Test 1 Training Speaking Part 1

Task information
• Part 1 lasts about two minutes. • One aim of Part 1 is to help you relax by getting
• One of the examiners tells you their names and asks you to talk about a topic you know a lot about:
for yours. Then you give him/her your mark sheet. yourself.
• You answer questions from one of the examiners. • To find out how your speaking will be assessed, go
to the Cambridge English Language Assessment
• You don’t usually talk to the other candidate.
website.
• Part 1 tests your ability to give basic information
about yourself and to talk about everyday topics
such as your work or studies, your family, your free
time and your future plans.

Useful language: basic expressions

1 Write the expressions in the box next to the correct purpose.
also and often as well as that because
for example for instance like Pardon?
so such as the reason is
Could you say that again, please?
Sorry, I didn’t catch that.

To give an example: for example

To give a reason:
To add information:
To ask for repetition:

2 1 10 You will hear two candidates, Hanif and Yara, doing Part 1. Read the examiner’s questions,
then listen and decide which of statements 1–6 are true. Write Yes or No for each person.

Examiner’s questions
Where are you from?
What do you like about living in your home town?
What sort of things do you do in your free time?
In what ways do you think you will use English?
Hanif Yara
1 sounds quite confident No
2 is generally easy to understand
3 gives full answers to the questions
4 uses quite a wide range of language
5 is polite to the examiner
6 probably gets a good mark for Part 1

3 1 10 Listen again. Which of the expressions from Exercise 1 do they use?

Speaking Part 1 Test 1 Training 59

 Test 1 Exam practice Speaking Part 1

Action plan
1 Be polite and friendly when you meet the 5 Make sure you speak loudly and clearly enough
examiners and the other candidate. for the examiners and your partner to hear you.
2 Listen carefully to the examiner’s questions. If Be confident!
you don’t understand something, politely ask 6 When you can, give reasons and examples in
him or her to repeat it (e.g. Could you repeat your answers.
that, please?). 7 Try to use a wide range of grammar and
3 Don’t just reply yes or no to the questions. vocabulary.
4 Don’t try to give a speech or repeat sentences
that you prepared earlier.

If you have a partner, answer these questions in pairs. Tip! While you are speaking, look at the
examiner who asks you the questions,
not at the other candidate.

Part 1 2 minutes (3 minutes for groups of three)

Interlocutor First, we’d like to know something about you.

• Where are you from?

• What do you most like about the house or apartment where you live?

• Which do you think is the best day of the week? Why?

• What do you usually do on your birthday?

• How often do you watch TV?

• Tell us about a TV programme you really like.

60 Test 1 Exam practice Speaking Part 1

Test 1 Training Speaking Part 2

Task information
• In Part 2 each candidate is given a one-minute • This part tests your ability to organise your
‘long turn’. Nobody will interrupt you. speaking, and to compare, describe and give your
• The examiner gives each of you two pictures opinions.
and will ask you to compare them, and answer a • You also talk for 30 seconds about your partner’s
question which is written at the top of the page. pictures, after their minute has finished.

Useful language: comparing and contrasting

1 Study pictures A and B on page C1, then write these headings above the correct groups of sentences (1–5).

Guessing Contrasting the pictures Saying which you’d prefer to do

Comparing the pictures Saying which picture you’re talking about

1 ………………………………………….. 4 …………………………………………..
The picture at the top shows people doing an exercise Tennis is a competitive sport, but an
class. exercise class isn’t.
In the second photo, there are some people playing An exercise class is usually an indoor
tennis. activity, while tennis is usually played
In the one at the bottom, there’s a match going on. outside.
They both show people taking part in sports. Those people are playing to win, whereas
In both of them there are people doing sports. the others are doing it to get fit.
2 ………………………………………….. They get paid for taking part. On the other
He seems/looks a bit worried at the moment. hand, these people have to pay to do this.
He looks as if he’s going to win the match. You need a proper court to play tennis. In
They look like professional tennis players contrast, you can do this kind of exercise
They might/may/could be playing in an important final. anywhere.
Perhaps/Maybe it’s been a very long match. 5 …………………………………………..
It’s probably going to finish soon. I prefer to do exercise with lots of other
3 ………………………………………….. people.
I enjoy fast-moving sports more than
I think the tennis players are fitter than the people in
slower activities.
the exercise class.
I’d rather do something non-competitive.
Playing tennis like that is more exciting than doing an
exercise class. I find racket sports more fun than doing
the same exercise again and again.
These people are moving much more quickly than
those people.

Speaking Part 2 Test 1 Training 61

2 You will hear two candidates, Sofia and Riccardo, talking about two pictures in Speaking
Part 2. Read these instructions and the question above photos A and B on page C2.
What two things does Sofia (Candidate A) have to do? What does Riccardo (Candidate B)
have to do?

Part 2 4 minutes (6 minutes for groups of three)

(Candidate A), it’s your turn first. Here are your photographs on page C2.
They show young people with others who are close to them.

I’d like you to compare the photographs, and say why the two different
kinds of relationship are important to teenagers.

(Candidate B), do you prefer to spend your free time with family or
with friends?

3a Look at the photos and think about the instructions. Which of these things do
you think Sofia should and shouldn’t do? Put a ✓ or a ✗ next to 1–10. Give
reasons for the things she shouldn’t do.
1 Say what each person in both pictures is wearing.
2 Suggest who the different groups of people might be.
3 Say what the two groups are doing at the moment.
4 Contrast the ages of the people in the two pictures.
5 Talk about what the people might do next.
6 Give examples of the things young people can do with friends.
7 Give reasons why young people need to have friends.
8 Describe her own family and her closest friends.
9 Give examples of the things young people can do with their family.
10 Say why young people sometimes need their family’s support.

b 1 11 Now listen to the recording and check whether Sofia only talked about the things
you ticked.

4 1 11 Listen again. Tick

✓ the expressions similar to those in Useful language on page
61 that Sofia and Riccardo use. Which expressions do they use to introduce reasons and
examples?

62 Test 1 Training Speaking Part 2

 Test 1 Exam practice Speaking Part 2

Action plan
1 Listen to the instructions, study the pictures and 5 If you can’t name something in the pictures, use
read the question. other words (e.g. the thing you use for …).
2 Think about what you’re going to say. Imagine 6 When you answer the examiner’s question, give
you’re briefly describing the pictures to your opinion, with reasons and examples.
somebody who can’t see them. 7 Never interrupt your partner in Part 2. Listen
3 Don’t speak too quickly, or for less than a minute. carefully, so you can comment afterwards when
The examiner will say when it’s time to stop. the examiner asks you a question.
4 Don’t try to describe every detail. Just say what’s
similar and different about the pictures.

1 Look at the exam instructions below and photos A and B on page C3.
1 What two things do you (Candidate A) have to do?
2 What does your partner (Candidate B) have to do?
3 What will you say about the pictures?
4 How will you answer the question above the pictures?
2 If you have a partner, do this exam task in pairs. Remember that A talks for
Tip! If you make a mistake,
one minute, B for 30 seconds. it’s fine to correct
yourself, but then
continue talking and
In this part of the test, I’m going to give each of you two photographs. I’d
complete the task.
like you to talk about your photographs on your own for about a minute,
and also to answer a question about your partner’s photographs.

Tip! Make sure you spend
Candidate A), it’s your turn first. Here are your photographs on page C3. enough time on both
They show different places where fruit and vegetables are sold. comparing the photos
and answering the
I’d like you to compare the photographs, and say why you think people question about them.
choose to shop in these different places.
(Candidate B), Which of these places would you rather buy fruit and
vegetables in?

3 Look at the exam instructions below and photos A and B on page C4.
Tip! Before the exam, get
1 What two things does your partner (Candidate B) have to do? lots of practice talking
2 What do you (Candidate A) have to do? about pictures. A minute
can seem like a long
3 What could your partner say to compare and contrast the pictures?
time!
4 How do you think he or she will answer the question above the pictures?
5 How will you answer the question the examiner asks you (Candidate A)?
4 If you have a partner, do this exam task in pairs.

Now, (Candidate B), here are your photographs on page C4. They show
people who are related to each other.
I’d like you to compare the photographs, and say how important you
think the relationship is to the different people.
(Candidate A), Do you spend more of your free time with family or
with friends?

Speaking Part 2 Test 1 Exam practice 63