Here are some IELTS speaking answers for the IELTS speaking questions in Test 4 of Cambridge IELTS Book 7 practice tests about travel to work, technology and housework, technology and work, and a piece of electronic equipment that you find useful.
Note that there are many different ways to respond. The examples below are only some possible answers.
IELTS Speaking Test Part 1
How do you usually travel to work or college?
I usually drive to work because I work in several different locations and it’s not easy to use the bus or train to get to where I want to go.
Have you always travelled to work/college in the same way?
No. Years ago I used to go to work on the train every day, but that was because I was working in a different place and the train was both the quickest and cheapest option to travel to work at that time.
What do you like about travelling to work/college this way?
Well, there are several reasons why I like travelling by car to work. It’s more convenient because I can leave when I want and stop off where I want. My work takes me all over the country sometimes so it’s nice to have the flexibility that a car offers.
It’s more comfortable than going on a bus or train and it saves time too. I also love driving so even though I do a lot of travelling sometimes, I find it quite relaxing.
What changes would improve the way you travel to work/college?
Really the only problem I come across regularly is the traffic. It’s not so bad out on the open road, but in the major cities it can be quite frustrating sometimes, so if traffic congestion could be eased, then it would make travelling by car easier and more pleasant. Apart from that, I think under the circumstances, travelling by car is pretty good and it would be difficult to improve it.
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Cambridge IELTS Book 7 Speaking Test Part 2 Cue Card Topic
Describe a piece of electronic equipment that you find useful
You should say:
and explain why you find this piece of electronic equipment useful.
- what it is
- how you learned to use it
- how long you have had it
Sample Answer: Describe a piece of electronic equipment you find useful
Well, the internet is essential, but that’s not really ‘electronic equipment’, so I’d have to say my laptop computer. I use it for my job and a lot of other things too, so I’d be really lost without it.
I’ve had one for about 10 years. I’ve had different makes and models, but I think I’d have to say that I’m using it more now than ever before.
Like I said, I use it for work everyday, so that’s a lot of hours I spend using it, and then I also use it for personal reasons, you know, emails, chatting or calling my friends, surfing on the internet for information, banking transactions, booking tickets and many other things.
I don’t really think I learned to use it, that’s to say I didn’t take any classes or anything, it’s more a case of over the years I’ve discovered just what you can do with some of the applications and how each function works.
I’m not a tech geek or anything like that, I don't need the latest fancy GPS running watch, or phone, or anything like that.
So basically unless I need to do something I won’t bother to find out about it. I don't really have all that much electronic equipment.
When I have a need to do something then normally the first thing I do is to search on the internet to find a website to explain about it. Then, when I find the software program I need or an application I can use, I download it and start experimenting with it until I can do what I wanted to do.
Of course, the good thing about the internet is that there’s a lot of advice and information about almost anything you might need to do, so it never takes long to find out how to do something new.
As I said earlier, I’d be lost without it. A big part of my day revolves around my laptop and in many cases it really is essential for many of my daily activities.
Sometimes it’s difficult to even try and imagine life without it. I'll need to think about replacing it soon, as it's getting old. I need to update it.
So in terms of being useful, really, it’s essential and I think that the fact that it’s become such a big part of my daily life just shows how technology really does change the way we live and work, as ten years ago I lived quite happily without one.
IELTS writing skills
Essay: My Favourite Electronic Device
IELTS Speaking Test Part 3 | Technology and housework
What kinds of machine are used for housework in modern homes in your country?
Well, we have the normal things like vacuum cleaners, automatic washing machines and for helping in the kitchen the usual microwave oven, blender and other electric kitchen appliances.
How have these machines benefited people? Are there any negative effects of using them?
Certainly I think the vacuum cleaner has made life much easier for people who have carpets in their home. I mean, can you imagine trying to clean a carpet without one. It must have been a lot of work before they were invented.
I think many people would say that the automatic washing machine has maybe had the most impact in terms of saving time and energy for washing clothes on a regular basis.
It’s so easy now just to put the clothes in and leave them and then return later and take them out and that’s it - done. In fact, we take it for granted, but only a couple of generations ago we were still washing clothes by hand, which must have been very time consuming.
I don’t think there are any negative effects of using such machines, apart from the increased energy consumption, but really, nowadays most people don’t have the option of doing things in the same way as their grandparents did. I mean, the pace of life is so fast now that people need all the help they can get from machines, to help save them time.
Do you think all new homes will be equipped with household machines in the future? Why?
That’s a distinct possibility, that homes will come with everything you need in terms of automation as an integral part of the package, so you won’t need to go and buy any of these machines, they will come as part of the home.
It would make a lot of sense in most cases, and I think that in the future we will have even more machines helping us as the way we live continues to change and evolve.
Let’s face it, doing housework is neither interesting nor fun, and there are so many other activities that you could be spending your time on which are much more worthwhile.
Technology in the workplace
What kinds of equipment do most workers need to use in offices today?
I guess the usual office equipment such as computers, fax, maybe printers and scanners, data terminals and the like. It’d depend on exactly what they do for work.
How have developments in technology affected employment in your country?
Well, it’s certainly increased efficiency in a lot of cases, and that has led to some redundancies and lay offs while in other areas the development of technology has actually helped to create new jobs for people.
I’m not sure if you could say that employment has increased or decreased as a direct result of technology, but the pattern of employment has certainly changed. More and more people are now employed in technology and service based jobs using technology and fewer people are employed in traditional manual work.
We’ve seen technology based customer service or technical support jobs established and then outsourced overseas, but at the same time we’ve seen new technology development based jobs created here, so I think it all balances out over a period of time. However, it’s clear that most jobs nowadays include more technology than before.
Some people think that technology has brought more stress than benefits to employed people nowadays. Would you agree or disagree? Why?
I wouldn’t agree with that personally. Technology isn’t the problem – it’s the way some people deal with it or struggle to adapt to it that’s the problem and the real cause of stress.
I mean, let’s just imagine for a moment that to send a message to someone you still had to write it on a piece of paper, then mail it to the recipient, then wait for them to read it and write a response and mail it back to you.
That’s how it used to be done, and it worked fine. People did business and made money and created products and jobs, but it was all a lot more labour intensive and people were still stressed then too.
That same process now is done in a couple of minutes usually through email. I think we need to realize that technology is not the problem; it is the way we manage it, or incorporate it into our lives. Look at all the things we do using technology in a typical day.
Nobody says that using a microwave is stressful or that watching TV or listening to music on an iPod is stressful. Only when we’re talking about the workplace do people start to see technology as being a source of stress.
As I said, I personally think it’s a lack of ability to change our working habits and to evolve with technology that can cause some people to see it as a source of stress, rather than being something beneficial.
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