Speaking part: variant 1 - Langart

Task 1

Imagine that you are preparing a project with your friend. You have found some interesting material for the presentation and you want to read this text to your friend. You have 1.5 minutes to read the text silently, then be ready to read it out aloud. You will not have more than 1.5 minutes to read it.

Sharks are ancient creatures. They were around some 400 million years ago! Even before dinosaurs roamed the earth, sharks hunted the seas. Sharks are survival machines. They’re well-designed to stay alive. They have the strongest jaws on the planet. Unlike other animals, both their upper and lower jaws move.

Sharks can feed on nearly any creature in the sea. The only animals that see sharks as food are other sharks, whales, and human beings. Unlike most animals, sharks don’t take care of their babies. Newborn pups fend for themselves. In some species, the strongest pup eats its brothers and sisters. This improves its own chances of survival.

Some types of sharks must swim constantly in order to breathe. Sharks go from periods of strong activity to times of calmer rest. But it is true that sharks are ever-watchful. They never sleep.

Read, Reflect, Respond. Book A. Student Edition

Task 2

Study the advertisement.

Your next adventure is waiting for you in Australia!

You are considering travelling to Sydney (Australia) and now you’d like to get more information. In 1.5 minutes you are to ask four direct questions to find out about the following:

  1. Sydney holiday packages
  2. budget tour packages
  3. visa requirements
  4. travel insurance

You have 20 seconds to ask each question.

suggested answers

  1. What Sydney holiday packages are offered in your agency?
  2. What budget tour packages do you have?
  3. What documents are required for an Australian visa?
  4. What sort of insurance would you recommend?

Task 3

You are going to give an interview. You have to answer five questions. Give full answers to the questions (2–3 sentences). Remember that you have 40 seconds to answer each question.

Tapescript for Task 3

Suggested answers

Task 4

Imagine that you and your friend are doing a school project “Weekends in the summertime”. You have found some photos to illustrate it but for technical reasons you cannot send them now. Leave a voice message to your friend explaining your choice of the photos and sharing some ideas about the project. In 2.5 minutes be ready to:

  • explain the choice of the illustrations for the project by briefly describing them and noting the differences;
  • mention the advantages (1–2) of the two ways of spending a weekend in summer;
  • mention the disadvantages (1–2) of the two ways of spending a weekend in summer;
  • express your opinion on the subject of the project – which way of spending a summer weekend presented in the pictures you’d prefer and why.

You will speak for not more than 3 minutes (12–15 sentences). You have to talk continuously.

Hi Olga! I’ve found two photos to illustrate our project on weekends in the summertime, but I can’t send them right now. (So, I thought why not send a voice message explaining my choice and sharing some ideas?)

One of them captures a family sunbathing at the seaside. They’re having a good time and a lot of fun, looking relaxed and happy. The other one shows two people enjoying the sunset from the top of a mountain. They seem to be captivated by the panoramic view. The photos illustrate two different ways of spending a weekend during the summer season: either by relaxing and sunbathing on a sandy beach or by going on an adventurious hike in the mountains.

(Understandably, whatever weekend choices are made, they are not perfect, and) I suggest adding some pros and cons of these two weekend ideas to our project (to make it even more interesting). On the plus side, a beach relaxation at the weekend is perfect for recharging and spending quality time with family or friends. Speaking of hiking in the mountains as a summer weekend, one of the advantages is a fantastic workout that can improve mental health and reduce stress.

On the minus side, sunshine increases the risk of sunstroke and sunburn. As for hiking, despite its great benefits, it looks dangerous and challenging as there are risks in the wild. (Also, hiking requires some technical skills and proper equipment which is heavy to carry, especially uphill.)

Personally, I’d prefer to spend a summer weekend hiking across spectacular landscapes as I’ve always looked for adventure and my love for hiking tours has always been with me since my early childhood.

Well, that’s all for now. I wonder what you think about the photos. Bye!