Details

Written by IELTS Mentor

Part 1- Introduction and 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.]

Good afternoon. How are you?
Good afternoon. I am doing fine. Thank you.

How old are you?
I am 19 years old. In this coming December, I will turn to 20. 

What is your full name?
  My full name is "Fang Hua" but my friends and family call me simply "Hua".

Does your name have any special meaning?
Yes, it has a special meaning. The first part of my name, which is "Fang", suggests "a pleasant smell" while the second part "Hua" refers to "prosperity". Interestingly, "Fang" also means a long, sharp tooth, according to the dictionary, which is not relevant to my first name.

Is your name important to you?
Definitely, my name is important to me and it has a special appeal to me and my family. It is a tradition for a family in my country to choose meaningful names for their children. I guess my name is something I listen many times a day. This very name represents my identity and I guess everyone's name is important to him or her.

What do you do for a living?
Currently, I am a college student and I am dependant on my family for my expenses. My father is an engineer while my mother is a homemaker. At present, I am trying to get a part-time job but I have not got a suitable job for me yet. I have applied for some part-time jobs and hopefully, I will be able to manage one soon.

Is getting this part-time job important to you?
Well, at this stage, I need to have a part-time job and in fact, I am looking for a suitable one. Frankly speaking, I want to gain some job experience and earn some money to support my expenses. Please wish me luck!

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

Topic:

Alright? 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?
 

Click here for the Answer to this Cue Card Topic:

Part 3 - Details Discussion

What happens when young people lack good role models?
A. Thank you for this great question. Numerous problems can occur when young people do not have any role model to follow. They lack a sense of morality and courtesy because there is no one to offer advice and proper guidelines. Passing time in unproductive activities becomes more prevalent among them as a result. But if they had some role models, they could follow their traits and become good citizens. Basically, the role models influence young people in becoming passionate about creative activities and learning good habits.

Do you agree that you should never meet your heroes? Why?
A. Well, I do not agree with the statement that we should avoid meeting our heroes in real life. Heroes occupy some emotional spaces in our mind and we admire them so much. Meeting with them help us know more about them. At least it allows us to talk to them for a while and take photos with them to make the moment remarkable. Additionally, our heroes often offer useful advice and become our inspiration in life which drive us to do even better in life. Therefore, I think that meeting someone's hero in real life is important unless the hero is a fictitious character like the superman, whom, of course, we can never meet or talk to.

Why our childhood heroes are different from our adulthood heroes?
A. Childhood is often the best part of our life and it is filled with magic, innocence and unbound possibilities and dreams. Children, in most of the cases, are attracted to superhero characters and live in a world full of fantasy and dream. So, when a hero, in a movie or a comic book, saves the world from an impending disaster, children think this is the most important task to do and in their subconscious minds want to become like them. There is nothing wrong with it but the innocence often fades away with the harsh reality in our adulthood and we tend to favour more real-life heroes than fictitious ones.

In the process of becoming a responsible adult, a great change takes place in our mental faculty. We start analyzing everything based on reality and thus often find ourself in a position where the fantasies are long gone and we become less interested in our childhood heroes who exist only in a dream world. We start to realise how hard our parents work to make us happy, how important our teachers are in our lives, how many significant challenges a successful entrepreneur or businessman has to take or how talented our favourite singers, actors or writers are. And as a result, we start idolising them.

How our real-life heroes are different from heroes from comics and movies?
A. Well, heroes in comic books and movies have extraordinary powers and can easily finish many daunting tasks. They jump off the mountains, defeat any villain, save the innocent people and the world, and can even fly or return from death. Anything the writer or producer can imagine is possible by those heroes.  

But real-life heroes are simply human, like the rest of us. They have limitations and they have to struggle to achieve their success.   
They are our heroes because we admire them and revere their talents and deeds. Sometimes, our old and fragile parents are our heroes because we love them and appreciate their dedication for us, and oftentimes successful writers, sportsmen, actors, politicians or entrepreneurs are our real-life heroes because of their remarkable yet humanly possible actions, achievements or good conducts.

Do you think musicians and athletes can become a good role model for young people? Why?/ Why not?
A. Yes, musicians and athletes could be good role models for young people especially because they are talented, hard-working, dedicated and successful on the one hand, and are extremely popular among the young people on the other hand. In fact, becoming a successful sportsman or an artist is a remarkably challenging task. Someone needs to practise years after years to reach the ladder of success and when they do, they can inspire youths to take the same path if they are passionate about it. Some of them just have to restrain themselves from substance abuse and scandals. Good athletes and musicians have patience, talent and many other great qualities, and the young generation is ready to listen to their advice, tips and suggestions. So, if these athletes and musicians wish, they could play a good role for young people.

How can parents become good role models for their children?
A. Most parents are already admired by their kids, and they, sooner or later, realise how hard their parents work to make them happy only to respect their parents even more. Besides, children have a natural tendency to mimic their parents and that's why it is easier for parents to become role models for them. To become role models, parents just have to be kind in their words, spend time with them and practise morality. No one is prouder than a child who can tell everyone how honest his or her parents are and how much they love him/her. I believe that honest and caring parents who teach their children morality, prepare them to take challenges in life and inspire them to become good citizens would remain role models for their children for the rest of their life.

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