How to talk about a childhood present in the IELTS Speaking Test
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CUE CARD
Describe a present you received when you were a child.
You should say:
What the present was
Who gave it to you
How the present was used
and explain how you felt when you got this present.
The most memorable gift I received was when I was seven years old, on my birthday, my parents bought me a bike.
They painted it pink for me to match the pink tassels that were hanging off the handlebars. I learned to ride my bike in the park near our house, and after I learned how to ride I would often ride around in the park while my brother and sister were playing. When my younger brother got his own bike we would ride along the street together.
When I first saw the bicycle I was very excited, and I thought it was very pretty. I was so happy to get it that my father look me out to learn to ride it the same day. After I learned to ride it, I enjoyed it so much that I would ride it whenever I could. I didn’t mind having to play by myself if I could ride my bike. I loved the feeling of the wind on my face and through my hair, and seeing the ground speed under my wheels. It was so refreshing when I was hot and sweaty to have the cool breeze blowing all the time.
Giving gifts in China
1. Do Chinese people often give gifts?
Yes, we do. Not as much as western cultures, but we receive gifts on our birthday and at Chinese New Year. Sometimes if we visit someone that we don’t see very often, they might get a small gilt. Of course, when someone gets married, people will give them gilts.
2. What kinds of presents do Chinese people give?
I think the most popular gift is the Chinese ‘hong bao‘ or ‘red envelope’. Money is put in these red envelopes and given at birthdays, weddings, and Chinese New Year. People will sometimes buy other gifts for these occasions. If it is for a child, they might give a toy or stuffed animal. Sometimes food is given as a gift, either having been cooked by the giver, or store-bought.
3. On what occasions do Chinese people send gifts?
People send gilts mostly on birthdays or Chinese New Year. These are the traditional times for gift-giving, but as many Western holidays and traditions arc slowly becoming more popular in China, it is quite acceptable to give your friends a gift at Christmas, or your sweetheart a gift on Valentine’s Day. Even though some people may not know why different festivals are celebrated, they still enjoy the chance to show the people they care about how they feel.
4. If you were going to give a present to a child, what would you give them?
Well, if it were a boy, I would get him a Lego set. The reason why I would choose a Lego set is that it is very fun and at the same time, it encourages creativity. If it were a girl, I would give her a glass doll. I would give this to her because most little girls like dolls, and if it were glass she would take better care of it and treasure it more because it could break easily.
5. Do people give the same kinds of gifts to both boys and girls?
I think some people give both boys and girls the same kinds of gifts because they don’t know what to give, so they just get them the same thing. Other people may do this if two children are friends or siblings and the person doesn’t want them to fight over different toys, and if they have the same thing, they will be happy. Or people may not know that girls and boys like different things, so they don’t think about whether the gift they arc getting is suitable for that child.
Importance of gifts
6. Are expensive gifts always better than cheap gifts?
No, definitely not. A gift doesn’t have to be expensive in order to show care for the person receiving it. Often a very expensive gift can show that they were just buying something but not really thinking about what would mean the most to the receiver. This isn’t always the case, but 1 think that a cheap gilt can mean just as much or even more than an expensive gilt can.
7. Do you think it is necessary for friends to give presents to each other?
No, it’s not necessary. It’s nice when friends give each other gifts, but there are other things you can do to show your friend your care. If someone is your friend, you shouldn’t expect that they will always get you gifts. True friendship is caring about the other, not looking for how much he can give you.
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