A Film : IELTS Speaking Practice Test 03

Speaking Part 1

1 Do you like to watch films?

Yes, I like watching movies. It is the best way to pass time and also if we are watching a film with our family it helps to create a lot of memories and deepens the bond.

2What kinds of movies do you like best?

I prefer watching movies which have more comedy, suspense. I also like thriller and adventure and horror movies

3Do you prefer foreign films or films made in your country?

If I am watching a film with my family then I prefer films from my country. But if I’m watching alone or with friends, I prefer all kinds of movies.It depends  upon the atmosphere and the mood too

4How often do you watch films?

I’m not a movie buff. But if it’s an occasion like a get-together or a family function, then I watch a movie.  Also if I’m getting bored or I don’t have many tasks to complete then I prefer watching a movie

Speaking Part 2

Describe a film that you have recently seen.

You should say

• what the film was when and where you saw it
• what the film was about and explain
• how you felt about this film.

Sample Answer

A film that I saw recently was called The Passion of the Christ. I was in my hometown of Changchun when it first came out a few years ago.
The film was about the last 24 hours of Jesus’ life on earth. It showed when he was in the garden before he was captured and brought before a trial all the way up to when he was crucified and rose up again from out of the grave. It was actually quite moving because the director, Mel Gibson, actually put his own money into making the picture, so he was able to just do it the way that he wanted it done. This movie caused quite an uproar when it was released as some people really loved it and others hated it. It was in the news for a long time with a lot of debating going on over it. It ended up making quite a bit of money for Mel Gibson.

Everything about it was very beautiful, from the cinematography to the actual scenery. The acting was top-notch. I think the main actor deserved an Academy Award but anyway I enjoyed it very much. One of the hardest scenes for me to watch in the movie was where Jesus gets whipped before he is crucified. It was so realistic and I had to hide my eyes.

Vocabulary For Cue Card

• Passion: Strong and barely controllable emotion.Eg: Sudhir is a man of passion.
• Crucified: Criticize (someone) severely and unrelentingly.Eg: Suhana was crucified by her friend because she went late 
• Uproar: A loud and impassioned noise or disturbance.Eg: There was an uproar in the assembly. 
• Whipped: Having been flogged or beaten with a whip.Eg: I guess this dog had been whipped a lot 
• Cinematography:  The art of photography and camerawork in film-making.Eg: The cameraman has done good cinematography. 

Speaking Part 3

1What kind of films are the most popular in China?

Well, Hollywood blockbusters are very popular here, films like Titanic and Saving Private Ryan. Also, Hong Kong films are very popular because the stars are well known here. Kung Fu films are popular because this art form originated here. Of course, love stories are very popular as Chinese historical films.

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2Do old people and young people like to watch the same kinds of films? (Compare the differences.)

Well, I think that old people like to watch stories about their country since they were so involved in this time period. They also like to watch a variety shows that show native singing and dancing from different parts of China. Young people, on the other hand, go for foreign films, as I already mentioned. There are some films that both young and old like to watch such as Chinese historical movies.

3What do you think people can learn from watching films or should films be considered as entertainment only?

Oh, I think that people can learn so much from films. You know there is an old saying that goes “A wise man learns from his mistakes, but a wiser learns from the mistakes of others.” Just by watching a movie and seeing what a character does in certain circumstances, can help you to know what is right to do or no to do.  You can see picturesque sceneries that you might not be able to see if it were not for movies. So definitely, you can learn from watching films.

4To what extent do you think films reflect real life?

Well, it is a big argument that has been around for a long time. Does art imitate life or does life imitate art? I believe that each reflects on the other. Sometimes films observe life and comment on it and sometimes life observes film and imitates it. Film is a powerful medium and brings many parts of life to the public for observation.

5Do you think that film stars deserve the large incomes that some of them receive?

Absolutely not, I think film actor salaries have just gotten way out of hand, I know that  some of them are very good actors and do the job they have to do well, but when I think of all that money and what else could be done with it, I just cant seem to justify it. When you pay people this much money, it absolutely makes them larger than life and reality can become a little blurred.

6What do you think about censorship?

I believe in it. I think that some of the stuff that is available to the public is just pure garbage. Not censoring would be like allowing garbage to be strewn around your living room. I believe in freedom of speech and having a right to say what you think,  but I believe that also goes along with a sense of responsibility of who would be around to hear it. Some things are just not fit for all audiences. Maybe censorship can go too far but if you have a good balance in what is censored it is not such a bad thing.

7Should films be classified before release?

Of course, this goes along with my previous answer. What are really with today’s films, some of them could be classified as junk one and garbage too.  I hope that you don’t think that I am being too negative on this subject but realistically speaking expanding these ratings of classifications would not be a bad idea. I think that the rating system is too simplistic and many more guidelines and ways to classify movies are long overdue.

Vocabulary For Speaking part 3

• Blockbusters: A thing of great power or size 
  Eg: Do you remember the movie which was a blockbuster?
• Mentioned: refer to (something) briefly and without going into detail
  Eg: “I haven’t mentioned the details of the project !”
• Picturesque: visually attractive
  Eg:” Isn’t this piece of art picturesque?”
• Blurred: unable to see or be seen clearly.  Eg: The old woman has a blurred vision
• Censorship:  the suppression or prohibition of any parts of books, films, news, etc. that are considered obscene, politically unacceptable, or a threat to security.
  Eg: Strict censorship is thrust on some movies     

Here are some bonus cue cards for practice:

• Describe a film that made you think a lot.
• Describe a film actor from your country who is very popular.