Headphones

Headphones

Do you use headphones? Do you usually use headphones when you listen to music? In what situations would you not use headphones? How often do you buy headphones?

Vocabulary

Earphones (plural noun) - an electrical device that fits over or in your ears, allowing you to listen to a radio or a device that plays music.
Earbuds (plural noun) - a small headphone that fits inside the ear against the outer opening of the ear canal.
Compact (adj.) - consisting of parts that are positioned together closely or in a tidy way, using very little space.
Wireless (adj.) - using a system of radio signals rather than wires to connect computers, mobile phones, etc. to each other.
Noise cancellation (noun) - the blocking of outside noise so you don’t hear it.
Proactive (adj.) - taking action by causing change and not only reacting to change when it happens.
Remotely (adverb) - in the slightest degree.
To resemble (verb.) - to look like or be like someone or something.

Get exclusive episodes on IELTS Speaking parts 1, 2, and 3

Get exclusive episodes on IELTS Speaking parts 1, 2, and 3

Questions and answers

M: Do you use headphones?

R: I used to before earphones and earbuds were a thing. They're more compact and easier to carry around with you than a full set of headphones. But I think someone said the sound quality is better.

M: What type of headphones do you use?

R: Well, like I said, I use earbuds which are wireless and smaller. I actually don't think I've worn headphones in years, to be honest with you.

M: In what situations would you use headphones?

R: If I did use them, I suppose it would be when I need a lot of noise cancellation to hear things clearly. Like if I was on the metro or somewhere loud. Oh, we use headphones for recording the podcast when we're in the studio.

M: Do you usually use headphones when you listen to music?

R: No, I use earbuds when I'm listening to music.

M: In what situations would you not use headphones?

R: Well, that would be pretty much all the time now, because I almost never wear them. But if we expand the definition of headphones to include earbuds then I wouldn't use them when it's rude to like when I'm in a lecture or when someone's speaking to me. It's a bit impolite, isn't it?

M: How often do you buy headphones?

R: Oh God, only when I really need them to be honest with you. So it's more of a reaction than a proactive thing. The last time I bought anything remotely resembling headphones was last year when I bought my earbuds.

M: Thank you, Rory, for your answers!

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Mobile Phones 2

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Drawing and Painting

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Have you been to a new place recently? How often do you go to new places? Have you ever moved into a new place or a new home? Why is living in the same place for a long time not good?

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Parks and Gardens

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In the fifth episode Maria and Rory discuss water. Lot's of useful words, grammar and jokes to satisfy your knowledge hunger and brighten up your day

Lots of people struggle to talk about Jeans... But have no fear! We have come to the rescue with 12 minutes of useful "Jeans" content".

Let's see how big your patience reservoir is and whether you can sit through the whole episode without turning it off.

Maria and Rory talk about animals - allergenic and hypoallergenic, wild and domesticated, dogs and cats, sharks and alligators

In this episode, Maria and Rory talk about sharing and discuss lots of useful vocabulary related to the topic!

In the final episode of season 1 Rory takes a full IELTS Speaking test

The topic of the first episode of 2020 and Season 2 is "Hairstyle". Maria and Rory discuss bad haircuts, fringes and of course, ridiculous decisions that Rory made when he was a teenager.

Tune in to find out the difference between aftershave and body spray, perfume and cologne, fragrance and scent, as well as what vocabulary one can use to describe how something smells.

We’re back with a new episode. This time Maria and Rory discuss “Teamwork” - a topic that might come up in parts 1 and 3 of your IELTS Speaking test.

We are back with weekly episodes! This week Maria and Rory talk about "Pens" as it is of the new topics of 2020 IELTS Speaking test and you guys should be ready for it!

Listen to the episode to find out whether Rory has a painting of Maria in his bedroom or not, as well as what it takes him to be cultured and sophisticated.

In this episode (our longest episode so far) Maria and Rory discuss books. Page-turners and door-stoppers, fiction and non-fiction, encyclopedias and fairytales, Dostoevsky and Tolstoy, Pushkin and Lermontov and of course, red riding hood

In this episode we are finally talking about Coffee - the second most traded commodity in the world and a drink loved all around the globe. We'll discuss different types of coffee, ways to describe its taste and smell.

What words should you use when describing something like a toy? What do toys teach children? Do modern parents spend too much on toys for their kids? Innovative or innovAtive?

If you have ever wanted to know 10 ways to say "I am bored", if you are in your 20s/30s but still wondering what has Papa Roach's song "Last Resort" got anything to do with resorts this episode is for you.

This time Maria and Rory talk about Jessie Pinkman's field of expertise - SCIENCE! Why do planets go around the sun? Do all sciences end with "_ology"? Is a tomato a fruit, a vegetable, a cherry, or a berry?

Tune in to hear Rory's sweet answers, find out about the the most popular dessert (or desert?) in Scotland and whether Rory is a good cook (or cooker?).

Do you often have dreams? Do you think we can learn something from dreams? Do you think dreams affect life? Do you believe that dreams have a meaning?

Morning routine

What’s your morning routine? How is your morning routine different from when you were a child? What would you like to change about your current routine?

Which places in your city are crowded? How do you feel in these crowded places? Have you ever felt comfortable in a very crowded place?

Do you know a lot about plants? Have you ever had a plant? Would you give a plant as a present? Do you know how to cultivate plants?

Are you a foodie? What kinds of food do you particularly like to eat? What kinds of foods are most popular in your country? How many meals a day do you have?

Which season do you like the most? What’s the weather like in your hometown? Do you prefer dry or wet weather? Rory how do people in your country deal with bad weather?

Do you enjoy watching films? What kinds of movies do you like best? Do you prefer foreign films or films made in your country? Who’s your favorite film star?

Friends and Friendship

Do you have many friends? How often do you see your friends? What kind of people do you like to make friends with? Do you think you are a good friend to others?

What are some good hotels in your city? What qualities make a hotel a good one? What problems do people usually have in hotels?

Which social media websites do you use? How much time do you spend on social media? What kind of information about yourself have you put on social media?

Do you like insects? What kinds of insects make some people scared? Do you think insects are useful? Are many different insects in the place where you live?

Do you have a favorite number? Do any numbers have special importance in your country? Were are you good at math, at school? What numbers do people often have to memorize?

Is health awareness important? Do you think people have become more health conscious in recent years? What can be done to make people more aware of their health?

Do you like history? Did you enjoy learning history when you were a child? When was the last time you read about history? Do you think children should learn history?

Public Transport

Do you travel by public transports? When was the last time you traveled by public transport? What’s the most popular modes of transportation in your hometown?

What kind of music do you listen to? What kinds of music do you dislike? Do you prefer listening to music alone or with someone? Does music influence your mood?

Do you often write things? Do you prefer to write by hand or using a computer? Is your handwriting easy to read? Did you like writing things when you were a child?

Do you often buy things? Do you enjoy buying expensive things? Do you compare the price in different shops before you buy something? Do you usually search for bargains?

Staying up late

Do you stay up late? How do you feel when you’ve stayed up late to the night before? What do you usually do when you stay up late? How do you stay awake if you stay up late?

Do you often laugh? When was the last time you laughed? Do you like watching funny TV programs? What kinds of things make you laugh?

How often do you go on holiday? Do you like taking one long holiday or a couple of short ones? Do you prefer a holiday in a city or at the beach?

Do you like learning languages? Are you learning any foreign languages now? Is it important to learn a foreign language? How did you learn the languages that you speak?

Why do some people throw garbage on the streets instead of using trash bins? What do you do if you see rubbish on the street? Do you help in keeping the streets tidy?

Should you force yourself to be tidy? Is a bit of chaos good for creativity? What's the difference between vacuuming and hoovering?

Do the clothes we wear say something about who we are? Unconventional = free thinking and creative? Formal = industrious and work-oriented? Do you think men and women have the same view of clothing?

Meeting new people

How and where do you meet new people? Should you care about other people's opinions about you? How much should you trust the first impression of someone? Has your star sign got anything to do with how much of an extrovert/introvert you are?

Should there be laws and regulations on the use of mobile phones? At what age should we give a mobile phones to our children? Voice messages or text messages? What's the future of mobile phones?

Do you like baking? What do people usually bake in your country? Do you think you’ll be baking more in the future? What would you like to bake?

What's more important: short-term goals or long-term ones? What kind of personal goals do people usually set in their life? Not having goals = stagnating?

What kind of maps are available in the world? Why do people prefer electronic maps to paper maps? Would Rory survive without a map?

Are bicycles suitable for all ages? What are the benefits of riding a bicycle for a child? What are some of the world's countries with the bike-friendliest cultures?

IELTS Speaking model answers (Parks) - What are the benefits of having gardens in the city? Is it important for cities to have public parks? Why do people living in cities like public gardens? Can you really walk anywhere in Scotland?

What do you like and dislike most about your neighborhood? What are some of the changes you have noticed in your area? What facilities are there in your neighborhood?

Is the Internet is a good way to get news? Is it important to stay informed about what's happening in the world? What effect do newspapers have on society?

What are some of the places that one could go to to have a picnic? Does Rory like mosquitoes and do they like him back? Why in general do people go on picnics? Where and when was Rory's last picnic?

What are some of the things you could do to improve your concentration? Is multitasking real? What distracts you the most?

What's neophobia and why are some people afraid of trying new things? Is it better to have new experiences when you're young or when you're older? Should you try new activities alone or with friends?

Fish and fishing

Is Fishing a good hobby or do you need to have patience of a saint to succeed? Where do people go fishing in Scotland? Fish or fishes? Where can you buy fish from? Is it a good idea to keep fish as pets?

Being in a hurry

What are some of the things that you should and should not do in a hurry? Why do people make mistakes when they're in a hurry? Should you always try and do everything planned?

Would you say that weekends were more important to you as a child or now? What would your ideal weekend be like? Do men and women usually do the same kind of things on the weekend?

Why do people send texts? What do you prefer: sending or receiving messages? In what situations are phone calls better than text messages and would you say that in general, phone calls are better than texts?

Do you prefer to give or receive gifts? How often do you buy gifts for other people? What gifts did you get when you were a child? Have you ever received a gift which you didn't like?

What furniture do you own? What's your favorite item of furniture? Have you ever received furniture as a gift? What style of furniture do you prefer: modern or traditional?

What has been the greatest change in your life so far? Have there been any changes in your hometown recently? What do you plan to change next year?

What are the benefits of doing sport? What was your favorite sport when you were a child? Do you like to watch sports on TV? What kinds of sports would you like to try in the future?

Work and Studies

What's the most interesting part in your work/studies and what's the most difficult one? What do you dislike about your work/studies? What kind of work would you like to do in the future?

What kind of things do you recycle? Did you learn about recycling when you were a child? Do people usually recycle in your hometown? Have your attitudes towards recycling changed over the last couple of years?

How often do you make lists? Do you make a shopping list when you go shopping? Why don't some people like making lists? Do you prefer to make lists on paper or on your phone?

Have you ever met celebrities or pop stars in person? Who's your favorite movie star? Do you read news about celebrities? How do celebrities influence their fans in your country?

What's your hometown like? What did you like about your hometown when you were a child? What's your hometown known for?

Are you good at telling jokes? Do you like listening or telling jokes? How do you know what jokes are proper to say to your friends?

Who do usually have discussions with? Have your discussion topics changed since you were a child? Do you often change your opinions? Do you prefer to talk or to listen?

Borrowing Things

Have you ever borrowed money? Do you mind if someone asks to borrow something from you? How do you feel when people don't return things they borrowed from you?

Where is your country located? Which part of your country do most people live in? What are the main industries in your country? What are some of the good things about living in your country?

What colour would you like to paint your bedroom? Is colour, very important to you when you are buying something? Are there any colours that have a special meaning in your country?

What can you see from the windows where you live? What do you like about living there? What do you dislike? Would you change anything about your home?

Do you like smiling? When do you usually smile? What can make you smile? Can you identify a fake smile?

Do you do the same thing every evening? Do you prefer to spend your evening with family or friends? Do you do the same thing in the evenings as you did when you were a child?

How do you feel about advertisements? Is there much advertising in your country? What do you think is the purpose of advertising?

Do you like traveling by car? What's the farthest place you've traveled to by car? When will your next car trip beam?

Environmental Protection

What can people do together to protect the local environment? What's the importance of environmental education? What do you personally do to protect the environment?

Special Costumes

Did you wear any special costumes when you were young? When was the last time you wore a special costume? Do you ever buy special costumes?

Is it important to protect wild animals? Should children learn things about animals? In which country do you think you can see wild animals?

Do you like to watch the sky? What's the sky like at night in your hometown? What's your favorite star? Is it important to study stars?

Did you like primary school? What did you like to do when you were in primary school? What did you do in your free time at primary school?

What do you do to relax? Do you think vacation is a good time for you to relax? Do you think students need more time to relax?

What does wearing make-up mean to you? Do you give make-up as a gift? What do you think when you see a man wearing make-up?

Do you think mirrors are a necessary decoration? Where do you put mirrors? Do you have a mirror in your bag?

Do you think people should be polite? Is it important to be polite in your country? How important is politeness for you?

What apps do you usually use? Do you use your smartphone more now than in the past? What kind of smartphone will you use in the future?

Do you like rainy days? What do you do on rainy days? Does it rain much in your country? Is there any part of your country where it doesn't rain much? Does rain ever affect transportation in your hometown?

What do you do when you feel tired? Who do you usually talk to when you feel mentally tired? Are you often tired? Do you like to talk to strangers when you feel mentally tired?

Do you like to go to street markets? Which do you prefer markets or shopping malls? Have your shopping habits changed over the years?

Do you like islands? Are there any islands in your country? Do you want to live on an island? What would you like to do if you were on an island?

Amusement parks

Do you like amusement parks? When was the last time you went there and what did you do? Are there many amusement parks where you live?

Have you ever got lost? How can you find your way when you are lost? Have you ever helped someone who got lost? Do you ever use any applications with maps?

How did you learn to write? Do you usually writes by hand? Do you have good handwriting? Do you like receiving handwritten letters?

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