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Updated Jul. 28, 2010

IELTS Part 2 and Part 3 Topics and Questions

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261. No topic

262. Something Healthy you Would Recommend (2) (Jan. 23, 2010)

263. A TV Program You Like (Jan. 30, 2010)

264. A Place Where You Learned about the Past (Jan. 30, 2010)

265. A Sport You Would Like to be Good At (May 2010)

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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261. No Topic

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262. Something Healthy you Would Recommend (2) (Jan. 23, 2010)

Version A

Describe something you do that is good for your health.*

You should say:

what it is

when you do it

who you do it with

[what equipment you use *]

and explain why you think it is good for your health.

Version B

Describe something good for the health that you would recommend to others.*

You should say:

who you would recommend it to *

what it is (or: what it would be)

what equipment is needed for this (or: what equipment would be needed) *

and explain why you would recommend it to this person. *

Notes

This might be Topic 184 continuing in the test with a "second life". (This is Version A.) But it also might be a slightly different topic, with some words changed in Part 2 and/or some different questions in Part 3. Note that Version A asks you to describe an activity that you habitually or occasionally do.
In Version B, the "something" you would recommend could be either a thing, an activity or it could be a lifestyle. (In fact, the wording might be, "Describe a healthy lifestyle you would recommend to others.") This wording does not explicitly say that you have used this thing or done this activity yourself, but it would be unusual to recommend something when you haven't used it or done it yourself. It seems that some variety of Version B is the topic being used right now.
If the wording is "a healthy lifestyle", then you have to describe several different aspects that make up this lifestyle, not just one aspect.

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Possible follow-up questions:

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Part 3

Below are questions that have been reported from January 23, onwards.

See also the Part 3 questions for Topic 184. (The questions below look very similar to those of Topic 184.)

Healthy Living

In general, what do people mean when they say, "good health"?
In general, what would you say is a "healthy lifestyle"?
Would you say that people in your country pay much attention to healthy living?
Have there been any changes in the past few years (e.g., 20 to 50 years) concerning people's health habits? FQ
(Similar to above) Have there been any lifestyle changes in the past few years (e.g., 20 to 50 years) that affect people's health? FQ
(Similar to above) Have there been any changes to the state of public health in the past few decades? FQ
What would you suggest people do to make their lifestyle healthier?

Gender Differences

Is there much difference between mean and women when it comes to the question of having a healthy lifestyle? FQ
(Similar to above) Which group is generally healthier, men or women? (Why do you say that?) FQ
(Similar to above) Who do you think places more emphasis on good health habits, men or women?

Old People

How do you think old people can maintain their health?

Food

Do you think the food we eat has an effect on our health?
What would you say is a healthy diet?
More and more children today are becoming overweight. What do you think are (or might be) the causes of this?

Exercise

Why do you think people exercise less today than they used to?

Stress

Do you think the pace of life has increased (compared to a few decades ago)?
Do you think stress is a factor in people's health?

Pollution

Do you think pollution is having an effect on people's health?

People's Knowledge about Healthy Living

Would you say people in your country have a good understanding of the topic of "healthy living"?
Do you think people's understanding of (or knowledge about) health has changed in the past few years?
How can people learn about how to have a healthy lifestyle?
(Similar to above) Where can people get information about what is a healthy lifestyle? FQ
There are many sources of information about health. How can a person judge what information is good or correct and what information might not be so good?
How can children and young people learn about good health habits? FQ
Do you think schools should have some classes on the topic of health (or, a healthy lifestyle)? FQ
(Similar to above) Do you think it should be one of the responsibilities of schools to educate children about healthy living? FQ
Do you think schools should include more physical exercise in the activities that school students do?
Do you think the government (or, the community) has a responsibility to provide facilities that people can use to help them maintain good health? FQ
How can the government help people make healthy lifestyle decisions? FQ
Do you think there are any differences between exercising in the morning, or in the middle of the day or in the evening?

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263. A TV Program You Like (Jan. 30, 2010)

Describe a television program you enjoy.

You should say:

what the program is (including the contents of the program)

where you watch it

when you watch it

who you usually watch it with *

and explain why you think it is interesting.

Notes

It seems that the present tense is used so you should talk about a program that you watch often, or sometimes. (If you say, "I always watch it" that means, "I never miss this program when it is on TV". Only use the past tense if you say some specific details about a particular episode of this program that you watched.
It is possible that it is a past tense topic because some people report the question, "who was with you" for this topic. In this case, it is like the reverse of Topic 254.

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Possible follow-up questions:

Would you say this program is suitable for everybody?

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Part 3

Note: It seems that many of the questions being used in Part 3 are the same as those for Topic 213 and Topic 254. So, even if Topic 213 has been retired, pay attention to the Part 3 questions for Topic 213.

Television in Your Country

Do many people in your country watch TV?
Why is watching TV so popular?
What sorts of TV programs are most popular in your country? FQx2
(From what you know about television in the West), how do you think television in your country is different to television in the West?
Do you have many foreign TV programs in China?
Do you think foreign television programs can ever harm the local culture of a country?

Television Versus other Media

What sorts of people watch television rather than use the internet?
What advantages does television have over other media such as the internet?
How does watching television differ from using the internet?
Compare the popularity of the internet as opposed to the popularity of television.
Do you think television will be more popular than the internet in the future?
(Similar to above) Do you think television will be more popular in the future than it is now, or less popular? FQ
Is there much difference between watching programs on the television (the television system we have now) and watching them on the internet?
What are some of the benefits of watching TV, compared to reading a newspaper? (Note: This question seems to apply to the topic of "news".)

The Educational Value of Television Programs

Have you ever learned anything from watching TV?
Do you think television has any positive effects on people's education (or, on the education of children and young people)?
In the future, do you think television might be used less for entertainment and more for education?
(Similar to above) In the future, do you think television might be used more for education?

The Effects of Television on Children

Note: affect = verb; effect = noun

Why do you think (so many) children like watching TV? FQ
Do you think television affects adults in the same way it affects children?
Do you think television has more a negative effect or more a positive effect on children?
What are these negative effects? FQ
Do you think cartoons can have an adverse effect on young children?
Considering these negative effects, how do you think television might change (= might improve) in the future?
Should parents control what children watch on TV?
Do you think there should be government controls on what is broadcast on TV?

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264. A Place Where You Learned about the Past (Jan. 30, 2010)

Describe a place you visited where you learned something about the past.

You should say:

where you went

why you went there

what you saw (and did) there *

and explain what you learned from (visiting) this place.

Notes

Although this looks similar to Topic 188, this wording is more general than the wording of Topic 188. For example, (if the wording is similar to above), you could talk about a historical site, a museum or even a library. Or it could even be an exhibition, a performance, or a conference.

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Possible follow-up questions:

Have you been (back) there again?

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Part 3

Also see the Part 3 questions for Topic 188.

The Study of History

How did you learn about history in your childhood?
(Similar to above) How do children learn about history? FQ

Learning History in the Home

Do you think children can (should) learn some history from their family members?
Are there any advantages for children learning (recent) history from their grandparents?

Learning History at School

What (kinds of) history are taught in schools in China?
Do you think it's important for people to know about history?
What do you think is the value of school students studying the history of their own country?
Do you think it's very important to study international history?
Why do some school students dislike studying history?
What do you suggest the schools should (or could) do to improve the study of history in your country?
As people grow older, do you think they will remember the history they learned in their childhood? FQ See Note
Why do you think some adults can't remember some of the history they learned in school? FQ
Do you think it's useful for children (and young people) to learn about (recent) history from old people? FQ
Besides school, are there other ways that children learn about history?

Learning History from Visiting Places

Do you think it's a good idea to take school children to historical places in order for them to learn about history? FQ
(Similar to above) Do you think it's easy for children to learn about history from visiting historical places? FQ
Do young people (e.g., teenagers & people in their twenties) often visit historical places?

What kinds of historical places do people in China visit?

(Similar to above) What are some good places to go to learn about history?

What do they learn from these places?

Learning about History from Watching TV

Do you think people can learn much about history from watching TV?
When movie makers make films about history, do you think they have a responsibility to provide accurate information in their films?
How can a person know if a story on TV or in a film about the past is historically accurate?

Museums

What is the function of museums?
Do you think it's important to have historical museums? FQ
Do you like going to historical museums?
(Similar to above) Do young people like visiting historical museums?
How do you think historical museums could attract more young people?
What other kinds of museums are there, besides historical museums?

The Financing of Museums

Do you think museums and historical sites should be free to enter? FQ

How do you suggest museums be funded if they are free to enter?

Who do you think should be responsible for the cost of running museum, the government or private companies? FQ
Do you think that whoever finances a museum can have an undue influence on the way history is portrayed in the museum?

War See Note

* = a guess at a possible question

How do you feel about the topic of war? *
Do you think that learning about past wars is an important part of learning about history?
What do you think we can learn from the study of past wars? *
Do you think the causes of modern wars and the causes of past wars are the same? *

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265. A Sport You Would Like to be Good At (May 2010)

Describe a sport you would like to be good at (if you had to choose a sport to be good at) *

You should say:

what sport it is (or, would be)

what skills are needed for this sport

                       what you would need to do to be good at this sport

                       what difficulties you would need to overcome (or might need to overcome) *

      and explain why you would like to be good at this particular sport. *

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Possible follow-up questions:

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Part 3

Physical Education in Schools

Do young people (in your country) like sports? (Why?)
Would you say young people have enough time for exercise?
Do you think sport (or PE classes) are important (or, necessary) at school? FQ
(Similar to above) Do you think sport and PE should be included in school curriculums (or, curricula)? FQ
What do you think is the function of PE classes in school?
How do people benefit from doing sport (or, PE) at school? FQ
What can people (or children) learn from doing sport (or, PE) at school? FQ
Do you think schools should increase the number of PE classes? FQ
(Similar to above) Do you think people of your age should play more sport?
How do young people at school choose what sports to play?

International Sport

What do you think are the benefits of international sporting competitions?
Do you think international sport can help ease conflicts between different countries? FQ
Do you think international sport should be encouraged more?
What could be a possible disadvantage from doing that?
Why do you think athletes from certain countries are better at some sports than athletes from other countries?
How do you think a country could raise the standard of its athletes in a particular sport?

The Relationship between Money and Sport

Do you think that the amount of money that is spent on sport is worth it?
(Similar to above, but different) Do you think that the amount of money that is spent on the development of sport is worth it?
Do you think governments have a responsibility to spend money on sport?
What is the relationship between advertising and professional sport?
Do you think it's good to have professional sport?

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