IELTS Speaking 4

Childhood
child (singular) – children (plural)  
A three-year-old child

positive adjectives about children

well-behaved

obedient

gifted/ talented

patient

negative adjectives about children

difficult

wayward

stubborn

mischievous/ naughty

childhood (n.)  

happy

carefree

lonely

place you were born

I grew up in _________

I was brought up/ raised in __________ 

I was born and bred in __________   

a nuclear/ an extended family

a traditional family    

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 a bustling city 

a peaceful/ stunning countryside 

types of games

Tag   

Blindfold game               

Lego

made-up games / pretend games

play house

action figures                             

board games                             

building blocks

on the swings/ slide/ see-saw 

hide and seek  

shuttlecock

children and Toys

I wouldn’t let go of my.....

I was obsessed with ....

My .... was/ were everything to me  

I was addicted to .....  

I was a big fan of .....

What I loved more than anything else was to...   

I could spend hours doing something

phrases to talk about remembering 

When I was a child, I used to/ would/ usually +v2…. 

If my memory serves me right, I used to______

Back then,_______

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 As far as I can remember,________

remember well/ vividly

have a clear/ vivid memory of

reminisce about my childhood.

recall

QUESTIONS

What is your most vivid childhood memory?

I have this vivid memory of my childhood. When I was about 7, my cousins and I
used to get up to building a cottage. We would meet and assign tasks for everyone,
then spend hours building our own banana leaf house. It was so much fun. I
actually reminisce about my carefree and exciting childhood sometimes.

What was your favorite toy or game when you were a child?
Well, I was born and bred in a countryside, so we didn't usually have proper toys.
Instead, we made our own toys. Back then, I could make shuttlecocks to play and I
was actually really good at this. If you haven't heard of it before, it is a traditional
game that is quite popular here.

Food
Healthy foods:

organic food
nourishing meals

fresh produce

Unhealthy foods:

junk food/ fast food

processed food
Genetically Modified foods

ready meals

Types of meals

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 light meal >< substantial meal
gourmet meal

home-cooked food
set menu

Drinks

refreshing drinks

soft drinks

Idioms with TASTE

share the same taste in music/ fashion....

develop a taste for (a hobby)

Others

bđmt is an acquired taste

a strong smell

food goes bad

have a taste/ smell/ bite

vegan vs vegetarian vs vegetables

ingredient

have an allergy for seafood

recipe
sb's cup of tea

have a sweet tooth

QUESTIONS

What kinds of meals do you like?

I am big on healthy eating. Even though I do not consider myself a vegetarian, I

try to include as much vegetables and fruits as I can because I believe that this diet
can do wonders for my physical and mental health. And I try my best to not
consume ready meals and take-aways.

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 Do you often have dinner with your family or friends?

I think sharing a meal is a great way for family members and friends to bond. My
friends and I go out for dinner about once every two weeks. We always have a
blast, enjoying good foods and chatting casually.

Are there any fruits or vegetables you don’t like? Why?

Yes, there are… I’m not a fussy/ picky eater, I am actually very easy going when it
comes to food, but I just cannot eat bitter melon. Although many say that it has
amazing medicinal properties, I find the bitter taste intolerable.

dread/ loathe

Health
Health problems

be in good>< poor/ bad health

be in good shape

thin -underweight- fat - overweight - obese

feel/ be under the weather

catch a cold/ flu/ virus...

develop a chronic disease (cancer/ diabetes/ Alzheimer's)

have a headache/ toothache/ a fever....

heavy cold >< slight cold

my arm hurts
my back aches

be injured

have an accident

Workout

keep fit

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 lose weight >< gain weight

sporty (adj)

reduce stress levels

burn calories

healthy eating

balanced diet

go on a diet

vigorous >< gentle exercise

Treatment

physical health vs mental health

healthcare system

take medicine/ drugs

surgery

diagnose ⇒ prescribe
side effects

take an overdose

QUESTIONS

Do you have any unhealthy habits?

Well, actually I do... Sometimes, I would stay up late until 12am to finish a movie.
The next morning, I usually wake up feeling groggy and no power. I suppose I need
to break this habit and be more responsible for my own health.

What do you do to stay healthy?

I try to eat healthy food and do regular exercises. I think it's very important to
develop healthy habits and stick to them. For example, I try to do a 30-minute yoga
in the morning and go out for a brisk walk/ go jogging in the afternoon after work.

In your opinion, what is more important, eating healthy food or doing exercises?
Hm... It's an interesting question... To be honest, I believe that it is crucial to do both
to be in good health. However, if I had to choose only one , I would choose eating

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 healthy food, because no matter how serious are you on exercising, if you keep
feeding yourself with junk food, you could still develop serious chronic diseases.

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