January 2023

Part 1 ................................................................................................................................................... 2
Topic: Chocolate (2023.1) ............................................................................................................... 3
Topic: Weekends (2023.1)............................................................................................................... 6
Topic: Outer Space and Stars (2023.1) .......................................................................................... 12
Topic: Keys (2023.1) ...................................................................................................................... 15
Topic: T-Shirts (2023.1) ................................................................................................................. 18
Topic: Music (2023.1) .................................................................................................................... 20
Topic: Small Businesses (2023.1) .................................................................................................. 23
Topic: Happy Things (2023.1) ........................................................................................................ 26
Topic: Art (2023.1)......................................................................................................................... 29

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Part 1

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Topic: Chocolate (2023.1)

Questions

Do you like eating chocolate? Why or why not?

How often do you eat chocolate?

Did you often eat chocolate when you were a kid?

Is chocolate a good choice of gift to give to other people?

Advice

- Q1, Q2 and Q4 require your answers to be in the present simple

tense, as they refer to routines and preferences. Q3 requires the
past simple and possibly the past continuous tenses. It’s a good
place to use phrases like used to and would when talking about
things you did in the past but no longer do, or things you do less
often nowadays.
- Some reasons for not enjoying chocolate, or simply eating less
of it, could be that you are avoiding sugar / reducing your sugar
intake, you may be diabetic, you may be allergic to one of the
ingredients, it’s too sweet, you want to avoid dairy products, or
you just prefer other treats.
- Q4 is a good place to use the general you. In English, we often
refer to “you” not as a specific person (for example, the person
you are talking to) but rather as a general, unspecific person. It’s
usually used when talking about hypothetical situations, when
describing a method or recipe, when giving advice and when
making suggestions or recommendations.
- Reasons for giving chocolate as a gift might be its availability,
the fact that most people enjoy it, or that it can fit any budget
(inexpensive or high-end chocolate). Reasons for not giving
chocolate as a gift could be that it isn’t unique enough as a gift,
that the person doesn’t eat chocolate, or that it isn’t
appropriate for the situation (like a baby shower).

Vocabulary and Sentences

- An understatement
- Canvass / Canvassing
- To be partial to + something you like, a preference to one
particular option

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 - Endorphins
- Cut down on + a thing or activity that you want to reduce or
avoid
- Rules out + something that is no longer an option
- Gravitate to / Gravitate towards + something you prefer or
something you are choosing more frequently than before
- To get a kick from something
- Euphoria
- To crash / Crashing (to be tired from a late night or strenuous
activity)
- Afternoon slump
- To get away with something / As often as we could get away
with
- To get busted / To be busted
- Hidden stash
- Smuggling
- Contraband
- Palate
- Connoisseur
- Ubiquitous
- Low-hanging fruit

Answers:

Q: Do you like eating chocolate? Why or why not?

A: Do I “enjoy” eating chocolate? I’d say that “enjoy” is an understatement! Chocolate may well be
my favourite thing in the whole world! It’s not just the taste that I love about chocolate, it’s also
the texture. There’s nothing quite like the sensation of chocolate melting while you eat it, with the
creamy smoothness canvassing the inside of your mouth. Depending on which type of chocolate
you are partial to – milk, white or dark – there’s a delightful blend of sweetness and bitterness.
Then, of course, there is the mood-boosting effect as well. Eating chocolate, especially dark
chocolate, which has lots of cocoa in it, releases feel-good hormones called endorphins. That rush
of pleasure is a big reason why chocolate is one of the most popular treats around the world.

Q: How often do you eat chocolate?

A: Not as often as I used to. I’m trying to cut down on sugar, so that automatically rules out most
chocolates on the market. These days, I gravitate towards dark chocolate with no added sugar in
it. It doesn’t give you the same kick as the common, sugary chocolates you see in the shops, but it
still gives you an injection of euphoria shortly after eating it. When I have a long day ahead, I
sometimes bring a couple of pieces of dark chocolate with me to work to have around 2 or 3pm.
Eating chocolate at this time stops me from crashing during the afternoon slump.

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Q: Did you often eat chocolate when you were a kid?

A: Well, growing up, we weren’t actually allowed to eat most sugary things – but that didn’t stop
us from trying! So, my siblings and I ate chocolate as often as we could get away with. Admittedly,
it wasn’t very often, because our parents busted us several times with hidden stashes of
chocolates and sweets in our bedrooms. It wasn’t long before they figured out how we were
smuggling our contraband into our bedrooms, and thereafter, it was virtually impossible to eat
sweet treats at home. School, however, was a different story. There, outside our parents’
supervision, we could get a few chocolates with our pocket money, so we bought them several
times a week.

Q: Is chocolate a good choice of gift to give to other people?

A: Oh, without a doubt. Assuming the person is not allergic, of course, chocolate is one of the
safest gifts to give, because just about everyone enjoys it. You get all kinds of different chocolates
to please every palate out there, and there many chocolate-related accessories to consider if you
need to buy a gift for a chocolate connoisseur. Things like chocolate fondants, chocolate cakes,
chocolate ice-cream and chocolate-tasting tours. Chocolate is also ubiquitous, so it’s easy to find
and it will be universally appreciated wherever you are in the world. That makes chocolate a very
low-hanging fruit in terms of gift options.

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Topic: Weekends (2023.1)

Questions

Do you like weekends?

What do you usually do on weekends? Do you work or study?

What did you do last weekend?

Do you make plans for your weekends?

Advice

- This topic requires you to answer in at least two tenses – the

present simple (Q1, Q2 and Q4) and the past simple (Q3). It is
also possible to the use the future tense in Q2 and/or Q4.
- Something to be aware of in Q2 is that it is not only asking if you
work or study – those are simply two options for you to talk
about. You might do one of them, both of them, or neither of
them.
- Some ideas of weekend activities include exercising (going to
the gym, attending a yoga class, going on a hike, swimming),
playing sports (badminton, basketball,
- With some nouns, we use the definite article (the) to refer to
the general concept of that noun, rather than a specific noun.
For example, we might talk about the invention of the steam
engine, the creation of the weekend or the internet, the
Saturday of every weekend, how the smartphone has changed
the way people work in the 21st century etc.

Vocabulary and Sentences

- I can’t imagine that + an uncommon belief, preference or

decision
- Get some downtime / Have some downtime
- Recoup
- Catch up on + an activity you are behind schedule on, usually
work or a hobby
- Dive into + a task, project or activity you need to complete
- Dive back into + a task, project or activity you paused and now
want to continue
- My ideal + noun + looks like this: + activities you enjoy doing /
adjectives to describe the noun

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 - Rejuvenate / Rejuvenating
- Mid-morning / Mid-afternoon / Midnight
- Bask / Basking
- Run an errand / Run a few errands / Run some errands
- Tackle + a task you have to complete, usually something
unpleasant or challenging
- Fall behind
- To be finished / To feel finished (to be absolutely exhausted, to
have no energy left)
- I hadn’t had / I had not had
- Coincide / Coincide with
- Slot in / Slotted in

Answers:

Q: Do you like weekends?

A: Of course! I can’t imagine that anyone would say they don’t like weekends. It’s important to get
some downtime after a busy week, and that’s what the weekend is for. You need to recharge your
physical, mental and emotional batteries before you start work again the following week. Everyone
I know, or at least, almost everyone I know, takes at least one day off over the weekend.

Q: What do you usually do on weekends? Do you work or study?

A: Usually, I take the Saturday off to recoup and do some self-care. This means catching up on
sleep and diving back into whichever book I’m reading at that moment. I have a strict no-work
policy on at least one of the two days – so, I don’t work or study on whichever day I’m taking off. If
the weather is pleasant, I make sure to spend time outdoors as well. My ideal day out looks like
this: a morning stroll in the local park, followed by an extravagant breakfast, and finally, enjoying a
rejuvenating mid-morning espresso while basking in the sun. If I need to run a few errands or
attend to household matters, like grocery shopping or doing the laundry, I’ll tackle these chores
after my coffee.

Q: What did you do last weekend?

A: Last weekend was an exception to my strict no-work policy because I caught COVID and fell
behind at work. I was sick in bed for two days, so I had to use both Saturday and Sunday to catch
up before I went back to work. It was a pretty miserable and disappointing way to spend the
weekend and, when I returned to work the following week, I was absolutely finished, because I
hadn’t had any time whatsoever to rest or recover.

Q: Do you make plans for your weekends?

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A: Well, yes and no. My day off is pretty consistent and I don’t deviate much from the routine I just
described. Of course, the errands do change from weekend to weekend, so in that sense, I can’t
always plan too far ahead. That being said, I sometimes do make plans to meet up with friends and
check in with family. I have to be a bit flexible here because my time off doesn’t always coincide
with my friend’s or family’s. In terms of work, though, I have a good idea of what needs to be done
over the weekend when I finish work on Friday. So, whatever that is, will get slotted into my
weekend – usually on the Sunday.

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Topic: Staying Up (2023.1)

Questions

Do you often stay up late?

Did you stay up late when you were a kid?

When you do stay up late, what do you do?

What does it feel like the next morning if you stay up late?

Advice

- Q1, Q3 and Q4 will need the present simple tense because you
need to speak about your routines, facts and preferences. Q2
requires the past tense and it’s a good place to use used to and
would.
- Notice that Q1 and Q3 are very closely related – you must be
careful not to use all your talking points for Q3 in Q1. So, in Q1,
you could focus on the reasons for staying up late. Possible
reasons could be that you are working full-time and studying
part-time at night, you do shift work and sometimes work late,
you have a tendency to binge series or movies at night without
watching the time, you need more time in the day to look after
young children etc. You can also talk about the reasons you used
to stay up late, such as when you were a student or had just had
children. In this case, don’t go so far back that you talk about
staying up late as a child – because you need to use those points
in Q2.
- In Q4, you can talk about physical sensations (like being tired) as
well as mental sensations (like being forgetful) and emotional
sensations (like feeling guilty).

Vocabulary and Sentences

- Pull an all-nighter
- To turn in a document or an assignment
- To turn in (to go to sleep)
- To be a night owl / To be an early bird
- To burn the midnight oil / Burning the midnight oil
- To stick to + habit, routine or schedule + religiously
- As I’ve gotten + adjective, + though, + I’ve come to realise + new
perspective / belief [using though is optional]

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 - To get ahead of something
- When I stay up late, + subject + present simple verb
- Worth the trade-off / Not worth the trade-off
- The trade-off is worth it / The trade-off isn’t worth it
- To have none of it / Have none of something (to refuse and
disregard a suggestion, behaviour or perspective)
- Leeway / Wiggle room
- In hindsight
- To hit the sack / To hit the hay
- Cut-off time
- A wet blanket
- To kill the mood / A mood-killer
- To beat yourself up about + something you did that you are
embarrassed or ashamed about
- Sluggish / Groggy
- At hand
- Not the end of the world

Answers:

Q: Do you often stay up late?

A: No, not so much anymore. Not since my university days have I needed to work late in the
evening, or pull an all-nighter to get an assignment turned in before the deadline. Back then, I was
more of a night owl, and I actually performed better when I was burning the midnight oil. As I’ve
gotten older, though, I’ve come to realise how important it is to get regular, high quality sleep. For
that reason, I stick to my sleep schedule almost religiously – even on weekends. I believe that
humans function best with some kind of routine, and staying up late to watch movies or get ahead
with work just isn’t worth the health trade-offs anymore. So, I turn in at 11pm sharp every night.

Q: Did you stay up late when you were a kid?

A: I certainly tried to, but most of the time, my parents had none of that. When I was young, my
day-to-day endeavours were pretty much dictated by my parents – eat breakfast at this time, do
homework before this time, rehearse for piano recital at this time, have dinner at this time, sleep
at this time…you get the idea. So, there wasn’t really any leeway or wiggle room in my schedule
for me to stay up late watching movies or playing on my phone. Although I hated not being able to
stay up late at the time, in hindsight, I’m actually grateful because – as you may have noticed –
health and sleep are really important to me. So, I got lots of sleep growing up and I know it will
benefit me as I get older.

Q: When you do stay up late, what do you do?

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A: As I mentioned earlier, it’s exceedingly rare that I stay up late. There are times when I would
consider it, though. For example, if I go out for dinner with friends, attend a concert, or celebrate a
big occasion like Spring Festival or the World Cup, then it’s quite likely I’ll hit the sack after my
11pm cut-off time. In cases like those, I wouldn’t want to be a wet blanket and kill the mood by
leaving very early. So, those are the kinds of things I would consider making an exception for.

Q: What does it feel like the next morning if you stay up late?

A: To be honest, not great! As you get older, those late nights really do catch up with you, and
they exert a heavy toll on your body. Physically, I feel lethargic and, overall, suboptimal. I don’t
start my day with my usual enthusiasm and liveliness. Mentally, I feel a bit sluggish and
demotivated. It’s quite hard to get myself to stay focused on the task at hand, and sometimes I
have to scramble to complete my tasks for the day on-time. Since this only happens every now
and then, I don’t beat myself up about an occasional late night. It’s really not the end of the world.

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Topic: Outer Space and Stars (2023.1)

Questions

Have you ever learned about outer space or stars?

Do you like science fiction movies? Why?

Do you want to know more about outer space?

Do you want to go into outer space in the future?

Advice

- All four questions require using the present simple tense, but
this topic also gives you lots of room to talk about past
experiences related to space. For example: When we were
learning about the solar system in science class, our teacher told
us that…
- In Q1, you can also talk about the things you learned about
space at school, university or during a course you took. If you’ve
never learned about space, you can say why not, what you did
instead, and/or what you do know about outer space and stars.
- In Q3 and Q4, you can give lots of detail when giving reasons for
or against each question. Some ideas are that you simply aren’t
interested in space, you are more interested in other things, you
don’t have time etc.

Vocabulary and Sentences

- Cursory
- Mouthful
- To pique someone’s interest
- I’m a sucker for + a style of music, art, movie, fashion etc. that
you really like
- Part of what attracts me is + a theme, style or characteristic that
you appreciate
- Carte blanche
- Nuance
- Clear-cut
- Mind-boggling
- Discerning
- An opportunity of a lifetime
- Inconceivable

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 - Trade-off
- Subject + can only imagine + a spectacular or unbelievable
experience

Answers:

Q: Have you ever learned about outer space or stars?

A: Indeed, we covered the solar system when I was in middle school. We didn’t dive into great
detail; it was just a cursory overview of the planet names and the basic mechanics of gravitational
pull and planetary orbits. That was a bit of mouthful, but it’s actually way less complicated than it
sounds. Besides that, I never really pursued any further learning about outer space. I guess it just
isn’t a topic that piques my interest. Hopefully I can still remember all the planet names, though!

Q: Do you like science fiction movies? Why?

A: Oh, I’m a sucker for sci-fi movies! I’m not really into learning about stars or planets themselves,
but I do love watching movies that are set in space. Part of what attracts me to sci-fi is the endless
possibility. The director and screenwriters are free to explore the depths of their imaginations and
create entire universes full of civilisations with their own history, culture and backstory. They have
total carte blanche in their writing because, in space, you aren’t bound by the limitations of what
is possible – or plausible – here on Earth. I particularly enjoy the common themes in sci-fi films –
good and evil, power, hope, courage, destiny. Of course, in real life, things are more nuanced and
not quite as clear-cut, but I find the depiction of those themes enjoyable and inspiring,
nonetheless.

Q: Do you want to know more about outer space?

A: Hmmmmm, I’m leaning towards no, because I’m not that interested in the inner workings of
space. It all seems so abstract and unrelatable to me, partly because of the mind-boggling
distances between us and our nearest planets or stars, and partly because I’ll never visit any of
them in my lifetime. I do see the value in studying space and investing in space exploration, but for
me, I’d rather use my time for other hobbies and interests. Unfortunately, our time here is short,
so we should be discerning with our free time and energy.

Q: Do you want to go into outer space in the future?

A: Absolutely – assuming I was also coming back to Earth, that is! Travelling to outer space would
be the opportunity of a lifetime. Thinking about it now, I can’t imagine many people would turn it
down if they had the chance. There’s something about the scale of it that just blows my mind. One
can only imagine the breath-taking views from space, while taking in the vast expanse of the
universe. Obviously, it would be quite a disconcerting experience and, presumably, a bit taxing on

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the body, due to the varying effects of gravity in space. So, there’s a bit of a trade-off between the
physical damage to your body and the inconceivable experience you would have travelling to
outer space.

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Topic: Keys (2023.1)

Questions

Do you always bring a lot of keys with you?

Have you ever lost your keys?

Do you often forget the keys and lock yourself out?

Do you think it’s a good idea to leave your keys with a neighbour?

Advice

- In Q1, you might carry around a lot of keys in certain situations

only, in which case you can talk about those situations. These
situations might include a sports event, if there are lots of keys
where you work, if you run a business etc.
- You can also mention a change in your key-carrying habits. For
example, maybe you used to carry a big bunch of keys, but one
day you lost all of them and got fired for it, so now you don’t
carry large bunches of keys anymore.
- If you have never lost your keys before, or you’ve only lost them
once, this topic can be deceptively tricky. Q2 and Q3 are very
similar to each other, and you may struggle to have enough to
talk about for each because the talking points will overlap with
each other. So, in this case, you might want to talk about your
own experience in Q2 (either you have lost your keys before or
you haven’t), and in Q3, you talk about a friend who often loses
their keys. That way, you will have enough talking points for Q2
and Q3. Alternatively, you may create a fictional story about
yourself or a friend losing keys.

Vocabulary and Sentences

- A bunch of keys
- Come to think of + new realisation
- Cumbersome
- Rattling around
- The small hours
- Foolhardy
- Bite the bullet
- On the other hand
- Scatter-brained

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 - To have no business being somewhere
- What + subject + has / have + started doing is + continuous verb
- To land up in a predicament / To land yourself in a predicament
- Unimaginable
- Failsafe
- Fiduciary

Answers:

Q: Do you always bring a lot of keys with you?

A: No, hardly ever. I have two separate bunches of keys. One keychain has my car keys and the
keys to the garage at the office where I work. On that same bunch, I also have a key for the small
lock on my desk drawers. The other bunch of keys has my two house keys – one for the security
gate and one for the apartment door – and a key to my parents’ home. Come to think of, I don’t
think I actually have many more keys than those ones. I imagine it’s very cumbersome to carry a
big bunch of keys rattling around in your pocket with you, though.

Q: Have you ever lost your keys?

A: Yes, I have, and what a nightmare that was! I don’t remember exactly what the occasion was,
but I’d been out with friends and I came home sometime in the small hours. When I reached my
apartment, I discovered that my house keys were missing. I would have phoned my friends, but
my phone had died at some point during the night. So, I was on my own to try figure out a way in.
Since my apartment was only on the 2nd floor, I considered climbing up the drainpipe on the side
of the building, but that seemed a foolhardy thing to do considering the amount of wine we had
drunk. I looked around for a security guard to help me, but eventually, I realised that I had to bite
the bullet and wake the landlord up to let me in using the master key. The next day, I found out
one of my friends had mistaken my keys for his keys – and he took both sets!

Q: Do you often forget the keys and lock yourself out?

A: Fortunately, it’s only happened to me once, when my friend mistakenly took my house keys. My
best friend, on the other hand, loses his keys all the time. He is an astonishingly intelligent person,
but equally clumsy. He’s a bit scatter-brained, so he is forever always misplacing things and
forgetting where he put them. Usually, it’s quite amusing, because we often find his things in
places they have no business being. One time, we found his spectacles in the fridge, and another
time, we found his wallet inside a shopping bag in the rubbish bin! But other times, he has landed
himself in predicaments similar to the one I just described. What we’ve started doing is
confiscating his phone, wallet and keys, and only giving them back when he’s ready to leave.

Q: Do you think it’s a good idea to leave your keys with a neighbour?

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A: Personally, I wouldn’t have a problem with that. I mean, I can’t speak for everyone, but I trust
my neighbour enough to keep a spare key to my apartment. In fact, that’s exactly what I did after
the debacle of being locked out of my apartment that one time. As long as you trust your
neighbour, it’s a good failsafe for the times when you lose your keys. If you have concerns about
someone else being able to enter your home when you aren’t there, you could offer to keep your
neighbour’s spare keys in exchange. That way, you can develop a fiduciary relationship that
benefits both parties.

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Topic: T-Shirts (2023.1)

Questions

Do you like wearing T-shirts?

How often do you wear T-shirts?

Do you like T-shirts with pictures or prints?

Would you buy T-shirts as souvenirs on vacation?

Advice

- This is straightforward topic, so it’s a good opportunity to use

lots of adjectives and fashion vocabulary. You may struggle to
speak long enough on this topic, in which case, it’s a good idea
to explain your preferences. For example, if you don’t like
wearing T-shirts, you should explain why not. Maybe it’s too
casual, you work outside and don’t want the sun on your skin,
you wear dresses or blouses etc. If you only wear them in
certain situations, then talk about those situations.
- The first three questions require you to talk in the present
simple tense, although you can also talk about how your style or
situation has changed over the years. For example, maybe you
used to wear T-shirts all the time at university, but since
growing up and getting your first job, you hardly wear T-shirts
anymore.
- Q4 is asking a hypothetical question about an imaginary
vacation in the future, so you don’t necessarily have to be 100%
certain about what you would do on this vacation. In other
words, there might be specific situations in which you would
bring a T-shirt home as a souvenir – maybe for your children – in
which case you should explain these situations.

Vocabulary and Sentences

- I much prefer A to B / I would choose A over B

- I would lean towards + your preference + rather than + the
other option
- Catch my eye / Eye-catching
- If I saw + noun / event + (then) + I would + present simple tense
verb
- To rule something out

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 - The second after + an event
- Artisanal
- Poncho
- Kimono
- Sari

Answers:

Q: Do you like wearing T-shirts?

A: Yes, I much prefer T-shirts to collared shirts. My job has a smart-casual dress code, so we’re
expected to wear semi-formal shirts while in the office and during video calls. I don’t mind wearing
them in winter, but during summer, it can get unbearably hot wearing long-sleeve shirts. So, I get
changed into a T-shirt the second I get home after work. T-shirts are just so much more
comfortable. Your arms aren’t restricted as much, you can feel the cool, refreshing breeze on your
skin, and you don’t really have to iron them! The only time I would willingly wear formal shirts is if
there is a special occasion, like at a wedding, a formal event or conference, or for a job interview.

Q: How often do you wear T-shirts?

A: I wear a T-shirt pretty much every day. Not at work, obviously, but at home and on weekends,
you’ll always see me wearing one. When we go hiking or I drop in for a gym session, I wear one of
my sports T-shirts. They’re made from a special fabric, which makes them ultra-breathable and
they dry very quickly, so they are great for exercising.

Q: Do you like T-shirts with pictures or prints?

A: Mmmmmm, I would lean towards T-shirts with prints rather than pictures. I do have some T-
shirts with pictures on them, but they don’t get worn much anymore and, nowadays, I’m far less
likely to buy T-shirts with pictures on them. The sort of T-shirts that catch my eye are those with
the more timeless styles. In other words, I usually go for designs and prints that won’t go out of
fashion. For example, T-shirts with striking colours and contrasts, abstract art, or interesting
geometric patterns.

Q: Would you buy T-shirts as souvenirs on vacation?

A: Probably not. I mean, I can’t rule it out completely – if I saw a rare T-shirt with one of my
favourite musicians on it, or a one-of-a-kind shirt in the indigenous style, I might consider making
an exception. But generally speaking, I think there are better things to spend your money on when
travelling. In terms of souvenirs, I’d rather get something that is unique to the area I’m exploring –
maybe an ornament or painting done in the local way, a piece of artisanal jewellery, or a home

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décor item like a flower vase or set of dinner plates. I would also consider other types of apparel,
like a poncho, a kimono or a sari.

Topic: Music (2023.1)

Questions

What music do you like?

Do you often listen to one type of music?

What music do your friends like? Do you enjoy their music?

What’s the most popular type of music where you live?

Advice

- This is a nice topic to speak about because it only requires one

tense (present simple) but you can add lots of extra information
that is related to music. For example, you can talk about your
early musical influences, how your musical taste evolved over
time, why you like certain styles or artists, how they make you
feel etc.
- Q2 is asking if you tend to listen to one genre or artist for
certain periods. So, you might through a phase in which you
only listen to Artist X or Genre Y, and then you move onto
another artist or genre. The alternative is that you don’t tend to
listen to one type, but rather, you listen to many different kinds
of music all the time.
- In Q4, it’s not clear whether it means your town / city or your
whole country. So, you could give an answer for both
possibilities.

Vocabulary and Sentences

- Genre
- To have a soft spot for something

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 - Eclectic
- There’s a time and a place for everything
- To get your blood pumping
- Stay in the zone / Get in the zone
- Out and about
- It’s a bit of a gamble
- Up-and-coming
- My friends are more into + a genre or style they like, which you
don’t
- To grin and bear something unpleasant
- To belt out / Belting out
- All in all
- Banter
- All the craze
- Blaring
- By a long shot
- Alive and well
- Albeit
- Begrudgingly

Answers:

Q: What music do you like?

A: Well, I grew up listening to classic rock, so that genre of music will always have a soft spot in my
heart. To this day, I still listen to the old guitar heroes and the founding fathers of today’s rock
music. Over time, though, my musical taste has evolved to include jazz, classical piano and certain
pop artists. It’s a pretty eclectic collection of styles, so I’ve had to create loads of playlists to keep
everything catalogued. I guess I’m a little bit old-fashioned in the sense that I still like to see a full-
piece band with lots of instruments coming together to create a captivating soundscape. Generally
speaking, though, I’m pretty open-minded with regards to new music styles I haven’t encountered
before.

Q: Do you often listen to one type of music?

A: Well, there’s a time and a place for everything, so what I listen often depends on where I am
and what mood I’m in. At the gym, I mostly listen to high-BPM music to get my blood pumping and
to stay in the zone. When I’m out and about with my headphones, I usually just hit shuffle on QQ
Music and let the algorithm decide what I’ll hear next. It’s a bit of a gamble doing this because you
never know what you’ll get, but on the flip side, I’ve discovered some very talented, up-and-
coming artists this way. I also go through phases where I’ll listen to a particular artist or genre for a
week or two, and then move on to the next phase.

21
Q: What music do your friends like? Do you enjoy their music?

A: My friends are more into the clubbing scene, so they mostly listen to electronic dance music. I
can’t say that kind of music ever appealed to me – I find it slightly derivative and it’s simply too
raucous for my liking. Unfortunately for me, I’m in the minority with music taste in our friend
circle, so I’m never chosen to select the music when we’re having a dinner party or socialising.
That means I have to grin and bear while everyone else belts out the lyrics of the latest hit and
starts swaying to the club beats. All in all, though, I don’t really mind. I’m just happy to hang out
with my friends, and I don’t mind a bit of banter by them subjecting me to their music tastes.

Q: What’s the most popular type of music where you live?

A: Pop music is all the craze in China at the moment. In pre-COVID times, everywhere you went,
you would hear the latest hits blaring from speakers. Pop music is still the most popular, by a long
shot, so I’d guess that most people listen on streaming apps at the moment. But there is a lot of
difference between cities and rural areas as well. In the more rural areas, traditional Chinese folk
music is still alive and well, and it isn’t just old people who listen to it. Over the years, traditional
Chinese music has undergone a lot of change, incorporating more Western sounds and musical
elements, but still retaining its authentic essence. Since I live in Beijing, I fall into the pop music
category, albeit begrudgingly.

22
Topic: Small Businesses (2023.1)

Questions

Do you know many small businesses where you live?

Do you prefer buying things from big companies or small businesses?

Have you ever worked in a small business?

Have you ever thought about starting your own small business?

Advice

- This is a great topic for describing the small businesses in your

area. First, it’s important to understand what a small business is
– it’s any business owned or run by a handful of people, which is
often a family. Usually, there will be just one branch of each
business, so no franchises or chain stores. It could provide
products (food, coffee, unique clothing etc.) or services
(massage, hair styling, clothing repair etc.)
- All four questions require you to speak in the present simple
tense, but there is plenty of opportunity here to talk about how
the business landscape has changed from the past until the
present, as well as give your predictions for the future. You can
use lots of descriptive language to explain what kinds of small
shops there are, how long they’ve been there for, which ones
you go to, how the business landscape has changed over the
years etc.
- In Q3, you can give lots of detail about this work experience.
Some ideas are: what kind of small business it was, what you did
there, how long you worked there, the reasons why you left /
why the business closed, your best and worst experiences there,
what you learned etc.
- If you haven’t worked in a small business before, you could
speak hypothetically about a small business you would want to
work at, or you could describe a friend’s experience working in a
small business. If you do either of these options, remember to
make it clear to the examiner that you haven’t personally
worked in a small business, so you are talking about someone
else’s experience.

Vocabulary and Sentences

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 - Mom-and-pop stores
- Have been around for + time period
- To be on a first name basis
- Off the top of my head
- Boutique
- Patisserie
- To pop out and + do something / To pop out to + do something
- To pop out for + something you need
- To stay afloat / To keep afloat
- Obnoxious
- To have a thick skin / To grow a thick skin
- To stay level-headed / To keep a level head
- To close shop
- Big players
- Risk-averse
- Hands-on
- Up and running

Answers:

Q: Do you know many small businesses where you live?

A: Yes, there are small mom-and-pop stores all over the neighbourhood I stay in. Most of them are
family-owned and have been around for as long as I can remember. I’m actually on a first name
basis with a few of the shop owners. Off the top of my head, we’ve got two barber shops, a sewing
and alterations business, several massage and physiotherapy services, a few boutique clothing
stores and, of course, loads of restaurants, patisseries and coffee shops. And they’re all within
walking distance, so it’s super convenient to just pop out if you’ve run out of anything in the
kitchen. There are a few branches of the large chain stores, but for now, it’s still predominantly
small businesses in my area.

Q: Do you prefer buying things from big companies or small businesses?

A: Definitely from small businesses. Having worked in a small, family-owned café when I was
younger, I know first-hand how tough it can be to run your own business. Especially after the
damage COVID has done, a lot of small businesses are struggling to stay afloat. There is a tendency
for large corporations to buy out the smaller businesses and kill the competition. I don’t think it’s
good for the customer to shop in such a monopolistic market. Look – sometimes I do buy things
from the larger shops, either because there aren’t any alternatives, or because I’m travelling
through another part of the city. But, as far as possible, I prefer to support the local businesses in
my area.

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Q: Have you ever worked in a small business?

A: I have. As I mentioned, I worked in a small coffee shop when I was a teenager. I was there for
about 2 years, just working weekends and holidays to make some extra bucks. Overall, it was a
fantastic learning experience. I had to interact with all kinds of customers – rich, poor, rude,
friendly, impatient, demanding – any kind of person you can imagine. Dealing with the obnoxious
customers was the most valuable experience because it helped me develop a thick skin and
remain level-headed in unpleasant situations. Sadly, the owners decided to move back to the
countryside, so they closed shop just before I went to university. So, that was the first and last
time I worked in a small business.

Q: Have you ever thought about starting your own small business?

A: Have I thought of starting one? Yes, I love the idea of it. Would I actually do it, though?
Mmmmmm, I’m not so sure! I often dream about owning a small café and just waltzing in for a
cappuccino or a pastry whenever I feel like it. But I think I’m glamourising the reality a little bit.
Especially considering that I’ve personally witnessed the inner workings of a small business – all
the bookkeeping and tax regulations, sorting out staffing issues, doing the shift roster, managing
stock and inventory levels, competing with big players in the market, investing in advertising…the
list goes on and on. So, as much as I would love to have my own small business, I’m probably a bit
too risk-averse and not the kind of person who wants to do all the hands-on work needed to get a
new business up and running.

25
Topic: Happy Things (2023.1)

Questions

Is there anything specific that has made you feel happy lately?

What made you happy when you were little?

What do you think will make you feel happy in the future?

Do you think people are happy when buying new things?

Advice

- This is a straightforward topic with no hidden intricacies, but

you should be aware of which tenses are appropriate for each
question. Q1 and Q2 require you to speak in the past tense,
while Q3 requires the future simple tense. Q4 requires the
present simple tense.
- In Q1, you could talk about something that has given you a
moment of a happiness or something that caused a lasting
feeling of happiness. Some ideas are: getting a new pet, getting
a promotion or raise at work, hearing some good news about a
friend or family member, seeing something funny, going to a
wedding or other kind of celebration, making good progress
towards your goals etc.

Vocabulary and Sentences

- Subject + has / have + just + got (UK / international)

- Subject + has / have + just + gotten (US / Canada)
- When I was little / young / small / growing up, I used to +
present simple verb
- Without a doubt
- To be light of someone’s life
- Cooped up
- Four-legged
- Antidote
- Cabin fever
- Full of beans
- Mischievous
- Keep an eye on something
- Dandelions
- Hopscotch

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 - To be on cloud nine
- To be over the moon
- Curve balls
- Double-edged sword
- To tear something apart
- Tinker
- Down the line / Later down the line
- To err on the side of caution / frugality / being frugal / being
prudent

Answers:

Q: Is there anything specific that has made you feel happy lately?

A: Yes, my partner and I have just got an 8-week old kitten, and she is adorable! We adopted her
from a cat shelter last week and, without a doubt, it’s one of the best decisions we’ve ever made.
Her name is Bao and she’s the light of our lives right now, especially when all three of us are
cooped up in the apartment during lockdowns. She’s basically our furry, four-legged antidote to
cabin fever! Admittedly, our sleep patterns are suffering a bit, but she makes every day light-
hearted, unpredictable and entertaining. At this age, she’s full of beans and rather mischievous, so
we have to keep an eye on her at all times. We’re thrilled to have her join the family, and she’ll
keep us delighted for many years to come.

Q: What made you happy when you were little?

A: Well, as a child, it didn’t take much to make me happy – or unhappy, for that matter. I was
ecstatic whenever I laid my eyes on something new or brightly coloured. That could have been a
new toy, a picture book, colourful birds, rainbows, butterflies…things like that. My favourites were
the things I could interact with – pets, puddles, dandelions, games like hopscotch, finger puppets,
water slides… Those things sent me straight to cloud nine. And of course, I was over the moon to
see daddy when he came home from work, and to see granny and grandpa whenever we visited
them in the countryside.

Q: What do you think will make you feel happy in the future?

A: Wow, that’s an interesting question. It’s hard to say for sure, because the modern world is
always changing and sending curve balls your way. But a good start would be for me to get a
promotion at work. My partner and I have been wanting to move somewhere a bit quieter, ideally
somewhere that has more space for our kitten, and a promotion would get us one step closer to
that. Beyond that, I would say that being in good health, and being able to maintain strong,
healthy relationships with my inner circle will bring me joy and fulfilment in the future.

27
Q: Do you think people are happy when buying new things?

A: Yes, I do. I’d say it can be a double-edged sword, though. On the one hand, it’s always exciting
to get new things, especially tech gadgets or big purchases, like a new phone or TV. Whenever I
get a new gadget, I can’t wait to get home, tear the box apart, set it up, and tinker with all the
settings. But on the other hand, there is a dark side to buying new things. It triggers the brain’s
rewards system, which releases dopamine. That’s not a bad thing if you’ve worked hard towards
buying your new TV, phone, whatever it is. But if there was no effort required to get the reward,
like when you’re scrolling on social media or a shopping app, your brain gets accustomed to these
easy hits of dopamine, which can make it difficult later down the line to motivate yourself and do
the tasks that require genuine effort. I also feel like people are constantly encouraged to buy new
things they don’t need. So, personally, I err on the side of being prudent with new purchases.

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Topic: Art (2023.1)

Questions

Do you like art?

Do you like visiting art galleries?

Do you want to be an artist?

Do you like modern art or traditional art?

Advice

- If you are a person who enjoys art, this is a great opportunity to

showcase your passion by using lots of adjectives and
vocabulary related to art and the feelings it can evoke. It’s also a
good idea to research the difference between modern and
traditional art, and see some examples for yourself. This will
help you bring your thoughts and feelings about each style into
your answer.
- Again, all four of these questions require you to speak in the
present tense. As with most topics, though, you can (and should
try to) use a variety of tenses. Easy ways to do this are to talk
about your preferences or experiences from the past, as well as
any plans you have for the future. For example, you might have
a trip planned to visit an art gallery next week.
- If you don’t enjoy art, you can explain why and mention what
you like doing instead. Some reasons could be that you don’t
understand art, it’s boring, you prefer interactive activities, you
don’t have time etc.
- In Q2, you can give a general answer to the question (yes or no)
as well as a description of an art gallery you once visited in the
past, or will visit in the future. Remember, you need to explain
why you like or dislike visiting art galleries as well – don’t just
give a short answer with no details or explanations.

Vocabulary and Sentences

- Aficionado
- To be frank + an honest reflection or humble admission
- Nuance
- Eye-catching
- Evocative

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 - In and out
- Max = maximum
- Drag on
- Meander
- At your own pace
- Cursory
- To warrant something / To justify something
- Entrance = a door or opening where you can enter a building
- Entrance = the fee you must pay to enter a concert, club, art
gallery or other event
- Cheapskate
- My thing / Not my thing
- Fine motor skills
- Hand-to-eye coordination
- Sculp / Sculpture / Sculpting / Sculptor
- To take on + a new project, responsibility or hobby
- To spread yourself too thin / To be spread too thin
- Simpleton
- I’m a bit of a + negative or derogatory noun + when it comes to
+ knowledge of a style, genre, industry, skill, hobby, sport etc.
- New-age
- To wrap your head around something
- To look down on + something you disapprove of or find
unacceptable
- To snigger at + something you disapprove of or find
unacceptable

Answers:

Q: Do you like art?

A: Yeah, I do like art. I can’t say that I’m anything of an art aficionado, though. To be frank, I don’t
know the first thing about art styles, techniques or any of the nuances of appreciating art. I just
appreciate art that is eye-catching and evocative in some way. My parents are quite big on art, so
our apartment is covered wall-to-wall in paintings and sketches. They have quite an eclectic taste,
so there are plenty of paintings of abstract shapes and obscure silhouettes of people or things.
Since I’m just a casual observer of art, I don’t really get any of the artworks’ meanings or what the
artist intends his audience to feel. I guess one doesn’t actually have to “understand” art to enjoy
it; it can also just be a nice way to decorate your home.

Q: Do you like visiting art galleries?

A: Well, yes and no. I like visiting them when I can be in and out in half an hour, max. I don’t like
going on those guided tours of an art gallery, where you have to wait for the curator and all the

30
other people before you can move on. I can be a bit impatient at times, so those kinds of visits to
an art gallery tend to drag on way too long for my liking. If I can meander through the gallery at my
own pace, and give everything a cursory look, then I do enjoy visiting art galleries. Also, I’m a bit of
a cheapskate, so I only visit the free art galleries! I’m not invested enough into art to warrant
spending money on entrance to an art gallery.

Q: Do you want to be an artist?

A: No, definitely not! It’s just not my thing. I don’t have the patience, fine motor skills or hand-to-
eye coordination to paint, draw or sculp. If I’m being honest, I would probably be closer to the
tech-savvy or nerdy side on the personality spectrum. I’m much better at using computers and
cutting-edge technology at home and in my job. Also, I simply have too much on my plate right
now to even consider taking on another hobby. I would be spreading myself far too thin between
work, family and friends, the gym, mastering the erhu, and, of course, sleep!

Q: Do you like modern art or traditional art?

A: By now, I think you can tell I’m a bit of a simpleton when it comes to art. So, that kind of rules
out any of the modern, abstract styles of art. You know, the kinds where someone splashes a tin of
paint over a canvass, or a gorilla walks over the canvass with paint on his feet. I really struggle to
wrap my head around that whole concept. It all just seems like a silly, new-age trend to me. But
that’s just my uneducated opinion on the matter, and I would never look down on or snigger at
anyone who appreciates modern art.

31
Topic: Schools (2023.1)

Questions

Where do you go to school? / Where did you go to school?

Do you like your teachers? / Did you like your teachers?

Do you like your current learning atmosphere? / Did you like your old learning atmosphere?

Is there anything you would change about your school?

Advice

• There are two ways to tackle this topic. The questions before the slash (/) are given in the
present tense, and the questions after the slash (/) are given in the past tense. If you are still at
school, you’ll need to answer the questions in the present tense. If you have already finished
school, are studying at university, or you have a job, you must answer the questions in the past
tense. The answers below are given in the latter option. Also, when someone talks about “where
you went to school,” they are referring to your high school / senior secondary school, not middle
or primary school.

• In Q1, you can give a brief description of where your school is located and why you went
there. The kind of language to use here is: near to, next to, just south of, approximately X
kilometres from, about X hours’ drive from, on the outskirts of, in the city centre, on the periphery
of. It doesn’t need to be very detailed, but it’s a nice way to use language of location and direction.
You can also mention which subjects you took and which year you finished school.

• In Q2 and Q3, you can describe the teachers and classroom environments at your school.
You might want to talk about one particular teacher that you remember well (because they were
strict, funny, engaging etc.), but you can also simply describe the teaching staff overall. Your
learning atmosphere means the way that classes were taught, the kinds of activities you did in
class, how you were expected to behave, the classroom facilities, the area surrounding your
school, and so on.

Vocabulary and Sentences

• Metropolis / Metropolitan area

• To the southeast of / To the + cardinal direction + of + a reference location

• Run-of-the-mill

• In the range of A-B

• Standout

32
• Packed to the brim

• Didactic

• Sweltering / Sweltering heat / Swelteringly hot

• Drenched in sweat / Dripping in sweat

• Overbearing

• Scorching

• The thing I’d change is + the thing you would change + if I were in charge

• If I were in charge, I would change + the thing you would change

Answers:

Q: Where did you go to school?

A: I graduated from high school in Tianjin, before studying economics at Peking University in
Beijing. If you look at a map of metropolises in China, Tianjin is to the southeast of Beijing. The
high school I went to was pretty run-of-the-mill. I say run-of-the-mill because, like most schools in
China, the organisational structure is set by the Ministry of Education, so there isn’t that much of a
difference among public schools in the area. We took the same subjects as other kids our age, had
the same class formats, and wrote the same exams.

Q: Did you like your teachers?

A: I’d say yes and no. Some teachers were wonderful, but others were strict and unforgiving.
Because the classes in China are so big – often in the range of 40-60 students per class – teachers
don’t really have the option of giving much individualised feedback to their students. There was
one standout teacher for me, though. My art teacher, Teacher Sheng, was a soft-hearted lady with
a natural talent for teaching. She was firm and knowledgeable, but still allowed you to express
your creativity. She had this way of asking insightful, penetrating questions that helped you bring
out your vision and feelings onto the page. So, she’s the teacher I remember most fondly.

Q: Did you like your old learning atmosphere?

A: No, not really. As I just mentioned, our classes were packed to the brim, and so were the school
days themselves. Discipline is very important in Chinese schools, which is not a bad thing, but it
meant the classes were very teacher-focused. If I remember correctly, this is called “didactic
teaching.” It does make sense, though, given the sheer size of the population and the needs of the
economy, to teach children this way. There is a lot of knowledge they need to absorb before
entering the workforce or moving on to university studies.

33
Q: Is there anything you would change about your school?

A: That would have to be air conditioning! At my school, only the grade 11s and 12s took their
classes in the classrooms with AC. It can get swelteringly hot in summer, so we were often
drenched in sweat after our breaks. It was very difficult to concentrate with such overbearing
heat. And don’t even get me started on doing sports in the scorching summer heat! So yeah,
equipping every classroom with air conditioners would be the first thing I’d change if I were in
charge of my school.

34
Topic: Libraries (2023.1)

Questions

Do you often go to the library?

What do you usually do in the library?

Did you go to the library when you were a kid?

Do Chinese kids often go to the library?

Advice

• This is a straightforward question if you are a person who does visit libraries. In this case,
you can talk about the specific library you go to and the reasons for going there. There might be
specific instances when you would go to the library, like taking your children there or looking for
hard-to-find information, in which case you should describe these cases. You can also compare this
particular library to any others you have been to and highlight the reasons you prefer one library
over the others.

• With all of these questions, it is possible for you to talk about your past experiences as
well. For example, if you don’t go to libraries anymore, but you visited them often when you were
at school or studying, then you should talk about that.

• In Q4, you could answer based on where you live (city, town, rural countryside) or just
speak about general trends.

Vocabulary and Sentences

• From what I can see + your thoughts, opinions or predictions

• More and more / less and less

• To phase something out / To be phased out

• To slave away at something / Slaving away at something

• Crunch time

• On the off chance that + something unlikely

• To pick out

• Adjoining

• An hour or so = approximately one hour

35
• Comfy = comfortable

• To be a regular somewhere

• I can’t see + subject + something you think is unlikely to happen

• Buckle down and + do something important or unpleasant

• Digitalisation

Answers:

Q: Do you often go to the library?

A: Nowadays, not often at all. Everything is digital these days, so you can find all the information
and data you need online. From what I can see, libraries are becoming more and more redundant,
and I think they’ll gradually be phased out over the next decade or so. It’s a bit of a shame, really. I
think that libraries are still valuable for kids to read, do their homework, or just rest quietly. I did
use the library often when I was at uni, though. I had a study group and we used to slave away in
the architecture library during crunch time before our exams every semester.

Q: What do you usually do in the library?

A: On the off chance I do visit a library, I might pick out an interesting autobiography or a book on
architecture. It’s cool to see the evolution of architectural theory and styles over the years. If it’s a
library with an adjoining café, that’s first prize! Then, I would grab a cup of coffee and spend an
hour or so reading in a comfy armchair. I can’t see myself spending much longer than that in a
library.

Q: Did you go to the library when you were a kid?

A: Yeah, I was a regular in the public library during my time at high school. The library was the
perfect place to do homework, finish school assignments and prepare for exams. There was peace
and quiet, clean bathrooms, and none of the distractions you might face at home, like the TV, loud
neighbours, noisy streets outside – those kinds of things. The library was a great place to buckle
down and get all your work done first thing in the morning; then, you could have the rest of your
weekends free.

Q: Do kids in your country often go to the library?

A: Indeed, there’s actually a lot of competition for seats at the library when there are exams
coming up. Obviously, my country has a massive population, and there just isn’t enough space for
every schoolchild to get a seat in the library. Besides the kids doing schoolwork or studying, I’m
not sure that many kids would spend their free time in a library. I’d imagine they would rather be
outside doing sports, playing games or meeting up with their friends. There probably are a handful

36
of kids who just enjoy reading, so it makes sense they would keep visiting the nearest library. For
that reason alone, I’d really love to see public libraries survive the current trend of digitalisation.

37
Topic: Jewellery (2023.1)

Questions

Do you often wear jewellery?

What type of jewellery do you like?

Do you usually buy jewellery?

Why do you think some people wear a specific piece of jewellery for a long time?

Advice

• This question could be tricky if you don’t personally wear jewellery. Many people don’t
wear any jewellery at all, so they won’t have much to say in Q1 and Q3. In that case, you can
mention that you don’t wear jewellery (at all or anymore), and then describe someone who does
wear jewellery, and what kinds of jewellery they wear. Remember to say which jewellery of theirs
you do like, and also describe it.

• It’s a good idea to look up some vocabulary related to jewellery types, styles and
descriptions. Looking up some pictures to see what you like and dislike may help you prepare for
this topic. Remember, you can also relate the jewellery to the person’s outfit, since many people
believe that jewellery is an accompaniment to the outfit.

• Q2 is actually asking you two questions – what kind of jewellery (rings, necklaces, beads,
earrings etc.) and what style (extravagant, expensive, classic, timeless, understated etc.)

Vocabulary and Sentences

• Understated

• Medallions

• Adornments

• Cringey

• Cliché

• Flashy

• To have a sharp / keen eye for detail

• To know + a person, place or object + like the back of your hand

• Exquisite

38
• Eye-catching

• Turquoise

• Timeless

Answers:

Q: Do you often wear jewellery?

A: No, I’ve never been into jewellery. I did have an ear piercing for a while, but that was definitely
just a teenage phase. Besides that, I’ve never worn any kind of rings, necklaces, chains or cuff
links. Now that I’m thinking about it, I can’t recall any of my male friends wearing any jewellery
either. They might have gone through similar phases like mine, but they certainly don’t wear any
jewellery now. It’s far more common to see women wearing jewellery in my country.

Q: What type of jewellery do you like?

A: Well, since I don’t actually wear any jewellery, I’ll talk about the jewellery my wife wears. My
wife has a few necklaces and earrings that suit her understated style perfectly. She doesn’t wear
them all the time; they’re mostly for special occasions like weddings and our own wedding
anniversary. The necklaces and medallions are simple yet elegant. They’re a plain silver colour and
they have small adornments on them – suns, moons, special animals. It might sound a bit cringey
or cliché, but they’re actually quite tasteful pieces. My wife’s earrings are a bit more flashy –
they’re large and hang quite low, with different shapes and colours. My wife has a sharp eye for
detail, and she always chooses jewellery that complements her outfit.

Q: Do you usually buy jewellery?

A: For myself, no. But for my wife, of course! We don’t buy each other fancy gifts often, but on the
most important celebrations – like our 10-year anniversary – we buy each other something really
special. Last time, for example, I got my wife a voucher to spend at her favourite jeweller. Even
though we’ve been married for 14 years, and we know each other like the back of our hands, I still
felt safer letting her choose her own jewellery gift!

Q: Why do you think some people wear a specific piece of jewellery for a long time?

A: Well, it must hold sentimental value for those people, surely. My mother, for example, wore the
ring her mother gave her, when she was eight years old, every day of her life. I wouldn’t say it’s an
exquisite or eye-catching piece – it’s a small piece of turquoise gemstone – but obviously the real
value to my mother is the symbolic connection to her mother. I’d say that’s the most likely reason.
But, naturally, some people might wear the same jewellery simply because it’s a timeless design
and they just see no reason to change.

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Topic: Historical Periods (2023.1)

Part 2 Question:

Describe a historical period or moment you would like to learn more about. You should say:

What you are interested in

When it happened

What you know about it

And why you would like to learn more

Advice

 This is a question where you can combine Q1 and Q2 into one long sentence. This will give
you more time to talk about the historical period you have chosen, so it’s a good idea to
think about a historical period you are genuinely interested in. Obviously, this question
requires the past tenses, but try to use the more complicated past perfect tenses as well,
especially if you are aiming for a high score. It will require plenty of time-related words
and linking words / connecting phrases: At the time, back then, at the same time as, as a
result of, since, it was a period of…

 These time periods don’t necessarily have to involve wars; you can also talk about
important turning points in history. For example, the women’s suffrage movement, the
expansion of colonialism and commodity trades (spice, tea, opium, coffee etc.), the
invention of an important technology (the steam engine, the printing press, the internet
etc.), the end of a great dynasty etc.

 When answering Q3, you have a wide scope to mention anything and everything you
know about this period. Some ideas are: Why it started, how it started, how it ended,
what the consequences were / how it influenced later periods etc.

Vocabulary & Sentences

 One historical period I’m intrigued by / fascinated by is + time period

 What draws me to this period is + reasons for being interested in it

 Reeling from + a lasting, negative impact

 Revanchism / Revanchist

 Coup / Coup d’état

 Incumbent

40
  Expeditionary forces

 At the time, + information about the time period

 To be pitted against something / To pit A against B

 More or less

 To align with / To be aligned with / To be in alignment with

 To forgive and forget

 To wrap your head around something = to understand it

 Dive into + a topic or skill you want to learn about or master

Answer:

One historical period I’m really intrigued by is the Spanish Civil War, which started in the mid-
1930s and lasted for about three years.

What draws me to this period is the background. Many countries in Europe were still reeling from
the devastation of WWI. A great showdown of political and socioeconomic systems was being
lined up in Europe, with revanchist sentiment growing in the former Central Powers, who had lost
the war. In Spain, the situation was no different. Francisco Franco, who eventually emerged
victorious in the civil war, orchestrated a coup against the incumbent leader of the country. At the
time, Franco’s political views more or less aligned with the German and Italian leaders’, making
them natural allies, and they shipped in volunteer troops, tanks, munitions and aircraft. These
expeditionary forces acquired invaluable fighting experience, which later contributed to the rapid
successes of the Axis powers in WWII.

The war was especially brutal and it pitted poor farmers against each other. Many war crimes
occurred, on both sides, and it left the country in ruin. Something that I still struggle to wrap my
head around is how the country handled the transition to democracy in the 80s. Spain was facing
increasing pressure from its neighbours to align with other European systems. Franco agreed to
hand over power to the next government – on the condition that the civil war never be
investigated. In other words, all participants, on all sides, were given immunity from prosecution.
This is unusual because most conflicts create disputes about responsibility, blame and
punishment. Spain simply said, “Everyone will forgive and forget.”

From what I’ve read, this approach to rebuilding the nation was pivotal in shaping the modern,
cosmopolitan and tolerant Spanish society. I’d love to dive into the topic and find out more.

Part 3 Questions:

 Should everyone know history?

 Is it difficult to protect and preserve historic buildings?

41
Vocabulary & Sentences

 How things come to be / How things came to be

 To run the risk of + the risk

 Hinder

 To be doomed / Doomed to + negative fate

 Like hamsters on a hamster wheel

 The elements

 Decaying

 Decrepit

 Doable

 For + timeframe + to come

Answer

Q: Should everyone know history?

A: Yeah, I think everyone should know at least some history. It’s important for people to know
where they come from, how everything came to be, and, most importantly, the sacrifices our
predecessors have made in order for us to have the lives we have.

If we don’t, we run the risk of repeating the same mistakes our ancestors did. Hindsight is a
valuable way of learning from past mistakes and situations; mindlessly charging ahead, without
reflecting on the past will, ultimately, hinder the evolution of humanity. Essentially, we’d be
dooming ourselves to live like hamsters running round and round on a hamster wheel!

Q: Is it difficult to protect and preserve historic buildings?

A: Oh, for sure. Old buildings are especially vulnerable to weathering from the elements – snow,
hail, rain, heat, sun, damp – and I imagine it would become very costly to keep up with the
maintenance. Decaying wood, caused by moisture in the air and certain bugs, is probably one of
the biggest concerns. Maintaining old buildings, especially the decrepit ones, also requires
specialised knowledge. You don’t want to risk compromising the structural integrity of the building
when doing renovations, upgrades or maintenance.

42
That being said, it is obviously doable, since there are dozens of iconic buildings being well-
maintained. The Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Great Wall, the Colosseum – these heritage sites will
survive for decades to come.

43
Topic: People and Parties (2023.1)

Part 2 Question:

Describe a person you met at a party who you enjoyed talking with. You should say:

What party it was

Who this person is

What you talked about

And explain why you enjoyed talking with him / her

Advice

 This question is quite technical in terms of the grammar. You don’t want to stick to the
easier tenses, like past simple and past continuous, exclusively. You should aim to use the
past perfect and present perfect tenses as well:

o Past simple: I met him at the party and we spoke about…

o Past continuous: After meeting him at the party, we started chatting about…

o Past perfect simple: After I had introduced myself, we spoke about…

o Past perfect continuous: After we had been chatting for about 10 minutes…

o Present perfect simple: Now that we have met, we’ll try to keep in touch and have
coffee every now and then.

 In Q1 or Q2, you can give some background information as well – why there was a party,
where it was, who was there, what happened etc. before talking about the person you
met. Importantly, you must talk about a person you didn’t know before this party.

 In Q3 and Q4, you have lots of opportunities to use adjectives and phrases to describe the
person’s personality and things you spoke about. Some ideas are – experienced, chatty,
bubbly, humorous, erudite, standoffish / aloof / reserved, warm, cold, enthusiastic, boring
etc. It may be a good idea to give an example or two of the things this person said or did,
and explain how these things made you feel. In other words, why do you remember
talking to this person?

Vocabulary & Sentences

 Medley

 All sorts of / All kinds of

44
  A take = a perspective

 Enthralling

 To take something to heart

 It seems / seemed as though

 To be full of beans

 Sage (adjective) = wise

 A sage (noun) = a wise person

 To have a lust for life

 To follow in someone’s footsteps

Answer:

Let me tell you about a dinner party I went to at the end of last year.

A friend of mine, Stephen, had just been promoted at work, so this dinner party was a celebration
of his success. There was a whole medley of people from the office I’d never even heard of –
friends of Stephen, his family, colleagues, their friends, people from other departments, and so on.
One of these people really stands out in my memory.

I met a guy called Alistair, who had been working and travelling all over the world. We spoke about
all sorts of things, ranging from the economy and globalisation, to all the exotic recipes he’d
learned by sampling different cuisines during his travels. He had such an interesting take on the
world – what direction we are heading in, what he thinks the future will look like, and the way we
should be living.

Our entire interaction was fascinating. Alistair told me enthralling stories of the situations he had
got himself into, like the time he offended a member of royalty and was locked up for two days.
Many of these stories were hysterical. He also gave me some sage advice about navigating the
modern world, which is evolving quite erratically. I really took his advice to heart because it
seemed as though he could read my mind – it was like he knew what I needed to hear before I did.
Besides that, he was generally just full of beans with his lust for life. So, I feel pretty inspired to
follow in his footsteps and explore the world.

Part 3 Questions:

 Is it difficult for Chinese people to communicate with people from other countries?

 Is it difficult for adults to talk with children?

45
Vocabulary & Sentences

 It depends if you’re talking about + option A + or + option B

 Generally speaking, + a general observation or opinion

 To get your points across

 Time is money

 Common topics of discussion

 To get your wires crossed

 To take something literally

 I’d say the main hurdles / problems / obstacles / issues are + list of problems

 To get to the heart of the matter

 To work through + an unpleasant feeling or traumatic experience

 To bottle something up

 Internalised

 Pulling teeth / It’s like pulling teeth

Answer

Q: Is it difficult for Chinese people to communicate with people from other countries?

A: Well, it depends if you’re talking about the language aspect or the culture aspect. If you’ve been
doing English from a young age and were able to develop your skills over the years, then you
probably won’t have problems with the language barrier. Yes, there are sounds in English that
Chinese people struggle with, but, generally speaking, you’ll be able to get your points across.

If you’re talking about the culture part, that isn’t as clear-cut. In my experience, Western countries
tend to be more focused on individual enjoyment, whereas China these days has a very fast pace
of life and gives the idea that “time is money”. So, it can be difficult at times to find common
topics of discussion. It’s not that one way is better than the other, but they could get everyone’s
wires crossed because of cultural misunderstandings.

Q: Is it difficult for adults to talk with children?

A: It definitely can be. I’d say the main hurdles are the facts that children take things literally, and
they lack the language or self-awareness to communicate their needs or feelings maturely. That
makes it very difficult for adults to get to the heart of the matter and help the children work
through it.

46
Besides that, children also tend to internalise situations that caused them to feel very strongly,
either in a positive or a negative way. So, maybe a child gets bullied or teased, or traumatised in
some way, and they will think it’s their fault and feel ashamed to talk about what happened. Some
kids do share, but the ones who bottle it up will carry this heavy, internalised sadness around with
them. For the parents, it’s like pulling teeth getting your child to do something they don’t want to
do – which is also painful for the parents.

47
Topic: Cities (2023.1)

Part 2 Question:

Describe another city you would like to stay in for a short time. You should say:

Where the city is

Why you want to go there

Who you would go there with

What you would do there

And explain why you would stay there for just a short time

Advice

 Importantly, you need to distinguish between a city you want to / would like to travel to,
and a city you will travel to. The first case is hypothetical, it’s just a possibility or future
dream for you. In this case, you must use would, not will. In the second case, you may
have a trip already planned. In this case, you must use will, not would, because the trip is
confirmed and certain to happen.

 If you aren’t picky about where you would go, just research a city or two and describe the
things you would like about the city. Some ideas are the food, lifestyle, scenery (beaches,
mountains, hiking trails, rainforests, waterfalls) and the proximity to other travel
destinations you might enjoy.

Vocabulary & Sentences

 My reasons for wanting to go there are + explain the reasons

 So, why choose + city choice + ? + explain the reasons

 For starters, + list an initial reason or positive aspect about the city

 Fanatic

 Buff

 A dream come true

 The music scene

 Renowned

 Can you imagine + describe a situation you want to experience + ?

48
  To tag along

 To be into something

 To have a blast

 Come to think of it, + an unexpected realisation

 Small-town folk / Small-town people

 Flustered

 Built-up

 Upper limit

Answer:

At the top of my travel bucket list is New York City.

Also known as The Big Apple, New York City is probably the most iconic city in the United States.
Part of me wanting to go there is just to explore another country, ideally on a different continent. I
want to get face-to-face with another culture, broaden my palate, and dive into the deep end of
life. So, why choose New York first? Well, for starters, there’s the rich cultural history of music and
the arts. I’m a fanatic history buff, so learning about the New York music scene and art collections
would be a dream come true for me. Besides that, one can’t go to New York and not visit the
renowned tourist attractions – the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, Central Park, and,
you guessed it – Times Square. Can you imagine being there with fluffy snow falling around you?
Picturesque!

Regarding my travel companion, my younger sister would tag along. She’s into the same things as
me, so the two of us would have an absolute blast travelling together. Come to think of it, neither
of us has actually ventured beyond Henan Province, so this would be a grand adventure for both
of us.

Since we’re small-town folk, I can’t imagine we would stay much longer than a week or two. As it
is, we both get flustered when visiting the busy, built-up areas near our hometown. So, for that
reason, I’d say two weeks in New York would be our upper limit.

Part 3 Questions:

 Why are historical cities popular?

 Do you think tourists may come across bad things in other cities?

Vocabulary & Sentences

49
  More to offer / Less to offer

 To have something or someone behind you

 Getting around / To get around

 Tourist-centric / Tourist-focused / Tourist-oriented

 From all corners of the world / From all corners of the planet

 Inevitable

 Well-off

 To take a chance

 Easy prey

 Pickpocket

 Scam artist / Scammer

 Street-smarts

 Across the board

 Gentrification

 To keep an eye out for something

Answer

Q: Why are historical cities popular?

A: Well, historical cities simply have more to offer than regular cities. They’ve got thousands of
years of history, culture and evolution behind them. That’s a big draw factor for people who want
to immerse themselves in another culture. Historical cities are often overflowing with things to do
and sites to see. These are often concentrated in, or near, the city centres, which makes getting
around a breeze because you don’t have to travel far and wide to see everything.

Another reason is that historical cities are tourist-centric, so they have the infrastructure to
accommodate people from all corners of the planet. Things like taxis, buses, hostels and other
accommodation will be sorted once you arrive. At least, that’s how I see things.

Q: Do you think tourists may come across bad things in other cities?

A: Unfortunately, I think that’s inevitable. Even in the well-off countries with negligible poverty,
crime and homelessness, there is always a bad character willing to take a chance and commit a
crime. It’s particularly true in the case of tourists, who make easy prey for experienced pickpockets
and scam artists, because they don’t have the street-smarts to navigate an unfamiliar place.

50
Some things aren’t always visible to the naked eye, either. For example, areas that get bus loads of
tourists tend to see rising costs across the board. That’s caused by stores upping their prices and,
basically, it’s a kind of gentrification. So, if you keep an eye out for that, and how it affects the
locals, it often contributes to cost-of-living crises for the host country. And, you know, this isn’t
nice for the tourists to come across, either.

51
Topic: Websites (2023.1)

Part 2 Question:

Describe a website you often visit. You should say:

What it is about

How you found out about it

How often you visit it

And explain why you often visit it

Advice

 Q1, Q3 and Q4 require the present simple tense because you will be talking about facts
and preferences. Q2 is related to the past, so you should use a variety of past tenses. A
good way to beef up your answer with advanced grammar is to learn a few of the
sentence constructions below that use the perfect tenses (any sentence using: Subject +
auxiliary verb + past participle).

 For Q2, it’s very likely that you can’t actually remember when or why you found out about
this website. Instead, mention a ballpark time period for when you probably heard about
the website (roughly 2 years ago, just after finishing school, while I was studying at
university etc.) For a high-level answer, you can use the construction marked with an
asterisk (*).

 Most people will instinctively mention a search engine like Baidu, Google, Bing,
DuckDuckGo etc. because you can access all other websites from those search engines.
You could also refer to a specific website instead, like the news website you frequent, a
video streaming platform like Youku or YouTube, a government website where you can
obtain the latest data etc. These websites could be related to your work or your personal
internet browsing.

Vocabulary & Sentences

 That would have to be + your first choice website

 To look up information = to find it

 To track something down = to find it

 To be frank, + honest admission or humble realisation

 To pinpoint something (usually a location, date, reason, or exact information)

52
  *It would have had to have been + time period

 Towards the end of + time period

 I’ve been using + website name, software or other thing + adverb of frequency

 Staple

 On the go

 As long as + pre-requisite conditions + what you intend to do

 Oftentimes

 To get more than you bargained for

Answer:

Well, that would have to be Baidu.

I guess you can think of it as the Chinese equivalent of Google or Bing. I’m not 100% sure what the
difference between a website and a search engine is, but I think Baidu and Google count as both
options. So, that’s where I look up any information I need and track down the most up-to-date
research for my work.

To be frank, I can’t pinpoint the exact moment when I heard about Baidu. It would have to have
been towards the end of my school career, because we had been using the school’s local internet,
but not the main internet we know today.

Since then, I’ve been using Baidu just about every day. It’s a staple tool in my work and, as you
know, everything is digital nowadays. You can find all the information you need, and more, just
using your phone and a search engine like Baidu. It’s very convenient when you’re on the go
because, as long as you have decent cell reception or Wi-Fi, you can get onto the internet. Baidu
also pulls other media related to your search, like videos, pictures, PDFs, archives, and so on. So,
oftentimes, you end up with more information than you bargained for.

So, that’s the website I often visit - Baidu.

Part 3 Questions:

 What are the most and least popular websites in China?

 What kinds of people would still go to the library to read or study?

Vocabulary & Sentences

 Off the top of my head + first impression or best available memory

53
  The most popular ones are / would be + list of popular websites

 To give a rundown of something

 Digital landscape = the trends and situation in a digital market or industry

 Abstract or common noun + serves as + the function or purpose this object performs

 To put your finger on something

 I would say + your opinion

 To gauge something

 Throughflow

 A wall of data

 Negligible

 Spammy

 Niche

 If I had to hazard a guess, + your best prediction or interpretation

 The kind of person who + list their characteristics or behaviours that support your
perspective

 For hours on end

 To ace your exams

 To pass with flying colours

 The kind of + noun + I can picture / imagine / see + doing something specific + is / are + list
their characteristics or behaviours that support your perspective

Answer

Q: What are the most and least popular websites in China?

A: Off the top of my head, the most popular ones would be Baidu, followed by Youku, QQ and
Taobao. To give you a quick rundown of the digital landscape, Youku is a video streaming platform,
QQ is a social media platform and serves as a landing page providing links to other affiliated
websites, and Taobao is an ecommerce store.

As to the least popular websites, it’s hard to put your finger on it. Obviously, if they aren’t popular,
it means only a handful of people know about them. That makes it difficult to gauge the
throughflow on these websites if you aren’t looking at a wall of user data. So, I would say the
websites with negligible traffic are the spammy, dangerous websites, and any website with a niche
purpose.

54
Q: What kinds of people would still go to the library to read or study?

A: That’s an interesting question. If I had to hazard a guess, I reckon it’s the more introverted kind
of person who still reads or studies at the library. Maybe they don’t like staring at a screen for
hours on end, or they thrive in quieter environments. Libraries are a dying breed due to the rapid
switch to digital systems, so it’s surprising when you come across a physical library. So, the person
might have to go out of their way just to find a library.

The other kind of people I can picture going to the library would be students, especially
competitive ones who are aiming to ace their exams. The top universities expect you to pass with
flying colours, meaning that only the most driven students will fight for a seat in the library.

55
Topic: An Unusual Meal (2023.1)

Part 2 Question:

Describe an unusual meal you had. You should say:

When you had it

Where you had it

Whom you had it with

And explain why it was unusual

Advice

 This is quite a straightforward topic, especially if you are genuinely passionate about food.
There’s lots of scope to use taste adjectives here: divine, mouth-watering, appetising,
yummy, bland / tasteless, chewy, gooey, sour, bitter, revolting etc. Similarly, you can say
how you felt about the unusual meal before, during and after eating it.

 The first three questions don’t require a lot of speaking, so you can use most of your time
to describe the actual meal (and your feelings towards it) in Q4. Of course, you should give
some background information about the meal and why you had that particular meal, but
the focus should be on describing the meal.

 All four questions will mostly use the past tense. When you are giving some background
information, it’s a good opportunity to use the past continuous and past perfect tenses as
well.

Vocabulary & Sentences

 The meal that pops into my mind is + name of the meal

 It must have been + approximate timeframe or number of years + ago

 All-in-all

 To make a pit stop

 Round about = approximately / roughly

 Bizarre

 To grin and bear + through something unpleasant

 One for the books / Not one for the books

56
  To be on the same page about something

 Carbs = carbohydrates

 Gooey

 To hit the road

 A throwback

Answer:

The meal that immediately pops up in my mind is the breakfast pizza I tried while on an overseas
swimming tour.

My university had a fiercely competitive swimming team, and we were competing in an

international tournament in the United States. This must have been nearly fifteen years ago, which
is round about the time I was finishing up my undergraduate thesis.

Our swimming team, which was maybe fourteen people, all-in-all, was making a pit stop in
Michigan. Of course, we all knew what a pizza was, but we’d never even heard of a breakfast pizza.
The waitress told us it was synonymous with the state’s cuisine, so we thought – why not?

The name itself – breakfast pizza –is exactly what you’d imagine. It comes with all the things you’d
normally associate with a standard breakfast – scrambled eggs, sausage and cubed hashbrowns.
That’s on top of all the usual pizza toppings, like cheese, tomato, herbs, and all that.

Personally, I found the entire concept pretty bizarre – egg on pizza? No, thank you! I managed to
grin and bear my way through the whole pizza, but it’s definitely not one for the books. The rest of
my team were on the same page as me. We managed to get through all the pizzas, but it left us all
in something along the lines of a food coma. All the carbs and dense, gooey cheese were so filling,
I thought my stomach was going to explode! After that, we thanked the waitress for her
recommendation, settled the bill, and hit the road. I hadn’t even thought of that unusual meal
again until you mentioned it now, so it’s quite a throwback.

Part 3 Questions:

 What are the advantages and disadvantages of eating in restaurants?

 Do people in your country value food culture?

Vocabulary & Sentences

 Do the washing up / Do the dishes

 Scrumptious

57
  Gourmet

 To have it in you = to have the energy, motivation and time to do something yourself

 When something catches your fancy / When something catches your eye

 The flip side of that is + explain the disadvantages or concerns with the other option

 Cost a pretty penny

 To throw something into the mix = to include or consider something extra

 Pedantic

 To take a leap of faith

 Eating out = eating at a restaurant

 That goes to show + observation or fact

 Vivacious

 Mom-and-pop stores / Mom-and-pop restaurants

 Delectable

Answer

Q: What are the advantages and disadvantages of eating in restaurants?

A: Well, the obvious benefit is – no washing up! Jokes aside, though, I love treating my friends to a
scrumptious, gourmet meal. I usually cook at home, but some days I just don’t have it in me to go
shopping, chop vegetables, fry up some meat, and then deal with the dishes afterwards. In a
restaurant, all you have to do is pick out the dish that catches your fancy and the restaurant will
do the rest for you.

The flip side of that is, of course, that it can cost a pretty penny to eat out regularly, especially if
you’re throwing drinks into the mix. You also can’t know for sure what goes on in the kitchen. Are
all the ingredients fresh and clean? Has anything been left standing with flies buzzing around? Are
the staff meticulous about hygiene? You know, general food safety things. I don’t mean to be
pedantic, but you do have to take a leap of faith when eating out. So, that would be the biggest
drawback from my point of view.

Q: Do people in your country value food culture?

A: Yeah, Chinese people are really big on food. There’s that famous saying, how does it go
again…you are what you eat! In China, we have a similar expression, “to the people, food is
heaven.” That goes to show how much we cherish our food! A lot of people believe that eating
good food is the key to leading a vivacious, enjoyable, and long life.

58
In pre-COVID times, you would see food stalls and mom-and-pop restaurants lining the streets.
Our cuisine is known for prioritising fresh, seasonal produce with lots of vibrant colours. Socially,
we also give certain meals symbolic values. We eat special dishes over the important celebrations,
like the recent Spring Festival. These special meals let us bond with friends and family over a plate
of delectable food. So, clearly, it’s not just the eating aspect that is important – it’s also the
community aspect.

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Topic: Technology You Struggle to Use (2023.1)

Part 2 Question:

Describe a piece of technology you own that you feel is difficult to use. You should say:

When you got it

What you got it for

How often you use it

And explain how you feel about it

Advice

 When choosing the technology you want to talk about, think about what you use regularly
– your phone, laptop, smart TV, home appliances, car etc. Alternatively, think about a
piece of technology that you once owned but sold, gave back or threw away because it
was too difficult to use.

 Remember, it mustn’t be technology that is broken. Also, technology doesn’t only refer to
phones and laptops – it also includes things like computer software, printers, state-of-the-
art machinery that requires specialised training, medical instruments, farming equipment
etc.

 Technology could be difficult to use for dozens of reasons: the software is buggy, the
interface is not user-friendly, the performance is shoddy or disappointing, it doesn’t
integrate nicely with other brands or technology.

Vocabulary & Sentences

 To give someone grief / To cause someone grief

 The thinking was to + explain your original plan

 The rationale was + explain the original reasons for doing something

 To subject someone to + an unpleasant or undesirable situation

 To leave a lot to be desired

 Split-second

 A snug fit / To fit snugly

 Infuriating

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  As you can imagine, + how you feel about it

 Cost a small fortune

 To be far from impressed

 To be a pain in the neck

 Patchy = unreliable

 Smooth sailing

 Peeved

Answer:

Ah, that’s an easy one. I’ll tell you about the Samsung Galaxy Buds that have been giving me grief
for the past three months.

So, I got them to block out the background noise during virtual meetings at work. They have a
built-in microphone, so the thinking was that I would be able to join the meeting anywhere at
home or in the office – wherever was quietest – and not subject everyone else to the commotion
around me.

While that sounds like it would work perfectly in theory, the execution left a lot to be desired. I
haven’t actually been able to use the Galaxy Buds reliably with my Huawei phone or my MacBook.
The Bluetooth connection keeps dropping, there is a split-second lag in the audio from my
MacBook, and one of the earpieces keeps falling out of my ear because it doesn’t fit snugly.
Altogether, I’ve probably only used the Buds a dozen times in the past few months.

As you can imagine, it’s pretty infuriating when this happens. They cost a small fortune and, for a
gadget from such a renowned company, I’m far from impressed with the usability. Yes, I can
forgive my earbuds for their patchy compatibility with Apple products, but with my Huawei? It
shouldn’t be such a pain in the neck to use them properly. Given the amount I spent on these, I
really expected smooth sailing here. So, I feel quite peeved about the whole situation.

Part 3 Questions:

 Why do big companies introduce new products frequently?

 Does the development of technology affect the way we study? How?

Vocabulary & Sentences

 I imagine they want to + your opinion

 A piece of the pie

 When something is / isn’t your cup of tea

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  To stay top of mind

 To get hooked / To become hooked / To hook people

 To corner the market

 Touch points

 Cross-selling

 To do something by hand

 Tenacious

 Asynchronous

 Good old + something from long ago that you remember fondly

 Pen-and-paper

Answer

Q: Why do big companies introduce new products frequently?

A: Interesting, I hadn’t thought of that before. Well, I imagine they want to continue dominating
whichever market they’re in. Big companies tend to command the largest market share – or the
biggest piece of the pie, if business or economics aren’t really your cup of tea. People like getting
new products, especially tech gadgets like phones, laptops, earphones, smartwatches…those kinds
of things. Big companies, especially multinationals, probably want to stay top of my mind when
people are thinking about upgrading their tech or buying something new.

Beyond that, I reckon they want to get people hooked in their product and software ecosystems.
You know, the same way Apple has totally cornered the North American market. Having an
expansive product catalogue, and catering to all wallets, gives the company more touch points for
interaction and cross-selling opportunities with their customers.

Q: Does the development of technology affect the way we study? How?

A: Oh, absolutely. I mean, if I think back to my days of studying, it’s like I lived in the dark ages
compared to now! We had to do everything by hand. All you had was your lecture notes, the
prescribed textbook, your study buddies, and the library. If you were tenacious – and lucky – you
could find the textbooks in the library where the lecturers got their test questions from.

Nowadays, everything is digital. It’s much more of a blended learning approach. Face-to-face time
in the classroom is augmented by quizzes, exercises, past exam papers and other resources on the
university’s intranet. Colleges even have their own apps for lecturers and students to receive or
submit their assignments. You have access to a limitless goldmine of resources, practice questions
and explanatory videos on the internet. It’s all asynchronous, so you aren’t limited by good old
pen-and-paper studying anymore. And that’s all thanks to the internet and modern technology.

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Topic: A Place You Can Relax at Home (2023.1)

Part 2 Question:

Describe your favourite place in your house where you can relax. You should say:

Where it is

What it is like

What you enjoy doing there

And explain why you feel relaxed in this place

Advice

 This is a nice topic for describing the furniture and atmosphere in your home. The relaxing
room doesn’t need to be anything out of the ordinary; it could simply be your bedroom,
the kitchen, your lounge area, a basic home gym, your deck / outside area etc. Basically,
any part of your home that helps you take your mind off work/study and other stressful
things. Although the topic states “in your house,” the relaxing room does not literally
need to be inside your house – so it could also be a deck or garden area.

 Things that help you relax in this room could be a comfortable couch, soft lighting and
tranquil décor, a nice TV for watching movies, high-tech sound for listening to music, gym
equipment for lifting weights or doing yoga, candles and incense, a music room with your
musical instruments etc.

 All four questions require the present simple tense because you are stating facts, giving
your opinion and describing routines. However, you should also use time-related
grammar and the continuous tense. For example:

o I like to chill out in my living room with an enthralling book. When I’m reading, my
cat nestles on my lap and keeps me company.

Vocabulary & Sentences

 My go-to spot is + location

 Selling point

 Swelteringly (adverb)

 Sweltering (adjective)

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  Chaise lounge / Daybed

 Lull

 Perch

 Bask

 Engrossed in + an activity, movie, book, podcast etc. which you are enjoy thoroughly
enjoying and can’t pull your eyes from

 Bustling

 Ruckus

 Take the good with the bad

 Refuge

 To nod off / Nodded off

Answer:

My go-to relaxation spot is the office in my apartment.

That might sound contradictory because most people would probably associate their office with
work. Indeed, I do have my computer, second screen, reference books, standing desk, printer, and
everything else I need to work, set up in the office.

But the selling point of this room is that it’s east-facing, so it catches the rays of warm sunshine in
the afternoon. In summer, it gets swelteringly hot, so we drop the blinds and blast the air
conditioning. But it’s divine in winter because we bring a lush carpet into the room to trap the
heat inside. We have a chaise lounge right by the window, so whenever there is a lull in the day, I
perch myself on the daybed and bask in the sunshine. I could spend entire days on the daybed,
engrossed in a book while grazing on assorted nuts.

Since we’re in a bustling city, you might wonder how I could be relaxed in there with all the noise.
Indeed, there is an abundance of that! Unfortunately, though, you can’t really get away from all
the ruckus happening on the streets below the apartment block. So, I just take the good with the
bad and enjoy the room for what it can offer me – a cosy and comfortable refuge. In fact, I’ve
nodded off a few times in there, and woken up not even knowing what day it is! So, that room
really is my happy place.

Part 3 Questions:

 Why is it difficult for some people to relax?

 Do people in your country exercise after work?

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Vocabulary & Sentences

 To decompress = to relax and wind down

 To blow off steam / Blowing off steam

 Cut-throat

 Insurmountable

 To turn in = to submit something

 To turn in = to go to bed

 To switch off

 Tossing and turning

 To have a racing mind / When your mind is wired

 Zealous

 A go-getter

 Insatiable

 To wind down

 If you + hypothetical situation + how can you + desired outcome + ?

 At a glance, + first impression or cursory interpretation

 It seems that + activity or trend + has been becoming + more / less + popular

 The split between A and B = the proportions of people choosing A or B

 Early birds / Night owls

 To muster + something you need to complete a difficult or unpleasant activity, task or

project

 I can’t imagine + something you wouldn’t expect to see much of

 Agrarian

 Toil away

Answer

Q: Why is it difficult for some people to relax?

A: Well, that’s a tough one, because everybody has their own way of decompressing after work
and blowing off steam. I have friends who work in cut-throat industries and the expectations of

65
their jobs seem insurmountable to me. So, they turn in at night but they just can’t switch off, and
they end up tossing and turning in bed with their minds racing. Their minds are still wired because
they’ve brought the problems and stress home with them.

Other people are just perfectionists or zealous go-getters. They have an insatiable appetite for
refinement, growth and success. It makes sense they would struggle to wind down because
they’re always thinking: What’s next? How can I do better? Besides that, I reckon some people
need to establish stronger boundaries between work and leisure time. I mean, if you aren’t getting
enough rest, how can you be productive in your job?

Q: Do people in your country exercise after work?

A: At a glance, it seems that exercising has been becoming more popular in my country. At least,
that’s the case in cities and towns with enough gyms, public pools and sport facilities for their
inhabitants. I’m not too sure about the split between people who exercise before or after work,
though. In my experience, the early birds would naturally prefer to exercise before work. But not
everyone can muster the willpower and discipline needed to keep up that schedule. So, I’m more
inclined to say that people tend to exercise after work because it’s a little bit easier to squeeze
into a busy day.

In cities, that also helps you beat the evening rush hour traffic, so that’s an added perk. In the
countryside, though, I can’t imagine many people exercise after work. Especially in the agrarian
areas, where lots of people toil away in the fields or in factories – that’s enough exercise as it is!

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Topic: Something You Did with Others (2023.1)

Part 2 Question:

Describe something you did with someone else or a group of people. You should say:

What it was

Who you did it with

How long it took you to do this

And explain why you did it together

Advice

 Firstly, the topic doesn’t specify if this is a good thing or a bad thing, so you could choose
either. It may be easier to talk about something fun, exciting, unexpected, hard to believe,
or amusing, though. Activities could be: hiking as a group, watching a movie together,
hosting a dinner party or going out for a meal, joining a cooking class, travelling to another
place, having a team-building expedition with your colleagues, going overseas with your
family, attending a conference or presentation for your job, going to the gym or playing a
sports event, starting a new language group class, going to a wedding or funeral, taking a
first aid course etc.

 This is a topic where you can combine your answers for Q1 and Q2 into one response.

 All four questions specifically require the past tense, but remember that you can also
explain how you feel about them, and why you started them in the first place, using the
present tense. For example:

o I started a new language class with my best friend last week. I just feel my current
learning process is moving along too slowly, so I decided to take it to the next
level.

Vocabulary & Sentences

 The other day = a few days ago (not specific)

 A dozen + noun

 Newbie

 To be out of shape

 Exertion

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  Aches and pains

 To leave something to the last minute

 It’s the + superlative adjective + way of + activity

 It’s not the + superlative adjective + way of + activity

 To put something off

 To be on track with a goal or target

 Subject + has / have + been wanting to + an activity or routine you have wanted to start
for a long time

 For ages = for a long time

 Getting long in the tooth

 Sedentary

 Complacent

 Cushy

 Kill two birds with one stone

 When the going gets tough

Answer:

Well, I enrolled in a yoga class with my mom the other day, so let me tell you about that.

We had our first session on Monday. There were about a dozen other people in the class, but no
one that my mom and I had met before. It was a course for newbies, so it was only a one-hour
session. But when you’re as out of shape as we are, one hour of stretching, lunging and physical
exertion can feel like an eternity. I’m actually still feeling the aches and pains right now!

The main reason for doing the class together is to have an accountability partner. Both my mom
and I are procrastinators who leave everything to the last minute. Even though we work well
under pressure and deliver results this way, it’s not the healthiest way of getting things done. With
exercise, especially, it’s too easy to negotiate with yourself and rationalise putting it off because
you had a long day. So, having a gym buddy keeps you on track to achieve your long-term goals,
and the two of us have been wanting to get active for ages.

Besides that, it’s crucial that we get up and move our bodies every day, especially as you get
longer in the tooth. Modern society is so sedentary and convenient that we’re getting complacent
in our cushy lifestyles. As they say, “Sitting is the new smoking.” So, doing yoga with my mom lets
us kill two birds with one stone: Both of us get healthier, and both of us motivate each other when
the going gets tough.

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Part 3 Questions:

 How do you get along with your neighbours?

 Do you think it’s important for children to learn about cooperation?

Vocabulary & Sentences

 If memory serves / If memory serves me well / If I remember correctly

 To cement a relationship or arrangement

 The usual suspects

 The goings-on

 Vice versa

 Smooth sailing

 To go it alone

 To steal the spotlight / To hog the spotlight / To steal the show

 Crunch the numbers

 To run the show

 To play ball / Playing ball

 Mutually exclusive / Not mutually exclusive

 To instill + principles or characteristics you want to teach someone

Answer

Q: How do you get along with your neighbours?

A: We get along just fine. If memory serves, I don’t think we’ve gone through a single bumpy patch
since moving in about four years ago. We stay next to a young couple who’ve been living there for
nearly ten years. We take turns having each other over for dinner every now and then. We’re on
very friendly terms, and I think those dinners have really helped us cement a friendly, trusting
relationship with one another.

It’s also refreshing to hang out with people other than the usual suspects. We catch up on all the
goings-on in their lives and we bring up anything that might be of interest to all the tenants in the
apartment block. We have the spare keys to their apartment, and vice versa. So far, it’s been 100%
smooth sailing.

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Q: Do you think it’s important for children to learn about cooperation?

A: Yes, without a doubt. It’s absolutely crucial that children are able to cooperate with others
because it’s not possible to go it alone in the modern world. Although certain figures and
celebrities tend to steal the spotlight in the media, there’s always a team of consultants and
analysts behind them crunching the numbers and, for the most, running the show.

So, as a collective, I believe we should be nurturing children to play ball in every group situation
they find themselves in. Of course, children must also learn reasonable boundaries, develop a
healthy self-esteem, and cultivate their ambition or desire for success. I don’t think those things
are mutually exclusive, though. It’s possible for us parents, teachers and role models to instill both
sets of traits in future generations.

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Topic: A Time You Taught Someone Something (2023.1)

Part 2 Question:

Describe a time you taught a friend or relative something. You should say:

Who you taught

What / How you taught

What the result was

And explain how you felt about the experience

Advice

 Importantly, this person must be a friend or family member, not a stranger, colleague or
other acquaintance. You can also give some background information (why did you end up
teaching this person?), but make sure you leave enough time to answer all four questions.

 In Q2, you can speak in detail on what it was that you taught, and how you taught this
person. For example, did you just tell them how to do it? Did you show them how to do it?
Or both? In other words, what was the process of teaching them?

 Some ideas for things to have taught are: How to file your taxes, how to apply for a visa or
government document, how to write your first CV or resume, how to cook a particular
dish or cuisine, how to play an instrument or do maintenance (like changing guitar strings),
proper techniques for lifting weights, how to pair and sync your data across all your tech
devices, how to pour a beer or open a bottle of champagne, how to tie shoelaces or
special types of knots, how to drive a car etc.

Vocabulary & Sentences

 Shake things up

 Hatchback car

 To take your eyes off something

 Split-second

 Cavernous

 Slashed / To slash

 Rhythmic / Rhythmically

 Judging by + an observation + a conclusion based on that observation

71
  A dead giveaway

 Pull over / To pull a car cover

 Wrench

 Wheel chocks

 To have no clue how to do something / To have no clue

 Chassis

 To do most of the heavy lifting

 To get a feel for something

 To have done something a million times / To do something in your sleep = an exaggerated

way of saying you are experienced at doing something

 To make quick work of something

 The way things turned out

 Subject + seemed to have + past tense verb + the noun, activity or situation

Answer:

Let me tell you about the time I taught my nephew how to change a car tyre.

I spend time with my nephews and nieces at least once a year, usually over the Spring Festival.
Last year, we decided to shake things up a little. We rented a small hatchback and did a mini road
trip into the countryside, curious to see how people living in rural areas celebrated the new year.

During the trip, I took my eyes off the road for a split-second and hit a cavernous pothole.
Instantly, I knew there was a puncture. I told my nephew that that sound of slashed rubber
rhythmically flapping on the asphalt was a dead giveaway we had a flat tyre. So, I pulled over onto
the shoulder and laid out the jack, wrench and the wheel chocks. Judging by the look on my
nephew’s face, he had no clue how to change a tyre! So, I realised this a wholesome bonding
opportunity for us. First, we placed the wheel chocks to prevent the car from rolling, then we
loosened the wheel lugs with the wrench. I double-checked the vehicle manual to see where the
jack points were located underneath the chassis, and then we jacked the car up. I did most of the
heavy lifting, but I gave my nephew a chance to get a feel for each step and get his hands dirty.

Because I’d done this a million times, we made quick work of the tyre change. I was very pleased
about how things turned out because I had taught my nephew an essential life skill, and he
seemed to have enjoyed the whole experience.

Part 3 Questions:

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  Do you think ‘showing’ is a better way than ‘telling’ in education?

 Do people in your country like to watch videos when learning something new?

Vocabulary & Sentences

 There’s no doubt about that in my mind / There’s no doubt that

 There’s only so much = there’s a limited amount / there’s a hard cap / there’s an upper
limit

 To go in one ear and straight out the other

 Get down to business

 In a perfect world, + the ideal situation

 Hands-on

 To give something a bash

 Caveat

 To have a go at something

 I’m a staunch believer in / that + your belief

 I’m a firm believer in / that + your belief

 I wouldn’t be surprised if + this were the case / a result or situation

 To look something up

 Tedious / Tediously

 Sift through

 That’s without even mentioning + list of other factors that support your case

 In-your-face = intrusive, unpleasant and difficult to avoid

 Paradigm shift

 More and more + adjective

 Less and less + adjective

 To keep your eyes on something else

Answer

Q: Do you think ‘showing’ is a better way than ‘telling’ in education?

73
A: Yes, there’s no doubt about that in my mind. When you’re talking or explaining something,
there’s only so much information a person can absorb before it starts to enter one ear and go
straight out the other. You can give a quick verbal explanation beforehand, but then you need to
get down to business and demonstrate how to do it.

In a perfect world, you would also want to give students some hands-on experience. In my
experience, people learn best by doing, so they need to give it a bash, make mistakes, and then
learn from those mistakes. Of course, there’s a caveat in that some things might be too dangerous
for unskilled hands. Or there might simply be too many students for everyone to have a go. So, I’m
a staunch believer that students get an opportunity to see, then do, as far as practically possible.

Q: Do people in your country like to watch videos when learning something new?

A: Indeed, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this were the case all over the world. It’s just so much
easier to look up a video tutorial than tediously sift through an entire article for the three or four
bullet points you actually need. And that’s without even mentioning all the in-your-face ads and
newsletter or promotional popups that you’re subjected to on most websites.

I think there’s been a paradigm shift in how people look for information nowadays, especially with
all the social media apps centred around video content. The algorithms are getting more and more
sophisticated, which helps connect you with whatever you’re looking up on the internet. Videos
also have the added perk that you can listen passively, which is convenient if you’re cooking or
need to keep your eyes on something else.

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Topic: An Activity from Your Childhood (2023.1)

Part 2 Question:

Describe an activity you enjoyed in your free time when you were young. You should say:

What it was

Where you did it

Who you did it with

And explain why you enjoyed it

Advice

 Importantly, you need to have done this activity in your free time. So, you can’t talk about
something you only did at school, like a compulsory subject or sport. This must be
something you chose to do whenever you had spare time, but don’t do anymore. Some
ideas for activities are: Any sports, instruments or games you used to play for fun, special
food you helped prepare, exploring or playing outside, riding your bicycle at the park,
going fishing, playing pranks on the neighbours etc.

 Since the first three questions are simply asking for facts given in the past tense, they can
be answered concisely. So, you should try to give some background information to bulk up
your answer. You can give extra information like: Why you were doing it, how long you did
it for, why you stopped doing it, how long each practice or activity lasted for etc.

 All four questions will require you to use the past tense, but you should try to use other
tenses as well when explaining the context of your story. It’s a great opportunity to use
would and used to, as well as time phrases like when we were…, at the time, back then,
while I was…, they had been helping us to… etc.

Vocabulary & Sentences

 That + activity, song, game, joke or other memory + takes me back

 Subject + used to + an activity or routine you did in the past but no longer do

 Subject + would have + explain a routine or regular activity (requires a time clause)

 To be living and breathing + a topic, activity or subject you are obsessed about

 To be nuts about something

 Went off to + destination

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  From the get-go = from the beginning

 Masterclass

 Stalemate

 Clinch the win / Take the win / Clinch victory

 To be on the edge of your seat

 Nail-biting

 Finale

Answer:

Wow, that question takes me back! Growing up, I used to play Xiangqi – or Chinese chess, as it’s
called outside of China – all the time.

I played throughout my school years, both for fun and also competitively for my school team. In
the school team, we would have a 1.5-hour practice session after school every day, and every few
weeks there would be an inter-school tournament. I was pretty decent, looking back. I often
landed third or fourth place in those competitions. Since I was nuts about the game, I would also
play against friends during our break times, and online over the weekends. I was basically living
and breathing Xiangqi, until I matriculated and went off to uni.

What I found so addictive about Xiangqi was the mental intensity of it. Yes, broadly speaking, it
draws some comparisons to international chess, but there’s a strategic depth to Xiangqi that many
board games can’t match. Because of how the pieces can move, it has magnitudes more
complexity and tactical variation than chess or checkers, right from the get-go. You don’t have to
spend the first half of the game orchestrating an ambush and giving your opponent a tactical
masterclass. The endgame is also more dramatic because, unlike chess, you can’t end up with a
stalemate. So, you’re never left with an unsatisfying lack of closure afterwards – one player must
clinch the win. Xiangqi matches have an electricity about them, keeping spectators on the edges of
their seats before coming to a nail-biting finale.

Part 3 Questions:

 Is it important to have a break during work or study?

 Can most people balance work and life in China?

Vocabulary & Sentences

 Counter-intuitive

 Cognitive (adjective) / Cognition (noun)

76
  Flow state / To be in the zone

 To mull something over / To mull it over

 More often than not

 Lightbulb moment

 I’m a big fan of + a method, philosophy or option

 As a rule of thumb, + a general observation

 Owing to + reasons or causes of something (referring to the past)

 Lineage

 There has been talk of + something that might happen in the future / rumours of

 For the most part = usually = more often than not

 To put your back into something

 Trickle down / Get passed down to

 I wouldn’t mind = something I would like to have or experience

 Downtime

 Little ones = young children

 To keep marching on / To keep marching forward

Answer

Q: Is it important to have a break during work or study?

A: Yes, absolutely. I remember reading a study in which the researchers discovered that people
can’t actually focus on something for more than 45 minutes or so. After those 45 minutes, the
mind starts to wander and cognitive performance starts to dip. If you keep going, it becomes
increasingly difficult to regain your concentration. So, they recommended breaking your tasks up
into ‘chunks’ of about 45 minutes each, with a 5- or 10-minute break separating each chunk.

Now, this might sound counter-intuitive, or even counter-productive, because you might think
you’re pulling yourself out of a flow state all the time. But actually, the mind will continue to mull
over the task subconsciously and, more often than not, these breaks will give you the mental
breakthrough – or lightbulb moment – you were looking for. So, yes, I’m a big fan of regular breaks
when you’ve got lots of mentally-draining things to do.

Q: Can most people balance work and life in China?

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A: As a rule of thumb, I’d say no. We have a very strong work ethic here in China, owing to our
history and the socioeconomic progress we’ve made in the last forty or fifty years. If you plot
China’s development on a spectrum, there’s a long lineage of people working long hours to make
ends meet and contribute to the national economy. In the recent past, there has been talk of, and
a slight shift towards, better work-life balance. But for the most part, people still put their backs
into it.

It makes sense because, when the economy is thriving, those economic benefits trickle down to
everyday citizens. So, everybody contributes, and everybody benefits. Personally, I wouldn’t mind
a little more downtime to spend with the little ones, but for now, we’ll keep marching on.

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Topic: A Daily Routine You Enjoy (2023.1)

Part 2 Question:

Describe a daily routine that you enjoy. You should say:

What it is

Where and when you do it

Who you do it with

And explain why you enjoy it

Advice

 A daily routine doesn’t have to be something out of the ordinary. It could just be your
usual morning or evening, either during the week or over the weekend. However, it must
be something that you enjoy doing – you probably wouldn’t talk about your laundry and
housekeeping routine, for example.

 Some ideas are: A routine when you bath your pets or take them for a walk and they get
very excited, when you watch your kids practise their instrument or sing, when you some
alone time and watch your favourite series or the news etc.

 It is not necessary that you do this routine with anybody – it’s perfectly acceptable to do it
by yourself.

Vocabulary & Sentences

 To rustle up / To rustle something up

 To keep tabs on something

 On the go

 First thing in the morning

 Jot down

 Unwind

 Tender-loving-care (TLC)

 To give your all / To give something your all

 Coo / Cooing

 To get a reprieve from + something unpleasant that took a long time to conclude

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  The main event

 Snuggle up

 Off + subject + go / goes + to + destination

 Dreamland = a metaphor for being in a deep, restful sleep

Answer:

I can tell you about my daily evening routine.

The first thing I do after work is feed my two cats, and then I rustle up some dinner. If I’m cooking
something that I don’t have to keep tabs on the whole time, like boiling rice or heating up some
leftover soup, then I quickly iron my collared shirt for work the next day. Then, while dinner is on
the go, I jot down anything I must attend to first thing in the morning. I have a magnetic
whiteboard on my fridge, so I can’t help but read my to-do list in the morning before I open the
fridge to grab the milk for my coffee. Pouring out the day’s thoughts and pending tasks helps to
clear my mind and let me properly unwind from work.

After dinner, I give the cats some tender-loving-care. They’re very dear to me and I really give it
my all to make them forgive me for leaving them home alone all day! After they’re satisfied with
their TLC and cooing, it’s time to do my evening stretches and follow a 10-minute guided
meditation. This is the secret to getting a deep, blissful night’s rest.

Finally, the main event – I jump into bed and read until I can’t keep my eyes open anymore. This is
my favourite part of my routine because, at last, I get a reprieve from all the headaches of the
day’s work. My cats snuggle up on either side of me, and off we go to dreamland!

Part 3 Questions:

 Should children have learning routines?

 How do people’s routines differ on weekdays and weekends?

Vocabulary & Sentences

 To a certain extent

 Like trying to herd cats / Like herding cats

 To do something of your own accord

 I’m behind + a belief or theory which you support

 Creatures of habit

 School of thought / Schools of thought

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  Overarching

 Subject + is / are / am + all for + something you support

 Regimented

 Swath / Swathes

 Earmarked

 To squeeze in / To squeeze something in

 Whatever floats your boat = activities you enjoy doing / your preferences

 In a nutshell, + brief summary of the aforementioned points

Answer

Q: Should children have learning routines?

A: I would say so. I mean, if routines are helpful to adults, wouldn’t they be useful to kids as well?
You might say that small kids can’t concentrate or prioritise things the way adults can, and that’s
probably true, to a certain extent. But it’s not like we’re trying to herd cats, here! I’m sure that kids
benefit from having some structure in their lives, especially if it incorporates the things they
wouldn’t do of their own accord – like studying or doing homework.

I’m behind the school of thought which asserts that humans are creatures of habit, and function
best with some kind of overarching, guiding principle. This might be a long-term goal, a specific
responsibility in their job, or a unique role in their community. Kids can’t self-regulate and align
themselves with those guiding principles, so they need an external structure to follow. In
education, especially, repetition and regular practise are essential for learning. So, I’m all for
learning routines – for kids and adults!

Q: How do people’s routines differ on weekdays and weekends?

A: Well, the weekdays would be more regimented because large swathes of your day are
earmarked for travelling to work, working, travelling home from work, and preparing for work the
next day. Somehow, you need to squeeze in time for your friends and family, cooking and eating,
cleaning, tending to pets, exercise, enjoying your own hobbies and passion projects…you get the
idea. And of course, you’re also competing with your own sleep habits!

At the weekend, it’s easier to make room for things you enjoy doing because your time budget is
under your control. You might have a whole day dedicated to self-care, you can take your pets for
a walk, you could have arranged a weekly game of badminton…you know, whatever floats your
boat. In a nutshell, I’d say weekday routines would be focused on the essentials for living, like
cooking and exercising, whereas weekend routines are for your past times and socialising.

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Topic: Good News You Heard (2023.1)

Part 2 Question:

Describe a piece of good news you heard about someone you know well. You should say:

What it was

When you heard it

How you heard about it

And explain how you felt about it

Advice

 Good news could be something very impactful, like a promotion at work or that someone
is pregnant, or they could be comparatively small announcements, like lockdown
restrictions being lifted or that your favourite sports team won a game or tournament.
Other ideas are: Someone got engaged, someone had a medical scare but later received
good news from the doctor, an application or request was approved, someone passed
their exams or passed with flying colours, someone got some much-needed financial
support etc.

 In Q2, it’s not necessary to give an exact day or date when you heard the news. In fact,
giving a ballpark figure is actually a smart, and very natural, way of using some high-level
grammar in your answer. Some ideas are:

o It must have been about + length of time + ago

o This was + length of time + ago, give or take

o We had just come back from + location, + so this would have been + length of time
+ ago

 Q3 and Q4 are good places to give some background information – why was this good
news? These two questions are good places to use phrases that reference sequences /
orders and time: at the time, we were hoping that…, we had been hoping for…., Melanie
hadn’t heard back from…, I was beginning to worry that… etc.

Vocabulary & Sentences

 As it happens

 This would have had to have been about + length of period + ago + because + reasons why
you know it happened then

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  Something was up = something was about to happen, either good or bad

 Walking on sunshine

 Buoyant

 From ear to ear

 Blurt / Blurted / Blurt out

 Euphoric (adjective) / Euphoria (noun)

 Commotion

 To have your eyes on + something you want to have or achieve

 A dream come true

 To be overlooked for + a position or responsibility you want to be given

 Devastating

 Crestfallen

 Wallowing in + an unpleasant emotional state

 To step down / Stepping down = to resign or retire from a position

 To get your hopes up

 To pour your heart and soul into something

 Heart-warming

Answer:

Well, as it happens, my father has just been promoted to Head of Department, so I can tell you
about that.

He told us the very second he got home from work that day. This would have had to have been
three weeks ago, because I was getting ready to leave for university. I knew something was up
when he came home walking on sunshine, all buoyant and smiling from ear to ear. He wasn’t even
completely through the front door yet when he blurted out his new job title and help up his arms
triumphantly!

Naturally, the house erupted into euphoric commotion, and we rushed over to my dad to
congratulate him. He’d had his eyes on this position for a few years now, so it was a dream come
true for all of us. Initially, he had been overlooked for a similar promotion last year, which was
devastating. My dad took it really hard – he was crestfallen and he spent a good few weeks
wallowing in despair.

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But then, everything changed. One of the higher-ups announced they would be stepping down in a
year or two, so this really got my father’s hopes up again. He really is the right person for the job,
and he’s poured his heart and soul into this company, so this was a really heart-warming
experience for all of us.

Part 3 Questions:

 How does social media help people access information?

 Do most people like to share good news with others?

Vocabulary & Sentences

 Regardless of whether + condition

 So on and so forth

 Repository

 Outside the scope

 Niche

 More than happy

 To bottle up an emotion, negative feelings or bad news

 Vying for + a promotion, recognition for something, or attention

 To spill the beans

 As a matter of habit = to do something regularly

 Apprehensive

 After the fact / Long after the fact

Answer

Q: How does social media help people access information?

A: Well, I’d say it gives you the information, regardless of whether you actually searched for it.
What I mean is, social media platforms aren’t quite the same as search engines like Baidu or
Google. You follow or subscribe to whichever accounts you like, and then they post information –
or content – that appears in your feed. You didn’t search for that information, per se, even though
it popped up in front of you.

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So, in that sense, you will get certain types of information based on the accounts you follow. These
might be news outlets, social media influencers, celebrities or sports stars, musicians, comedians…
so on and so forth. These social media accounts might have the information you were looking for,
or they might not – in which case, you’d have to manually search for it on Baidu or Google. In
other words, social media offers a repository of information that you can access from wherever,
but beyond that, they can’t help you if it’s outside their scope or niche.

Q: Do most people like to share good news with others?

A: Yeah, I’d say most people would be more than happy to share good news with others. In my
opinion, it’s unnatural to bottle up all your emotions, especially the good ones! If you’ve been
vying for a promotion, saving up for something, or waiting to hear back from somebody, it makes
sense that you would spill the beans with your loved ones.

I mean, people tend to share the trivial things, too. It helps create a sense of community and trust.
I’d go as far as saying that it’s a bit suspicious to withhold good news as a matter of habit. I may
just be cynical about this, but personally, I’d be somewhat apprehensive when hearing good news
long after the fact.

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Topic: A Noisy Place You’ve Been To (2023.1)

Part 2 Question:

Describe a noisy place you have been to. You should say:

Where it is

When you went there

What you did there

And explain why you feel it’s a noisy place

Advice

 Firstly, a noisy place doesn’t have to be somewhere outrageously noisy, like a construction
site, a factory or an airport. It can also be a crowded shopping mall, a doctor’s waiting
room with a crying baby, a music concert or movie you went to see, a restaurant or bar
etc.

 Importantly, this should be a place you chose to go to. In other words, it shouldn’t be a
construction site you walk past on your way to work or a noisy neighbour in your
apartment block, because you didn’t go to those places.

 Depending on the place you choose, it’s very possible to answer Q1-Q3 in just two or
three sentences. If you can, offer some background information in each of those answers,
otherwise be prepared to give lots of detail in Q4.

Vocabulary & Sentences

 To tick the box / To tick the ABC box

 Over the span of + timeframe

 To break ground / Broke ground

 To be subjected to + something unpleasant

 Audial

 Barrage

 Sprawling

 A dozen / Half a dozen

 Packed like sardines

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  Hordes of + noun

 To jostle / Jostling

 Exponentially

 Reverberate

 Dissipate

 Breakneck speed

 Gust

 By a long shot

Answer:

Well, the train station up the road from my apartment certainly ticks the ‘noisy’ box!

The local municipality undertook this mega project over the span of ten years, and it finally broke
ground two years ago. The intention was to alleviate the overburdened bus and overland train
networks. I’ve been using the high-speed, underground metro-rail network to commute to work
and back, so I’m subjected to that audial barrage twice a day.

What makes this place so overwhelmingly loud is the fact that it’s underground. It’s a sprawling
metro station with half a dozen tracks and twice as many platforms. At rush hour, there are
endless hordes of people packed like sardines, all jostling for a spot on the next train. Because it’s
such a confined space, the volume is exponentially amplified as all the sounds reverberate off the
concrete walls and have nowhere to dissipate to.

On top of that, the trains roar past the platforms at breakneck speed, bringing with them a gust of
tailwind that could knock a toddler off his feet. To be fair, I think the trains themselves aren’t that
bad; it’s more the fact that the soundwaves can’t be absorbed by anything. They just bounce
around the metro like they’re in a game of table tennis. One wonders how – or if – such an
unbearable place meets the necessary building code regulations and engineering best practices. As
I’m sure you can tell, commuting like this is, by a long shot, the least enjoyable part of my day.

Part 3 Questions:

 Which area is exposed to more noise, the city or the countryside?

 How do people usually respond to noise in your country?

Vocabulary & Sentences

 To go about your daily business

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  Wail

 Down below / Up above / In the distance

 Sprawling

 Onslaught

 Contrast that to + the other object or place being compared

 Out in the boondocks / In the boondocks

 Don’t take my word on that = I’m not very sure about that

 To have a stiff upper lip

 Raucous

 When something can’t be helped = there’s nothing you can do about it

 Ruckus / Commotion

 To grin and bear something unpleasant

Answer

Q: Which area is exposed to more noise, the city or the countryside?

A: That would be the city, for sure. At the street level, you’ve got all the cars, buses, pedestrians,
trains, shops and street vendors making a commotion as they go about their daily business. Up
above, planes soar past overhead and sirens wail in the distance. Sprawling cities really can be an
onslaught on your senses.

Contrast that to the countryside, where people complain if the neighbour is playing music after
dinnertime! Out there in the boondocks, your biggest sources of noise might be the farm animals,
the carts being hauled past with the day’s produce, or the kids playing in the street. At least, that’s
how it was when I grew up out there. Rural areas could be more developed nowadays, so don’t
take my word on that.

Q: How do people usually respond to noise in your country?

A: Well, most people have a stiff upper lip about it because, at the end of the day, there isn’t all
that much you can do about it. Sure, you could ask your neighbour to quieten down, chase the
raucous kids away from your area, or invest in some noise-cancelling headphones.

Most of the other causes, especially those on the street, can’t be helped. So, people just go about
their daily business as best they can. Some put on music or try to drown out the ruckus with their
televisions, but most people just grin and bear until the noise has died down.

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Topic: A Place with Air Pollution (2023.1)

Part 2 Question:

Describe a place you visited where the air was polluted. You should say:

Where the place is

When you visited it

Why the air was polluted

And explain how you felt about the places

Advice

 This topic is worth preparing beforehand because you might not be able to think of a
suitable place to talk about on the spot. The more common places with visible air pollution
would be in and around industrial areas, manufacturing districts and city centres with lots
of vehicles passing through. Also, unless you work there, it’s not very likely that you would
“visit” these kinds of polluted places i.e. willingly choose to go there. So, you can talk
about an experience where you came close enough to these areas to see and experience
the air pollution.

Vocabulary & Sentences

 The place that comes to mind is + describe the place

 Blanketed by + a thick gas or smoke

 Smog

 Dead-centre

 First rodeo = the first time doing or experiencing something

 To come prepared

 To cut through = to travel through an area, usually as a shortcut

 Gauge

 Outskirts

 The city proper = the actual city and its boundary

 Upwind / Downwind

 Exacerbate / Exacerbated / Exacerbating

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  Disconcerting

 Enveloped by + something around you, usually undesirable

 Having much in the way of XYZ = having ways of doing or preventing XYZ

 Periphery

 Eyesore

 From a mile away

 Dread

 Doom

 Plumes

 Billowing

Answer:

The place that immediately comes to mind is downtown, which is often blanketed by a thick, grey
smog.

I had to travel there last week for a conference at the convention centre, which is located dead-
centre in the city. This wasn’t my first rodeo here, so I knew to come prepared with my face mask.
The high-speed rail network I travel on cuts through the city centre, so, as soon as I could gauge
the level of smog in the city, I immediately threw on my mask.

Most people reckon the atrocious air quality is from the manufacturing district, which is located on
the outskirts of the city proper. Although that area is far from the residential and commercial
zones of the city, it is upwind of the city, so all the industrial emissions and particulate matter
travel over the entire city when the wind is blowing this way. Personally, I think that all the buses,
trucks and private cars – which are becoming increasingly prevalent – are exacerbating the
problem.

It's quite a disconcerting feeling, knowing you are enveloped by toxic fumes and waste chemicals
suspended in the air, but not having much in the way of protection or being able to avoid the area.
Although the industrial area is on the city’s periphery, you can spot this enormous eyesore from a
mile away. One can’t help but feel a sense of dreadful doom when seeing those black plumes of
smoke billowing out of the factory chimneys. Needless to say, I’m grateful that I can work from
home and avoid venturing into the city centre often.

Part 3 Questions:

 Is there more pollution now than in the past?

 Do you think the wind has any effect on pollution? How?

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Vocabulary & Sentences

 On the one hand / On the other hand

 Across the board

 Strewn about

 Fumes

 Sludge

 Gushing

 It must have been + comparative adjective + time period (past or future)

 An uptick / A downtick

 Before something came about / After something came about

 A free for all

 Lax

 Negligible

 Copious

 Hands-down = without a doubt

 Crammed into

 Take a toll / Taking a toll = being a heavy burden

 Inherently

 Bottleneck

 Ripple effect

 Upstream / Downstream

 Potable

 Refuse (verb)

 Refuse (noun)

 Inundated / Swamped

 Crop up = appear

 Anecdote / Anecdotal

 Carry-over

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  Hand-to-mouth

Answer

Q: Is there more pollution now than in the past?

A: Well, I’d have to say yes and no. On the one hand, I’ve definitely been noticing an increase in
pollution across the board where I live – fumes from factories and car exhausts, plastic strewn
about the streets, chemical sludge gushing into rivers. I mean, it isn’t everywhere I look, but I have
definitely noticed an uptick in the number of occurrences that make me pause and think, “hey,
that stuff shouldn’t be there.”

But on the other hand, it must have been way worse back then, before all the environmental
protection laws came about. It was a free for all in those times, with lax regulations and negligible
regulatory oversight. All things considered, though, I guess it’s inevitable that all these factories
will produce copious amounts of pollution. It all has to go somewhere…we just hope it’s all within
safe levels for people to live nearby.

Q: Do you think the city is cleaner or dirtier than the countryside? Why?

A: Oh, the city is dirtier, hands-down. One: there’s the sheer number of people crammed into a
constrained urban area. This takes a massive toll on the city’s infrastructure and requires endless
upkeep. Two: urban infrastructure is inherently vulnerable. If one part of the system breaks down,
or hits a bottleneck, that causes a ripple effect upstream. Whether it’s sanitation and sewage,
potable water supply, or just refuse removal, the municipal workers are simply inundated with all
the issues that crop up across the city.

In the countryside, though, people are dispersed more and the infrastructure fares better. I would
also say – and this is purely anecdotal – that people from rural areas are generally more respectful
to their surroundings. It’s probably a carry-over from the old days, where they lived hand-to-
mouth and could only survive if their environment was looked after. So, it makes sense that the
countryside is cleaner than the city.

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Topic: Something You Want to Learn (2023.1)

Part 2 Question:

Describe something you would like to learn in the future. You should say:

What it is

How you would like to learn it

Where you would like to learn it

Why you would like to learn it

And explain whether you think it will be difficult to learn

Advice

 This is a nice topic to get because you can speak freely about something you are genuinely
interested in learning. That being said, it is still worth preparing for, because you don’t
want to waste time choosing the ‘perfect’ thing to talk about in your examination.

 Be aware of the grammar tenses required in the first three questions: You will be talking
about a current / present desire to learn something in the future. Until you actually start
learning this thing, it is a hypothetical situation, so you can either speak in the present
tense (I want to learn…) or you must use the modal verb would (I would like to learn…). Of
course, you can also use the future simple (I will learn…) if you have definite, guaranteed
plans to start learning this thing, but don’t rely on that tense by itself.

 Q4 will mostly use the future simple tense, as it is a prediction of the future.

 Some ideas of things you might want to learn: A musical instrument, a new language, how
to play a new game or sport, a part of your family or country’s history, how to grow herbs
or vegetables, or a new skill like sewing, knitting, baking, programming, car maintenance
etc.

Vocabulary & Sentences

 Subject + has / have + been + dying to + something they have wanted to do for a long time

 Regarding the how, + explanation of how you want to do it

 As for the why, + explanation of why you want to do it

 More than + subject + could count in a lifetime

 To pick and choose / To be picky / To be fussy

93
  To go hand in hand with + something that complements it

 Vex

 This / It must have been + approximate time period + ago / back

 To evoke + a feeling or strong emotional response

 Object + is something + subject + would love to do

 A walk in the park

 Subject + may be lacking / confident in the + skill or knowledge + department

 Hand-eye coordination

 To stick it out / Sticking it out

Answer:

Ah, that’s an easy one! I’ve been dying to learn the erhu since I can remember!

Regarding the how, I would probably start with free, introductory lessons on Youku. There are
bound to be more channels and videos than I could count in a lifetime, so I’d have to pick and
choose based on the teacher and their style. Video lessons would go hand in hand with some
fundamental theory and practise routines, which I would just search for on Baidu. All of this would
happen in my office or my bedroom – depending on how much I vex my wife!

Then, as for the why. Well, you see, I’ve been fascinated with stringed instruments since seeing my
grandfather play. This must have been when I was around five or six years old, and that memory
just lodged itself in my mind forever. Hearing him play was like being transported to another era.
To this day, I remember the magical notes floating gracefully through the air, evoking feelings of
bliss and harmony. It’s something I would love to be able to do myself.

Now, given that I can’t play any instruments yet, this might not be the walk in the park I’m hoping
for. I reckon I have a pretty decent ear for music, rhythm and melody, but I may well be lacking in
the hand-eye coordination department. So, yeah, I am expecting it to be rather tough, but there’s
no doubt in my mind that it will be worth sticking it out!

Part 3 Questions:

 What influences young people more when choosing a course, income or interest?

 Why do some people prefer to study alone?

Vocabulary & Sentences

 Precarious

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  Predicament

 To future-proof + a plan, product, method or person with the hope of preventing future
changes from making it obsolete

 To follow your heart

 Lucrative

 In the good old days, + a positive reflection on the past

 Conundrum

 To get by = to manage without much financial or social support

 To turn out = the end result

 Yearning

 If I had to guess, + your best observation or opinion

 Subject + has its perks

 To bounce ideas around / To bounce ideas off one another

 Speaking from personal experience, + your experience

 To get top marks

 To bomb out

 If + subject + had to put myself in their shoes, + how (subject) would respond

Answer

Q: What influences young people more when choosing a course, income or interest?

A: Well, these days, it seems that young people are chasing the money. With the global economy
being so volatile, more and more households are finding themselves in precarious financial
predicaments. I think young people can see that and they are hoping to future-proof themselves
by pursuing the in-demand, high-paying careers. These tend to be in the STEM subjects – science,
technology, engineering and mathematics.

Following your heart is, sadly, not as lucrative as it used to be. In the good old days, when I was
going through the same conundrum, you could get by with a modest salary. So, I went with the
other option, and it turned out okay. While I won’t concede that money can buy you happiness, it
can buy you time and options – which might satisfy the mind’s yearning for its interests.

Q: Why do some people prefer to study alone?

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A: Wow, that’s an interesting question. If I had to guess, I’d say they’re either more on the
introvert side of the personality spectrum, or they’re ultra-competitive. Studying with others has
its perks, in that you can bounce ideas off each other and figure things out as a team. Speaking
from personal experience, it’s very valuable to have other people working alongside you,
struggling together and motivating one another.

I do remember people who would lock themselves away while studying, though. Those students
were often the ones who got top marks in the tests but bombed out in the group projects. If I had
to put myself in their shoes, I’d say they get distracted by other people and prefer not to share
their solutions in fear of someone else getting better grades than them.

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Topic: A Time You Were Late or Missed an Important
Appointment (2023.1)

Part 2 Question:

Describe a time when you missed or were late for an important meeting or event. You should say:

When it happened

What happened

Why you missed it / Why you were late for it

And explain how you felt about this experience

Advice

 Some ideas for important events: job interviews, meetings with shareholders or
executives, a special celebration like a wedding or milestone birthday, a funeral, a musical
or artistic performance, a court hearing or summons, a test or exam etc.

 This topic will require you to give some background, so you’ll need to use time-related
phrases like: At the time, back then, at the same time as, since, we had been…, I was… etc.

Vocabulary & Sentences

 How about I share the story of when + the story

 To have your hands full

 To land a + project, job or client

 All hands on deck

 Working round the clock / Working around the clock

 Chopping and changing

 To cut a long story short, + concise summary of your story

 Long story short, + concise summary of your story

 Scatter-brained

 To get your wires crossed

 In the middle of nowhere

 Scramble

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  Frantic

 Put your foot down = to go as fast as possible (usually in a car)

 Mortifying

 Dirty looks

 Running on fumes / Running

Answer:

How about I share the story of when I was late to my cousin’s wedding?

This was back in 2017. My cousin had been engaged for about a year and a half before the two of
them finally decided on their wedding venue and the date. I was meant to help them plan the
whole thing, but I had my hands full at the time. My company had just landed a massive tender for
a construction project and it was all hands on deck. All of us were working round the clock, and I
just couldn’t keep up with all the chopping and changing of wedding plans. Long story short, I
ended up arriving halfway through the wedding ceremony!

Let me give you a quick rundown of how this whole debacle came about. I had been a bit scatter-
brained from all the stress at work, so, somehow, I mixed up the wedding dates and times with a
site visit that same weekend. Honestly, I have no idea how I could have got my wires crossed like
that, but that’s how it happened. By the time I realised I had mixed up the days and times, I was
already stranded out in the middle of nowhere – with no cell signal – doing a site walkover with
the engineers.

Eventually, we made it back to the city and I scrambled to make myself presentable for the
wedding. I frantically hailed a taxi and then pleaded with the driver to put his foot down and get
me to the venue ASAP. Upon arrival, I was greeted with the dirtiest of looks. I felt a pit of
mortifying embarrassment forming in my stomach. Everything turned out okay in the end, but it’s
not an experience I would recommend to anyone. I took home two valuable lessons – use your
calendar properly, and don’t be so sleep-deprived that you’re running on fumes!

Part 3 Questions:

 Are people in your country often late for meetings?

 Are people born with time management skills or can they develop them?

Vocabulary & Sentences

 Tardiness

 To look down on + a person or group of people; or behaviour that is socially or morally

unacceptable

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  To pitch up = to arrive

 Subject + will / would + wager a guess + your observation or best guess

 Stickler

 Extenuating circumstances

 Common courtesy

 Heads up

 Subject + will / would + go with + (the first / second) or (the former / latter)

 Genetic traits

 Hamper

 To win the genetic lottery

 Up your game / Up my game

 Sync

 The difference is night and day

Answer

Q: Are people in your country often late for meetings?

A: No, I wouldn’t say that’s the case. Here in China, tardiness is really looked down on, so it’s in
your best interest to pitch up to your commitments on-time. I’d wager a guess that that’s the case
in most countries, but in the corporate workplace, it’s common to encounter people who are real
sticklers for punctuality.

Naturally, there are going to be times when there are extenuating circumstances that prevent you
from being on-time. In those cases, it’s common courtesy to give the other person a heads up and
apologise when you arrive. As they say, “time is money.” So, it isn’t often we see people being late
to things they would have known about well in advance, like meetings or appointments.

Q: Are people born with time management skills or can they develop them?

A: Well, there’s a fascinating thought! In my experience, I’d go with the latter. I can’t imagine
there are specific genetic traits that promote or hamper one’s time management abilities.
Although it might seem like people who manage their time well just won the genetic lottery, I
think it’s more likely they learned those skills from their environment. You know, how they were
raised by their parents, how they coped at university, working in time-sensitive jobs like
restaurants or financial services.

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For me, personally, I’ve really upped my game by using scheduling tools. They sync my calendar,
to-do list and communications all in one convenient place. The improvement from before using
that tool and now is night and day. So, if I can do it, anyone can!

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