English Recordings

Don’t worry about the project, John is on top of it.

Amanda was refusing to give me the week off so I went over her head and spoke to the boss.

My favourite dessert will probably be warm
cookies with ice cream because it tastes delicious.
Especially if you have chocolate chip cookies. You
make it with some flour, a little bit of white sugar, a few eggs, and lots of chocolate
chips ! You can add some vanilla extract if you want. It is very easy to cook !

The four united factions
In 3000 technology ruined the planet and the human race. People became totally dependent on their screens, computers and social networks at work, in their social relationships and in their everyday lives. They spent all their time in a virtual world and they lost part of their humanity. They started to completely neglect the planet and natural resources disappeared.
When a virus corrupted their network and nearly caused the extinction of the human race, people realised they needed to change their way of life. So to protect humankind, four communities called "factions" were created to restore a balance. Today, each faction has a special role to play:
-Digital: they support technology and its new developments.
-Elemental: they preserve the planet and its people,
-Cerebral: they develop their intelligence using books, diagrams and deductions with no technology.
-Multitaskers: they supervise and combine the three other factions' discoveries.
At the age of 13, every teenager has to be tested to join one of the 4 factions and then has to respect its rules. The factions becomes their new family.

So my first memory of the GAA is when two men came in from the GAA to our primary school. And they came in during our sports lesson because they were there to teach us to play hurling for the boys and camogie for the girls but we all played together because they are similar sports. And it was lots and lots of fun and they would often come into our primary school to do Gaelic sports with us. And also, I suppose even before that, when you grow up in Ireland you just are always aware of the GAA because there is always people wearing Gaelic football shirts or hurling shirts and there is often people walking around with their hurl because they're goin to their sports game after school so it's just a big part of the landscape in Ireland.

Choice

Topic: Some people believe that nowadays we have too many choices. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Model answer:

It is common nowadays to hear people decrying the number of choices people have relative to the past and proclaiming the drawbacks of so many easily-available options in a variety of areas of life. While I think that there is some truth in this, increased choice is ultimately a positive trend because it opens up options outside the mainstream.

The main reason why increased choice is considered a negative development is it makes life more complicated. Take for example the number of products people can choose from today. Supermarkets are filled with different brands with hardly any meaningful differences. This can cause people to waste time and energy making choices with little actual impact. This is also the case when it comes to online streaming services like Netflix, Hulu and HBO. Not only do people have to spend time researching these sites but once they make a choice they are limiting what they will be able to watch in the future. If they decide to subscribe to all of them, suddenly they will be paying upwards of $40 a month for basic viewing content. These are a couple of ways in which choice can take up time and make life more complex.

Although choice introduces a level of complexity to life, the main benefit is that it opens up options for people outside dominant cultural trends. The best example of this is the changes that have taken place in the music industry over the last 20 years with the advent of iTunes and streaming services. In the past, the big pop acts dominated the radio and album sales. Now the music scene is much more fractured. This makes it more difficult for some artists but also opens up the possibility that you can find a niche of music that you and some other people love. This has been replicated in other areas like podcasting, painting, and film as well. People can find what interests them outside of what major companies are trying to push. That is why increased choice is positive taken as a whole.

In conclusion, the drawbacks of increased choice do not outweigh the advantages gained by allowing people to explore what interests them the most. In the future, this will continue and present challenges but also allow for a more diverse cultural experience for rich and poor alike, all over the world.

Populations, Young People

Topic: At the present time, the population of some countries includes a relatively large number of young adults, compared with the number of older people. Do the advantage of this situation outweigh the disadvantages?

Model answer:

The average age of the population for many nations around the world has been in decline in recent decades creating a situation where young people have become the world’s largest demographic, particularly in developing nations. Although there are decided drawbacks to this phenomenon related to expertise in the workforce, it is still a positive development because it will lead to booming economies in the coming years.

The most frequently cited drawback to having a predominately young population is the lack of skilled workers in many important industries. A great example of this can be seen in Vietnam, which has one of the youngest populations in the world. Vietnam currently has very few leaders in important areas like engineering and technology. When it came time for Ho Chi Minh city to build a subway system, there were not enough skilled engineers to accomplish the feat. They had to hire a huge number of specialists from Japan and Thailand to ensure the quality of the project. The potential engineers for this project are still in school in Vietnam or studying abroad and it may be another decade before they are ready to design and execute large, complex infrastructure. It is not uncommon for developing countries with young populations to require outside assistance for national projects to the detriment of their own workers.

Despite this drawback, the advantage of a young population is that it brings many future benefits to a country and is a key indicator of future economic prosperity. Japan famously has one of the oldest populations in the world and this has led them into a deep economic recession over the last 20 years as it becomes increasingly apparent that the nation will have to assume responsibilities related to healthcare and a dwindling workforce. Contrast this with the so-called ‘Tiger Economies’ of Southeast Asia that include Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and Singapore. These countries have some of the youngest populations in the world, which, coupled with a growing middle class and better education, means that they will enjoy upward economic growth for decades to come. The middle class will expand because well-educated graduates will be able to get good jobs and this middle class will become a consumer class that feeds the economy. Overall, this is why having a young population is desirable for any nation.

In conclusion, I fully believe that a younger population indicates a country is going to be successful in the future. The key element for all young populations is education and governments should focus on this in order to fully exploit the benefits of their demographics.

Foreign Languages

Topic: Living in a country where you have to speak a foreign language can cause serious social problems, as well as practical problems. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Model answer:

One of the biggest social and practical challenges that people living abroad face is the language barrier. I believe that this can lead to very serious social problems in many countries but technology has made the practical issues less relevant over the last several decades.

The main reason that having to speak a foreign language can cause social problems is through the breakdown in understanding between people of different cultures. The most salient example of this is in the United States where there has been an influx of Hispanic immigrants, especially along the Southern border. These immigrants are typically able to integrate well if they learn English but those that have not learned have provoked social problems and even violent reactions. Many English speaking residents resent the immigrants failure to integrate and this has resulted in discriminatory practices and widespread racism towards Hispanics. This in turn has caused many Hispanics to develop an antipathy towards other residents and segregate themselves in homogeneous neighborhoods.

There are comparatively fewer practical problems caused by not knowing the language of the country where you live because of the development of technology in general and smartphones in particular. Computers have made it much easier to look up directions, find important information and get quick translations. Smartphones have made this even easier. If someone doesn’t know the language of the country where they live, they can still find restaurants to their liking on Facebook and get simple directions through Google Maps. They can even order food online without having to use another language at all. If they need to communicate with someone who does not speak their language they can simply take out their phone and use Google translate to slowly, but effectively, convey a message. The problems that not knowing the language of the country where you live causes are therefore minimal and easily overcome.

In conclusion, I only partly agree with the statement in question. Not knowing a language when living abroad can cause social unrest but pragmatic concerns have been mitigated by recent technology. In the future, it will become even less important to know the language of the country where you live although there is great potential for increased social unrest and heightened tensions in many parts of the world.

Describe a perfect meal that you would like to prepare
What would you eat?
Where would you eat it?
Who would you invite?

Student: This is a question I love discussing with my friends. If I could invite anyone to a dinner party, who would I invite? There are so many people who I admire, but you also have to think about the dynamics of the group of people. However, it’s my dinner party so I’ll invite anyone I like and not worry about group dynamics. With a doubt the first person I would invite would be David Beckham. He is my absolute hero and regardless of what people say about him being stupid I think he would be charismatic and charming. The second person I would invite is Cary Grant. He was an iconic British actor who lit up the small screen. I suppose I would have to invite a woman to even up the numbers… the woman I most admire is Pink so I would invite her. She’s a great singer and she is passionate about animals. When she was invited to Buckingham Palace by Prince William she turned down the invitation because of the Royal Family’s attitude towards killing animals for pleasure. Having two gorgeous men at one dinner party might be greedy but I would also have to invite Austin Butler, an American actor. He is not only drop dead gorgeous, but he is entertaining as well. If there’s space for another one, I’d include Russell Brand because he’s funny and could make us all laugh. So that is the guest list, now where would we eat and what would we eat? One of my favourite places in the world is the coastline between Portstewart and Portrush in Northern Ireland so we would have a picnic on a glorious summer’s day. Pink and Russell Brand are vegetarian like me so we would have freshly baked bread with a selection of cheeses and lots of salad things such as sun dried tomatoes, cucumber and avocado. We would drink champagne and then follow it with a pudding of chocolate mousse and strawberries. It would be a delicious feast with amazing company.

Examiner: We have been talking about a perfect meal and now I would like to ask you some more general questions relating to this topic.

EXPLAIN why the problem of obesity is increasing in many countries

Student: The problem of obesity has escalated in recent years. I think the reasons for this are twofold. Firstly, a change in diet in western countries and secondly a change in our lifestyles. Our diet has become full of processed food and people eat fast food a couple of times a week on average. In general people have a sedentary lifestyle nowadays – they commute to work by car or train and sit at a desk all day therefore they are taking less physical exercise. The food we are eating and the lifestyle we are leading has resulted in this obesity problem.

EXPLAIN what you understand by “a healthy diet”

Student: It is hard to say exactly what a healthy diet is, as the media seems to have news reports on a regular basis saying ‘eggs are good for you’ and then the next minute ‘eggs are bad for you’ so it is very hard to keep track of what is considered good and what is considered bad. It is generally agreed that a healthy diet should incorporate all the major food groups such as protein, carbohydrate and fat. It is essential that people have a balanced diet. It is also recommended that you eat five portions of fruit a day.

DISCUSS the idea that unhealthy food should not be allowed to be advertised on TV Student: I’m in two minds about this because on the one hand I believe in free speech and what we watch on TV should not be censored, however, children are very vulnerable and easily influenced by what they see on TV and with rising obesity levels maybe unhealthy food should be banned from TV advertisements. Just because something might be considered unhealthy however such as ice cream does not mean to say that children should never be allowed to eat it. Everything in moderation is a good motto. I think if unhealthy food is banned from TV advertisements where will it stop? Will unhealthy food be banned from shops eventually? I think we should re-educate people rather than just banning it from being advertised otherwise we are just making it more attractive.

CONSIDER how the ways food is produced and sold will change in the future Student: In the past food was produced in a natural way and sold locally at markets. Then intensive farming developed and food was produced much more cheaply, but at a detriment to quality. Recently there has been a growth in farmers’ markets where local produce is sold and these are becoming increasingly popular. I think we will see more of these appearing and there will be a return to people eating locally produced food which is sold at local markets and shops. I guess this is a good thing for producers and consumers and will help the environment as well because the carbon footprint is reduced.

Describe a typical food from your country
What is it and how is it made?
When is it eaten?
Why is it typical or special?

Student: This is quite a nice topic for me because I really love cooking and eating, and I am particularly interested in local foods from my country. Probably the most famous dish from my part of the world is a chicken stew or casserole, which we traditionally eat at New Year. It’s actually quite easy to make. The basic ingredients are chicken, obviously, (actually you can use a whole chicken or just legs, wings and thighs) a few root vegetables like carrots and parsnips, some finely chopped onion and garlic and a few herbs like parsley, fennel and thyme. The method is pretty simple. You gently fry the onions and garlic in butter with a few small pieces of ham. At the same time, you chop the chicken into pieces and cover it in flour. You fry it straightaway, adding a little water and salt. Then, you basically put all the ingredients together in a huge casserole dish and cook them gently for about three hours. It’s absolutely delicious eaten with rice. The reason why I like it so much is that the whole family sits down together at the end of the year and everyone shares their recollections of the period just gone and their hopes and aspirations for the next twelve months. It is a time to reflect and understand. It’s actually one of the few times in the year when everything stands still and you can take time to think and talk. We all have a glass of wine and a toast for the New Year. The fact that we are eating more or less what our great-grandparents and their great-grandparents ate at New Year is a lovely feeling. It connects you to the past and reminds you where you came from. In those days, this casserole was really a luxury. These days, when most people who want to can eat meat regularly, it might seem a bit less exotic, but it reminds us of our past, which I think is incredibly important.

Examiner: We have been talking about a typical food from your country and now I would like to ask you some more general questions relating to this topic.

EXPLAIN why some people become vegetarian

Student: That’s a very interesting question. Actually, I read somewhere recently that the number of vegetarians in my country has trebled this year. I’m not very well qualified to answer this question because I am a real carnivore, I love eating meat, but I guess there are two main reasons. The first would be that some people are morally or ethically opposed to eating meat as producing meat involves murdering animals. I suppose I have some sympathy with this view though not enough to actually stop eating meat. The second main reason is to do with taste. Some people actually don’t like the taste of meat and poultry, though actually I can’t understand why. Probably in the future, as meat substitute products improve, and the price of meat rises due to scarcity, vegetarianism might become even more popular. I wouldn’t be surprised.

COMPARE the different places you can buy food

Student: Well, where I live there are basically two options. There are a number of huge supermarkets which sell just about everything you could possibly want to buy, and there are local markets where you can buy a limited range of fresh food, mainly meat and fish, fruit and vegetables and some herbs and spices I think. The main reason why the supermarkets are so popular is to do with the range of products available and convenience. You can park your car outside, get a shopping trolley and whiz round in no time at all. Usually they will have just about everything you need so you only have to go once a week. You can even do your shopping online and they will deliver it to your door for a price of course. The other alternative is the local market. There you can get very fresh produce at reasonable prices. Most of the things you can get there are supplied by local farmers and you can definitely taste the difference. It’s relatively inexpensive too. Another reason people often prefer to shop there is because the people who serve you tend to be a lot friendlier and if you’re a regular at a particular shop, they get to know you and might give you a discount from time to time.

ASSESS whether people in your country have a healthy diet

Student: Sadly, I would have to say that people from my country, especially the younger generation have an absolutely disgusting diet. They tend to eat junk food, which is full of salt and fat and sugar. As a result, levels of obesity are up, and heart-disease and illnesses related to blood pressure and cholesterol are higher. A lot of younger people get diabetes and liver problems as well. Older people usually eat quite healthily. They were brought up to know the importance of a nutritious and balanced diet but the problem is that youngsters just have no idea and don’t know about anything except burgers, fries and coke.

CONSIDER whether the food we eat now is healthier than the food our grandparents ate

Student: Well that’s one area in which we definitely haven’t made any progress. My grandparents ate fresh fruit and vegetables, occasionally fresh meat or fish, and hardly any chocolate or sugary foods. They worked hard all day so they burned off the calories and they didn’t usually eat large amounts of food. Well, that’s mainly because they couldn’t afford it. As I’ve already mentioned, people today basically eat rubbish, food with almost no nutritional value and none of the vitamins and minerals they need. I’m not surprised so many people are unhealthy and it seems amazing to me that life expectancy is actually rising.