2010新难口语话题小结

There are many new and different kinds of question in the speaking part of IELTS for the spring of the year 2010. Some of them are not related to one’s daily living or some are far away from a candidate’s daily life. For example , the topic of “ art “ or the questions about it usually gives the test takers a hard time to answer because most of them does not have any knowledge about it. Below is an example of question about the topic art in Part I and how it should be answered.

What kind of art do you like?

I don’t have any particular favorite when it comes to art because I am appreciative of each work of art that I see. I like looking at abstract and colorful paintings as much as I like looking at portrait paintings.  I also enjoy looking at clay sculptures the same way that I enjoy looking at ice sculptures. Each work of art has its own reason, background and history.

Furthermore, questions like Which kind of art do you  like and why? , What do you think about arts ? Are they important?, Do you usually go to music hall or museum?, Do you like paintings or sculptures? , Do you like music ? , What kind of art did you do when you were young? –are also asked in part I .

In Part 2 of the IELTS Speaking Module, you need to give a short talk, of about 1-2 minutes, on the topic about “art”. The questions do not require any specific knowledge, but are based on personal experience. You are handed a card with the topic and you have one minute to prepare your talk. You can make notes and use these notes during your monologue. The examiner will not ask you any questions during this part of the test, so you must know how to answer all parts of the question you are given and speak fluently for a few minutes by yourself. Sample IELTS Speaking Module topics (for Part 2) are given below. It is quite likely that you will be given one of these topics or something very similar, so make sure you can speak confidently and clearly on each one.

Describe a sculpture you have seen.

What kind of sculpture it is

Where did you see it

Did you like it

Explain why you think this sculpture is special

I could never forget the ice sculptures of the different Disney characters that I saw way back the early nineties. I saw the said beautifully done sculptures inside a newly opened amusement park. We were entering a snow zone area in the park that was why we wore winter coats at the entrance area ,but I never expected to see the Disney characters in there. I was surprised and in awe of  everything that I saw in that area that my mouth swung open without me noticing it. The charming gentleman beside me had to embarrassingly tell me to close my mouth. We entered the snow zone area in batches of 10 so I ended up going in with strangers as my friends were all counted in the next batch. I was expecting  snowman, snowballs, hollow block style ice and the like but I never expected to see such creative sculptures. I not only like it, but I really love it. Perhaps I would not have appreciated it that much if it were not an ice sculpture. The fact that I am a big fan of Disney characters is another factor why I appreciated it more. Also, it was really my first time to be able to see such beautiful masterpieces. I could just imagine how meticulously those figures were done. I kept on thinking how it would look like if the whole thing melted. I was wondering how many degrees Celsius it took to preserve the whole thing. That was the first and the last time that I was able to see ice sculpture. But just last month, as I passed through the open area of our school campus, I saw some students from one of the school organizations conducting ice sculpture seminar. I could not believe my eyes and my luck as I saw it. I stared in disbelief, but this time, I was mindful not to let my mouth left opened wide again. I almost volunteered myself to join the organization so that I would be able to try making my own ice sculpture. As I was approaching the organization head, I realized that I may love art, but apparently, art does not like me so I headed to the opposite direction instead.

The following are more examples of topic cards about "Art"

1. Describe an artist or entertainer you admire.

You should say

Who they are and what they do

How they became successful

How you found out about them

And explain why you admire them

2. Describe your favorite music

You should say

What the music is

How you feel when you listen to it

If it is popular with other people

And explain why you particularly like it

3. Describe a show or performance

You should say:

What kind of performance it was

When and where you saw it

How it was performed

And explain how you felt about this performance

The next part is part III where candidates will have two way discussion about the topic art with the examiner. They will be engaged with more complicated and abstract questions about “ art” which are thematically linked to the cue card in part II.

Why do you think art is beneficial to children?
 
Art is definitely beneficial to children because it is where they can subconsciously express their hidden thoughts and emotions. It not only allows them to express themselves, but it also enhances their creativity. If a child uses his left brain more,  doing art and music allows him to use his right brain. It is definitely a lot better if children utilize their time by doing art than by watching too much TV or playing too much video games. Art is healthy for both the mind and the emotion of any child or adult.

Do you think the government should invest more funds in building art museums?

Government should encourage their country’s citizens towards arts appreciation. Investing more funds in building art museums would mean attracting more and more tourists which would be helpful to the country’s reputation and economy. Through art museums, the country’s culture is being introduced thus they educate not only the local citizens but the foreigners as well. Art museums, must be well preserved and kept clean at all times. If there is a need to, it would be good if the government can upgrade or improve existing art museums for their betterment.

Can music express one’s feeling ? How ?

If you are in love, you can easily identify with the lyrics of love song. You feel that the lyrics best describe  you and your emotions as of the moment. Therefore, you would dedicate this song to the person you love. You would tell her that the lyrics of the song is what you would like to tell her.

Do you think it is necessary to learn how to play a musical instrument ?
 
Yes I do. I appreciate a person who is balanced in every aspect What I mean by this is that it is admirable to see a person who is jack of all trade. He is good in his academics and logics, he can play sports and he is musically inclined too. If this is so, then both the left brain and the right brain are maximized.

What kind of music is good for children ?
 
They say that classical music increases the intelligent quotient (IQ) of a child. In fact, some pregnant women listen to classical music of Mozart. This is not only for their child to have a high IQ but so that the child would also become even tempered. Children should be exposed to happy and wholesome music suitable to their age. Of course the music should be educational too such as learning the ABC’s or learning how to count by singing them out. Children can in fact learn a different language easily by singing.

The following are questions that can also be asked in part III.

1. Are traditional art forms performed very much in China?

2. How does TV program help to spread traditional culture?

3.What benefits do you think people derive from watching performances or visiting art exhibitions?

4. Do you think people generally prefer to go to a concert or to listen to recordings of music

5. What is the value of watching artistic performance (or experiencing artistic activities) in relation to children's development?

6. What is the value of children learning to perform, such as learning to sing or dance in front of an audience?