English Lesson 69

Free time and world travel

Your job and free time, a part of the world you would like to visit, and the good and bad sides of tourism.

How to practise
  1. Listen to an answer two times. Read the text while you listen.
  2. Shadow it. Set the speed to 0.75×. Play it again and speak at the same time as the voice.
  3. Turn on practice mode. The answers are hidden. Read each question and answer it out loud.
  4. Make it yours. Use the same phrases, but say true things about your city, your job and your life.
  5. Practise with a partner. One person reads the questions. The other answers without looking.
Speed

Part 1 · Interview

Work and free time

Short answers. About 20 to 30 seconds each. Answer, give a reason, add one detail.

What do you do? Why did you choose this job?

I'm a primary school teacher. I teach eight-year-old children. I chose this job because I love working with kids, and I think teaching is meaningful. Every day, I can see the children learn something new.

  • a primary school teachera teacher for young children
  • meaningfulimportant and useful
  • learn something newlearn new things

What job would you like to do in the future? What skills do you need for it?

In the future, I'd like to become a school headteacher. For that, I need leadership skills, good communication and the ability to solve problems. I also need more experience, so I'll stay in the classroom for a few more years.

  • a school headteacherthe person who manages a school
  • leadership skillsthe ability to lead people
  • stay in the classroomcontinue teaching

Do you think you get enough free time? Why?

Not during the school year. After school, I have to prepare lessons and check homework, so I'm busy in the evening too. But teachers have long summer holidays, so I get a lot of free time then.

  • the school yearthe months when schools are open
  • prepare lessonsget lessons ready
  • long summer holidaysa long break in summer

How important is it to use your free time usefully?

I think it's important to use some of it usefully, like learning a skill or exercising. But resting is also useful. If you don't relax, you'll get tired and stressed. So a good balance between rest and activity is best.

  • usefullyin a helpful way
  • resting is also usefulrest has value too
  • a good balance between…the right mix of

Part 2 · Cue card

A part of the world you would like to visit

You get 1 minute to prepare and then speak for 1 to 2 minutes. Follow the four points on the card in order.

Candidate task card

Describe a part of the world you would like to visit.

You should say:

  • where it is
  • how and what you know about it
  • what you would like to do there
  • and explain why you would like to visit this part of the world
Ready 1:00

Start

I'd like to talk about Scandinavia, the region in the north of Europe. It's somewhere I've wanted to visit for a long time.

Where it is

Scandinavia includes Norway, Sweden and Denmark. It's in the far north, so the winters are long and dark, but the summers have very long days.

How and what you know

I know about it mainly from documentaries and books. I've read that these countries have some of the best education systems in the world, and people there are among the happiest. I've also seen photos of the Norwegian fjords, which are amazing.

What you would do

I'd like to take a boat trip through the fjords in Norway and see the mountains coming straight out of the sea. I'd also like to visit some schools in Finland or Sweden, to see how they teach, because I'm a teacher.

Why you want to go

I want to go because I'm interested in how they live. Their cities are clean and safe, and people have a good balance between work and life. I think I could learn a lot there, both as a teacher and as a person. And the nature looks breathtaking.

  • somewhere I've wanted to visit for a long timea long wish
  • in the far northvery far north
  • among the happiestone of the happiest groups
  • fjordslong, narrow areas of sea between high mountains
  • a good balance between work and lifenot too much work
  • breathtakingextremely beautiful

Part 3 · Discussion

International tourism

Longer answers. About 30 to 45 seconds. Give your opinion, explain why, and give an example.

What makes some places very attractive to tourists?

Usually, a mix of things. Beautiful nature, like beaches or mountains, is very attractive. History and culture are important too. And practical things matter, like safety, good hotels and easy transport.

  • a mix of thingsseveral things together
  • very attractivevery interesting and appealing
  • practical things matteruseful things are important

Do people travel abroad more or less than in the past? Why?

In general, much more. Flights are cheaper, and it's easier to get information and book online. But in my country, travelling abroad has become more difficult recently, because of the economy and visa problems.

  • In general, much more.a short answer
  • book onlinereserve on the internet
  • visa problemsproblems getting permission to enter a country

How can tourism benefit local people and places?

Tourism creates jobs, for example in hotels, restaurants and shops. Local people can sell their handicrafts and food. The money from tourism can also help repair old buildings and improve roads.

  • benefithelp, bring good things
  • sell their handicraftssell things they make by hand
  • repair old buildingsfix historic buildings

Are there any drawbacks of tourism?

Yes, there are. Too many tourists can damage nature and old buildings. Prices in tourist areas go up, which is hard for local people. Sometimes, local culture changes to please tourists, and it loses its real character.

  • drawbacksdisadvantages
  • go upbecome higher
  • to please touriststo make tourists happy
  • loses its real characteris no longer authentic

Does tourism help international understanding? Why?

Yes, I think it does. When people travel, they meet people from other cultures and see that they're friendly and similar in many ways. This breaks stereotypes. Many tourists who visited my country said it was very different from what they saw in the news.

  • international understandingpeople from different countries understanding each other
  • breaks stereotypesshows that fixed, wrong ideas about groups are false
  • different from what they saw in the newsnot like the media image

How reliable is tourism as an industry?

Not very reliable. Tourism can stop suddenly because of problems like wars, diseases or natural disasters. For example, during the pandemic, many hotels closed. So a country shouldn't depend only on tourism.

  • reliableyou can trust it to continue
  • stop suddenlyend quickly
  • natural disastersearthquakes, floods, etc.
  • depend only onneed only one thing

Audio: Microsoft neural voices. A British voice reads the examiner's questions, and an American voice reads the model answers.