Arts & culture: IELTS Speaking Part 1 questions

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3. Feeling

Yes, very much, it's probably my favourite way to unwind. I usually have a novel on the go and a couple of long magazine articles saved on my phone. If I go a few days without reading anything decent, I start to feel a bit out of sorts.

my favourite way to unwind

the activity that relaxes me most

a novel on the go

a novel I'm in the middle of reading

a bit out of sorts

slightly unhappy or not quite myself

48 words · about 21 seconds spoken

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Mostly literary fiction, especially novels set in a country I've never been to. I like being dropped into an unfamiliar place and having to piece together how it works. On the non-fiction side, I'm hooked on long investigative pieces, the kind that take a whole evening to get through.

piece together how it works

gradually work out how something operates

I'm hooked on

I enjoy it so much I can't stop

take a whole evening to get through

need a full evening to finish

49 words · about 21 seconds spoken

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Mainly on the train to work, which takes about forty minutes each way. I also read for half an hour in bed, although I'll admit I sometimes nod off after a couple of pages. It's become a bit of a ritual that helps me switch off from the day.

nod off

fall asleep without meaning to

a bit of a ritual

a habit I repeat in the same way

switch off from the day

stop thinking about the day's work and relax

49 words · about 21 seconds spoken

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I did, and I have my grandmother to thank for that. She took me to the local library every Saturday and let me borrow as many books as I could carry. I'd worked my way through every detective series on the children's shelves before I was eleven.

have my grandmother to thank for

my grandmother is the reason for it

as many books as I could carry

a very large number of books

worked my way through

read all of them, one after another

47 words · about 20 seconds spoken

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Paper, without a doubt, at least when it comes to novels. I take in a lot more when I can physically see how far through a book I am, and my eyes don't get tired. That said, I read articles on my phone, simply because it's more convenient on a crowded train.

when it comes to

when we are talking about

take in a lot more

understand and remember much more

That said

however, used to add a contrasting point

52 words · about 23 seconds spoken

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Not nearly as often as I used to, if I'm honest. Apart from jotting down notes in meetings, almost everything I write goes straight into my laptop or phone. It's a bit sad, really, because my handwriting has got noticeably messier as a result.

Not nearly as often

much less frequently

jotting down notes

writing short notes quickly

as a result

because of this

44 words · about 19 seconds spoken

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For anything long, or anything for work, I'd much rather type. It's quicker, and I can move paragraphs around and fix mistakes without crossing everything out. When I'm trying to plan something or think a problem through, though, I still reach for a pen and paper.

I'd much rather

I strongly prefer to

think a problem through

consider a problem carefully from start to finish

reach for a pen and paper

pick up a pen to write by hand

46 words · about 20 seconds spoken

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It was just last month, actually, when my best friend turned thirty. Instead of simply signing my name, I wrote a proper message in her card and mentioned a few of our sillier memories from university. She told me it made her cry, in a good way.

turned thirty

reached the age of thirty

a proper message

a real, thoughtful message, not a quick one

in a good way

positively, not negatively

47 words · about 20 seconds spoken

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I think it still matters, though less than it once did. There's some research suggesting that children remember things better when they write them out by hand, which makes sense to me. And in plenty of everyday situations, like filling in a form at the doctor's, you still need handwriting that other people can actually read.

less than it once did

not as much as in the past

makes sense to me

seems logical to me

filling in a form

writing your details in the spaces on a document

56 words · about 24 seconds spoken

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It really depends on what I'm writing. Long work reports feel like a chore, and I tend to put them off until the last minute. But I genuinely enjoy writing emails to old friends, because I can be chatty and nobody's judging my style.

feel like a chore

seem like a boring duty

put them off until the last minute

delay doing them until the latest possible time

I can be chatty

I can write in a relaxed, talkative way

44 words · about 19 seconds spoken

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I've got fairly eclectic taste, but I keep coming back to indie folk and a bit of jazz. I'm drawn to songs with thoughtful lyrics and acoustic instruments rather than anything heavily produced. Right now there's an album by a Norwegian folk singer that I've had on repeat for weeks.

fairly eclectic taste

I like many different styles

keep coming back to

return to again and again

on repeat

playing again and again

50 words · about 22 seconds spoken

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Mostly while I'm cooking in the evening, with a speaker on the kitchen counter. It turns making dinner into something I look forward to rather than another job to tick off. I also put headphones on during my commute, mainly to block out the noise of the bus.

something I look forward to

something I feel happy about before it happens

another job to tick off

one more task to complete and forget

block out the noise

stop yourself hearing loud sounds around you

48 words · about 21 seconds spoken

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Yes, quite dramatically, actually. As a teenager I only listened to whatever was in the charts, which was mostly loud pop and dance music. It was at university that friends introduced me to older records, and I gradually developed a taste for quieter, more acoustic stuff.

whatever was in the charts

the most popular songs at that time

introduced me to

showed me something for the first time

developed a taste for

slowly started to like

46 words · about 20 seconds spoken

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I had piano lessons for about four years when I was at primary school. I got as far as playing a few simple classical pieces, but I hated practising scales. I gave up at twelve and really regret it now, so I keep telling myself I'll take it up again.

got as far as

reached a certain level before stopping

keep telling myself

repeatedly say to myself that I will

take it up again

start doing an activity again

50 words · about 22 seconds spoken

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Seeing it live, definitely, even though I listen to recorded music far more often. There's an energy in a small venue that you simply can't get through headphones. Last spring I saw a folk band in a tiny pub, and the whole room was singing along by the end.

far more often

much more frequently

an energy in a small venue

an exciting atmosphere at a small concert place

singing along

singing together with the performer

49 words · about 21 seconds spoken

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I do, although I'd never claim to be any good at it. I sing mostly for fun, and usually when nobody else can hear me. It's a surprisingly good way to lift my mood after a long day.

I'd never claim to be

I would not say that I am

any good at it

skilled at it

lift my mood

make me feel happier

38 words · about 17 seconds spoken

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All the time, especially in the car. On a long drive I'll put on an old playlist and belt out every song at the top of my voice. It's slightly embarrassing when I stop at traffic lights and realise the driver next to me is watching.

belt out every song

sing each song loudly and with energy

at the top of my voice

as loudly as I possibly can

46 words · about 20 seconds spoken

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Yes, I was in the school choir for several years. We rehearsed twice a week and performed at the end of every term, usually in front of very proud parents. I was quite shy, so standing in a group was the perfect way to sing without feeling exposed.

at the end of every term

when each part of the school year finished

the perfect way to

the ideal method for doing something

without feeling exposed

without feeling everyone is looking at you

48 words · about 21 seconds spoken

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To a large extent, yes, as long as they're willing to put in the practice. Singing is partly a physical skill, so things like breath control can be trained, much as you'd train for a sport. Having said that, some people have a natural ear for pitch that's very hard to teach.

To a large extent

mostly, in most ways

put in the practice

do all the practice that is needed

a natural ear for pitch

an inborn ability to hear notes accurately

52 words · about 23 seconds spoken

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Very much so, mainly because karaoke is huge in my city. There are karaoke bars on almost every high street, where groups of friends book private rooms for a couple of hours. Whenever my colleagues and I celebrate something, we nearly always end up there late at night.

Very much so

yes, definitely

is huge in my city

is extremely popular where I live

end up there

finally arrive there, often without planning to

48 words · about 21 seconds spoken

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Yes, though more as a viewer than as someone who makes it. I'm particularly drawn to landscape painting and old travel posters, anything with bold colours and a strong sense of place. In fact, I've got three framed railway posters hanging in my hallway.

more as a viewer than

I look at it rather than do it

I'm particularly drawn to

I especially like and feel attracted to

a strong sense of place

clearly captures the feeling of a particular location

44 words · about 19 seconds spoken

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We had art lessons every week until I was about fourteen. I enjoyed painting with watercolours, but my drawing was hopeless, especially anything involving faces. My teacher was very encouraging, though, which stopped me from giving up on it completely.

my drawing was hopeless

I was very bad at drawing

very encouraging

gave a lot of support and confidence

giving up on it completely

stopping trying altogether

40 words · about 17 seconds spoken

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Plenty of times, because I try to visit one whenever I travel somewhere new. The one that's stuck with me was an exhibition of Japanese woodblock prints, including the famous image of the great wave. Up close, it was much smaller and more delicate than I'd expected.

The one that's stuck with me

the one I still remember clearly

Up close

from a very short distance

more delicate than I'd expected

finer and more fragile than I imagined

47 words · about 20 seconds spoken

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Absolutely, and not just for the ones who are naturally talented. Art teaches children to look closely and to express feelings they might not have the words for yet. It also gives them a break from subjects where there's only one right answer, which I think every child needs.

naturally talented

born with a special skill

have the words for

be able to describe something in language

only one right answer

a single correct solution and nothing else

49 words · about 21 seconds spoken

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I'd love to, particularly sketching, because it seems such a portable hobby. All you need is a notebook and a pencil, so you could do it on a park bench or in a café. I've bought a beginner's book on drawing twice now, but I've never quite got round to opening it.

a portable hobby

a pastime you can easily take anywhere

All you need is

the only thing necessary is

got round to

finally found the time to do something

52 words · about 23 seconds spoken

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Yes, I love it, even though I'm very much an amateur who only uses my phone. I tend to take pictures whenever the light catches my eye, like early morning mist or a sunset reflected in a window. It makes me notice things I'd otherwise walk straight past.

very much an amateur

definitely not a professional

catches my eye

suddenly attracts my attention

walk straight past

pass by without noticing

48 words · about 21 seconds spoken

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Mainly buildings and street scenes, especially in older parts of town. I love the details people overlook, such as carved doorways, faded shop signs and crumbling balconies. There's a whole album on my phone that's nothing but interesting front doors.

in older parts of town

in the historic areas of a town

the details people overlook

small things most people fail to notice

40 words · about 17 seconds spoken

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Taking them, by a mile. I always feel awkward in front of a camera and never know what to do with my hands. So at family gatherings I volunteer to be the photographer, which conveniently means I hardly appear in any pictures.

by a mile

by a very large amount

feel awkward in front of a camera

feel uncomfortable when someone photographs me

family gatherings

occasions when relatives meet up

42 words · about 18 seconds spoken

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Almost all of them live on my phone and in cloud storage. Once a year, though, I choose about twenty favourites and get them printed for a small album. Holding a physical photo feels more special, and I worry that digital files might simply vanish one day.

live on my phone

are stored on my phone

get them printed

pay someone to print them for me

simply vanish one day

disappear completely at some point in the future

47 words · about 20 seconds spoken

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Every now and then, usually when my phone shows me a memory from years ago. It'll suddenly pop up with a picture from a holiday I'd almost forgotten about, and I end up scrolling for ages. It's lovely, although it can leave me feeling a bit nostalgic.

Every now and then

occasionally, not regularly

pop up

appear suddenly

scrolling for ages

looking through my phone for a long time

47 words · about 20 seconds spoken