Talents
Do you have a talent or something you are good at? Is it the same talent in your family? Do you think your talent can be helpful for your future work? Do you think people in your family have the same talent? Do you want to work on your talent and why?
Vocabulary
  • Notorious (adj.) - famous for something bad.
  • Inherited (adj.) - received from someone who has died.
  • Trait (noun) - a particular characteristic that can produce a particular type of behaviour.
  • Articulate (ad.) - able to express thoughts and feelings easily and clearly, or showing this quality.
  • To assess (verb) - to judge or decide the amount, value, quality, or importance of something.
  • Shift (noun) - a change in position or direction.
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Questions and answers
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M: Rory, do you have a talent or something you're good at?

R: Well, I'm not sure if they could be considered talents in the traditional sense. But I'm reasonably good at organizing things and writing or storytelling, whenever the inspiration takes me. I like putting together plans and lists, and then I do a lot of free writing in my spare time. And of course, I've been telling a lot of stories to young people of late.

M: Is it the same talent in your family?

R: Well, my parents are rather good at organizing things and are notorious for their tick lists. So perhaps that's an inherited trait. They were also both journalists. And perhaps that's where the talent for storytelling comes from. Now that I think about it, my brothers are quite similar in that way too actually.

M: Do you think your talent can be helpful for your future work?

R: Well, I would certainly say so. It's already come in quite handy for teaching and writing books and articles. And I imagine it will do in the future when I have to put together plans and lessons and teach writing.

M: Do you think people in your family have the same talent?

R: In terms of the amount of contributes to work? You'd have to ask them, but I doubt there's ever been a time when being reasonably organized and articulate hasn't been useful for them.

M: Do you want to work on your talent, and why?
R: I think they're both reasonably secure. And there are other things that I need to work on in life like I don't know, building up my sporting ability, or learning how to effectively assess materials and situations. They aren't entirely unrelated, of course, but the shift and focus is clear.

M: Thank you, Rory, for your talented answers! So gifted, genius, genius. Flowers.
Discussion
M: So talents, do we have any synonyms to paraphrase talents? So I'm talented. I'm gifted. I'm a genius like Mozart.

R: You could say that you're adept at something. It just means that you're very good at doing something.

M: So I'm adept at eating. I'm adept at doing nothing.

R: Do people have talents for eating?

M: Oh, yes, eating is an art. So you cook, I eat nicely and what? Effectively, I can eat beautifully.

R: Effective eater.

M: Effective eater. I a an effective eater. No, no I'm joking, of course. But can I say like I'm adept at in something in doing something.

R: Adept at.

M: So I'm adept at cooking. Yeah, I'm adept at flying a plane. Okay. Also, you can say I'm talented in something, right?

R: You can, but usually it's talented at. Or to have a talent for something.

M: I have a talent for cooking. Or I'm talented in cooking, for example, right? Sweet. or I'm good at. I'm not good at. I'm good at cooking, for example. And Rory, you told us that you are really good at organizing things. And dear listener, if you saw that nice photo with me and Rory, on our social media, you saw this nice book where Rory writes all his life. So yeah, he also told us that I like putting together plans and lists. So Rory is really talented at writing plans and lists. Yeah. And also, like you say, I do a lot of free writing, you mean writing for free or you just like write whatever pops into your head like, free.

R: So the the second one, I often just sit with them. I have a... I've moved it because we're recording but I have like a notebook that sits on my desk and I just sit and write things.
M: Oh, nice. Okay, do you write things about me?

R: No, I tell you things. I write things on our Telegram chat about you. I don't keep them to myself. I just tell you.

M: Oh, good. Good. Yeah. And also, you said that I've been telling stories to young people, right? So I'm good at storytelling, or I have a talent for storytelling. What are you good at, dear listener? Could you please write in the comments that I'm good at blah, I have a talent for blah. Can I say for example, I have a talent for, I don't know, books? I have a talent for paintings. I have a talent for lies.

R: Well, I have a talent for telling lies perhaps.

M: So for doing something, yeah?

R: Although I guess it would be I'm adept at telling lies, talents are usually quite positive things. So you'd be using it with a negative thing to like highlight the contrast, I suppose.

M: I'm joking, you know?

R: No, you're not.

M: I'm a genius sleeper, you know, I sleep really well.

R: Oh, that's another one. I'm a genius at something.

M: At, yeah? I'm a genius at.

R: Yep.

M: Okay. I'm a genius at doing nothing. No, but really like so many people are workaholics, they work, work, work all the time. And then they have no idea how to take a rest, have a holiday. So you can say like, oh, I'm pretty good at doing nothing. That's my major talent. Like, it could be some kind of a joke, you know, you can talk about doing nothing or sleeping. If you don't think that you have a talent for something I don't know. Or you can imagine, dear listener, so Rory, tell us, some if you could have any talent in the world, what would you choose? So would you be a talented composer? Or musician? Or what? Blogger?
R: That's a good one actually. I suppose, probably, no, I can't think of anything else. I'm really quite happy with the talents that I have. I'm just starting to think maybe it would be good if I could be a talented musician. But that would require knowing how to play an instrument. And I don't know how to play any instruments, though.

M: No, but you kind you would have an inborn talents, inborn innate talents, like Mozart, for example.

R: But nobody just comes out of the womb knowing how to play the piano.

M: Yeah, Mozart did. Mozart. Yes, he was born. And he knew how to play the violin. So he kind of composed music at three.

R: I don't believe, I can, I can see why people would say that. But I don't believe that's true for a second. These are all things that exist independently of being human being. You wouldn't just be naturally talented at something external to that. I could believe in natural sports person, like a naturally talented sports person. But again, that's not particularly difficult.

M: Yeah, sports is just like, a walk in the park.

R: Well, no, like to achieve something in sport isn't very difficult in the sense of the steps that you have to take to do that, you just have to get progressively better at doing something. And you can do that by exercising more. And by tracking your progress. And you set up systems to do that. That's not hard to do.

M: If you say so, okay, we believe you, Rory.

M: You don't think most people could do that if they wanted to, or if they had the time?

M: I don't think so about sports. No. For example, some people's bodies may not be, you know, suitable for certain types of sports. But then again, if you're really into it, and they really want to do something, like, as you say, like with training with motivation. So pretty much anything is possible. So maybe.

R: Come on, let's try and be optimistic. Most people can do things, if they put their minds to it.
M: Nothing is impossible. Yeah. Okay. And then, is it the same talent in your family? So dear listener, you should know, what talents are there in your family. So for example, Rory said that, yeah, my parents are rather good at organizing things. So I'm good at organizing things, maybe because my parents are good at organizing things. And they are notorious for their tick lists. So what's a tick list?

R: It's a list of things that you tick off. It's like a to do list.

M: Yeah, did they put those lists on the fridge and then they made sure that you kind of you did all the tasks on the list?

R: Not for me, it's more for them, to be honest with you. They didn't have much luck in organizing me, I came to that conclusion by myself. But they didn't do that. My dad had one that he carried around with them. And then there was one in the kitchen and you just always see it there. And you'd know where they were based on that.

M: Then about the future, do you think this talent will help you in the future? You can say I imagine it will. Like I imagined it will? Or perhaps no?

R: Well, again, I've done it again. We've talked about this before the using do for emphasis, like I imagine it will do in the future. You could say that about any time though, couldn't you? I mean, you wouldn't practice or have this talent if it wasn't useful in some way at some point and it would continue to do so. Are there any talents that make your life worse?

M: Hmm. Talents for procrastination.

R: That's not a talent that's just being lazy. Being lazy isn't a talent.

M: Yeah. I don't know. Talents, which could make your life worse. Hmm. Maybe you know, like, if you are super good at, I don't know, speaking in public or drawing, people might be jealous and they might like children for example at school, oh, like, he's so good, and they can, you know, make fun of you, for example, I know bully you, because you're so good. How about that?

R: But that's their problem.

M: It's their problem. But it could happen. And then a person could feel sad and upset because of those silly bullies. So maybe kind of like a genius person could be an outcast, because most people can't do this. Well, they're not talented. And then when not talented people see a talented person, they might kind of be like, now, we don't want to be with you. You just go there. I don't know. You know...
R: Well, that's just sad.

M: Could, could happen. It's sad. Yeah.

R: But that's not the talent was doing that to you. That's other people and they're insanity.

M: So yeah, people might be jealous. And then your family. So make sure that you do know the talents, which are there in your family, or you can make them up, right? So for example, your father is talented painter, or your grandfather, you can make up your grandmother or grandfather, who used to be, I don't know, a gifted musician, for example. So just just say something, right? Make it up. And when the examiner asks you if you want to work on your talent, so work on your talent - like to improve it. Rory, you said like, not really, I need to work on other things like building up my sporting ability, learning how to effectively assess certain materials for work.

R: So that's a good point, as well, we talked about talents or improving anything than building something up as good and then doing anything effectively is helpful as well. Any good grammar, or any grammar structures that might be worth talking?

M: Um, I think you've used the present perfect continuous, like, I've been telling a lot of stories, for example, if you have been doing something, so I've been, I don't know, painting or I've been cooking, so I'm pretty good at that. You can also say, if you don't have any talents, right? Or you think you don't have any talent, you can use this structure. I wish I were really good at cooking. Or I wish I could have a talent for doing something. I wish I was genius, like Mozart. Why do you have this Mozart in my head?

R: I have no idea either. But it's like one of the no main examples of how genius and talent works or looks.

M: Sweets. Thank you so much for listening! I'm sure we're all talented! And maybe if your talent is not like outside, like deep inside you, you have this talent in you. So sending lots of love and talented kisses! Bye!

R: Bye!
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Do you like watching sports programmes on TV? Do you like to watch live sports games? Who do you like to watch sports games with? What was your favourite sport when you were a child? What’s the difference between watching sports live at the stadium and on TV at home?
Evening Time
Do you like the morning or evening? What do you usually do in the evening? What did you do in the evening when you were little? Why? Are there any differences between what you do in the evening now and what you did in the past?
Talents
Do you have a talent or something you are good at? Is it the same talent in your family? Do you think your talent can be helpful for your future work? Do you think people in your family have the same talent? Do you want to work on your talent and why?
Computers
How often do you use a computer? What do you usually use a computer for? What kinds of computers are popular in your country? Who taught you how to use a computer? When was the first time you used a computer? What would your life be like without computers? Do you think computers have changed your life?
Watches
Do you like to wear a watch? What kind of watches do you prefer? Is a watch important for you? Have you ever got a watch as a gift? Why do some people wear/like expensive watches? Do you like expensive watches?
Sitting
Where’s your favourite place to sit? Do you like to sit on the sofa or on a chair? Do you always sit down for a long time? Do you feel sleepy when you are sitting down? Can you fall asleep while sitting on a chair? When you were a kid, did you usually sit on the floor?
Online News
What kind of news are popular in your country? Do you often read the news online? Is it convenient to read online news? Where do you usually read news from? What was the last article that you read about? Do you still read newspapers?
Flying
Do you work or are you a student? Why did you choose this job? Do you like it? What's the most interesting part of your job? What's the most difficult part of your job? Is there anything you don't like about your job? What would you like to do in the future?
Daily Routine
What's your daily routine like? Have you ever changed your routine? What's your favourite time of the day? What do you usually do at this time? How do you organise your study time? Do you like to plan what you'll do every day?
Studies
What do you study? Is there something that helps you to study efficiently? What's more essential for you, lecturers, or friends? Is there anything you want to change in your university? Do you like your studies at the moment?
Accommodation
Do you live in a house or a flat? What do you like the most about it? What's your favorite room? Can you describe the view from your windows? Do you plan to leave there in the future?
Apps
Which apps are popular in your country? What kinds of apps will you use in the future? Do you want to make an app of your own in the future? How much time do you usually spend on apps?
Offices
Is it common for people in your country to work in an office? Where do most of your friends work? Would you like to design an office? What kind of office would you like to work in?
Sports
Do you like watching sports programs on TV? Do you like to watch live games? Who do you like to watch sports games with? What kinds of games will you watch in the future?
Time Management
Do you ever change your plans? Is it easy for you to manage time? What's the hardest thing about making plans? Are you ever late for anything? Do you think most people can manage their time well?
Noise
Are there any sounds that you like? Which sounds do you dislike? Do you think there's too much noise in modern society?
Going out
Do you often go out in the evenings? Do people in your country go out a lot? Where do most young people like to go out in your country?
Relatives
How often do you meet your relatives? How do you spend time with your relatives? Are people in your country usually close with their relatives?
Pets
What kind of pets do you like? What kinds of pets are common in your country? Would you like to have an exotic pet?
Rest
What do you do when you take a rest? When was the last time you took a rest and what did you do? When will you take a rest next time?
Future
How do you think your life will change in the future? Are you worried about your future? What challenges do you see for yourself in the near future?
Math
Do you think math is hard? When did you start learning math? Who taught you math? Did you usually use a calculator?
Memory
Do you have a good memory? Do you do anything to improve your memory? Has your memory changed over the years?
Museums
Are there any museums in your hometown? What's the last time you visited a museum? Did you visit museums when you were a child?
TV Program
What's your favorite TV program? Do you talk with your friends about the program you watched? In your country is it possible to watch any TV programs in English?
Getting up early
Do you often get up early in the morning? What kinds of people usually get up early? What are the benefits of getting up early?
Happiness
How would you define happiness? Do you think people in your country are generally happy people? What's the happiest moment in your life?
Forests and Trees
When was the last time you went to a forest? Is there forest near your hometown? Would you like to live in the place that has a lot of trees?
Traffic
How do most people travel to work where you live? What traffic problems are there in your area? How would you reduce the traffic problems in your area?
Songs
Do you like singing? Did you enjoy singing when you were younger? How important is singing in your culture?
Weather
What's the weather like in your country? Does the weather affect your mood? Does rain ever affect transportation in your hometown?
Walking
Do you like to walk on your own or with others? Do people in your country walk a lot? Do you think walking in the countryside is better than walking in the city?
Scenery
Would you like to live in a house with beautiful scenery around it? Why do people like taking pictures of the scenery? Do you enjoy taking photos of the scenery?
Public Holidays
What public holidays do you celebrate in your country? Which public holiday do you like the most? What do you do during public holidays?
Dancing
Why do you think some or many people like dancing? Tell me about any traditional dancing in your country. Do you think traditional dancing will be popular in the future?
Contryside
How often do you visit the countryside? What do you like to do in the countryside? Have areas of countryside in your country changed since you were a child?
Cakes
Do you like sweets more now compared to when you were a child? Have you ever tried to make sweets or cakes? Do you eat cakes or sweets after your meal? What sweets are popular in your country?
Street Markets 2
Do you like going to street markets? When was the last time you went to a street market? Are there many street markets in your country? Do you prefer shopping in a mall or street market?
Losing and finding things
Have you ever lost anything? What should people do to find what they lost? Have you ever found anything? What should people do if they find something? Is it ok to keep the thing you found?
Strangers
Do you often talk to strangers? Is it easy for you to start a conversation with a stranger? Are you afraid of being judged by strangers?
Family
Is family important to you? Who is the favorite member of your family? Who is the oldest member in your family? Do you have a family, not your own that you like, and why do you like them?
Traveling
Do you like travelling? How long was the longest trip you took? What kind of places have you visited?
Street Food
Do you like to try street food? What kind of street food do you like? What street food do people usually eat? Do you like to buy street food when you travel to a new place?
Mobile Phones 2
What was your first mobile phone? How often do you use your mobile phone? Can you describe your mobile phone? How has your mobile phone changed your life?
Taking Photos
Do you like to take photographs? How do you keep your photos? Do you ever delete or throw away photos if they are on paper? Will you take more photos in the future, do you think?
Drawing and Painting
Do you like painting or drawing? Have you ever learned painting or drawing? What do you like to draw? What do you know about painting?
Websites
What kind of websites do you visit? What's your favourite website? What websites are popular in your country? Are there any changes to the websites you use?
Dreams
Do you remember your dreams when you wake up? Do you think dreams affect life? Do dreams have special meanings? Do you like listening about other people’s dreams?
Cinema
Do you like going to the cinema? Did you usually go to the cinema when you were a child? When was the last time you went to the cinema? What kinds of films do you prefer?
New Places
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?
Driving
Do you like driving? When was the last time you drove? Is driving common in your country? Is it hard to learn to drive? Will you drive more in the future?
Architecture
What kind of architecture do you like the most? If you could live in any home in the world, where would you live? Is architecture an important part in the cities identity?
Concentration 2.0
Are you easily distracted? Why is it difficult for some people to stay focused? What improves concentration? Is it good to do several things at the same time or is it better to focus on one task?
Flowers
What flowers do you like? When was the last time you gave flowers to somebody? What flowers have special meaning in your country? Have you ever planted any flowers?
Colours
What colours do you like to wear? Do people in your country like to wear bright colours? What colours would you never use in your home? Do you think colours influence you?
Animals
What's the most popular pets in your country? What animal would you like to keep as a pet? What's your favourite animal? Would you like to have a pet in the future?
Weather
What's the weather usually like in your hometown? Do you like the weather in your hometown? What's your favorite weather? What do you do in hot weather? 
Watching TV
What types of TV programs do you like to watch? Why do people dislike watching TV? What benefits can people get from watching foreign TV programs? Can you watch TV programs in English in your country?
Spending time with others
Do you like being around other people? Would you prefer to stay alone or with other people? What do you and your friends do together? Do you remember a time when you needed to cooperate with others?
Parks and Gardens
Do you like going to parks? When was the last time you went to a park? Are there any parks where you live? Should parks be free for people?
Shoes
How often do you buy shoes? Have you ever bought shoes online? What's your favorite type of shoes? Do you know anyone who likes to buy a lot of shoes?
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?
Robots
In the first ever episode, Maria and Rory discuss robots, a topic that sometimes comes up during speaking parts of the IELTS exam
Names
In this episode Rory and Maria discuss "Names" - another very common topic that comes up during IELTS Speaking test
Age
In the third episode of IELTS Speaking for Success podcast Maria and Rory discuss "Age" - a topic that comes up fairly often in IELTS Speaking
Accomodation
This episode Maria and Joe talk about "accommodation" - one of the three topics (along with "studies" and "work") that you can actually prepare for
Water
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
Jeans
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".
Patience
Let's see how big your patience reservoir is and whether you can sit through the whole episode without turning it off.
Animals
Maria and Rory talk about animals - allergenic and hypoallergenic, wild and domesticated, dogs and cats, sharks and alligators
Sharing
In this episode, Maria and Rory talk about sharing and discuss lots of useful vocabulary related to the topic!
Season Finale
In the final episode of season 1 Rory takes a full IELTS Speaking test
Hairstyle
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.
Perfume
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.
Teamwork
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.
Pens
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!
Art
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.
Books
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
Coffee
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.
Toys
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?
Boredom
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.
Science
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?
Cake
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?).
Dreams
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?
Crowded Places
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?
Plants
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?
Food
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?
Seasons
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?
Films
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?
Hotels
What are some good hotels in your city? What qualities make a hotel a good one? What problems do people usually have in hotels?
Social Media
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?
Insects
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?
Numbers
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?
Health
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?
History
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?
Music
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?
Handwriting 2
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?
Shopping
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?
Laughter
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?
Holiday
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?
Languages
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?
Rubbish
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?
Tidiness
Should you force yourself to be tidy? Is a bit of chaos good for creativity? What's the difference between vacuuming and hoovering?
Clothes
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?
Mobile phones
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?
Baking
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?
Goals
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?
Maps
What kind of maps are available in the world? Why do people prefer electronic maps to paper maps? Would Rory survive without a map?
Bicycles
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?
Parks
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?
Neighborhood
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?
Newspapers
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?
Picnics
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?
Concentration
What are some of the things you could do to improve your concentration? Is multitasking real? What distracts you the most?
New Activities
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?
Weekend
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?
Text messages
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?
Gifts
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?
Furniture
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?
Change
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?
Sport
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?
Recycling
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?
Making Lists
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?
Famous People
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?
Hometown
What's your hometown like? What did you like about your hometown when you were a child? What's your hometown known for?
Jokes
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?
Discussions
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?
Your Country
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?
Colours
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?
Home
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?
Smiling
Do you like smiling? When do you usually smile? What can make you smile? Can you identify a fake smile?
Evenings
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?
Ads
How do you feel about advertisements? Is there much advertising in your country? What do you think is the purpose of advertising?
Car trips
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?
Wild Animals
Is it important to protect wild animals? Should children learn things about animals? In which country do you think you can see wild animals?
Sky and Stars
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?
Primary School
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?
Relaxing
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?
Make-up
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?
Mirrors
Do you think mirrors are a necessary decoration? Where do you put mirrors? Do you have a mirror in your bag?
Politeness
Do you think people should be polite? Is it important to be polite in your country? How important is politeness for you?
Mobile Apps
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?
Rain
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?
Tiredness
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?
Markets
Do you like to go to street markets? Which do you prefer markets or shopping malls? Have your shopping habits changed over the years?
Islands
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?
Getting lost
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?
Handwriting
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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