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Written by IELTS Mentor

IELTS Speaking Test # 42

Part 1 - Introduction & Interview

[In this part of the test, the examiner asks the candidate about him/herself, his/her home, work or studies and other familiar topics.]

Q. Do you like travelling?
A. Yes, I do like travelling a lot. I usually travel inside my country two to three times a year and love to explore different places worth visiting. Besides, I travel to a foreign country once a year, and so far I have been to India, Nepal, Turkey, Finland, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, China and Thailand on different occasions.

Q. How do you usually travel?
A. For my daily commuting, I usually travel on public transportation. And sometimes I use our family car when I travel to a distant place. I like to travel with friends and when I am out of my city, I pack and plan like a professional explorer. I take my dresses, camera, map, Kindle e-book reader and mobile phone with me.

Q. Where have you travelled to lately?
A. I have travelled to different parts of Australia recently and I enjoyed the trips. To be more specific, my last visit was to the Great Barrier Reef which is the world's largest coral reef. I went to Australia last summer and stayed there for a week.

Q. What kind of places do you like to visit?
A. Umm… I mostly like to visit countrysides because they are breathtakingly beautiful and serene. I also prefer to travel to places which have large lakes, sandy seabeaches, mountains and vast open fields. Significant historic places and museums are also on my favourite list.

Q. Where do you plan to travel to in the future?
A. Well, I would like to visit every single country in the world in the future if I have enough time and money. But in the near future, I would love to visit Italy, which is a unique country with great food and fabulous places to visit.

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 an old person you admire.

You should say:

• who this person is
• how you met him/her
• what characteristics you most like in him/her

and explain why you admire this person so much.

[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:
Ms Samantha Barbara is a remarkable senior lady and she lives in just the opposite apartment of mine. She is in her late 60s but looks much younger and takes part in different outdoor activities including numerous charity works. The most admiring feature of this lady is that she loves to socialize with people and tries to support others as much as possible. So, she is much admired by me and almost everybody in the community. This is a great cue card task for me and I love the topic. Here are the remaining answers.

I first met her at the reception area of my apartment complex almost three years ago. I was a new tenant at that time and was using the stairs to reach my apartment on the fifth floor as the lift was out of service. I had some groceries with me and I noticed Ms Barbara was also using the staircase and she had two bags with her. I thought to offer her some help but to my surprise, she offered me help instead by asking if I would like to share my bags with her! That was utterly surprising for me and I was kind of ashamed for being young and not always offering help to others. We got to know each other while we slowly ascended the stairs and I talked to her the whole time. She even invited me to her apartment to have a cup of tea sometimes.

She is a very smart lady and possesses some of the most beloved features of a human being. She is very kind in her words and acts with others and always provide cordial support even in the middle of the night. Besides, she is an outgoing type of person and loves to spend time with children. Honesty is another virtue that she possesses and she is a natural leader. I have witnessed several times that she took the lead in some adverse situations when others were hesitant.

I admire this person for so many reasons. First of all, she reminds me of my late grandmother who was a kind-hearted person. Secondly, I will always remember the very first day we met and how she offered me help. She is always helpful to others and a good leader. She has started many commendable initiatives in our community and not to mention, how much kind she is to me. For all these reasons I admire her so much.

Part 3 - Details Discussion:

Q.  What average age is normal for retirement in your opinion?
A. Well, I think when people are 65 years old, they should retire from their jobs. However, there should be some exceptions for professionals like politicians, teachers, researchers who still have great things to offer and achieve even in their old age.

Q.  What are the good things about being retired?
A. When people retire, they can have a great amount of free time to do what they are passionate about and enjoy their life. There are no worries to rise in the early morning and prepare for the office, take workloads, meet deadlines and commute daily. They can lead a life filled with happiness surrounded by family members and friends. Retired individuals can also take part in hobbies or activities that they have ignored during their professional life. Moreover, responsibilities in the office are a major source of stress for many people, and retirement may offer relief.

Q.  How does the government in your country treat the retired people?
A. Well, some special benefits are offered to the retired people in Australia by the government. They are considered "assets of the country" and thus they are treated with great respects. They enjoy retirement funds, special healthcare facility, tax rebates, and many other state-provided benefits. In Australia, the government is respectful towards the retired people and never consider them burdens to our society.

Q.  Can young specialists substitute the old ones who are in the process of retirement in the workplace?
A. Umm… there is no straightforward answer to this question and this issue is highly debatable across the world. Some people believe that young specialists are better substitutes for the "old yet experienced" employees while others do not comply with the statement. I personally think that the young specialists could be great replacements for the "experts old workers", but only after a certain stage in their respective workplace. They may continue the tasks but they need time to grow and perform like the experts who will retire soon. To give an example, a young software programmer can be a good replacement for a senior programmer if the young one is given proper chances and training but this might not be the case in a profession like "teaching" or "politics", where experience is more important.

Q.  Do you think is it necessary to give the self-retirement option to people? Why/ Why not?
A. Of course, it is necessary to give self-decided retirement option to employees. Everything in this world is subject to decay. Similarly, the enthusiasm and excellence that people invest in their job will also fade out with time. At that time, they will be unable to complete the tasks that they did skillfully in the earlier days. And there are chances of "productivity declining" if they continue working against their will.

Besides, giving this freedom would allow a great number of people to properly plan for their retirement and get engaged in social and philanthropic activities. Finally, this option, in a way, would allow more young people to have jobs as more jobs would become vacant when elder employees are given an option for self-retirement.

Q.  What, in your opinion, are the pros and cons of being retired from a job?
A. There are several benefits and disadvantages of being retired from a job. Among the benefits, endless free time, stress-free life, time for pursuing hobbies, time for family and finally the retirement funds are most important. When someone retires, s/he does not need to follow a strict daily routine that they followed in their service life. They can spend quality time with their family and get involved in social and philanthropic activities.

On the contrary, if someone does not have a proper post-retirement plan, he/she might fall in distress. Being retired means no monthly salary and a changing lifestyle which many retired people find hard to adjust with.

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