NO. TOPIC SAMPLE

Describe a person1 A person you know who dress well/ a person who is

fashionableDescribe a person you know who dresses well/a person who is fashionable.You should say:who this person iswhat kinds of clothes this person likes to wearhow you know this personand explain why you think this person dresses well.Let me tell you about one of my friends who is a photographic model, and she is really fond of wearing trendy outfits due to her job. I met her when I took part in a portraits photography activity several years ago and we got to know each other ever since then.She is very tall and blender, so she is very attractive. Particularly she fancies the Chinese traditional Chi-pao which essentially is a one-piece dress. She has several different colour Chi-paos and always wears one of them to go out for different social activities or photographic model.She looks very graceful and stunning when she wears Chi-pao. I guess it looks unique because of the fabric, I mean, the silk and the embroidery. Also, the bell-like sleeves and the slits on the sides all make it so different from regular dresses. It accentuates her figure because it’s pretty tight-fitting. Actually I guess that’s exactly why she looks so fashionable and is so eye-catching in the street.

2 A person who likes to travel by plane

3 A person who can do well in work/ a good leader Describe a friend who you think is a good leader.You should say:who this friend ishow you first methow other people behave towards him or herand explain why you think he or she is a good leader.Let me tell you about one of my close friends who worked with me in the same company several

years ago. Actually it was he who had an interview with me when I applied for a position in that company after I graduated from university, we had a nice talk and he was obviously satisfied with my related experience.He was really an optimistic and infectious man with his work, therefore when he started to be responsible for the new business, some colleagues were very interesting in his plan and tasks, and were always likely to offer their help. Besides, his superior was quite confident of his success, and gave some necessary financial and human supports.I had been working with him for over two years. I believe he was really good at encouraging his staff into doing something that seemed to be tough to realise and inspiring them to greatness. As our business was quite new in the market, he made us feeling like pioneers in this field, which definitely inspired my enthusiasm tremendously. It was really a cool thing, because to be honest, I learned the most things in my work during that time.

4 A person whose job is important to the society Describe a person whose job is important to the society.You should say:who this person iswhat job he or she hashow you know this personand explain why his/her job is important to the society.Let me tell you about my friend whose job, in my opinion, is critically important and indispensable in every part of the society. He is an IT engineer. He has been working in this industry for over ten years to accumulate the necessary working ability and experience. We got to know each other because we are neighbours, so we can meet frequently.I think his job is really important because nowadays, the whole country, including the various business and non-profit organisations, are running on the IT systems. So he should shoulder the responsibility to develop and maintain the system operating smoothly and can, of course, work under great pressure.Moreover, as far as I know, IT engineers need to design, develop the core systems of many other industries such as banking, insurance, telecommunication, manufacturing and so on, which heavily rely on their information systems to operate their own business. Therefore, I guess their systems are the driving force behind their business and so are essentially important to them.

5 A person who can use/ speak second language Describe a person who can use/speak a second language.You should say:who this person iswhat language this person can usehow often this person uses this languageand explain why this person can master this language.

One of my good friends can speak French fluently, he acquired that language when he learned it in the university by himself. Thanks to his industriousness and versatility, he now works in a French company in Beijing.He now uses French on a daily basis in that company and gets far more opportunities than other average Chinese staffs. I believe that knowledge of the foreign language may increase his chances of finding a new job, getting a promotion in the company or even going on foreign business trips. I really envy him sometimes.Luckily, when he was in university, he got a French friend and started to be interested in French soon. So he put lots of efforts in the new language in his spare time and learned the new language very fast in order to talk with his friend. Besides, he also read some classical French novels such as The Red and The Black, to improve his reading and writing skills, which made him more familiar with French culture.

6 A person in the news that you would like to meet Describe a person in the news that you would like to meet.You should say:who he or she iswhat this person shows up on TVhow you know this personand explain why you want to meet them.I would say that I’d like to meet the incredibly famous Chinese pop singer, Jay Chou, whom is often seen in the entertainment channel on TV. He grew up in a single-parent family. When he was a little boy Jay didn’t get good grades at school. His mother was really concerned about him, but he just looked on the bright side. When he felt down or lonely, he always looked for nice music to cheer him up.I firstly knew him in 2000 when he released his first album “Jay”, in which his soft voice was so unique and this album turned out to be an instant hit. I was really impressed by his voice, talent and versatility in music.His music is always original, and sometimes blends with different genres, like R&B, hip-hop, and folk music. That’s why I simply adore him and just want to meet him in person. Recently it seemed like he was really into giving his songs some traditional Chinese appeal, like he did in “The Porcelain”.

7 A person you don’t like but have to be friendly to Describe a time you were friendly to someone you didn’t like.You should say:when and where it happenedwho he or she waswhy you didn’t like this personand explain why you were friendly to him or her on that occasion.

Let me tell you about the challenging person I had to deal with when I was doing a project for one of my clients last year in my client’s office. He was the manager of that company. After we co-worked for a couple of days, I found that he had a caustic style and often spoke in a pejorative way. Even worse, the manager was standoffish and quick to criticise. He even withheld critical information from our project team.However, thought I was really frustrated by him and didn’t personally like him, I tried hard to face it. I had to get along well with this guy because how I managed those relationships could be vital to my careers and I needed his participation to be successful in this project. Therefore, in the following days, I sometimes took him out to dinner and asked him to talk about some of the projects he had heard about, and surprisingly, he was willing to share with me his teamwork. In the end, the late evenings were always filled with collaboration, shared success and accomplishment.He was much more cooperative when some of colleagues in our team asked for his viewpoint and acknowledged his expertise. And I had a much easier time working with him.

Describe a place8 A small and successful company Describe a small and successful company you know.

You should say:what is the company calledhow did you know this companywhat kind of business this company doesand explain why you think this company is successful.Let me talk about a fitness club. It’s called Nirvana Fitness. It’s just next to my place. Last month, I felt really out of shape. So I went to this fitness club.The club offered a variety of membership types with different rates to meet different needs. They also had a three-day guest pass for first timers. It turned out that this club was pretty cool. It had lots of good machines like the treadmills, exercise bikes and steppers. All the equipment was brand-new. This club also offered Pilates and yoga classes so the members could tone up without building up too many muscles.Their trainers were also very helpful. When I first started working out there, my body hurt all over. But then I got used to the exercise and now I’m feeling pretty good. And sometimes I asked the trainers for some advice, they were real experts and showed me a lot of new exercises. And on top of that they also advised me on my diet and my fitness plan.My one-year membership cost me 1,500 yuan, kind of pricey, right? But I’m sure I’ll get my money worth.

9 A house or apartment you want to live in Describe a beautiful place where you want to have a home/Describe a home(e.g., flat or house) that you would like to live in.You should say:

where this place ishow you know about this placewhat type of home it would bewho you would like to live withand explain why you would choose to live there.Well, the beautiful place that I want to live in is the city of Shanghai, which is located in the Yangtze River Delta in East China.I have been to Shanghai for many times during these years, both for business trips and travelling. There are many large-scale domestic and foreign corporations so it is easy to seek the business opportunities there. Besides it is also renowned for attractions like the bustling City God Temple, and peaceful Century Park, the gorgeous Yu Garden, and the breath-taking Pudong skyline.I’m really into living in a pretty spacious flat in a high-rise in rural areas of Shanghai with my whole family because the air quality would be relatively good, and it would be easier to avoid the traffic congestion. Further more, thanks to the good transport facilities in Shanghai, it will be easy for us to get access to the shopping malls, schools, medical clinics and entertainment. On top of that, what fascinates me most in Shanghai is the rich collection of buildings and structures of various architectural styles. The Bund, for example, contains a wealth of well-preserved early 20th-century architecture. And also a large number of eccentric buildings sprung up recently throughout Shanghai, such as the Shanghai Museum.

10 A place that can be good to relax (not your home) Describe a place that can be good to relax(not home).You should say:where this place iswhat it is likehow you spend time thereand explain why you think it is a good place for relaxation.Well, your questions have reminded me of the Classical Chinese Garden which is just a 10-minute walk away from where I live. It’s always a perfect place to visit. The covered walkways provide shelter so the beautiful views can be appreciated in any weather.The place is very peaceful, almost like a window on another world. Like other traditional Chinese park, there are a whole bunch of meadows, waterfalls, lakes, rockery there. The scenery seems to change every few feet. Therefore, many elementary school teachers take their students there to discover the secrets of the Chinese culture and the garden is often rented for filming.I always go to the park to let off steam after work because of the stunning natural views there. The garden is breathtaking in every season. When in spring, everything in the garden turns green and the flowers bloom almost at the same time. In summer, the trees are pretty shady so we can watch fish play in the glistening ponds. The trees change colours in autumn and the foliage looks

absolutely fascinating. The garden is brilliant even in winter because snow makes it pure and neat.11 A place where you can read and write Describe a place where you can read and write.

You should say:where this place ishow do you know this placewhat do you do thereand explain why you think it’s a good place for reading and writing.Well, obviously, the best place for reading and writing, in my opinion, is the Beijing Library which is located near the southern Ring Three in Beijing, and it’s also quite near my home.The library is regular-shaped, but it’s also a famous landmark around there, so I can easily find it when I drive along the road. It’s wrapped in glass on all sides, so the exterior is very gorgeous.I always go to the library about twice a month, I’m a regular there. I’d like to go there in the morning, and borrow some interesting books to read, or write some documents in my laptop. The library has all sorts of books, so I can always get the books I need, or I can ask the librarians to borrow the books I need from other libraries. Their service is really impeccable. Besides, the atmosphere there is very refreshing. I can do my work quietly and efficiently, and feel like lifting my spirits.

12 A park/ garden that impressed you Describe a park/garden you visited and liked/that impressed you.You should say:(the name of this garden)where is waswhat it looked likewhat people did(or, were doing) thereand explain how you felt about this garden.Let me tell you about the Zhangye Danxia National Geological Park which is located near the city of Zhangye in China’s northwestern Gansu province. This place is well-known for its breathtaking colours of the rocks, which are very smooth, sharp and very tall. I went there four years ago to travel around to visit the numeric historical relics with my girlfriend in the bumpy and dusty area of Hexi Corridor.When I got there that day, I hiked along the board way in the mountainous area in the sunny morning and stayed there for the whole day. What was really amazing was that the colours of the mountains changed continuously with the light of the day, showing yellow and red layers covered by a light grey layer. Standing in the viewing platform, I could enjoy the pictures of painted colours of endless mountains, especially during the sunset, and saw many people taking big bags and cameras around to take the stunning pictures.

The unusual colours of the rocks were formed by the erosion of red sandstone, which made the rock layers appear in different colours, textures and size. I was really stunned by the power of nature.

13 A street that you like to visit Describe a street that you know

You should say:Where is it locatedWhat buildings are there on the streetHow often do you go on that streetand explain why you like to visit this streetModel Answer:I would like to describe a street from my hometown where I spent a lot of time in my childhood and adolescence time. This street is called grace street (...say a name of a street you know about...) and it is at the back side of the high school we used to study at.

This is not a very wide street and since it is in the back side, people often avoid this road and take the main street. There are some 2-3 storied buildings there and one 7th storied building is situated beside this street. A large portion of the street-side is occupied by the high school and there is a pond, 2 lamp posts, one post office and 2 small tea stalls are situated beside this street.

I used to visit this street and spent time with my friends in my teenage time mostly. Since I now live in a different city I rarely visit this street. However I go to this street sometime with my friends whenever I visit my hometown. This is the place where I spend my time with my friends in the evening when I stay at my hometown. I go to my hometown 3-4 times in a year and visit this street each time I visit my hometown.

I like this street because I have so many memories related to this street. I still go there whenever I visit my town. And this very street where I used to spend some of my golden periods reminds me my old time there. Being there with my friends sometimes reminds me things I used to do there and how precious the time was. For these reasons I like this street very much.

14 A historical building in your country Describe a historic building that you visited.You should say:where it waswhat people do(or, were doing) therewhy you went thereand explain how you felt about this buildingWell, I’d like to talk about the Siheyuan in Beijing, which is the product of 3000 years of

accumulated cultural wisdom and building practices. An average Siheyuan is situated in the north and faces south, and usually has its main gate located near the southeast corner of the courtyard with a screen wall just inside, maintaining the privacy of the residence. The courtyard is square, vast and of a suitable size. It contains flowers and is set up with rocks, providing an ideal space for outdoor life.In the past, most Beijingers used to live in these courtyard buildings. Just from the size and style, you would be able to tell whether a courtyard house belonged to an average family or a powerful and rich one. But nowadays, living in a courtyard building is definitely a kind of a social status symbol in Beijing because the existing Siheyuan is really scarce and pricey.The Siheyuan in Beijing attracts floods of tourists every day around the world, including me, to experience the unparalleled creation that was left behind by ancient Chinese craftsmen and its unique cultural treasure. Every time I bumped into some Siheyuan, I particularly adored the roof, the big wooden gate and the traditional Chinese ornaments. In addition, there are always large extended families living there together which normally made me feel warm.

15 A café or restaurant you like to visit Describe a restaurant you like(to go to)/ that impresses you.You should say:where this restaurant iswhat type of food the restaurant haswhy you go to this restaurantand explain why you like this restaurant/why this restaurant impresses you.Let me tell you about a cheap restaurant I often go to. It’s located next to the training school where I have been studying English for the last two months. It only takes me five minutes to get there. In fact, it’s a tiny restaurant with several tables inside. When the weather is good, clients love to eat outside to enjoy the fresh air.I frequently go to this restaurant with my classmates because the food is very tasty, and the prices are extremely reasonable. They offer typical Chinese food with a great choice of dishes: local specialties such as sweet and sour pork, as well as fish balls served in soup. But I can also get spicy food, like spicy diced chicken with peanuts, or simple spicy green beans.In addition, the boss is a friendly old man, and the waitresses remember their customers and even what they like to eat. They often give us a small discount when we ask for the bill: they know how to retain their clients. What’s the most important is that the food is clean, savoury and cheap. That’s what really counts.

16 A place full of color Describe a place you went to that was full of colour.You should say:where it waswhy you went there

what you did thereand explain why you think this place was made so colourful.Let me tell you about the Zhangye Danxia National Geological Park which is located near the city of Zhangye in China’s northwestern Gansu province. This place is well-known for its breathtaking colours of the rocks, which are very smooth, sharp and very tall. I went there two years ago to travel around to visit the numeric historical relics in the bumpy and dusty area of Hexi Corridor.When I got there that day, I hiked along the board way in the mountainous area in the sunny morning and stayed there the whole day. What was really amazing was that the colours of the mountains changed continuously with the light of the day, showing yellow and red layers covered by a light grey layer. Standing in the viewing platform, I could enjoy the pictures of painted colours of endless mountains, especially during the sunset, and took loads of pictures there.I was told by the guide that the unusual colours of the rocks were the result of red sandstone and mineral deposits being laid down over millions of years. The formation was formed by the erosion of red sandstone, which made the rock layers appear in different colours, textures and size. I was really stunned by the power of nature.

17 A place near water Describe a place near water (such as a river, a lake or the ocean) that you enjoyed visiting.You should say:where this place waswhat you did at this placewho you went there withand explain why you liked this place.Let me tell you about my travels at the end of 2012 to the Great Barrier Reef, which is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, Australia. I was keen on going there because it is a paradise for travelling and photography.I stayed there for about ten days with my family. I really enjoyed the laid-back beach, experienced the memorable diving trips to see the magnificent coral and the magical marine life; moreover, I once picked one of the fantastic and uninhabited islands to camp for two days. Besides, I took my camera with me to capture the stunning natural scenery, the painted sunset for example. It is really a memorable trip.I once watched a BBC documentary introducing the Great Barrier Reef, I was attracted by the colourful undersea world and the superb scenery. Moreover, I would like to go there with my son. I want him to experience the natural wonders during his childhood as well as getting close to it.

Describe yourself18 A success in your life Describe a prize you would like to win.

You should say:what it is

what you need to do to get itwhere you know itand explain why you would like to win the prize.In the end of every year, my company always throws a big party in a grand restaurant in Beijing and there are some prizes that will be rewarded to the prominent employees as the year-end bonus. The best prize is always the latest iPhone which I fancy most. I really want to get one because I am a big fan of Apple.In order to get the favourite prize, I need to work diligently to make my clients satisfied; furthermore, I should make some innovative progress in some of our projects, which will have some positive influences on the project methodology in the future; besides, I’m supposed to get along well with my colleagues so that most of them will vote for me.In every October, new generation of iPhone will be on the market by Apple, which will be in great demand. Every one likes it and I will be excited to get one for free. Besides, winning the company’s bonus will prove that I am making a contribution to the company and it is a great honour both to me and my department, making my career path in the company more promising.

19 Something that you want to learn more/ An ambition you have not achieved yet

Describe an ambition you have not achieved yet.You should say:what it iswhen you first had this ambitionwhy you had this ambitionwhat you have done to achieve itand explain why you haven’t achieve it yet.As my belly has grown over the years, I’d like to take some physical exercises to get toned, to tighten stomach muscles to be exact. I want to seek sleek and ripped abdominal muscles, which would be the envy of everyone at the swimming pool or gym, therefore I got around to this motivation since last winter.In order to achieve my ambition, I downloaded an app in my iPad, allowing me follow the professional trainers to take workouts on a daily basis. Every night, before I slept, I would do a series of physical exercises with my iPad, and the app would track all my progress and save my results in the website.But unfortunately, I didn’t insist on it for two long. Because after two months or so, I didn’t see any changes happened to my belly and you know, doing workouts everyday was really a boring job. Gradually, I decreased the chances of my workouts, to about twice a week, then even twice a month, and finally, I hadn’t picked up my iPad and practised for months. What a shame! I thought I could last long with my motivation, but at last it turned out that as my motivation and enthusiasm were absent, my ambition was absent too.

20 A paid job you ever did or someone you know ever did Describe a paid job you ever did or someone you know ever did.You should say:what the job washow did you/this person find this jobhow long did you or this person keep this joband how you feel about this job.I was an accountant, so my job consisted of preparing profit statements at the end of each month. In order to do this, I must compile and analyse a lot of information from different departments. Actually I got to work with the sales manager and the production manager quite a lot since they must let me know about their expenditures and budgets for the following months. I had been working in this position for just one year, and I got the job right after graduating from university.Since I entered the company, I got to learn a lot in the position. I met some interesting people and my colleagues and supervisors were all very nice and helpful. However, I thought it was it was time to experience something new and exciting. In the last few months, I realised I wasn’t learning much anymore and my job was getting a bit repetitive, I thought it was time for me to move on.

21 An important conservation that influenced you Describe an important conversation that influenced you.You should say:when this happenedwho you were talking withwhat you talked aboutand how this conversation influenced you.Well, I guess the important conversion would be the one that I talked with my mother about my immigration plan to Australia in the beginning of 2013.Actually it was a tough decision for me because I lead a stable life in Beijing, with a desirable job and decent pay. Besides I have tons of friends here in China. I’m sure I would lose much if I go abroad. I was in a dilemma so I appealed to my mother for advise. I told her my reasons of moving abroad and my plan to achieve that. She listened carefully and was obviously concerned about me. She felt my explanations were reasonable and told me that though it would definitely be a bit risky to start a new life in an unfamiliar country, it’s worth making a change to pursue a better living condition cos I was still young to realise my dream. What really made me feel interesting was that after I told her that I was preparing the IELTS test, my mother encouraged me in the way that she reminded me that my father was also trying to pass the exam of the certified public accountants at the similar age of mine to improve our standards of living, which inspired me so much.This conversion was really important because after talking with my mom, I finally made up my mind to do the immigration in order to make my life better.

Describe a device

22 A electronic machine you want to buy/ a vehicle you want to buy

Describe an electronic machine you want to buy.You should say:what it iswhen you know this machinewhat specific features you wantand explain why you want this machine.Let me tell you about the electronic machine that I’d like to buy lately. It’s just a Mac Mini, produced by Apple. I first saw it in the Apple online store when I was buying the latest iPhone there this April.It’s very small, nearly as portable as notebook, and can be taken away in my bag. Besides, it’s very energy-efficient which means that it can be running in my room all day long very quietly. So I won’t be bothered by the noise compared with other computers. Moreover, the cover of the machine can be removed so that it’s very convenient to upgrade the memory myself.While the small computer is so light-weighted, it’s still very powerful to deal with various hard tasks. With the latest Intel processor and the large amount of memory, its performance is improved much greatly. I want to buy it and put it in the corner of my room, letting it be running day and night to provide home sharing services of movies, music and pictures for my whole family.=====================================================Describe a vehicle you would like to buy (or, own).You should say:what (kind of) vehicle it iswhat it would look likewhy you would like to have itand explain why you would prefer this means of transport.The vehicle I will probably buy is a Subaru Legacy. The main reason is that I already own a Subaru Forester for over four years, and I want to buy anther sedan for business purpose and I’m really impressed with the Subaru’s high performance and quality, so I will go for another Subaru in the future.Subaru Legacy has a sleek exterior and the build quality feels good. The interior is roomy, but not luxurious. The leg room and head room are just perfect for me and there’s plenty of cargo room as well.As for the performance, the handling is good and the acceleration is really enough around town. Besides, I really enjoy the thrilling sound of the engine. As well as that, during the summer in Beijing, it can rain really hard so I guess the AWD feature of Legacy would mean more safety on the road.When I go on a business trip, I’m really keen on a decent sedan instead of my SUV because I’m

afraid that SUV sometimes in some way suggests that I’m on a vocation. Besides it would be much comfortable in a sedan when going on a long distance trip as the cabin is exceptionally quiet and the wide front seats are accommodating. On top of that, sedan is much more fuel efficiency, so I can save a lot of money.

23 A gift for others that took you long time to choose Describe a gift for others that took you long time to choose.•        What it was•        Who you gave it to•        How you chose it•        And explain why you spent along time on choosing it.

Sample Answer 1I gave many gifts in my life, to family members, to friends and even to my girlfriend. But among which I do have one special gift that took me a long time to choose. It’s painting with a beautiful frame which I gave to my best friend in the U.S.A.We met each other 3 years ago in a school event and it was an exchange program. After a couple of days’ ice-breaking, we befriended with each other since we have a lot in common and enjoyed a good time together. When he/she left he/she gave me a bear toy with a bowknot on its neck which is really special and refine. With a letter saying a lot of friendly and touching words written by different color pens. You know, that was the first gift that I received from a foreign friend, plus it was really lovely and adorable, I was really exhilarated and gracious. So I decided to give him/ her a gift in return and sent it to his/her address in the states.I have to say, choosing a proper gift for an American friend was really a headache task. I would like to choose something that is combined with a lot of Chinese elements and traditions. But I don’t really feel like to buy that sort of stuff cuz I think those could be found everywhere. Back then I knew a friend who is a painter and did a lot of cute board paintings which was stylish and cool. I like those painting a lot cuz they are all small paintings but represent for a profound idea and concept of life and love. But it was really hard to choose one particular painting among all so it truly took me some time. Finally I choose a smiling face of a young girl. It is kinda like cartoon but a bit abstract. The reason why I wanna give this to my friend is because I want him/her always remember my smile and hope he/she will always wear a smile on face too. After I’ve chosen the painting, it also took me some time to pick up a suitable frame for it. I picked up a green one for it cuz I thought green means nascence and vigor. He/she sent me a letter to thank me after he/she had received it. He said he really loves it and it’s special. More importantly, he said it always reminds him of our great friendship and to look at the brighter side of life.

24 A picture or photography in your family Describe a picture or photograph in your family.

You should say:what is in the picturewhere this picture is in your homehow this picture was takenand explain why you think this picture is meaningful.I am really into the photography, and I have taken thousands of pictures of both the landscape and my son. But in my album there is one picture that is very meaningful to me. Actually it is picture of me, and I put it on the desk in my bedroom.This photo was taken by my son to be honest, when we went out hiking in a forest park in the rural area of Beijing in the autumn. It was a really wonderful day with the blue sky and white cloud, and it’s neither too cold nor too hot in the park, and more importantly, the foliage of the trees had turned yellow or red, making the mountains really gorgeous. I asked him to pose for me with the colourful scenery along the path, and I took lots of pictures of him. Finally he asked me to give him the camera to take a photo of me, and I agreed because I thought he would probably be a little fan of photography due to my influence.The photo of me he took was very good, it’s very clear, not blurred at all. I’m really proud of him. It is a really precious record. Every time I see the photo, it reminds me the moment we got together to enjoy ourselves in the park.

25 A useful thing that you once borrowed Describe an occasion that you borrowed something from others.You should say:what the thing waswhen you borrowed itwhom you borrowed it fromand explain why you borrowed the thing.I’d like to talk about the interphone I borrowed from one of my friends in April. I was planning a self-driving trip to Sichuan Province then. There were seven people of us, so we planned to go there in two cars. I had one interphone in my car, so I thought that it would be much convenient to get hold of people in another car on the way if there was another interphone. So I went to my friend to ask him to lend me his interphone before I set off.He was one of my good friends. We once travelled to Inner Magnolia to see the grassland together by car. It was also a self-driving trip. We used the interphones to talk to each other on the road. That was the first time I used the gear which impressed me a lot.It turned out that the interphone was really a useful device in our self-driving trip on our way to Sichuan Province. Every time I needed to take a rest in the service areas of the express way, or remind another driver to drive carefully when the road was filled with puddles from the rain, I just picked it up, pressed the button and talked. It was more convenient than making a telephone call,

and thus it was far more security when driving.26 A painting or work of art in your school Describe a painting or work of art that you have seen.

You should say:when you saw this work of artwhere you saw itwhat it looked likeand explain your impression of it.Ever since I was a little girl I have always been a huge fan of western style paintings. The most memorable piece of artwork that I have come across would probably be the Mona Lisa which was painted by the famous artist and inventor, Leonardo DaVinci.I first saw this painting when I was in primary school, my art teacher taught us about DaVinci’s paintings and of course the Mona Lisa was one of them. At first I thought it was just a boring portrait for an old woman but the more I looked at it the more I began to be attracted by her strange smile. It was also a little funny to me because she had no eye brows and her hair style is different to what I’m used to.In my opinion DaVinci painted her almost like St Mary – She has a kind and gentle look and is always smiling at you, even her sitting posture is very elegant with one hand over the other. I think it’s because Davinci was a Christian and also painted religious paintings such as the Last Supper.I personally think the Mona Lisa is truly an impressive painting, after all it was painted by the great Leonardo DaVinci – without it the world just wouldn't be the same.

27 A art or craft activity you did at schoolDescribe an event (a period of time)28 A suitation you waited for something Describe an occasion that you waited for someone.

You should say:who the person you waited forwhen you waited for the personwhere you waited for the personand explain why you waited for the person.Let me talk about an occasion I waited for my colleague in the airport, which happened in April. I was planning to take a business trip with a colleague. In that morning, I woke up early to get to the airport where we agreed to meet. I took a seat in the cafe bar in the airport and waited for him. One hour soon passed, but he didn’t show up. I was beginning to worry a bit then, hoping he would not forget the business trip or wake up late. I made a telephone call to him, but could not put through, which made me more depressed. I had no ideas but made another telephone call to my superior and told him about my current situation, he told me to fly alone if my colleague didn’t get to the airport in time in the end.

To my surprise, after I hung up the telephone, I saw him entering the gate of the airport slowly. I asked him why he came to airport so late. He just said he never hurried to catch the airplane, and told me that I should take easy. Oh, I doubted whether he lived near here. I really didn’t want to go on a trip with him next time.

29 A time that you and your friend had a disagreement Describe a time that you and your friend had a disagreement.You should say:when this happenedwho you disagreed withwhat you and your friend argued aboutand if you two solved the disagreement in the end.Well, recently I had a disagreement with one of my close friends. We were planning a long travel to the Tibet several days later, but we were not sure how many people went there together. I suggested that we just went on the trip with two or there people together because it would be very difficult to organise the trip to meet different people’s needs. But my friend insisted that we should go with group of people because it would be more fun and secure. I admitted his opinion was reasonable but didn’t want to compromise as I didn’t want to take risk to plan everything for so many people in such unfamiliar place, and I thought he didn’t care.Ultimately after endless disagreement and even quarrels, I found myself couldn’t express myself well and became more and more frustrated and less effective at explaining my feelings. So I left him that day without any results. The next day, after I calmed down again, I sent him a text message to tell him what I was concerning, attempting to communicate without angry or overly emotional exchanges. Finally, he replied to me that he understood my consideration now, and agreed with my plan.

30 A recent happy event that you had Describe a recent happy event that you had.You should say:when this happenedwhat the event waswho was with youand explain why you felt happy about it.Let me tell you about my recent trip to the forest park in the the rural area of Beijing this end of summer. I went out hiking in the fresh air there with my child.It was a really wonderful day with the blue sky and white cloud, and it’s neither too cold nor too hot in the park, and more importantly, the foliage of the trees had turned yellow or red, making the mountains really gorgeous. I asked him to pose for me with the colourful scenery along the path, and I took lots of pictures of him. Finally he asked me to give him the camera to take a photo of me, and I agreed because I thought he would probably be a little fan of photography due to my

influence.The photo of me he took was very good, it’s very clear, not blurred at all. I’m really happy and proud of him. I believe he also has the gift of photograph. It is a really precious record. Every time I see the photo, it reminds me the moment we got together to enjoy ourselves in the park.

31 A time that a child made you laugh Describe a time that a child did something that made you laugh.You should say:when this happenedwho the child waswhat the child didand explain why it was funny.Ok right then, well the time I’m going to talk to you about was when my son, who was only, like, three years’ old, did something that really made me laugh. My boy has done a lot of other amusing things as well, but this one, for me, was definitely the most funny. And not just me, but everyone around me at the time, cos it was absolutely hilarious, as I’ll explain in a moment.In the evening that day, I was sitting at the computer listening to music in my study room when my son walked up and started to sing alone to Beyonce’s “Single ladies” and dance around the room. He was so cute that everyone else in my home just burst out laughing because none of us expected him to do that. You know, it was completely out of the blue.I guess he must have just watched the music video on TV at some stage and picked it up. And, what also made it so funny was the fact that he danced exactly the same way an adult would, you know, with the feeling and rhythm and everything! So it was incredibly funny, and even he laughed after seeing our reaction!

32 An age/ stage you enjoyed mostly in you life Describe an age/stage you enjoyed mostly in your life.You should say:what the age/stage waswhat did you like to do back thenwho you enjoyed mostly back thenand explain why you really like that age/stage.Well, speaking of an age I enjoyed mostly in my life, I’d like to describe the year when I was about 18 years old. That was my last year of high school, before entering the university. I was the football team leader that time in my class and we played lots of football matches after class. At that time, almost all of my good friends were big football fans, so it was very easy for us to get enough guys together and then went to the playground. I really wanted to go back then because you know, after growing up, it seems to be hard to find the suitable guys and teams to play football again. Everyone seems to be busy all the time.Although we were facing the coming examination to the universities, and everyone was so

stressful, I thought it was worth spending lots of time and energy in the playground. We got a way to let off steam after endless lessons and exams; besides, after years of physical exercises, we all kept fitness and built our body shape greatly, which benefits me all the way through my life later on.

33 A time that you forgot something important

34 An occasion you get up extremely early IELTS Speaking topic: An occasion you got up extremely earlyPIRLO01/8/2015IELTS 0 COMMENTSDescribe an occasion you got up extremely early.You should say:when this happenedwhat you needed to do that daywho you were withand how you felt about getting up that early on that day.Let me talk about an occasion I got up extremely early, which happened in April this year. I was planning to take a business trip with a colleague. In that morning, I woke up early, at about 3 o’clock to get to the airport where we agreed to meet. I took a seat in the cafe bar in the airport and waited for him. One hour soon passed, but he didn’t show up. I was beginning to worry a bit then, hoping he would not forget the business trip or wake up late. I made a telephone call to him, but

could not put through, which made me more depressed. I had no ideas but made another telephone call to my superior and told him about my current situation, he told me to fly alone if my colleague didn’t get to the airport in time in the end.To my surprise, after I hung up the telephone, I saw him entering the gate of the airport slowly. I asked him why he came to airport so late. He just said he never hurried to catch the airplane, and told me that I should take easy. Oh, I doubted whether he lived near here. Getting up early is really hard for me, but waiting for someone who doesn’t keep time is even harder. I really didn’t want to go on a trip with him next time.

35 A time when you feel surprised to meet someone Describe a time when you feel surprised to meet someone.You should say:when this happenedwho this person waswhat did you do together on that dayand explain why you thought it was a surprise to meet this person.Let me tell you about a time when I met with my friend in the airport in Beijing. That was in the end of last year, when the Spring Festival was coming, and I was going back to my hometown. I was reading a magazine while waiting for my flight, then I heard a voice calling my name. I looked around and found that my old friend was standing in front of me and smiling at me. It was so surprise because you know, it was nearly impossible to meet a person you know in such a big city and we even would take the same flight to the same destination. He was taking a business trip to my hometown.It was so exciting to meet old friend and we hadn’t seen each other for two years, so we had lots of things to talk about. We shared a drink in the cafe and talked about the past things happened during the two years. The waiting hours passed very quickly and before we started to board, we left each other’s telephone and promised to keep in touch in the future regularly.

Describe an improvement in future36 A change that will improve your local area Describe a change that will improve your local area.

You should say:what the change ishow the change workswhat kinds of problems the change will solveand how you feel about the change.Well, you know, the city of Beijing has become infamous for its heavy smog, which is thought to lead to widespread illness and discomfort. But In recent months, air pollution has dropped significantly, and jokes about Beijing’s pollution have given way to surprised expressions about the lovely weather. So nowadays, I could enjoy more white cloud and blue skies this year.

Beijing had been badly polluted by the toxic industrial exhaust and chemicals, making the whole city unliveable. But nowadays, thanks to the strict pollution control policy, more coal-fired power plants and factories have been closed in the neighbouring province, and petrol quality has been improved as well. Therefore, though pollution might still persist for a long time in Beijing, we could enjoy more fresh air in the city.Since the weather surprisingly turns excellent, my friends and I are in the habit of taking pictures of blue sky with mobile phones, and sharing them in the social media. And I’m more keen on doing outdoor activities with my child to enjoy the warm sunshine and clean air.

37 A law about environment you would like to see in the future Describe a good law in your country.You should say:what the law ishow you first learned about this lawwho benefits from this law (or, who is affected by this law)and explain why you think this is a good law.Well, I’d like to talk about the law to cut the use of the plastic bags. Several years ago, our Chinese government approved a law to reduce the excessive consumption of the plastic bags which proved to be a main source of pollution because the bags aren’t degradable.In the past, people could get the plastic bags from various supermarkets for free. As a result, China has witnessed high consumption of the white pollution for years which will take centuries to degrade. Therefore, we’d like to see a law banning the use of plastic bags in supermarkets and shopping malls while encouraging people to use paper or cotton bags, or repeatedly use the handy plastic bags instead.Consequently, things are improving. Large supermarket chains, such as Wal-Mart and Carrefour in China, have started to introduce reusable bags and give some rewards to customers who refuse to use plastic bags. As well as that, the law also raises the public’s green awareness to protect our environment, with various efforts to reduce the carbon footprint. For example people tend to buy the fuel efficiency vehicles instead of the gas-guzzlers in order to emit less carbon dioxide in the same mileage.

Describe a programme38 Unforgettable advertisement that you saw/ heard/ liked Describe an interesting advertisement that you have seen. You should say:

where you saw itwhat it was aboutwhy you think it was an interesting advertisement.I'm going to talk about an advertisement for Coca-Cola, which is one of the biggest brands in the world. I've seen Coke advertised everywhere, on posters and TV commercials.The advert shows a picture of Santa Claus smiling and holding a bottle of Coke. I think the aim is

to target children and associate (link/connect) the brand with Christmas time.The advert is interesting because the company is deliberately trying to influence and attract children. The marketers are trying to capture young customers. They are presenting the drink as something special, a gift for Christmas. However, Coca-Cola is not necessarily a healthy drink for children; it contains a lot of sugar. Maybe this kind of advertising manipulates children and encourages them to pester their parents.

39 An educational TV program that you have seen Describe an educational TV programme that you have seen.You should say:What the programme is about/ what the programme isHow often you watch or listen to this programmeWhat type of people enjoy this programmeAnd explain why this programme is educational.I’m really into the TV show called the Expert of Cate, which is a popular TV programme teaching audience how to cook simple but tasty food. The time it broadcasts is so convenient that after watching it, I have enough time to imitate the delicacies I have just learned from the programme. I believe it appeals to anyone who love life and food particularly.The hostess is the teacher as well. Her sound is really kindly. She looks like a patient and kind-hearted housewife, as same as my lovely mom. She is good at cooking all kinds of food, and teaching you how to cook it yourself step by step as well.This programme is broadcast on Friday evening. So every weekend, if I have enough leisure time to enjoy it, I can lie down on my cosy sofa and watch it, taking some notes from time to time.Thanks to this educational programme, I can cook something for my family now. Although I can’t cook very well, I will acquire a sense of achievement when someone enjoys my dishes. Besides, this programme helped a lot and changed me from a layman to a person who enjoys cooking. On top of that, it may be an easy way to let off steam during the weekend after a one-week tiring work.

40 An educational trip you went to Describe an educational trip you went on.You should say:where this place waswhat you did at this placewho you went there withand explain why you thought this trip was educational.Let me tell you about the Zhangye Danxia National Geological Park which is located near the city of Zhangye in China’s northwestern Gansu province. This place is well-known for its breathtaking colours of the rocks, which are very smooth, sharp and very tall. I went there two years ago with my friends to travel around to visit the numeric historical relics in the bumpy and dusty area of

Hexi Corridor.When I got there that day, I hiked along the board way in the mountainous area in the sunny morning and stayed there the whole day. What was really amazing was that the colours of the mountains changed continuously with the light of the day, showing yellow and red layers covered by a light grey layer. Standing in the viewing platform, I could enjoy the pictures of painted colours of endless mountains, especially during the sunset, and took loads of pictures there.I was told by the guide that the unusual colours of the rocks were the result of red sandstone and mineral deposits being laid down over millions of years. The formation was formed by the erosion of red sandstone, which made the rock layers appear in different colours, textures and size. I was really educated geographically and stunned by the power of nature.

41 An subject you disliked but interested in now Describe a subject you didn’t like before but have interest in now.You should say:what it waswhen you studied the subjectwhy you didn’t like it beforeand explain why you have interest in it now.Well, I’m afraid that the subject that I didn’t like in my high school was physics. But I had to learn it because of the exams, you know, it was one of the compulsory courses during the entire middle school for six years.My physics teacher always tended to be demanding with us, he seemed like making the abstract theory more obscure, and sometimes I didn’t understand what my teacher had said, and he also left endless homework to us, which really made me frustrated. I felt that physics was the most challenging subject in the world.Another reason was that there were too many abstract formulas I had to remember. You know, I was not good at memorising things, so I often used the incorrect formula in the exams, and made lots of mistakes and got low marks as a result. But after I grew up, I found that physics was a really indispensable curriculum in the school education because it could help me develop the logical and rigorous thinking pattern so that I sometimes found myself a critical thinker. Besides, with the knowledge of physics, I’m aware of many physical phenomenon round me, such as optics, mechanism, which helps me understand the intrinsic principle of many devices.

42 A song that means something special to you/ a song or a melody in your childhood

Describe a childhood song you remember well.You should say:where you first heard this songhow old you were when you first heard itwhat is was aboutand explain how you feel now when you hear this song.

Well, when talking about a song I remember well in my childhood, the first one that comes to my mind is “Swallow”. I remembered it was my seven years old when I first heard it. My mother often sang me this lullaby in my bed time and I have heard it so many times in my childhood that I can still remember it very vividly.This was a song usually famous in the rural area of our country that mothers often use to soothe the baby and to send them in sleep. It was an 8-10 lines song with great harmony and the way my mother sang it was extraordinary. It still echoes in my head and I miss those days.Because this is a typical example of traditional Chinese folk song, so during the time when I was far away from hometown in Beijing, every time I hear this song, it always reminds me of my hometown. That’s the main reason I still remember it well. May be someday when I will become a father, I will sing this song to my children as well.

43 An article that you read from a magazine or from the internet about healthy life/ something interesting you learned from the internet

Describe something interesting you learnt from the internet.You should say:what you learntwhat website you learnt it fromhow you learnt itand explain why you think it was interesting.I’m really into learning cooking in the Internet. There is a website called the Expert of Cate, which is very popular teaching visitors how to cook simple but tasty food. Each lesson is produced in video with up-to-date culinary tips and advice, along with the tasty recipes. I believe it appeals to anyone who love life and food particularly.There is a woman hostess in the video whose sound is really kindly. She looks like a patient and kind-hearted housewife, as same as my lovely mom. She is good at cooking all kinds of food, and teaching you how to cook it yourself step by step as well.I always get access to the website to learn some new food during the weekends, especially before starting preparing the dinner at night. I only spend no more than five minutes to learn a new recipe, sitting in front of my computer and taking some notes from time to time.Thanks to this website, I can cook something for my family now. Although I can’t cook very well, I will acquire a sense of achievement when someone enjoys my dishes. Besides, this website helped a lot and changed me from a layman to a person who enjoys cooking. On top of that, it may be an easy way to let off steam during the weekend after a one-week tiring work.

44 A moive you want watch again Describe a movie you would like to watch again.You should say:what it was aboutwhen and where you watched itwho you watched it with

and explain why you would like to watch it again.Well, the movie that I’d like to watch again is Finding Neverland. You probably watched it too.It tells a story of Barrie, a Scottish play writer develops a strong friendship with the widowed Sylvia and her four young sons whose imaginative behaviour gives him ideas. He incorporates them into a play about boys who do not want to grow up. The play, Peter Pan, proves to be a huge success after Sylvia becomes increasingly weak from an unidentified illness, so Barrie arranges to have an play performed in her home. She dies shortly afterwards, and Barrie finds that her will is to have him and her mother look after the boys.I downloaded this film from the Internet last year, and watched it at home on the couch on TV.I guess that Finding Neverland is a warm, heartfelt drama with an engaging story. Finding Neverland is a simple story, but in the tragic and painful ending, it digs under the skin of everyday life to ask a big question that as we grow up, we left behind too much innocence in the childhood, which touches on the deepest emotions of normal people, so I really want to relive these touching moments in the future.

Describe an activity45 An activity you do to keep fit/ An exciting sport you know Describe an exciting sport you know.

You should say:What the sport ishow you know about itis it difficultand explain why you think it is exciting.About a sports match, I’d like to tell you about one of the most exciting games I’ve watched, NBA finals in 2012.Frankly, I’m not the type of an athletic guy, but I do have great passion for it. You know, I’ve spent much time watching those sports matches despite my hard schedule. Among them, what really impressed me is the NBA finals in 2012.Miami Heats, one of the expected champions in NBA league had a fierce war against Thunders, a team with three highly talented players, Hades, Westbrook and Durant. In any respect, Thunders was more believed to beat Heats. But NBA is a place where amazing happens.Miami Heats led by James and Wade had beaten Thunders though they did not outweigh them in comprehensive strength. Good defence is one of the basic reasons of success, but I guess that the spirit of never giving up contributed mostly to it. James, camped in the fourth game, still finished the game with a three-point shot a triple at the crucial time. It

was really exciting and engaging to see these super stars pushing themselves to the limit to win the game, and the audience gave thunderous applause every time when the players took a shot.

46 A team you have been part of/ something you did in group Describe a team you have been part of.You should say:when this team was formedwho was on the teamwhat you did togetherand explain why you became part of the team.Let me talk about the project I did in a team in the second year of my graduate school. Our tutor gave us an assignment to review the server log of an international trade website and give a brief analytics using the data warehouse and data mining technology. We had three people in the team, and I was the team leader. I allocated different tasks to different classmates, one was responsible to extract the data from the database to the data warehouse, and the other one was to set up the data model for analyzing. I was to analyze the final data set with a data mining software and prepare the presentation.I was part of the team because I was good at inspiring others to achieve our goals and getting the necessary resources to help us. You know, the job was quite tough as this was our first time to do such assignment and we needed to overcome various technique problems. For example, we had to put great efforts to learn the Microsoft database software and the data mining software which was also new to us. I consistently encourage my teammates to overcome these problems.==================================================Describe something you did with a group of people.You should say:what the thing waswhen and where you did itwhom you did it withand explain why you did it with a group of people or what you learned from doing things with a group of people.Well, I guess my job really involves much group work because we always do projects for our clients in a team. Every time we form a team for a particular project, we play different roles, for example, someone works as a financial consultant, others manufacturing consultants, some technique specialists, and of course, the project manager. As for me, I am a logistic consultant responsible for purchasing items and the warehouses.We work in the clients’ office, which will be easy for us to communicate with the key users. And our projects sometimes last very long, half a year or even longer. We always get along well with

each other in a team because we need to cooperate well to brace for the tough clients.I believe my colleagues are very nice and helpful. They are always ready to help me when I encounter problems in my work. Besides, I suppose that sharing knowledge and experience with others can definitely boost the team spirit, as well as levelling up everyone’s work ability. In addition, when we need to make a decision on a key problem, we hold a stormy discussion on it and sometimes we can gain insights into the problem, which will be beneficial for everyone.

47 An indoor game you like to play when you were a child Describe an indoor game that you liked to play when you were a child.You should say:what the game waswhen, where and with whom you usually played ithow you played itand explain why you still remember this game or you liked this game.I played hide-and-seek lots of times when I was a kid. Normally we played this game with friends or classmates after class or during the weekends in the house.Firstly, we chose one of us to be the seeker to search around for the rest of us, the hiders.The game started with the seeker covering his eyes and counting to 10 while everyone else ran off and found a place to hide. When the counting was finished, the seeker began a painstaking search for the hiding kids. And that was my favourite part of the game, because the suspense was just so intense. The hiders could really hold their breath, being afraid of getting caught. But then, there was always someone who got caught and this person would become the next seeker unfortunately.Hide-and-seek was fun because it was simple. These days we play computer games to get fun, but sometimes I really missed those simple pleasures of old days. They were so carefree that they are impressive to me even today.

48 A special trip you would like to go on in the future/ a trip you had and want to do it again

Describe a long journey/short trips you would like to make again.You should say:where you wentwho you went therewhat you did during the tripand explain why you would like to make the trip again.Well, I’d like to talk about the trip to the city of Shanghai in April last year that I really want to go again. I went there with another family who had been friends with us for a long time.I had stayed at Shanghai for about ten days. What fascinated me most was the rich collection of buildings with various architectural styles. The Bund, for example, contains a wealth of well-preserved early 20th-century architecture. And also a large number of eccentric buildings sprung up recently throughout Shanghai, such as the Shanghai Museum. What didn’t appeal to me about Shanghai was that the streets in the city were so cramped and tough to identify compared with the

ones in Beijing which are mostly wide and straight.I feel that every time I go to Shanghai, I can spot something new. It’s so dynamic. The bar and club scene in Shanghai are incredible. There are endless things to see and do in this amazing city. By the way, Shanghai dialect sounds so pretty cute that I always mimic it when I was there. Therefore, I’m really into making another trip there if possible.

49 Something you would like to do if yor were given a day off50 A foreign country you want to visit but haven’t been to You should say: 

1) Where is the country?2) When will you go there?3) Why would you like to go there?and explain why this is a good country to visitThe country that I have always wanted to go but have not visited yet is Italy. I've been dreaming to visit Italy for more than 2-3 years. I'll definitely visit the country as soon as my graduation is complete. Italy is in Southern Europe. Rome, the largest city and the Capital of Italy has been the leading political and religious centre of the western civilization, serving as the capital of the both Roman Empire and the Christianity. I'd like to go there to see the museums, arts, streets, cultural and other attractions. Another reason I want to go there is to visit the Vatican City. I have read and heard about numerous stories and history about this country and witnessing them would be a great joy for me. There are plenty of things to see: arts, museums, Colosseum, Leaning Tower of Pissa, Roman Forum, Florence Cathedral, St. Peter's Basilica, Milan Cathedral, Sistine Chapel, Piazza SanMarco, Circus Maximux and lots of other places I'd love to visit.Italy was one of the most advanced territories once and had lots of historically significant places to visit. I've read about those places so many times and heard stories from many of my friends that visiting this country has become a major wish for me. And I'm pretty positive about visiting this country in next year.