Free time & hobbies: IELTS Speaking Part 1 questions

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3. Example

During the week I mostly read or watch something light, since I'm usually pretty drained by the time I get home. Weekends are a different matter, because that's when I get out of the city on my bike with a couple of friends. Last Saturday we cycled about forty kilometres to a lakeside village for lunch.

watch something light

watch an easy programme that needs little concentration

a different matter

a completely different situation

get out of the city

leave the city for a while

56 words · about 24 seconds spoken

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A mix of both, but if I had to pick, I'd say with other people. I spend most of my working day staring at a screen on my own, so by Friday I'm craving a bit of company. Even so, I make a point of keeping one evening a week just for myself.

if I had to pick

if I was forced to choose one

staring at a screen

looking at a computer or phone for a long time

craving a bit of company

really wanting to be with other people

53 words · about 23 seconds spoken

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3. Example

Quite a lot, yes. As a teenager I'd spend entire weekends glued to video games, whereas now I'd much rather be outdoors. A few years ago I sold my games console and put the money towards a decent road bike, which says it all really.

glued to video games

playing them constantly, unable to stop

put the money towards

used the money to help pay for

which says it all really

that shows clearly how much things have changed

45 words · about 20 seconds spoken

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3. Example

Of course, although I'd want it in bigger chunks rather than an extra hour here and there. A spare evening tends to disappear into chores, whereas a whole free day lets me actually do something worthwhile. With one more day off each week, I'd finally sign up for the pottery course I keep talking about.

in bigger chunks

in larger blocks of time

disappear into chores

get used up by household jobs

I keep talking about

I often mention but never actually do

55 words · about 24 seconds spoken

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3. Detail

Active, mostly, although I appreciate a lazy Sunday as much as anyone. Moving around clears my head in a way that sitting on the sofa never quite manages. Even a brisk walk along the river after dinner leaves me more rested than an evening in front of the television.

a lazy Sunday

a relaxed day when you do very little

clears my head

helps me think clearly and feel calmer

never quite manages

doesn't fully succeed in doing

49 words · about 21 seconds spoken

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3. Example

Yes, I'm really into photography, particularly street photography. I love the way a single frame can capture a moment that would otherwise vanish in a second. Last month I caught an old man feeding pigeons outside the bus station, and that picture is still my phone's wallpaper.

really into photography

very interested in and enthusiastic about photography

capture a moment

record a brief instant in a picture

otherwise vanish in a second

would disappear almost immediately if not recorded

47 words · about 20 seconds spoken

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3. Feeling

It was actually my grandfather who got me started. He passed his old film camera on to me when I was about fifteen, along with a box of his own prints. Looking through those photos made me want to keep a record of the world as I saw it too.

got me started

first introduced me to an activity

passed his old film camera on

gave me something that used to be his

keep a record of

make a lasting account of something

50 words · about 22 seconds spoken

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Not as often as I'd like, maybe two or three times a month. Light makes or breaks a photograph, and on weekdays I'm usually stuck in the office until it's dark. So I make the most of weekend mornings, when the streets are quiet and the light is soft and golden.

Not as often as I'd like

less often than I would want

makes or breaks

decides whether something succeeds or fails

make the most of

use something as fully as possible

51 words · about 22 seconds spoken

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3. Feeling

Mostly on my own, because people behave more naturally when there's only one person with a camera around. That said, I recently joined a local club that organises a photo walk once a month. It's been brilliant for picking up tips and getting honest feedback on my work.

That said

however, despite what I've just said

picking up tips

learning useful advice in an informal way

honest feedback on my work

truthful comments about what I've produced

48 words · about 21 seconds spoken

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3. Feeling

Definitely, and I've always fancied learning the piano. There's a battered old upright at my parents' house that nobody has touched in years. It seems a shame to let it gather dust, so I might finally book some lessons this winter.

always fancied learning

have wanted to learn for a long time

It seems a shame

it feels like a pity or a waste

let it gather dust

leave something unused for a long time

41 words · about 18 seconds spoken

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3. Feeling

The first thing I do is take a long hot shower and change into something comfortable. After that I'll put some music on and cook dinner slowly, without rushing anything. It's a small ritual, but it helps me draw a line between work and the rest of the evening.

change into something comfortable

put on relaxed clothes

a small ritual

a little habit I repeat in the same way

draw a line between

keep two things clearly separate

49 words · about 21 seconds spoken

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3. Feeling

Probably in my grandmother's garden, about an hour outside the city. It's full of fruit trees and there's no traffic noise at all, just birdsong and the odd dog barking. Whenever I sit out there with a cup of tea, I can feel my shoulders drop almost straight away.

the odd dog barking

a dog barking now and then

feel my shoulders drop

feel the tension leave my body

almost straight away

very quickly, nearly immediately

49 words · about 21 seconds spoken

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3. Example

It definitely takes me a while to unwind. My mind tends to keep racing through everything I didn't manage to finish that day. I've caught myself lying in bed at midnight still mentally replying to emails, which is why my phone now stays in the kitchen overnight.

takes me a while to unwind

I need some time before I can relax

keep racing through

keep thinking quickly about many things

I've caught myself

I've suddenly noticed myself doing something

47 words · about 20 seconds spoken

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3. Feeling

Day to day, I'd say at home, simply because it's where I can properly switch off. Going out to a café or a park can be lovely, but there's always a bit of effort involved in getting there. My grandmother's garden is the exception, but I only get out there once or twice a month.

Day to day

in ordinary, everyday life

properly switch off

relax completely and stop thinking about work

a bit of effort involved

it requires some work or organisation

55 words · about 24 seconds spoken

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3. Feeling

Hugely important, and it's something I've only really appreciated in the last couple of years. I used to pride myself on being busy all the time, until I burnt out and was signed off work for two weeks. Now I treat rest as part of my routine rather than a reward I have to earn.

pride myself on being busy

feel proud that I'm always occupied

until I burnt out

until I became exhausted from working too hard

a reward I have to earn

something I only deserve after working hard

55 words · about 24 seconds spoken