Building Design
• What are the different types of homes in China?
• Do young people and old(er) people (like to) live in the same kinds of places?
Different Kinds of Homes
• What are the differences between houses and flats (apartments)? (or, " ... the differences
between a house and a flat") FQ
• In the cities of China, do people mostly live in houses or flats? (Why?)
• What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of living in a flat and living in a
house? FQ
• In the future, what kind of home would you prefer to live in, a house or a flat?
• What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of living in a high-rise apartment?
• Compare the different types of people who live in different types of homes. (Different types
of houses and flats - urban & rural/ wealthy & poor) FQ
The Design and Appearance of Buildings (or, Homes)
• In general what is the (architectural) style of the buildings (or, homes) in your hometown?
FQ
• Do you like the design of the buildings (or, homes) in your hometown? FQ
• Do you think the (outside) appearance of a home is important? (Why?/Why not?) FQ
• (Similar to above) Which do you think is more important in a home - its functional qualities
or its appearance?
• Who should be responsible for the appearance of a home? See Note
• Do you think government should make rules about the (outside) appearance of people's
homes? FQ
• (Same as above) Do you think local government should have the right to regulate on the
(outside) appearance of people's homes? FQ
• Do you think the climate of a place affects the way the buildings in that place are
designed? FQ
• (Similar to above) What effect does the temperature of a location have on building design?
FQ
• In China, are there any differences between homes in the north of China and those in the
south?

• What are some of the main differences between living in a city and living in the
countryside?
• Sometimes people move from the city to live in the countryside. Can you guess why they
do that?
• What are some of the problems that people experience when they live in a city? FQ
• How do you think these problems could be solved? FQ
• Do you think (city) governments should have a plan for the development of the city?
• What kind of urban plan do you think would be best for solving the urban problems that we
have now?
Urban Plans
• What's your favourite part of your hometown? (Why?) *
• Would you prefer to live in the city centre or on the edge of a city?
• Do you think there should be more houses in the centre of cities (downtown)? (Why?
How?/Why not?) FQ
• Do you think the city centre is best used as a commercial centre or a place for living? FQ
• Where do you think the government should encourage the building of homes? (Why?)
• Quite often, city governments impose height limits on buildings. Why do you think they do
that?
• What reforms or improvements do you think could be (or should) made to urban planning
in your country?

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175. No Topic
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IELTS Part 2 and Part 3 Topics and Questions
Page 36

176. A Sports Event (2) (Sept. 6, 2008)

• In China, what sports do school children do at school? FQ
• Do you think it's important for children to participate in some kind of sport?
• (Similar to above) What are the benefits of sport for children? FQ
• In China, how much time do children spend on sport (and exercise) at school?
• Do you think this amount of time should be increased? FQ
• (Similar to above) Do you think schools in China should encourage students to participate
more in sport? FQ
• Outside of school, what sports would you suggest a parent in China encourage their child to
take up? (= to start doing)
• What do you think are the advantages and possible disadvantages of sport for children? FQ
• For children (or, young people), is there much difference between sport and entertainment?
• (The previous question might be:) For children (or, young people), is there much difference
between sport and other forms of recreation?
Team Sport versus Individual Sport
• Which do you think is better for children, individual sports or team sports? FQx2
• (Similar to above) Compare the advantages (and disadvantages) that children gain from
taking part in team sports with the advantages they gain from taking part in individual
sports. FQ
• What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of competitive sport for children?
FQ
• Can you think of any disadvantages of individual sports for children?
• Do you think co-operation is important in modern society?
• What are some ways that co-operation between countries can be encouraged?
Competition and Awards in General
See also the Part 3 questions for Topic 43 and Topic 109 for the topics of competition, co-
operation and rewards/awards.
Competition
• Do you think the experience of competing in sport can bring benefits to people in life
outside of sport?
• In what ways do you think competitive sport in childhood can benefit a person in

177. A Good Friend (Sept. 6, 2008)
Describe one of your good friends. *
You should say:
how (and when) you first met this person
when you see this person *
what kind of character (or, personality) he or she has (= what he or she is like)
what you usually do together
and explain why you became (or, are) such good friends.

Notes
• The topic might be, "Describe your best friend."
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Possible follow-up questions:
• Do you think you will always be good friends? *
• Are you still good friends?
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Part 3
The Nature of Friendship
• Do you think friendship is important? (Why?) FQ
• (Similar to above) How important is friendship to you? FQ
• What are the qualities of a good (or, a real) friend? FQ
• (Similar to above) How can one be a good friend?
• What do you think are the benefits of having a good friend?
• Do you prefer old friends or new friends? FQ
• (Similar to above) Some people think it's good to change friends every now and then while
others disagree with that. What's your opinion? FQ
• When you go out (to enjoy yourself / to have some fun), do you prefer to go out with
friends or family members? (Why?)

worker? FQ
• What qualities do you think a good boss should have?
• How should a good boss motivate the employees at work?
• How can a boss have a good relationship with his or her employees?
Joining Groups; Co-operation and Teamwork
• Do you think it's important that people should join groups or be a part of a community?
(Why?/Why not?)
• Some people think it is better to be a 'loner', someone who is independent and self-sufficient
and who doesn't join any groups or a community. What do you think of that attitude?
• What benefits can people get from joining groups?
• In life (or, in work), do you think teamwork is important? FQ
• (Similar to above) What are the (social) benefits of teamwork (or, co-operation) between
people? FQ
• Can you think of any examples of work (or, jobs) where teamwork is especially important?
FQ
• Can you think of any reasons why teamwork, for example, in the workplace, is sometimes
difficult to achieve?
• (Similar to above) Can you give any examples of circumstances when teamwork is
especially important? (Possibly not just referring to work but to life in general.)
• Do you think competition should be encouraged in school?
• (Similar to above) Which do you think should be encouraged more in school, co-operation
or competition?
International Relations
• Do you think countries can also be friends with other countries? (How?)
• Do you think international co-operation (or, collaboration) between countries is important?
FQ
• (Similar to above) What is the role of international co-operation between countries?
• (Similar to above) What are the results (the effects) of international co-operation between
countries?
• Can you give any examples of international co-operation?

better not to prepare an answer that fits both a 'film' Part 2 topic and this topic - examiners
might be suspicious of that and realize your answer was prepared before the test.
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Possible follow-up questions:
• Did other people in your family also think that was a good TV program?
• Did you talk about that program with your friends or family?
• Would you recommend that TV program to your friends?
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Part 3
TV and Society
Note: For some of the questions below, the wording might be, "radio and television", not just
"television" (TV).
TV tastes in China
• What kinds of TV programs are most popular in China? FQx2
• Why do you think people like to watch TV? FQx2
• Do you think people today watch more television than they used to?
• Do old people like watching TV?
• Do people prefer to watch entertainment programs or educational programs (such as
documentaries)?
• Are the TV programs in China very different to TV programs in the West (e.g., the U.S.)?
Watching TV as a family Activity
• Why do people watch TV? FQ
• (Similar to above) Why do you think watching TV is such a popular activity for people to
do at home? FQ
• Would you say TV plays a positive role in the lives of people?
• Do you think TV has any effects on family relationships?
• What are the benefits for family members watching TV together?
• (Similar to above) What do you think are the benefits of having parents watch TV with their

used?)
• How is radio supported financially?
• Do you think the internet is better than TV as a source of entertainment, or news or as a
way to improve your English? FQ
• How do you think television (or the way people watch it) will change in the future?
• Do you think watching TV will grow in popularity in the future? FQx2
• (Similar to above) Do you think the number of people who watch TV in the future will
increase? FQx2
• Do you think computers (the internet) will (or, might) replace television in the future?
Advertisements on TV
• Do you think it's important (or necessary) for TV stations to make money?
• How can they make money?
• Do you like [to see (or, watch)] advertisements on TV?
• Do you think there are too many advertisements on TV?
• (Similar to above) Do you think there is a good balance between (the amount of time given
to) TV programs and advertisements on TV?
Parental and Government Controls of TV
• Do you think there should be any government controls over what is shown on TV (or
should it be completely free)?
• What laws (or, regulations) do you think should exist concerning television programs?
• Do you think parents should supervise what their children watch on television?
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179. A Childhood Game (2) (Prob. May 2008) (Probably no longer used)
Describe a game you enjoyed when you were a child. (Not a sport.)
You should say:
what the game was
when, where and with whom you usually played it
how you played it
and explain why you enjoyed this game.*

• Besides sport, what play activities do children like to do?
The Benefits of Outside Play for Children
• Do you think outdoor activities are important for children?
• Why do children usually enjoy playing outside?
• Why do many children today not play outside very much?
• What are some of the benefits and possible bad points of children playing outdoors (outside
the home)?
• In general, how is outside play for children different to playing inside? FQ
• Do you think the indoor activities and outdoor activities develop children's abilities the
same way? FQ
• When new apartments (or, apartment complexes) are built, do you think playgrounds or
other recreational facilities for people (or, for children) should be included?
Toys
• What toys did you play with when you were a kid? *
• What do you think is the value of toys for young children?
Games
Games in General in China
• What's the most popular game in China? FQ
• How have games changed in the past few decades? FQx2
• (Similar to above) How are the games that people play today different to the games that
people played in previous years? FQx2
• How have children's games changed in the past few decades? FQx2
• How do you think games will develop in the future?
• Why do Chinese adults like playing mahjong?
• Are there any drawbacks from playing internet (or, computer) games?
Games for Different Age Groups
• How are children's games different to adults' games? FQx2
• Why do many adults today not play games? FQ
• Do you think modern lifestyles encourage, or discourage, adults from playing games? FQ
• (Similar to above) Why do many adults today not play games? FQ

when and where you went
why you went there
what the pollution was like (or, what kind of pollution it was)
and explain how you felt about this pollution. * Notes:
• On November 11, 2008, this topic was moved from Topic #111 to here because the
topic is still in use. This was done to make sure readers do not overlook this topic.
• From November 11, 2008 onwards, any changes or additions to the questions for this
topic will be added to this location, Topic #180 only.
• The first line has been changed to say, "a polluted city".
• The last line has the "feel" but the full wording is unclear.
• If the words just say, 'a place you have been to', you could talk about a part of
your hometown that has an environmental problem - you don't have to talk about
going to a place away from your hometown. But I think the topic is not referring
to the place where you live. Many people report the words are, "... a city you
visited that has pollution."
See further NOTES
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Possible follow-up questions:
• Do other people think this is a problem?
• If you had the opportunity, would you like to go there again?
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Part 3
See here for some useful vocabulary.
See here for a good video.
Dealing with Environmental Problems

the situation improved?) FQ
• What do you think China's environment will be like in the future (e.g., 20 or 50 years in the
future)? FQx2
• (Similar to above) Do you think the environment will be improved in the future or do you
think it will get worse?
• How do you think cutting down all the trees in a forest affects the environment?
• Do you think that air-conditioning in buildings such as this (the examination building), is a
form of environmental pollution?
• Do you think air pollution might (or will) have any effect on Beijing's Olympic Games this
year?
The Problem of Waste Disposal
• What are the sources of waste (& rubbish) that society produces? FQ See NOTE
• Compare how waste is disposed of today and how it used to be disposed of many years ago.
• How do you think we could make waste (waste materials) beneficial to society? (Hint:
recycling)
• Do you think recycling is important?
• Do young people & older people have the same attitudes towards waste disposal? (E.g.,
attitudes towards recycling, and towards what should be thrown away & what should be
kept.) FQ
• Do you think old people produce as much waste (such as waste paper) as young people?
FQ See NOTE
• As society advances in science and technology, it seems that we have more garbage to
dispose of. Why do you think this is so?
• Do you think that advertising leads to the production of more garbage in society? FQ See
NOTE
• Some people throw rubbish/garbage/trash on the street, for example, an ice-cream wrapper.
What do you think of this behaviour?
• (Similar to above) Why do you think some people don't care where they put (or, throw)
their garbage?
• How can/could these people's behaviour be changed?

Describe a recent event that made you feel happy.
You should say:
what the event was
when and where it happened
who participated in this event
what you saw or did *
and explain why this event was so enjoyable. *
or
and explain why you remember this event so well. *

Notes
• This topic has been moved from Topic #125. There is no need to go there because all of
the questions were moved to here, Topic #181 and any future changes or additions will
be made to Topic #181 only, not to Topic#125.
• Some people have reported Version A & others have reported Version B. I think Version B
is the wording but I suggest you prepare for both.