PART 1
Let’s talk about parks
Do you like going to parks or green spaces?
When was the last time you went to a park?
How often did you visit parks when you were a child?
Are there a lot of parks in your country?
Now let’s talk about mountains
How do you feel when you visit mountains?
Would you prefer to have holidays in mountains or beaches?
Are there any famous mountains in your country?
Would you like to climb any mountains?
Let’s discuss birds
Do you like birds?
Have you ever kept a bird as a pet?
What sorts of birds are common in your country?
Do you think there will be more or fewer birds in the future?
PART 2
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DESCRIBE YOUR FAVOURITE WILD ANIMAL. |
PART 2: Model Answer
Ok. I’d like to talk about my favourite wild animal. My home country of Australia has many well- known wild animals such as the koala, the wombat, the dingo, the kookaburra and even the crocodile, but my favourite would have to be the kangaroo. Everybody has heard of a kangaroo, in fact, around the world, the kangaroo would have to be Australia’s most recognizable animal.
If you go to Australia and you don’t see a real kangaroo, then one could say that you haven’t really been to Australia. If you want to see real kangaroos you would need to travel out of the cities and into the Australian outback. In fact, the further you go into the outback the more likely you are to venture upon them.
Kangaroos are described as herbivores. This means that their diet consists mainly of plant food like grass, flowers, leaves, ferns, moss and sometimes even insects. Like cows, kangaroos regurgitate their food and re-chew it before it is ready to be digested.
The kangaroo is my favourite wild animal because it is so unique. It is the only large animal to use hopping as its primary means of locomotion. A male kangaroo can leap almost 10 feet in height and thirty feet in length. Aided by its powerful hind legs, large paws and muscular tail it is able to maintain incredible balance while in motion. This enables them to hop across vast tracts of land in the blink of an eye to help them find food in other areas as well as escape from danger quickly.
Also, the large red kangaroo along with another well-known wild animal, the emu, is on the Australian coat of arms. The reason is that these animals can only easily move forwards, not backwards, and, as a country, we want to be known to not go backwards but be progressive and just go forwards.
Finally, one of my favourite TV shows as a child was called ‘Skippy The Bush Kangaroo.’ If you ever go to Australia I recommend you watch it just for laughs.
PART 2: Vocabulary
NOUNS
balance: a state of equilibrium
coat of arms: a special symbol or pattern that represents a family, university, city or country
diet: the kind of food or animal a person usually eats
dingo: a wild Australian dog with a sandy coloured coat
emu: a large Australian fast running bird that is incapable of flying
fern: flowerless plants
herbivore: an animal that only eats plants
koala: a small Australian bearlike animal with a thick grey fur
kookaburra: a large Australian native bird that makes a loud laughing sound
locomotion: the ability to move
means: way of doing something
moss: a green fungus growing in moist areas
motion: the act of moving
outback: remote inland areas of Australia
paw an animal’s foot with claws
tail: the back part of an animal which is usually long
tract: a large area of land
wombat: an Australian animal that looks like a small bear with short legs
ADJECTIVES
hind: at the back of the animal’s body
incredible: amazing, very difficult to believe
muscular: having well-developed muscles
powerful: having a lot of power, strong
primary: main
progressive: developing or happening gradually
recognizable; detectable, noticeable, identifiable
unique: being the only one existing
vast: very big, huge
well known: familiar, common, widely known
VERBS
aid: help, assist
describe: report, recount, explain, discuss
digest: break down food in your stomach
enable: make something possible
hop: jump up and down on one or two feet
leap: make a large jump from one place to another
maintain: keep the same, preserve, continue in the same way or state
re-chew: chew again
recommend: suggest that an action, person or place is suitable
regurgitate: bring back swallowed food into the mouth
venture on / upon something (phrasal verb): to try to do something difficult or dangerous
IDIOMS
in the blink of an eye: extremely quickly, suddenly
My friends left the party before I had a chance to say goodbye to them. They were gone in the blink of an eye.
just for laughs: do something for fun
Just for laughs I decided to watch an old video of me in my high school play, Macbeth. I’m glad I didn’t take up acting as a career.
PART 3: Ideas
Let’s talk about wild animals
What types of wild animals are common in your country?
There are many types of wild animals in my country. The most common one’s are the….and the….
There aren’t many actually, but some common one’s are the…and the…That’s about all.
Let me think. There’s the….and the…and the…
Some well-known wild animals in my country are the….and the…and the…
Are there fewer wild animals than in the past?
Yes, definitely. Many animals are endangered because humans have destroyed their habitats.
Yes, because of over pollution entire breeds of animals have disappeared in the last hundred years.
Yes, but many endangered animals are being protected as a way to increase their populations again.
No there aren’t really as most of the wild animals in my country have adapted and become stronger.
What are some ways to protect wild animals?
Never buy products made from endangered species such as mink coats.
Don’t kill wild animals for any reason.
Don’t destroy their natural habitats which they need to raise their young.
Don’t use herbicides or pesticides on plants as it poisons wildlife and their young.
Now let’s talk about Zoos
What are some of the reasons to build zoos?
Zoos are a good way to protect animals from human consumption.
Zoos are good for conserving an endangered species as long as the animals are free to move a lot
Zoos are often only built in order for greedy operators to make money
There aren’t any reasons to build zoos as the only real place for all animals is in the wild.
What are some of the drawbacks of keeping animals in cages?
Keeping animals in cages is a form of cruelty as it restricts the animal’s ability to move around freely.
Animals that are kept in cages are away from their natural habitat.
Keeping animals in cages domesticates animals so when released into the wild again they will perish.
Caged animals are often abused by bad zoo keeping practices.
Do you think all zoos should be closed?
Yes, all zoos should be closed and the animals released into the wild.
No, we need to continue to allow responsible zoo keepers to keep their zoos open but close badly run zoos.
Yes. Only endangered species should be kept in zoos or conservation parks for their protection.
No. We need to keep zoos open but educate zoo keepers more on responsible zoo keeping practices.
Useful Links:
eBook for speaking
Linking words
Speaking strategies
Vocabulary
Idioms
Grammar
Questions you can ask the examiner
Part 1 of the test
Part 2 of the test
Part 3 of the test
