IELTS Speaking Practice Test 17 Topic: New Reports

Speaking Part 1

1How do you usually get your newspaper?

At my house, we get daily newspapers. My father is old school. He always sits with a newspaper and a cup of tea to read the news in the morning.

[restrict paid=true]

2How often do you read the newspaper?

I am not a regular reader. But I mostly follow sports sections. Since the election is fast approaching, I happen to follow the regional section too. And nowadays I dont have time to sit and read the news, so I download the TOI app on my mobile to get daily news.

3What news do you prefer to read?

I generally follow sports news. But I go through the headlines of every topic. If something catches my attention,I go through the entire article.

4Do most people in your country follow the news?

Yes. people do follow news. Not everyone reads newspapers, but they keep themselves updated with everything they can. For example, a businessman will always read news about the availability of their articles and demand, and a farmer will always keep himself updated on reports of weather and so on.

Speaking Part 2

Here is an audio of the sample answers given below. Please listen to it for more clarity on the Speaking Test.

Sample Answer

Just today I read a story online about a Beijing vice mayor getting fired for taking bribes involving construction in the lead up to the 2008 Olympic Games. I found the story on the International Herald Tribune website. I found the story because it is one of the websites I check out every day, trying to stay informed of world events. I was happy when I heard the news. From what I’ve seen, China has a massive problem with corruption, and I think it’s about time they started doing something about it. It seems like there is an enormous amount of money wasted every year because officials are either taking bribes or skimming off the top and it does a major amount of damage to the Chinese people. If the government halts this trend, I think it will be a great thing for us. Money will be spent in places where it can do some good rather than lining the pockets of people who don’t need it. There have been quite a few stories of this nature lately, and it shows an extremely positive development. I’m not sure if the government is going after all the corrupted officials or just some of them, but either way, it is a step in the right direction.

Vocabulary for Cue card

• Bribes: money or favor given or promised in order to influence the judgment
  Eg:  He bribed the police to get away with the speeding
• Massive: huge
  Eg: She had a massive panic attack last night
• Corruption: dishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power, typically involving bribery.
  Eg: Corruption needs to stopped
• Enormous: huge; very big
  Eg: The enormously tall dinosaur image frightened the children

Speaking Part 3

1How do most people in China get their news?

Most Chinese people get their news from various newspapers. Everyday, I see people reading newspapers on the bus, on the subway, or on the street. Also many people get their news from the Internet and TV.

2Are most people in China more interested in local news or international news?

I think most Chinese people are more concerned with local news and domestic news, which I’d imagine is the same across the world. Unless there are huge stories going on elsewhere, local news has more of an impact on the average citizen. Also, it is easier to understand news that is about areas that you know as opposed to some town in a country you might not even have heard of.

3Compare newspapers and TV as sources of news.

I think if you are looking to get a general idea about the day’s news, TV is a perfect way. You can get the basics from TV. If you want to get in-depth information, however, newspapers are the way to go. They can dedicate more time to each individual story, so you can learn more about different subjects.

4How do you think the news media will change in the future?

News in the future, I think, will come from many more directions. With the creation of blogs, more people are able to report on many different things, so you will see a lot more news and a lot more analysis. I don’t think there is any way that newspapers will be able to compete with this. If people have to choose between getting more news for free online and to pay, they are going to choose online.

5Are young and old people interested in the same news content?

I think this question partially depends on how old young people are. If they are in their twenties, I think for the most part, the news they are interested in, is the same. Younger people do seem to be more interested in things like celebrities and pop culture than older people, but I think they stay pretty educated about the more important news. Older people are less concerned with the pop culture news, and are more concerned with the news that matters more to the world and their country.

6Do you think it‘s a good idea to teach children to read before they start school?

Yes, I think it’s important to try to teach children how to read at as early an age as possible. The earlier they know how to read, the sooner they can start learning other things. Also, if you teach them early, it may instill a desire in them to keep learning throughout their lives, which would be extremely valuable. I know my parents started me reading very young, and today I think I am better off because of it.

7What kinds of things do children like to read?

I think kids all over the world like to read books that are either based in the same world they are in (school) or in a world that isn’t like this one at all (fantasy/Harry Potter). Everything else, I think, fails to hold their attention. Unless it has a good, entertaining story, kids will not be interested, and I think these kinds of books kids can either identify with or can get wrapped up in.

8Do you think the Internet will influence the way people read in the future? How?

Yes, I think the Internet will have an impact, though I’m not sure what that will be. I imagine that sometime, someone will invent something that is the size of a book, so people can download books onto it, and it will be easier to read than a computer screen. Then, from there, through the Internet, it will be extremely easy for people to read any book they could possibly imagine. Also, I think the Internet will give people the ability to read stuff that they are interested in. There is so much content that people will be able to find anything, so people’s tastes will get highly specific.

Vocabulary for Speaking Part 3

• Concerned: worried
  Eg: I am really concerned about you
• Analysis: research and analyse
  Eg: I analysed the paper thoroughly before submitting.
• In-depth: go in details
  Eg: Go in-depth with the topic
• Wrapped: covered
  Eg: She wrapped herself with a blanket.