Updated Sep. 3, 2010

IELTS Part 2 and Part 3 Topics and Questions

Page 55

271.  A Friend You Admire  (May 29, 2010) 

272.  A News Story that Made You Happy (May 29, 2010)

273.  A Childhood Toy (May, 2010)

274.  A TV or Radio Presenter (May, 2010)

275.  A Long Journey  (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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271.  A Friend You Admire  (May 29, 2010) 

Describe a friend who did something you admire.

You should say:

what he or she did

why he or she did this

what difficulties he or she had to overcome (= what difficulties he or she overcame) *

and explain why you admire him/her.

Notes

• "Admire" means both "like" and "respect", together. Depending on the situation, it can be much more "respect" than "like". Don't simply describe someone who you like in an affectionate way but rather, describe some admirable characteristics of this person. We usually "admire" characteristics in other people that we feel we do not possess ourselves. Because of this, "admire" can sometimes  have a meaning that is close to "envy", but in a nice way. For example, you can "admire" another person's exceptional sporting or academic talents, their persistence, strength of character or their exceptional good looks etc.

• The third point, "what difficulties he or she had to overcome" might be written as , "what difficulties he or she faced".

• Someone (just one person) has reported this topic as, "Describe a friend of yours that had a difficult decision to make". That was probably what this candidate chose to talk about, rather than the actual question words. Nevertheless, making a difficult decision is a good example of doing something that is worthy of respect.

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Possible follow-up questions:

• Would you do the same as your friend (if you were in the same situation)?

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Part 3

See also the Part 3 questions (about friendship, teenagers and role models) for Topic 8,  Topic 70,  Topic 106,  Topic 120,  Topic 123,  Topic 133,  Topic 162,  Topic 177,  and Topic 233. That's a lot of questions but, if the topic of "Friends" is used in this Part 3, some of those questions are bound to be used again in Part 3 here. (Learn to speed read. Just read the questions and don't worry too much about planning very many answers, just a few.)

Who People Admire

• What kinds of people do young people (teenagers or children) admire? FQ

• (Similar to above) In general, who do you admire?

• Do young people (in China) admire their parents?

• Do young people and older people admire the same kinds of people? FQx2

• Do people admire others who have high social status? (Why?)

• Do you think everybody has someone who they greatly admire (or, respect; or, look up to)?

• Do you think it's good for people to idolize others (or, to have heroes)?

• Do you think that celebrities (or, famous people) should set an example for the rest of us? (= Is it a responsibility that accompanies being famous?) FQ

• Would you say that (would you agree that) the people we admire do, in fact, always set a good example?

The Factors that Determine "Success" in Life

• What are the different factors that determine whether a person will be "successful" in their career (or, in life)?

• Do you think a person's background (e.g., the social status of one's family) can affect how successful they will be?

The Value of Academic Education (in Achieving 'Success')

• How important do you think it is to get high grades in school exams?

• (Similar to above) How important is (academic) education in achieving success today? FQ

• Do you think the value of (the importance of) education (in achieving success) today is the same as in the past? FQx2

• Why is a university degree considered to be so important in China?

• Do you think this great emphasis on university degrees might change in the future?

• In what fields of work is education most important in order to be successful?

• Which do you think is more important, academic education or practical knowledge (about important things)? FQ

• (Similar to above) Which do you think is more important, academic skills or practical skills? FQ (See Topic 17 and Topic 77)

• Would you say that children and young people today are under a lot of pressure to do well at school? FQ

• Do you think such pressure is good for children and young people? *

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272.  A News Story that Made You Happy  (May 29, 2010)

Describe a news story that made you feel happy.

You should say:

what the news was about (= what happened)

where you got this news from

what people were involved in this news story

and explain why it made you feel happy.

Notes

• "News story" means a news article or report of real news (新闻报道 not 消息 and not a fictional story, 故事). A "news item" might be just a summary or a statement of a piece of news but a "news story" includes, more or less, the full details.

• You don't have to describe something that made you extremely happy – something that pleased you would be good enough. In other words, describe some good news.

• It is possible for you to make up (invent) an untrue news item that you say you read in a Chinese newspaper or saw on the TV news. Examiners are not aware of all the news that is reported in the Chinese media. But you will speak more convincingly if it is a true news item (news story).

• So far, nobody has reported that the word, "recent" is included in the wording but it might be a good idea to say that you read or heard this news story within the past year.

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Possible follow-up questions:

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Part 3

See also the Part 3 questions for Topic 46,  Topic 101,  Topic 141,  Topic 203 and especially Topic 151. That's a lot of questions but some of those questions are bound to be used again in Part 3 here. (Learn to speed read. Just read the questions and don't worry too much about planning very many answers, just a few.)

Interest in the News

• In general, are you interested in the news?
• Do you think it's important to pay attention to the news?
• Do young people care much about the news? FQ
• Are young people more interested in the news than older people? FQ

The News Media

• What are the main ways that people get their news? FQ
• (Similar to above) How do people in your country get the news? FQ
• How do they get news from abroad?
• How can people be sure that the foreign news they receive is true (or, reliable; or, accurate)?
• What do you think will be the main ways that people get news in the future?
• Do you think newspapers will be replaced by the internet in the future?

The News and Children

• Are children interested in the news?
• Can you suggest some ways to increase children's interest in the news?
• Should schools have courses based on studying the news? FQ
• (Similar to above) Should schools teach children how to read the news? FQ
• (Similar to above) Would it be a good idea for schools to have courses based on studying the news? FQ

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273.  A Childhood Toy (May, 2010)

Describe a toy that was special to you when you were a child.

You should say:

when you got it

what it looked like

where you played with it

who gave it to you

and explain how you used it (how you played with it).

Notes

• This topic looks similar to Topic 187.

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Possible follow-up questions:

• Do you still have that toy?

• Can you still find the same toy (in toyshops) today?

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Part 3

Toys

• What are the most popular kinds of toys in China? FQ

• Why do you think children often like certain toys instead of others?

• Do boys and girls like the same toys?

• What are some differences between boys' toys and girls' toys? FQ

• Do you think toys have changed since you were a child?

• Compared to the past, do you think there have been any changes in what is a "boys' toy" and what is a "girls' toy"?

• Do you think it's important for boys just to play with "boys' toys" and for girls to just play with "girls' toys"?

• Do you think children have too many toys?

• Can you suggest how parents could avoid that situation? (i.e., too many toys)

• Do you think it's good for kids to play with toys?

• How do you think toys influence a child's future (or, adult) life?

• Do you think toys can help children develop their intelligence?

• What are some examples of toys that can help children develop their creativity (or, imagination)?

• (similar to above) What types of toys that can help children develop their creativity (or, imagination)?

• Do you think it's good if parents only buy "educational" toys for their children? FQ

• Which do you think is better to give a child, a computer or a toy?

• In what ways are traditional (or, "old-fashioned toys") different to modern electronic toys?

• What effect do you think electronic toys have on children?

• Why do you think some children prefer to watch TV rather than play with toys?

• Do you think watching TV can take the place of playing with toys? FQ

Games

• What difference is there between games for children in the past, and games for children now?

• What effects do computer games have on children?

• Can computer games help a child interact better with other children?

• Do you think games should be educational?

• If you had children, would you allow them to play computer games?

• Do you think that the relationships between children and their parents is suffering these days because of computer games? Why?

• How could we solve this problem?

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274.  A TV or Radio Presenter (May, 2010)

Describe a TV or radio presenter who you like.

You should say:

what kind of program he or she presents *

what he or she does in this program *

.................

and explain what you like this person.            

Notes

• The details above are just guesses at the details of this topic. Hopefully, more details will become available in the future.

• A radio or TV "presenter" is the same as a radio or TV "host". Probably a news reader or simply an announcer are suitable examples.

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Possible follow-up questions:

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Part 3

Working as a Radio or TV Host

• Would you like to be a radio or TV host? *

• Do you think many people would like to do that kind of work? Why?

• What kinds of people want to do that job?

• What are some differences between a radio presenter and a TV presenter?

• What skills and qualities does a person need to be a TV or radio presenter?

• How important is the personality of the radio or TV host?

• What are some differences between a TV or radio host and a TV or radio reporter?

Being a Public Figure (= a well-known person)

• What kinds of (categories of) people become public figures?

• What are the advantages and disadvantages of being a public figure?

• Why do you think some people want to be public figures?

• In general, what character (or, personality) traits do these people have?

News Readers and News Commentators

• Do you think it's suitable for TV or radio hosts to express their personal opinions on current issues (or, on certain news topics)?

• (Similar to above) Do you think it's suitable for TV news presenters to express their personal opinions on current issues (or, on certain news topics)?

• Are newspapers neutral in the way they report certain topics?

• Do you think we need to have news commentators?

• Do you think a TV or radio presenter can influence people's opinions?

• What are the differences between a TV news commentator and a news commentator in a newspaper?

• What qualities does a person need in order to be an effective news commentator?

Humour as a Tool

• Do you think a news commentator can ever use humour as an effective tool (to influence the audience)? FQ See Note

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275.  A Long Journey  (May, 2010)

Describe a long journey that you have been on. *

You should say:

where you went *

how you went there *

who was with you *

and explain why you made this journey. *

Notes

• Few details are available for the wording.

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Possible follow-up questions:

• Would you like to go there again?

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Part 3

See also the Part 3 questions for Topic 242