Details

Written by IELTS Mentor

IELTS Speaking Exam Mock Test # 57

Part 1 - Introduction & Interview

Let’s talk about what you do.

Q. Do you work, or are you a student?
 Answer 1: I am an undergraduate student at the University of Danbury. My major is 'Accounting' and I have recently finished my seventh semester.

Answer 2:  I work as a Jr. Financial Analyst at one of the medium-size accounting firms in my country. I have been working there for almost four years, and I am enjoying it for the most part.

Either

Q. How much time do you spend studying each day? [Why/Why not?]
Answer: I spend almost 5-6 hours a day at my university except on weekends. Apart from that, I study for 3-4 hours a day at home and this study hour significantly increases when I have an approaching exam. I need to complete a large number of assignments each month and I have at least 2-3 class tests each week. This is why I have to remain busy with my studies both at the university and at home.

Q. Do you sometimes work in a group with other students? [Why/Why not?]
Answer: Yes, I often work with a group of other students to complete some assignments and to understand and discuss complex subjects and topics. Group discussion is very helpful to me and I can remember such discussions for a long which help me do better both in my class tests and exams.

Or

Q. What is the length of your normal working day?
Answer: I work in my office for nine hours that includes one hour of “lunch” time and “break” time. The work hour starts at 8 am and finishes at 5 pm. The regular working week is from Monday to Friday with Saturday and Saturday as the weekend.

Q. Do you sometimes work in a team? [Why/Why not?]
Answer: Yes, I do have to work in a team sometimes when I am working on a big project in order to help a “start-up” to set up their business. Besides, I also have to work in a meeting when I have to prepare a complex financial report within a certain deadline.

Now let’s talk about computer games.

Q. Do you prefer playing computer games alone or with a friend? [Why/Why not?]
Answer: Well, to be honest, it all depends on what kinds of computer games I am playing. But, I usually prefer to play with a friend because it feels more “real” and “competitive” and a human competitor is always better than a computer. Besides, when I play with a friend, it gives me an opportunity to share my “fun” and the laughs with him in order to make the “games” even more interesting.

Q. At what age did you first play computer games? [Why/Why not?]
Answer: If I remember correctly, I think that I started playing computer games at the age of 10 because that’s when I was introduced to it by one of my cousins. Besides, before that age, I wasn’t even allowed, by my parents, to work on computers, let alone playing any computer games, as they thought it would hurt my studies. I still remember a few games I played back then and "Super Mario", "Virtua Cop" and "Need for Speed" were my favourites.

Q. Do you ever buy computer games for other people? [Why/Why not?]
Answer: I hardly buy any computer games for other people mainly because it is never really easy to know or understand what kinds of games they would like to play, nor would I know what kinds of computer configuration they have. However, I took my nephew to a DVD selling store a couple of times and he chose his favourite games while I paid for them.

Q. In general, are computer games more popular with men or with women? [Why?]
Answer: From my experience, I would say, computer games are popular with men than women primarily because men are usually more “wired” to take challenges and become “conquerors” and “fighters” than women. Besides, men are probably more exposed to the computer system than women, so it is only natural that men will “play” with it more in whichever manner they like. In my country, boys can easily visit a game zone and play their favourite games while this is not easy for girls. Besides, girls are not as attracted as boys are to violence and fighting in video games.

Part 2 - Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card

[The topic for your talk will be written on a card which the examiner will hand you. Read it carefully and then make some brief notes.]

Describe the room in your house/apartment which you like most.

You should say:

• where the room is
• what it is used for
• what it looks like

and explain why you like this room the most.

[You will have to talk about the topic for one to two minutes. You have one minute to think about what you are going to say. You can make some notes to help you if you wish.]

Model Answer:
I live in an old but big house, perhaps a bit too big for my liking, where everybody likes to go to everybody’s room except, of course, my room. And, there is a reason for that, and the reason is that it is isolated in one corner of the house.

The room is neither too big nor too small with its two large windows. It also has an attached bathroom. Its wall interior is painted with nice blue winter colour while the balcony, facing the south, is painted in plain white. With a large bed, medium-size computer desk along with its chair, a big sofa couch, a large closet/wardrobe and a couple of chairs, scattered all over in no particular pattern, my room looks a bit too crowded. I use this room mostly to hang out with my friends while watching movies and playing video games with them. I also use this room in order to prepare myself for important examinations when I am in a serious mood to study. Finally, of course, I also use this room to keep “hundreds” of other items, most of which I never need but liked at certain “points of my life” because they looked just too “cool”. Things like arrows, bows, uniquely-made flute and miniature old table fans would be just some of those “hundred” souvenir-type items if one must know.
 
I like this room the most because it offers me a “perfect getaway” for me when I am not exactly in a mood to deal with the “hullabaloo” of life. I also like this room the most because it allows me to enjoy some quality times with my friends while enjoying some movies, playing video games, and talking about things/issues that would take our minds away from the “stress” of our daily lives. Finally, this room allows me to become closer to Mother Nature during summertime, especially, in the morning when I get to hear the “chirping” of birds, from the trees right next to my windows, while also enjoying some morning fresh air from the comfort of my bed.

Follow-up Questions:

Q. What types of thing do people usually put on the walls of their rooms?
Answer: People usually put a number of things on the walls of their rooms. However, the first thing, which comes to mind, is frames of pictures/images. Some people also put posters of movie stars or some famous cultural icons and degrees/certifications on their walls. Then, there is another group of people who hangs different kinds of fine handicrafts also on their walls.

Q. Is it more important for a room to look nice, or to be comfortable? Why?
Answer: In my opinion, it is more important for a room to be comfortable than looking nice mainly because people generally spend time in a room to feel comfortable and relaxed than for the purpose of “enjoying the nice look” of a room. A comfortable room helps a person to have a good night sleep, which is very important to remain productive and pleasant for the rest of the day, whether he is at work or with his family.

Part 3 - Two-way Discussion:

Let’s go on to talk about interior design.

 Q.  How can different room colours affect the way people feel?
Answer: How different room colours, which affect the way people feel, can vary from person to person. However, there are some colour effects with some universal meanings. For example, the warm colours in a room, which include red, orange and yellow, may invoke emotions in a person ranging from a feeling of warmth and comfort to feeling of anger or hostility. On the other hand, “cool” colours like, blue, purple and green, in a room can help a person feel more relaxed and calm. However, researchers have also found that these colours effects are only temporary.

Q. What is modern furniture like compared to older styles of furniture?
Answer: Modern pieces of furniture usually tend to use lighter woods, brighter fabrics and newer materials, like plastic, metals and engineered wood products from wood chips and sawmill shavings. Modern furniture, usually light in weight and less ornate, doesn’t take too much space while providing additional storage facility.

On the other hands, older styles of furniture are traditionally made of solid and heavy wood. These kinds of furniture usually look more elegant, ornate and luxurious, and they usually have elaborate carving on them. Besides, traditional furniture is usually all handmade.

Q. Do you think women are more interested than men in the way rooms are decorated? Why/Why not?
Answer: Women are more interested in decorating their rooms than men primarily because women are usually considered to be “homemaker”. Besides, women usually spend more of their times at home, depending on the culture of course, and as a result, it is only natural for them to care more about how their rooms would look. Finally, women in all society, in general, are expected to look “nice and presentable” all the time, and this is reflected also in their “sense of room decoration”.

Let’s discuss indoor and outdoor living spaces next.

Q. Which room do families usually spend the most time in? Why?
Answer: I would say that families usually spend most of their times either in a living room/sitting room/TV room (depending on what one would like to call it) or dining room. Families spend their times in a living room mainly because it is usually made big to hold more people, and it also has the “TV” for everybody to share and enjoy.  Talking about the dining room, this is the place where everybody comes together to eat their daily meals which, unlike any other places at home, naturally offers them a perfect opportunity to spend some quality time together before each going on their separate rooms or ways.

Q. How might the climate of an area affect the importance of indoor and outdoor living spaces? Why?
Answer: In an area, where the climate is “normal”, and where a home or house receives enough air or sunshine, people never usually have an issue in enjoying their time with their families and friends indoor. In other words, people, in this kind of normal weather, wouldn’t really feel the need to go outside to feel “fresh” if they have a nice and cosy indoor living space. On the other hand, where the climate is not “normal”, and the house doesn’t receive enough sunshine or air, the importance of outdoor living spaces is highly valued because people would usually love to spend their time outdoors in order to feel fresh and become close to the Mother Nature. Besides, outdoor living space can also be used as an extension of indoor living space when the indoor living space is not spacious or cosy enough. 

Q. What do you think living spaces will be like in the future? Why?
Answer: I think that our living spaces would have more “nature” in them with things like live “plants” and ‘water fountains’ in them because people would want to enjoy nature from the comfort of their homes in the future. Besides, it is also possible that our future living spaces wouldn’t have any “TV” or “DVD” player, when not in use, because they will probably be “hidden” in the background in order to make the living room more “minimalistic”. We wouldn’t be surprised either if advanced “sensor technologies” are used in order to unfold our “sofa couch” automatically when someone enters the living spaces and “folds” back again when he/she leaves the room. In other words, lesser will be better in the future. I also feel that people will mostly look for apartments that are fully-furnished.

• IELTS Speaking

• Prev
• Next