TEST 4 SPEAKING CAMBRIDGE ENGLISH IELTS 3

CAMBRIDGE ENGLISH IELTS 3

TEST 4

SPEAKING

PART 1 The examiner asks the candidate about him/herself, him/her home, work or studies and other familiar topics Example Daily Routine → What would you like to change in your daily routine? → Are all your days the same? → Tell me about your typical weekday and your typical weekend. → What is the balance of work/study and free time in your normal day? PART 2 Describe something you own which is very important to you You should say where you got it from how long you have had it what you use it for and explain why it is so important to you You will have to talk about the topic for 1 to 2 minutes. You have one minute to think about what you’re going to say. You can make some notes to help you if you wish. PART 3 Discussion topics How values can change Example questions What kind of possessions show status in your country? Do you think it was different for your grandparents? The consumer society Example questions: Modern society is often called ‘materialistic’. Why do you think this is? Do you think consumerism is a positive or a negative development? The consumer market Example Questions: What is the role of advertising? How do you think the internet will affect buying patterns in the future?

ANSWER KEY

PART 1 (MODEL ANSWER) •    What would you like to change in your daily routine? I would like to get up earlier in the morning than I do now. Next, I would like to take up regular exercises in a gymnasium. Apart from that, I would like to leave office/ university early to walk in the park for an hour. Apart from that, my current daily routine is all good. •    Are all your days the same? Not really. My usual office/ university days and days off are quite different. While on a typical day I remain busy at office/ university, I mostly stay at home during my days off. The routines are quite different as well. During my longer holidays, my routine changes and they are quite different than other busy days. •    Tell me about your typical weekday and your typical weekend. Well, on a typical weekday, I get up early in the morning, take a shower and eat my breakfast. Then I hurry for my office/ classes and the bad traffic kills some time on the roads. After I reach the office/ university, I need to concentrate on my work/ study & classes and I return home at around 6:30 pm. I eat my dinner at around 8:30 pm, read the daily newspapers or a book, watch the news channel and browse the internet. I study/ spend time with my family till 11:30 and then prepare to go to bed. I usually sleep at around 12:30 and always try to read something or listen to music before I sleep. If I have an exam/ office deadline, I study/ work till late night. On the contrary, during my weekend, I wake up late in the morning, grab the newspaper and look at the headlines and in some interesting news sections. Then I take a shower and eat my breakfast. I watch some TV programmes and then go outside to meet my colleagues/ friends who live nearby. I spend some time outside and then return home before lunch. In the noon I take a nap and in the evening I either go to a shopping mall to buy necessary things or visit a theatre to enjoy a movie with friends/ family members or go to a park to walk. In the evening I either play video games or spend time reading books or browsing the internet. I usually take my dinner at around 10.30 pm during my days off and go to bed after 1.30 am. •    What is the balance of work/study and free time in your normal day? Well, I think I can maintain a good balance between my work/study and free time in my daily routine. When I am at home, I spend my time with my family members. I have some of my personal interests and hobbies that I have not quit. I can manage time to spend some quality times with my family members even during the weekends. I meet my friends regularly and spend time with them as well. Overall I am happy with my daily routine as it let me maintain my work/ study life separate from my personal life. PART 2 (MODEL ANSWER) Not sure, how much of an “importance” one should attach to owning a “motorcycle” on a scale of “owning important things”, but I consider my motorcycle to be very important to me because I have always felt like it is a “part of me” since the day I bought it, or “owned” it for hundreds of reasons, seriously. I have always loved riding a motorcycle since my early childhood, and even wanted to “own” one since then, but my parents didn’t quite feel comfortable with the “adrenaline rush” or a “pre-teen” boy like me. So, I had to wait for at least another 10 years or so before I could actually “own” my “dream” two-wheeled “road warrior”, courtesy to the goodwill of my parents who didn’t hesitate to spend a “handsome” amount of cash to “spoil” their university-going, only “male” child. Anyway, since then, I have been “driving” (more like “torturing”) my shiny black motorcycle for almost 5 years, without any major complain, in order to travel back and forth from my home to work, visiting my families and friends who are living far away from me, and carrying my younger sisters occasionally to the nearby shopping mall. I also take the help of my “ever-dependable” vehicle to run for different kinds of errands frequently in order to help my family. Finally, if I don’t mention how I drag my “roadster” to take me to a lake, by weathering very “rough” road conditions sometimes, against its will so that I can do some “fishing”, I would not do a complete injustice on my motorcycle. My motorcycle is very important to me mainly because of the “versatilities” and flexibilities, it provides, in taking me to different destinations in different kinds of weather conditions. It is important to me also because it saves me a lot in my travel cost, considering how frequently I travel to different places. Finally, the “cool” feeling of walking into a restaurant or an upscale office, with a helmet under my arm while also having a “swagger” at the same time, is just “unbeatable” and “priceless”. PART 3 (MODEL ANSWER) How values can change Q. What kind of possessions show status in your country? Answer: Well, in my country a big house in a posh area, expensive and latest cars, the latest electronic gadgets, expensive furniture at home and similar earthy ownership are often considered to be the possessions of high status. Apart from that, a top position in a well-known company, social influence and power and exposure to media are a few other things that people often consider as symbols of high status. Q. Do you think it was different for your grandparents? Answer: I believe it was not much different during my grandparent's generation; the electronic gadgets would be the latest addition, though. During my grandparent’s era, the symbols of status were land ownership, political influence, big houses, and expensive cars - which were quite similar as they are today. I guess the so-called status symbols are quite materialistic in our society and that’s why it was not much different for my grandparent's time as well. The consumer society Q. Modern society is often called ‘materialistic’. Why do you think this is? Answer: This is mainly because of our inclination towards worldly success and competition to possess more than we need. The globalisation has also affected our mentality to possess more and more than ever before. We constantly compete with others and put too much emphasis on our status in society. The old ways of traditional life and values have declined alarmingly in our society and we are following the trend without giving much consideration. The decay in our "family bonding" and "patriotic feelings" are also making us more materialistic. We feel proud to have luxury cars, smartphones and powerful parents while we think very less about the people who are struggling to meet their basic human needs. This mentality is like a virus that is spreading rapidly in our society and the unsatisfiable competition among us is making it even worse. Q. Do you think consumerism is "a positive" or "a negative" development? Answer: The concept of consumerism causes a materialistic belief that "the more materials acquired by an individual, the better". It does imply that we are placing an increased value and necessity on material possessions. In my opinion, this is a negative development. While millions of people are starving every day around the world, others are opting for the latest smartphones and expensive cars every now and then. The waste disposal has already become a huge issue and the increased usage of electronic devices are increasing the world temperature which is dangerous for the world. The consumerism also makes people more materialistic and thus they forget the tradition and value of their society. The consumer market Q. What is the role of advertising? Answer: The true role of advertising is to promote a product or service among potential consumers or to promote brand awareness among them. Advertising is particularly important to establish the brand reputation in the market and to allure people to purchase a product or to enlist to a service offered. Adverts from non-profit organisations and the government often aim to create awareness on important issues among people. Q. How do you think the Internet will affect buying patterns in the future? Answer: The Internet has already established its supremacy in the consumer market and a lot of people nowadays purchase products or services online. The e-commerce is booming and it is not far away when people would absolutely rely on online shopping than the conventional marketplace or shops. The e-commerce websites are ever increasing and people no longer need to go to a shopping mall to purchase the products they require. The advancement in Internet technology will capture a major share of all trades and shopping done by consumers in the near future.