Speaking Part 2
Here is an audio of the sample answers given below. Please listen to it for more clarity on the Speaking Test.
Describe a useful electrical appliance (e.g. a mobile phone or computer) that you use at home or at work
You should say
- what it is
- where it is
- how you use it
- and explain why this item is important to you
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Sample Answer
The most useful piece of equipment I use, is my computer. I use it for both my work and for recreation. It is a laptop, so I can take it with me wherever I go. I usually keep it on the dresser at the end of my bed, though when I use it, I am usually on my bed or in my armchair. I use it for my research, and to read assignments that I have been given. I also use it for my work and writing. It is important to me because I have all of my most important information on it. If I didn’t have it my life would be so much more difficult because I would have many problems finding all the different things I need to do my work. I also use it to listen to music so I would have a hard time listening to music if I didn’t have it. Often my mother will ask me to type something up for her and I like to use my laptop for that because I’m accustomed to using the keyboard on it. Then I can type faster because I don’t have to get used to a new keyboard, and I make less mistakes.
Vocabulary for Speaking Part 2
- Recreation: An activity done for enjoyment when one is not working.
Eg: She takes amusement rides for recreation. - Accustomed: Customary; usual
Eg: I got accustomed to the route. - Equipment: The necessary items for a particular purpose.
Eg: These are the equipments used by the people in ancient times - Armchair: A large, comfortable chair with side supports for a person’s arms.
Eg: I have my grandma’s armchair with me
Speaking Part 3
1 Have computers (the items you chose to talk about) changed much over the years ?
Yes. computers have changed so much since they first came out. The first computer took up a whole, huge room. Today, computers are so small you can put them easily into a shoulder bag. Some are even small enough to fit into your pocket.
2 What kinds of electrical appliances are used most ?
I use computers every day and they are used in almost every area of my life. I also use printers often to print out the information that I have put together on my computer and give it to someone else. In my kitchen there are also some electrical appliances that I use every day like toasters, microwaves, and refrigerators. A coffee maker is an appliance not used much in China, but probably is used more in the U.S. and Europe.
3 Do you think we can live without electrical appliances ?
I think it is possible for people to live without electrical appliances. However, people are so used to having them and living with them that I think it would be very difficult, especially if the change is very sudden. I think that it’s not good for people to be so dependent on machines to do things for them. I think that people should learn how to live and do things without machines and appliances so that if there is ever a time when they don’t have them, it will be easier to adjust.
4 Do you think science and technology will one day completely eliminate traditional skills and equipment ?
I think that it is very possible, but I don’t think that this is good. Right now it’s very hard to keep up with technology so what would it be like if it was all replaced? It is almost hard to fathom. Well you know, if we ever run out of oil it seems to me that a lot of the technology would change.
5 How do you think electrical appliances will develop in the future ?
I think we will have electrical appliances that will do many of the jobs and duties that require less thinking. Jobs like cooking, cleaning, and repairing may soon be taken over by machines and very intelligent appliances. We may soon have appliances that can have dinner on the table by the time a mother and father have come home from work and the child has come home from school. We may have appliances that will clean the house and make the beds, fix the sink and paint the walls.
6 What are some of the different forms of electronic communication that people use in offices today?
The most common form of communication in the office is email. Even between people next to or near each other it is becoming more common to just type out an email or memo. Another very common form of communication is the phone. No matter where someone is they will almost always have an office phone or a cell phone.
7 What are the effects of using such electronic forms of communication ?
One of the main effects of using electronic communication is that the communications become less personal. There is a feeling of just communicating with machines and not talking to a human. Of course, it is much more convenient to be able to send an email to someone rather than going to where they are to ask them or tell them something. It is also much quicker to call someone than to find them and talk to them personally.
8 Do you think people rely too much on machines nowadays ?
I think that most people rely too greatly on machines. They seem to forget that there are people around them. It is easy to become completely absorbed in computers or phones or PDAs or MP3 players. People will more often turn to their machines for entertainment rather than spending time with others or getting exercise.
9 What are the advantages that we get from using modern home and office equipment ?
There are some advantages to using modern home and office equipment. One of the main ones is that more things get done and often we can complete projects and assignments very quickly. We are also able to do things that we wouldn’t have been able to do before, like working at home. Also, because we are able to finish things quickly, we have more time for other activities that we wish to do.
10 What do you think is the most useful thing that man has ever discovered ?
I think that our most important discovery was electricity. Without electricity we would not have any of the modern equipment that we have today. We would be unable to have phones, computers, lights, TVs. refrigerators, or music players. Electricity runs almost everything in our houses and work areas today.
Vocabulary for Speaking Part 3
- Appliances: A device or piece of equipment designed to perform a specific task.
Eg: Government should reduce taxes on electrical equipment - Convenient: Easy
Eg: It is really convenient in a metro - Absorbed: (of energy or a liquid or other substance) taken in or soaked up.
Eg: Cotton absorbs water quickly - Communication: The imparting or exchanging of information by speaking, writing, or using some other medium.
Eg: Mobile phones have become an effective way of communication
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