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Updated Nov. 11, 2008

IELTS Part 2 and Part 3 Topics and Questions

Page 27

131.  An Occasion When You Were Late (2) (Oct. 13 2007)  (Probably no longer used)

132.  No Topic

133.  A Teenager You Know (Jan 10, 2008)

134.  An Interesting Animal (Jan 10,  2008)

135.  No Topic

RETURN TO PART 2 TOPIC INDEX

FQ = frequent question = a question that has frequently been reported = a question that is probably in the examiner's question book

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131.  An Occasion When You Were Late (2) (Oct. 13 2007)  (Probably no longer used)

Describe an (important) occasion when you were late.

               You should say:

                               when this happened

                               what occasion you were late for

                               why you were late (Or, how you explained your lateness) *

                               what lesson you learned from this experience *                               

              and explain how you felt when you were late. *

                                        or

              and explain the result of your being late. *

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Possible follow-up questions:

• Are your friends very often late? Or: Were your friends also late?

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Part 3

See also Part 3 for Topic # 63.

Punctuality

• Do you think it's important to be punctual? FQ

• How do you feel when others are late, keeping you waiting? FQ

• Do you think it's always possible to avoid being late?

• What are some reasons why people are late?

• If someone said they were late because they were busy, would you forgive them?

• What are some methods that people can use to make sure they are on time? FQ

• Except for having a schedule, do you know of any other ways?

• Do young people (e.g., 15 -25 years old) and older people (e.g., over 30 years old) have the same attitudes towards punctuality? FQ

• (Similar to above but not the same) Do young people and old people (e.g., over 60 years old) have the same attitudes towards punctuality? FQ

• (Similar to above) Do adults and children have the same concept of time? FQ

• Do you think punctuality is more important for businesspeople or for the common person? FQ

• Are your friends ever late, for example, for class or to meet you when you go out?

• What are some examples of occasions when punctuality is especially important? FQ

• Do you think that ideas about being 'on time' are the same in the West and in China? FQ

• (Similar to above) Do you think that ideas about being 'on time' are the same in different cultures (or, different countries)? FQ

The Importance of Time

• How important do you think time is?

• Do people today have the same ideas about (the importance of) time as people many years ago?

• Do rural people and urban people have the same ideas about (the importance of) time?

• Do young people and old people have the same ideas about (the importance of) time?

• Why do you think people in different countries sometimes have different feelings about the importance of being on time? 

• Do you think Western people and Chinese people have the same ideas about (the importance of) time?

• Do you think people today are busier than people used to be, 20 or 30 years ago? (Why?/Why not?)

• Why do you think it's more and more difficult for family members to find time to be together?

• Do you think modern technology has given us more time than before?

• What are some methods that people could use to improve their time management? 

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132.  No Topic

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133.  A Teenager You Know (Jan 10, 2008)

Describe a teenager who you know.

               You should say:

                           how old they are (= how old he or she is)

                           how and where you met him or her                            

                           what you and this person do together * 

                           what kind of person he or she is (his or her personality)                          

               and explain how you feel about him or her. *

                                            or

              and explain whether you like or dislike this person and why *

See Notes                           

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Possible follow-up questions:

• Do you think other people like him/her?

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Part 3

Teenagers in China

        The Nature of Teenagers

• In general, what would you say are some of the basic characteristics of teenagers?

• Do you think teenagers today are the same as teenagers, say, 30 years ago?

        Life in general for teenagers

• What is life like for teenagers in China today? FQ

• Would you say teenagers today are happier than teenagers were twenty or thirty years ago? (Why?/Why not?)

• How is the life of  teenagers (or children) today different to what it was 20 or 30 years ago? FQx2

• (Similar to above) Would you say life for teenagers today is better than it was several decades ago? FQx2

• What sorts of things do teenagers do on weekends?

• What sorts of hobbies and interests do teenagers have?

• Do you think the government should do something to try to reduce the pressure on teenagers? (If yes, what?)

• Would you say social changes have a greater affect on teenagers or on older people?

• How do you think life will be like for teenagers in the future?

        Responsibility

• What responsibilities do you think teenagers have (or should have) (towards the family)? FQ

• What responsibilities do you think teenagers have (or should have) towards society?

• How can children (or teenagers) be taught a sense of responsibility?

• Do you think teenagers can benefit by being given more responsibility?

• Do you think that teenagers can become more mature if they are given responsibilities?

• How often do you clean your bedroom?

        Parental Advice

• Do you think it's good for teenagers (or children) to listen to (the advice of) their parents?

• In what ways do you think teenagers in China are different to those in the Western countries? 

        Teenagers and Money

• What impact do teenagers have on society? (Hint: They are big consumers of certain products & services) FQ

• (Similar to above) Since teenagers spend quite a lot of money, how do you think this affects society as a whole? FQ

• What influence does money have on teenagers? FQ

• (Similar to above) How important is money for teenagers? FQ

• What do teenagers spend money on?

• Do you think teenagers generally spend money in a responsible way or do you think they tend to waste it? *

• Do teenagers spend more money than old people?

• Do you think teenagers should be given pocket money by their parents?

• How much pocket money do you think is suitable? 

• Do you think it's good if a teenager is given too much money? See note

• What problems can result if a teenager has too much money?

• How do you think children and teenagers could be taught how to use money responsibly?

The Relationship between Teenagers and other Age Groups

• What's the difference between children and teenagers? FQx2

• Do you think children and teenagers have the same values? (I.e., things, ideas etc. that they feel are important)

• What's the difference between teenagers and adults? *

• Do young children and teenagers have the same attitudes towards older people?

• In China, what attitudes do teenagers have towards their parents?

• What do teenagers think about old(er) people? FQx2

• What you you think is an "old person"? (What age is 'old'?)

• How do teenagers in China generally react to the advice/suggestions of older family members such as grandparents (or even parents)?

• Do teenagers in China like to be independent of their parents?

• Why do you think independence is so important  to teenagers?

• What do you think about the so-called 'generation gap'? Do you think it really exists and what are the causes of it? FQ

• How do you think problems that are caused by a generation gap could be resolved?

• Who do you think is more suited to living in modern society, young people or old(er) people? (Why?) FQ

• (Similar to above) Who do you think has more skills and abilities for living in modern society, the new generation or the older generation? FQ

Becoming an Adult

• At what age does the government say you are an adult? (i.e., What is the legal age of adulthood?) FQ

• Do you think this is a suitable age or do you think it should be younger, or older? FQ

• At what age do you (personally) think people can be considered to be 'adults'? FQ

• Why do you and the government have different ideas about what age one becomes an adult?

• Who do you think is more easily influenced, teenagers or adults? (Why?)

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134.  An Interesting Animal (Jan 10,  2008)

Describe a time when you saw an interesting animal.

               You should say:

                           what animal it was

                           where you saw it 

                           what happened when you saw it

               and explain why you thought it was interesting. *  

Another interesting animal HERE

Notes

• Possibly the last line is, "and explain how you felt when you saw it."

• See also Notes

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Possible follow-up questions:

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Part 3

Animals in Your Country

• What animals are most common where you live (or, in your country)?  FQx2

• What animals are there in your hometown?

• What animals can we see in the capital of your country?

• Are animals important for people? FQ

• Besides pets, what do animals do for people? FQ

• Are there any wild animals in the city?

• Where can you see wild animals in China?

• Do you think wild animals are suitable as pets?

• Are there any dangerous animals in China?

        Work Animals

• Did people in China use animals for work years ago? 

• Do people in China still use animals for work? FQx2

• (Similar to above) Is there any difference between the way animals are used for work today and the way they were used for work many years ago? FQx2

• Besides work animals, what are some other ways that animals can help people? (Hint: guide dogs for the blind)

Pets

See Notes 

       Your Feelings about pets (and animals)

• How do you feel about animals?

• Do you think animals are people's friends?

• Do you have a pet?

• How do you look after him/her?

        Pet Ownership in China

• Do Chinese people like to have pets?

• Has the number of pet owners in China changed in the past few years? FQ

• (Similar to above) Have there been any changes in China on the question of pets in the past few years? In other words, are there any differences between today and a few decades ago on the question of keeping a pet at home? FQ

• What pets are most common (or most popular)?

        How to Keep a Pet

• Do you think it is necessary to train a pet? (Why? To do what? Or, why not?)

• Is it expensive to keep a pet?

• What do you think is the biggest problem when taking care of a pet? (Or, the biggest problem of having a pet) FQ

• (Similar to above) What do you think are the main problems when people experience when they have a pet at home? FQ

• How can these problems be solved?

• What do you think of having pet hospitals? (Are they necessary?)

       The Benefits of Pet Ownership

• What do you think is the value (the purpose; the main benefits) of pets? FQx2

• (Similar to above) What is the importance of pets? FQ

• (Similar to above) Do you think people in the cities need to have pets? 

• Do you think children benefit from having a pet? (If yes, how?)

        Having a Pet in the City versus Having a Pet in the Countryside

• Do you think it's suitable to keep the animal that you just spoke about (in Part 2) in the city? (Why?/Why not?) FQ

• (Similar to above) Would you say your hometown is suitable for keeping a pet?

• (Similar to above) Do you think it's suitable to keep pets in the city or is it more suitable to have a pet only if you live in the countryside? FQ

• (Similar to above) Which place do you think is better for keeping animals, the city or the countryside? (Compare & contrast them.) FQ

• (Similar to above) Compare the problems that pet owner have in the cities with those that pet owners have in the countryside. FQ

• (Similar to above) What are some differences between raising animals in the city and raising animals in the countryside? (Here, "raising animals" is plural and not not necessarily mean personal pets. It could, for example, mean breeding animals for sale.)

• What animals do you think are unsuitable for living in a city? FQx2

• What do you think is the biggest limitation for raising (or, keeping) a pet in the city?

• What (pet) animals are more suited to city life and what (pet) animals are more suited to country life? (Compare & contrast them.) FQ

The Relationship Between Humans and Animals

        Human Treatment of Animals in General and Attitudes Towards Animals

• Some people say that people are more important than animals. What do you think?

• Do you think some animals are more intelligent than other animals?

• Do you think animals have 'rights'? (Why? What rights?/Why not?) FQ

• In general, do you think human beings (people) treat animals in a suitable way? (= in humane way)

• Do people today treat animals the same as they used to do, several decades ago? FQ

• (Similar to above) How do you think the relationship between humans and animals has changed over the years?

• Do you think that the way animals are portrayed in books today is different to the way they were portrayed many years ago? See Note

• What's your opinion of people who put birds (or other animals) in cages but don't feed them or don't give them water on hot days?

        Zoos

• What do you think are the benefits of having zoos?

        Protecting Wild Animals

• What are some ways that human behaviour effects (wild) animals? FQx2

• (Similar to above) What are some examples of human activity that affect animals in the wild? FQx2

• What types of wild animals (or, what are some examples of wild animals) do humans have the greatest influence on? See Note

• (Similar to above) What are some examples of wild animals that humans have the greatest influence on? See Note

• Is the government doing anything to protect wild animals in China?

• What do you think is the value of protecting endangered animals?

• What are some ways that can be used to protect endangered wild animals? FQx2

• Do you think there are any animals that we don't need? (Why?/ Why not? Which animals?)

        Scientific Experiments on Animals

• Do you agree that animals should be used for (experiments or) scientific testing of chemical products such as new medicines, new cleaning products or new cosmetics etc.? FQx2  See Note

        Vegetarians

• Some people are vegetarians i.e., they don't eat any meat. What do you think of that attitude? (Or, why do you think these people decide to become vegetarians?) FQx2

• More and more people are becoming vegetarians. Why do you think this is happening?

• Some people in the world eat animals such as cats and dogs. How do you feel about that? FQ

A dog eating himself

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135.  No Topic

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