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.
Rats are really social animals, forming large groups in the wild. Colonies can be made up of around 150 individuals, of all different ages, so there are lots of opportunities for a rat to have a varied social life!
Life in a rat colony is full of friendly social interactions. Rats might show affection by greeting one another with a friendly sniff or nose-touch, or by grooming one another. Younger rats have even been known to play-fight! We also know that rats can recognise each other by their smell, can tell which rats they’re more closely related to and can even read each other’s facial expressions. Domesticated rats are no different to their wild cousins when it comes to being social! For example, rats will share food with one another and will give even more food to a rat who is hungry.
Task 2
Study the advertisement.
You are considering volunteering at an animal shelter 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:
- requirements for volunteering
- qualifications
- jobs needed to be done
- when you can start volunteering
You have 20 seconds to ask each question.
Suggested answers
1. What are the requirements for volunteering at the animal shelter?
2. What qualifications are needed to volunteer (at the animal shelter)?
3. What types of jobs are needed to be done (at the animal shelter)?
4. When can I start volunteering (at the animal shelter)?
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
Interviewer: What social media platforms are popular with your friends?
Student: VK and TikTok are popular with my friends. They enjoy sharing photos and videos of their lives and following their favourite influencers.
Interviewer: What apps do you use, and why?
Student: I use different apps for different reasons. For education, I use Duolingo and Khan Academy. For entertainment, I choose some gaming apps. And when I need inspiration, I usually go to Pinterest.
Interviewer: What is your favourite social network?
Student: My favourite social network is VK because it helps me be part of different communities and connect with people who share my interests. It’s a great place for discovery and connection.
Interviewer: How harmful is social media?
Student: I think social media can be very harmful if it is not used responsibly. It can cause addiction, cyberbullying, and negative effects on mental health.
Interviewer: What are some benefits of using social media?
Student: Some benefits of using social media include staying in touch with friends and family, and discovering new things like music or fashion. It can also be a good way to find and connect with people who share similar interests.
Interviewer: Thank you very much for your interview.
Task 4
Imagine that you and your friend are doing a school project “Fitness opportunities”. 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 places to do workouts;
- mention the disadvantages (1–2) of the two places to do workouts;
- express your opinion on the subject of the project – which of the workout locations 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.
Suggested answer
Hi Alex, it’s me. I’ve found a couple of photos to illustrate our project on fitness opportunities. I’d like to tell you more about them.
The first one shows a typical gym setting with people using different types of equipment. The second one depicts two young people working out in a virtual gym. Both photos illustrate different options for people to stay fit – a traditional method of working out in a physical space and a newer and more innovative option of working out in an online gym.
Both traditional and online fitness options offer great benefits, which we could discuss in our project. For example, traditional gyms offer a wide range of equipment and social interaction, while exercising in an online gym provides more flexibility in terms of timing and location.
We could also include some downsides as well. Physical gyms can be very busy at peak hours and may require a membership fee to access their facilities. On the other hand, home workouts using online fitness technologies have limited equipment available.
Personally, I’d prefer to exercise at home in a virtual gym because it would allow me to have a workout that suits my schedule and preferences. (Besides, I could save time and money by not having to travel to the gym.)
That’s all for now. Let me know what you think about these photos for our project. Bye!