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Updated July 29, 2010

IELTS Part 2 and Part 3 Topics and Questions

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246. A Garden or Park (2) (Jan. 9, 2010)

247. Last Weekend (2) (Nov. 2009)

248. A Relaxing Day (Jan. 9, 2010)

249. An Unused Thing (Jan. 9, 2010)

250. 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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246. A Garden or Park (2) (January 9, 2010)

Describe a garden or park you visited and liked.

You should say:

where it was

what it looked like

what people did (or, were doing) there

and explain why you liked it. *

how you feel about this garden or park. *

Notes

This is similar to Topic 142.
See note about the number of points on the card.
It is not confirmed that this is a past tense topic. It might be, "Describe a garden or park that you like to visit".

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Possible follow-up questions:

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Part 3

See also the Part 3 questions for Topic 142

Parks and Gardens in Cities

Do you (or, do people) prefer to go to natural places or to cultural places in your spare time?
What are some examples of the different kinds of "green places" that we can find in cities?
Do you think it's important to have gardens or green spaces in cities? FQ
What role do these places have in the lives of city people? FQ
(Similar to above) What can (what do) people do in these places? FQ
Do you think it's easy to establish new green areas in a city?
Do you think that having green areas in a city is a traditional idea or a modern idea?

Other Uses of Parks

In addition to the typical usage of parks, do you think there are other ways that parks could be used by the community?

Outdoor Activities

What are some examples of outdoor activities that people like to do? FQ
(Similar to above) What outdoor activities do you like to do?
How does being outdoors help promote good health?
What are some differences between indoor and outdoor activities?
What are some differences between indoor and outdoor entertainment?
Are boys and girls equally interested in outdoor sports?
Do you think it's possible to do too much outdoor sport?
What are some examples of outdoor activities that are most suitable for summer?

The Environment

Do you think it’s important for governments to do something about the environmental changes happening today? (Why? How?)
Do you think people play a role in climate change today? (Why? How?)
In China, have there been any changes in the urban (city) climate in recent years?
How do you think big cities affect the (rural) areas surrounding them? FQ
(Similar to above) How do you think urbanization is impacting on the surrounding countryside? FQ

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247. Last Weekend (2) (Nov. 2009)

Describe what you did last weekend.

You should say:

what you did

who you met

whether you enjoyed the weekend

and explain what your normal weekend is like.

Notes

This looks very much like Topic 68, returning to the test. However, a small number of people have reported this as, "Describe what you did last week", not "last weekend".
This topic is obviously testing your ability to correctly use the past tense.

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Possible follow-up questions:

Are you (or, were you) satisfied with what you did last week? (or, last weekend)
Are you looking forward to next weekend?

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Part 3

See also the Part 3 questions for Topic 68.

Weekends / Leisure Time

For most people, what are differences between their lives on the weekends, compared to their lives during the work week? FQ

In China, do people have more leisure time than working time, or more working time than leisure time?

Does everyone in China have a two-day weekend?

Do you think people should have more leisure time?

Do you think weekends are really necessary?

(Similar to above) Is it really necessary to have weekends?

How do weekends benefit you?

(Similar to above) How do weekends benefit people?

What do most Chinese students do on weekends?

Would you like the weekend (or weekends) to be longer? FQ

For you, what is a "good weekend" and "what is a bad weekend"?

If the government changed weekends from two days to three days, what do you think the result would be?

(Similar to above) What do you think of the idea of the government changing weekends from two days to three days?

Holidays (= Vacations)

Do you think it's important for working people (and students) to have holidays (i.e., vacations) every now and then?
What do you think is a suitable amount of holiday time per year for a working person?
Which do you think is better, to have several short periods of holiday (vacation) per year or to have just one, long period of holiday?
How can (or, how should) people's holiday times be arranged? (Unconfirmed question)
How do students and working people plan what to do in their holiday time? ( = What factors do they consider?)

Working

How is the work situation (or the work environment) today different to what it was a few decades ago?
Do you think there should be limits on the number of hours a person works every day?
Would you like to work from home? (= Do your work at home.) FQ

Shift Work/Overtime Work

Can you give me some examples of people who have to work at nighttime?
(Similar to above) Can you give me some examples of people who have to do shift work? FQ
Do you think it's necessary to have shift work?
What do you think are the positive and the negative things about shift work?
(Similar to above) What are the benefits of shift work?
Would you like to work irregular hours?
Do you think an employer has the right to determine (or, decide) what shift the employees work?
What effects does (or could) shift work have on the community?
What benefits do you think the community would get from having people working at different times of the day? FQ
If a married person is doing shift work, for example, working during the night and sleeping during the day, do you think this can cause problems for the family? FQ

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248. A Relaxing Day (Jan. 9, 2010)

Describe a relaxing day you had once after a period of hard work or study. *

You should say:

when you had this relaxing day

where you spent this day

who you spent it with (and what you did)

and explain why it was relaxing. *

and explain why you needed this day of relaxation. *

Notes

See note about the number of points on the card.
The wording is unclear. Possibly the real wording says "a relaxing time", which could be more than one day, for example, a relaxing 1-week holiday in Thailand.
It is possible that this topic asks you to describe what you usually do to relax after a period of hard work or study. If this is the case, use the present tense.

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Possible follow-up questions:

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Part 3

Ways to Relax

When (what time) do you usually return home from work/school/university?
What do you do after you return home?
How do you (usually) like to spend your free time?
Do you think it's important for everyone to have a relaxing day every now and then?

Do you think there's any relationship between relaxation and health?

What do you think would (or, might) happen if someone experienced a prolonged period of work, with no relaxation?

Where do people go nowadays when they want to relax? FQ

Is there much difference between the way old people relax and the way young people relax? (Why?) FQ

(Similar to above) Do people of different ages spend their free time differently? (Why?) FQ

Why do old people and young people generally choose different ways to relax (or, different ways to spend their free time)?

Are there any places that are especially suitable for elderly people to relax in?

Do people in China have enough time for relaxation?

Why are people often very busy on the weekend?

Do you think people need to spend money in order to relax?

Please compare some expensive ways to relax with some cheap (or free) ways to relax.

What are some of the more traditional ways of relaxation in China?

Do you think going shopping is a good way to relax?

What facilities does your (town or) city have for relaxing?

Sleep

Do you think sleeping is a good (or, an effective) way to relax? FQx2
Do you think sleep is very important?
What do you think are the benefits of sleep?
Do you think there is much difference between the amount of sleep that old people need and that which young people need? FQ
(Similar to above) Is there much difference between the sleeping habits (or, the sleeping patterns) of old people and those of young people? FQ
(Similar to above) Is there much difference between the sleeping habits of people at different ages in their lives?

Holidays (Vacations) (假期), especially from work

In your country (China), how many days of leave (vacation from work) do most working people get (or, have)? FQ

How many days per year do you think a working person should have for holidays? FQ

Do you think the government should tell working people when to take their holidays?

If a person has to spend many hours working, what effects do you think this might have on that person's family?

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249. An Unused Thing (Jan. 9, 2010)

Describe something you bought (or borrowed) but have not used very much.

You should say:

what it is

when you bought it

where you got it from

and explain why you have not used it very much.

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Possible follow-up questions:

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Part 3

Shopping

Do you like shopping?
(Similar to above) Do people in China like buying things?
(Similar to above) How do people generally feel about shopping? FQ
How do young people feel about shopping?
What do people in China like buying?
(Similar to above) What products do people buy in China? FQ
Do young people and old(er) people buy the same kinds of things?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of shopping malls (or, supermarkets/department stores)? FQx2
When people go shopping, do you think they are more concerned about price or quality? FQx2
In general, when someone is buying something, do you think that high price always means high quality?
When people go shopping, do you think they are more concerned about the appearance of the product or its quality? FQx2
Do you (or, do people in China) think the brand of a product is important when you (or, they) are shopping?
Compare shopping online with shopping in a normal shop. FQ

Advertising

Do you think advertising is very important? FQ
Do you think we really need to have advertisements?
Does advertising have much influence on people's buying behaviour? FQ
Do many people buy something without ever having seen an advertisement for that product? FQ
Do you think advertising on television is more effective than advertising in magazines (and newspapers)?
What is the purpose of advertising?
How does advertising try to persuade people to buy things?
Do you think the government should control (or, restrict) advertising?
What should the government do about false advertising?

Dealing with Unwanted Things

What do you (or, what do people) do with things that they no longer use and no longer want to keep?
Besides throwing away unwanted things (in the garbage), can you suggest any other ways to deal with these things? *

Unused Things

Do you think it's good for people to buy things and then not use them?
Why do you think people do that?
Can you suggest any ways to help people avoid buying things they don't really need (or want)?

Disposal of Garbage

Do you think it's a good idea to take your own bag when you go shopping?
Why do we have garbage collection services in our towns and cities? FQ
(Similar to above) What role does the garbage collection service play in communities? FQ
What would happen if we didn't have these services?
In what ways is the disposal of garbage today different to how it was in the past?

Recycling

See Note

Why do we recycle some things that people throw away?
(Similar to above) What is the importance of recycling things?
(Similar to above) What are the benefits of recycling? FQ
(Similar to above) What are the effects (on society) of recycling? FQ
What things can be (or, should be) recycled? FQ
Do you think it's important to recycle electrical and electronic items?
How is recycling done?
What's your opinion of recycling in China today?
Have people's attitudes about recycling changed in recent years?
Do you think it will be improved in the future?
Do you think food can be recycled?

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250. No topic

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