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Written by IELTS Mentor

IELTS Speaking Mock Test# 15

Part 1 - Introduction & Interview.

What is your hometown like?
A. My hometown is Tehran, which is a sprawling city, located near the mountain of Alborz and has over 10 million population. Numerous tourist attractions, recreational centres, vast highways in this city make it one of the most beautiful cities in the Middle East. Tehran is also home to many historical collections, including the royal complexes of Golestan, Sa'dabad, and Niavaran. In the map, my hometown looks like the 'L' of the English alphabet. To me, this is the shape of my heart and my root.

Can you describe it for me?
A. Tehran is the capital of Iran and is the most populous city in Iran and Western Asia. It has the second-largest metropolitan area in the Middle East. I have lived, studied and worked there, before moving to Canada. In this city, citizens are friendly and are engaged in different businesses and industries. This city has a unique tradition and it is quite distinctive.

Can you tell me something about the history of your hometown?
A. Tehran was first chosen as the capital of Iran by Agha Mohammad Khan in 1796. Throughout history, the capital of Iran had been changed many times by different governments. In the pre-Islamic era, a part of Tehran was occupied by Rey and sadly Mongols destroyed it in the early 13th century. It is the 32nd national capital of Iran. Large scale demolition and rebuilding in this city began in the 1920s, and Tehran has been a destination for mass migrations from all over Iran since the 20th century.

Is your hometown changing? [Why? /Why not?]
A. Yes, this city is changing and at a very fast pace. Over the past few years, there has been a welcoming change in the public transportation sector. Apart from this, medical facilities in the form of hospitals catering with latest devices have also improved. More and more people are coming to live in the capital city for better employment, education and treatment. As a result, the population here is also increasing. However, in my opinion, women’s rights and public freedom, as well as improvements in the economy are the most significant positive changes in Tehran while "overwhelming pollution growth" is the most alarming negative change that this city has witnessed in the last decade.

Would you say it is a good place to live? Why?
A. Yes, it definitely is a good place to live in. Various opportunities for employment and education, better transportation facility and natural beauty of Tehran make it a nice place to live in. Moreover, the distinctive architectures, historical places and collections and friendly neighbourhoods make it a great place for the residents.

Part Two - Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card.

Topic:

Describe an equipment of your household (such as a computer, television, refrigerator, mobile phone and so on).

You should say:

• what is it
• what you do with it 
• whether you will always keep it or not

and explain why it is so important to you.

[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.]

Click here for the answer to this Cue Card Topic

Rounding-off Questions:

Do you have a computer at home?
A. Yes, I do have a personal desktop computer at home. I also have a laptop and I use it almost every day.

How often do you access the internet?
A. I would say I access the internet pretty much every day - both from my home and from my college. I connect to the internet to read newspapers, articles and update my blog. I also use it to find helpful study materials, browse some random websites, chat with my friends, send and receive emails and access social networking websites. In college, I use it either to learn something new or to complete a task assigned by a teacher.

Part 3 - Details Discussion.

Could you explain the changes between now and the past 20 years in technology which are used in our daily life?
A. Yes, sure. Nowadays smartphones, washing machines, vacuum cleaners, smart TVs, refrigerators, air conditioners, microwave ovens etc. are pretty common in our houses but 20 years ago those were rare in my country. Only a few companies in the past needed to use the computer and the internet, but their use has become very common in workplaces nowadays.

One of the most remarkable advancements in industries is the usage of robots for production and quality control of the devices and machines that we use in our daily life including cars and TVs. Finally, the internet is now widely used, however, in the past, they were like fairy tales, and only a few people knew about it. I would say the technology that we use in our daily life in our country has been revolutionised and transformed to a great extent during the last two decades.

How about the use of modern devices and tools by the families in your country?
A. Well, most of the upper-middle class and upper-class citizens in Iran have computers, internet, refrigerators, washing machines and so on at their home. Poor people can’t always afford to buy expensive devices like laptop, air conditioners etc. but the usages of those household devices are spreading faster than ever before.

In developed countries, people have access to more modern technology and that has developed faster there. However, globalisation has created our world a better place for all humans, including Iranians, and the computer has become a part of our daily life.

What development do you believe the technology will bring in the future?
A. I believe progress in modernisation will happen faster than expected in many sectors and thanks to the technological advancement for that. For instance, in transportation, flight cars might become a popular method of transport, and many families will use a car which will fly and thus traffic will be effectively addressed in many cities. Recently, I have read an article about these flying cars and I think they will become a reality soon. Moreover, computers and the internet would become the most common tools for communication, and in future, computers will be used for crime detection, traffic control and even for evaluating students performance at school. I would even dare to suggest that, technology will help us find an alternative planet to colonise in the distant future. 

Do you think these developments are important? How is so?
A. Yes, I do believe that these developments are quite important for us. I think many new technological devices that we now see in science fiction movies would become common household devices. I even dare to suggest that humans will have a more convenient lifestyle and a greater lifespan due to this unprecedented progress. The technological development is the root of human progress and while our ancestors lived in caves, we are now landing on other planets and this paradigm shift has been possible due to the technological advancements and innovations. No doubt, it will help people to have a more comfortable living condition, but they might also pollute our environment more. So, we have to embrace technology for a better lifestyle and a livable world but we should try to minimise the negative impacts of it in every way possible. 

How the use of technology can affect the relationship of family members?
A. Well, I would say that that technology reduces the manual labour we need at home and thus help us spend more quality time with our family members. We can have large TVs, gaming devices and similar technological items and share the joy with our family. While we drive our car, we can have private conversations and that makes our relations even stronger. Finally, with technology like the internet and smartphone, we can talk to our family and see them at the same time whenever we want.

On the negative side, technology often makes us highly dependant on them and when we are addicted to using our smartphones or watching TVs, we forget to talk to our family members let alone have meaningful interactions.

Should we use all the technology and tools available in the market to make our life better? Why /Why not?
A. I do not believe that we need all the technology and electronic tools available in the market to make our life better. Technology and modern appliances, without a doubt, make things easier for us. But if we want to buy every single one of them, we will have to spend a great deal of money which would make us financially broken. Besides, we will constantly run after owing and using machines and technology, and thus miss many other important aspects of life. I believe that some technology and devices are necessary but too many of them and too much dependency on them would make our life more chaotic and complex.

• IELTS Speaking

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