriously doubted whether the internet would replace printed material. However, there have been innovations in the internet and computers have been developed which do not place a strain on the eye, and they’re even talking about computers inside your spectacles. I suppose this will come about one day, and I imagine it might be some time very soon. You can easily imagine people just lying on the beach or in their garden, wearing their internet glasses and scrolling through documents, reading books, even novels. I think it will come to fruition because technological advances are taking place so rapidly these days. I mean, if somebody had told us thirty years ago about the internet, we would never have believed them, or at least I wouldn’t.

119

Find a word or phrase in the text, which has a similar meaning to the following: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Huge sense of loneliness Completely alone and cut off from other people A work of genius Book about a real person To actually happen Determination Real advantages Be visible Thanks A job that pays lots of money

Describe the kind of book you would like to write What kind of book would you write? What would it be about? Who do you think would read it? How would you write it?

120

33. Describe the most successful person you know What does she/he do? How do you know her/him? Why do you think she/he is so successful? Student: This is quite a difficult topic to talk about because, first of all, you have to define success and say what you think being successful actually means. I know lots of people who have become successful in material terms. They have large houses, large bank accounts, expensive and flashy cars. But I think that in reality success means finding happiness, and for that reason I’d like to talk about my friend Peter. I’ve known him ever since I was in my mid-twenties. We were working together for a small company making paper products and we got on well straightaway. He is completely calm and unflappable and nothing bothers him. It’s impossible to annoy him or make him angry. I don’t think I’ve actually ever seen him in a bad mood. He just has this marvellous approach to life and always finds such a positive way of viewing things. He is not at all materialistic and I don’t think it would worry him even slightly if his house was destroyed or if someone stole all his money. He would just carry on seeing the silver lining to every cloud. One of the reasons why he is probably so successful is because of his partner Paula. They have an incredibly strong relationship and have been together for as long as anyone can remember. Well, actually, according to Peter they met at secondary school. They make each other tremendously happy. As I said, I regard Peter as successful because he has found how to be happy. And it is worth pointing out that because he’s generally contented, he makes those around him happy and he leads a far more fulfilling life, always involved in something, living life to the full, making the most of every situation. I think that is the sign of real success. Examiner: We have been talking about a successful person and now I would like to ask you some more general questions relating to this topic. EXPLAIN why people want to be successful Student: As I‘ve already said, it is incredibly difficult to define success. Everybody has an idea of what success means and that is their sort of dream. They try to pursue that dream and become successful. For some people it means being happily married and for others being wealthy or respected or maybe even feared. Lots of people sort of judge themselves and ask themselves if they have achieved what they set out to achieve. If they think they have got to where they want to be, they consider themselves successful. So what I’m really trying to say is that being a success and being happy or contented are more or less the same thing.

121

CONSIDER whether you can balance success at work with a happy home life Student: That can be a really tricky thing to do. If you want to be successful at work and get promotion and probably a better salary, then that’s going to take time. I really don’t see how you can sacrifice so much time and manage to build a contented family life at the same time. So the only solutions are either to concentrate on one aspect of your life and sort of abandon the other, or to judge your own success at work in terms of making good friends there, or maybe getting job satisfaction or a job without too much pressure. This way you don’t have to spend your whole life trying to get ahead in the world of work. CONSIDER whether being successful means more than being rich Student: I guess I have already answered this question a bit. For me being wealthy and successful are completely different things. I saw a survey a while ago which said that actually people with lots of money generally didn’t consider themselves successful because they were usually quite greedy and acquisitive and just wanted to make more and more money. So it looks like wealth and success don’t naturally go together. I know some people don’t agree. They say that you can’t be successful without a healthy bank account, but I’m not convinced. EXPLAIN why the public are interested in famous people Student: Well it’s certainly true that these days we live in what they call a celebrity culture. Whenever you open a website or magazine or newspaper or even turn on the TV news you can see stories about which footballer has got drunk and started a fight or which celebrity model is getting divorced or taking somebody to court or having an affair. Personally I really don’t care about this kind of thing and I try to avoid all these stories in the press, though it isn’t easy. I’m sorry to say this but I think the reason so many people are keen to know all the details about famous people is because they don’t lead very interesting lives themselves and they want a bit of spice, some magic, a chance to fantasise. I could be wrong. I know that sounds a bit harsh, but it’s a phenomenon I just don’t understand. ASSESS how much privacy famous people should have Student: That’s another very interesting question and actually quite a topical one because there are often stories in the newspapers about film stars and sportsmen and women trying to stop media outlets from printing pictures of them naked or stories about them having affairs or taking drugs. I think if you are a famous person and you don’t try to get in the papers all the time, then they should respect you and leave you alone. But if you are one of these famous people who wants to be on the front page every week, you deserve everything you get and if the media finds out something negative about you, even if it’s only scandalous gossip, they should have the right to publish it.

122

DESCRIBE what impact becoming famous overnight would have on a person’s life Student: I know most people think it would be wonderful to suddenly become well known but I actually think it would be a nightmare, a disaster. Imagine going down the street and loads of people recognising you and knowing your name and maybe wanting a photo or an autograph. You would never get anything done and you would always feel that you were in the public eye. You would never get any privacy at all and I think after a while most people would be sick of it. I think it would be absolutely dreadful. It would be my worst nightmare and the celebrity status and wealth certainly wouldn’t make up for the lack of privacy. CONSIDER the importance for young people of role models Student: Lots of youngsters, teenagers and even children are very impressionable. It’s quite easy for someone to change young people’s mind about things and they follow examples very easily. So I think having a role model can be a brilliant thing. The only problem is if the role model is positive. What you tend to see on TV and in magazines is stories of famous people, celebrities and actors and models, getting drunk, arguing, being involved in sensational news stories. All right, it probably isn’t always their fault but what sort of an example does that set. The sort of role model which young people need is someone with strong moral values, but that kind of person is perceived as unattractive and uninteresting and doesn’t usually feature in the media.

123

Find a word or phrase in the text, which has a similar meaning to the following: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Money orientated Happy with life Pleasure from your job Shocking stories about people Easily influenced/vulnerable Regarded as Give up something Materialistic Calm Immediately

Describe the most successful person you know What does she/he do? How do you know her/him? Why do you think she/he is so successful?

124

34. Describe a project or piece of work you have done with somebody else What was it? Who did you do it with? How successful was the teamwork? Why did you do the work with somebody else? Student: Actually I have to admit that generally I’m not particularly keen on working with other people. I prefer to work on my own, independently. But a couple of months ago as part of our psychology classes, the tutor asked us to do a project in groups. I had to work with three other students. Well, I wasn’t too keen at first, especially when they all started arguing about what topic we should choose and what methods we should try. After a while we sort of came to a compromise and everybody more or less agreed about their roles and deadlines for finishing different tasks. Nobody wanted to be the one sitting inside doing all the boring statistical analysis so in the end I volunteered for that. The project was about the relationship between introversion and friendliness. The students I was working with carried out some questionnaires and did some background reading and eventually we wrote a report together. All the way through I was getting annoyed about how much time we were wasting just chatting about irrelevant things. It kept crossing my mind that if I’d been working on my own I would have finished it much earlier. Well, we got a reasonable grade for it, though we lost some marks because one of our so-called team didn’t do what he had promised. I resented it because, working alone I would have got a higher grade. I was incredibly relieved when the tutor announced that the next project would be based on individual work. Examiner: We have been talking about cooperation and now I would like to ask you some more general questions relating to this topic. DESCRIBE the benefits of working with other people Student: As I’ve already mentioned, I’m not too sure there are that many advantages of what you might call collaborative learning. Some people say you have more fun working with others and you can get great ideas from each other. Perhaps some people need encouragement and support and they might get self-confidence if their team-mates tell them what a good job they’re doing. Obviously, you can share the work so as long as everyone does what they are supposed to do, it might not take you as long and you can get more done. Also, I suppose that within a group everyone is likely to have different strengths so they should be able to concentrate on doing what they are actually good at. DESCRIBE the advantages of working alone Student: I personally prefer working alone, especially because you don’t have to rely on other people and you know that whatever you do, it’s your work, your responsibility. You can plan exactly what you want and you don’t have to justify your decisions and try to convince other colleagues that you’re right. You can work when you want, when it suits you, at your own pace. Some people say they would get lonely

125

and there’s nobody to tell you when you are wrong and nobody you can bounce your ideas off. But it can be a real pain having to consider other people’s views all the time. CONSIDER the importance of co-operation in your culture Student: I would actually say that co-operation is incredibly important in my country. In particular, I’m talking about families working together. In our culture, there is a kind of unwritten rule that if anyone in your family - I don’t just mean close relatives but also extended family - if they need help you are under a sort of obligation to do what you can. It might be financial support or physical help or just about anything. I think our culture values collaboration more than people do here. People generally are more willing to take time and help people. Probably they realise that one day they might need help themselves and somebody will be there to give them support. But I’m sorry to say that in our country we are getting more and more like in the west. People are becoming more selfish and self-centred. I’m not hugely optimistic about the future. EXPLAIN how children can learn to co-operate together Student: The best way for young children to learn to work together is probably through observation. If they see family members collaborating, helping each other, sharing jobs and that kind of thing, and generally respecting each other, they will realise that’s how you are supposed to behave and then they’ll copy it. Of course, children can also observe society in general and things they see in the media, on TV and the internet. Also through playing children can learn a lot. When they play in groups every child has a role and they start to understand that the only way they can play successfully is if everyone plays their part. EXPLAIN how businesses and schools could co-operate better for the benefit of both pupils and the economy Student: This is something I feel quite strongly about. I can never really understand why schools teach stuff like geography and history when nobody actually needs experts in those areas. Schools and the government should get business leaders in and ask them what skills they need from workers in the future. You know, really consult them. I’m sure employers are really looking for people with initiative, good interpersonal skills, the strength to work on their own, independently, the ability to use IT well and probably numeracy and literacy skills. I mean, we probably do need a handful of geography and history graduates to teach geography and history in the future, but I really think schools have got it wrong. Another thing is that companies and businesses should be inviting school-children into their organisations from a young age, say early teenagers, so they can start to experience work and see what it’s really like. That would be a lot more useful than sitting in a classroom all day. They could get some real hands-on experience. It might really start to get them thinking about their futures.

126

CONSIDER how wealthy countries can help less developed countries Student: I think there is a real danger that rich countries often just give charity handouts to poorer nations and expect them to stop complaining. Actually, if western countries thought about it more carefully, they would realise that it is completely in their interest to really drag poorer parts of the world out of poverty. That’s because poverty leads to wars, terrorism and all kinds of things that make the world more dangerous. Rich countries could start by wiping out Third World debt so that poorer countries don’t have to pay back loans and the interest on them. Then, developed countries could start paying the proper price for all the natural resources they take from developing countries. This is just exploitation and it should stop. Well, I know I’ve gone a bit off the point of the question, but I feel really strongly about this and I really think it’s time that richer countries started taking their responsibilities seriously. SPECULATE on whether the world will be more or less co-operative in the future. Student: I’m sorry to say that I’m not particularly optimistic. When I compare how things are now and how they used to be, it seems to me that there is a general trend towards selfishness. This is evident in individuals and societies as a whole. I think that as natural resources begin to disappear, everyone will be thinking even more about how they can get their hands on limited resources. I expect that this will just lead to more conflict, more wars and disturbances and a greater degree of unhappiness in the world as a whole.

127

Find a word or phrase in the text, which has a similar meaning to the following: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

I’m not really positive about Things that aren’t important I found it hard to accept Arguments/fighting Knowledge obtained from actually doing something Mistreatment Grandparents, aunts, uncles etc I was very thankful/pleased Pull/haul Work as fast as you want to

Describe a project or piece of work you have done with somebody else What was it? Who did you do it with? How successful was the teamwork? Why did you do the work with somebody else?

128

35. Describe somebody from your family’s past who lived in interesting times Who was it? What did she/he do? How did you know about her/him? Why is this person’s life interesting? Student: I’m quite glad I’ve got this topic because I have done some studying of my family history, you know, researched my family tree on line and that sort of thing, and I know quite a bit about it I think. The person I’d really like to talk about is my granny. She must have been born at the beginning of the twentieth century though actually I’m not completely sure when it was. Anyway, as a little girl, she didn’t get much education and had to stay at home doing domestic work until she was about fifteen. Then the war started and all her brothers and male relatives had to go away to fight. She was kind of left in charge of the house and instead of just sitting there miserable, waiting for the men to come home, she set up a small business making clothes. She started off on her own and managed to save a bit of money by working nights in a munitions factory. After a bit she started employing other women who lived in her neighbourhood and by the time the war ended, she was running a couple of small workshops. Her business flourished after the war and by the time she retired she had one of the largest and most successful companies in the region. The reason why I think she was so interesting is that she showed so much bravery at such a difficult time when many people, including me I think, would have just given up. She must have had loads of difficulties and faced prejudice and injustice because in those days it just wasn’t the accepted thing for a woman to succeed in business. It was a man’s world. Examiner: We have been talking about a person from your family’s past and now I would like to ask you some more general questions relating to this topic. CONSIDER whether it is important to know about your family history Student: I think it’s incredibly important to have some idea about your family’s past. As I’ve already mentioned, I’ve been researching my family’s past online. As some people say if you don’t know where you’ve come from, you can’t know where you’re going. Generally speaking, I think you find that people who know about their past and care about their relatives are more stable and also more caring. And it is absolutely fascinating to find out about the lives of your fore-fathers. Who wouldn’t want to know about the triumphs and struggles of their grand-parents and greatgrandparents? EXPLAIN how people find out about their family history Student: Well, there are actually loads of ways you can find out about your ancestors. Probably the most interesting way is actually just to ask them. Most people have an elderly aunt or granny or something and they are usually absolutely delighted to talk about what it was like when they were little. Apart from that you can always look through family photo albums or even get information from libraries. These days there are specialist websites which help you trace your family tree and get information.

129

CONSIDER whether people are interested in local history Student: Sadly, I don’t think many people are too bothered about their local history, at least not in the region I come from. Most people just seem to care about earning enough money to live. Probably, if people had a bit more time or a bit more money they would feel like finding out about that sort of thing but in reality, day-to-day concerns just take over. Another factor is that these days people migrate or at least move from one part of their country to another. Most people don’t live in the same place all their life and so don’t develop an affinity with the place or an interest in its past. DESCRIBE the ways in which you can learn about your own town/city Student: I don’t actually think there are too many ways to learn about the places where you live. I mean you can always search the internet or look in old newspapers or ask people. I don’t know how I would go about it. I suppose I might go and ask the librarian or somebody in the local government. Actually, I’ve never thought about doing it. You can tell it isn’t something which interests me greatly! CONSIDER why the history of other places often interests people more than local history Student: That’s a really tough question, though it’s absolutely true. I’d never really wondered why people are keener to find out about other places, particularly foreign places, but they are. It could be because most of the major events, important things like revolutions and battles and murders took place somewhere else. I mean, I’m from a small town and not too much has ever happened there. Maybe the occasional killing and we once had a small earthquake. But if you take another country like Spain, say, then you’ve got great buildings, religious movements, wars, massacres, everything. I guess it just seems more exciting when you find out about places in other countries.

130

Find a word or phrase in the text, which has a similar meaning to the following: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Old Unhappy Really happy House work Became successful Inequality/unfairness Everyday worries Your relatives from the past Interested/concerned Mass murder

Describe somebody from your family’s past who lived in interesting times Who was it? What did she/he do? How did you know about her/him? Why is this person’s life interesting?

131

36. Describe an item of clothing or jewellery you wore for a special occasion What was it? What did it look like? On what occasion did you wear it? How did you feel about wearing it? Student: Probably the most important thing I ever wore… Actually, one of the most beautiful and wonderful things I’ve ever had was a gold watch given to me by my great-grandfather just before he died. As you can imagine he was incredibly old when I was born and I only just remember him. Anyway, he gave me a really valuable watch. Of course it had huge sentimental value and still does. It has a thick gold strap which is so heavy your wrist aches when you’ve had it on for a while. The actual face of the watch is white with large black hands and stylish numbers. I always keep it in the soft leather case it came in and I’ve only ever had it on once. That was the day of my graduation from university. When I finished my Degree, there was a massive ceremony at the local cathedral with loads of students, family members and university staff. I decided it would be really appropriate to put on my watch to kind of honour my great-granddad and his memory. After all, if it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have even been born. I suppose what I really wanted to do was to respect him and show I hadn’t forgotten about him even though he’s been dead for years now. I hope he was somewhere up there looking down on me and feeling proud. Examiner: We have been talking about clothes and now I would like to ask you some more general questions relating to this topic. DESCRIBE traditional or national dress in your country Student: Actually, although people used to wear national dress whenever there was a celebration, the custom has really faded out in most parts of the country and now you only get to see national dress in remote villages and tourist resorts. The most wellknown form of national dress for women consists of a long flowing red skirt with some patterns on it, flowers I suppose. Women can wear a sort of white blouse, again with some decorations on it, and a sort of flowery scarf thing. Men wear baggy red trousers and a white shirt with a red tie. The tie has the national symbol, an eagle, on it. I think they wear hats but actually I can’t remember clearly because it’s ages since I’ve seen it. EXPLAIN why some people sometimes wear national dress Student: That’s an extremely good question and, to tell you the truth, I have very little idea and have never really understood why people bother. I suppose it gives them a sense of belonging, a sense of community and a chance to feel part of something, a connection with the past. Personally speaking I would never put on such a silly thing. But, I was in Asia the year before last and managed to arrive in Thailand around the time of their national day. There were parades in the street and traditional dances and most of the participants were wearing stunning national or regional costumes. It looked amazing and I felt a pang of regret that I don’t have that connection with my culture.

132

DISCUSS the influence of fashion on young people Student: Fashion clearly has a huge influence on young people. Most teenagers and young adults you see try to dress fashionably and wear trendy clothes. This might be partly because they don’t want to be the odd one out or attract criticism or ridicule. I just think in general people want to feel part of a crowd. They want to belong to something. COMPARE men’s and women’s attitude to fashion Student: I would say that usually women are more interested in fashion than men though that situation is beginning to change a bit. I’ve noticed quite a lot of my friends, I mean male friends, now wearing ear-rings and getting fancy bags and even using make-up. The first time I saw it I really couldn’t believe it. Anyway, usually it’s women who buy glossy magazines and go shopping for shoes and that kind of thing. It might change in the future I suppose. DISCUSS what we can learn about people from the clothes they wear Student: Well, if you see a man wearing a suit and tie, or a woman smartly dressed, you can probably work out they are trying to make a good impression in some kind of formal setting like an office. If you see scruffy people like people with holes in their clothes or dirty shoes or clothes that just don’t match, they probably don’t care much about their appearance and it’s probably safe to assume they don’t care about themselves. COMMENT on whether uniforms are a good thing or a bad thing Student: Obviously when you’re talking about the army then a uniform is necessary. The same with the police. It’s really important to know who is a policeman or woman and who isn’t. One interesting area which people often disagree on is about school uniforms. I personally strongly believe that kids should wear a uniform. It shows that they are all being treated equally and it makes it easy for school staff and other people to identify them. At the same time, it stops rich kids from showing off by buying better clothes than anybody else.

133

Find a word or phrase in the text, which has a similar meaning to the following: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Fashionable Worth a lot of money Boasting/bragging People laughing at you Elegant/tasteful A feeling of being a part of something Loose Value because of its emotional associations Elegantly/neatly/tidily The non-conformist or the person who looks different

Describe an item of clothing or jewellery you wore for a special occasion What was it? What did it look like? On what occasion did you wear it? How did you feel about wearing it?

134

37. Describe a toy What is it? What does it look like? When did you get it? And explain why it is important for you Student: One of my favourite toys was a teddy-bear which one of my aunties gave me either for a first birthday present or for my christening, I can’t really remember now. Anyway, it wasn’t exactly the most beautiful cuddly toy you’ve ever seen but I used to take it everywhere with me, according to my mum. Apparently we were completely inseparable and if we went anywhere, I wouldn’t leave the house if teddy couldn’t come. I didn’t actually have a name for him. I just called him teddy. He was brown and quite fluffy, though as he got older he lost most of his fur. He had brown eyes made out of buttons and floppy ears. I think one of his ears got bitten off by the cat when I was about four. He was about as big as me when I got him and he had a big fat stomach and, as far as I remember, black paws which were really soft. As far as I was concerned, he was a part of our family. He had feelings. He would get lonely if I wasn’t with him and sometimes he was hungry or thirsty. I’m afraid that eventually I just grew out of him and he got left in a cupboard somewhere. I found him a couple of years ago and would have brought him to the UK if I could have fitted him in my suitcase. Well, I brought a photo of him. It reminds me how happy my childhood was. Examiner: We have been talking about a toy and now I would like to ask you some more general questions relating to this topic. EXPLAIN why it is important for children to develop their imagination Student: Obviously, imagination is incredibly important and it seems that childhood is the very best time to develop it. Children really need to play and create fantasy worlds and learn how to think in different ways. This will also help them when they start to grow up. You usually find that people who are considered intelligent have a really strong imagination. Having a good imagination is helpful for loads of jobs and occupations too, not just things like writers and comedians. Even if you work in computers or mathematics, having loads of different ideas and new perspectives can really help you deal with issues and find ways around obstacles. As they say, you need to be able to “think outside the box”. DISCUSS whether having lots of toys makes children happier Student: This is actually an interesting question and I don’t really have a clear answer. I mean, when I was little I had quite a lot of toys and games and that sort of thing but I know people who had, let’s say, more deprived childhoods and they never really mention not having toys as a factor in being unhappy. They might say they didn’t have enough food on the table or even enough attention from their family or that other kids bullied and teased them for looking scruffy, but I think when children don’t have toys, they use their imagination and inventive skills to play. You don’t need a real space-ship or tank. You can always make one out of an old plastic bottle or box. I’m not saying it’s easy not having toys, and they might help you develop, I’m not sure,

135

but what I mean is they’re not essential or at least it’s not essential to have hundreds of them. CONSIDER whether it is appropriate for children to be given toys such as guns which might lead to violent play. Student: I absolutely don’t understand why parents give their children guns and things connected with war. Well, I know I was just talking about tanks and I have to say I had a toy tank when I was little and it didn’t turn me into a murderer, but generally speaking I think that sort of thing is really harmful and dangerous to a child’s development. They grow up thinking you can sort out all kinds of problems by just shooting or blowing somebody up. This attitude is really obvious in the playground sometimes. Kids have a problem and so they fight to sort it out instead of negotiating or reaching some kind of agreement or compromise. EXPLAIN what can be done to stop children becoming too materialistic. Student: I guess this is an absolute nightmare for parents because they start off thinking they will bring up emotionally stable kids who don’t crave material possessions and then, as soon as these kids start going to kindergarten or nursery school or primary school they see all the other kids have got a particular type of trainers or they all got the latest toy for Christmas and they come home screaming and crying about being the odd one out. I don’t know what parents are supposed to do. They either end up with a socially isolated child, probably bullied or disliked by others, or their child becomes a consumer and starts measuring themselves in terms of what they have and what they haven’t got. I honestly don’t know how I would deal with this if I were a parent. I suppose you have to be incredibly strong as a parent and have courage and be brave. COMPARE the different ways children spend their free time now and in the past. Student: It’s actually very interesting how things have changed. You know, the biggest difference is children used to spend lots of their time outside playing with friends, exploring, messing about, probably getting cuts and bruises, maybe getting into the occasional fight. Nowadays, they hardly do any physical activity at all. They tend to just sit in front of the computer, playing interactive games but actually on their own. They don’t go out much because their parents are scared something terrible will happen to them. I don’t think it’s particularly healthy. SPECULATE on how children will spend their free time in the future. Student: I really find it hard to imagine how they will be in the future. I suppose that as computer technology becomes more advanced, children will spend even more time on computers, in front of their consoles, on their smartphones. They will probably develop a computerised identity which will do the sorts of things real children used to do. I just think they will do fewer and fewer interactive things and become more and more dependent on the computer. If they ever have to deal with the real world, they won’t have the necessary skills. They won’t have a clue what to do.

136

Find a word or phrase in the text, which has a similar meaning to the following: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Things in your way Could not be parted Clearly/evidently Desire/long for Underprivileged/poor Customer Finding the middle ground Finally/in the end They won’t know what to do New ways of looking at something

Describe a toy What is it? What does it look like? When did you get it? And explain why it is important for you

137

38. Describe a letter which you wrote to someone Who did you write to? When did you write it? What did it include? And explain why it was important for you Student: What I’m going to describe is the very first letter I ever wrote to my girlfriend. Well, it was an email actually but I suppose that counts. Actually, we weren’t going out when I wrote it, so she wasn’t actually my girlfriend at the time. I’d just seen her a few times in the college, in classes and in the canteen and I thought she looked absolutely gorgeous so I found out what she was called and got her college email. At first I didn’t write because I thought it would be stupid and she’d just ignore it or reply and tell me to get lost and stop bothering her. I’m quite shy and I was probably a bit scared. Anyway, after a while I just plucked up courage and sat down and started writing. It was easier than I thought. I just wrote about how I’d seen her and wanted to get to know her and stuff like that. I remember just hitting the “send” button and thinking what a terrible mistake I’d made and how she and all her mates would just laugh at me. You can imagine how surprised I was when I got a reply a couple of days later saying she’d found out who I was and wouldn’t mind meeting for a coffee or something. I couldn’t believe it. I just sat there staring at it. Anyway, that was about six months ago and since then we’ve really got to know each other and started going out. She’s just amazing. We’re always making each other laugh and having a brilliant time. She’s changed my life and it’s all because of that letter. I would definitely say it’s the best letter I’ve ever written. Examiner: We have been talking about a letter and now I would like to ask you some more general questions relating to this topic. EXPLAIN which jobs require you to be a good communicator Student: These days, most jobs need you to have the ability or skill to communicate well with others. I mean there are the obvious things like being a reporter or journalist or politician or teacher, but even if you just work in an office and have a clerical or administrative role you have to be able to clearly give advice or instructions or information and you must have the skill to be able to understand what people are telling you or asking you to do. As a good example, my cousin works in a factory making specialist equipment for computers and micro-chips. He has a fairly menial job but because he is an excellent communicator who can state precisely what he wants, they voted for him as their trade union representative and now he goes to conferences and gives speeches all around the country.

138

EXPLAIN why some people still write letters using paper and pen Student: I actually think that most people would prefer to write letters by hand but they just don’t have the time. It’s a really aesthetically pleasing experience to physically write a letter and when you get one, it feels so personal and like the person who wrote it really cares. I sometimes write greetings cards and I always promise to write letters to relatives, but I end up just using emails and Skype. Now I come to think about it, I can’t remember the last time I got a real letter. It’s such a shame. COMPARE the ways in which people communicate now and how they communicated in the past. Student: Hundreds of years ago, I’m talking about the time before most people could write; just about all communication was verbal. I don’t really know how it worked but I suppose messengers from the government came round and announced things to the people. There was an absolutely massive change when most people became literate, began to be able to read and write. People could send messages long distances. Nowadays just about everybody uses the internet. Obviously it’s a great deal quicker and in some ways more convenient but you sort of lose the personal touch. The most amazing thing about it is how you can be sitting on one side of the world and within seconds you can get a message to someone thousands of miles away. Our grandparents would never even have dreamt that that would be possible. DISCUSS whether changes in technology are bringing people closer together or pushing them further apart. Student: Well, you definitely get a lot less actual face-to-face communication between people but much more messaging and emailing so I suppose I would say that the quantity of communication has probably risen but the quality might have actually gone down. These days, with Facebook and social networking sites you can actually have millions of friends or should I say acquaintances. In the past you might have had a couple of dozen people who you knew well and who you could depend on. It’s all changed and I think it was probably better before because you would be closer to people and when you met them it would feel real. Now you just spend all day texting but what I am trying to say is that the quality of communication is poorer.

139

Find a word or phrase in the text, which has a similar meaning to the following: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Birthday cards/thank you cards etc A lot faster Really attractive Exactly Good at speaking to other people Spoken Friends that you are not that close to Talking to somebody directly Beautiful to the eye Things like that

Describe a letter which you wrote to someone Who did you write to? When did you write it? What did it include? And explain why it was important for you

140

39. Describe a skill you learnt successfully What skill did you learn? Where and when did you learn it? How did you learn it? And explain what helped you to learn it successfully Student: The first thing that came to mind when I looked at this topic was swimming. For me, learning to swim was a terribly long struggle. I started going swimming when I was five or six but didn’t really like the water getting in my eyes and the chlorine and stuff. When I was about nine we started going swimming after school and I hated every minute of it, it was even more excruciating because the instructor had a big wooden stick which he poked you with if you weren’t doing the right thing. Actually, I think I finally managed to swim because I was scared of that instructor. I thought if I could swim properly he would stop attacking me and shouting and screaming at me, so I suppose it was fear really. One day, I realised I could swim on my back and after that it seemed really easy. The first week I could swim a length and the next time I could do about half a mile. I don’t think being afraid is a particularly good way to learn things but on that occasion it really worked for me. I’ve never learnt any other skill that way I don’t think and if I was teaching somebody I definitely wouldn’t try to help them learn a skill by shouting at them and making them feel scared. I think generally it’s much better to be encouraging and understanding but that instructor definitely wasn’t. Examiner: We have been talking about a skill and now I would like to ask you some more general questions relating to this topic. DESCRIBE which skills are most useful when you are looking for a job Student: Obviously, it depends entirely which job you want. Generally though, there are some skills which most employers are looking for, such as the ability to communicate well, the ability to be self-motivated and independent and know how to work on your own and make decisions. When you have an interview they are often trying to work out if you are reasonably intelligent and well-organised. By organised I also mean punctual and reliable. Clearly, there are job-specific skills you need. Like, if you are going to be a computer programmer you need particular technical skills and if you want to be a chef you have to have a good understanding of lots of processes for cooking and food hygiene and that sort of thing. DESCRIBE a skill which you would like to have Student: What I’d really love to be able to do is cook well. I mean, I can cook reasonably, fairly basic things, but I often wish I knew how to combine flavours, use herbs and spices, make delicate sauces and wonderful soups and that kind of thing. I’m really envious of people who can do that well. Whenever I taste really scrumptious food, I always tell myself that I’m definitely going to learn how to make it, but somehow there’s never time. It would be amazing to be able to invite people round for dinner and cook them something mouth-watering.

141

EXPLAIN why many people enjoy learning new skills Student: There is a certain good feeling connected with learning. You get a real sense of achievement, a buzz. At first, there’s something you can’t do and you decide to learn how to do it and when you can, there is real measurable, tangible progress. You feel you have really mastered something. For example, until a couple of years ago I couldn’t ice-skate. Then I decided it was really silly not being able to, so I got a friend to start teaching me and within a few weeks I was able to skate without falling over. It just gave me a kind of boost, more self-confidence, a sense of really having achieved something. It made me feel proud I suppose. DISCUSS whether people are ever too old to learn Student: I suppose you can be too old to learn some things. Obviously, if you’re in your nineties you probably won’t want to learn to parachute or SCUBA dive or skateboard. Apart from that, I suppose you sometimes get older people who are not as mentally alert as they were, and they might not want to learn new intellectual skills. But generally I don’t see why older people shouldn’t start learning new things. Lots of retired people take up new sports and activities or learn a language for example. You should never say that somebody is too old. EXPLAIN why some children learn some skills better than others Student: That’s a really difficult question to answer, and actually I’m not sure if anybody really knows. I suppose it’s partly genetic and partly environmental. Probably it’s mostly to do with the environment. You know, how the child is brought up, if there is a loving family, if there is enough mental stimulation, that sort of thing. But I think there might be a genetic component as well. Actually, I’m not a scientist or even a psychologist so I don’t really know. DISCUSS which skills are most important for a young child to learn Student: Well, if you’re two or three, you have probably already just about got the hang of lots of movement skills like walking and climbing and picking things up. I suppose the most important things are learning how to interact and form relationships with others, particularly other children your age and family members. Apart from that, I suppose young children need to develop their speaking so that they can communicate more complex things and express themselves more precisely, and they have to start to learn how to read things or at least recognise a few words. EVALUATE the advantages and disadvantages of learning new skills on your own and being taught by others Student: There are definitely some things like flying a plane or driving which you need to be taught. It’s not a very bright idea to get in a car and try to work it out for yourself. On the other hand, there are things which are easier to learn independently, like some school subjects such as maths. Personally, I would prefer to just pick up a book and study stuff like that for myself. I think it’s generally a waste of time having a teacher telling you stuff that’s already in the book or on the website. It’s quite often more interesting on your own. You get a sense of achievement.

142

Find a word or phrase in the text, which has a similar meaning to the following: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

To work/mix with other people Pleased and satisfied A feeling of excitement Tasty A big effort Become skilled in something A lift in confidence I’m jealous of Things to keep your brain active An inherited part

Describe a skill you learnt successfully What skill did you learn? Where and when did you learn it? How did you learn it? And explain what helped you to learn it successfully

143

40. Describe a teacher who has had an important influence on your education Where did they teach you? What subject did they teach you? What did you like about their teaching? And explain in what ways the teacher influenced you Student: Probably the best ever teacher I had was called Mr. Roberts. He was my French teacher when I started secondary school. Everybody liked him, or at least nearly everybody. The main reason why I liked him was that he made us laugh and he didn’t take things too seriously. I mean he was quite strict. If somebody was talking in class when they shouldn’t have been or if you didn’t do your homework or something, he would tell you off, but in a friendly way like he was really on your side. In class he used to tell us about himself and stuff that had happened to him. He’d tell us in French first and see what we understood, and then repeat it in English. It meant nobody actually felt left out or under pressure. If you understood him in French, that was great. If you didn’t you’d get it in English. He was always telling jokes and making us laugh and he sort of made French come alive for me. Before that, it had just been grammar and writing sentences and boring stuff like that. With Mr. Roberts you really looked forward to going to class and I can actually say we learnt really useful things. After that, I really made progress in French and still like it today. I think that’s mostly because of Mr. Roberts. It’s just about all down to him. Examiner: We have been talking about a teacher and now I would like to ask you some more general questions relating to this topic. EXPLAIN what makes a good teacher and what makes a bad teacher Student: Well, I’ve had plenty of excellent and appalling teachers so I should be able to answer this one quite well. I think the first thing a teacher needs is the right attitude. Teachers need to respect their students and try to understand them whenever possible. They need to remember what it is like being a student and how difficult and sometimes scary it can be. They need to put themselves in their students’ shoes. Apart from that, teachers should be patient and I would say it’s very important for them to have wide general knowledge and good understanding of whatever subject they are teaching. Organisation is another vital quality because you don’t want to hand in homework and then find the teacher has forgotten to mark it or lost it. I think most bad teachers I have had probably didn’t actually enjoy teaching and were doing it because they couldn’t find a job doing what they really wanted. You need to have teaching in your blood to be a good teacher.

144

COMPARE the ways in which children are educated now and how they were taught a century ago Student: Obviously I wasn’t around a hundred years ago so I can only tell you what I’ve heard from my grandparents and what I’ve read in books. I think schools in those days were extremely strict and if you didn’t do exactly what you were told you got in serious trouble and probably got smacked or caned or at least shouted at. You really had to respect the teachers. I think that’s definitely changed because nowadays students don’t take much notice of the teachers. They just do whatever they want. There’s no discipline. Another thing in those days is that teaching was very formal I think. I mean, teachers didn’t ask students what they thought, they didn’t play games or have fun activities. I reckon it must have been much harder without all the modern facilities like computers and DVDs. Things have obviously changed loads since then. Now children work on their own and they are supposed to have independent learning and develop lots of skills such as creativity and self-expression. There are group projects and students who need extra help with, say, reading can get it. In lots of ways things have improved but I think lack of discipline is a problem and they definitely had that in the past. DISCUSS the reasons why it might be a good idea to take a gap year between school and university Student: I know gap years are becoming popular in some places and I actually think they are a good thing. It seems like a brilliant idea to take time out and mature a bit as a person. You can travel around and see how people manage to survive in different parts of the world. That might make you really appreciate your chance to study more. You can also earn some cash which you will probably need when you start studying because these days students are always short of money. I wish I’d taken a year out after finishing school. It would have done me a lot of good I think. EXPLAIN why some parents prefer to educate their children at home rather than sending them to school Student: I suppose some parents who maybe had bad educational experiences themselves might not actually trust schools to give their children a proper preparation for life. They think they will be able to do a better job. Maybe they think the level of teaching isn’t high enough or perhaps they don’t like some of the things being taught. I’ve heard about families withdrawing their children from school for religious reasons. You know, they don’t agree with what the school is teaching. I suppose some parents just think they can do a better job or maybe they are scared of things like bullying or drug-taking or fighting or other kids having a bad influence on their son or daughter.

145

EVALUATE the advantages and disadvantages of opening up higher education to more people. Student: Clearly, many school-leavers would like to study at university and complete a degree because that will probably lead to a better job, higher salary and so forth. Actually, that might mean we have a more intelligent workforce, employees better able to solve problems and think independently. But, in reality, I’m talking about from the perspective of the country here, that’s not really what we need. If you are going to work on a production line in a factory or as a shop assistant, you probably don’t need the kind of intellectual skills that university teaches you. We would just end up with loads of miserable workers, complaining because they couldn’t get intellectually stimulating employment. That’s likely to lead to social discontentment and instability. I know it sounds awful saying that individuals shouldn’t have access to higher education, but I actually don’t think it is in anybody’s interest to open up universities and polytechnics to everyone. COMMENT on the idea that higher education should be paid for entirely by the government Student: I’ve always thought that universities should be completely free for all those with outstanding academic grades. I mean, if you take your exams and you are in the top ten percent, then it shouldn’t matter how wealthy or poor your parents are, the government should support you and pay for your study. I would say that for everybody else further education is a kind of service, a luxury that you can pay for if you want. That way, I think more students would actually appreciate the privilege of being able to study and wouldn’t spend all their student life just messing about like lots of them do now.

146

Find a word or phrase in the text, which has a similar meaning to the following: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Exceptional/excellent To grow up/become more adult To feel like you are in a stressful situation I think etc Frightening I improved a lot It’s because of him The advantage/the benefit Unhappiness/annoyance

Describe a teacher who has had an important influence on your education Where did they teach you? What subject did they teach you? What did you like about their teaching? And explain in what ways the teacher influenced you

147

41. Describe a member of your family who you admire Who is it? What is this person like? How much time do you spend together? Why do you admire this person? Student: I think that out of all the people in my family, the person I most admire and respect and look up to is my uncle. He’s a musician, or I should probably say that he used to be a musician, because he’s really old now and only does the occasional concert with his band at Christmas, playing in residential homes for old people and in hospitals. Anyway, the point is that he was really born into poverty. As far as I understand it, he had next to nothing as a child and, because of the war, he didn’t even have much of an education. I know that by the age of thirteen he was working, selling poultry on the market. After that he worked for a while as a fish-monger and then as some sort of salesman in a shoe-shop. All the time he was doing these pretty boring and definitely poorly-paid jobs he was practising the flute and trumpet and I think he did quite a bit of busking. He says that if the police spotted him, they would chase him down the street and he’d be running with his instrument in one hand and all the loose change he’d earned in the other. He’s told me that he went for literally hundreds of auditions and in the end got a job as a trumpet-player in a jazz band. The thing is that he never gave up. He had a dream, an ambition, and he didn’t let anything get in his way, not poverty, not criticism and not even the police. That’s what I really admire, his perseverance and determination. I think these qualities are tremendously important and I wish I had as much strength as he must have had when he was young. Examiner: We have been talking about a person in your family you admire and now I would like to ask you some more general questions relating to this topic. DESCRIBE which family members usually live together in your culture Student: It’s quite interesting because the way things work in my country is completely different from here. We have an extended family and it’s quite normal for grand-parents, uncles and aunts, cousins and even family friends with no actual blood ties to live together. That’s what really surprises me about life in the UK. The idea of the family seems to have been so devalued. People just abandon their relatives and don’t even keep in touch. Where I come from, there is a great deal of respect for elderly relatives such as grandparents in particular, and they participate fully in family life, caring for young children, helping with domestic chores if they can, and passing on their wisdom and knowledge. DISCUSS the benefits of living in a small/large family group Student: When you live in a larger family group you definitely get more support. You can get looked after if you’re ill or get moral support if you need it. You can talk things over with older relatives. I know there can be a downside. Everybody knows what everybody else is doing, there isn’t much privacy and you have to struggle to get some independence, and everybody else thinks they know what’s best for you. But generally I find that’s better than a small family group where you probably feel pretty isolated

148

and there is much more pressure on you to do well at school or get a good job or get married. SPECULATE whether more people will live separately from their extended family in the future Student: I am pretty sure that in my country that will happen. There is already a trend for younger people to move away from home, usually to look for work or to study, and they really get a taste for independence and freedom. People are sort of growing up faster these days and young adults want to spread their wings earlier and earlier. Of course, older family members, who tend to have a more traditional outlook, don’t really approve of this but it looks like a trend that’s going to continue I think. In many ways it’s a pity because living with your family gives you a sense of belonging and it can be extremely lonely on your own, even if you have close friends. DESCRIBE which family members make decisions about the family in your culture Student: I think there is a big difference from family to family but generally speaking I would say that most men believe that they are the head of the household, the one in charge, the bread-winner, but in actual fact it is usually their partners or wives who persuade them what to do. Of course, some families have a lot of collaboration and they all sit down together to decide things, and I’m sure there are families where the father dominates and is dictatorial and there must even be cases where the children are so spoilt that they end up taking over. So I don’t think it’s easy to generalise. ASSESS whether “only children” have more family responsibilities than those with siblings Student: Yes, speaking as an only child myself, I can say that life is not always easy. I know everyone says you get spoilt and you are the centre of attention, and that might be true to some extent, but you also get a lot of pressure which children with siblings don’t experience. It’s like all your parents’ hopes and aspirations are focused in on you and you have to perform well at school, be a success, get good grades and that kind of thing. I also think those with brothers and sisters have another huge advantage: they grow up with more advanced social skills because although they spend half their lives fighting and squabbling with each other, this is teaching them valuable social skills which only children don’t usually get. SPECULATE on how the balance of family responsibility between men and women may change in the future in your culture Student: That’s something we were talking about the other day in class, and I think there really will be important changes related to the fact that our country is quite industrialised and most of the work available up until recently has been hard manual labour and obviously this has been done more by men than by women. But things are changing and at least in larger cities, there is more work in tertiary industries where you need communicative skills, technological know-how and general intelligence, and quite often women do better in these. So because the economic climate is changing and more women are going to work, the balance of power in the family might change too and women might have a far more important role, a louder voice if you like, in how the family is run.

149

CONSIDER whether the family or the government has more responsibility for meeting basic needs Student: Again, that’s something that is really changing fast in my country. In the past we were very poor as a nation and the government really couldn’t take on much social responsibility. However, our economic situation is definitely improving. These days the government is able to increase social spending. It used to be the case that if you wanted a good education, you’d have to pay for it yourself or your family might support you. Nowadays, the government is investing huge sums of money in schools. The picture is similar in other areas of the country such as healthcare, transport and infrastructure. Whereas in the past you could only get medical treatment if you were rich, these days there is a functioning health service and at least basic treatment is available. So I think the answer is that in an ideal world, the government should take on a lot of the responsibility, especially for the poorer members of society, but this can only happen in relatively wealthy places. SPECULATE on whether government assistance to families will increase or decrease in the future. Student: Well, I’d love to be an optimist and say that the world is going to get better and before long every family in every corner of the world will be receiving financial support. But actually, I’m a realist and I have to say that government funding will probably continue to be directed towards powerful people and big business and families will be left to fend for themselves. I don’t really understand why it is like that. You would think that governments and authorities would do all they could to encourage family life. After all, if people are brought up in strong families, they are far less likely to commit crimes and far more likely to be law-abiding citizens but most governments don’t seem to see it that way.

150

Find a word or phrase in the text, which has a similar meaning to the following: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

People who do not break the law Determination/not giving up Jobs in the house Knowledge/intelligence Very important life skills Authoritarian Arguing/fighting An old fashioned way of looking at things Disadvantage Given everything that they want

Describe a member of your family who you admire Who is it? What is this person like? How much time do you spend together? Why do you admire this person?

151

42. Describe a useful website you have visited What was the website? How did you find the address for this website? What did the website contain? And explain why it was useful for you Student: I spend a great deal of time on the internet and have loads of favourite sites. Probably the one where I spend most of my time is the BBC website. I first went on the site about twelve years ago. I think it was actually one of the first times I had ever been online and I didn’t really know how to search for things. One of my tutors at college had been telling us about the advantages of using the BBC so I just typed it in and up came a really complex website with thousands of links to all sorts of things. I think I started by reading news stories. One of the most useful things about news articles on that website, from the perspective of a language-learner, is that you can read each article in a short space of time. You don’t have to plough through pages and pages. It gives you the news in a nutshell. Apart from that, I regularly go on the sport section. I am an avid fan of English football and there are lots of statistics, information about teams, analysis of matches, that sort of thing. It’s a really educational site. If you have a query about almost anything, from nature and science to technology or history or geography you will find the answer there. There are fascinating articles about famous people, aspects of British culture, food and recipes, just about everything. And the latest thing is that you can watch and listen to BBC programmes through iPlayer. That’s absolutely fantastic because it enables me, as a student, to do really useful listening practice. I would thoroughly recommend this site to anyone, particularly those with an interest in developing their understanding of English language or British culture. It has been absolutely invaluable for me and for many other people I know. I really can’t imagine what I would have done without it. Examiner: We have been talking about a website and now I would like to ask you some more general questions relating to this topic. EXPLAIN what effect the internet has had on how people communicate with each other Student: There has obviously been an absolutely staggering change in how people communicate and interact with one another. Only a couple of decades ago they would have used the telephone or written a letter, probably by hand. Then mobile phones came along and when the internet started, people began to communicate in different ways. I think the amount of communication has probably shot up. I recently read somewhere that British people send about a million emails an hour. But I would say that a lot less thought and organisation goes into emails than used to go into letters. People just tend to write whatever comes into their head and don’t stop to think whether the recipient will really understand what they want. As a result, many people now fail to communicate what they really want to say. Another thing of course is that nowadays people have lost the art of conversation. They just exchange emails and never get the chance to sit down face-to-face and chat, express their opinions, really

152

listen to each other. What I’m trying to say is that communication these days is shallower, less meaningful, colder and less emotional than it used to be. EXPLAIN why you think the internet is being used more and more for communication Student: I think the answer is probably quite simple: it’s convenient. If you are at work and you have something you need to let others know about, you just write a group email. That’s so much simpler than phoning each person or arranging to hold a meeting. Similarly, if you are a company or organisation, why bother sending out information to all your members or clients. By far the easiest solution is to create a webpage and publish all the relevant details there. Even governments are beginning to communicate through the internet rather than by using more traditional ways. Presidents and Prime-Ministers now have regular podcasts. These give them immediate access to the public in a quite unprecedented and revolutionary way. EVALUATE how reliable information from the internet is Student: Well, this is of course the major criticism of the internet. It is absolutely bursting with information, you can find out things about every conceivable subject, but the big question is whether that information is accurate or valid. There are certainly some websites you can trust and rely on, but I would say the vast majority tend to be rather dodgy, containing information which isn’t attributed to anyone, which you can’t check or verify. This is really annoying when you are trying to do research for college projects. You open up a website which apparently tells you everything you need to know about something, only to find out later that it was full of inaccurate information or utter rubbish. DISCUSS why some people like shopping on the internet Student: I am actually one of those people. Over the past couple of years, I have started doing lots of my shopping online. It’s so convenient, especially for things like books, computer games, music and groceries. It saves you masses of time because you can just navigate around the shop’s site, comparing prices and deciding what you want. You have the added safeguard that if you buy from reputable companies, you usually have the right to return the product if you are not completely satisfied with it. That gives you extra confidence. A further reason why shopping online is becoming more popular is to do with security. More people are willing to pass their credit card details to established companies, knowing that they will probably be safe. That was one of the big fears when internet shopping first got going. Many consumers were just too scared to enter their personal details. SPECULATE on whether online shopping will become more popular Student: I think it almost certainly will become more popular. I can see a time coming when shops in city centres will be almost empty because people prefer to do their shopping from the comfort of their own home. It has real advantages: you don’t have to push your way through crowds of other shoppers; you can shop any time of the day or night; you can compare items in hundreds of shops just by clicking a button instead of getting aching feet, wandering from shop to shop. Naturally, there are some things which we will never buy online, but the vast majority of products and services will be bought from our armchairs before very long.

153

Find a word or phrase in the text, which has a similar meaning to the following: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

A question Tired and painful A massive transformation Not very good/dubious Well-known organisations The person you are writing to Highly regarded/trustworthy Really important/helpful Completely full of More superficial/trivial

Describe a useful website you have visited What was the website? How did you find the address for this website? What did the website contain? And explain why it was useful for you

154

Answer Key

1. Film 1. Latest releases 2. Low budget films 3. Global success 4. The plot 5. Is aimed at 6. I wholeheartedly agree 7. Suffer nightmares 8. Hollywood blockbuster 9. I would thoroughly recommend it 10. Cost-effective 2. Something you own 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Material possessions Materialistic I was horrified Was squandered on Disposable income To outdo My parents’ generation Status symbols Luxury items The latest gadgets

3. News story 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

An agonising decision I am fascinated by This is a tricky question Miraculously Ruthless Radically changed Instant Incident I imagine Pushy

155

4. Food 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Straightaway To whiz round Relatively inexpensive The (basic) ingredients Convenience A limited range The younger generation I’m not very well qualified to answer this question A regular A discount

5. Perfect meal 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Group dynamics Vulnerable Delicious feast Escalated Incorporate Drop dead gorgeous A sedentary lifestyle Free speech A balanced diet Protein

6. Piece of music 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Indigenous Lyrics Phenomenally Skinny Ballad Soppy I had goose pimples Excessive Contemporary Genre

7. Invention 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Infuriating I’m not generally particularly interested in Interact Patient Time-saving devices and labour-saving machines I absolutely detest/I loathe Potential A massive influence on Dedicated A tricky topic

156

8. TV programme 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Watershed Diminished Horrified Is particularly aimed at Subsequently To wind down A cliff hanger Episode Pure escapism Swear words

9. Radio programme 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Intently Anecdotes Envisage Extensive A sweeping statement Excellent interpersonal skills Absolute rubbish A pilot show Rude Compulsive

10. Adventurous person 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

It is fraught with Daring Claustrophobia To endure horrendous weather I admire him tremendously The first thing that springs to mind Adrenalin junkies To monitor A coward Arduous task

11. Photograph 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Future generations To become immune to Encapsulated Sophisticated Tasteless A proliferation of An intense dislike of Unphotogenic I strongly dispute this Primarily

157

12. Building 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Soaring Monstrosities Aesthetically pleasing Countless Illuminated Excessive amounts of money I am not entirely sure Is converted into Iconic Isolated

13. School or college 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Things have changed somewhat A deterrent In all aspects of Outlawed A massive institution A greater focus on I think this is a shame Authoritarian Reference material Misbehaving

14. Animal 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Endangered species I am genuinely concerned that Natural habitat Domesticated In more rural parts of the country Agricultural Extinct Play a vital role Companion Cattle

15. Someone influenced you 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Admonishing Scary Offspring Inspired me In moderation A positive role model Larger-than-life Irresponsible I have lost touch Intimidating

158

16. Room 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

In reality Considerate Cruel I still have fond memories Siblings Bond As I have previously mentioned Status A major issue I appreciated

17. Traditional ceremony 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

The vast majority of people To assimilate To outdo Heritage An integral part of From generation to generation Upwards of Folklore Inhabitants Offending

18. Annoying 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Exacerbated the situation Reached a compromise Explode Regretted it Road rage Worldwide ban Disgusting habit Relatively Cross Reputation

19. Serious pollution 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Non-renewable resources Metropolitan cities and conurbations Consumer durables To ration Vast amounts of Potentially catastrophic Densely-populated regions Non-essential travel Disastrous Optimistic

159

20. Place 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Souvenirs Sea-side resort I’m probably being a bit cynical Unattainable luxury Refreshed Travel broadens the mind Monotonous daily routine Affluent Tranquillity The hassle

21. Museum 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

To traipse round A masterpiece Drizzling Out-dated Exhibits Curious Tedious Weird noises Hardly ever No entrance charge

22. Garden 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Vegetable patch Future generations Sceptical A sense of achievement and fulfilment Tranquil spaces Absolutely disastrous Absolutely vital City dwellers Is bound to be Topical

23. Good at doing 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Genetic Gifted Peers A tremendous incentive Self-esteem Cynical In some circumstances Will-power To master a skill To force

160

24. Positive teenage experience 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

A nuisance Elderly people/older generations Back-breaking work Resourceful Mature Financial burdens Autonomy Mutual respect Anti-social behaviour Disapprove of

25. Three-day holiday 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Ruins Cosmopolitan Generates a lot of income Up-market Refreshed Mental exertion Spectacular holiday resorts Infrastructure Morale Crack up

26. Sport 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

I’ve always been incredibly keen on it The penalty Astronomical amounts of money Performance-enhancing drugs Elite athletes Scandalous stories Tactics Revenue If I was in their shoes A vast amount of self-sacrifice

27. Company 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Manufactures Inefficient management Menial job In a really tricky position Promotion prospects Getting fired Flexible Highly-motivated employees Fresh perspectives Crèche

161

28. Wedding 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Picturesque Unfashionable It is customary Irreconcilable differences The main breadwinner Ideal The surroundings Tied the knot Absolutely convinced Husband-to-be

29. Work of art 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

I’m not what you would call a big fan of art It inspired me to Considered non-essential Inspiration Intellectuals Snobbish Unsettling/unnerving Focal point Vandalised Dumbing down

30. Change in Life 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Eliminate the need to I was completely hooked Antagonism Tremendous sense of wellbeing You could describe our society as patriarchal Macho attitude Manual labour It can completely transform your life Pointless Cope with crises

31. Rule or law 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

To enforce A hardened criminal Convict Offences Enlightened The intention Harmonious Self-regulating Anarchy Offender

162

32. Book 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Tremendous feeling of isolation Solitary confinement A masterpiece Biography Come to fruition Dedication Tangible benefits See the light of day Gratitude A lucrative career

33. Successful person 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Materialistic Contented Job satisfaction Scandalous gossip Impressionable Perceived as Sacrifice Acquisitive Unflappable Straightaway

34. Project 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

I’m not hugely optimistic about Irrelevant things I resented it Conflict Hands-on experience Exploitation Extended family I was incredibly relieved Drag At your own pace

35. Family’s past 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Elderly Miserable Absolutely delighted Domestic work Flourished Prejudice/injustice Day-to-day concerns Ancestors Bothered Massacre

163

36. Clothing or jewellery 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Trendy Valuable Showing off Ridicule Fancy Feel part of the crowd Baggy Sentimental value Smartly Odd one out

37. Toy 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Obstacles Inseparable Obviously Crave Deprived Consumer Compromise Eventually They won’t have a clue what to do New perspectives

38. Letter 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Greetings cards A great deal quicker Absolutely gorgeous Precisely Excellent communicator Verbal Acquaintances Face-to-face communication Aesthetically pleasing Stuff like that

39. Skill 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Interact A real sense of achievement A buzz Scrumptious A terribly long struggle Mastered A kind of boost I’m really envious of Mental stimulation Genetic

164

40. Teacher 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Outstanding Mature a bit as a person Under pressure I reckon And so forth Scary I really made progress It’s just about all down to him The privilege Discontentment

41. Member family you admire 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Law-abiding citizens Perseverance Domestic chores Wisdom Valuable social skills Dictatorial Squabbling Traditional outlook Downside Spoilt

42. Website 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

A query Aching An absolutely staggering change Dodgy Established companies The recipient Reputable Invaluable Absolutely bursting with Shallower

165