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Written by IELTS Mentor

Part One - Introduction/ interview

[This part of the test begins with the examiner introducing himself or herself and checking the candidate’s identification. It then continues as an interview. In the interview, the examiner asks the candidate about his/her home, work or studies and other familiar topics.]

What is your name?
A. My name is Rachel Corry. However, you can call me "Rachel". This is what my friends and family call me.

Can I see your identification, please?
A. Yes, sure. Here is my identification.

Do you have a large or small family?
A. I live in a nuclear family. We have only four members altogether - me, my parents and my elder brother. We have been living in a city area for the last ten years and most of the families in this city are "nuclear" in nature with a few exceptions where people have extended families.

Describe your family?
A. Thank you for the chance to let me talk about my family. I live in a small family in Perth, Australia. We used to live in Melbourne but had to move to Perth almost a decade ago due to my father's job. I live with my parents and my brother in an apartment in Perth. My elder brother is 27 and he is a journalist who works for a local newspaper company. My dad works for the government while my mother is a fashion designer. We are a happy family and I am so blessed to have been a part of this family. We understand each other pretty well and share a strong bonding among us.

How much time do you spend with your family?
A. I spend a good chunk of time with my family, particularly with my mom. I share absolutely everything with her and she is the best mentor in my life. As a family, we have many fun activities together. We love to enjoy our meals together whenever possible and enjoy a movie on a weekend night. Apart from that, we talk about our life over the dinner table and suggest each other what should be the best course of actions if there is an issue. I love to spend time with my family more than I do with my friends!

What do you like to do together as a family?
A. As a family, we love to have our meals together and discuss what's happening in our life. We also like to travel to different places, go shopping, watch a movie or a television series together. We often arrange parties as a family and invite our relatives and neighbours, and also take part in numerous fun activities. I often play chess with my brother and love to talk and hang out with my mom. As a family, we understand that spending quality time with the family is very important.

Do you get along well with your family?
A. Well, we are a happy family and respect each other's opinion and lifestyle. We always have each other's back no matter what and no matter how difficult the situation is. Thus we go along with each other pretty well. Even if it is bumpy sometimes, which is a very rare case, we understand that sacrificing for the family is a great dead and we should not be angry with our parents for their decisions since they are the most treasured persons we can have in our life. Overall, my relationship with my family members is smooth and we have many good memories as a family.

Are people in your country generally close to their families?
A. Yes, most of the people are close to their families in Australia. The family bondage is really strong here. Be it a "nuclear" or an "extended" family, Australian people understand the importance of family and they prioritise family over anything else.

Part 2:  Individual long turn (Cue Card/Candidate Task Card)

All right? Remember you have one to two minutes for this, so don't worry if I stop you. I'll tell you when the time is up. Can you start speaking now, please?

Sample Answer:
My "laptop computer" is the most important technological device I own which I use almost every single day. In fact, this really cool tool is a constant companion to me, and I use it for many important tasks. It helps me create my presentations for the college and I browse the internet with the help of it. Furthermore, my laptop is a source of entertainment for me. I use this device for listening to music, watching movies, chatting with my friends and playing games. I am not sure what life would have been if I did not have it!

I bought the laptop around one and a half years ago from a brand shop in Perth in Australia. Interestingly, I was entitled to a good amount of discount while buying it! I bought it from a brand shop that ran a campaign on laptops with discounts. So, I paid less than the budget I had to purchase the laptop.

Actually, I felt the necessity to have this device of my own for a long. I needed to complete my college assignments and other necessary activities like downloading the presentation files for home assignments, preparing lessons for the class and going through the e-lecture sheets. To complete all the tasks, I needed a laptop of my own. Earlier, I used my brother’s laptop but I could not avail it whenever I needed as my brother also needed it from time to time.

My regular activities would have turned down if I did not have this laptop. In fact, I would have to rely on the nearby internet cafe or my brother's laptop to complete many important tasks if I did not own a laptop. This laptop is immensely helpful and handy and I can carry it with me without any hassle. It would have been difficult for me to manage everything and I might have to keep waiting for my brother’s arrival at home and then use his laptop for my academic activities as I did in the past.

Round-off-questions:

Do you use the Internet much during the day?
A. No, I do not use the Internet much during the day time mostly because I have classes during the day time. However, I mostly use it after the dusk or at night when I am home. On average, I use the Internet for about an hour during the daytime, if it is really required, and around 3-4 hours at night.

What do you usually do on the Internet?
A.  Well, I mostly search for various topics or information to complete my assignments and communicate with friends whenever I am connected to the Internet. Besides, I use this technology to send and receive important emails and sometimes, I use the Internet for recreational purposes like listening to online music or watching a movie or an interesting documentary.
 

Part 3 - Two-way Discussion

Topics: Advantages and disadvantage of internet technology.

What are some advantages of Internet technology?
A. Umm… The most important aspect to consider about Internet technology is that it has made communication easier and cheaper. Someone can reach the farthest corner of the world using the Internet to communicate with others who live there. It is also used for gathering information for research or academic activities, for recreational purposes and much more. In a word, the Internet is the storehouse of information. There are millions of websites available online which provide all the necessary information about any specific event, topic, product or service. Thus whenever we have a question, the Internet has the answer ready for us.

What are some disadvantages of Internet technology?
A. Well, there are some disadvantages too of using the Internet. Non-productive use of the Internet kills our valuable time.  Besides, this is not always suitable for children. They spend time online playing games or watching videos which hamper their academic activities. Moreover, over-reliance on the Internet creates a lethargic generation who like to spend time playing games rather than spending time outdoors. This has some serious health concerns as well.

Besides, the Internet is often used by some to spread fake news and propaganda which makes it really hard to filter out authentic news and information from the fake ones, thus making the technology less suitable for ordinary users and children who are prone to believe whatever they see or listen to.

How technology has changed the way we communicate?
A. Well, thank you for this important question. With the help of the Internet and the latest technology, people nowadays can communicate with their friends and family whenever they want from wherever they are. Communication has become easier and cheaper than ever before. Within a second, the connection is established among people living in the farthest corner of the world with the help of modern gadgets and the internet.

In the past, people used to communicate using various methods including letters, horse-mail, pigeons and so on. But now we have smartphones, telex, and the Internet to do faster and effective communication both in personal and professional life. This helps them keep in touch more frequently and let them inform friends and family know what they are up to and even accelerate the way they run a business and reach to the potential clients. Life is not the same as it used to be in the past with the help of technology, especially in the way we communicate in this modern era.

Topics: Owning technological devices

Should we own every technological item we can afford or there should be a check? Why?
A. Ummmm…. I do not think that we should own every technological item we can afford to purchase. First of all, wasting money is an important issue here. Usually, the prices of latest technological items are out of reach for ordinary people. If they want to have everything invented in terms of technology, this is impossible for them. Besides, if there are rental services of those items available, I do not think this is wise to get them all. Furthermore, we should consider the huge environmental impacts these devices can have if we start owning as many of them as we can.

Based on the facts above, there should be a check on owning and using technological items. The amount of waste we create every day is a great concern already and if we start purchasing more gadgets than necessary, soon waste management would go out of our control.

Why do some people want to own the latest technology, for example, the latest phone or TV even though they do not need them?
A. I believe some people are simply rich enough to spend the money on the latest gadgets whenever a new model is available. Some are even fascinated to have the latest gizmos and tools even though they have financial hardships. This is more related to our consumerism habit than our need.

Finally, the brands are bombarding us with their alluring advertisements by highlighting the latest features and slick design concepts. Thus they try to ignite a desire for their products among us. As a result, we are feeling the need to own the latest version and model to satisfy our desire and to show the rest of the world that we are somewhat special and important!

Should we let our children own the latest devices whenever they want? Why/Why not?
A. As parents, we love our children more than anything in this world and thus we want to do everything humanly possible to make them happy. This includes buying all the latest devices they want. But I believe that we should be very thoughtful in this.

First, we should encourage our children to have a healthy lifestyle and for that, we need to inspire them to go outside, have a social life and be physically active. Buying them all the latest technological devices means quite the contrary. Moreover, if we buy everything they desire or want, we will end up spoiling them with overindulgence. We should rather stick to their "necessity" than their "desire" and "wish".   

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