Test # 24
- What is your full name?
My full name is Ashvi
Dalal.
- Can I see your ID?
Sure!
- Where are you from?
I’m from (city name),
that’s in (state name), in the (western/central/southern, etc.) part of India.
- Do you work or study?
I’m currently pursuing
my Masters in Science, specializing in Ophthalmology.
- Describe your hometown, please.
My home town (eg. Surat) is one of the most beautiful cities of my
state. It is the most clean and green. Surat is known as the hub of the textile
and diamond market in India. The people here are generally very well-off and
prefer to live a lavish lifestyle.
- What facilities and services are available
in your hometown?
The education and
health services in my home town are quite developed. Public transportation is
also very well organized. My town has really good restaurants and movie
theatres, and some other entertainment options like parks, a beach, and arcades.
- Do you want to stay in this country for a
long time?
Yes I do! I’m actually
planning to come back immediately after I complete my studies abroad. My
parents, friends and relatives all are here and I am too attached to them all
to leave them.
- Do you like giving presents to people?
Why?
Yes I do! I love it
when people’s faces light up when they like your present! And a memorable
present makes that person miss you always when they use that gift!
- What type of presents do you like to give?
I like to give people
things that they can use. For example clothes and bags, kitchen appliances for
women, and if I cannot think of anything that they’d like then I take them out
shopping and let them choose whatever they want.
- Do you give presents that you made
yourself to anyone?
Yes in fact I have gifted
many handmade cards to my friends and cousins when I was a teenager. I have
also gifted pen-stands and showpieces made out of clay or ice cream sticks or
cardboard. I haven’t done it though after I turned 21.
Cue Card
Talk about an interesting tradition that you
have in your country. Please say
- What is it?
- Where did it come from?
- Why do you think it is interesting?
An interesting
tradition in my country is “Raavan dahan”…that’s in Hindi, which in English means
burning effigy of Raavan. Raavan was a ten-headed rakshasa who lived hundreds
of years ago, according to Hindu mythological epic Ramayan. He was a great
scholar but was an arrogant ruler of Lanka, now known as Sri Lanka, and he
abducted Lord Ram’s wife Sita, in hopes of marrying her himself. Ram, his
brother Lakshman, their disciple Hanuman and an army fought a battle to rescue
Sita. Finally, Lord Ram defeated and killed Raavan and they all came back to
their home Ayodhya. To mark this triumph of good over evil, big huge effigies
of Raavan are prepared many days before Dussehra, and are stuffed with
fire-crackers. These crackers are then lit and the effigy burns symbolizing the
vanquishment of evil. I think this tradition is interesting because even
children are quite eager to watch this burning in the form of a fire-work display,
at the same time being taught about the legend of Ram and Raavan. Most of all,
I find the folk-lore behind this very intriguing. Almost everyone in my country,
from children to aged, are aware about this tradition and celebrate it with zeal
and enthusiasm.
Discussion
- Do you know any other interesting customs
or traditions?
Yes many! I’d talk
about Hindu customs as I’m more aware about it being a Hindu myself. Before
travelling for a long journey, we hang a totem of green chillies and lemon to
the vehicle to ward off any mishaps that might occur. Another is that before
the start of any good work, we worship Lord Ganesh’s idol and make offerings.
In Hinduism, we are also not allowed to wear footwear inside temples or
monasteries.
- Are there any changes in modern and
traditional lifestyles?
There are a lot of
changes. Traditional lifestyles mainly revolved around joint families whereas now
nuclear families are more. So the traditions have become modified according to
the convenience of the people nowadays. For example, traditionally everyone
used to have meals together at the same time and they would only start after
the eldest of the family eat their first morsel. Since both parents work nowadays,
this is not possible except for the time of dinner, and that too without the
presence of elders in the house.
- What are the advantages or disadvantages
of traditional lifestyle? Why?
The advantages are that
it keeps us rooted with our culture and the values of our belief system. We don’t
feel these traditions to be tiresome tasks to be followed; rather we feel happy
and satisfied doing them. However, traditions need to become a little flexible according
to the changing times, otherwise they may start seeming to be a burden and
people do them grudgingly which unintentionally makes them resent their own
culture.
- Why did the attitude towards traditional
lifestyle change?
As I said, as the modern
lifestyles evolved, the place for traditional lifestyles kept on becoming
smaller in people’s lives. People become more educated, migrated to different
cities, met new people and started having a broader outlook. People started prioritizing
their work and themselves and also became more practical rather than emotional.
This changed their views on traditional lifestyles.
#24 - IELTS Speaking test in India – May 2016
Reviewed by Devanshi
on
May 24, 2016
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