SPEAKING

Examiner Questions:

What is your full name?

My first name is Stephen and my surname is Andrews, but please call me Steve, which is short for Stephen.

May I see your identification?

Yes, of course. Here is my passport that I used for registration.

Where do you live?

I live in the Richmond area of London, in a two-bedroom flat with my wife.

What do you like about your home?

I like that it is spacious and bright, it has 12-foot-high ceilings and south east facing windows. Also, it is a very well-built building, so it’s quiet and peaceful. 

PART 1

Let’s talk about ball games.

What is the most popular ball game in your country?

That’s an easy one for me, without a doubt, the most popular game in England, and I can say Britain, is football. There are millions of fans all around the country who play and watch football religiously.

Which is your favorite ball game?

Like most people from Britain, it’s definitely football for me, both to watch and play. Having grown up there, it’s always been part of my life. I still play regularly with my friends. Just last Saturday, I played in a great game and my team won three nil.

Where can you play ball games in your area?
Well, there’s a football pitch just two streets from my flat where I can play all kinds of outdoor ball games, and there is a nice recreation centre about a five-minute drive from me where I can play indoor ball games like tennis or handball.

Why do you think people like to play with a ball?

The reason people enjoy ball games is because they are exciting and simple. The physics of the ball create a fast-paced game where people are challenged both mentally and physically. This really makes such games as football and table tennis among others loads of fun.

Have you ever played any ball games that you are not good at?

Yes, I must say that I have. I’ve played golf a few times, and although I had fun every time, it has a really steep learning curve. Whenever I play, I score awfully, I usually mulligan at least three times each round. Last week I played and lost at least half a dozen balls.

PART 2

Talk about a polluted place you have seen.

What is this place and where is it?

Why is it polluted?

How does this affect life there?

What could be done to reverse this pollution and who needs to do it?

You will have one to two minutes to talk about this topic.

You will have one minute to prepare what you are going to say.

A few months ago, around August time, I went to the river Windrush for a festival with my family, and I must say I was quite shocked by the amount of pollution in and around the water. It’s definitely one of the most polluted places I’ve seen in a long while. The river runs from northeast down south and feeds into the Thames near Oxford. It’s a fairly big river that goes through forests and urban areas. When I was a child, I used to go fishing at Windrush with my dad and grandfather, the water was clear and full of life. However, since a lot of raw sewage and rubbish has contaminated the river over the years, I would never think about going fishing there now. In fact, I’m not even sure if there is any fish still alive in the river, and if there is, they probably have three eyes.  But all jokes aside, the water is murky and has a brownish color. It is common to see plastic bottles and other waste floating down the river. There is even an unpleasant odor near the river in some places. I think this pollution has had a very serious impact on the lives of not just the plants and animals but also the residents who live near certain sections of the river. River Windrush could even be considered a health hazard if someone were to unknowingly swim in it. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if a person got a serious skin rash swimming in its water. Clearly the river is poisoning the animals and plants around it, and this is displayed in the poor health of the plants along Windrush’s banks. In order to fix this issue, the government and people need to unite to stop the flow of sewage and find alternative solutions for overflow. Also, water purification plants need to be planted and grown to clean up the mess.

PART 3

Let’s talk about pollution.

What are the different types of pollution that can be commonly observed in society? Which of these is the most harmful and why?

Besides the water pollution that I have just mentioned, the other major types are land, air and noise pollution. (follow-up) Well, if I had to choose, I would say that it’s air pollution because breathing is such a vital need for our existence. If a person loses the ability to breathe due to smog, it can be fatal. I’ve heard that in some cities people literally suffocate from the smog.

Why has pollution become a much more serious concern these days than a couple of hundred years ago? How can the problem of pollution be stopped?

A few hundred years ago people didn’t worry about pollution as much because the world was less inhabited. Since then people have populated the globe and there are now eight billion of us, pollution has not only become extremely prevalent, but it is threatening our very survival. (follow-up) Well, it has to be a joint effort by all people from all around the world since it affects us all. For example, water and air pollution is quickly carried from one region of the world to another, so like the Kyoto Accord, there has to be a unanimous change to really make a difference.

Some people say that we do not inherit the earth from our parents, but we borrow it from our children? Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not?

Yes, I have heard this saying before, and I agree with it a hundred percent. I feel that the goal of humanity must be the survival and prosperity of future generations. In order for this to happen, people need to respect nature so that their children and children’s children can also use it and enjoy it. This is why I reuse and recycle as much as I can.

Let’s talk about saving the environment.

What kinds of technology have been developed to help restore the health of the environment? Which of these should be paid the most attention to for the betterment of earth?

I think there is a lot of great technology that has been created for better use of the environment such as low-energy eco-friendly lightbulbs, electric cars and solar panels to name a few. (follow-up). That’s a good question. I would say that using solar energy is definitely at the top of the list. The greatest pollution created by mankind results from energy consumption, and I feel that relying more on solar energy could drastically reduce this source of pollution.

How can people be encouraged further to recycle more, and not just carelessly throw away plastics and paper?

I think a two-pronged approach can be very effective for this. One is to encourage people to recycle more through education, like media ads that explain the challenges and consequences of not recycling. The other, could be implementing serious fines and supervision of people’s recycling behaviour, let’s say a 200-pound fine for throwing cardboard into the rubbish bin instead of the paper recycling bin.

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