Simone Braverman's Blog: IELTS-Blog.com, page 61

IELTS Speaking test in Canada – May 2023

Our lovely friend ML took her IELTS Speaking test in Canada just a few days ago. Here are the questions she remembered:

Speaking test

Part 1 (Interview)

– What is your name?
– Are you currently working or studying?
– What kind of work do you do?
– Do you like your work?
– Are there any improvements your company can make for its employees?
– Do you like listening to music while you work?
– Let’s talk about T-shirts, do you like wearing T-shirts?
– How often do you wear T-shirts?
– Have you ever bought a T-shirt as a souvenir from a place you visited?
– Do you like T-shirts with pictures on them?

Go to model answers

Part 2 (Cue Card)

Talk about a place you have been to, where the air wasn’t clean. You should say:

– where this place is
– when and why you went there
– why the air wasn’t clean
– and explain how you felt about the poor air quality there.

A test taker from Hong Kong shared this cue card earlier, and we posted a model answer on our VIP Club website – read it here

Part 3 (Discussion)

– Is air pollution an issue where you live?
– What do you think are the main causes of air pollution?
– How can big cities improve their air quality?
– Why do people choose to work in big cities, but prefer to live in the nature?
– What can we do to reduce pollution?
– What could the government do to help prevent pollution?
– Some people say that we should leave the environmental issues alone, because human intervention won’t work. What do you think?

These questions, too, have been shared by a test taker from Hong Kong, and we posted model answers on our VIP Club website – read them here

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IELTS Speaking Test, Part 1 questions with model answers (House Chores + Geography)

Here are some high-scoring Part 1 model answers for the Speaking Test that was shared by a student from India. The answers below show a good way to respond to these questions.

NEW! In this podcast episode you can LISTEN to all the questions and answers. It’s great to improve your pronunciation, intonation and overall fluency!

Or you can listen on YouTube (turn subtitles on):

Speaking test

Part 1 (Interview)

1. Where do you live?

I currently live in Dubai, a bustling metropolis in the heart of United Arab Emirates. It’s a very nice place to live, with vibrant local culture, friendly people, and amazing food scene.

2. Do you like living there and why?

Yes, I do. The city has an abundance of skyscrapers, ports and beaches, and events that cater to all ages and interests. I have also found it to be a safe environment, where people from different backgrounds can live and thrive without fear of discrimination or prejudice.

3. Did you help your mother with housework when you were a child?

Well, growing up with two brothers, it was our responsibility to help our mother with the housework. I would help my mum with sweeping, dusting, washing dishes and doing laundry, and anything else that needed to be done.

4. How often do you do house chores now?

I still do house chores regularly, as I believe in maintaining a clean and organised living space. Most of the time, I try to get everything done on the weekends, but sometimes I may have to do something during the week.

5. Have you ever studied geography?

I remember studying it for the first time in elementary school, and after that I took various courses in geography on many occasions, in high school and university. We studied a wide range of topics, from climate change to landforms, and their connection to ecosystems and population patterns.

6. Are you interested in geography now?

If anything, my interest in geography has only increased, as I have become more aware of how important it is to understand the world around us. Geography gave me the tools to not only understand many concepts about the world, but also appreciate them.

7. Are there any particular landscapes or natural features that you like?

There are quite a few landscapes and natural features that I find fascinating. One of my favourites is the Grand Canyon in the United States, which is a wonder of natural engineering and has stunning views. Another example is the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, which is a diverse marine ecosystem, and a testament to the amazing biodiversity found in our planet’s oceans.

8. Would you travel to any country because of its geography?

Yes, I would! I would love to travel to New Zealand, which has everything from snowy mountains, to beautiful coastlines, to active volcanoes. Or else, if I wanted to learn more about climate change, I would go to Iceland, which is one of the most innovative countries regarding sustainability, conservation, and geoscience.

Read more model answers on the VIP Club website

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IELTS test in Thailand – May 2023 (Academic Module)

Our kind subscriber BY took her IELTS exam in Thailand two days ago and remembered the following questions:

Reading test

Passage 1. Sleeping patterns of people who thrive.
Passage 2. Facial expression and emotions.
Passage 3. How human sense of taste works.

Writing test

Writing task 1 (a report)

The line graph below shows the numbers of overseas visitors to the UK between 1989 and 2009 (in million visitors), by purpose of visit.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

* Note: this isn’t the actual graph given in the test, it was recreated for the purpose of demonstration.

Writing task 2 (an essay)

Directors of large organizations are paid much higher salaries than other employees. Some people feel this is necessary, while others think this is not justified. Discuss both sides and give your opinion.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

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IELTS Speaking test in Bangladesh – April 2023

Thanks to our kind friend RA we are sharing the Speaking questions from a very recent IELTS exam in Bangladesh:

Speaking test

Part 1 (Interview)

– Do you work or study?
– Have you had any difficulties at work recently?
– What do you do after work?
– What do you do on your days off?
– Do you like puzzles or mazes?
– Which one do you prefer, solving word or number puzzles?
– Why do people enjoy solving puzzles?
– Who do you think enjoys solving puzzles more, children or old people?
– Is solving word puzzles beneficial? Why?
– Do you think puzzles are suitable for all age groups?

Part 2 (Cue Card)

Talk about a time when you received money as gifts from a family member. You should say

– when you received the gift
– why you receive it
– what you did with the money
– and explain how you felt after receiving the gift.

Part 3 (Discussion)

– Is giving money as a gift a common thing in your country?
– Is money appropriate as a gift? Why or why not?
– Do you support giving money to children as gifts? Why or why not?
– Do you think money should be given to the children for doing chores? Why or why not?
– Which type of weather do you like? Why?
– Do you want to live in cold or hot weather in the future?
– Do you use any weather apps? Why?
– How many times a day do you watch weather updates?
– Have there been any recent changes to the weather in your country lately?
– Do you think there will be more changes in the future?

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IELTS test in Turkey – April 2023 (Academic Module)

Our kind subscriber MY recently took her IELTS exam in Turkey and remembered the following writing and speaking questions:

Writing test

Writing task 1 (a report)

The table below shows the change in the number of people engaged in various physical activities between the years 2001-2009 in Australia (in million people).

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

* Note: this isn’t the actual table given in the test, it was recreated for the purpose of demonstration.

Writing task 2 (an essay)

Once children start school, teachers become a more important influence on children’s intellectual and social development than parents. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Speaking test

Part 1 (Interview)

– What is your full name?
– What used to make you happy as a child?
– When do you feel happy at work?
– Does buying new things make you happy?
– What will make you happy in the future?
– Did you use a library as a child?
– What kind of people would go to a library to study and read?
– Do you go to the library often now?

Part 2 (Cue Card)

Talk about a person you want to work or study with. You should say

– who the person is
– how you know him/her
– what he/she does
– and explain why you want to work or study with this person.

Part 3 (Discussion)

– Can children choose who they sit next to in school in your country?
– Does it matter if a child likes their classmates?
– How can children get along with their classmates?
– Do you feel that having good colleagues is the most important thing at work?
– What can be more important than that?
– What is more important, the building people work in or their colleagues? Why?
– What do you think makes someone a good colleague?

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IELTS Results competition winners in April 2023

If you are working hard on your IELTS score and you are dreaming about Band 7 or 8, you can appreciate the amount of work that goes into this achievement. Today we are celebrating the success of six dedicated test takers whose efforts were rewarded with amazing scores, ranging from a respectable Band 7 to an admirable Band 8!

The winners of April round come from Iran, Sri Lanka, India, Egypt and Peru. Put your hands together, lets give them a standing ovation!

IELTS results competition winners of April 2023

Academic Module

1st place – Arian Mavedati from Iran, Band 82nd place – Gayathri Arachchige from Sri Lanka, Band 7.53rd place – Gurbhinder Singh from India, Band 7

General Training Module

1st place – Alan Josy from India, Band 82nd place – Mohamed Zahran from Egypt, Band 7.52nd place – Cinthya Vargas Chamorro from Peru, Band 7.5

These are some impressive scores! To mark this happy day we are sending our winners their certificates of achievement via email. We are also adding the winning IELTS results to the IELTS-Blog hall of fame – so please feel free to show them off to your friends!

How did they score so well?

All of the winners were subscribed to our daily emails; they were going over the most recent questions and model answers regularly in their preparation for the test. But there must be so much more they can tell us, which is why we have contacted all of them and asked for their best exam tips. As soon as we hear back, their useful advice will be posted on IELTS-Blog.com, so that everyone can use the same techniques and get a better score in their own exam this month.

Did you know? IELTS results competition runs every month, and everyone is welcome to participate. Learn how to enroll here.

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IELTS essay, topic: Traffic on roads has become a problem in nearly every country in the world (solutions)

This is a model response to a Writing Task 2 topic from High Scorer’s Choice IELTS Practice Tests book series (reprinted with permission). This answer is close to IELTS Band 9.

Set 3 General Training book, Practice Test 13

Writing Task 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

Traffic on roads has become a problem in nearly every country in the world. What can be done to reduce the amount of traffic at a society level? What could individuals do to help?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your knowledge or experience.

You should write at least 250 words.

Sample Band 9 Essay

In nearly every city around the world, the volume of traffic on roads has become a significant problem. Society’s dependence on the car has led to nearly all families owning at least one car and often two. Changing this situation will not be easy, but a series of social reforms and education could allow the numbers of cars on today’s roads to be reduced.

To decrease traffic, multiple social reforms could be imposed. First of all, fuel prices could be raised, while simultaneously public transportation improved. The aim would be to make more people rely on public transportation. Another method to decrease traffic in cities would be to decrease the number of parking slots in the city and increase the cost for these. This method also aims at encouraging the usage of public transportation, as it would make public transport more appealing than parking. Yet another social reform could be to give tax breaks, if proven, that the person is using public transport on a regular basis.

In addition to social reforms, each individual would need to be educated to increase awareness of the environment. This could be achieved through addressing the matter using multiple media. Within this campaign, the environmental as well as the individual benefits of decreasing the usage of cars would have to be highlighted. As a result, the likelihood of voluntary cooperation would increase, because people would become motivated to reduce their reliance on cars.

In conclusion, only when individuals become aware can social reforms function properly. Success would mean more people using public transport and fewer people using cars. When this goal is achieved, stress on the environment will be decreased.

Go here for more IELTS Band 9 Essays

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IELTS test in Dubai, UAE – April 2023 (General Training)

Thanks to our lovely friend K who took IELTS two days ago in Dubai, UAE we are sharing the writing and speaking questions he remembered:

Writing test

Writing task 1 (a letter)

The government is looking to demolish an old historic building in City Centre. Write a letter to them expressing your dissatisfaction with this plan. In your letter

– Say why the building is important
– Suggest solutions to preserve the building
– Explain the benefits of keeping the building to the city and its residents.

Writing task 2 (an essay)

Part time courses are on the rise and students are taking them up as an alternative to full time courses. Do the advantages of this trend outweigh the disadvantages?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your knowledge or experience.

Speaking test

Part 1 (Interview)

– What is your full name?
– Where are you originally from?
– Do you work or study?
– Where do you work?
– Do you like your job?
– Are there any areas where you would like your company to change?

Part 2 (Cue Card)

Talk about a time when you received some good news. You should say

– when it happened
– how you got the news
– what the news was about
– and explain why the news was special.

Part 3 (Discussion)

– Do you think social media has done us any good when it comes to sharing good news?
– Why do some people not like to share good news?
– Do you like wearing T-shirts? Can you explain why?
– Do you think old people like wearing T-shirts? Why or why not?
– Why do young people like wearing T-shirts?
– When is it culturally appropriate to wear a T-shirt in your country?

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IELTS test in Australia – April 2023 (Academic Module)

Our lovely subscriber WL took her IELTS exam yesterday in Australia and remembered the following writing questions:

Writing test

Writing task 1 (a report)

The table below shows the postgraduate course fees in US Dollars that international students paid in three countries in 2007.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

* Note: this isn’t the actual table given in the test, it was recreated for the purpose of demonstration.

Writing task 2 (an essay)

In some countries ordinary citizens are allowed to keep a gun in their house. Some people think this is a good idea, while others disagree. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

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IELTS test in Nigeria – April 2023 (General Training)

Our kind subscriber from Nigeria has just taken her IELTS exam and remembered the following writing questions:

Writing test

Writing task 1 (a letter)

You had some photos of your family taken by a professional photographer. Write a letter to the photographer. In your letter,

– Say that you liked his/her photos of your family
– Ask him/her to be your photographer at a special family event
– Give him/her the details of the event

Writing task 2 (an essay)

Some people think it is better to make more money rather than have free time, while others prefer to have more free time rather than making money.

Discuss both views and give your opinion.

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