Test 2
PART 1
The examiner asks the candidates about him/herself, his/her home, work or studies and other familiar topics.
SAMPLE
Giving gifts
When do people give gifts or presents in your country?
In the UK, there are many occasions to give gifts. Most gifts are exchanged on Christmas Day, on December 25th, which is a Christian festival celebrating the birth of Jesus. But we also give gifts on birthdays, weddings, house warmings, graduation days, wedding anniversaries, and Valentine's Day. Another Christian tradition is to exchange chocolate eggs on Easter Sunday.
Do you ever take a gift when you visit someone in their home/[why/why not?]
If they are having a house warming party, then it is common to buy a gift, usually a decoration for their new home. Or if they invite you for dinner, it is usual for the guest to bring a bottle of wine to drink with the meal.
When did you last receive a gift?[what was it]
My parents came to visit me during the Chinese Spring Festival, and they brought me some of my favourite foods and drinks over from the UK which I cannot buy in China. Although these gifts were not expensive, they were very special!
Do you enjoy looking for gifts for people?[why/ why not?]
Yes, I really enjoy looking for gifts for people, especially my close friends and family. There is a saying in my country; 'there is far more joy in giving a gift than receiving one'.
PART 2
Describe something you did that was new or exciting
You should say:
What you did
Where and when you did this
Who you shared the activity with
And explain why this activity was new and exciting for you.
You will have to talk about this topic for one to two minutes.
You have one minute to think about what you are going to say.
You can make some notes to help you if you wish.
I have always been afraid of heights, ever since I was young. I don't even like standing too close to the railings of a high balcony! Many of my friends would find this amusing, and laugh and joke about it. I wanted to try and overcome this fear, so I agreed to go skydiving with my university friends!
Skydiving involves jumping out of a plane, free-falling 10,000 feet, and then parachuting 3,000 feet to the ground, all in about 5 minutes! In short, this was my idea of hell! But I had to do it.
So my friends and I joined the university skydiving team and took the bus to Camberwell Bay in the Lake District.
We spent all day training on the Saturday. We learnt all about how to jump out of the plane, the position we should adopt while we are free-falling, how to use the radio, and most importantly how to release the emergency parachute if things went wrong!
Obviously, I would need to train a lot longer than one day to obtain a skydiving license and jump solo. But I was allowed to jump by myself from 4,000 feet on a static line, which means I didn't need to pull the parachute out by myself.
I enjoyed it so much that I immediately signed up to do it again, but this time to do a tandem dive from 14,000 feet, where I would be attached to a professional diver! It was incredible; the feeling of falling through the sky, eyes watering from the wind, the tiny cars and buildings below which were so small they looked like ants on the ground. It was the most exhilarating and exciting thing I've ever done!
Part 3
Doing new things
Example questions:
Why do you think some people like doing new things?
Trying new things is a great way to break away from daily routine. Many people get bored by doing the same things everyday. Trying new activities is exciting, and can also help people meet new friends!
What problems can people have when they try new activities for the first time?
There are a few problems which arise from trying things for the first time. Firstly, if the activity is dangerous, then extra care must be taken to ensure an accident doesn't happen. For example, skiing can be dangerous, so you must take care and go slowly until you are more competent on the slopes!
Sometimes, new activities can be challenging and difficult, especially if the activity is technical. Subsequently many people may be turned off the idea of trying it again because it is "too hard". Take playing the violin for example. I used to play the violin, and it took about six months for my sister to stop complaining that it sounded more like a screeching cat than a musical instrument! But with persistence and hard work, I eventually learnt to play it very well. Many people might just give up if something is too difficult, but they should be reminded that such things take time, and the rewards later will be worth it.
Do you think it’s best to do new things on you own or with other people?why?
In general, I think its better to do new things in groups, so that you can all learn and have fun together!
However, if some people are naturally very good at the activity, it can make others feel inadequate, so in these situations it might be useful to try it on your own, or in small groups of similar ability. Either way, you should not compare yourself to others, but just have fun!
Learning new things
Sample questions:
What kinds of things do children learn to do when they are very young? How important are these things?
Children are like sponges when they are young; they are constantly learning, and it is probably the most important part of their development. They are learning essential skills, such as how to communicate and interact with others. However, it is also a very delicate period of their life, as they are also learning about morals standards; what is right and what is wrong. Subsequently, care must be taken to ensure they are developing and learning properly.
Do you think children and adults learn to do new things in the same way? How is their learning style different?
Definitely not. I think children and adults learn in very different ways. Children learn much more through experiences. Their brains are more flexible and fluid. As such, they can learn new languages much more quickly. Adult brains are more rigid, and as such find it harder to just pick up new languages. However, adult brains are more developed to analyse and make judgements. If they are told something new, they are far more likely to question what they are learning, whereas children are more likely to just accept it.
Some people say that it is more important to be able to learn new things now than it was in the past. Do you agree or disagree with that? Why?
I largely agree with this statement, because the world is changing much more rapidly now than ever before. Technology is constantly improving and becoming more advanced. The way we go about our daily lives is ever changing, so we must be willing to change with it. For example, only 20 years ago, many companies didn't have computers or the internet. Nowadays, almost every company will use a computer and the internet in some way. It is very important to learn these new skills to keep up with society. |
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