English Lesson 21
Names and holidays
Your name and travelling, a typical holiday, and leisure time and stress.
How to practise
- Listen to an answer two times. Read the text while you listen.
- Shadow it. Set the speed to 0.75×. Play it again and speak at the same time as the voice.
- Turn on practice mode. The answers are hidden. Read each question and answer it out loud.
- Make it yours. Use the same phrases, but say true things about your city, your job and your life.
- Practise with a partner. One person reads the questions. The other answers without looking.
Part 1 · Interview
Your name and travel
Short answers. About 20 to 30 seconds each. Answer, give a reason, add one detail.
What is the meaning of your given name?
My name is Sara. In Persian and Arabic, it means pure. My parents chose it because it's short and easy to say in many languages. I like it because people from other countries can remember it easily.
- given nameyour first name, not your family name
- it means…explain the meaning
- easy to sayeasy to pronounce
Does your name affect your personality?
I don't think so. A name is just a word that your parents choose. Your personality comes from your family, your experiences and the people around you. But maybe a nice name can give you a bit more confidence.
- I don't think so.a clear no
- comes from…is caused by
- give you a bit more confidenceconfidence = believing in yourself
Do you like travelling?
Yes, I really do. I love discovering new places and trying new food. Travelling also helps me relax and see my life from a different point of view. I try to take at least one trip every year, even if it's just a short one.
- Yes, I really do.a strong yes
- discovering new placesfinding and seeing new places
- from a different point of viewin a different way
- even if it's just a short oneeven if = it doesn't matter if
Where have you travelled to lately?
Last month, I went to Yazd, a desert city in the centre of my country. It's famous for its old mud-brick houses and wind towers. I stayed in a traditional hotel with a courtyard, and at night we went to the desert to see the stars.
- Last month, I went to…talk about a recent trip
- It's famous for…say what people know it for
- a courtyardan open space in the middle of a building
Part 2 · Cue card
One of your typical holidays
You get 1 minute to prepare and then speak for 1 to 2 minutes. Follow the four points on the card in order.
Candidate task card
Describe one of your typical holidays.
You should say:
- where you go for the holidays
- how long they last
- who you go with
- and talk about an interesting thing that happened during your holiday
Start
I'd like to talk about our typical summer holiday. My family has the same tradition almost every year.
Where you go
We usually go to the north of the country, to a small town by the Caspian Sea. My uncle has a villa there, close to the beach.
How long it lasts
We normally stay for about a week. It's long enough to relax, but not so long that we get bored.
Who you go with
I go with my parents, my sister, and my uncle's family. With all the children, we're about twelve people, so the villa is always noisy and full of life.
Something interesting
Last summer, something funny happened. We decided to cook fish on the beach, but suddenly it started raining heavily. We all ran into a small café with our half-cooked fish. The owner laughed and let us finish cooking in his kitchen. In the end, we had dinner together with him, and it became the best night of the trip.
- My family has the same traditiontradition = something done for a long time
- a villaa house for holidays
- It's long enough to…, but not so long that…say the length is just right
- full of lifebusy and happy
- suddenly it started raining heavilysuddenly = very quickly, without warning
- In the end, …means finally
Part 3 · Discussion
Leisure, stress and travel
Longer answers. About 30 to 45 seconds. Give your opinion, explain why, and give an example.
What do people in your country mostly do in their leisure time?
Most people spend their free time with family and friends. We visit each other a lot, and we have long meals together. Young people often go to cafés or the cinema. At weekends, many families go to parks or the mountains for a picnic.
- leisure timefree time
- spend their free time with…talk about free time
- have long meals togethereat together slowly
How are holidays today different from holidays ten years ago?
Today, people travel more, and they travel further. Ten years ago, most families went to their relatives' houses. Now, many people stay in hotels or rent apartments online. Also, people take a lot of photos and share them on social media during their trip.
- travel furthergo to places that are farther away
- rent apartments onlinepay to stay in a home, booked on the internet
- share them on social mediaput them online for others to see
Will people spend more time on leisure or on work in the future?
I hope people will have more leisure time. Robots and computers will do many tasks, so people may work fewer hours. Some companies are already testing a four-day working week. But I'm not sure, because life is getting more expensive, so many people need to work more.
- I hope…say what you want to happen
- work fewer hoursfewer = a smaller number of
- a four-day working weekworking only four days a week
- But I'm not sure, because…show the other side
It is often said that life has become more stressful. Why is this?
I think there are several reasons. First, life is more expensive, so people worry about money. Second, we're always connected to our phones, so we never really switch off from work. And third, social media makes us compare our lives with others, which can make us unhappy.
- there are several reasonsstart a list
- we're always connectedwe always use phones or the internet
- switch off from workstop thinking about work
- compare our lives with otherscheck if others have better lives
What planning should a traveller do before visiting a new city or country?
First, they should check what documents they need, like a visa. They should also book a hotel in a safe area and learn a little about the local culture. It's also a good idea to learn a few basic words in the local language, like hello and thank you.
- check what documents they needdocuments = official papers like a passport
- book a hotelreserve a room
- the local culturethe customs of the people there
- a few basic wordssimple words
Will people travel more in the future? What will they be interested in?
Yes, I think so. Flights are becoming cheaper, and it's easy to plan trips online. In the future, I think people will be more interested in nature and real experiences, like hiking or staying with local families. Some people might even travel to space!
- Flights are becoming cheaperdescribe a trend
- real experiencesdoing real things, not just looking
- staying with local familiesliving with people from that place
- might even…even = something surprising
Audio: Microsoft neural voices. A British voice reads the examiner's questions, and an American voice reads the model answers.