IELTS Speaking Samples and Answers
IELTS Speaking Sample 39
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IELTS Speaking Mock Test # 39
Part 1: Introduction & Interview
Q. Do you have a hobby?
A. Yes, I do have a hobby. I love "gardening" and this is the hobby I feel very passionate about.
Q. Why have you chosen this hobby?
A. Well, I love to be in touch with nature and feel inspired when I see that a plant I have planted grows and produce flowers or fruits. I was inspired to take up this pastime activity from my grandfather who had been a devoted gardener. Over time, I have realised that gardening is a relaxing activity and gives me immense joy.
Q. What are good hobbies, and what are bad hobbies?
A. I guess hobbies which are beneficial, either physically or psychologically, or both, for the person who has it and for others are usually good ones. Good hobbies help people relax, enjoy their time, have positive outcomes in the long run and have no negative impacts on the surrounding environment. Besides, it enhances the skills of the person who has it.
On the contrary, hobbies which waste valuable time (such as playing video games for long hours) or harm the environment or people in any way (like killing butterflies and collecting their wings) are bad in my opinion.
Q. Did you have any hobbies as a child?
A. Yes, I had a few hobbies in my childhood which I no longer continue. I used to collect "postal stamps" in my childhood and read many comic books. I still have those stamps and comic books but when I took up gardening as a hobby at a later stage of my life, I started feeling more passionate about it and devoted more time in gardening.
Part 2: Cue Card/Candidate Task Card
Topic:
Describe your favourite shopping mall or shopping centre.
You should say:
- where it is
- why you like it
- how often you go there
and describe the facilities this shopping centre offers.
[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.]
Sample Answer:
"Red Sea Mall", located in Jeddah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is my favourite shopping mall. It is one of the largest shopping centres at Jeddah and located at the northern suburbs on Malik Road. It has an area of 242,200 square meters and it attracts a large number of customers every day.
I like this shopping mall primarily because it is located near my residence and offers an array of products, facilities and convenient shopping experience. I can purchase everything I need from this mall and the overall security in this mall is commendable. Moreover, the interior decoration of this shopping mall is gorgeous and gives me a pleasant and soothing feeling every time I visit there. I can meet my friends and order our favourite dishes and I must mention that they offer a great dining experience at a reasonable price. The entire mall is glass covered and its not packed with people. This shopping mall has become a symbol of entertainment and convenient shopping at Jeddah City. It is a non-stop fun and joy station to all the family members.
I frequently visit this shopping mall as it is not far away from my house. I have made it a commonplace for me and my buddies to meet and spend some quality time together. Almost every weekend I visit this shopping centre.
Apart from a large number of shops, it has excellent food service and cafes, entertainment facilities for kids and adults, several ATM booths, a five-star hotel, seven-story office building, and both external and undercover parking areas all of which are linked to the 18 entrances of the mall thus facilitating easy access to the mall. It also comes with a remarkable number of brand shops and specialized designers. The products are of the finest quality and of course, they are stunning. Moreover, "Red Sea Mall" is a blend of international and local brands, has various options of restaurants, cafes, and diners, and provide entertainment to the adults and children.
Part 3: Details Discussion
Q. How people's shopping habit in your country has changed over time?
A. I believe people's shopping habit in my country has changed to a great extent over time. In the past, people used to go shopping marking different festivals and occasions only. But nowadays, they shop throughout the year. Furthermore, a shopping mall is not merely a place to buy products these days. It also offers entertainment, sports and fine dining facilities. Moreover, online shopping has revolutionised the way people compare products and order them while staying at home. With the widespread use of credit cards "shopping" has become almost a weekly activity for many people, unlike the past.
Q. What type of shopping centres are popular these days?
A. Multi-storied shopping centres that offer all the local and international brands and designers clothing with entertainment, dining and parking facilities are more popular among rich people these days. Nowadays, shoppers want everything at a single place and modern shopping centres have brought all the necessary products and services under the same roof. The definition of "shopping" in the modern era has changed to a great extent to wealthy shoppers. They want a delightful shopping experience in a posh environment, enjoy a movie, let their children play at a play zone and eat their favourite food while meeting their friends and relatives in such a modern shopping mall. For people who can't or don't want to spend a huge sum of money, small local shopping centres are still their preferred place.
Q. Why some people purchase things that they do not need at all? Is this a bad trend?
A. Some people are simply shopaholic and want every new pair of shoes, dresses or fashion items they like, and own every latest gadget they know about. They feel immense pleasure in purchasing new things even though they do not need them. I consider them very "materialistic" people who think new dresses and devices are their status symbols.
Definitely, this is a very negative trend and a waste of money and time. Majority of such purchases take place either to fill up the unsatisfied mind or to show off. I think such people lack money management skills and have a spending habit that will surely bring financial hardship for them sooner or later.
Q. Some people say that women spend more time shopping than that of men? What do you think about it?
A. I think this is true to some extent, at least this is what I have observed among people I know. Women generally spend more time shopping than men because women want to get the very best of everything they purchase, get a good bargain, and because they are usually choosy. To illustrate an example, whenever I go shopping with my father, he asks me if I like a dress and if I say 'yes', he would purchase it for me. If it is my mom, she would consider if the colour of the dress would suit me, how good the quality of the fabrics is and many such aspects. She also likes to visit different shops to compare the price before making the final purchase. As a result, she ends up spending more time shopping than my dad.
Unless someone spends an unnecessary amount of time and money on shopping, I think this is not a bad habit. As women have a great "colour" and "matching" sense, which men often ignore for themselves, women want to match a new dress with her shoes, purse and so on. Men on the contrary, often visit a shop, like a dress and then purchase it without thinking if this will match with their shoes or not. This simple perspective makes the difference between the time men and women spend for shopping.
Q. Some large shopping malls are replacing traditional markets? Is this a good trend?
A. No, I do not think that it is a good trend, especially because if we do not have any traditional market, large super malls will exercise monopoly in their business and we will lose some traditional aspects of our shopping activities in general. Moreover, traditional markets still server many middle-class and lower-middle-class consumers who would find it hard to purchase the products they need on a daily basis. Finally, a great number of small businessmen who run shops in a traditional market would find them unemployed.
Alternative Answer: Yes, this is a good trend because this will enrich the overall shopping experience of consumers and let small businessmen run even better and bigger businesses. The shopkeepers who sell products or offer services on the streets will be relocated in the large malls and low-quality products will no longer be available.
Q. What type of shopping establishment do young people in your country prefer - large markets or small traditional market?
A. The young generation in my country mostly loves to shop at large shopping malls. These shopping malls come with modern features and facilities and young people often enjoy the entertainment facilities these richly decorated shopping malls offer. They often meet their friends there, enjoy sports zones and movie theatre which enrich their overall shopping experience. They often avoid traditional markets as they do not want to get involved in price bargaining and walk on a market that does not have a great environment.
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