A Meal : IELTS Speaking Practice Test 01

Speaking Part 1

1What kind of food do you like to eat?

I prefer Chinese food and moreover street food. Chinese food has every spice and sauce essence in it which makes the dish very delicious and tempting to eat.

2What kind of new food would you like to try?

I would like to try more of a continental dish as they tend to concentrate on ingredients such as olive oil, natural herbs, and also very minimal spices which makes it healthy.

3Do you like cooking?

Yes, I like cooking as it really soothes my mind and also I live far from my hometown. So I make my own healthy meals which help me to maintain good health. As I like to cook and make my own meals it really saves me a  lot of money.

4What was the last meal you cooked?

The last meal which I tried to cook was spaghetti which is a type of Italian pasta. It mostly consists of lots of herbs, veggies, and also sauces.

5Do you prefer home-cooked food or food from restaurants?

I prefer home-cooked food more as it is more safe and healthy and moreover we get assured that it is completely hygienic. Also, we can learn to cook more dishes at home itself.

Speaking Part 2

Sample Answer

I would like to invite my friends to a hot pot meal. I would invite my closest friends, the ones that I hang out with and have the most in common with. I would of course invite my girlfriend so that she could meet my friends, that is important to me. I think my girlfriend should know what I am like when I am with my friends.

I would find a nice restaurant with a good atmosphere where the waiters are friendly and the owners are working to give you the best experience you can have. I would not choose a big monstrous place where everything would seem so impersonal, but instead a restaurant that has a family ambiance.

I would order a hot pot with lots of meat such as lamb, pork, beef, fish,…mm…I’m getting hungry just thinking about it. I would also order some nice vegetables and noodles, and to top it off, some ice cold beer to wash everything down.

I really like a hot pot because of the atmosphere it creates of everyone eating together and pulling things from the pot and dipping it in their favorite sauce, just relaxing and enjoying the food and the friendship.

Vocabulary for Speaking part 2

• Hot pot meal: A stew of meat and vegetables Eg: There is a new restaurant near the station which has a hot pot meal 
• Hang out: A favorite place for spending time Eg: This is the place where I mostly hang out with my friends
• Monstrous: inhumanly or outrageously evil or wrong.Eg: His monstrous attitude was evident in his actions.
• Ambiance: A mood or setting of a place Eg: The dining room has a great ambiance
• Atmosphere: surrounding environmentEg: My office has a friendly atmosphere.

Speaking Part 3

1 What kinds of food do Chinese people like to eat ?

Many Chinese people like to eat their vegetables cooked. They enjoy eating food that is fried, steamed, and sometimes boiled, but rarely eat baked food. The only time they would eat baked foods is when they have cakes from the store. Most Chinese food is cut in bite-sized pieces before being cooked and served.

2 How important is eating a healthy diet ?

I think eating healthy is a very important part of life. If you don’t give your body what it needs then it won’t be able to function well. This is why what you eat is so important to how well you  are able to do things. Eating well even improves study.

3 Are there many vegetarians in China ?

I believe there are a fair amount of vegetarians. Most Chinese already eat very little meat, so without even trying they are almost vegetarians. However, I think if they had the chance, many Chinese would eat more meat than they do now. Though as health awareness increases I believe there will be a rise in the number of vegetarians in China.

4 Is the food that people eat today in China different to the food that people used to eat in the past?

I think that in many ways it is quite the same. I do know that in recent years there has been a rise in the number of fast-food restaurants. Many people especially of the younger generation, enjoy going to these restaurants. The actual Chinese food, though, has not seen much change over the years.

5 How do you think the way we eat will change in the future ?

Our eating habits will of course affect the way we will live in the future because of the effect it has on our health. If we eat well then we will have better health as we get older. I believe, though, that as time goes by fast food will become more popular. We will be entering a time in history where going fast will mean the difference between success and failure, so the food industry will change to accommodate the population’s demand.

6Is fast food popular in China ?

Yes, fast food is very popular here in China. I believe the main reason is because the taste is very different from that of Chinese food. This appeals to the youth of China. Also the advertisements of most fast food restaurants portray their food as cool or western food.

7Who do most Chinese people usually eat with ?

Chinese will usually eat with their family, classmates, or colleagues. Most couples eat together as often as they can. When eating out you will often see groups of friends out together You can also see families sharing some time together over a nice meal.

8Do you think it’s important for people to eat with their family ?

I think that when you eat with your family it strengthens the family bonds. It helps you get to know each other better and learn more about what each other is doing in their lives.  It’s very sad when families don’t see each other often. Often in China mealtimes are the only time a family spends time together.

9Do Chinese people often eat out ?

I think most families rarely eat out. Usually either the mother or the grandmother of the family will cook and prepare the food. It is more common for young singles and professionals to eat out, either alone or with classmates or colleagues. Often  married or dating couples will spend a dinner together for special occasions or to get know each other more.

10What kind of restaurants do young people in China prefer ?

I think they prefer fast-food or western restaurants. Often it’s because it is considered cool to eat or take people out to these kinds of restaurants. Or, they enjoy the food because it tastes different from Chinese food. They also may want to accustom themselves to western food and culture, because they want to be comfortable around foreigners or they would like to travel abroad.

11How do you think restaurants have changed, over the past few years ?

Before, restaurants did not cater for foreigners at all. The menus were all in Chinese and had no pictures. Now more restaurants, especially in areas with many foreigners, will have menus in English and pictures for those who are not familiar with Chinese dishes

12How do you think restaurants will change in the future ?

I think that in the future all or nearly all restaurants will have food to cater to different nationalities and food preferences. I think that the standard of both food and services will also improve. They will also probably be more sanitary.

Vocabulary for Speaking part 3

• Health Awareness: Making people understand importance of health
  Eg: Government promotes health awareness
• Portray their food: Depict about their food
  Eg: “How can you portray her character like that ?”
• Mealtime: The time at which a meal is eaten
  Eg: Every family has its own mealtime
• Accustom: Be used to
  Eg: I m not accustomed to the flamboyant lifestyle
• Sanitary: Hygienic and clean
  Eg: This place has poor sanitary conditions.
• Nationalities: The status of belonging to a particular nation.
  Eg: These are men of different nationalities
• Foreigners: Different and unknown to people
  Eg: I met a foreigner yesterday who was from Italy
• Cater: Supply food for meetings
  Eg: Could you please contact the cater for the event tonight