Ielts Speaking Memories

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Speaking memories 4th Dec 2011(USA) 1. What is your full name? 2. Show your identification. 3. Are you from a small town or a big city? 4. Tell something about your city. 5. Why do you like it? 6. What do you like the most about your city? 7. How are people in your city? 8. How do you spend time on weekends? 9. Do you think doing something different on the weekends is important? Why? 10. With whom do you prefer to spend weekends? Friends or Family? Why? 11. What kind of get together do you have with your family? Cue card Talk about a city or a town you like to visit. Why do you like that city? When did you go there first? How often do you go there? With whom do you go there? Follow-ups Many people move to bigger cities from small towns/villages, what do you think the impact is on those villages? What should the government do to help the villages?
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Cue card Where would you like to travel in future Where you want to go With whom you want to go How you want to go Follow up questions How is travelling different these days as compared to earlier days? What problems people face nowadays while travelling? What type of places people like to visit? What is better travelling alone or in a group? What qualities should be there in a travelling companion?
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Speaking memories 4th Dec 2011(Jasdeep) What is your full name? What do you like in your house or apartment the most? Would you like to change anything in your house? What makes you happy? Is money important for happiness? What is the importance of happiness? Is unhappiness always a bad thing? Cue card:Talk about your neighbour Who is he or she? How do you know him? What do you like the most about him? Follow-ups What is the importance of having neighbours? Are there any community events held in your neighbourhood What is the importance of such types of events? What are the effects of these types of events on society? Cue card Talk about one of your neighbours Who is he What kind of person he is How often do you see him What do you feel about this person Follow ups What is the importance of neighbours in todays life? Do you think they are less interfering than the past? Do you feel in your society neighbours respect other neighbours privacy? What type of community events are there in your culture in which all neighbours sit together and celebrate something? Are community events important? Cue card Describe a neighbor you know well Who is she/he How do you him/her, how long? Why you like him? Discussion Why we need neighbors? Is there any advantages & disadvantages? How long you meet them each other? Will you meet them during special occasions such as New Year? What social work does your neighbor do? What are the advantages or disadvantages of keeping social group?
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Speaking memories 18th Nov 2011 1. What is your full name? 2. Are you a student or working? 3. What noise do you like? 4. What noise do you dislike? 5. Do you find it comfortable to work in a noisy place? 6. What are the sources of noise in cities? 7. What were your subjects in college? 8. Do you think, in your country people study the subject which you studied? 9. What subject would you opt for when you go abroad for study? 10. How often do you send e-mails or letters? 11. To whom do you send e-mails or letters? Cue card Talk about your dream home - Where it would be - What kind of house it would be - With whom you would like to live there Follow ups 1. Do you think you would be able to live in such a house? 2. What is the difference in houses here and in foreign countries? 3. In Punjab what sort of houses are there in the countryside and in cities? 4. What are the benefits of living in apartments in comparison to houses?
Speaking memories 18th Nov 2011 1. What is your full name? 2. Where do you come from? 3. What do you do - work or study 4. In which college did you study? 5. Do you think, in your country people study the subject which you studied? 6. Do you do any exercise? 7. Which exercise is suitable for all ages? 8. Which game would you like to learn in future? 9. Do you send e-mails or letters? 10. Do you keep your e-mails or letters? 11. To save your data, do you use pen-paper or computer? Cue card Talk about an advertisement you saw and liked - What was it - Where did you see it - Why do you remember it Follow ups 1. Do you think we should see ads or not? 2. What do advertisers do to attract customers? 3. Should they do like this? 4. What effect it has on children? 5. Should there be any rules and regulations regarding ads? 6. Should some ads be banned? Cue card Talk about an advertisement you saw recently Why did you like it Why do you remember it 1. Do people buy foreign products because of ads? 2. What is the impact of ads on children? 3. Should ads be banned?
Speaking memories 17th Nov 2011 1. What is your full name? 2. How may I address you? 3. Where do you come from? 4. In which school did you study? 5. What facilities were available there when you studied? 6. What sort of teachers were there in your school? 7. How did you get to school? Cue card Describe a family event that you enjoyed the most Talk about an event you enjoyed When that event happened - What it was Where that event happened - Who was involved in that event Why that event was special to you - How you enjoyed that event Follow ups 1. How people enjoy these types of events? 2. Do you like these kinds of events? 3. Are elderly people important? 4. What can children learn from their elderly? 5. What are the benefits of living together with grandparents? 6. Do you think joint families have some kind of effect on children? 7. What are the advantages of living with elderly people? 8. Should elderly people live separately or with their children? 9. Do you think family events play an important role in bonding families together? 10. Do you think eating meals together has some significance in families especially in Indian families?
Speaking memories 5th Nov 2011 1. May I know your full name? 2. Do you work or study? 3. What are you doing right now? 4. Do you belong to a rural or urban area? 5. Is your home town a good place for young people? 6. Do you prefer e-mails or letters? 7. Do you want to keep your emails and letters? 8. How do children celebrate birthdays? 9. Why do people remember birthdates? 10. Do children like to spend birthday with family or friends? Cue card Talk about a good student you studied with - What is his name - When did you study together - What qualities did you like in him Follow ups 1. Can good students study outside class without teacher? How? 2. What good places do students have outside class? 3. What are the qualities of a good student?
Speaking memories (5th December, 2011) 1. What is your full name? 2. Where do you come from? 3. What makes you happy? 4. Is money important for happiness? 5. What is the importance of happiness? 6. Is unhappiness always a bad thing? 7. Are there any birds where you live? 8. Are birds important in your life? 9. What significance do birds have in your culture? 10. Describe your house? 11. Which part of your house do you like the most? 12. What would you like to change in your house? Cue card Talk about a character from a childhood story - Who is he - What he or she looked like - What he or she did Follow-ups 1. What stories do children like? 2. What types of stories learn from their parents and grandparents? 3. Do children learn something from stories? 4. Do fictional characters have effect on real life?
Speaking memories (20th October,2011) 1. May I know your name please? 2. May I see your ID? 3. What are you doing now? Job or study? 4. Why did you choose to study in this particular field? 5. Do you think that course will be useful for you in future? 6. What are you future plans? 7. Are e-mails more important or letters? 8. What is the future of letters? 9. Whom do you send e-mails or letters? 10. What is the importance of letters in your life? Cue card Outdoor activity - What activity it is - With whom you do - When you started doing it - Did you suggest this activity to anyone Follow-ups 1. What is the importance of outdoor activities? 2. What activities young people do and what old people do? 3. What is the effect of electronic games on children? 4. What are the advantages of electronic games? 5. What do you mean by reflexes? 6. Do you prefer outdoor or indoor activities? 7. What should parents do to encourage children to play outdoor games? 8. What are the disadvantages of electronic games? Cue Card Describe an outdoor activity that you enjoy. Please say - What activity is it? - Where and when do you do it? - Whom do you prefer to do it with? Discussion - When was the last time you did an outdoor activity? - Do you think computer games are good? - What are the drawbacks of computer games? - How can parents prevent children from these kinds of games? - Do you think schools can do anything about this issue? - What about governments and the media, can they help?
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Interview What is your name? What can I call you? Where are you from? Tell me about your hometown. Can you describe the people of your hometown? What do you usually do on weekends? What did you do last weekend? Do you have plans for the next weekend? Cue card Talk about your favorite book. Please say - Who wrote it? - Why do you like it so much? - When did you read it? - Would you like to read it again? Another similar cue card Talk about a book that you have read but you would like to read again. Please say: - Who is the author? - What did you like or dislike about the book? - Did any of your friends read the book too? Follow ups What kind of books do people of your country read? What do you think about people who like to buy and own books?
Cue card Describe a book which you would like to read again Which book is it Where did you read it Why do you think it would be useful in the future Follow up questions 1. 2. 3. 4. Do you think technology has impacted the reading habits of youngsters? Should children be encouraged for reading? Do you think books will disappear in the future? Which type of books do people read in your society
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Interview Where do you come from? Why do you like the place where you live now? Is it a good place to raise children? When did you first use the Internet? How often do you buy things online? In your country, at what age do people celebrate their most important birthday? What do people do on their birthdays? Cue Card Id like you to talk about a photograph you once took. You should say - When you took it - Who you took it with - What it shows - Why you like this particular photograph Follow up question: Have your friends seen this photograph? Does one necessarily need skills to take a good photograph? What can you say about people who take good pictures, yet have no skills? Why do you think some people dont like having their photograph taken? Cue card Describe a photograph that you liked Who took this What was happening around Follow up questions What is the method to keep photographs? What are the new devices which are coming to take photographs? What type of device do people use normally? What are the advantages and disadvantages of keeping photographs in computers?
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Speaking memories ( 11th Oct) 1. May I know your full name? 2. Can I see your ID? 3. What do you like about your house? 4. What would you like to change in your home? 5. Where was your childhood school? 6. How did you get to school? 7. Did you like that school? 8. Do you think that this school is really good? 9. Do you like photography? 10. Do you take pictures? 11. How popular is photography in your country? 12. Do you prefer self taken photographs or picture post cards? Cue card Talk about a journey that took longer than expected How were you going there Why were you going there With whom were you going Explain why it took longer than expected Follow ups Talk about the transportation system in your home town? Is bicycle not very common? Talk about the advantages and disadvantages of bicycle. How did people travel in the past? What problems people faced in the past when they travelled to foreign countries? What problems do they face nowadays?
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Interview 1. What is your name? 2. Do you work or study? 3. Do you like your job? 4. Why do you like it? 5. Did you have difficulty getting your current job? Cue Card Describe a leader in your life who impressed you the most. Please say - What were his/her qualities? - Where have you met him/her? - How do you know him/her? Discussion 1. Would you like to be a leader? 2. What are the most important qualities for a leader? 3. Is it good to have a leader in your life? 4. Some believe people you shouldnt follow a leader, what is your view? Cue card Talk about a leader whom you like a sportsman, businessman or a politician Who is he What does he do What are his qualities What made him successful
Follow up questions 1. What are leadership qualities? 2. Do leaders have too much control on their followers? 3. Do they require confidence?
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Tell me about your house/flat How often do you use your computer? and What do you often use it for? What things would you like to learn about computers? What are popular kinds of food in India?
Describe a song
1.What do you think people can learn from singing? 2. What do you think in the case one of your friend always sings in friend meetings although he/she sings very badly? 3. Do you think talent or practice is more important to sing well? 4. Why some people like singing in the front of others? 5. Why some people prefer to sing in a private room? Cue card Talk about your favourite song Where did you hear this song How do you feel when you listen this song Follow up questions Can everybody sing? What sort of profession is singing? What does a singer gain if he chooses this profession? What sort of songs are preferred by the young? Cue card Talk about a song which you heard for the first time When and where did you hear that song What thing you remember when you hear that song
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Follow up questions 1. Do you sing a song? 2. What do you feel when you sing a song? Cue card Think about a song of your childhood. Why do you like that song? When was the first time you listened to that song? Do your friends like that song? Follow ups Do teenagers and adults enjoy the same kind of songs? What are the factors which make people like a song? In which occasions do people in your country sing together? Which kind of songs are suitable for children? Why?
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Speaking memories ( 24th Sept)

1. What is your full name? 2. Can I see your identity? 3. What are you doing working or studying? 4. What do you like in your job? 5. Did you face any difficulty in finding this job? 6. Do you think mobile phones are good for use? Why? 7. Did you find any difficulty in using the mobile phone? 8. Do you prefer to talk on phone or use text message and why? 9. Have you ever learnt dancing? 10. On what occasions people dance in your country? 11. Do you enjoy when you see other people dancing? 12. How do you feel when you see other people dancing?
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Cue card Talk about a situation when you were a little angry What was the situation Where was it Who was there Follow up
Do you think it is good to hide ones emotions? In your opinion, should one hide ones feelings or express them? How do people in your country express their feelings? Some people can understand others feelings by seeing them? Do you think it is like that? Some people dont care about others feelings. They are stuck to their own feelings. Do you think it is good? 6. Do you think children should learn to understand others feelings? 7. In your opinion who expresses his feelings openly men or women?
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Speaking memories ( 18th Sept) May I know you name please? Tell me about your hometown? Is it a city or a village? What can young people do there? What are the advantages of cell phones? Where do you use them most? Will they be used more or less in the future? Cue Card Describe an interesting public place Follow up What other public places are there? How should the public places be? Should pets be allowed in public places? Would you prefer parks or beaches? Are there enough public places in the city and why? Do you like to travel With whom do you like to travel? Talk about a place you would like to visit?
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Introduction questions What is your full-name? Are you a student or working? What are you studying? What are your subjects and why you choose these? which is popular food in you country? which type of food you can prepare at home? What do you think people should eat food together at home? cue card Describe an enjoyable conversation on phone which you have had recently? who spoke on phone? what was the conversation? how much time it lasted?? Follow up questions Is mobile phone useful? what are the uses of mobile phone? what type of people use mobile phone? younger and old people use mobile phones for which purpose ? why people prefer mobile phone? is it easy to talk on phone??
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Speaking memories ( Atul 2nd Sept. 2011) Introduction questions What is your name? What should I call you? Where do you come from? What do you like about your house? Which room in your house do you like the most? Do you want to change anything in your house? What is the weather like in your country? Cue card Talk about a Hollywood movie which you recently watched Where did you see it What did you like or dislike about it Follow up questions
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Why people see Hollywood movies even though there are many movies in India? How does watching Hollywood movies affect Indian culture? What positive impact does this have? What are the advantages and disadvantages of becoming an actor?
Introductory questions
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1. May I know your name please? 2. Do you work or study? 3. When do you feel happy? 4. What is happiness according to different people? 5. Is unhappiness always a bad thing? 6. What food is popular in your culture? 7. Is home cooked food better than ready to eat food? 8. Where is your home or apartment? 9. What do you like about your house? 10. What is your favourite room in your house? 11. What would you like to change in your home? 12. When do you spend time with your family and friends? 13. What do you like to do with your friends? 14. What is more important for you spending time with family or friends? 15. Is there any time when you want to be alone? Cue card Talk about an unusual activity you did in your free time - What was the activity - With whom did you do it - Why did you do it - What was interesting or unusual in it 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Follow up questions How people spend their free time? Do you think people in past had more free time than today? Do you think men have more free time than women? How should children spend their free time? Any suggestions? Parents and children spend their free time doing similar activities, is it important ?
Follow ups How you spend your free time? How do children spend free time in your country? What children do in their free time? What parents do in their free time? How people spend free time? Do you think people in the present time enjoy more free time than in the past? Children should spend their free time with their parents of all alone? Cue Card Talk about an unusual experience youve had recently. Discussion 1. Do you like to take pictures? 2. How often do you do it? 3. What is your favorite type of photography? 4. Is it common to take photos for people in your country? 5. Does it vary for men and women? 6. Do you prefer to buy pictures or postcards when you visit a place or to take a few photos of it? 7. What are popular pastimes in your country? 8. Are they different for men and women? 9. Do men have more free time than women? 10. Do you think the amount of free time has changed compared to your parents generation?
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1. What is your full name? 2. How can I call you? 3. What do your friends call you? 4. Where are you from? 5. Can I see your identification? 6. Are you a student or working? 7. Do you like dancing? 8. How often do you dance? 9. What motivated you to learn dancing? 10. How do you feel when you see somebody else dance? 11. When do people dance in your culture? 12. Do you watch TV? 13. What programmes do you see? Cue card Describe a street that you know Where is it located What buildings are there on the street How often do you go on that street Follow ups What are the differences between the village and city living? What can be done by people themselves to minimize pollution? Where would you like to live? Why not in villages as villages are relatively pollution free.
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1. What is your full name? 2. Where do you come from? 3. Do you study or work? 4. Where do you work? 5. Who is more important your work or the people you work with? 6. Do people keep pet animals in your country? 7. How many people use animals for farming nowadays? 8. What is your schools name? 9. Did you choose your school for study? 10. If you get a chance to go on a long trip where would you like to go? Cue card Talk about an expensive thing you bought? When did you buy it Why did you buy it Follow up questions 1. Why do people buy branded things? 2. Do you think that people waste money on brands? 3. Do people want to copy people of high status when they buy branded things?
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Speaking memories 29th July (Sakshi) What is your full name? Do you work or study? What makes you happy? What do you think about happiness? Is money important for happiness? Is unhappiness always a bad thing? Cue card Describe the clothes you like to wear From where you buy clothes How often you shop for clothes What do you consider before buying clothes Follow up questions What is the importance of clothes? What do you think about people who wear different type of clothes? How do clothes describe a persons personality? Do you think young generation is more concerned about fashion Why do they do so? What are the negative impacts?
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Cue card What type of clothes you like to wear From where do you buy the clothes What things you consider while buying clothes Why you like these clothes How often you go for shopping Follow ups How much you spend on your clothes? How do you come to know about the latest fashion? What do clothes express about a person? To what extent should we follow fashion? What sort of clothes are popular in India? What is the major influence when we choose clothes? Do you think it is good to spend a lot of money on clothes? In your country, how much importance is given to clothes?
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Speaking memories 27th June 2011 1. May I know your full name? 2. Where do you come from? 3. Is it a nice place to grow up? 4. Are you working or studying? 5. What part of your job you like the most? 6. Did you have any problem finding this job? 7. Which part of your job do you like the most? 8. Would you like to continue this job? 9. Do you like numbers? 10. What kind of numbers do you like? 11. How do you remember numbers? 12. Is there any special importance of numbers in your country? Cue card Talk about a child that you know Who is the child Since when you know him How do you feel when you are with him Follow up questions 1. What are the advantages of outdoor games? 2. What are the disadvantages of indoor games? 3. Do young people respect the elderly?
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1. What's your name? 2. Where do you stay 3. Say something about your hometown 4. Talk about the place you live in. 5. What do you like or dislike about your home? 6. What is your favorite room? 7. Are there any possible improvements that can be done in your home? 8. What TV programs do you like the most? 9. What TV programs did you like in your childhood? 10. Which flowers do you like most and why 11. Say the different ways flowers are used in your country. Cue Card Discuss about recent news you came across, who was involved in it how did people respond. Follow ups 1. How many types of newspapers are there in your country 2. Are they important in your life 3. Are national or international news important 4. How do news affect our lives
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May I know your full name? May I see your I.D.? Presently what are you doing? Where do you come from? What facilities does your home town offer? Do you like flowers? On what occasions do people use flowers in your country? Do people use them for worship? Cue card Talk about an elderly person you know? What is his age Since when you know him Why do you like him Follow up questions How do people feel when they retire? Do young people respect their elders? What should the government do for the retired elderly? Do old people in your country have a comfortable life after retirement? Cue card Describe the oldest person you know - Who is she/he - How was she related to you - Explain what was good about this person
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1. May I know your full name? 2. Do you study or work? 3. What is your qualification? 4. What did you find most interesting in your study? 5. What movies did you like in your childhood? 6. What movies do you like now? 7. Why has your taste changed? 8. Do children have more independence today than in the past? 9. Should there be strict rules for children? 10. How should parents encourage children to be independent? 11. Is there any meaning of numbers? 12. What number is important in your country? Cue card Talk about an adventurous person you know Follow up questions 1. Should adventurous people be supported by society? 2. If during adventure sports anyone needs help, should we help him?
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Interview - What is your full name? - How do you prefer to be called? - Are you a student? - Why did you choose this subject? - What do you like the most about this subject? - Do people believe in numbers in your country? - Do you believe in numbers? - Do you collect coins? - What are the characteristics of a good leader? - Do you think you are a good leader? Cue Card Talk about your friend. Please say: - When and where have you met him/her? - What do others think of your friend? - What do you like the most about your friend? - What are the good qualities of your friend? Discussion - Why do you think others will follow your friend? - Do you think your friend is a good leader? - In your tradition, who will act as a leader in a family? - Why does he/she act as a leader? - In your country, will the leader co-operate with family members? - Who will make decisions? - When making decisions, will he/she discuss them first with family? - Do family members usually support the leader? - Do you think in the future leaders will take the position as decision makers?
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1. Where do you live at the moment? 2. What do you like about the place you live? 3. How long have you lived there? 4. Let's talk about outdoor activities. Do you like outdoor activities? Why? 5. Do you like flowers? 6. Do flowers have any meaning in your country? 7. Do you have festivals related to flowers in your country? 8. What is your name? 9. Have you ever learnt swimming? Why? / Why not? 10. Should children learn swimming? 11. Should they do swimming in a pond or pool? 12. What type of weather do you like? 13. What weather people like in your country Part 2: Describe a place near water/sea, lake, river/ you have been to when you were child. Whom did you go there with? Why did you like/dislike this place? Why it was interesting to you? When did you go there? Part 3: Do you think that it is important to learn the oceans and why? Do you think the oceans should be protected by international agreement? Do you think the environmental problems can affect the oceans?
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Part 1: 1. Where are you from? 2. Are you student or do you work? 3. What do you want to do in the future? 4. What do you love about your university? 5. Teachers and people you study with, which one is more important? 6. What do you do in your free time? 7. What kinds of outdoor activities are popular in your city? 8. What kinds of concerts are popular in your town? 9. What is the latest concert you watched on TV? 10. How often do you watch TV? 11. What kind of films do you like? 12. Did you like action movies when you were a child? 13. What kind of gifts did you like to receive? 14. When was the last time you bought a bouquet of flowers? Part 2: Describe a peaceful place you visited: Where is it? When did you visit it? What did you do? Why do you love it? Part 3: 1. How is the noise level in your city? 2. Where does noise in urban areas come from? 3. Do you think it is important to be alone sometimes? 4. What is the importance of belong to a certain group? 5. What are problem you could have if you go out together in big group?
Cue Card Describe a place outdoors where you go to relax. Please say: - Where is this place? - How often do you go there? - Why does it help you relax? Discussion - Do you think it is more difficult to relax when you are at home? - Do you think there is a difference in relaxation activities between old and young people?
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Speaking 1. What is your full name? 2. What should I call you? 3. Do you work or study? 4. What is the popular food in your culture? 5. To what extent are colours important when you go for shopping? 6. What colours do you prefer to buy / wear light or dark and why? 7. To what extent is singing important in your culture? 8. Can every person become a good singer if given good training? 9. What type of food do you like to eat? 10. Is eating together on dining table good or bad and why? 11. Should children learn how to eat with family? 12. Is junk food better or home-made food? 13. How can you say that home-made food is good and hygienic? Cue - Card Describe the shop you like to visit? You should say: - where it is? - what it is famous for? - how you went first time there? Follow ups 1) Do you recommend people to visit that shop? 2) Do you think people take shopping as one of the leisure activity? 3) Have you ever seen males shopping for their leisure? 4) Is there any difference between the shops of your home town and Ludhiana?
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Describe your first school? How you used to go to school? Did you learn to make handicrafts in school? Is your home town famous for handicrafts? Do you like birds? Why birds are important in our life? Why? Should people protect birds? Why? Lets talk about collecting things like CDs or stamp collecting. Do you collect anything? 9. Why you collect them? 10. What are people collecting in your country? 11. Do you think in future people will be collecting things? Part 2 Describe a visit you have done to a member of your family. You should say: Who was that person? Why you visited him or her? How long was the visit? And explain why this visit was particular to you. Part 3 1. How are foreign visitors greeted in your country? 2. How you welcome a visitor to your house
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Interview 1. What is your full name? 2. May I see you ID card? 3. Do you live in a city, a town or a village? 4. Is it a nice place to live? 5. Is it good for young people? 6. What can you do in your hometown? 7. Do you trust online shopping? 8. Have you ever bought a thing from online shopping? 9. How do young kids celebrate their birthdays in your country? 10. How are birthdays important to them? 11. Do you like Flowers 12. What about Art? Are you good at drawing? 13. Children should be involved in household work or not?
Cue Card Talk about a program you watched on TV and learned something from. Please say: - When and where did you watch it? - What was it about? - Why did you watch it? - What did you learn from the program? Discussion - Do you watch TV often? - Are there programs you can learn something from? - How does a person become famous? - What about the people who participate in reality shows? How do they become famous?
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Speaking memories 9th December 2011 1. What is your full name? 2. How may I call you? 3. May I see your identification? 4. Where do you come from is it a city, town or village? 5. What do you like in your village? 6. Is it a good place for the youth? 7. What noise do you like and dislike? 8. Do children like todays lifestyle? 9. Do you like to call from your phone or do text message? 10. Do you think you will use the phone more or less in the future? Talk about a job you would like to do in the future Which job is it What qualifications are needed for this job Do you know anyone who is in this job 1. Which jobs should have more salary? 2. Out of the good professions, which profession should be the highest paid 3. Why should teachers have high salaries? Speaking memories 10th December 2011 1. May I know your full name? 2. Where do you come from? 3. Do you work or study? 4. Do you enjoy your job? 5. How do you spend your weekends? 6. Do you have any plans for the next weekend? 7. Do you enjoy your weekends now or did you enjoy them more in childhood? 8. When did you first use the internet? 9. Is internet a source of knowledge? Cue card An old person you like to talk to - Who is he - How do you know him - Why do you find him interesting to talk to Follow ups 1. Should the elderly live with family? 2. What are the benefits if the old people stay with family? 3. What do children learn from the elderly? 4. Can children learn anything from the elderly? 5. Can children teach anything to their elderly? 6. Do old people want to learn from their children?
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1. Talk about your neighbourhood. 2. What room do you like the most in your home. 3. Which colour you would not like in your home. 4. What is your favour colour? 5. Do you think about colour when you buy anything? 6. Do you like light or dark colours. 7. Did colour matter to you when you were a child? 8. What is happiness? 9. Is unhappiness always a bad things? 10. Is a person with too much money happy? Interview - Did you grow up in a village or a city? - What are the advantages for young people in your village? - What do you usually do with friends? - Do you prefer to go out with your family or friends? - Do you send letters or e-mails? Why? - Did you ever have any problem with your cell phone? 1. Where is your home town? 2. What things you like about you house or apartment? 3. What changes you would like to do in your house 4. Why do people sit together for meals? 5. What is the major influence on children of eating together? 6. Is there a culture in your country to enjoy meals together? 7. Do you follow this tradition in your country? 8. What do you watch on TV? 9. How much TV did you watch in childhood? 10. What do children like to watch on TV? 11. Do you like colours? Why? 12. Do colours have importance in your country? 13. Do you choose colours while buying things? Why? 14. Which colour you do not want in your home? Why?
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Possible answers for some speaking questions Happiness 1. What makes people happy? Happiness is a state of mind. Different people have different concepts about happiness. For a nursery student, being able to write A properly can give happiness. A poor person may get happiness if he wins a lottery. A person suffering from cancer can get happiness if a cure is found for his illness. Parents feel happy if their children do well in school. 2. Do you believe that people used to define happiness in a different way in the past, or that the concept of happiness hasnt change with the passage of time? I believe that concept of happiness has not changed with time. But, the way people show their happiness has changed because of advancement of technology these days. For example, when India won the cricket World Cup this time it was celebrated all over the world at the same time. There were firework displays everywhere. 3. Do you believe that old people can be happier than young people? I believe that old people can be happier than young people because young people today have a lot of burden on their shoulders. They have the burden of choosing a career. They have the burden of adopting the culture. They are forced by their parents to adopt the traditional culture but they want to adopt the global culture. They are exposed to a consumerist society in which there are a lot of things which they want to own. But they dont have the money for them. 4. What do you have to do to achieve a long-term happiness? We should have a steady career. We should have a good family life and good health. One should know how to strike a balance between work and leisure. One should not be a workaholic. 5. Is unhappiness always a bad thing? No, unhappiness is not always a bad thing. It is the unhappiness which makes us realize the importance of happiness. It is the night which tells us the value of day.
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Law Are judges necessary for law enforcement? Yes judges are necessary for law enforcement because they know all the rules and regulations and are in a position to give adequate punishment. If people know they will get punished by authorized people they will not go against law and become law-abiding citizens. What are the requirements for becoming police officers? As such there are no requirements for becoming a police officer. Anyone with a high school degree can join the police force. After joining the police force, they are given special training in patrolling, traffic control, emergency response, use of firearms, first aid, and self-defense. Physical training is another part of most police academies. What are the requirements for becoming a good lawyer? For becoming a lawyer, a person has to do an LLB course which is of 3 years after graduation or there is a five years law course after senior secondary. One has to clear the entrance examination to get admission in any law college. Do you think that being a policeman is an easy job in your country? No, I dont think so. A policemans job is a very demanding job. Policemen need to be physically and mentally strong. They always have to be on their toes. They have to protect peace, life and property. They endanger their life everyday when they deal with crooks. Do you think men and women make equally good police officers? Nowadays, anybody can be trained to do any type of job. We have examples of very good women IPS officers like Kiran Bedi but personally I feel that it is a mans job. A policemans job is a very demanding job. Policemen need to be physically and mentally strong. They always have to be on their toes. They have to protect peace, life and property. They endanger their life everyday when they deal with crooks. So, I think that men are better suited for this job. In general, is policemans job easy? No, I dont think so. A policemans job is a very demanding job. Policemen need to be physically and mentally strong. They always have to be on their toes. They have to protect peace, life and property. They endanger their life everyday when they deal with crooks. Do you think it is a good idea for the police to carry guns around? Yes, definitely. The police have to deal with criminals who may be armed. If police are not armed then nobody will be afraid of them. What do you think are the responsibilities of a good lawyer?
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The first and foremost responsibility is to provide justice. He should not side with the wrong elements of society. He should study each case properly and not use unethical means to defend any client. 9. Do you think men and women make equally good lawyers? Yes, definitely. Nowadays, anybody can be trained to do any type of job. Women who have a law degree can be equally good lawyers. This job is also very demanding and I believe that women lawyers also need to be rough and tough.
Travelling 1. What are the benefits of traveling? There are many benefits of travelling. It is said that travel broadens the mind. We get first-hand knowledge of the people and places. We come to know about the different cultures and lifestyles of people. 2. Do you think it is important to travel?
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Yes, it is very important to travel. It is said that travel broadens the mind. We get firsthand knowledge of the people and places. We come to know about the different cultures and lifestyles of people. Should young people go out traveling, when they finish school? Yes, young people should go out traveling when they finish school because travel broadens the mind. They get first-hand knowledge of the people and places. They come to know about the different cultures and lifestyles of people. They get time to realize what they want to become in life. They can choose their career path. They become independent and mature. They resume their education with added vigour. OR No, young people should not go traveling after high school because they are not mature enough to travel alone at that age and moreover, they find it difficult to resume studies after a long gap. They may also face food and language problems. This concept of traveling after high school is common in the western countries but it is not accepted very well in India. It is considered wastage of money and time here. Do you prefer to travel alone or with others? Would you prefer traveling alone or with someone? Why? I would prefer to travel with others because I would not get bored and also I would feel secure because there is always security in numbers. What are the advantages of traveling alone? There are many advantages of traveling alone. You become more independent as you have to face and solve all your problems alone. Moreover, when you travel alone, you make new friends and sometimes such friendships last a lifetime. Are there any problems related to traveling with others? Yes, there are some problems related to travelling with others. You do not get a chance to make new friends. You may want to do some activity like skiing but your partner may not be interested. What qualities does a person need to be a good traveling companion? A good traveling companion should be co-operative and adjusting. He should have a good sense of humour. He should be fun loving. His tastes should be similar to yours.
Old people 1. Do old people in your country have a comfortable life after retirement? Those people who have planned their retirement during their earning years have a comfortable life after retirement. But, unfortunately, there are many who cannot save for their retired life. They face many problems such as health problems and financial problems. The small amount of pension they draw is not enough and their children
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generally do not look after them. They also suffer from isolation as their children and grandchildren do not like to spend time with them.
Advantages of toys for children 1. Develop physical activity. Some kinds of toys require children to exercise when playing, which enhance their activity and aid their bodies to growth strong. These types do not always cost parents much and it does not take much time to choose a suitable toy. A ball can also be a useful toy because it encourages children's active play. With a ball, they can find it interesting to kick, to throw or catch. This can help children build strong bones and muscles, enhance coordination between hands and eyes and become more active. This physical fitness is extremely important for the later stages of children's lives. They bring good health to children so that they may not be infected by some diseases. 2. Stimulate creativity and increase children's IQ. This sort of toys and games urge the kids to brain-storm to use and play. A puzzle which is based on inquiry process is one of the most popular games and attractive to both children and adults. Puzzles contribute to assisting children to develop minds, increase intelligence quotation, logical thinking and reinforce problem solving skills that they will need as becoming adults. For infants, parents often decorate their children's living spaces with colorful toys of unique textures. Eye-catching colors and distinctive shapes can draw the attention of infants and reinforce their memories due to the repeated appearances in front of their eyes. Other kinds of toys do not only serve entertaining functions but also play educational roles by helping children discover the world, recognize and be aware of animals, items and people around. 3. Improve social interactions. Children will be provided more opportunities to interact with people by playing with them. It is advisable for parents to spend time playing with their children in order to help them build and enhance emotion. In today's busy life, adults sometimes do not have enough time to share with their sons and daughters, which can limit children's emotional development. Scientists recommended that children should be sent to schools so that they have chances to play games and interact with their classmates,
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making them feel more confident or less ashamed when appearing in front of strange people. 4. Bring profits to manufacturers. Children toy industry is becoming profitable which attracts an increasing number of investors. It is undeniable that children are receiving more care and love from their families and the whole society. Parents always want to buy good quality toys for their children and toy makers try to make and innovate children toys to meet the high demand, serving an increasing number of consumers. The investments put in children toys bring huge revenue and reputation to many manufacturers, making toy industry gain a substantial market share. Opportunity-seeking companies tend to deploy this appealing industry to verify their businesses and expanding their markets. In conclusion, children toys and games can have good or bad effects on children's development, either physically or mentally, which depends on whether parents choose the right toys or not. Toy manufacturers are putting much effort in designing high standard toys in order to enhance children's intelligence, health and social interactions.
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Songs Do teenagers and adults enjoy the same kind of songs? It depends on the personal taste. Generally speaking, teenagers like songs with fast beats and adults like songs with good lyrics and soft music. What are the factors which make people like a song? A song should have good lyrics, a good composition, a pleasing voice and a good video to be liked by people. On which occasions do people in your country sing together? In my country, people sing together on birthday parties, marriages, anniversaries and national holidays like the Independence Day and so on. Which kinds of songs are suitable for children? Why? I think folk songs are very suitable for children because they keep children connected to our culture and tradition. As it is, todays children are following the global culture and so, they need to be kept in touch with our traditional culture. Folk songs are a good way to connect with our culture.
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Oceans 1. Do you think that it is important to learn about the oceans and why? I think it is very important to learn about the oceans. We are directly or indirectly influenced by the oceans. Ocean waters serve as a source of food and valuable minerals such as salt which we use daily in our food. Oceans also are used for commerce. For example, pearls taken from oysters are used in jewelry, and shells and coral are used as building materials. They also provide a place for recreation. Each year more people are attracted to the sports of swimming, fishing, scuba diving, boating, and waterskiing. 2. Do you think the oceans should be protected by international agreement? Definitely, oceans should be protected by international agreement. Without oceans there would be no life on Earth. We are directly or indirectly influenced by the oceans. Ocean waters serve as a source of food and valuable minerals such as salt which we use daily in our food. Oceans also are used for commerce. For example, pearls taken from oysters are used in jewelry, and shells and coral are used as building materials. They also provide a place for recreation. Each year more people are attracted to the sports of swimming, fishing, scuba diving, boating, and waterskiing. 3. Do you think the environmental problems can affect the oceans? Yes, the environmental problems can definitely affect the oceans. Because of global warming, ocean water is also getting heated up and this is affecting marine life. People and big industries are dumping their effluents in the oceans and this is a cause for alarm.
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Noise How is the noise level in your city? My city is an industrial city and on top of that it is on the national highway. So, the noise levels are very high. Where does noise in urban areas come from? The noise in urban areas comes from pressure horns of vehicles, industries and loud speakers. Do you think it is important to be alone sometimes? It is very important to be alone sometimes. Everyone needs to introspect at times. One needs to know about ones likes and dislikes and everyone needs time for ones personal work which can be best done in solitude. What is the importance of belonging to a certain group? There is a lot of importance of belonging to a social group. Man is a social animal and cannot live alone for long. One needs to share ones happiness and sorrows with others. That is why we join social groups and feel part of these groups. Social groups are a sort of support system. They give us support when we are low in life. It is mentally unhealthy to be alone for long. What are problem you could have if you go out together in big group? There could be a lot of problems in a big group. It is difficult to organise a big group. Mismanagement can lead to conflicts. It could end up in a lot of wastage of time. It has been well said that two is a company and three is a crowd.
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Numbers Do any numbers hold particular meaning in your culture? India has a very diverse culture. According to Hindu culture numbers play a very important role from the time one is born. The date, the number of the 'month', the time, in minutes and even seconds. Any number may be good for one person and at the same time bad for another. Just a difference of a few minutes can make a man a prince or a pauper. However in Sikh culture number 13 is considered lucky because it is related to Guru Nanak Dev Jis popular story in which Tera means Gods. Universally 13 is considered unlucky. Do you think people should attach particular meaning to numbers? No, I dont think so. I believe that all this is superstition. I believe all numbers are lucky. Do you have any numbers that are special to you? Well, I just like number 7. I was born in July, which is the 7th month and my date of birth is 16 which also adds up to 7. But I dont attach any significance to them. Between numbers and words, which do you remember easily? I remember numbers more easily. This may be because I relate them to other numbers and remember them. What do you do to remember them easily? I just remember them because since childhood I have the habit of remembering numbers by relating them to something or the other.
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Cities Do you think people in cities are better off than those in rural areas, and why? In some ways, yes, and in some ways, no. Both areas have their own pros and cons. I think it is a matter of personal preference. In terms of facilities, city people are at an advantage but if you prefer a peaceful life then rural areas are better. Do you think cities will grow bigger and bigger in coming years? Yes, definitely, as population grows, cities will have to expand. People also migrate from villages to cities in search of better job prospects. What problems are involved when cities grow bigger? As cities grow bigger, there will be overcrowding and congestion. As a result housing will become costlier and slum areas will develop. There will also be pressure on essential services like water supply and sewage disposal. So, diseases may spread. Traffic congestion, accidents and pollution will naturally become more widespread. Crime will also increase especially petty crime such as pick pocketing and chain snatching. Is there something that can be done to restrict the growth of cities? A lot can be done. First of all the government needs to understand that cities act as magnets and people are going to be attracted towards them. So, careful planning of cities with the future in mind should be done. Cheap and affordable housing should be made available. Clean water supply and efficient waste disposal should be there. If public transport is good enough then people will be encouraged to live in villages and daily commute to cities to work. So, rural and urban areas should be well connected by cheap and affordable public transport which should also be comfortable and very frequent. Finally, facilities should be provided in villages so that the difference in urban and rural life is minimized.
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Character What types of characters do adults usually admire these days? Why? People admire celebrities and sportsmen. They also admire young politicians who have the ability to run the nation. People admire people with real talent. They are inspired by them. They also want to be like them. Such characters are role models for them. Why do people still admire the character even if they know its not real? People still admire unreal characters because they are entertained by them. All people have their own fantasies and such characters live their fantasies. Even characters of animals in stories like the thirsty crow are unreal but they give moral lessons to people. What are the characteristics of an actor that is widely admired? The actor should have very good communication skills and also good acting skills. He should be versatile. He should have the ability to fit into any role. He should try to make the character look real. This means he should live his role. He should be a good role model for the people. How much can a character from a movie affect our real life? Why? A character from a movie can affect our real life in many ways. We try to relate those characters with people in our real life. Sometimes, we relate those characters with ourselves. We are inspired by them and we want to be like them. Sometimes we face similar situations in our real life and we try to solve them as these characters have done in movies.
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1. Do you think human activities are affecting wild life? Yes, definitely. We are cutting trees. Trees are the natural home of animals. If they have nowhere to live, they die. Even our technology is affecting animals. For example, the rays from telephone towers have affected bird life. We hardly see any sparrows nowadays. We are doing unnecessary experiments which are harming animals. We are hunting animals for meat and their body parts. So our activities are definitely affecting wild life. 2. What are the reasons that some species of animals and birds are becoming extinct? This is because of many reasons. We are cutting trees. Trees are the natural home of animals. If they have nowhere to live, they die. Even our technology is affecting animals. For example, the rays from telephone towers have affected bird life. We hardly see any sparrows nowadays. We are doing unnecessary experiments which are harming animals. We are hunting animals for meat and their body parts. So, because of all these 3. What should the government do for the conservation of these species? Government can do a lot. It can aware people about the importance of animals. It can make laws against hunting and cutting trees. It can have strict punishment for law breakers. Wildlife sanctuaries and parks should be made and maintained well so that they can live in their natural habitat. 4. Why do people like to see animals on TV? We like to see animals on TV because many species of animals are endangered and on the verge of extinction and we can see them only on TV. Moreover, animals are the beautiful creation of God and we feel happy to see how they live in their natural habitat. We feel enchanted by their pranks. Nowadays zoos are very rare and TV is the only source to see animals. 5. Why do children like to have toy animals?
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Animals enchant children. They love their pranks. They love to play with animal toys. Parents also provide toy animals because they are educative. For example if they play with a toy tiger they learn about their national animal. 6. What is the effect of humans on animals? Humans have a lot of effect on animals. We are cutting trees. Trees are the natural home of animals. If they have nowhere to live, they die. Even our technology is affecting animals. For example, the rays from telephone towers have affected bird life. We hardly see any sparrows nowadays. We are doing unnecessary experiments which are harming animals. We are hunting animals for meat and their body parts. So our activities are definitely affecting wild life. 7. How can we contribute to the conservation of animals? We can contribute in a number of ways. We can stop cutting trees. We can stop hunting animals We can become vegetarians We can avoid using technology We should not use leather purses. We should try to reduce pollution. We can aware other ignorant people around us of the importance of animals. 8. Is animal conservation important? Yes definitely. We are all a part of an ecological chain. If any link of this chain is broken, we are all affected. Let us take the example of bats. Bats are on the verge of extinction. If we do not conserve them, we will be in danger. Let me explain why. Bats eat insects. If bats die, the number of insects will increase many fold. These insects will eat our crops. So we will have nothing to eat. So it is very important to conserve.
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Follow up questions related to School, subject, teacher 1. For children these days, do you think it is easier to make friends in a smaller school or a larger school? I think it is easier to make friends in a small school because there are less number of students and you can easily interact with them and find someone your type. OR I think it is easier to make friends in a big school because there are many students and you can easily interact with them and find someone your type. OR I think size of the school does not matter in ability to make friends. 2. In your opinion, what are the benefits of studying in a larger school? There are many benefits of studying in a larger school. In a larger school you have many facilities like larger playgrounds and better labs and libraries. There are also better extra-curricular activities. 3. Do you think social education is important in schools? What are the advantages? I think social education is very important in schools. As it is, children today are being cut off from society and community because they have burden of studies and even their recreational activities are done alone. Their parents also dont have time to give them any social education. In nuclear families no one is there to teach them such values. So, I think schools should take the onus of imparting social education. 4. How do you think schools can help pupils in developing their social skills? Schools can help in many ways. First of all teachers can act as role models and teach children basic manners and ethics. Then, schools can have compulsory community service as part of high school curriculum. There can be extra-curricular activities which impart social values. 5. What difference is there in moving from a large to a small school? There are many differences in moving from a bigger to a smaller school. On the one hand, the student may find he has come to a smaller place with lesser facilities such as playgrounds and labs. But on the other hand he may get personal attention as there are lesser number of students in a small school.
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6. What qualifications should a teacher have? A teacher should have the qualifications needed for the subject he has to teach. For example, a science teacher should be a graduate in science subjects. Apart from that a B.Ed. degree is mandatory for all teachers in my country. 7. Why teachers give so many assignments to pupils? Teachers give assignments to students so that they learn by doing things. In this way it creates interest in the subject also. Students also develop their writing skills. They learn how to gather material for the assignment. It also helps in internal assessment of students. 8. What are the qualities necessary to become a good teacher? A good teacher should have many qualities. He should have good communication skills. If a teacher doesnt have good communication skills, how will he teach. Secondly, a good teacher should have depth of knowledge. Because, if a teacher doesnt have depth of knowledge, what will he teach. Then, a teacher should be impartial and should not favour any student. A teacher should be able to come down to the level of the student and teach him accordingly. A teacher should know where to be strict and where to be lenient. 9. Why do some people like to be a teacher and what are the effects of being a teacher on those people? Some people like to become teachers because it is a noble profession. They have a passion for teaching. Some like to be teachers because they want to remain in touch with academics. Moreover, nowadays teachers are getting handsome pay packages. It is a fixed hours job. So it suits women because they have to look after their families also. They remain happy because they are doing what they like to do and it gives them job-satisfaction. 10. Is it easy for a young person these days to become a teacher? Yes, it is very easy for young persons these days to become teachers because there are so many schools and colleges which require teachers. There are so many institutes providing B.Ed. courses. Moreover teaching is a highly lucrative profession. Teachers are earning very high pay packages. 11. Is teaching a good job for young people? Yes, definitely. Teaching is a highly lucrative profession. Teachers are earning very high pay packages. 12. What is the difference in teaching young people and elderly? When a teacher has to teach young children, the content is decided by the teacher. So the education is teacher oriented. Moreover, young children can be easily handled by the teacher. When a teacher has to teach the elderly, then the students decide the content. So, the education is student centred. The elderly have many other sources to learn, like the
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internet. So they only want their doubts clarified by the teacher. To teach the elderly, depth of knowledge is required by the teacher. 13. What do you prefer studying in a small class or a larger class. I prefer to study in a small class because in a small class I can get more attention of the teacher. 14. Do young children need strict rules to cope with homework? Yes, definitely. If teachers are not strict with homework then children will become careless. As it is, they have so many distractions at home like TV and video games. So if teachers are not strict they will not do their homework. 15. What is the difference in teacher taught relation today and in earlier days? Nowadays the teacher taught relation is very strained. There are mainly two reasons for this. The first is that, earlier teaching was teacher-oriented. Teacher was the only source of knowledge. Now students have so many other sources like the internet and libraries. Secondly, the ugly claws of commercialism have crept into the field of education. Education has become a business and the student is the customer. 16. Do you think teaching is a tough job? Yes, definitely, teaching is a tough job. You need very good communication skills and depth of knowledge. As it is, students have so many sources of learning like libraries and the internet, so, a teacher has to be really very good to be able to teach well. 17. What are the characteristics of a good learner? He should be very attentive in the class. He should be diligent. He should be regular in his homework and other assignments. He should have the guts to approach the teacher if he doesnt understand anything. 18. What is the best thing you remember about your teacher? The best thing I remember about my teacher is his warm smile. That made him very approachable. 19. Do you think there is any age limitation in studies? No, I dont think there is any age limitation in studies. A person can study at any age. A few days ago I was watching the news when I saw that a grandmother and granddaughter passed their graduation together. 20. Would you choose teaching as a profession? Yes, definitely, I would choose teaching as a profession. It is a highly lucrative profession nowadays and there is no dearth of jobs in this profession. 21. What do you think of people not being into teaching nowadays? Well, maybe they dont have the aptitude for teaching. Maybe, they have better paid jobs elsewhere. Maybe they dont have good communication skills. Maybe they dont have the mandatory B.Ed. degree. 22. What can a government do to encourage people to take up teaching? What actions should governments take to help a graduate student become a teacher?
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Governments can provide good salary to teachers. Government can provide good facilities to teachers. Governments can give incentives in the form of free education to their children, free transport facilities, free health facilities and free meals in school hours. Governments can award good teachers. Governments can give good pension for teachers. Governments can provide free higher education to those students who would take up teaching job later on. 23. Can a good teacher remain good even if her students are bad in class? Well, yes a good teacher can remain good at all times. It is his capability to convert bad students to good students. 24. How do teachers contribute to society? Well, teachers are nation builders. They can contribute a lot to society. They can teach moral values and turn students into good professionals and citizens. 25. How do teachers motivate students to learn? Teachers can do so in many ways. They can give them incentives in the form of prizes and also give them group assignments which make learning fun. They can use innovative methods of teaching by using AV aids (audiovisual aids) 26. Who do you think children nowadays should follow - their parents or their teachers? Children should follow both. They need guidance from both parents and teachers. If parents are illiterate, then of course teachers play a better role. 27. Do you think nowadays there is less value in a teachers job? Well, no, and yes. No, because teaching is a highly lucrative profession these days and Yes, because nowadays the teacher taught relation is very strained. There are mainly two reasons for this. The first is that, earlier teaching was teacher-oriented. Teacher was the only source of knowledge. Now students have so many other sources like the internet and libraries. Secondly, the ugly claws of commercialism have crept into the field of education. Education has become a business and the student is the customer.
A few speaking questions - Dancing 1. When was the last time you went to a place where people go to dance in your country? I have never been to any such place where people specially go to dance. In my country people specially go to dance in discos, pubs and clubs. But there are no such places in my home town. I love to dance on family functions. 2. When was the last occasion when you danced a lot? The last occasion I danced a lot was last Sunday. It was my friends birthday. He invited us to his home. We danced a lot on that day. 3. Do you like dancing?
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Yes, I love dancing. I dance on all family functions like marriage parties and birthday parties. Have you ever learnt dancing? Why? / Why not? No, I have never learnt dancing. Unfortunately, there are no places in my hometown where dance is taught. All the steps I know, Ive learnt from TV programmes and movies. OR Yes, Ive learnt dancing. There is a very nice centre in my village which teaches Punjabi folk dances like Giddha and Bhangra. Did you learn to dance? Why? / Why not? No, I did not learn to dance. Unfortunately, there are no places in my hometown where dance is taught. All the steps I know, Ive learnt from TV programmes and movies. OR Yes, I learnt dancing in my childhood. There is a very nice centre in my village which teaches Punjabi folk dances like Giddha and Bhangra. Why do you think people love to dance? People love to dance because they can express their joy. Dance is a form of expression. Dance is a good way to relieve tensions and worries. It also keeps the body fit. Do you think children love to dance? Yes, children love to dance because they can express their joy. Dance is a form of expression. Dance is a good way to relieve tensions and worries. It also keeps the body fit. Do you see dance on TV? Yes, I see a lot of dance reality shows like Dance India Dance, Nachh Baliye and Dancing Superstars.
1. Do you think handwriting is still important? Yes, I think so. Handwriting skills will always be important. Formal letters are needed in business. Writing skills are also needed in writing resumes. We all know that we belong to a global village. Today we have to compete with children all over the world. We have to apply for jobs in multinational companies. So we need good writing skills. Even though technology has reduced the need of writing skills, still, I feel that it is very important in todays world. 2. Do you think handwriting will die in the future? No, definitely not. Handwriting will never die. Its need may decrease because of technology, still there will be many areas in which handwriting will be needed. I also feel
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that, that day is still very far when each and every person on earth will have access to technology. 3. Do you write letters? Yes, I do. I write e-mails to my friends and relatives. 4. Do you think children should be taught to write like in the old days? Yes, I think so. Writing is an art which is going down because of modern technology. Computers automatically check the spelling and grammar because of which children are losing such skills. 5. Compare the way you learnt to write and the children today learn to write? I learnt to write by joining dots. Even today children learn in the same manner but there are many cursive writing books available these days which were not so common earlier. 6. Do you like reading magazines or newspapers? I like reading both, but, I prefer newspapers because I want to keep myself abreast of what is happening around me. 7. What kind of articles do you read? I read articles related to sports, fashion and politics. First I go through the headlines and then I turn to the sports section. I also read the Jalandhar supplement which comes on Wednesdays and Fridays because it has local news. 8. Have you ever read a foreign newspaper? No, I have never read any foreign newspaper. I only read English and Punjabi newspaper. 9. Do you think it is good to read newspapers to learn a new language? Yes, I think so. I feel that we can learn a new language soon if we try to read the newspaper in that language. It will also tell us about the culture and people of that place. 10. What is your daily routine? Generally, I get up early and go for a morning walk. On the way back, I pause at the gurudwara and pay my obeisance to the almighty. I also chalk out my days plan in my mind. I leave home for work/college at around 8.30. In the evening, I mostly help my mother in household chores( help my mother in buying grocery and vegetables). We all family members take dinner together at around 9 pm. We watch TV for an hour or so. I go to bed after that. 11. What time of the day you like the most and why? The time of the day I like the most is evening time because that is the time when we all family members take dinner together and share our days happenings with each other. 12. What would you like to change in your daily routine? I would like to add an hour of exercise to my daily routine because, I feel I am putting on weight. 13. What things you do not like to buy in shopping centres?
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I do not like buy things from sales because I have had some very bad experiences with sales items. I once bought jeans from sales and they turned out to be defective.
1. Where do you live and where is it located? I live in Phagwara which is a small town in Punjab which is in the northern part of India. 2. How is the transportation in your place? The transportation in my place is very good. We have the private and the public transport. Among the public transport we have the roadways and railways. They are very well developed as my home town is on the national highway. Among the private transport we have our own two-wheelers and four wheelers. 3. How often do you spend time with your friends? I spend time with my friends very often. In fact, twice or thrice a week. 4. What do you do when you are together? When we are together, then sometimes, we go for shopping together and sometimes we see a movie. 5. What do people in your country mostly talk when they are together? People talk about various issues. Some talk about politics: some about weather: some talk about fashion and so many more topics. It also depends on age group and gender. 6. Do you like fruits and vegetables? Yes, I like fruits and vegetables. In fact they are a part of my daily diet. 7. How often do you eat fruits and vegetables? I eat fruits and vegetables daily. In fact seasonal fruits and vegetables are part of my daily diet. 8. Why do you think fruits and vegetables are important for us? I think they are important because they have essential vitamins and minerals which we must eat to be healthy. 9. What kind of fruit do you prefer? I prefer all kinds of fruit. But I prefer seasonal fruits because they are readily available and cheap. 10. What age do you think your child can drive at? I think my child can drive at the age of 18 because it is the legal age in my country 11. Does your high school or secondary school provide driving lessons? No, our high schools and secondary schools do not provide driving lessons because when children pass out of these schools they are not yet 18, which is the legal age of driving in our country. 14. What is your full name? 15. How would you like to be addressed? I would like to be addressed as -------
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16. Do a lot of children ride bicycle in your country? Yes, they do. Bicycle is the first and only ride of children till they are 18. 17. Why do children like to ride it? They like to ride it because it is the only ride for them. Moreover, they love balancing on the bicycle. It saves their time and it is also a green vehicle. 18. Do you enjoy parties? Yes, I do. I love partying with friends and even family members. 19. Which parties are more interesting; of youngsters or of older people? I love youngsters parties because they have more fun and merrymaking. 20. What do you like best about your hometown? The thing I like best about my hometown is that the shopping centres are very good. It is a shoppers paradise.
1. Are you angry with people who are late? Yes, definitely I am angry with people who are late. I am very punctual myself and I feel irritated when somebody keeps me waiting. 2. Do you think that people have less free time today than in the past? Why? Yes, I do feel that people have less free time today than in the past. Today, people have become workaholics. They run after money and in doing so they work longer hours. Moreover, today we belong to a materialistic society and to buy these luxuries we have to work more. In earlier times, life was slower and the needs of people were limited. So people had a lot of free time. 3. Do you think that the quality of living is increasing? How? I feel that in many ways the quality of life has increased and in many ways it has gone down. People today enjoy greater comforts and have more money to enjoy life but on the other hand we face many problems today such as pollution and global warming which make the quality of life bad. 4. Today people use machinery to automate everything, is it good or bad? It is both good as well as bad. In many ways it is good. We have more time because of machines. We get good quality things because machines make uniform things. We do mass production because of automation and this boosts our economy as we can export things to other countries when we produce them in bulk.
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On the other hand many people have lost jobs because of automation. So, unemployment occurs and this leads to many other problems in society. Machines can also not give a personal touch to things. 5. How does modern technology help to save time? Modern technology has touched all aspects of life. In transport industry we have much faster means of travel. In communication, technology has given us tools to connect to others at the click of a mouse. In the homes, we have washing machines and microwave ovens which save our time. 6. Do you agree that people should let machinery do everything? I do not agree that machines should do everything. In that way we shall become slaves of our own creation. We should know when, where and how-much we have to use machines. We should know where to draw the line. When we need mass production, we should take the help of machines. In doing repetitive and boring work we can let the machines take over. But where creativity is needed, we should do with our own hands.
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Follow up of celebrations How do you learn about celebrations that are related to your culture? We learn about celebrations from our parents and grandparents. We also learn about them by attending family functions. We also learn through media by watching daily soaps. We also learn through school and college functions. What do you think are common celebrations all over the world? There are many celebrations which are celebrated all over the world. Such as New year celebration, Christmas celebration, Valentine Day celebration, Mothers Day, Fathers Day and so on. Do you think we should follow our culture and traditions and why? Yes, definitely, we should follow our culture and tradition because it keeps us in touch with our roots. We can pass on our rich culture to our coming generation if only we know about it. I believe that every culture has some good points which need to be preserved. How do you react to spending a lot of money on celebrations?
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I think it is sheer wastage of money. For example, burning crackers as a tradition on Diwali is OK but spending exorbitant amount of money on crackers is bad. Similarly giving gifts is OK on occasions but buying very expensive gifts just to show-off is bad. 5. How do you think celebrations in the past and at present are different? In earlier times, people had a lot of time. They took days and weeks to prepare for any function. Nowadays, celebrations have shrunk. They have become instant like the cup of instant coffee. Earlier, marriage celebrations lasted at least a week. All relatives gathered in the house of the bride or groom and there used to be too much fun and frolic. Now, we book marriage palaces and even the bride and the grooms family just go to attend the wedding. 6. Are people celebrating in the same ways? No, definitely not. Everything undergoes change with time. Celebrations too have changed. In earlier times, people had a lot of time. They took days and weeks to prepare for any function. Nowadays, celebrations have shrunk. They have become instant like the cup of instant coffee. Earlier, marriage celebrations lasted at least a week. All relatives gathered in the house of the bride or groom and there used to be too much fun and frolic. Now, we book marriage palaces and even the bride and the grooms family just go to attend the wedding.
1. Are the changes in the cities good or bad? Overall the changes are good. They provide a lot of benefits to the people. However, if these changes are not done in a planned manner then they can cause inconvenience. For example, if a superstore is opened in the city centre where there are no parking facilities, it can cause traffic jams and cause problems for people. 2. How do people react to them? Mostly people welcome these changes because they are benefited in many ways. For example, because of LPU, many housewives have started earning from the students
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who live as paying guests in their homes. On the other hand, because of overcrowding in such cities, a lot of petty crime such as chain snatching and pick-pocketing is increasing. So people face some problems also. Which facilities should the government make available for people? Government should provide good transportation facilities, medical facilities and also provide good civic facilities like good water supply and sanitation facilities. Sports facilities should also be provided like good stadia and gyms so that the youth have a place to channelize their energy in a positive way. Should government consider local peoples opinion when deciding on changes in the city? Yes, definitely take the views of the people because ultimately they are going to be affected by the changes. People have their representatives such as municipal councillors and NGOs who are a link between the government and the people. Media also plays a good role in this matter. Should people know about everything the government is planning? The things which affect people in a big way should be known to people but generally everything may not be told to the people. I believe that whatever the government does is for the benefit of people and is well discussed by our politicians before being implemented. Why do some people not like changes? Some people dont like changes because they want to preserve their culture and tradition. Some people are easy-going. They are satisfied with what they have and dont want to take any risks that are involved in any change. Have the traditions changed in your country? What are the benefits of changing traditions? What are the urgent needs of people in the cities? Good and cheap housing, medical facilities, transportation facilities, safe drinking water and proper sanitation facilities are the urgent needs of city people.
1. Do you think sleep is the best way to relax? Yes, I do think so. Sleep relaxes both the body and the mind. It revitalises us. We recharge our batteries for the next few hours. For some time we forget all our worries and tensions. So, I feel it is the best way to relax. 2. Do you think that sleep is important? Yes, I do think so. Sleep relaxes both the body and the mind. It revitalises us. We recharge our batteries for the next few hours. For some time we forget all our worries and tensions. So, I feel it is very important. However, I also feel that it should be of limited hours. Oversleeping is also very bad. 3. What do you think of the sleeping patterns of people of all ages?
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Sleeping patterns vary with age. Children generally sleep more than adults. Those who do a lot of physical work also need more sleep. The elderly sleep for only 4-5 hours a day and it is enough for them because they have very little physical exertion. Where do you usually go on vacation? I usually go to different places on vacation. I like visiting new places every time. Once I went to Shimla with my family. Once I went to Delhi and Agra with my friends. Do you think paid leave is necessary? Yes, definitely. A paid leave is very necessary. A paid leave combines vacation, sick time and personal time into a single group of days for employee paid time off. The concept is good. This enables workers to create a balance between work and leisure. These days when a person looks for a job, the number of paid leaves is considered as an added benefit. How many hours of paid leave should one get in a month? I think it should be 15-20 hours a month. What are the advantages of a paid leave? There are many advantages of a paid leave. This enables workers to create a balance between work and leisure. These days when a person looks for a job, the number of paid leaves is considered as an added benefit. For example, maternity leave of six months is a paid leave in government jobs. These benefits make people want to do such jobs. How do people make new friends? People make friends in many ways. It depends on age and gender. Children make friends in schools and colleges. They also make friends in the neighbourhood by playing together. Women make friends by joining kitty parties and men make friends at work or by joining social clubs. What do you think makes people have a long friendship? Mutual understanding makes people have a long friendship. If people can tolerate each others short comings and be simple and straight forward, then friendships can be for a long time. Does it make things easier in a friendship if you have similar interests? Yes, definitely. With similar interests friends can spend time together and not get bored. They will also have similar topics for discussion. In a lasting friendship it is very essential that your likes and dislikes are similar. How do people make friends now? Now a days, people make friends through internet by joining social networking sites like face book, twitter and orkut. Do you think we meet new people differently now than in the past? Yes, definitely. Nowadays, we meet new people through internet by joining social networking sites like face book, twitter and orkut. Earlier, people had lots of free time and they made friends by meeting personally.
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6. What do you think, what type of personality do people of the young generation admire? Young generation admires people who are rich and famous. They admire young politicians like Rahul Gandhi and Sachin Pilot. They also admire famous sports personalities. They admire reality show winners. 7. Do you think admiration varies according to age? Yes, surely. Young people admire celebrities. Elderly admire good politicians and religious preachers. 8. What do you think, how important is education in ones life? Education is very important in ones life. It is the base of ones life. Education makes you confident and able to get good jobs. We also learn moral values and tolerance of other religions and cultures. An educated person rarely goes towards crime and violence. 9. Do you think today, education is in demand more than it was in the past? Yes, I do think so. Competition is very tough these days and we belong to a global village. If we lack in education we are like frogs in a well. Education makes us broad minded and we can get a job anywhere in this world. 1. Do you think you are a competitive person? Yes, I am a competitive person. Life is full of competition. I have participated in many competitive exams, sports and quiz competitions. 2. Is it important to be competitive and why? Yes, it is very important to be competitive nowadays. We belong to an era of competition. Today, we are not competing with the person next-door or in the same town or country. We are competing with the people of a global village. 3. In business, do companies need to be competitive? Yes, definitely. Business is all about competition. If you dont compete how can you run a business? You have to sell your products and for that you have to compete with your rivals. Otherwise they will succeed and you will lose. 4. Should companies promote competition and why? Yes, surely. Companies should promote competition because if they dont compete how can they run a business? They have to sell their products and for that they have to compete with their rivals. Otherwise they will fail and others will succeed. However, they should promote healthy competition and should not use unethical means to compete. 5. What are the advantages and disadvantages of competition? There are many advantages of competition. It improves our confidence. We become hard working and learn problem-solving skills. We learn to excel in todays competitive era. There are disadvantages of being over-competitive. A win-at-all-cost attitude is bad. This makes us use unethical means to win. For example athletes take drugs to win a race. A businessman may harm his rival to succeed. Competition also creates negative feelings among the losers. They may go into depression or have suicidal tendencies.
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1. What is the importance of stories in the development of a child? Stories play an important role in the development of a child. They help the child imagine the characters in the mind which is the first step to creativity. Another important benefit is that we can impart the knowledge of culture, tradition, moral values and religion in the mind of the child. This forms the basis of the childs personality. Finally, telling stories enhances the curiosity of the child and enhances their mental growth. 2. What are the benefits of grandparents telling stories to children in the family? There are many benefits of grandparents telling stories to their grandchildren. This is one of the best ways to pass on our cultural heritage to our children. Another big advantage is that it reduces the loneliness of grandparents. They feel wanted and loved. It is a win-win situation for both. The relationship between grandparents and grandchildren is a symbiotic relation. Parents can find time for other things while grandparents and grandchildren are happily busy with each other. 3. What type of books children read nowadays? Nowadays, generally speaking, the reading habit of the children is on the decline. Whatever books they read are based on fantasy, fiction and supernatural characters like Barbie, superman and shaktiman. 50 years ago Children read a lot. They read moral and spiritual books. They read animal stories. After 50 years I do not think they will do any reading. All the time will be spent in front of computers. 4. Do you think children have lost their interest in stories? No, I dont think that children have lost their interest in stories. However, the stories they read today are very different from the past. 5. Can story books be an ideal gift for children? Yes, definitely! Story books can be an ideal gift for children. They can help the child imagine the characters in the mind which is the first step to creativity. Another important benefit is that we can impart the knowledge of culture, tradition, moral values and religion in the mind of the child. This forms the basis of the childs personality. Finally, story books enhance the curiosity of the child and enhance their mental growth. 6. What can be done to encourage the habit of reading among children? A lot can be done to encourage the habit of reading among children. The first and foremost step would be to make books available. There should be good libraries in the schools as well as in neighbourhoods. Story telling competitions could be organised. If children have to take part in these competitions, then naturally, they would be encouraged to read books. Finally, books could be made more interesting by adding graphics. 7. How does reading help a child? Reading helps to improve concentration. It also helps to improve general knowledge. It also improves the language skills and satisfies the curiosity of children on various things.
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8. What sort of books can be suggested to children to read? Children should be encouraged to read religious and historical books. They should also read biographies and autobiographies of famous people so that they get motivation from them. They should also be encouraged to read books on science and technology. However, these books should be made very interesting by adding pictures. 9. How much should a child read every day? A child should read half to one hour daily. I think that would be enough considering that they have to go to school and do their homework as well. 10. What is the difference between the books sold in the past and the books sold nowadays? In the past, books related to culture, tradition, religion and history were sold. Nowadays, books are mostly based on fiction and fantasy.
Importance of birds Birds are very important in our lives. They are beautiful creations of God. We love to hear the chirping of birds. They are an important part of our ecological chain. If any link of this chain breaks then the whole ecology suffers. Significance of birds in our culture Birds have a great significance in our culture. The peacock is our national bird. According to Hindu mythology, peacock is the ride of Goddess Saraswati. Dove is the symbol of peace. The crow is the symbol of the lord Shani. The falcon is related to our 10th Sikh Guru, guru Gobind Singh Ji. In your country at what age do people celebrate their most important birthday? In my country all birthdays are equally important. There is no birthday which can be called very special for celebrations. However, 18 is the official age of adulthood in my country. People get voting rights at 18. They also can get driving licence at this age. So, 18th birthday can be called important. Advantages of old-age homes Old-age homes are a boon because of the following reasons. Firstly, they give the opportunity to the elderly to be in the comfort of people of similar age and experience. They give a sense of belonging to the old people in a society where their so-called loved ones have either neglected them or have no time for them. Secondly, old-age homes are helpful for those elderly who do not have any children or any relatives. They can spend the last few years of their lives in the company of others like them. Old age homes are also a boon for those children of aged parents who seek career opportunities
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away from home. They can be sure that their loved ones are taken care of and not left alone. Furthermore, old age homes enable the old people to participate in some social-service activities which in turn help the society. They also help the elderly to remain healthy with timely day to day activities. Finally, the culture of the old-age-homes tends to refine some attitudes of the aged such as short temper and negative thinking. This is because when they are in the company of other people of their own age they realise the negative points of such behaviour.
1. What is the importance of celebrations? What is the importance of ceremonies in our lives? How important it is to celebrate anniversaries or special days? It is very important to celebrate anniversaries or special days. They provide an opportunity for building relationships. Celebrations keep us in touch with our culture and tradition. Celebrations are ways of recognizing major milestones. Celebrations reduce stress. Celebrations inspire and re-energise people. 2. What is the importance of having national or public holidays? Holidays ensure that all individuals have leisure time at the same time. Many of the things that people actually want to do in their free time are more enjoyable if done with others. Public holidays are very important. They give us a break from our work or studies. Their celebration also increases the importance of that day or event in our mind. In addition, this brings people of similar culture closer to each other and makes them feel united. What is more, leisure industries like cinema, restaurants and amusement parks get a boost in their business on such days. This is good for a growing economy like India. Follow ups 1. Do you think it is more difficult to relax when you are at home? Yes, I think so because at home somebody or the other can always disturb you.
2. Do you think there is a difference in relaxation activities between old and young people? Yes, there is a lot of difference between relaxation activities of the young and old people. Old people relax in parks and religious places. They need to relax physically because they are physically weaker than the young. The young people on the other hand have a lot of pent up energy in them. They feel relaxed when they release that
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energy. This may be by doing vigorous physical activity like playing or dancing or even going to the gym.
To raise a child is to amass gold. Spanish proverb Give your child too much freedom and lose your own. Russian proverb Who does not beat his own child will later beat his own breast Persian proverb. Clich In prosperity, your friends know you, In adversity, you know your friends. Fair-weather friends In times of test, family is best. Chinese proverb.
History History is the witness of the times, The torch, The teacher of life,
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The life of memory, The messenger of antiquity Cicero
Modern technology, Owes ecology An apology
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Ielts Speaking Memories

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Speaking memories ( 24th Sept)

The life of memory, The messenger of antiquity Cicero

Modern technology, Owes ecology An apology

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