IELTS Speaking: if you don't know the answer
How has technology affected the kinds of music that young people listen to?
My answer, using both tips above:
(1) To be honest I don't really know the answer to that because I'm completely
out of touch with what young people are listening to, and I'm not a fan of pop
music.
(2) However, I suppose that technology must have affected music. Maybe young
people are listening to music that has been made using computer software instead
of real musical instruments like the piano or guitar.

PLACES
1. Describe an interesting historic place
I would like to tell you about an historic place, which is a Buddhist temple situated
in Bac Ninh province in the northern part of Vietnam. I'm not sure when this
temple was built, but it was known as the oldest temple of our country. So I guess
it should have at least 600 years old.
This temple is quite small with the specific antique architecture. Inside the temple
we can see the statue of Buddha and the different gods. It is a very popular place
for residents and foreign tourists because it is believed that miracles will happen
when you devote yourself in this religion. For this specific reason, many believers
go there to pray for good health and prosperity. While thoroughly enjoy the
temple, visitors can also have great time exploring the temple’s gardens and
taking snaps of beautiful flowers along the way.
During the last Lunar New Year celebration, I had the chance to visit this temple
and this place was surely crowded! I remember that the entire building was very
colorful and we could also see lots of figurines aligned on the interior walls.
I find the temple interesting itself because its appearance is very traditional and
well preserved. But most importantly, it is rich in historical value. I'd recommend
anyone who visits Vietnam to go there and experience the spiritual beauty of this
place.


have never seen such a luxurious and splendid museum like Hermitage before, so
I really enjoyed every moment watching the museum. It consists of over three
million items collected by Catherine the Great, including the largest collection of
paintings of famous artists in the world such as Pablo Picasso, Vincent ven Gogh,
Leonardo de Vinci… There were so many rooms in Hermitage that I almost got
lost and within a day, I couldn’t have enough time to see all the museum. It was
an interesting experience ever!
I saw many things and I learned much more about the history and the culture of
our whole world. I think that if I had not visited the museum I would have
regretted this decision for the rest of my life.


3. Describe a modern building
I'm going to describe a modern building in Yekaterinburg, one of the biggest
cities in Russia. It's called the Vysotsky skyscraper, which in English means “tall
skyscraper”. As the name, it's the tallest building in the city, with about 54 floors
and 188 meters in height.
This building has built since 2006 and completed in 2011. It has become a famous
landmark in the city. It is an easy place to meet people because it is so distinctive
and easy to find. In fact, the bottom half of the skyscraper is the hotel and the top
half is apartments. The apartments are expensive because the location and views
make them very desirable.
I'm not sure if I like the design of the building, it's just a huge glass tower, but it
definitely stands out. Last summer, I went to visit my Russian friend in
Yekaterinburg. She took me to this building and we have been in the 54th floor,
which had spectacular views of the city. There are no walls, only huge windows,
so you can look out over the city in any direction. So I'd recommend anyone who
visits Russia to go there and experience the view.



the spring and summer, the kids go out play in their yard and talk aloud. I do not
see many kids here so it's always nice when I do see a few on their bikes or the
kids next door playing outside. In addition, the neighbors around me are very
friendly and always willing to help.
Our neighborhood is right next to the main road that is busy and there is another
main road that passes through but it's not as busy. We also have a couple fast food
places and a few restaurants, a small cafe and a bookstore, a pharmacy and a
market nearby that is a great walking distance. The place that I like most is a small
park right across the street so whenever feel like walking or jogging I simply got
to the park and get some fresh air.
I love my house because it is located in a good position with a peaceful
neighborhood. I am an introvert so my neighborhood is actually helping me has
some private places to go out whenever I feel like getting lost in a daydream.


6. Favourite room in the house
Everyone in this world has a favorite place. Some people tend to stay at their
workplaces and some people like to spend time at restaurants, but I am an
introvert so I mostly like to stay at home. My favorite room in the house is my
bedroom.
Well if you want me to talk about the room, I would say that it is a small room on
the first floor and it has all the things, which a person need. There is a computer,
an air-conditioner, a bed and a bookshelf. But there are some changes that I would
like to make in it. First, I am not satisfied with the size of the room. I want my
room to be bigger because I would like to put more stuff in it. The other change
is that I want to make a new window, because the current one is old and quite
small.
I spend most of time in my room because it is the place, where I can enjoy
relaxation. I like watching movies, listening to the music and reading books in
my room because it is only where I can get the privacy. There is no noise, no

Today I would like to describe my home garden, a part of my home's backyard,
which is a beautiful one and I like it very much.
There is a big tree right in the middle of my garden, which is surrounded by
different kinds of flowers, a small water fountain and several bushes. You know,
nowadays quality of foods is not good anymore because most of the sellers only
care about their benefits. Therefore, my parents decided to make a spacious area
in the garden where we can grow different kinds of fruits and vegetables. My
parents have been retired for a few years, so they spend much time to look after
the garden.
Due to it, my garden is always beautiful and full of vitality with green trees and
the whistle of birds every day. Whenever relatives and friends come to us, we
take them to look around our garden and enjoy the view while the kids are
playing, running and laughing aloud.
All in all, this garden is one of the best features of my house. For me it is like a
small world where I can enjoy peaceful moments after long working days or
during the weekends.


9. Favourite city in the world
When I was a student studying in Russia, I had a chance to visit America for 2
months. During this time, I have been in some beautiful cities such as Washington
DC, Boston, and Cambridge. There is a city that I would love to go but I have not
had any chance when I was in US, it is New York city.
New York City is the most populous city in the United States. It is known as the
cultural and financial center of the world. The city attracts considerably more
foreign visitors than any other US city. People go to New York to see this
magnificent city with many famous sights. If I were here, I would love to take a
trip to the Statue of Liberty, which is one of the best landmarks of NY. In addition,
NY is famous for its skyscrapers, which look most spectacular at night. I've been
reading books about NYC and I'm still watching TV series about it. I couldn’t


11. Describe an open-air or street market which you enjoyed visiting
I am going to talk about a street market that I have visited many times in Russia.
This great market has a massive stalls and permanent stores for regular shoppers.
It opens on Saturday and Sunday only from 9 am to 1 pm and it is not very far
from my hostel, so I could get there every week.
Everything is available there; you can find different kinds of local foods from
vegetables, fruits, meats to other dairy products. All are fresh and brand new
because these products have just been brought from the farms in the early
morning. There are also some stalls selling handmade accessories, jewelry and
souvenirs.
The market is not organized so I remember that I have spent hours wandering
around, looking for something I had seen on a previous visit. But the prices are
quite cheap and you can negotiate prices in a nice way. All of sellers are very
friendly and they always invite us to taste their foods before deciding to buy.
The main reason why I really like this market is cheerful atmosphere. Whenever
you walk around the shops, you could hear the traditional Russian music that is
quite nice. Food also is another reason, as you can taste a variety of Russian wellcooked dishes. A final reason is that you can get wonderful gifts and souvenirs in
reasonable
and
sometimes
very
cheap
prices.


12. Describe a library that you visited
Today I would like to talk about the library I used to go when I was in university
several years ago.
The library was quite small but I think it had all needed to have a successful life

that I got from school has helped me find right direction in life. The skills, which
this school gave me, were extraordinary. It has helped me become more confident
and live in active and useful way.
When I were studying the first year in Vietnam Maritime University, because
of the good result, I received a scholarship from government to study in Russia. I
attend Astrakhan State Technical University and studied there for 6 years. It was
one of the best universities in Russia, so most of the students were very good at
study.
There were many teachers teaching in this university. Most of my teachers had
their own way to teach us with enthusiasm and conscientiousness. There I had
opportunities to practice a lot and do many others experiments. Another good
thing about my university was that it had a very good examination system.
Students were supposed to have exams every day and these exams constituted of
30% of the final grade. At the end of semester, we had important exams of many
subjects that required us hard study. Besides, there were also many out of school
activities for us such as singing contests, English club, sport competitions and so
on.
Have to say that the knowledge that I acquired from this university has played an
indispensable role in my life. I have not yet become successful but the education
that I got from university has helped me find right direction in life. The skills,
which this university gave me, were extraordinary. It has helped me become more
confident and live in active and useful way.


14. Airport
Today I would like to talk about the airport I used to go when I was still a student
in Russia. It named Domodedovo International Airport, the largest airport in
Russia in terms of passenger and cargo traffic.
During the student life in Russia, every time I came back home, I had to take the
train from the city I studied to Moscow, and then to this airport. It would be

disappointed because of good services and high quality seafood.