IELTS Cambridge 15 – Speaking (Test 3)

IELTS Cambridge 15 – Speaking (Test 3)

1. Speaking Part 1

Topic: Swimming

• Did you learn to swim when you were a child? [Why/Why not?]
  Yes, I did. My father signed me up for swimming lessons at a local sports center when I was still a 6-year-old boy. Actually, I was never terrified of water, I’ve always had a vast natural affinity for it.
• How often do you go swimming now? [Why/Why not?]
  I swim a few times a week. Fortunately, the nearest swimming pool is just a 5-minute walk from my apartment. It’s one of the few activities that make my mind rest.
• What places are there for swimming where you live? [Why?]
  Well, we’re really lucky here in Dhaka City. We have a lot of sports centers. All have well-equipped pools. Membership varies from about $10 to $20 for an adult.
• Do you think it would be more enjoyable to go swimming outdoors or at an indoor pool? [Why?]
  I do still prefer an indoor pool for several reasons. First, when swimming outdoors, I have to swim early or late in the day to avoid UV rays. Also, outdoor pools are more likely to be closed just when I have already scheduled my swim due to bad weather.

2. Speaking Part 2

Describe a famous business person that you know about.

You should say:

• Who this person is
• What kind of business this person is involved in
• What you know about this business person

And explain what you think of this business person.

Sample Answer

There are many great and successful business persons in my country of national prominence who have made a great stride in moving the economy forward. One such person is popularly known “Golam Rahman”, and today, I would like to talk about him.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to suggest that Mr Rahman is the pioneer of all kinds of modern furniture in my country who actually started his journey about 50 years ago by starting a timber industry. But, back in 50 years, running and managing a timber industry wasn’t exactly a matter of joke, especially for a person with little capital and assets. However, Mr Rahman managed to do a very superb job of that by virtually bringing the entire country under his supply chain – supplies of timber, logs, and other types of primary/secondary wood products.

And, he didn’t stop at that as he soon put his eyes on making furniture – affordable furniture of great quality – both for household and office needs. Today, with more than 25% market share of furniture products of my country, Mr Rahman can certainly claim himself to be the most famous and successful businessman of his country since there is hardly any single household in my country who doesn’t know about the furniture brand, made my Mr Rahman’s company.

I have known a great deal about this visionary business leader of my country, but what impresses me the most about him is that he still works 9:00 am to 5:00 pm every day, just like a regular person. Happily married with 5 children, Mr Rahman lives a rather simple life for such a rich and successful person.

Anyway, to conclude, I think that Mr Rahman is indeed a very hard working person who is passionate about his works and business, otherwise, he wouldn’t really be able to come up with such beautiful furniture. I also think that Mr Rahman can teach a lot to the arising entrepreneurs of his country about how to develop a business from scratch.

3. Speaking Part 3

Topic 1: Famous people today

• What kinds of people are most famous in your country today?
  The Internet has given rise to many famous personalities these days, and a large portion of them are celebrities, I think. It saddens me that young people pay particular attention to those singers and actors with scandalous love life.
• Why are there so many stories about famous people in the news?
  The most obvious reason is our fascination with celebrities. Humans have always desired to peek into the lives of those they idolize, such as brilliant thinkers and great artists. So, it is understandable that celebrity news is used by reporters to engage more and more audiences to sell advertisements.
• Do you agree or disagree that many young people today want to be famous?
  Absolutely, I believe that everyone wants to be appreciated. The ambition to become an overnight sensation has been exaggerated thanks to the availability of social networking platforms like Facebook or Instagram. The desire itself is not negative as long as it motivates young people and encourages them to contribute more to society in one way or another.

Topic 2: Advantages of being famous

• Do you think it is easy for famous people to earn a lot of money?
  I agree. It seems that society and our market economy value athletes and celebrities more than any other job. So, those famous individuals can make use of this to earn more money. You see, if a wellknown singer or actor endorse brands, he or she can make millions per brand.
• Why might famous people enjoy having fans?
  To put it simply, because, without their fandom, celebrities will not have any fame or any job. Actually, famous people like singers and actors must hold fan meetings or live streams frequently to maintain relationships with their fans, or else they will risk losing a tremendous amount of money and popularity.
• In what ways could famous people use their influence to do good things in the world?
  I believe they can do quite many things to create a positive impact on the lives of people. Celebrities are the trendsetters of the society. The way they handle problems, relationships, lead personal life can be a good example for people, especially teenagers. Besides, they can make use of their popularity to promote environment-protecting campaigns and help charity organizations get more support from philanthropists.