Part 1 – Introduction & Interview.
Q. What is your hometown like? What shape it is?
A. My hometown is Tehran, which is a sprawling city, located near the mountain of Alborz and has over 10 million population. Numerous tourist attractions, recreational centres, vast highways in this city make it one of the most beautiful cities in the Middle East. Tehran is also home to many historical collections, including the royal complexes of Golestan, Sa’dabad, and Niavaran.
In the map, my hometown looks like the ‘L’ of the English alphabet. To me, this is the shape of my heart and my root.
Q. Can you describe it for me?
A. Tehran is the capital of Iran and is the most populous city in Iran and Western Asia. It has the second-largest metropolitan area in the Middle East. I have lived, studied and worked there, before moving to Canada. In this city, citizens are friendly and are engaged in different businesses and industries. This city has a unique tradition and it is quite distinctive.
Q. Can you tell me something about the history of your hometown?
A. Tehran was first chosen as the capital of Iran by Agha Mohammad Khan in 1796. Throughout history, the capital of Iran had been changed many times by different governments. In the pre-Islamic era, a part of Tehran was occupied by Rey and sadly Mongols destroyed it in the early 13th century. It is the 32nd national capital of Iran. Large scale demolition and rebuilding in this city began in the 1920s, and Tehran has been a destination for mass migrations from all over Iran since the 20th century.
Q. Is your hometown changing?
A. Yes, this city is changing and at a very fast pace. Over the past few years, there has been a welcoming change in the public transportation sector. Apart from this, medical facilities in the form of hospitals catering with latest devices have also improved. More and more people are coming to live in the capital city for better employment, education and treatment. As a result, the population here is also increasing. However, in my opinion, women’s rights and public freedom, as well as improvements in the economy are the most significant positive changes in Tehran while “overwhelming pollution growth” is the most alarming negative change that this city has witnessed in the last decade.
Q. Would you say it is a good place to live? Why?
A. Yes, it definitely is a good place to live in. Various opportunities for employment and education, better transportation facility and natural beauty of Tehran make it a nice place to live in. Moreover, the distinctive architectures, historical places and collections and friendly neighbourhoods make it a great place for the residents.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE : SPOKEN ENGLISH TRAINING
Part Two – Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card.
Topic:
Talk about an equipment of your household (such as computer, television, refrigerator, mobile phone and so on).
You should say:
- what is it
- what you do with it
- will you always keep it
and explain why it is important to you.
[You will have to talk about the topic for one to two minutes. You have one minute to think about what you are going to say. You can make some notes to help you if you wish.]
Model Answer 1:
I am describing my laptop as it is the equipment I often use at home. It is a black coloured laptop by Toshiba brand and I bought it almost five years ago.
This electronic device has helped me in many aspects, including work, study and communication. The first important usage is saving data. I can save numerous e-books, pictures, audio and video clips in it, and the 300GB hardware capacity has allowed me to save plenty of them. Moreover, I can access the Internet using this laptop. By connecting to the Internet I can access every website, check my email and watch online movies or documentaries, like National Geographic documentaries, which has extremely been useful to improve my listening and speaking.
Lastly, definitely, this device has been very useful to my profession. By its camera, I can save different important information related to my job and use them as I need to access them in few seconds. So, this laptop has assisted me to raise my knowledge not only in my career and study but also in learning the English language.
I have already become dependent on my laptop. Maybe I will replace it with a new one but a laptop would always be mandatory for me.
I rely on my laptop for my personal, professional and study needs. I communicate others with this laptop and this is the primary means of communication with my friends. Definitely, the use of internet and computer has become unavoidable in this modern era and this is indeed a very important tool for me.
Sample Answer 2:
Being a banker, I usually get less time for relaxation. But when I can manage time, watch television for enjoyment. In fact, I love my Samsung smart television set and it comes with the Android operating system. So, both browsing the internet and enjoying television shows is really adorable with the television set.
Before purchasing this television set, I did not have a clear idea what smart television is. In fact, I was a newcomer in this arena. Moreover, I was familiar with the old types of the television set and the most attractive thing was the remote controller that came with the television. But now I have started enjoying the television set and its features. I browse the internet on television instead of a computer. Playing video games and enjoying movies online is another added advantage with this smart TV. Customization of the screen is also enjoyable with this piece this wonder of modern science.
The smart TV is used for various purposes. This is mostly used for watching numerous television episodes and events. Besides, sometimes I watch movies on the TV using the internet connection and also play online games. I also can enjoy almost all the android applications on this television set as it runs with the android OS. Downloading applications and using them on the large screen is amazing. I have used android telephone sets but the screen was small. When I have started using the android OS on this large screen, I noticed the difference. Since then, I love playing various 3D games on the television set and enjoyed the thrills to the fullest extent. While playing the racing games, I enjoy it most. It appears that I can feel the speed and spirit in me during the racing gameplay. When I am not at home, my wife and kids enjoy the television shows and cartoons on this smart TV.
Yes, I will always keep this television set to me. There are a good number of smart television manufacturers are available but I believe Samsung Smart TV is one the best of them for it has some specialities. The TV has a majestic look. I have mounted the TV set on the wall and thus watching or using the TV has become convenient for me. Besides, the company provides a smart warranty against each of the parts of the TV set. I will keep the TV set with me for another reason. It consumes less energy. Actually, the TV has been made with energy efficient technology. Besides, it comes with an eight-year warranty. So, there are no questions to give up the TV set unless it is damaged seriously or destroyed automatically.
The smart TV is important to me because this is the only and the best way of my recreation. Earlier, when I came back home after a hefty working day, I had to pass my moments in boredom. Bu the TV has relieved me from the situation. This has become a great tool for me and my family to pass leisure hours. I use the TV set most during the weekends with my kids. They also love to play online games with me on the TV. They love to play chess online with me and enjoy the game most. Further, the screen resolution and image quality of this 40-inches television set is more than excellent. When I watch the TV, it appears that everything is happening right before my eye. As a result, the shows and events become more enjoyable.
Rounding-off Questions:
Q. Do you have a computer at home?
A. Yes, I do have a personal desktop computer at home. I also have a laptop and I use it almost every day.
Q. How often do you access the internet?
A. I would say I access the internet pretty much every day – both from my home and from my college. I connect to the internet to read newspapers, articles and update my blog. I also use it to find helpful study materials, browse some random websites, chat with my friends, send and receive emails and access social networking websites. In college, I use it either to learn something new or to complete a task assigned by a teacher.
Part 3 – Details Discussion.
Q. Could you explain the changes between now and the past 20 years in technology which are used in our daily life?
A. Yes, sure. Nowadays smartphones, washing machines, vacuum cleaners, smart TVs, refrigerators, air conditioners, microwave ovens etc. are pretty common in our houses but 20 years ago those were rare in my country. Only a few companies in the past needed to use the computer and the internet, but their use has become very common in workplaces nowadays.
One of the most remarkable advancements in industries is the usage of robots for production and quality control of the devices and machines that we use in our daily life including cars and TVs. Finally, the internet is now widely used, however, in the past, they were like fairy tales, and only a few people knew about it. I would say the technology that we use in our daily life in our country has been revolutionised and transformed to a great extent during the last two decades.
Q. How about the use of modern devices and tools by Iranian families?
A. Well, most of the upper-middle class and upper-class citizens in Iran have computers, internet, refrigerators, washing machines and so on at their home. Poor people can’t always afford to buy expensive devices like laptop, air conditioners etc. but the usages of those household devices are spreading faster than ever before.
In developed countries, people have access to more modern technology and that has developed faster there. However, globalisation has created our world a better place for all humans, including Iranians, and the computer has become a part of our daily life.
Q. What development do you believe the technology will bring in the future?
A. I believe progress in modernisation will happen faster than expected in many sectors and thanks to the technological advancement for that. For instance, in transportation, flight cars might become a popular method of transport, and many families will use a car which will fly and thus traffic will be effectively addressed in many cities. Recently, I have read an article about these flying cars and I think they will become a reality soon. Moreover, computers and the internet would become the most common tools for communication, and in future, computers will be used for crime detection, traffic control and even for evaluating students performance at school. I would even dare to suggest that, technology will help us find an alternative planet to colonise in the distant future.
Q. Do you think these developments are important? Why/ why not?
A. Yes, I do believe that these developments are quite important for us. I think many new technological devices that we now see in science fiction movies would become common household devices. I even dare to suggest that humans will have a more convenient lifestyle and a greater lifespan due to this unprecedented progress. The technological development is the root of human progress and while our ancestors lived in caves, we are now landing on other planets and this paradigm shift has been possible due to the technological advancements and innovations. No doubt, it will help people to have a more comfortable living condition, but they might also pollute our environment more. So, we have to embrace technology for a better lifestyle and a livable world but we should try to minimise the negative impacts of it in every way possible.
Q. How the use of technology can affect the relationship of family members?
A. Well, I would say that that technology reduces the manual labour we need at home and thus help us spend more quality time with our family members. We can have large TVs, gaming devices and similar technological items and share the joy with our family. While we drive our car, we can have private conversations and that makes our relations even stronger. Finally, with technology like the internet and smartphone, we can talk to our family and see them at the same time whenever we want.
On the negative side, technology often makes us highly dependant on them and when we are addicted to using our smartphones or watching TVs, we forget to talk to our family members let alone have meaningful interactions.
Q. Should we use all the technology and tools available in the market to make our life better? Why /Why not?
A. I do not believe that we need all the technology and electronic tools available in the market to make our life better. Technology and modern appliances, without a doubt, make things easier for us. But if we want to buy every single one of them, we will have to spend a great deal of money which would make us financially broken. Besides, we will constantly run after owing and using machines and technology, and thus miss many other important aspects of life. I believe that some technology and devices are necessary but too many of them and too much dependency on them would make our life more chaotic and complex.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE : PUBLIC SPEAKING