Towns and Cities – IELTS Speaking Questions By Mark Allen

The topics in IELTS Speaking Exam are always about something familiar to you, such as “What you do”, “How are you? etc.

You should not speak too quickly or too slowly. It is also important to have good intonation and stress. You will not get a high score if you are too hesitant and have too many pauses when you speak, although a few pauses to collect your thoughts are fine.

Try not to speak too quickly, either. Rapid speech often indicates a lack of cohesion in what you are saying and severely affects the rhythm and flow of your speech.

Below is the list of few IELTS Speaking Questions by Mark Allen in Town and Cities category:

Question – Whereabouts did you grow up?

Answer – I grew up in Tianjin, a city that is southeast of Beijing. It is closer to the sea than Beijing, and is also a municipal city like Beijing.

Question – Do you still live there?

Answer – No, I haven’t lived there for many years. I went to school here in Beijing and have simply settled here and made it my hometown. I still go back to Tianjin every once in a while.

Question – What’s the most famous place in your hometown?

Answer – Well, there isn’t much in Tianjin that is famous, not like Beijing, where there are so many famous places, but the TV tower is where most people want to go when they come to Tianjin.

Question – How has your hometown changed in recent years?

Answer – I hardly even recognize it, it has changed so much. Just like most of China, Tianjin is changing rapidly at an alarming rate.

Note: It’s quite amazing, from 1990 to 2006, my state has grown from 660,000 residents to 783,000 people. There is nothing recognizable of my hometown except the historic area.

My hometown has changed dramatically over the past 20 or so years. Downtown does not look same and real estate prices went through the roof. All the roads are under constructions and places that were considered the Ghetto when I moved to Miami in 1999 now have homes that are over $500,000.

While much of the place is the same and seems familiar, it does not feel like home. I can drive right by the house that I lived in through Junior High and High School and feel completely disconnected from the place. It isn’t home anymore…. a rather bittersweet feeling if you ask me.

Question – Where do you live now?

Answer – I live in Beijing now. I am happy to be here because the city is really on the move and there is a lot of excitement here because of the next Olympics.

Question – What part of the city do you like best?

Answer – I like the CBD the most because there are a lot of clubs there and also a lot of hustle and bustle and that is what I am into. I like to be where the crowds are, the same as most young people.

Note: The one thing I do like: people here are nice; there is a good sense of community. Also, there is not the traffic problem that you’d find in larger cities.

I love where I live because I have so many friends here, I’ve lived here all my life, I like the weather, and there are so many fun things to do.

Question – Is there anything you don’t like about this city?

Answer – The Springtime when the winds from the Gobi desert blow in and the sky turns a hazy orange, is one thing I don’t like about Beijing. Another one of my least favorite things is having to fight rush hour traffic on the subway.

Question – Do you want to live in a big city or a small town?

Answer – I just couldn’t go back to living in a small town. I have gotten accustomed to life in the big city and it would be hard to get me back to those “country roads.”

Note: I like living in a small town within driving distance of a city. That way I can enjoy the craziness of the city for a time and then return to the simplicity of the small town life.

Big city. It’s hard to get bored when you live in a city that never sleeps, like NYC, LA, Miami, Rome, Paris. There’s much to do.

I really love to live in the small city, because there is less traffic and it’s not so crowded. The small city looks so peaceful to me, but I love to visit the big city also, to go shopping, have fun with friends and stay for a couple of days, but not to live there.

I grew up in a small town, and couldn’t not wait to get out… now, as an adult, I’d love to go back… I am tired of all the traffic… all the crime… all the rushing around like ants.

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