#47 - IELTS Speaking test in Uzbekistan – June 2016

Test # 47

Personal Questions

– Let’s talk about maths (mathematics).

Sure!

– Are you interested in maths?

Yes I am. It is a fascinating subject and it is of use for everyone in their everyday lives. It requires some mental skills to be good at maths and not many people get to be good at it. That’s why I like maths.

– When did you begin learning maths?

I began learning maths from my school. I think I started by learning to count numbers from 1 to 20 in my kindergarten.

– Why do people like this subject?

I’d like to explain this from a school student’s perspective. A school student would like maths because it is an objective subject; you don’t have to mug up or remember a lot of theory and dates like in history, and you can score very well in maths exams if you just know the formulas well enough. I can say maths is like a puzzle, and those who love solving puzzles, love maths.

– Let’s talk about science.

Alright.

– Are you interested in science?

Yes I am. All facets of science like biology, chemistry, physics are all applied around us and I am very interested in learning about them.

– Do you watch science TV programs? Why?

Not a lot, but I watch one particular show that comes on the Discovery channel on every Sunday morning called Backyard Science. It shows all the home experiments that we can do to see the principles of science put in action.

– Do you visit science museums? How often do you do it?

Not very often I’m afraid. There is just one science museum in my city and I went there 2 years back to show some guests’ kids around. That was the last time I went to a science museum.

Cue Card

Describe a person older than you whom you like to spend time with. Please say

– Who is this person?

– When and where did you both meet?

– Why do you like to spend time with him/her?

I like to spend time with my school teacher. She used to teach me when I was in the 7^th standard. I had started liking her a lot then, and I have kept in touch with her since. She is a very kind, warm-hearted person and is affectionate towards all her students. Like me, there are a lot of other ex-students of hers who still are in contact with her, even if they’ve moved to another city. Even after I passed on to the 8^th standard, I used to go to her place to get extra coaching for the school subjects. Even today, if I want any assistance regarding any academic subject, or a personal issue of my life, I can go to her without any hesitation, and she is patient enough to entertain me whenever I go to meet her. She also has a cute little daughter and I like to talk with her too when I go to my teacher’s place. My teacher often invites all students who are in touch with her for a get-together and cooks for us all. She really is a motherly figure for all of us, and since she is such a positive and inspiring person, I love spending time with her.

Discussion

– Do you think old people’s life is better now compared to the past?

Ummm I can say both yes and no. If we consider medical facilities, then yes old people nowadays do not have to suffer a lot from problems that the elderly had in the past, like joint pains and poor eyesight and all. Modern medicines have reduced such ailments to a large extent. On the other hand, the moral fabric of the society is being compromised day by day, and by this I mean to say people are becoming increasingly materialistic and do not value people anymore. There is a great deal of old people in today’s times that have been abandoned or shunned by their children and they are forced to live in old age homes.

– Do you think old people have influence on children?

Yes definitely. Children look up to the older people of their family and are sincere in listening to what they have to say. Even the older people are more affectionate towards children and want to pamper them and guide them well in every way possible. So old people have a certain influence on young children.

– What can children learn from old people?

Children learn qualities like patience, perseverance, hard-work, and family values from the life-stories that the elderly tell the children. The elderly are witnesses to history and a lot can be learned from them about the past.